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Scientists discover new metabolic pathway which makes gliomas more aggressive

A research alliance of Heidelberg University Hospital and the German Cancer Research Center, jointly with colleagues of the Helmholtz Center for Environmental Research in Leipzig, have discovered a new metabolic pathway which makes malignant brain tumors (gliomas) more aggressive and weakens patients' immune systems.

7 Oct 2011

International symposium on Persistent Organic Pollutants to take place in Brussels

The 31st international symposium on Persistent Organic Pollutants (Dioxin 2011) will take place in Brussels from August 22 to 25, 2011, bringing together close to 1000 specialists from the world over.

18 Aug 2011

UH environmental engineer to test parts of Galveston Bay for dioxins and PCBs

A University of Houston environmental engineer will test parts of Galveston Bay for toxic chemicals in an effort to help state officials determine the best way to handle those pollutants.

8 Jun 2011

Thermo Fisher Scientific launches new triple quadrupole gas chromatography-mass spectrometry system

Thermo Fisher Scientific Inc. has announced the launch of its new triple quadrupole gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS/MS) system designed to offer best-in-class selectivity, analytical performance and productivity. The Thermo Scientific TSQ Quantum XLS Ultra delivers the increased matrix selectivity needed for challenging applications that require lower levels of quantitation in extremely complex matrix extracts. With its exceptional sensitivity, easy detection and reliable peak integration, the system provides superior performance for the most difficult of matrix challenges.

From Thermo Fisher Scientific Inc. 7 Jun 2011

Tocopherol derivatives as new dioxin receptor antagonists

When reactive oxygen species (ROS) hit the body, vitamin E helps to prevent damage to tissues and cells by acting as an antioxidant. The health benefits of vitamin E are numerous, and in fact, studies have found that people with higher levels of vitamin E in their system have a lower risk of heart disease and certain forms of cancer. A team led by Thomas Rosenau from the University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences in Vienna (Austria) now describe their synthesis of a series of modified vitamin E derivatives that show promise as dioxin receptor antagonists in the European Journal of Organic Chemistry.

18 Mar 2011

New report highlights wide range of hazardous air pollutants emitted from power plants

The American Lung Association today released Toxic Air: The Case for Cleaning Up Coal-fired Power Plants, a new report that documents the range of hazardous air pollutants emitted from power plants and the urgent need to clean them up to protect public health.

8 Mar 2011

The Food Integrity and Traceability Conference to take place at Queen's University Belfast

As food scares, such as the recent detection of dioxins in eggs from Germany, become more frequent, the public should be reassured that advances in science are helping reduce the risks from eating contaminated foods.

27 Jan 2011

New communication toolkit could improve information and advice on emerging food risks

Improvements in the delivery of information and advice on emerging food risks could lead to fewer food-related illnesses, a reduction in economic losses related to food scares, and improved consumer confidence in foods.

20 Dec 2010

UB study: Vietnam veterans exposed to Agent Orange are more likely to develop Graves' disease

Vietnam War-era veterans exposed to Agent Orange appear to have significantly more Graves' disease, a thyroid disorder, than veterans with no exposure, a new study by endocrinologists at the University at Buffalo has shown.

29 Jun 2010

EPA reviews dioxin exposure study conducted by the University of Michigan

U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's Office of Research and Development has completed its review of a dioxin exposure study conducted by the University of Michigan in the Midland-Saginaw, Michigan area. EPA found the study was conducted well and provided useful, scientifically credible information. However, the study is of limited value to help EPA fully evaluate human exposure to levels of dioxin in the Tittabawassee River and Saginaw River and Bay.

1 Oct 2009

Researchers find increased risk of breast cancer in women from the industrial accident zone

People living in the Seveso area of Italy, which was exposed to dioxin after an industrial accident in 1976, have experienced an increased risk of developing cancer. Researchers writing in BioMed Central's open access journal Environmental Health found an increased risk of breast cancer in women from the most exposed zone and an excess of lymphatic and hematopoietic tissue neoplasms in all but the least exposed zone.

15 Sep 2009

Researchers investigate dioxin decomposition in the Viktor Yushchenko poisoning

In 2004 the current Ukrainian president, Viktor Yushchenko, suffered a severe case of dioxin poisoning. In order to understand how the human body reacts to remove the poison, Empa researchers have analyzed over a hundred samples taken from the politician.

6 Aug 2009

Dioxins in food chain linked to breastfeeding problems

Exposure to dioxins during pregnancy harms the cells in rapidly-changing breast tissue, which may explain why some women have trouble breastfeeding or don’t produce enough milk, according to a University of Rochester Medical Center study.

9 Jun 2009

Exposure to Agent Orange increases risk of aggressive recurrence of prostate cancer

Veterans exposed to Agent Orange are at increased risk of aggressive recurrence of prostate cancer, researchers report.

20 Apr 2009

A potential therapeutic target for gastric cancer

Gastric cancer (GC) is the fourth most common malignancy and the second most frequent cause of cancer-related death in the world.

20 Apr 2009

Prenatal exposure to environmental pollutants linked to higher BMI in toddlers

A new study reveals an association between prenatal exposure to environmental pollutants and elevated body mass index (BMI) during the first three years of life, as reported in the January 2009 issue of the peer-reviewed journal Environmental Health Perspectives (EHP).

15 Jan 2009

Dioxins in Irish pork causes food scare in Britain

A food scare in Britain involving pork from Ireland has forced all major supermarkets to remove all Irish pork products from their shelves because of concerns they may contain toxic dioxins.

8 Dec 2008

Exposure to Dioxin linked to increased heart problems

Dioxins, environmental pollutants resulting from the production and combustion of chlorinated compounds, have been linked to an increase in ischemic heart disease (IHD) and cardiovascular disease (CVD) mortality rates, as reported in a review article in the November 2008 issue of the peer-reviewed journal Environmental Health Perspectives (EHP).

20 Nov 2008

Grant funds research on environmental link to breast cancer

A foundation that funds research that examines the environmental causes of breast cancer has awarded a grant to a post-doctoral associate at the University of Rochester Medical Center.

23 Oct 2008

Compound in red wine may prevent breast cancer

Red wine, or rather the natural compound resveratrol found in the red grapes used to make the wine, is in the news again for all the right reasons.

8 Jul 2008