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Supreme Court affirms right to sue for pesticide harm

In a landmark decision, the Supreme Court today upheld the rights of citizens to sue for damages caused by pesticides, after Dow Chemical Company and the Bush Administration argued that the chemical industry should be shielded from such litigation.

27 Apr 2005

New research says global food demands threaten to outstrip world water supply

While many of today’s rivers, lakes and groundwater reservoirs continue to be overexploited, a new report launched today by leading scientists at the United Nations Commission on Sustainable Development warns that unless steps are taken to improve the way water is managed, twice the world’s current water consumption may be needed by 2050 to feed a global population of some 9 billion.

23 Apr 2005

Pollution exposure during pregnancy can cause chromosomal abnormalities in fetal tissues

A new study of newborns in New York City reveals that prenatal exposure to combustion-related urban air pollutants alters the structure of chromosomes (the carriers of genes) of babies in the womb.

23 Feb 2005

Exposure of expectant mothers to urban air pollution may alter the structure of babies' chromosomes while in the womb

A new study of 60 newborns in New York City reveals that exposure of expectant mothers to combustion-related urban air pollution may alter the structure of babies' chromosomes while in the womb.

15 Feb 2005

How polychlorinated biphenyls open brain cells to Parkinson's assault

University of Rochester scientists investigating the link between PCBs, pesticides and Parkinson's disease demonstrated new and intricate reactions that occur in certain brain cells, making them more vulnerable to injury after exposures.

9 Feb 2005

Instant tea may be a source of harmful levels of fluoride

The researchers found that some regular strength preparations contain as much as 6.5 parts per million (ppm) of fluoride, well over the 4 ppm maximum allowed in drinking water by the Environmental Protection Agency and 2.4 ppm permitted in bottled water and beverages by the Food and Drug Administration.

26 Jan 2005

Gold is rewriting the script

Pen strokes of the rich and famous and remote-controlled drug delivery systems of the future have been given the golden treatment in a new technology being developed at the University of Melbourne.

11 Jan 2005

Study highlights importance of pesticide worker dermal exposure

Agricultural pesticide workers are not only exposed to pesticides from inhalation, but also through their skin. The dermal route of exposure to chlorpyrifos, a common agricultural pesticide, is known to contribute substantially to workers’ total exposure

24 Nov 2004

On average, American households waste 14 percent of their food purchases

As they sit down to their Thanksgiving Day dinner, many Americans will marvel at the cornucopia of food at their table. What many don't think about is how much food is wasted, not just on Thursday, but every day, from the beginning of the harvest to the scraps tossed into the garbage.

23 Nov 2004

New antidotes for organophosphates are needed to prepare for chemical attacks in the West

Organophosphates are a group of organic compounds containing phosphorus, some of which are used as pesticides. Organophosphates have also been used in chemical weapons and nerve gas attacks, such as the sarin attack in Japan.

18 Nov 2004

Vietnam veterans had higher death rates in the first five years after discharge

Vietnam veterans had higher death rates in the first five years after discharge than veterans who did not serve in Vietnam, according to a 30-year follow-up study published in the September 27 issue of the Archives of Internal Medicine, one of the JAMA/Archives journals.

26 Sep 2004

Neck surgeons brush up on West Nile virus

Neck Surgery Foundation Annual Meeting & OTO EXPO, being held September 19-22, 2004, at the Jacob K. Javits Convention Center, New York City, NY.

17 Sep 2004

Full-term infants born to nonsmoking women living within two miles of the WTC weighed significantly less

A new study examines the effect of exposure to the September 11, 2001 destruction of the World Trade Center (WTC) on nonsmoking women who were pregnant at that time and delivered at three hospitals in lower Manhattan.

10 Sep 2004

Exposure to natural and man-made substances in the environment accounts for at least two-thirds of all the cases of cancer in the U.S.

These environmental factors include lifestyle choices like cigarette smoking, excessive alcohol consumption, poor diet, lack of exercise and excessive sunlight exposure. Other factors include exposure to certain medical drugs, hormones, radiation, viruses, bacteria, and chemicals that may be present in the air, water, food and workplace.

18 Aug 2004

Research to determine whether long term use of organophosphate insecticides and other pesticides leads to an increased risk of cancer

Researchers from Monash University, Australia will study the long-term health effects of pesticide use focusing on fruit growers in the Goulburn Valley.

2 Aug 2004

Up to 220 young children a day could be exposed to potentially dangerous levels of pesticides from eating fruit

New research by Friends of the Earth, published in a peer-reviewed journal this weekend, shows that up to 220 young children a day could have been exposed to potentially dangerous levels of pesticides just from eating a single apple or pear.

2 Aug 2004

Natural organohalogens have potent anticancer and antibacterial activity

Human made chemical compounds called organohalogens get loads of attention as they are best known for their often harmful effect on the environment - substances like the CFCs (the ozone-damaging chemicals), dioxin (found in the herbicide Agent Orange), PCBs (industrial fluids) and several pesticides.

22 Jul 2004