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John Kerry will overturn the ban on federal funding of research on new stem cell lines

Democratic Presidential candidate John Kerry today pledged to lift up families and create new jobs by once again making America the world leader in science.

22 Jun 2004

Cooking with gas increases risk of respiratory illness in young children

Cooking with gas seems to increase the risk of respiratory illness, indicates research in Archives of Disease in Childhood.

21 Jun 2004

Broker of air pollution credits arrested on federal wire fraud charges

A woman who owned a company that purportedly traded air pollution credits among Southern California businesses has been arrested on federal wire fraud charges

20 Jun 2004

100,000 child deaths ever year caused by outdoor and indoor air pollution, unsafe water, lead and injuries

100 000 deaths and 6 million years of healthy life lost (or DALYs) ever year, in children and adolescents from birth to 19 years of age, are caused by outdoor and indoor air pollution, unsafe water, lead and injuries.

20 Jun 2004

Urgent action needed across Europe to tackle childhood disease related to environmental conditions

Authors of a study in this week's issue of THE LANCET are calling for urgent governmental action across Europe to tackle childhood disease and deaths associated with poor environmental conditions in Europe.

17 Jun 2004

Pollution can contribute to the development of cardiovascular diseases

Journal of the American Heart Association reports that exposure to air pollution can contribute to the development of cardiovascular diseases.

2 Jun 2004

Greater the time spent in cars, higher the likelihood of obesity

A comprehensive study done by the Georgia Institute of Technology shows the built environment clearly relates to a person’s prospects for being overweight. Every additional 30 minutes a person spends in a car translates into a 3 percent greater chance of being obese.

31 May 2004

High levels of environmental pollution may increase the rates of twin births

High levels of environmental pollution may increase the rates of twin births, suggests research in Occupational and Environmental Medicine.

25 May 2004

Health Canada to tackle human health impacts of air pollution

Health Minister Pierre Pettigrew today announced the Government of Canada is allocating $1 million over the next year to fund cutting-edge research on the human health impacts of air pollution in support of the Georgia Basin/Puget Sound International Airshed Strategy, one of three pilot projects under the Canada-United States Border Air Quality Strategy.

20 May 2004

Scientists have taken the first steps towards producing a sustainable and pure source of the healthy fats found in oily fish

Eating such fish is encouraged as part of a healthy diet as their oils are rich in very long chain polyunsaturated fatty acids (VLCPUFAs). However, views on the health-promoting nature of VLCPUFAs have to be balanced against the marine pollution that can cause fish, and the oils extracted from them, to be contaminated with heavy metals and dioxins, and the fact that fish stocks are in global decline.

20 May 2004

Particles in the air we breathe may pose genetic risks to humans

Particles in the air we breathe may pose genetic risks to humans and wildlife, according to new findings by researchers at McMaster University.

15 May 2004

Project to develop air quality management system for a healthy, comfortable and safe in-vehicle environment

An EU-funded project is developing an innovative air quality management system for a healthy, comfortable and safe in-vehicle environment.

14 May 2004

American Lung Association welcomes EPA nonroad diesel rule

The American Lung Association has welcomed the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency move to clean up heavy equipment and diesel fuel. The rule closes the loophole that left millions of engines ranging from small construction equipment, tractors and heavy equipment like bulldozers under regulated.

11 May 2004

New Yorkers reminded to practice good asthma management

The New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene (DOHMH) today reminded New Yorkers with asthma - who may be at risk of increased symptoms during allergy season - to practice good asthma management, including identifying and avoiding asthma triggers and taking appropriate medications as directed by a health care provider.

5 May 2004

Parents who smoke at home much more likely to have children who suffer from asthma all year round

Children with asthma whose parents smoke at home are twice as likely to have asthma symptoms all year long than children of non-smokers, a new study shows.

4 May 2004

Millions of poor and minority children in America's cities likely will suffer higher rates of asthma

Millions of poor and minority children in America's cities likely will suffer even higher rates of asthma as the result of a "powerful one-two punch" of higher levels of pollen and changes in the types of molds spurred by global warming, along with unhealthy urban air masses caused by the burning of fossil fuel by cars, trucks and buses, according to a warning issued today by Harvard researchers and the American Public Health Association (APHA).

29 Apr 2004

High levels of microscopic, soot-like particles are increasing the risk of premature death

High levels of microscopic, soot-like particles are increasing the risk of premature death for millions of people, including those with heart or lung disease, according to the American Lung Association State of the Air: 2004 report released today.

29 Apr 2004

Russia's housing conditions linked to high rates of asthma amongst children

Scientists from the University of Birmingham, UK, have worked with the Harvard School of Public Health and universities in Russia to look for the first time at environmental factors causing breathing problems in Russian children.

28 Apr 2004

Morning cough six times more likely to disappear if you stop smoking

It seems logical enough: if you stop smoking, there is every chance that certain tobacco-related complaints will improve or even disappear. Yet no long-term study has ever been undertaken to confirm or disprove this piece of folk wisdom. A cohort study to be published in April's European Respiratory Journal (ERJ) will now fill that gap.

27 Apr 2004

Houston blows poor air not just hot air

A study by a Texas A&M University researcher shows that Houston has wild fluctuations of air pollution – far above acceptable national standards – and these could pose a serious health risk to the city's inhabitants unless controls are quickly started.

14 Apr 2004