Articles

[kim]

Underlining mine......

 

http://www.ivanhoe.com/channels/p_channels...m?storyid=13302

 

Top 10 Skin Allergens Identified

(Ivanhoe Newswire) -- The 10 most common causes of allergic contact dermatitis were released in a new study from the Mayo Clinic.

 

The report shows the top allergens are nickel, gold, balsam of Peru -- a fragrance used in perfumes and skin lotions; thimerosal -- a mercury compound used in local antiseptics and vaccines; neomycin sulfate -- a topical antibiotic common in first aid creams and ointments; fragrance mix -- fragrance allergens in foods, cosmetics, dental products, and insecticides; formaldehyde -- a preservative; cobalt chloride -- a metal used in medical products, hair dye, antiperspirant, and items plated in metal like snaps and buttons; bacitracin -- a topical antibiotic; and quaternium 15 -- a preservative in cosmetic products and industrial products.

[kim]

December 17, 2006

 

Eli Lilly Said to Play Down Risk of Top Pill

 

By ALEX BERENSON

http://www.nytimes.com/2006/12/17/business/17drug.html

 

 

The drug maker Eli Lilly has engaged in a decade-long effort to play down

the health risks of Zyprexa, its best-selling medication for

schizophrenia, according to hundreds of internal Lilly documents and

e-mail messages among top company managers.

[Claire]

One more thing to track someday...? I hadn't realized that cloning was so far along. Not trying to start a discussion on ethics!

 

Claire

 

 

http://www.cnn.com/2006/HEALTH/12/28/clone...d.ap/index.html

 

FDA: Cloned livestock is safe to eat

 

WASHINGTON (AP) -- Meat and milk from cloned animals may not appear in supermarkets for years despite being deemed by the government as safe to eat. But don't be surprised if "clone-free" labels appear sooner.

...

Surveys have shown most are uncomfortable with the idea of cloned livestock. Industry research shows overall sales could drop 15 percent once clones are allowed in the food supply.

 

...

To produce a clone, the nucleus of a donor egg is removed and replaced with the DNA of a cow, pig or other animal. A tiny electric shock coaxes the egg to grow into a copy of the original animal.

[kim]

Hey, this conjures up all kinds of questions!

 

#1. Can I get a clone of me, so the one without the flu, could get some rest? Could I just keep her in the closet, and get her out, when I needed her? I sure wouldn't want to try to live with her. A little genetic engineering, to correct some things I'd like to change, would probably cost extra, hau?

 

#2. Why do they want to clone anyway? Are the bulls on strike?

 

#3. If they have this capability, really, can't they stop a cancer cell from replicating?

 

#5, Would this put the farmers out of work, or would they just go and buy a carton of cows, to raise?

 

#6. If they can do this, sure as heck, someone could give us a good answer on how much calcium to give with magnesium!

[Claire]

Kim you are a riot!

 

My son wants a 'twin' to go to school for him...

 

I found a lead-free calcium by the way! Hurrah!

 

"Phyto Therapy" Liquid Calcium. (it is in a soft gel)

2.5x calcium to magnesium, with 5 types of calcium and 3 forms of magnesium. Plus a little Boron and Vitamin D and Vitamin K.

 

If anyone wants it and can't find it, I can track down and post a website to buy it. I know I shouldn't bury it here...

 

Claire

[kim]

http://www.reutershealth.com/archive/2007/...205epid005.html

 

Some childhood psychiatric disorders trending upward in Denmark

 

Last Updated: 2007-02-05 16:00:50 -0400 (Reuters Health)

 

NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - The cumulative incidence of autism, hyperkinetic disorder and Tourette's syndrome among children has increased significantly between 1995 and 2004, investigators in Denmark report. In contrast, the incidence of obsessive-compulsive disorder has remained relatively unchanged during the same period.

 

 

http://www.guardian.co.uk/uk_news/story/0,,2006552,00.html

 

Researchers have known for several years that diagnoses of autism are increasing, but the new research suggests that Tourette syndrome and hyperkinetic disorder are also being more commonly identified in children.

 

http://www.newsday.com/news/health/ny-hsle...0,3014503.story

 

Low levels of mercury and lead exposure can damage developing brain cells -- a finding that might help explain how these toxicants can lead to a host of mental and medical problems, a new study said.

 

http://www.bizjournals.com/sacramento/stor...html?from_rss=1

 

UC Davis receives $1.5M for Tourette's syndrome research

Sacramento Business Journal - September 8, 2006

[Guest]

Kim & Others,

 

Here's an article I found about a study now linking autism to the father. This all seems really familiar in terms of how things for TS have progressed. First Autism is underdiagnosed/misdiagnosed. Now Autism is so much more common and a study links some to the father. Lastly, they are using Risperdal for Autism.

 

 

Autism father effect

- Calcutta study finds possible cause

G.S. MUDUR

 

New Delhi, Jan. 24: In the first study of the genetics of autism in India, scientists in Calcutta have found that some fathers may transfer a version of a gene that makes their children susceptible to autism.

 

The researchers at the Manovikas Biomedical Research and Diagnostic Centre and other city institutions have found what they describe as a “possible paternal effect” that may underlie susceptibility to autism — a brain disorder marked by unusual behaviour and lack of communication abilities.

 

The scientists caution that their finding is based on a small sample of autistic children and will need to be verified through larger studies. “We don’t want anyone to jump to conclusions about a paternal role in autism, but this study raises issues that need to be explored further,” said Swagata Sinha, a psychiatrist at the Manovikas Centre and a member of the research team.

 

“We’re seeking clues to unravel the cause of autism — this is important for science and for parents with autistic children. Every parent wants to know the exact cause. And, at the moment, we have no answer to give them,” Sinha told The Telegraph.

 

The findings have been published this month in the journal American Journal of Medical Genetics: Neuropsychiatric Genetics.

 

Medical researchers have long suspected that autism is a multiple gene disorder with several genes and perhaps other unknown factors in the environment leading to the disorder.

 

“But it is also a highly heritable disorder — it can run in families,” said Usha Rajamma, a geneticist and principal investigator in the study.

 

The Calcutta researchers analysed sequences of a gene called reelin ina group of 73 autistic children and 80 children with no neurologicaldisorders as well as their parents who volunteered for the study.

 

Six years ago, scientists in Italy had shown that reelin may have a role in susceptibility to autism.

 

“The reelin gene is known to play a role in the development of thebrain and has been suspected to be a candidate gene involved inautism,” Rajamma said.

 

When Rajamma and her colleagues analysed reelin sequences in a group of 58 autistic children and their parents, they detected what they have described as “significant paternal transmission” of a particular variant of reelin.

 

“The reelin variant we’ve observed is very common in India, but byitself, it does not lead to autism,” Rajamma said. Autism is a multi-factor disorder and only when the right combination of all the susceptibility genes and the environmental factors are present does a person get autism, she said.

 

While there are no statistics from India, international studies suggest that 1 in 500 to 1 in 1,000 people have autism, indicating that India may have nearly two million autistic persons.

 

http://www.telegraphindia.com/1070125/asp/...ory_7308461.asp

[Giselle]

Hi everyone - more monkey business with antibiotics - we're doomed - now I never have to remind myself why I pay $10.99 a pound for organic beef!

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/conte...0301311_pf.html

 

Giselle

[kim]

Book Review, Posted March 10, 2007

 

Genetic Roulette: The Documented Health Risks of Genetically Engineered Foods

 

Author: Jeffrey M. Smith

 

Publisher: Yes! Books, http://www.GeneticR oulette.com; hardcover; 336

pages; $27.95

 

http://www.organicc onsumers. org/articles/ article_4476. cfm

 

In his foreword to Genetic Roulette, former UK government environment

minister Michael Meacher says, "This is the authentic book on genetic

modification that the world has been waiting for. . . . The case presented

is absolutely a smoking shotgun that should stop in its tracks any

dabbling with GM foods, whether by individual families, food companies, or

indeed nations." Best-selling author John Robbins says, "Genetic Roulette

is dynamite. It totally explodes the complacency and apathy that has been

allowing genetically engineered foods to creep into our food supply." And

GMO experts Arpad Pusztai and Susan Bardocz write, "Jeffrey Smith's

Genetic Roulette destroys the myth that genetically modified organisms are

safe and will give sleepless nights to uncritical supporters of GMOs. . .

. It is a real treasure and the most important GMO source book for policy

makers, scientists, and the public."

 

According to Molecules of Emotion author Candace Pert, PhD, Genetic

Roulette's author "Jeffrey Smith is the leading world expert in the

understanding and communication of the health issues surrounding

genetically modified foods." Indeed, his first book Seeds of Deception

became the #1 rated and best-selling book on GMOs. Seeds made a huge

impact and is credited with influencing legislation and changing the

global debate on the subject. Now, in Genetic Roulette, Smith has answered

the human health risk question as he calls for an immediate ban on GM

product by consumers and governments.

 

65 dangers at a glance read easily across two-page spreads

 

Joan Dye Gussow, author of This Organic Life and professor emeritus of

Nutrition and Education at Columbia University, says Genetic Roulette is

"remarkably thorough, well-written, brilliantly designed, and deeply

disturbing." She urges people to, "Read this book, or skim it - a feat the

author has enabled with a format that allows for scanning or thorough

reading." The format Gussow describes consists of 65 two-page spreads,

each dedicated to a different adverse finding or theoretical risk of GM

foods. The left side's executive summary offers knowledge at a glance.

Flip through the pages in a few minutes and you will be struck by reports

of hundreds of people with toxic or allergic reactions, thousands of sick,

sterile or dead animals, and countless ways in which GM foods are

inherently dangerous and virtually untested.

 

Read the detailed explanations on the right side, to learn that lab

animals fed GM soy had altered sperm cells and embryos, and a five-fold

increase in infant mortality, or that genes might transfer from GM corn to

turn your intestinal bacteria into living pesticide factories‹for the

long-term. These and other meticulously documented revelations shred the

baseless arguments used by the biotech industry to defend their products.

 

Masterful recipe for decision-making

 

Cancer Prevention Coalition chairman Samuel Epstein, MD, describes the

book as "The most comprehensive, well-documented and highly readable

expose on the serious health dangers of GM foods." Meacher says, "What has

long been needed is not more polemic, but the facts, the unvarnished

detail that provides the evidence on which people can make up their own

minds. This book is it." In fact, it presents a masterful recipe for

decision-making; the 65 two-page spreads offer a kind of safety checklist

- risks and findings that must be responded to. Pediatrician and author

Alan Greene of DrGreene.com says, "We ought either to satisfy ourselves

with solid scientific answers to the concerns clearly laid out in Genetic

Roulette-or we should change the way we eat."

 

The book sounds the alarm with parents and schools

 

The book explains why children and newborns are most at risk from

potential allergens, toxins, and nutritional problems associated with GM

foods. Jordan Rubin, best-selling author of The Maker's Diet, says, "As a

health educator and parent of a young child, I will do everything within

my power to keep these dangerous genetically modified foods out of the

cupboards and refrigerators and off of the kitchen tables of those I care

about. The best way I can do that is to strongly recommend the book."

Robyn O'Brien, founder of AllergyKids and mother of four, says "The health

risks associated with these new foods have the potential to impact every

child in America-not just those with food allergies." She says the book is

a "must read" for parents. And Dr. Richard Beall, director of the Carolina

International School, says, "I urge school administrators to read Genetic

Roulette and take preventive action to protect the long-term health of

your students."

 

Genetic Roulette hits mainstream influence and may force GM food bans

 

Beginning in April 2007, organizations around the world will present

Genetic Roulette to government officials as evidence that GM foods are

unsafe and need to be banned immediately. The prominence of U.S. Senator

Jon Tester's supporting quote on the back cover indicates that Smith is

aiming for decision makers at the highest level. Meacher says, "I believe

it will inspire leaders in many different arenas to take action."

 

Officials can't simply use the excuse that their national regulatory

agencies ensure GM food safety, because part two of Genetic Roulette shows

just the opposite. Government assessments are not competent to even

identify most of the potential health problems. Furthermore, part 3

exposes in great detail how GM food producers rig their studies in order

to avoid showing problems. And part four dismantles the "feed the world"

argument as baseless PR hype.

 

Frances Moore Lappe, author of Democracy's Edge and Diet for a Small

Planet, says thanks to Smith's "tireless investigations, we need wonder no

longer why corporations spreading GMOs are so secretive, why they've spent

hundreds of millions to keep us from even knowing which foods contain

GMOs. They don't want us to examine the shoddy science, the suppressed

evidence, and, most of all, the real health risks that GMOs present."

 

Meacher writes, "Jeffrey Smith is one of the great campaigners of our age,

a relentless pursuer of the truth, a fearless advocate in the corporate

world of secret influence, and a ceaseless promoter of the public interest

across the world. He is the modern David against the GM Goliath. This book

may well provide the slingshot to change the global course of events this

century."

 

************ ********* ********* ********* ********* ********* ********* ***

 

"I used to test for soy allergies all the time, but now that soy is

genetically engineered, it is so dangerous that I tell people never to eat

it-unless it says organic. Genetic Roulette tells you why you must avoid

genetically engineered foods to stay healthy."

 

-John H. Boyles, MD, ear, nose, and

throat, and allergy specialist

 

"When I worked at Monsanto, I warned both scientists and executives that

our GM foods may cause disease, but no one was even willing to listen, let

alone investigate the unpredicted side effects. For them, it was all about

profit. Now our whole population is threatened by the serious dangers

described in Genetic Roulette."

 

-Kirk J. Azevedo, DC

 

Genetic Roulette will be available starting in April 2007. Pre-orders

placed in March at http://www.GeneticR oulette.com will have free shipping.

The official publication of the book will take place in June, in

conjunction with a major consumer education campaign to be announced shortly.

[Irena]

Today, I came accross this article. It is so shocking it is hard to belive it can be true. Have you ever heard about fetal cell cultures being used in vaccines? Have you ever come accross some medical or scientific sources of such info? http://www.catholiceducation.org/articles/...ics/me0044.html

[kim]

Yep...true

 

Just google human DNA/human diploid cells and vaccines.

 

Here's one article

 

http://nccn.net/~wwithin/abortedtissue.htm

 

the vaccine package inserts will verify

[kim]

Cross post from autisminfo

 

"Brain in the News" from the desk of Dr.Amen

 

Folate and B Vitamins May Decrease Alzheimer's and Birth Defect Risks

 

Philosophically, I've long been a proponent of the use of natural

supplements to promote healthy brain function throughout our lives.

Pharmaceutical- grade vitamins and nutrients, when taken in the

appropriate manner, dramatically affect our brains, cognitive thought

capacity and the general aging process. In fact, the American Medical

Association recently reversed a 20-year position on multi-vitamins and

now recommends everyone take them every day.

 

I talk about this in my book, Preventing Alzheimer's, you really can

reduce your risk of dementia in your later years or slow down the

process once it's begun. In a recent American Medical Association

AmedNews publication Susan Landers reported on a link between folic

acid, vitamin B-6 and Alzheimer's disease…

 

Washington -- Folate has maintained a relatively low profile since

1998 when it was added, in folic acid, to the nation's grain supply.

Now, thanks to the publication of new studies, this nutrient is

re-entering the limelight. Findings suggest that this B vitamin could

play a role in slowing cognitive impairment and, teamed with vitamin

B-6, might decrease the risk of Alzheimer's disease by lowering

homocysteine levels.

 

Meanwhile, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention raised

concerns with a report that the folate status of women of childbearing

age is declining despite long-standing evidence that adequate doses of

this vitamin in the diets of newly pregnant women can help prevent

neural tube defects in their infants. These studies are generating new

discussions on just how much folate is required for good health and on

the risks of taking too much or too little.

 

The findings mean different things for patients of different ages.

Older people are likely to be attracted by the news of folic acid's

potential for improving cognition, but they need to be warned that too

much folic acid can result, indirectly, in cognitive impairment. And

young women may need to be reminded to take a supplement for the

health of future offspring.

 

"I think it's very appropriate that we are paying a lot of attention

to this vitamin these days," said Joel Mason, MD, director of the

vitamins and carcinogenesis laboratory at the USDA Nutrition Research

Center on Aging at Tufts University in Boston. "I think we are finding

that it does have an impact on a lot of aspects of our health that we

were not formerly aware of."

 

I think it's great that we're discovering and discussing these key

links to natural supplements and health. It's part of our corporate

culture at Amen Clinics, Inc., to develop and provide the highest

quality natural supplements available for our patients. This month

we're introducing a new multi-vitamin for adults and kids – NeuroVite.

I'm so convinced it is the best formulation available I take it myself.

 

I heartily recommend that everyone take a top-grade multi-vitamin and

a fish oil supplement every day; it will change your brain. Change

your brain, change your life!

 

To Your Brain Health,

Daniel

 

Daniel Amen, M.D.

CEO, Amen Clinics, Inc.

Distinguished Fellow, American Psychiatric Association

 

 

 

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/health/6480319.stm

 

Blueberries tackle bowel cancer

 

Other studies suggest blueberries may fight cancer and diabetes

A compound in blueberries may be good for preventing bowel cancer, US scientists believe

 

The blueberry compound also reduced inflammation and the rate of cell division in the bowel, which are both considered to be cancer risk factors.

[kim]

Many articles thanks to posters at autisminfo!

 

 

Scent of danger?

 

By JEANNÉ MCCARTIN

features@seacoaston line.com

 

Complete Health Index

 

So what do you get when you mix honeysuckle laundry detergent, lemony

air-freshener, pine-sweet wood cleaner and a summer spring candle? Don't

know? Chances are no one else does either. At least there hasn't been any

mandated research on the issue.

 

What we do know is, if you're not buying very specific products, you have

a lot of chemicals wafting through your air.

 

Calls requesting information on the effects of these products went out to

the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission, two offices in the

Environmental Protection Agency and to the press office of the Food and

Drug Administration. The response was, no one is required to oversee the

combination of ingredients that create scents in our household products.

There are no laws requiring household manufacturers to disclose product

ingredients. There are no laws requiring cosmetics and personal care

products to be tested before hitting the market either.

 

Does it matter?

 

Fair question.

 

The answer isn't clear because the research isn't there. The average

Americans, where and when they can find ingredients, are expected to

determine on their own if methylene chloride, ir a-pinene (which damages

the immune system) or g-terpinene, (which the EPA says causes central

nervous systems disorders) in different combinations pose a health treat.

CNS disorders include multiple sclerosis, Parkinson's disease, Alzheimer's

disease and sudden infant death syndrome.

 

But, if you take a look at the list of ingredients commonly used in these

products, you might imagine that it matters quite a bit. One fact the EPA

is clarifying is that indoor air quality of many homes, even outside major

industrial areas, can be worse than outdoor air quality in even the

largest and most industrialized cities. To add more to that mix "" in the

name of smell "" may not be one of the wisest choices. Let's call this a

cautionary tale.

 

Is caution really necessary?

 

"Yes," says Natalie Cadranel, project manager at Healthy Child Healthy

World, a national leader in protecting children from harmful environmental

exposures. "Air fresheners or fragrances are most likely synthesized,

primarily from petroleum products. Most use more than one chemical, from

10 to hundreds on average. About 3,000 chemicals are used in the fragrance

industry, but hardly any of these have been tested for their

cancer-causing potential or other health effects."

 

And importantly, none has been tested on children, she adds. These

products are potentially harmful and unhealthy.

 

"If made with these dangerous chemicals, then they definitely lead to poor

indoor-air quality and increase the chances of skin irritation or an

allergic reaction."

 

There are many groups forming to address this issue, among them Citizens

for a Toxic-Free Marin. According to information compiled by members and

posted on the Web site 84 percent of scent-product ingredients have never

been tested for human toxicity, or have been tested only minimally.

 

It further states approximately 95 percent of chemicals used in fragrances

are derived from petrochemicals, which may enter the bodies of users by

nose or skin and that in 1986 the National Academy of Sciences targeted

fragrances as one of the six categories of chemicals that should be given

high priority for neurotoxicity testing.

 

A source of ingredient information is the industry-generated Material

Safety Data Sheets (MSDS). By law these lists are only required to contain

potentially hazardous substances as defined by the U.S. government's

Occupational Safety and Health Administration. OSHA cannot mandate

manufacturers disclose elements that are not required by the Hazard

Communication Standard.

 

A sample of a dryer sheet listing includes alpha-terpineol, which the EPA

says may cause CNS disorders, among a long list of other ailments. Another

is camphor, which is readily absorbed through body tissues. It too is a

potential cause of CNS disorders. Among its side-effects are dizziness,

twitching muscles and convulsions. The EPA listing warns "avoid inhalation

of vapors."

 

There are 33 cautionary fragrance products listed on the Toxic-Free Marin

Web site garnered from the EPA's own. Among them is Acetone, found in

cologne, dishwashing liquid and detergent and on the list of hazardous

waste. It acts primarily as a central nervous system depressant. There's

Benzldehye, which shows up in hairspray, deodorants, bar soap shampoo and

soaps. It's another CNS depressant, also listed as a narcotic. One of its

numerous warnings is it may cause kidney damage. Benzyl Acetate is found

in most the above, and fabric softener and air fresheners. It's a

carcinogenic "" it carries a warning to not flush to the sewer.

 

Another on the EPA Hazardous Waste list is ethyl acetate, which can be

found in aftershave, shampoo and dishwashing liquid. Among the EPA

warnings are irritation to the eyes and respiratory tract and damage to

liver and kidneys. The warning reads "Wash thoroughly after handling." And

the list goes on.

 

No one has done the math or any other form of testing on the combinations

of these ingredients. Perfume, like so many home products, belong to the

wild, wild chemical west. What is certain is that illnesses are on the

rise and the causes are unclear. And, according to Cadranel, allergic

reactions to fragrances are on the rise.

 

"(They're) increasing from 9 percent to about 12 to 13 percent of

dermatitis patients over the last decade," she says, quoting Dr. Donald

Belsito, a dermatologist at the University of Kansas Medical Center, in a

February 2002 MSNBC article "Scents and Sensitivities. "

 

Without having a list in front of you, the best indication of what is in a

product is the warning on the labels, says Patty Davis at the EPA. The EPA

is responsible for ensuring warnings of regulated substances appear on

labels, "if a product "¦ requires a cautionary use, a warning, such as

ventilated room, etc. But the regulation does not address the chemicals."

 

Davis highly recommends consumers read with care.

 

David Deegan, spokesman for the New England EPA regional office, suggests

checking the EPA's Web site. "We don't warn, but we do educate about

indoor air."

 

"The take-home message for people is some of this comes down to exercising

common sense. If you have child with asthma, be careful of candles and

other scented items. Same goes for those with asthma and other respiratory

illness. "¦ But it's important to consult with a physician. "¦. But the

main thing you can do to regulate quality is ventilate."

 

There was also the suggestion to not store what you're not going to use,

don't buy more than you need.

 

No one interviewed said don't buy unless it's a necessary product. Just

choose fewer and wisely, or maybe an alternative product that doesn't have

a roster of chemicals on a hazardous waste list. The public may also

consider asking government officials to consider requiring all

ingredients, and their health risks, be listed. Could that be the smell of

change in the air?

 

CHECK IT OUT

 

Healthy Child Healthy World: http://www.healthyc hild.org

US Consumer Products Safety Commission: http://www.cpsc. gov

US Environmental Protection Agency: http://www.epa. gov/iaq/voc. html

 

*

 

The material in this post is distributed without

profit to those who have expressed a prior interest

in receiving the included information for research

and educational purposes.For more information go to:

http://www4. law.cornell. edu/uscode/ 17/107.html

http://oregon. uoregon.edu/ ~csundt/document s.htm

If you wish to use copyrighted material from this

email for purposes that go beyond 'fair use', you

must obtain permission from the copyright owner.

 

* * ** * * ** * *

 

http://www.biomedcentral.com/1471-2172/8/5/abstract

 

Vitamin D and the vitamin D receptor are critical for control of the innate immune response to colonic injury

 

http://www.internationalbreastfeedingjourn.../2/1/6/abstract

 

Interesting note on stress and inflammation

 

A new paradigm for depression in new mothers: the central role of inflammation and how breastfeeding and anti-inflammatory treatments protect maternal mental health

 

March 31, 2007

 

Pet Food Contained Chemical Found in Plastic, F.D.A. Says

 

By BRENDA GOODMAN

http://www.nytimes. com/2007/ 03/31/us/ 31petfood. html

 

http://www.epa.gov/iaq/voc.html

 

Read "The Inside Story: A Guide to Indoor Air Quality"

Organic Gases (Volatile Organic Compounds - VOCs)

Volatile organic compounds (VOCs) are emitted as gases from certain solids or liquids. VOCs include a variety of chemicals, some of which may have short- and long-term adverse health effects. Concentrations of many VOCs are consistently higher indoors (up to ten times higher) than outdoors. VOCs are emitted by a wide array of products numbering in the thousands. Examples include: paints and lacquers, paint strippers, cleaning supplies, pesticides, building materials and furnishings, office equipment such as copiers and printers, correction fluids and carbonless copy paper, graphics and craft materials including glues and adhesives, permanent markers, and photographic solutions.

 

http://www.scrippsn ews.com/node/ 20727

 

The abrupt collapse of bee colonies typically leave only a queen and a few

attendants remaining alive. Pathogens, pesticides and mites have all been

blamed.

 

Scientists more generally say "stress" _ physical, not emotional _ can

compromise bees' immune systems. Beyond that, numerous research questions

beckon. Publicly, it's heating up too; the subcommittee hearing Thursday

morning attracted multiple camera crews.

 

FROM A DIFFERENT ARTICLE

 

'A different kind of political problem faces beekeepers that want federal

regulators to tighten pesticide rules. Currently, the Environmental

Protection Agency requires that pesticides be tested for adult bee

toxicity. In a proposal pesticide manufacturers might resist, beekeepers

say chemicals should also be assessed for their potential to cause

non-fatal harm. "Some pesticides may cause bees to lose their memory,

which prevents them from flying back to their hive," Brandi testified.'

[kim]

http://www.theglobeandmail.com/servlet/sto...ory/Environment

 

Paul, DS, AW Harmon, V Devesa, DJ Thomas and M Styblo. 2007. Molecular mechanisms of the diabetogenic effects of arsenic: Inhibition of insulin signaling by arsenite and methylarsonous acid. Environmental Health Perspectives. Published online Jan. 29, 2007. (DOI:10.1289/ehp9867).

 

Synopsis by Dr. Edward Orlando and Wendy Hessler April 6, 2007

 

Arsenic interferes with the ability of human fat cells to regulate their blood sugar, according to new research. The effect is evident at exposure levels below what is necessary for overt toxicity. This result may help explain how the heavy metal contributes to type II diabetes, a chronic, life-changing disease.

[Laurensmom]

Kim you have posted some great info here, thanks!