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Environmental Health News Highlights
09/20/11
Webinar: EPA Scientist Develops Faster, Less Expensive Ways to Test Toxics
To view the recorded presentation, go to the link for the presentation:
https://www2.gotomeeting.com/register/899050586
You will be asked to enter your registration information.
AAIDD Environmental Health Initiative Webinar September 20 at 2:00 PM
Dr. William Mundy, Research Toxicologist at the National Health and Environmental Effects Research Laboratory of the U.S. EPA is developing innovative approaches to protect human health by developing cost-effective methods for testing and ranking chemicals for their potential to cause developmental neurotoxicity.
Historically, our knowledge about exposures to chemicals and their toxic effects relied on studying laboratory animals as surrogates for humans. To date, only a small number of the thousands of chemicals currently in commerce have been assessed for their potential toxicity. In particular, very few chemicals have been tested for effects on the developing nervous system. His efforts begin the process of making TSCA reform a reality through speedier and less expensive testing.
EPA is developing in vitro cultures of rodent and human neurons that recapitulate the critical processes of normal brain development, such as cell proliferation differentiation, growth, and synapse formation. These new methods will employ high throughput imaging technologies to detect chemical-induced changes in these processes at the cellular level.
Dr. Mundy presented a one hour program on the new testing methods on September 20, 2011. To view the presentation, go to:
https://www2.gotomeeting.com/register/899050586
06/09/11
AAIDD Environmental Health Initiative Workshop
The Environmental Health Initiative (EHI) presented a unique forum June 9 from 8:30 am to 3:00 pm at the St. Paul Crowne Plaza Hotel to explore the science, policy and economics of environmental exposures and the health impacts on those with intellectual and developmental disabilities (ID/DD).
To view the power points of the workshop speaker, click on the title of this item.
Supporting Organizations: Autism Society, Minnesota LEND Program, Minnesota Consortium on Disabilities, Arc Healthy Legacy; Learning Disabilities Association of America (LDA); and Learning and Developmental Disabilities Initiative (LDDI).
04/27/11
American Acadmy of Pediatrics Seeks Toxics Reform
An article published in the April issue of Pediatrics called for comprehensive reform of the US Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA) in a policy statement published this week in the peer-reviewed journal Pediatrics. The statement from the Academy recommends that chemical management policy in the United States be substantially revised to protect children and pregnant women and to better protect other populations. The statement brands current 30-year old legislation "ineffective" by failing to protect groups that are most vulnerable, and recommends that TSCA reform should consider the consequences of chemicals on the unborn, infants and their families. The 8-page document makes specific policy recommendations, including that chemicals should be tested to examine the potential effects on reproduction and fetal and infant development. It also recommends that specific chemicals should be banned based on a reasonable level of concern, rather than waiting for demonstrated evidence of harm.
04/18/11
Save the Date!
Save the Date!
Healthy Lives, Healthy Minds
AAIDD Environmental Health Initiative Workshop – June 9, 2001, St. Paul Crowne Plaza Hotel, St. Paul, MN
Healthy Lives, Healthy Minds
Providing the most updated information on science, policy and costs of chemical exposures as well as on the state/federal partnership on TSCA reform, the workshop builds on the successful December ’08 MN conference.
Thursday - 8:30 AM – 3:00 PM
Featured Presentations:
What is the science that links environmental exposures and impacts on the developing brain? David Wallinga, MD, MPA, Institute for Agriculture and Trade Policy
Health and Cost: How will federal and state reforms impact health and cost for those with intellectual and developmental disabilities? Dr. Leo Trasande, Mt. Sinai Hospital (national costs) and Kathleen Schuler, IATP (Healthy Legacy) (Minnesota costs)
Chemical Policy Reform Update – What’s happening at the federal and state levels?
Lindsay Dahl, Safer Chemicals, Healthy Families, Dan Endreson, Healthy Legacy and Kate Knuth,
Minnesota State Representative (invited) and sponsor of the ToxicFree Kids Act
Register at: www.aaidd.org Supporting Organizations:
Supported by: The John Merck Fund; MN Consortium on Disabilities;
Minnesota LEND Program The Arc of Greater Twin Cities; Autism Society (ASA); Healthy Legacy; Learning Disabilities Association of America (LDA); and Learning and Developmental Disabilities Initiative (LDDI)
03/03/11
Drywall Implicated in Infant Deaths in North Carolina
Last month, federal officials declared that 11 earlier infant deaths were not caused by environmental contaminants, but they did not suggest any alternative causes.
Four-and-a-half-month-old Jaxson Garza died on Feb. 24. His mother,Brittany Garza learned that her home was being tested for defective drywall and other environmental problems.
Ms. Garza said she recently spoke with the pathologist from the Armed Forces Institute of Pathology in Rockville, Md., who performed the autopsy. She said he told her that, so far, he hadn’t been able to find a cause for Jaxson’s death but that there appeared to be no external trauma.
Chris Grey, a spokesman for the Army's Criminal Investigation Command, known as CID, said that at this point Jaxson’s death is being investigated independent of the other infant death investigations at Fort Bragg.
The Consumer Product Safety Commission, the lead agency in the federal government’s two-year investigation of tainted drywall, has examined the 11 infant deaths and last month ruled out environmental causes.
02/10/11
Air Pollution Around Schools and Colleges
2/10/11
In 2008, the EPA and USA Today teamed up for a special report on air pollution around schools and colleges. In light of EPA's efforts to curb toxic air pollution from the three leading sources of man-made mercury emissions (power plants, industrial boilers, and cement kilns), it seems like this issue needs to be elevated. Use this handy tool to identify pollution rank and sources near you:http://content.usatoday.com/news/nation/environment/smokestack/index
01/11/11
EPA Revising Testing of Neurotoxicants
As the rates of learning disabilities, autism and related conditions rise, the Environmental Protection Agency is preparing to release new testing procedures for the pollutants likely to contribute to these or other disorders. An EPA team is developing sophisticated tests of developmental neurotoxicants — chemicals that damage the fetal and infant brain — and attempting to reduce the risk to the American public. EPA’s is expected to release the new protocols in the spring or early summer.
01/01/11
UK Government lessens protections for people with profound and multiple learning disabilities
The UK government responded to the “Raising Our Sights” report on services for people with profound and multiple learning disabilities (PMLD). Advocates for those with PMLD feared that the Government is not encouraging local authorities to specifically focus on the needs of this group of people. Without this, people with PMLD are at risk of being further marginalised.
The Government response to Raising Our Sights is at:
http://www.dh.gov.uk/prod_consum_dh/groups/dh_digitalassets/documents/digit=
alasset/dh_124256.pdf.
10/19/10
EPA Children's Health Conference
On October 19 - 20 2010, EHI Staff attended EPA's Children's Health Conference, Protecting Children's Health for a Lifetime: Environmental Health Research Meets Clinical Practice and Public Policy In Washington DC. Peter Grevatt, PhD, Director, EPA Office Of Children's Health Protection, moderated the two day meeting devoted to exploring the impacts of environmental exposures on children. The plenary sessions of the meeting were webcast live and included: The Children’s Environmental Health Community: Who, What, Where, and How; Prenatal Exposures; Environmental Exposures and Neurodevelopmental Effects; Role of Children's Environmental Health Science to Inform Chemicals Management; Children’s Environmental Health in a Global Context; Social and Community Context for Understanding Children’s Environmental Health Outcome; Federal Partnerships to Protect Children’s Environmental Health; Opportunities for Collaboration – Reporting Out From Breakouts; and The Big Talk – Next Steps for Children’s Environmental.
AAIDD EHI Staff learned and participated particularly on the neurodevelopmental effects presentation and the one on chemical management.
10/12/10
Aging, Environmental Health, and Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities Teleconference Series
This fall, the American Association on Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities (AAIDD) presents a distinguished panel of guest speakers to bring you a groundbreaking series of teleconference calls on aging, environmental health, and disability. This series is sponsored by the John Merck Fund. The series mirrors the contents of a thematic issue on healthy aging and the environment of the Public Policy & Aging Report of the Gerontological Society of America’s policy institute, the National Academy on an Aging Society. An electronic version of this publication will be made available for free to all webinar attendees. To access additional information or to listen to archived audio recordings, go to the Teleconferences tab on the EHI page. Thank you!
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