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tagged w/ Poison
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Harvard coffee poisoning not an accident
By BOB SALSBERG
Associated Press Writer
BOSTON (AP) -- One of six Harvard Medical School researchers sickened after drinking coffee laced with a toxic chemical said Monday he does not see how the poisoning could have been accidental, but has no idea who might be responsible.
University police and other agencies are investigating the Aug. 26 poisonings, which were revealed in an internal memo to medical school faculty last week. The memo identified the substance as sodium azide, a common preservative used in school labs, but did not indicate whether officials believed the laced coffee to be accidental or intentional.
"I always thought it was a deliberate substance added to the coffee," said Matteo Iannacone (pronounced mah-TAY'-oh eye-a-nah-KOH'-nee), a postdoctoral fellow.
"It was too strange for me to be an accident," he told the Associated Press in an interview Monday.
Iannacone said he immediately noticed a "weird" taste after sipping an espresso he poured from a coffee machine in an eighth-floor lounge near his research lab. After taking a second sip to make sure he wasn't imagining the foul taste, he began feeling dizziness and a rapid heartbeat, but said the symptoms passed quickly.
Two of the researchers who drank coffee earlier in the day had fainted, but officials did not immediately connect their illnesses to the coffee machine, Iannacone said.
An ambulance carried Iannacone to nearby Brigham and Women's Hospital for treatment. Doctors could find nothing wrong, he said.
Iannacone said university officials privately told him the results of toxicology tests last week. Daniel G. Ennis, executive dean for administration, and Richard M. Shea, associate dean for physical planning and facilities, later sent the internal memo to Harvard Medical School faculty.
"As the investigation continues, we are being prudent and taking additional precautionary measures to ensure the well being of our community," the memo said.
Among the steps being taken was installation of additional security cameras in buildings and "strengthening security systems that manage access to the laboratories during both normal business hours and off hours," according to the memo.
Iannacone said he was unaware of any threats against the school and did not know of any controversial research that might have made the facility or any of its researchers potential targets.
"I have no idea who might have done this thing," he said. To me it doesn't look like a joke, obviously, because we were not far from a lethal dose."
The machine was a single-serve coffee maker with a water reserve that is filled manually, not the type that is plugged directly into the building's water supply.
While surprised that it took nearly two months for the investigation to reveal the cause of the illnesses, Iannacone thinks the university has done a thorough job.
"I am satisfied with the way they have answered questions," he said, adding that he agrees with improving security at the school.
David Cameron, a spokesman for Harvard Medical School, said officials decided not to make a school-wide announcement until definitive results were known.
"The toxicologists who were looking at this had to ... try to figure out what is the short list of agents that could have done this and then conduct tests for those particular agents. So it took roughly this long to finally come up with a definitive test to say it was sodium azide," Cameron said.
Once the results were known, the people who had ingested the chemical were notified individually.
Sodium azide is colorless and odorless with a salt-like texture. It can explode when shocked or heated, and is used to trigger air bags to inflate upon impact. It can dissolve in some liquids, including water.
Exposure can cause rapid breathing and heart rate, low blood pressure, loss of consciousness and respiratory failure leading to death, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.By BOB SALSBERG Associated Press Writer BOSTON (AP) -- One of six Harvard Medical... more-
- ksutherland27
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- 19 days ago
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Scientists hope work with poison gas can be a lifesaver
A wiry, slightly hunched man presses in a few numbers, the electronic lock gives way with a beep and the group presses into the crowded laboratory, plastered with ominous warnings about toxins and biohazards.
Breathing a small amount of toxic hydrogen sulfide gas put this mouse into a state that looked much like death.
1 of 3 Guiding the visitors at the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center is Mark Roth, a 50-year-old biologist with a tall forehead, thinning red hair and a perpetual wry smile. He asks his assistant, Jennifer Blackwood, if the rat is ready. It is. She turns a dial, and the sealed enclosure starts to fill with poison gas -- hydrogen sulfide. An ounce could kill dozens of people.
The rat sniffs the air a few times, and within a minute, his naturally twitchy movements are almost still. On a monitor that shows his rate of breathing, the lines look like a steep mountain slope, going down.
At first glance, that looks bad. We need oxygen to live. If you don't get it for several minutes -- for example, if you suffer cardiac arrest or a bad gunshot wound -- you die. But something else is going on inside this rat. He isn't dead, isn't dying. The reason why, some people think, is the future of emergency medicine.
You see, Roth thinks he's figured out the puzzle. "While it's true we need oxygen to live, it's also a toxin," he explains. Scientists are starting to understand that death isn't caused by oxygen deprivation itself, but by a chain of damaging chemical reactions that are triggered by sharply dropping oxygen levels.
The thing is, those reactions require the presence of some oxygen. Hydrogen sulfide takes the place of oxygen, preventing those reactions from taking place. No chain reaction, no cell death. The patient lives.A wiry, slightly hunched man presses in a few numbers, the electronic lock gives way... more-
- laniard
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- 1 month ago
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Going chemical-free in your clothing is getting easier
Your clothes may have a chemical-dependency problem.
The cotton in your shirt was likely grown with a strong dose of pesticides and chemical fertilizers. Many synthetic fabrics such as nylon, acrylic and polyester are petroleum-based.
But it's getting easier for consumers to break the habit, as more clothing made from organic cotton or renewable and reused fabrics hits store shelves and the Internet.
Q: Why should I be concerned about chemicals used to make my clothes?
A: We probably won't experience any ill effects from these chemicals when we wear the clothes. It's the farmers or factory workers and their families, usually thousands of miles away, who face the greatest risk.
About half the pesticides used to grow cotton globally are classified as hazardous, according to the London-based Environmental Justice Foundation (EJF). Children commonly suffer from pesticide poisoning because of the closeness of their homes to cotton fields and the reuse of empty pesticide containers.
The environment pays a price as well. Hazardous cotton pesticides have contaminated rivers in India, Pakistan, Uzbekistan, Brazil, Australia, Greece, Western Africa and the U.S., says the EJF. Petroleum used in synthetic fabrics contributes to global warming.
Q: Hasn't the cotton industry reduced its use of pesticides?
A: Since 1996, the global environmental impact of insecticides used on cotton has decreased nearly 25 percent due to the development of genetically modified, insect-resistant cotton, says the industry organization Cotton Inc. However, some researchers have concerns about long-term effects of genetically engineered crops.
Three percent of the world's agricultural land and 8 percent of all pesticides are used for cotton production, Cotton Inc. says. Some environmental groups claim the percentage of pesticides used for cotton is much higher.
Please follow link for more Q & A and for additional resources for going 'green' with your wardrobeYour clothes may have a chemical-dependency problem. The cotton in your shirt was... more-
- julesrs007
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On-the-job pesticide exposure is linked to Parkinson's disease
(NaturalNews) According to the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke, Parkinson's disease (PD) belongs to a group of conditions called motor system disorders which are the result of the loss of brain cells that produce the neurotransmitter dopamine. That's the critical key in the development of PD because dopamine's many functions in the brain include voluntary movement, cognition, learning, sleep, mood and more. So when PD strikes, it means dopamine in the body is disrupted and tremor, trembling, muscle rigidity, slowness of movement, sleep disruptions, dementia and a host of other problems can develop over time.
But what causes PD to strike in the first place? What happens to those dopamine producing brain cells that causes this cascade of symptoms? For most cases, doctors usually just say it is idiopathic -- meaning no one knows. But a growing body of research has accumulated over the past year that points to a particular class of toxins that seem to be behind at least a significant portion of Parkinson's disease suffering. The culprit? Pesticides.
Parkinson's disease and pesticides
Now comes yet another study showing an association between PD and pesticides. This one, just published in the Archives of Neurology, shows people whose occupations put them in contact with pesticides appear to have a dramatically increased risk of Parkinson's. It had some surprises -- occupations involving agriculture, education, health care, or welding were not associated with an increased risk of PD in this study but ever working in business and finance, legal occupations, construction or transportation and material moving was especially associated with a subtype of PD marked by gait disturbances.
Dr. Caroline M. Tanner of the Parkinson's Institute in Sunnyvale, California, and her research team studied 519 people suffering from with PD along with 511 controls who were the same age and sex and lived in the same location. The research subjects were questioned about their work history and exposure to toxic chemicals, including solvents and pesticides. The results showed that among people with Parkinson's disease, occupational pesticide exposure was associated with a significantly increased risk of the disease. Forty-four (8.5 percent) PD patients reported pesticide exposure on the job compared to 27 (5.3 percent) of the people in the control group.
The researchers point out in their study that while there is growing evidence suggesting a cause and effect association between pesticide use and PD, the term "pesticide" is broad and includes many chemicals and mechanisms of use. "Because few investigations have identified specific pesticides, we studied eight pesticides with high neurotoxic plausibility based on laboratory findings. Use of these pesticides was associated with higher risk of parkinsonism, more than double that in those not exposed," the scientists wrote. They found three specific, individual compounds that tripled the risk of PD: an organochloride (2,4-dichlorophenoxyacetic acid), an herbicide (paraquat) and an insecticide (permethrin). What's more, all three of these chemicals have already been shown in previous laboratory research to impact the dopamine producing brain cells that are affected by Parkinson's disease.
"This convergence of epidemiologic and laboratory data from experimental models of Parkinson's disease lends credence to a causative role of certain pesticides in the neurodegenerative process," the authors conclude. "Other pesticide exposures such as hobby gardening, residential exposure, wearing treated garments or dietary intake were not assessed. Because these exposures may affect many more subjects, future attention is warranted."
As previously covered by NaturalNews, another study earlier this year found the pesticide B-hexachlorocyclohexane (B-HCH) also appears to be a strong trigger for PD(http://www.naturalnews.com/026842_d...). In addition, a University of California at Los Angeles cont(NaturalNews) According to the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and... more-
- mae37
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- 1 month ago
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Aspartame is neurotoxic. Stop consuming it now!
"22 members of Hawaii House of Representatives Sign Resolution asking FDA to Rescind Approval for Neurotoxic Aspartame."
"The text of the Resolution follows, and although perhaps tedious and precise to some, clearly indicates the reasons that such a recinding of aspartame's approval by the FDA is appropriate and long overdue, an approval which to its credit, the FDA rejected for many years before it was forced in 1981 by then President of G.D. Searle, Donald Rumsfeld."
And you thought Rumsfeld was only guilty of 'War Crimes'.. Ha..
I started to see more and more articles warning of the potential harm in consuming aspartame 5-6 years ago. I used to drink a couple diet cokes every day but I stopped. Head the warnings, it is dangerous
I switched to diet Cheerwine, Diet Rite Cola and Food Lion Diet Cola, all are made with Splenda.
h/t.. OpEdNews
www.opednews.com"22 members of Hawaii House of Representatives Sign Resolution asking FDA to Rescind... more-
- elementaljim
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- 8 months ago
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- 2 comments
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Swine Flu Vaccine Additive Cripples Animals
Without-Consent.com, a website informing the public about the toxicity of vaccine additives containing the oil squalene, releases its list of 30 peer-reviewed scientific papers showing the debilitating diseases induced in animals immunized with squalene. http://www.without-consent.com/media/SqualeneReferences-
Withholding this information from volunteers enrolled in clinical trials testing swine flu vaccines containing this oil – and from the general public encouraged to consider vaccination with it should conditions warrant – violates informed consent standards upheld by the Nuremberg Code, the World Medical Assembly’s Declaration of Helsinki and the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services’ Rules and Regulations for the Protection of Human Research Subjects.
Squalene is an “adjuvant”.
– a substance used to accelerate and intensify the immune system’s response to weak vaccines. Officials with the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HSS) and U.K. National Health Service (NHS) have argued for the possible inclusion of squalene adjuvants in candidate swine flu vaccines without informing the public that rats injected with squalene develop the animal versions of rheumatoid arthritis and multiple sclerosis; and induces antibodies specific to systemic lupus erythematosus in mice. Rheumatoid arthritis, MS and lupus are incurable autoimmune diseases – diseases that occur when the immune system attacks the body it is supposed to defend. Examination of rats injected with squalene showed severe inflammation in their joints; other show lesions in the brain and nerves stripped of their insulation called the myelin sheath. Demyelization is a clinical hallmark of MS. There are two squalene adjuvants being tested in clinical trials in the U.S. Europe, Asia and South America – MF59 from Novartis and AS03 from GlaxoSmithKline. According to the manufacturers, at least 46 thousand volunteers are now enrolled in clinical trials for swine flu shots containing MF59 and AS03. Novartis and GlaxoSmithKline say their adjuvants are safe. The Novartis adjuvant, MF59, is already licensed in a seasonal influenza approved for human use in the European Union. Around 40 million doses have been distributed in Europe safely, Novartis says.
WithoutConsent is an online information site created by Emmy Award-winning investigative journalist Gary Matsumoto who reported evidence of squalene-induced injuries to U.S. service personnel in Vanity Fair, and to both U.S. and British service members in his book Vaccine A. He can be reached for comment at gary@without-consent.com This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it , tel. 646.964.8646. Further questions about squalene-induced autoimmunity can be sent to Dr. Robert F. Garry, Professor in Microbiology and Immunology at Tulane Medical School at rfgarry@tulane.edu This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it ; and Dr. Michael Whitehouse, Professor in Medicine at Griffiths University in Brisbane, Australia at whitehousemd@spin.net.au This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it (Brisbane is EST +14 hours). Queries about Vaccine A should be directed to Jocelyn Giannini, Assistant Marketing Manager, Basic Books, Basic Civitas, Nation Books, 387 Park Ave South New York, NY 10010; tel. 212.340.8143.
Source: Vac TruthWithout-Consent.com, a website informing the public about the toxicity of vaccine... more-
- mae37
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- 1 month ago
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Aluminum in Vaccines Increases Thimerosal’s Toxicity
Boyd E. Haley, Ph.D., is Professor Emeritus of chemistry and has published important studies about mercury (eg, 1-3). One of his team’s finding documented that a major phenomenon in Alzheimer’s-like pathologies could be induced by physiologically occurring levels of mercury (1). A recent essay is titled “Aluminum in vaccination-associated cognitive decline, motor neuron disease, autism” (4). That essay prompted an insightful comment from Dr. Haley, wherein he reports that vaccine-levels of aluminum exacerbate the pathologic potential of vaccinal thimerosal:
Dr. Haley explained, “Note that aluminum alone does not cause the abnormal biochemistry and production of neurofibillary tangles as does mercury (and only mercury) due to the specific interaction of mercury at specific sulfhydryl sites in specific enzymes/proteins known to be affected dramatically in Alzheimer’s disease. However, in our studies on neurons in culture we found that aluminum at levels found in vaccines dramatically enhanced the toxicity of thimerosal and mercury cation thereby decreasing the level of mercury required to have the toxic effects.”
Importantly, some vaccines including many flu shots still contain thimerosal, and many contain one or another of the aluminum compounds used as adjuvants. Thus we repeat: aluminum at levels present in vaccines increases the toxicity of thimerosal, which is ~49.6% ethylmercury by weight. Thus when an infant, toddler, or pregnant woman is injected with a vaccine or a combination of vaccines containing aluminum compounds and thimerosal, the likelihood of adverse effects is increased.
Perhaps we should ask, Why care?
Many media reports assure us that no evidence links thimerosal with neurologic harm. For instance, Melissa Healy of the Los Angeles Times expresses a popular notion by writing, “Many argue that environmental exposures — in particular, to preservatives used in certain vaccines – are a key factor in the development of autism. But a wide range of comprehensive investigations has failed to find such a link.” (5) Unfortunately, Melissa Healy’s glib statement is misleading.
However, at least three major studies have found thimerosal injections to be associated with developmental disabilities including autism. Two researchers at Stony Brook medical school found that male infants injected with thimerosal via hepatitis B vaccinations (a) were nine times as likely to be enrolled in special education services, and (b) were three times as likely to have autism — when compared with male infants who had not been so vaccinated (6-7). Importantly, these findings are consistent with the original CDC study (Verstraeten et al 1999) wherein early live thimerosal injections were associated with autism, PDD, language problems, sleep disorders, and tics (reviewed in 8).
Furthermore, other peer-reviewed studies have documented some of the mechanisms by which aluminum and mercury induce pathologies seen as neurodeneneration (eg, 10-14, 15-17).
Noteworthy: in a recently published study, researchers dared mention that “The demonstrated neurotoxicity of aluminum hydroxide and its relative ubiquity as an adjuvant suggest that greater scrutiny by the scientific community is warranted.” (14)
Similarly, “Although Thimerosal has been recently removed from most children’s vaccines, it is still present in flu vaccines given to pregnant women, the elderly, and to children in developing countries.” (17)
Needless to say, I and others are perplexed. Why do most vaccinologists and many health officials proclaim the safety of vaccines containing aluminum compounds and/or thimerosal? Why do reporters such as Melissa Healy and spokespersons for the CDC and FDA turn our attention away from peer-reviewed studies demonstrating adverse effects from aluminum and thimerosal?
Why must myriad children and their families live with adverse effects of vaccinations whose ingredients cause neurodegeneration and developmental disabilities?
References:Boyd E. Haley, Ph.D., is Professor Emeritus of chemistry and has published important... more-
- mae37
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- 1 month ago
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Marines Get Breast Cancer from Poisoned Water
TAMPA, Florida (CNN) -- For Rick Kelly, the first sign of cancer was a feeling of discomfort in his chest.
"My wife would hug me, and it became almost unbearable," he said. "I went to a doctor, and they sent me to the oncologist, and they did biopsies on both sides. And then I ended up with a double mastectomy."
Kelly is one of 20 retired U.S. Marines or sons of Marines who once lived at Camp Lejeune, North Carolina, and who are now suffering from breast cancer, a disease that strikes about one man for every 100 women who get it. Each of the seven men CNN interviewed for this report has had part of his chest removed as part of his treatment, along with chemotherapy, radiation or both.
All 20 fear that water contaminated with high levels of toxic chemicals may have caused their illnesses, but the Marine Corps says no link has been found between the contamination and their diseases. Without that link, the men are denied treatment by the Department of Veterans Affairs, which says it can't treat them for a condition that hasn't been shown to have been "service-related."
The men with breast cancer are among about 1,600 retired Marines and Camp Lejeune residents who have filed claims against the federal government. According to congressional investigators, they are seeking nearly $34 billion in compensation for health problems they say stemmed from drinking water at the base that was contaminated with several toxic chemicals, including some the federal government has classified as known or potential cancer-causing agents.
Jerry Ensminger is a former Marine Corps drill instructor who was stationed at the base in 1976, when his daughter, Janey, was born. She died of childhood leukemia at age 9.
"We were being exposed when we went bowling," Ensminger told CNN. "We were being exposed when we went to the commissary. We were being exposed when we went to the PX. And then when we went home, we were being exposed over there."
In 1981, the lab again found "water highly contaminated" -- and added the word "solvents," with an exclamation point. In August 1982, the experts found one sample with levels of trichloroethylene, a degreaser believed to cause cancer, of 1,400 parts per billion. Today's EPA safe level for the substance is five parts per billion.
"Nobody in this world has been more disillusioned than I've been. I feel like I've been betrayed."
more at the linkTAMPA, Florida (CNN) -- For Rick Kelly, the first sign of cancer was a feeling of... more-
- rodstradamus
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- 1 month ago
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United Kingdom Talk Video Tuesday 22nd September 2009
Tuesday's edition of my three times a week talk show.Watch or listen to the show on Tues, Thurs & Sats here at WWW.UNITEDKINGDOMTALK.CO.UK
In today's show :
Back in the garden.
Bed bugs.
Lots of seeds.
The flowers are dying.
Living in.
Indian summer.
They hide.
Winter pansies.
Titanic.
Pollen is poison to cats.
The chair keeps collapsing.
Anyone had trouble with the battery life on Nokia 5800's ?
Changing fur.
Weekend swimming.
Brushing.
A noise coming fom the car.
I can't sit still.
Graphics card problem.
Smash the chair up.
Cutting deals.
Rears.
Beatles crawling over someones face.
Eating sunflower seeds.
Strange cat fish.
Watch out for the crocs.
TEXT the show : UK - 078... Int - +44...
chris@unitedkingdomtalk.co.uk
www.chrisreardon.co.ukTuesday's edition of my three times a week talk show.Watch or listen to the show on... more-
- ChrisReardon
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- 1 month ago
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Cool and Creative Pepsi Advertisements
Pepsi has always been known for creating daring, creative and badass advertisements -
Aspartame in Diet Soda is Making You Sick
Aspartame a substitute sweetener used in diet drinks or any sugar free foods has been linked to cause illnesses such as leukemia, Alzheimer’s, multiple sclerosis, fibromyalgia, diabetes, epilepsy, birth defects, Parkinson’s and many other diseases and disorders. Aspartame is the scientific name for brands like NutraSweet, Equal and Spoonful. Chemist G.D. Searle accidently discovered Aspartame in 1965 and tried to get FDA approval, but it wasn’t until 1981 when it was allowed for dry goods and in 1983 for carbonated sodas.
How and why did Aspartame get approved by the FDA? Do you know Donald Rumsfeld? Yes, the very same retired defense attorney that help start the Iraq war during the Bush administration, he was the CEO of G.D. Searle Company at the time. He was adamant about ensuring that Aspartame would get the FDA approval even after they said no. G.D. Searle was even taken to court for concealing facts and making false statements in regards to animal studies conducted proving that Aspartame was and is by far the most dangerous product on the market.
If you experience any of these symptoms when you drink diet soda…STOP! It is known to cause migraines, heart palpitations, insomnia, seizures, breathing difficulties, memory loss, vertigo, joint pain and nausea. These symptoms can lead to many diseases and disorders that I stated above. Airline pilots are not allowed to consume products with Aspartame because of these risks and luckily for us they do not.
Today they are thinking of taxing soda because it causes obesity which in turn increases our health insurance costs. Do you think Aspartame keeps us from gaining weight? NO, it contains a chemical that make us crave carbohydrates and as a result makes us eat more.
Aspartame is big business; just look at all the marketing campaigns with the skinny good looking models. We as consumers are ignorant to the fact that Aspartame is contributing to our health care cost and paying for it with our family’s health while Rumsfeld and his companies Searle and NutraSweet get richer and richer.
Instead of taxing non-diet sodas we should tax diet soda and any product that uses Aspartame (thus prompting the consumer to drink and/or eat less) along with the companies that make them. Spread the word.
PS. If we are worried about obesity with sugar enriched sodas especially with our children...take the soda out of the vending machines and lunch program at the schools. It’s not the consumption of sugary beverages…it’s the over consumption that makes us obese and that has to do with anything that makes us fat….white flour, dairy products, sweets, carbohydrates and sodaAspartame a substitute sweetener used in diet drinks or any sugar free foods has been... more-
- mae37
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- 1 month ago
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California Water Tainted by Mercury
Read Government Stands By as Mercury Taints Water by Jason Dearen of AP. Photo credit to Jeff Chiu. Here's a clip:
NEW IDRIA, Calif. — Abandoned mercury mines throughout central California's rugged coastal mountains are polluting the state's major waterways, rendering fish unsafe to eat and risking the health of at least 100,000 impoverished people.
Rozan Brown and her son Tiyal, who was diagnosed with autism five years ago, pose for a photograph next to the gate of the Sulphur Bank Mine near the Elem Indian Colony on Wednesday, Aug. 19, 2009, in Clearlake Oaks, Calif. Brown grew up at the colony The New Idria Mine, once the second largest in North America, sits untouched 27 years after EPA shut it down as an environmental hazard. The site serves as an example of how overburdened environmental regulators overlook a toxic sites, even with mounting evidence of danger. (AP Photo/Marcio Jose Sanchez)
In California's rugged coastal mountains, hundreds of abandoned mercury mines litter the landscape, pouring out pollution that renders downstream fish unsafe to eat or imperils the health of people and wildlife. (AP Photo/Paul Sakuma)
Although the mining ceased decades ago, records and interviews show the vast majority of sites have not even been studied to assess the pollution, let alone been touched.
The CDC says high levels of mercury can cause brain damage and mental retardation in children when passed from mother to fetus. Brown's son, Tiyal, has been diagnosed with autism. The CDC has found no link between mercury and autism, but agency spokesperson Dagny Olivares said in an e-mail, "Additional information is needed to fully evaluate the potential health threats."
At most abandoned mercury mines, especially ones in remote places, nothing gets done at all...Read Government Stands By as Mercury Taints Water by Jason Dearen of AP. Photo credit... more-
- mae37
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Occupational Use of 2,4-D, Permethrin Triple the Risk of Parkinson’s Disease
(Beyond Pesticides, September 16, 2009) A new study published in the September issue of Archives of Neurology reports that the risk of Parkinsonism doubled with increased occupational exposure to pesticides, including eight agents associated with experimental Parkinsonism. These data add to the growing number of studies that lend credence to a causative role of certain pesticides in neurological disorders.
The study, “Occupation and Risk of Parkinsonism: A Multicenter Case-Control Study,” set out to investigate occupations, specific job tasks, or exposures and risk of parkinsonism in collaboration with eight movement disorders centers in North America including, the Parkinson’s Institute, CA, Department of Neurology, Baylor College of Medicine and Department of Neurology, Beth Israel Medical Center, New York. The investigation focused on five occupations previously suggested as posing an increased risk of Parkinsonism: agriculture, education, healthcare, welding, and mining. This examination of toxicant exposures included solvents and pesticides putatively associated with Parkinsonism. 519 people with Parkinson’s disease and 511 similar people who did not have Parkinson’s were studied.
Overall, the study finds that those whose jobs involve using pesticides are 80 percent more likely to develop the condition. The data reveals that any exposure to the herbicide 2,4-dichlorophenoxyacetic acid (2,4-D) almost triples the risk of Parkinsonism compared with individuals who report no exposure to the agent. The herbicide paraquat and the insecticide permethrin are also associated with a more than three-fold increased risk of Parkinson’s disease.
“Occupational pesticide exposure emerges as the most consistent etiologic association with Parkinsonism,” Caroline M. Tanner, MD, PhD, of the Parkinson’s Institute in Sunnyvale, CA. Those who worked in agriculture, education, health care, or welding but who had not been exposed to pesticides through their work were not likely to develop the disease. The researchers note that while they did not look at pesticide exposures such as hobby gardening or residential exposure, “because these exposures may affect many more subjects, future attention is warranted.”
Previous studies have linked pesticide exposure to the onset of Parkinson’s disease (PD), including several published this year alone. A similar study conducted by French researchers found that farmworkers who used insecticides had over a two-fold increase in the risk of PD. Another recent publication found that rural residents who drank contaminated well water had an increased (up to 90 percent) risk of developing PD. Exposure to the pesticides, paraquat and maneb, within 500 meters of an individual’s home, increased the risk of developing Parkinson’s by 75 percent, according to a University of California, Berkeley study. The Institute of Medicine (IOM) found suggestive but limited evidence that exposure to Agent Orange and other herbicides used during the Vietnam War is associated with an increased chance of developing ischemic heart disease and Parkinson’s disease in Vietnam veterans.
Parkinson’s Disease is the second most common neurodegenerative disease affecting more than one million people in the U.S. Parkinson’s disease occurs when nerve cells in the substantia nigra region of the brain are damaged or destroyed and can no longer produce dopamine, a nerve-signaling molecule that helps control muscle movement. All three pesticides in this study; 2,4-D, paraquat and permethrin, have effects on dopaminergic neurons. All three pesticides are currently registered for use in the U.S. 2,4-D is a herbicide most commonly found in many popular lawn care products, while permethrin is an insecticide (synthetic pyrethroid) found in many mosquito products and residential bug sprays. Both chemicals are already linked to cancer, endocrine disruption and other reproductive and developmental effects. Paraquat is a restricted-use pesticide (RUP) ....(Beyond Pesticides, September 16, 2009) A new study published in the September issue... more-
- mae37
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Monsanto's Roundup More Deadly to Liver Cells than Glyphosate Alone
Gasniera C, C Dumontb, N Benachoura, E Claira, MC Chagnonb and GE Séralini. 2009. Glyphosate-based herbicides are toxic and endocrine disruptors in human cell lines. Toxicology doi:10.1016/j.tox.2009.06.006.
Synopsis by Negin P. Martin, Ph. D
Very low doses of some types of the herbicide Roundup can disrupt human liver cell function; the formulations' toxicity may be tied to their "inactive" ingredients rather than the active weed-killing ingredient glyphosate.
French scientists report that a number of Roundup formulations tested at very dilute concentrations can alter hormone actions and cause human liver cells to die within 24 hours of treatment.
The toxicity of some of the formulations was independent of how much glyphosate - the active herbicide in Roundup - they contained, suggesting it is other "inert" ingredients that may alone - or in combination with each other and/or the weedkiller - assault the cells. This study's results are similar to prior studies - as reported in a recent Environmental Health News article - that find human embryo cells are affected more by the Roundup formulations and an inert ingredient than by the active ingredient.
The levels of Roundup used in this study are similar to what is typically found in food crops or animal feed treated with Roundup. Because of this, it is possible that people, livestock and wildlife may be exposed to levels of the herbicide mix that can damage cells.
Glyphosate is harmful to humans and animals even at a very low dose. It is often tested by itself in regulatory studies to determine if the Roundup formulation is toxic.
However, according to this study, levels of glyphosate in Roundup formulations are not good indicators of toxicity.
The ingredients responsible for the increased potency of Roundup formulations seen in this study - as compared to purified glyphosate - remain unknown. The chemical formulas of herbicide additives are generally protected as trade secrets, and the researchers did not try to chemically identify them. Therefore, their effects cannot be easily investigated and they remain undetected in the environment.
Roundup was developed as a weapon against weeds. Many genetically modified (GM) plants have been developed to tolerate Roundup. Today, Roundup is the most widely used weedkiller in the world and 75 percent of all GM plants are engineered to resist the herbicide. Monsanto agricultural company produces both Roundup and Roundup-resistant GM plants.
Four Roundup formulations - Roundup Express 7.2 (R7.2), Bioforce (R360), Grands Travaux (R400) and Grands Travaux Plus (R450) - were tested in this study. All formulations were more potent than purified glyphosate (at similar levels to R360) in causing cell death. Surprisingly, R400 containing less glyphosate was more toxic to human liver cells than R450.
In the study, exposure of a single gene regulated by either estrogen or androgen hormones demonstrated that all formulations disrupt hormone function more efficiently than purified glyphosate. The findings show that the formulations act against the hormones to produce anti-estrogenic and anti-androgenic effects.Gasniera C, C Dumontb, N Benachoura, E Claira, MC Chagnonb and GE Séralini. 2009.... more-
- mae37
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“Bananas!” Trailer: Pesticides, Health Risks and Lawsuits!
If you enjoyed Food, Inc., but wanted more of the flavor of protest and outrage that Boulder County has seen during the GMO beet debate, “Bananas!” may be the flick for you:
Of course, it’s not out yet. No, there’s a bit of controversy surrounding this one. For example, here’s an excerpt from an LA Times post on “Bananas!”:
In the eyes of Dole Food Co., Gertten’s film is an egregiously flawed document based on what Dole lawyer Scott Edelman calls “a phony story” that has been discredited by the allegedly fraudulent conduct of the L.A. attorney, Juan J. Dominguez, at the film’s center. Dole, the world’s largest producer of fruits and vegetables, is vowing to sue both the filmmaker and the Los Angeles Film Festival for defamation if it screens the movie this week.
Makes for interesting headlines, though. Dole Sues Bananas!
The movie, a documentary, chronicles a crusade by Los Angeles personal injury lawyer Juan J. Dominguez to win compensation in U.S. courts for thousands of workers who claim they were made sterile after exposure to the pesticide DBCP on Dole-operated banana farms in Nicaragua.
Main takeaway? It’s very different from another “Bananas” film we’re familiar with.If you enjoyed Food, Inc., but wanted more of the flavor of protest and outrage that... more-
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Evidence showing link between contaminants and diabetes
There is no disputing that something is responsible for the acute rise in Type 2 diabetes, especially in children in the last decade. I don't think it is just what they may be eating, it is the poisons in what they are eating.
Excerpt:
Eat right and exercise, conventional wisdom has it, if you want to avoid joining the diabetes epidemic.
But a new study adds some muscle to a growing body of research suggesting those steps, although beneficial, might not be enough for people exposed to chemicals in the environment.
The scientists linked diabetes and people's body burdens of DDE, a chemical produced as the body breaks down the pesticide DDT, banned in the United States more than 35 years ago.
"Even though we haven't used DDT in decades, its metabolites are still detected in almost everyone in the country," said lead researcher Mary Turyk, an epidemiologist at the University of Illinois-Chicago's School of Public Health.
Since the early 1990s, researchers have monitored a group of Great Lakes charter boat captains, recreational fishermen and others to learn about the health effects of eating fish tainted with persistent organic pollutants - chemicals that remain in the environment for decades and grow more concentrated as they move up food chains.
For the new study, blood samples from the Great Lakes group showed "consistent, dose-related associations of DDE" with diabetes, the researchers wrote in the July issue of Environmental Health Perspectives.
Among 471 adults, including 36 with diabetes, there was no link to the disease based on the amount of fish consumed or exposure to other pollutants. But the higher the concentration of DDE in the blood, the more likely they were to develop diabetes.
Article continues: http://www.organicconsumers.org/articles/article_18633.cfmThere is no disputing that something is responsible for the acute rise in Type 2... more-
- JanforGore
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Zombie Truckers 3: Gas Fight
Which will win? Girl with poisonous gas or a gang of zombies? Bwahahaa...
Clip from Kelvin G's latest movie project, Zombie Truckers 3.
www.zombietruckers3.comWhich will win? Girl with poisonous gas or a gang of zombies? Bwahahaa... Clip from... more-
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Toxic Moonshine Killing Indian Men
A neighbourhood in India has lost several of its men after they all drank a tainted batch of homebrew that turned out to be toxic.
One family lost three men - all brothers. Police say that family is just one of ten affected in the same Delhi neighbourhood.
Apparently, this is a big problem in India where hundreds of people have died over the years after drinking toxic booze. Earlier this month, more than 100 people died and more than 200 fell sick after drinking tainted alcohol in another town.
"It's a big problem," say the police. "It's men who die more often from lower income groups. So they (the women) don't have anybody to support them."
It's usually the poor who get sick and/or die because they can't afford to buy licensed alcohol or they live in areas where it's illegal to sell alcohol.A neighbourhood in India has lost several of its men after they all drank a tainted... more-
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Study: Round Up disrupts sex hormones
Prof. Seralini's group from CRIIGEN in the University of Caen, in collaboration with Pr. Chagnon's group from the University of Dijon, have just published a new discovery, after having demonstrated Roundup toxicity at infinitesimal doses in particular in umbilical cord cells from newborns. At very low levels, for instance 800 times less than Roundup residues authorized in some GMOs for feed in United States, this kind of herbicide for a formulation sold in drugstores prevents the action of androgens, the masculinizing hormones. Then the action and formation of estrogens are also disrupted. The DNA damages in human cells begin around this level. These effects explain disturbing results of animal experiments and in human epidemiology. It is thus proposed to examine in regulatory instances the classification of Roundup and other glyphosate-based herbicides as reprotoxics and endocrine disruptors. These phenomena have been underestimated up to now because pesticides factories pre sent in majority to authorities studies with glyphosate alone, however the commercialized mixture is a lot more active.
The study is published by the end of June 2009 in the international scientific journal Toxicology by Gasnier et al.
Q: We use Roundup for weeds on our commercial property. You have written before that it isn't good for you. Is this just opinion or is there evidence to support your statements?
- G.H., San Jose
A: In the July 22 issue of Environmental Health News, a publication of Environmental Health Services, a foundation-funded organization, Crystal Gammon wrote: "Used in yards, farms and parks throughout the world, Roundup has long been a top-selling weed killer. But now researchers have found that one of Roundup's inert ingredients can kill human cells, particularly embryonic, placental and umbilical cord cells."
A study from the University of Caen in France, published in January, says that scientists discovered that the inert ingredients in Roundup amplified the toxic effect on human cells, even at concentrations much more diluted than those used on farms and lawns. The inert ingredient they have focused on is POEA (polyethoxylated tallowamine), an inert detergent in Roundup. They found that POEA is far more dangerous than herbicide itself. It said, "The proprietary mixtures available on the market could cause cell damage and even death (at the) residual levels found on Roundup-treated crops, such as soybeans, alfalfa and corn, or lawns and gardens."
In Gammon's article, Monsanto, the company that makes Roundup, claims the recent study is flawed, but Gilles-Eric Seralini, the molecular biologist who headed the French study, says standard toxicological methods were used.
It's my opinion that Roundup should not be used in any public area. If someone wants to use this stuff on his private property, that is his business, but it should not be used on school grounds, public parks or anywhere else people can unknowingly come in contact with it.Prof. Seralini's group from CRIIGEN in the University of Caen, in collaboration with... more-
- JanforGore
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- 4 months ago
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Paraguay: Soy monocultures and spraying spreading
Just before an international conference will decide on setting 'responsible soy standards, a new report is published by Corporate Europe Observatory exposing the reality of 'responsible' soy production in Paraguay. The Round Table on Responsible Soy (RTRS), an NGO-industry forum, will vote on a set of criteria for 'responsible' soy production on May 28 in the city Campinas, Brazil.
There is widespread international rejection of the RTRS process for certifying GM RoundupReady soy as 'responsible' while also legitimising soy expansion. The RTRS is dominated by industry members, including Monsanto, Cargill and Syngenta, while WWF and Solidaridad are the driving NGO members.
The report can be found on:
http://www.corporateeurope.org/agrofuels/content/2009/05/responsible-soy...
The report is illustrative of some of the widespread criticism on the RTRS, including the legitimisation of soy expansion. San Pedro is the new frontier of soy expansion in Paraguay, and this is where Grupo DAP - member of the RTRS - has established new soy farms on some 30.000 hectares. There is strong local resistance to indiscriminate spraying of agrochemicals, namely Roundup, on soy fields in San Pedro.
The report shows how the introduction of chemical weed control on smallholders' fields, promoted by Grupo DAP and other soy farmers, creates conflicts within the community and an increased pesticide use.
National regulations that get watered down, such as the new pesticide law in Paraguay pushed for by the soy industry lobby, cause equivalent weakening of RTRS standards since these are based to a large extent on compliance with national laws.
The report concludes that RTRS certification provides the participating industry with a greenwash, rather than real steps to address the problems caused by the international soy industry.
The report can be found on:
http://www.corporateeurope.org/agrofuels/content/2009/05/responsible-soy...
See also www.toxicsoy.org
For more information: ceo@corporateeurope.orgJust before an international conference will decide on setting 'responsible soy... more-
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