environmental health | The Pump Handle

Environmental Health Stopping chemical catastrophes: Can we do better than calling for stronger storage tanks?

February 25, 2014 Elizabeth Grossman

More than a month after the Freedom Industries chemical spill in West Virginia, it remains unclear if Charleston’s water is truly safe to drink and what the health consequences of exposure to these chemicals may be. Legislation has been introduced that calls for more inspections, better tank construction, overflow containment and emergency response. But why not go beyond and also call for safer chemistry?

Education Study: Economic burden of West Nile virus estimated at $778 million

February 14, 2014 Kim Krisberg 2Comment

Most people infected with mosquito-borne West Nile virus don’t experience any symptoms at all. However, the tiny percentage of cases that do end up in the hospital total hundreds of millions of dollars in medical costs and lost productivity.

Cancer Study: Replacing BPA in food products could save billions in health costs

January 31, 2014 Kim Krisberg 3Comment

In a first-of-its-kind study, a researcher has estimated that the health-related economic savings of removing bisphenol A from our food supply is a whopping $1.74 billion annually. And that’s a conservative estimate.

Environmental Health Can killing germs be hazardous to your health? Questions about “quats”

January 31, 2014 Elizabeth Grossman 2Comment

“Millions of Americans use antibacterial hand soap and body wash products. Although consumers generally view these products as effective tools to help prevent the spread of germs, there is currently no evidence that they are any more effective at preventing illness than washing with plain soap and water,” wrote the US Food and Drug Administration […]

Cancer Not a good week to learn about backsliding on chemical warnings

January 20, 2014 Celeste Monforton, DrPH, MPH 1Comment

In the wake of the WV water contamination, the public dialogue revolves around the need for more information and disclosure about the potential health effects of toxic chemicals. A newish OSHA regulation does just the opposite for workers exposed to chemical hazards.

Environmental Health Study: Job conditions linked to preterm birth risk among Hispanic workers

January 17, 2014 Kim Krisberg

“There’s a lot we don’t know about preterm birth and we know even less about the disparities in those births.” Those are words from Ondine von Ehrenstein, who recently examined the links between occupational exposures and preterm birth rates among Hispanic women.

Cancer Silica exposures in fracking : Over 60 percent of workers may be excessively exposed

November 21, 2013 Elizabeth Grossman

At least 1.7 million US workers are exposed to respirable crystalline silica each year, this according to the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH). These exposures occur in a variety of industries, among them construction, sandblasting, mining, masonry, stone and quarry work, and in the rapidly expanding method of oil and gas extraction […]

APHA Annual Meeting Amid minimum-wage votes and Walmart strikes, APHA OHS section honors workplace-safety champions

November 13, 2013 Elizabeth Grossman

At the 141st meeting of the American Public Health Association (APHA) held last week in Boston, the organization’s Occupational Health & Safety section honored the achievements of some extraordinarily dedicated individuals and organizations whose efforts have been advancing workplace safety. While these awards are typically most meaningful to others in the field, events taking place […]

Environmental Health Salmonella, crippled workers, tortured chickens, and toxic chemicals: Surely USDA is now ready to ditch its plan to “modernize” poultry inspection

November 5, 2013 Celeste Monforton, DrPH, MPH 1Comment

How much more evidence does Secretary Vilsack need before he scraps the USDA’s ill-conceived proposal to “modernize” the poultry slaughter inspection process?

Cancer Toxicologist John Froines: epitome of irreproachable scientific research and effective public health advocacy

October 30, 2013 Celeste Monforton, DrPH, MPH

UCLA Professor Emeritus John Froines was awarded this week the 2013 Ramazzini Award from the internationally renowned Collegium Ramazzini. Professor Froines’ work represents the best of public health research: solid science with the highest integrity for the benefit of groups with little economic and political power.