- Upcoming CHE Partnership Call -- June 19
- Working and Regional Group Updates
- Tools, Announcements and Resources for CHE Partners
- CHE Science News Headlines
- New CHE Partners
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Dear CHE Partners and Friends:
Health promotion and disease prevention are tried and true guidelines to public health. The more I think about the Collaborative on Health and the Environment, the clearer it becomes that CHE is giving new vitality and meaning to those classic public health goals.
One central focus of CHE is the role of environmental contaminants in human health. But our interest in contaminants is balanced by full awareness of all other environmental factors -- poverty, climate change, nutrition, infectious disease and all the rest.
Central to CHE's dialogue is what we call an ecological perspective on health. Briefly, an ecological perspective on health can lead to the perception that the interactions between heritable factors and the environment are so complex that practically anything we can do to reduce environmental stress and strengthen sources of biosocial resilience will strengthen our families and communities. We fully support the nascent but widespread effort to assess scientifically which such preventive interventions might be most effective, and how to prioritize and implement them.
That is where our interest in environmental health science and integrative approaches to medicine and self-care meet. Integrative medicine, with its focus on diet, exercise, stress reduction, reduction of exposure to environmental contaminants and the like, is about environmental stress reduction and building resilience. Integrative medicine at its best connects directly to environmental public health strategies -- since none of us can protect ourselves or our families in globally deteriorating ecosystems.
Last week at least a dozen CHE Partners spoke at or participated in the annual conference of the American Holistic Medical Association in Portland, Oregon, co-sponsored this year with Health Care Without Harm -- The Campaign for Environmentally Responsible Health Care. Over the past three decades, a responsible, science-based approach to integrative medicine has emerged. It makes sense, in a stressed world, to do whatever we can to reduce stress and build resilience at every possible level. That is the goal of integrative medicine, and it is also a large part of what health promotion and disease prevention really mean.
Michael Lerner, PhD
Founding CHE Partner
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1. CHE Partnership Call, June 19 -- Breast Cancer and the Environment: Science Review with Silent Spring Institute
SAVE THE DATE for the next CHE Partnership Call, Breast Cancer and the Environment: Science Review with Silent Spring Institute, Tuesday, June 19 at 10am PST / 1pm EST.
On this call we will discuss the recent scientific reviews of emerging research on environmental links to breast cancer, published in Cancer, a journal of the American Cancer Society. The reviews cover human studies related to environmental pollutants and other factors such as diet and physical activity.
The project also compiled information about chemicals shown to cause mammary gland tumors in animal studies. The three review articles and two commentaries are supported by two publicly-accessible on-line databases that include bibliographic information, key methods and findings and critical assessments of the strength of the evidence. The databases contain reviews of approximately 450 articles reporting on human breast cancer studies and information on 216 chemicals identified as mammary carcinogens in animal studies. The databases and individual articles are available at: http://sciencereview.silentspring.org/.
This work was conducted by Silent Spring Institute with researchers from Harvard University, Roswell Park Cancer Institute and the University of Southern California. It was supported by Susan G. Komen for the Cure.
Joining us to discuss the published articles and the databases will be two authors of the reviews:
- Julia Brody, PhD, Executive Director of the Silent Spring Institute, and
- Ruthann Rudel, MS, Senior Scientist at Silent Spring Institute.
Michael Lerner, PhD, President of Commonweal and CHE Partner, will be moderating this hour-long call.
RSVP for this call at: http://www.healthandenvironment.org/rsvp?callid=1396.
For more information about this call, visit: http://www.healthandenvironment.org/news/calls.
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2. Working and Regional Group Updates
CHE's Working Group on Electromagnetic Fields (CHE EMF) ~ coordinated by Nancy Evans,
Health Science Consultant (nancywrite@comcast.net) and Cindy Sage, Sage Associates Environmental Consultants (sage@silcom.com)
1. An international working group, (The BioInitiative), composed of scientists, researchers
and public health policy professionals has joined together to document the information that needs to be considered in the international debate about the adequacy (or inadequacy) of existing public exposure standards for extra-low frequency (ELF-EMF) and radiofrequency (RF-EMF). In August of 2007, the BioInitiative will present a science-based assessment of the research and public health policy issues which argue for new, biologically-based exposure standards. ELF-EMF information will address electromagnetic radiation from such sources as electric power lines, interior wiring and grounding of buildings and appliances. RF-EMF recommendations will address radiofrequency and microwave radiation from such sources as cell phones, cell towers, WI-FI and other wireless technologies. For more information visit: http://www.healthandenvironment.org/wg_emf_news/1516.
2. On June 20-21, the World Health Organization will convene an international forum on Developing and Implementing Protective Measures for Extra-low Frequency Electromagnetic Fields (ELF EMF) in Geneva, Switzerland. Cindy Sage, Co-coordinator of CHE's Working Group on Electromagnetic Fields, will attend and hopes to give a presentation at the forum. For more information see: http://www.who.int/peh-emf/meetings/elf_emf_workshop_2007/en/index.html.
3. For a science update on cell phones, baby monitors and other wireless devices, occupational EMF exposures, and Wi-Fi networks, see: http://www.healthandenvironment.org/wg_emf_news/1517.
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CHE Fertility/Early Pregnancy Compromise Working Group (CHE Fertility) ~ coordinated
by Julia Varshavsky, CHE Program Associate (Julia@HealthandEnvironment.org)
Join us for an upcoming CHE Fertility teleconference that will be the first in a series of calls to highlight some of the compelling science that was presented at the January UCSF-CHE Fertility Summit in San Francisco. This first call in this series will focus on the environment, sperm quality, and time to pregnancy, and is scheduled for Wednesday, June 20th at 9am Pacific / Noon Eastern.
The moderator of this call will be Ted Schettler, MD, MPH, Science Director, Science and Environmental Health Network. Pete Myers, PhD, CEO, Environmental Health Sciences, will provide a science update.
Featured speakers:
- Shanna Swan, PhD, Professor, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of Rochester, School of Medicine and Dentistry
- Tina Kold Jensen, MD, PhD, Professor of Environmental Epidemiology, Institute of Public Health, Research Unit of Environmental Medicine, University of Southern Denmark - Odense University
- Melissa Perry, MHS, ScD, Assistant Professor of Occupational Epidemiology, Department of Environmental Health, Harvard School of Public Health
- Susan Duty, MSN, ScD, Associate Professor of Nursing, Department of Nursing, School for Health Studies, Simmons College, Harvard School of Public Health
To RSVP for this call and receive dial-in instructions, please send email to Julia@HealthandEnvironment.org.
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Collaborative on Health and the Environment Alaska (CHE-AK) ~ coordinated by Pamela
Miller, Director, Alaska Community Action on Toxics (pkmiller@akaction.net)
Please join us for the next CHE-AK conference call, Protecting Human Health and the
Environment in Alaska: The Global Treaty on Persistent Chemicals and Its Relevance
to People of the North, on Thursday, June 21 at 9am Alaska / 10am Pacific / 1pm Eastern
time.
The north has become a hemispheric sink for persistent industrial chemicals that arrive on atmospheric and oceanic currents. These chemicals accumulate in wildlife and people and are associated with a range of adverse health effects including endocrine disruption, damage to the immune and neurological systems and cancers. Over 140 nations have ratified an international treaty on persistent organic pollutants (POPs), known as the Stockholm Convention.
The speakers will provide crucial information about the implementation of the Stockholm Convention and the recent international "Conference of Parties," attended by representatives of more than 140 nations in Senegal. This telephone briefing provides an opportunity to discuss the science and policy aspects of the treaty and the importance of this global agreement to the health and well-being of people living in Alaska.
Featured speakers:
- Joseph DiGangi, PhD, is Associate Director of the Global Chemical Safety Program of the Environmental Health Fund and Science Advisor to the International POPs Elimination Network (IPEN),
- Daryl Ditz, PhD, of the Center for International Environmental Law (CIEL), is the Coordinator of the National Education Campaign for U.S. POPs Ratification, and
- Shawna Larson, is Ahtna Athabascan from Chickaloon Village on her father's side, and Supiaq Aleut from the village of Port Graham on her mother's side. Shawna serves as Environmental Justice Program Director with Alaska Community Action on Toxics and Indigenous Environmental Network.
To join this call and receive dial-in instructions, please RSVP to Alaska Community Action on Toxics at the following email address: info@akaction.net or phone 907-222-7714.
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3. Tools, Announcements and Resources for CHE Partners
Chemicals Health Monitor Project, Health and Environment Alliance
The Chemicals Health Monitor Project is a new initiative of the Health and Environment Alliance (http://www.env-health.org/) in collaboration with other partner organisations across Europe. Its key goal is to create the tools (how chemicals are linked with diseases), structures and encouragement to drive more precautionary and participatory chemicals management policies in the EU and to ensure a more rapid translation of the latest research and society's concerns into strong and effective implementation of REACH to protect human health. For more information about the Chemicals Health Monitor Project, please visit the HEAL website at: http://www.env-health.org/a/2490, or contact Hana Kuncova, project coordinator at: hana@env-health.org.
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Teleosis Institute Launches Green Pharmacy Campaign
Around the world, unused and expired medicines such as steroids, hormones and antidepressants are contaminating our waterways and damaging aquatic life. In an effort to curb water pollution caused by improper disposal of unwanted pharmaceuticals, the Teleosis Institute has launched the Green Pharmacy Campaign including two medicine take-back sites in Berkeley, CA. The Green Pharmacy Program works to create partnerships with the health care community to build a movement for positive social and environmental change. Through collaboration with local pharmacies, health providers, and consumers, pharmaceutical pollution will be reduced by providing take-back sites for unwanted medications. This program offers an environmentally positive alternative to throwing unwanted drug waste down the drain, toilet, or the trash. The goal of this program is zero pharmaceutical waste in the environment. Visit the Green Pharmacy Campaign at: http://www.teleosis.org/gpp.php for information on what you can do to reduce the "ecological footprint" of medicine.
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Letters of Inquiry for Community-Based Projects - Deadline, July 9
The Kaiser Permanente Community Fund at Northwest Health Foundation seeks proposals for community-based projects intended to enhance the social factors that promote health equity, and eliminate those that contribute to health disparities. Grants are limited to the geographic region spanning from Longview, WA to Salem, OR and portions of the Willamette Valley. For more information, visit: http://www.nwhf.org/opportunities/kaiser.php#zip_search.
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Promoting a Healthier Tomorrow for Our Children and Communities: An Environmental Health Forum
The American Association on Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities (AAIDD) is proud to announce that the AAIDD Massachusetts chapter is hosting an educational forum on environmental health and child development, with support from the Alliance for a Healthy Tomorrow and the Cardinal Cushing Centers in Massachusetts. This forum will take place on June 20 in Hanover, Massachusetts. For more information, please visit: http://www.ehinitiative.org/events.htm or contact Laura Abulafia at: Laura@aaidd.org.
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Detecting the Impact of Ethanol on the Fetus and Understanding its Underlying Mechanism
American Association on Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities' (AAIDD) Research and Science Teleconference Series, sponsored by the John Merck Fund, is proud to present Cynthia Bearer, MD on Tuesday, July 10 at 2pm EST. For more information, visit: http://www.ehinitiative.org/, or contact Laura Abulafia at: Laura@aaidd.org.
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Northwest Health Foundation 3rd Community-Based Participatory Research Conference
Can community-based participatory research lead to social change? What is at stake
when communities are not driving research agendas? These questions and other issues
related to community-based participatory research will be explored at the the Northwest
Health Foundation 3rd Community-Based Participatory Research Conference, which will
be held July 19-20 in Portland, Oregon. This event, whose theme is Healthier Communities
through Action and Research, will provide a dynamic forum for exploring issues related
to community-based research partnerships, methods, funding, project planning, and
the dissemination of findings. For more information and to register, visit: http://www.nwhfevents.org.
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New Website: eChemPortal, the Global Portal to Information on Chemical Substances
eChemPortal offers free public access to information on properties of chemicals, including: physical chemical properties, environmental fate and behavior, ecotoxicity and toxicity. eChemPortal allows for simultaneous search of multiple databases and provides clearly described sources and quality of data. eChemPortal gives access to data submitted to government chemical review programs at national, regional, and international levels. For more information, see: http://www.oecd.org/ehs/echemportal.
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New Women's Health and the Environment Website and Toolkit
The new Women's Health and the Environment website at: www.womenshealthandenvironment.org, contains information about the science linking women's health and the environment and ideas for individual, community, state and national-level advocacy aimed at reducing human exposures to contaminants. A toolkit has also been developed that anyone can download and share for free (see: www.womenshealthandenvironment.org/toolkit). Both the website and toolkit were built based on materials and wisdom from leaders and organizations working at the nexus of women's health and the environment.
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New on the CHE Website: Add Your Event to the CHE Website!
Do you have an environmental health event that you would like to announce? Now you can add it to the CHE website at: http://www.healthandenvironment.org/addevent.
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DVDs of the CHE National Conference, Environmental Public Health: Science, Medicine,
Prevention And Policy are Now Available
We are pleased to offer a limited number of DVDs from the October 2006 CHE National Conference titled, Environmental Public Health: Science, Medicine, Prevention And Policy. Each DVD set (the conference spans three DVDs) is available at cost for $15 (including shipping) and features all of the conference presentations. For more information and to place an order, visit: http://www.healthandenvironment.org/articles/announcements/1045.
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4. CHE Science News Headlines
Most of these articles have been gleaned from Above the Fold.
Report Calls for New Directions, Innovative Approaches in Testing Chemicals for Toxicity
in Humans
The National Academies, 12 June 2007
Recent advances in systems biology, testing in cells and tissues, and related scientific fields offer the potential to fundamentally change the way chemicals are tested for risks they may pose to humans, says a new report from the National Research Council. Continue reading...
Screening for Endocrine Disrupting Pesticides
The Daily Green, 12 June 2007, Dan Shapley
More than 10 years after being directed to do so by Congress, the EPA will test 73 pesticides for their potential to damage the endocrine system and disrupt the normal functioning of hormones in the body. Continue reading...
Opening Statements in Case on Autism and Vaccinations
New York Times, 12 June 2007, Gardiner Harris
Lawyers began arguments on Monday in the first of several test cases that may help decide whether the government should pay millions of dollars to parents of autistic children. Continue reading (subscription required)...
New Research: Di-(2-ethylhexyl) Phthalate Metabolites may Alter Thyroid Hormone Levels
in Men
Environmental Health Perspectives, 11 June 2007, Meeker, JD, AM Calafat and R Hauser
The first study to examine the connection between human exposure to phthalates and changes in thyroid hormone levels reports that men with higher levels of the phthalate breakdown product MEHP in their urine had lower levels of two major thyroid hormones, T4 and T3 in their blood. Changes in thyroid hormone levels can affect growth, development and metabolism and cause a number of human diseases. Continue reading...
Rivers of Doubt
Newsweek, 4 June 2007, Anne Underwood
There's something fishy in the nation's water supply. In a search for culprits, scientists are zeroing in on a group of compounds they call "emerging contaminants," including pharmaceuticals, cosmetics and antibacterial soaps. Continue reading...
Sensitive Birds Alert Scientists to New Threat
Portland Oregonian, 27 May 2007, Michael Milstein
There's a new chemical appearing in ospreys, a flame retardant called polybrominated
diphenyl ether, or PBDE, and it's as common today as the computers, televisions and furniture that contain it. Continue reading...
Safety of Cosmetics is a Gray Area
Newark Star-Ledger, 27 May 2007, Robert Cohen
A California company altered its cosmetic formulas to comply with new safety standards recently imposed by the European Union and to eliminate concerns raised by a number of public interest groups. But other companies are fighting back. Continue reading...
The Faroes Statement: Human Health Effects of Developmental Exposure to Environmental
Toxicants
24 May 2007
An international scientific conference has forged a new consensus statement on the importance of fetal exposures for adult health. Chemical exposures during prenatal and early postnatal life can bring about important effects on gene expression. New research on rodent models shows that developmental exposures to toxic chemicals, such as the hormonally active substances, diethylstilbestrol, tributyl tin, bisphenol A, genistein, can increase the incidence of reproductive abnormalities, metabolic disorders, including obesity and diabetes, and cancer. Continue reading...
Bad Air Linked to Low Birth Weight
New Haven Register, 20 May 2007, Abram Katz
Connecticut air that meets federal pollution limits still contains enough harmful chemicals to stunt babies before they are born, a groundbreaking Yale University study has found. Continue reading...
Common Chemicals are Linked to Breast Cancer
Los Angeles Times, 14 May 2007, Marla Cone
More than 200 chemicals - many found in urban air and everyday consumer products - cause breast cancer in animal tests, according to a compilation of scientific reports published today. Continue reading (registration required)...
Lupus Cluster at Oilfield Points Finger at Pollution
NewScientist.com, 11 May 2007, Aria Pearson
An alarmingly high number of people living in houses built on top of a disused oilfield in New Mexico have been diagnosed with the autoimmune disease lupus. It is the latest in a growing number of lupus clusters near polluted areas, and points towards the environmental triggers for this complex disease. Continue reading...
New Paper on Nanotechnology
Natural Resources Defense Council, 11 May 2007
From mascara to tennis balls to baby wipes, tiny nanoparticles are hidden in many of the products that we use every day. But much is still unknown about the effects of nanotechnology on human health and the environment. This May 2007 NRDC issue paper presents the latest research on the potential risks of nanotechnology and outlines a framework for regulating these still-untested chemicals. The just-released (and an earlier fact sheet), is now available on the NRDC website at: http://www.nrdc.org/policy/.
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5. New CHE Partners
We welcome the many new CHE Partners who have joined since the last newsletter. To see the New CHE Partners and the growing list of all CHE Partners, please visit:
http://www.healthandenvironment.org/base/partners-recent.
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Thank you for taking the time to read the latest about CHE. As always, we welcome your feedback, suggestions or questions. Please direct them to Eleni Sotos, CHE Program Director, at: Eleni@HealthandEnvironment.org.
Best wishes,
Eleni Sotos, MA, Program Director
and
Frieda Nixdorf, MA, Administrative Specialist
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