Health News: Online hawkers try to sell Blue Bell Ice Cream despite recall ♦ Kissing cousins, arranged marriages and genetic diversity ♦ Self-harm, suicide ideation linked in Iraq, Afghanistan veterans

Online hawkers try to sell Blue Bell Ice Cream despite recall. Despite the recent recall of all Blue Bell ice cream and related products due to the potential risk of Listeria contamination, some would-be entrepreneurs are attempting to make a quick buck by selling their previously purchased ice cream via online ads.

Kissing cousins, arranged marriages and genetic diversity In the first study of its kind, a research team has examined the effects of arranged marriages on genetic diversity. From hemophilia and color blindness amongst British and Russian monarchies, people have long known the potential damaging genetic consequences of inbreeding. But until recently, no one could measure or understand the impact of marriage rules on genetic diversity.

Self-harm, suicide ideation tightly linked in Iraq, Afghanistan veterans Non-suicidal self-injury -- that is, purposefully hurting oneself without conscious suicidal intent -- is relatively common among Iraq and Afghanistan veterans, and it is a strong risk factor for suicidal behavior.

Search and rescue tool that pinpoints buried victims developed A new locator feature on a search and rescue tool can pinpoint the location of a victim to within about five feet – saving rescuers time and increasing chances for locating survivors.

Links between household air pollution, lung infections examined, including pneumonia Scientists have come a step closer to understanding why people exposed to household air pollution (HAP) are at higher risk of lung infections such as pneumonia and tuberculosis. Three billion people worldwide are exposed to HAP from the fuels they burn to cook, light and heat with at home. Frequently, charcoal, wood and food waste are burned and generate high concentrations of smoke particles. This exposure is associated with increased risk of pneumonia, particularly in low and middle income countries where bacterial pneumonia is the biggest cause of infant mortality. This risk is well known, but the reasons are not.

Childrens Health: Pollution lowers birth weigh ♦ Premature girls thrive more than premature boys ♦ Technology reduces distracted driving among teens

Adolescent brain on alcohol: Changes last into adulthood Repeated alcohol exposure during adolescence results in long-lasting changes in the region of the brain that controls learning and memory.

Outsmarting smartphones: Technology reduces distracted driving among teens Technology can bolster efforts by parents, lawmakers and insurance companies to reduce distracted driving among novice teen drivers,.

Beijing Olympics study links pollution to lower birth weight Exposure to high levels of pollution can have a significant impact on fetal growth and development. Their study found that women who were pregnant during the 2008 Beijing Olympics, when pollution levels were reduced by the Chinese government, gave birth to children with higher birth weights.

Evidence that premature girls thrive more than premature boys A new study provides further evidence that female infants tend to do better than males when born prematurely. The study found that female infants independently orally fed one day earlier than males. The ability to suck, swallow and breathe simultaneously are reflexes that many premature infants are unable to do.

Brain differences seen in children with dyslexia, dysgraphia Structural brain differences between children with dyslexia and dysgraphia and children who are typical language learners have been observed by researchers in a recent study.The findings prove that using a single category of learning disability to qualify for special education services is not scientifically supported.

12/27/14 Health News:The Salad Bowl of America Turns Toxic ♦ New evidence links air pollution to congenital defects ♦ Existing drug, riluzole, may prevent foggy 'old age' brain

The Salad Bowl of America Turns Toxic

The Salinas Valley, with its superlative moniker “the salad bowl of America,” is where some 60 percent of the nation’s lettuce is grown, and close to half of its strawberries. It’s some of the most productive agricultural land in the world, on rich silt accumulated over centuries of flooding on wetlands. Continue Reading

New evidence links air pollution to congenital defects

The health effects of air pollution are a major concern for urban populations all over the world. A new study provides new evidence linking high exposure to air pollution to an increased risk of congenital malformations. Continue Reading

Existing drug, riluzole, may prevent foggy 'old age' brain, research shows

Forgetfulness, it turns out, is all in the head. Scientists have shown that fading memory and clouding judgment, the type that comes with advancing age, show up as lost and altered connections between neurons in the brain. But new experiments suggest an existing drug, known as riluzole and already on the market as a treatment for ALS, may help prevent these changes. Continue Reading

3/30/14 Health News: Cancer Risk for Kids Living Near Busy Roads ♦ Salt and Obesity May Prematurely Age Cells ♦ More of the Infections Kids Get Are Resistant to Drugs

Salt and Obesity May Prematurely Age Young Cells

High sodium intake and obesity may act synergistically to accelerate cellular aging in adolescents, according to new research presented at the American Heart Association's EPI/NPAM Scientific Sessions 2014. The study examined the effect of a high salt diet on telomere length in normal weight and overweight/obese teens. After controlling for factors known to shorten telomeres, researchers observed a statistically significant interaction between weight and sodium intake.Continue Reading

More of the Infections Kids Get Are Resistant to Drugs

The rate of antibiotic-resistant bacterial infections in children is increasing in inpatient and outpatient settings, a study reports. The prevalence of third-generation cephalosporin-resistant (G3CR) bacteria increased from 1.39% in 1999-2001 to 3% in 2010-2011, wrote Latania K. Logan, MD, of Rush University Medical Center in Chicago, and her co-authors online in the Journal of the Pediatric Infectious Disease Society.Continue Reading

Higher Cancer Risk for Kids Living Near Busy Roads

Young children who are exposed to high levels of vehicle exhaust — such as what they'd encounter living near busy roads in urban areas — appear to have a greater risk of childhood leukemia, according to a Centers for Disease Control and Prevention review of seven previous studies. Iin the USA an estimated 30%-45% of people in large urban areas live near major roads, "suggesting increased exposure to traffic-related air pollution and risk of adverse health outcomes." The article says the studies reviewed by the CDC suggest "that childhood leukemia is associated with residential traffic exposure during the postnatal period, but not during the prenatal period." Continue Reading

Dairy fined $6,000 for Manure Pollution in Beaver Marsh

OLYMPIA – The Washington State Department of Agriculture (WSDA) has fined Beaver Marsh Dairy in Mount Vernon $6,000 for applying liquid manure to a field that resulted in a discharge and raised the fecal coliform level in nearby Beaver Marsh Road ditch above established standards, violating the state’s Water Pollution Control Act.  

The ditch drains to the Skagit River, which is summer habitat for salmon and primary recreational water.

On Dec. 23, 2013, WSDA received a complaint that Beaver Marsh Dairy had over-applied manure and the agency began investigating. Results from water samples taken from the adjacent ditch found fecal coliform levels exceeding state water quality standards.  The resulting Notice of Penalty was issued March 13. The dairy has 30 days from that date to seek an appeal.

Washington’s Dairy Nutrient Management Act requires dairies to manage the manure produced by their cows. WSDA’s Dairy Nutrient Management Program works with dairies and enforces this act to protect surface and ground water as required by the state’s Water Pollution Control Act.  The state Department of Ecology enforces the Water Pollution Control Act on all non-dairy lands.

WSDA inspectors with this program regularly visit the state’s 400 dairies to inspect manure containment and clean water diversion facilities, review records including soil tests, manure nutrient analyses, nutrient application and transfer records. This is done to ensure that manure is managed in a way that protects surface and groundwater from the discharge of pollutants, including bacteria that can be harmful to human health and aquatic life.

Penalties paid to the WSDA Dairy Nutrient Management Program fund a grant account. The grants pay for research, education, and outreach to benefit dairies in Washington state. Penalty levels are set based on a penalty schedule and are affected by factors such as having previous violations.

Nuclear Pollution Thought To Kill Off Star Fish On U.S. West Coast

Researchers say nuclear pollution from the 2011 earthquake in Japan that damaged the Fukushima Nuclear Power Plant could be partially to blame for a disease wiping out starfish along the West Coast. Fukushima pollution may be causing sea star epidemic on West Coast. Sea urchins and sea cucumbers also affected Populations go locally extinct overnight, literally

Dr Peter Raimondi of the University of Santa Cruz says something is making starfish susceptible to what is believed to be a disease caused by a bacterium, coined "wasting disease." It essentially disintegrates the marine invertebrates into a white goo, after the starfish loses its legs.

Starfish are more efficient at absorbing radioisotopes than fish. They can absorb 1000 times more platinum than fish.

1/6/14 Health News: Hot Dogs Made Safe With High Pressure Processing, Pesticides Linked to Neurotoxicity, 8 Million Acres to Polluted to Grow Food in China

HIGH PRESSURE PROCESSING CAN MAKE READY-TO-EAT MEATS AND OTHER FOODS SAFER

The 1998 Major League Baseball season will forever be remembered for “The Chase,” first by Ken Griffey, Jr., and finally between Mark McGwire and Sammy Sosa, to top Roger Maris’s home-run record of 61. “The Chase” brought beer-drinking and hotdog-eating fans streaming back to MLB parks, many for the first time since the 1994 baseball... Continue Reading

Controversial pesticides linked to human neurotoxicity

Europe should slash the acceptable human exposure limits on two neonicotinoids — a class of insecticide previously linked to bee declines — says a key European Union safety agency.

In a report released today, the European Food Safety Agency , based in Parma, Italy, says that recent research suggests that acetamiprid and imidacloprid “may affect the developing human nervous system”.continue reading

China Says 8 Million Acres Of Farmland Now Too Polluted For Food

An official from the Chinese government announced Monday that approximately 3.33 million hectares, or 8 million acres, of China’s farmland is now too polluted to grow crops, continue reading

There is Plastic in the Fish We Eat.

This article is based on Bavarian research published in Current Biology People through plastic trash away.It ends up in a river banging along the rock till it gets into smaller and smaller pieces Some pieces get very small.Worms and other small animals eat the plastic. Minnows eat the wormsFinally a large fish eats the minnowFisherman catches the fish.He sells the fish to a restaurantYou Spend Big Bucks You eat the fishPlastic ends up in your bellyIf you would like a more scientific version click on the link..

Factory Farms Pollute Groundwater

Washington State: The Community Association of Restoration of the Environment (CARE) and the Center for Food Safety have brought suit against five Yakima Valley dairies. The EPA tested 331 wells in Yakima Valley. Twenty percent had dangerously high levels of nitrates. The nitrates  raising a health risk for the 24,000 residents of the area.

The EPA and the dairies made a binding agreement that requires the dairies do specific things to clean up the water. Charlie Tebbutt, attorney for CARE and the Center for Food Safety, told the Yakima Herald Republic newspaper that the EPA agreement “only reinforces the use of failed strategies that will not solve the contamination and will continue to put the Lower Valley residents at risk.”  

A statement by the two groups said they ”look forward to obtaining an order from the Court requiring the dairies to clean up so that the taxpayers are not stuck with the bill while the dairies reap profits at the expense of the community.”

This trial will be watched carefully by factory farms around the country. It could change the way factory farms operate.

source : Food Safety News