Mount Isa kids urged to have lead level checks

ABC News Kate Stephens and Donna Field 17 May 2013

Queensland chief health officer Dr Jeannette Young is calling for an increase in the number of children having their lead levels tested in the north-west mining city of Mount Isa.
In 2008, 400 children were tested for exposure to lead, with 11 per cent having elevated levels and some so high they had ongoing developmental issues.
Dr Young wants children under the age of five who undergo a blood test at the Mount Isa Hospital to have the option of checking their lead levels at the same time.

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Zebrafish study suggests that vitamin B2 (riboflavin) is an antidote to cyanide poisoning

(Federation of American Societies for Experimental Biology 30 April  2013) With the remains of a recent lottery winner having been exhumed for foul play related to cyanide poisoning, future winners might wonder how they can avoid the same fate. A new report in The FASEB Journal involving zebrafish suggests that riboflavin may mitigate cyanide’s toxic effects.

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Local laws key to reducing dangers of lead poisoning

(University of Rochester Medical Center 6 May 2013) A new study appearing this week in the Journal of Health Politics, Policy, and Law catalogs community-based efforts to develop strategies and policies that — by targeting high risk housing — may hold the key to reducing lead hazards in children’s homes.

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Toxic waste sites cause healthy years of life lost

(The Mount Sinai Hospital / Mount Sinai School of Medicine  4 MAy 2013) Toxic waste sites with elevated levels of lead and chromium cause a high number of “healthy years of life lost” in individuals living near 373 sites located in India, Philippines and Indonesia.

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Elevated cadmium levels linked to disease

(Johns Hopkins Medicine 9 May 2013) People with higher levels of cadmium in their urine — evidence of chronic exposure to the heavy metal found in industrial emissions and tobacco smoke — appear to be nearly 3.5 times more likely to die of liver disease than those with lower levels, according to a study by Johns Hopkins scientists.

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2013 International Congress on Chemical, Biological and Environmental Sciences (ICCBES)

ICCBES August 8-10, 2013

The conference is to offer scholars, professionals, academics and graduate students to present, share, and discuss their studies from various perspectives in the fields of Chemical, Biological and Environmental Sciences and so forth. All theoretical, empirical and practical papers or abstract from scholars and professionals in the above fields are all highly welcome.

Link to Conference website

Children living near toxic waste sites experience higher blood lead levels resulting in lower IQ

(The Mount Sinai Hospital / Mount Sinai School of Medicine 6 May 2013) Children living near toxic waste sites in lower and middle income countries such as India, Philippines and Indonesia may experience higher blood lead levels, resulting in a loss of IQ points and a higher incidence of mental retardation, according to a study presented today by Kevin Chatham-Stephens, M.D., Pediatric Environmental Health Fellow at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, at the Pediatric Academic Societies annual meeting on May 6 in Washington, DC.

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Mercury exposure linked to dramatic decline in Arctic foxes

BBC News Matt McGrath 6 May 2013

A dramatic decline in the number of Arctic foxes on one island is being linked to levels of mercury in their food.

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High levels of metal in underground air raise concerns

BBC News 3 May 2013

Questions have been raised over the health impact of high levels of tiny airborne metal particles discovered in a European underground train system.

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Scientist defends report linking dredging to fish disease

ABC News William Rollo Apr 17, 2013

The scientist who prepared a report linking dredging in Gladstone Harbour in central Queensland to fish disease says a recent CSIRO assessment contradicting his finding is wrong.
Veterinary pathologist Dr Matt Landos says the dredging program released metals such as copper and aluminium into the harbour, killing marine life.
However, a CSIRO review says the concentration of metals was not high enough to be toxic and the influx of fresh water during the 2011 floods stressed marine health.
Dr Landos says that is not backed up by evidence.

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