Monthly Archives: February 2013

Legislation Proposes Moratorium on Mountaintop Removal Permits Until Health Consequences Are Invesitgated

Posted on February 20, 2013 by ju11

     On Wednesday, February 13th, Congressman John Yarmuth (KY-3) and Congresswoman Louise Slaughter (NY-25) introduced the Appalachian Community Health Emergency Act (H.R. 526) in the U.S. House of Representatives.  The legislation would place a moratorium on all new mountaintop … Continue reading →

Posted in Clean Air Act, Clean Water Act, environmental cleanup, environmental health, environmental health law, environmental justice, EPA, Fine Air Particulates, fish consumption advisories, pollution control standards, public health, public health law, Uncategorized, vulnerable populations | Comments Off on Legislation Proposes Moratorium on Mountaintop Removal Permits Until Health Consequences Are Invesitgated

How Anxious Humans are Making Fish Fearless

Posted on February 20, 2013 by abarnes

Studies are showing that low levels of antianxiety medication, such as Xanax or Valium, are entering our water systems after leaving the human body and causing behavioral changes in fish populations. A recent study, exposing European perch to low levels of … Continue reading →

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Sunshine in a Pill: Shedding Light on the Regulation of Vitamin D

Posted on February 17, 2013 by smooney

Outside the window of our farmhouse, the sun shines brilliantly on the snowscape.  Inside, I am reading MASTERMIND, a New York Times Bestseller recently published by my former high school classmate and friend, Maria Konnikova.  In the book, Sherlock Holmes … Continue reading →

Posted in FDA, Institute of Medicine, public health, Recommended Dietary Allowance (RDA), supplements, Vegetarian/Vegan, vitamins | Comments Off on Sunshine in a Pill: Shedding Light on the Regulation of Vitamin D

The Sky is Falling: Stormwater as a Vector for Environmental Health Hazards

Posted on February 15, 2013 by Alex English

We have known for years that rainwater can carry hazardous substances which affect the health of human and animal life. The classic example is acid rain. Burning coal and other fossil fuels produces sulfur dioxide (SO2), which various nitrogen oxides (NOx) … Continue reading →

Posted in agriculture and human health, carcinogens, Clean Water Act, cyanobacteria, DDT, drinking water, environmental health, fish consumption advisories, food contamination, mercury, public health, routes of exposure, Safe Drinking Water Act, synthetic chemicals, water quality standards | Tagged , , , , , | Comments Off on The Sky is Falling: Stormwater as a Vector for Environmental Health Hazards

Walking the Weight Away

Posted on February 12, 2013 by srockwell

The physical shape of our urban environment has profound effects on human health. Urban design can determine which biological and chemical environmental hazards enter citizens’ bodies through air, water, or food. But the physical shape of our built urban environments … Continue reading →

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Worker Safety and the Federal Rulemaking Process

Posted on February 10, 2013 by caitlin

Crystalline silica, a mineral in the earth’s crust, is a common component of sand, stone, concrete, and brick.  When workers cut, saw, or drill these materials—mainly during construction work and mining operations—the silica is aerosolized, exposing workers to fine particulate … Continue reading →

Posted in carcinogens, CDC, Clean Air Act, environmental health, environmental health law, EPA, Fine Air Particulates, hydraulic fracturing, NACOSH, NIEHS, NIH, OMB, OSHA, pollution control standards, public health, routes of exposure | Comments Off on Worker Safety and the Federal Rulemaking Process

Is Animal Protein a Carcinogen?

Posted on February 9, 2013 by msinnott

When you hear the word ‘protein,’ what is the first thing that comes to mind? For the average American consumer, protein is synonymous with meat. In fact, most American consumers strongly believe two things about protein; (1) that it is … Continue reading →

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Swimmable Waters?

Posted on February 5, 2013 by smooney

I might reconsider my goal of swimming an open water marathon by the time I turn thirty-five, or perhaps I’ll just swim it in the pool instead.  Last year when I swam twelve miles around the Charleston, South Carolina peninsula, … Continue reading →

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Arsenic in Rice

Posted on February 3, 2013 by Emily Dupraz

I am one of the fortunate few who grew up eating primarily products produced in my backyard. Growing up on a beef cattle farm in the Midwest, my family consumed almost exclusively products that we produced. There was beef and … Continue reading →

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Environmental Issues on the U.S. Army Bases in Korea: Complex Relationship between Policies and Public Health and Environmental Health Law

Posted on February 3, 2013 by KarenLee

After the Korean War, the Status of Forces Agreement (SOFA) was drafted to secure the military support and cooperation of the United States Forces in Korea (USFK). However, there were several incidents where the two countries conflicted. In May 2011, … Continue reading →

Posted in CERCLA, dioxins, environmental cleanup, environmental health, environmental health law, environmental justice, environmental law, public health, public health law, WHO | Comments Off on Environmental Issues on the U.S. Army Bases in Korea: Complex Relationship between Policies and Public Health and Environmental Health Law