Category Archives: routes of exposure

A Dam Shame – Reservoirs and Elevated Mercury Levels

Posted on April 25, 2013 by Alex English

One of the oldest forms of “renewable” energy comes from hydropower. From ancient grain mills to tanneries to hydroelectric generation, humanity has long harnessed the power of flowing water. Unfortunately, increased use of water power has corresponded with increased environmental impacts. Tanneries, … Continue reading →

Posted in drinking water, environmental health, fish consumption advisories, food contamination, mercury, public health, Recommended Dietary Allowance (RDA), risk communication, routes of exposure, vulnerable populations | Tagged | Comments Off on A Dam Shame – Reservoirs and Elevated Mercury Levels

Dead in the Water

Posted on March 27, 2013 by Alex English

Thanks to laws such as the Clean Water Act, and the Safe Drinking Water Act, tremendous progress has occurred in the past forty years: the Cuyahoga River no longer catches fire, Boston Harbor is generally free of fecal matter, and municipal water … Continue reading →

Posted in agriculture, agriculture and human health, algal blooms, Clean Water Act, climate change and health, cyanobacteria, dead zones, drinking water, environmental health, NIH, nonpoint source pollution, phosphorus, public health, routes of exposure, Safe Drinking Water Act, vulnerable populations, water quality standards | Comments Off on Dead in the Water

Are “Neonics” Killing Honey Bees?

Posted on March 26, 2013 by tbach

A story featured on NPR tonight led off with “[e]nvironmentalists and beekeepers are calling on the government to ban some of the country’s most widely used insect-killing chemicals.”  These pesticides, called neonicotinoids or neonics, for short, coat the seeds of many … Continue reading →

Posted in agriculture, environmental health, EPA, pesticides, routes of exposure, synthetic chemicals | Comments Off on Are “Neonics” Killing Honey Bees?

What’s Next for the Great Lakes?

Posted on March 4, 2013 by mkyle

Harmful Algae Blooms Threaten Lake Erie The World’s Largest Source of Freshwater The Great Lakes contain the world’s largest supply of freshwater. In fact, according to NOAA’s Great Lakes Environmental Research Laboratory (GLERL), the Great Lakes contain 18% of the world’s supply … Continue reading →

Posted in agriculture, agriculture and human health, algal blooms, Clean Water Act, climate change and health, dead zones, drinking water, environmental health, environmental health law, EPA, Great Lakes, nonpoint source pollution, phosphorus, pollution control standards, public health, public health law, routes of exposure, water quality standards | Comments Off on What’s Next for the Great Lakes?

Antibiotics and Agriculture

Posted on March 3, 2013 by caitlin

FDA Draft Guidance #213 proposes voluntary guidelines to reduce the use of antibiotics in farm animals raised for food.  It specifically recommends that drug companies remove indications (instructions) for using antibiotics for growth promotion.  Manufacturers have 3 months to notify … Continue reading →

Posted in agriculture and human health, CAFO's, FDA, food contamination, public health, risk assessment, risk management, routes of exposure, supplements | Comments Off on Antibiotics and Agriculture

New Study on BPA Suggests Links to Impaired Brain Development

Posted on March 3, 2013 by tbach

Researchers from Duke Medical School published a study last week (February 25, 2013) in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, concluding that bisphenol A (BPA), a chemical commonly used in plastics and resins, may suppress a gene critical … Continue reading →

Posted in BPA, environmental health, environmental health law, EPA, FDA, food contamination, NIEHS, precautionary principle, routes of exposure, synthetic chemicals, vulnerable populations | Comments Off on New Study on BPA Suggests Links to Impaired Brain Development

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

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

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 →

Posted in Clean Water Act, cooperative federalism, EPA, routes of exposure, water quality standards | Comments Off on Swimmable Waters?

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 →

Posted in agriculture and human health, arsenic, environmental health, environmental law, food contamination, risk communication, routes of exposure, Safe Drinking Water Act, synthetic chemicals, vulnerable populations | Comments Off on Arsenic in Rice