About 2,200 Paradigm Cinema 70 CT Subwoofers have been recalled by Paradigm Electronics due to fire hazard, the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) just announced. The CPSC is advising consumers to stop using recalled products immediately unless otherwise instructed and note that it is illegal to resell or attempt to resell a recalled consumer product.

Paradigm Electronics, of Ontario, Canada imported the recalled Paradigm Cinema 70 CT Subwoofers, which were manufactured in China, because the subwoofer can overheat when the speaker system is played at high outputs for an extended period of time, posing a fire hazard to consumers. To date, the firm has received one report of a subwoofer overheating and causing minor property damage to the carpet beneath the speaker. No injuries have been reported. More Fire Hazard Prompts Subwoofer Speaker Recall

Step2® just issued a recall for Children’s Transportation Station Toys due to choking hazard, the US Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) and Health Canada (HC) just announced. The CPSC and HC are advising consumers to stop using the recalled products immediately, unless otherwise instructed, and note that it is illegal to resell or attempt to resell a recalled consumer product.

About 56,000 Sand & Water Transportation Station Toys were recalled in the US and the distributor, Step2 Company of Streetsboro, Ohio, recalled another 7,700 in Canada. More Step 2 Recalls Transportation Station Toys

We have long been writing about heavy metals turning up in a wide range of consumer and children’s products. Now, CNN is reporting that Consumer Reports magazine wrote that tests indicate that “worrisome levels” of these metals have been found in children’s products being sold today, including rain coats, hair barrettes, and jewelry.

The Consumer Reports’ October 2011 issue indicates that a metal-and-rhinestone hair barrette, a clover-shaped cell phone charm, and a vinyl children’s rain coat all contained heavy metals, said CNN. The report focused on both lead and cadmium. Consumer Reports’ report focused on over 30 products and utilized X-ray fluorescence and external laboratory analyses, said CNN. More Toxic Metals Pose Risk to Kids

The Great Bed Bug Comeback apparently isn’t bad news for everyone. According to a new report by The New York Times, some companies are finding that a recent rash of bed bug infestations in hotels, office buildings, apartment buildings and even movie theaters, is good business for them.

According to the article, the cost to apply pesticides aimed at eliminating bed bugs can range from $750 for a few rooms in an office building to $70,000 for a large apartment complex. To really make sure the pests are gone, it will cost another 40 percent over-and-above that to place all the contents of an office or retail space into a heat chamber. Bed bugs die if they are exposed to 120 degree heat, the Times noted. More Bed Bug Resurgence an Opportunity for Some

The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) just warned the makers of two green tea drinks to discontinue its unauthorized nutrient claims, said the LA Times, which noted that this is another in the agency’s efforts to put an end to misleading food labeling.

The FDA’s warning to the Dr Pepper Snapple Group indicated that the firm’s Canada Dry Sparkling Green Tea Ginger Ale bears claims to be “enhanced” with antioxidants, said the LA Times. But, because the drink is carbonated and classified as a snack food, it cannot bear claims to be nutritionally fortified, the FDA said, wrote the LA Times. The letter also said that ingredients claiming to contain antioxidants “are not nutrients with recognized antioxidant activity,” quoted the LA Times. More FDA Faults Green Tea Claims

Several lawsuits have already been filed over the Johnson & Johnson DePuy ASR hip implant. Last month, Johnson & Johnson issued a worldwide recall for the ASR XL Acetabular System and the ASR Hip Resurfacing System following complaints of device failure.

Johnson & Johnson announced the recall of the DePuy ASR Hip Implant system after data from the National Joint Registry of England and Wales showed that 1 out of every 8 patients (12%-13%) who had received one of the recalled devices had to undergo revision surgery within five years of receiving it. The recall involved the ASR XL Acetabular System, a hip socket used in traditional hip replacement, and the ASR Hip Resurfacing System, a partial hip replacement that involves placing a metal cap on the ball of the femur. Only the ASR XL Acetabular System was approved for use in the United States. More Johnson & Johnson DePuy ASR Hip Implant Recall Sparks Lawsuits

Bisphenol A—BPA—the controversial polycarbonate plastic is at the root of even more controversy. This time, with dental fillings and sealants being used in children.

USNews reported that, based on new research, dental fillings and sealants can expose children to BPA; however, while exposure is believed to be “short-lived,” long-term risks are unknown. The dental products involved, said USNews, do not contain pure BPA; however, saliva can cause them to leach, releasing BPA into the mouth, degrading it into pure BPA, said the team. More BPA in Dental Sealants Raises Concerns

Wyoming, a state not known for its love of regulation, has become the first in the nation to require that gas drillers disclose the chemicals used in hydraulic fracturing, or fracking. The ingredients in so-called fracking fluid will be public information once the new rules go into effect on September 15.

The rules were adopted by a unanimous vote of the Wyoming Oil and Gas Conservation Commission in June, despite vigorous opposition from the industry. More Gas Drillers in Wyoming Must Come Clean on Fracking Fluid Ingredients

As the investigation into the Chalmette Refining catalyst powder release begins, one environmental group is claiming that the hazards of the incident are being downplayed. The Louisiana Bucket Brigade said people never should have been allowed to touch the white powder that blanketed Chalmette, Arabi and New Orleans’ Lower Ninth Ward on Labor Day.

At least 2,000 lbs of the powder, a byproduct of refining operations, was released on Monday as a result of a power outage that occurred around 2:00 a.m. local time. Officials from both the refinery and St. Bernard’s Parish have maintained that the powder is not hazardous, and said it was safe for residents to wash it off cars and buildings. More Reassurances Over Chalmette Refining Powder Release Challenged

BP has released its internal report on the massive Gulf of Mexico oil spill, and is blaming the disaster on multiple parties. The report says that a series of failures and bad decisions on the part of BP, Transocean Ltd., and others aboard the Deepwater Horizon oil rig led to the April 20 explosion that killed 11 men and spawned the worst oil spill in US history.

The report is based on a four-month investigation led by Mark Bly, BP’s Head of Safety and Operations. Its key findings include: More BP Report Says No Single Factor to Blame for Oil Spill