A popular pesticide, atrazine, is making news again. The crop pesticide was discussed in a study scheduled to be presented at the annual meeting for the Society for Maternal-Fetal Medicine’s (SMFM), The Pregnancy Meeting ™, in Chicago, said Science Daily. The findings are expected to detail a link between atrazine and gastroschisis, a birth defect, said Science Daily.

Science Daily explained that gastroschisis is an “inherited congenital abdominal wall defect” that generally occurs in the intestines, but can occur in other organs, explained Science Daily. The organ typically develops outside the fetus’ abdomen and through an opening in the abdominal wall. Gastroschisis is increasing in prevalence, showing a two-to-four-fold increase in the past three decades, said Science Daily. The team, at the University of Washington in Seattle, was advised of the increase in the eastern portion of the state of Washington, which led them to hypothesize that there could be a link to that area’s environment, said Science Daily. More Study Finds Link Between Atrizine, Birth Defect

A new study has found a link between a once popular metal cleaner and increased risks of developing Parkinson’s disease. According to Science Daily, the chemical, trichloroethylene (TCE), was used to clean automotive components. The study, just released, will be presented at the American Academy of Neurology’s 62nd Annual Meeting in Toronto, Canada from April 10 to April 17, 2010.

“This is the first time a population-based study has confirmed case reports that exposure to TCE may increase a person’s risk of developing Parkinson’s disease,” said study author Samuel Goldman, MD, with the Parkinson’s Institute in Sunnyvale, California, quoted Science Daily. Dr. Goldman is also a member of the American Academy of Neurology. “TCE was once a popular industrial solvent used in dry cleaning and to clean grease off metal parts, but due to other health concerns the chemical is no longer widely used,” Dr. Goldman added. More Parkinson’s Disease Risk Linked to Exposure to Industrial Cleaner

We recently wrote that the first consumer lawsuit over Popcorn Lung Disease—bronchiolitis obliterans—was settled between FONA International Inc., formerly Flavors of North America Inc., and a Denver Colorado man who developed the disorder after consuming two bags of microwave popcorn daily for years, said EMaxHealth previously. Now, the Dispatch is reporting that the government may begin regulating the chemical—diacetyl—that is found in microwave popcorn and that has been linked to the disease.

The Dispatch also wrote about a 46-year old woman who now has the lung function of a 90-year-old, a man who can no longer perform simple tasks, and a couple unable to do more than leave their home. According to the Dispatch, all four can no longer work at the ConAgra Foods plant from where they were previously employed and have been diagnosed with bronchiolitis obliterans; all were exposed to diacetyl. ConAgra formerly used the chemical in its production of butter-flavored microwave popcorn, said the Dispatch. More Feds May Regulate Popcorn Lung Chemical

The American Society for Radiation Oncology just announced that it has committed to a six-point patient protection plan to improve safety and quality and to reduce the chances of medical errors involving radiation, said ASTRO Board Chairman Tim R. Williams, M.D. ASTRO is the largest radiation oncology society in the world.

“ASTRO’s highest priority has always been ensuring patients receive the safest, most effective treatments by providing tools and professional guidance to our members. We have been developing and refining many of these programs for years and they have been making a huge difference in the quality of cancer treatment,” said Dr. Williams. Williams is a practicing radiation oncologist at Boca Raton Community Hospital in Boca Raton, Florida. “It is frightening to receive the diagnosis of cancer, and completing treatment successfully should be the primary concern of cancer patients and their families. They need to know that their treatments are as safe as possible, period,” Dr. Williams added. More New Radiation Rules Proposed

Media sources are reporting that settlement talks are underway in thousands of lawsuits brought by rescue workers who helped in rescue and recovery efforts at Ground Zero in the weeks following the 9/11 terrorist attacks on the World Trade Center. The first of 12 such lawsuits are scheduled to go to trial in May.

In the hours and days after the 9/11 terrorist attacks, thousands of rescue workers descended on Ground Zero to help with recovery efforts. Sifting through dust and rubble, sometimes with their bare hands, many lacked the clothing and equipment that could have kept them safe from harm. Several studies have confirmed that Ground Zero first responders continue to suffer from ill health as a result of their exposure to toxic dust at the site, including lung diseases and post-traumatic stress disorder. It is also known that the chemicals they were exposed to included several carcinogens.
More Ground Zero Rescue Worker Lawsuits Subject of Settlement Talks

Schylling Associates has been fined and is required to pay a $200,000 civil penalty for violation of the lead paint ban and failure to report lead tainted toys, the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) just announced.

Schylling Associates Inc., of Rowley, Massachusetts has agreed to pay the civil penalty; the Commission has provisionally accepted the penalty settlement. The settlement resolves staff allegations that the company violated the federal lead paint ban regarding toys with surface paints containing lead above the 600 parts per million (ppm) legal limit applicable at the time, and failed to immediately report to CPSC information about the non-compliant toys. More Firm Fined Over Lead-Tainted Thomas and Friends, Other Toys

The industrial, estrogenic chemical bisphenol A—BPA—has been in the news recently for its connection to a wide variety of adverse effects. An issue since BPA is in an enormous variety of consumer products, including products geared to infants and young children. Now, Science Daily reported that based on emerging studies out of the University of Texas medical branch at Galveston, BPA could be linked to increased pediatric asthma risks.

Last month, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) said it was concerned about “the potential effects of BPA on the brain, behavior and prostate gland of fetuses, infants and young children,” quoted Science Daily. This month, recent research has linked a mother’s exposure to BPA could be linked to an increased likelihood that her children will develop asthma, said Science Daily. More BPA May Increase Kids’ Asthma Risk

E-cigarettes, a product that enables inhalation of nicotine without tar, tobacco, and carbon monoxide, are making headlines again. According to the Wall Street Journal, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is seeking to appeal “a federal judge’s ruling that the agency doesn’t have the authority to regulate electronic cigarettes.”

Earlier this week, the FDA asked a Washington, DC, federal appeals court to stay an order preventing the FDA from blocking electronic cigarettes from entering the country. According to the agency, it has authority to regulate some nicotine-containing products as drugs and devices, for instance, nicotine patches and lollipops, said the Journal. But, the agency said that the judge was wrong in the ruling saying, quoted the Journal, that he was “quite wrong to believe that no injury would result from the use of these harmful and addictive products.” More Electronic Cigarette Ruling Reversal Sought

Calls for a probe into the cause of a childhood cancer cluster in a Florida community called The Acreage are growing louder. The presence of the pediatric cancer cluster was confirmed earlier this week by The Florida Department of Health.

The residents of The Acreage have been concerned about a cancer cluster since several children living in close proximity to each other were diagnosed with brain tumors or brain cancer. Earlier this summer, residents’ concerns prompted the Florida Department of Health to begin a study of cancer rates in the area. More Answers Sought in The Acreage Cancer Cluster

We have been following news regarding the dangerous metal, cadmium, turning up in children’s products. Now, the Center for Environmental Health (CEH) reports cadmium has been found in adult jewelry, as well.

As a matter-of-fact, said the CEH, the Associated Press (AP) just reported that the store, Catherine’s, is taking cadmium-tainted “breast cancer awareness” bracelets off its shelves. CEH also just notified four leading retailers—Saks Fifth Avenue, Justice, Catherine’s, and Aeropostale—that third-party laboratory testing determined that considerable cadmium levels were found in jewelry purchased from their stores this December and January. More Cadmium Found In Adult Jewelry, Group Says