The Food & Drug Administration (FDA) has finally proposed new labeling requirements for sunscreen that are meant to give consumers a better idea of exactly how much protection such products provide. The FDA action comes after years of complaints by consumer groups that sunscreen labels often promised more sun protection than the product really provided. Because of such empty promises, millions of sunscreen users were exposed to an increased risk of skin cancer.

The FDA proposed the new rules Thursday. It is hoped that the new information will eventually lead to lower rates of skin cancer. More than 1 million Americans are diagnosed with skin cancer every year. While most skin cancers can be treated effectively, a form of the disease called melanoma is more aggressive and can lead to death. The sun’s rays produce two types of ultraviolet radiation – UVA rays, which cause sun tans, and UVB rays, which are responsible for sun burns. Currently the Sun Protection Factor (SPF) listed on sunscreen labels only measures protection against UVB rays.

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China again attempted to deflect blame onto Mattel for the recent toy recalls that have worsened the country’s already-questionable manufacturing reputation. An official from China’s General Administration for Quality Supervision, Inspection and Quarantine defended the country’s manufacturers, saying that faulty American designs and were responsible for the toy recalls.

On August 1, Mattel recalled millions of toys made in China. That recall included 9 million magnetic play sets where the small magnets could come loose and cause serious intestinal injuries in children if swallowed. The same action also recalled 436,000 die-cast toy cars from Mattel’s “Cars” line because paint used on the toys contained excessive amounts of lead. Earlier this month, Mattel’s Fisher-Price division recalled more than a million toys because they were also made with lead paint. That recall encompassed more than 80 different toys and toy sets, and included toys based on characters from popular TV shows like Sesame Street, Dora the Explorer and Spongebob Squarepants.

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Vioxx and other cox-2 inhibitors increase the production of a protein that encourages blood clotting, concludes a study published in The Journal of Experimental Medicine. The over-production of the protein, known as tissue factor (TF), could account for the increased risk of heart attacks associated with cox-2 inhibitors like Vioxx.

The Food & Drug Administration (FDA) ordered Vioxx off the market in 2004 after studies showed that people who took the drug had a higher risk for heart attack. The recall came after an analysis of patients using Vioxx linked the defective drug to more than 27,000 heart attacks or sudden cardiac deaths in the U.S. from 1999 through 2003. After Vioxx was pulled from the market, it was revealed that the FDA had tried to silence the drug expert who headed that study. Dr. David Graham, associate director for science in the FDA Drug Center’s Office of Drug Safety, told Senate investigators that he had been subjected to veiled threats and intimidation when he informed the FDA of his findings

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The Federal Emergency Management (FEMA) Agency has received requests from 1,000 Louisiana families to be moved out of FEMA-issued trailers because of concerns that the structures might be contaminated with formaldehyde. About 43,000 Louisiana families displaced by Hurricanes Katrina and Rita still live in the toxic FEMA trailers. Earlier this month, FEMA announced that it would suspend use of the trailers while it investigates the formaldehyde problem. The agency also offered new housing to trailer residents concerned about the toxic fumes.

Formaldehyde is an invisible gas that is known to cause cancer. It can also cause other illnesses ranging from nose bleeds to chronic bronchitis. The chemical was used as glue in the trailers. At least two deaths of trailer residents have been linked to formaldehyde exposure.

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Barton Solvents has begun removing storage tanks that were destroyed in a July 17 explosion at its Valley Center plant. The blast, which rocked the small Kansas town, resulted in the evacuation of 200 people living near the facility.

Barton Solvents began cutting up and removing the tanks on Friday, after the U.S. Chemical Safety and Hazard Investigation Board informed the company that it was finished examining the tanks. The board had given Barton Solvents permission to dismantle the tanks and remove debris from the plant, although the investigation is still ongoing. One of the Board’s investigators told the Wichita Eagle that the on-the-ground investigation of the Barton Solvent’s plant is done, but that the investigation is far from over. The Board, an independent federal agency that investigates industrial chemical accidents, is still examining equipment at the Valley Center facility. It could be some time before the Board issues a final report on the Barton Solvents explosion.

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Just moments after the Minneapolis Bridge collapse, the Minneapolis Emergency Communications Center began receiving hundreds of frantic 911 calls. Tapes of those calls released over the weekend reveal the shock and horror felt by those on or near the I-35 W Bridge when it fell into the Mississippi River, as well as the confusion the calls created for 911 dispatchers as they struggled to comprehend the scale of the disaster.

Just two minutes after the Minneapolis Bridge collapse, the communications center logged 100 emergency calls. At the news conference where the tapes were released, 911 supervisor Maryam Williams admitted that dispatchers had trouble understanding the enormity of the catastrophe they faced. “Even in my mind, when somebody told me the bridge collapsed, I’m still thinking a car flipped over into the water.” But deluged with so many calls in such a short time, the dispatchers’ disbelief soon dissolved, Williams said.

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Western International Gas & Cylinder, a gas delivery company involved in the Dallas plant explosion last month, has been cited numerous times for safety violations. The company was making a delivery to the Southwest Industrial Plant when the delivery truck exploded, severely burning two people and causing millions of dollars in damage.

According to the Dallas Morning News, Western International Gas & Cylinder was cited by the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration for transporting hazardous materials without a security plan. As a result, Western International Gas & Cylinder was fined $6,050. The Occupational Safety and Health Administration also fined the company in 2005 for not maintaining equipment at its Belleville, Texas plant in a way that would prevent an explosion.

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When a medical device like the Kugel Mesh Hernia Patch is put on the market, most consumers expect that the device manufacturer will carefully monitor the use of their product, and inform the public of any safety issues in a timely manner. Unfortunately, as the sad story of the defective Kugel Mesh Hernia Patch illustrates, this is not always the case.

The Kugel Mesh Hernia Patch was supposed to offer hernia patients a good option for treating their painful condition. But by 2005, the Food & Drug Administration (FDA) was receiving more and more reports of failure with the Kugel Patch. Apparently, the recoil ring that opened the patch could break. When the ring broke, patients experienced bowel perforations and other serious problems. The reports were so alarming that the FDA issued a Class I recall of the Bard Composix Kugel Mesh X-Large Patch. A Class I recall means that the recalled product poses a serious danger to patients still using it. The FDA warned doctors to quite using the patch. The FDA also warned patients who received the patch to seek medical attention if they experienced unexplained fever, persistent abdominal pain, or tenderness to the incision site. By February 2007, the Kugel Patch recall had been expanded twice to several other sizes of the device.

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Since 1997, medical science has been trying to solve the mystery of Nephrogenic Systemic Fibrosis (NSF). NSF, also known as Nephrogenic Fibrosing Dermopathy, is a rare and little understood disease that affects people with kidney problems. Since the first cases were documented, research into NSF has provided few clues into its cause, and even fewer as to its treatment

Prior to 1997, no cases of NSF had ever been reported. While it only appears in patients with pre-existing kidney problems, according to The International Center for Nephrogenic Fibrosing Dermopathy Research, there is no evidence that NSF is caused by kidney disease, medications, microorganism or dialysis. But in 2006, NSF researchers made an intriguing discovery. It was at that time that researchers linked the use of Gadolinium based contrast agents used in MRIs with the development of NSF. Following the 2006 discovery, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) warned healthcare professionals that Gadolinium based agents had been tied to multiple cases of NSF. Then, in 2007, the FDA went even further and requested that the manufacturers of the five Gadolinium based contrast agents used in MRIs include a boxed warning on product labels highlighting the risk they posed to patients with kidney problems.

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Con Edison will begin its probe today into the July 18 New York City steam pipe explosion that left 1 person dead and 40 others injured. The utility announced the start of its investigation at a news conference yesterday where the 20-inch ruptured pipe was put on display. But even as the investigation commenced, a lawyer representing victims of the blast raised doubts that Con Edison’s eventual findings could be trusted.

The pipe, part of a 105-mile network that Con Edison uses to heat and cool Manhattan buildings, had burst lengthwise. A 5 1/2-foot long gash ran along the side of the pipe. It was through this gash that a geyser of hot vapor, mud and asbestos shot hundreds of feet into the air on the day of the blast. Con Edison said that the news conference would be the last time the pipe would be displayed publicly.

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