Pollution From Traffic Harms Children

( posted with permission )

According to a new study in the American Journal of Epidemiology, “children who live in neighbourhoods with heavy traffic pollution have lower IQs and score worse on other tests of intelligence and memory than children who breathe cleaner air.” ⁰¹

The study’s lead author is Dr. Shakira Franco Suglia (Boston’s Harvard School of Public Health). She says that traffic pollution has been associated with a number of other harmful effects as well, and that there’s not much people can do other than moving away from heavy traffic areas. ⁰²

“All children’s outdoor activities should be as far as possible from busy roadways.” ⁰³

Be sure to check out my list of the highest-volume stretches of road in London ⁰⁴ (and then keep your kids away from them)!

Sources:
01. 2008/02/19 – National Post: Effects Of Heavy Traffic Pollution
02. 2008/02/15 – MSNBC: …tied to low memory and intellegence scores
03. 2004/04/30 – ENS: Particle Pollution…
04. CityLondon: Traffic Volume Data

Is Our Water Unsafe?

According to an International Joint Commission 400-page study, communities in areas around the Great Lakes have low birth weights, elevated rates of infant mortality and premature births, and elevated death rates from breast cancer, colon cancer, and lung cancer.

Haven’t heard about it before now? Reportedly, that’s because the CDC’s Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry (ATSDR) has been delaying release of the report due to the potentially alarming information contained in it.

When Christopher De Rosa (ATSDR’s 15-years director of toxicology and environmental medicine who oversaw the study) blew the whistle and pressed for it’s release, the agency retaliated by demoting him.

Links:
Great Lakes Danger Zones?
Great Lakes Environment and Sustainability Chronology
2008/02/15 – Montreal Gazette: Government buries climate science

Beauty, at What Price?

Even tiny quantities of mercury can cause neurological damage to people. So why would you apply it to yourself?

Minnesota will become the first U.S. state to ban mercury from mascara, eye liners and skin-lightening creams when it’s new legislation comes into effect on January 1^st.

“Canadians can be exposed to mercury from many sources…it is toxic…and can build up in living things” (‘Mercury and Human Health‘; Health Canada).

Links:
2007/12/14 – Bemidji Pioneer: Mercury in mascara? New ban coming…