Health

A radio story by Australia's ABC News reported that a study has been undertaken by Duke Medical Centre which has discovered a link between bisphenol A and the suppression of a gene which is vital to the development of the central nervous system. According to the sound clip segment of the AM Show with Tony Eastly, reporter Sarah Dingle comments:

Now a new study by Duke University Medical Centre has found BPA may suppress a gene vital to the development of a central nervous system.

Children's products are often the first items in which bisphenol A is banned, as they prove to be controversial to politicians who do not want to appear callous to the needs of children. In an article on Forbes written by Amy Westervelt, two new studies have emerged presenting evidence that it is important to monitor children's products and the chemicals they contain.

According to an article on HealthDay News, a chemical found in Melamine plastic dishware could raise the potential for getting kidney stones, a new study suggests. Melamine is a common household chemical, and is found in a number of plastic cooking and dining products. Writes Robert Preidt:

The new Taiwanese study included 12 healthy men and women who ate hot noodle soup from either a melamine or ceramic bowl. Urine samples were collected from the participants for 12 hours after they ate the soup.

News came last Friday from PepsiCo that a controversial chemical that has been a common additive in their beverages is to be phased out, following complaints over the safety of the chemical. The additive, Brominated Vegetable Oil, has been linked to neurological disorders and thyroid problems. The New York Times' Stephanie Strom reports on the story, commenting that the voice of a fifteen year old girl named Sarah Kavanagh was the catalyst for change in this instance.

The New York Times published an article this weekend citing information from a comparative study in which two genetically identical lab mice were raised in exactly the same conditions, with exactly the same diet and opportunities for exercise, and only one difference in upbringing: one mouse was exposed to a miniscule dosage of an endocrine disrupting hormone at birth. The result, according to New York Times contributor Nicholas Kristof, was one mouse of an average size, and one which gained a substantial amount of weight. Writes Kristof:

According to an article posted this weekend on the York Daily Record, a testimony was made before a Senate subcommittee in Philadelphia stating that ten newborn babies were just found to contain more than 200 chemicals in their blood, before they were even able to be affected by the air they breathed, food, or water.

A new study from UC Irvine has found that fetal exposure to a chemical from PVC, tributyltin, has been found to correspond to obesity for generations after the exposure. According to Medical Xpress, the study found that 

early-life exposure to endocrine-disrupting compounds such as TBT can have permanent effects of fat accumulation without further exposure, said study leader Bruce Blumberg, UC Irvine professor of pharmaceutical sciences and developmental & cell biology. These effects appear to be inherited without DNA mutations occurring.

The chemical compounds known as phthalates were found to be present in ants during a study conducted by entomologist Dr. Alain Lenoir, according to a new article posted on Inhabitat.com. Contributor Morgana Matus writes that even these tiny organisms were found to be susceptible to the chemical compound, which is released into the atmosphere as plastics degrade. Matus reports:

The findings of a new study have associated rising levels of bisphenol A in the urine samples of children with kidney and liver problems, according to an article published today by MSN Healthy Living. The article states that a study from New York University's School of Medicine analyzed data from more than 700 children and teens ages 6-19 for the purposes of the research, and found that:

The Los Angeles Times reported yesterday that a shipment from China containing 35,000 rubber ducks dressed in Santa, Reindeer, and Gingerbread man outfits was detained by US Customs officials after it was determined that the chemicals present in the ducks exceeded the safety threshold for children's products. According to an article by Adolfo Flores, the ducks contained dangerous levels of phthalates -- chemicals used to soften plastics that have been found connected to endocrine disruption. Writes Flores: