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Tag: chemicals

  • More Chemicals Linked to Child Brain Disorders

    A new study out of Harvard has identified six new chemicals that may be related to spikes in brain disorders in children. Researchers are concerned that toxic chemicals may be part of the rise in autism, attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), and dyslexia diagnoses over the past few decades.

    The study, published this weekend in the journal Lancet Neurology, has labeled new chemicals a “developmental neurotoxicants” that can cause brain defects in children. The newly labeled chemicals include manganese, chlorpyrifos, dichlorodiphenyltrichloroethane (DDT), tetrachloroethylene, polybrominated diphenyl ethers, and fluoride. According to the study, Manganese is possibly linked to “diminished intellectual function and impaired motor skills,” tetrachloroethylene is possibly a cause of “hyperactivity and aggressive behavior,” and DDT and chlorpyrifos could be related to “cognitive delays.”

    These chemicals join five other chemicals that researchers found to be developmental neurotoxicants back in a 2006 study. Those chemicals include lead, methylmercury, polychlorinated biphenyls, arsenic, and toluene.

    “The greatest concern is the large numbers of children who are affected by toxic damage to brain development in the absence of a formal diagnosis,” said Dr. Philippe Grandjean, lead author of the study and a professor of environmental health at the Harvard School of Public Health. “They suffer reduced attention span, delayed development, and poor school performance. Industrial chemicals are now emerging as likely causes.”

    Grandjean and his colleagues believe that these chemicals and possibly more may be having a negative effect on the brains of children, thereby damaging society as a whole. He and his co-authors are calling for expanded testing for industrial chemicals, as well as international laws that can help curb the use of such products.

  • Subway Will Remove Chemicals From Bread

    Subway Will Remove Chemicals From Bread

    Subway announced that they will be removing the chemical that’s been soaking inside their bread. This is the same chemical used in yoga mats and shoe soles.

    The recent change was announced after a food blogger received more than 50,000 signatures in a petition urging the sub chain to stop using the harsh chemical.

    Subway claims to have already been in the process of removing the chemical before blogger Vani Hari started the petition.

    “The complete conversion to have this product out of the bread will be done soon,” Subway said in a statement. The company said the move had nothing to do with the protest and that it was “already in the process of removing azodicarbonamide as part of our bread improvement efforts.”

    “When you look at the ingredients, if you can’t spell it or pronounce it, you probably shouldn’t eat it,” said Hari.

    Hari claimed she’d been researching the company’s bread ingredients since 2012 and was shocked to find the plastic-based additive listed.

    “I commend Subway for finally responding to me and now over 57,000 concerned citizens. Their swift action is a testament to what power petitions and individuals who sign them can have,” Hari said. “I’d like to note that current Subway sandwiches still have this ingredient, and urge everyone not to eat their sandwich bread until they have finally removed the chemical.”

    Why has the “healthy” chain been using this nasty chemical inside their bread?

    According to the blogger, the chemical fills yoga mats with air, helping them rise. Subway was using it to help their bread rise.

    Subway hasn’t mentioned the incident on any of their social media outlets. Instead, the company has focused their attention on the fight against women’s heart disease.

    Image Via YouTube

  • West Virginia Chemical Spill Affects Drinking Water

    On Thursday, a tank at Freedom Industries leaked dangerous chemicals into the Elk River in Charleston, Virginia. Nine counties in West Virginia have been warned not to drink, bathe, cook or do laundry with their tap water because of the contamination hazards posed by this spill.

    The chemical is a foaming agent that is used in processing coal, and approximately 100,000 water customers have been warned about the contamination.

    Governor Earl Ray Tomblin declared a state of emergency for areas surrounding Elk River whose water has been affected.

    The counties affected at this time, include: Kanawha, Cabell, Boone, Putnam, Lincoln, Logan, Clay, Roane and Jackson.

    “The water has been contaminated,” said Tomblin, who could not give a time reference on how long the hazard would last.

    The chemical that spilled out of the tank, that was designed to go into a containment area to prevent contamination, ran out of that safety area and began polluting the river. The amount that went into the river is unknown at this time, however, West Virginia American Water Company has a treatment plant that services the affected customers.

    Although it is not currently clear that the hazard spill is even an immediate threat, as there haven’t been reports of sickness, officials are taking every precaution to warn those in the Elk River area, until they can determine how much of the chemical actually went into the river and how much affected the tap water.

    “I don’t know if the water is not safe,” said water company president Jeff McIntyre.

    Further, McIntyre said the warning was issued, “because we don’t know. I don’t have anything to indicate the water is not safe. It’s an abundance of caution that we’re taking this step. We don’t do this lightly, tell our customers not to use the water.”

    Gov. Tomblin said he’s asking the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) to send ample supplies of bottled water.

    Although, once the emergency reached customers, they immediately emptied shelves of bottled water, as well as paper supplies for eating and drinking.

    McIntyre reported that the water is being tested to find out exactly how much of the chemical got into the tap water. And even though it is in a weaker concentration, it could still be detrimental.

    “Until we get out and flush the actual system and do more testing, we can’t say how long this (advisory) will last at this time,” McIntyre said. Adding that when the advisory was first issued for five counties, that as many as 100,000 customers were affected. The company has 170,000 customers in 17 West Virginia counties, as well as in Ohio and Virginia.

    McIntyre said It is also important to note that boiling the water won’t remove the chemical, advising that water be used for “toilet flushing only” until they can determine the severity of the contamination.

    Image via YouTube

  • Geismar Explosion: Fatality Report Comes In

    At least one person is dead and more than sixty were injured early this morning after an explosion rocked a chemical plant in Geismar, Louisiana. 30 people were taken to nearby hospitals, some of whom had to be airlifted.

    Authorities are assessing the damage and investigating the cause today, as well as trying to contain the area. It’s not known what chemicals, if any, may have leaked into the air during the explosion. The William Olefins plant makes 1.3 billion pounds of ethylene, a popular flammable gas, and 90 million pounds of polymer grade propylene every year.

    Government officials have weighed in on the explosion and say their thoughts are with the victims.

    “My thoughts and prayers are with the employees who were working at Williams Olefins plant, especially to the family of the one confirmed fatality and those who have sustained injuries. I am grateful for Louisiana’s first responders who are placing themselves in harm’s way to preserve the safety and security of the nearby communities and am committed to working with federal and state officials to investigate what caused this terrible incident. The oil and gas industry plays a vital role in supporting our domestic production and our nation’s economy. Williams Olefin’s Geismar plant makes 1.3 billion pounds of ethylene and 90 million pounds of polymer grade propylene annually and that underscores the importance of ensuring that these employees, and all of our workers in the oil and gas industry, are afforded a safe and secure work environment,” said Congressman Cedric Richmond.

    http://www.nola.com/traffic/baton-rouge/index.ssf/2013/06/lawmakers_respond_to_geismar_l.html

    Image: Eyewitness photo