|
|
Collaborative on Health and the Environment's
Fertility/Reproductive Health Working Group
 |
|
| E-Bulletin December 28, 2009 |
|
| This e-bulletin lists news and journal articles, organizational reports, calls for proposals, upcoming events and other items related to fertility, reproductive health and the environment. E-bulletins are archived and searchable on our website: http://www.healthandenvironment.org/working_groups/fertility |
CHE-Fertility Highlights
|
Join us for the next CHE-Fertility Call, Disinfectants Overkill
When: Thursday, January 14, 2010
10:00 a.m. Pacific / 1:00 p.m. Eastern time
This call will highlight the recently released Women's Voices for the Earth report, Disinfectants Overkill, which outlines the health impacts associated with common antimicrobial chemicals and safer alternatives. Presenters will discuss emerging disinfectants of concern including quaternary compounds and triclosan. This call will last one hour and will be recorded for archival purposes. Please email julia@healthandenvironment.org if you plan to join the call so that we can reserve the correct number of lines.
Featured speakers will include:
-
Erin Switalski, Executive Director, Women's Voices for the Earth Alexandra Gorman Scranton, MS, Director of Science and Research, Women's Voices for the Earth
Patricia Hunt, PhD, Meyer Distinguished Professor, School of Molecular Biosciences, Washington State University
- Ann Blake, PhD, Environmental & Public Health Consulting
Dial-in information:
1-270-400-2000
Access code: 198686#Save the date for the upcoming CHE Call, Upstream: Complex Chemical Contributors to Thyroid Function and the Potential Impacts on Policy
When: Thursday, January 21, 2010
10:00 a.m. Pacific / 1:00 p.m. Eastern time
RSVP for this Call
Join CHE for a discussion of the complex array of chemical contributors to thyroid function. Presenters will cover chemicals linked to thyroid function, upstream biological impacts to thyroid hormones during pregnancy that can lead to a variety of health problems later in life and the policy implications given all the complexity. In particular, speakers will address perchlorate, which inhibits the uptake of iodide into the thyroid gland, an essential part of the process of making thyroid hormone. Small changes in maternal thyroid hormone are associated with significant decreases in IQ. This call will be moderated by Steve Heilig, Director of Public Health and Education at the San Francisco Medical Society and CHE. It will last one hour and will be recorded for archival purposes.Featured speakers will include:- Tom Zoeller, Professor and Chair of Biology, University of Massachusetts
- Greg Brent, Professor of Medicine and Physiology, UCLA School of Medicine
- Tracey Woodruff, Director, Program on Reproductive Health and the Environment and Associate Professor, UCSF
- Craig Steinmaus, Public Health Medical Officer III, California Environmental Protection Agency and Assistant Adjunct Professor, University of California at Berkeley
Download the MP3 Recording from the Dec. 8 CHE Call -- To Ban or Not to Ban: A Review of Atrazine From Both Sides of the AtlanticIf the same science is available on both sides of the Atlantic, why
would Europe choose to ban the use of atrazine while the US has not? On
this call we explored this question with speakers from both Europe and
the US. We discussed the findings of the Agricultural Health Study
recently conducted by NIH and the EPA, looked closer at the scientific
literature addressing atrazine and the implications for human health,
particularly reproductive health impacts. The call concluded with a
conversation with colleagues from the Health and Environment Alliance
(HEAL) about the EU's choice to ban atrazine. Listen to the audio recording
New Bill Introduced: The Endocrine Disruption Prevention Act of 2009
On December 3, 2009, Representative Jim Moran and Senator John Kerry introduced The Endocrine Disruption Prevention Act of 2009 to authorize an ambitious research program at the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences (NIEHS). The goal of the program is to develop reliable and reproducible methods to identify chemicals that can disrupt the human endocrine system. This bill will facilitate the development of comprehensive multi-system assays to identify EDCs. To download a copy and find more information about how to support this bill you can visit The Endocrine Disruption Exchange website at http://www.endocrinedisruption.com/endocrine.edlaw.php. The Latest From H&E -- Spot the difference: can the body distinguish between thyroid hormones and chemical imitators? This month's Health and Environment speculates that structural similarity between man-made molecules (such as triclosan) and thyroid hormones is suggestive of a potential for causing thyroid illness. H&E is a monthly e-publication and blog about environmental health issues, how
they affect humans, and (somewhat indirectly) what role in these terms
healthcare can play in preventing illness. On the basis of this article, H&E has thrown together a quick-and-dirty reading list for anyone interested in some of the primary research in the area.
Read the article
Link to the reading list TEDX Video: The Male Predicament. The Male Predicament is the informative and compelling lecture that Dr. Theo Colborn has delivered across the U.S. and overseas. Using scientific facts, photos and a touch of humor, it describes in detail how males are susceptible to endocrine disrupting chemicals. To order copies of the video, go to: http://www.endocrinedisruption.com/endocrine.male.php. Link to the videoWTC Report: Earliest Exposures. New tests by the Washington
Toxics Coalition reveal that children spend their first nine months in an
environment that exposes them to known toxic chemicals. WTC
tested nine pregnant women, from Washington, Oregon, and California, for
chemicals including bisphenol A, phthalates, mercury, and "Teflon chemicals."
The first-of-its kind study tested blood and urine from pregnant women during
their second trimester of pregnancy and found their bodies contaminated with
chemicals found in a wide variety of consumer products. This
new study was completed by the Washington Toxics Coalition in
collaboration with the Commonweal Biomonitoring Resource Center and the
Toxic-Free Legacy Coalition. Link to the reportPRHE Brochure: Toxic Matters. A new guide that highlights how to prevent exposure to toxic substances
at home, in the workplace and in your community. Toxic Matters is a publication of the University of California, San Francisco
Program on Reproductive Health and the Environment (PRHE), From Advancing Science to Ensuring Prevention (FASTEP). FASTEP is a project of PRHE and an alliance of academic, government and non-governmental partners spanning the fields of reproductive, environmental, occupational and pediatric health and toxicology. The goal of FASTEP is to secure each and everyone's right to optimal reproductive health by fostering environemnts that prevent exposure to toxic substances and support healthy pregnancies, children, adults and future generations.
The recommendations in this brochure are designed for women, men and children, and apply to everyone regardless of whether or not you're pregnant now or are planning to have children in the future. To learn more and download a pdf version of Toxic Matters, click here.
|
Media Spotlight
|
Reproductive Health Briefing on Capitol Hill On December 15, 80 people gathered for the Dangers of Chemicals on Reproductive Health briefing in D.C. This widely attended event was hosted by the Association of Reproductive Health Professionals (ARHP), Reproductive Health Technologies Project (RHTP) and Safer Chemicals, Healthy Families, in cooperation with Representative Jane Harman (D-CA) and Representative Lois Capps (D-CA). Participants heard presentations from Beth Jordan, MD, Medical Director of ARHP, Ted Schettler, MD, MPH, Science Director of CHE and the Science and Environmental Health Network, and Tracey Woodruff, PhD, MPH, Associate Professor and Director of the Program on Reproductive Health at the University of California, San Francisco. Read the follow-up blog by Jenn Rogers, Programs and Policy Director of RHTP: 'Twas the Night Before the Reproductive Health Hearing.
|
Announcements
|
A daily news feed with these articles and announcements is now
available on CHE's website:
http://www.healthandenvironment.org/news/announce.
Job opening: Chicago, Illinois.
The Healthy Schools Campaign (HSC) is seeking a Communications and
Public Policy Analyst to support the organization's federal, state and
local policy initiatives and programs.
Read more
Job opening: Bethesda, Maryland.
The Health and Environmental Funders Network (HEFN) is currently seeking a part-time administrative assistant to support its small office in a 16-hour-per-week hourly wage position.
Read more
Job opening: Washington, DC.
Earthjustice, the nonprofit law firm for the environment, currently has an opening for a Advocacy/Communications Campaign Manager.
Read more
Job opening: San Francisco. The
Women's Foundation of California seeks a development and communications officer as the primary writer of external communications and the
steward of their online community.
Read more
Job opening: Washington, DC. The
nationally accredited journalism program of The School of Communication
at American University is seeking an experienced journalist with a
strong record/expertise in health, science, and/or environmental
journalism for a tenure-track position beginning in August 2010.
Read more
Job opening: Wenatchee, Washington.
The Chelan-Douglas Health District has an opening for an environmental health specialist to conduct routine public health inspections, review facility designs for code compliance and more. The position will stay open until filled. Read more
Call for proposals: Community-Based Participatory Research.
The Northwest Health Foundation invites innovative, community-driven
research proposals that seek to reduce the burden of chronic diseases
using community-based participatory research approaches. Concept papers
are due February 1, 2010. Read more
EPA seeks applications for environmental community grants.
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency is making $2 million available
in 2010 to reduce pollution at the local level through the Community
Action for a Renewed Environment (CARE) program. Read more
EPA releases first-ever baseline study of U.S. lakes.
The draft study, which rated the condition of 56 percent of the lakes
in the United States as good and the remainder as fair or poor, marked
the first time EPA and its partners used a nationally consistent
approach to survey the ecological and water quality of lakes. Read more
National Report on Human Exposure to Environmental Chemicals.
The blood and urine samples were collected from participants in CDC's National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES), which is an ongoing survey that samples the U.S. population every two years. Read more
[See related articles: New CDC survey tracks mercury levels in Americans and New frontiers -- and limitations -- in testing people's bodies for chemicals]
Loma Linda University inaugurates new Health Geoinformatics Lab.
The Health Geoinformatics Laboratory center will provide undergraduate and graduate students with hands-on experience in applying modern information system technologies that combine maps and satellite imagery with data about the geographic locations of diseases, health care resources, and sociodemographic characteristics of communities. Read more
Call for comments: EPA to strengthen oversight of pesticide's impact on children and farmworkers.
EPA's proposal would include a more thorough assessment of risks to workers, including farmworkers and farm children, as well as risks posed by pesticides that are not used on food. The agency is asking the public to comment on the new approach and how best to implement the improvements. Read more
Research Data Project.
Birth Defect Research for Children is starting a new initiative to connect scientists studying birth defects with cases of specific birth defects in the National Birth Defect Registry. Read more
Comments invited: Healthy People 2020.
The US Department of Health and Human Services invites comments on the proposed Healthy People 2020 objectives. Comments will be accepted through December 31, 2009. Read more
Call for proposals: Environmental Justice Small Grants Program.
The primary purposes of proposed projects should be to develop an understanding of environmental and public health issues and to identify ways to address these issues at the local level, and educate and empower the community. Applications are due January 8, 2010. Read more
Share your stories, successes, and visions for environmental health.
The Health & Environmental Funders Network has launched a new project to highlight and archive the diverse and exciting work that has happened over the past ten years and capture people's visions and hopes for the next ten years. Read more
Call for proposals: Environmental influences during windows of susceptibility in breast cancer risk.
NIEHS and the National Cancer Institute (NCI) solicit cooperative
agreement grant applications from institutions to conduct basic
laboratory or ancillary research projects involving existing
populations or clinical studies focused on gene-environment
interactions, as well as the molecular mechanisms engaged, during
specific windows of susceptibility that have the potential of modifying
a womans lifetime risk for developing breast cancer. Letters of
application are due December 30, 2009. Read more
|
News, Science and Other Resources
|
Below you will find recent news headlines, studies, and organizational reports - gleaned from the CHE Fertility Online Library hosted by Environmental Health News and the CHE daily news feed.
Assessing risks from bisphenol-a.
Evaluating human health risks from endocrine disruptors such as BPA is difficult, but animal studies suggest trouble is afoot. American Scientist. 27 December 2009.
Cola drinking linked to diabetes in pregnancy.
Drinking lots of sugar-sweetened cola may increase women's likelihood
of developing diabetes during pregnancy, a condition known as
gestational diabetes, new research shows. Reuters Health. 26 December 2009.
Race, ethnicity may influence reproductive life.
Race and ethnicity may be important factors in women's reproductive
lives, from the timing of the first menstrual period to the severity of
menopausal symptoms, a new research review finds. Reuters Health. 26 December 2009.
Study suggests link between occupation and birth defects.
Women in certain professions face a high risk of having children with
physical problems, research shows. Women working as janitors faced the
highest risk of giving birth to children with certain defects, while
teachers faced the lowest risk. Toronto Globe and Mail, Ontario. 22 December 2009.
No link seen between acetaminophen, birth defects.
Researchers found no evidence linking mothers' acetaminophen use in the
first trimester to a heightened risk of any birth defect. In fact,
women who took the medication to treat a first-trimester fever had a
lower risk of certain birth defects. Reuters Health. 22 December 2009.
A study from California suggests that living closer to high traffic
roads may increase the risk of spontaneous abortion in certain women.
The association was seen only with African-Americans, not with women of
other races.More...
Premature birth tied to later behavioral problems.
Children who were born prematurely and at a very low weight may have an
increased risk of certain behavior problems and symptoms of depression
and anxiety, research suggests. Reuters Health. 17 December 2009.
Plasticizer may be tied to boys' breast enlargement.
A recent report points to yet another possible harmful effect of
exposure to phthalates -- a controversial plastics chemical used widely
in the manufacture of consumer products. Reuters. 15 December 2009.
The widely used herbicide atrazine may be responsible for a host of
health problems seen in freshwater fish and amphibians, according to
researchers who evaluated a group of published studies that examined
the chemical's effects. Exposure to atrazine levels found in the
environment reduced immune function, sex organ development and
function, and the production of steroid hormones in both groups of
animals. 14 December 2009. More...
Ovaries reveal their inner testes.
Inside every ovary lurks a testicle just waiting to develop. So says a
study in mice that further overturns traditional views of sexual
development - and reveals that females must constantly suppress their
masculine side. Nature. 11 December 2009.
A delicate balance of sexual identity.
The difference between male and female is smaller than one might
think--at least on a cellular level. Researchers have found that they
can change ovary cells into testicular cells in mice by turning off a
single gene. Science. 11 December 2009.
Birth weight, early weight gain may hasten puberty.
A relatively low birth weight and early-age weight gain may increase
the likelihood of early puberty, hint findings from a German study.
Earlier onset of puberty has been linked to certain cancers, high blood
sugar and obesity. Reuters Health. 11 December 2009.
Chemical BPA may harm developing fetus, Quebec study suggests.
A common chemical used in the plastic lining of frozen-food dinners and
many other products is endangering the development of fetuses in
pregnant women, a new study suggests. Montreal Gazette, Quebec. 10 December 2009.
Chemicals affect our babies before they're even born.
A mother's womb should be the safest place on earth. All babies should
have the right to be born free of pollution; it should be in the Bill
of Rights. Instead, thanks to Monsanto and many other industries, all
babies now enter the world pre-polluted. Salt Lake Deseret Morning News, Utah. Opinion, 9 December 2009.
Exposure to the common herbicide atrazine rapidly induces the
release of stress hormones in rats, which may explain how the weed
killer produces some its harmful reproductive effects. Elevated
stress hormones can disrupt the hormone signals that spur ovulation.
Atrazine is one of the most frequently used herbicides in the US. 4
December 2009. More...
Chemicals, pollutants found in newborns.
Chemicals from cosmetics, perfumes and other fragrances were detected
along with dozens of other industrial compounds in the umbilical cords
of African American, Asian and Latino infants in the United States,
according to a national study released Wednesday. San Francisco Chronicle, California. 3 December 2009.
BPA found in 90 percent of newborns.
A study released Wednesday which found that nine of 10 babies tested
were born with bisphenol A in their systems has renewed calls for the
chemical to be banned. Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, Wisconsin. 3 December 2009.
Heavy metals raise risk of penis defects.
Pregnant women who work in occupations that may bring them into contact
with heavy metals are at more than double the usual risk of having a
baby boy with hypospadias. Sydney Morning Herald, Australia. 3 December 2009.
[Registration Required]
Plastics chemical phthalate may shorten pregnancy.
Pregnant women who are exposed to higher levels of an increasingly
controversial chemical in certain plastics may deliver their babies
slightly earlier than women with less exposure, results of a study
hint. Reuters. 1 December 2009.
As moms age, more babies born with Down syndrome.
The percentage of children born with Down syndrome has increased by
about one percent per year since 1979, according to new findings from
the CDC. Women 35 and older are five times more likely than younger
moms to have a baby with Down syndrome. Reuters Health. 1 December 2009.
Bug spray 'can raise birth defect risk.'
Using insect repellents in early pregnancy could put unborn boys at
risk of a birth defect, research suggests. If used in the first three
months, chemicals in the repellents could increase the risk of
hypospadias by 81 per cent, the study found. Edinburgh Scotsman, United Kingdom. 1 December 2009.
Fertility treatment may produce fewer baby boys.
Researchers found that the normal male-to-female birth ratio seems to
be reversed when infants are conceived through intracytoplasmic sperm
injection. Reuters Health. 26 November 2009. Increased risk of spontaneous abortion was seen among
African-American women living close to roads where traffic exceeded
15,000 vehicles per day. Many large city streets have a daily traffic
volume of 15,000 cars or more. 18 December 2009.
|
Upcoming Events
|
Online Calendar. These and more upcoming events are listed in the CHE-Fertility searchable calendar.
1) Training/Workshop: Lead Poisoning and Pregnancy
Tuesday January 12, 2010
10:00 a.m. - noon
Bronx, New York
at WHEDCO, 50 E. 168th Street (between Walton and Gerard Avenues), second floor
Sponsor: Bronx Health Link
Pregnant women in the Bronx are at risk for lead poisoning. For the
woman, it can lead to high blood pressure, muscle and joint pain. For
the baby, lead can cause premature births, low birth weight and
learning problems later in life. This training will cover 1) the
specific health dangers to both mother and child; 2) the tests for
blood levels of lead, and the various treatment options; 3) community
initiatives to educate residents about prevention and treatment
approaches; and 4) how to join advocacy efforts to push for policy
changes to reduce lead dangers. This training is for health providers
and consumers.
Price: free, but preregistration is requested
Contact: Bronx Health Link, 718-590-2648 2) Teleconference/Webcast: CHE Science Cafe Call: A Conversation with Elizabeth Grossman, Author of Chasing Molecules
Tuesday January 19, 2010
11:00 a.m. Pacific / 2:00 p.m. Eastern time
Sponsor: Collaborative on Health and the Environment
Known for her book High Tech Trash, an exposé of the electronic waste industry, Elizabeth Grossman's new book, Chasing Molecules: Poisonous Products, Human Health, and the Promise of Green Chemistry,
reveals the dangers and the extent of the chemicals that are found in
everyday products such as BPA, perfluorinated compounds, brominated
flame retardants and phthalates, and offers up hope for a future
without them. With Chasing Molecules, Grossman reveals that
we can do better; that we can make materials that we have come to rely
on with chemicals that have been tested to be safe and are in fact
"benign by design." In a radical departure from how synthetic chemistry
has been practiced, Grossman suggests that green chemistry should be
used to create new materials for use in everything from sippy cups to
carpets.
Price: free
Visit the website
Contact: CHE, info@healthandenvironment.org 3) Training/Workshop: Introduction to Managing Environmental Data with Microsoft Access 2007
Tuesday and Wednesday, January 26 - 27, 2010
8:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.
Los Angeles, California
at the Japanese American Cultural & Community Center, 224 South San Pedro Street
Sponsor: Northwest Environmental Training Center
This course is designed for participants who wish to gain beginning
to intermediate skills in using Microsoft Access 2007 to build
relational databases for managing and mining their environmental data.
This comprehensive class uses Access 2007 to cover in-depth the use of
tables, queries, forms, reports and macros objects through extensive
hands-on exercises. These Access database subjects are taught using
real-world environmental examples with actual field data. This class is
recommended for anyone desiring a concentrated exposure to Access
training in a powerful 2- to 3-day class. This course is part of a
series and is immediately followed by the Managing Environmental Data
With Microsoft Access 2007, Applying the Tools workshop, January 28,
2010.
Price: $495/$395 for two-day introductory class, or $650/$545 for all three days
Visit the website
Contact: NWETC, 206-762-1976 4) Training/Workshop: Human Health Risk Assessment Workshop:
Practical Approaches to Estimating Risk and Developing Site-specific
Cleanup Levels
Thursday and Friday, March 11 - 12, 2010
8:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.
Kirkland, Washington
at the Kirkland Computer Lab, Yarrow Bay Office Park, One North Building, 10604 NE 38th Place, Suite 118
Sponsor: Northwest Environmental Training Center
Risk assessments are now being performed at almost all sites,
whether part of a Risk-Based Correction Action (RBCA) analysis, to
determine remediation strategies, or for litigation support and
prevention. This class is hands-on, covering each of the steps in a
risk assessment. Emphasis will be placed on fate and transport modeling
to estimate exposure point concentrations. RISC software will be used
for classroom exercises, however the principles learned are can be
applied to other risk-assessment software. Each participant will have
their own computer workstation throughout the class.
Price: $895/$845 earlybird pricing through January 30th or $945/$895 thereafter
Visit the website
Contact: NWETC, 206-762-1976 5) Conference/Seminar: 2nd All Africa Environmental Health Congress
Monday through Thursday, May 24 - 27, 2010
Lilongwe, Malawi
at the Crossroads Hotel
Sponsor: International Federation of Environmental Health (IFEH) in
collaboration with the Government of Malawi and the University of Malawi
The conference theme is "Environmental Health - Key to a Better Life
for All", and the vision of this congress is the improvement of the
standards of environmental health in Africa. Objectives are to 1) raise
the profile of environmental health in Africa, 2) share best practices
of environmental health services delivery in Africa, 3) enhance
inter-country collaboration in environmental health practice, 4)
address the training needs of environmental health, 4) promote the
environmental health needs of children in Africa and 5) promote
environmental health research.
Price: see the Registration page
Visit the website
Contact: 265 187 7592 or washted@poly.ac.mw
| |
|
|
The Collaborative on Health and the Environment offers this information as a service but does not endorse any of the events, articles or announcements.
Please email Julia Varshavsky, CHE's Fertility/Reproductive Health Working Group Coordinator, at julia@healthandenvironment.org with any questions, comments, or suggestions.
If you would like to join the Collaborative on Health and the Environment (CHE) and the Fertility/Reproductive Health Working Group, please complete the application on the CHE website: http://www.healthandenvironment.org/application. Joining CHE means receiving up to four email messages a month from the CHE National listserv. CHE costs nothing to join and the benefit is shared information and opportunities for further engagement, if you choose. Be sure to mark that you want to join the CHE Fertility/Reproductive Health Working Group at the bottom of the application.
Julia Varshavsky
Collaborative on Health and the Environment
|
 |
|
|
|
|
|
