Researchers have developed a more accurate method of measuring bisphenol A (BPA) levels in humans and found that exposure to the endocrine-disrupting chemical is far higher than previously assumed. The study, published in the journal The Lancet Diabetes & Endocrinology on Dec. 5, provides the first evidence that the measurements relied upon by regulatory agencies, including the […]
Light pollution can suppress melatonin production in humans and animals
Melatonin sets the internal clock. Researchers from Leibniz-Institute of Freshwater Ecology and Inland Fisheries (IGB) in an international team have analyzed data on the impact of light pollution on melatonin formation in humans and vertebrates. They found that even the low light intensities of urban skyglow can suppress melatonin production. Melatonin synchronizes the day-night-rhythm in […]
Permanent hair dye and straighteners may increase breast cancer risk
Scientists at the National Institutes of Health found that women who use permanent hair dye and chemical hair straighteners have a higher risk of developing breast cancer than women who don’t use these products. The study published online Dec. 4 in the International Journal of Cancer and suggests that breast cancer risk increased with more […]
Hot particles in Japan: what does this mean for the Olympics and beyond?
Hundreds of thousands of people – athletes and spectators – will flood into Japan for the 2020 Olympics. But exposure dangers from the Fukushima nuclear catastrophe have not ended since the meltdowns and explosions spread radioactive contamination over large areas reaching down to Tokyo and beyond. Soon after the start of the meltdowns, experts began […]
Consumption of licorice can lead to dangerously high blood pressure and dangerously low potassium levels
As it turns out, you really can overdose on candy—or, more precisely, black licorice. Days before the biggest candy eating holiday of the year, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) encourages moderation if you enjoy snacking on the old fashioned favorite. So, if you’re getting your stash ready for Halloween, here’s some advice from FDA: […]
Endocrine disruptors in soy products
On the basis of a laboratory test on soy products, revealing particularly worrying levels of phytoestrogens, compounds strongly suspected to be endocrine disruptors, the UFC-Que Choisir seizes the ANSES and the DGCCRF to enhance safety and information on food products containing them. In the meantime, the Association is making recommendations to consumers to limit their exposure […]
Accidents Can Happen: The Women of Three Mile Island (DOCUMENTARY)
At Three Mile Island, almost forty years after the disaster of March 28th, 1979, Hutner stumbles upon Linda, Joyce, Beth, Paula– ordinary housewives who lived five miles from the nuclear plant at the time of the meltdown. The women “knew nothing about nuclear power.” They “trusted” the power plant owners and their government “to protect” […]
Photoinitiators detected in human breast milk
Photoinitators (PIs) are compounds used in the ink of many types of food packaging. The substances have been shown to migrate into food and, when consumed, show up in human blood serum. Now, for the first time, researchers report they have detected PIs in human breast milk, although they say the levels consumed by breastfeeding […]
ROCKY FLATS Documentary Exposes Plutonium Contamination In Colorado
What happens when a massive nuclear weapons plant closes down in your neighborhood? ROCKY FLATS is the story of one community’s fight in Colorado to uncover the truth about the toxic legacy of the Cold War in their backyards ROCKY FLATS is a feature documentary about an under-the-radar yet crucial environmental story – of the […]
Expert says 2020 Tokyo Olympics unsafe due to Fukushima
The Japanese government announced in 2015 that it would communicate to the whole world at the Tokyo Olympic Games in 2020 that Japan has recovered from the 2011 disaster by regarding the event as a symbol of Japan’s recovery. Plans for lifting evacuation orders and decommissioning activities are scheduled around the 2020 Tokyo Olympic Games […]