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Bulletin Board September 30, 2011 Contact us: [email protected] tel +61 3 9572 4700 fax +61 3 9572 4777 1227 Glen Huntly Rd Glen Huntly Victoria 3163 Australia *While Chemwatch has taken all efforts to ensure the accuracy of information in this publication, it is not intended to be comprehensive or to render advice. Websites rendered are subject to change. Legislation ASIA PACIFIC Public Release of Draft Priority Existing Chemical Report for Diethyl Phthalate 2011-09-12 The National Industrial Chemicals Notification and Assessment Scheme (NICNAS) have announced that that the draft Priority Existing Chemical (PEC) assessment report on Diethyl Phthalate (DEP) is now available for public comment. Under Section 60D of the Act, the draft PEC report was given to applicants for 28 days to enable corrections of any errors. No requests for corrections were received. The report focuses on assessment of risks for the public associated with potential exposure to DEP through the use of children’s toys, child care articles and cosmetics. A recommendation to reducing the risks identified for children and the general public from use of DEP-containing cosmetics is made. The draft report is available on the NICNAS website at http://www.nicnas.gov.au/consultations.asp. Any requests to vary the draft report should be received in writing to NICNAS by close of business on 4 October 2011. This is a statutory deadline, which cannot be extended. Applications should clearly outline any amendment or change(s) requested. All applications for variation must identify the exact words, sentence or paragraph in the report to be varied and then state replacement words, sentences or paragraphs. The rationale behind any request for variation must be clearly explained, with references where relevant. NICNAS Chemical Gazette, 6 September 2011 http://www.nicnas.gov.au/Publications/Chemical_Gazette Amendment of NICNAS Cosmetics Guidelines 2011-09-12 NICNAS has made two changes to the NICNAS Cosmetic Guidelines in consultation with the NICNAS Cosmetic Advisory Group. The first change involves modifying the existing Part F of the Cosmetics Guidelines on Prohibited or Restricted Cosmetic Chemicals in Australia. The list of prohibited or restricted chemicals has been replaced by links to sources of information on chemicals that by law, must not be used in cosmetics in Australia, or may be used with restrictions. The revised Part F also includes links to useful information on cosmetic ingredients that are prohibited or restricted in countries other than Australia. The second change involves the creation of a new part G on a List of Sunscreening Agents for Use in Cosmetic Products. The new Part G sets out the recommended UV filters and their concentrations for cosmetic sunscreen products used on the skin. These include: moisturising products for dermal application (e.g. skin care creams/lotions) with SPF up to 15, sunbathing products with sun protection for a secondary purpose with SPF up to 15, and untinted lip products (e.g. lip balms) with SPF, which were previously regulated as therapeutic goods but have been regulated as cosmetics since 2007, and other cosmetic products containing sunscreens such as tinted lip products (e.g. lipsticks) with SPF and tinted bases/foundations with SPF. The new Part G aligns the regulatory controls on UV filters between the therapeutic and industrial chemicals regulatory frameworks. The updated Cosmetics Guidelines can be found on the NICNAS website at http://www.nicnas.gov.au/Current_Issues/Cosmetics/Cosmetic_Guidelines_P DF.pdf. NICNAS Chemical Gazette, 6 September 2011 http://www.nicnas.gov.au/Publications/Chemical_Gazette South Korea updates toxic substance and observational substance lists 2011-09-12 On 1 September, the National Institute of Environmental Research (NIER) announced four substances have been added to South Korea’s toxic chemical substance list and two substances to its observational chemical substance list. The list is available on the NIER website, but in Korean only. The additions come into force one month after the announcement. The four substances added to toxic chemical substance list are: CAS 86347-14-0 5-[1-(2,3-Dimethylphenyl)ethyl]-1H-imidazole and mixtures containing at least 1% of the substance; CAS 341-58-2 2,2’-Bis(trifluoromethyl)benzidine and mixtures containing at least 25%; CAS 154279-60-4 4,4’-Methylenebis[ N-(1-methylpropyl)cyclohexanamine and mixtures containing at least 25%; and CAS 137-07-5 2-Aminothiophenol and mixtures containing at least 25%. The two substances added to the observational chemical substance list are: CAS 561064-11-7 2-[4-(9,10-Di-2-naphthalenyl-2-anthracenyl)phenyl]-1-phenyl-1Hbenzimidazole and mixtures containing at least 25%; and CAS 580-13-2 2-Bromonaphthalene and mixtures containing at least 25%. In addition, on 7 September, the NIER separately announced that four substances have been added to its list of substances classified according to South Korea’s version of the UN Globally Harmonised System (GHS). As well as a classification, the list provides a substance’s ID number (TCCL ID), CAS number, signal word, pictogram, H codes, and M factors. The list has been mandatory since 1 July 2011, and is also available from the NIER website in Korean only. The classified substances are: CAS 86347-14-0 5-[1-(2,3-Dimethylphenyl)ethyl]-1H-imidazole CAS 341-58-2 2,2’-Bis(trifluoromethyl)benzidine CAS 154279-60-4 4,4’-Methylenebis[ N-(1-methylpropyl)cyclohexanamine CAS 137-07-5 2-Aminothiophenol Chemical Watch, 9 September 2011 http://chemicalwatch.com/news China updates RoHS law 2011-09-12 China has published detailed lists showing which electronic products and parts will require voluntary certification from November under the country’s Restriction of Hazardous Substances (RoHS) law. A list of exemptions has also been published, according to consultancy Young & Global. Chemical Watch, 7 September 2011 http://chemicalwatch.com/news AMERICA California Nearing Ban of Toxic Chemical in Baby Products 2011-09-12 On 6 September, California moved one step closer to protecting the health of children when the Assembly took a final vote to send the Toxin-Free Infants and Toddlers Act (AB 1319) to the Governor for his signature. AB 1319, by Assembly member Betsy Butler (D-Marina del Rey), bans the toxic chemical Bisphenol-A (BPA) in baby products. “I applaud the California Legislature and Betsy Butler for passing this historic bill that will make California the 11th state to pass a ban on the dangerous chemical bisphenol A (BPA) in certain baby and toddler feeding products,” said U.S. Senator Dianne Feinstein, author of SB 136, the Ban Poisonous Additives Act of 2011. “With the passage of the Toxin-Free Infants and Toddlers Act, the California legislature has taken an important first step to protect vulnerable babies and toddlers from the harmful health effects of BPA. I’ll continue to work to achieve a nationwide ban on BPA in all children’s feeding products.” “California is now just one final step away from banning BPA after years of fighting to give families access to safe, non-toxic baby products,” said Assembly member Butler. “Despite intense lobbying by the chemical industry, protecting the health of our children has prevailed. With the Governor’s signature, California will finally join numerous other states and countries in banning this toxic chemical and protecting our most vulnerable citizens.” BPA is an artificial hormone and endocrine disruptor widely used in shatter-proof plastic baby bottles and sippy cups. BPA leaches out of containers and into food and drink. It has been linked to a host of health problems, including early puberty, breast and prostate cancer, infertility, obesity and neurological and behavioural changes, including autism and hyperactivity. Specifically, the bill would prohibit the manufacture, sale or distribution of baby bottles and sippy cups designed for children three years of age and younger that contain more than 0.1 parts per billion (ppb) of BPA. AB 1319 is supported by the American Academy of Paediatrics of California, the American Congress of Obstetricians and Gynecologists, the California Medical Association and the California Nurses Association as well as numerous other environmental and children’s organisations. If AB 1319 is signed into law, California will join ten other states in the United States that have enacted bans on BPA in baby bottles and other feeding products for children. BPA has been banned in China, Canada and the European Union. In addition, several key federal agencies and scientific bodies have stated official concern about the safety of BPA including the National Institutes of Health (National Toxicology Program), the Food and Drug Administration, the US Environmental Protection Agency and the President’s Cancer Panel. California State Democratic Caucus, 6 September 2011 http://asmdc.org US EPA publishes draft IRIS review of n-butanol 2011-09-12 The US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has announced the release of the draft Integrated Risk Information System (IRIS) Toxicological Review of n-butanol with an extended public review and comment period ending 14 November 2011. The Interagency Science Consultation Draft of the n-butanol IRIS assessment has also been released. Further details are available at: http://cfpub.epa.gov/ncea/iris_drafts/recordisplay.cfm?deid=200321 Chemical Watch, 9 September 2011 http://chemicalwatch.com/news USPS Puts Lithium Battery Limits on Hold 2011-09-12 The U.S. Postal Service has withdrawn a rule that would have set new limits on outbound mailing of lithium batteries to international, or APO, FPO or DPO locations to await action by the ICAO Dangerous Goods Panel. The new limits that would have taken effect 3 October for U.S. mail containing equipment with lithium metal or lithium-ion batteries that is bound for international, APO, FPO, or DPO locations are now on hold. The U.S. Postal Service had set the limits with a 25 August 2011, final rule so they would be consistent with recent amendments to the Universal Postal Union (UPU) Convention and regulations, but those amendments are themselves on hold, for now. USPS said it withdrew its revisions “because of a notice to the UPU from the International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO) on 19 August 2011, requesting that the UPU delay implementation of the aforementioned amendment until the UPU revisions could be reviewed by the ICAO Dangerous Goods Panel, and if approved, incorporated into The Technical Instructions for the Safe Transport of Dangerous Goods by Air manual.” In addition, the Postal Service withdrew the revision to 39 CFR 20.1 that had added a new section 135.6 to the Mailing Standards of the United States Postal Service, International Mail Manual, to describe the new maximum limits for the outbound mailing of lithium batteries, according to the Federal Register notice. Occupational Health & Safety News, 11 September 2011 http://www.ohsonline.com New Tool Proposed for Assessing Chemical Risks 2011-09-12 On September 6, the American Chemistry Council proposed a comprehensive, scientifically based system that could be used by EPA to decide which chemicals require additional review and assessment, possibly offering a solution to the agency’s quest to update the Toxic Substances Control Act. “As outlined in ACC’s principles for modernising the Toxic Substances Control Act, establishing a clear and scientifically sound prioritisation process is key to creating a world-class chemical management system,” ACC President and CEO Cal Dooley. “We believe the prioritisation tool we’re proposing today will help EPA evaluate chemicals more efficiently and effectively and improve public confidence in the agency’s regulation of chemicals.” Now 35 years old, TSCA does not dictate a process to use the information currently available to prioritise chemicals for review. ACC said with no system in place, EPA may be wasting time, energy, and resources gathering and analysing data on chemicals that are already well understood or are unlikely to pose a significant risk to public health or the environment. “ACC worked closely with experts from our member companies to develop a tool that will enable the public, public health officials, lawmakers, and businesses to understand better which chemicals and uses warrant priority evaluation by EPA and which do not,” said Mike Walls, the council’s vice president of Regulatory and Technical Affairs. The system would evaluate chemicals against consistent scientific criteria that take into account both hazard and exposure, giving each chemical a score based on the criteria and then ranking it based on the scores and EPA’s best professional scientific judgment. The rankings would be used to determine which chemicals are referred to EPA’s Office of Chemical Safety & Pollution Prevention for further assessment. Before it was announced, representatives from ACC met with officials at EPA to discuss the tool and how it could inform the agency’s stakeholder dialogue on prioritisation that took place 7 September. “We are glad that EPA has recognised the urgent need to prioritise chemicals for review,” said Dooley. Occupational Health & Safety News, 9 September 2011 http://www.ohsonline.com EPA holds webinar on identifying priority chemicals for review 2011-09-12 On 7 September 2011, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) held a webinar regarding its plans to use a two-step process to identify priority chemical substances for review and assessment under the Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA). EPA states that its goal is ‘to identify priority chemicals for near-term evaluation, not to screen and prioritise the entire TSCA Inventory of approximately 84,000 chemicals.’ EPA held the webinar to obtain public input on the prioritisation factors and data sources it plans to use. The Acta Group, L.L.C.’s memorandum on the proposed EPA prioritisation process is available online. EPA’s presentation closely followed the Discussion Guide it posted describing the two-step process. In Step 1, EPA plans to identify an initial group of priority chemicals for review by using a specific set of data sources to identify chemicals that meet one or more of the Action Plan priority factors. EPA is seeking public input on two related aspects of Step 1: (a) prioritisation factors; and (b) data sources for prioritisation factors. In Step 2, EPA intends to refine that group by using information from additional exposure and hazard data sources to analyse further the chemicals to select for specific chemicals for further assessment, including possible risk assessment and risk management action. EPA is seeking input on the data sources for further analysis to be used in Step 2. The Discussion Guide is available online. The Discussion Guide lists the following factors for identifying candidate chemicals for review: Potentially of concern for children’s health (e.g., chemicals with reproductive or developmental effects); Persistent, bioaccumulative, and toxic (PBT); Probable or known carcinogens; Used in children’s products; Used in consumer products; and Detected in biomonitoring programs. Comments during the webinar included a suggestion that EPA expand the factors to include chemicals such as neurotoxins and endocrine disruptors. Other participants urged EPA to make optimum use of data and information generated under the Registration, Evaluation, Authorisation and Restriction of Chemicals (REACH) regulation. Additional suggested data sources include EPA’s Endocrine Disruptor Screening Program (EDSP), the Substitute It Now! (SIN) List developed by the International Chemical Secretariat, a non-governmental organisation (NGO), and EPA’s ToxCast Database. Other participants recommended against the use of NGO-derived lists. According to EPA, after it identifies priority chemicals for review (Step 1), it will publicly announce the data and sources of information that it intends to use to inform its review in Step 2. If stakeholders believe there are better and/or more recent data available that EPA should consider, they will have an opportunity to provide information to EPA for review. Importantly, EPA stated it would post the Power Point presentation, a summary of comments obtained during the webinar and meetings, and comments submitted through the discussion forum within several weeks of the close of the discussion forum. This is important as presumably the comments received orally during the webinar will all be considered part of the administrative record in the development of EPA’s priority chemical identification process. Environmental Expert, 8 September 2011 http://www.environmental-expert.com EUROPE EC flame retardant review highlights data gaps 2011-09-12 An EU-funded review of 42 flame retardants used in consumer goods has not detected enough available data to assess the health and environmental risks of more than half the substances. It says that 11 appear to pose unaddressed risks. The study, conducted by consultants for the European Commission, also found no clear link between the stringency of EU rules on flame retardants in particular member states and deaths from domestic fires. The number of deaths fluctuates for a number of other reasons, including the use of fire alarms and changing smoking habits. It is not clear whether rules on incorporating fire retardants in consumer goods have any effect, the study says. It discovered appropriate risk management measures in place to address the risks posed by six of the 42 flame retardants reviewed. Furthermore, the authors were broadly satisfied with measures covering another three. However, there was evidence of unaddressed health or environmental risks for a further 11 substances. More data on the remaining flame retardants should become available through REACH. The commission wants to ask its scientists for a fuller evaluation of the risk posed by these chemicals, but at the moment there is not enough information available. Industry association PINFA questioned the suitability of the method used to assess the flame retardants and said it would help fill any data gaps. It also said there was evidence for the benefits of stricter fire regulations in France, the UK and Ireland – the three countries for which detailed statistics are available. Associations representing the chemical industry promised to work together to develop an industry-wide approach to resource efficiency. They also called for a partnership with policy-makers on climate and energy issues. The pledges were included in a joint sustainability declaration from Cefic, the European Mine, Chemical and Energy Workers’ Federation and the European Chemical Employers Group. The groups also made several social and economic commitments. ENDS Europe Daily, 7 September 2011 http://www.endseuropedaily.com EFSA to hold consultative workshop with stakeholders on Independence and Scientific Decision-Making Processes 2011-09-12 Recently, the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) announced it will hold a consultative workshop on 12 October 2011 in Brussels to discuss some of the key issues behind independence and trust in science and to explore in more detail comments made during the online public consultation for its Draft Policy on Independence and Scientific Decision-Making Processes. Stakeholders and interested parties are still able to contribute to the online consultation which runs until 16 September 2011 and can register to attend the workshop through the EFSA website before 23 September 2011. Since its creation in 2002, EFSA has put in place a wide range of initiatives to uphold its core values of scientific excellence, openness, independence and transparency. The Draft Policy on Independence and Scientific Decision-Making Processes aims to integrate these initiatives into one comprehensive document, thereby strengthening the way in which the Authority assures independence and transparency in its work. EFSA welcomes a public debate on this issue and the workshop will allow contributors to the public consultation on its draft policy and those with specific expertise in this area to express their views on the Authority’s approach to safeguarding independence and scientific integrity in its work. The programme for the morning session of the workshop will include a roundtable discussion on general issues related to independence and trust in science, such as managing conflicts of interest in public organisations and public engagement and confidence in science. The panel will include speakers with both academic and public-sector backgrounds. The afternoon’s proceedings will comprise interactive sessions with contributors to the online public consultation, where specific comments and views will be explored in more detail. Audience members will be encouraged to engage in the discussions taking place throughout the day. EFSA encourages all stakeholders and interested parties who would like to attend the October workshop to register as soon as possible. Places at the workshop need to be kept to such a number as to facilitate discussion and therefore those interested should apply early and indicate their specific reasons for wishing to attend. EFSA also plans to provide a live webcast of the meeting via its website. Further information on the webcast will be made available closer to the workshop. Further information is available on the EFSA website. EFSA, 2 September 2001 http://www.efsa.europa.eu Danish ministry highlights upcoming changes in cosmetics regulation 2011-09-12 The Danish Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has published information on its website relating to the new Cosmetics Regulation which will apply as a whole from 11 July 2013. The Regulation entered into force in 2009, and replaced the statutory order on cosmetics that previously implemented the EU Cosmetics Directive in Danish law. While much of the Regulation is in line with the EU Directive, it introduced some new elements, including the requirement that any nanomaterial substances present in cosmetics must now be included in the list of ingredients by inserting (nano) after the substance name. It also contains a clearer definition of who is responsible for complying with the legislation and what their obligations are in addition to the requirements for distributors, who must verify that labelling, language requirements and date of minimum durability are compliant before making a cosmetic product available on the market. In addition, the Regulation introduced a new notification procedure, which requires the responsible member of the supply chain to submit new information electronically to the Commission prior to placing a cosmetic product on the market. This includes notification of the presence of nanomaterials and CMR-substances, in addition to other information such as the category of the product, the name and address of the responsible person, country of origin in the case of import and the member state in which the product is to be placed on the market. The new requirements also include obligations with regards to translation in order to meet national law outlined in Article 13. Chemical Watch, 8 September 2011 http://chemicalwatch.com/news REACH Update RAC adopts seven scientific opinions 2011-09-21 The Committee for Risk Assessment (RAC) has adopted opinions on seven proposals for harmonised classification and labelling across Europe during its 17th meeting, held from 13-16 September 2011 in Helsinki. RAC opinions on harmonised classification and labelling Polyhexamethylene biguanide hydrochloride (PHMB) RAC agreed with the proposal from France to classify PHMB as acutely toxic by the oral and inhalation route, damaging to the eye, as a skin sensitiser, as toxic to the respiratory tract after repeated exposure, suspected carcinogen and hazardous to the aquatic environment. The classification of this substance is not currently harmonised at EU level. PHMB is used as biocidal product (disinfectant). Di-n-hexyl phthalate (DnHP) RAC agreed with the proposal from France to classify DnHP for reproductive toxicity due to the potential for effects on unborn babies as well as on male fertility. The classification of this substance is not currently harmonised at EU level. DnHP is used in the manufacture of plastics. Fenamiphos RAC agreed with the proposal from the Netherlands to classify Fenamiphos as acutely toxic by the inhalation route and as an eye irritant. Fenamiphos already has a harmonised classification as acutely toxic by the oral and dermal route and as hazardous to the aquatic environment. RAC agreed with the proposal to replace the minimum classification for acute toxicity (indicate by an asterix) with the definite classification based on data. Further, RAC proposed an M-factor of 100 for chronic aquatic toxicity. Fenamiphos is used as a plant protection product. Trichloromethylstannane (MMTC) RAC agreed with the proposal from France to classify MMTC as toxic to reproduction. RAC did not agree with the proposal from France, to classify MMTC as mutagenic. The classification of this substance is not currently harmonised at EU level. MMTC is used as an industrial intermediate in the production of other organotin chemicals. 2-ethylhexyl 10-ethyl-4-[[2-[(2-ethylhexyl)oxy]-2-oxoethyl]thio]-4-methyl-7-oxo8-oxa-3,5-dithia-4-stannatetradecanoate (MMT (EHMA)) RAC agreed with the proposal from France to classify MMT(EHMA) as toxic to reproduction. RAC did not agree with the proposal from France, to classify MMT(EHMA) as mutagenic. The classification of this substance is not currently harmonised at EU level. MMT(EHMA) is used as a heat stabiliser in PVC. Benzenamine, 2-chloro-6-nitro-3-phenoxy- (Aclonifen) RAC agreed with the proposal from Germany to classify Aclonifen as a suspected carcinogen, as a skin sensitiser and as hazardous to the aquatic environment. Aclonifen already has a harmonised classification as hazardous to the aquatic environment. Aclonifen is used as a plant protection product (herbicide). Perestane RAC agreed with the proposal from the UK to classify Perestane as acutely toxic by the oral, dermal and inhalation routes, skin corrosive and as toxic to the eye after single exposure and to remove the classification for mutagenicity. Perestane already has a harmonised classification as acutely toxic by the oral, dermal and inhalation routes, skin corrosive and mutagenic. Perestane is used as a biocide (surface disinfectant). The full RAC opinions will be available shortly at: http://echa.europa.eu/about/organisation/committees/rac/committee_opin ions_en.asp ECHA, 20 September 2011 http://echa.europa.eu ECHA consults on proposed phthalate cocktail ban 2011-09-21 The European Chemicals Agency (ECHA) is consulting on a Danish proposal to ban a combination of four phthalates from some goods. The proposal for a restriction under article 17 of REACH would apply to DEHP, BBP, DBP and DIBP. Denmark wants to ensure that the combined concentration of these endocrine-disrupting substances does not exceed 0.1% in goods intended for indoor use or likely to come into direct contact with skin or mucous membranes. The proposal says around 184,000 tonnes of the phthalates were used in the production of articles in the EU in 2009. Denmark is concerned about their joint concentrations because endocrine disruptors can act in combination. The European Commission is still considering how to assess this type of risk. Under existing law, manufacturers wanting to use three of the phthalates – DEHP, DBP and BBP – from 2015 will have to apply for authorisations. The fourth one, DIBP, is recommended for addition to REACH’s annex 14 authorisation list. But the authorisation process does not cover imported products. The consultation will run for six months but the chemicals agency would like responses earlier to help its risk assessment (RAC) and socio-economic assessment (SEAC) committees which will start discussing the proposal in January. ENDS Europe Daily, 20 September 2011 http://www.endseuropedaily.com SEAC adopts three scientific opinions on lead, mercury and phenylmercuries 2011-09-21 The Committee for Socio-economic Analysis (SEAC) has adopted opinions on three restriction proposals during its 12th meeting, held from 13-15 September 2011 in Helsinki. SEAC opinion on lead Following the submission by France of a restriction proposal aimed at reducing children’s exposure to lead, the Committee for Risk Assessment (RAC) adopted its opinion supporting France’s proposal in principle but with significant modifications in March 2011. At the same time, SEAC agreed on its draft opinion, which concluded that the benefits for human health of the restriction of lead in jewellery outweigh the costs of the restriction. SEAC proposed the restriction to be based only on the content of lead in jewellery articles as it is easier to measure in practice. Derogations for crystals and precious and semi-precious stones were proposed, as well as for jewellery more than 50 years old. The draft opinion of SEAC was submitted for public consultation for 60 days. Following the comments received, SEAC included additional derogations for vitreous enamels and non-accessible parts of watches in its opinion. The final opinion has now been adopted. Opinions on restrictions intended to reduce the emissions of mercury Mercury and most of its compounds are highly toxic to humans, animals and ecosystems. High doses can be fatal for humans, but even relatively low doses can seriously affect the nervous system and have been linked with possible harmful effects on the cardiovascular, immune and reproductive systems. Once released, mercury persists in the environment, where it circulates between air, water, sediments, soil and biota in various forms. In the presence of bacteria, mercury can change into methylmercury, its most toxic form, which biomagnifies especially in the aquatic food chain, making populations and wildlife with a high intake of fish and seafood particularly vulnerable. Methylmercury readily passes through both the placenta and the blood-brain barrier, so exposure to women of child-bearing age, pregnant women and children, is of greatest concern. The restrictions proposed by ECHA on behalf of the European Commission and by Norway, are measures to further reduce mercury emissions and protect against exposure. SEAC opinion on mercury in measuring devices At the request of the European Commission, ECHA has reviewed the availability of safer alternatives to measuring devices containing mercury and, as a result, prepared a restriction report proposing to restrict mercury in several measuring devices that are used in industrial and professional settings (thermometers, sphygmomanometers, barometers, manometers, metering devices for the determination of softening point, pycnometers and strain gauges). RAC adopted its opinion in support of ECHA’s proposal with some modifications in June 2011. At the same time, SEAC agreed on its draft opinion, which concluded that suitable alternatives to the measuring devices are available and that the restriction (with some minor derogations) is considered to be proportionate to the risks. The draft opinion of SEAC was submitted for public consultation for 60 days. No comments were received that lead to changes to the final opinion, which has now been adopted. For clarification, one minor change was introduced to the proposed restriction. SEAC opinion on Phenylmercury compounds Norway prepared a restriction report proposing a ban on the manufacture, placing on the market and use of five phenylmercury compounds, as well as a ban on placing articles containing these substances on the market. Phenylmercury compounds are mainly used in the production of polyurethane coatings, adhesives, sealants and elastomers. RAC adopted its opinion in support of Norway’s proposal with some modifications in June 2011. At the same time, SEAC agreed on its draft opinion, which also supported the proposal and concluded that a restriction on the five phenylmercury compounds was proportionate. The draft opinion of SEAC was submitted for public consultation for 60 days. No comments were received that lead to changes to the final opinion, which has now been adopted. Further Information is available at: http://echa.europa.eu/reach/restriction/restrictions_under_consideration_ en.asp ECHA, 20 September 2011 http://echa.europa.eu Julien’s Advice Line Conflict One of the new features of ChemGold3 is the ability to add a Suppliers/Vendors MSDS to the Manifest, so that you no longer have to wait for the Chemwatch report to be written to complete your lists. In order to take this further for Australian clients particularly, we allow you to record R codes and Dangerous Goods details for the material. In order to address the gap, materials added to folders or Manifests are now automatically registered, and the Chemwatch MSDS will be written up. At that point there may be a discrepancy between the User entered data from the Supplier, and the Chemwatch Assessment. This will generate a Conflict message, and allow the user to review which assessment they would like to keep. There is only a single material entry, but as there are two classifications it appears twice in the Manifest. If the user elects to go with the Chemwatch assessment, the Conflict disappears. As I am continually reminded however, with increasing flexibility comes increasing complexity, which means there is more that can go wrong. Some materials have displayed a Conflict message without any entry by yourselves at all. We have now fixed the causes of this, so I hope these will have disappeared. If not, please contact us and we will chase up the stragglers. Janet’s Corner – Not too seriously! Surfing the Internet Surfing the Net So I think I’m in the clear the boss is no where in sight I logon to the web and start to surf and then my hair stands up with fright The footsteps coming down the hall are quickening in pace there is no time to exit no way to save my face So I press the power button and relax just a bit there is no way he can tell exactly what I hit I act all surprised don’t know why my machine died simply unpredictable these computers are! I cried So we’ll get you a new one a computer that won’t crash he exclaims Do you think he’ll wonder when the new one acts the same? Please note: articles for Janet’s Corner are not original, and come from various sources. Author’s credits are supplied when available. Hazard Quartz silica 2009-04-03 Quartz silica is a colourless or white, variable, black, purple, green crystal. It is odourless and will not burn. Quartz silica is an occupational cancer hazard. Silica refers to naturally occurring minerals composed principally of silicon dioxide (SiO2). Silicon dioxide exists in both crystalline and amorphous forms. Quartz, cristobalite and tridymite are the three most common crystalline forms. It is found in activities like mining, quarrying, tunnelling, and in foundries. Pure and synthetic quartz is used for production of electronic components; frequency control in electrical oscillators and filters and electromechanical transducers; fibre optics; and used in consumer products such as electronic watches. Health Effects In general, high concentrations of dust may cause coughing and mild, temporary irritation following short-term exposure. There is no human or animal information available specifically for quartz. Quartz can have potentially serious respiratory effects following long-term inhalation (one year or more). Contact with skin Quartz dust is not expected to be irritating to the skin. However, foreign-body reactions (granulomas) have been observed after crystalline silica accidentally got under the skin as a result of an injury. Often the effects are delayed for periods ranging from weeks up to more than 50 years. Contact with eyes In general, the dust is not expected to be irritating except as a “foreign object”. Some tearing, blinking and mild temporary pain may occur as the solid material is rinsed from the eye by tears. Chronic Health Effects Prolonged or repeated exposure to fine airborne crystalline silica dust may cause severe scarring of the lungs, a disease called silicosis. The risk of developing and the severity of silicosis depends on the airborne concentration of respirable-size silica dust to which an employee is exposed and duration of exposure. Silicosis usually develops gradually over 20 years or more of exposure. Particles with diameters less than 1 micrometre and freshly cleaved particles (for example, those produced by sandblasting) are considered most hazardous. Several reliable studies have found silicosis in employees with exposure to considerably less than 1 mg/m3 respirable quartz. The early symptoms of silicosis (cough, mucous production and shortness of breath upon exertion) are non-specific, so the development of silicosis may not be detected until advanced stages of the disease. Silicosis may continue to develop even after exposure to crystalline silica has stopped. Evidence of silicosis can normally be seen on an X- ray. Silicosis can vary in severity from minimal to severe. In cases of mild silicosis, there is typically no significant respiratory impairment, although there is X-ray evidence of lung injury. In severe cases, significant and increasingly severe respiratory impairment develops. There is no proven effective treatment for the disease. Life expectancy may be reduced, depending on the severity of the case. Inhalation of quartz has also been associated with a number of other, less well characterised, harmful effects including effects on the kidney (glomerulonephritis), the liver, the spleen and immune system disorders (progressive systemic sclerosis, scleroderma or rheumatoid arthritis). Personal Protection Respiratory Protection If engineering controls and work practices are not effective in controlling exposure to this material, then wear suitable personal protection equipment including approved respiratory protection. Have appropriate equipment available for use in emergencies such as spills. If respiratory protection is required, institute a complete respiratory protection program including selection, fit testing, training, maintenance and inspection. RESPIRATORY PROTECTION GUIDELINES: NIOSH RECOMMENDATIONS FOR SILICA (CRYSTALLINE (AS RESPIRABLE DUST)) CONCENTRATIONS IN AIR: UP TO 0.5 mg/m3: Air-purifying respirator with high-efficiency particulate filter(s). UP TO 1.25 mg/m3: Powered air-purifying respirator with high-efficiency particulate filter; or SAR operated in a continuous-flow mode. UP TO 2.5 mg/m3: Full-facepiece air-purifying respirator with high-efficiency particulate filter(s); or powered air-purifying respirator with tight-fitting facepiece and high-efficiency particulate filter. UP TO 25 mg/m3: Positive pressure SAR. EMERGENCY OR PLANNED ENTRY INTO UNKNOWN CONCENTRATIONS OR IDLH CONDITIONS: Positive pressure, full-facepiece SCBA; or positive pressure, full-facepiece SAR with an auxiliary positive pressure SCBA. ESCAPE: Full-facepiece respirator with high-efficiency particulate filter(s); or escape-type SCBA. NOTE: The IDLH concentration for quartz silica is 50 mg/m3. NOTE: The purpose of establishing an IDLH value is to ensure that the worker can escape from a given contaminated environment in the event of failure of the most protective respiratory protection equipment. In the event of failure of respiratory protective equipment every effort should be made to exit immediately. NOTE: NIOSH has classified this material as a potential occupational carcinogen, according to specific NIOSH criteria. This classification is reflected in these recommendations for respiratory protection, which specify that only the most reliable and protective respirators be worn at any detectable concentration. The requirements in Canadian jurisdictions may vary. The respirator use limitations specified by the approving agency and the manufacturer must be observed. Air-purifying respirators do not protect against oxygen-deficient atmospheres. Recommendations apply only to NIOSH approved respirators. ABBREVIATIONS: SAR = supplied-air respirator; SCBA = self-contained breathing apparatus; IDLH = Immediately Dangerous to Life or Health. Quartz Silica (1997) Canadian Centre for Occupational Health & Safety retrieved from Reference http://www.ccohs.ca/oshanswers/chemicals/chem_profiles/quartz_silica/ on 3rd April 2009 Gossip Research Suggests Scented Laundry Products Emit Hazardous Chemicals Through Dryer Vents 2011-08-29 A new study, published recently in the journal Air Quality, Atmosphere and Health, has uncovered the scented air wafting from household laundry vents. The findings showed that air vented from machines using the top-selling scented liquid laundry detergent and scented dryer sheet contains hazardous chemicals, including two that are classified as carcinogens. “This is an interesting source of pollution because emissions from dryer vents are essentially unregulated and unmonitored,” said lead author Anne Steinemann, a University of Washington professor of civil and environmental engineering and of public affairs. “If they’re coming out of a smokestack or tail pipe, they’re regulated, but if they’re coming out of a dryer vent, they’re not.” The research builds on earlier work that investigated what chemicals are released by laundry products, air fresheners, cleaners, lotions and other fragranced consumer products. Manufacturers are not required to disclose the ingredients used in fragrances, or in laundry products. During the new study, which focuses on chemicals emitted through laundry vents, the researchers first purchased and pre-rinsed new, organic cotton towels. They asked two homeowners to volunteer their washers and dryers, cleaned the inside of the machines with vinegar, and ran full cycles using only water to eliminate as much residue as possible. At the first home, they ran a regular laundry cycle and analysed the vent fumes for three cases: once with no products, once with the leading brand of scented liquid laundry detergent, and finally with both the detergent and a leading brand of scented dryer sheets. A canister placed inside the dryer vent opening captured the exhaust 15 minutes into each drying cycle. Researchers then repeated the procedure with a different washer and dryer at a second home. Analysis of the captured gases found more than 25 volatile organic compounds, including seven hazardous air pollutants, coming out of the vents. Of those, two chemicals – acetaldehyde and benzene – are classified by the Environmental Protection Agency as carcinogens, for which the agency has established no safe exposure level. “These products can affect not only personal health, but also public and environmental health. The chemicals can go into the air, down the drain and into water bodies,” Steinemann said. The researchers estimate that in the Seattle area, where the study was conducted, acetaldehyde emissions from this brand of laundry detergent would be equivalent to 3 percent of the total acetaldehyde emissions coming from automobiles. Emissions from the top five brands, they estimate, would constitute about 6 percent of automobiles’ acetaldehyde emissions. “We focus a lot of attention on how to reduce emissions of pollutants from automobiles,” Steinemann said. “And here’s one source of pollutants that could be reduced.” In addition, the project’s website includes letters from the public reporting health effects from scented consumer products. Steinemann says that people’s reports of adverse reactions to fragranced air coming from laundry vents motivated her to conduct this study. Steinemann recommends using laundry products without any fragrance or scent. Environmental Protection News, 25 August 2011 http://www.eponline.com Gold Nanoparticles Help Scientists Detect Growth-Promoting Drugs 2011-08-29 Most countries have banned the use of growth-promoting drugs known as β agonists in animal feeds. When livestock consume the drugs, people who eat the animals can experience heart palpitations, headaches, nausea, and other symptoms. Now, a new study, published in the journal Analytical Chemistry, describes the development of a quick and easy colour-changing assay to detect β agonists in liquid samples. Regulators could use the test to screen animals’ blood and urine for illegal β agonists before slaughter, the researchers say. Currently, scientists screen for β agonists such as clenbuterol with mass spectrometry. But mass spectrometry can spot only known drugs, says Zhen Li, a biologist at China Agricultural University. Li wanted to find a method that could also detect new β agonists. Previous research has demonstrated that certain molecules such as dopamine can directly reduce HAuCl4 to atomic gold, forming gold nanoparticles. Because, like dopamine, β agonists have electron-rich aromatic groups, Li’s team reasoned that the drugs might also reduce gold salts. So they mixed 13 common β agonists with HAuCl4. Within minutes, the liquid samples changed colour from colourless to red. The colour change signalled the presence of gold nanoparticles, which absorb light at 528 nm, making the solutions appear red. Transmission electron microscopy confirmed the formation of gold nanoparticles that were between 15 and 25 nm in diameter. The scientists then used ultraviolet-visible spectroscopy to measure the concentration of β agonists based on the absorbance of the resulting gold nanoparticles. The detection limit varied with the drug, but the scientists could always detect β agonist concentrations in the low to sub-micromolar range. Furthermore, they tested the assay in the presence of antibiotics and glucose, molecules sometimes capable of reducing gold salts, and found that those compounds didn’t disrupt the measurements. Li next plans to adapt the assay to test animal fluids. Chemical & Engineering News, 24 August 2011 http://pubs.acs.org/cen/news Nickel Nanoparticles May Contribute to Lung Cancer 2011-08-29 All the excitement about nanotechnology comes down to this: Structures of materials at the scale of billionths of a metre take on unusual properties. Technologists often focus on the happier among these newfound capabilities, but new research by an interdisciplinary team of scientists at Brown University finds that nanoparticles of nickel activate a cellular pathway that contributes to cancer in human lung cells. “Nanotechnology has tremendous potential and promise for many applications,” said Agnes Kane, chair of the Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine in The Warren Alpert Medical School of Brown University. “But the lesson is that we have to learn to be able to design them more intelligently and, if we recognise the potential hazards, to take adequate precautions.” Kane is the senior author of the study published in the journal Toxicological Sciences. Nickel nanoparticles have previously been shown to be harmful, but not in terms of cancer. Kane and her team of pathologists, engineers and chemists found evidence that ions on the surface of the particles are released inside human epithelial lung cells to jumpstart a pathway called HIF-1 alpha. Normally the pathway helps trigger genes that support a cell in times of low oxygen supply, a problem called hypoxia, but it is also known to encourage tumour cell growth. “Nickel exploits this pathway, in that it tricks the cell into thinking there’s hypoxia but it’s really a nickel ion that activates this pathway,” said Kane, whose work is supported by a National Institutes of Health Superfund Research Program Grant. “By activating this pathway it may give premalignant tumour cells a head start.” During the study, the research team, led by postdoctoral research associate and first author Jodie Pietruska, exposed human lung cells to nanoscale particles of metallic nickel and nickel oxide, and larger microscale particles of metallic nickel. A key finding is that while the smaller particles set off the HIF-1 alpha pathway, the larger metallic nickel particles proved much less problematic. In other words, getting down to the nanoscale made the metallic nickel particles more harmful and potentially cancer-causing. Kane said the reason might be that for the same amount of metal by mass, nanoscale particles expose much more surface area and that makes them much more chemically reactive than microscale particles. Another important result from the work is data showing a big difference in how nickel nanoparticles and nickel oxide nanoparticles react with cells, Pietruska said. The nickel oxide particles are so lethal that the cells exposed to them died quickly, leaving no opportunity for cancer to develop. Metallic nickel particles, on the other hand, were less likely to kill the cells. That could allow the hypoxia pathway to lead to the cell becoming cancerous. “What is concerning is the metallic nickel nanoparticles caused sustained activation but they were less cytotoxic,” Pietruska said. “Obviously a dead cell can’t be transformed.” Although Kane said the findings should raise clear concerns about handling nickel nanoparticles, for instance to prevent airborne exposure to them in manufacturing, they are not all that’s needed to cause cancer. Cancer typically depends on a number of unfortunate changes, Kane said. Also, she said, the study looked at the short-term effects of nickel nanoparticle exposure in cells in a lab, rather than over the long term in a whole organism. Still, in her lab Kane employs significant safeguards to keep researchers safe. “We handle all these materials under biosafety level 2 containment conditions,” she said. “I don’t want anyone exposed. We’re handling them as though they were an airborne carcinogen.” Science Daily, 23 August 2011 http://www.sciencedaily.com A Revamped Vancomycin 2011-08-29 In a new study, researchers have achieved a key step toward redesigning the antibiotic vancomycin so that it kills some resistant bacteria. The work could lead to drugs effective against difficult-to-treat infections. Discovered by Eli Lilly & Co. researchers in the 1950s, vancomycin is a glycosylated natural product that has become the antibiotic of last resort for hard-to-treat infections, such as those caused by antibiotic-resistant staphylococcal and enterococcal bacteria. But eventually bacteria developed resistance to vancomycin, too, in some cases by changing an amide to an ester in a bacterial glycopeptide cell-wall precursor. Antibiotic mechanisms expert Christopher A. Walsh of Harvard Medical School and colleagues showed in the early 1990s that the modified glycopeptide is less likely to interact with one of vancomycin’s oxygens, thereby inhibiting binding of the drug to the glycopeptide and turning off the drug’s antibiotic action. Now, a new study by synthetic chemist Dale L. Boger and colleagues at Scripps Research Institute, in La Jolla, California, have turned the tables on these resistant bacteria by synthesising a form of vancomycin in which an amide containing the interacting oxygen has been changed to an amidine, which lacks oxygen. “The thought was floating around for some time” that such a modification could restore efficacy, Walsh says. People would ask at seminars, he adds, “ ‘Why not change the amide?’ My reply was always that it would be a monumental synthetic challenge.” During the study, the researchers simplified the challenge by modifying only vancomycin’s aglycone, which is vancomycin minus its disaccharide group. In in vitro tests, the amidinated aglycon achieves about the same level of activity as vancomycin against antibiotic-sensitive bacteria and retains a similar level of activity against bacteria with the resistant amide-to-ester modification, making it about 1,000 times stronger than the parent compound against those microorganisms. For the amidinated aglycon to be effective in vivo, however, the disaccharide or a modified version of it would have to be installed, and this would make synthesis of the redesigned vancomycin yet more difficult. Synthesis of the amidinated aglycon “is a highly creative and rationally targeted approach” to combating bacterial drug resistance, says antibiotic resistance specialist Gerry Wright of McMaster University, in Hamilton, Ontario. “The big challenge will be to figure out if this can be applied in real-life drug discovery efforts.” The new study “is the culmination of a monumental effort by Boger and his group to resuscitate this antibiotic scaffold against vancomycin-resistant enterococci,” Walsh comments. It “shows medicinal chemistry mastery in this forbiddingly complex scaffold.” It does open the question of whether anyone could make a fully glycosylated amidinated vancomycin analogue on a practical scale, but one cannot rule that out, he says. Chemical & Engineering News, 22 August 2011 http://pubs.acs.org/cen/news Thawing Permafrost Could Release Vast Amounts of Carbon, Accelerating Climate Change 2011-08-29 A new computer modelling study has reported that billions of tons of carbon trapped in high-latitude permafrost may be released into the atmosphere by the end of this century as the Earth’s climate changes, further accelerating global warming. In addition, the study found that soil in high-latitude regions could shift from being a sink to a source of carbon dioxide by the end of the 21st century as the soil warms in response to climate change. The research was led by Charles Koven of the U.S. Department of Energy’s Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (Berkeley Lab). He conducted the research with a team of scientists from France, Canada and the United Kingdom while he was a postdoctoral researcher at France’s Laboratoire des Sciences du Climat et de l’Environnement. The modelling was conducted at a supercomputing facility run by France’s Alternative Energies and Atomic Energy Commission. Their study was published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. Their findings counter results from a comparison of models that were included in the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change’s 2007 fourth assessment report. The comparison found that climate change will spark a growth in high-latitude vegetation, which will pull in more carbon from the atmosphere than thawing permafrost will release. But unlike earlier models, the new model includes detailed processes of how carbon accumulates in high-latitude soil over millennia and how it’s released as permafrost thaws. Because it includes these processes, the model begins with much more carbon in the soil than previous models. It also better represents the carbon’s vulnerability to decomposition as the soil warms. As a result, the new model found that the increase in carbon uptake by more vegetation will be overshadowed by a much larger amount of carbon released into the atmosphere. “Including permafrost processes turns out to be very important,” said Koven, who joined Berkeley Lab’s Earth Sciences Division as a staff scientist earlier this year. “Previous models tended to dramatically underestimate the amount of soil carbon at high latitudes because they lacked the processes of how carbon builds up in soil. Our model starts off with more carbon in the soil, so there is much more to lose with global warming.” During the new study, Koven and colleagues set out to estimate how much carbon dioxide and methane could be released by boreal and Arctic land ecosystems as a result of climate change. These regions are crucial to the global carbon cycle because they are rich in soil organic carbon, which has built up in frozen soils and peat layers over thousands of years. Much of this carbon is trapped and not cycling. But scientists believe that some of it could be released in response to warming and become a positive feedback to global climate change. At stake is an estimated 2,167 petagrams of carbon in all layers of high-latitude soil, which is more than two trillion U.S. tons. The scientists modified a land surface ecosystem model called ORCHIDEE to account for how carbon behaves at different layers, such as at the surface versus 30 centimetres below ground. Additionally they accounted for the rate of soil carbon decomposition as a function of temperature at the freeze-thaw boundary, which sinks deeper and deeper as soil warms. Other improvements include soil physics that more realistically capture the effects of organic matter on carbon. Most other models do not have all of these phenomena. To determine how these processes affect the balance of carbon dioxide and methane in high-latitude soils, the scientists ran four simulations from 1860 to 2100, each with a different assortment of processes. They added in a middle-of-the-road climate change scenario that caused high-latitude surface soil to rise 8 degrees Celsius by 2100, which is much greater than the global average. The simulations revealed a climate-induced loss of between 25 and 85 petagrams of carbon, depending on the processes included. The best estimate is from a simulation that includes all of the permafrost soil processes. It found that 62 petagrams of soil carbon will be released into the atmosphere by 2100, or about 68 billion U.S. tons. This release of carbon is equivalent to an additional 7.5 years of global anthropogenic emissions at today’s rate. Furthermore, the simulation detected only a slight increase in methane release, which is contrary to previous predictions. “People have this idea that permafrost thaw will release methane,” Koven said. “But whether carbon comes out as carbon dioxide or methane is dependent on hydrology and other fine-scale processes that models have a poor ability to resolve. It’s possible that warming at high latitudes leads to drying in many regions, and thus less methane emissions, and in fact this is what we found.” Koven added that there are large uncertainties in the model that need to be addressed, such as the role of nitrogen feedbacks, which affect plant growth. And he said that more research is needed to better understand the processes that cause carbon to be released in permanently frozen, seasonally frozen, and thawed soil layers. Researchers in Berkeley Lab’s Earth Sciences Division are focusing on improving global climate model representations of these processes under two Department of Energy-funded projects. Environmental Protection News, 24 August 2011 http://www.eponline.com Fishing Out Dilute Disease Biomarkers 2011-08-29 A new study published in the journal Analytical Chemistry has suggested that monitoring disease-related biomarkers called microRNAs (miRNAs) could be easier and more accurate with a new technique that detects directly the nucleic acids in blood samples at sub-femtomolar concentrations. Scientists think that these short RNA segments are signposts for certain diseases. The nucleic acids don’t carry protein-assembly instructions, but can regulate gene expression. Since specific miRNAs signal different stages of cancers, diabetes, Alzheimer’s and other diseases, scientists think that finding them can help monitor and predict the course of these diseases. Detecting miRNAs quickly and cheaply in blood samples hasn’t proved so easy: They aren’t present in large amounts, and blood’s other biomolecules complicate methods to extract the molecules. Current techniques often rely on amplifying the nucleic acids using polymerase chain reaction to produce higher concentrations that are easier to detect and measure. But this amplification can introduce sequence errors, leading to misidentification of the miRNAs. A more ideal method would detect the miRNAs directly, says chemical engineer Patrick Doyle at Massachusetts Institute of Technology. To produce such a method, Doyle and his graduate student Stephen Chapin developed a system that amplified the detection signal, instead of the miRNAs. Their technique uses absorbent gel particles that are 70 µm wide and look like dominoes. The scientists etch sites into the particles to attach DNA molecules that selectively recognise specific miRNA sequences of interest. After the scientists add the particles to a blood sample and allow miRNAs to hybridise with the gel-bound probes, they introduce another, longer DNA molecule that binds to the end of the probe DNA with a long, over-hanging DNA sequence. Then the researchers add a circular DNA template and DNA polymerases to the gel particles to replicate the overhanging sequences about 100 to 1,000 times. This process builds long DNA chains of repeating sequences at each bound miRNA site. The scientists can tag each repeating unit with fluorescent markers to amplify the detection signal and make it easy to detect bound miRNAs using fluorescence spectroscopy. Doyle and Chapin tested their technique with real serum samples from a healthy donor and a patient with prostate cancer. During the study, the researchers looked for a few miRNA sequences including miR-141, which appears in the blood of people with prostate cancer. They report detecting miRNA in serum at concentrations of 300 aM, which amounts to about 10,000 molecules in 50 µL. In blood serum, there are typically 10,000 to 100,000 molecules of miRNAs per 50 µL, says Chapin. “We’re certainly in the zone where we can detect clinically relevant miRNAs in the circulatory system,” he says. Muneesh Tewari, who works on miRNAs at the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Centre in Seattle, is impressed that the technique can pick out different miRNAs in one go from serum, without isolating the RNA. “It is remarkable that the sensitivity appears to approach that of PCR-based methods,” he says, adding that it is too early to tell how useful the technique will be in a clinical setting. But he says, “the results so far are promising”. Chemical & Engineering News, 18 August 2011 http://pubs.acs.org/cen/news Scientific proof: Money is dirty 2011-08-29 Paper money from countries all around the world carry a chemical hitchhiker – the hormone-active substance known as bisphenol A (BPA). Paper bills are the latest addition to a growing list of items tainted with the ubiquitous chemical that has been linked to adverse reproductive, metabolic and behavioural effects. The new study identifies cash as another source of human exposure to BPA, report the researchers who found that BPA can transfer to the bills from thermal cash receipts stored next to them in wallets. The levels measured in the 50 bills from different governments varied widely – from almost nothing to considerably high amounts. Still, more research is needed to understand human exposures and possible health effects. BPA is a high production chemical, used in the production of a variety of plastic products and the epoxy resin linings of canned food. This chemical can escape from these products and contaminate the packaged food (Schecter et al. 2010). More than 90 percent of the U.S. population is chronically exposed to BPA (Calafat et al. 2008), and diet is considered a major source of this exposure. Contact and absorption through the skin is another potential source of exposure. BPA is found in some types of thermal papers that are used in a variety of applications, including cash register receipts, luggage tags and faxes (Mendum et al. 2010), all products that require handling. BPA is loosely bound to the thermal papers – most notably cash register receipts – allowing for easy transfer to hands, money and other products touched in a complementary setting. In addition, household dust contains this chemical (Loganathan and Kanna 2011), and may be another source from which BPA can be transferred to other items. Until now, only one study has measured for the chemical in paper money. The Washington Toxic Coalition detected BPA in 21 of 22 U.S. dollar bills. No research has examined paper currency from other countries or tested if BPA can be deposited on money from other sources. Researchers do not know whether paper money is made with BPA. Identifying sources of exposure is important because BPA has endocrine disrupting effects, meaning it can interfere with the actions of hormones in the body. Animal studies have linked developmental BPA exposures to reproductive and neurobehavioral problems, obesity and immune system changes. In the study, paper currency was collected from several different countries, including the United States, Canada, Czech Republic, Russia, Turkey, Australia, Brazil, Egypt, South Africa, China, India, Japan, Korea, Kuwait, Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, Vietnam and the United Arab Emirates. Bills were graded as “fresh” or “used” based upon appearance. They were collected from different years of release. Three circle punches from each bill – the lower left corner, middle and upper right hand corner – were analysed for BPA. To test if currencies can collect BPA from other sources, several bills – two from the Philippines, two from Thailand and one each from Vietnam, Brazil and the Czech Republic – were placed in direct contact with a thermal register receipt and kept in a wallet for 24 hours. The results showed that all 52 paper bills tested contained a detectable level of BPA in at least one of the punches. Levels ranged from almost nothing – 0.001 micrograms per gram (µg/g) – to very high amounts of almost 83 µg/g. Concentrations varied on the bill itself and across countries. Higher levels were detected away from the edges in the bill’s interior. Of the countries, Brazil’s bills had the highest levels. No relationship was found between currency value and BPA levels. BPA concentrations in paper money with low initial levels – including the Philippines, Thailand and Vietnam – were increased 100- to 1,000-fold when placed alongside a receipt in a wallet for 24 hours. A more modest two-fold increase was seen in paper money from Brazil and the Czech Republic that had a high initial BPA content. These results clearly suggest the possibility of transfer from thermal receipts to paper money, with quantity shifted dependent upon the initial concentration in the currency. Older bills from some countries (including the United States, China and the Philippines) had consistently higher levels of this chemical than newer bills. These findings further suggest potential transfer from other BPA-containing products, an effect that can result in an accumulation of this chemical in paper money across years of circulation. Paper currency is another in a long list of everyday products contaminated with BPA. The results suggest people around the world can be exposed to the endocrine-active chemical through yet another ubiquitous source: money. Yet, how it ends up tainting the bills is not altogether clear. The researchers did find that the BPA can rub off onto paper money from thermal receipt papers kept in the same wallet. BPA is not chemically bound to the receipts, and in this study it easily migrated to nearby items. BPA and BPA-containing products may also be used to produce paper money, including ink developers and recycled paper. While these products can contain BPA, it is not know whether paper money is manufactured with them. Its use could explain the contaminant found in paper currencies around the world and account for some of the differences measured in the various currencies. These results are important because BPA can be absorbed through the skin. Little is known of human exposures through this route, but research suggests up to 27 percent can be transported to the bloodstream within two hours of dermal exposure (Biedermann et al. 2010). Furthermore, exposure could also occur through breathing air and dust. Cashiers and others who spend long periods of time handling the thermal receipts and money may be at most risk for this type of exposure. Overall, the results of this study suggest the need for additional research regarding the transfer of BPA to and from money and the potential human exposure and health effects that may accompany frequent contact with the paper money. Environmental Health News, 18 August 2011 http://www.environmentalhealthnews.org/ Study Shows Climate Cycles May Be Driving Wars 2011-08-29 In the first study of its kind, researchers have linked a natural global climate cycle to periodic increases in warfare. The arrival of El Niño, which every three to seven years boosts temperatures and cuts rainfall, doubles the risk of civil wars across 90 affected tropical countries, and may help account for a fifth of worldwide conflicts during the past half-century, say the authors. The study, written by an interdisciplinary team at Columbia University’s Earth Institute, was published in the journal Nature. In recent years, historians and climatologists have built evidence that past societies suffered and fell due in connection with heat or droughts that damaged agriculture and shook governments. This is the first study to make the case for such destabilisation in the present day, using statistics to link global weather observations and well-documented outbreaks of violence. The study does not blame specific wars on El Niño, nor does it directly address the issue of long-term climate change. However, it raises potent questions, as many scientists think natural weather cycles will become more extreme with warming climate, and some suggest ongoing chaos in places like Somalia is already being stoked by warming climate. “The most important thing is that this looks at modern times, and it’s done on a global scale,” said Solomon M. Hsiang, the study’s lead author. “We can speculate that a long-ago Egyptian dynasty was overthrown during a drought. That’s a specific time and place, that may be very different from today, so people might say, ‘OK, we’re immune to that now.’ This study shows a systematic pattern of global climate affecting conflict, and shows it right now.” The cycle known as the El Niño-Southern Oscillation, or ENSO, is a periodic warming and cooling of the tropical Pacific Ocean. This affects weather patterns across much of Africa, the Mideast, India, southeast Asia, Australia and the Americas, where half the world’s people live. During the cool, or La Niña, phase, rain may be relatively plentiful in tropical areas; during the warmer El Niño, land temperatures rise, and rainfall declines in most affected places. Interacting with other factors, including wind and temperature cycles over the other oceans, El Niño can vary dramatically in power and length. At its most intense, it brings scorching heat and multi-year droughts. (In higher latitudes, effects weaken, disappear or reverse; La Niña conditions earlier this year helped dry the U.S. Southwest and parts of east Africa.) During the study, the scientists tracked ENSO from 1950 to 2004 and correlated it with onsets of civil conflicts that killed more than 25 people in a given year. The data included 175 countries and 234 conflicts, more than half of which each caused more than 1,000 battle-related deaths. For nations whose weather is controlled by ENSO, they found that during La Niña, the chance of civil war breaking out was about 3 percent; during El Niño, the chance doubled, to 6 percent. Countries not affected by the cycle remained at 2 percent no matter what. Overall, the team calculated that El Niño may have played a role in 21 percent of civil wars worldwide—and nearly 30 percent in those countries affected by El Niño. Co-author Mark Cane, a climate scientist at Columbia’s Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory, said that the study does not show that weather alone starts wars. “No one should take this to say that climate is our fate. Rather, this is compelling evidence that it has a measurable influence on how much people fight overall,” he said. “It is not the only factor--you have to consider politics, economics, all kinds of other things.” Cane, a climate modeler, was among the first to elucidate the mechanisms of El Niño, showing in the 1980s that its larger swings can be predicted—knowledge now used by organisations around the world to plan agriculture and relief services. The authors say they do not know exactly why climate feeds conflict. “But if you have social inequality, people are poor, and there are underlying tensions, it seems possible that climate can deliver the knockout punch,” Hsiang said. When crops fail, people may take up a gun simply to make a living, he said. Kyle C. Meng, the study’s other author, pointed out that social scientists have shown that individuals often become more aggressive when temperatures rise, but he said that whether that applies to whole societies is only speculative. Bad weather does appear to tip poorer countries into chaos more easily; rich Australia, for instance, is controlled by ENSO, but has never seen a civil war. On the other side, Hsiang said at least two countries “jump out of the data.” In 1982, a powerful El Niño struck impoverished highland Peru, destroying crops; that year, simmering guerrilla attacks by the revolutionary Shining Path movement turned into a full-scale 20-year civil war that still sputters today. Separately, forces in southern Sudan were already facing off with the domineering north, when intense warfare broke out in the El Niño year of 1963. The insurrection abated, but flared again in 1976, another El Niño year. Then, 1983 saw a major El Niño—and the cataclysmic outbreak of more than 20 years of fighting that killed 2 million people, arguably the world’s bloodiest conflict since World War II. It culminated only this summer, when South Sudan became a separate nation; fighting continues in border areas. Hsiang said some other countries where festering conflicts have tended to blow up during El Niños include El Salvador, the Philippines and Uganda (1972); Angola, Haiti and Myanmar (1991); and Congo, Eritrea, Indonesia and Rwanda (1997). The idea that environment fuels violence has gained currency in the past decade, with popular books by authors like Jared Diamond, Brian Fagan and Mike Davis. Academic studies have drawn links between droughts and social collapses, including the end of the Persian Gulf’s Akkadian empire (the world’s first superpower), 6,000 years ago; the AD 800-900 fall of Mexico’s Maya civilisation; centuries-long cycles of warfare within Chinese dynasties; and recent insurgencies in sub-Saharan Africa. Last year, tree-ring specialists at Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory published a 1,000-year atlas of El Niño-related droughts; data from this pinpoints droughts coinciding with the downfall of the Angkor civilisation of Cambodia around AD 1400, and the later dissolution of kingdoms in China, Vietnam, Myanmar and Thailand. Some scientists and historians remain unconvinced of connections between climate and violence. “The study fails to improve on our understanding of the causes of armed conflicts, as it makes no attempt to explain the reported association between ENSO cycles and conflict risk,” said Halvard Buhaug, a political scientist with the Peace Research Institute Oslo in Norway who studies the issue. “Correlation without explanation can only lead to speculation.” Another expert, economist Marshall Burke of the University of California, Berkeley, said the authors gave “very convincing evidence” of a connection. But, he said, the question of how overall climate change might play out remains. “People may respond differently to short-run shocks than they do to longer-run changes in average temperature and precipitation,” he said. He called the study “a useful and illuminating basis for future work.” Environmental Protection News, 25 August 2011 http://www.eponline.com Scientists Develop New Approaches to Predict the Environmental Safety of Chemicals 2011-08-29 In a new study, environmental researchers from Baylor University have proposed a different approach to predict the environmental safety of chemicals by using data from other similar chemicals. For many chemicals in use every day, scientists do not have enough information to understand all of the effects on the environment and human health. In response to this, the European Union enacted the REACH regulation, which places greater responsibility on industry to manage the risks from chemicals and to provide safety information on the substances. The Registration, Evaluation, Authorisation and Restriction of Chemical Substances (REACH) regulation was enacted in 2006 and requires manufacturers and importers to gather information on the properties of their chemical substances and to register the information in a central database. Regulators say the goal of REACH is to improve the protection of human health and the environment through better and earlier identification of the harmful properties of chemical substances. In the Baylor study, researchers suggest using data from other chemicals, such as what concentrations can cause toxicity in aquatic organisms to predict the toxicity of another chemical that scientists expect causes toxicity in the same way. “This study proposes one approach to advance the three R’s of sustainability – reduce, replace, refine – for studying biological impacts of chemicals in the environment,” said study co-author Bryan Brooks, associate professor of environmental science and biomedical studies and director of environmental health science at Baylor. “Identifying, testing and implementing new approaches to leverage available information to support better environmental decision-making remains a critical need around the world.” Baylor researchers used statistical and mathematical techniques called chemical toxicity distributions to understand the relative potency of two groups of chemicals. They then used these findings to develop environmental safety values, which they hope will help determine the environmental impacts of chemical substances without unnecessary testing on animals. “The biggest hurdle we face when protecting public health and the environment is the general lack of information,” said study co-author Dr. Spencer Williams, a research scientist at Baylor. “The approach we propose should help prioritise the selection of chemicals and organisms for additional safety assessments. Instead of having to test similar chemicals on many organisms over and over again, scientists could estimate safety levels using fewer tests, which could be more efficient without compromising environmental safety.” The study was published in the journal Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry. Environmental Protection News, 24 August 2011 http://www.eponline.com New molecule to beat toxin 2011-08-29 Australian researchers have discovered a new way to block the action of botulinum toxin, which may pave the way for more effective treatments of the life-threatening disease botulism. A team from the Queensland Brain Institute (QBI), the University of Newcastle and the Children’s Medical Research Institute have found a novel way of blocking the update of the toxin using a new class of drug called dynamin inhibitors. “We have designed and tested a new molecule called Dyngo-4a™ which prevents botulinum toxin from entering nerve cells,” explains QBI Associate Professor Fred Meunier, who led the study. “Dyngo-4a™ works by blocking the action of a protein called dynamin which plays a key role in controlling how most molecules can enter nerve cells.” Botulism is a rare but potentially fatal condition that involves progressive weakness. It is caused by botulinum toxin, which is made by the Clostridium botulinum bacterium found naturally in soil, sediments, raw foods (including seafood) and honey. In addition, as terrorists have attempted to use botulinum toxin as a bioweapon, development of more effective treatments to counter this type of health threat is a high priority for countries such as the United States. “The toxin that causes botulism is one of the most deadly agents known – it’s been estimated that a single gram of it in crystalline form could kill more than one million people if distributed evenly,” Associate Professor Meunier says. Currently, the only known treatment for botulism is antibodies that bind some of the toxin before it reaches nerve cells. Dyngo-4a™ significantly delayed the onset of paralysis, botulism’s most lethal symptom, by more than 30 per cent, adds Associate Professor Meunier. “This is significant because it may provide extra time for antibodies to take effect and minimise symptoms,” he says. “Our research is the first to identify the protein dynamin as a suitable drug target for preventing botulinum toxin entering nerve cells throughout the body.” According to Professor Phil Robinson, Head of the Cell Signalling Research Unit at the Children’s Medical Research Institute, botulinum toxin, like anthrax, is a biological agent of international concern because it has the potential to be used as a deadly weapon and to be a serious threat to public health. The World Health Organisation notes that, while rare, botulism infections can be fatal in 5 to 10 per cent of cases. Each year, several hundred children around the world die from botulism. “Current treatment options for botulism are expensive and not readily available to the public,” explains Professor Robinson. “Therefore any new developments that could lead to improved treatment options and be more widely accessible, particularly in large scale bioterrorism situations, are very welcome.” Dyngo-4a™ was designed by the Medicinal Chemistry team of Professor Adam McCluskey at the University of Newcastle. The research may also have much broader implications, with the new findings potentially being useful to develop these compounds further for a range of other serious infections. Dyngo-4a™ and other dynamin inhibitors are currently undergoing early stage laboratory testing for their suitability as potential therapeutics for a range of diseases. “Our discovery not only opens up the possibility of better treatments for botulism, it also provides a new starting point for investigating potential treatments for other infectious diseases which use the same pathway to enter nerve cells in the body,” Professor Robinson says. The next steps for the research team will be to test the efficacy of higher doses of Dyngo-4a™ and determine the window of opportunity for treatment following exposure to botulinum toxin. The research is published in the international Journal of Biological Chemistry. Science Alert, 23 August 2011 http://www.sciencealert.com.au Heat in Chilli Peppers Can Ease Sinus Problems, Research Shows 2011-08-29 Hot chilli peppers are known to make people “tear up,” but a new study led by University of Cincinnati allergy researcher Jonathan Bernstein, MD, found that a nasal spray containing an ingredient derived from hot chilli peppers (Capsicum annum) may help people “clear up” certain types of sinus inflammation. The study, which appears in the August 2011 edition of Annals of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology, compares the use of the Capsicum annum nasal spray to a placebo nasal spray in 44 subjects with a significant component of nonallergic rhinitis (i.e., nasal congestion, sinus pain, sinus pressure) for a period of two weeks. Capsicum annum contains capsaicin, which is the main component of chilli peppers and produces a hot sensation. In addition, capsaicin is the active ingredient in several topical medications used for temporary pain relief. It is approved for use by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration and is available over the counter. “Basically, we concluded that the spray was safe and effective on non-allergic rhinitis,” Bernstein says of the study which showed that participants who used a nasal spray with Capsicum reported a faster onset of action or relief, on average within a minute of using the spray, than the control group. Non-allergic rhinitis is an upper respiratory condition not caused by allergies but instead caused by environmental factors such as weather, household chemicals or perfumes; however, there are some people who have no triggers or don’t know what triggers are causing the inflammation, Bernstein says. This is the first controlled trial where capsaicin was able to be used on a continuous basis to control symptoms. It is considered a significant advance, “because we don’t really have good therapies for non-allergic rhinitis,” says Bernstein, adding that in previous trials the ingredient was too hot to administer without anaesthesia. Science Daily, 25 August 2011 http://www.sciencedaily.com Dust mite linked to asthma risk 2011-08-29 Wheezy toddlers who have a sensitivity to house dust mites are more at risk of developing asthma by the age of 12, a University of Melbourne led study has shown. Children aged one – two years with a family history of allergy, who had a positive skin prick test to house dust mites, had a higher risk of developing asthma later in life. Results showed 75 per cent of these children had asthma at aged 12 compared to 36 per cent of children without a positive skin prick test. Lead author Dr Caroline Lodge from the University of Melbourne’s School of Population Health said the identification of house dust mites as a predictor for asthma in high risk children, is a significant step forward in identifying high risk groups on whom we can trial interventions. “Our findings provide researchers with a more targeted group of at risk children, for investigating strategies to prevent asthma later in life,” she said. “House dust mite sensitivity amongst wheezy toddlers could be used as a clinical tool to assist parents in understanding the risk of asthma in their children. “Although currently there is no known intervention to stop asthma developing, identifying children at higher risk may lead to more tailored treatments of wheeze in this high risk group.” The study followed 620 children, with a family history of allergies, from birth to 12 years old. Researchers tested the children at the ages of one and two years, for single and multiple sensitivity to milk, egg, peanut, rye grass, cat and house hold dust mites and then again at the age of 12 for having asthma. “We found in the children aged one – two years, that whatever the mix of sensitivity, if their skin reacted to house dust mites they had a higher chance of developing asthma later in life,” Dr Lodge said. “Our study did not show house dust mite caused asthma but it highlighted a strong correlation between sensitivity and more severe wheeze and asthma. “House dust mites are common in our environment. They are something we have to live with everyday. Previous studies have revealed that efforts to eradicate house dust mites have been ineffective.” The study was published in the Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology. Collaborators involved in the study are the Murdoch Children’s Research Institute, Monash University and the Royal Children’s Hospital. The study is part of a broader project to investigate sensitivity and allergy and their link to asthma. Science Alert, 25 August 2011 http://www.sciencealert.com.au Workplace Stress a Growing Health Hazard 2011-08-29 A new study by researchers at Concordia University, published in BMC Public Health, has found that increased job stress causes workers to increasingly seek help from health professionals for physical, mental and emotional ailments linked to job stress. Indeed, the number of visits to healthcare professionals is up to 26 per cent for workers in high stress jobs. “These results show that people in medium-to-high stress jobs visit family doctors and specialists more often than workers with low job stress,” says first author Sunday Azagba, a PhD candidate in the Concordia Department of Economics. To reach their conclusions, the economists crunched nationally representative data from the Canadian National Population Health Survey (NPHS). All NPHS figures were restricted to adults aged 18 to 65 years -- the bulk of the labour force -and included statistics on the number of healthcare visits, chronic illnesses, marital status, income level, smoking and drinking habits. “We believe an increasing number of workers are using medical services to cope with job stress,” says co-author Mesbah Sharaf, a PhD candidate in the Concordia Department of Economics. “There is medical evidence that stress can adversely affect an individual’s immune system, thereby increasing the risk of disease,” Sharaf continues. “Numerous studies have linked stress to back pain, colorectal cancer, infectious disease, heart problems, headaches and diabetes. Furthermore, job stress may heighten risky behaviours such as smoking, drug and alcohol abuse, discourage healthy behaviours such as physical activity, proper diet and increase consumption of fatty and sweet foods.” Previous research has found that aging populations and prescription drugs increase the price of healthcare. Yet few studies have so far correlated workplace stress rates on healthcare costs. “Healthcare spending in Canada, as a percentage of gross domestic product, increased from seven per cent in 1980 to 10.1 per cent in 2007,” says Azagba. In the United States, recent polls found that 70 per cent of American workers consider their workplace a significant source of stress, whereas 51 per cent report job stress reduces their productivity. “It is estimated that healthcare utilisation induced by stress costs U.S. companies $68 billion annually and reduces their profits by 10 per cent,” says Sharaf. Total health care expenditures in the U.S. amount to $2.5 trillion, or $8,047 per person. “That represents 17.3 per cent of the 2009 gross domestic product -- a nine per cent increase from 1980,” says Azagba. The researchers caution that easing workplace stress could help governments reduce soaring health budgets and bolster employee morale. “Improving stressful working conditions and educating workers on stress-coping mechanisms could help to reduce health care costs,” says Azagba. “Managing workplace stress can also foster other economic advantages, such as increased productivity among workers, reduce absenteeism and diminish employee turnover.” The occupations analysed as part of the Canadian National Population Health Survey included seven categories: mechanical, trade, professional, managerial, health, service and farming. Science Daily, 25 August 2011 http://www.sciencedaily.com Coriander Oil Could Tackle Food Poisoning and Drug-Resistant Infections 2011-08-29 According to the authors of a new study, coriander oil has been shown to be toxic to a broad range of harmful bacteria. Its use in foods and in clinical agents could prevent food-borne illnesses and even treat antibiotic-resistant infections. The new study, published in the Journal of Medical Microbiology, was undertaken by researchers from the University of Beira Interior in Portugal. The researchers tested coriander oil against 12 bacterial strains, including Escherichia coli, Salmonella enterica, Bacillus cereus and meticillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA). Of the tested strains, all showed reduced growth, and most were killed, by solutions containing 1.6% coriander oil or less. Coriander is an aromatic plant widely used in Mediterranean cuisine. Coriander oil is one of the 20 most-used essential oils in the world and is already used as a food additive. Coriander oil is produced from the seeds of the coriander plant and numerous health benefits have been associated with using this herb over the centuries. These include pain relief, ease of cramps and convulsions, cure of nausea, aid of digestion and treatment of fungal infections. This study not only shows that coriander oil also has an antibacterial effect, but provides an explanation for how it works, which was not previously understood. “The results indicate that coriander oil damages the membrane surrounding the bacterial cell. This disrupts the barrier between the cell and its environment and inhibits essential processes including respiration, which ultimately leads to death of the bacterial cell,” explained Dr Fernanda Domingues who led the study. The researchers suggest that coriander oil could have important applications in the food and medical industries. “In developed countries, up to 30% of the population suffers from food-borne illness each year. This research encourages the design of new food additives containing coriander oil that would combat food-borne pathogens and prevent bacterial spoilage,” said Dr Domingues. “Coriander oil could also become a natural alternative to common antibiotics. We envisage the use of coriander in clinical drugs in the form of lotions, mouth rinses and even pills; to fight multidrug-resistant bacterial infections that otherwise could not be treated. This would significantly improve people’s quality of life.” Science Daily, 24 August 2011 http://www.sciencedaily.com Technical ENVIRONMENTAL Effects of poultry and household garbage manure on the growth of Amaranth tricolor L. and heavy metal accumulation in soils 2011-08-24 Excessive application of organic manure could result in potential threat to environment. This study was conducted with pot culture on red earth and fluvo-aquic soil received poultry and household garbage manure with the rates of 5%, 10% and 15% of soil weight in order to explore the effects of poultry and household garbage manure on the growth of amaranth (Amaranthus tricolor L.) and soil chemical properties as well as soil heavy metal content. The results showed that almost all the treatments received organic manure obviously increased the fresh leaf yield, main root length and plant height of amaranth as well as OM, EC, available P and exchangeable K in soils except of soil total N. The Cu and Zn concentrations in amaranth plants on fluvo-aquic soil increased compared with control, but the concentrations didn’t exceed National Food Standard for the permission of Cu and Zn content in vegetables, while the concentrations of Pb, Cr and Cd in amaranth plants decreased. The concentrations of Zn, Pb and Cd in amaranth plants in the treatments received organic manure on red earth decreased compared with control. When the treatments received 5% organic manure on red earth and fluvo-aquic soil no obvious heavy metal accumulation in amaranth plants was found. On the contrary, the treatments received 10% and 15% organic manure could obviously increase the contents of available Zn, Cd, Cr and Pb in red earth and fluvo-aquic soil, except of available Cu in the treatment received poultry on two soils. From the comprehensive consideration of soil fertility and environmental quality safety, a proper application rate of organic manure is necessary. Authors: Wu, Qingqing; Ma, Junwei; Jiang, Lina; Ye, Jing; Wang, Qiang; Wang, Jianmei; Yu, Qiaogang; Sun, Wanchun; Fu, Jianrong Full Source: Nongye Huanjing Kexue Xuebao 2010, 29(7), 1302-1309 (Ch) Analysis of several issues relating to environmental safety of metallic mine 2011-08-24 During production of metallic mine, waste rock, wastewater and waste gas are generated in huge amount. The unsuitable discharge of such wastes may cause pollution of water bodies, atmosphere and soil or bring geological disaster. According to actual conditions of the mine, the measures such as improvement of technological process, execution of clean operation, enhancing of safety monitoring and management are adopted. Authors: Lin, Zi-chun; Wu, Chang-fu Full Source: Kuangye Gongcheng (Anshan, China) 2010, 8(3), 56-58 (Ch) MEDICAL Toxicological evaluation of ionic liquids: effect of ionic liquids on human colon carcinoma HT-29 and CaCo-2 cell lines 2011-08-24 This study focused on the toxicological evaluation of ionic liquids on colon carcinoma cells. Two colon carcinoma cell lines were used: HT-29 and CaCo-2. Tests were done on several cations: methylimidazoliums (MIM), dimethylguanidinium (DMG), tri-nhexyl-tetra-n-decylphosphonium (P66614), tri-n-octyl-methylammonium (Aliquat) and choline, as well as anions: tetrafluoroborate (BF4), hexafluorophosphate (PF6), acesulfame (ACS), saccharin (SAC), dicyanoamide (DCA), bis(trifluoromethanesulfonyl)imide (NTf2), N-cyanobenzenesulfonamide (CBS) and N-cyanomethanesulfonamide (CMS). It was found that MIM toxicity increased with the chain length, but greatly decreased when a carboxylic group was added at the end of a C10 chain. On the other hand, the change of the carboxylic group to an ester ((CH2)10-COO-CH2-CH3) induced a high toxicity. BDMIM did not induce cytotoxicity for CaCo-2 cells, but can be a little toxic to HT-29 cells. There was also no cytotoxicity when C4 chain was replaced for C2OH or C5O2 chains. Many of the ILs containing Aliquat was observed to be highly toxic for CaCo-2 cells, and [Aliquat] [NTf2] was the only exception. DMG toxicity also depended strongly on the anionic P66614 studied in combination with NTf2, and it was found to be not toxic for CaCo-2 cells, however, it decreases HT-29 viability in about 50% at the highest concentration. Lastly, choline was analysed in combination with the anions ACS and SAC and both combinations were not toxic for any of the tested colonic cell lines. Authors: Frade, Raquel F. M.; Matias, Ana; Branco, Luis C.; Lourenco, Nuno M. T.; Rosa, Joao N.; Afonso, Carlos A. M.; Duarte, Catarina M. M. Full Source: ACS Symposium Series 2010, 1038(Ionic Liquid Applications), 135-144 (Eng) Activities of catalase and glutathione S-transferase in fluorosis patients 2011-08-24 The objective of this paper was to investigate the relationship of plasma catalase and glutathione S-transferase activity levels with oxidation stress in patients with coal-burning caused fluorosis. Two hundred and forty five villagers that use unchanged stoves in coal-burning fluorosis area were selected as non-intervention group (group N), two hundred and forty villagers using improved stoves in fluorosis endemic area were chosen as intervention group (group I), and two hundred and forty seven villagers in non-fluorosis-endemic area were as control group (group C). The activities of catalase and glutathione S-transferase of them were tested with spectrophotometer. Results showed that the activities of plasma catalase and glutathione S-transferase of group N were significantly lower than those of group I, and the latter ones were significantly lower than those of group C. No significant difference of the two enzymes based on sex was found in all the 3 groups. It was concluded that excessive intake of fluorine might cause unbalance of free radical metabolites, and artificial intervention of fluorine intake could help to recover the balance of oxidation. Authors: Zhang, Ting; Shan, Keren; He, Yan; Xu, Shiqing; Wu, Changxue; Zhou, Shuguang; Li, Yi; Wang, Chanjuan; Zhao, Yan; Guan, Zhizhong Full Source: Guiyang Yixueyuan Xuebao 2010, 35(4), 331-333 (Ch) Bisphenol-A can bind to human glucocorticoid receptor as an agonist: an in silico study 2011-08-24 Bisphenol-A (BPA) is a primary monomer in polycarbonate plastics and epoxy resins. BPA may be released into the environment following its formation via hydrolysis of ester bonds of the polymers. It has been detected in human plasma, placenta, amniotic fluid, amniotic chord, urine and saliva. BPA disrupts normal cell function by acting as an oestrogen agonist as well as an androgen antagonist. The present study was carried out to investigate whether BPA can bind to human glucocorticoid receptor (GR) and elucidate its mode of interaction. BPA has been successfully docked in silico into the ligand binding site of GR using the program Discovery Studio 2.0. The structure has been compared with other agonist and antagonist bound structures of GR. It is found that the mode of interactions and binding energy of BPA were similar to that of DEXA and cortisol, two known agonists of GR. This reveals that BPA can bind to GR as an agonist. Hence, BPA may produce biological effects similar to that produced by glucocorticoids. Authors: Prasanth, G. K.; Divya, L. M.; Sadasivan, C. Full Source: Journal of Applied Toxicology 2010, 30(8), 769-774 (Eng) A kinetic model for human blood concentrations of gaseous halocarbon fire-extinguishing agents 2011-08-24 A simple kinetic model for calculating the blood concentration history of humans exposed to time-varying concentrations of gaseous, halocarbon fire-extinguishing agents is described. The kinetic model was developed to extend experimental physiologically based pharmacokinetic (PBPK) models for arterial blood concentration of halocarbons, obtained from constant concentration exposure of dogs to time-varying exposure conditions for humans. In the present work, the simplified kinetic model was calibrated using published PBPK derived arterial concentration histories for constant concentration exposure to several common fire-extinguishing agents. The calibrated kinetic model was then used to predict the blood concentration histories of humans exposed to time-varying concentrations of these fire-extinguishing agents in ventilated compartments and the results were compared with PBPK-derived data for the agents. It was found that the properly calibrated kinetic model predicts human arterial blood concentration histories for time-varying exposures as well as the PBPK models. Consequently, the kinetic model represents an economical methodology for calculating safe human exposure limits for time-varying concentrations of gaseous halocarbon fire-extinguishing agents when only PBPK-derived human arterial blood concentration histories for constant exposure conditions are available. Authors: Lyon, Richard E.; Speitel, Louise C. Full Source: Inhalation Toxicology 2010, 22(14), 1151-1161 (Eng) Activation of group IVC phospholipase A2 by polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons induces apoptosis of human coronary artery endothelial cells 2011-08-24 Exposure to environmental pollutants, such as polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) found in coal tar mixtures and tobacco sources, is considered a significant risk factor for the development of heart disease in humans. The goal of this study was to detect the influence of PAHs present at a Superfund site on human coronary artery endothelial cell (HCAEC) phospholipase A2 (PLA2) activity and apoptosis. Extremely high levels of 12 out of 15 EPA high-priority PAHs were present in both the streambed and floodplain sediments at a site where an urban creek and its adjacent floodplain were extensively contaminated by PAHs and other coal tar compounds. Nine of the 12 compounds and a coal tar mixture (SRM 1597A) activated group IVC PLA2 in HCAECs, and activation of this enzyme was associated with histone fragmentation and poly (ADP) ribose polymerase (PARP) cleavage. Genetic silencing of group IVC PLA2 inhibited both 3H-fatty acid release and histone fragmentation by PAHs and SRM 1597A, indicating that individual PAHs and a coal tar mixture induce apoptosis of HCAECs via a mechanism that involves group IVC PLA2. Western blot analysis of aortas isolated from feral mice (Peromyscus leucopus) inhabiting the Superfund site showed increased PARP and caspase-3 cleavage when compared to reference mice. These data suggest that PAHs induce apoptosis of HCAECs via activation of group IVC PLA2. Authors: Tithof, Patricia K.; Richards, Sean M.; Elgayyar, Mona A.; Menn, Fu-Minn; Vulava, Vijay M.; McKay, Larry; Sanseverino, John; Sayler, Gary; Tucker, Dawn E.; Leslie, Christina C.; Lu, Kim P.; Ramos, Kenneth S. Full Source: Archives of Toxicology [online computer file] 2011, 85(6), 623-634 (Eng) OCCUPATIONAL Occupational exposures as risk factors for asthma and allergic diseases in a Turkish population 2011-08-17 There was no community-based epidemiological study on the relation of occupational exposures with asthma, rhinitis, and eczema in Turkey. In this study, the authors examined the relation between occupational exposures and adult-onset asthma, wheezing, allergic rhinitis, and eczema in a Turkish adult population. The data was collected from 1,047 adults, selected randomly from five distant family health centres. Questionnaires were filled by family practitioners with the help of interviews. The data included physician-diagnosed asthma, allergic rhinitis, eczema, wheezing, and occupational exposures. Wheezing in all the subjects was associated with past exposure to irritants (OR: 1.7, 95% CI: 1.0-2.9), wood/coal smoke (OR: 2.3, 95%CI: 1.0-5.3), metal dust (OR: 2.6, 95%CI: 1.2-5.7), volatile fumes (OR: 2.5, 95%CI: 1.1-5.3), and paper dust (OR: 3.7, 95%CI: 1.5-8.9). Past exposure to dust (OR: 4.1, 95%CI: 1.2-14.2) and to irritants (OR: 6.5, 95%CI: 2.0-20.4) were associated with increased prevalence of wheezing in nonsmokers, whereas current exposure to irritants was associated with decreased prevalence of wheezing (OR: 0.1, 95%CI: 0.01-0.9) in these subjects. In subjects who were regular smokers, exposure to metal dust (OR: 2.8, 95%CI: 1.2-6.5), volatile fumes (OR: 2.3, 95%CI: 1.0-5.3), and paper dust (OR:3.3, 95%CI: 1.3-8.6) were the main causes for wheezing. Physician diagnosed eczema was associated with occupational exposure to chemical fumes (OR: 3.7, 95%CI: 1.3-10.6). The authors concluded that the present study showed that occupational exposures were associated with wheezing and eczema prevalence in the studied population. Nonsmokers could be more vulnerable to respiratory effects of occupational exposures due to healthy smokers effect. Authors: Kurt, Emel; Demir, Ahmet Ugur; Cadirci, Omer; Yildirim, Huseyin; Ak, Guntulu; Eser, Tulin Pinar Full Source: International Archives of Occupational and Environmental Health [online computer file] 2011, 84(1), 45-52 (Eng) Cancer morbidity in Swedish dry-cleaners and laundry workers: historically prospective cohort study 2011-08-17 Despite decades of experimental and observational studies, the carcinogenic risks to humans associated with occupational exposure to perchloroethylene (PER) remain uncertain. In this study, the authors further examine the possible associations. Methods A national cohort of dry-cleaning and laundry workers (n ) 10,389) assembled in 1984 was followed up for new cases of cancer by matching with the Swedish cancer register from 1985 to 2006 (inclusive), and the results were compared with expected frequencies derived from national reference data. Follow-up was complete for 90.9% of the cohort (2,810 men, 6,630 women). The overall standardised cancer incidence ratio (SIR) for all subjects was close to unity (SIR 0.96; 95% confidence interval (CI) 0.91-1.02) with a slightly more favourable outcome in women (SIR 0.91; 95% CI 0.85-0.98) than in men (SIR 1.10; 95% CI 0.99-1.23). Significantly elevated rates of lung cancer (SIR 1.45; 95% CI 1.03-1.98) and non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma (SIR 2.05; 95% CI 1.30-3.07) were seen in men, but for both types of cancer, the point estimates were similar in genuine laundry workers and dry-cleaners exposed to PER, respectively. There was no significant excess of cancer of the oesophagus, larynx, uterine cervix, liver, kidney or urinary bladder. The authors concluded the absence of individual or collective data on PER exposure from participating dry-cleaning shops and laundries involved and limited information on exposure time hampered the risk assessment related to PER. However, no clear association between PER exposure and subsequent cancer morbidity in the workers was evident from this historically prospective cohort. Authors: Selden, Anders I.; Ahlborg, Gunnar, Jr. Full Source: International Archives of Occupational and Environmental Health [online computer file] 2011, 84(4), 435-443 (Eng) Inducible nitric oxide synthase genetic polymorphism and risk of asbestosis 2011-08-17 Asbestos, a known occupational pollutant, may upregulate the activity of inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS) and thus the production of nitric oxide (NO). This study investigated whether iNOS (CCTTT)n polymorphism is associated with an increased asbestosis risk in exposed workers. The study cohort consisted of 262 cases with asbestosis and 265 controls with no asbestos-related disease. For each subject the cumulative asbestos exposure data were available. The number of CCTTT repeats was detected following PCR amplification of the iNOS promoter region. Logistic regression was performed to estimate asbestosis risk. The OR of asbestosis was 1.20 (95% CI ) 0.85-1.69) for the LL genotype compared to the combined SL and SS genotypes and 1.26 (95% CI ) 0.86-1.85) for the LL genotype compared to the SL genotype. The authors concluded that the results of this study are borderline significant and suggest a possible role of iNOS (CCTTT)n polymorphism in the risk of asbestosis; however, further studies are needed. Authors: Franko, Alenka; Dodic-Fikfak, Metoda; Arneric, Niko; Dolzan, Vita Full Source: Journal of Biomedicine and Biotechnology [online computer file] 2011, 685870, 4 pp. (Eng) Hygienic regulations on levels of bismuth citrate in working zone of industrial facilities 2011-08-17 During an experimental study on laboratory animals (rats, mice, guinea pigs, rabbits) a toxicological evaluation and substantiation of maximum permissible concentration of bismuth citrate in a work zone took place. It was detected that the compound, according to the criterion of acute toxicity related to low hazard compounds, exhibits a strong cumulative activity and is a strong irritant effect towards mucous membranes. Allergenic properties were not identified. Maximum concentration limit in the work zone is 1.0 mg/m3. Authors: Kuz’minov, B. P.; Zazulyak, T. S.; Hektegaev, I. O.; Grushka, O. I.; Galushka, O. I. Full Source: Sovremennye Problemy Toksikologii 2010, (4), 48-50 (Ukrain) Substantiation of maximum permissible concentration level of cianocobalamine in the air of a work zone 2011-08-17 A toxicological study of maximum permissible concentration in air of a working zone of cianocobalamine (vitamin B12) in the air of a work zone was performed in experiments on laboratory animals (rats, mice, guinea pigs, rabbits). It was detected that the compound is characterised by low toxicity, is allergenic, exhibits weak cumulative properties and is characterised by low irritating effect on skin and mucous membranes. Sex gland toxic properties are not identified. Maximum permissible concentration level in the air of a work zone is 0.05 mg/m3. Authors: Kuz’minov, B. P.; Zazulyak, T. S.; Grushka, O. I.; Galushka, O. I. Full Source: Sovremennye Problemy Toksikologii 2010, (2-3), 33-35 (Ukrain) PUBLIC HEALTH Effect of traffic pollution on eye and nose irritations of the people at Durgapur City 2011-08-17 The vehicular emissions are one of the potential sources of air pollution in Durgapur steel city. During this study, the authors conducted a statistical analysis on the population of the city to detect its effect on human health focused only on eye and nose irritations. Two parameters, namely mode of transport and travelling time are chosen for this analysis. The results found that on the basis of these two parameters, there is a certain level of pollution effect on human health. Authors: Nandi, P. K.; Gorain, G. C. Full Source: Indian Journal of Environmental Protection 2009, 29(7), 597-604 (Eng) The evaluation of the effect of air pollution on the health status of children in Zonguldak City, Turkey 2011-08-17 Air pollution affects human health, particularly sensitive groups such as children, pregnant women, elderly people and patients with chronic respiratory diseases in many ways, including reduced lung function, increased morbidity and infant mortality. Many epidemiological studies have shown positive associations between respiratory health and ambient air pollution. This study tries to assess the associations between Occurrence of Respiratory Symptoms and Diseases (ORSD) and those parameters: Particulate Matter (PM), sulphur dioxide (SO2), pollen and meteorological variables in the mining city of Zonguldak, Turkey. The finding of the study shows significant association between ORSD, and ambient level of PM, SO2 and pollen. Authors: Tecer, Lokman Hakan; Tomac, Nazan; Karaca, Ferhat; Kaplan, Ayse; Tuncer, Tunc; Aydin, Hamit Full Source: International Journal of Environment and Pollution 2009, 39(3/4), 352-364 (Eng) Commuter exposure to carbon monoxide in Madurai city - measurements of in-vehicle concentrations 2011-08-17 Determining human exposure to CO in micro-environments is critically important to assess air quality, air pollution abatement, and epidemiology. Estimated in-vehicle pollutant concentrations in India cities are scarce; thus, this work was conducted to determine CO concentrations in automobile cabin air within the urban limits of Madurai. The generated database showed CO concentrations were 0.01-0.03 ppm in city buses, 0.01-0.04 ppm in auto rickshaws and 0.02-0.09 ppm in 2-wheeled vehicles. The authors concluded that CO concentrations in these micro-environments can supplement the generated database of outdoor measured pollutants and the combined database can be used for effective air pollution management and abatement strategies with the perspective to residential and commuting population health in Madurai. Authors: Daniel, Tennyson; Rajasekhar, R. V. Jeba; Muthusubramanian, P. Full Source: Pollution Research 2010, 29(3), 497-500 (Eng) Short-term association between exposure to ozone and mortality in Oporto, Portugal 2011-08-17 Exposures to air pollution in developed countries have generally decreased over the last two decades. However, many recent epidemiological studies have consistently shown positive associations between low-level exposure to air pollutants and health outcomes. In Portugal, very few studies have analysed the acute effect of air pollutants on health. The present study evaluates the association between exposure to air pollution and daily mortality in the Oporto Metropolitan Area, Portugal. Generalised additive models were used for this analysis. Pollutants assessed were ozone, nitrogen dioxide, and particulate matter (PM10). Models were adjusted for time trend, seasonality, and weather. The authors found that an increase of 10 íg/m3 in the daily ozone 8-h maximum moving average corresponds to an increase of 0.95% (95%CI: 0.30, 1.60) and 1.58% (95%CI: 0.45, 2.73) in non-accidental mortality and cardiovascular mortality, respectively, in the summer season. A significant effect of 0.67% (95% CI: 0.03:1.32) was also found for the association between PM10 and non-accidental mortality in the summer season. Associations with ozone and PM10 exposures were higher in the elderly people. No significant effects on mortality were observed during the summer season with nitrogen dioxide exposures. The authors conclude that this study provide the first significant evidence in Oporto that exposures to O3 and PM10 have adverse effects on the health of the general population in the summer months. Authors: Pinto de Almeida, Sofia; Casimiro, Elsa; Calheiros, Jose Full Source: Environmental Research 2011, 111(3), 406-410 (Eng) Radionuclide contents and radiological risk to the population due to raw minerals and soil samples from the mining sites of quality ceramic and pottery industries in Akwa Ibom, Nigeria 2011-08-17 Samples of domestically produced industrial raw minerals and soil samples from three mining sites of quality ceramic/smelting and pottery industries in Akwa Ibom, Nigeria, were collected and analysed for their 226Ra, 232Th and 40K contents using gamma-ray spectroscopy. The range of activity concentrations of the radionuclides in the industrial raw minerals were 17.55 ( 1.63 to 80.99 (2.61 Bqákg-1 for 226Ra, 7.64 ( 0.77 to 23.94 ( 0.92 Bqákg-1 for 232Th and 63.22 ( 3.43 to 503.90 ( 5.69 Bqákg-1 for 40K, while in the soil samples they varied from 2.87 to 34.78 Bqákg-1, 7.02 to 24.47 Bqákg-1 and 7.05 to 162.81 Bqákg-1 for 226Ra, 232Th and 40K, respectively. These results, along with the estimated absorbed dose rates, annual ED rates, radium equivalency (Raeq), external hazard index (Hex), internal hazard index (Hin) and representative of the gamma index (Içr) are presented. The results obtained were below the internationally accepted safe limits. Therefore, the analysed samples could be used in the local industries in the area as component raw materials and/or as building materials. In addition, the mining activities of these minerals in the area have not significantly affected the natural radiation dose levels in the area, hence the resulting dose to the population is therefore considered generally low. Authors: Jibiri, N. N.; Esen, N. U. Full Source: Radioprotection 2011, 46(1), 75-88 (Eng) SAFETY Apparatus for preventing flue gas inlet corrosion and improving flow field in wet flue gas desulfurisation tower 2011-08-24 The title apparatus comprises: a boiler, a coal saver, a denitrification reactor, an air preheater, a deduster, a wet flue gas desulfurisation tower, a chimney, a flue gas inlet, an absorbent spray layer, a slurry pool, and an internal component. The apparatus has the advantages of no flue gas inlet corrosion, uniform flow field distribution, high desulfurisation efficiency, and no pollution. Authors: Zhang, Yongxin; Li, Mingbo; Mao, Gengren; Zhong, Yi; Lin, Gaoqian; Wu, Weihong; Mao, Chengqi; Wen, Wen; Gao, Xiang; Luo, Zhongyang; Cen, Kefa Full Source: Shiyong Xinxing Zhuanli Shuomingshu CN 201,799,210 (Cl. B01D53/78), 20 Apr 2011, Appl. 20,220,763, 8 Jun 2010; 6pp. (Ch) Loss prevention and safety promotion in industry 2011-08-24 The issue of major accident prevention is detailed by first proposing possible approaches to quantify risk assessment, and then by focusing on systems of risk management in industrial establishments. The aim of major risk prevention is to operate process installations at an acceptable societal level. Risk acceptability limits can differ depending on the maturity of the state, the size of establishments, and a number of other factors which must be included into any analysis and assessment of risk. Author: Bernatik, Ales Full Source: Handbook of Combustion 2010, 1, 441-458 (Eng) Fire safety 2011-08-24 The need for data required to evaluate the components of fire safety engineering to ensure that building fire safety is reliable, and that costs are reasonable is illustrated. It is fortunate that the availability of several barriers to mitigate the frequencies and consequences of fire, although making fire safety a complicated science, allows for an efficient fire safety environment based on the tremendous progress over the past thirty years. This development provides a freedom of design while simultaneously advancing levels of safety. Author: Delichatsios, Michael A. Full Source: Handbook of Combustion 2010, 1, 459-476 (Eng)