CCA News & Information Articles

Arsenic may not be a problem in Blackville, says environmentalist 01-28-2009 my comment at site By Ryan Ross ross.ryan@miramichileader.com MIRAMICHI - Recent worries about an arsenic problem in Blackville might not be justified, says a well known environmentalist. Inka Milewski is the Conservation Council of New Brunswick's science advisor and has been following the Blackville arsenic issue since speaking at a public meeting last week. She said an environmental assessment would test for arsenic in the water and air, but test's haven't found it in Blackville. "If you're looking for arsenic and it's not there chances are it's not arsenic." Since May, the Health Department has confirmed seven people received test results showing elevated levels of arsenic in their systems. Harriman, Tenn., map of coal ash spill 12-25-2008 Coal Ash Spill Revives Issue of Its Hazards 12-25-2008 By SHAILA DEWAN KINGSTON, Tenn. --- What may be the nation's largest spill of coal ash lay thick and largely untouched over hundreds of acres of land and waterways Wednesday after a dam broke this week, as officials and environmentalists argued over its potential toxicity. Federal studies have long shown coal ash to contain significant quantities of heavy metals like arsenic, lead and selenium, which can cause cancer and neurological problems. But with no official word on the dangers of the sludge in Tennessee, displaced residents spent Christmas Eve worried about their health and their property, and wondering what to do. Cutting down the toxins we eat aids health 12-30-2008 Avoid chicken raised with arsenic. At least 70 percent of conventionally-raised broiler chickens in the United States are fed arsenic. Meat from chickens fed arsenic can carry arsenic residues, adding to a person's risk of disease from arsenic exposure elsewhere in one's diet and environment. Buy certified organic chicken, which is arsenic-free, or from local producers who can assure arsenic was not used. Parents can check toy safety at online site 12-10-2008 HealthyToys.org is one website parents can check to see which toys are safe from significant levels of toxic chemicals. One in three children’s toys tested by HealthyToys.org were found to have significant levels including lead, flame retardants, and arsenic. The good news is that 62 percent or 954 of the products tested contain low levels of chemicals of concern, and 21 percent or 324 of all products contain no chemicals of concern. Province will do all it can to find arsenic source 11-29-2008 Southwest-Miramichi Liberal MLA Rick Brewer says he's had a few rough nights worrying about four cases of arsenic contamination in Blackville. Four village residents have elevated levels of arsenic in their blood and Public Health officials haven't been able to determine the source of the contamination. The four people live within 30 metres of each other. Brewer, the human resources minister and minister responsible for aboriginal affairs, said he has spent a few late-night evenings on the phone with Health Minister Mike Murphy this week, and he said the province is working hard to resolve the situation. "I've actually been losing sleep over this because I'm concerned about the people who live in this area. It's definitely my top priority to put these people's minds at ease," he said. Four suffering from arsenic poisoning in Blackville 11-28-2008 Four residents in the Digby Street/Shafer Lane section of the village have been diagnosed with arsenic poisoning and nobody knows what is causing it. The sudden appearance of four cases in a short-period of time has prompted the provincial Health Department to step in, testing blood and water and offering water testing kits to residents as they try to find out what is making people sick. "My department has committed to testing wells in the surrounding area to reassure homeowners of the quality of their water," Health Minister Mike Murphy said in a release from his department. "The results will be reported to individual homeowners as they become available." Feds probe arsenic levels 11-28-2008 BLACKVILLE - Puzzled provincial health officials are calling in a federal investigator to assist in finding the cause of higher-than-normal arsenic levels found in blood tests taken from four Blackville residents. Dr. Denis Allard, regional medical officer for the Moncton and Miramichi regions, said yesterday that initial samples taken from the wells of the affected residents yielded no indication of heightened levels of arsenic or any other mineral. Allard also said Department of Health interviews conducted with the residents about their food consumption and personal activities also didn't reveal anything out of the ordinary. Gasping for air 11-26-2008 Programmes PEOPLE AND POWER Gasping for air In 2006 and 2007 a US- based environmental health organisation, ranked La Oroya in the Peruvian Andes as one of the most polluted places in the world. People & Power visited the town and found locals are fighting back. Rosa Amaro says her community are affected by a high level of contamination every day and that children are among the worst affected. Amaro is the head of the Movement for the Health of La Oroya (Mosao), a group formed in 2002 with the aim of remedying the health hazards presented by a huge metal smelting complex that looms over the town in the Peruvian Andes mountains. "Our children are very affected by the contamination," Amaro says. "We from La Oroya suffer a high level of contamination on a daily basis, and recently it has been worse, something the population should be aware of." Ash landfills continue to stir debate 11-26-2008 Two local landfills may be leaking more toxic substances to Saginaw Bay than earlier reported by state regulators. But Department of Environmental Quality officials are declining continued calls to discuss the matter in public. The Bay City-area Lone Tree Council unearthed the issue last month, citing DEQ records that show two massive ash landfills at the Consumers Energy Karn-Weadock complex in Hampton Township have been, for years, leaking arsenic, boron and lithium in excess of state standards. Terry L. Walkington, supervisor of the DEQ Waste and Hazardous Materials Division in Bay City, now says mercury also may be among the toxics leaking from the two landfills, which hold the concentrated residue of tons of coal burned to generate electricity at the plant. WISNIEWSKI/McK EON BILL TO IMPROVE ROADWAY WORKER, ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH PASSES ASSEMBLY 11-17-2008 Legislation Assemblymen John S. Wisniewski and John F. McKeon sponsored to prohibit the use of reflective glass beads with high arsenic content in state roadway projects passed the General Assembly today by a vote of 76 to 0 with two abstentions. "There is no place for a known carcinogen like arsenic on New Jersey's roadways," said Wisniewski (D-Middlesex), chairman of the Assembly Transportation, Public Works and Independent Authorities Committee. "Our zeal to protect motorists should not come at the expense of road crews and the environment." CAMBODIA: Arsenic in Mekong putting 1.7 million at risk 11-17-2008 Arsenic contamination of the Mekong River and groundwater is putting millions of residents at risk of severe illness due to arsenic poisoning, the UN and NGOs warned. After surveying wells along the Mekong, which flows through Lao PDR, Cambodia and Vietnam, the UN Children's Fund (UNICEF) and governments concluded that as many as 1.7 million people were at risk of arsenic poisoning, whose long-term symptoms include skin lesions and cancer. Arsenic linked to heart disease risk 11-17-2008 Mice exposed to arsenic at U.S. government-approved levels for drinking water had cellular dysfunction, which can lead to heart risk, U.S. researchers say. Aaron Barchowsky of the University of Pittsburgh Graduate School of Public Health and his research team looked at specialized cells in the liver called sinusoidal endothelial cells, which remove waste from blood and enable nutrients to regulate metabolism. Victoria was long blind to arsenic's risks 11-14-2008 Thursday's line story from Sun reporters Larry Pynn and Darah Hansen about the provincial government urging loggers and the public to avoid forests treated with a potentially cancer-causing pesticide was not surprising. What is surprising is that, despite voluminous scientific literature, Victoria took seven years to figure out that arsenic might be sufficiently hazardous that the public deserves to told to avoid it. Arsenic-free water provides hope to millions of people in South East Asia 11-12-2008 A EU-India consortium led by Queen's University Belfast has led to the development of technology which could provide safe drinking water for over 70 million people in South East Asia. The joint collaboration has resulted in the world's first low-cost technology to provide arsenic-free water to people in India and surrounding countries. This week researchers from Queen's will travel to India to officially open the Eastern India Water Research Institute (EIWRI) in Kolkata. EIWRI will be located at Bengal Engineering and Science University (BESU) and include a second Indian partner, the Institute of Environmental Management and Studies. Warning: Arsenic in B.C. forests,Public advised to avoid areas treated with pine-beetle pesticide due to cancer risk 11-13-2008 Map of treatment areas. CREDIT: Map of treatment areas. The B.C. forests ministry has produced a map of thousands of trees that the public and loggers are urged to avoid due to arsenic residue from the application of a pine-beetle pesticide no longer used in Canada. Monosodium methanearsenate, or MSMA, was widely used in B.C.'s northern and Interior regions from the mid-1980s until 2004 with assurances at the time that the pesticide, sold under the trade name Glowon, posed little threat to the environment or to human health. Arsenic linked to cardiovascular disease at EPA-regulated drinking water standards 11-13-2008 When mice are exposed to arsenic at federally-approved levels for drinking water, pores in liver blood vessels close, potentially leading to cardiovascular disease, say University of Pittsburgh researchers in the Dec. 1 issue of the Journal of Clinical Investigation, available online Nov. 13. The study, while preliminary, also reveals how an enzyme linked to hypertension and atherosclerosis alters cells, and may call into question current Environmental Protection Agency standards that are based solely on risks for cancer. Warning: Arsenic in our forests 11-13-2008 A stand of trees that has been infected with the pine beetle. CREDIT: A stand of trees that has been infected with the pine beetle. The B.C. Forests Ministry has produced a map of areas containing thousands of trees that the public and loggers are urged to avoid because of arsenic residue from the application of a pine-beetle pesticide no longer used in Canada. Monosodium methanearsenate, or MSMA, was widely used in B.C.'s northern and Interior regions from the mid-1980s until 2004 with assurances at the time that the pesticide, sold under the trade name Glowon, posed little threat to the environment or to human health. By 2005, MSMA was no longer in use in Canada after the manufacturer allowed its permit to expire. Arsenic risk linked to fight against beetle 11-13-2008 Hey Everyone, If you are burning wood you really need to check where it comes from and if it is sprayed. As wood also cleans the air and soil so remember it is absorbing toxins so make sure it isn't coming from near where farmers spray or near industry as well. I personally don't believe in wood burning as a safe form of fuel anymore. Take care and please keep safe. Deborah VANCOUVER -- The B.C. Ministry of Forests has produced a map of thousands of trees that the public and loggers are urged to avoid due to arsenic residue from the application of a pine-beetle pesticide no longer used in Canada. Monosodium methanearsenate, or MSMA, was widely used in B.C.'s northern and Interior regions from the mid-1980s until 2004 with assurances at the time that the pesticide, sold under the trade name Glowon, posed little threat to the environment or to human health. Wait for hair test results 09-08-2008 My comments to the paper I am so sorry to hear of children being poisoned by arsenic. Nice to see they knew enough to do hair samples and not go by blood and urine which are very ineffective. Toe nail samples are far better than hair though with arsenic. deborah barrie noccawood.ca Wait for hair test results 8/09/2008 4:58:00 PM RESULTS from hair sample testing on Sidney Body, 3, will not be made public until at least the end of the month. Last week Xstrata Mount Isa Mines, Mount Isa City Council and the Queensland Government were served a notice of claim in relation to the alleged lead poisoning of the child. Living sensor can warn of arsenic pollution 09-07-2008 Scientists studying arsenic pollution have discovered a living sensor that can spot contamination. They have also discovered new bacteria that can clean up arsenic spills even in previously untreatable cold areas, microbiologists heard today (Monday 8 September 2008) at the Society for General Microbiology's Autumn meeting being held this week at Trinity College, Dublin. The Giant Mine in Canada is in the sub-arctic. It contains over 230,000 tonnes of arsenic-containing dust, making it one of the most polluted places on Earth as well as one of the most inhospitable. Link Between Arsenic In Drinking Water And Diabetes 09-03-2008 Created: 9/3/2008 8:15:32 AM A recent study shows there’s a strong link between arsenic in drinking water and type 2 diabetes. But Dr. Thomas Repas, endocrinologist at Rapid City Regional Hospital, said even though there was a higher level of arsenic in the adults studied, it’s not known if the arsenic caused the diabetes…. Queen’s Researchers Provide Solution to World’s Worst Mass Poisoning Case 09-03-2008 A solution to the world’s worst case of ongoing mass poisoning, linked to rising cancer rates in Southern Asia, has been developed by researchers from Queen’s University Belfast. The technology is based on recharging a part of the groundwater, after aeration, into a Currently over 70 million people in Eastern India and Bangladesh, experience involuntary arsenic exposure from consuming water and rice; the main staple food in the region. This includes farmers who have to use contaminated groundwater from minor irrigation schemes. New UNC lab to test water's arsenic levels 09-03-2008 CHAPEL HILL -- The newest Gillings Innovation Laboratory at the University of North Carolina School of Public Health will tap new technology to help researchers examine individual differences in the metabolism of inorganic arsenic and in the susceptibility to adverse effects associated with chronic exposures to arsenic. Black Eagle yards register 'low' levels of lead, arsenic 08-26-2008 my comments to the paper Seeing arsenic moves down little in soil beyond 2 or 3 inches on it's on these higher levels were once at the surface. How did they get that deep? I am not sure but I agree with the above poster in that wells and local bodies of water needs looked at also maybe there is inground contamination as well. As for dying from arsenic poisoning, yes of course it happens, generally slowly, from heart attacks, strokes, diabetes, cancer and on and on. I have it and I am not dead but I am ill. Anybody have symptoms other than death? I would think so. Crying look how long people live instead of what their quality of life is seems like someone is more interested in promoting calm and making those concerned look foolish rather than getting to the truth. Please remember to test your toenails and hair for contamination and not fall for the blood or urine tests, which only show very recent contamination and not true body burden. Generally no one will tell you that. Good luck Deborah Speciation and localization of arsenic in white and brown rice grains 02-01-2008 A wider survey of whole grain speciation of white (n=39) and brown (n=45) rice samples from numerous sources (field collected, supermarket survey, and pot trials) showed that brown rice had a higher proportion of inorganic arsenic present than white rice. Furthermore, the percentage of DMA present in the grain increased along with total grain arsenic. Superfood rice bran contains arsenic 08-23-2008 Rice bran – a so-called "superfood" – might contain dangerous amounts of a natural poison. A new study suggests that rice bran, the shavings left over after brown rice is polished to produce white rice grains, contains "inappropriate" levels of arsenic. Andrew Meharg at the University of Aberdeen, UK, and colleagues found that the levels of arsenic in rice bran products available on the internet and used in food-aid programmes funded by the US government would be illegal in China – the only country in the world to have standards for how much arsenic is permissible in food. Scientists Find Bacteria That Thrives Off Arsenic 08-15-2008 Scientists have isolated a bacterium that fuels itself on arsenic in the warm, bubbling pools of Mono Lake in California. These bacteria combine light and arsenic to make their food and multiply using a chemical that is toxic to most other life forms. Using arsenic as an energy source was a process used by ancient bacteria, researchers have speculated. These bacteria are photosynthetic, using sunlight - like plants - to turn carbon dioxide into food, explained Ronald Oremland of the US Geological Survey Arsenic and lead being linked to brain tumors 08-15-2008 Link with take you to a news story put up on youtube Did Arsenic In Soil Cause Brain Tumors? 08-13-2008 CAMERON, Mo. -- The Department of Natural Resources said it found high levels of lead and arsenic in soil samples from the old Rockwool Industries plant. The plant was tested after dozens of brain tumors were diagnosed in the small community of Cameron. Arsenic was also found in test samples from a nearby quarry, sources told KMBC's Kelly Eckerman. Water samples from seven homes near the plant will also be tested. Warren Co. Plant Accident Injures Employee 08-14-2008 Hey Everyone, I really wish this person exposed to arsenic well but I must say I almost fell out of my chair when I read this story. Do you have any idea how many arsenic victims write me who have had a similar experience of getting help after an exposure. Zippo. None. Nadda. Not one. I had ten years of exposure and the only helicopers I see are the military ones as I live in their flight path. Decontamination? Please. Arsenic victims pack your bags it is time to move to Hamilton District in Warren County, Cincinnati where apparently they actuall knows what they are doing. I bet somebody is going to put an end to that. Take care and please keep safe. Deborah Arsenic poisoning at church left mark on body and soul 06-12-2008 NEW SWEDEN, Maine - Most of the time there's a dull ache in Dale Anderson's legs. Those are the good days. On other days, the throbbing pain in his legs and feet makes it difficult to walk more than short distances, and even then he sometimes stumbles like a drunk. There's neuropathy in his hands as well. Although they don't hurt, they're so numb he can't feel anything. Recently, Anderson's daughter noticed he was bleeding from a bloody gash on his hand. He hadn't even noticed. Five years after one of the worst mass arsenic poisonings in the nation's history, Anderson and several others still carry lingering emotional and physical maladies. Crews expand Vineland arsenic cleanup: New area of Superfund site targeted 05-09-2008 By JOSEPH P. SMITH Staff Writer VINELAND -- Arsenic decontamination at the Vineland Chemical Co. Superfund site is reaching new areas of Blackwater Branch, the stream that cuts through the plant and city before joining the Maurice River. The Vineland Chemical Co. plant, now closed, made organic arsenic-based herbicides for agricultural use. Operations began in 1949. Arsenic-Laced Wind Blows On Long Lane 05-07-2008 Arsenic in contact with zinc or aluminum forms arsine gas. Zinc and aluminum are what is used to make ductwork in most homes. If there is an arsenic storm and arsenic gets into the ventilation system it can potentially form arsine gas that with be distributed throughout the home or building. Arsine is an odorless and deadly gas. This situation is extremely dangerous. If you suspect your ducts have been contaminated do not turn on your ventilation or heating/cooling system Take care and please keep safe. deborah Official says safety measures were ignored By Russell Drumm (5/1/2008) The specter of arsenic has appeared over East Hampton High School again, this time in clouds of dust blowing from farm fields across Long Lane. Tests ordered by the East Hampton Town Department of Natural Resources in February showed that dust samples taken at Long Lane contained arsenic at 33 parts per million, well above what state and federal agencies consider an acceptable background level. The State Department of Environmental Conservation has set a target for remediation of arsenic at waste sites of 7.5 p.p.m. Canadian Cancer Society awards more than $1 million to Alberta researchers 05-01-2008 Please note that Dr. Chris Le has studied cca treated wood and the Canadian Cancer Society has taken the position that "The Canadian Cancer Society believes that lumber that is pressure-treated with chromium copper arsenate (CCA) for domestic and recreational structures (decks, playgrounds, fences, and so on) should be discontinued. This type of preserved wood contains 2 known carcinogens – arsenic and chromium.' $1 million to cancer research projects in Alberta this year. Two new grants have been awarded to researchers based in Edmonton for projects that include the investigation of the carcinogenic effects of arsenic. "There is a recognized link between exposure to high levels of arsenic and cancer," says Dr. Chris Le, a professor and researcher based at the University of Alberta. "We're trying to understand how arsenic causes cancers. This information will help determine other risk factors and potential health risk from exposure to low levels of arsenic." Arsenic is a naturally occurring mineral and affects approximately 100 million people around the world, particularly where contaminated ground water is an issue. Arsenic found in infant rice cereal 05-01-2008 LONDON, May 1 (UPI) -- Researchers say one-third of infant rice cereal in Britain contains unsafe levels of arsenic. Environmental chemist Andrew Meharg of Aberdeen University in Scotland and colleagues tested 17 samples of baby rice from three British supermarkets, The Daily Telegraph reported Wednesday. He said high levels of arsenic were also found in rice products such as rice milk and puffed rice cereal. "I don't want to give out nutritional advice to the public, but as a parent I would try to reduce my baby's exposure to any contamination," he said. Energy co. to pay for R.I. 'blue soil' cleanup 04-23-2008 By ERIC TUCKER Global fluoride and arsenic contamination of water mapped 04-23-2008 detailed maps available with article Swiss researchers have mapped the levels of arsenic and fluoride in groundwater throughout the world. They hope this new global picture will provide a starting point for planning future drinking water projects, and help to avoid water contamination in developing countries. The team, led by Annette Johnson from the Swiss Federal Institute of Aquatic Science and Technology, combined geochemistry with statistics to create the maps. With existing measurements of fluoride and arsenic concentrations, along with data on ground conditions and climate, they were able to develop a model to estimate the concentrations of both elements Attorneys in DuPont smelt case to share fees with lead plaintiffs 04-10-2008 By Cara Bailey (cara@wvrecord.com) CLARKSBURG - The plaintiffs' attorneys in a class-action lawsuit against DuPont will share a portion of their fees with the 10 people who represented thousands of their neighbors in the case. Harrison Circuit Chief Judge Thomas A. Bedell approved incentive payments of $50,000 for each of the lead plaintiffs this week, and rejected the defendant's argument that the payments were improper. The attorneys were awarded $135 million in lawyers' fees in the case, which the incentive pay must come from, Bedell said. $60,000 groundwater study could begin in Rockland this summer 04-15-2008 Laura Incalcaterra The Journal News WEST NYACK - A groundwater study to help understand how arsenic and other heavy metals may enter some drinking water wells in Rockland could start during the summer. United Water New York and the county have finally reached agreement on the project, which will also involve geochemists from Columbia University's Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory. County Executive C. Scott Vanderhoef first called for such a study in March 2007. His request came about a month after United Water informed its customers that two company wells off Grandview Avenue in Montebello had exceeded the federal threshold for arsenic in 2006. The company was not required to report the results until four quarters' worth of testing was complete, but some customers said United Water did not have to wait six months and could have posted the results on its Web site, included the information with water bills, or sent a letter. Copper Firm Asarco Will Cleanse Employees' Yards of Toxics 04-17-2008 Hey Everybody, I have not yet heard from my contacts who have worked long and hard on this issue and no amount of money and clean up will ever restore the damage done to the lives and the environment there but we need to celebrate each victory. These people will never be free of what happened to them. I know that all too well. Recently I have been very much taken aback by activists who complain when the very thing they have fought for is won. It is hard indeed to have to cross the floor and shake hands with those who have harmed us and have shown no respect for anything but the almighty dollar. But if the world is to change then we too must recognize and be thankful for each step in the right direction. Sooner or later we have to work together if we want to accomplish our goals. So be thankful, don’t forget, and don’t compromise by crossing that middle line. Take care everybody and please be safe deborah Oklahoma town suing over contamination 04-17-2008 By Judy Welch April 17, 2008 - 3:24:44 pm An environmental cleanup class action lawsuit was filed Monday in Kay County District Court on behalf of the residents of Blackwell, Okla. against the companies that now own the Blackwell Zinc Smelter. The lawsuit alleges the town of approximately 7,200 people is contaminated by 58 million pounds of toxic waste, including lead, arsenic, cadmium and zinc, left behind by the smelting activities. The smelter was in operation in Blackwell from 1916 to 1974. It occupied 80 acres and employed 1,000 people. Blackwell is about 31 miles southwest of Arkansas City. "The contamination of Blackwell represents a public health crisis," said Nelson Roach, a partner with Nix, Patterson & Coach and an attorney representing the plaintiffs. "Past and current attempts to remediate this town haven't cleaned up the problem - they've covered up the problem. The children of this community are going to continue to be at risk until these companies are forced to remove this contamination properly." City may buy and demolish 7 homes 04-19-2008 Officials planning to clear out arsenic in Swann Park for development By Tom Pelton Sun reporter April 19, 2008 Click here to find out more! Baltimore is proposing to condemn and buy seven homes with arsenic pollution in their yards beside contaminated Swann Park as part of a large waterfront development. The plan for the 50-acre West Covington project in South Baltimore would include hundreds of homes and more than a million square feet of retail and offices beside a cleaned-up and reopened park, city officials said. "It's pretty clear that this part of the city and the whole Middle Branch area offers a very exciting opportunity for development that doesn't exist now," said City Solicitor George Nilson Recruiting for arsenic study to begin soon 04-22-2008 Hey Everybody, Sometimes when the phone rings I have to say a prayer before I can answer it. The calls that came in on this issue certainly required that. Imagine telling a mother who has just had her child's hair tested and is very afraid that this is only part of her child’s body burden. It is nowhere near a complete picture. She is already afraid and you have to ,instead of comfort her, make her concerned enough to move. Arsenic taken into the body is ¾ expelled within anywhere from eight hours to a week. The average time to excrete that is three days. It is the ¼ that accumulates in the brain, bones and tissue that we really need to be concerned about. That is the amount that is accumulating with each dose taken in. That is the amount that is not showing up on the tests that doctors generally take to establish toxic poisoning. That is the amount that slowly but surely is going to affect this child. She is still taking it in. That is also the amount that industry is counting on that you will never find out about. That is the amount that when tests are generally called for will never be discovered and people will be given a false sense of security. They will come in and test your blood and urine. They will tell you about the safe levels found. What they won’t tell you is to start multipyling that ¼ dose accumulating in you by the number of years you or your child has been exposed. That is not a figure that they want you to learn about. The mother says, “My child has lived here all her life.” “Are you telling me to multiply her age by 365.” I wait a moment for it to sink in and as some measure of hope I tell her that small amounts of that will have been mobilized and excreted. She tells me, “ I keep her inside most of the time.” I take another deep breath. Indoor studies find the levels to be higher than outdoors. Our homes do not allow the toxins we bring in to disperse. They build in our carpets, on our furniture and in our venting systems . Chemicals and other contacts can even cause arsenic to off-gas into the easily breathable form , arsine. “I have her wash her hands often she says.” I want to offer her some reassurance but inorganic arsenic is transdermal. “What am I supposed to do,” she asks. “ Move” I say. “But we have no money to do that and who would buy our home.” “Move”, I say again. “I think we will stay and fight”. I knew she was going to say that. We all say that. “I will send you her tests,” she says. “Thank you” I say," "I will be praying you and your daughter” She sends the tests. I cry for a little while. They will be needing my prayers. Take care everybody and please keep safe. deborah Making the World’s Water Supply Arsenic-Safe 03-17-2008 - From Water and Wastewater.com Reston, VA -- Arsenic poisoning affects nearly 100 million people living in Bangladesh and West Bengal, India due to naturally occurring arsenic found in drinking water drawn from underground sources. While the problem may seem complex and difficult to address, the solution is actually easy-to-operate and culturally compatible. That solution, arsenic removal units (ARUs), was recently named one of five finalists for the 2008 Outstanding Civil Engineering Achievement Award (OCEA) presented by the American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE). This year’s award-winning project will be announced at ASCE’s annual Outstanding Projects and Leaders (OPAL) Awards Gala on Wednesday, April 30, 2008, at the Hyatt Regency Crystal City in Arlington, Va. Super-bug 'answer to harmful pollution' 02-21-2008 AN arsenic-eating super-bug could be the answer to clean up decades of mining and farming pollution threatening the landscape and human health, Australian scientists said. The bug or "microbe", as scientists describe the creature, has been found living in soils heavily contaminated with poisonous arsenic which was once used to control parasites on sheep and cattle. NB Power collecting samples near generating station amid arsenic-level concerns 02-19-2008 FREDERICTON - New Brunswick's power utility is doing environmental testing in waters near its Grand Lake generating station amid concerns over arsenic levels. Environment Canada data released last month indicated arsenic levels in the sediment exceeded federal guidelines, while samples taken from fish showed results were under the established guidelines. Arsenic threatens global health 02-17-2008 - Science Alert As many as 100 million people worldwide are facing slow poisoning and risk of death from arsenic in their drinking water and food supply. That is the conclusion of scientists at the CRC for Contamination Assessment and Remediation of the Environment (CRC CARE) following a global review of the health effects of arsenic on people in affected countries. State testing reveals high levels of arsenic near old Berlin & Farro site 02-13-2008 GAINES TWP. -- Testing at a family's well near the former Berlin & Farro waste site revealed high levels of arsenic but no traces of chemical contaminants, state officials said today. The arsenic found in the water is a naturally occurring mineral that's found in most of eastern Michigan and is not suspected to have come from the site. Hello, As a victim of arsenic poisoning from the burning of cca treated wood I find it very frustrating when arsenic is always dismissed as being a natural mineral in our environment. While that may be true even organic arsenic is deadly if taken in in low doses over a long time. Just ask the millions in the world already suffering from it. Wake up, the crisis is coming to a neighborhood near you. Seems it may have already. How about comparing samples near their home to samples closer to the factory then farther away. But the real issue is are we even talking about organic arsenic that may be the cause for this families health problems. Inorganic arsenic is far more dangerous and easily breathed in and absorbed by the skin, transdermal. Is someone even speciating the form found in the area. Has that family received proper testing? Arsenic taken in is ¾ removed from the body in anywhere from a few hours to one week. Each dose remember. The remaining one fourth is accumulated by the skin, bones and brain and is very difficult to mobilize. Multiply that ¼ by the numbers of days they have lived there and you start getting a truer picture of body burden. This will not show up in blood or urine tests. They need speciated to determine what has been taken in recently. A hair analysis is the test of choice for arsenic in the last six to nine months. A chelation treatment , a drug that pulls metals from the body, followed by a 24 hour urine test is another indicator far more reliable than what they likely have had. Hats off to the industry for fooling the public and the medical profession as a whole while they reap big profits then have your taxes clean up the mess. Who helps the victims? Take care everybody and please keep safe. Deborah Cancer cause myths busted by new report 02-04-2008 comments on story Prof. Stewart remarks are doing nothing to calm my fears as I work with the victims of cca arsenic treated wood everyday and I am one myself. Cancer from cca wood may take years to develop and is not the largest problem in the first place. Joshua Hamilton research has shown that arsenic changes our genes, is a hormone disrupter and all in low level long term contact and sometimes within moments of contact. It causes heart disease, strokes, nausea, dizziness, asthma, thyroid troubles,skin conditions, weight gain, and loss of sex drive. It causes learning disabilities, neuropathy, hearing loss, cataracts and on and on. So before you relax keep your children away from cca wood and those who haven’t done their homework Take care and please keep safe. Deborah Elaine Barrie Activist and Publisher www.noccawood.ca $1 million goes to Edmonton cancer researchers 05-01-2008 Edmonton scientists are receiving over $1 million towards cancer research from the Canadian Cancer Society. Dr. X. Chris Le, a researcher at the University of Alberta, will receive $442,712 over four years to help understand how arsenic interacts with cancer-causing agents. Midnight Hour 11-17-2008 - The New Yorker The Bush Administration, probably as a result of its own experience, is now trying to craft rules that are as difficult as possible to reverse. Generally speaking, major federal regulations go into effect sixty days after they are published. On November 20th, it will be sixty days before Bush leaves office. Over at the Federal Register, it’s going to be a busy week. ♦