EJToday is SEJ's selection of new and outstanding stories on environmental topics in print and on the air, updated every weekday. SEJ also offers a free e-mailed digest of the day's EJToday postings, called SEJ-beat. SEJ members are subscribed automatically, but may opt out here. Non-members may subscribe here. EJToday is also available via RSS feed. Please see Editorial Guidelines for EJToday content.
"Study Finds an Increase in Arsenic Levels in Chicken"
NY Times, 05/13/2013"Researchers at Johns Hopkins University said they found levels of arsenic in chicken that exceeded amounts that occur naturally, and warned that they could lead to a small increase in the risk of cancer for consumers over a lifetime."
"'Chemicals of Concern' List Still Wrapped In OMB Red Tape"
Center for Public Integrity, 05/13/2013"For anyone anxious about toxic chemicals in the environment, Sunday marked a dubious milestone."
"Air Pollution Raises Risk of Diabetes Precursor in Kids"
Bloomberg, 05/10/2013"Exposure to air pollution raises the risk of resistance to insulin, a typical warning sign of diabetes, according to a study of almost 400 German children."
"Valley Fever Throws Baseball a Curve Ball"
Daily Climate, 05/10/2013"Conor Jackson had a big bat and a bright future. But after he contracted a rare illness in 2009 while playing with the Arizona Diamondbacks he was never quite the same."
"Sticking With the Truth"
Columbia Journalism Review, 05/09/2013"How ‘balanced’ coverage helped sustain the bogus claim that childhood vaccines can cause autism"
"Arkansas Residents Sick From Exxon Oil Spill Are on Their Own"
InsideClimate News, 05/09/2013"The Arkansas Department of Health says people with dizziness, nausea and headaches have the option to leave, and it is their personal choice."
Foreign Food Inspections Decline as Illnesses From Imported Goods Rise
NY Times, 05/08/2013"NIAGARA FALLS, N.Y. — Inside a warehouse near the Canadian border, boneless hams bound for Philadelphia are coming off a tractor-trailer from Toronto under the gaze of a federal food inspector. Each week, about 20 of the 150 food trucks from Canada are rejected because of paperwork problems or contaminated meat."
Calif. Gov. Jerry Brown Proposes Prop. 65 Changes
San Francisco Chronicle, 05/08/2013"Gov. Jerry Brown said Tuesday that he intends to change California's landmark consumer-safety law in an attempt to reduce frivolous lawsuits and give the public clearer information about toxic chemicals."
"Replanting the Rust Belt"
NY Times, 05/08/2013Until recently the American food revolution seemed to have bypassed the Rustbelt region which rims the Great Lakes from Buffalo to Detroit. But an "interdependent web of chefs, butchers, farmers, millers, bakers and brewers" there are "cooking sustainably, supporting agriculture and raising families — all while making world-class food with a strong sense of place."
"Will Lead Bullets Finally Kill Off the California Condor?"
YaleE360, 05/07/2013"The California condor, the largest bird in North America, was saved from extinction by a captive breeding program that increased its numbers in the wild. But now the condor is facing a new and pernicious threat — the lead from bullets used by game hunters."
"Toxic Waste Sites May Cause Health Problems for Millions"
Science News, 05/07/2013"Living near a toxic waste site may represent as much of a health threat as some infectious diseases, a study in three developing countries finds."
"'Chemicals of High Concern' Found in Thousands of Children's Products"
EHN, 05/06/2013"Cobalt in plastic building blocks and baby bibs. Ethylene glycol in dolls. Methyl ethyl ketone in clothing. Antimony in high chairs and booster seats. Parabens in baby wipes. D4 in baby creams. An Environmental Health News analysis of thousands of reports from America’s largest companies shows that toys and other children’s products contain low levels of dozens of industrial chemicals, including some unexpected ingredients that will surprise a public concerned about exposure."
Flame Retardant Chemicals Bring Firefighters Higher Cancer Risk
Bangor Daily News, 05/06/2013"ELLSWORTH, Maine — New research by a Blue Hill scientist shows that during a fire, firefighters are exposed to dangerous levels of toxic, cancer-causing chemicals created when commercial flame retardants burn."
"Honey Bee Decline Due to ‘Complex’ Multiple Factors" -- Study
ENS, 05/03/2013"WASHINGTON, DC -- Multiple factors are responsible for the steep decline in honey bees across the United States, including parasites and disease, genetics, poor nutrition and pesticide exposure, federal government officials reported today, releasing a new scientific consensus on honey bee health."
"Environmental Exposures in the Context of Child Care"
Environmental Health Perspectives, 05/03/2013"Research has proven that infants and toddlers, who spend more time on the floor and experience the world with their hands and mouths, are not merely in closer contact with many indoor pollutants2 but also more sensitive to them. Yet environmental health standards in child care settings nationwide—which can include not just centers but also private homes, workplaces, universities, and places of worship—still lag behind those of schools, where children are older, larger, and somewhat less susceptible to environmental exposures. Unlike with more uniformly regulated schools, child care licensing, permitting, and oversight occur on a variety of levels, resulting in a fractured regulatory landscape."

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