World Health Organization estimates that the poor suffer disproportionately from diseases related to environmental contamination

June 20, 2008 - So far, preliminary studies in Europe and the United States strongly indicate we all are contaminated.

A recent U.S. study found most of its subjects had rocket fuel chemicals in their bodies as well as a host of other toxins like bisphenol A, which gives the clear, pliable strength to plastic water bottles as well as baby formula bottles.

More . . .

Federal Study to Determine if Contaminated Superfund Sites are the Cause of Disease Cluster in Massachusetts

October 14, 2007 - FOR MORE than 20 years, health officials have known about a puzzling concentration of the neurodegenerative illness known as Lou Gehrig's disease in the southeastern Massachusetts town of Middleborough. In the coming months, a study financed by the federal government and conducted by state environmental health scientists might answer the riddle of whether toxic waste from two Superfund sites in the town has caused the rare and usually fatal disease, which normally strikes just two of 100,000 people.

The state is also working to create a registry to keep track of the disease. In collaboration with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's National Environmental Health Tracking Program, such registries can build up the databases that researchers need to track diseases with suspected environmental causes. Democratic Senator Hillary Clinton of New York and Republican Orrin Hatch of Utah have called for a $100 million increase in the CDC program's budget to help the tracking program establish itself nationwide. Congress should approve the funding.

More . . .