Pack Your Bags-AngryToxicologist has Moved to Science Blogs
By AngryToxicologist | July 18, 2007
Topics: Uncategorized | 2 Comments »
Al Gore: Not omnipotent.
By AngryToxicologist | July 18, 2007
Gee, ya think?
At Al Gore’s daughter’s wedding he, gasp, ate some Chilean Sea Bass, which is endangered. A lot of people are getting in a huff about this.
Hmm…Possibly, possibly it could be because Mr Gore didn’t look over, research, and approve every aspect of his daughter’s wedding?
C’mon, just because the guy stands up for what he believes in doesn’t mean that every little thing somehow connected to him has to do right by the entire ecosystem. Who among us can say they can control every bit of their lives to always do the right thing? I can’t and�I would guess that�my life is much less complicated than Gore’s, and surely less complicated than planning a wedding.
Psst…I also hear that he uses…electricity. Shocking. buy cialisbuy cialisbuy levitrabuy levitrabuy propeciabuy propeciabuy somabuy somabuy levitrabuy cialisbuy propeciabuy levitrabuy somabuy cialisbuy propeciabuy levitrabuy somabuy cialisbuy levitrabuy propeciabuy soma
Topics: Depressing/Infuriating | 6 Comments »
CPSC, start working out!
By AngryToxicologist | July 17, 2007
Over at the Pump Handle, David Michaels has a post on how ineffectual the CPSC is. He makes the point that the CPSC is ?toothless?, wimpy�and uses a NYTimes article that talks about the Magnetix case as an example of how the CPSC can?t get the job done. Although David does acknowledge how much of the problem comes from the current administration (the last guy they tried to get to run it was the VP of a manufacturing lobbing group ? the nomination was since withdrawn).
I generally agree with the post but I don?t think that the CPSC is toothless. While they need much stronger regulatory tools, they aren?t using what they have. Part of this is leadership and part of this is culture. A kind of ?well, we don?t have the legal authority to force this off the market so lets play soft and cuddly with industry in hopes they do what we want?. These public servants forget the huge advantage they can use besides the litigation route: The Press.
If CPSC identifies a hazard, say little magnets that are seriously harming children like the Magnetix set, it can do the following:
1) ?Hey, Magnetix, take your product off the market NOW.?
If the response is ?We don?t wanna? or the more probable ?We don?t think there?s enough evidence to warrant that? or they are slow walking the agency, then the CPSC should immediately go to:
2) ?Hey ABC [whoever], we are really concerned about this product Magnetix. It?s really hurting kids and the maker refuses to recall it or cooperate up to this point. And we are powerless under the law to force it off.
Outcome: ABC calls the manufacturer and if that doesn?t scare the bejezus out of them then the segment on 20/20 will. Market forces will teach the other guys that they need to take safety seriously.
To regulators: Realize that there is more than one way to get the job done and use the muscles you have. At the FDA, even though they have the power to force something off the market, they never have to use it. They simply release safety information and lo and behold there is a voluntary recall that goes along with it. Companies don?t want to lose customers (a public safety statement probably opens the lawsuit flood gates, too). This is how you get stuff done fast without any fuss. The CPSC may not have much legal power to force something off the market but they are still the arbiter of safety in the public square. They need to start using the public square and engaging citizens through the press. That?s what they are here for, for the citizens; not to be a black box protector, making decisions people don?t even know about. online pharmacy propecia cialis viagra levitra
Topics: how regs work | 6 Comments »
Non-science fridays: Balance your chi edition
By AngryToxicologist | July 13, 2007
Meathead of the Week: The Bush Adminstration Official who blocked the Surgeon General from going to the Special Olympics because it?s supported by the Kennedys. ?Why would you want to help those people??. New low for the Bush admin. What are they, 3rd graders? Forget that, even most third graders wouldn?t use disabled people in a twisted vendetta.
I had a whole mess of things to talk about today but I’m so darn excited about this that everything else would just cheapen the post…
Do you feel it?
It?s the Chi machine! It?s got 6, count ?em 6, major benefits! Let?s start at the top…
1. CELLULAR ACTIVATION Massage stimulation to the sympathetic nervous system opens up the bronchioles to provide maximum oxygen access to the lungs, simultaneously the blood flow to and from the lungs is increased, enhancing oxygen exchange from the lungs to the blood and therefore to the body cells, to excite cellular metabolism.
Oooo, scientificy! I already feel cellularly excited! Tell me more!
2. SPINAL BALANCING With the body relaxed in the lying position with no weight on the spine, the massage unit will influence a correction to certain conditions of mis-alignment. Such corrective action can in turn cure or alleviate complications arising in vertebrae joints from certain spinal mis-alignment.
No weight on the spine? It?s an anti-gravity machine too! I can?t use enough ?!?!
3. IMPROVING THE IMMUNE SYSTEM The Sun Ancon massager stimulates globulin production which increases the immune systems defense capacity thereby providing greater freedom from disorders and disease.
That?s right, this here thang is the freedom machine. If you don?t buy it you are against freedom. Why do you hate our freedom? You are an immune terrorist. I will send you to the immune Gitmo, which is the colon.
4. BLOOD PRODUCTION Blood is produced in the spleen and spinal bone marrow. Reduction of spleenal blood production can arise from the spleen’s susceptibility to damage. The massager’s action on the spine stimulates the sympathetic nervous system which increases spinal ‘marrow’ blood production. Any form of anaemia can be benefited by this massage action.
It helps you make blood! Does the Red Cross know about this? I?m massaging my spleen right now and boy howdy, do I feel better already! Very cellularly excited.
5. RESTORATION OF BALANCE TO THE AUTONOMIC NERVOUS SYSTEM If the parasympathetic and sympathetic nervous systems fail to ensure balance of function, insomnia, excessive dreaming, digestive problems, stomach pain, palpitation, anxiety, constipation, neurasthenia and extensive forms of aches and pains as well as mental stress may surface. The influence of the massager on the sympathetic nervous system can restore the vital balance to nervous system, resulting in restoration of health from such conditions.
My autonomic nervous system has been off balance ever since those people were talking while I was trying to balance the sixth and seventh chakras through the vibrations in the parsva sirsasana. Threw my dang chi right off.
6. EXERCISING INTERNAL ORGANS Western medical science is beginning to consider ancient eastern traditions that focus healing and good health on a life force energy which flows in channels through all living forms. Acupuncture and associated therapies are being increasingly used by western practioners to ‘invigorate’ the life-force energy flow to restore health to unhealthy organs. The Chinese refer to this energy as ‘Chi’. The Sun Ancon massager will aid in unblocking the ‘Chi’ pathways and ensure a maximum flow of this healing source, through all body organs, to restore normal or improved functioning to impaired organs and body systems related to such organs.
Work that spleen! Flex that pancreas! No liver pain, no liver gain! Free the Chi!!!!!!!!
Weekly Aural Pleasure: To help you get through the next 2-3 weeks till your Chi Machine arrives, you can watch this ’cause this hippie’s chi is surely topped off. Quite possibly the best thing I’ve seen in months.
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Topics: non-science fridays | 2 Comments »
“What’s the point of public health?” OR “Suicide versus Homicide”
By AngryToxicologist | July 12, 2007
Most of you in public health may know this feeling. You put in a hard day at work and walk out into a brilliant afternoon and you spot one: a chain smoker. Ugh. Now I have friends that smoke and I’m fine with that, but it still gets me to see this. Here we are, making sure that thier drugs/workplace/environment/food isn’t increasing their risk of disease and they’re puffing away on a pack of tumors. The same could be said for people that drink bucket-loads of caffine, or binge on alcohol. It’s just depressing, because 1) your work isn’t really helping a lot of people’s overall health and 2) they clearly don’t care that you’re trying to do anything for them anyway.
I just need to get over it, though. The thing is, those exposures are voluntary. The people know whatever they are doing is risky and they choose to do it anyway. So be it. The field of public health is here to protect you from risks that you don’t want and are involuntary or you may not know about. Consequently, second hand smoke moves smoking into the traditional public health arena.
But there is another aspect to public health that isn’t nearly as clear cut. Straight out smoking is a financial health care problem (using more than their share of resources) not one of tradtional public health. The same is true of obesity; people know what they should do, they just don’t do it (eat better, excersize more). It may be more difficult to do this given our lifestyle especially if you are poor, but it’s still doable. One of the main reasons obesity is such a big deal for the public health community is that the enormity of the problem is straining the health system with all the diseases that go along with it. that’s a financial concern but also one of health becuase it diverts resources away from other diseases that could be tackled. Obesity also crosses back into a traditional public health concern in that we want to help kids develop healthy lifestyles, and to some extent, how they eat is involuntary; it’s up to their parents.
If these ramblings have a point it might be this: You’re free to do whatever you want with your health as long as it isn’t affecting other people. The times, however, when the only person you’re affecting is yourself are rare.
Topics: Depressing/Infuriating | 5 Comments »
Ozone standards
By AngryToxicologist | July 11, 2007
There is a Senate hearing today on EPA’s proposed National Ambient Air Quality Standard for ozone. The EPA is proposing one that isn’t as low as what the scientists have said is a safe level but it’s lower than what we’ve currently got. I’ve written before on what really needs to be done to combat ozone. I was going to write some more about the proposed standard specifically and then wandered over to The Pump Handle to see if there was anything up already over there. There is: a copy of an editorial from the American Thoracic Society. It does a better job than I could ever do in one morning (or possibly a month of mornings) so I’m sending you over there to read it. It’s really good. My favorite sentence:
We find the EPA posturing over scientific uncertainty to be disingenuous, uncompelling, and, ultimately, in violation of the Clean Air Act.
Can we get an Amen?
Topics: Toxics, how regs work | 1 Comment »
China Excecutes State FDA head Zheng
By AngryToxicologist | July 10, 2007
From AP (via IHT):
China executed the former head of its food and drug watchdog on Tuesday for approving untested medicine in exchange for cash, the strongest signal yet from Beijing that it is serious about tackling its product safety crisis.
The execution of former State Food and Drug Administration director Zheng Xiaoyu was confirmed by state television and the official Xinhua News Agency.
During Zheng’s tenure from 1998 to 2005, his agency approved six medicines that turned out to be fake, and the drug-makers used falsified documents to apply for approvals, according to previous state media reports. One antibiotic caused the deaths of at least 10 people.
The world is rightly worried about China’s ability to produce safe food, drug, and consumer products. This seems to be how they respond as it is a heavy sentence even for China. Either China just doesn’t get the West as some of my friends contend or this is truely their way of fixing the problem internally and publicity be damned.
First, it won’t work; there are too many low profile manufacturers that can fly under the radar. Negative motivation rarely works completely. Second, this doesn’t help my view of China at all, and I can confidently say that this won’t play well across most western countries either. All it does is send one more signal that there are still great and serious divides between China and the west. I’ve been reading in some journals and hearing on some talk shows that there are undercurrents of racisim in these critiques of China; that we are disparraging a culture. There is a point however, when respect turns to relativism. Confucianism? Disagree but respect due. Throwing malachite green into fish ponds? Wrong. I think our food, drugs and consumer products should be safe whether they are produced in the US or abroad and will readily critique either one of failing.
Hat tip to reader MikeW who, judging from the time of release and e-mail, must be sitting on the AP wire. Faster than CNN!
Topics: China | 5 Comments »
When independent means unlawful and shady.
By AngryToxicologist | July 10, 2007
Merrill Goozner writes about a good column showing why the EPA independent advisory panels aren’t really independent. Teaser:
Sounds fair, right? But what good is a transparent process if the information the EPA discloses to the public about the nominees falls short of full disclosure? How can the public, which includes the interested community of fellow scientists, environmental activists and affected industries, comment intelligently on a list of candidates that does not include key elements of their biographies?
Topics: Uncategorized | No Comments »
Is Manganese contributing to high infant mortality rates in Bangladesh?
By AngryToxicologist | July 10, 2007
Another interesting story from EHP. The summary is pretty good and the paper understandable so I won’t re-hash it here. One tid-bit that is interesting is:
Although breastfeeding rates are high in Bangladesh, newborns are often given sugar water in place of colostrum.
Why would anyone do this? I’m sure there’s a reason (bad or good) but I don’t know what it is. If any one has any insight, please leave it in the comments.
Topics: Uncategorized | 2 Comments »
Common Phthalate alters thyroid hormones in average men.
By AngryToxicologist | July 9, 2007
DEHP is a phthalate (pronounced THAL-ate) used primarily to make flexible vinyl, such as for flooring, food contact items, toys (this is becoming less common), and medical devices. Unfortunately, it’s also one of the chemicals that gives your car that new car smell. A study that came out this month found that the higher the level of a DEHP metabolite (MEHP) in men’s urine, the lower your thyroid hormones (free T4 and total T3). These were average men who had MEHP exposures that were average for the US, with no occupational exposure.
The levels of phthalates that the general population is exposed to are already known to lead to decreased genital development in boys. It is unclear what the health outcomes would be from a T4 and T3 decrease of this amount, but it wouldn’t be drastic. Thyroid hormones affect just about every tissue and organ in the body. A decrease in T4 is known as hypothyroidism and will make you feel wiped out, but also can cause dry skin, muscle aches and coldness. Now I don’t know about you, but even if the effect isn’t drastic, I don’t need any more fatigue than I’m currently getting.
Interestingly, different DEHP studies on rats have shown opposite effects. This may be a result of different types of effects depending on the dose as well as the route of exposure. It may be because MEHP is the chemical causing the effects and therefore, an animal’s (including us) ability to metabolize DEHP or MEHP would effect the results greatly. The study lends support for this, and also finds that the association with the chemical and the thyroid hormone plateaus after a time. Like some other hormone disruptors, the relationship may be U shaped. In other words, at a high level you decrease the hormone, at a moderate level you do nothing or possibly even increase the hormone, but once you get even lower you have an effect again. Something like this may also be going on with Bis-phenol A, another plasticizer. We toxicologists hate this kind of ‘U’ stuff but we better get used to it. Many toxicologists are fond of saying, “the dose makes the poison”. Indeed, and in this instance less may be more (and more may be more).
Topics: Toxics, scientific study | 3 Comments »
