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Toxic Toothpase From China
The New York Times reported concerns about toothpaste that has been made in China. Some toothpaste from China was found to contain diethylene glycol (DEG), a poisonous chemical coolant used in antifreeze.
Consumers were advised yesterday to discard all toothpaste made in China after federal health officials said they found Chinese-made toothpaste containing a poison used in some antifreeze in three locations: Miami, the Port of Los Angeles and Puerto Rico.
Although there are no reports of anyone being harmed by the toothpaste, the Food and Drug Administration warned that the Chinese products had a "low but meaningful risk of toxicity and injury" to children and people with kidney or liver disease.
The United States is the seventh country to find tainted Chinese toothpaste within its borders in recent weeks.
Agency officials said they found toothpaste containing a small amount of diethylene glycol, a sweet, syrupy poison, at a Dollar Plus retail store in Miami, sold under the brand name ShiR Fresh Mint Fluoride Paste. The F.D.A. also identified nine other brands of Chinese toothpaste that contain diethylene glycol, some with concentrations of 3 percent to 4 percent.
Previously, only a few brands had been identified by health officials around the world as containing diethylene glycol and all of them listed the chemical on the label.
The FDA's page with warnings about toothpaste from China can be found here. In addition to thee grave concerns about chemicals in imported products there is also much to be concerned with in U.S. products. The Chicago Tribune's Julie's Health Club blog points out that there are many chemicals registered for use in the U.S. that have never been tested for safety. Search the web and you also will find legitimate concerns about chemicals in deodorants, chemicals in pots and pans, worries about sweeteners and complaints about high fructose corn syrup (HFCS).
Posted on June 8, 2007
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Gold Nanoparticles Could Verify the Presence of Biological Toxins
The BBC reports that UK researchers have found that gold nanoparticles can be used to rapidly detect the presence of biological toxins. The test could even estimate how much of a toxin is present.
The research makes use of gold nanoparticles that are only 16 nanometres in diameter - roughly 1/5000th the width of a human hair.
Earlier work by Professor Russell's team has refined manufacturing methods so relatively large amounts of the particles can be made quickly.
Once made, the particles are coated with sugars tailored to detect different biological substances.
When mixed with a weak solution of the sugar-coated nanoparticles, the target substance, be it a poison such as ricin or a bug like E.coli, binds to the sugar. This changes the properties of the solution and makes it change colour.
This concept could have many very important uses from preventing bio-terrorism to verifying whether water is safe to drink.
Posted on April 7, 2006
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Carbon Monoxide Poisoning May Kill Years Later
MSNBC.com reports that a new study has found that people that survive a large exposure to carbon monoxide may still die years later because of damage to the heart muscle.
People who survive a toxic encounter with carbon monoxide, one of the most common types of accidental poisoning in the United States, run a risk of death years later because of damaged heart muscle, according to a study published Tuesday.
The Minneapolis Heart Institute Foundation said a look at 230 patients treated for moderate to severe poisoning from the colorless, odorless gas found that 37 percent suffered heart muscle injury. Of that group nearly a quarter died within the next seven years.
"Most of us believed that since this was a one-time exposure to carbon monoxide, that if you were going to have problems you'd have them right away," said Timothy Henry, a physician involved in the study.
The study also recommends that people who have had this type of incident should visit their physician to test for heart damage. The study raises questions about long term risk as well. Although the study did not investigate risk from carbon monoxide exposure in small amounts over a long period of time it does raise questions about the effect pollution has on the heart. There was a study in 2003 that linked air pollution and heart problems -- it even said that air pollution is more of a heart risk than a lung risk.
Posted on January 24, 2006
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Scientific Panel Links Teflon Chemical to Cancer
USA Today reports that a scientific panel says that a chemical called PFOA, which is used to make Teflon, is more likely to cause cancer than the U.S. government has previously indicated.
PFOA, or perfluorooctanoic acid, is a "likely carcinogen" according to an advisory board to the Environmental Protection Agency. The science panel's pronouncement is the first step in a process that could result in the agency regulating or even banning some uses of the popular manufacturing agent.
The independent science board disagrees with a risk assessment of PFOA that the EPA drafted and released earlier this year in which the chemical was described as a "suggested" carcinogen.
The article also says that cancer concerns are heightened by recent CDC studies that found PFOA in the blood of 95% of Americans. Scientists do not yet know how PFOA is getting into Americans' blood. The USA Today article also describes some of PFOA's uses:
PFOA is used in the manufacture of Teflon coatings on pans. It is also found in widely used coatings that make upholstery and clothing stain-resistant and in a grease-resistant coating on microwave popcorn and fast-food packaging among others.
Posted on July 4, 2005
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