Children's Health Protection News Archive

• On March 19, 2004, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced their joint consumer advisory on methylmercury in fish and shellfish for reducing the exposure to high levels of mercury in women who may become pregnant, pregnant women, nursing mothers, and young children. The FDA and EPA want to emphasize the benefits of eating fish - consumers should know that fish and shellfish can be important parts of a healthy and balanced diet. However, as a matter of prudence, women might wish to modify the amount and type of fish they consume if they are planning to become pregnant, pregnant, nursing, or feeding a young child. To view the new advisory, visit www.epa.gov/ost/fish.
• Counterfeit pesticide products for dogs and cats have been found at retailers across the country. EPA has ordered pesticide distributors and retailers in many states to stop selling counterfeit pet pesticide products that falsely contain EPA Registration numbers and labeling for the "Advantage" and "Frontline" brands of pesticides. The counterfeit products have outer cartons that are made to resemble EPA registered pesticides. Inside the cartons are applicators labeled and packaged for overseas markets. In some cases, the pesticide applicators may not have the proper child-resistant packaging or the accompanying instructional leaflet is missing. Counterfeit products should be disposed of according to procedures for other household chemicals. Pet owners concerned their pet may be affected by counterfeit products should contact their veterinarian. For information and photos, visit www.epa.gov/pesti cides/factsheets/petproduct.htm or contact David Deegan at EPA at (617) 918-1017 or deegan.dave@epa.gov.
• PRODUCT RECALL: CHILDREN'S RINGS. The U.S. Consumer Products Safety Commission and Brand Imports LLC, Scottsdale, Ariz. are alerting consumers to the recall of children's rings that are silver in color with shapes including hearts and stars, with slashes of colored paint. The rings were sold at vending machines in malls, discount department and grocery stores nationwide from December 2002 through August 2003 for about 25 cents. The rings contain high levels of lead, posing a risk of lead poisoning to young children. Consumers should throw the ring away or contact the company for more information. For more information and to view a picture, see: http://www.cpsc.go v/cpscpub/prerel/prhtml04/04090.html
.
• PRODUCT RECALL: CARBON MONOXIDE ALARMS. The U.S. Consumer Products Safety Commission and GE Security, Inc. are alerting consumers to the recall of carbon monoxide (CO) alarms made in China by "SENTROL," (a former name of the company). The CO alarms were sold by distributors, dealers and installers of security systems nationwide from November 2000 through October 2003. The CO alarms fail to detect carbon monoxide after 1 year of operation due to an internal software error. These CO alarms do not provide an "end of life" signal or other indication of inoperability, even if the test button is depressed. For more information and to view a picture, see: www.cpsc.gov/cpscp ub/prerel/prhtml04/04534.html .
• PRODUCT RECALL: COLORED SIDEWALK CHALK SOLD IN TARGET STORES. The U.S. Consumer Products Safety Commission and Target Stores are alerting parents to the recall of multicolored chalk made in Hong Kong by Agglo Inc. The chalk was sold by Target from March 2003 to July 2003 and contains high levels of lead. For more information and to view pictures, see: http://cpsc.gov/cpscpu b/prerel/prhtml04/04032.html .
• A federal ban on two insecticides has resulted in a significant reduction in their impact on newborns' birth weight and length, according to a new study funded by the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences of the National Institutes of Health, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, and other private foundations. View a press release for more information.
• On January 22, 2004, Denver unveiled a unique, new art mural that will help protect children from lead poisoning. The mural features photographs of 44 children and serves as a reminder that lead poisoning can harm children. EPA, the Colorado Department of Health and Environment, the City of Denver, and the Northeast Denver Housing Center worked together to make the mural -- a public awareness tool which will reach as many as 500,000 people each day. For more information, please visit http://www.epa.gov/region8.
• Partnership to Reduce Children's Exposure to Emissions from Diesel School Buses
• America's Children and the Environment: Measures of Contaminants, Body Burdens, and Illnesses

Back to Top

• EPA Urges Public to Lock Up Household Products to Protect the Lives of Children in Conjunction with National Poison Prevention Week. [PDF, 3 pp., 162kb]
• During October, nurses can learn to create environmentally healthy homes and communities by using the Medscape Web site . "Children;'s Health and the Environment: Environmentally Healthy Homes and Communities" will help nurses identify, prevent and manage environmental health risks to children where they live and play.
• On September 29, 2003, EPA unveiled a new Web site, www.epa.gov/highschool/, to help high school students explore and learn about their environment and ways to protect it. The Web site contains information about air and water issues, waste and recycling, conservation, health and safety, ecosystems, and community environmental conditions. It also links interested students to internship and scholarship opportunities, environmental careers, and community involvement projects.
• Partnership to Reduce Children's Exposure to Emissions from Diesel School Buses

Back to Top

• Environment and health agencies in three states were awarded a total of $100,000 to conduct pilot projects to address environmental triggers of childhood asthma. California will identify model policies and procedures to reduce environmental triggers of asthma, focusing on where children spend most of their time. Wisconsin will integrate health and environmental data related to childhood asthma into a statewide communication system that will be made available to local public health agencies. Wyoming will look at the relationship between particulate pollution and pediatric asthma, and will educate parents, school personnel and health professionals about that relationship as it relates to asthma management. Learn more about the "Catching Your Breath: Strategies to Reduce Environmental Factors that Contribute to Asthma in Children" project (PDF) .
• On October 2, EPA's SunWise School Program and the Curt and Shonda Schilling Melanoma Foundation of America (SHADE) received the 2003 Excellence in Cancer Awareness award from the Congressional Families Action for Cancer Awareness. The award honored EPA and SHADE Foundation for their partnership to eliminate skin cancer and melanoma. First launched nationally in May 2000, the SunWise School Program tools teach children and their caregivers how to protect themselves from overexposure to the sun's harmful ultraviolet (UV) rays, which can cause serious health effects, including skin cancer. For more information, visit www.epa.gov/sunwise or contact John Millett at (202) 564-7842 or millett.john@epa.gov.
• OCHP has added a fourth paper to its Paper Series on Children's Health and the Environment, titled Asthma-Related Medical Expenditures in the United States: Distributions and Trends [PDF 362KB].
• EPA has completed draft final Guidelines for Carcinogenic Risk Assessment, which has Supplemental Guidance for Assessing Cancer Susceptibility Resulting from Early-Life Exposure to Carcinogens. The Supplemental Guidance contains an analysis of studies and a possible approach for how quantitative scientific data could inform risk assessments when exposure to carcinogens occurs during childhood is considered. The EPA's Scientific Advisory Board has reviewed the Supplemental Guidance and a draft report of the review is available [PDF 235KB].
• Cancer Guidelines Public Comment Period Open
• America's Children and the Environment: Measures of Contaminants, Body Burdens, and Illnesses

Back to Top

• October 18-19: EPA and NIEHS Joint Research Workshop on Asthma Induction
  
• October 9-13: American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) National Conference & Exhibition
• September 24-25: Biennial Scientific Symposium on Children's Health as Impacted by Environmental Contaminants
• September 13: Healthy Mothers, Healthy Babies, Healthy Environments – A Nurse’s Role in Assessing and Addressing the Health Risks to Mothers and Babies from Environmental Exposures
• September 11: Conference on Children's Health and the Environment
• Photo, Essay, and Poetry Contests Announced June 14, 2004
  Two photography and writing contests highlighting older Americans will take place this summer. The Environmental Protection Agency's Aging Initiative has announced a Photo, Essay, and Poetry Contest entitled "What I did to improve the environment and protect health this summer." Selected submissions will be highlighted on the EPA Aging Initiative Web site in the fall. Each submission must show older adults working to improve health through the environment. The deadline is Aug. 27.
• Generations United, with support from MetLife Foundation's Healthy Aging Initiative, is holding a 2004 Intergenerational Photography Contest . The contest is for the best intergenerational photo taken by a younger or older person, of younger and older people together. Entries must be postmarked by July 31.
• The Mercury Medical and Public Health Issues Symposium will be held from April 28-30.
• On April 21-23, 2004, the Pediatric Environmental Health Specialty Units (PEHSU) will hold their annual meeting at the Marriott Wardman Park Hotel in Washington, DC. The meeting will include sessions on exploring new ideas/strategies for enhancing the promotion and outreach activities of the PEHSU program and exploring the latest information on best practices, research, and emerging science in pediatric environmental health. For more information, contact Paula M. Davis, PEHSU Program Coordinator, at 1-888-347-AOEC.
• February 22-25, 2004, Baltimore Marriott Inner Harbor Hotel. EPA's National Air Quality Conference provides a unique opportunity to learn the latest information on fine particle and ozone mapping, air quality forecasting, the Air Quality Index (AQI) and your health, and innovative outreach programs. This year's conference will have a special emphasis on year-round forecasting, mapping, and outreach activities. Come share your experiences and learn about more effective ways to provide the information needed by the public to make healthy choices, every day of the year. Please see the link below for details: https://www.ergweb.com/projects/airquality/2004/register.htm
• October is Children's Health Month! Visit the Children's Health Month Web site to discover the rewards of healthy children and take advantage of a special October calendar that includes an action step for each day of the month - topics ranging from nutrition and school health, to environmental safety, to injury and disease prevention.
• On October 26-28, 2003, EPA will host its 4th Annual Indoor Air Quality Tools for Schools National Symposium at the Grand Hyatt Hotel in Washington, DC.
• On October 20-21, 2003, EPA will host its second "Workshop; on Valuing Environmental Health Risk Reductions to Children" at the Washington Plaza Hotel in Washington, D.C. For the workshop's agenda, registration information, and logistics, visit the workshop's Web site.
• October 19-25, 2003 is the fifth annual Lead Poisoning Prevention Week. This year's theme is "Partnering; for Prevention," emphasizing the large number of lead poisoning prevention resources available. Events being held across the country include free blood-lead tests for children, opportunities for education and outreach to families, and workshops on lead education and safety. Low-level lead poisoning, due to the existence of lead paint in older homes, continues to be a concern for as many as three million American children under the age of six and can trigger learning disabilities, decreased growth, hyperactivity, impaired hearing and even brain damage. For more information, contact your local health department, call 1-800-424-LEAD or visit EPA's Web site at www.epa.gov/lead/.
• Earth Day 2003 Helps Protect Children and the Aging
• April 7 is World Health Day: Shape the Future of Life - Healthy Environments for Children

Back to Top

• A Children's Health Protection Advisory Committee meeting will be held May 25-27, 2004 at Hotel Washington in Washington, D.C. View the agenda for the meeting.
• The January 2004 issue of "Kid Flash" is now available on the Office of Children's Health Protection Web site. Kid Flash provides an update of EPA activities to protect children from environmental health hazards.
• The Office of Children's Health Protection, in coordination with other EPA program offices, has developed a new children's environmental health brochure titled, "Protect Children, Protect Our Future."
• The Children's Health Valuation Handbook is a reference tool for people conducting economic analysis of EPA policies that affect children's health. The handbook is a companion document to "EPA's Guidelines for Preparing Economic Analysis" (2000) and provides information on ways to incorporate the unique environmental risks to youth. It also describes EPA's criteria for valuing children's health effects and will encourage research among economists and other experts.
• February 22-25, 2004, Baltimore Marriott Inner Harbor Hotel. EPA's National Air Quality Conference provides a unique opportunity to learn the latest information on fine particle and ozone mapping, air quality forecasting, the Air Quality Index (AQI) and your health, and innovative outreach programs. This year's conference will have a special emphasis on year-round forecasting, mapping, and outreach activities. Come share your experiences and learn about more effective ways to provide the information needed by the public to make healthy choices, every day of the year. Please see the link below for details: https://www.ergweb.com/projects/airquality/2004/register.htm
• A Children's Health Protection Advisory Committee meeting will be held January 14-15, 2004 at Hotel Washington in Washington, D.C. View the the agenda [PDF 48KB] for the meeting.
• The new "America;'s Children and the Environment" Web site is a resource for researchers, policymakers and concerned citizens on children's environmental health. The site presents: trends for levels of environmental contaminants in air, water, food and soil; concentrations of contaminants measured in the bodies of women and children; and childhood illnesses that may be influenced by environmental contaminants.
• The Scientific Advisory Panel (SAP), a group of independent scientists that advises EPA on critical science issues, will evaluate and provide comments to further refine EPA's draft risk assessment on pressure-treated wood on Dec. 3-5. The draft assessment evaluates the potential risks to children who play on playsets and decks made with wood pressure-treated with chromated copper arsenate (CCA). EPA is also conducting a study on whether sealants can reduce or eliminate exposure to arsenic in CCA-treated wood as a way to help consumers make informed choices around their home. Results from this study are expected in 2004. View the draft risk assessment.
• EPA's Office of Solid Waste announces an art contest for students. By entering, students can help EPA save natural resources and protect our environment by promoting waste prevention. Students from kindergarten - 6^th grade are invited to enter an Earth Day 2004 Poster Contest and students from 7^th - 12^th grade are invited to enter a CD Cover Contest. For details, rules, and prize information visit www.epa.gov /epaoswer/osw/specials/artcontest/index.htm.
• On October 26-28, 2003, EPA will host its 4th Annual Indoor Air Quality Tools for Schools National Symposium at the Grand Hyatt Hotel in Washington, DC.
• On October 20-21, 2003, EPA will host its second "Workshop; on Valuing Environmental Health Risk Reductions to Children" at the Washington Plaza Hotel in Washington, D.C. For the workshop's agenda, registration information, and logistics, visit the workshop's Web site.
• OCHP has added a fourth paper to its Paper Series on Children's Health and the Environment, titled Asthma-Related Medical Expenditures in the United States: Distributions and Trends [PDF 362KB].
• EPA has completed draft final Guidelines for Carcinogenic Risk Assessment, which has Supplemental Guidance for Assessing Cancer Susceptibility Resulting from Early-Life Exposure to Carcinogens. The Supplemental Guidance contains an analysis of studies and a possible approach for how quantitative scientific data could inform risk assessments when exposure to carcinogens occurs during childhood is considered. The EPA's Scientific Advisory Board has reviewed the Supplemental Guidance and a draft report of the review is available [PDF 235KB].
• EPA Administrator Christie Whitman announces the availability of a $5 million grant program to make school buses cleaner for the 24 million children who travel on a bus to and from school every day. The grants are under EPA's Clean School Bus USA initiative, which is designed to limit children's exposure to the harmful effects of diesel exhaust from school buses.
• A Children's Health Protection Advisory Committee meeting will be held July 15-17, 2003 at Hotel Washington in Washington, D.C. View the agenda for the meeting [PDF 139KB]. To view documents in PDF format, the free Acrobat Reader is required.
• Upcoming teleconference meeting (June 20, 2003) to discuss the draft report of the Supplemental Guidance for Assessing Cancer Susceptibility from Early-life Exposure to Carcinogens (SGACS) review panel.
• Cancer Guidelines Public Comment Period Open
• President Extends Executive Order for Task Force on Environmental Risks to Children

Back to Top