January 8, 2011
Fluorosis is the Pits
written by Steven Barrymore

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has announced that it has reevaluated the current science on fluoride. While the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) has proposed an adjustment to the levels of fluoride in drinking water. The current enforceable standard for fluoride is 4.0 mg/L. This may be too much for children’s developing teeth and for adult health.

Excessive fluoride in children 8 years and younger have an increased possibility of developing staining and pits in the tooth enamel. If this damage is excessive it could require dental intervention.

Adults exposed to excessive consumption of fluoride over a lifetime may have increased likelihood of bone fractures, and may result in effects on bone leading to pain and tenderness. source: EPA 2011 Q & A on Fluoride

In 2006 the EPA requested the National Research Council (NRC) to review data on drinking water standards collected by the EPA in 2003. The NRC recommended in their published report to the EPA, ‘Fluoride in Drinking Water: A Scientific Review of EPA’s Standards’, that the EPA update its analysis with new data on health risks and fluoride exposure. The NRC panel also recommended that the EPA update its goal to the public health in the areas of tooth enamel pitting, stage II & III skeletal fluorosis and bone fracture risk.

The EPA will be doing further risk assessment to determine if revised fluoride levels in public drinking water are needed.

The best way to find the fluoride level of your local public water system is to contact your water utility provider for more information, according to the EPA.

Additional sources of fluoride can include toothpaste and mouthwash. You and your children should not swallow these products during their use as they can add to an over-all fluoride intake.

Bottled water products labeled as purified, distilled or de-ionized contain no or trace amounts of fluoride unless they are labeled to contain fluoride. Spring water can contain added or naturally present fluoride (from the original source of the water). The FDA limits the amount of fluoride in bottled water to a range of 0.8 to 2.4 mg/L.

The 1960′s became the era of fluoridation as a widely used practice in public drinking water.


Link: EPA

September 9, 2010
Clean Air Act 40th Birthday
posted by Steven Barrymore

September 14 marks the 40th anniversary of the Clean Air Act. To celebrate our improved air quality, a conference honoring the inception of the act will be held at The Mellon Auditorium in Washington, D.C. The keynote speaker will be EPA Administrator Lisa P. Jackson. White House and Capitol Hill reporters with credentials may attend only, along with very special guests, sorry general public. If you wish to watch a live webcast, you may do so at http://www.epa.gov/live/ on Tuesday Sept 14 @ 11:45 am EDT. The act is getting up there in years, if you do send a birthday card, be kind with your sentiment — hitting 40 can be stressful.


Link: EPA

August 4, 2010
Should Your Next Financial Advisor Be A Monkey?
posted by Steven Barrymore

Via: TED

August 1, 2010
Protection Against Sun Exposure — There Is An App For That.
written by Steven Barrymore

For years it has been known that over exposure to the sun’s ultraviolet (UV) rays are harmful.

Too many rays can cause eye damage and skin cancer, any time of the year, no matter what color skin you have. Skin cancer outpaced other forms of cancers, breast, prostate, lung, and colon cancer in 2009. As we age, 70 million more aged Americans expected by the year 2030, our body organs are more susceptible to environmental hazards because of their diminished functions. All those older people walking around wearing wide-brimmed hats are doing themselves a good service. Protection from skin-damaging UV radiation.

The EPA is offering a smartphone app that gives mobile access to the daily UV index. The UV numeric index ranges from 0 to 11+ (index numbers in higher amounts correlate to skin-damaging UV radiation). The EPA app is available for Mobile Web online, in addition to Blackberry and Android phones. Go to the UV Index App page to install the app on your smartphone.  Now you can carry protection in your pocket, and it does not come in a sealed wrapper.

Protecting the skin from excessive UV rays is not just for adults. Get the children started early. The EPA is offering the SunWise Program for Kids, Schools and Communities. Now kids can learn about protecting themselves from overexposure to the sun’s rays. The SunWise School Program is available to elementary or middle schools. Encouraging schools to develop sun-safe behaviors in schoolchildren and provide a sun-safe school environment.

Some simple things can be done now to help protect your skin, and your future health.

• Do not burn — overexposure is preventable.
• Between the hours of 10:00 a.m. and 4:00 p.m. find a shady space to be. A cool drink would also help with your re-hydration.
• Use a sunscreen with a SPF of at least 15.
• Wear wide-brimmed hats, sun blocking sunglasses and protective clothing.
• Avoid overuse of tanning beds.
• Check the UV index on the mobile app you just installed.

And for the aged folks check out the Aging Initiative Website for information on growing older in this environment.


Link: EPA

Earth Song postage stamp