Toxic Chemicals in the News http://iehn.org/iehnrss.xml <p>Procter & Gamble's VP of global sustainability is trained as a toxicologist, but none of P&G's sustainability initiatives address its most fundamental environmental challenge: "green chemistry," or finding ways to make products without chemicals that are hazardous to human health and the environment. If he wants to be a sustainability chief in more than name only -- if P&G is going to lead rather than be dragged into compliance -- he has a chemistry problem to solve. And right now, he's procrastinating.</p> 2008-06-30 http://www.fastcompany.com/magazine/127/green-business-pgs-chemistry-test.html <p>Overexposure to manganese has caused Parkinson's-like symptoms for thousands of welders. So why does the welding industry still get a free chemical pass? A <em>Mother Jones</em> investigation. Court documents obtained by <em>Mother Jones</em> show that the welding companies paid more than $12.5 million to 25 organizations and 33 researchers, virtually all of whom have published papers dismissing connections between welding fumes and workers' ailments.</p> 2008-06-30 http://www.motherjones.com/commentary/columns/2008/07/witness-smoke-and-mirrors.html <div>The European Trade Union Confederation (ETUC) adopted a first resolution on nanotechnologies and nanomaterials at its recent Executive Committee meeting. The key demand: the precautionary principle must apply to nanotechnologies. Nanotechnology is a fast-growing field of activity in many sectors of industry, and  the number of workers coming into contact with nanomaterials is set to rise sharply in the coming years. The ETUC notes that significant uncertainties revolve around both the benefits of nanotechnologies to our society and their harmful effects of manufactured nanomaterials on human health and the environment.</div> 2008-06-26 http://www.etuc.org/a/5159 <p>The science of the very small could pose some very big problems for state and local agencies, according to a new report by Wisconsin researchers. Data gaps in our understanding of the burgeoning field of nanotechnology are forcing unprepared state and local governments to bear the brunt of regulating the new technology's potentially hazardous risks, the authors conclude.</p> 2008-06-24 http://www.jsonline.com/story/index.aspx?id=765573 <p>The U.S. children's product industry is fighting off state efforts to regulate its products while Congress wrangles over federal rules that won't be in place in time for this year's holiday shopping season.</p> 2008-06-18 http://online.wsj.com/article/SB121375449999383135.html?mod=rss_whats_news_us <p>Two chemicals widely used in cleaning agents for homes, offices and hospitals cause birth defects and fertility problems in mice whose cages have been in contact with them, according to Dr. Patricia Hunt at Washington State University.</p> 2008-06-18 http://www.nature.com/news/2008/080618/full/453964a.html