GreenYes Digest V98 #169

GreenYes Mailing List and Newsgroup (greenyes@ucsd.edu)
Fri, 22 Jan 1999 17:26:46 -0500


GreenYes Digest Wed, 26 Aug 98 Volume 98 : Issue 169

Today's Topics:
Help on plastic health hazards....
LISTSERVE ANNOUNCEMENT: FOCUS ON THE CORPORATION
news story on BFRs
Public Area Recycling Programs in Large Cities
unearobic solid waste treatment

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Date: Wed, 26 Aug 1998 09:44:39 +0200
From: muna@iafrica.com
Subject: Help on plastic health hazards....

Greetings from the Rainbow Nation!

I am urgently requiring information, websites, etc. that show why plastics
and plastic packaging harm human health - for example, I remember some info
on PET bottles with plastic drinking straws releasing toxins, but cannot
find it.

Please take a few minutes out of your busy schedule, as I wish to respond to
our South African Plastics federation on this issue soon.

Many thanx and kind regards,

Muna Lakhani
South Africa
Muna......

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Date: Wed, 26 Aug 1998 11:56:21 +0900
From: Robert Weissman <rob@essential.org> (by way of oldxeye@crisscross.com
(Hop))
Subject: LISTSERVE ANNOUNCEMENT: FOCUS ON THE CORPORATION

LISTSERVE ANNOUNCEMENT: FOCUS ON THE CORPORATION

Corp-Focus is a moderated listserve which distributes the weekly column
"Focus on the Corporation," co-authored by Russell Mokhiber, editor of
Corporate Crime Reporter, and Robert Weissman, editor of Multinational
Monitor magazine.

To subscribe to Corp-Focus, send an e-mail message to
listproc@essential.org with the following all in one line:

subscribe corp-focus <your name>

Focus on the Corporation scrutinizes the multinational corporation -- the
most powerful institution of our time. Once a week, it reports and
comments critically on corporate actions, plans, abuses and trends.
Written with a sharp edge and occasional irreverency, Focus on the
Corporation covers:

* The double standards which excuse corporations for behavior (e.g.,
causing injury, accepting welfare) widely considered criminal or shameful
when done by individuals;
* Globalization and corporate power;
* Trends in corporate economic blackmail, political influence and
workplace organization;
* Industry-wide efforts to escape regulation, silence critics, employ new
technologies or consolidate business among a few companies;
* Specific, extreme examples of corporate abuses: destruction of
communities, trampling of democracy, poisoning of air and water;
* Issues, such as tort reform, of across-the-board interest to business;
and
* The corporatization of our culture.

Please post this notice on relevant lists, and accept our apologies for
cross-posting.

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Date: Wed, 26 Aug 1998 09:24:16 +0900
From: Karen Perry <kperry@psr.org> (by way of oldxeye@crisscross.com (Hop))
Subject: news story on BFRs

This news story was forwarded to me today. I've also attached the press
release from Friends of the Earth-UK at the end. (Apologies for
cross-postings.)
-Karen

CHEMICALS ADDED TO PLASTICS CAN CONTAMINATE MOTHERS BREAST MILK AND
PERMANENTLY HARM THE DEVELOPMENT OF CHILDREN'S MINDS.

08/17 1634 CHEMICAL IN PHONES `CAN HARM CHILDREN'S MINDS' By Amanda
Brown,Environment Correspondent, PA News.

Chemicals added to plastics in many phones, television sets and
computers can contaminate mothers' breast milk and could "permanently
harm the development of our children's minds", it was claimed today. The
campaign group Friends of the Earth called on the Government to take
action to protect public health after new research showed that the
chemicals permanently damage the brains of mice.

The findings were unveiled at a major international conference
organised by the Swedish Environmental Protection Agency in Stockholm.

They show brominated flame retardants (BFRs) disrupt thyroid hormones
and contaminate the environment.

Friends of the Earth said BFRs were persistent and bioaccumulative,
and build up in animal and humans fat.

They were recently found to be contaminating the blubber of sperm
whales living in the remote, deep waters of the Atlantic.

BFRS are used widely as flame retardants in printed circuit boards,
plastic cases and in some textiles.

Their persistence means it is impossible to avoid exposure to
them.
A draft EU "Directive on Waste from Electrical and Electronic Equipment"
calls for their use to be banned, but the manufacturers of BFRs are
fighting to go on using them, says FoE.

The group's toxics campaigner, Dr Michael Warhurst, said: "This
disturbing research suggests that common chemicals, which can even
contaminate breast milk, could be damaging the development of our
children's minds.

"Breast milk is an important source of nutrition and health for
babies, therefore Friends of the Earth advise that mothers should
continue to breast feed, however the Government must act urgently
to ban such chemicals and reduce this risk.

"Even when they are banned they will continue to contaminate our
bodies and the environment for many years.

"The chemical industry knew very well that these chemicals would be
persistent, yet cynically carried on using them even though safer
alternatives are available.

"It is time that the industry faced up to its responsibilities and
acted to protect human health and the environment."

A Department of the Environment spokesman said: "These chemicals are
on the priority list for EU communities' existing safety regulations.

"A full risk assessment is being conducted by UK and France. These
findings will be considered along with any others in the risk
assessment."

**************************************
Brain-damage chemicals in plastics

for Immediate Release Monday 17th August 1998 page 1 of 2
BRAIN-DAMAGE CHEMICALS IN PLASTICS KEY INGREDIENT IN PHONES,
COMPUTERS, TVs CONTAMINATES MOTHER'S MILK AND ACCUMULATES IN
ENVIRONMENT

New research revealed today at a major international conference
organised by the Swedish Environmental Protection Agency shows that
chemicals added to the plastics in many phones, TVs and computers are
now contaminating human breast milk, and can permanently damage the
brains of mice [1].

Research revealed at the conference demonstrates that these chemicals,
brominated flame retardants (BFRs):

* Contaminate breast milk. Levels of the BFR polybrominated
diphenylether (PBDE) in the breast milk of Swedish women have increased
by more than 50 times in the last 25 years.

* Damage brains. Mice which are exposed to PDBE as a foetus show
permanent disturbances in behaviour, memory and learning.

* Accumulate in the brain. When pregnant mice are given TBBP-A and
other BFRs the chemicals accumulate in the brains of their unborn
offspring, passing the protective blood-brain barrier.

* Disrupt thyroid hormones. Several BFRs, including
tetrabromobisphenol A (TBBP- A), can disrupt the thyroid system in mice.

* Contaminate the whole environment. BFRs are persistent and
bioaccumulative - they don't break down well in the environment, and
they accumulate in animals and humans, particularly in their
fat. They were recently found to be contaminating the blubber of Sperm
Whales living in the remote, deep waters of the Atlantic ocean [2].

BFRs are in widespread use as flame retardants in printed circuit
boards, plastic cases and in some textiles. Their persistence in the
environment means that it is impossible to avoid exposure to them.
A draft EU 'Directive on Waste from Electrical and Electronic Equipment'
calls for their use to be banned, but the manufacturers of BFRs are
fighting restrictions on the chemicals.

The Government recently published a consultation paper on the
sustainable use of chemicals [3], which Friends of the Earth (FOE)
believes is biased towards the chemical industry, with public
health relegated to a poor second place. FOE is calling for the
Government to protect public health by phasing out BFRs and any other
chemicals which persist in our bodies or in the environment.

Dr Michael Warhurst, Toxics Campaigner at Friends of the Earth said:

"This disturbing research suggests that common chemicals, which can even
contaminate breast milk, could be damaging the development of our
children's minds. Breast milk is an important source of nutrition and
health for babies, therefore Friends of the Earth advise that mothers
should continue to breast feed, however the Government must act urgently
to ban such chemicals and reduce this risk.

Even when they are banned they will continue to contaminate our bodies
and the environment for many years. The chemical industry knew very well
that these chemicals would be persistent, yet cynically carried on using
them even though safer alternatives are available. It is time that the
industry faced up to its responsibilities and acted to protect human
health and the environment."

ENDS

NOTES TO EDITORS:

[1] The research papers are to be presented at Dioxin'98, a major
international conference on environmental pollutants, organised by the
Swedish Environmental Protection Agency, and taking place in Stockholm
this week. Their extensive press release, published at 11.00 BST today,
"New findings on environmental pollutants" is available at
http://www.environ.se/www-eng/dioxin98/diop0817.htm and more information
about the conference is available at http://www.environ.se/dioxin98. It
is expected that the papers on BFRs will be given on Thursday 20th.

Press contacts: Swedish Environmental Protection Agency: Suzanne Kolare,
Tel +46 8 698 16 97, mobile 0708-26 16 97, e-mail
suzanne.kolare@environ.se; Stockholm university: Agneta
Paulsson, +46-8- 16 22 56, e-mail agneta.paulsson@info.su.se

Background on BFRs in "Swedish research spotlights brominated flame
retardant risk" ENDS
Report 276, January 1998.

[2] "Do flame retardants threaten ocean life?" Nature vol 394, p28-29,
2nd July 1998.

[3] "Sustainable Production and Use of Chemicals", published by the
Department of the Environment, Transport and the Regions, July 27th
1998. Open for consultation until October 27th, copies available from
DETR: 0870 1226 236, quoting title and reference 98EP0058.

For information on Friends of the Earth's sustainable chemicals
campaign, visit our web site.

--
Karen Perry
Associate Director, Environment & Health Program
Physicians for Social Responsibility
1101 14th Street, NW  Suite 700  Washington, DC 20005
(202) 898-0150 x249    (202) 898-0172 (fax)
Visit PSR's Web site at http://www.psr.org!

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Date: Tue, 25 Aug 1998 10:37:42 -0700 (PDT) From: Ann Schneider <aschneid@cats.ucsc.edu> Subject: Public Area Recycling Programs in Large Cities

Hi All

The Pacifica Area code in California is now 650 changed from 415.

Ann Schneider Adapting to no longer being 415 myself

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Date: Tue, 25 Aug 1998 13:48:12 +-300 From: Haya Geva <haya@aipm.co.il> Subject: unearobic solid waste treatment

Hello members,

I am looking for information about unearobic solid waste treatment either in the internet or in bulletins or magazins.

Thank you

Haya Geva Amnir Recycling Ind. Israel

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End of GreenYes Digest V98 #169 ******************************