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	<title>Health &#38; FamilyCategory: Environmental Health &#124; Health &#38; Family &#124; TIME.com</title>
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		<title>Health &#38; FamilyCategory: Environmental Health &#124; Health &#38; Family &#124; TIME.com</title>
		<link>http://healthland.time.com</link>
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		<title>Early Exposure to Air Pollution Tied to Higher Risk of Hyperactivity in Children</title>
		<link>http://healthland.time.com/2013/05/21/early-exposure-to-air-pollution-tied-to-higher-risk-of-hyperactivity-in-children/</link>
		<comments>http://healthland.time.com/2013/05/21/early-exposure-to-air-pollution-tied-to-higher-risk-of-hyperactivity-in-children/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Tue, 21 May 2013 18:00:54 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Bonnie Rochman</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[ADHD]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Environmental Health]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Mental Health]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[air pollution]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[car exhaust]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[environment]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[hyperactivity]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[traffic]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://healthland.time.com/?p=87038</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Breathing in pollutants released into the air isn&#8217;t healthy for developing lungs, but a new study says it&#8217;s harmful for developing brains too. Kids exposed to higher levels of traffic-related air pollution in childhood scored higher on measures of hyperactivity at age 7, according to a new study published in Environmental Health Perspectives. The researchers say it’s believed to be the most comprehensive study to date on the effect of traffic-related air pollution on children’s behavior. “It appears that air pollution is part of the story of childhood behavior, but it’s not the whole story,” says the study&#8217;s lead author Nicholas Newman, director of the Pediatric Environmental Health and Lead Clinic at Cincinnati Children&#8217;s Hospital Medical Center. “We don’t know if air pollution is causing this or if it’s something else that people who live near main roads are also being exposed to.” Researchers followed 576 children from the time they were born in the Cincinnati metro area until they reached the age of 7. The children were separated into two groups — those who lived near a major highway or bus route — defined as less than four football fields away — and those who lived more than a mile away from heavily trafficked areas. Cincinnati, it turned out was an ideal location to study the long-term effects of exposure to air pollution since it sees a relatively high amount of truck traffic and has many hills and valleys that encourage pollution to linger in the area. Previous research suggested that the effect of traffic-related air pollution is greatest within a few hundred meters — a football field, for example — of the source of the pollution. About 11% of Americans live within a football field’s length of a four-lane highway, and 40% of U.S. children go to school within four football fields of a bustling highway. (MORE: Car Pollution Linked to Childhood Cancers) When the children were 7, their parents were asked to fill out a questionnaire about their kids’ behavior, including symptoms that could indicate attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder<img alt="" border="0" src="http://stats.wordpress.com/b.gif?host=healthland.time.com&#038;blog=8684427&#038;post=87038&#038;subd=timewellness&#038;ref=&#038;feed=1" width="1" height="1" />]]></description>
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		<slash:comments>1</slash:comments>
	<primary_category>ADHD</primary_category><primary_category_link>http://healthland.time.com/category/mental-health/adhd/</primary_category_link><featured_image>http://timewellness.files.wordpress.com/2013/05/102006615.jpg?w=240</featured_image>
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			<media:title type="html">102006615</media:title>
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			<media:title type="html">brochman</media:title>
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		<item>
		<title>Is Air Pollution Contributing To Hardened Arteries?</title>
		<link>http://healthland.time.com/2013/04/26/air-pollution-and-hardening-arteries/</link>
		<comments>http://healthland.time.com/2013/04/26/air-pollution-and-hardening-arteries/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Fri, 26 Apr 2013 09:45:23 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Alexandra Sifferlin</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Environmental Health]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Heart Disease]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Medicine]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[air pollution]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[environmental health]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://healthland.time.com/?p=85679</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Smog and car exhaust can take a toll on the heart, and the latest research explores how. Previous studies have shown an association between badly polluted air and a heightened risk of heart attack stroke, and researchers have started to investigate how pollutants could exert such harm. Some have documented the increased inflammation that pollution can trigger, as well as changes in blood pressure and the activity of clotting factors in the blood that could promote heart heart disease. The latest research, published in the journal PLOS Medicine, found that exposure to air pollution may increase heart attacks and strokes by accelerating the process of atherosclerosis. Researchers from the University of Michigan School of Public Health and the University of Washington followed 5,362 people between the ages of 45 and 84 from six regions in the U.S.: Baltimore, Maryland, Forsyth County, North Carolina, Los Angeles County, California, Northern Manhattan and Southern Bronx, New York and St. Paul, Minnesota. The participants were all part of the Multi-Ethnic Study of Atherosclerosis and Air Pollution and none of them had heart disease at the start of the trial. (MORE: Car Pollution Linked To Childhood Cancers) To determine the amount of air pollution to which the participants were exposed, the researchers created models to estimate the particulates in the air in and around the volunteers&#8217; homes, using information from the Environmental Protection Agency&#8217;s air quality readings, as well as data that took into account density of car traffic, roadways and other sources of pollution near the people&#8217;s homes. The scientists also used ultrasound to measure blood vessel characteristics both at the beginning of the study and again three years later. After accounting for behaviors like smoking, which can independently affect heart disease risk, they found that the thickness of the carotid arteries that supply blood to the head and neck increased by 14 µm each year. Participants who were exposed to higher levels of air pollution in their home had blood vessels that thickened faster compared to others living in their area with lower exposure levels. Thickening of blood vessels is a sign<img alt="" border="0" src="http://stats.wordpress.com/b.gif?host=healthland.time.com&#038;blog=8684427&#038;post=85679&#038;subd=timewellness&#038;ref=&#038;feed=1" width="1" height="1" />]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://healthland.time.com/2013/04/26/air-pollution-and-hardening-arteries/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
	<primary_category>Heart Disease</primary_category><primary_category_link>http://healthland.time.com/category/medicine/heart-disease/</primary_category_link><featured_image>http://timewellness.files.wordpress.com/2012/11/137357693.jpg?w=240</featured_image>
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			<media:title type="html">Pollution from cars</media:title>
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			<media:title type="html">asifferlin</media:title>
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		<title>Car Pollution Linked To Childhood Cancers</title>
		<link>http://healthland.time.com/2013/04/09/car-pollution-linked-to-childhood-cancers/</link>
		<comments>http://healthland.time.com/2013/04/09/car-pollution-linked-to-childhood-cancers/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Tue, 09 Apr 2013 19:00:05 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Alexandra Sifferlin</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Environmental Health]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Medicine]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Cancer]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[car exhaust]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[childhood cancers]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[pollution]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[traffic pollution]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://healthland.time.com/?p=84278</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Even in utero, children may be affected by exposure to certain compounds in car exhaust. Reporting at the annual meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research in Washington, D.C., scientists said that mothers who had higher exposure while pregnant to traffic pollution coming from car and truck emissions were more likely to have children who developed cancers like acute lymphoblastic leukemia and a type of eye cancer. The researchers studied 3,950 children born between 1998 and 2007 who were part of the California cancer registry. They estimated the amount of traffic within a 1,500 meter radius of each child&#8217;s home during every trimester of the mothers&#8217; pregnancy and during the child&#8217;s first year of life, and, based on factors like traffic volume, emission rates, road geometry and weather, calculated the exposure to car pollutants, beginning in utero and through the baby&#8217;s first year. (MORE: Exposure to Air Pollution in Pregnancy May Boost Chances of Obesity in Kids) Each increase of 53 parts per billion of carbon monoxide pollution raised the risk of a child developing certain cancers, study author Julia Heck, in the department of epidemiology at the University of California Los Angeles&#8217; Jonsson Comprehensive Cancer Center told Bloomberg News. Each increase upped the risk of developing retinoblastoma, an eye cancer, by 14% and cancer in organs such as testicles and ovaries by 17%. The researchers were not able to determine when during development exposure to pollution generated the most harm, but they did find that pollution was &#8220;highly correlated&#8221; with increased cancer risk across each trimester and during a child&#8217;s first year of life. “Much less is known about exposure to pollution and childhood cancer than adult cancers,” said Heck in a statement. “Our innovation in this study was looking at other more rare types of childhood cancer, such as retinoblastoma, and their possible connection to traffic-related air pollution.” (MORE: Mom’s Exposure to Air Pollution Can Increase Kids’ Behavior Problems) Although the study is one of the first to link traffic air pollution to childhood cancers, it&#8217;s not the first to associate pollution with cancer or with childhood disorders. One study<img alt="" border="0" src="http://stats.wordpress.com/b.gif?host=healthland.time.com&#038;blog=8684427&#038;post=84278&#038;subd=timewellness&#038;ref=&#038;feed=1" width="1" height="1" />]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://healthland.time.com/2013/04/09/car-pollution-linked-to-childhood-cancers/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>1</slash:comments>
	<primary_category>Environmental Health</primary_category><primary_category_link>http://healthland.time.com/category/medicine/environmental-health-medicine/</primary_category_link><featured_image>http://timewellness.files.wordpress.com/2013/04/141478247.jpg?w=240</featured_image>
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			<media:title type="html">141478247</media:title>
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			<media:title type="html">asifferlin</media:title>
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		<item>
		<title>Bees&#8217; Needs: Caffeine to Improve Memory</title>
		<link>http://healthland.time.com/2013/03/08/bees-needs-caffeine/</link>
		<comments>http://healthland.time.com/2013/03/08/bees-needs-caffeine/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Fri, 08 Mar 2013 10:45:31 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Alexandra Sifferlin</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Environmental Health]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Medicine]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Memory]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[caffeine]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[colony collapse disorder]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[honey bees]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[pollination]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[recall]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://healthland.time.com/?p=81684</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[It turns out humans aren&#8217;t the only ones getting a buzz from coffee. Caffeine can improve memory among honeybees and lead to better plant pollination, according to a recent study published in the journal Science. Researchers led by Geraldine Wright, a professor of neurobiology at Newcastle University in the UK, found that the nectar of citrus flowers, such as those of grapefruit and lemon plants, as well as coffee flowers that produce the &#8216;arabica&#8217; species used for espresso and filter coffees contain low doses of caffeine. To entice bees to feed on these flowers, Wright and her team trained the insects to associate food with the smell of the flowers. They also trained another group of bees to feed on nectar from the flowers that was sweetened with a sugar, but not did not contain caffeine. After 24 hours, the bees trained on the caffeinated flowers returned to these these plants three times as often as those trained on the sweetened flowers returned to their uncaffeinated plants. (MORE: Why Smart Humans — and Honeybees — Live Longer) &#8220;Remembering floral traits is difficult for bees to perform at a fast pace as they fly from flower to flower and we have found that caffeine helps the bee remember where the flowers are,&#8221; Wright said in a statement. Such enhanced recall led to more effective pollination since once bees that consume the caffeine nectar, they continue to look for more coffee plants to pollinate, suggesting that the caffeine in the nectar played a role in improving the bees&#8217; foraging abilities as well. VIDEO: The Buzz About What&#8217;s Killing the Bees According to Wright, bees rely on their ability to learn and remember floral signals in order to find food. They use the information they gather about scents and colors associated with reward to seek out certain flowers and spread pollen from flower to flower within the same plant species. &#8220;This is good for the plant species because this kind of behavior in the pollinator means plants have more offspring. By enhancing their<img alt="" border="0" src="http://stats.wordpress.com/b.gif?host=healthland.time.com&#038;blog=8684427&#038;post=81684&#038;subd=timewellness&#038;ref=&#038;feed=1" width="1" height="1" />]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://healthland.time.com/2013/03/08/bees-needs-caffeine/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
	<primary_category>Memory</primary_category><primary_category_link>http://healthland.time.com/category/mental-health/memory/</primary_category_link><featured_image>http://timewellness.files.wordpress.com/2013/03/83598709.jpg?w=240</featured_image>
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			<media:title type="html">83598709</media:title>
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			<media:title type="html">asifferlin</media:title>
		</media:content>
	</item>
		<item>
		<title>BPA Exposure Linked To Asthma In Kids</title>
		<link>http://healthland.time.com/2013/03/01/bpa-exposure-linked-to-asthma-in-kids/</link>
		<comments>http://healthland.time.com/2013/03/01/bpa-exposure-linked-to-asthma-in-kids/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Fri, 01 Mar 2013 10:45:01 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Alexandra Sifferlin</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Asthma & Allergies]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Environmental Health]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Medicine]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[asthma]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[baby bottles]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[bisphenol-A]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[BPA]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[canned foods]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[plastics]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[sippy cups]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[wheezing]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://healthland.time.com/?p=81243</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[The list of adverse health effects from BPA exposure continues to grow. Bisphenol A, or BPA, is commonly used to line food and beverage cans, and helps to keep plastics flexible, but studies suggest the compound can leach into the foods we eat. High levels of BPA in the urine have been tied to behavior problems, obesity, hormone abnormalities and even kidney and heart problems. Now, new research from scientists at the Columbia Center of Children&#8217;s Environmental Health is linking the compound to an increased risk for asthma. (MORE: More Health Harms for Children Exposed to BPA) “Asthma prevalence has increased dramatically over the past 30 years, which suggests that some as-yet-undiscovered environmental exposures may be implicated. Our study indicates that one such exposure may be BPA,” lead author Dr. Kathleen Donohue, an assistant professor of Medicine at Columbia University College of Physicians and Surgeons and an investigator at the Center for Children’s Environmental Health said in a statement. Donohue and her colleagues followed 568 women participating in the Mothers &#38; Newborns study on environmental exposures. They measured the BPA levels in the women&#8217;s urine during their third trimester of pregnancy, and also tested their kids&#8217; urine for BPA when they were aged 3, 5 and 7.  At ages five and 12, based on their symptoms, tests and medical history, their physicians diagnosed the children who met the criteria for asthma with the respiratory disorder. (MORE: BPA Linked With Obesity in Kids and Teens) Each time the children were evaluated, more than 90% of the kids had detectable levels of BPA. The higher their BPA levels, the more wheezing and asthma the researchers found. But higher levels of BPA in pregnant moms  during the third trimester of pregnancy were associated with lower rates of wheezing in children at age 5. That confirms previous work that showed that the timing of exposure to the chemical may be important when it comes to asthma risk. In that study, expectant moms with higher BPA levels early on in pregnancy were more likely to have children who<img alt="" border="0" src="http://stats.wordpress.com/b.gif?host=healthland.time.com&#038;blog=8684427&#038;post=81243&#038;subd=timewellness&#038;ref=&#038;feed=1" width="1" height="1" />]]></description>
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		<slash:comments>1</slash:comments>
	<primary_category>Asthma &amp; Allergies</primary_category><primary_category_link>http://healthland.time.com/category/medicine/asthma-allergies/</primary_category_link><featured_image>http://timewellness.files.wordpress.com/2013/02/159621814.jpg?w=240</featured_image>
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			<media:title type="html">159621814</media:title>
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			<media:title type="html">asifferlin</media:title>
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		<item>
		<title>More Health Harms for Children Exposed to BPA</title>
		<link>http://healthland.time.com/2013/01/09/more-health-harms-for-children-exposed-to-bpa/</link>
		<comments>http://healthland.time.com/2013/01/09/more-health-harms-for-children-exposed-to-bpa/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Wed, 09 Jan 2013 15:00:55 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Laura Blue</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Childhood]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Environmental Health]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Heart Disease]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Teens]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[albumin]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[albuminuria]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[baby bottles]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[bisphenol-A]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[BPA]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[cardiovascular disease]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[childhood obesity]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[coronary heart disease]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[creatinine]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[endocrine disruptor]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[FDA]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Food and Drug Administration]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[hormones]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[kidney]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[NHANES]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Obesity]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[plastic bottles]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[proteinuria]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[urine]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[urine test]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://healthland.time.com/?p=77463</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[The latest study shows the compound found in plastic and food packaging can put youngsters at risk for future heart disease. The list of health problems connected to bisphenol-A (BPA) already includes some serious conditions, from hormone abnormalities to asthma, behavioral problems and obesity. Now, new research suggests that the chemical could be harming children&#8217;s kidneys and hearts, independent of the heart issues related to obesity. (MORE: Study Finds Spikes in BPA From Eating Canned Soup) For the latest study, published in Kidney International, researchers at New York University analyzed data from 710 U.S. children and teens, ages 6 to 19, who participated in the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey in 2009 and &#8217;10. Based on previous research that uncovered a relationship between BPA and heart problems in adults, the scientists decided to focus on children, who may even be more vulnerable to the effects of chemicals in their environment. The researchers recorded the children&#8217;s BPA levels as measured in their urine and found that kids and adolescents with the highest levels of the compound also had noticeably higher levels of albumin, a protein that builds up when kidneys are damaged, than participants with the lowest levels of BPA. &#8220;This study doesn’t definitively say that BPA causes heart or kidney disease,&#8221; says the study&#8217;s lead author, Dr. Leonardo Trasande, an associate professor of pediatrics and environmental medicine at the New York University School of Medicine. &#8220;The increase in albumin leakage is fairly small, but there are studies in adults that suggest that even that small increment is associated with a higher risk of later heart disease.&#8221; (MORE: BPA Makes Male Mice Less Masculine and Less Appealing to Mates) In adults, low levels of albumin in the urine may signal impaired function of blood-vessel linings, which can increase the risk of hypertension, diabetes or heart disease. Very high levels of albumin may be a sign that the kidneys are struggling; healthy organs generally filter out large molecules like albumin, which is why albumin may also be a powerful predictor of subsequent heart<img alt="" border="0" src="http://stats.wordpress.com/b.gif?host=healthland.time.com&#038;blog=8684427&#038;post=77463&#038;subd=timewellness&#038;ref=&#038;feed=1" width="1" height="1" />]]></description>
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		<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
	<primary_category>Environmental Health</primary_category><primary_category_link>http://healthland.time.com/category/medicine/environmental-health-medicine/</primary_category_link><featured_image>http://timewellness.files.wordpress.com/2013/01/fruit-in-a-can.jpg?w=240</featured_image>
		<media:thumbnail url="http://timewellness.files.wordpress.com/2013/01/fruit-in-a-can.jpg?w=240" />
		<media:content url="http://timewellness.files.wordpress.com/2013/01/fruit-in-a-can.jpg?w=240" medium="image">
			<media:title type="html">BPA</media:title>
		</media:content>

		<media:content url="http://1.gravatar.com/avatar/a069e8b4ff0dc386def0882f71bbfee6?s=96&#38;d=http%3A%2F%2Fs0.wp.com%2Fi%2Fmu.gif&#38;r=G" medium="image">
			<media:title type="html">Laura Blue</media:title>
		</media:content>
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		<title>Study Hints at Potential Increased Risk of Cancer Among 9/11 Rescue Workers</title>
		<link>http://healthland.time.com/2012/12/28/study-hints-at-potential-increased-risk-of-cancer-among-911-rescue-workers/</link>
		<comments>http://healthland.time.com/2012/12/28/study-hints-at-potential-increased-risk-of-cancer-among-911-rescue-workers/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Fri, 28 Dec 2012 17:00:49 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Laura Blue</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Cancer]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Environmental Health]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Trends]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[911]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[asbestos]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[carcinogens]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[fire fighters]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[first-responders]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[ionizing radiation]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[job safety]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[myeloma]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[prostate cancer]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[rescue and recovery]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Sept. 11]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[September 11]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[thyroid cancer]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[work]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[World Trade Center]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://healthland.time.com/?p=76321</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Thousands of people who worked on rescue and recovery following the 2001 9/11 terrorist attacks may be at increased risk of prostate cancer, thyroid cancer, and myeloma, a new study suggests. Researchers have already found links between 9/11-disaster exposure and increased risks of asthma, stress-related mental health problems, and heart disease in previous studies. Now, officials from the New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene are analyzing data from the World Trade Center (WTC) Health Registry to determine possible effects, if any, of the Twin Towers&#8217; collapse on cancer risk. &#8220;Dust, debris, and fumes from the WTC contained known and suspected carcinogens, including polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, asbestos, benzene, and dioxins,&#8221; the researchers write in their article published in the Journal of the American Medical Association. &#8220;At issue is whether dosages to exposed individuals were sufficient to cause excess malignancies and, if so, whether such excesses are […] detectable at present,&#8221; they write. The researchers focused on nearly 55,700 people, 22,000 of whom were recovery and rescue workers (fire fighters, other first responders, construction workers, transportation workers, sanitation crews, security, and more) and the remainder of whom live in lower Manhattan, near the Towers. So far, the team only analyzed data on health outcomes, including the incidence of 23 different types of cancer, of these people through the end of 2008. While that is a relatively short time period for cancers to emerge, five to seven years after 9/11 the data already suggest that rescue and recovery workers harbor a 43% higher risk of prostate cancer compared to other residents of New York State during that the time, even after the scientists adjusted for age, sex, race, and smoking status. The risks of thyroid cancer and of myeloma (a disease of the blood plasma cells) were more than double that of ordinary New Yorkers. The heightened cancer risk, however, was not found among residents or others who were briefly exposed to the debris in the hours after the terrorist attacks. &#8220;It&#8217;s still pretty early in the process,&#8221; says senior<img alt="" border="0" src="http://stats.wordpress.com/b.gif?host=healthland.time.com&#038;blog=8684427&#038;post=76321&#038;subd=timewellness&#038;ref=&#038;feed=1" width="1" height="1" />]]></description>
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		<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
	<primary_category>Cancer</primary_category><primary_category_link>http://healthland.time.com/category/medicine/cancer/</primary_category_link><featured_image>http://timewellness.files.wordpress.com/2012/12/200424505-001.jpg?w=240</featured_image>
		<media:thumbnail url="http://timewellness.files.wordpress.com/2012/12/200424505-001.jpg?w=240" />
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			<media:title type="html">200424505-001</media:title>
		</media:content>

		<media:content url="http://1.gravatar.com/avatar/a069e8b4ff0dc386def0882f71bbfee6?s=96&#38;d=http%3A%2F%2Fs0.wp.com%2Fi%2Fmu.gif&#38;r=G" medium="image">
			<media:title type="html">Laura Blue</media:title>
		</media:content>
	</item>
		<item>
		<title>Flame Fighting Chemicals Abundant in House Dust and Sofas</title>
		<link>http://healthland.time.com/2012/11/29/flame-fighting-chemicals-abundant-in-house-dust-and-sofas/</link>
		<comments>http://healthland.time.com/2012/11/29/flame-fighting-chemicals-abundant-in-house-dust-and-sofas/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Thu, 29 Nov 2012 15:00:45 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Laura Blue</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Child Development]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Environmental Health]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Regulation]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Safety]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[chemicals]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[couch]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[endocrine disruptors]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[flame retardants]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[home]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[hormone disruptor]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[House]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[PBDEs]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[polyurethane foam]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[sofa]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[toxic]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://healthland.time.com/?p=74927</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Chemicals are commonly added to furniture, carpeting, and even electronic devices to limit the risk of fire. But at what cost? Two new studies published journal Environmental Science &#38; Technology highlight the potential dangers of flame retardants — including chemicals linked to cancer and to hormone disruption — that are probably present in nearly every American home. MORE: BPA Linked with Obesity in Kids and Teens One of the two new studies focuses on sofa cushions. Researchers from Duke University, Boston University, and University of California Berkeley took cushions from sofas across the U.S. and found that there were suspect flame-retardant chemicals in 85% of them. The second study shows how those chemicals then likely migrate out of furniture and into the air we breathe. Scientists at Silent Spring Institute in Massachusetts analyzed household dust in California and found that, in most of the 16 homes tested, there was at least one chemical present at potentially unsafe levels. &#8220;What&#8217;s concerning about this is that so many of these chemicals we&#8217;re finding are associated with hormone disruption or cancer, or haven&#8217;t been tested,&#8221; says Robin Dodson, a research scientist at Silent Spring Institute. &#8220;It&#8217;s worrisome.&#8221; MORE: The Hazards Lurking at Home The chemicals detected include polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs), which the Environmental Protection Agency claims &#8220;may cause liver toxicity, thyroid toxicity, and neurodevelopmental toxicity.&#8221; (PBDEs have been phased out of manufacturing since 2004, following increased regulation of potentially harmful chemicals.) Also present in household dust were chemicals, such as the insecticide DDT, that have been banned for many years for their potential to cause cancer and disrupt reproductive development. The researchers also found tris, an agent known to break up DNA in chromosomes that was banned from children&#8217;s sleepwear because of its cancer-causing potential, as well as newer chemicals that are being used as a replacement for PBDEs. The study authors complain that these newer chemicals have not yet been adequately tested for safety. Why the prevalence of so many flame retardants? The compounds are present in home furnishings not so much<img alt="" border="0" src="http://stats.wordpress.com/b.gif?host=healthland.time.com&#038;blog=8684427&#038;post=74927&#038;subd=timewellness&#038;ref=&#038;feed=1" width="1" height="1" />]]></description>
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		<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
	<primary_category>Environmental Health</primary_category><primary_category_link>http://healthland.time.com/category/medicine/environmental-health-medicine/</primary_category_link><featured_image>http://timewellness.files.wordpress.com/2012/11/stk314539rknflamecrop.jpg?w=240</featured_image>
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			<media:title type="html">Sofa with cushions</media:title>
		</media:content>

		<media:content url="http://1.gravatar.com/avatar/a069e8b4ff0dc386def0882f71bbfee6?s=96&#38;d=http%3A%2F%2Fs0.wp.com%2Fi%2Fmu.gif&#38;r=G" medium="image">
			<media:title type="html">Laura Blue</media:title>
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		<title>Autism and Air Pollution: The Link Grows Stronger</title>
		<link>http://healthland.time.com/2012/11/27/autism-and-air-pollution-the-link-grows-stronger/</link>
		<comments>http://healthland.time.com/2012/11/27/autism-and-air-pollution-the-link-grows-stronger/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Tue, 27 Nov 2012 13:00:18 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Laura Blue</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Autism]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Childhood]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Environmental Health]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[air pollution]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[air quality]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[commuting]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[pollution]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[traffic]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://healthland.time.com/?p=74726</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Children with autism are two to three times more likely than other children to have been exposed to car exhaust, smog, and other air pollutants during their earliest days, according to a new study. That new research adds to a mounting body of evidence that shows a link between early-life exposure to pollution and autism spectrum disorders. MORE: Autism Rises: More Children Than Ever Have Autism, But Is the Increase Real? For the new study, published in the Archives of General Psychiatry, researchers in California analyzed some 500 children living in that state: roughly half had autism and half did not. The kids&#8217; mothers gave an address for each and every home in which they had lived during pregnancy and the child&#8217;s first year of life. Researchers took that information &#8212; along with data on traffic volume, vehicle emissions, wind patterns, and regional estimates of pollutants like particulate matter, nitrogen oxide, and ozone &#8212; to estimate each child&#8217;s likely pollution exposure. According to the study, children in the top 25% of pollution exposure (using one of two different pollution scales) were far more likely to be  diagnosed with autism than kids in the bottom 25% of the pollution scale. The researchers stress, however, that their study does not definitively prove that pollution is the root cause of autism. &#8220;We&#8217;re not saying that air pollution causes autism. We&#8217;re saying it may be a risk factor for autism,&#8221; says Heather Volk, lead author on the new study and an assistant professor of preventive medicine at the University of Southern California. &#8220;Autism is a complex disorder and it&#8217;s likely there are many factors contributing,&#8221; she says. MORE: Researchers Discover Genetic Patterns of Autism In particular, she says, genetic differences may leave some children more susceptible than others to the effects of damaging environmental stimuli such as air pollutants. Still, changes in air pollution over time cannot completely explain the entire disturbing rise in autism prevalence over the past two to three decades. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), 1<img alt="" border="0" src="http://stats.wordpress.com/b.gif?host=healthland.time.com&#038;blog=8684427&#038;post=74726&#038;subd=timewellness&#038;ref=&#038;feed=1" width="1" height="1" />]]></description>
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		<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
	<primary_category>Environmental Health</primary_category><primary_category_link>http://healthland.time.com/category/medicine/environmental-health-medicine/</primary_category_link><featured_image>http://timewellness.files.wordpress.com/2012/11/child.jpg?w=240</featured_image>
		<media:thumbnail url="http://timewellness.files.wordpress.com/2012/11/child.jpg?w=240" />
		<media:content url="http://timewellness.files.wordpress.com/2012/11/child.jpg?w=240" medium="image">
			<media:title type="html">Autism</media:title>
		</media:content>

		<media:content url="http://1.gravatar.com/avatar/a069e8b4ff0dc386def0882f71bbfee6?s=96&#38;d=http%3A%2F%2Fs0.wp.com%2Fi%2Fmu.gif&#38;r=G" medium="image">
			<media:title type="html">Laura Blue</media:title>
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		<title>Pollutants Linked to Lower Fertility in Both Men and Women</title>
		<link>http://healthland.time.com/2012/11/15/pollutants-linked-to-lower-fertility-in-both-men-and-women/</link>
		<comments>http://healthland.time.com/2012/11/15/pollutants-linked-to-lower-fertility-in-both-men-and-women/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Thu, 15 Nov 2012 11:00:54 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Catherine Elton</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Environmental Health]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Medicine]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Pregnancy]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Reproductive Health]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://healthland.time.com/?p=73759</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[It makes sense that what we&#8217;re exposed to can affect our health, including our fertility. And the latest research shows exactly how much. Reporting in the journal Environmental Health Perspectives, researchers say that pollutants such as perchlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), industrial compounds and pesticides that are no longer manufactured but remain in older products can still decrease couples&#8217; ability to have children by up to 29%. MORE: Scientists Create Human Sperm from Stem Cells Scientists have long known that farm and factory workers exposed to certain chemicals at high levels experience declines in fertility. But whether the same is true for those exposed to ubiquitous hormone-disrupting chemicals at low levels, frequently without our knowledge, isn&#8217;t clear yet. So scientists at the National Institutes of Health created the Longitudinal Investigation of Fertility and the Environment (LIFE), the most comprehensive look yet at various environmental pollutants and their potential effect on pregnancy rates, to capture the effects of the compounds not just on female reproductive health but on both male and female fertility. The trial followed 500 couples who stopped using contraception for a period of either 12 months or until they got pregnant, whichever came first. Researchers measured their blood for the presence of 63 organic pollutants such as (PCBs) found in oil-based paint, electrical parts and adhesives until they were banned in 1979, and pesticides that fail to degrade in the environment but are absorbed by livestock and then by people consuming fatty fish, meats and dairy. MORE: Environmental Toxins Cost Billions in Childhood Disease Each couple was given a kit to help them monitor fertility-related hormones to optimize their chances for pregnancy, and the couples kept track of what they ate and other lifestyle behaviors in a daily journal. At the end of the study period, researchers analyzed blood levels of the designated environmental chemicals and the length of time each couple took to get pregnant and found that for each unit increase in blood concentration of 12 pollutants was associated with anywhere from a 17% to 29% decrease in<img alt="" border="0" src="http://stats.wordpress.com/b.gif?host=healthland.time.com&#038;blog=8684427&#038;post=73759&#038;subd=timewellness&#038;ref=&#038;feed=1" width="1" height="1" />]]></description>
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		<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
	<primary_category>Environmental Health</primary_category><primary_category_link>http://healthland.time.com/category/medicine/environmental-health-medicine/</primary_category_link><featured_image>http://timewellness.files.wordpress.com/2012/11/103212519infertilitycrop.jpg?w=240</featured_image>
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			<media:title type="html">Pregnancy test</media:title>
		</media:content>

		<media:content url="http://0.gravatar.com/avatar/69fc92d1c4598c5b98d03fde16cdfa74?s=96&#38;d=http%3A%2F%2Fs0.wp.com%2Fi%2Fmu.gif&#38;r=G" medium="image">
			<media:title type="html">apark7</media:title>
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		<title>Smoke-Free Laws Are Saving Lives</title>
		<link>http://healthland.time.com/2012/10/30/smoke-free-laws-are-saving-lives/</link>
		<comments>http://healthland.time.com/2012/10/30/smoke-free-laws-are-saving-lives/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Tue, 30 Oct 2012 10:00:06 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Laura Blue</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Environmental Health]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Heart Disease]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Public Health]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Regulation]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Stroke]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Tobacco]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[public smoking]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[smoke-free law]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[smoking]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[smoking ban]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://healthland.time.com/?p=72719</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[You can&#8217;t smoke in most restaurants and malls, and those laws may be responsible for saving thousands of lives. According to two separate studies, recent laws that limit smoking in public places are contributing to fewer tobacco-related hospital visits and deaths. In 2009 the Institute of Medicine concluded that smoking bans contributed to fewer heart problems in areas where the policies were implemented, but the panel was unable to determine how much benefit the laws provided. The new research provides some objective improvements in lower heart attack rates and adds to a growing body of evidence for the tangible health effects of stricter smoke-free laws across the USA and all around the world. Since 2000, more than half of U.S. states have enacted laws to restrict indoor smoking, and new smoke-free policies have taken hold in countries such as  Germany, Bhutan, and Vietnam. Although these regulations are relatively new, researchers are eager to document what effect they have on health; with strong data, public health experts hope that more smoke-free policies will be considered in countries where smoking-related deaths continue to cost nations in health and productivity. (MORE: Can Asia Kick the Habit?) For one of the two new studies, published in Archives of Internal Medicine, scientists at Minnesota&#8217;s Mayo Clinic  analyzed effects of smoke-free laws that were introduced in Olmstead County, MN, over the past ten years. Most of the county&#8217;s more than 144,000 residents receive health care from the Mayo Clinic, allowing the researchers to obtain consent to track heart-related health outcomes. In 2002, Olmstead County required restaurants to be smoke-free, and a few years later passed even stricter anti-smoking laws, mandating that all workplaces, including bars, become smoke-free in 2007. When they compared the 18-month period before the restaurant ban to the 18-month period directly afterward, the researchers found a per-capita drop of 33% in the number of heart attacks in the county, and a 17% drop in the number of sudden cardiac deaths. The decline occured at the same time that rates of hypertension, diabetes and<img alt="" border="0" src="http://stats.wordpress.com/b.gif?host=healthland.time.com&#038;blog=8684427&#038;post=72719&#038;subd=timewellness&#038;ref=&#038;feed=1" width="1" height="1" />]]></description>
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		<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
	<primary_category>Tobacco</primary_category><primary_category_link>http://healthland.time.com/category/medicine/tobacco/</primary_category_link><featured_image>http://timewellness.files.wordpress.com/2012/10/130882676.jpg?w=240</featured_image>
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			<media:title type="html">130882676</media:title>
		</media:content>

		<media:content url="http://1.gravatar.com/avatar/a069e8b4ff0dc386def0882f71bbfee6?s=96&#38;d=http%3A%2F%2Fs0.wp.com%2Fi%2Fmu.gif&#38;r=G" medium="image">
			<media:title type="html">Laura Blue</media:title>
		</media:content>
	</item>
		<item>
		<title>BPA Linked with Obesity in Kids and Teens</title>
		<link>http://healthland.time.com/2012/09/18/bpa-linked-with-obesity-in-kids-and-teens/</link>
		<comments>http://healthland.time.com/2012/09/18/bpa-linked-with-obesity-in-kids-and-teens/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Tue, 18 Sep 2012 14:05:56 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Alice Park</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Diabetes]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Diet]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Diet & Fitness]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Environmental Health]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Food & Drink]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Heart Disease]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Medicine]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Obesity]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[bisphenol-A]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[BPA]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[childhood obesity]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[environmental toxins]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[plastic chemicals]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[plastics]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://healthland.time.com/?p=69064</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Researchers say unhealthy diets and lack of exercise aren’t the only culprits in obesity. BPA may share some of the blame. In the latest study involving the plastic additive bisphenol A, or BPA, scientists found that children harboring higher levels of the endocrine-disrupting chemical in their bodies were more likely to be obese compared to youngsters with lower levels of BPA. The report, published in the Journal of the American Medical Association’s theme issue on obesity, was led by Dr. Leonardo Trasande, an associate professor of pediatrics and environmental medicine at New York University School of Medicine. Trasande and his colleagues reviewed data on body mass index (BMI) and BPA exposure (determined by measuring the chemical in urine) in 2,838 children aged 6 through 19, who participated in the government’s National Health and Nutrition Examination Surveys (NHANES) between 2003 and 2008. About 34% of the children were overweight and 18% were obese. (MORE: BPA Exposure in Pregnant Women May Affect Daughters&#8217; Behavior) Those in the highest quartile of BPA exposure also had the highest rate of obesity, at 22.3%, while those with the lowest levels of the chemical in their urine were least likely to be obese, at 10%. That’s more than a doubling of obesity risk among those with the highest BPA exposure. “It’s a very strong association, surprisingly strong,” says Trasande, “and it cuts across all socioeconomic strata. Unhealthy diet and lack of physical activity are major contributors to childhood obesity in the U.S., but this study shows that we need to consider environmental factors as a third major factor contributing to the epidemic.” BPA is ubiquitous in our environment, found primarily in plastics used in food packaging and the liners of aluminum cans; it&#8217;s also found in dental fillings and sealants and coating thermal receipts used in stores. A government study found that 93% of Americans over age 6 have some detectable amount of BPA in their urine, and according to a comprehensive 2007 study among preschool children in North Carolina and Ohio, about 99% of children’s<img alt="" border="0" src="http://stats.wordpress.com/b.gif?host=healthland.time.com&#038;blog=8684427&#038;post=69064&#038;subd=timewellness&#038;ref=&#038;feed=1" width="1" height="1" />]]></description>
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		<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
	<primary_category>Obesity</primary_category><primary_category_link>http://healthland.time.com/category/medicine/obesity/</primary_category_link><featured_image>http://timewellness.files.wordpress.com/2012/09/200015466-003bpaobesitycrop.jpg?w=240</featured_image>
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			<media:title type="html">Girl standing next to stack of canned food</media:title>
		</media:content>

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			<media:title type="html">apark7</media:title>
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		<title>33 Ways to Eat Environmentally Friendly</title>
		<link>http://healthland.time.com/2012/08/24/33-ways-to-eat-environmentally-friendly/</link>
		<comments>http://healthland.time.com/2012/08/24/33-ways-to-eat-environmentally-friendly/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Fri, 24 Aug 2012 13:30:24 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Laura Newcomer | Greatist.com</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Diet]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Diet & Fitness]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Environmental Health]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Medicine]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[buying organic]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[eating locally]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[environmentally friendly eating]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[farmer's markets]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[locavore]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[organic food]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://healthland.time.com/?p=67278</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Correction Appended: Aug. 27, 2012 The sustainable food movement is sweeping the country. Farmer’s markets, organic produce, genetically modified foods, cage-free eggs — they’ve all become part of the cultural lingo. While a lot of this conversation focuses around whether organic foods are better for people’s health, let&#8217;s not forget that these trends are also good for the planet. Read on to learn about the 33 environmentally friendly eating habits that are making a difference for our bodies and our earth. At the store: 1. Reuse it. Bring a reusable bag on your next shopping trip, and you’ve already helped out the planet. The U.S. alone uses about 100 billion new plastic bags each year, and (brace yourself) this massive production costs 12 million barrels of oil. Worldwide, only about 1% of plastic bags are recycled — which means that the rest end up in landfills, oceans or elsewhere in the environment. Why does it matter? Plastic bags don’t biodegrade, but light exposure can degrade them enough to release toxic polymer particles — most of which end up in the ocean. Approximately 1 million birds and 100,000 turtles and other sea animals die of starvation each year after ingesting after ingesting discarded plastics and other trash debris, which block their digestive tracts. And public agencies spend millions of dollars on litter clean-up each year. (In case you’re wondering, paper bags aren’t much better. Each year, 14 million trees are cut down to make paper shopping bags via a process that requires even more energy than the making of plastic bags.) 2. Strip down. Look for products with minimal packaging, like unwrapped produce or meat straight from the deli counter or butcher. Excess packaging is often made out of unsustainable materials and contributes to waste that ends up in landfills. Perhaps the worst culprit is polystyrene (a.k.a. Styrofoam), which is a suspected carcinogen and is manufactured through an energy-intensive process that creates hazardous waste and greenhouse gases. 3. Don’t buy the bottle. Millions of tons of plastic are used to produce<img alt="" border="0" src="http://stats.wordpress.com/b.gif?host=healthland.time.com&#038;blog=8684427&#038;post=67278&#038;subd=timewellness&#038;ref=&#038;feed=1" width="1" height="1" />]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://healthland.time.com/2012/08/24/33-ways-to-eat-environmentally-friendly/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>1</slash:comments>
	<primary_category>Diet</primary_category><primary_category_link>http://healthland.time.com/category/diet-fitness/diet-diet-fitness/</primary_category_link><featured_image>http://timewellness.files.wordpress.com/2012/08/eat-local-environmentally-friendly-eating.jpg?w=240</featured_image>
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			<media:title type="html">eat local environmentally friendly eating</media:title>
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		<media:content url="http://1.gravatar.com/avatar/4294dab721165ae4f1b75c29b4fe6c70?s=96&#38;d=http%3A%2F%2Fs0.wp.com%2Fi%2Fmu.gif&#38;r=G" medium="image">
			<media:title type="html">Sora Song</media:title>
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		<title>TIME&#8217;s Mobile Tech Issue: Three Myths About Cell Phones</title>
		<link>http://healthland.time.com/2012/08/16/three-myths-about-cell-phones/</link>
		<comments>http://healthland.time.com/2012/08/16/three-myths-about-cell-phones/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Thu, 16 Aug 2012 11:53:17 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Maia Szalavitz</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Environmental Health]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Medicine]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Policy & Industry]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Safety]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://healthland.time.com/?p=66536</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[1. They’re more addictive than crack. The CrackBerry isn’t just a clever nickname. In a recent study, people reported that they found it harder to resist checking social networks than to say no to alcohol or cigarettes. But that’s not because e-mails produce so many feel-good brain chemicals; it’s because e-mail is cheap and easy to check. The same study found that participants had a stronger urge to do work than to e-mail or surf the Web. 2. They’re dulling our memory. With smartphones, we can look up anything at any time, leading to concerns that our reliance on the magic answer box will make it harder to recall details on our own. Even though researchers found that people remembered where facts were stored on a computer better than the actual data, that isn’t evidence of less memory — just of a different kind. 3. Short texts are a product of shortened attention spans. The father of cell-phone texting, Friedhelm Hillebrand, didn’t limit texts to 160 characters because of our brains. He did it because of the telecom industry’s bandwidth limits. He studied earlier communications and found that most postcards and telex messages used fewer than 160 characters. MORE: Read about the TIME Mobility Poll MORE: Read TIME&#8217;s Special Report On How Your Phone Is Changing The World (and your life) Here<img alt="" border="0" src="http://stats.wordpress.com/b.gif?host=healthland.time.com&#038;blog=8684427&#038;post=66536&#038;subd=timewellness&#038;ref=&#038;feed=1" width="1" height="1" />]]></description>
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		<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
	<primary_category>Safety</primary_category><primary_category_link>http://healthland.time.com/category/policy-industry/safety-policy-industry/</primary_category_link><featured_image>http://timewellness.files.wordpress.com/2012/08/cellphone.jpg?w=240</featured_image>
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			<media:title type="html">cellphone</media:title>
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			<media:title type="html">MaiaSzalavitz</media:title>
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		<title>Freaky Clean: Chemical in Antibacterial Soap Weakens Muscle Function</title>
		<link>http://healthland.time.com/2012/08/15/freaky-clean-chemical-in-antibacterial-soap-weakens-muscle-function/</link>
		<comments>http://healthland.time.com/2012/08/15/freaky-clean-chemical-in-antibacterial-soap-weakens-muscle-function/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Wed, 15 Aug 2012 21:00:10 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Alexandra Sifferlin</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Environmental Health]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Medicine]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[antibacterial soap]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[muscles]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[triclosan]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://healthland.time.com/?p=66451</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[It turns out antibacterial soaps aren&#8217;t so &#8220;clean&#8221; after all. A common chemical in antibacterial products, triclosan — which can be found soaps, toothpastes and mouthwashes — was found to impair muscle function in lab and animal tests. Originally, the chemical, developed in the 1960s, was used in hospitals to prevent bacterial infections. Since then, it&#8217;s been used in countless household products, and several studies — mostly in animals — have hinted that the effects of triclosan may not be entirely beneficial. According to a recent Smithsonian article: Studies have shown that the chemical can disrupt the endocrine systems of several different animals, binding to receptor sites in the body, which prevents the thyroid hormone from functioning normally. Additionally, triclosan penetrates the skin and enters the bloodstream more easily than previously thought, and has turned up everywhere from aquatic environments to human breast milk in troubling quantities. (MORE: Can Overuse of Antibacterial Soap Promote Allergies in Kids?) Now, in a new study published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, researchers from the University of California, Davis, found that triclosan also interferes with muscle function. In the lab, they exposed human muscle cells, from the heart and elsewhere, to triclosan and discovered that the chemical interrupted cellular communication necessary for muscle contraction. Then the researchers exposed mice and fathead minnows to the chemical to see what would happen: after a single dose, the exposed mice showed 25% reduced heart muscle function and 18% reduced grip strength. In the fish, which were exposed to as much triclosan as would be expected in a week in the wild, the chemical led to poor performance in swimming tests that simulated escape from a predator. For its part, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has not found the chemical hazardous to humans, but is in the process of reviewing the safety of products containing triclosan; those findings are expected at the end of the year. The FDA notes further that there&#8217;s no evidence suggesting that antibacterial soaps containing triclosan offer any additional health benefits over regular soap. Read more about the recent triclosan<img alt="" border="0" src="http://stats.wordpress.com/b.gif?host=healthland.time.com&#038;blog=8684427&#038;post=66451&#038;subd=timewellness&#038;ref=&#038;feed=1" width="1" height="1" />]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://healthland.time.com/2012/08/15/freaky-clean-chemical-in-antibacterial-soap-weakens-muscle-function/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
	<primary_category>Environmental Health</primary_category><primary_category_link>http://healthland.time.com/category/medicine/environmental-health-medicine/</primary_category_link><featured_image>http://timewellness.files.wordpress.com/2012/08/108913616.jpg?w=240</featured_image>
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			<media:title type="html">108913616</media:title>
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			<media:title type="html">asifferlin</media:title>
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		<title>Is Your Garden Hose Toxic?</title>
		<link>http://ideas.time.com/2012/08/02/is-your-garden-hose-toxic/</link>
		<comments>http://ideas.time.com/2012/08/02/is-your-garden-hose-toxic/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Thu, 02 Aug 2012 14:35:16 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Dominique Browning</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Environmental Health]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Medicine]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[BPA]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[lead]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://healthland.time.com/?p=65387</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Ever take a sip from your garden hose? Testing on water from standard hoses finds that it&#8217;s contaminated with harmful chemicals, including lead, BPA and phthalates. Get the full scoop on our companion blog Ideas.<img alt="" border="0" src="http://stats.wordpress.com/b.gif?host=healthland.time.com&#038;blog=8684427&#038;post=65387&#038;subd=timewellness&#038;ref=&#038;feed=1" width="1" height="1" />]]></description>
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		<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
	<primary_category>Environmental Health</primary_category><primary_category_link>http://healthland.time.com/category/medicine/environmental-health-medicine/</primary_category_link><featured_image>http://timewellness.files.wordpress.com/2012/08/sb10065945l-001.jpg?w=240</featured_image>
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			<media:title type="html">asifferlin</media:title>
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		<title>Unplug! Too Much Light at Night May Lead to Depression</title>
		<link>http://healthland.time.com/2012/07/24/unplug-too-much-light-at-night-may-lead-to-depression/</link>
		<comments>http://healthland.time.com/2012/07/24/unplug-too-much-light-at-night-may-lead-to-depression/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Tue, 24 Jul 2012 16:30:56 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Laura Blue</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Cancer]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Depression]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Environmental Health]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Medicine]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Mental Health]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Obesity]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Sleep]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[breast cancer]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[computer]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[late-night light]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[light at night]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[night light]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[TV]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://healthland.time.com/?p=64529</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Here&#8217;s another reason to log off at a reasonable hour: exposure to dim lighting at night — such as that generated by a TV screen, computer or night-light — may lead to depressive symptoms, new animal research suggests. A study from Ohio State University Medical Center found that hamsters with chronic exposure to dim light at night showed signs of depression within just a few weeks: reduced physical activity compared with hamsters living in normal light-dark conditions, as well as less interest in sugar water (a treat for the hamsters), greater signs of distress when placed in water, and changes in the brain&#8217;s hippocampus that are similar to brain changes seen in depressed people. &#8220;The results we found in hamsters are consistent with what we know about depression in humans,&#8221; Tracy Bedrosian, the first author the on the new study, told reporters. (MORE: TV, Video Games at Night May Cause Sleep Problems in Kids) Mood disorders are by no means the only health condition linked to artificial lighting and screen time at night. Earlier this year, the American Medical Association (AMA) put out a disturbing summary of adverse health effects from nighttime lighting, noting that artificial lights disrupt circadian rhythms and alter the body&#8217;s normal hormonal responses. In particular, when people spend too little time in darkness, it seems that the body suppresses release of the hormone melatonin, which — among other things — is thought to fight tumor growth and cancers. Other health conditions affected by changes in circadian rhythms, according to the AMA report, may include obesity, diabetes and reproductive problems. &#8220;The good news is that people who stay up late in front of the television and computer may be able to undo some of the harmful effects just by going back to a regular light-dark cycle and minimizing their exposure to artificial light at night,&#8221; Bedrosian says. &#8220;That&#8217;s what the results we found in hamsters would suggest.&#8221; Those animals&#8217; depressive symptoms, at least, went away once the hamsters returned to a schedule that included eight full hours of<img alt="" border="0" src="http://stats.wordpress.com/b.gif?host=healthland.time.com&#038;blog=8684427&#038;post=64529&#038;subd=timewellness&#038;ref=&#038;feed=1" width="1" height="1" />]]></description>
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		<slash:comments>2</slash:comments>
	<primary_category>Depression</primary_category><primary_category_link>http://healthland.time.com/category/mental-health/depression/</primary_category_link><featured_image>http://timewellness.files.wordpress.com/2012/07/light_at_night.jpg?w=240</featured_image>
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			<media:title type="html">light_at_night</media:title>
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			<media:title type="html">Laura Blue</media:title>
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		<title>FDA Bans BPA from Baby Bottles and Sippy Cups</title>
		<link>http://healthland.time.com/2012/07/17/fda-bans-bpa-from-baby-bottles-and-sippy-cups/</link>
		<comments>http://healthland.time.com/2012/07/17/fda-bans-bpa-from-baby-bottles-and-sippy-cups/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Tue, 17 Jul 2012 21:57:20 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Alexandra Sifferlin</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Environmental Health]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Medicine]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[baby bottles]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[bottles]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[BPA]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[FDA]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[sippy cups]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://healthland.time.com/?p=64117</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) announced on Tuesday that baby bottles and sippy cups can no longer contain bisphenol-A (BPA), the endocrine-disrupting chemical found in plastics and food packaging. Manufacturers of baby bottles and children&#8217;s drinking cups have already stopped using BPA due to safety concerns, but last October the American Chemistry Council, the chemical industry&#8217;s top trade association, requested that the FDA phase out rules allowing BPA in these products. The move, which came after the council determined that manufacturers had already abandoned BPA, was designed in part to counter years of negative publicity from consumer groups. The FDA came to its decision in response to the council&#8217;s petition. &#8220;Consumers can be confident that these products do not contain BPA,&#8221; FDA spokesman Allen Curtis said in a statement. &#8220;The agency continues to support the safety of BPA for use in products that hold food.&#8221; (MORE: The BPA Debate: Bad Reputation and Still No Answers) The FDA notes that the ban does not apply to the use of BPA in other plastics or food packaging, including canned food containers, water bottles and baby formula containers, and that the decision does not reverse the agency’s overall position that the chemical is safe. Previous research in animals has associated BPA exposure to disruptions in reproductive and nervous-system development in babies, but the FDA has long maintained that such findings cannot be applied to humans. Other observational studies in humans have associated prenatal exposure to the chemical with behavior problems and childhood asthma. Just this week, the journal Pediatrics published a study linking BPA in dental fillings to problems like depression and anxiety in kids. Some 96% of pregnant women have measurable levels of BPA, according to a 2011 study by University of California, San Francisco, researchers; in fact, data show that nearly every American has traces of BPA in their urine from exposure to food and beverage packaging. For now, the federal government maintains that BPA does not harm humans, but it is spending $30 million on its own studies to<img alt="" border="0" src="http://stats.wordpress.com/b.gif?host=healthland.time.com&#038;blog=8684427&#038;post=64117&#038;subd=timewellness&#038;ref=&#038;feed=1" width="1" height="1" />]]></description>
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		<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
	<primary_category>Environmental Health</primary_category><primary_category_link>http://healthland.time.com/category/medicine/environmental-health-medicine/</primary_category_link><featured_image>http://timewellness.files.wordpress.com/2012/07/83375107.jpg?w=240</featured_image>
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			<media:title type="html">83375107</media:title>
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			<media:title type="html">asifferlin</media:title>
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		<title>Ozone Can Harm the Heart in as Little as Two Hours</title>
		<link>http://healthland.time.com/2012/06/26/ozone-can-harm-the-heart-in-as-little-as-two-hours/</link>
		<comments>http://healthland.time.com/2012/06/26/ozone-can-harm-the-heart-in-as-little-as-two-hours/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Tue, 26 Jun 2012 14:00:57 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Alice Park</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Environmental Health]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Heart Disease]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Medicine]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[air pollution]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[inflammation]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[ozone]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[pollution]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://healthland.time.com/?p=62784</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Healthy, young volunteers with no history of heart disease showed unfavorable changes in their heart function after just two hours of exercising while being exposed to ozone, report researchers in the journal Circulation. The changes included surges in markers of inflammation, as well as drops in levels of enzymes that break down clots in the blood vessels — alterations that may explain the link between exposure to air pollution and heart risk. The study is among the first to document the physiological changes caused by exposure to ozone, a major pollutant formed when volatile organic compounds from industrial waste or car exhaust reacts with sunlight. Previous studies have linked exposure to ozone to heart problems, but had not quantified the precise effect of the pollutant on biological markers of heart and lung function. (MORE: Mom’s Exposure to Air Pollution Can Increase Kids’ Behavior Problems) In the study, 23 young participants participated in two hours of intermittent exercise in a lab while being exposed first to “clean” air, and then to air containing 0.3 parts per million of ozone, which is higher than the amount found in average U.S. cities but about the peak level calculated for heavily polluted cities like Beijing, China and Mexico City. (However, the level is equivalent to the amount of ozone someone in an average American city would be exposed to over the course of seven to eight hours.) Scientists then compared readings on various biological markers of heart and lung function between the two sessions, to get a sense of ozone&#8217;s impact. Under the ozone conditions, the participants experienced a nearly 99% jump in levels of interleukin-8, an marker for inflammation in the blood vessels. They also showed a 42% drop in plasminogen levels, which lowers the body’s ability to break up blood clots. The study recorded the participants’ readings for only 24 hours after the experiment, and the changes were temporary and reversible: once the volunteers stopped breathing the heavy concentration of ozone, their measurements returned to normal levels. But the results show that<img alt="" border="0" src="http://stats.wordpress.com/b.gif?host=healthland.time.com&#038;blog=8684427&#038;post=62784&#038;subd=timewellness&#038;ref=&#038;feed=1" width="1" height="1" />]]></description>
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		<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
	<primary_category>Environmental Health</primary_category><primary_category_link>http://healthland.time.com/category/medicine/environmental-health-medicine/</primary_category_link><featured_image>http://timewellness.files.wordpress.com/2012/06/108200288ozonecrop.jpg?w=240</featured_image>
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			<media:title type="html">Factories and pollution</media:title>
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		<title>Toxic Flame Retardants: Why Does Kids&#8217; Exposure Vary by Race and Socioeconomics?</title>
		<link>http://healthland.time.com/2012/05/23/toxic-flame-retardants-why-does-kids-exposure-vary-by-race-and-socioeconomics/</link>
		<comments>http://healthland.time.com/2012/05/23/toxic-flame-retardants-why-does-kids-exposure-vary-by-race-and-socioeconomics/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Wed, 23 May 2012 14:35:59 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Alexandra Sifferlin</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Childhood]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Environmental Health]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Family & Parenting]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Medicine]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[decaBDE]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[flame retardants]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[octaBDE]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[PBDEs]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[pentaBDE]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[socioeconomics]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://healthland.time.com/?p=60160</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[A new study from Duke University reports that kids&#8217; exposure to potentially toxic flame retardant chemicals may vary by race and socioeconomic background. The study found that nonwhite toddlers had a higher chemical load than white children, as did kids whose fathers did not have a college degree. Heather Stapleton, assistant professor of environmental chemistry at Duke&#8217;s Nicholas School of the Environment, and her colleagues looked at the flame retardant chemicals called polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs), which have been widely added over the last 30 years to consumer products, including carpeting, furniture and electronics. The long-lasting chemicals reduce the risk of household fires, but research shows they have some nasty side effects: exposure to PBDEs can disrupt endocrine activity and hinder thyroid regulation. Early exposure has been linked to low birth weight, lower IQ and impaired motor and behavioral development. Which is why in 2005, two commercial formulations of the chemicals, pentaBDE and octaBDE, were phased out over concerns about their durability and toxicity. In 2013, decaBDE will also begin a voluntary phase-out. (MORE: Baby Products Contain Toxic or Untested Chemicals. Are They a Danger?) But household exposure to the chemicals persists — they&#8217;re still present in older furniture (as products break down, they release PDBEs into the air), house dust, food and other sources. To test exposure in their sample of 83 toddlers ages 12 to 36 months, the Duke researchers looked at three main ways kids come into contact with the chemicals: ingestion of food or dust particles, breathing chemicals in the air and through mother&#8217;s milk. The team collected blood samples, hand-wipe samples and house-dust samples for each child. PBDE contaminants were detected in all of the blood and house-dust samples and 98% of the hand-wipe samples. Older toddlers had higher total body burdens of the contaminants, with average levels increasing by an estimated 60% to 70% for each year of age. &#8220;Our study highlights the fact that young children are very likely receiving the highest exposure to these chemicals among all age classes,&#8221; says Stapleton. &#8220;This is significant because young<img alt="" border="0" src="http://stats.wordpress.com/b.gif?host=healthland.time.com&#038;blog=8684427&#038;post=60160&#038;subd=timewellness&#038;ref=&#038;feed=1" width="1" height="1" />]]></description>
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	<primary_category>Environmental Health</primary_category><primary_category_link>http://healthland.time.com/category/medicine/environmental-health-medicine/</primary_category_link><featured_image>http://timewellness.files.wordpress.com/2012/05/dv2159050.jpg?w=240</featured_image>
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