News Briefs

Author Hulda Regehr Clark, PhD, claims in her book A Cure for All Diseases that lead accumulation is always seen in children with autism.

New Sander Tested

A new orbital sander with vacuum extraction was given very favourable reports in tests conducted by CTI on leaded paint removal. The sander is manufactured by Rupes Australia.

Lower Blood-leads

Blood lead concentrations have fallen substantially in the UK since 1984, says the 1995 health survey of England, conducted by Shilu Tong and colleagues. (Published Oct. 96).

Questionnaire Ineffective

Researchers led by Dr. James Sargent in Dartmouth, USA, have found the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) Assessment Questionnaire for lead exposure does not successfully identify which children should be targeted for screening.

Low Birth Weight

Men whose occupations expose them to high levels of lead may father babies with lower birth weights, according to a recent study by Dr Yuan-I Min of John Hopkins & Colleagues.

Cleaning Not Enough

A study by Dr Bruce P. Lanphear of the University of Rochester found no correlation between recommended cleaning practices and blood lead levels.

Fats and Lead

A study by Susan Lucas at the University of Maryland reports children with high levels of fat in their diet are more likely to have high blood lead levels.

Candy Wrappers

Tests by the California Department of Health Service found candy wrappers contained 80 times the amount of lead considered safe. The candy is called Storck and is from the Philippines.

British Lap Up Lead in Water *

British health and environmental officials are including lead in drinking water in a major blueprint for future health care, to be called the "Health of the Nation Strategy".

Filtration Plant *

A filtration plant that sifts organic nutrients in the drinking water of Rochester, New York, also reduces levels of lead found in water, city officials said.

New Blood Lead Survey

A December 1996 survey by the South Eastern Sydney Area Health Service found that 13.6% of 1-4 year olds in Eastern Sydney child care centres had blood lead levels over the national goal of 10 µg/dL

New Lead Mines On The Way?

Two potential new lead mines are currently being prospected in NSW. They are the Lewis Ponds prospect 13km East of Orange, controlled by Tri Origin Australia NL and the Bowdens prospect 25km ESE of Mudgee, controlled by Ashanti Goldfields Co. Ltd.

Lead Poisoning a Notifiable Disease

As of December 1st 1996 blood lead levels of 15µg/dL became a notifiable disease in NSW. This means any laboratory which finds such a result must notify a Public Health Unit.

Miscarriage Risk

The Pregnancy and Lifestyle Study (PALS) by Dr. Judy Ford found that for women involved in renovating, there is a four times increase in the risk of miscarriage.

Lead Extraction *

A new method for extracting lead and other metals from water and soil for the purpose of laboratory analysis has been developed by 3M recently. They claim the Empore Extraction Disk works in under 20 minutes.

* Reprinted with permission of Asbestos and Lead Abatement Report published by Business Publishers, Inc., 951 Pershing Drive, Silver Spring, MD 20910, US, 00 111 800 274 6737.