Class #1 -- Research Project Guidelines

Hello Everyone --

What follows is an overview of your semester-long research project.

Everyone should begin with reading the National Geographic article, "Chemicals
Within Us," by David Ewing Duncan, and have the gist of the kind of research this year. Check out Duncan's online interview (click on the 'Listen' button) for some additional information about how his journey of "chemical self-discovery." For some extra credit, what three chemicals did he find he had in his body in significantly high amounts? How did these chemicals get into his body? What health effects might these chemicals cause? Post a comment with the right answers for some extra credit.

Besides becoming familiar with the article, your homework assignment for this class includes the following items:

• Form groups of 2-3 people (no more) to work collectively on a specific research project. Post a comment to this blog entry listing the names of the people in your group.


• Choose a category of chemical exposure from the list below that your group will research during the semester. Your group doesn't have to come up with a specific topic yet, we will iron that out by the third week. Post your group's category choice as a comment to this blog entry as well. Only two groups will research each category, so whichever group posts their interest in a category first will be assignedthat category.


• Begin thinking about a specific exposure event your group would like to
  research.
  

Radioactive Contamination

Alexander Litvinenko is alleged to have died by eating suchi poisoned with polonium-210. The radioactive material released deadly amounts of alpha radiation into his body. The most famous radioactive event to date was the malfunctioning Chernobyl nuclear power plant. The following web sites offer a good overview of the radiation release:

• BBC World's video report
  
• 20th Aniversary Projects
  
• Chernobyl Pictures

Biohazards

For anthrax, the hands down "number one" story is the Amerithrax" event. Several years ago, a SARS outbreak occured in Hong Kong, impacting the city's transportation system, infecting
3,000 people, some of whom carried it to Toronto. The Ebola virus is another extremely contagious and deadly disease.

Residential Exposure

People who live above dry cleaners are exposed to chemicals that may cause them to get sick simply by living in their apartment. Last July, the EPA revised its air toxic rules to phase out the use of perchloroethylene, also known as perc, in dry cleaner businesses, possibly due to the large number of violations often observed during inspections. Its effects on human beings has been well studied. The Department of Labor has issued OSHA standards for drycleaner workers. However, no standards exist to protect residents living above dry cleaners.

The same problem exists for people living above nail salons. Methylmethacrylate ("MMA") was used as a primer for nail application, but was banned in 1974 by the FDA, due to its causing nervous system disorders. Ethylmethacrylate, formaldehyde, dibutylphthalates and benzene are commonly used in nail salons today. studies The EPA studied this problem for years, and claims that it is updating its brochure, "Pollution Prevention Practices for Nail Salons - A Guide to Protect the Health of Nail Salon Workers and their Working Environment" (EPA-906-F-04-001), which the agency alleges will be available in Fall 2006. However, the document is still not available on its website. As is often the case, government studies and enforcement lag well behind our personal interest in knowing how chemicals directly impact our bodies. It is a shame that we have to rely on a foreign country's websites to access information our own government produced, originally published, and now refuses to make available to its taxpayers. Studies have suggested that women of color are more likely to be impacted. The most common health effects are dermatitis, irritation of the eyes, nose, throat and lungs, and nervous system disorders.

Consumer products

In addition to the flame-retardent materials discussed in the "Chemicals Within Us" article, many beauty products, like shampoo, have potentially toxic chemicals in their list of ingredients. The GAO published a report addressing concerns about the addition of bovine growth hormone rBGH in the milk we drink.

Chemical Spills

The National Geographic article mentioned the release of PCBs into the Hudson River. Other noteworthy releases that may cause health problems in humans include last year's Apex chlorine gas explosion, and China's Songhua River chemical spill. Closer to home, America's largest oil spill is right here in Greenpoint, Brooklyn.

If there's another category your group is interested in, just post me a comment, and we'll discuss. See you next Saturday.