Dear EarthTalk: Are sunscreens safe? Which ones do you recommend that will protect my skin from the sun and not cause other issues?
Getting a little sunshine is important for helping our bodies generate Vitamin D, an important supplement for strong bones, and f or regulating our levels of serotonin and tryptamine, neurotransmitters that keep our moods and sleep/wake cycles in order. Like anything, though, too much sun can cause health issues,...

Solubility data compilations for the practicing chemist.
Phenomena related to the solubility of solids, liquids, and gases with one another are of interest to scientists, technologists, and medical practitioners in a wide array of disciplines. Solubility data are, for example, employed to determine thermodynamic quantities, and to predict the safety of radioactive waste repositories as well...

In vitro cytogenetic effects of Andrographis paniculata (kalmegh) on arsenic.
Introduction Arsenical compounds are environmental toxins with multiple effects in animal and human populations. The US Environmental Protection Agency has placed arsenic at the top of its Superfund contamination list (Hei and Filipic, 2004). Epidemiological data have shown that chronic levels of exposure to arsenite are associated...

A high through-put protocol for quantifying nucleic acids in individual microcrustaceans using new generation RNA and DNA specific dyes.
ABSTRACT Quantifying growth rate in microcrustacea is important to plankton biologists when determining primary productivity. RNA:DNA ratios have been widely used as an indicator of instantaneous growth rate in microcrustaceans in nutritional and environmental studies. It is important when measuring nucleic acids in these small organisms that it is...

Commentary: breast cancer's environmental legacy: how every day toxins threaten women's health.
In 2005 it was estimated that 211,240 American women were diagnosed with breast cancer, and 40,410 women died from the disease. Breast cancer rates have nearly tripled in the United States over the last 60 years making it the second most common cancer in women. The lifetime risk for...

The challenge of Multiple Chemical Sensitivity.
Introduction In the 1950s, under the banner of his "clinical ecology" movement, Chicago allergist Theron Randolph proposed what has come to be known as "multiple chemical sensitivity" or MCS (AAAAI Board of Directors, 1999; Whited, 2004). This condition is "an acquired disorder characterized by recurrent symptoms, referable...

Instrumental neutron activation analysis of different products from the sugarcane industry in Pakistan-Part 1: essential elements for nutritional adequacy.
Jaggery, brown sugar, white sugar, and molasses collected from the local sugarcane industry of Pakistan have been analyzed for essential elements in order to estimate their nutritional adequacy. Instrumental neutron activation analysis was used to determine Ca, Cl, Co, Cr, Fe, K, Mg, Mn, Na, and Zn through sequential,...

ToxProfiles[TM] 2007 offers latest information on hazardous substances.
The Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry (ATSDR) has released its updated ToxProfiles[TM] 2007 two-CD ROM set featuring information on more than 180 hazardous substances as well as an improved search engine. ToxProfiles[TM] 2007 is a useful resource for health professionals, researchers, students, media, and others interested in...

Your building envelope is signed, sealed and delivers, but ... Sam McLamb looks beyond the benefits of an energy-efficient building and examines what happens when indoor air stays indoors.
[ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Can energy efficiency be hazardous to your health? The answer is a resounding 'yes' according to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), major universities and many state health departments. Efforts to improve energy efficiency in recent decades have had a direct impact on...

THE PSI: stemming the nuclear danger: Michael Richardson discusses the role of the Proliferation Security Initiative in counter-proliferation in the Asia-Pacific region.
[ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] The Proliferation Security Initiative, known by its initials as the PSI, was formed by the United States and other concerned nations, including Australia and Japan, in May 2003. Its aim is to deter, detect and if necessary intercept at sea, on land or in the...