Exporting Illness Worldwide: Heavy Metal Contamination From a U.S. Owned Smelter in Peru

English: The La Oroya train station 1921
(Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Today's post is shared from Occupational Knowledge International okinternational.org

The town of La Oroya, Peru - the site of an American owned smelter - is suffering from decades of unregulated emissions from the plant which continue to this day. According to the Peruvian Ministry of Health, blood lead levels among local children are dangerously high averaging 33.6 micrograms/deciliter, triple the World Health Organization limit of 10 micrograms/deciliter, while the vegetation in the surrounding area has been destroyed by acid rain. Limited environmental sampling has revealed lead levels exceeding public health standards in almost 90 percent of the homes, extensive soil contamination, and excessive airborne emissions throughout the town.

Lead causes a range of health effects, but primarily effects neurological development in children resulting in reduced school performance, lower scores on standardized tests (such as IQ), mental retardation and can even cause death. A significant portion of those tested by the Ministry of health should have received immediate medical attention to remove lead from the body, but no follow-up was ever initiated.

To plan for remediation and to examine the potential for ongoing exposure from the lead and other metals already deposited in La Oroya, further testing of dust lead levels inside homes was required. We therefore brought the equipment and supplies and trained our partners at the Asociación Civil Labor to collect dust wipe samples. We then arranged for half the samples to be analyzed at a laboratory in the U.S. as a donated service. After obtaining the results, we worked with our Peruvian partners to prepare a report, and conduct education and outreach about the health risks associated with the exposure to lead and other pollutants.

Full report in PDF format: [English] [Spanish]

….

Jon L. Gelman of Wayne NJ is the author of NJ Workers’ Compensation Law (West-Thompson-Reuters) and co-author of the national treatise, Modern Workers’ Compensation Law (West-Thompson-Reuters). For over 4 decades the Law Offices of Jon L Gelman  1.973.696.7900  jon@gelmans.com  have been representing injured workers and their families who have suffered occupational accidents and illnesses.

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Global cancer burden rises to 14.1 million new cases in 2012: Marked increase in breast cancers must be addressed

The International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC), the specialized cancer agency of the World Health Organization, today released the latest data on cancer incidence, mortality, and prevalence worldwide.1 The new version of IARC’s online database, GLOBOCAN 2012, provides the most recent estimates for 28 types of cancer in 184 countries worldwide and offers a comprehensive overview of the global cancer burden. 

GLOBOCAN 2012 reveals striking patterns of cancer in women and highlights that priority should be given to cancer prevention and control measures for breast and cervical cancers globally. 

Global burden rises to 14.1 million new cases and 8.2 million cancer deaths in 2012 

According to GLOBOCAN 2012, an estimated 14.1 million new cancer cases and 8.2 million cancer-related deaths occurred in 2012, compared with 12.7 million and 7.6 million, respectively, in 2008. Prevalence estimates for 2012 show that there were 32.6 million people (over the age of 15 years) alive who had had a cancer diagnosed in the previous five years. 

The most commonly diagnosed cancers worldwide were those of the lung (1.8 million, 13.0% of the total), breast (1.7 million, 11.9%), and colorectum (1.4 million, 9.7%). The most common causes of cancer death were cancers of the lung (1.6 million, 19.4% of the total), liver (0.8 million, 9.1%), and stomach (0.7 million, 8.8%). 

Projections based on the GLOBOCAN 2012 estimates predict a substantive increase to 19.3 million new cancer cases per year by 2025, due to growth and ageing of the global population. More than half of all cancers (56.8%) and cancer deaths (64.9%) in 2012 occurred in less developed regions of the world, and these proportions will increase further by 2025. 

Sharp rise in breast cancer worldwide 

In 2012, 1.7 million women were diagnosed with breast cancer and there were 6.3 million women alive who had been diagnosed with breast cancer in the previous five years. Since the 2008 estimates, breast cancer incidence has increased by more than 20%, while mortality has increased by 14%. Breast cancer is also the most common cause of cancer death among women (522 000 deaths in 2012) and the most frequently diagnosed cancer among women in 140 of 184 countries worldwide. It now represents one in four of all cancers in women. 

“Breast cancer is also a leading cause of cancer death in the less developed countries of the world. This is partly because a shift in lifestyles is causing an increase in incidence, and partly 

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US manufactures try to stop carcinogen classification

Today's post is shared from tuc.org

US industry groups are trying to reverse a decision by the U.S. National Toxicology Program to styrene to its list of substances that are "reasonably anticipated to be a human carcinogen. The International Agency for Research on Cancer also considers styrene to be "possibly carcinogenic to humans". There is no doubt that styrene is dangerous as high exposure to styrene can cause headaches, lethargy, memory loss, dizziness, confusion and other symptoms. However the industry is trying to deny that it poses a risk to the 90,000 US workers exposed to it every year. The National Toxicology Program classification in part is based on two studies that showed increased risks for leukaemia and lymphoma among some workers, but employers groups are claiming that the findings are based on faulty conclusions and a flawed review process. An industry group, the Stryrene Information and Research Center Inc. filed a federal lawsuit against the decision but this was thrown out, yet two years ago, industry groups persuaded Congress to appropriate funds for the National Academy of Sciences to review the NTP's report. The review's conclusions are due next year. Mike Wright, the director of health and safety for the United Steelworkers union makes it clear that "We think the evidence is good that styrene is a carcinogen. It is not proper for the industry to try to mess with that."Related articles

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Air pollution a leading cause of cancer - U.N. agency

Today's post was shared by RWJF PublicHealth and comes from www.reuters.com

The air we breathe is laced with cancer-causing substances and is being officially classified as carcinogenic to humans, the World Health Organization's cancer agency said on Thursday. A gas-fired power station is seen during a frosty night in Minsk, December 4, 2012. REUTERS/Vasily Fedosenko The International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) cited data indicating that in 2010, 223,000 deaths from lung cancer worldwide resulted from air pollution, and said there was also convincing evidence it increases the risk of bladder cancer. Depending on the level of exposure in different parts of the world, the risk was found to be similar to that of breathing in second-hand tobacco smoke, Kurt Straif, head of the agency's section that ranks carcinogens, told reporters in Geneva. "Our task was to evaluate the air everyone breathes rather than focus on specific air pollutants," deputy head Dana Loomis said in a statement. "The results from the reviewed studies point in the same direction: the risk of developing lung cancer is significantly increased in people exposed to air pollution." Air pollution, mostly caused by transport, power generation, industrial or agricultural emissions and residential heating and cooking, is already known to raise risks for a wide range of illnesses including respiratory and heart diseases. Research suggests that exposure levels have risen significantly in some parts of the world, particularly countries with large populations going through rapid industrialization, such as China. IARC reviewed thousands of studies on...

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Outdoor air pollution: a leading environmental cause of cancer deaths

The specialized cancer agency of the WHO, the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC), announced that it has classified outdoor air pollution as carcinogenic to humans. The IARC evaluation concluded that there is sufficient evidence that exposure to outdoor air pollution causes lung cancer.

The specialized cancer agency of the World Health Organization, the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC), announced today that it has classified outdoor air pollution as carcinogenic to humans (Group 1).

After thoroughly reviewing the latest available scientific literature, the world’s leading experts convened by  the IARC Monographs Programme concluded that there is sufficient evidence that exposure to outdoor air  pollution causes lung cancer (Group 1). They also noted a positive association with an increased risk of  bladder cancer.

Particulate matter, a major component of outdoor air pollution, was evaluated separately and was also
classified as carcinogenic to humans (Group 1).

The IARC evaluation showed an increasing risk of lung cancer with increasing levels of exposure to
particulate matter and air pollution. Although the composition of air pollution and levels of exposure can vary dramatically between locations, the conclusions of the Working Group apply to all regions of the  world.

A major environmental health problem Air pollution is already known to increase risks for a wide range of diseases, such as respiratory and heart diseases. Studies indicate that in recent years exposure levels have increased significantly in some parts of the world, particularly in rapidly industrializing countries with large populations. The most recent data indicate that in 2010, 223 000 deaths from lung cancer worldwide resulted from air pollution.

The most widespread environmental carcinogen “The air we breathe has become polluted with a mixture of cancer-causing substances,” says Dr Kurt Straif, Head of the IARC Monographs Section. “We now know that outdoor air pollution is not only a major  risk to health in general, but also a leading environmental cause of cancer deaths.”

The IARC Monographs Programme, dubbed the “encyclopaedia of carcinogens”, provides an authoritative source of scientific evidence on cancer-causing substances and exposures. In the past, the Programme evaluated many individual chemicals and specific mixtures that occur in outdoor air pollution. These included diesel engine exhaust, solvents, metals, and dusts. But this is the first time that experts have classified outdoor air pollution as a cause of cancer.

“Our task was to evaluate the air everyone breathes rather than focus on specific air pollutants,” explains Dr Dana Loomis, Deputy Head of the Monographs Section. “The results from the reviewed studies point in the same direction: the risk of developing lung cancer is significantly increased in people exposed to air pollution.”

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Silica: A Long Overdue Proposal

The long awaited "Silica standard" for workers has been proposed by OSHA. This post is shared from Dr. David Michaels,  Assistant Secretary for Occupational Safety and Health.

Alan White is a 48-year-old foundry worker from Buffalo, N.Y. – he’s in the local steelworkers union, employed at the same foundry where his father also worked. He just became a grandfather. Three years ago, Alan went to a doctor who did a series of tests and told him that he had contracted silicosis, a debilitating lung disease he got from being exposed to silica at his job.

I met Alan last year on a trip he made to Washington to talk about how he got silicosis and the effects of the disease on his life. This is what he told me:

“I don’t smoke, I don’t drink, I eat organic foods, I don’t eat much red meat. Now I know that my lifestyle probably won’t benefit my long-term health because of the devastating effects of silica exposure. As a new grandfather, I probably will not be able to run with my grandchild through the park as I had hoped.  Even simple tasks like walking and talking on a cell phone are difficult and my outlook is downhill from here.”

Earlier today, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration proposed a new rule to protect workers from silica exposure, and we’re reaching out to stakeholders for their help to develop a final rule with effective solutions that will protect workers like Alan.

Healthy lungs vs. silicosis

Crystalline silica kills hundreds of American workers and sickens thousands more each year. These very small silica dust particles are hazardous when workers breathe them in. They can cause silicosis – an incurable and progressive disease. Workers can be exposed to airborne silica dust from cutting, sawing, drilling and crushing concrete, brick, block and other stone products. They also can be exposed during operations that use sand products such as glass manufacturing, sand blasting and −as in Alan’s case −foundry work.

WHO Concludes Occupation Exposure to Bitumens Can Cause Cancer

The World Health Organization (WHO)/International Agency for Research on Cancer’s Monographs programme re-evaluated various occupations that entail exposures to bitumens and bitumen emissions, including road paving, roofing, and application of mastic asphalt.

After an 8-day comprehensive review, the Working Group concluded that:

• occupational exposures to oxidized bitumens and their emissions during roofing are ‘probably carcinogenic to humans’ (Group 2A);

• occupational exposures to hard bitumens and their emissions during mastic asphalt work are ‘possibly carcinogenic to humans’ (Group 2B); and

• occupational exposures to straight-run bitumens and their emissions during road paving are ‘possibly  carcinogenic to humans’ (Group 2B).

Bitumens are produced by distillation of crude oil during petroleum refining, and also occur naturally. Bitumens can be  divided into broad classes according to their physical properties and specifications required for the different uses. The  major use of bitumens is in asphalt for road paving; other uses include roofing, waterproofing, and sealing and  painting.  Application of bitumens may generate hazardous emissions.

For over 3 decades the Law Offices of Jon L. Gelman  1.973.696.7900  jon@gelmans.com have been representing injured workers and their families who have suffered occupational accidents and illnesses.

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The Next Wave of Workers Compensation Claims: WHO Calls Cell Phones a Potential Cancer Risk

After years of review, the World Health Organization (WHO) has classified the radio frequencies utilized by cell phones as possibly carcinogenic to human thereby opening the door to potential wave of workers' compensation occupational disease claims for  cancer of the brain. The increase risk has been identified for glioma, a malignant type of brain cancer .

The research has been mounting concern about the possibility of adverse health effects resulting from exposure to radio frequency electromagnetic fields, such as those emitted by wireless phones. The number of mobile phones in use is estimated at 5 billion annually. The Working Group did not quantitate the risk; however, one study of past cell phone use (up to the year 2004), showed a 40% increased risk for gliomas in the highest category of heavy users (reported average: 30 minutes per day over a 10‐year period).

The WHO/International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) has been meeting from May 24 through May 31 in Lyon, France to access the potential carcinogenic hazards from exposure to radio frequency electromagnetic fields.

The IARC Monograph Working Group discussed and evaluated the available literature on the following exposure categories involving radiofrequency electromagnetic fields:

•  occupational exposures to radar and to microwaves; 
•  environmental exposures associated with transmission of signals for radio, television and wireless telecommunication; and 
•  personal exposures associated with the use of wireless telephones. 

A report summarizing the main conclusions of the IARC Working Group and the evaluations of the carcinogenic hazard from radiofrequency electromagnetic fields (including the use of mobile telephones) will be published in The Lancet Oncology in its July 1st issue.

Cells phones have emerged as a significant issue in workers' compensation claims since their use has been a major cause of distracted driving resulting in many serious and fatal accidents on the job. The WHO/IARC report has the potential of causing a major new wave of workers' compensation claims for cancer.


For over 3 decades the Law Offices of Jon L. Gelman  1.973.696.7900  jon@gelmans.com have been representing injured workers and their families who have suffered occupational accidents and illnesses.

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