Vitanews.netBreaking News Roundup: Wednesday July 30th, 2008
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The next time you make some microwave popcorn or cook a frozen pizza,consider this: The packaging of many of these products contains achemical that the EPA considers potentially carcinogenic and wantsbusinesses to voluntarily stop using by 2015. Studies show this chemical - perfluorooctanoic acid, or PFOA -is present in 98% of Americans' blood and100% of newborns. It doesn't break down and thus accumulates . . . Sam Shuster, a consultant dermatologist at Norfolk and Norwich UniversityHospital, says that sun exposure is the major cause of the common formsof skin cancer, which are all virtually benign, but not the rarer, trulymalignant melanoma. Shuster says that the common skin cancers developin pale, sun exposed skin and are less frequent in people who avoid the sunand use protection. In contrast, melanoma is related to ethnicity ratherthan pigmentation and in 75% of cases occurs on relatively unexposedsites, especially on the feet of Africans. Melanoma occurrence decreaseswith greater sun exposure and can be increased by sunscreens, while sunbed exposure has a small inconsistent effect. Therefore, he concludes, anycausative effect of ultraviolet light on melanoma can only be minimal.While many people rely solely on SPF when selecting a sunscreen, theserankings show the single number only tells half the story. SPF measures asunscreen's ability to block UVB rays. But it says nothing about its strengthagainst UVA rays, an equally damaging form of radiation that causeswrinkles and, more seriously, skin cancer. And unlike UVB rays that causesunburns, UVA rays do not leave an immediate mark. "We don't have aphysical, visible way to know if we're protected against UVA radiation,"says Jane Houlihan of the Environmental Working Group. "Your skin looksfine, you're not burnt, and you could have a massive dose of UV radiation.Toronto's department of public health has advised teenagers and youngchildren to limit their use of cell phones, in order to avoid potential healthrisks. The advisory is the first of its kind in Canada. Officials have warnedthat because of possible side effects from radio frequency radiation,children under eight should only use a cell phone in emergencies, andteenagers should limit calls to less than 10 minutes. For many years, mostgovernment agencies were dismissive of any risk. But with more studies, apattern is emerging that suggests people who have used their cell phonesfor a long period of time are at greater risk of certain kinds of tumors.