UPDATE no. 58   Dear member of INCHES, In this update:   News UNEP training Children’s environmental health training Short messages Articles Conferences       News UNEP PRESS RELEASE From Talk to Action:  Governments Adopt National Plans for Eliminating 12 Extremely Hazardous Chemicals       GENEVA,– Governments participating in the annual conference of the Stockholm Convention on Persistent Organic Pollutants (POPs) have focused on the practical measures now being taken at the national level to rid the world of some of the most dangerous chemicals ever created. The Stockholm Convention, which became effective in May 2004, targets 12 hazardous pesticides and industrial chemicals that can kill people, damage the nervous and immune systems, cause cancer and reproductive disorders and interfere with normal infant and child development. Governments are required to submit a National Implementation Plan (NIP) within two years of joining the Convention.  They are using these NIPs to establish their particular priorities and to set out detailed action plans. They will then report every two years on progress towards achieving their Plan’s goals. The first National Implementation Plans have been submitted from a geographically diverse set of countries, including Bolivia, Burundi, Egypt, Japan, Latvia, Moldova, Niue, Romania and the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia.   The CHEST training modules The CHEST project that INCHES initiated and which was partly funded by the EU commission under DG SANCO has finalised it’s training modules on children’s environmental health. In addition to the 11 modules that were initiatied by the World Health Organisation another 13 modules were produced. Also 11 case studies have been produced. All this material is meant to be used for training health care providers ranging from pediatricians to public health officers, including nurses and primary health care workers. Each module consists of 30 to 60 powerpoint slides including extensive notes and reference material. It is foreseen that training institutes will use this material to support their training programmes and courses. Qualified trainers should be involved in using this training material as they will be able to understand the contents and will have the training skills. The training module can be ordered at INCHES for the price of printing the modules and providing the cd-rom with modules and case studies (depending on mailing costs the price will be around € 55 or $ 68). For ordering address or more information see address at the end of this update. The list of modules in the training manual are:   Training Modules on children’s environmental health 1. Why Children? 2. Children are not little adults 3. The Paediatric Environmental History 4. Children and chemicals 5. Outdoor air pollution 6. Indoor air pollution 7. Second-hand Tobacco Smoke and children 8. Allergy and the environment 9. Transport and Health 10. Heavy metals 11. Lead 12. Mercury 13. Pesticides 14. Children and water 15. Persistent Organic Pollutants (POPs) 16. Consumer products (Household chemicals) 17. Unintentional childhood injuries 18. Incidents with Industrial Chemicals 19. Occupational risks for Children’s Health (including parental exposures) 20. Preconception counselling 21  Introduction to Toxicology 22. Introduction to Epidemiology 23. Introduction to Risk Assessment 24. Introduction to Risk Communication   Short messages A study described in the November 2005 issue of Environmental Health Perspectives took a close look at in utero exposure to dioxins and polychlorinated biphenyls. The results of the study suggest routine screening of thyroid hormone levels and thyroid function in newborns. View the article   New results from a nationwide study on factors that affect asthma in inner-city children show that cockroach allergen appears to worsen asthma symptoms more than either dust mite or pet allergens. This research, funded by the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences and the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, is the first large-scale study to show marked geographic differences in allergen exposure and sensitivity in inner-city children. To learn more, visit www.niehs.nih.gov/oc/news/cockroach.htm   An invitation from Dr Ted Schettler (PSR Boston) to participate and join the Collaborative on Health and the Environment. (CHE). You can learn more about CHE at http://www.healthandenvironment.org/, including "why join" and "mission", etc.  It's free, and you will not get flooded with emails.  No more than three a month, unless you choose to join one of the workgroups in which case you may receive a few more.   Articles No "safe" lead level seen for fetal brain                                                            Exposure to even small amounts of lead through a mother's blood may harm the brain development  of unborn babies, a new study suggests.                                                              The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) currently considers 10 micrograms per deciliter (mcg/dL) the "level of concern" for lead in the bloodstream, but researchers in Mexico found that maternal blood lead levels well below 10 mcg/dL appeared to have a lasting impact on their children's IQ, at least up to the age of 10.                                          Lead is a toxic metal that is present in the air, soil and water, though public health efforts in recent decades to reduce environmental levels --by taking lead out of gasoline and paints, for example -- have cut Americans' lead exposure.                                          Young children and unborn babies are especially vulnerable to the toxicity of lead, as even low-level exposure can damage the developing brain and cause learning and behavioral problems.                                                              The new study, along with past research, indicates there is no level of exposure that's "safe" for the fetal brain.                                                   In particular, lead exposure during the early third trimester appeared critical, and much of the effects on children's later intellectual development seemed to occur at levels well below the U.S. federal standard -within the first 6 mcg/dL of exposure.  "The weight of evidence from a  number of studies, including this one, argues convincingly that the outdated current CDC recommendations do not adequately protect either children or fetuses from developmental damage related to lead," study co-author Dr. Stephen J. Rothenberg told Reuters Health.                                                        Rothenberg, who is with the National Institute of Public Health in Cuernavaca, Mexico,  said he and his colleagues believe the only "safe" level of lead exposure for children and pregnant women is no exposure.                                         Their study, published in the journal Environmental Health Perspectives, followed 175 children whose mothers' blood lead levels were measured repeatedly throughout pregnancy.  The children took IQ tests at the ages of 6 and 10.                                                  The researchers found that maternal lead levels during pregnancy, particularly around the 28th week, were associated with poorer IQ test performance -- even with other factors, such as lead exposure after birth,  considered. And the effects appeared to occur largely within  the "first few" micrograms per deciliter of exposure, the researchers report.                                                    Pregnant women who are found to have more than a few micrograms per deciliter of lead in their blood can, with their doctor's help, identify and avoid any ongoing sources of lead exposure, Rothenberg said.                                             But he stressed the importance of limiting low-level exposure long before pregnancy. Over time, lead is laid done in the bone, some of which will be released into the bloodstream during pregnancy.                                                      "Lifetime exposure avoidance is the only way to avoid any fetal exposure to lead," Rothenberg explained.                                                             Some measures for lowering lead exposure include using bottled or filtered water, since tap water can be a source of lead,  particularly in older home with lead-based pipes. Older homes may still contain lead-based paint, and if the paint is peeling, lead dust can be inhaled. To remove this hazard,  homeowners should hire a certified lead abatement contractor.                                                            SOURCE: Environmental Health Perspectives, online December, 2005.               Sick young farmers. The misuse of herbicides and pesticides has resulted in high rates of infection and disease among children working in the agricultural sector. Yemen Times, Yemen. 1 December 2005.         By Amel Mohammed Alariqi Sadam Al-Ashmoree Yemen Times Staff.      Zaid Altweeli, nine years old, does not go to school. He is busy working with his father in their own field " I and my eight brothers are working in the field from eight in the morning until three in the afternoon" he said. "We don’t go to school because we don't have the time. Our father is forcing us to work in our Qat field".                                                             Zaid is one of 292.000 children who work in the agricultural sector, according to a study, which estimated the total number of children working in Yemen to 624.000 children. The study found 97% of the children working in the agricultural sector receive no money for their labor since they work for their own families. 3% earn "trivial amounts". 55% of them are working in agriculture and crafts and the rest are working as venders in public places.        The poverty and low family income, and the involvement of the family members in agriculture, are considered the most important factors for children to work according to this study.               Mohammed Yahia Alshaws, 11 years old, explained the cause that forced him to work when he said, "we are four brothers. I am the youngest. I work because my father is dead and there is no one we can depend on for our life". Fawaz Haza Ahmed is 14 years old and live in Hada village 10 km from Sana'a, said that he is planting vegetables with his father. Sometimes he works in construction to earn money and help his family. "Many times I become sick because of the anti- insect that I use to spray the plants with", he added.   Fawaz may represent thousands of children that get sick as a result of their work in the field.                                  Though ministry of social affairs and labor claimed that there is no reliable statistics for the number of children who are working, an official field study, which has been prepared by a team of this ministry, exposed that children who are working in the agricultural sector, are undergoing many infections and diseases. The study, which covered three governorates (Sana'a, Albitha and Dhamar), mentioned that 45% of the children are suffering of dermatitis, 30% of ophthalmia that may develop to become blindness, 20% are suffering of intestinal disease and 5% have epilepsy.                                                           The study attributed the reasons of such diseases to the misuse of herbicides and insecticides. Many children, according to the study, don’t use any kind of protection means during spraying the plants with insecticides. Unconsciously they confuse these poisons  with water without looking at the instructions that are written on the containers. The direct and constant exposure to dust also makes the children an easy object to respiratory diseases such as asthma, allergy, etc.                                               Most children who work in the fields tend to work quickly, paying no attention to close the spray and thus some of the herbicides get to their neck and shoulders. They get inflammations in a form of burns.                                                           According to the study 90% of the children from those regions chew Qat that is polluted by herbicides. 56% of the children who spray those poisons are between 8-10 years old.                           The study added that one of the elements that help to spread these infections is the preference of the parents to send their children to work in the field instead of sending them to school. 40% of the children do not go to school whereas 60% of them attend the school  irregularly.                                                        Recently, a parliamentary report warned of water pollution. It insisted that 50% of children fatality is due to diseases that are  caused by water pollution. Based on the report, 30% of the  children died because diarrhea, 30% because of malaria. The report  mentioned that 55.000 die each year, which is the same as 151 child everyday.                                                     http://yementimes.com/article.shtml?i=899&p=health&a=1                                     Conferences: New conferences and trainings First Training Course in Environmental Diplomacy, which will be held in Geneva from 26 August 2006 through 10 September 2006. The objective of this joint UNEP/UNITAR/University of Geneva programme is to teach the skills necessary to participate in international negotiations in environment, sustainable development and related fields to present or future diplomats, negotiators, policy and decision makers in governments, regional intergovernmental bodies, local authorities, the private sector, NGOs, trade unions and UN bodies.  Practical information about the Environmental Diplomacy Training Course and modalities for application are included in the attached brochure.  The deadline for application is 31 May 2006. A number of hard copies of the brochure are available at UNEP Regional Office    for    Europe    (contact: Ms. Virginie   Combaz, e-mail: virginie.combaz@unep.ch, telephone: +41 22/817 81 55).   Conference Vulnerability of the Fetus and Infant to Ambient Pollutants and Reduced Food Intake in Pregnancy - Krakow, Poland,June 2.3, 2006   The purpose of the Conference is to assess the weight of evidence and assemble new achievements on the effects of prenatal and early postnatal exposure to ambient and indoor pollutants such as polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, particulate matter, and environmental tobacco smoke on fetal/child growth, neurobehavioral development, and childhood health status. Another purpose of this Conference is also to assess fetal responses to the changes in intrauterine environment caused by reduced food intake around the time of conception and during pregnancy.