Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
California Sets Strict Limit For Toxic Chromium-6 In Water Supply
Los Angeles Times: California Sets Limit For Chromium-6 In Drinking Water
After years of analysis and debate, California regulators have adopted a nation-leading drinking water standard for hexavalent chromium, a carcinogen found in water supplies across the state. The dangers of the toxic heavy metal, also known as chromium-6, became widely known in the 1990s after a court case that then-legal clerk Erin Brockovich helped develop against Pacific Gas & Electric for contaminating water in the town of Hinkley in the Mojave Desert. (James, 4/18)
CNN: Heat Caused Record-High Rates Of Health Emergencies In Some Parts Of The US Last Year, CDC Report Shows
Last summer was the hottest ever recorded in the United States, and heat-related health emergencies also reached record-high levels in some parts of the country. (McPhillips, 4/18)
KFF Health News: Newsom Offers A Compromise To Protect Indoor Workers From Heat
Gov. Gavin Newsom’s administration has compromised on long-sought rules that would protect indoor workers from extreme heat, saying tens of thousands of prison and jail employees — and prisoners — would have to wait for relief. The deal comes a month after the administration unexpectedly rejected sweeping heat standards for workers in sweltering warehouses, steamy kitchens, and other dangerously hot job sites. (Young, 4/18)
NPR: New Studies Find Thousands Of Annual U.S. Deaths Linked To Wildfire Smoke
New research shows that the health consequences of wildfire smoke exposure stretch well beyond the smoky days themselves, contributing to nearly 16,000 deaths each year across the U.S., according to a National Bureau of Economic Research (NBER) analysis released in April. The analysis warns that number could grow to nearly 30,000 deaths a year by the middle of the century as human-driven climate change increases the likelihood of large, intense, smoke-spewing wildfires in the Western U.S. and beyond. (Borunda, 4/18)
AP: BNSF Railway Says It Didn't Know About Asbestos That's Killed Hundreds In Montana Town
BNSF Railway attorneys are expected to argue before jurors Friday that the railroad should not be held liable for the lung cancer deaths of two former residents of an asbestos-contaminated Montana town, one of the deadliest sites in the federal Superfund pollution program. Attorneys for the Warren Buffett-owned company say the railroad’s corporate predecessors didn’t know the vermiculite it hauled over decades from a nearby mine was filled with hazardous microscopic asbestos fibers. (Brown and Hanson, 4/19)
The Denver Post: National Jewish Study Looks To Sand As Possible Explanation For Combat Veterans’ Breathing Problems
A new study at Denver’s National Jewish Health found an unexpected potential culprit for lung disease in some combat veterans: silica, which is one of the most common elements in dust, soil and sand. (Wingerter, 4/18)
CBS News: Pesticides Pose A Significant Risk In 20% Of Fruits And Vegetables, Consumer Reports Finds
A healthy diet includes ample portions of fruits and vegetables, but not the unhealthy dose of pesticides found in about one in five of the produce examined by Consumer Reports. An examination of 59 common fruits and vegetables found pesticides posed significant risks in 20% of them, from bell peppers, blueberries and green beans to potatoes and strawberries, according to findings published Thursday by the nonprofit consumer advocacy group. (Gibson, 4/18)
On dengue and mosquitoes —
Reuters: Dengue Cases Surge By Nearly 50% In Americas Amid 'Emergency Situation', UN Agency Says
Dengue cases have created an "emergency situation" in the Americas, although cases in hotspots Argentina and Brazil appear to have stabilized, the head of the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) said on Thursday. PAHO, a United Nations agency, has confirmed more than 5.2 million cases of dengue across the Americas this year, an over 48% jump from the 3.5 million cases the group reported late last month. (4/18)
Stat: Next-Generation Mosquito Nets Saved 25,000 Lives In Pilot Studies
The fight against malaria is a test of human intelligence against mosquitoes — and so far, our minuscule winged enemy is winning. But new results shared this week show substantial improvements in one of the most important tools we have to prevent the life-threatening disease: bed nets. (Merelli, 4/17)
