Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
Dementia Risks May Be Increased By Air Pollution Exposure, Analysis Finds
Bloomberg: Air Pollution Linked To Increased Dementia Risk In Harvard Analysis
Breathing polluted air was linked to an increased risk for dementia, underscoring the potential for stricter air quality measures to prevent conditions like Alzheimer’s disease that afflict millions of Americans. (Peng, 4/5)
The Washington Post: Air Pollution May Raise Risk Of Dementia, Analysis Shows
It has long been known that inhaling these microscopic particles — also known as PM 2.5, particles less than 2.5 microns in width — can cause serious health issues. (In comparison, the width of a single human hair is 50 to 100 microns.) But “their relationship to the brain and dementia is a relatively recent thing,” said lead study author Marc Weisskopf, Cecil K. and Philip Drinker Professor of environmental epidemiology and physiology at Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health. “Dementia is a massive problem worldwide. If we can reduce exposure to these particles, we can reduce the burden of dementia.” (Cimons, 4/5)
The EPA has proposed stricter limits on mercury pollution —
AP: EPA Tightens Mercury Emissions Limits At Coal Power Plants
The Environmental Protection Agency is tightening rules that limit emissions of mercury and other harmful pollutants from coal-fired power plants, updating standards imposed more than a decade ago. The rules proposed Wednesday would lower emissions of mercury and other toxic pollutants that can harm brain development of young children and contribute to heart attacks and other health problems in adults. (Daly, 4/5)
The Washington Post: Biden EPA Clamps Down On Mercury From Coal Power Plants
The agency said its proposal will also cut emissions of soot, sulfur dioxide, nitrogen oxides, and the leading contributor to climate change, carbon dioxide, nationwide. “America is leading the way in innovation, and our work to protect public health is no different,” Administrator Michael Regan said in a statement. “By leveraging proven, emissions-reduction measures available at reasonable costs and encouraging new, advanced control technologies, we can reduce hazardous pollution from coal-fired power plants, protecting our planet and improving public health for all.” (Puko, 4/5)
In other environmental health news —
Tampa Bay Times: Tampa Bay’s Redfish Are Contaminated With Pharmaceuticals, Study Shows
Over a four-day period last summer, Dustin Pack set out into Tampa Bay in search of one of the most coveted fish species in Florida. Armed with fishing rods, live bait and his shallow-water skiff, it would seem like any other week for Pack, a full-time fly fishing guide and captain. (Chesnes, 4/5)
ProPublica: Major Chemical Company Changes Tune on Asbestos, No Longer Opposes EPA Ban
For decades, chemical companies fought attempts to ban asbestos, claiming they needed the potent carcinogen to manufacture chlorine. As recently as last April, in fact, the CEO of one of the last major companies still clinging to the toxic substance argued for it to remain legal. Acceptable alternatives “do not exist,” Olin Corp. CEO Scott Sutton told regulators. In a dramatic turnaround, Olin said on Tuesday that it would support a federal ban on the deadly mineral. (McGrory and Bedi, 4/5)
San Francisco Chronicle: U.S. EPA Hits Valero Refinery In Benicia With $1.2 Million Penalty
Oil refining giant Valero must pay a $1.2 million penalty for major flaring incidents at its Benicia facility that spewed dark plumes of pollutants into neighborhoods, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency announced Wednesday. The “significant chemical incidents” occurred in 2017 and 2019 and forced people, including schoolchildren, to shelter in place because of the risk of exposure to harmful chemicals, according to the agency. (Johnson, 4/5)
Also —
The Boston Globe: Former Top Officials At Mass. Company Charged With Knowingly Selling Defective Lead-Testing Machines Used By Tens Of Thousands Of Children
Three former executives at a Massachusetts medical device company knowingly sold defective lead-testing machines between 2013 and 2017 that generated inaccurate results for tens of thousands of children across the country and for clients of at least one international relief organization, federal prosecutors said Wednesday. (Ellement and Lazar, 4/5)
Salt Lake Tribune: Gov. Cox Appointed A Democratic Physician To The Utah Air Quality Board. GOP Lawmakers Said ‘No.’
A legislative committee failed to advance Gov. Spencer Cox’s nomination of Democratic Salt Lake County Council member Suzanne Harrison to a slot on the Utah Air Quality Board on Tuesday. The no votes from Senate Republicans appeared to be motivated by a measure of political payback and worries Harrison’s environmental positions were out of sync with the GOP-dominated Utah Legislature. (Schott, 4/5)
