Chemical Safety Helpdesk

4841. July 30, 2012 | Agence France-Presse (AFP)
Ocean's carbon-sucking funnels revealed, Australia
SCIENTISTS say they have unravelled the mechanism by which Earth-warming carbon is sucked deep into the Southern Ocean to be safely locked away - a process that may itself be threatened by climate change...

4842. July 30, 2012 | Chemical & Engineering News (C&EN)
Storms Linked To Ozone Damage, C&EN
Great plumes of water vapor injected into the stratosphere by powerful summer storms could be affecting atmospheric chemistry, triggering previously unrecognized damage to Earth’s protective ozone layer, scientists report...

4843. July 30, 2012 | Times of Malta
Human rights court is to hear asbestos case, Malta
About 20 former dockyard workers suffering from the effects of asbestos inhalation have taken their battle for compensation to the European Court of Human Rights, which has given the government four months to reply...

4844. July 30, 2012 | The Greater Dandenong Weekly
Pollution breach review urged, Australia
A DANDENONG South insulation manufacturer is seeking to water down its pollution licence after being issued with a notice by the state's environment watchdog last year...

4845. July 30, 2012 | Columbus Dispatch
U.S. asbestos rules foil land banks, USA
Federal interpretations of regulations on asbestos removal are hampering efforts by cities to tear down scores of vacant and abandoned homes in Ohio, land-bank officials say....

4846. July 30, 2012 | SFGate
State must adopt proposed rules on toxic chemicals, USA
For many California moms, motherhood has become a crash course in chemistry. My own quest to purchase toxics-free diapers for my infant son shows just how much effort is involved. Through research...

4847. July 30, 2012 | Burnley Express
Toxic waste dumped at Hapton ford, UK
RESIDENTS have hit out at fly-tippers who dumped toxic waste close to a Hapton ford. The mess, containing oil, fibreglass and oxidising agent, was discovered at the site, off Mill Hill Lane, on Thursday...

4848. July 30, 2012 | The Associated Press (AP)
200 sacks of chemical powder recovered in Mumbai, India
REDWOOD CITY, Calif. (AP) — San Mateo County prosecutors are suing a Redwood City construction company they claim illegally dumped five barrels of hazardous materials in a garbage bin...

4849. July 30, 2012 | The Daily Star
Hundreds flee chemical blaze fumes, Thailand
Untreated chemical waste from a dyeing factory at Loshkarpur, a densely populated area in Pabna municipality, is not only causing serious environmental degradation but also posing health hazards...

4850. July 29, 2012 | The Vancouver Sun
Enbridge oil spill in Wisconsin raises new concerns about proposed pipeline, Canada
Critics of the proposed Northern Gateway pipeline are pointing to a new Enbridge oil spill of roughly 1,200 barrels in Wisconsin as another sign that a new conduit for Albertan bitumen is too risky for British Columbia...

4851. July 29, 2012 | The New York Times
Nuclear Energy Critic Loses Japan Election, Japan
TOKYO — A candidate who pushed an antinuclear agenda lost a closely watched race for governor in western Japan on Sunday, underscoring the challenges opponents of nuclear energy face in translating recent mass protests into votes...

4852. July 29, 2012 | Reuters
"Greyjing"? Air pollution fouls Beijing's name, China
With its parks, centuries-old palaces, history and culture, Beijing should be one of the more pleasant capitals of the world. Instead, it's considered among the worst to live in because of chronic air pollution...

4853. July 29, 2012 | Marin Independent Journal
New rules on pesticide use aim to protect creeks around Marin, USA
In an effort to better protect Marin and other creek ecosystems around California, a state agency has restricted the use of certain pesticides when the weather is wet....

4854. July 29, 2012 | The Gulf Today
Fire guts chemical container in Khorfakkan, United Arab Emirates
KHORFAKKAN: The Civil Defence in Khorfakkan with the co-operation of Al Fujairah Civil Defence succeeded in controlling a huge fire that broke out in a container for chemical material in the port of Khorfakkan...

4855. July 28, 2012 | KHON2
Postal worker hospitalized after chemical leaks from package, Hawii
Honolulu Fire Department officials say a U.S. postal worker was taken to the hospital; he complained of nausea after handling a package that was apparently leaking a substance...

4856. July 28, 2012 | This is South Wales
?16k fine for 'hazardous' chemical leak from batteries, UK
TENS of thousands of batteries which could have been hazardous to children have been removed from sale at branches of discount retailer Poundstretcher thanks to a Swansea trading standards officer...

4857. July 28, 2012 | Al Jazeera English
China cancels project after protests, China
Hundreds of demonstrators protesting against alleged pollution from a paper factory in eastern China's Jiangsu province have clashed with police, forcing authorities to drop plans for a water-discharge project...

4858. July 27, 2012 | United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP)
UNEP and Partners Step up Conservation Efforts for Kenya's Tana River, Kenya
Nairobi 25 July 2012 - Efforts to tackle the environmental degradation of one of Kenya's most important ecosystems have received an important boost, following a two-day conferences...

4859. July 27, 2012 | SFGate
Guidelines help ID toxic home products, USA
California has taken a significant step toward providing residents with information about hazardous chemicals in products under a far-reaching law designed to improve consumer health and safety...

4860. July 27, 2012 | Innovation Report
Chemical found in hot asphalt could be linked to higher cancer rates in roofers, USA
Roofers and road construction workers who use hot asphalt are exposed to high levels of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs)...