Chemical Safety Helpdesk

5201. May 7, 2012 | Agence France-Presse (AFP)
12 killed in Thai chemical factory fire, Thailand
BANGKOK: An explosion that sparked a blaze at a chemical factory in eastern Thailand killed 12 people, injured more than 100 and spewed toxic smoke into the air, the health ministry said yesterday...

5202. May 7, 2012 | ScienceDaily
Smart Gas Sensors for Better Chemical Detection, ScienceDaily
ScienceDaily (May 1, 2012) — Portable gas sensors can allow you to search for explosives, diagnose medical conditions through a patient's breath, and decide whether it's safe to stay in a mine...

5203. May 7, 2012 | Bangkok Post
Toxic fears grip Rayong locals, Thailand
RAYONG: Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra has set up a tripartite committee to examine possible toxic contamination in the Map Ta Phut area following the chemical explosion at a petrochemical factory as the death toll rose to 12...

5204. May 7, 2012 | This is Hampshire
Campaign to cut pollution in river, UK
A CAMPAIGN has been launched to reduce potentially damaging phosphate levels in the River Loddon...

5205. May 6, 2012 | The Times-Picayune
BP oil spill settlement grants will pay for health, mental health services on Gulf coast, USA
Health care services in southeastern Louisiana will get a major share of the $104 million in grant money included in the BP Deepwater Horizon oil spill settlement, according to papers filed in federal court on Thursday...

5206. May 6, 2012 | SeacoastOnline.com
N.H. Senate to take up bill to ban BPA in baby-related products, USA
The New Hampshire Senate is scheduled to vote Wednesday on a measure sponsored by a local lawmaker that would ban the sale of baby food products containing the chemical Bisphenol A, or BPA...

5207. May 5, 2012 | TDN.com
What would a coal terminal mean for Cowlitz County air quality?, USA
As far as government regulators are concerned, grain dust floating over the Port of Longview is no different from dust that might blow off coal piles at the proposed Millennium Bulk Terminals plant west of town...

5208. May 4, 2012 | United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP)
Sustainable Water Management Brings Economic, Social & Environmental Benefits, say Countries, USA/Kenya
Pre-publication results: UN Survey of 130 Countries Provides In-Depth Status Report on Global Efforts to Improve Water Management..

5209. May 4, 2012 | Palm Beach Post
With toxic household cleaners, make a clean break, Palm Beach Post
Years ago, consumers didn't have many choices when it came to cleaning products. There were a few brand names for general all-purpose cleaning, and then there were old-fashioned basics such as white vinegar, baking soda, borax, lemon oil and Castile soap...

5210. May 4, 2012 | ENN
Are there toxic chemicals in your gardening equipment and supplies?, ENN
Spring time is here and a lot of people are indulging in gardening. But did you know that there are a lot of chemicals that may be harmful to your health in your gardening supplies?...

5211. May 4, 2012 | AAP
Evidence of toxic chemicals on road: union, Australia
Toxic pesticides and cancerous chemicals were buried on a stretch of the Pacific Highway where road workers recently became ill, a union claims....

5212. May 3, 2012 | United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP)
Registration Open for New Online Course on the Green Economy, UNEP
The United Nations Institute for Training and Research (UNITAR) in partnership with the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) IS launching a new e-learning course on the Green Economy which is a major theme of the UN Conference on Sustainable Development (RIO+20) IN June 2012...

5213. May 3, 2012 | United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP)
Supporting Canada's Coasts Can Benefit Climate and Economy, Canada/Kenya
Montreal / Nairobi, 03 May 2012 - Reversing the degradation of coastal ecosystems in Canada and elsewhere can play an important role in tackling climate change, while bringing additional benefits to biodiversity and the economies of coastal communities...

5214. May 3, 2012 | Reuters
EXCLUSIVE: U.S. shale causes rise in waste gas pollution, USA
The U.S. shale energy boom is fuelling a rise in the burning of waste gas after years of decline, a World Bank source told Reuters ahead of the release of new data, giving environmentalists more ammunition against the industry...

5215. May 2, 2012 | Dumbarton and Vale of Leven Reporter
Plan for 'toxic' land, UK
A MASSIVE development for a former Esso site at Bowling could see the fortunes of a potentially toxic wasteground transformed...

5216. May 2, 2012 | Stuff.co.nz
A day on, toxic river still flowing, New Zealand
More than a day after a spill was reported to officials, the acrid smell of diesel still wafts off a residential section of the Waikato River and rainbow sheens can be seen escaping the absorbent boom and floating away...

5217. May 2, 2012 | NorthJersey.com
Four Wanaque homes need test for toxic vapor, USA
New Jersey wants the owner of a Wanaque industrial site to investigate how far a plume of groundwater contaminated with cancer-causing solvents has spread off its First Avenue property...

5218. May 1, 2012 | Environmental Health News
Womens' chemical exposure during pregnancy promotes obesity in daughters, EHN
Women exposed while in the womb to low levels of a common stain repellent are three times as likely to gain more weight and have large waists as young adults than women less exposed during development. This is the first time that this chemical...

5219. May 1, 2012 | The Associated Press (AP)
USC is fined $175,000 for toxic asbestos problems, USA
COLUMBIA — University of South Carolina officials say they’re launching new procedures to improve how building renovations are handled after paying more than $175,000 in state fines for violating environmental laws that protect students and staff from asbestos...

5220. May 1, 2012 | United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP)
UN Peacekeeping Set To Benefit From New Environmental Practices, USA
New York, 1 May 2012 - The United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) has today released the findings of a two-year analysis of how peacekeeping missions around the world affect, and are affected by, natural resources and the broader environment...