http://www.medindia.net/healthnews/dioxins-and-related-compounds-news.asp Medindia largest health website in india. en-us Copyright 2013. All Rights Reserved. Mon, 20 May 2013 13:24:18 GMT http://www.medindia.net/news/potential-salmonella-contamination-causes-natura-pet-products-to-expand-recall-of-dry-pet-food-117880-1.htm Pet products had issued a recall on some dry dog, cat and ferret foods due to possible salmonella contamination. The list of recalled products has been expanded to include all dry pet food products and treats with expiration dates prior to and including March 24, 2014. Officials of Michigan Department of Agriculture and the Georgia Department of Agriculture had found the presence of salmonella on samples taken from additional dry pet food and cat food treats and this discovery led to such an action....]]> http://www.medindia.net/news/potential-salmonella-contamination-causes-natura-pet-products-to-expand-recall-of-dry-pet-food-117880-1.htm http://www.medindia.net/news/food-contamination-detection-turns-easier-117699-1.htm A team from the University of Missouri, including two Indian origin engineers, have now developed a technique which may help detection of food contamination and help make it more rapid and accurate. The detection test also could accelerate warnings after bioterrorism attacks. "Quickly stopping the spread of toxins saves lives, whether those toxins are from natural processes or enemy attacks," said lead author Sangho Bok, postdoctoral fellow working under the supervision of Shubhra Gangopadhyay in MU's College of Engineering....]]> http://www.medindia.net/news/food-contamination-detection-turns-easier-117699-1.htm http://www.medindia.net/news/symposium-on-arsenic-contamination-in-food-and-water-117346-1.htm After eliminating arsenic as a useful tool for homicide, now science faces challenges in doing the same for natural sources of this fabled old "inheritance powder". This contaminates water supplies and food, threatening more than 35 million people worldwide. The Pulitzer Prize-winning author of a popular book documenting arsenic's horrific history as a poison highlighted that situation at a far-ranging symposium on arsenic here today during the 245th National Meeting (and) Exposition of the American ...]]> http://www.medindia.net/news/symposium-on-arsenic-contamination-in-food-and-water-117346-1.htm http://www.medindia.net/news/contamination-with-norovirus-high-in-fresh-fruits-and-vegetables-115725-1.htm The risk of contamination with norovirus is high in fresh fruits and vegetables especially in the event of exposure to water that is used to dilute pesticides, a recent insight has revealed. The report, led by Katharina Verhaelen of the National Institute for Health and the Environment, says "Water containing hNoV [human norovirus] used to dilute pesticides may be an important source of infectious hNoV in fresh produce chains. The application of pesticides may therefore not only be a chemical ...]]> http://www.medindia.net/news/contamination-with-norovirus-high-in-fresh-fruits-and-vegetables-115725-1.htm http://www.medindia.net/news/mobile-phones-can-now-screen-water-for-mercury-contamination-114083-1.htm You can now check whether water has been contaminated with mercury with the help of your mobile phone after researchers at University of Burgos in Spain manufactured a sheet that can change color in mercury-contaminated water. The amount of contamination can be found out by photographing the sheet with a mobile phone. Mercury contamination is a problem that is particularly affecting developing countries. It poses a risk to public health since it accumulates in the brain and the kidneys causing long term neurological illnesses....]]> http://www.medindia.net/news/mobile-phones-can-now-screen-water-for-mercury-contamination-114083-1.htm http://www.medindia.net/news/ranbaxy-halts-production-of-generic-lipitor-to-investigate-glass-particle-contamination-of-drug-110898-1.htm Indian pharmaceutical company Ranbaxy Laboratories confirmed that it will be stopping the production of its generic version of cholesterol drug Lipitor until its investigation into the presence of glass materials in some batches of the drug is completed. Ranbaxy had initiated a voluntary recall of its generic atorvastatin drug after it was informed by one of its suppliers that there could be a possibility that the drug could have been contaminated by glass materials. While there have been no ...]]> http://www.medindia.net/news/ranbaxy-halts-production-of-generic-lipitor-to-investigate-glass-particle-contamination-of-drug-110898-1.htm http://www.medindia.net/news/hospital-bugs-and-contamination-fears-108452-1.htm Researchers at University of Leeds have come out with a new study which reveals that hospital bugs contaminate surfaces far away from patients' beds by floating around on air currents. The researchers said that simply cleaning surfaces around patients' beds is not enough as the infection may spread by sneezing, coughing or shaking the bed clothes. A specially controlled study by the researchers found the presence of bugs as far as 3.5 meters away from a patient's bed. "The level of contamination ...]]> http://www.medindia.net/news/hospital-bugs-and-contamination-fears-108452-1.htm http://www.medindia.net/news/ill-effects-of-dioxin-may-be-felt-across-generations-107657-1.htm The ill effects of dioxin cannot be avoided even if it is completely eliminated around the globe as the descendants of those who were exposed to the chemical will continue to harbor the genetic modifications caused, a new study by researchers at Washington State University reveals. Writing in the journal iPLoS ONE/i, biologist Michael Skinner and members of his lab say dioxin administered to pregnant rats resulted in a variety of reproductive problems and disease in subsequent generations....]]> http://www.medindia.net/news/ill-effects-of-dioxin-may-be-felt-across-generations-107657-1.htm http://www.medindia.net/news/contamination-lead-to-erroneous-link-between-xmrv-and-prostate-cancer-107264-1.htm An inadvertent laboratory contamination dating back nearly a decade, was the cause of a promising discovery linking prostate cancer to an obscure retrovirus derived from mice. The connection, which scientists have questioned repeatedly over the last couple years, was first proposed more than six years ago, when the telltale signature of the virus, known as XMRV, was detected in genetic material derived from tissue samples taken from men with prostate cancer. br / br /Later studies failed ...]]> http://www.medindia.net/news/contamination-lead-to-erroneous-link-between-xmrv-and-prostate-cancer-107264-1.htm http://www.medindia.net/news/disinfecting-isolation-rooms-daily-cuts-contamination-of-health-workers-hands-107051-1.htm Daily disinfection of isolation rooms, infected with C. difficile, MRSA, can significantly reduce the contamination of medical professionals' hands, finds a research. The findings underscore the importance of environmental cleaning for reducing the spread of difficult to treat infections. The study is published in the October issue of iInfection Control and Hospital Epidemiology/i, the journal of the Society for Healthcare Epidemiology of America (SHEA). Researchers from the Cleveland ...]]> http://www.medindia.net/news/disinfecting-isolation-rooms-daily-cuts-contamination-of-health-workers-hands-107051-1.htm http://www.medindia.net/news/south-korea-to-build-floating-toilets-to-prevent-contamination-of-marine-food-following-us-warning-106964-1.htm Following warnings by US Food and Drug Administration over the possibility that marine food from South Korea could be contaminated with human fecal waste, South Korean authorities revealed that they will be spending over half a million dollars on the construction of floating toilets around shellfish farms. The first of 11 facilities, which each cost 60 million won ( (Dollor) 53,300), appeared on Tuesday off the southern port city of Tongyeong as part of a 1.1-billion-won project by South Gyeongsang province....]]> http://www.medindia.net/news/south-korea-to-build-floating-toilets-to-prevent-contamination-of-marine-food-following-us-warning-106964-1.htm http://www.medindia.net/news/ready-pac-foods-recalls-packaged-apple-slices-after-listeria-contamination-reports-105481-1.htm Packaged sliced apples sold to McDonald's and Burger King and grocery chains such as Wegmans Food Markets are being recalled by its manufacturer following reports that they could be contaminated with bacterium listeria. Ready Pac Foods revealed that it has voluntarily recalled more than 290,000 cases and over 296,000 individual packs of fruit, vegetable and sandwich products in which the contaminated apples were used. The company said that it initiated the recall after finding the equipment in its Missa Bay unit was infected with listeria....]]> http://www.medindia.net/news/ready-pac-foods-recalls-packaged-apple-slices-after-listeria-contamination-reports-105481-1.htm http://www.medindia.net/news/new-method-to-spot-mold-contamination-in-homes-102470-1.htm Scientists have come out with a new way to spot mold contamination in homes. Sutapa Ghosal and colleagues indicate that mold contamination of homes, especially after water damage from storms and floods, is an ongoing concern. Although most molds are harmless, scientists have linked some with health risks to humans. Traditional methods for detecting mold contamination involve identifying the spores that mold release into the air. Those tests are labor- and time-intensive, often requiring that the mold grow in the laboratory....]]> http://www.medindia.net/news/new-method-to-spot-mold-contamination-in-homes-102470-1.htm http://www.medindia.net/news/detection-of-water-contamination-using-sensors-with-silver-nanoparticles-102454-1.htm Scientists in a new study which also includes one of Indian origin have tried to make a semiconductor-graphene-metal film that could help detect even very low-level concentration of organic contaminations in water. Research published by the laboratory of Prashant V. Kamat, the John A. Zahm Professor of Science at the University of Notre Dame uses Surface-Enhanced Raman Spectroscopy to make use of silver nanoparticles to increase the sensitivity limit of chemical detection. Researchers in ...]]> http://www.medindia.net/news/detection-of-water-contamination-using-sensors-with-silver-nanoparticles-102454-1.htm http://www.medindia.net/news/majority-of-chinese-wary-about-food-contamination-102147-1.htm A new study has revealed that the risk of food contamination is so widespread in China that a majority of Chinese are wary about what kind of food products they eat. A poll shows most people have a negative view of food safety in China, with more than 70 percent saying they feel "unsafe". The study, conducted by Shanghai Institute for Food and Drug Safety and East China University of Science and Technology, was released Wednesday. It aims to find information on how the public looks ...]]> http://www.medindia.net/news/majority-of-chinese-wary-about-food-contamination-102147-1.htm http://www.medindia.net/news/pcb-capable-of-hiking-abdominal-fat-risk-101958-1.htm There is a correlation between high levels of the environmental toxin PCB and the distribution of body fat to the abdomen. This is shown in a new study published today in the scientific journal iObesity/i. Abdominal fat is already known to increase the risk of diabetes and high blood pressure, among other conditions. Fat inside the abdomen (visceral fat) is considerably more dangerous that fat near the surface of the body (subcutaneous fat). For instance, fat in the abdomen has previously been linked to the development of diabetes....]]> http://www.medindia.net/news/pcb-capable-of-hiking-abdominal-fat-risk-101958-1.htm http://www.medindia.net/news/rapid-test-strips-to-detect-bacterial-contamination-in-swimming-water-100745-1.htm A simple rapid paper strip developed by McMaster University researchers helps detect IE. coli/I in recreational water. Scientists from the Sentinel Bioactive Paper Network have created and validated the viability of the test strip, which can detect potentially harmful concentrations of IE. coli/I in water quickly and simply, with much greater accuracy than existing portable technology. The work is described in a paper published online in the journal iAnalytical and Bioanalytical Chemistry/i....]]> http://www.medindia.net/news/rapid-test-strips-to-detect-bacterial-contamination-in-swimming-water-100745-1.htm http://www.medindia.net/news/bacterial-contamination-in-pharmacy-robots-research-reveals-99859-1.htm Robots dispensing drugs designed to prepare intravenous medications quickly in a sterile environment can contain hazardous bacteria, states a report in IInfection Control and Hospital Epidemiology/I, the journal of the Society for Healthcare Epidemiology of America. During a routine screening in 2010, personnel at Wake Forest Baptist Medical Center in North Carolina discovered IBacillus cereus/I bacteria in samples dispensed by their machine, the Intellifill IV. "To our knowledge, this ...]]> http://www.medindia.net/news/bacterial-contamination-in-pharmacy-robots-research-reveals-99859-1.htm http://www.medindia.net/news/new-guidelines-to-avoid-heparin-contamination-97349-1.htm US regulators on Friday issued new guidelines for safe production of blood thinner biheparin/i/b. Heparin, a blood thinner used by millions of patients during kidney dialysis and heart surgery to prevent blood clots, is normally produced from pig intestines. After reports of allergic reactions to heparin began appearing in November 2007, the US Food and Drug Administration found that a substitute synthetic compound called oversulfated chondroitin sulfate (OSCS) had caused the toxic reactions....]]> http://www.medindia.net/news/new-guidelines-to-avoid-heparin-contamination-97349-1.htm http://www.medindia.net/news/BPA-Contamination-and-Thermal-Cash-Register-Receipts-92590-1.htm Researchers have warned that 94 percent of thermal cash register receipts are contaminated with Bisphenol A (BPA) - a substance that may have harmful health effects. The recycling of those receipts, they add, is a source of BPA contamination of paper napkins, toilet paper, food packaging and other paper products. The report could have special implications for cashiers and other people who routinely handle thermal paper receipts. Kurunthachalam Kannan and Chunyang Liao explain that ...]]> http://www.medindia.net/news/BPA-Contamination-and-Thermal-Cash-Register-Receipts-92590-1.htm http://www.medindia.net/news/Study-Says-Social-Class-Makes-No-Difference-to-Water-Contamination-Risk-82388-1.htm In a study that was conducted to study the effect of social class on exposure to common water disinfectants it was found that wealthy people who choose to drink bottled water rather than water from public supplies may be no less exposed to potentially cancer causing water contaminants. As part of the EPICURO national bladder cancer study, researchers from all over Spain quizzed 1,270 individuals about their water use and consumption in an effort to discover whether social class has any bearing ...]]> http://www.medindia.net/news/Study-Says-Social-Class-Makes-No-Difference-to-Water-Contamination-Risk-82388-1.htm http://www.medindia.net/news/Human-Feces-Contamination-in-18-of-Delhi-Jal-Board-Water-Supply-82065-1.htm Recent tests conducted on samples of water supplied by The Delhi Jal Board in the city zone, has revealed severe contamination with human feces. 18% of water supplied by the Delhi Jal Board (DJB) was found to be contaminated. Alarmingly, 60% of Delhi households consume water supplied by DJB. More than ten types of bacteria were found in the 100 ml sample of water, some of which can trigger water-borne diseases like jaundice, cholera, typhoid, and gastroenteritis. Rusting of water pipes and mixing ...]]> http://www.medindia.net/news/Human-Feces-Contamination-in-18-of-Delhi-Jal-Board-Water-Supply-82065-1.htm http://www.medindia.net/news/In-Vitro-Fertilization-Outcomes-can-be-Affected-by-PCB-Exposure-81365-1.htm A new study published February 24 in the peer-reviewed journal IEnvironmental Health Perspectives (EHP)/I, showed serum polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) at concentrations found in the general U.S. population are associated with the failure of fertilized embryos to implant in the uterus after in vitro fertilization (IVF). This study may help explain earlier reports of impaired reproduction and increased time to pregnancy among women exposed to PCBs. "Our findings provide insight into a specific ...]]> http://www.medindia.net/news/In-Vitro-Fertilization-Outcomes-can-be-Affected-by-PCB-Exposure-81365-1.htm http://www.medindia.net/news/Water-Contamination-in-Adelaide-81322-1.htm Adelaide's south-west residents have received a warning from The Environment Protection Authority (EPA) against using toxic bore water. Tests have revealed the water in the 30 registered bores in the region has been contaminated with chemicals from fuels including vinyl chloride and industrial solvents that had been once used to clean metals and as degreasers. A former industrial site that had used the then-existing waste disposal methods is thought to be responsible for this contamination. The ...]]> http://www.medindia.net/news/Water-Contamination-in-Adelaide-81322-1.htm http://www.medindia.net/news/Dioxin-Scare-Being-Probed-in-Iceland-80683-1.htm Meat with high levels of dioxin had been put on the market, including outside of Iceland, the country's Food and Veterinary Authority said, adding that it had launched an investigation into the matter. "Measurements show that a small part of 6.5 tonnes of meat that was put on the market had high levels of dioxin," the authority said in a statement. "Of those 6.5 tonnes, 5.0 five tonnes of meat were exported," it added without specifying the kind of meat. The authority stressed "it is ...]]> http://www.medindia.net/news/Dioxin-Scare-Being-Probed-in-Iceland-80683-1.htm http://www.medindia.net/news/Important-Environmental-Contamination-Indicator-in-the-Water-Flea-80504-1.htm A study has said that 'water fleas' could be indicators of environmental toxins and pollutants. Daphnia pulex is the first crustacean to have its complete genome sequenced by members of the Daphnia Genomics Consortium, an international network of scientists led by the Center for Genomics and Bioinformatics at Indiana University-Bloomington and the Department of Energy's Joint Genome Institute. Cadmium, a highly toxic to aquatic life (and to humans), is one of the most common contaminants found....]]> http://www.medindia.net/news/Important-Environmental-Contamination-Indicator-in-the-Water-Flea-80504-1.htm http://www.medindia.net/news/Fecal-Bacterial-Contamination-Found-in-Idli-Dosa-Ready-Mix-80357-1.htm The idli or dosa ready available in the market mix might contain bacteria. The presence of bacteria indicates fecal contamination. According to a survey conducted by Concert (Centre for consumer education, research, teaching, training and testing) among 20 local brands in Tamil Nadu, 55% i.e. 11 of the locally available ready mixes are contaminated. This bacterial contamination can lead to health hazards like vomiting, diarrhea and typhoid fever. This impurity can be attributed ...]]> http://www.medindia.net/news/Fecal-Bacterial-Contamination-Found-in-Idli-Dosa-Ready-Mix-80357-1.htm http://www.medindia.net/news/Fear-of-Contamination-on-Brisbanes-Beaches-Triggers-Closures-80250-1.htm There is growing concern about the possibility of contamination of beaches at Nudgee, Sandgate, Shorncliffe and Brighton due to discharge of contaminated water from the Oxley sewage plant into the Brisbane River. According to Environment Department scientists, Oxley Creek had fecal pollution levels at 250 times above normal levels. 64 ML of primary level-treated sewage is discharged by Oxley sewage treatment plant into the creek which runs into the Brisbane River and Moreton Bay. A disinfection ...]]> http://www.medindia.net/news/Fear-of-Contamination-on-Brisbanes-Beaches-Triggers-Closures-80250-1.htm http://www.medindia.net/news/Dioxin-Scare-Sends-Germans-Rushing-for-Organic-Food-79443-1.htm The recent dioxin crisis has left the shelves in the popular Bio Company store in Berlin's Kreuzberg district, virtually bare, as demand for organic meat and egg spikes suddenly. "Dioxin: Bio products are not affected," screams a notice in capital letters by the empty meat shelves, the firm differentiating its food from mass-produced goods at the heart of a scandal that has affected poultry, eggs and pork. Demand at the store has rocketed since the scare broke last week, said Silke Unwetter, store assistant....]]> http://www.medindia.net/news/Dioxin-Scare-Sends-Germans-Rushing-for-Organic-Food-79443-1.htm http://www.medindia.net/news/4700-Farms-Across-Germany-Shut-Over-Dioxin-Scare-79125-1.htm More than 4,700 farms have been closed in Germany, as a precautionary measure, following an alert over dioxin contamination of animal feed, the agriculture ministry said. "4,709 farms and exploitations are currently closed," including 4,468 in the state of Lower Saxony, northwest Germany, said the ministry statement summarising the actions of regional authorities. Until the farms have been checked and found to be clear of contamination of dioxin, which can cause cancer, they will not be allowed to make any deliveries....]]> http://www.medindia.net/news/4700-Farms-Across-Germany-Shut-Over-Dioxin-Scare-79125-1.htm http://www.medindia.net/news/Australian-Farmers-Up-In-Arms-Following-Contamination-By-GM-Crop-78536-1.htm Western Australian farmers are up in arms as state authorities confirmed that the oat crop in an organic farm in Kojonup, southeast of capital Perth, has been contaminated by genetically modified canola. The farm's organic certification has been suspended by the National Association for Sustainable Agriculture Australia, and the farmer, Steve Marsh, stands to lose thousands in this year's harvest alone.About 70 per cent of his land been contaminated by GM seeds from a neighbouring property. The ...]]> http://www.medindia.net/news/Australian-Farmers-Up-In-Arms-Following-Contamination-By-GM-Crop-78536-1.htm http://www.medindia.net/news/Lead-Contamination-in-Childrens-Drinking-Glasses-77165-1.htm Those attractive cartoon drinking glasses for children exceed recommended health limits of lead even upto 1,000 times and this alarming fact needs parents to exercise caution. The research has concluded that the decorative enamel on certain merchandising glasses contain between 16 and 30 per cent of the dangerous metal, known to reduce children's IQ. The drinking sets of movie characters such as Superman, Wonder Woman and the Tin Man from 'The Wizard of Oz, are made in China and purchased ...]]> http://www.medindia.net/news/Lead-Contamination-in-Childrens-Drinking-Glasses-77165-1.htm http://www.medindia.net/news/Prevent-Food-Contamination-With-Green-Tea-and-Grape-Seed-76849-1.htm Scientists have suggested that extracts from natural sources such as green tea, grape seed and bacteriocins such as nisin could be alternatives for food processors instead of chemicals as a means of protecting against pathogen contamination. Researchers for the Food Safety Consortium at the University of Arkansas Division of Agriculture have applied the natural extracts to chicken and turkey hot dogs with encouraging results. "Food preservation systems often use chemicals and heat treatments ...]]> http://www.medindia.net/news/Prevent-Food-Contamination-With-Green-Tea-and-Grape-Seed-76849-1.htm http://www.medindia.net/news/Blood-Contamination-Caused-by-Food-Wrappers-76569-1.htm Packaged food is being infiltrated by the chemicals in the wrappers, and when the food is consumed, chemical contamination of the blood takes place, state scientists at the University of Toronto. Perfluorinated carboxylic acids or PFCAs are the breakdown products of chemicals used to make non-stick and water- and stain-repellant products ranging from kitchen pans to clothing to food packaging. In the study, rats were exposed to PAPs either orally or by injection and ...]]> http://www.medindia.net/news/Blood-Contamination-Caused-by-Food-Wrappers-76569-1.htm http://www.medindia.net/news/Lead-Contamination-Affects-18000-in-Nigeria-74379-1.htm Massive lead contamination due to illegal gold mining in Nigeria has led to 200 children dying and about 18,000 people being affected, the UN declared on Tuesday. Five experts equipped with a mobile laboratory have arrived in the country to help health authorities pin down the extent of the contamination and tackle it, the UN's Organisation for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs said. "From the latest figures we have, more than 200 children reportedly died from this poisoning," OCHA ...]]> http://www.medindia.net/news/Lead-Contamination-Affects-18000-in-Nigeria-74379-1.htm http://www.medindia.net/news/PCB-Exposure-In-Childhood-Lowers-Immune-Response-to-Vaccination-70335-1.htm A new study suggests that if children are exposed to polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) early in life, they tend to demonstrate a diminished immune response to vaccinations. PCBs are long-lived environmental contaminants that are suspected to be toxic to the immune system. The study included 587 children born between 1999 and 2001 who lived in the Faroe Islands. The residents of the Faroe Islands, which lie midway between Norway and Iceland in the North Atlantic, have widely ...]]> http://www.medindia.net/news/PCB-Exposure-In-Childhood-Lowers-Immune-Response-to-Vaccination-70335-1.htm http://www.medindia.net/news/Kids-Develop-Physical-Deformities-Due-to-Water-Contamination-in-Bihar-District-69264-1.htm Even as many people in the country are having a tough time to get a proper water supply this summer, many children in various parts of Bihar's Bhojpur district have developed physical deformities due to contaminated water. The water in the region allegedly contains elements such as arsenic. The available water in this region has become a curse, as dozens of children are born here with several physical deformities; missing limbs or partial or complete blindness. ...]]> http://www.medindia.net/news/Kids-Develop-Physical-Deformities-Due-to-Water-Contamination-in-Bihar-District-69264-1.htm http://www.medindia.net/news/Seveso-Disaster-Victims-Face-Higher-Risk-from-Some-Cancers-58046-1.htm People exposed to one of the world's worst industrial accidents, in which dioxin spewed out over the north Italian town of Seveso, face a higher risk of developing several kinds of cancer, a study said on Monday. It added, though, that cancers unleashed by the toxic chemical had not surpassed expectations at the 30-year mark and the relatively small number of cases made it hard to pin down the size and pattern of risk. Researchers led by Angela Pesatori from the Fondazione IRCCS Ospedale ...]]> http://www.medindia.net/news/Seveso-Disaster-Victims-Face-Higher-Risk-from-Some-Cancers-58046-1.htm http://www.medindia.net/news/Detecting-Water-Contamination-With-Snakes-Eyes-51375-1.htm An expert from Tel Aviv University's School of Physics and Astronomy has developed a new system that can help monitor the safety of a building or community's water supply in real time, by watching it in the same way as a snake does. Prof. Abraham Katzir's work attains significance because, according to him, ordinary tap water may become deadly within minutes out of contamination due to industrial spillage, natural disaster or sabotage. The researcher modified special fibres developed in ...]]> http://www.medindia.net/news/Detecting-Water-Contamination-With-Snakes-Eyes-51375-1.htm http://www.medindia.net/news/Meningitis-C-Vaccines-Recalled-In-Britain-Over-Contamination-Fears-47961-1.htm Pharmaceutical giant Novartis said Wednesday it was recalling two batches of a meningitis C vaccine distributed in Britain over contamination fears, but regulators stressed the health risk was negligible. Switzerland-based Novartis Vaccines and Diagnostics Srl said it had been alerted to a sterility issue in the solvent, in which the vaccine is dissolved, for its Menjugate Kit, distributed to Britain from Italy. "We are investigating a sterility-testing positive result from samples of one ...]]> http://www.medindia.net/news/Meningitis-C-Vaccines-Recalled-In-Britain-Over-Contamination-Fears-47961-1.htm http://www.medindia.net/news/Failure-to-Achieve-Self-sufficiency-in-Blood-Products-Led-to-Contamination-Deaths-UK-Report-47864-1.htm Signal failure by health authorities to achieve self-sufficiency in blood products triggered the wave of deaths among haemophiliacs in the UK, an independent inquiry has held. In the 1970s and 1980s blood derivatives were sourced from within the UK and from the USA. Many blood donors were found to have funded their drug habit through the payments obtained from selling their blood. Predictably the blood products procured from such sources were found infected by Hepatitis C and HIV. Nearly 2,000 haemophiliacs ...]]> http://www.medindia.net/news/Failure-to-Achieve-Self-sufficiency-in-Blood-Products-Led-to-Contamination-Deaths-UK-Report-47864-1.htm http://www.medindia.net/news/US-FDA-Expands-Warning-Against-Salmonella-Contamination-of-Peanut-Butter-46473-1.htm The US Food and Drug Administration has expanded its warnings against salmonella contamination of peanut butter. Products containing peanut butter are now suspect. That's in addition to peanut butter bought in bulk by large institutions such as hospitals and schools. The warning covers products such as cookies, crackers, ice cream, cereal and candy that contain peanut butter. On Friday, Keebler and Austin voluntarily recalled various types of peanut butter crackers. The FDA says peanut butter sold in retail stores is not a problem....]]> http://www.medindia.net/news/US-FDA-Expands-Warning-Against-Salmonella-Contamination-of-Peanut-Butter-46473-1.htm http://www.medindia.net/news/Underground-Barrier-to-Prevent-Contamination-of-Aquifers-by-Fluids-from-Rubbish-Dumps-46126-1.htm Australian scientists are suggesting erection of underground barriers to prevent contamination of aquifers by poisonous fluids leaching out of rubbish dumps. Researchers in the Cooperative Research Centre for Contamination Assessment and Remediation of the Environment (CRC CARE), based in South Australia, are developing a solution to one of the most urgent problems faced by modern society worldwide. Leaky tips are a worldwide problem as human populations swell, especially in newly industrialising ...]]> http://www.medindia.net/news/Underground-Barrier-to-Prevent-Contamination-of-Aquifers-by-Fluids-from-Rubbish-Dumps-46126-1.htm http://www.medindia.net/news/Dioxin-Contamination-Leads-to-Recall-of-Irish-Pork-Products-44887-1.htm Dioxin contamination has led to recall of Irish pork products. Authorities found dioxin level in pig meat on a number of farms to be between 80 and 200 times more than the recognised safety limit. The Food Safety Authority of Ireland (FSAI) has called for the destruction of all pig products already bought by consumers. The recall involves retailers, the hospitality sector and the Irish pig processing sector and the FSAI advised people "as a precautionary measure not to consume Irish pork and bacon products at this time"....]]> http://www.medindia.net/news/Dioxin-Contamination-Leads-to-Recall-of-Irish-Pork-Products-44887-1.htm http://www.medindia.net/news/Detecting-Contamination-in-Water-at-Just-Thirty-Minutes-and-Thirty-Dollars-42272-1.htm Detecting contamination in water will now take just thirty minutes and thirty dollars, thanks to a new test developed at Australia's Environmental Biotechnology Cooperative Research Centre near Sydney. While natural disasters such as tsunamis or floods often leave local water sources tainted with harmful bacteria, the existing tests for contamination take almost three days to produce a result. But, the new test takes just half an hour and makes the testing process a lot faster and economical, reports New Scientist....]]> http://www.medindia.net/news/Detecting-Contamination-in-Water-at-Just-Thirty-Minutes-and-Thirty-Dollars-42272-1.htm http://www.medindia.net/news/Living-Sensor-in-Canadas-Mine-can-Spot-Contamination-of-Arsenic-Pollution-41557-1.htm A team of scientists has discovered a living sensor in a giant mine in Canada that can spot contamination in the form of arsenic pollution. They have also discovered new bacteria that can clean up arsenic spills, even in previously untreatable cold areas. The giant mine, which is in Canada in the sub-arctic, contains over 230,000 tonnes of arsenic-containing dust, making it one of the most polluted places on Earth as well as one of the most inhospitable. "Water seeps through the mine ...]]> http://www.medindia.net/news/Living-Sensor-in-Canadas-Mine-can-Spot-Contamination-of-Arsenic-Pollution-41557-1.htm http://www.medindia.net/news/Contamination-Threat-from-Vietnam-Indian-Spices-Board-Warns-Exporters-39698-1.htm The contamination found by European Union (EU) in whole star anise and Saigon cinnamon, which is imported from Vietnam has been notified to all exporters, manufacturers and other related industries by the Indian Spices Board. Indian importers and manufacturing units of curry powders and garam masalas are required to make their imported consignments of whole star anise and Saigon cinnamon free from non-approved food colour, Chrysoidine, to avoid any kind of exports rejection and recall of their consignments....]]> http://www.medindia.net/news/Contamination-Threat-from-Vietnam-Indian-Spices-Board-Warns-Exporters-39698-1.htm http://www.medindia.net/news/Uranium-Contamination-of-Underground-Water-in-Pak-US-Expert-39436-1.htm Pakistan, like the US and Mexico, could also be suffering from uranium contamination of its underground water resources because of industrial units, said an US expert. Dr Philip C. Goodell, a Geologist and Professor at the Texas University, said: "Uranium contamination of underground water is a major issue in the state of Texas and Mexico, where I have worked, and perhaps it is also present in Pakistan. The issue needs to be investigated fast." "Uranium contamination can also be present in the underground water in Pakistan....]]> http://www.medindia.net/news/Uranium-Contamination-of-Underground-Water-in-Pak-US-Expert-39436-1.htm http://www.medindia.net/news/Greece-Recalls-Imported-Sunflower-Oil-After-Contamination-Scare-36968-1.htm Greece on Tuesday said it was recalling all sunflower oil imported since January after a Ukrainian batch was found to be tainted with mineral oil, sparking a two-week food scare. "We have decided to recall the entire supply of suspect sunflower oil from the market," Development Minister Christos Folias told reporters. The Hellenic Food Authority (EFET), whose chairman resigned Tuesday, said that all sunflower oil imported since January 1 would be seized for tests amid concern that tainted quantities may have escaped customs inspection....]]> http://www.medindia.net/news/Greece-Recalls-Imported-Sunflower-Oil-After-Contamination-Scare-36968-1.htm http://www.medindia.net/news/Chinese-Officials-Warn-of-Water-Contamination-in-Quake-hit-Areas-36966-1.htm Chinese authorities warned Tuesday of serious threats to drinking water in earthquake-hit areas and called on local officials to take precautions. Dead bodies and chemical waste ''pose great threats to the safety of drinking water,'' the ministry of environmental protection said in a directive quoted by the official Xinhua news agency. It said that people should not use water sources from buildings hit by the earthquake. Water plants in the area should also enhance checks and sterilisation procedures, it said....]]> http://www.medindia.net/news/Chinese-Officials-Warn-of-Water-Contamination-in-Quake-hit-Areas-36966-1.htm