Environmental Health Archives

Mumbai’s Ragpickers Vie for Better Recycling Niche

By Geeta Seshu ● Health & Science ● May 12, 2011

Female “ragpickers” in Mumbai are no longer what their name suggests. These days, many are in collectives and trying to find a better deal in the recycling industry. But it’s not easy when government business mandates on their behalf go ignored.

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Chernobyl Survivor Flags Women’s Radiation Risk

By Christina Maria Paschyn ● Health & Science ● April 27, 2011

On the 25th anniversary of the Chernobyl nuclear power plant disaster in northern Ukraine, a former liquidator offers sobering warnings about radiation exposure, with particular cautions for women near the Japanese nuclear plant catastrophe.

Green Marketers Run Into Eco-Skeptics

By Besa Luci ● Health & Science ● July 28, 2008

Massive green-marketing campaigns aimed at women are spurring watchdogs and advisors into action. Big Green Purse offers budgeting advice and Women’s Voice for the Earth presses for full disclosure of cleaning product ingredients.

Environmental Health Risks Gain Research Ground

By Molly Ginty ● Health & Science ● April 29, 2008

Environmental threats to women’s health have long been overlooked, say activists. But this month California announced a major study of toxins and breast cancer and Wal-Mart backed off bisphenol A, a chemical that is prevalent in women’s bodies.

Pioneers Push Prenatal Environmental Health Care

By Molly Ginty ● Health & Science ● April 18, 2007

Hospital prenatal programs about environmental safety are mainly grassroots initiatives with independent funding. Advocates hope they will pioneer a more established place in mainstream prenatal practices.

U.S. Girls’ Early Puberty Attracts Research Flurry

By Molly Ginty ● Health & Science ● March 30, 2007

A landmark study tied obesity to early breast development and another showed the average age of menstruation has dropped nearly a year in the past half century. Researchers say that early puberty among girls can indicate other problems to come.

Female Troubles for Wildlife Raise Human Worries

By Molly Ginty ● Health & Science ● December 18, 2006

Across the U.S., female animals exposed to toxic chemicals are suffering from a flurry of health problems. As scientists examine the impact of environmental pollution, some are pondering what the results may mean to female humans. First of two parts.

Bulgaria Pushed to Clean Up Women’s Workplace

By Juliette Terzieff ● Politics ● May 5, 2006

As Bulgaria prepares to enter the European Union in 2007, advocates are pushing the Balkan country to improve industries deemed harshest for workers and where women predominate.

Activists Push for Safer Ingredients in Makeup

By Molly Ginty ● Arts & Culture ● April 30, 2004

A compound in cosmetics products has been banned by the European Union for its links to cancer and fetal deformities. U.S. health advocates are pushing for a similar ban here and challenging companies in the $29 billion industry to comply by May 3.

Study: Women Bear Brunt of Environmental Toxins

By Rebecca Vesely ● Uncategorized ● October 21, 2003

A California study calls for further investigation into how environmental toxins affect women’s health. It estimates the health care cost of U.S. women’s environmentally associated diseases is $12.2 billion annually.