The Top Ten Unfounded Health Scares of 2004: Footnotes > Health Issues

By Ruth Kava, Ph.D., R.D., Aubrey Noelle Stimola, Rivka Weiser, Lynnea Mills
Posted: Monday, December 13, 2004

REPORT
Publication Date: December 13, 2004

1. http://www.acsh.org/publications/pubID.154/pub_detail.asp

2. Canadian Medical Association. Media coverage of health stories often inaccurate, MDs report. CMAJ 1999;161:361.

3. Campion EW. Medical research and the news media. N Engl J Med 2004;351:23.

4. Ibid.

5. Taylor B, Miller E, Farrington CP, Petropoulos M, Favot-Mayaus I, Li J, Waight P. Autism and measles, mumps, and rubella vaccine: no epidemiological evidence for causal association. The Lancet 1999;353:2026-2029.

6. Gillberg C, Heijbel H. MMR and Autism. Autism 1998;2:423-4

7. Glasson et al. Perinatal factors and the development of autism. Archives of General Psychology 2004;61:618-627.

8. Yeargin-Allsopp et al. Prevalence of autism in a metropolitan area. JAMA 2003;289(1):49-55.

9. JAMA 2003;289:49-55, 87-89.

10. Wakefield AJ, Murch SH, Anthony A, et al. Ileal lymphoid nodular hyperplasia, non-specific colitis, and regressive developmental disorder in children. The Lancet 1998;315:637-41.

11. Institute of Medicine www.iom.edu/focuson.asp?id+4189

12. Ball L, Ball R, Pratt D. An assessment of thimerosal use in childhood vaccines. Pediatrics 2001;107(5);1147-1154.
And http://www.cdc.gov/nip/vacsafe/concerns/thimerosal/faqs-availfree.htm

13. Bernard S et al. Autism: a novel form of mercury poisoning. Medical Hypotheses 2001;56(4):462-471.

14. “Mercury in Flu Vaccine” http://www.newstimes.com/

15. “Studies: No Link Between Autism, Vaccines” http://my.webmd.com/content/Article/93/102468.htm

16. “Vaccine Link to Autism?” http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2004/06/22/eveningnews/main625458.shtml?CMP=ILC-SearchStories

17. Hornig M et al. Neurotoxic Effects of Postnatal Thimerosal Exposure are Mouse Strain Dependent. Mol Psych 2004;Sept 9th(9):833-45.

18. “Autism-Mercury Poisoning in U.S. Children…A National Tragedy” http://www.prweb.com/releases/2004/7/prweb142648.htm

19. Institute of Medicine. Immunization Safety Review: Vaccines and Autism. National Academies Press, 2004.

20. Barclay L. Rate of Autism May be Increasing. Medscape Medical News 2002. http://www.Medscape.com/viewarticle/447240.

21. We recognize that the FDA has suggested that pregnant women and young children avoid certain types of fish because of other health concerns; but salmon is not among those. For more information, see http://www.FDA.gov.

22. Hites RA, Foran JA, Carpenter DO, Hamilton MC, Knuth BA, Schwager SJ. Global assessment of organic contaminants in farmed salmon. Science 2004;303(5655):226-9.

23. http://www.healthy.net/asp/templates/news.asp?Id=8243

24. http://ca.fullcoverage.yahoo.com/fc/Canada/Pollution/news_stories_6.html

25. http://abcnews.go.com/Technology/story?id=99606&page=1

26. http://www.healthcastle.com/farmed-salmon.shtml

27. http://www.miami.com/mld/miamiherald/10085359.htm?template=contentModules/printstory.jsp

28. http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2004/01/040109072244.htm

29. Report suggests high PCBS levels in farmed salmon. The Washington Post. July 30, 2003.

30. Farmed salmon is said to contain high PCB levels. New York Times. July 30, 2003.

31. Where salmon is sold, the call of the wild. The New York Times. November 12, 2003.

32. http://www.ewg.org/reports/farmedPCBs/release_20030730.php

33. Ross G. The public health implications of polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) in the environment. Ecotoxicology and Env. Safety 2004;59:275-291.

34. James RC, Busch H, Tamburro CH, Roberts SM, et al. Polychlorinated biphenyl exposure and human disease. JOEM 1993;35:136-148.

35. American Council on Science and Health. 2002. Holiday Dinner Menu.

36. Ibid.

37. Matt Moore. ”Study Links Mobile Phones, Benign Tumors.” Associated Press. October 14, 2004.

38. Ibid.

39. See, for example, http://news.scotsman.com/health.cfm?id=1338832004

40. Matt Moore. “Study Links Mobile Phones, Benign Tumors.” Associated Press. October 14, 2004.

41. See http://www.cnn.com/2004/HEALTH/10/14/cellphones.tumorrisk.ap/, http://business.bostonherald.com/technologyNews/view.bg?articleid=49270&format=text, http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2004/10/14/health/main649429.shtml, among others.

42. Mercola.com. October 27, 2004. http://www.mercola.com/2004/oct/27/cell_phone_tumor.htm.

43. Study indicates mobile phones increase tumor risk. USA Today (Reuters). October 14, 2004.

44. Matt Moore. “Study Links Mobile Phones, Benign Tumors.” Associated Press. October 14, 2004.

45. National Cancer Institute: http://www.nci.nih.gov/templates/doc.aspx?viewid=277d9e6a-16ac-4592-8294-b855ad5796ff&version=0,
http://www.nci.nih.gov/templates/doc.aspx?viewid=277d9e6a-16ac-4592-8294-b855ad5796ff&version=0. and http://www.nci.nih.gov/cancertopics/wyntk/leukemia/page6. Other risk factors include high-level exposures to radiation, occupational chemicals--such as benzene or formaldehyde—and particular rare viruses. These are not commonly associated with childhood risk, however.

46. 51-year trends in U.S. Cancer Death Rates: http://64.233.161.104/search?q=cache:hFDumBU4Su4J:seer.cancer.gov/csr/1975_2000/results_merged/topic_inc_mor_trends.pdf+trends+in+leukemia+incidence+1950-2000&hl=en

47. Childhood Leukemia: Incidence, Causal Mechanisms, and Prevention (conference), London, Sept 6-10, 2004.

48. Foster, RG, and Kreitzman L. Rhythms of life: The biological clocks that control the daily lives of every living thing. Profile Books, London, 2004.

49. Stevens, RG, and Rea MS. Light in the built environment: potential role of circadian disruption in endocrine disruption and breast cancer. Cancer Causes & Control 2001;12:279-87,
Rivard, GE, Infante-Rivard C, Dresse, MF, Leclerc JM, and Champagne J. Circadian time-dependent response of childhood lymphoblastic leukemia to chemotherapy: A long-term follow-up study of survival. Chronobiol Int 1993;10:201-204,
Koren G, Langevin AM, Olivieri N, Giesbrecht E, Zipursky A, and Greenberg M. Diurnal variation in the pharmacokinetics and myelotoxicity of mercaptopurine in children with acute lymphocytic leukemia. Am J Dis Child 1990;144:1135-1137.
Fu L, Lee CC. The circadian clock: Pacemaker and tumour suppressor. Nat Rev Cancer 2003;3:350-361.
Li JC and Xu F. Influences of light-dark shifting on the immune system, tumor growth and life span of rats, mice and fruit flies as well as on the counteraction of melatonin. Biol Signals 1997;6:77-89.

50. Reiter RJ. Mechanistic insights into possible links between electric power, melatonin, biological rhythms and leukemia, presented at Childhood Leukemia: Incidence, Causal Mechanisms, and Prevention (conference), London, Sept 6-10, 2004.

51. Stevens RG. Ionizing and Non-Ionizing Radiation, Circadian Disruption, Iron, and Leukemia in Children, presented at Childhood Leukemia: Incidence, Causal Mechanisms, and Prevention (conference), London, Sept 6-10, 2004.

52. Brainerd et al. Action spectrum for melatonin regulation in humans: evidence for novel circadian photoreceptor. Journal of Neuroscience 2001;21:6405.

53. Lewy et al. Light suppresses melatonin secretion in humans. Science 1980;210:1267.

54. Berson DM et al. Phototransduction by retinal ganglion cells that set the circadian clock. Science 1980;295:1070-73.

55. Ibid., 5

56. Mawson AR. Breast cancer in female flight attendants. The Lancet 1998;352:626.

57. Schernhammer ES et al. Night-Shift Work and Risk of Colorectal Cancer in the Nurses’ Health Study. JNCI. Vol. 95, No. 11:825-858.

58. http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/newssearch.php?newsid=14716

59. http://msnbc.msn.com/id/5941842/

60. http://www.nbc10.com/health/3715896/detail.html

61. http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2004/07/27/health/main632033.shtml?CMP=ILC-SearchStories

62. http://www.ewg.org/issues/cosmetics/index.php

63. http://www.ewg.org/reports/skindeep/

64. CNN.com. Group links nail polish to birth defects. http://archives.cnn.com/2000/HEALTH/women/11/29/nail.polish/index.html

65. and http://www.alternet.org/story/13530/ and http://www.alternet.org/story/15858/

66. Herrick T. Amid health concern, nail-polish makers switch formula. The Wall Street Journal. April 19, 2004.

67. Roan S. Questions about some cosmetics. LA Times. May 3, 2004.

68. Sample I, Kinnes S. Chemistry lesson: Ian Sample and Sally Kinnes lift the lid on the everyday products we use on our bodies. The Guardian (London). May 8, 2004.

69. Singer T. Beauty for two; Moms-to-be lay off cosmetic treatments. The Boston Herald. August 2, 2004.

70. http:://www.alternet.org/story19576/

71. Editorial. More than cosmetic. LA Times, August 18, 2004.

72. Carrell S. Children at risk from cosmetics. The Independent, May 30, 2004.

73. Reynolds J. Too many products carry chemical danger to children. The Scotsman, June 1, 2004.

74. http://www.acsh.org/healthissues/newsID.917/healthissue_detail.asp

75. http://www.ATSDR.cdc.gov/tfacts73.html

76. The Mercury Scare. Wall Street Journal. April 8, 2004.

77. Katsuyuki M, Weihe P, Budtz-Jorgensen E, et al. Delayed Brainstem Auditory Evoked Potential Latencies in 14-year-old Children Exposed to Methylmercury. Journal of Pediatrics, 2004;144(2):177-183.

78. Backgrounder for the 2004 FDA/EPA Consumer Advisory: Available at http://www.fda.gov/oc/opacom/hottopics/mercury/backgrounder.html

79. Including: Fox M. Mercury Study Shows Permanent Damage to Children. Reuters. February 6, 2004; Gugliotta G. Mercury Threat to Fetus Raised. The Washington Times. February 6, 2004.

80. Shogren E. Newborns’ Mercury Exposure Worse Than Thought, EPA Says. Los Angeles Times. February 6, 2004.

81. Fox M. Mercury Study Shows Permanent Damage to Children. Reuters. February 6, 2004.

82. CBSNews.com. Mercury Dangers for Unborn. February 6, 2004.

83. Levine, S. Who’ll Stop the Mercury Rain? U.S. News & World Report. March 29, 2004.

84. The Wall Street Journal. The Mercury Scare. April 8, 2004.

85. Myers GJ, Davidson PW, Cox C, et al. Prenatal methylmercury exposure from ocean fish consumption in the Seychelles child development study. Lancet. 2003;361(9370):1686-1692.TKTKTKTKTKTTKT

86. Grandjean, P, Weihe, P, White, RF, et al. (1997) Cognitive deficit in 7-year-old children with prenatal exposure to methylmercury. Neurotoxicology and Teratology, 19, 417–428.

87. Lykestos, CG. (2003). Should pregnant women avoid eating fish? Lessons from the Seychelles. Lancet, 361(9370): 1667-1668

88. Szwarc, S. Mothers, Babies and Mercury. Tech Central Station. April 16, 2004.

89. Blood Mercury Levels in Young Children and Childbearing-Aged Women – United States, 1999-2002. Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Review, November 5, 2004, 53(43): 1018-1020.

90. EPA/FDA. What You Need to Know About Mercury in Fish and Shellfish. March 2004. available at http://vm.cfsan.fda.gov/~dms/admehg3.html

91. http://fda.gov

92. Hellmich, N. A cautionary tale? USA Today, September 21, 2004, PG 6D.

93. King, J and Henry, E. Bill Clinton awaits heart surgery next week. CNN Washington Bureau, September 4, 2004.

94. Associated Press on foxnews.com. Clinton to have heart surgery. September 3, 2004.

95. Vedantam, S. Clinton’s heart bypass surgery called a success. Washington Post. September 7, 2004, Pg A01.

96. Editorial. Telltale heart. The Baltimore Sun, September 8, 2004.

97. Grady, D. Unblame the victim: heart disease causes vary. The New York Times. September 11, 2002. Pg A10.

98. Ricks, R. Clinton’s bypass; It’s not just junk food. Newsday (New York). September 8, 2004. Pg. A30.

99. Meister, K. 2002. Chemoprevention of coronary heart disease. American Council on Science and Health.

100. Ross, G. The cheeseburgers didn’t cause Clinton’s heart trouble. http://www.acsh.org/healthissues/newsID.962/healthissue_detail.asp

101. Ness RB & Cauley JA (2004). Antibiotics and breast cancer – what’s the meaning of this? JAMA, 291(7), 880-881.

102. Velicer CM, Heckbert SR, Lampe JW, Potter JD, Robertson CA, & Taplin SH (2004). Antibiotic use in relation to the risk of breast cancer. JAMA

103. Tanner, L. Houston Chronicle. February 17, 2004.

104. Griffin, KL. The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. February 23, 2004.

105. CNN.com. Study links antibiotics, breast cancer. February 18, 2004.

106. CBSNEWS.com. Antibiotic-Breast Cancer Link Seen. February 17, 2004; O’Connor A. Study Suggest Breast Cnacer is Linked to Use of Antibiotics. New York Times. February 17, 2004.

107. Gupta, S & Gajilan AC. Antibiotics scare: a study linking germ fighters to breast cancer doesn’t tell the whole story. Time. March 1, 2004.108. Ness RB & Cauley JA. JAMA.

108. Ness RB & Cauley JA. JAMA.

109. Ness RB & Cauley JA. JAMA.

110. Kamrin, M. (2003). Traces of Environmental Chemicals in the Human Body: Are They a Risk to Health? New York: American Council on Science and Health.

111. EPA Press Advisory: EPA Takes Enforcement Action Against DuPont For Toxic Substances Reporting Violations. July 8, 2004.

112. Including: Burris, JM, Lundberg, JK, Olsen, G, Simpson, C and Mandel, J. Interim report No. 2, Determination of serum half-lives of several fluorochemicals. 3M Comprany, St. Paul, MN. (U.S. EPA Public Docket AR-226) 2002

113. Cone, M. Los Angeles Times. July 9, 2004.

114. Mascitti, A. Findings in Teflon studies send DuPont down slippery slope. Wilmington News-Journal. June 27, 2004

115. Ross, B. Safe or Sorry? New evidence reveals dangers of Teflon. ABC’s “20/20.” November 14, 2003.

116. Kahlenberg, RR. Bringing Earth Day Home. The Washington Post. April 22, 2004.

117. U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. Preliminary Risk Assessment of the Developmental Toxicity Associated with Exposure to Perfluorooctanoic Acid and its Salts. Division of Prevention, Pesticides and Toxic Substances, Washington, D.C. (2003)

118. Gilliland, F.D. and Mandel, J.S. Serum perfluorooctanoic acid and hepatic enzymes, lipoproteins and cholesterol: A study of occupationally exposed men. J. Occup. Med. 29:560-568 (1996). and Olsen, G.W., Butenhoff, J.L., and Mandel, J.H. Assessment of lipid, hepatic and thyroid function in relation to an occupational biologic limit value for perfluorooctanoate. U.S. EPA Public Docket AR-226. (2003).

119. Renner, R. DuPont disputes PFOA cancer claim. Env. Sci. Technol. 38(14): 264A-265A. (2004)

120. American Cancer Society. (2004). What are the key statistics for esophagus cancer?

121. May 17, 2004. Washington, DC. (The Reuters story was also picked up by news sources such as MSNBC.com and the Houston Chronicle.)

122. As the researchers were from India, it is unclear why this was referred to as a “U.S. study”, perhaps because it was about statistics about the U.S.

123. Witt, A. Newscast: Top health headlines. CNBC: Early Today. May 19, 2004.

124. Gabriel, Jr., W. Do things go better with Coke? It depends…; Medical effects of carbonated drinks are mixed. Times-Picayune (New Orleans). May 18, 2004.

125. American Cancer Society. Cancer Facts & figures 2004.

126. http://www.ewg.org/reports/skindeep/

127. McGrath KG. An earlier age of breast cancer diagnosis related to more frequent use of antiperspirants/deodorants and underarm shaving. European J Cancer Prev 2003:12(6):479.

128. Darbre PD, Aljarrah A, Miller WR, et al. Concentrations of parabens in human breast tumours. J Applied Toxicol. 2004;24:5-13.

129. http://www.organicconsumers.org/bodycare/breastcancer090604.cfm

130. http://msnbc.msn.com/id/3937362/

131. http://newscientist.com/news/pring.jsp?id=ns99994587

132. McGrath KG. An earlier age of breast cancer diagnosis related to more frequent use of antiperspirants/deodorants and underarm shaving. European J Cancer Prev 2003:12(6):479.

133. Mirick DK, Davis S, Thomas DB. Antiperspirant use and the risk of breast cancer. JNCI2002;94(20):1578.

134. Mirick DK, Davis S, Thomas DB. Antiperspirant use and the risk of breast cancer. JNCI2002;94(20):1578.

135. NCI. Antiperspirants/Deodorants and Breast Cancer: Questions and Answers. http://cis.nci.nih.gov/fact/3_66.htm

136. From an emagazine.com article, available at http://www.emagazine.com/view/?1132&src=.

137. Mike Kernels. Greensboro New and Records. August 2, 2004.

138. See, for example, the Yale Herald from March 5, 2004 and the Oregon State U-Wire from February 17, 2004.

139. Kamrin MA. Bisphenol A: a scientific evaluation. Medscape General Medicine.
http://www.medscape.com/viewarticle/484739

140. See, for example, http://www.mercola.com/2004/apr/7/nalgene_water.htm and http://www.thegreenguide.com/issue.mhtml?i=101.

141. Grist magazine column “Bottle Rocket,” by Umbra Fisk August 2, 2004. Available at http://www.grist.org/advice/ask/2004/08/02/umbra-bottles/index.html.

142. See the ACSH Facts and Fears post entitled “No Clear and Plastic Danger,” available at http://www.acsh.org/factsfears/newsID.92/news_detail.asp.

143. Ibid.

144. Ibid.

145. See ACSH’s Holiday Dinner Menu at http://www.acsh.org/publications/pubid.103/pub_detail.asp.

Table of Contents

Introduction
Pediatric Vaccines and Autism
PCBs in Salmon and Cancer
Cell Phones Cause Brain Tumors
Nightlights and Leukemia
Chemicals in Cosmetics: Risks to Health?
Mercury in Seafood Causes Neurological Problems in Humans
Cheeseburgers and Cardiovascular Disease (CVD)
Antibiotics Cause Breast Cancer
Teflon Causes Health Problems in Humans
Soda Causes Esophageal Cancer
Dishonorable Mention
Deodorants, Antiperspirants Cause Breast Cancer
Plastics Cause Cancer