Polluted in the womb: Not long ago scientists thought that the placenta shielded umbilical cord blood - and developing babies - from most chemicals and pollutants in the environment.
But a report published last week by the US non-profit Environmental Working Group, shows that the umbilical cord not only carries the building blocks of life, but also a steady stream of industrial chemicals, pollutants and pesticides that cross the placenta as readily as residues from cigarettes and alcohol.
The report is based on tests of 10 samples of umbilical-cord blood taken by the American Red Cross in August and September last year. They found a total of 287 contaminants in the blood, including mercury, fire retardants, pesticides and petroleum by-products.
Among them are eight perfluorochemicals used as stain and oil repellents in fast-food packaging, clothes and textiles - including the Teflon chemical PFOA, recently characterised as a likely human carcinogen by the EPA's Science Advisory Board - and dozens of widely used brominated flame retardants used in furniture foam, computers and televisions. "These 10 newborn babies . . . were born polluted," said US Congresswoman Louise M Slaughter at the report's release. "If ever we had proof that our nation's pollution laws aren't working, it's reading the list of industrial chemicals in the bodies of babies who have not yet lived outside the womb," she said.
Nasa sun expert in Dublin
Without the sun there would be no light or life on earth, yet it is ever-changing and evolving. Nasa scientist and leading authority on the sun Dr Peter Gallagher has studied all aspects of our nearest star's make-up including its spectacular coronal mass ejections and solar flares. On Monday he will give a talk entitled Our Dynamic Sun at 8pm in the Henry Grattan Building, Dublin City University. He will show spectacular pictures and time-lapse movies of giant explosions on the sun taken by Nasa's space observatory Soho that monitors the sun 24 hours a day, one million miles from earth. Admission €5/€3. To book call 01-8470777 or see www.astronomy.ie.
Seed Savers' open day
Tomorrow the Irish Seed Savers' Association, which aims to preserve our agricultural bio-diversity, hosts an open day at its premises in Capparoe, Scarriff, Co Clare. Activities include guided tours of the gardens and orchards, horse ploughing and stone-wall-building demonstrations, plus a free talk by medical herbalist Vivienne Campbell at 4pm organised by the new company, Irish Organic Herbs.
See www.irishseedsavers.ie or e-mail info@irishseedsavers.ie.
Dolphin's Barn Garden
As a response to the lack of green spaces in Dublin, and an attempt to re-establish a connection with food, a community group has planted a patch of disused land beside the canal in Dolphin's Barn. They have been working on the land since early April, and have now planted potatoes, cabbages, onions, tomatoes, courgettes, lettuce, scallions, leeks, pumpkin seeds, buckwheat, parsley, sage, rosemary, apple trees, hazel trees, fuschia, and forget-me-nots. For more details, e-mail dolphinsbarngarden@gmail.com or visit Dolphin's Barn public library.