Current info about environmental health is not always the easiest thing to locate. Fortunately, this report includes the latest environmental health info available.
The information about environmental health presented here will do one of two things: either it will reinforce what you know about environmental health or it will teach you something new. Both are good outcomes.
How's this for troubling? A recent study finds arsenic present in apple juice, with 10% of apple and grape juices bought in stores having more arsenic than the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA ) deems acceptable in bottled water.
The EPA standard is 10 parts per billion of arsenic in drinking water. Drinking water usually has about 2ppb of arsenic, though some areas might have far more.
Arsenic has been known as a poison for hundreds of years - a stamp sized amount of inorganic arsenic will be deadly. Tiny amounts taken in over time has the ability to be just as deadly, and the substance has been associated with cancers of the bladder, skin and lung as well as upping your risks of heart disease, an impaired immune response and even diabetes.
However, total arsenic levels aren't the concern because organic arsenic isn't (currently) thought dangerous, unlike inorganic arsenic, which is deadly. The majority of arsenic found in the juice is the inorganic kind.
While the levels found in the juices are far below the "level of concern" the FDA (Food and Drug Administration) has for prompting more testing, the consumer group believes the government should be more concerned... and so should consumers. A poll finds that over 30% of kids up to 5 years old drink more (6 ounces, a single juice box/day) apple juice than pediatricians recommend.
What's more, kids are more susceptible to arsenic poisoning, and lots of them drink as much as 16 ounces of apple juice a day, exposing them to much higher amounts of arsenic than their parents, or anyone else, might suspect. Part of the trouble is their smaller body size, part is also the large amounts of juice they drink on a regular basis.
A survey that used CDC (Center for Disease Control) data found that those who drank apple/grape juice had around 20% higher arsenic levels in their urine compared with those who didn't drink this juice.
The FDA has reported that from 2005 it has investigated 160 samples of apple juice for arsenic, and their findings were similar, except for this. Some of the apple juice samples tested had much increased arsenic levels. The FDA is currently worried if the levels are over 23 ppb, however Consumer Reports thinks the level for concern should be lower, i.e. 3 ppb for arsenic with no more than 5 ppb for lead. The FDA continues to hint that it is getting ready for some sort of action regarding the inorganic arsenic found in apple juice.
Just under 40% of the fruit juice Consumer Reports tested has less than 3ppb of arsenic and under 5 ppb of lead. The industry group that represents Juice Manufacturers, claims that juice is more than safe for people of all ages to drink, and that the industry sticks to FDA guidelines for all products sold in America.
And if you think juice is the only place to find arsenic, you'll be surprised to learn it's also present in chicken and rice as reported at a recent scientific conference, in baby foods as well.
A 2004 study citied by Consumer Reports noted that arsenic was most often found in baby sweet potatoes, green beans, carrots and peaches... all firm family favorites.
Rice is another food that's high in the inorganic form of arsenic. And American rice has one of the world's highest inorganic arsenic levels, almost three times that of levels in Basmarti rice. Of course rice packaging rarely identifies where the rice came from.
If you're worried about arsenic exposure, here's what you can do...
- If you have a private source, test your water - municipal water suppliers test for arsenic.
- Reduce how much juice you and your children drink. Infants under 6 months shouldn't drink any, children under 6 should not drink more than 4-6 ounces per day; children over 6 should be limited to 8-12 ounces a day.
- Try to buy organic chicken, as feed containing arsenic is common in farmed poultry. Understand though that organic fruits and veggies may come from places where arsenic is present in the soil.
- Stay informed about the levels of arsenic found in apple juice
I hope that reading the above information was both enjoyable and educational for you. Your learning process should be ongoing--the more you understand about any subject, the more you will be able to share with others.
The information about environmental health presented here will do one of two things: either it will reinforce what you know about environmental health or it will teach you something new. Both are good outcomes.
How's this for troubling? A recent study finds arsenic present in apple juice, with 10% of apple and grape juices bought in stores having more arsenic than the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA ) deems acceptable in bottled water.
The EPA standard is 10 parts per billion of arsenic in drinking water. Drinking water usually has about 2ppb of arsenic, though some areas might have far more.
Arsenic has been known as a poison for hundreds of years - a stamp sized amount of inorganic arsenic will be deadly. Tiny amounts taken in over time has the ability to be just as deadly, and the substance has been associated with cancers of the bladder, skin and lung as well as upping your risks of heart disease, an impaired immune response and even diabetes.
However, total arsenic levels aren't the concern because organic arsenic isn't (currently) thought dangerous, unlike inorganic arsenic, which is deadly. The majority of arsenic found in the juice is the inorganic kind.
While the levels found in the juices are far below the "level of concern" the FDA (Food and Drug Administration) has for prompting more testing, the consumer group believes the government should be more concerned... and so should consumers. A poll finds that over 30% of kids up to 5 years old drink more (6 ounces, a single juice box/day) apple juice than pediatricians recommend.
What's more, kids are more susceptible to arsenic poisoning, and lots of them drink as much as 16 ounces of apple juice a day, exposing them to much higher amounts of arsenic than their parents, or anyone else, might suspect. Part of the trouble is their smaller body size, part is also the large amounts of juice they drink on a regular basis.
A survey that used CDC (Center for Disease Control) data found that those who drank apple/grape juice had around 20% higher arsenic levels in their urine compared with those who didn't drink this juice.
The FDA has reported that from 2005 it has investigated 160 samples of apple juice for arsenic, and their findings were similar, except for this. Some of the apple juice samples tested had much increased arsenic levels. The FDA is currently worried if the levels are over 23 ppb, however Consumer Reports thinks the level for concern should be lower, i.e. 3 ppb for arsenic with no more than 5 ppb for lead. The FDA continues to hint that it is getting ready for some sort of action regarding the inorganic arsenic found in apple juice.
Just under 40% of the fruit juice Consumer Reports tested has less than 3ppb of arsenic and under 5 ppb of lead. The industry group that represents Juice Manufacturers, claims that juice is more than safe for people of all ages to drink, and that the industry sticks to FDA guidelines for all products sold in America.
And if you think juice is the only place to find arsenic, you'll be surprised to learn it's also present in chicken and rice as reported at a recent scientific conference, in baby foods as well.
A 2004 study citied by Consumer Reports noted that arsenic was most often found in baby sweet potatoes, green beans, carrots and peaches... all firm family favorites.
Rice is another food that's high in the inorganic form of arsenic. And American rice has one of the world's highest inorganic arsenic levels, almost three times that of levels in Basmarti rice. Of course rice packaging rarely identifies where the rice came from.
If you're worried about arsenic exposure, here's what you can do...
- If you have a private source, test your water - municipal water suppliers test for arsenic.
- Reduce how much juice you and your children drink. Infants under 6 months shouldn't drink any, children under 6 should not drink more than 4-6 ounces per day; children over 6 should be limited to 8-12 ounces a day.
- Try to buy organic chicken, as feed containing arsenic is common in farmed poultry. Understand though that organic fruits and veggies may come from places where arsenic is present in the soil.
- Stay informed about the levels of arsenic found in apple juice
I hope that reading the above information was both enjoyable and educational for you. Your learning process should be ongoing--the more you understand about any subject, the more you will be able to share with others.