Hurricane Helene and Flooded Homes

Hurricane Helene made landfall on September 26 in Florida, but then moved north, ending far inland. When it reached the Appalachian Mountains, heavy rainfall led to flash flooding and landslides. In southwest Virginia, many people are still without power and cell service, and roads are blocked by fallen trees or washed away by flooding. Virginia received approval for a federal emergency declaration for the counties of Grayson, Smyth, Tazewell, Washington, Wise, and Wythe and the City of Galax.  People needing help with cleanup can call the Hurricane Helene Crisis Clean Up hotline at 1-844-965-1386 and contact their local emergency manager for help. The Virginia Department of Emergency Management (VDEM) has a page for Hurricane Helene with information about cleanup and damage assessments.

If your home has been flooded, be cautious when returning. Flooded homes can have a variety of dangers, such as electric shocks, mold, broken glass and other debris, bacteria in flood water and mud, and structural problems. Don’t return to the area until local officials have said it is safe. Do not enter a flooded home until it has been inspected to make sure it is safe. The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has guidance for cleaning up a flooded home.

Drinking water systems may not be able to disinfect water properly because of flooding. Before you drink the water, check with your water utility to make sure there is not a boil water advisory. For a boil water advisory, bring water to a rolling boil and let it boil for one minute, then cool before using. Some communities will also have drinking water distribution points. Check with your local officials for where you can go to get bottled water.

 

 

CDC and FDA Investigating Illnesses from Consuming Diamond Shruumz(TM) Brand Chocolate Bars, Cones, and Gummies

A variety of Diamond ShruumzTM brand chocolate bars, cones, and gummies advertised as containing a proprietary blend of mushrooms have been recalled after an outbreak of illness among people consuming these products. While the products have been recalled, some stores may still have these products on the shelf. People who have any of these products should call the manufacturer (Prophet Premium Brands, (209) 314-0881) about a refund and destroy the product. You can get more information about the recall on the CDC outbreak investigation page.

At this point more than a hundred people have reported becoming ill after using these products. Symptoms included seizures, hallucinations, loss of consciousness, respiratory failure, confusion, agitation, abnormal heart rate, abnormally high or low blood pressure, nausea, and vomiting. If you have any of these symptoms after using these products, get medical help and let your provider know about this recall.

EPA Stops Use of Dacthal

The EPA on August 6 issued an emergency order to suspend all registrations of dimethyl tetrachloroterephthalate (DCPA, or Dacthal), a pesticide primarily used on crops. EPA warned in April 2024 that Dacthal could harm the health of people who are exposed to it during normal use. EPA has been investigating this pesticide’s safety, and determined that there was no way to prevent health risks. Dacthal is especially dangerous for pregnant women. It can harm the development of babies during pregnancy and cause low birth weight, impaired brain development, decreased IQ, and impaired motor skills. Because of this, EPA ordered the immediate suspension of sale and use of this pesticide.

Crumb Rubber Playing Fields

What is crumb rubber?

Crumb rubber is recycled rubber that is cut into tiny pieces and spread on playing fields and playgrounds. On playing fields it is typically covered with artificial turf, but on playground may be used as an alternative to mulch, or laid as a smooth surface.  Crumb rubber is used on these playing surfaces because it is springy and protects people from injury when they fall, provides a flat surface, requires minimal maintenance, and no watering or pesticides.
Continue reading “Crumb Rubber Playing Fields”

FDA Finds Lead in More Ground Cinnamon Products

Since lead was found in applesauce last year and determined to be from the cinnamon used, the FDA and partner states have been testing ground cinnamon products for lead. Since March 2024, FDA has found multiple ground cinnamon products with unsafe levels of lead. To this point, all of the products have had much lower levels than the cinnamon found in the applesauce that was recalled. However, these products are still hazardous to people’s health, especially children and pregnant women. You can see if you have bought any of these products at the FDA website:

Some products have been voluntarily recalled by the manufacturer and can be returned to the store for a refund. Others have not been recalled yet. People with these cinnamon products should not continue to use them and should throw them away.

EPA Announces new Drinking Water Standards for PFAS

The EPA has announced new drinking water standards for per- and poly-fluorinated compounds, also called PFAS. These chemicals have unique properties that make them useful for reducing sticking and friction between surfaces. They are used in non-stick cookware, firefighting foam, stain-resistant clothes, household cleaners, paints and finishes, and industrial machinery. Unfortunately, many PFAS have been found to be harmful to people’s health, and are “forever chemicals” that can be found in the environment for many years. People can reduce their exposure to PFAS in consumer produces by using EPA Safer Choice certified products, and EPA is now reducing PFAS in drinking water.

There are hundreds of PFAS, but the EPA is focusing on a handful. The PFAS EPA is focusing on are linked to health effects including several types of cancer and reduced immunity. EPA is setting individual limits for five PFAS (PFOS, PFOA, PFNA, PFHxS, and HFPO-DA or GenX chemicals). EPA is also setting a limit on mixtures exceeding a safe level of a group of four PFAS (PFNA, PFHxS, PFBS, and GenX Chemicals).  Drinking water systems will be required to test for these chemicals and treat the water to lower their concentration if they are too high. The new standards will be implemented over the next few years. Drinking water systems must test their water for PFAS and report the results to customers within three years. They must treat water to meet the new standards within five years.

EPA Warns Farmworkers About Risks of Dacthal

On April 1st, 2024, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced that the herbicide tetrachloroterephthalate (DCPA), commonly known as Dacthal, may pose a risk to people who apply the pesticide or enter treated fields. This was determined during a registration review, which is done every 15 years to ensure the safety of registered pesticides. DCPA is an herbicide widely used to control weeds, particularly in agricultural settings where crops like broccoli, Brussel sprouts, cabbage, and onions are grown. 

The agency estimated that pregnant individuals working with DCPA products could be exposed to levels of the herbicide that are 4 to 20 times higher than what is considered safe, even if proper personal protective equipment and engineering controls are used. Additionally, the current label restricts entry into treated areas for 12 hours, but these areas may remain unsafe for 25 days or longer. The babies of people exposed to Dacthal during pregnancy could be at risk for low birth weight, impaired brain development, decreased IQ, and impaired motor skills. 

The EPA is issuing a warning to farmworkers based on these findings, and is in the process of determining if use of this pesticide needs to be suspended or cancelled. 

 

Spring Wildfires Reduce Air Quality in Virginia

Virginia has entered its spring wildfire season, and multiple fires in the mountains are lowering air quality in affected areas. You see where active and contained wildfires are on the Virginia Department of Forestry’s Wildfire Public Viewer. Page County has been especially affected, with several large wildfires.

Fires can release smoke particles that can cause health problems in people who breathe them. While large smoke particles settle out quickly, tiny particles called PM2.5 can be carried long distances. Breathing air with high PM2.5 can cause breathing problems in people with asthma or other lung diseases and can raise blood pressure and potentially lead to heart attack. You can check your local air quality and get information about air quality and health at AirNow. When air quality is low, try to spend less time outdoors, don’t exercise strenuously outdoors, and take breaks during outdoor activity. Children, the elderly, and people with heart or lung disease should be especially careful. Wearing an N95 respirator can help protect you while you are outside.

If there is smoke in outdoors air, while indoors you should keep windows and doors closed. You can run your HVAC fan to recirculate air so the HVAC filter can help remove particles. For bedrooms and other rooms where people spend a lot of time, a room HEPA air filter or air purifier can help. Filters with ozonizers or ionizers are not necessary and can generate chemicals that can irritate your lungs and eyes. Air filters should be sized according to the room size, and are only helpful if the room has doors that can be kept closed to keep the room air from mixing with air in other rooms.

You can read more about wildfire smoke and how to protect yourself at our Wildfire Smoke fact sheet.

PFAS no Longer Used in Grease-Proofing for Food Wrappers

On February 28, 2024 the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) announced that manufacturers of packaged food are no longer using per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) in food contact wrappers for food sold in the United States. This was part of a voluntary phase-out of use of these chemicals for this purpose that started in 2020.

What are PFAS?

PFAS are a group of chemicals that resist both water and oils. They have a wide variety of uses, including preventing friction in machinery, coating non-stick cookware, and in packaging for consumer goods. Unfortunately, many PFAS have been found to be harmful to people’s health. These chemicals do not break down in the environment and are one of the types of chemicals often called “forever chemicals”. While two of the previously most widely used PFAS, PFOA and PFOS, are no longer used in the US, many other PFAS are currently being used in consumer products. You can read more about PFAS on our fact sheet.

What is the significance of not using PFAS in food wrappers?

Our food is one of the major ways people are exposed to PFAS. Previously one of the major sources of dietary PFAS was microwave popcorn, since PFAS were used to grease-proof the bags. PFAS have also been found in paper bags and wrappers for baked goods, sandwiches and burgers, and fried foods. Removing PFAS from food wrappers will help to reduce our exposure to PFAS in the food we eat.

October 28 is National Prescription Drug Take Back Day

Many of us have old prescription medicines we no longer need in our cabinets, or old expired over the counter medicines. Taking expired medications isn’t safe, and storing unneeded medication increases the risk a child could get into the medicines and be poisoned. Other medications are sometimes abused, and these could be taken by teenagers at risk for substance abuse. In order to help people dispose of medicines safely, the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) is holding an National Prescription Drug Take Back Day on October 28. The National Prescription Drug Take Back Day has a search for collection sites near you.

While it’s best to get rid of old medicines with a prescription drug take back program, if you need to you can dispose of them other ways. The Food and Drug Administration has directions on how to safety throw away old medicines, and has a list of medicines that they recommend flushing. Medicines on the “flush list” are especially dangerous because they are easy to overdose on, and some are frequently abused. If you have one of the medicines on the “flush list” and no longer need it, it is best to get rid of it immediately by flushing it down the toilet instead of waiting for a drug take back event.