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EPA Blocks Warnings on Cancer-Causing Chemical: Report (politico.com)
The Trump administration is suppressing an Environmental Protection Agency report that warns that most Americans inhale enough formaldehyde vapor in the course of daily life to put them at risk of developing leukemia and other ailments, a current and a former agency official told POLITICO. The news outlet adds: The warnings are contained in a draft health assessment EPA scientists completed just before Donald Trump became president, according to the officials. They said top advisers to departing Administrator Scott Pruitt are delaying its release as part of a campaign to undermine the agency's independent research into the health risks of toxic chemicals.
Andrew Wheeler, the No. 2 official at EPA who will be the agency's new acting chief as of Monday, also has a history with the chemical. He was staff director for the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee in 2004, when his boss, then-Chairman Jim Inhofe (R-Okla.), sought to delay an earlier iteration of the formaldehyde assessment. Formaldehyde is one of the most commonly used chemicals in the country. Americans are exposed to it through wood composites in cabinets and furniture, as well as air pollution from major refineries.
Andrew Wheeler, the No. 2 official at EPA who will be the agency's new acting chief as of Monday, also has a history with the chemical. He was staff director for the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee in 2004, when his boss, then-Chairman Jim Inhofe (R-Okla.), sought to delay an earlier iteration of the formaldehyde assessment. Formaldehyde is one of the most commonly used chemicals in the country. Americans are exposed to it through wood composites in cabinets and furniture, as well as air pollution from major refineries.
OK, who here is snorting formaldehyde ?
It's in hair products apparently according to the article... so anyone who puts conditioner on their nose hair is at risk of snorting formaldehyde.
"That's the way to do it" - Punch
Point taken; but still, it's not one of the more common cancers. If formaldehyde were linked to autism, adhd, lung cancer, prostate cancer, breast cancer, something relatively common... etc I can see being worried and thinking "so that's why those are so prevalent". If it's something we're all over exposed to and yet it is linked to one of the least common forms of cancer- it can't be a huge risk- and maybe (not my judgement call) it's worth the risk for the benefits it gives. If there is a safer alternative- sure use it... but let's make sure risks and benefits balance up.
We accept the small chance of dying by driving a car each day (more likely than getting leukemia) because cars are useful to us. We accept low risks based on usefulness. Oviously it sucks to be the guy in the car crash, or the guy with leukemia. Leukemia is frequently more genetic risk than environmental even when it does occur. How many cases exactly are being caused by formaldehyde? It can't be that many surely. Obviously, I don't know the science and data behind this so I'm making no point other than the anecdotal- I've lived half an average life span and never known anyone with it. If the risks are higher than I presume I'll gladly change my opinion that this is a non-event.
"That's the way to do it" - Punch
From your link: //
Update
On 17 October 2017, The Hill reported obtaining evidence that Vadim Mikerin, a Russian official who oversaw the American operations of the Russian nuclear agency Rosatom, was being investigated for corruption by multiple U.S. agencies while the Uranium One deal was up for approval — information that apparently was not shared with U.S. officials involved in approving the transaction. The Hill also reported receiving documents and eyewitness testimony “indicating Russian nuclear officials had routed millions of dollars to the U.S. designed to benefit former President Bill Clinton’s charitable foundation during the time Secretary of State Hillary Clinton served on a government body that provided a favorable decision to Moscow,” although no specifics about who those Russian nuclear officials were or how the money was allegedly routed to the Clinton Foundation were given. In any case, none of these revelations prove that Secretary of State Hillary Clinton participated in a quid pro quo agreement to accept payment for approval of the Uranium One deal.
On 24 October 2017, the U.S. House intelligence and oversight committees announced the launch of a joint investigation into the circumstances surrounding the Russian purchase of Uranium One. //
This incident was published by the NY Times before Trump was involved. It seems rather clear she was involved in allowing Russia access, and the money trail doesn't do her any good. Trump may be out in the open, but Hillary is an absolute snake. I think for many americans they would rather the snake they can see than the snake they can't.
Formaldehyde is in everything. Well, not quite everything, but a huge number of products. New clothes? Yep. That new flooring? Certainly
https://branchbasics.com/blog/...
https://hpd.nlm.nih.gov/cgi-bi...
It even occurs naturally in some foods:
https://www.foodinsight.org/ch...
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Actually, according to cancer.org, it is the tenth most common kind of cancer:
Although this is actually something of a lie, as the source they got their numbers from intentionally excludes non-melanoma skin cancers (presumably because the case fatality rate for carcinoma is two orders of magnitude lower). Really, that means it is #11. Either way, it ranks ahead of pancreatic cancer, thyroid cancer, liver cancer, all forms of brain cancer, bone cancer, etc.
And by fatality count, it rises to #7. Also note that if we could get everyone to stop smoking, it would move up another notch, both in fatalities and incidence.
And that top ten list doesn't have that wide a probability spread, either. Breast cancer and lung cancer are each only about 4x as common as leukemia. It is not a rare cancer by any means.
That's also not true. Most forms of Leukemia have no familial link. There is an increased prevalence in first-degree relatives and twins of people with leukemia, but this is likely because those people lived in the same house, drank the same water, breathed the same air, went to schools in the same classrooms, etc. When you see only a first-degree link and no broader familial link, this strongly suggests that environmental factors are the predominant cause, not genetics.
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