Physical, chemical and biological factors that affect human health.
-1
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0answers
50 views
Should the thermostat be set at 74F(23C) or lower to avoid mold?
My wife and I are finding ourselves increasingly able to stay comfortable at higher temperatures without running our home's air conditioner. We are enjoying the cost savings this provides on our ...
2
votes
1answer
122 views
Can satellite jamming by Iranian authorities cause medical side effects on the Iranians health?
According to the article satellite jamming in Iran, a war over airwaves:
Satellite jamming is a form of censorship akin to Internet censorship, whereby the Iranian government prohibits access to ...
3
votes
2answers
2k views
Did some Johnson & Johnson's cosmetics contain Ethylene oxide?
An Indian News article says one of India's states suspended the Johnson & Johnson license for its products contain Ethylene oxide.
The Maharashtra Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has ...
6
votes
1answer
242 views
Have people died of cancer from the Fukushima daiichi nuclear accident?
A Japanese person wrote in her diary today that her English tutor told her that a lot of people in Japan have got cancer due to the Fukushima daiichi nuclear accident, and were already dead last year ...
6
votes
1answer
246 views
Are wind turbines harmful to human health?
The so-called wind turbine syndrome has received quite a bit of attention of late. For example, on How Stuff Works:
Until recently, there were three main issues regarding the possible downsides of ...
13
votes
2answers
349 views
Has nuclear power generation saved millions of lives from avoided air pollution?
In a recent paper in Environmental Science and Technology, Kharecha and Hansen argue that, by avoiding the airborne pollution that would have resulted from fossil fuel burning, millions of lives have ...
8
votes
0answers
156 views
Could Fukushima daiichi cause the health problems suffered by the USS Ronald Reagan crew?
I came across the Huffington post article Fukushima And The Navy: Sailors Sue Japan Nuclear Plant Owner, Saying Disaster Made Them Sick. It's talking about a lawsuit against the operators of Fukushima ...
1
vote
0answers
218 views
Does “hard water” cause eczema?
Hard water is drinking water that is high in minerals.
According to Wikipedia
The World Health Organization says that "there does not appear to be any convincing evidence that water hardness ...
7
votes
1answer
110 views
Does florescent lighting in schools correlate to increased illness and behavior problems?
A morning talk radio program was discussing Scotopic sensitivity syndrome and made the claim that in schools where Florescent lighting had been replaced with indirect non-florescent lighting had more ...
11
votes
1answer
672 views
Do memory foam mattresses help reduce back pain?
Memory foam and related products have claims like
TEMPUR Mattresses create a custom fit for your body, virtually eliminating painful pressure points and reducing your body’s need to toss and turn ...
4
votes
1answer
628 views
Does anyone know what cyanide tastes like?
There is a story about a scientist who wanted to know what Hydrogen Cyanide (HCN, Prussic Acid) tasted like, but couldn't because he died before he could write it out.
But it requires at least 25-30 ...
10
votes
0answers
201 views
Do some ingredients in lip balm actually cause dry lips?
According to this LifeHacker article, some brands of lip balms actually cause the problem of dry lips rather than solve it.
America News Now spoke to dermatologist Gary Slaughter, who found
...
11
votes
1answer
290 views
Did banning lead additives in petrol (gasoline) make a large contribution to lowering lead levels in people's blood?
There has been a renewed interest recently in the effects of low doses of lead especially in children (see this question, for example: Is lead exposure responsible for the rise and fall of violent ...
18
votes
1answer
558 views
Is eating boogers good for you?
Damn Interesting:
There is an Austrian doctor who has gained notoriety by advocating the picking of one's nose and the consumption of the resulting bounty, particularly in children. Dr. Friedrich ...
6
votes
2answers
393 views
Are air humidifiers necessary, does low humidity have negative heath effects?
Air humidifiers are broadly sold and marking points to "healthy" relative humidity levels as (accordingly to different sources) is 30-50% and during artificial heating (normally, winter) seasons we ...
5
votes
1answer
450 views
Is hand gel effective against Norovirus?
I saw the following claim in an article in The Guardian - How not to catch the norovirus
Incidentally – and you can consider this a public service announcement – forget most hand gels, the ...
15
votes
1answer
319 views
Is lead exposure responsible for the rise and fall of violent crime in the US?
I just found an article titled "America's Real Criminal Element: Lead" via Hacker News that made an assertion about the cause of violent crimes that I found rather surprising.
The article states that ...
6
votes
4answers
4k views
Does your body suffer one mutation for every 15 cigarettes you smoke?
England's department of health has launched a new, very graphic anti-smoking TV ad (see the BBC STORY). Aside from the graphic imagery it makes the specific claim that a smoker will suffer one ...
-8
votes
2answers
297 views
Why doesn't the high amount of fluoride found in tea or tobacco prevent dental caries? Or does it have to be hydrofluorosilicic acid? [closed]
On PubMed.gov
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed?term=PMID%3A%2016979289
"Determination of exposure and probable ingestion of fluoride through tea, toothpaste, tobacco..."
"Levels of water soluble ...
11
votes
1answer
7k views
Does a cell phone emit 1000 times more radiation when its battery is low?
Found this gem on G+:
The rest seems all extremely circumstantial except the very last item. The 'radiation' they're talking about, I'm assuming, is electromagnetic radiation - which would be ...
4
votes
1answer
130 views
Do earthenware pots contains lead?
I have heard somewhere that the earthenware pots contain lead, which can cause brain-damage.
Is this information correct?
2
votes
0answers
123 views
Is typical indoor concentration of VOC correlated to concentration of CO₂?
A vendor of VOC (Volatile Organic Compound) sensor claims the VOC concentration correlates highly to CO₂ concentration in a typical conference room:
Figure 2 illustrates the correlation of true ...
-1
votes
1answer
341 views
Is sleeping on airbeds unhealthy?
I have often heard from people that sleeping on airbeds is not good for health, reasoning that it is filled with air and molds to the shape of our body, so cannot provide enough support for the back.
...
2
votes
0answers
118 views
Are cosmetic/pharmaceutical products without parabens healthier than counterparts with it?
Parabens are a class of preservative used in cosmetics and health related products.
A large number of products, especially for infants, claim to be free of parabens implying that this is somewhat ...
17
votes
2answers
1k views
Is using a standing desk for several hours healthier than sitting at a desk all day?
Is working at a standing desk more healthy than working at a regular sitting desk?
Source: Crackberry Blog
Over the past couple of years there has been a lot of buzz about the health benefits ...
5
votes
0answers
260 views
Are laundry detergent and fabric softener fumes dangerous to human health?
One of my neighbors raised the topic of toxins in the dryer effluence from our buildings' laundry rooms. That's not particularly surprising, but she claimed there was evidence that the trace toxins ...
2
votes
1answer
218 views
Does sun screen cause cancer?
I been recently informed by my little sister who is in high risk for skin cancer and uses sun screen frequently that certain sun screens contain chemicals which are known carcinogens. I wonder if this ...
3
votes
1answer
328 views
Is aspartame dangerous? [duplicate]
Possible Duplicate:
Does the artificial sweetener aspartame cause cancer?
According to: http://www.whilesciencesleeps.com/dangers-of-aspartame/
The methanol contained in the diet soda ...
15
votes
2answers
4k views
Has 99% of the western continental Europe banned water fluoridation?
I keep seeing this claim about the unpopularity of water fluoridation parroted.
Despite dental pressure, 99% of western continental Europe has rejected, banned, or stopped fluoridation due to ...
11
votes
1answer
514 views
Can a pair of rats multiply to 200 within a year?
A story on the BBC News website makes the following claim:
Brown rats are one of the planet's most serious mammalian pests, ruining crops and harbouring disease. Expert jumpers, climbers and ...
13
votes
0answers
300 views
Do office plants increase productivity?
Treehugger: Research has shown that a healthy office space with plants and open windows is more conducive to productivity.
Do plants in the office increase the productivity of employees?
9
votes
1answer
553 views
Can jet lag give you permanent memory and learning problems?
A recent article on Cracked.com, 5 Things You Won't Believe Are Making You Dumber, claims "jet lag gives you permanent memory and learning problems" and cited several studies. But when you look at the ...
3
votes
0answers
388 views
Do Himalayan Salt Lamps remove airborne contaminates?
While indirectly related to Himalayan salt caves due to their sourcing, Himalayan Salt Lamps are not quite the same. These lamps are sold for the dual purposes of mood lighting and supposed health ...
8
votes
1answer
4k views
Is it illegal to sell used mattresses?
I'm possibly selling a used mattress (plead the 5th) and to my surprise was told that it's illegal! I've never heard this before. It seems that many others are asking this question and have heard it ...
8
votes
1answer
3k views
Does Vitamin D created by sun exposure get washed off in the shower?
A recent article by Dr Mercola on a health advocacy web site makes a number of claims about Vitamin D production in your skin. The most surprising to me is the claim that you can wash off a ...
7
votes
1answer
3k views
Do police officers and firefighters have a shorter than average life expectancy?
I have run across several references that mention that police officers and firefighters have a much shorter life expectancy than average. Is this claim true? Are there any reputable studies that have ...
3
votes
0answers
1k views
Must one reapply physical sunscreen every two hours?
I have read from several sources online* that any suncreen, even physical sunscreen, must be reapplied at least every 2 hours (or more frequently if you've been swimming or sweating).
For chemical ...
3
votes
1answer
247 views
Is there enough tetrodotoxin in a single fugu (blowfish) to kill 30 people?
As a section about Fugu fish in the "Top 10 Most Dangerous Foods" article on the Time magazine website suggests
The toxin is so potent that a lethal dose is smaller than the head of a pin, and a ...
9
votes
1answer
4k views
Does washing your hair with a coal-tar soap prevent hair loss and accommodate hair growth?
I have heard several people, including both a former dermatologist and a hair-dresser claim that coal-tar soap can help prevent hair-loss.
The Herbs and Home Remedies site recommends it (combined ...
8
votes
0answers
1k views
Does 528 Hz “facilitate DNA repair”?
There is a somewhat common belief that playing a tone at 528Hz can help to facilitate DNA repair.
Examples:
The frequency of 528 Hz supposedly has healing effects on DNA. The
frequency seems to ...
3
votes
0answers
679 views
Do solar flares and/or geomagnetic storms affect human health?
I've read recently that magnetic storms cause: "heart failure, heart attack, strokes and insomnia". This comes from major newspaper in Lithuania (EU country), here is the link to the article (in ...
13
votes
1answer
5k views
How dangerous are rare earth processing by-products?
A rare earth processing plant's waste could contain the element Thorium, which is radioactive.
I've pored through plenty of articles and Thorium by virtue of its long half-life has a very low amount ...
11
votes
2answers
1k views
Are cheap sunglasses bad for your eyes?
Conventional wisdom and tips in magazines often state that you shouldn't buy cheap sunglasses because they don't protect well against UV rays.
There are two claims in one here, I am skeptical about:
...
7
votes
1answer
523 views
Is washing fruits/vegetables with water useful?
People tend to recommend washing (even just with water) fruits/vegetables before eating them for health reasons.
Do we have evidence that washing fruits/vegetables with water reduce potential health ...
8
votes
2answers
4k views
Is white asbestos dangerous?
In this article in The Daily Telegraph it is claimed that large amounts of money are being spent to deal with white asbestos despite this substance posing no risk to human health.
It was in the ...
9
votes
1answer
1k views
Is it possible to get a sunburn if you're behind a (glass) window?
Someone recently told me that windows act as a kind of "magnifying glass". That doesn't make a lot of sense to me. Here's an example of someone with that belief (in the comments):
Can a baby get ...
16
votes
1answer
6k views
Do cacti absorb harmful radiation emitted by computers?
It is a common belief that cacti absorb radiation; consequently, a lot of people put potted cacti by their computer as a safety means.
Do cacti actually absorb radiation? Even if so, will a small ...
6
votes
1answer
477 views
Do Volatile Organic Compounds from common household fixtures pose a threat to infants?
Volatile Organic Compounds seems to be a catch-all phrase describing a variety of organic chemicals that have a high vapor pressure at room temperature.
Many sources for parenting, expectant ...
8
votes
1answer
333 views
Is there a health risk from nanoparticles in sunscreens?
There have been various stories in the news in the past couple of weeks in Australia about peoples perception of nanoparticles in sunscreen.
To quote from the linked story above:
This week, the ...
5
votes
1answer
1k views
Do air ionizers have any substantial benefits or risks?
This question regarding an ionizer in an Asus laptop has a little bit of information about air ionizers (air ionisers for those using UK English), but not a lot at the time of writing.
There are ...
