Environmental, Health and Safety News

Texas WACO fertilizer plant investigation "inconclusive" #OHS

noreply@blogger.com (EHS Director) — Tue, 21 May 2013 15:02:00 +0000

Investigators have not ruled out arson as the main cause of the explosions at West Fertilizer that left 15 people dead, the Texas fire marshal said on May 16. State Fire Marshal Chris Connealy said investigators were unable to rule out three possible causes, including a spark from a golf cart, an electrical short or an intentionally set fire.

"The cause cannot be proven to an acceptable level," Connealy told reporters.

Investigators said the incident was actually two simultaneous blasts triggered by the fire. The blasts, which registered on seismographs as a magnitude 2.1 earthquake and were felt 50 miles away, caused damage to a 37-block area of the town.

In that weeks that followed the blasts, scores of investigators have been following up on leads. At least 60 have been on site each day, conducted more than 400 interviews and spent $1 million trying to determine how the fire started and what caused the explosion, authorities said.

In 2012, the Transportation Department's Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration fined West Fertilizer $5,250 for storing anhydrous ammonia in tanks that lacked the proper warning labels. The agency originally recommended a $10,000 penalty, but it was reduced after the company took corrective action.

In 2006, the EPA fined it $2,300 and told the owners to correct problems that included a failure to file a risk management program plan on time. The Texas Commission on Environmental Quality also investigated a complaint about the lingering smell of ammonia around the plant the same year.

Investigators from the US Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the State Fire Marshal's Office have been the lead agencies in the criminal and fire investigations.

The Dallas Morning News said Chemical Safety Board officials had limited and intermittent access to the plant as the law enforcement investigation took priority.

Investigators have said that 22 minutes after the initial report of a fire at the West facility, around 28 to 34 tons of ammonium nitrate stored inside a seed room at the plant exploded. An additional 120 tons stored elsewhere at the plant did not explode.

Please read on at:
http://www.hazardexonthenet.net/article/58422/Texas-fertiliser-plant-investigation-inconclusive.aspx

Woman handed 57-month prison sentence for fraud during BP oil spill via @WWLTV

noreply@blogger.com (EHS Director) — Mon, 20 May 2013 13:55:00 +0000

NEW ORLEANS — A Belle Chasse woman was handed a 57-month prison sentence after hosting a fraudulent hazardous waste safety program in the wake of the BP oil spill. Connie M. Knight, 47, also was ordered to pay $23,500 in restitution. See full at: WWLTV.com

New NIOSH resource, Health and Safety of Young Workers: Proceedings of a U.S. and Canadian Series of Symposia

noreply@blogger.com (EHS Director) — Mon, 20 May 2013 13:52:00 +0000

I thought many of you would be interested in a new resource, Health and Safety of Young Workers: Proceedings of a U.S. and Canadian Series of Symposia http://www.cdc.gov/niosh/docs/2013-144/

This document published by NIOSH includes 13 articles authored by business scholars, epidemiologists, health communicators, physicians, psychologists, and sociologists. The Proceedings are a culmination of a unique series of symposia held in the United States and Canada between 2007 and 2010 that were co-funded by grants from NIOSH to the University of North Carolina Injury Prevention Center and from the Ontario Neurotrauma Foundation to Laurentian University.

Health and Safety of Young Workers: Proceedings of a U.S. and Canadian Series of Symposia [PDF - 2.6 MB]

Funnel Wind Turbine Generates Jaw-Dropping Power : Discovery News

noreply@blogger.com (EHS Director) — Mon, 20 May 2013 10:20:00 +0000

...The Chaska, Minn.-based company Sheer Wind thinks it has a design that could bring the cost of wind power down to a price competitive with natural gas. Daryoush Allaei, Sheer Wind's chief technical officer, told DNews that a utility-scale system of these wind turbines — that is a 100 to 500 MW power plant — the cost could be as low as 1 cent per KWh. For comparison, conventional tower and blade wind power plants cost about 45 to 80 cents per KWh and natural gas plants cost about 2 to 3 cents per KWh.

The company's Invelox captures wind using wide-mouthed funnels. Inside, passageways turn the wind horizontally and taper it into a narrow space, which naturally accelerates the flow. The higher speed wind is then channeled into a turbine positioned at ground level. According to the company, the system works even if wind speeds are slow at the top. For example, a wind entering at 10 mph is increased to 40 mph by the time it enters the turbine. After passing through the turbine, the wind is exhausted back into the environment at 15mph.

The unit is about 50 percent shorter than traditional wind towers and the turbine blades on the generator are 84 percent smaller — as a result, equipment and maintenance costs are lower.

Please continue reading at:

http://news.discovery.com/tech/alternative-power-sources/funnel-wind-turbrine-generates-jaw-dropping-power-130515.htm

CDC: 1 In 5 US Children May Have Mental Disorder cost our nation $247 billion each year.

noreply@blogger.com (EHS Director) — Sun, 19 May 2013 18:55:00 +0000

ATLANTA (CBS ATLANTA) – Nearly 1 in 5 children in the U.S. suffers from a mental disorder, and this number has been rising for more than a decade.

According to a study conducted by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, up to 20 percent of American children are suffering from mental disorders such as attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), anxiety, depression and autism.

The CDC's first study of mental disorders among children aged 3 to 17 also found that the cost of medical bills for treatment of such disorders is up to $247 billion each year.

Please continue reading at: http://atlanta.cbslocal.com/2013/05/18/cdc-1-in-5-us-children-may-have-mental-disorder/

SKWID harnesses the power of both the wind and the tide

noreply@blogger.com (EHS Director) — Sun, 19 May 2013 12:13:00 +0000

There are already a wide variety of renewable energy systems that harness the power of the wind, along with some that generate power via the flow of ocean currents. According to Japanese engineering firm MODEC (Mitsui Ocean Development & Engineering Co.), however, its soon-to-be-tested SKWID system will be the first one to do both... Continue Reading SKWID harnesses the power of both the wind and the tide

Wind power — even without the wind. New system could store 6 MWh of energy at 6 cents per kilowatt-hour

noreply@blogger.com (EHS Director) — Fri, 17 May 2013 14:41:00 +0000

Tom Lombardo posted on http://www.engineering.com/ElectronicsDesign/ElectronicsDesignArticles/ArticleID/5680/Does-This-Energy-Storage-System-Have-Potential.aspx

It's not a new concept: When a wind turbine or solar array generates more energy than you're using, the excess energy can be stored by pumping water into an elevated holding tank, converting kinetic energy into potential energy. When energy is needed, the water flows down and spins a turbine that generates electricity.

Engineers at MIT are proposing a similar system for off-shore wind turbines, but instead of an elevated holding tank, the water would be stored in a 25 meter concrete spherical tank that also anchors the floating turbine to the ocean floor. The sphere is placed at a depth of 400 meters. Excess electrical energy pumps water out of the tank and into the ocean, and when energy is needed the water flows back into the sphere and drives a hydroelectric generator.

Image: Tom Lombardo

MIT researchers estimate that one sphere can store the equivalent of 6 MWh of energy and would cost roughly $12M to build and install. Deployment would require a new kind of barge, since nothing currently exists that can carry such a load. They believe that the cost could decrease in time, and suggest that eventually the system could store energy at a cost of about $0.06/kWh, a rate that's acceptable by industry standards. Since the entire system is grid-tied, the excess energy could come from sources such as an on-shore solar array in addition to the off-shore wind turbines. (Why not a floating solar array while we're at it?)

I usually write about technologies that I believe have serious potential, but I have to admit, this idea is difficult for me to fathom (excuse the pun). At a depth of 400 m, the pressure is about 412 N/cm2 (600 psi). Install a pump capable of producing that kind of pressure and immerse it in salt water. Oh, and remember that anything with moving parts requires periodic maintenance, so you'll be sending a diver down to the sphere every now and then.

The numbers may work out in theory, but in practice I'm not sure this idea holds water.

Read More at:

http://web.mit.edu/newsoffice/2013/wind-power-even-without-the-wind-0425.html

2 webinars focusing on TRI reporting "Showcase Sustainability in Your TRI Report".

noreply@blogger.com (EHS Director) — Fri, 17 May 2013 14:33:00 +0000

Please join GLRPPR for two webinars focusing on the Toxic Release Inventory's new P2 data tool.

On Tuesday, June 4 at 2:30 pm CDT, GLRPPR will present "Using the TRI P2 Data Tool".
Join Daniel Teitelbaum from U.S. EPA's TRI Program to learn how to use the new TRI P2 data tool and discover how this rich data source can help you improve your technical assistance to clients. Register at https://www4.gotomeeting.com/register/280645215

On Wednesday June 5 at 2 1-2 pm CDT, EPA will present a webinar entitled
"New Ways to Showcase Sustainability in Your 2012 TRI Report".
This training is designed to help facilities prepare for the July 1st TRI reporting deadline. In it, companies can learn how to complete the pollution prevention (P2) portion of the TRI reporting form, which gives facilities the opportunity to report and describe P2 activities and other environmentally-friendly practices related to TRI-listed toxic chemicals. Providing this information allows EPA to present a more complete picture of a facility's management of toxic chemicals and helps make TRI a more effective tool for highlighting and promoting P2 successes. To register, visit https://www1.gotomeeting.com/register/178660521

Notice via the amazing Laura B. - GLRPPR :)

Elio Motors highlights its $7,000, 84-mpg 3-wheeled car

noreply@blogger.com (EHS Director) — Fri, 17 May 2013 10:48:00 +0000

Scheduled to sell for less than half the price of the current cheapest car in America, the Elio is a 3-wheeled "car" that hopes to shake up the automotive world. It eschews the trendy electric powertrain for a small gas system, but thanks to its small, light, aerodynamic design, it promises to keep drivers away from the gas pumps for as long as possible. .. Continue Reading Elio Motors highlights its $7,000, 84-mpg 3-wheeled car

Outstanding Balance on Federal Student Loans Tops $600 Billion–Up 250% Under Obama

noreply@blogger.com (EHS Director) — Fri, 17 May 2013 10:42:00 +0000

(CNSNews.com) – The outstanding balance for all of the direct student loans the federal government has issued topped $600 billion in April, according to newly released data from the U.S. Treasury.

The total balance hit $600.457 billion by the end of April, says the Treasury, up from $592.142 billion at the end of March.

The Federal Direct Student Loan Program already has built-in debt forgiveness plans for people who end up earning low incomes or for those who entered lines of work preferred by the government.

In January 2009, when Obama was inaugurated, the balance was $119.803 billion and has since increased more than fivefold.

Please continue reading at: http://cnsnews.com/news/article/outstanding-balance-federal-student-loans-tops-600-billion-250-under-obama

JOB ROLES & THE PERCENTAGE OF OBESE WORKERS #OHS #Health

noreply@blogger.com (EHS Director) — Fri, 17 May 2013 10:40:00 +0000

Some jobs are bad news for the waistline and a new survey has revealed bus driving as the most weight-inducing occupation in the U.S., Today.com reveals.

The Gallup-Healthways Well-Being Index, which took into account a random sample of 138,438 employees aged 18 or over, found that 36.4per cent of transport workers were obese.

More than one in four factory workers, office staff and, surprisingly nurses were also found to be dangerously overweight – the result of poor pay, unhealthy diets, a lack of exercise and a history of depression.

JOB ROLES AND THE PERCENTAGE OF OBESE WORKERS

The Gallup-Healthways Well-Being Index, which took into account a random sample of 138,438 employees aged 18 or over, looked at showing the obesity rates of different occupations in the U.S.

1. Transportation staff (bus, rail, air) – 36.4*

2. Manufacturing or production staff – 29.9

3. Installation or repair workers – 28.3

4. Clerical or office staff – 26.6

5. Managers, executives, or officials – 25.6

6. Service workers – 25.6

7. Nurses – 25.2

8. Farming, fishing, or forestry workers – 24.7

9. Construction or mining personnel – 24.0

10. Sales representatives- 23.2

11. Professionals (including physicians, nurses, and teachers) – 22.1

12. Teachers (primary and secondary education) – 20.9

13. Business owners – 20.4

14. Physicians – 14.0

* Percentage

Blog - Infograph: Food Security: Land, Water, & Energy

noreply@blogger.com (EHS Director) — Thu, 16 May 2013 10:48:00 +0000

Infograph: Food Security-- Land, Water, & Energy food security, poverty, hunger, starvation, land, water rights, energy . . . it is all connected

Do you know what it takes to have food security? Studies suggest a very strong connection between land, water, and energy. We lay out the cold, hard facts here in an infograph so that we can create a better future for our children, and just maybe we can do a better job helping the rest of the world feed theirs, too.

Want to share this infograph to your friends? Great, thanks-- but please do not alter this infograph in anyway, as it is property of Pantry Paratus.

Please read full and follow By Chaya at:

http://pantryparatus.com/blog/food-security-infograph

Birth rates falling around the world

noreply@blogger.com (EHS Director) — Thu, 16 May 2013 10:36:00 +0000

Brad Plumer, Washington Post - "I find it extraordinary that the massive global drop in human fertility has been so little noticed by the media," writes Stanford geographer Martin Lewis, "escaping the attention of even highly educated Americans."

Lewis has a fascinating, chart-heavy essay over at the Breakthrough Institute pointing out that birthrates are dropping rapidly almost everywhere around the world — with the exception of sub-Saharan Africa, mostly. Here's a map of the current state of affairs:

One notable bit here is how many developing countries now have lower birthrates than even some European nations. "Chile (1.85 children per woman), Brazil (1.81), and Thailand (1.56) have lower birthrates than France (2.0), Norway (1.95), and Sweden (1.98)," Lewis writes.

The same goes for India. Back in 1968, biologist Paul Ehrlich famously warned about a coming population explosion in India that would lead to mass famine and catastrophe. Yet today, India's fertility rate (2.5) is only slightly higher than the United States' (2.1). In India's southern states, the birthrate is actually below replacement level, meaning that the next generation will be smaller than the current one.

.... this is a story with big implications. Environmentalists have long warned that if the global population keeps soaring — we're at about 7 billion right now — that'll put a huge strain on the Earth's natural resources. But in much of the world, the population is no longer soaring. And, if the soap-opera hypothesis is correct, birthrates in places like Africa might end up dropping far more rapidly and easily than anyone expects.

Please continue reading at:

http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/wonkblog/wp/2013/05/13/why-are-birthrates-falling-around-the-world-in-a-word-television/?wprss=rss_ezra-klein

BREAKING #HazMat–radioactive leak at SC Catawba Nuclear Station power plant

noreply@blogger.com (EHS Director) — Thu, 16 May 2013 10:30:00 +0000

LAKE WYLIE More than 100 gallons of water with traces of tritium, a radioactive isotope of hydrogen, has been leaked from a discharge pipe at the Catawba Nuclear Station, according to the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission.

The leak has been classified as a "non emergency event" by the NRC. The leak, however, has the potential to reach groundwater, according to the NRC.

Duke Energy has initiated actions to fix the problem, which happened at 11:23 p.m. Tuesday, according to NRC officials.

Regulators: Water Leak at SC Nuclear Plant http://abcnews.go.com/US/wireStory/regulators-water-leak-sc-nuclear-plant-19184656

WHO: First report of patient-to-nurse infection of SARS-like virus: novel coronavirus (nCoV).

noreply@blogger.com (EHS Director) — Thu, 16 May 2013 10:27:00 +0000

This is the first time health care workers have been diagnosed with nCoV (novel coronavirus) infection after exposure to patients," the WHO said in a statement.

The two health care workers were among six new cases announced by the Saudi health ministry on Tuesday.

The UN's health body said that while other health care workers had contracted the deadly disease in Jordan, there had until now not been clear evidence that they had been infected by patients carrying the virus.

"This is the first time we have pretty hard and fast evidence of it," WHO spokesman Gregory Haertl explained to AFP.

http://au.news.yahoo.com/thewest/a/-/news/17172186/first-proof-of-patient-to-nurse-infection-of-sars-like-virus-who/

WHO Global Alert and Response Update

15 MAY 2013 - The Ministry of Health in Saudi Arabia has informed WHO of an additional two laboratory-confirmed cases with infection of the novel coronavirus (nCoV).

The two patients are health care workers who were exposed to patients with confirmed nCoV. The first patient is a 45-year-old man who became ill on 2 May 2013 and is currently in a critical condition. The second patient is a 43-year-old woman with a coexisting health condition, who became ill on 8 May 2013 and is in a stable condition.

Please continue reading at: http://www.who.int/csr/don/2013_05_15_ncov/en/index.html

World's largest fat-burning power station to burn blubber from London sewers

noreply@blogger.com (EHS Director) — Thu, 16 May 2013 10:21:00 +0000

East London is set to play host to the world's biggest power station to run solely on fat, which will provide a much-needed use for the discarded fat which can block the city's sewer system. The station will generate 130 gigawatt-hours of electricity per year, enough to power about 39,000 houses... Continue Reading World's largest fat-burning power station to burn blubber from London sewers

Michigan District Runs out of money and Fires All Teachers, Closes Every School

noreply@blogger.com (EHS Director) — Wed, 15 May 2013 10:27:00 +0000

Yahoo! News Buena Vista schools have been closed for five days already, and on Monday, the district's website stated that the school would be closed until further notice. For good reason, this decision has parents, and the community, up in arms.

The problem in Buena Vista is that the school district, educating approximately 450 kids, is out of money. All the teachers have been laid off and a financial emergency has been declared. The district has suffered from declining enrollment, which, in turn, has led to a loss of $3 million in state funding since 2010.

Read full article: http://news.yahoo.com/michigan-district-fires-teachers-closes-every-school-012040117.html

The biggest hurdle to U.S. energy independence may have nothing to do with oil

noreply@blogger.com (EHS Director) — Wed, 15 May 2013 10:25:00 +0000

From Casey Research: What most Americans don't realize is that dependence on foreign oil isn't the main obstacle to U.S. energy autonomy. If you think America's energy supply issues begin and end with the Middle East, think again. One of the most critical sources of foreign energy is due to dry up this year, and the results could mean spiking electricity prices across the country.

In 2011, the U.S. used 4,128 billion kilowatt hours (kWh) of electricity. Nuclear power provided 790.2 billion kWh, or 19% of the total electrical output in the U.S. Few people know that one in five U.S. households is powered by nuclear energy, and that the price of that nuclear power has been artificially stabilized. Unfortunately for us, the vast majority of the fuel used for powering our homes must be imported.

In the chart below, you see where most of our uranium comes from…

Read full article at: http://www.caseyresearch.com/go/bwlch/CRX

Right now in #MKE Fire and hazmat crews respond to explosion at St. Francis company

noreply@blogger.com (EHS Director) — Tue, 14 May 2013 12:05:00 +0000

Fire and hazmat crews were called to Fontarome Chemical, 4170 S. Nevada St., in St. Francis about midnight Tuesday after a chemical reaction caused a small explosion, according to WDJT-TV (Channel 58).

The explosion was contained to one area of the plant and no one was injured.

Please follow at:

http://www.jsonline.com/news/milwaukee/fire-and-hazmat-crews-respond-to-explosion-at-st-francis-company-4b9ulh6-207345681.html

The personal savings rate fell to 2.6% in the first quarter, the lowest level since the fourth quart

noreply@blogger.com (EHS Director) — Tue, 14 May 2013 10:42:00 +0000

from WSJ:

One of the positive takeaways from today's GDP report appears to be the resilient consumer. But digging deeper into that theory suggests there's some cause for concern.

Consumer spending rose at a 3.2% rate in the first quarter, the best pace since late 2010. Spending on durable-goods items — such as cars and dishwashers — jumped, as did spending in the construction sector.

But considering Americans were hit by higher taxes and rising gas prices and after-tax income fell sharply in the first quarter, how did they muster up the money to boost their spending?

Please read full and follow at: http://blogs.wsj.com/moneybeat/2013/04/26/gdp-takeaway-consumers-dip-heavily-into-savings/

REPORT: HEALTH PREMIUMS TO SOAR 400%

noreply@blogger.com (EHS Director) — Tue, 14 May 2013 10:41:00 +0000

Internal cost estimates from 17 of the nation's largest insurance companies indicate that health insurance premiums will grow an average of 100 percent under Obamacare, and that some will soar more than 400 percent, crushing the administration's goal of affordability.

New regulations, policies, taxes, fees and mandates are the reason for the unexpected "rate shock," according to the House Energy and Commerce Committee, which released a report Monday based on internal documents provided by the insurance companies. The 17 companies include Aetna, Blue Cross Blue Shield and Kaiser Foundation.

Please continue reading at:Mhttp://washingtonexaminer.com/insurers-predict-100-400-obamacare-rate-explosion/article/2529523

Panasonic to distribute 100,000 solar lantern/chargers to the developing world #dogood

noreply@blogger.com (EHS Director) — Tue, 14 May 2013 10:37:00 +0000

We live in an age where people in the developed world are so dependent on electricity that if it wasn't available a whole civilization would collapse in a week. It's therefore ironic that 1.32 billion people around the world are still without what most people have come to see as a basic necessity. To mark its 100th anniversary, the Panasonic Corporation plans to distribute 100,000 solar lanterns that the company has developed that can not only provide light, but also charge mobile phones and other small devices... Continue Reading Panasonic to distribute 100,000 solar lantern/chargers to the developing world

May. 13 US: Thousands of childrens products contain toxic chemicals, report says

noreply@blogger.com (EHS Director) — Tue, 14 May 2013 02:23:00 +0000

This article is brought to you by BusinessMirror.

More than 5,000 products, including clothing, toys and bedding, contain toxic chemicals that could be dangerous for children's health, yet stores still stock them and consumers know little about their content, an advocacy group reported this week.

"For most products in our homes, including children's products, we simply don't have standards," said Erika Schreder, science director for the Washington Toxics Coalition and author of the report released on Wednesday based on toxic-chemical data from Washington state. "Manufacturers are allowed to use just about anything they want to."

The report, called "Chemicals Revealed," identified more than 5,000 products, such as footwear, car seats and arts and crafts supplies, that include developmental or reproductive toxins and carcinogens.

The report also found it may take several years to complete these initial risk assessments and, at the agency's current pace, more than a decade to complete all 83. The EPA does not have the toxicity and exposure data needed for 58 of the 83 chemicals prioritized for risk assessment, the report found.

"The one saving grace of our national chemical policy is that it at least allows the states to act. Right now they are shedding the only light we have on what toxic chemicals end up in products," said Andy Igrejas, executive director of the Washington, D.C.-based Safer Chemicals, Healthy Families, an organization of state groups devoted to reducing the toxicity of consumer goods. MCT

For the full article and more information please refer to http://businessmirror.com.ph/index.php/features/science/13333-thousands-of-children-s-products-contain-toxic-chemicals-report-says

EPA publishes guidelines to help officials make decisions that balance radiation risks

noreply@blogger.com (EHS Director) — Mon, 13 May 2013 10:46:00 +0000

The EPA has updated protective action guidelines in regards to radiation. The government's legal safety standards haven't changed. The new guidelines aren't enforceable rules — they are suggestions to help local officials make tough decisions. In fact, the guidance repeatedly refers to meeting existing standards, not flouting them. The question, though, is how to handle a big radiological release in the real world.

The 86 page draft document is here

Nextbigfuture recommends looking at enhanced steps to mitigate damage

Besides balancing the existing risks of sheltering in place versus evacuation risks there should be an examination of cost effective upgrades to mitigating, limiting and avoiding problems.

What can be done to improve sheltering in place at senior centers and hospitals ? There can be some simple and cost effective structural improvements.

What can be done to mitigate and limit damage ? Besides improved cleanup there can be fast response patching like inflatable covers that would limit radiation to the nuclear plant and prevent or limit how much is allowed to get into the atmosphere. Fukushima had radiation releases over months from used fuel pools and from damaged reactor structures. We have now developed prepared capping of deep ocean oil leaks like the BP spill, we can prepare fast response containment structures to limit and localize radiation leaks.

New EPA guidelines

Following a nuclear disaster, it could be a long time before radiation meets the EPA's usual safety levels. In the meantime, when is it absolutely necessary to restrict the water people can drink or to abandon an area? Moving people out of a hospital's intensive care unit, for example, poses its own risks. And when is it safe enough to move back (with precautions)? There are costs to keeping people out of their homes and away from their jobs for long stretches. Repaving roads and restricting crop growth, for example, might make an area habitable while cleanup continues. The guidance encourages local officials to think about these questions — with some sense of where the threshold contamination levels might lie — before they have to make those calls.

After Fukushima, it became clear that the initial radiation level could be reduced significantly by cleanup. We are assuming it won't just lay fallow for 50 years.

Read more at NBF

Antibiotics could cure 40% of chronic back pain patients

noreply@blogger.com (EHS Director) — Mon, 13 May 2013 10:44:00 +0000

Up to 40% of patients with chronic back pain could be cured with a course of antibiotics rather than surgery. Surgeons in the UK and elsewhere are reviewing how they treat patients with chronic back pain after scientists discovered that many of the worst cases were due to bacterial infections. Many patients with unrelenting lower back pain will no longer face major operations but can instead be cured with courses of antibiotics costing around £114 (US$170).

One of the UK's most eminent spinal surgeons said the discovery was the greatest he had witnessed in his professional life, and that its impact on medicine was worthy of a Nobel prize.

"This is vast. We are talking about probably half of all spinal surgery for back pain being replaced by taking antibiotics," said Peter Hamlyn, a consultant neurological and spinal surgeon at University College London hospital.

The Danish team describe their work in two papers published in the European Spine Journal.

In the first report, they explain how bacterial infections inside slipped discs can cause painful inflammation and tiny fractures in the surrounding vertebrae. The Danish team examined tissue removed from patients for signs of infection. Nearly half tested positive, and of these, more than 80% carried bugs called Propionibacterium acnes. The microbes are better known for causing acne. They lurk around hair roots and in the crevices in our teeth, but can get into the bloodstream during tooth brushing. Normally they cause no harm, but the situation may change when a person suffers a slipped disc. To heal the damage, the body grows small blood vessels into the disc. Rather than helping, though, they ferry bacteria inside, where they grow and cause serious inflammation and damage to neighbouring vertebrae that shows up on an MRI scan.

Read more at NBF