Lead in School Water Fountains

Posted 25 Jan 2019:  Good morning, and please extend a hearty welcome to Friday.

Just a few notes from this week's issue, but please DO see the first entry if nothing else.

• Millions of U.S. children are drinking lead in their water from school fountains.  According to Harvard researchers, 40% of all U.S. schools have higher-than-recommended lead levels in their tap water.  Most schools are not even testing for lead.  Remember Flint, Michigan?  You may want to talk to the school or contact the EPA and request a water test:  https://www.epa.gov/waterlabnetwork
• Update on consumer inspections in the U.S. -- the Food and Drug Administration inspection program has 200 food investigators on the job, but 350 are furloughed.   Meanwhile, the USDA says that most of their 10,000 inspectors are still working (with no pay) to monitor U.S. meat and poultry products.  I'm sure there's nothing to worry about, right?  I mean, right?
• Our ace cub reporter from Pulaski continues to monitor the Ebola crisis in the Republic of Congo, which continues to worsen despite the 400 World Health Organization personnel on the ground.  There is hope, though, that a vaccine currently being tested looks promising.  Take a look at the "cases" and "confirmed death" graphs here. 
• An Iraqi scientist helped make WWI-type mustard gas for the Islamic State back when they had their caliphate.  He's on death row now, but the issue raises questions about whether all of the poisonous gas was found and destroyed, or if some of it slipped out of the country and is buried in caches in Syria...just waiting to be used.
• The Toilet Board Coalition is watching you.  Actually, they're watching your bowels.  Get ready for 'smart toilets' that will be monitoring your health by detecting abnormalities in your waste.  They will be able to spot diseases, diabetes, bladder and prostate problems.  I just hope they're not using a camera.

Have a great week out there...it's about to get cold again.

Army Public Health Weekly Update:  https://phc.amedd.army.mil/Periodical%20Library/APHWeeklyUpdate25January2019.pdf