(Aug.26/08)
Toronto, Ontario (AHN) - Health authorities in Canada put the total number of deaths from a listeriosis outbreak to *26 on Monday. Thirty-five other cases of the bacterial infection are suspected to be related to the outbreak.
Twelve of the deaths have been linked to listeria-tainted packed meat of Maple Leaf Foods. The firm has recalled the products distributed to stores and nursing homes and has shut down its meat processing plant indefinitely.
Meanwhile, victims of the food poisoning are preparing a class action suit against Maple Leaf. (allheadlinenews.com)
* "6" deaths more likely - see following:
Thurs.Aug.28/08
SASKATCHEWAN (CBC) - The number of deaths confirmed to have been caused by listeria, or where listeria was a contributing factor, is now eight, three more than reported Wednesday.
As of Thursday, there were 29 confirmed cases of listeriosis caused by Listeria monocytogenes bacteria. Of the 29 victims, 15 have died - 12 in Ontario, one in British Columbia, one in Saskatchewan and one in Quebec. In seven of those cases, listeriosis has not been confirmed as the actual cause of death.(ca.news.yahoo.com)
_______________________________________
List of recalled products linked to ongoing listeriosis outbreak
Provided by: The Canadian Press
Written by: THE CANADIAN PRESS
Aug. 26, 2008
TORONTO - A complete list of recalled products from Maple Leaf Foods, Atlantic Prepared Foods Ltd., Royal Touch Foods and Metro Ontario Inc., with applicable product code, product name, UPC code, package size and best before dates.
The recalled products have an establishment number of 97B and carry best-before dates up to and including the dates listed.
32138 Artisan Collection ALL HAM KIELBASA 900 63100 32138 6 08OC22 3.5 kg
32136 Artisan Collection MONTREAL SMOKED MEAT 900 63100 32136 2 08OC15 2.7 kg
32125 Artisan Collection OVEN ROASTED BONELESS TURKEY 900 63100 32125 6 08OC22 4 kg
24171 Best Value COOKED HAM 7 71212 85255 7 08OC22 375 g
38164 Best Value COOKED HAM 7 71212 85264 9 08OC22 175 g
60250 Bittners / Schneiders ALL HAM KIELBASA 900 60811 60250 6 08OC22 3.5 kg
60215 Bittners / Schneiders FRENCH ONION MEAT LOAF 900 60811 60215 5 08OC29 2 kg
60213 Bittners / Schneiders HAM & BACON BAKED MEAT LOAF 900 60811 60213 1 08OC29 2 kg
60271 Bittners / Schneiders KIELBASA BAKED MEAT LOAF 900 60811 60271 1 08OC29 2 kg
60235 Bittners / Schneiders OVEN ROASTED BONELESS TURKEY 900 60811 60235 3 08OC22 4 kg
60218 Bittners / Schneiders PEPPERCORN BAKED MEAT LOAF 900 60811 60218 6 08OC29 2 kg
07133 Boston Pizza SHAVED ROAST BEEF FROZEN 100 63100 07133 9 09FE16 750 g
17035 Burns BOLOGNA 900 56839 17035 6 08OC22 4.36 kg
41450 Burns BOLOGNA 900 63100 41450 7 08OC22 250 g
24945 Burns BOLOGNA CHUNKS 0 64000 00212 9 08OC22 1 kg
29920 Burns BOLOGNA CHUNKS 0 64000 00212 9 08OC22 750 g
24759 Burns BUNG BOLOGNA 900 56839 24759 1 08OC22 8.93 kg
21360 Burns PEPPERONI BITES 0 63100 21360 2 09JA02 500 g
41452 Burns PEPPERONI SLICED 900 63100 41452 1 08OC15 200 g
60089 Burns PIZZA TOPPINGS (SALAMI, SMOKED HAM, PEPPERONI) 900 60383 60089 4 08OC22 2.2 kg
18015 Burns REGULAR PEPPERONI 900 64000 18015 8 08DE18 2.1 kg
17981 Burns REGULAR SALAMI 900 64000 17981 7 08DE18 2.15 kg
18007 Burns REGULAR SUMMER SAUSAGE 900 64000 18007 3 08DE18 2.12 kg
53640 Burns SALAMI, PEPPERONI, SUMMER SAUSAGE 900 00000 53640 3 08OC19 3.98 kg
33030 Burns SLICED BOLOGNA 0 640220 4 08OC22 175 g
34908 Burns SLICED COOKED HAM 0 640210 7 08OC15 375 g
35890 Burns SLICED COOKED HAM 0 640190 4 08OC15 175 g
19496 Burns SLICED PEPPERONI 0 642030 7 08OC15 375 g
46590 Burns SLICED PEPPERONI 0 640350 4 08OC15 175 g
10812 Burns SLICED SALAMI 0 641170 7 08OC29 375 g
41451 Burns SLICED SALAMI 900 63100 41451 4 08OC29 200 g
49743 Burns SLICED SALAMI 0 640320 3 08OC29 175 g
65757 Burns SLICED SUMMER SAUSAGE 0 640310 6 08OC15 175 g
17034 Burns SMOKED BOLOGNA PIECE 006400017034 08OC22 4 kg
82457 Burns SP SUB SANDWICH 900 00000 82457 9 08OC22 3.91 kg
39691 Campfire GARLIC SAUSAGE 100 56839 39691 0 08OC22 500 g
34225 Compliments CHICKEN BREAST 0 55742 38110 08OC22 125 g
34219 Compliments CHICKEN BREAST 0 68820 10440 7 08OC22 125 g
34220 Compliments TURKEY BREAST 0 68820 10441 4 08OC22 125 g
34226 Compliments TURKEY BREAST 0 55742 38111 08OC22 125 g
50499 Coorsh PASTRAMI EYE OF ROUND 900 55900 50499 1 08OC22 2.1 kg
51275 Coorsh SMOKED MEAT 0 55900 51275 7 08OC22 200 g
17418 Country Morning COOKED HAM 0 57316 02908 9 08OC22 175 g
82538 Country Morning COOKED HAM 0 57316 17302 7 08OC22 375 g
60236 Deli Gourmet OVEN ROASTED TURKEY BREAST 900 60811 60236 0 08OC08 3.7 kg
60243 Deli Gourmet SLICED ROAST BEEF 100 00000 60243 0 08OC01 1 kg
24263 Equality COOKED HAM 0 57627 35040 7 08OC22 375 g
17183 Generic 2 ASSORTED COOKED MEATS 100 56839 17183 8 08OC22 5 kg
93198 Generic 2 BEEF CHUB 100 00000 93198 1 09FE16 1 kg
22931 Generic 2 BOLOGNA 100 00000 22931 6 08OC22 6.0 kg
22930 Generic 2 GRADE OVERLANDER RINGS 900 00000 22930 5 08OC22 6.0 kg
08450 Generic 2 PASTRAMI SLICED 100 00000 08450 2 08OC01 2.5 kg
99158 Generic 2 TURKEY ENDS & PIECES 100 63100 99158 3 08OC01 12 kg
71331 Generic FS CORNED BEEF END BULK 100 64875 11331 8 08OC01 10 kg
71330 Generic FS ROAST BEEF ENDS BULK 100 64875 71330 1 08OC01 10 kg
20079 Harmonie COOKED HAM 0 57316 07215 3 08OC22 375 g
93199 Hickory Farms BEEF STICK 0 58485 93199 9 09FE16 1 kg
06932 Hickory Farms BEEF STICK 100 58485 06932 3 09FE16 250 g
16963 Hickory Farms BEEF STICK 100 58485 06363 4 09FE16 175 g
91004 Hickory Farms BEEF STICK 0 58485 91004 8 09FE16 375 g
91017 Hickory Farms GARLIC BEEF STICK 0 58485 91017 8 09FE16 375 g
00052 Hygrade BBQ STICK 0 58640 00052 2 09MA17 25 g
00042 Hygrade BBQ STICK FROZEN 0 58640 00052 2 09MA17 25 g
00207 Hygrade GARLIC BOLGNA 0 58640 00207 6 08NO18 500 g
00040 Hygrade PEPPERONI 0 58640 00050 8 09MA17 25 g
00050 Hygrade PEPPERONI 0 58640 00050 8 09MA17 25 g
01151 Hygrade SMOKED MEAT 0 58640 01151 1 08OC22 200 g
08448 Kirkland Signature SLICED PASTRAMI 0 62000 08448 0 08OC15 1 kg
44938 Main Street Deli CORNED BEEF 100 63100 44938 1 08OC15 500 g
42706 Main Street Deli ROAST BEEF 100 63100 42706 8 08OC08 500 g
82708 Maple Leaf BEEF BOLOGNA 0 63100 82708 3 08OC29 375 g
33249 Maple Leaf BEEF SALAMI 900 63100 33249 8 08DE18 2.5 kg
22919 Maple Leaf BLOOD PUDDING 900 63100 22919 4 08OC29 425 g
89442 Maple Leaf CHICKEN STRIP VALU PACK 0 63100 89442 9 08OC22 400 g
80316 Maple Leaf CLEARVIEW COOKED DICED TURKEY ROLL FROZEN 900 67052 80316 7 09AU20 2.25 kg
82024 Maple Leaf COOKED HAM 0 63100 82024 4 08OC22 375 g
83744 Maple Leaf DELI EXPRESS SMOKED MEAT 0 63100 83744 0 08OC22 200 g
22829 Maple Leaf DELI MOCK CHICKEN LOAF ROLLED IN TOASTED WHEAT CRUMBS 900 63100 22829 6 08OC15 3.6 kg
48000 Maple Leaf DELI SHAVED CORNED BEEF 0 62000 48019 0 08OC22 200 g
48004 Maple Leaf DELI SHAVED HONEY HAM 0 62000 48020 6 08OC22 200 g
48002 Maple Leaf DELI SHAVED SMOKED HAM 0 62000 48016 9 08OC22 200 g
48001 Maple Leaf DELI SHAVED SMOKED MEAT 0 62000 48018 3 08OC22 200 g
48003 Maple Leaf DELI SHAVED SMOKED TURKEY 0 62000 48017 6 08OC22 150 g
80219 Maple Leaf EZEE PIZZA 0 64000 04050 3 08OC22 250 g
61380 Maple Leaf EZEE SUB DAGWOOD 0 63100 61380 8 08OC22 375 g
61353 Maple Leaf EZEE SUB GOURMET 0 63100 61353 2 08OC22 250 g
61361 Maple Leaf EZEE SUB HERO 0 63100 61361 7 08OC22 375 g
68684 Maple Leaf EZEE SUB TURKEY 0 63100 68684 0 08OC22 250 g
89425 Maple Leaf FULLY COOKED GRILLED CHICKEN BREAST STRIPS SEASONED AND GLAZED 0 63100 89425 2 08OC22 150 g
82718 Maple Leaf GARLIC BOLOGNA 0 63100 82718 2 08NO05 375 g
83166 Maple Leaf HOT PEPPERONI STICK 0 63100 83166 0 08OC29 250 g
22101 Maple Leaf LARGE WAX BOLOGNA 900 63100 22101 3 09FE16 4.4 kg
83121 Maple Leaf LEAN LITE PEPPERONI STIX 0 63100 83121 9 08OC29 250 g
22781 Maple Leaf MACARONI & CHEESE LOAF 900 63100 22781 7 08OC15 3.5 kg
83118 Maple Leaf PEPPERONI 900 63100 83118 2 08DE18 2.75 kg
83130 Maple Leaf PEPPERONI STICK 0 63100 83130 1 08OC29 250 g
22851 Maple Leaf SALAMI 900 63100 22851 7 08DE18 2.8 kg
82771 Maple Leaf SLICED BOLOGNA 0 63100 82771 7 08OC29 375 g
41825 Maple Leaf SLICED LOUISIANA BLACKENED BEEF 0 63100 41825 07DE12 500 g
21440 Maple Leaf SURE SLICE BLACK FOREST HAM 100 63100 21440 8 08OC22 1 kg
21388 Maple Leaf SURE SLICE COMBO PACK 100 63100 21388 3 08OC01 1 kg
21444 Maple Leaf SURE SLICE CORNED BEEF 100 63100 21444 6 08OC15 1 kg
21333 Maple Leaf SURE SLICE ROAST BEEF 100 63100 21333 3 08OC01 1 kg
21447 Maple Leaf SURE SLICE SALAMI 100 63100 21447 7 08OC22 1 kg
21449 Maple Leaf SURE SLICE SHAVED SMOKED TURKEY 100 63100 21449 1 08OC15 1 kg
21331 Maple Leaf SURE SLICE SMOKED HAM 100 63100 21331 9 08OC22 1 kg
21334 Maple Leaf SURE SLICE TURKEY BREAST 100 63100 21334 0 08OC15 1 kg
82756 Maple Leaf THICK BOLOGNA Bologne Tranche epais 0 63100 82756 4 08OC22 375 g
22882 Maple Leaf WAX BOLOGNA CHUNKS 900 63100 22882 1 08OC22 1 kg
82151 Maple Leaf WISE CHOICE WAX BOLOGNA 900 63100 82151 0 08DE18 4 kg
22507 Maple Leaf DELI BOLOGNA 900 63100 22507 3 09FE16 4.5 kg
22766 Maple Leaf HEADCHEESE 900 63100 22766 4 08OC22 1.5 kg
22555 Maple Leaf LARGE WAX BOLOGNA 900 63100 22555 4 09FE16 4.4 kg
22388 Maple Leaf WAX BOLOGNA BAG 900 63100 22388 8 08DE18 1 kg
82015 Mayfair/Marque COOKED HAM 0 59620 28662 08OC22 375 g
26365 McDonald's TURKEY 100 63100 26365 9 08OC01 473 g
24355 Mitchell's CHEDDAR SAUSAGE 0 59620 74241 8 08OC22 600 g
60402 Mitchell's DOUBLE SMOKED SAUSAGE 0 59620 82716 0 08OC22 600 g
60674 Mitchell's MOZZARELLA SMOKED SAUSAGE 0 59620 74527 3 08OC22 600 g
02356 Mr. Sub SEASONED COOKED ROAST BEEF 100 63100 02356 7 08OC08 500 g
39144 No Name GARLIC COIL SINGLES 900 60383 39144 0 08OC22 7.5 kg
67776 No Name TURKEY 0 60383 36878 08OC15 375 g
67768 No Name TURKEY & HAM 0 60383 36876 0 08OC15 375 g
82023 Olympic COOKED HAM 0 59620 13439 8 08OC22 175 g
55308 Overlander DOUBLE SMOKED GARLIC SAUSAGE 0 693081 3 08NO05 300 g
55307 Overlander DOUBLE SMOKED UKRAINIAN 0 693071 6 08NO19 300 g
55372 Overlander GARLIC SAUSAGE 0 693521 6 08NO05 300 g
55355 Overlander HAM SAUSAGE 0 693551 7 08NO19 300 g
55353 Overlander KOLBASSA SAUSAGE 0 693531 3 08NO19 300 g
55559 Overlander PEPPERONI 0 695591 9 08NO05 250 g
55863 Overlander PEPPERONI HOT 0 698631 7 09MA17 200 g
55867 Overlander PEPPERONI MILD 0 698671 5 09MA17 200 g
55114 Overlander PIZZA PEPPERONI 100 69100 55114 7 08OC22 3.2 kg
55558 Overlander PIZZA SALAMI 0 695581 2 08NO05 250 g
55351 Overlander POLISH SAUSAGE 0 693511 9 08NO05 300 g
55551 Overlander SUMMER SAUSAGE 0 695511 3 08NO05 250 g
55350 Overlander UKRAINIAN SAUSAGE 0 693501 2 08NO18 300 g
01742 Parma CDN STYLE PEPPERONI 900 55900 01742 2 08OC29 2.5 kg"
01750 Parma LARGE SLICED PEPPERONI BAGS 100 63100 01750 4 08OC29 2.5 kg
01745 Parma PEPPERONI 900 55900 01745 3 08NO05 4.5 kg
01740 Parma SL PEPPERONI BAGS SM 100 63100 01740 5 08OC29 2.5 kg
01741 Pizza Nova PEPPERONI 100 63100 01741 2 08OC29 2.5 kg
88404 Safeway 3 VARIETY SUPER PACK - SALAMI, PEPPERONI, SUMMER SAUSAGE 900 00000 88404 7 08OC22 9.42 kg
81795 Safeway PEPPERONI DOUBLES 900 00000 81795 3 08OC22 4.07 kg
81809 Safeway SALAMI DOUBLE 900 00000 81809 7 08OC22 4.07 kg
02106 Schneiders BAVARIAN SMOKIES 0 64844 02105 8 08OC29 1 kg
02126 Schneiders CHEDDAR SMOKIES 0 64844 02124 9 08OC29 1 kg
24796 Schneiders CORNED BEEF 900 64844 24796 3 08OC15 3.75 kg
09628 Schneiders DELI BEST SEASONED COOKED ROAST BEEF 900 64844 09628 8 08OC15 2.5 kg
24802 Schneiders DELI BEST SEASONED COOKED ROAST BEEF 900 64844 24802 1 08OC15 5.75 kg
48019 Schneiders DELI SHAVED CORNED BEEF 0 62000 48019 0 08OC22 200 g
48017 Schneiders DELI SHAVED HONEY HAM 0 62000 48017 6 08OC22 200 g
48016 Schneiders DELI SHAVED SMOKED HAM 0 62000 48016 9 08OC22 200 g
48020 Schneiders DELI SHAVED SMOKED MEAT 0 62000 48020 6 08OC22 200 g
48018 Schneiders DELI SHAVED SMOKED TURKEY 0 62000 48018 3 08OC22 150 g
89461 Schneiders ITALIAN STYLE SALAMI 100 62000 89461 1 08OC29 100 g
60167 Schneiders LIVERWURST CREAMY CHUBS 0 62000 60167 0 08DE18 175 g
60165 Schneiders LIVERWURST FINE CHUBS 0 62000 60165 6 08DE18 175 g
60166 Schneiders LIVERWURST W/HERBS CHUBS 0 62000 60166 3 08DE18 175 g
09679 Schneiders MONTREAL CORNED BEEF 900 64844 09679 0 08OC15 2.5 kg
89455 Schneiders SMOKED BLACK FOREST HAM LOAF 0 62000 89455 08OC22 425 g
89456 Schneiders SMOKED BLACK FOREST HAM LOAF 100 62000 89456 7 08OC22 100 g
89458 Schneiders SMOKED TURKEY BREAST 0 62000 89458 08OC15 345 g
89460 Schneiders SPICY PEPPERONI 100 62000 89460 4 08OC29 100 g
21093 Shopsys CORNED BEEF 0 64875 21093 3 08OC22 200 g
27080 Shopsys CORNED BEEF 900 64875 27080 0 08OC15 2.5 kg
27118 Shopsys MONTREAL SMOKED MEAT 900 64875 27118 0 08OC15 2.5 kg
20080 Shopsys OLD VIENNA ALL BEEF SALAMI 0 64875 20080 4 08OC22 500 g
20085 Shopsys PEPPERONI STICKS 0 64875 20085 9 09MA17 25 g
21760 Shopsys ROAST BEEF SQUARE 900 64875 21760 7 08OC15 2.57 kg
07711 Swift DELI REG BOLOGNA 900 00000 07711 1 08DE18 4.15 kg
88013 The Butcher's Cut SAFEWAY COOKED HAM 0 58200 67415 6 08OC22 375 g
88331 The Butcher's Cut SAFEWAY COOKED HAM 0 58200 15184 8 08OC22 175 g
33540 Tim Horton SLICED BEEF IN GRAVY FROZEN 0 63100 33540 09FE16 1.25 kg
33544 Tim Horton SLOW ROAST BEEF, WIP 09FE16 275 kg
22357 Western Family COOKED HAM 0 62639 18159 8 08OC22 175 g
22365 Western Family COOKED HAM 0 62639 18159 8 08OC22 375 g
53635 Westfair PEPPERONI DOUBLE 900 60383 53635 3 08OC22 3.98 kg
53627 Westfair SALAMI DOUBLE 900 60383 53627 8 08OC22 3.98 kg
53619 Westfair SUMMER DOUBLE 900 60383 53619 3 08OC22 3.98 kg
78010 Maple Leaf BAVARIAN SMOKIES FROZEN 100 63100 78010 1 08AU20 4 kg
78023 Maple Leaf DEBREZINER SAUSAGE FROZEN 100 63100 78023 1 08AU20 4 kg
78016 Maple Leaf GERMAN BRATWURST SAUSAGE FROZEN 100 63100 78016 3 08AU20 4 kg
55357 Maple Leaf HAM SAUSAGE FROZEN 100 00000 55357 0 08AU20 1.5 kg
78017 Maple Leaf HOT ITALIAN SAUSAGE FROZEN 100 63100 78017 9 08AU20 4 kg
50583 Maple Leaf PG BEEF TOPPING FROZEN 100 63100 50583 4 08AU20 1 kg
50579 Maple Leaf PG COOKED ITALIAN SAUSAGE TOP FROZEN 100 63100 50579 7 08AU20 1 kg
50624 Maple Leaf SLICED PEPPERONI FROZEN 100 63100 50624 4 08AU20 5 kg
50638 Maple Leaf TENDER RINGS PEPPERONI FROZEN 900 00000 50638 3 08AU20 24 kg
50652 Rouyn LARGE PEPPERONI FROZEN 900 00000 50652 9 08AU20 24 kg
71350 Shopsys FOODSERVICE PEPPERONI FROZEN 100 63100 71350 5 08AU20 5kg
71352 Shopsys FOODSERVICE PEPPERONI FROZEN 100 64875 71352 3 08AU20 2.5 kg
Irving Roast Beef with Cheddar Cheese Sandwich 0 50365 01013 8 08AU22 200g
Irving 1/4 Lb King Roast Beef Sub 0 50365 01037 4 08AU22 194g
Irving Lb King Roast Beef Sub 0 50365 01034 3 08AU22 388g
Irving Roast Beef and Cheese Wrap with Chipotle Sauce 0 50365 01018 3 08AU22 230g
Sub Delicious Meat Pita Sandwich twist 0 55742 98003 5 08SE3 165g
Sub Delicious Deli Meat Clubhouse Sub 0 55742 98018 9 08SE3 210g
Sub Delicious Beef & Cheese Sub 0 55742 98012 7 08SE3 190g
Sub Delicious Belly Buster Club Sub 0 55742 98105 6 08SE3 274g
Sub Delicious Belly Buster Roast Beef Sub 0 55742 98107 0 08SE3 258g
Sub Delicious Clubhouse Sandwich 0 55742 98020 2 08SE3 210g
Needs Clubhouse Sandwich on Ciabatta 0 55742 98080 3 08AU26 209g
Fresh 2 Go Roast Turkey Club Ciabatta - 223978 804883 - 265 g - 08.AU.24
Fresh 2 Go Roast Turkey & Spinach Wrap - 223977 804351 - 215 g - 08.AU.24
Fresh 2 Go Roast Turkey & Swiss Cheese Ciabatta - 223984 804884 - 265 g - 08.AU.24
(SOURCE: Maple Leaf Foods and Canadian Food Inspection Agency)
(health.lifestyle.yahoo.ca)
Showing posts with label health. Show all posts
Showing posts with label health. Show all posts
8/28/2008
8/24/2008
Sniffing out radioactive gases in your kitchen & basement
Q: I heard that radioactive radon gas could be coming from my granite counters as well as my basement. Should I worry?
A: Last time we were fretting about this odourless, tasteless vapour en masse, you were probably rockin’ an A-ha/Tears for Fears mixed tape. But as quick as you can say jumpin’ Jack Flash, radon gas is back, and it’s freaking out homeowners continent-wide, especially those installing fancy stone slabs in their kitchens and bathrooms.
What the hell is radon anyway? It’s a gas that comes from decaying uranium in the soil and rock under your feet. Yep, uranium isn’t just found in massive deposits in northern Saskatchewan; it’s scattered pretty much everywhere, just in smaller quantities. Outside, not a big deal, but trapped in your house? Well, it depends.
We all have a little gas floating around the recesses of our homes, especially the basement (it seeps up through cracks in concrete, basement drains and piping gaps). It’s just that some of us have more than others. And when we start bringing great hunks of rock into our pads to tart up our counters, we’re potentially carting in even more radiation.
One physics prof at Rice University in Houston found that all 55 granite slabs he sampled had higher-than-background levels of radiation. Most were still considered “safe,” but a few were 100 times above background! The worst offenders included striated granites from Brazil and Namibia.
But there are a whopping 1,600 varieties of granite on the market from 64 different countries. Even if 85 per cent are safe, as the Marble Institute of America points out, what about the rest? The only way to know whether your counters are hot is to get them tested. (FYI, the Marble Institute is supposedly setting up a testing protocol as we speak. Renovators should start pressing their suppliers for certified proof that their slab isn’t hot.)
If I found high levels, personally, I’d rip it out. Better safe than sorry. Still, in a well-ventilated kitchen, you’re generally exposed to less radon and radiation than many basement dwellers.
Since last year, when Health Canada finally boosted its safety standards to bring them closer to the U.S.’s (yes, they’re still ahead of us on this one), more homes have fallen into HC’s “action needed” zone (200 Bq/m³ vs. 150 in the U.S.). According to Mr. Radon himself, Bob Wood (one of the province’s only certified radon home inspectors and mitigation experts), one in eight of the GTA homes his company has tested exceeds those levels (see mr-radon.ca). No way to know if your home is gassy but to test it.
The biggest problem is that the gas decays and produces solid radioactive particles called “radon daughters” – or, since women’s libbers cleaned up the dictionary, “radon progeny.” Inhale these and they embed themselves in your lung tissue. When these devilish offspring in turn start decaying, they emit a little radiation into your lungs.
Just last week, Danish researchers released a study linking homes high in radon to acute lymphoblastic leukemia in children. Radon is also the second-biggest cause of lung cancer, next to sucking on nicotine, with radon killing over 22,000 every year in North America.
And if you’re a pack-a-dayer living in a radon-heavy basement apartment with poor ventilation? Let’s just say you might want to take out some life insurance. You know, for the sake of the family. Or try something less morbid, like, I don’t know, maybe quitting smoking? Easier still, reduce your radon exposure.
First of all, if you’ve bought one of those home radon testing kits (from Zellers or Mr. Radon) and found radon below the action level, there are a couple DIY remedies you can take on. Open windows whenever you can. Seal cracks in the foundation or at wall/slab joints. Seal raw cement floors with low-VOC epoxy paint. Track down openings around pipes and cables.
The Radiation Safety Institute of Canada also says you should make sure there’s water in the floor drain at all times and that any sump is covered and vented to the outside.
But really, if you turn up a readings of 200 (or even 150, if you follow the U.S. standard), you’ll need to call in a pro for remediation. Depressurizing the soil under your house and venting it to the outside should set you back $2,000. Renters stuck with high levels and cheap landlords can call the Board of Health on their ass.
Ecoholic: Sniffing out radioactive gases in your kitchen & basement
Adria Vasil
NOW July 30-August 6, 2008 VOL 27 NO 48
Got a question? Send your green queries to ecoholic@nowtoronto.com
A: Last time we were fretting about this odourless, tasteless vapour en masse, you were probably rockin’ an A-ha/Tears for Fears mixed tape. But as quick as you can say jumpin’ Jack Flash, radon gas is back, and it’s freaking out homeowners continent-wide, especially those installing fancy stone slabs in their kitchens and bathrooms.
What the hell is radon anyway? It’s a gas that comes from decaying uranium in the soil and rock under your feet. Yep, uranium isn’t just found in massive deposits in northern Saskatchewan; it’s scattered pretty much everywhere, just in smaller quantities. Outside, not a big deal, but trapped in your house? Well, it depends.
We all have a little gas floating around the recesses of our homes, especially the basement (it seeps up through cracks in concrete, basement drains and piping gaps). It’s just that some of us have more than others. And when we start bringing great hunks of rock into our pads to tart up our counters, we’re potentially carting in even more radiation.
One physics prof at Rice University in Houston found that all 55 granite slabs he sampled had higher-than-background levels of radiation. Most were still considered “safe,” but a few were 100 times above background! The worst offenders included striated granites from Brazil and Namibia.
But there are a whopping 1,600 varieties of granite on the market from 64 different countries. Even if 85 per cent are safe, as the Marble Institute of America points out, what about the rest? The only way to know whether your counters are hot is to get them tested. (FYI, the Marble Institute is supposedly setting up a testing protocol as we speak. Renovators should start pressing their suppliers for certified proof that their slab isn’t hot.)
If I found high levels, personally, I’d rip it out. Better safe than sorry. Still, in a well-ventilated kitchen, you’re generally exposed to less radon and radiation than many basement dwellers.
Since last year, when Health Canada finally boosted its safety standards to bring them closer to the U.S.’s (yes, they’re still ahead of us on this one), more homes have fallen into HC’s “action needed” zone (200 Bq/m³ vs. 150 in the U.S.). According to Mr. Radon himself, Bob Wood (one of the province’s only certified radon home inspectors and mitigation experts), one in eight of the GTA homes his company has tested exceeds those levels (see mr-radon.ca). No way to know if your home is gassy but to test it.
The biggest problem is that the gas decays and produces solid radioactive particles called “radon daughters” – or, since women’s libbers cleaned up the dictionary, “radon progeny.” Inhale these and they embed themselves in your lung tissue. When these devilish offspring in turn start decaying, they emit a little radiation into your lungs.
Just last week, Danish researchers released a study linking homes high in radon to acute lymphoblastic leukemia in children. Radon is also the second-biggest cause of lung cancer, next to sucking on nicotine, with radon killing over 22,000 every year in North America.
And if you’re a pack-a-dayer living in a radon-heavy basement apartment with poor ventilation? Let’s just say you might want to take out some life insurance. You know, for the sake of the family. Or try something less morbid, like, I don’t know, maybe quitting smoking? Easier still, reduce your radon exposure.
First of all, if you’ve bought one of those home radon testing kits (from Zellers or Mr. Radon) and found radon below the action level, there are a couple DIY remedies you can take on. Open windows whenever you can. Seal cracks in the foundation or at wall/slab joints. Seal raw cement floors with low-VOC epoxy paint. Track down openings around pipes and cables.
The Radiation Safety Institute of Canada also says you should make sure there’s water in the floor drain at all times and that any sump is covered and vented to the outside.
But really, if you turn up a readings of 200 (or even 150, if you follow the U.S. standard), you’ll need to call in a pro for remediation. Depressurizing the soil under your house and venting it to the outside should set you back $2,000. Renters stuck with high levels and cheap landlords can call the Board of Health on their ass.
Ecoholic: Sniffing out radioactive gases in your kitchen & basement
Adria Vasil
NOW July 30-August 6, 2008 VOL 27 NO 48
Got a question? Send your green queries to ecoholic@nowtoronto.com
8/14/2008
Fear of Fake Breasts
(Excerpt)
Until a man has made love to a woman with fake breasts, he cannot really comprehend their true horror.
For no matter how good they look, the spell is broken the moment they are touched by human hands. The real things manage to be both firm & soft, they feel undeniably human, they move, they are alive.
In comparison, counterfeit breasts feel as though they have been stolen from the morgue.
They (fake breasts) are not there to be fondled, kissed or felt, they are there to be admired, discussed, lusted after & photographed.
Why aren't there armies of thinking women protesting about the grotesquely booming trade in bogus breasts? Why don't women's magazines stop slavishly printing pictures of pumped-up stars with their pathetic plastic tits sticking out?
Is it because to really & truly know how rotten fake breasts are, you have to be a heterosexual man?
I can understand a woman wanting breast augmentation if she has a genetic defect or if she has had a mastectomy. But the overwhelming majority of operations are done for vanity.
They all (the incisions) hurt like hell.
I have never met a woman who did not find breast enlargement the most painful experience of their life.
But this initial pain is likely to be just the start of her problems.
Those silicon shells can break, leak or slip.
Breast sensitivity often goes out the window. The pain she feels after the op can endure for years - perhaps forever. And breast implants can make the detection of cancer far harder.
But last year in America alone, nearly 400,000 women had breast-enlargement surgery.
And speaking from the male perspective - sex with a woman wearing replicant breasts is no fun. That's the murderous irony - there's this mirage of perfection, this pert promise of ultimate pleasure, & the vision fades the moment you reach out to touch it.
Fake breasts are the cock-tease from hell.
There is an old Zen puzzle. If you have a sword & you first replace the handle, & then replace the blade - is it still the same sword? A woman can have so much work done that she is no longer the same woman.
Don't do it, girls. It should not take a man to tell you: learn to love yourself. Love what God gave you, no matter how much or how double-A little. Little can be fun. Little can be lovely.
Fake breasts look bad, feel bad & will one day make you feel bad.
If a woman wants to keep her health, her man & her self-respect, then she should always keep them real.
Fear of Fake Breasts
Tony Parsons
British GQ
Aug.08
Until a man has made love to a woman with fake breasts, he cannot really comprehend their true horror.
For no matter how good they look, the spell is broken the moment they are touched by human hands. The real things manage to be both firm & soft, they feel undeniably human, they move, they are alive.
In comparison, counterfeit breasts feel as though they have been stolen from the morgue.
They (fake breasts) are not there to be fondled, kissed or felt, they are there to be admired, discussed, lusted after & photographed.
Why aren't there armies of thinking women protesting about the grotesquely booming trade in bogus breasts? Why don't women's magazines stop slavishly printing pictures of pumped-up stars with their pathetic plastic tits sticking out?
Is it because to really & truly know how rotten fake breasts are, you have to be a heterosexual man?
I can understand a woman wanting breast augmentation if she has a genetic defect or if she has had a mastectomy. But the overwhelming majority of operations are done for vanity.
They all (the incisions) hurt like hell.
I have never met a woman who did not find breast enlargement the most painful experience of their life.
But this initial pain is likely to be just the start of her problems.
Those silicon shells can break, leak or slip.
Breast sensitivity often goes out the window. The pain she feels after the op can endure for years - perhaps forever. And breast implants can make the detection of cancer far harder.
But last year in America alone, nearly 400,000 women had breast-enlargement surgery.
And speaking from the male perspective - sex with a woman wearing replicant breasts is no fun. That's the murderous irony - there's this mirage of perfection, this pert promise of ultimate pleasure, & the vision fades the moment you reach out to touch it.
Fake breasts are the cock-tease from hell.
There is an old Zen puzzle. If you have a sword & you first replace the handle, & then replace the blade - is it still the same sword? A woman can have so much work done that she is no longer the same woman.
Don't do it, girls. It should not take a man to tell you: learn to love yourself. Love what God gave you, no matter how much or how double-A little. Little can be fun. Little can be lovely.
Fake breasts look bad, feel bad & will one day make you feel bad.
If a woman wants to keep her health, her man & her self-respect, then she should always keep them real.
Fear of Fake Breasts
Tony Parsons
British GQ
Aug.08
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