In the early 1900s, a young dentist named Frederick McKay moved to a Colorado town where the residents’ teeth — though in some cases stained chocolate brown — had far less decay than was typical back then. He and other researchers eventually linked the phenomenon to fluoride in the town’s drinking water – a eureka moment that would usher in what is often called one of the 10 great public health achievements of the 20th century.

Higher exposure to one measure of traffic-related air pollution is associated with higher levels of a hormone linked to increased rates of obesity, heart disease and diabetes, reports a study in the September Journal of Occupational and Environmental Medicine, official publication of the American College of Occupational and Environmental Medicine (ACOEM).
 

For some time now, wristbands in various colors have been worn to show the wearer’s embrace of certain causes, like the fight against cancer or the need to end cruelty to animals. A new wristband could help scientists determine the potential disease risks of exposure to substances like pesticides. The project was reported recently in the American Cancer Society’s (ACS) journal Environmental Science & Technology.

An estimated 6 percent of lung cancer deaths in the United States and the United Kingdom – 11,000 deaths per year – may be due to diesel exhaust, according to a study recently published in Environmental Health Perspectives.

Rest easy, metalheads. This article will not be expounding the harmful decibel levels or dubious lyrics of your favorite bands.