Remodeling contractors will have to pass a "white-glove" test under a new U.S. rule to prove their work doesn't stir up dangerous dust and debris from lead paint. The Environmental Protection Agency mandate, which takes effect in 2010, covers some 38 million homes and child-care facilities built before 1978, when lead paint for residential use was banned. Studies show that the lead in old paint can cause cognitive and developmental problems in children...

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As the use of DDT to fight mosquitoes spreading Malaria in Uganda begins to take shape, it is emerging that men born to mothers exposed to lingering amounts of the pesticide might have an increased risk of getting testicular cancer. This is according to a study published last week in the Journal of the National Cancer Institute, in the USA. The cancer that affects young men in their 20s and 30s is said to be on the increase around the world...

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DDT was banned in the U.S. in 1973, but a College of William and Mary graduate student has found that levels of the chemical remain steady in the tissues of penguins in Antarctica, where DDT was never used. The powerful pesticide remains in use sparingly around the world, primarily where malaria is a threat. Alternative chemicals and concern about DDT's effect on animal and human health led to widespread bans in most countries...

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The Environmental Protection Agency yesterday proposed tightening the federal limits for lead in the air, but the proposal fell short of what its own scientists said is required to protect public health. Lead, which is emitted by smelters, mining, aviation fuel and waste incinerators, can enter the bloodstream and affect young children's development and IQ, as well as cause cardiovascular, blood pressure and kidney problems in adults. The United States has not changed its atmospheric lead standards in 30 years, but the Bush administration is under a court order to issue new rules by September....

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