Exposure to lead? It's a hot water problem

Feb 13, 2008
fact or fiction
Exposure to lead? It's a hot water problem
THE CLAIM: Never drink hot water from the tap.

THE FACTS: The claim has the ring of a myth. But environmental scientists say it is real.

The reason is that hot water dissolves contaminants more quickly than cold water, and many pipes in homes contain lead that can dissolve and pass into water. And lead can damage the brain and nervous system, especially in young children.

Lead is rarely found in source water, but can enter it through corroded plumbing. The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) says that older homes in the United States are more likely to have lead pipes and fixtures, but that even newer plumbing advertised as 'lead-free' can still contain as much as 8 per cent lead.

A study published in The Journal of Environmental Health in 2002 found that tap water represented 14 to 20 per cent of total lead exposure.

Scientists emphasise that the risk is small. But to minimise it, the EPA says cold tap water should always be used for preparing baby formula, cooking and drinking. It also warns that boiling water does not remove lead but can actually increase its concentration. For more information, go to www.epa.gov/lead.

THE BOTTOM LINE : Hot water from the tap should never be used for cooking or drinking.

- THE NEW YORK TIMES

When milk is not good for you.

Feb 13, 2008
When milk is not good for you
Dairy products don't go down well with many Singaporeans. GeraldineLing tells you why
What is white and creamy and can cause diarrhoea in many Singaporeans? The answer: Milk. This condition, known as lactose intolerance, occurs because the body does not have the necessary lactase enzyme needed to digest lactose, a sugar found in milk. As a result, the undigested lactose passes through the digestive system, causing nausea, abdominal cramps, bloating, gas and diarrhoea. Most people have read about lactose intolerance and may even suspect they have the condition. But many confuse it with an allergy. Lactose intolerance is not a food allergy as it does not involve the immune system. In primary lactose intolerance, lactase levels are high at birth and in early childhood. However, the irreversible, genetically-programmed loss of lactase typically starts between two and six years of age. In some cases, the loss of lactase manifests itself only after adulthood. 'I didn't have problems with milk until I hit 35,'said Madam Lee Hai Choo, 63. 'I used to drink a lot of milk when I was younger, but now I can't. 'Sometimes just drinking a cup of coffee with milk will give me diarrhoea,' said the part-time saleswoman. Sometimes, secondary lactose intolerance occurs when an injury to the small intestine causes it to produce less lactase. It typically lasts a few weeks and is reversible. In certain cases, babies are born lactose intolerant because of a congenital defect. Dr Ivy Yap, consultant physician and gastroenterologist at Mount Elizabeth Medical Centre, estimates that about 90 per cent of Chinese Singaporeans are affected by primary lactose intolerance. Data concerning lactase deficiency rates in Malays is unknown, but those in Indians 'would not be so high' because they have 'similar genes as Caucasians' who generally have low rates of lactose intolerance, surmised Dr Yap, who conducted a study investigating lactase deficiency in Chinese Singaporeans. Typically, symptoms of lactose intolerance disappear when foods high in dietary lactose, like milk and ice cream, are removed from the diet. These foods may be re-introduced 'gradually and as tolerated' by drinking smaller amounts of milk, buying low-lactose milk and using non-dairy creamers, like soya or rice milk, advised MrsMagdalin Cheong, chief dietitian at Changi General Hospital. 'Drinking or eating milk-containing foods at meal times with other foods will slow down the digestive process and therefore reduce the chance of experiencing lactose intolerance.' However, consuming less milk and milk products may put one at risk for calcium deficiency in the long term, if there is also a low intake of other dietary sources of calcium, warned Mrs Cheong. For those who must have their milk, there are supplements out in the market that can help to manage lactose intolerance. Lactase enzymes, available in tablet or liquid form, contain the enzyme needed to digest lactose, thereby reducing the amount that the body has to break down on its own. However, these supplements have to be taken over the long term if lactase deficiency is permanent and may not be advisable, said Dr Yap. In addition to the cost of the supplements, 'we also don't know if there are any side effects,' continued Dr Yap. Another suppplement used for lactose intolerance is probiotics, the 'friendly bacteria' that helps in strengthening the gut. Probiotics, often seen as 'healthy foods', are available in capsule form and can help to reduce the symptoms of lactose intolerance. 'If it does no harm, it is acceptable. But as to whether it will help alleviate the condition really depends on the individual,' said Mrs Cheong.

Baby orang utan dies in a freak accident at the zoo!

Feb 13, 2008
Baby orang utan dies in a freak accident at the zoo
TRAGEDY struck the zoo's orang utans a second time in a week, when a young female orang utan died of a dislocated neck in a freak accident on Wednesday. The Zoo lost another one of its Orang Utans on Wednesday when two and a half-year-old Atina caught her neck in a hanging noose (above) and dislocated it. Her mother is seen trying to cradle her but to no avail. At mid-day, Atina, aged 2 1/2, caught her neck in a hanging noose, which was part of a hammock in the apes' enclosure. Her mother Anita and other orang utans, in their haste to free her, tugged at her neck, dislocating it. She died instantly, said a zoo spokesman.

Bus slams into double-decker in Orchard; 17 passengers hurt

Feb 13, 2008

Bus slams into double-decker in Orchard; 17 passengers hurt

MR SHAFII Kasmani, 61, was on his way to Serangoon with a friend to grab some breakfast yesterday morning but they never got around to it in the end. The SBS service 65 they were on slammed into the rear of another bus at a bus stop outside Le Meridien Hotel in Orchard Road at about 8.45am. The bus in front, a double-decker SBS service 111, was stationary at that time. Seventeen passengers suffered minor injuries and were taken to the Singapore General Hospital. All of them were passengers on service 65. According to an SBS Transit spokesman, both bus drivers were not injured. She also said that except for one passenger who was warded and another still under observation, the rest received outpatient treatment. The spokesman said SBS will undertake all medical bills arising from this incident and the company is in contact with the passengers to offer help if necessary. About 80 other passengers from both buses were transferred to other buses to resume their journeys. SBS said the bus captain has been taken off duties pending the outcome of its investigations. Mr Shafii told The Straits Times that he was not too badly hurt. However, due to the impact of the collision, a piece of skin, roughly the size of a cellphone, peeled off from his left leg and his right knee felt sore. HELP FOR THE INJURED: Passenger Shafii Kasmani had a piece of skin peeled off from his left leg and he was walking with a visible limp. SBS said it will pay for all medical bills arising from the incident. -- ST PHOTO: SHAHRIYA YAHAYA Mr Shafii, a hotel security officer, had just finished his midnight shift before boarding the bus. 'My friend and I were talking when there was a sudden jerk and a hard knock. There was a loud bang. I was quite shocked.' The father of three children walked with a visible limp as he left the hospital after being treated. 'I can walk, but only slowly. I need to drag my feet as my legs feel painful.' His friend, a man in his 40s, had a slight bruise on his elbow and decided not to see a doctor. Mr Jack Guna, 53, who works at a tailor shop near the accident site, said: 'The double-decker bus in front seemed fine. The windscreen of the single-decker bus behind looked cracked but it was not shattered.' Mr Richard Boon, 58, who mans an electronics store there, said there was no traffic congestion.

Smashed car screens: Man nabbed

Feb 13, 2008

Smashed car screens: Man nabbed
By Diana Othman

A MAN suspected of being behind a series of thefts over the Chinese New Year period has been arrested.

The 30-year-old is thought to have smashed the windscreens of 22 vehicles on Feb 8, making off with the CashCards stored in some of them.

ITEMS SEIZED: Among the objects police found was an umbrella fitted with a spear head for getting through car windscreens so that the suspect could fish out CashCards from the in-vehicle units.

-- PHOTO: SINGAPORE POLICE FORCE

The man was arrested at a multi-storey carpark in Block 104A Henderson Crescent on Monday, after police officers who had been tasked with investigating similar thefts from other vehicles in the area spotted him loitering suspiciously and questioned him.

Police later seized various items, including an umbrella fitted with a sharp spear head, gloves, and an ATM card from his home.

The items are believed to have been used to carry out the offences.

A 42-year-old woman was also picked up in follow-up investigations, and she is now helping police in the probe.

According to police, the suspect used heavy objects such as a brick to crack a vehicle's windscreen.

He then created an opening near the in-vehicle unit with the specially-fitted umbrella so he could fish out the CashCards.

In addition to the Chinese New Year cases, the man is suspected to be involved in more than 40 incidents of theft from vehicles islandwide in the last two months.

Biker dies after being thrown off motorcycle in accident

Feb 11, 2008

Biker dies after being thrown off motorcycle in accident

A BIKER died after he lost control of his motorcycle about 10.30am on Sunday. Mr Ranjit Kumar, 28, was travelling along Woodlands Avenue 7 towards Woodlands Avenue 2 when his motorcycle hit a central divider and next, the railing. Both the biker and his 18-year-old pillion, believed to be a colleague, were thrown off the motorcycle. They were both rushed to Tan Tock Seng Hospital. Mr Ranjit was pronounced dead at 10.40am in the hospital. The pillion rider suffered fractures and multiple abrasions.

Fire breaks out in Toa Payoh flat, woman sent to SGH

Feb 11, 2008

Fire breaks out in Toa Payoh flat, woman sent to SGH

By Imelda Saad , Esther Tan , Tessa Wong

A FIRE broke out in a third floor unit of Block 111 Toa Payoh Lorong 1 on Monday, sending residents scurrying out from their flats and attracting a huge crowd of curious bystanders. The fire gutted the hall and one room in the flat. Soot from the blaze affected the second, third and fourth floors of the block. Smoke from the blaze blackened the second, third and fourth floors of the block. It was believed to have started around 4.30pm, witnesses told The Straits Times. The Singapore Civil Defence Force (SCDF) arrived within two minutes of receiving the call. They brought along a fire engine, one Red Rhino, two fire bikes, one support appliance and one ambulance. Using two water jets, the firemen put out the fire within 15 minutes. The fire gutted the hall and one room in the three-room flat. Smoke from the blaze blackened the second, third and fourth floors of the block. Fifteen people were evacuated from the third and fourth floor units. A Chinese woman in her forties was wheeled out by the SCDF, said witnesses. She seemed to be in a state of shock and was sent to the Singapore General Hospital. Mr Adi Surya, 32, a software engineer with Citibank, who lives next door to the affected flat, said he rushed back from work when he received a call from his wife about the fire. To his relief, he found that his unit was not affected. Fifteen people were evacuated from the third and fourth floor units. He said a mother and daughter, who is in her 20s, live in the burnt unit. He described the daughter as 'weird'. 'She is always slamming the door and hitting the gas meter outside their flat, and frequently gets into a fight with her mother in the wee hour of the night,' said Mr Adi. Mrs B.S. Ling, a restaurant supervisor who lives in a fourth floor unit directly above the affected flat, also said that the occupants are 'very noisy' and often throw things around in their flat. She had just stepped out of the shower when she noticed black smoke coming from the window below her. She said: 'I thought someone had set rubbish on fire. But then I saw the smoke and got a huge fright. I called out to some policemen below and they came up and escorted me downstairs.' Miss Priya Mathialagan, a 21-year-old student who lives on the eighth floor, said she was watching TV when her mother alerted her to the fire. 'When I looked down from my flat, I saw thick, black smoke rising from the third floor,' she said, adding that she saw other neighbours running out of their flats and rushing downstairs. She did the same when her neighbour advised her to get out of her flat.