Archives 2021

Recalls after a poisoning are critical. They keep the patient informed, checks for additional side-effects and gives patients a comfortable feeling.

ToxAware® provides Recalls using a simple selection of hours or days and priority, notifying specific people on any and all of their devices where ToxAware® is available. Users can independently subscribe and unsubscribe to notifications on their devices.

“Leaves of three, let it be!” “Hairy vine, no friend of mine!” Learn how to spot poison oak, tell the difference between poison oak and poison ivy, and treat a poison oak rash. 

WHAT IS THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN POISON OAK AND POISON IVY?

Poison oak is a relative of poison ivy. There are many similarities:

• Both plants contain the same toxic resin, urushiol in all parts of the plant (toxic to humans but harmless to animals). 
• Both plants have three leaflets, white flowers in spring, and can grow as a vine or a shrub.
• Leaflets can range in size from the length of your thumb to the length of your hand.
• Middle leaflet has a notably longer stem than the two side leaflets, though more obvious in poison ivy than poison oak.
• Depending on the season, leaf color can range from green to orange and even a dark purplish-red.

But they are indeed different plants. In North America, there are two species of poison oak: Atlantic (Eastern) and Pacific (Western). 

Poison ivy (left) vs. poison oak (right)

HOW TO IDENTIFY POISON OAK

• Poison oak is a low-growing, upright shrub. It can grow to be about 3 feet tall, sometimes giving it the appearance of a vine. 
• Leaf shape resembles an oak leaf (hence the name, poison oak), but it’s not a member of the oak family.
• Leaflets are duller green than poison ivy and usually more distinctly lobed or toothed.
• Leaflets have hairs on both sides, unlike poison ivy.
• Poison oak tends to grow at elevations between sea level and 5,000 feet.
• While the fruit of poison ivy is the color of pearls, poison oak fruit (called “drupes”) has a tan color.

At the end of the day, just remember: Leaves of three, let it be. In other words, if you see a plant with clusters of three leaves, don’t touch it!

Credit to: https://www.almanac.com/

For decades, the people living in the Swedish town of Kallinge got their tap water from a treatment plant that turned out to be contaminated with harmful PFAS chemicals.

> They sued the municipally owned water company for damages – and won.

> But the water company is appealing the verdict, arguing that high levels of PFAS should not be considered a personal injury. This is why it definitely should be.

For more details: https://chemsec.org/why-high-levels-of-pfas-should-be-a-personal-injury-by-law/