Director, Occupational and Environmental Medicine Center
North Shore-LIJ Health System
Ken Spaeth, MD
Recent Posts By: Ken Spaeth, MD
Study Connects BPA with Asthma
Even if we avoid bottled water, we come into contact with Bisphenol A (BPA) every day because it is almost everywhere: Chemical firms produce about six billion pounds of BPA every year to make things like medical devices, plastic tableware and food storage containers. It also coats products like food cans, ATM and retail receipts,… Read more »
Hotline for Post-Sandy Environmental Hazards
A new hotline addresses potential environmental health hazards associated with Hurricane Sandy and its aftermath. Open to North Shore-LIJ Health System employees and Nassau County residents, calls to 855-473-6399 go directly to the North Shore-LIJ Department of Population Health, with inquiries addressed by environmental health experts. Hotline hours are 9 a.m. to 5p.m., Monday through… Read more »
More Cause for Concern About BPA: Obesity
Prenatal and childhood exposure to Bisphenol A (BPA) and obesity are “significantly associated,” according to a recent issue of the Journal of the American Medical Association. BPA is a chemical used in manufacturing certain plastics and as a lining for many food and drink containers. The new research re-affirms prior studies that demonstrate a link… Read more »
Don’t Overlook the Benefits of Organics
Ken Spaeth, MD Organic food is not more nutritious than conventional versions, according to a new study in the Annals of Internal Medicine. Yet the journal article is easy to misinterpret because it is a comparison of organic food studies that are not based on human consumption in the real world. Rather, the primary settings… Read more »
Are Airport X-Rays Scanners Safe?
Officials at the US Transportation Security Administration (TSA) were mistaken if they thought using ionizing radiation to screen upwards of a billion travelers a year wouldn’t raise potential health concerns. Indeed, the use of airport “backscatter” X-ray scanners, which employ full-body imaging to detect banned and dangerous items, has vocal advocates on both sides of… Read more »