Use this tag for questions regarding physical, chemical and biological factors that may affect human health.
Questions tagged [environmental-health]
225 questions
26
votes
1 answer
Do cacti absorb harmful radiation emitted by computers?
It is a common belief that cacti absorb radiation; consequently, a lot of people put potted cacti by their computer as a safety means.
Do cacti actually absorb radiation? Even if so, will a small cactus (or several of them) by one's computer make…
Armen Tsirunyan
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Does staying indoors protect you from wildfire smoke?
I’m in New York right now and I’m seeing a lot of news / government warnings to stay indoors due to the wildfire smoke.
For example: Stay indoors, mask up: Staying safe as ‘hazardous' smoke levels choke NYC area
I don’t have an air purifier in my…
Elliot Gorokhovsky
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26
votes
3 answers
Is looking at an IR transmitter bad for your eyes?
I've seen some warnings regarding IR sensors and transmitters such as the 4th panel below for the Nintendo 3DS:
The Operations Manual says,
Do not get too close to the infrared transceiver
Looking directly into the infrared transceiver can lead…
shortstheory
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26
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1 answer
Is eating boogers good for you?
Damn Interesting:
There is an Austrian doctor who has gained notoriety by advocating the picking of one's nose and the consumption of the resulting bounty, particularly in children. Dr. Friedrich Bischinger, a lung specialist working in Innsbruck,…
DarkLightA
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25
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Does Vitamin D created by sun exposure get washed off in the shower?
A recent article by Dr Mercola on a health advocacy web site makes a number of claims about Vitamin D production in your skin. The most surprising to me is the claim that you can wash off a meaningful fraction of the Vitamin D created due to sun…
Rex Kerr
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25
votes
1 answer
Is prone masturbation detrimental to your sex life?
The term "Prone masturbation" refers to men lying face down and thrusting their penis into or against the bed, pillow, or something else.
Healthy Strokes is claiming that:
Prone masturbation can reduce the ability of a male to have normal
sexual…
user13107
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25
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Is sitting straight up the healthiest way to sit?
When I was in school, my teacher always told me "Sit up straight stop slouching!". I am sure many others have heard this too, the thing is though, sitting up with straight back is very uncomfortable, and your back gets tired.
Not always are you told…
Wertilq
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24
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2 answers
Has 99% of the western continental Europe banned water fluoridation?
I keep seeing this claim about the unpopularity of water fluoridation parroted.
Despite dental pressure, 99% of western continental Europe has rejected, banned, or stopped fluoridation due to environmental, health, legal, or ethical concerns
I…
Evan Carroll
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votes
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Can excessive masturbation cause acne?
Many people believe excessive masturbation causes acne, among many other things (e.g. hair loss and erectile dysfunction - off topic for this question).
One such site that claims or supports this is Herballove
His chronic over-masturbation…
truthseeker
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votes
2 answers
Do memory foam mattresses give off toxic fumes?
I recently purchased a memory foam (polyurethane) mattress and was looking online to see how long they take to "air out". They produce a strong odor for awhile after manufacture. However, instead of finding my answer I found seemingly endless…
John Rhoades
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22
votes
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Can you get ink poisoning from drawing or writing on your skin with pen?
It's a common claim in school yards (and from parents?) that you should not draw on your skin with a pen, or you will suffer "ink poisoning".
Here's an example for notability: a Facebook page called People have warned me about ink poisoning... but I…
JMCF125
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Is lead exposure responsible for the rise and fall of violent crime in the US?
I just found an article titled "America's Real Criminal Element: Lead" via Hacker News that made an assertion about the cause of violent crimes that I found rather surprising.
The article states that the addition and later removal of lead in…
Mad Scientist
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Does organic food have more vitamins than nonorganic food?
Aside from the issue of pesticides there's the claim that organic food has more nutrients, vitamins and minerals than nonorganic food:
Organic food is known to contain 50%
more nutrients, minerals and vitamins
than produce that has been…
Christian
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Are Unvaccinated Children Healthier?
Got this today on my facebook wall...
Alarming New Study: Unvaccinated Kids are Healthier
The study’s findings really make you wonder. Here’s some of the specifics:
Vaccinated children were more than three times as likely to be diagnosed on the…
Matas Vaitkevicius
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21
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Is water calcification bad for your health?
I have a friend, who adamantly believes that water calcification causes a number of problems, including poor health. He also said it made the water taste disgusting. He had recently installed a demagnetiser (or whatever it is - some kind of quack…
Thomas O
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