Lost in translation
A groundbreaking public health study by Chinese doctor Zhang Jian Dong in 1987 was used by US regulatory agencies as evidence that a form of the chemical chromium ‘might cause cancer.’ Ten years later, a ‘clarification and further analysis’ published under his name in a US medical journal said there was no cancer link to chromium. But, reports PR Watch, Dr Zhang didn’t write the clarification. It was ‘conceived, drafted, edited and submitted to medical journals by’ ChemRisk – a firm hired by PG&E, ‘a utility company being sued for alleged chromium pollution’ by California residents. ChemRisk was previously paid $7 million to help ‘save industry hundreds of millions of dollars in clean-up costs for chromium pollution in New Jersey.’ ChemRisk claims Dr Zhang signed off on the ‘clarification’, but records show the final version was not translated into Chinese for his review. Dr Zhang died in 1999, but his son said: ‘It’s impossible that he would have overthrown’ his earlier work linking chromium and cancer.
Read more at the PR Watch website – http://www.prwatch.org
Join over 30,000 people just like you. Get e-mail updates about new content, action alerts, contests, and more!
Voices from the margins:
Multimedia: video, podcasts, and more.
- Poetry Slam in Zimbabwe
- The House of Hunger poetry slam held in Zimbabwe in 2006, and organised by the Pamberi Trust, showcased young artists performing inspirational work on issues from corporate power to child soldiers. The video features four of the poets.
Published by Pambazuka News.
- Iranian women speak out
- 3 March 2007, London. Women's rights activists marched through the English capital last week to celebrate International Women's Day with a protest against the misogyny of the Islamic regime in Iran and the threat of invasion by the US. Hear the voices of Iranian feminists Azar and Leila Parnian and the sounds of the demonstration as it passed through the heart of the city. Click here to learn more about the campaign.
Produced by Heidi Bachram.
- Raised Voices audio:
- Benny from West Papua on Corporate Power
- Vinayan from India on agriculture
