Conference for caregivers

The Alzheimer's Association of Northeastern New York is hosting a daylong conference for caregivers on Monday, Nov. 24, at the Desmond Hotel in Albany.

The keynote speaker is author and advocate David Troxel.

Sessions will focus on finding help with long-term care, creating activities for those at home, environmental considerations and meeting the challenges of caregiving.

For information, call 518-438-2217, ext. 209.

Excused leave reminder

New York state law allows for paid annual leave of up to four hours for annual screenings for breast cancer and prostate cancer.

All public employees outside of New York City are eligible.

Time to come clean

A University of Washington study of top-selling laundry products and air fresheners found they emitted dozens of chemicals, and at least one toxic or hazardous chemical.

Alerted by people getting sick from air fresheners in public restrooms and laundry products vented outdoors, Anne Steinemann, a UW professor, did the study.

Chemical analysis revealed paint thinner; nail-polish remover; limonene, a molecule with a citrus scent; acetaldehyde; chloromethane; and 1,4-dioxane.

Five of the products emitted one or more carcinogenic hazardous air pollutants, considered by the Environmental Protection Agency to have no safe exposure level, she said.

One plug-in air freshener contained seven volatile organic compounds regulated as toxic or hazardous under federal laws.

Steinemann's study is published online by the Environmental Impact Assessment Review journal at www.sciencedirect.com.