Give leafy greens extra rinse

A new study by Consumer Reports finds traces of bacteria in bagged salad— even those labeled “prewashed.”

The lab tests of 208 containers of 16 brands of greens found several types of bacteria, including coliforms and Enterococcus, a type of organism found in the human digestive tract and the environment, which could be a signal of inadequate sanitation, the report states.

These bacteria don’t generally make healthy people sick (nor did the tests find E. coli or salmonella, pathogens that can be deadly). Still, the report calls them “indicator” bacteria, a sign that “not enough is being done to assure the safety or cleanliness of leafy greens,” said Michael Hansen, a senior scientists at Consumer Union, the nonprofit that publishes Consumer Reports, in a statement.

Consumer Union also issued a report urging the FDA to set safety standards for greens.

Your best bet to avoid any problems, rinse those greens, even the ones whose packages claim they have already been washed.

Keep alert to hidden gas

A hidden danger may be making you sick.

The Environmental Protection Agency estimates that exposure to radon, a tasteless, odorless gas, may be linked to 20,000 lung cancer deaths a year.

Naturally radioactive, radon gas forms underground as uranium decays and filters into the air we breathe. Radon can seep into homes through loose-fitting pipes, drains or cracks in concrete foundations.

Small amounts of radon can be controlled by sealing cracks with caulking or patching compound. According to experts, higher radon levels might require the installation of an exhaust system to disperse concentrated amounts into outdoor air.

You can measure your home’s radon levels by purchasing a home test kit at most major hardware retailers (results are sent to a lab for processing).

A theory on rising drug costs

A recent report from AARP’s Public Policy Institute found that prices for brand-name medications most commonly used by Medicare beneficiaries rose an average of 9.3 percent last year. But AARP Bulletin’s cover story, “Drug Prices Up, Up, Up,” suggests a reason for the bloat: Manufacturers may be hiking prices in anticipation of health care reform legislation that could curb drug costs. The same thing happened in 2003 when the PartDdrug benefit was added to Medicare. The drug industry trade group PhRMA disputes the theory and accuses AARP of “trying to muddy the waters for its own political gain.”