The U.S Food and Drug Administration (FDA) today proposed a federal rule that, if finalized, would remove the potentially hazardous chemical triclosan from antibacterial body washes and hand soaps. Under the proposed rule, the FDA will require manufacturers to prove their antibacterial soaps and body washes are safe and more effective than plain soap and […]
An estimated 6 percent of lung cancer deaths in the U.S. and the United Kingdom—11,000 deaths per year—may be due to diesel exhaust, according to a new study. While emission standards for diesel engines have become more stringent in recent years, their exhaust still plays a significant role in lung cancer deaths among truckers, miners and […]
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), under a court agreement signed Thursday, will end decades of delay and decide how to protect consumers from triclosan, a suspected endocrine disruptor linked to reproductive and developmental harm in laboratory studies. The FDA first proposed in 1978 to remove triclosan from certain consumer products. But because it […]
State and federal governments must institute new policies to protect the public from exposure to flame retardants, says a recent research report from Environment and Human Health, Inc. (EHHI). The report closely examines the health risks that flame retardants pose to the general population and recommends sweeping policy changes to protect the public. Photo credit: […]
A new report by Women’s Voices for the Earth (WVE) details how the feminine care industry sells products containing unregulated and potentially harmful chemicals, including preservatives, pesticides, fragrances and dyes. The report, Chem Fatale, kicks off a campaign that will target Proctor & Gamble, makers of Tampax and Always, to disclose the ingredients in tampons and […]
Actor Sean Penn is the force behind a new major documentary called The Human Experiment that aims to raise awareness about toxic chemicals in everyday products. Narrated by Penn, the film tells the personal stories of people who believe their lives have been affected by chemicals and takes viewers to the front lines as activists go head-to-head with the […]
A new survey by The Breast Cancer Fund and the Campaign for Safe Cosmetics says Revlon cosmetics contain cancer-causing and hormone-disrupting chemicals. The two groups, in partnership with the online women’s group UltraViolet, are demanding the cosmetics manufacturer stop using cancer-causing chemicals and other dangerous substances in its products. The survey found carbon black in eyeliners and butylated compounds […]
A Stroller Brigade of hundreds of parents and their children descended on the nation’s capital today to call on Congress to protect their families from toxic chemicals. The demonstration for safer chemicals was timed to coincide with the U.S. Senate’s consideration of reforming federal laws overseeing toxic chemicals, which organizers say is the most serious […]
It has been known for a while that air pollution contributes to heart disease and respiratory ailments. Today, the World Health Organization (WHO) added cancer to the list of health risks caused by air pollution. There’s sufficient evidence that exposure to outdoor air pollution causes lung cancer, WHO said in a press release. Particulate matter, a […]