Health + Wellness

U.S. Senators Urge EPA to Ban Pesticide Linked to Parkinson’s

U.S. Senators Urge EPA to Ban Pesticide Linked to Parkinson’s

In an open letter, seven United States senators are asking the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to do what dozens of countries have already done and ban the toxic weedkiller paraquat, which has been associated with Parkinson’s disease and other serious health risks. The October 31 letter addressed to EPA Administrator Michael Regan followed similar […]

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    Millions of People in Lower 48 States May Be Relying on PFAS-Contaminated Groundwater for Drinking

    Millions of People in Lower 48 States May Be Relying on PFAS-Contaminated Groundwater for Drinking

    Roughly 71 to 95 million people living in the contiguous United States — more than one-fifth of the population — may be reliant on groundwater with detectable concentrations of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) for their drinking water, according to a new study by the U.S Geological Survey (USGS). The research provides the first national […]

    EPA Strengthens Standards for Exposure to Lead-Based Paint Dust to Protect Children

    EPA Strengthens Standards for Exposure to Lead-Based Paint Dust to Protect Children

    To mark National Lead Poisoning Prevention Week — October 20 to 26 — the United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has finalized stricter requirements for the identification and cleaning up of lead-based paint dust in homes and childcare facilities constructed before 1978. The new standards are the most recent action in the Biden-Harris administration’s strategy […]

    85% of American Youth Polled Worry About Climate Change, Want More Action From Government and Corporations

    85% of American Youth Polled Worry About Climate Change, Want More Action From Government and Corporations

    A “supermajority” — 85 percent — of young Americans polled feel distressed about human-caused climate change and, and similar percentages want stronger action from corporations and the government, according to a new study published in The Lancet Planetary Health. In the survey — the largest of its kind — most of the 16,000 respondents aged […]

    Scientists Detect PFAS in Bottled and Tap Water Around the World

    Scientists Detect PFAS in Bottled and Tap Water Around the World

    In a new study, scientists detected the presence of 10 target per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), including compounds such as perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) and perfluorooctane sulfonate (PFOS), in samples of tap water from the UK and China as well as in bottled waters from 15 countries. The study, published in the journal ACS ES&T Water, […]

    Medical Schools in Europe to Train on Climate Change-Related Illnesses

    Medical Schools in Europe to Train on Climate Change-Related Illnesses

    A network of universities across Europe has launched an initiative to train medical students on climate change-related illnesses as well as provide education on more sustainable healthcare. The initiative includes 25 universities that have formed the European Network on Climate & Health Education (ENCHE), which will incorporate climate change education into the existing curriculum. The […]

    Community Groups, Neighbors and Volunteers Mobilize in Aftermath of Hurricane Helene in North Carolina

    Community Groups, Neighbors and Volunteers Mobilize in Aftermath of Hurricane Helene in North Carolina

    Since Hurricane Helene made landfall in Florida on September 26, at least 227 people have died, with many still missing and thousands displaced. Homes and businesses in western North Carolina were destroyed, and some are still living without power, internet and safe drinking water. Aid sent by governments and larger nonprofits can sometimes take a […]

    Judge Orders EPA to Consider Risk Posed by Fluoridated Water to Children’s IQs

    Judge Orders EPA to Consider Risk Posed by Fluoridated Water to Children’s IQs

    The United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has been ordered by a federal judge to strengthen regulations surrounding fluoride in drinking water. In San Francisco, U.S. District Judge Edward Chen took the side of several advocacy groups to find that, at current levels, fluoridating drinking water supplies presented an unreasonable risk to the developing brains […]