childrens health

Forever Chemicals Are in the Air, Too

Forever Chemicals Are in the Air, Too

In recent years, experts have sounded the alarm about the presence of toxic forever chemicals in drinking water. Now, a new study finds they are also present in the air we breathe. The research, published in Environmental Science & Technology Letters on Tuesday, developed a new technique for measuring the presence of per- and polyfluorinated […]

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    Forever Chemicals Found in U.S. Mothers’ Breast Milk

    Forever Chemicals Found in U.S. Mothers’ Breast Milk

    Forever chemicals are everywhere, even in breast milk. A study published in Environmental Science and Technology Thursday tested the milk of 50 U.S. mothers and found that every sample was contaminated with per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS). What’s more, the chemicals were found at nearly 2,000 times the levels considered safe by environmental health groups, […]

    Food Dyes Linked to Attention and Activity Problems in Children

    Food Dyes Linked to Attention and Activity Problems in Children

    By Nate Seltenrich Synthetic dyes used as colorants in many common foods and drinks can negatively affect attention and activity in children, according to a comprehensive review of existing evidence published this month by the California Office of Environmental Health Hazard Assessment (OEHHA). Funded by the California legislature in 2018, the new report involved a […]

    We’re All Ingesting Microplastics at Home; Here’s How to Reduce Your Risk

    We’re All Ingesting Microplastics at Home; Here’s How to Reduce Your Risk

    By Mark Patrick Taylor, Neda Sharifi Soltani and Scott P. Wilson Australians are eating and inhaling significant numbers of tiny plastics at home, our new research shows. These “microplastics,” which are derived from petrochemicals extracted from oil and gas products, are settling in dust around the house. Some of these particles are toxic to humans […]

    Delaying Climate Action Harms Youth, German High Court Rules in ‘Huge Win for the Climate Movement’

    Delaying Climate Action Harms Youth, German High Court Rules in ‘Huge Win for the Climate Movement’

    Germany’s highest court ruled Thursday that the country’s 2019 climate law unconstitutionally saddles young people with the burden of fighting climate change by “irreversibly offload[ing] major emission reductions burdens onto periods after 2030.” Olaf Scholz, Germany’s finance minister, said the government would rapidly propose legislation to comply with the ruling. The case was brought by […]

    Reps. Ocasio-Cortez and Bush Introduce Green New Deal for Cities

    Reps. Ocasio-Cortez and Bush Introduce Green New Deal for Cities

    By Brett Wilkins In the latest of a flurry of proposed Green New Deal legislation, Reps. Cori Bush and Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez on Monday introduced the Green New Deal for Cities Act of 2021, a $1 trillion plan to “tackle the environmental injustices that are making us and our children sick, costing us our homes, and […]