public health

EPA’s Internal Watchdog to Investigate Agency’s Response to East Palestine Train Derailment

EPA’s Internal Watchdog to Investigate Agency’s Response to East Palestine Train Derailment

Residents of East Palestine, Ohio, have criticized the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) for its response to the derailment of a Norfolk Southern train that released toxins including vinyl chloride — a plastic production chemical linked to liver cancer — into the town’s environment.  Now, the EPA’s internal watchdog said it would investigate the agency’s […]

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    Fossil Fuels 101: Everything You Need to Know

    Fossil Fuels 101: Everything You Need to Know

    Quick Key Facts What Are Fossil Fuels? Fossil fuels are fuels that literally come from fossils. Tens of millions of years ago, plants took energy from the sun and used it to turn carbon dioxide and water into carbon and hydrogen via photosynthesis. Animals ate those plants and stored the same elements in their bodies. […]

    Which Cities and Countries Have the Unhealthiest Air?

    Which Cities and Countries Have the Unhealthiest Air?

    Swiss air quality technology company IQAir released its fifth annual assessment of particulate matter (PM) 2.5 pollution in cities, nations and regions around the world and found that only six countries met the World Health Organization’s (WHO) updated safe levels of the deadly air pollutant.

    Blueberries and Green Beans Added to 2023 ‘Dirty Dozen’

    Blueberries and Green Beans Added to 2023 ‘Dirty Dozen’

    U.S. grocery shoppers take note, it’s that time of year again. The Environmental Working Group (EWG) released on Wednesday its 2023 Shopper’s Guide to Pesticides in Produce, with its annual Dirty Dozen and Clean Fifteen lists of the conventional fruits and vegetables most and least likely to be contaminated with pesticides, and this year’s lists […]

    EPA Proposes First Legal Limits for PFAS in Drinking Water

    EPA Proposes First Legal Limits for PFAS in Drinking Water

    For the first time, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has proposed standards for limiting toxic forever chemicals in drinking water. The draft regulation, unveiled Tuesday, would target six types of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) that are known to be found in drinking water, setting legal limits for their presence.  “EPA’s proposal to establish […]