toxics

Trump Plan to Protect Kids From Lead Falls Far Short

Trump Plan to Protect Kids From Lead Falls Far Short

The long-awaited plan by the Trump administration to “wage a war against lead” and protect children from exposure to the potent neurotoxin is a woefully unacceptable response to this public health crisis, said Environmental Working Group. The administration’s Lead Action Plan—announced Wednesday by Andrew Wheeler, acting administrator of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)—is nothing […]

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    New Report Highlights Toxic Chemicals in Consumer Products

    New Report Highlights Toxic Chemicals in Consumer Products

    By Anna Reade A new report by the Breast Cancer Prevention Partners (BCPP) details findings from product testing they performed on beauty, personal care and cleaning products, with an emphasis on products often marketed to vulnerable populations, such as children and women of color. The report focuses on the identification of chemicals used for fragrance […]

    Congress Poised to Act to Reduce Major Source of PFAS Chemicals in Drinking Water

    Congress Poised to Act to Reduce Major Source of PFAS Chemicals in Drinking Water

    House and Senate leaders included a provision in legislation to fund the Federal Aviation Administration and strengthen disaster programs that will give commercial airports the option to switch to firefighting foams that do not include the highly toxic fluorinated chemicals known as PFAS. Under current law, airports are required to use firefighting foams that contain […]

    How Residents of South LA Are Tackling Environmental Racism

    How Residents of South LA Are Tackling Environmental Racism

    By Daniel Ross For decades, the South Los Angeles neighborhood of Watts has been hemmed in by dangerous pollutants. On one corner sits the Jordan Downs housing project, at the center of which is a toxic former industrial site. Children in Jordan Downs have been found with elevated levels of lead in their blood, and […]

    The Home Depot Will Be Third Major U.S. Retailer to Ban Deadly Paint Strippers

    The Home Depot Will Be Third Major U.S. Retailer to Ban Deadly Paint Strippers

    The world’s largest home improvement retailer, The Home Depot, announced Tuesday that it will phase out the use of the toxic chemicals methylene chloride and N-methylpyrrolidone (NMP) in its paint removal products by the end of this year. The company, which operates more than 2,200 stores in the U.S., Canada and Mexico, is the third […]

    These Toxic Chemicals in Food Packaging Are Getting Into Your Meals

    These Toxic Chemicals in Food Packaging Are Getting Into Your Meals

    By Rachel Smilan-Goldstein On a busy weeknight, takeout and fast food are easy dinner time solutions. But your family’s favorite on-the-go meal may come with a side of toxic fluorinated chemicals. Per- and polyfluoralkyl substances, or PFAS, are a family of greaseproof, waterproof and nonstick industrial compounds. They’re used in hundreds of consumer products, including […]

    Consumer Product Safety Testing Overlooks Cancer Risk From Exposure to Multiple Chemicals

    Consumer Product Safety Testing Overlooks Cancer Risk From Exposure to Multiple Chemicals

    By Olga Naidenko Mixtures of chemicals commonly found in consumer products are more likely to increase breast cancer risk than the same chemicals individually, according to a new analysis. But safety tests by government regulators don’t routinely evaluate the combined effects of multiple chemical exposures. For a study published in the peer-reviewed journal Toxicological Sciences, […]

    Pollution From Air Force Keeps Causing Cancer in Tucson, Residents Say

    Pollution From Air Force Keeps Causing Cancer in Tucson, Residents Say

    Twenty-seven years ago, 1,600 residents of Tucson, Arizona’s south side settled an $84.5 million dollar lawsuit with Hughes Aircraft (now Raytheon Missile Systems Co.), claiming the Air Force contractor had been dumping the industrial solvent trichloroethylene (TCE) into the water table for 29 years since 1952, causing cancers and other ailments. Now, more South Tucson […]