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 […]
By Alexis Temkin Exposure to fluorinated industrial chemicals, known as PFAS or PFC chemicals, may increase the amount of weight that people, especially women, regain after dieting, according to a new study by Harvard University researchers, published in PLOS Medicine. It found that women with higher levels of PFAS chemicals in their blood at the […]
The European Union approved Bayer’s takeover of Monsanto, a major hurdle in the $66 billion merger that would create the world’s largest integrated seed and pesticide conglomerate. The European Commission said the German chemical-maker’s takeover of the St. Louis-based agribusiness giant is “conditional on an extensive remedy package, which addresses the parties’ overlaps in seeds, […]
If we don’t act now, plastic pollution in the world’s oceans is projected to increase three-fold within seven years, according to a startling new report. The Future of the Sea report, released Wednesday for the UK government, found that human beings across the globe produce more than 300 million metric tons of plastic per year. […]
By Mary Anne Hitt A Hollywood scriptwriter couldn’t make this up. One day after new data revealed widespread toxic water contamination near coal ash disposal sites, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) head Scott Pruitt announced a proposal to repeal the very 2015 EPA safeguards that had required this data to be tracked and released in […]
Up to 412,000 deaths a year in the U.S. can be attributed to lead exposure, according to a new study published Monday in The Lancet Pubilc Health. Of that figure, exposure to the toxic metal may be an “important, but largely overlooked” risk factor behind the 256,000 annual cardiovascular disease deaths in the country, the […]
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is proposing major changes to Obama-era coal ash disposal regulations, seeking to give states and utilities more leeway in how they dispose of coal ash, which can contain highly toxic substances such as arsenic, mercury and lead. The Scott Pruitt-led agency claims that the proposal, if finalized, can save […]
By Jake Johnson As the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) under the leadership of Scott Pruitt moves to make it easier for big industry to dump dangerous chemicals into the nation’s air and water, the agency announced late Monday that it is dissolving a program that funds studies on the effects of pollution and chemical […]
By Bob Schildgen Hey Mr. Green, Do you recommend any dryer sheets or liquid fabric softeners for clothes? — David in Brentwood, New Hampshire Having never used such products myself, I turned to the Environmental Working Group (EWG), which is a great source for information. The EWG’s highest recommendations for dryer sheets are Grab Green […]