toxics

Perfluorinated chemicals, also known as PFASs or PFCs, are used to make everyday items—such as food wrappers, textiles, pots and pans—repel water and grease. But these chemicals have been linked to a host of health problems, including high cholesterol, hormone disruption and even kidney and testicular cancer. Now, researchers at Harvard University found evidence that […]

By Monica Amarelo and Samara Geller No one disputes that bisphenol A, a toxic compound widely used to line food cans and other food packaging, is polluting people. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention found BPA in the urine of more than 90 percent of Americans sampled. In 2009, tests commissioned by the Environmental […]

Some of our oceans‘ largest creatures are being threatened by the tiniest bits of plastic that litter our seas, a new analysis published in the journal Trends in Ecology & Evolution found. Filter-feeding marine animals such as manta rays and whale sharks swallow hundreds to thousands of cubic meters of water a day to capture […]

By Nneka Leiba If the Environmental Working Group were to assign a book for parents and expectant parents, it would be Children and Environmental Toxins: What Everyone Needs to Know®. The new book, written by Dr. Philip Landrigan and his wife Mary Landrigan, is a perfect guide to understanding how chemicals in our environment can […]

By Chelsey Kivland and Anne Sosin Around the world, the health care debate often revolves around access. Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, head of the World Health Organization, recently announced, “All roads lead to universal health coverage.” Discussions for how to translate this vision into a road map for action is central to the agenda of […]

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is withdrawing the “once-in always-in” policy for the classification of major sources of hazardous air pollutants under the Clean Air Act. As Reuters pointed out, the move on Thursday is “part of President Donald Trump‘s effort to roll back federal regulations and was sought by utilities, the petroleum industry […]

By Elizabeth Sturcken Feeling down about our planet in 2018? Don’t! There are many reasons to be hopeful around environmental action in the new year—and if the following developments don’t make you feel better, I’ve prescribed some action steps at the end that are guaranteed to set you on a healthier, happier path. Don’t get […]

By Matt Smith Lot by lot, backhoes and dump trucks are scraping and hauling away yards on the north side of Birmingham to remove soil laced with heavy metals and other industrial wastes—the legacy of this city’s years as a steelmaking power. Federal prosecutors say that effort also uncovered something else: a scheme to save […]