toxins

Congressional Report on Toxic Metals in Baby Food Spurs Demand for FDA Action

Congressional Report on Toxic Metals in Baby Food Spurs Demand for FDA Action

By Andrea Germanos A new congressional report released Wednesday revealing the baby food industry has failed to keep products with heavy metals off the shelves spurred calls for federal authorities to enact swift action and tough limits on toxin levels. “This is what happens when you let the food and chemical companies, not the FDA, […]

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    California Regulator Praised for ‘Landmark’ Proposal to List ‘Forever Chemical’ as Carcinogen

    California Regulator Praised for ‘Landmark’ Proposal to List ‘Forever Chemical’ as Carcinogen

    By Andrea Germanos A public health watchdog on Wednesday praised California’s proposal to add the so-called “forever chemical” PFOA to the state’s list of chemicals known to cause cancer. PFOA, or perfluorooctanoic acid, was formerly used to make DuPont’s Teflon and other products. It’s part of a group of chemicals called per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances […]

    How Will the Biden Administration Tackle ‘Forever Chemicals’?

    How Will the Biden Administration Tackle ‘Forever Chemicals’?

    By Scott Faber No candidate for president has ever pledged to make the toxic “forever chemicals” known as PFAS a priority – until now. In his environmental justice plan, President-elect Joe Biden pledged to set enforceable limits for PFAS in drinking water and to designate PFAS as a hazardous substance under the Superfund cleanup law. […]

    2020 Summer Recreation: Peak Harmful Algae Season and the Pandemic

    2020 Summer Recreation: Peak Harmful Algae Season and the Pandemic

    By Arohi Sharma Quarantining and sheltering in place from COVID-19 has a lot of us going stir-crazy — myself included. With summer in full swing, more of us are itching to get outside safely. Unfortunately, we’re also right in the middle of peak harmful algal bloom (HAB) season. While state agencies are understandably redirecting resources […]

    Organic Farming Protects Communities from Toxic Chemicals

    Organic Farming Protects Communities from Toxic Chemicals

    By Allison Johnson Most people who buy organic do it because they want to eat healthier. It’s true – switching to an organic diet rapidly decreases exposure to a wide range of pesticides, including glyphosate (the main ingredient in Roundup). According to a new study published in Environmental Research, glyphosate levels in families’ bodies dropped […]

    Toxic Algae Are a Menace. Humans Are Giving Them Ammunition.

    Toxic Algae Are a Menace. Humans Are Giving Them Ammunition.

    Art by Matteo Farinella, written by Jeremy Deaton Algal blooms are killing wildlife and making people sick. Here’s how we aided their reign of terror. Matteo Farinella is a neuroscientist-turned-cartoonist who uses comics to explain science. You can follow him @matteofarinella. Jeremy Deaton writes for Nexus Media, a nonprofit climate change news service. You can […]

    Alarming Level of Plastic in Children’s Bodies, German Study Shows

    Alarming Level of Plastic in Children’s Bodies, German Study Shows

    By Wesley Rahn Plastic byproducts were found in 97 percent of blood and urine samples from 2,500 children tested between 2014 and 2017, according to a study by the German Environment Ministry and the Robert Koch Institute. The German weekly magazine Der Spiegel published the findings, which were part of a federal study focused on […]

    Why the UK Is Wary of American ‘Chlorinated Chicken’

    Why the UK Is Wary of American ‘Chlorinated Chicken’

    By Dan Nosowitz A hot-button issue in the UK focuses on something most Americans don’t even know about: a particular method of disinfecting raw poultry. In the UK, “chlorine-washed chicken” has become a shorthand for the excesses of American agribusiness; Prime Minister Boris Johnson has even used it as an insult for his political foes. […]

    Are My Denim Jeans Bad for the Environment?

    Are My Denim Jeans Bad for the Environment?

    By Courtney Lindwall Question: I’ve heard that producing denim is particularly bad for the environment. Do I need to give up my blue jeans? Answer: Throwaway plastics and gas-guzzling cars are the typical consumer no-nos, but clothing also has oversize impacts on the planet and our health. And it’s true — denim is one of […]