A new study has revealed a rise in toxic pesticides contaminating fruit on the shop shelves of Europe. Analysis carried out by Pesticide Action Network (PAN) Europe found that there had been a 53 per cent rise in contaminated produce in the last nine years. More:

• Shocking rise in toxic pesticides on European fruit, says study  –  EuroNews.green
• Forbidden fruit- The dramatic rise in dangerous pesticides found on fruits and vegetables sold in Europe and evidence that governments are failing their legal obligations  –  Pesticide Action Network
• Forbidden Fruit (Report)  –  PAN Europe
• Meet the EU farmers using fewer pesticides to make agriculture greener (Report)  –  EuroNews.green

Green beauty cosmetics sold in the United States may contain contamination type levels of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), a toxic class of chemicals linked to a number of serious health conditions, according to a recent consumer study. More:

• Green Beauty Cosmetics Guide–PFAS Forever Chemicals & Makeup  –  Mamavation

• Use of PFAS in cosmetics 'widespread,' new study finds  –  ScienceDaily
• Occurrence of perfluorinated carboxylic acids (PFCAs) in personal care products and compounding agents (Research abstract)

• Report 65% of Period Underwear Tested Likely Contaminated with PFAS Chemicals  –  Mamavation
• PFAS Chemical Linked to Weight Gain Found in Oral-B Glide Dental Floss  –  Mamavation

• EPA Takes Action to Investigate PFAS Contamination  –  US Environmental Protection Agency
• Fluorination  –  Berlin Packaging

• What are the health effects of PFAS?  –  US ATSDR
• Health effects of PFAS exposure  –  Food Packaging Forum
• PFAS and cancer, a scoping review of the epidemiologic evidence (Research article)
• Talking to your Doctor about exposure to PFAS (Factsheet)  –  US NCEH
• CDC and ATSDR Award $7 Million to Begin Multi-Site PFAS Study  –  US CDC

• Maternal levels of perfluoroalkyl substances (PFASs) during pregnancy and childhood allergy and asthma related outcomes and infections in the Norwegian Mother and Child (MoBa) cohort (Research article)
• Maternal Plasma Perfluoroalkyl Substances and Miscarriage: A Nested Case–Control Study in the Danish National Birth Cohort (Research article)
• Perfluoroalkyl Substances (PFAS) and Their Effects on the Placenta, Pregnancy, and Child Development: a Potential Mechanistic Role for Placental Peroxisome Proliferator–Activated Receptors (PPARs) (Research abstract)
• Nonstick Pan Chemicals Linked to Low Sperm Count and Small Penis Size Study Finds  –  Mamavation

• Safer Beauty Bill Package  –  Breast Cancer Prevention Partners
• Toxic-Free Beauty Act of 2021  –  Breast Cancer Prevention Partners
• Cosmetic Safety for Communities of Color and Professional Salon Workers Act of 2021  –  Breast Cancer Prevention Partners
• Cosmetic Fragrance and Flavor Ingredient Right to Know Act of 2021  –  Breast Cancer Prevention Partners
• Cosmetic Supply Chain Transparency Act of 2021  –  Breast Cancer Prevention Partners

• State-by-State Regulation of PFAS Substances in Drinking Water  –  JDSUPRA
• First-of-Its-Kind Certification Eliminates Harmful PFAS in Foodware and Shifts Market to Preferred Alternatives  –  Greenscreen for safer chemicals
• Fluorinated Chemicals and BPI Certification  –  Biodegradable products institute

• Best & Worst Cookware & Bakeware 2022–Safest Non Toxic Brands  –  Mamavation
• Best & Worst Ceramic Cookware in 2020  –  Mamavation
• Safest Non-Toxic Jackets & Raincoats without PFAS “Forever Chemicals”  –  Mamavation
• Best Non-Toxic Deodorants Sans Nasty Chemicals 2021  –  Mamavation
• Best & Worst Organic Mattresses 2020–The Wild West of Marketing Claims  –  Mamavation
• Best Home Water Filters for Toxic PFAS “Forever Chemical” Filtration  –  Mamavation

The production and consumption of the foods, fuels and materials that dominate daily life are leading to large-scale environmental pollution that can impact the health of people across the globe. More:

• 'Polluted' babies, millions dead: Scientists sound alarm on global pollution  –  Phys.org
• Study of pregnant women finds increasing exposure to chemicals from plastics and pesticides  –  Medical Press
• Exposure to Contemporary and Emerging Chemicals in Commerce among Pregnant Women in the United States: The Environmental influences on Child Health Outcome (ECHO) Program  (Research article)

Do your cooking oils contain indications of PFAS “forever chemicals?” That’s the question we’ve attempted to answer in our latest consumer study. Mamavation sent 67 cooking oils comprising olive oil, canola oil, avocado oil, coconut oil, vegetable oil, & ghee products off to an EPA-certified lab and is now unveiling those laboratory results. More:

• Is PFAS found in Cooking Oils? – Non-Toxic Purchasing Guide 2022  –  Mamavation
• Talking to Your Doctor about Exposure to PFAS (Factsheet)  –  US ATSDR

• Investigation of Per- and Polyfluoroalkyl Substances (PFAS) in US food products (Poster presentation)  –  US Center for Food Safety and Applied Nutrition
• PFAS Found in Organic Tomato Pasta Sauce – Purchasing Guide 2022  –  Mamavation
• Ketchup Ranked: Indications of PFAS "Forever Chemicals" Industry Wide  –  Mamavation

• Dangerous Chemicals in Food Packaging: Grocery Stores & PFAS  –  Mamavation
• Toxic Packaging: Are Fast Food Wrappers Hurting Your Family?  –  Mamavation

• Best & Worst Small Kitchen Appliances–Toxic Food Contact Materials  –  Mamavation
• Safest Air Fryers & Air Fryer Ovens Sans Toxic PFAS Coatings 2021  –  Mamavation

• FDA: Sampling finds toxic nonstick compounds in some food  –  AP News
• Authorized Uses of PFAS in Food Contact Applications  –  US FDA
• Inventory of Food Contact Substances Listed in 21 CFR  –  US FDA
• Fluorinated Lubricants Are The Next Growing Demand  –  American Premium Petroleum

• What are the health effects of PFAS?  –  US ATSDR
• Health effects of PFAS exposure  –  Food Packaging Forum
• PFAS and cancer, a scoping review of the epidemiologic evidence (Research article)
• Thyroid Disrupting Effects of Old and New Generation PFAS (Research article)

• Nonstick Pan Chemicals Linked to Low Sperm Count and Small Penis Size Study Finds  –  Mamavation
• Endocrine-disrupting activity of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances: Exploring combined approaches of ligand and structure based modeling (Research abstract)

• PFAS exposure in infancy linked to reduced vaccine response  –  Environmental Factor
• Maternal levels of perfluoroalkyl substances (PFASs) during pregnancy and childhood allergy and asthma related outcomes and infections in the Norwegian Mother and Child (MoBa) cohort (Research article)
• Perfluoroalkyl Substances (PFAS) and Their Effects on the Placenta, Pregnancy, and Child Development: a Potential Mechanistic Role for Placental Peroxisome Proliferator–Activated Receptors (PPARs) (Research abstract)

• Op-Ed: FDA fails to protect the public from chemical health risks  –  EHN
• How the FDA’s food division fails to regulate health and safety hazards  –  Politico

Pollution is killing 9 million people a year, a review has found, making it responsible for one in six of all deaths. Toxic air and contaminated water and soil “is an existential threat to human health and planetary health, and jeopardises the sustainability of modern societies”, the review concluded. The death toll from pollution dwarfs that from road traffic deaths, HIV/Aids, malaria and TB combined. More:

• Pollution responsible for one in six deaths across planet, scientists warn  –  The Guardian

• Global pollution kills 9m a year and threatens 'survival of human societies'  –  The Guardian
• Chemical pollution has passed safe limit for humanity, say scientists  –  The Guardian
• The Lancet Commission on pollution and health  –  The Lancet
• Pollution and health: a progress update (Research article)

Limited information is available regarding chemical water quality at the tap in Guatemala City, preventing individuals, water utilities, and public health authorities from making data-driven decisions related to water quality. To address this need, 113 participants among households served by a range of water providers across the Guatemala City metropolitan area were recruited as participatory scientists to collect first-draw and flushed tap water samples at their residence. Samples were transported to the U.S. and analyzed for 20 metals and 25 per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS). More:

• A Participatory Science Approach to Evaluating Factors Associated with the Occurrence of Metals and PFAS in Guatemala City Tap Water (Research article)

• Bottled Water & PFAS  –  International Bottled Water Association
• Specially treated plastic containers may spread PFAS  –  Chemical & Engineering News

• Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances in water and wastewater: A critical review of their global occurrence and distribution (Research article)
• Worldwide drinking water occurrence and levels of newly-identified perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances (Research abstract)
• Underrepresented groups in WaSH – the overlooked role of chemical toxicants in water and health (Research article)

• Longitudinal assessment of point-of-use carbon filters for removal of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances from private well water (Research article)

• Perfluoroalkyl chemicals (PFAS)  –  ECHA

A news investigation has revealed alarming levels of so-called PFAS, or per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances, in the air, ground, and water surrounding two chemical plants south of Lyon, France’s third-largest city. More:

• 'Forever chemicals': How toxic are the levels of PFAS found in French tap water and breast milk?  –  Euronews.green

• EU’s ‘great detox’ could see up to 12,000 potentially dangerous chemicals banned  –  Euronews.green
• Poisoning generations: US company taken to EU court over toxic 'forever chemicals' in landmark case  –  Euronews.green
• PFAS  –  European Commission
• Perfluorerade alkylsubstanser (PFAS)  –  ECHA
• Registry of restriction intentions until outcome  –  ECHA

• Drinking Water Health Advisories for PFOA and PFOS  –  US Environmental Protection Agency

• Scientists say chemical pollution has now passed the safe limit for humanity  –  Euronews.green

La ville de Pierre-Bénite, une commune française située en région Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes, est largement contaminée aux perfluorés. Des prélèvements de sol, d'air et d'eau en atteste, une situation qui inquiète les habitants. More:

• Pollution : l'inquiétude à Pierre-Bénite (YouTube)  –  BFM Lyon

We know by now that PFAS is bad for a myriad of reasons. But it’s also bad because of something we don’t know much about at all, namely what happens when products containing PFAS are thrown in the garbage bin. More:

• Nobody really knows what happens to PFAS when we throw our old products away  –  ChemSec

• PFAS soil and groundwater contamination via industrial airborne emission and land deposition (Research article)
• Atmospheric Deposition and Annual Flux of Legacy Perfluoroalkyl Substances (Research abstract)

• Biomonitoring Research Results (Executive Summary)  –  Zero Waste Europe

There are so many current and upcoming regulations regarding the restriction of PFAS on EU level that they have started to overlap. But that’s a good thing, right – the more bans on harmful “forever chemicals” the better? Actually, legislative overlap risks causing confusion and double-work, potentially creating loopholes rather than stricter regulation. More:

• How many PFAS bans does it take to ban PFAS?  –  ChemSec

• EU puts 200 PFAS out of business – but thousands remain  –  ChemSec
• Proposal for a restriction substance name(s) C9-C14 PFCAs including their salts and precursors  –  ECHA
• Proposed restriction on undecafluorohexanoic acid (PFHxA), its salts and related substances  –  ECHA

PFAS-tainted sewage sludge is used as fertilizer in fields and report finds that about 20m acres of cropland could be contaminated. More:

• ‘Forever chemicals’ may have polluted 20m acres of US cropland, study says  –  The Guardian

• ‘I don’t know how we’ll survive’: the farmers facing ruin in Maine’s ‘forever chemicals’ crisis  –  The Guardian
• Michigan beef found to contain dangerous levels of ‘forever chemicals’  –  The Guardian

• Wisconsin case shows how sewage plants spread unregulated toxins across landscape  –  Wisconsin State Journal

• Researchers Link Increased Risk Of Illness To Sewage Sludge Used As Fertilizer  –  ScienceDaily

Nearly 60% of children’s textiles labeled “waterproof”, “stain-resistant”, or “environmentally friendly” that were tested as part of a new study contained toxic PFAS substances known as “forever chemicals” due to their persistence in the environment. More:

• ‘Forever chemicals’ found in nearly 60% of children’s ‘waterproof’ or ‘stain-resistant’ textiles  –  The Guardian

• How Well Do Product Labels Indicate the Presence of PFAS in Consumer Items Used by Children and Adolescents? (Research article)
• An overview of the uses of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) (Research article)

Tropical mammals are living in an ever-changing chemical landscape warns a recent study, with wildlife increasingly exposed to an array of plastics, pharmaceuticals, pesticides and nanoparticles. The recent study, published in the journal Biological Conservation, warns that this underrecognized threat requires urgent action. More:

• Tropical mammals under rising chemical pollution pressure, study warns  –  South Africa Today

• Feces are Effective Biological Samples for Measuring Pesticides and Flame Retardants in Primates (Research abstract)
• The endangered African Great Ape: Pesticide residues in soil and plants consumed by Mountain Gorillas (Gorilla beringei) in Bwindi Impenetrable National Park, East Africa (Research abstract)
• The chemical landscape of tropical mammals in the Anthropocene (Research abstract)
• Lowland tapir exposure to pesticides and metals in the Brazilian Cerrado (Research abstract)

• Forecasting the impacts of chemical pollution and climate change interactions on the health of wildlife (Research article)
• A review of the effects of wildfire smoke on the health and behavior of wildlife (Research article)
• Frontiers in quantifying wildlife behavioural responses to chemical pollution (Research article)
• Micropollutants  –  Current biology

• The use of pesticides in developing countries and their impact on health and the right to food  –  European Parliament
• Scarry New World Record For Use Of Pesticides…  –  Organic Processing and Trade association Europe (OPTA)
• Vultures in Assam die by pesticide poisoning targeting stray dogs  –  Mongabay
• Short-term intake of deltamethrin-contaminated fruit, even at low concentrations, induces testicular damage in fruit-eating bats (Artibeus lituratus) (Research abstract)

• We’ve breached Earth’s threshold for chemical pollution, study says  –  Mongabay
• The nine planetary boundaries  –  Stockholm Resilience Centre

• Commodity plastic burning as a source of inhaled toxic aerosols (Research abstract)
• Atmospheric Occurrence of Legacy Pesticides, Current Use Pesticides, and Flame Retardants in and around Protected Areas in Costa Rica and Uganda (Research abstract)
• Pharmaceutical water pollution detected deep in the Brazilian Amazon  –  Mongabay

• UN report: Urgent action needed to tackle chemical pollution as global production is set to double by 2030  –  UNEP
• Celebrating the First Milestone Towards Establishing a Global Science-Policy Panel  –  IPCP
• The second edition of the Global Chemicals Outlook  –  UNEP
• Precautionary Principle (Research article)

• For European chemical giants, Brazil is an open market for toxic pesticides banned at home  –  Mongabay

An unforgettable scene from the film “Dark Waters” is when the PFAS manufacturer DuPont starts searching for clean blood samples without PFAS so that they can compare them to the blood of their Teflon factory workers. They found none. A combination of factors has created the perfect storm, spreading this chemical family in a totally uncontrolled way all over the globe, into all of us. More:

• The PFAS Story: How did we end up here and what can be done about it?  –  ChemSec

• Risk to human health related to the presence of perfluoroalkyl substances in food (Research article)

• EU puts 200 PFAS out of business – but thousands remain  –  ChemSec
• Five European states call for evidence on broad PFAS restriction  –  ECHA

• When is it justified to use very hazardous chemicals?  –  ChemSec

With more consumers demanding products free of toxic ingredients, determining which ones might be harmful and which ones are safe is difficult. A new research study shows many children’s products, including those with green certifications, contain harmful PFAS chemicals that were not listed on the label. More:

• Many “Eco-Friendly” Children’s Products Actually Contain Toxic PFAS Chemicals  –  SciTechDaily

• How Well Do Product Labels Indicate the Presence of PFAS in Consumer Items Used by Children and Adolescents? (Research article)
• Toxic Convenience: The hidden costs of forever chemicals in stain- and water-resistant products  –  Toxic Free Future
• Dental flossing and other behaviors linked with higher levels of PFAS in the body –  Silent Spring Institute
• Fast food packaging contains potentially harmful chemicals –  Silent Spring Institute

What if we told you many of those tasty packaged food items like cupcakes, chips, cookies, frozen pizza, pies, candy bars, etc. contain certain chemicals concocted in a lab to help them look and taste more appealing and enjoy a much longer shelf life? Could you live with that? Maybe. More:

• Thousands Of Unregulated Chemicals Are Currently In Your Food, Experts Say  –  Eat This Not That

• Generally Recognized as Safe (GRAS)  –  US FDA
• EWG analysis: Almost all new food chemicals greenlighted by industry, not the FDA  –  EWG
• GRAS: The Hidden Substances in Your Food  –  Consumer Report
• Toxic Free Food Act (Legislative proposal)

• 6 Toxic Food Ingredients That Have Been Linked to Cancer  –  Eat this not that
• 5 American Food Ingredients That Are Banned in Other Countries  –  Eat this not that
• 6 Dangerous Ingredients That Still Haven't Been Banned in the U.S.  –  Eat this not that
• 11 American Foods That Are Banned Abroad (And How They Can Impact Your Health)  –  Eat this not that
• What Is Titanium Dioxide? And Why It's in Your Food  –  Eat this not that

Europe will greatly accelerate the way it eliminates harmful chemicals. Officials will block the use of large families of chemicals, instead of one by one. The EEB predicts that with this ‘the great detox’ 5,000 to 7,000 of the most notorious chemicals will be gone by 2030, including all flame retardants, bisphenols, PFAS and PVC plastics. More:

• The Great Detox - Largest ever ban of toxic chemicals announced by EU  –  META
• EU unveils plan for ‘largest ever ban’ on dangerous chemicals  –  The Guardian
• Sustainable Chemicals: The Commission advances work on restrictions of harmful chemical substances  –  European Commission

• Chemicals strategy  –  European Commission
• The great detox – largest ever ban of toxic chemicals announced by EU  –  EEB
• Chemical detox plan for Europe announced  –  EEB
• Sustainable Chemicals Strategy of the Union: Time to Deliver - Council conclusions (EU Proceedings document)
• Proposal for a Restrictions Roadmap under the Chemical Strategy for Sustainability –  ECHA

• Storm of protest hits EU roadmap proposals for restrictions on groups of chemicals  –  Chemical Watch
• NGOs cry foul on chemical company linked to Czech PM  –  Politico
• Upcoming EU chemical Legislation Puts Europe’s Fourth Largest Manufacturing Industry At Crucial Crossroads  –  CEFIC

• REACH revision under the Chemicals Strategy  –  European Commission
• REACH Legislation  –  ECHA
• Classification and Labelling Inventory  –  ECHA
• Registry of restriction intentions until outcome  –  ECHA

• Global Chemicals Outlook II: From Legacies to Innovative Solutions  –  UNEP
• Chemicals production and consumption statistics  –  Eurostat Statistics Explained
• The evolving chemicals economy: status and trends relevant for sustainability  –  UNEP
• Attitudes of Europeans towards the Environment  –  European Union

• 700 Number of chemical contaminants in your body right now  –  The World Counts
• Opening remarks by the United Nations Special Rapporteur on toxics and human rights, Baskut Tuncak at the 73rd session of the U.N. General Assembly  –  United Nations Human Rights

• Pollution causing more deaths than COVID, action needed, says U.N. expert  –  Reuters
• The public health impact of chemicals: knowns and unknowns  –  WHO
• Environmental Toxins and Infertility (Research article)
• Neurobehavioural effects of developmental toxicity (Research article)

• Chemical pollution has passed safe limit for humanity, say scientists  –  The Guardian
• Warning of 'ecological Armageddon' after dramatic plunge in insect numbers  –  The Guardian
• Orca 'apocalypse': half of killer whales doomed to die from pollution  –  The Guardian

Mamavation sent 55 tomato & marinara sauces (both organic and conventional) to an EPA-certified laboratory to discover that 8% of tested products in 2021 contained indications of PFAS. Which brands had detections and how is this possible? The answers were surprising. More:

• PFAS Found in Organic Tomato & Pasta Sauce -- Purchasing Guide 2021  –  Mamavation

• FDA: Sampling finds toxic nonstick compounds in some food  –  AP News
• Dangerous Chemicals in Food Packaging Grocery Stores & PFAS  –  Mamavation
• Toxic Packaging Are Fast Food Wrappers Hurting Your Family  –  Mamavation
• Ketchup Ranked Indications of PFAS “Forever Chemicals” Industry Wide  –  Mamavation
• Green Beauty Cosmetic Guide — PFAS “Forever Chemicals” & Makeup  –  Mamavation

• Talking to your Doctor about exposure to PFAS (Fact Sheet)  –  US ATSDR / NCEN
• What are the health effects of PFAS?  –  US ATSDR
• Health effects of PFAS exposure  –  Food Packaging Forum
• PFAS and cancer, a scoping review of the epidemiologic evidence (Research article)

• Thyroid Disrupting Effects of Old and New Generation PFAS (Research article)
• PFAS exposure in infancy linked to reduced vaccine response  –  Environmental Factor
• Maternal levels of perfluoroalkyl substances (PFASs) during pregnancy and childhood allergy and asthma related outcomes and infections in the Norwegian Mother and Child (MoBa) cohort (Research article)
• Maternal Plasma Perfluoroalkyl Substances and Miscarriage A Nested Case–Control Study (Research article)
• Nonstick Pan Chemicals Linked to Low Sperm Count and Small Penis Size Study Finds  –  Mamavation

• PFAS Treatment in Biosolids – State of Science  –  US EPA
• Top 10 Reasons Why Biosolids are Dangerous  –  Mamavation
• PFAS Statement  –  Songbird Farm

• EPA Takes Action to Investigate PFAS Contamination  –  US EPA
• CDC and ATSDR Award $7 Million to Begin Multi-Site PFAS Study  –  US CDC
• #ToxicFreeFoodFDA  –  Food chemical alliance

• Authorized Uses of PFAS in Food Contact Applications  –  US FDA
• Inventory of Food Contact Substances Listed in 21 CFR  –  US FDA
• FDA acts on fluorinated plastic packaging. What are next steps?  –  Environmental Defense Fund
• PFAS  –  Safer States

• Best & Worst Organic Mattresses 2020–The Wild West of Marketing Claims  –  Mamavation
• Best Home Water Filters for Toxic PFAS “Forever Chemical” Filtration  –  Mamavation
• Best & Worst Small Kitchen Appliances–Toxic Food Contact Materials  –  Mamavation
• Safest Air Fryers & Air Fryer Ovens Sans Toxic PFAS Coatings 2021  –  Mamavation

The Ministry of Environment announced the conclusion of the Sustainable Management of Persistent Organic Pollutants Project, which helped Egypt get rid of 1,000 tons of each of toxic pesticides, and oils contaminated with polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs). More:

• Egypt gets rid of 2K tons of Persistent Organic Pollutants through international funding  –  Egypt Today

The EU has some of the world’s strictest chemical controls but dangerous substances are still creeping into the market, threatening the health of workers, consumers and the environment. Dolores Romano and Andreea Anca look at the flaws in the Authorisation and Restriction procedures of EU’s main chemicals regulation. More:

• Walking the EU’s talk on a toxic-free environment – PART TWO  –  META
• Walking the EU's talk on a toxic-free environment - Part 1  –  META

• Understanding REACH  –  ECHA
• REACH Restrictions  –  European Commission
• Candidate List of substances of very high concern for Authorisation  –  ECHA
• EEB comments to CARACAL regarding REACH Authorisation and Restriction reform  –  EEB