People will go to all sorts of lengths to move towards a more environmentally friendly lifestyle. Changing where and how they buy their clothes, cutting down on meat and dairy, and replacing trips in the car with journeys by foot. I’ve done all of those – but I’ve taken it further. More:

• Toxic reaction: how to clear dangerous pollutants out of your home  –  The Guardian
• Ranking supermarkets on pesticides - Supermarkets Pesticide Ranking  –  PAN UK

• PFAS ‘forever chemicals’ constantly cycle through ground, air and water, study finds  –  The Guardian
• 'Extraordinary' levels of pollutants found in 10km deep Mariana trench  –  The Guardian
• Bioaccumulation of persistent organic pollutants in the deepest ocean fauna (Research abstract)

Anew state law in New York bans the sale of televisions and other electronic displays that contain any intentionally added organohalogen flame retardant in their plastic enclosures or stands. More:

• New York bans televisions with organohalogen flame retardants  –  C&EN
• NY Governor Hochul Signs Groundbreaking Family and Fire Fighter Protection Act into Law  –  Clean&Healthy NY

The anti-fogging sprays and cloths many people use to prevent condensation on their eyeglasses when wearing a mask or face shield may contain high levels of per- and polyfluorinated alkyl substances (PFAS), a new Duke University-led study finds. More:

• High levels of PFAS found in anti-fogging sprays and cloths  –  Phys.org
• Characterization of Per- and Polyfluorinated Alkyl Substances Present in Commercial Anti-fog Products and Their In Vitro Adipogenic Activity (Research article)

Everyone’s home gets dusty, but is yours the same as house dust in China or the US? Researchers around the world have united to capture the world’s first trans-continental data on household dust. More:

• House dust from 35 countries reveals our global toxic contaminant exposure and health risk  –  The Conversation

• What is dust? And where does it all come from?  –  The Conversation
• We’re all ingesting microplastics at home, and these might be toxic for our health. Here are some tips to reduce your risk  –  The Conversation
• International Analysis of Sources and Human Health Risk Associated with Trace Metal Contaminants in Residential Indoor Dust (Research article)
• The National Human Activity Pattern Survey (NHAPS): a resource for assessing exposure to environmental pollutants (Research article)

More than 40 years ago, Congress banned harmful polychlorinated biphenyls, or PCBs, from schools. And it’s been 37 years since Congress directed schools to address asbestos. But today, millions of schools continue to be plagued by these and other toxic chemicals. More:

• Decades after Congress’ orders, toxics still contaminate millions of schools  –  EWG
• How exposure to pollution affects educational outcomes and inequality  –  Brookings

• Toxic PCBs linger in schools; EPA, lawmakers fail to act  –  AP News
• Schools & Playgrounds  –  Pesticide Action Network
• Poverty, Race, and Unequal Chemical Facility Hazards (Report)  –  Center for Effective Government
• Identifying Greener Cleaning Products  –  US EPA

Hormones affect all of us, as they carry messages between different parts of the body. They make up the endocrine system, which impacts our reproductive health, metabolism, and a range of biological processes. A pervasive threat lurks in everything from cleaning products to cookware to fragrances: endocrine-disrupting chemicals (EDCs). EDCs are a class of chemicals that interfere with normal hormone function. More:

• How to purge risky chemicals from your beauty products  –  Vox
• Per- and Polyfluorinated Substances (PFAS) Factsheet  –  US CDC

• Scientists Find Toxic ‘Forever Chemicals’ in More Than 100 Popular Makeup Products –  Smithsonian Magazine

• Consumer product use in women of color –  Silent Spring Institute
• Hair products for Black women contain mix of hazardous ingredients –  Silent Spring Institute
• Benzophenone & Related Compounds –  Safe Cosmetics
• EWG Skin Deep® (Database)  –  EWG

• Endocrine-Disrupting Chemicals EDCs –  Endocrine Society
• Endocrine Disruptors –  US NIH
• Exposure to Endocrine Disrupting Chemicals and Risk of Breast Cancer (Research article)
• Associations between male reproductive health and exposure to endocrine-disrupting chemicals (Research article)
• Measurement of endocrine disrupting and asthma-associated chemicals in hair products used by Black women (Research article)
• Immunomodulatory effects of synthetic endocrine disrupting chemicals on the development and functions of human immune cells (Research article)

• "Trade Secret" Ingredients –  US FDA
• Testimony on Examining the Public Health Risks of Carcinogens in Consumer Products –  US Congress
• Schakowsky Announces The Safer Beauty Bill Package To Protect Consumers From Harmful Products In Cosmetics And Personal Care Products –  US Congress
• Senator. Kennedy blasts cosmetics makers, calls for more rules –  WWD

CoverGirl Cosmetics was sued in D.C. Superior Court based on false advertising and the presence of toxic chemicals known as PFAS. The complaint filed in D.C. Superior Court alleges that PFAS (Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances), a toxic group of manufactured chemicals, were found in CoverGirl makeup products they sell to the public as “sustainable.” More:

• CoverGirl Sued For PFAS Forever Chemicals & False Advertising  –  Mamaviation

• Green Beauty Cosmetics Guide--PFAS Forever Chemicals & Makeup –  Mamaviation
• Best & Worst Organic Mattresses--The Wild West of Marketing Claims –  Mamaviation

• Talking to Your Doctor about Exposure to PFAS (Fact sheet)  –  US ATSDR

• Toxin Free USA Sues CoverGirl for Cosmetic Products Containing Toxic PFAS –  PR Newswire
• TFUSA v. Cover-Girl- Complaint –  GMO Free USA
• Safer Beauty Bill Package –  Breast Cancer Prevention Partners (BCPP)

More than seven years ago, a village resident launched a personal crusade to learn why there seemed to be a high rate of unusual cancers afflicting people in this small community. Michael Hickey, an insurance underwriter who grew up in Hoosick Falls, started his research after Isabel M. McGuire, a 48-year-old math teacher at Hoosick Falls High School, died from complications associated with melanoma. More:

• A man's crusade culminated with massive PFOA settlements  –  Times Union
• A danger that lurks below  –  Times Union
• $65 million settlement filed in Hoosick Falls PFOA water contamination  –  Times Union

For decades, the company once known as Monsanto has dominated U.S. agriculture. Famous for its Roundup Ready system—which consists of the herbicide Roundup, made with glyphosate, and seeds genetically modified to resist it—the company became the largest seller of seeds in the world by the 1990s. Fast forward nearly 30 years, and Bayer, the pharmaceutical company that bought Monsanto in 2018, now faces a number of high-profile lawsuits related to glyphosate’s cancer-causing potential as well as the failures of the Roundup system. More:

• ‘Seed Money’ Explores Monsanto’s Troubling Past and its Impact on the Future of Food  –  Civil Eats
• Dioxins and their effects on human health  –  WHO

“They’re on Mount Everest; they’re in the Mariana Trench; they’re in polar bears; they’re in penguins; and they’re in just about every human population on Earth,” says David Bond, a cultural anthropologist and professor at Bennington College, who’s been investigating the “forever chemicals.” More:

• Injustice Forever? Toxic PFAS Chemicals Have ‘Made a Mockery of Our Environmental Regulations’  –  The Revelator

• Our Current Understanding of the Human Health and Environmental Risks of PFAS  –  US EPA
• Understanding PFOA  –  Bennington College

• The Reckless Rush to Burn AFFF  –  Bennington College
• NY bans incineration disposal of toxic firefighting foam  –  AP News

WASHINGTON – More than half of the water wells that were tested in Delaware have detectable levels of the “forever chemicals” known as PFAS, and some have PFAS levels far exceeding federal health guidelines for the chemicals, according to new U.S. Geological Survey sampling More:

• Toxic ‘forever chemicals’ contaminate more than half of wells tested in Delaware  –  EWG
• EWG Explains: PFAS (YouTube)  –  EWG

• Occurrence and Distribution of PFAS in Sampled Source Water of Public Drinking-Water Supplies in the Surficial Aquifer in Delaware, 2018; PFAS and Groundwater Age-Dating Results  –  US Geological Survey
• Suspected industrial discharges of PFAS (Interactive Map)  –  EWG
• 679 Military Sites With Known or Suspected Discharges of PFAS (Interactive Map)  –  EWG

• PFAS Action Act of 2021 to designate PFAS as hazardous substances  –  US Library of Congress
• EWG news roundup (12/10): Defense funding bill includes over $500 million to clean up ‘forever chemicals,’ holiday gift tips and more  –  EWG

More than a thousand people talked to ProPublica about living in hot spots for cancer-causing air pollution. Most never got a warning from the EPA. They are rallying neighbors, packing civic meetings and signing petitions for reform. More:

• When Home Is a Toxic Hot Spot  –  ProPublica
• The Most Detailed Map of Cancer-Causing Industrial Air Pollution in the U.S.  –  ProPublica
• El mapa más detallado de contaminación atmosférica industrial que causa cáncer en los EE. UU.  –  ProPublica
• Poison in the Air  –  ProPublica

• How We Created the Most Detailed Map Ever of Cancer-Causing Industrial Air Pollution  –  ProPublica
• A Journalist's Guide for Investigating Toxic Hot Spots (YouTube)  –  ProPublica
• How You Can Report on the Toxic Hot Spots Near You  –  ProPublica

• Can Air Pollution Cause Cancer? What You Need to Know About the Risks.  –  ProPublica

The findings come as countries — including Canada — and companies aim to boost recycling rates in an effort to reduce plastic pollution. But now researchers with the International Pollutant Elimination Network (IPEN) warn those measures could inadvertently expose people to toxins. More:

• The insidious side effects of recycling plastic  –  Canada's National Observer
• New global studies show health threats throughout the plastics supply chain  –  IPEN

The eggs that were tested, according to Dr. Andrew Smith, state toxicologist with the Maine Center for Disease Control and Prevention, were from two Fairfield homesteads and households that had already tested positive for high levels of the toxic per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances — or PFAS — in their water. More:

• Maine’s ‘forever chemicals’ problem has now spread to chicken eggs  –  BDN
• Maine found ‘forever chemicals’ in deer, but has no idea how widespread the problem is  –  BDN

PFAS are used to manufacture turf fields, specifically by preventing plastic blades of grass from sticking to equipment when they are shaped. Research has shown PVDF has the potential to break down in the presence of prolonged exposure to ultraviolet rays — which could be a concern for turf fields exposed to the elements. More:

• EPA-linked consultant undercuts agency’s PFAS concerns  –  E&E News
• Are Fluoropolymers Really of Low Concern for Human and Environmental Health and Separate from Other PFAS? (Research article)
• On the Solubility and Stability of Polyvinylidene Fluoride (Research article)

Years of PFAS pollution from DOD bases have contaminated drinking water supplies for communities across the U.S., while the use of firefighting foam laced with the chemicals at bases created major health risks for service members. The Defense Department Inspector General's report found the Defense Department failed to protect service members and their families from the toxic “forever chemicals” known as PFAS. More:

• PFAS: What the Defense Department’s inspector general found, ignored and obscured  –  EWG
• Decades later, plumes of ‘forever chemicals’ from Defense installations still contaminate nearby wells  –  EWG
• Jim Holmes Testimony - Mil/Con-VA Subcommittee Hearing on Military Personnel Exposure to PFAS (YouTube)  –  EWG
• The ‘Forever Chemicals’ in 99% of Americans  –  EWG

• EPA finds PFAS are more toxic than previously thought  –  EWG
• PFAS and Developmental and Reproductive Toxicity: An EWG Fact Sheet  –  EWG
• Study: PFAS Act Similar to Known Cancer-Causing Chemicals  –  EWG
• What are the health effects of PFAS?  –  US ATSDR
• Joanne Stanton's Testimony before the Senate EPW Committee (YouTube)  –  EWG

• For Decades, The Department of Defense Knew Fire Fighting Foams With PFAS Chemicals Were Dangerous But Continued Their Use  –  EWG
• Emerging Chemicals (ECS) of Environmental Concern (DoD instruction)  –  U.S. Department of Defense
• Emerging Risk Alert: Aqueous Film Forming Foam (AFFF)  –  U.S. Department of Defense

• 679 Military Sites With Known or Suspected Discharges of PFAS (Interactive map)  –  EWG
• The 100 U.S. Military Sites With the Worst PFAS Contamination  –  EWG

• States Clash With Pentagon on PFAS Water Limits, Polluted Sites  –  Bloomberg Law
• Evaluation of the Department of Defense’s Actions to Control Contaminant Effects  –  U.S. Department of Defense
• At the most contaminated military sites, little to no progress in cleaning up ‘forever chemicals’  –  EWG
• GAO: ‘Forever chemicals’ cleanup costs for Defense Department sites will increase ‘significantly’  –  EWG
• Congressional defense bill tackles 'forever chemicals' with funding boost, policy reforms  –  EWG

Green cosmetic makers know their audience. One manufacturer, in addition to the standard lines about how long-lasting and colorful their product is, says that their lip tint is “cruelty-free,” vegan, and made from wholesome ingredients like coconut oil and shea butter. Missing from the product description is any reference to per-and polyfluoroalkyl substances, or “PFAS.” More:

• Green beauty product testing finds more than 60% have PFAS indicators  –  EHN

• Unlabeled PFAS chemicals detected in makeup  –  EurekAlert!
• Fluorinated Compounds in North American Cosmetics (Research article)
• Green Beauty Cosmetics Guide--PFAS "Forever Chemicals" & Makeup  –  Mamaviation

• Ketchup Ranked: Indications of PFAS "Forever Chemicals" Industry Wide  –  Mamaviation

• What are the health effects of PFAS?  –  US ATSDR
• Study: PFAS Exposure Through Skin Causes Harm Similar to Ingestion  –  EWG

Consumers says toxic chemicals in food is one of their top concerns, especially those in food marketed to children. But the FDA, which is charged with protecting the food supply from toxins, has largely let food and chemical companies decide whether chemicals and contaminants linked to everything from cancer to lower IQ should be in our food. More:

• Opinion: Tackling toxics in food must be priority for new FDA commissioner  –  EHN
• The ‘Forever Chemicals’ in 99% of Americans  –  Environmental Working Group

• PFAS and Developmental and Reproductive Toxicity: An EWG Fact Sheet  –  EWG
• PFAS Chemicals Harm the Immune System, Decrease Response to Vaccines, New EWG Review Finds  –  EWG

• FDA fails to ban ‘forever chemicals’ from food containers, despite known health risks  –  EWG
• It’s Time To Ban PFAS from Food Packaging  –  EWG

There is a need for strengthened enforcement and vigilance on borders to ensure the banned pesticides are not smuggled into the country, experts have said. The call is in line with implementing Rotterdam convention, a multilateral treaty, adopted in 1998 and became effective in 2004, to promote shared responsibilities in relation to importation of hazardous chemicals. More:

• Is Rwanda safe from banned pesticides?  –  The New Times Rwanda
• Unlicensed agrochemical dealers to be shut down  –  The New Times Rwanda
• Agric ministry moves to enforce regulation of pesticide business  –  The New Times Rwanda
• REMA issues warning over illegal importation of hazardous waste  –  The New Times Rwanda

The Environmental Protection Agency’s recent revelation that the fluorinated “forever chemicals” known as PFAS are much more toxic than previously believed makes clear it’s beyond time to ban their use in cosmetics and other personal care products. More:

• New EPA data show banning ‘forever chemicals’ in cosmetics is overdue  –  EWG
• What are PFAS?  –  US ATSDR

• Per and Polyfluoroalkyl Substances (PFAS) in Cosmetics  –  US FDA
• Fluorinated Compounds in North American Cosmetics (Research article)
• Is Teflon in Your Cosmetics - Skin Deep® (Cosmetics database)  –  EWG

• Study: PFAS Act Similar to Known Cancer-Causing Chemicals  –  EWG
• PFAS Chemicals Harm the Immune System, Decrease Response to Vaccines, New EWG Review Finds  –  EWG
• What are the health effects of PFAS?  –  US ATSDR
• Safety Assessment of Polyfluorinated Polymers as Used in Cosmetics.pdf (Draft report)  –  Cosmetic Ingredient Review
• PFAS and Developmental and Reproductive Toxicity (Factsheet)  –  EWG

• World’s first ban on products with PFAS adopted in Maine  –  C&EN
• California First State To Ban 24 Toxic Chemicals in Personal Care Products and Cosmetics  –  EWG
• Examining the Public Health Risks of Carcinogens in Consumer Products (Testimony)  –  EWG