Toxic PFAS are often added into consumer products to make items stain- or water-resistant. But mounting evidence indicates that many products made without the intentional addition of PFAS are also contaminated. More:

• Unintentional PFAS in products: A “jungle” of contamination  –  EHN
• What are PFAS?  –  EHN
• Fluorinated Compounds in North American Cosmetics (Research article)
• Outside the Safe Operating Space of the Planetary Boundary for Novel Entities (Research article)

• Fluorinated Compounds in U.S. Fast Food Packaging (Research article)
• Significance of Perfluoroalkyl Substances (PFAS) in Food Packaging (Research abstract)

A tiny, poppy seed-sized particle of plastic might seem innocuous on its own. But when a speck of plastic is coupled with organic pollutants, the chemical makeup of that plastic can swell with toxicity. More:

• Microplastics plus organic pollutants equals 10 times the toxicity, study finds  –  Mongabay
• Interactions of microplastics and organic compounds in aquatic environments: A case study of augmented joint toxicity (Research abstract)
• Toward a Global Understanding of Chemical Pollution: A First Comprehensive Analysis of National and Regional Chemical Inventories (Research article)
• Outside the Safe Operating Space of the Planetary Boundary for Novel Entities (Research article)

In front of the United Nations African headquarters in Nairobi, a 30-foot-high artwork featuring a faucet “spewing” a long stream of plastic waste dramatically illustrates the worsening flow of plastic fouling the world. Inside the main hall, 175 UN delegates took the first formal steps to turn off the tap. They agreed to negotiate the first comprehensive global treaty to curb plastic pollution—a move hailed as the most significant environmental agreement since the Paris climate accord in 2015. More:

• The world’s nations agree to fix the plastic waste crisis  –  National Geographic
• Plastic: World agrees to tackle the crisis  –  DW
• UN agrees to create world's first-ever plastics pollution treaty in a blow to big oil –  CNN

Five decades ago in an opera house in Stockholm Sweden, world leaders opened discussions that would lead to the creation of the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP). Since that meeting on 5 June 1972, UNEP has become the world's leading advocate for nature, using science, diplomacy and public outreach to counter a range of threats, from pollution to climate change. Here's a closer look at UNEP's work over the last 50 years and how it's helping to make the planet a more sustainable, equitable place. More:

• 50 years of environmental milestones  –  UNEP
• Looking back at 50 years of UNEP  –  UNEP
• UNEP combats pollution, restores ozone and protects seas, UN chief tells 50th anniversary session –  UN News
• OPINION: The state of the planet Earth since the 1972 Stockholm Conference –  SaltWire

Plastic is a major source of greenhouse gas emissions, and the additives used to enhance this deceptively versatile material are often hazardous to human health. All the while, the plastics industry makes sure the demand – that they invented in the first place – keeps growing. Calling plastic the super-villain of chemical products is no exaggeration. But how did we end up in this dystopian tale? And what heroic measures can get us out of it? More:

• Will plastic – the super-villain of chemical products – cause the climate and human health to snap?  –  ChemSec
• Enabling a circular economy for chemicals in plastics (Research article)
• Overview of known plastic packaging-associated chemicals and their hazards (Research article)

For the first time, the international community has agreed on a framework to curb the world’s growing plastic problem. A resolution adopted Wednesday by the United Nations lays out an ambitious plan for developing a legally binding treaty to “end plastic pollution.” More:

• U.N. adopts historic resolution aimed at ending plastic pollution  –  The Washington Post
• World leaders agree to draw up ‘historic’ treaty on plastic waste  –  The Guardian
• Countries Pave the Way to End Plastic Pollution  –  Scientific American

Why a new treaty? The world produces 400 million tonnes of plastic every year. Less than 10 per cent is being recycled and the rest ends up incinerated, dumped in a landfill or in the ocean and other ecosystems. With plastic production expected to double in the next 20 years, plastic pollution is also set to worsen. More:

• A new global treaty to tackle plastic pollution?  –  Geneva Solutions
• Historic day in the campaign to beat plastic pollution: Nations commit to develop a legally binding agreement  –  UNEP
• What you need to know about the plastic pollution resolution  –  UNEP

Chemists and chemical engineers could certainly do more to align their molecular machinery with sustainable development. An obvious place to begin is in the classroom by transforming the way chemistry is taught. An international network of motivated teachers and educators are looking to do just that through promoting a concept deemed green and sustainable chemistry education. More:

• Chemistry has much to learn from indigenous insights on sustainability  –  Sustainability Times
• Ethnochemistry of maguindanaons’ on the usage of household chemicals: Implications to chemistry education (Research article)

Once called “the world’s parliament on the environment,” the UN Environment Assembly (UNEA) has a unique role in global environmental governance. UNEA is an initiator or catalyst. It identifies emerging issues and (hopefully) agrees to the next steps for learning about and addressing these issues. More:

• The United Nations Environment Assembly’s Role as a Governance Architect  –  International Institute for Sustainable Development

PFAS, or per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances, are a family of man-made chemicals used for their water- and stain-resistant qualities in products like clothing and carpet, nonstick cookware, packaging and firefighting foam. The family includes 5,000 compounds, which are persistent, remaining both in the environment and human body over time. More:

• Here's what you should know about how to remove 'forever chemicals' from your drinking water  –  Milwaukee Journal sentilnel
• Reducing PFAS in Your Drinking Water (Factsheet)  –  Wisconsin Department of Health Services
• Drinking Water Treatment Units  –  US National Sanitary Foundation
• PFAS Lab Analysis in Wisconsin  –  Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources

We’ve reached a tipping point – there are too many toxic chemicals in circulation for the world to handle! That’s the main conclusion from a recent study by some of the world’s foremost chemical scientists. Interview with one of the authors, Professor Bethanie Carney Almroth, to talk about the study and what we can do to turn this situation around. More:

• A ChemSec Conversation – The planet can't handle any more toxic chemicals (Youtube)  –  ChemSec
• Outside the Safe Operating Space of the Planetary Boundary for Novel Entities (Research article)

The U.S. Geological Survey has detected the toxic “forever chemicals” known as PFAS in public and private drinking water wells in 16 Eastern states. PFAS were detected in public and private drinking water wells in Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, Massachusetts, Maine, Mississippi, New Hampshire, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Carolina, Tennessee and West Virginia. More:

• USGS detects ‘forever chemicals’ in 16 states’ water wells  –  EWG
• Perfluoroalkyl and Polyfluoroalkyl Substances in Groundwater Used as a Source of Drinking Water in the Eastern United States (Research article)

Everyday levels of a pregnant woman’s exposure to mixtures of endocrine-disrupting chemicals like bisphenol A (BPA), phthalates, and per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), put their child at an increased risk of delayed language development, according to new research. More:

• Prenatal exposure to toxics risks delay of child’s brain development  –  EHN
• From cohorts to molecules: Adverse impacts of endocrine disrupting mixtures (Research abstract)

Whether it’s lead, phthalates, per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), or BPA, nearly every time scientists assess chemicals, they lower the thresholds for safety. Doses that were previously thought innocuous, we find, turn out harmful. Why does that happen? More:

• BPA safety: The toxic chemical limbo game  –  EHN

A new study found that in a marine environment, microplastics absorb and concentrate toxic organic substances and thus increase their toxicity by a factor of 10, which may lead to a severe impact on human health. More:

• Microplastics increase the toxicity of organic pollutants in the environment by a factor of 10  –  Phys.org
• Interactions of microplastics and organic compounds in aquatic environments: A case study of augmented joint toxicity (Research abstract)

In Europe, scientists have blown the whistle on farmworkers' exposure to pesticides for years. Farm workers are not protected from pesticides. Their exposure has been linked to serious illnesses, including Parkinson’s disease and blood cancers. Recommended equipment, expensive, untested and rarely worn as it is, does not provide effective protection. Without this presumed protection, dangerous pesticides would be banned. More:

• Poisoned farmers: exposing the myth of pesticide protection in Europe  –  MidWest Center

• Ignoring Adjuvant Toxicity Falsifies the Safety Profile of Commercial Pesticides (Research article)

• Critical review of the role of PPE in the prevention of risks related to agricultural pesticide use (Scientific review)
• Ergonomics contribution to chemical risks prevention: An ergotoxicological investigation of the effectiveness of coverall against plant pest risk in viticulture (Research article)
• Efficacite des combinaisons de protection chimique (Rapport)  –  Agence française de sécurité sanitaire de l’environnement et du travail

• Guidance on the assessment of exposure of operators, workers, residents and bystanders in risk assessment for plant protection products  –  EFSA

• The effects of pesticides on health: New data (Executive summary)  –  Inserm
• Pesticides et santé – Nouvelles données (2021)  –  Inserm

PFAS, or per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances, are a family of man-made chemicals used for their water- and stain-resistant qualities in products like clothing and carpet, nonstick cookware, packaging and firefighting foam. The family includes 5,000 compounds, which are persistent, remaining both in the environment and human body over time. More:

• Here's what you should know about how to remove 'forever chemicals' from your drinking water  –  Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
• What are PFAS? Here's what you need to know about the emerging contaminant group known as 'forever chemicals'  –  Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
• Reducing PFAS in Your Drinking Water (Leaflet)  –  Wisconsin Department of Health Services
• NSF Product and Service Listings  –  NSF International

PFAS are a group of manmade chemicals used in a vast number of consumer and industrial products. They’re often referred to as “forever chemicals,” because most don’t break down. Use this guide to understand PFAS and how to limit your exposure. More:

• What are PFAS? Everything you need to know about “forever chemicals” and how to avoid them  –  EHN
• PFAS: These “forever chemicals” don’t break down in the environment and can harm our health  –  Green Science Policy Institute
• Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS)  –  US National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH)

• A lasting legacy: DuPont, C8 contamination and the community of Parkersburg left to grapple with the consequences  –  EHN
• Perfluorinated Compounds in Umbilical Cord Blood and Adverse Birth Outcomes (Research Article)
• Per- and Polyfluoroalkyl Substances (PFAS) in Breast Milk: Concerning Trends for Current-Use PFAS (Research abstract)
• Polyfluoroalkyl Chemicals in the U.S. Population: Data from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) 2003–2004 and Comparisons with NHANES 1999–2000 (Research article)
• Serum concentrations of PFASs and exposure-related behaviors in African American and non-Hispanic white women (Research article)

• For Decades, Polluters Knew PFAS Chemicals Were Dangerous But Hid Risks From Public  –  EWG
• C8 Science Panel  –  C8 Science Panel Website
• Immunotoxicity Associated with Exposure to Perfluorooctanoic Acid or Perfluorooctane Sulfonate (Monograph)  –  US National Toxicology Program
• Fact Sheet: Human Health Toxicity Assessment for GenX Chemicals –  US EPA

• Hundreds of thousands of Pennsylvanians have been exposed to dangerous PFAS chemicals, including around Pittsburgh’s airport  –  EHN
• Detection of ultrashort-chain and other per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) in U.S. bottled water (Research abstract)

• Investigation: PFAS on our shelves and in our bodies  –  EHN
• Product Investigations - PFAS Testing Results  –  Mamavation
• Characterization of Per- and Polyfluorinated Alkyl Substances Present in Commercial Anti-fog Products and Their In Vitro Adipogenic Activity (Research article)
• Safest Non-Toxic Parchment Paper Without PFAS "Forever Chemicals"–Lab Reports  –  Mamavation
• Safest Bamboo Flooring Without PFAS "Forever Chemicals"–Lab Reports  –  Mamavation

• Green beauty product testing finds more than 60% have PFAS indicators  –  EHN
• Fluorinated Compounds in North American Cosmetics (Research article)

• The GenX water crisis began 4 years ago. Here's a recap of the key moments so far  –  StarNews
• Fracking with forever chemicals  –  Physicians for Social Responsibility
• Suspected industrial discharges of PFAS (Interactive Map)  –  EWG
• EWG: At least 1,500 U.S. textile mills likely dischargers of ‘forever chemicals’  –  EWG
• 679 Military Sites With Known or Suspected Discharges of PFAS (Interactive map)  –  EWG

• The Madrid Statement on Poly- and Perfluoroalkyl Substances (PFASs)  –  EHP
• The concept of essential use for determining when uses of PFASs can be phased out (Scientific article)

If you happened to be strolling by the Adidas outlet store near the company’s German headquarters on a sunny May day in 2014, you would have seen a soccer match of sorts on the concrete outside. But there was something odd about this game. More:

• IN DEPTH: First-of-its kind testing points to dangers and unknowns of PFAS in clothing  –  EHN
• Toxic Convenience: The hidden costs of forever chemicals in stain- and water-resistant products  –  Toxic-Free Future

• A Review of PFAS as a Chemical Class in the Textile Sector (Report)  –  NRDC
• Emissions of Per- and Polyfluoroalkyl Substances in a Textile Manufacturing Plant in China and Their Relevance for Workers’ Exposure (Research Abstract)
• PFAS widespread in water- and stain-resistant outdoor clothes, home linens  –  EHN
• Investigation finds evidence of PFAS in workout and yoga pants  –  EHN
• Report: 65% of Period Underwear Likely Contaminated with PFAS chemicals  –  Mamavation

• PFAS Exposure Pathways for Humans and Wildlife: A Synthesis of Current Knowledge and Key Gaps in Understanding (Research article)
• The Air That We Breathe: Neutral and Volatile PFAS in Indoor Air (Research abstract)
• Dietary patterns and PFAS plasma concentrations in childhood: Project Viva, USA (Research article)

• ‘They’re hiding something’: Southwest flight attendant speaks out about severe reactions to uniforms  –  Harvard School of Public Health
• Another Pathway for Firefighter Exposure to Per- and Polyfluoroalkyl Substances: Firefighter Textiles (Research abstract)
• Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) and total fluorine in fire station dust (Research article)

• Short-chain Polyfluoroalkyl Substances (PFAS) (Literature review)  –  Danish Ministry of the Environment
• Health harms associated with long-chain and short-chain PFAS commonly detected in drinking water and used in consumer or industrial products (Table)  –  EWG
• Comparative analysis of the toxicological databases for 6:2 fluorotelomer alcohol (6:2 FTOH) and perfluorohexanoic acid (PFHxA) (Research abstract)
• Association between Prenatal Exposure to PFAS and Fetal Sex Hormones: Are the Short-Chain PFAS Safer? (Research abstract)

The north Atlantic archipelago, which lies between Iceland and the northern tip of Scotland, is far from sources of industrial or chemical pollution. And the chemicals that the 2005 Stockholm University study measured, which included polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), had already been phased out in many countries. More:

• How ‘forever chemicals’ are using marine life to travel the world by sea  –  The Guardian
• PFAS - Environment (News collection)  –  The Guardian

• Persistent Organic Pollutants: A Global Issue, A Global Response  –  US EPA
• PCB a forgotten legacy  –  UNEP
• 'Shocking' levels of PCB chemicals in UK killer whale Lulu  –  BBC

• Harmful Boomerang: PFAS Pollution in Ocean Comes Back to Land  –  Stockholm University
• Sea Spray Aerosol (SSA) as a Source of Perfluoroalkyl Acids (PFAAs) to the Atmosphere: Field Evidence from Long-Term Air Monitoring (Research article)

• Persistent Organic Pollutants (POPs): A Primer for Practicing Clinicians (Scientific article)
• A retrospective study of PBDEs and PCBs in human milk from the Faroe Islands (Research article)
• Study finds alarming levels of ‘forever chemicals’ in US mothers’ breast milk  –  The Guardian

• Developmental PBDE Exposure and IQ/ADHD in Childhood: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis (Research article)
• The influence of persistent organic pollutants in the traditional Inuit diet on markers of inflammation (Research article)
• The impact of chemicals on children’s brain development  –  ChemTrust