The EU has decided to ban 200 PFAS substances in phases, starting February 2023. This is the first time the EU has imposed a ban on several chemicals of similar structure and properties all at once, which hopefully paves the way for more group bans. More:

• EU puts 200 PFAS out of business – but thousands remain  –  Chemsec
• Proposed restriction of 200 PFAS intended to prevent regrettable substitution  –  Chemsec
• Why high levels of PFAS should be a personal injury by law  –  Chemsec
• Corporate PFAS Movement  –  Chemsec

Gigoo-Aakoosi: Fish Is Sick tells the story of the Asubpeeschoseewagong Netum Anishinabek, also known as Grassy Narrows First Nation, and Wabauskang First Nation and the historical and ongoing devastation endured by those living with water contamination. More:

• How an Ontario paper mill poisoned nearby First Nations  –  National Observer

• Dioxins and their effects on human health  –  WHO
• Polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), dibenzo-p-dioxins (PCDDs), dibenzofurans (PCDFs), and related compounds (Research abstract)

• Effluents from Pulp Mills Using Bleaching (Assessment Report)  –  Canadian Environmental Protection Act
• Technologies for reducing Dioxin in the Manufacture of Bleached Wood Pulp  –  Princeton

Researchers tested indoor air at 20 sites and detected the “forever chemicals” in 17 locations. The airborne compounds are thought to break off of PFAS-treated products such as carpeting and clothing and attach to dust or freely float through the indoor environment. More:

• Toxic ‘forever chemicals’ contaminate indoor air at worrying levels, study finds  –  The Guardian
• I tested my tap water, household products and cat for toxic 'forever chemicals'  –  The Guardian
• The Air That We Breathe: Neutral and Volatile PFAS in Indoor Air (Research abstract)
• An overview of the uses of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) (Research article)

The chemicals have seeped into the Great Lakes, adversely affecting wildlife, and potentially harming residents’ food supply and livelihoods if they consume fish contaminated with the chemicals. The contamination underscores the need for swift PFAS cleanup by DOD, which used these chemicals in firefighting foams for decades and knew of their harms. More:

• ‘Forever chemicals’ contamination at Defense Department sites threatens Great Lakes fish and residents  –  EWG
• Learn more about PFAS, the toxic nonstick chemicals in water  –  EWG

• Detection of a Cyclic Perfluorinated Acid, Perfluoroethylcyclohexane Sulfonate, in the Great Lakes of North America (Research abstract)
• Perfluorinated Compounds in Aquatic Organisms at Various Trophic Levels in a Great Lakes Food Chain (Research abstract)
• Spatial and temporal variability of perfluoroalkyl substances in the Laurentian Great Lakes (Research abstract)

• Perfluoroalkyl and Polyfluoroalkyl Substances (PFAS) (Methods and guidance for sampling and analyzing water and other environmental media)  –  US EPA
• Determination of 16 Perfluoroalkyl and Polyfluoroalkyl Substances in Food using LC-MSMS (Testing method)  –  US FDA

• PFAS in food: EFSA assesses risks and sets tolerable intake  –  European Food Safety Authority
• Choose Wisely. A Health Guide for Eating Fish in Wisconsin (Advisory booklet) –  Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources
• New Smelt Consumption Advisory for Lake Superior  –  Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources
• PFAS Response - Consumption guidelines for fish with elevated PFOS levels  –  Michigan.gov

David Harris grew up on a farm next door to the Naval Research Laboratory – Chesapeake Bay Detachment. He recalls camping with his scout troop on the 168-acre base overlooking the Bay and drinking water from the small stream that flows from the Navy property onto his family’s farm. More:

• ‘Forever chemicals’ from Navy lab flowing into the Chesapeake Bay  –  The Southern Maryland Chronicle
• ‘Forever chemicals’ contamination at Defense Department sites threatens Chesapeake Bay fish  –  EWG
• Basic Information on PFAS  –  US EPA

• Drinking Water Health Advisories for PFOA and PFOS  –  US EPA

As U.S. forces withdrew from Afghanistan, the Taliban immediately rushed in, and it recently took over the country’s major cities in just a few days. The end of the two-decade American occupation has not only produced a fraught political situation; it has also created an environmental one. Some of the military bases the U.S. handed over to the Afghan national security forces—which this month stood down rather than continuing to contest a seemingly inevitable Taliban victory—hold toxic detritus that may never get a full cleanup. More:

• U.S. Forces Are Leaving a Toxic Environmental Legacy in Afghanistan  –  Scientific American
• U.S. military responsibility for environmental cleanup in contingency environments. (Environmental Law Article)

• Airborne Hazards and Burn Pit Exposures  –  U.S. Department of Veteran Affairs
• Use of open-air burn pits in contingency operations  –  DOD Instruction
• Cleanup of U.S. Military Burn Pits in Iraq and Afghanistan  –  APHA

• Firefighting Foam Chemicals- DOD Is Investigating PFAS and Responding to Contamination, but Should Report More Cost Informati  –  US Government Accountability Office

The Department of Defense records reveal PFAS levels at the 59 installations ranging from 3.4 parts per trillion, or ppt, to 870,000 ppt in the bases’ soil and water. There are no federal limits on PFAS in soil or water, but some states have moved to limit the most ubiquitous type of PFAS in drinking water to levels as low as 6 ppt in order to adequately protect human health. More:

• ‘Forever chemicals’ contamination found at 59 more Defense Department sites  –  EWG
• Learn more about PFAS, the toxic nonstick chemicals in water  –  EWG

• 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
• Study: PFAS Act Similar to Known Cancer-Causing Chemicals  –  EWG

• California announces bold public health goals for PFOA and PFOS in drinking water  –  EWG
• House defense bill includes historic funding for PFAS cleanup at military sites  –  EWG

• For Decades, The Department of Defense Knew Fire Fighting Foams With PFAS Chemicals Were Dangerous But Continued Their Use  –  EWG
• Defense Department delayed PFAS cleanup, ignored health risks, Inspector General says  –  EWG
• Interactive Map- 679 Military Sites With Known or Suspected Discharges of PFAS  –  EWG
• A Toxic Threat - Government Must Act Now on PFAS Contamination at Military Bases  –  Union of Concerned Scientists

The eggs of chickens that range freely in places where plastic is incinerated have extremely high levels of dioxins. The norms that prevail in Europe are dramatically exceeded in low-income countries. Researchers analysed chicken eggs for dioxins, PCBs, and some other persistent organic toxins (Persistent Organic Pollutants, POPs). They argue for a complete ban on the export of plastic waste. More:

• Dioxin in eggs from burning plastic  –  Plastic Soup Foundation
• Toxic Chemicals in Plastic Waste Poisoning People in Africa, Asia, Central and Eastern Europe & Latin America  –  IPEN (Report)
• Code of practice for the prevention and reduction of dioxin and dioxin-like PCB contamination in foods and feeds (PDF)  –  FAO

High levels of PFAS chemicals have contaminated a plastics recycling company in Henderson, Kentucky, spreading through the air and water and likely contaminating a creek that flows into the Ohio River, state officials say. More:

• ‘Concerning’ Levels Of Forever Chemicals Polluting Henderson  –  WKU Public Radio
• Fact Sheet PFOA & PFOS Drinking Water Health Advisories  –  US EPA

Two American manufacturers unveiled a new recipe for PFAS and plastics-free packaging for everything from burgers to salads, in a bid to make takeout food more sustainable and safer for consumers. More:

• Manufacturers make PFAS-free food packaging recipe available to all  –  EHN
• Putting Forver Chemicals to Rest, An Open-Source Guide to PFA-Free Packaging  –  Zume | Solenis

• PFAS in Food Packaging: A Hot, Greasy Exposure (Research article)
• Fluorinated Compounds in U.S. Fast Food Packaging (Research article)

• Denmark just became the first country to ban a toxic lining common in food containers  –  Quartz
• FDA Removes Approval for the Use of PFCs in Food Packaging Based on the Abandonment  –  US FDA

• Potential health effects of PFAS chemicals  –  US ATSDR

Researchers recently found that waterproof, sweatproof and long-wearing cosmetics — so popular at this time of year — contain higher levels of a potentially toxic class of thousands of chemicals called perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances or (PFAS). More:

• Is your long-lasting makeup toxic? Study raises concerns about PFAS in cosmetics.  –  The Washington Post
• Is Teflon in Your Cosmetics?  –  EWG Skin Deep®
• Fluorinated Compounds in North American Cosmetics (Research article)

• Potential health effects of PFAS chemicals  –  ATSDR

• An Act To Stop Perfluoroalkyl and Polyfluoroalkyl Substances Pollution (State of Maine, US)  – Thomson Reuters

A family of colorless and tasteless man-made chemicals has become a growing concern for drinking water safety in thousands of American communities, as scientists increasingly see links to liver damage, high cholesterol, weakened immune systems and cancer. More:

• 'Ticking time bomb': PFAS chemicals in drinking water alarm scientists over health risks  –  ABC News
• What you need to know about PFAS or 'forever' chemicals  –  ABC News

• Drinking Water Health Advisories for PFOA and PFOS  –  US EPA
• EPA Continues to Take Action on PFAS to Protect the Public  –  US EPA
• H.R.2467 - PFAS Action Act of 2021  –  Congress.gov Library of Congress

Standing ankle-deep in a shallow, fast-moving section of the Tay River, Raegan Mallinson is using a kicknet — essentially a large net attached to a broomstick — and when the timer starts, she enthusiastically begins what she dubs, jokingly, a “river dance.” Mallinson is a trainer with Living Lakes Canada, a group that brings together nonprofits, academics, watershed councils, Indigenous groups and community members to combat the prevalence of what are known as “data-deficient rivers". More:

• Teaching citizen scientists to hunt for ‘canary in the coal mine’ in Alberta’s rivers  –  The Narwhal
• A Snapshot of Community Based Water Monitoring in Canada (Report)  –  Living Lakes Canada
• New WWF-Canada report reveals the health of 60 per cent of Canada’s sub-watersheds is unknown  –  WWF.CA

• Science of aquatic biomonitoring  –  Canada.ca
• Using Benthic Invertebrates as Bioindicators  –  Regional Aquatics Monitoring Program (RAMP)

At issue are fluorinated containers made of high-density polyethylene, a material widely used in food packaging because it can easily seal out moisture and other temperature changes. The packaging is generally used during the manufacturing process to hold large quantities of ingredients like oils or flavorings. More:

• FDA raises alarm over PFAS-tainted food containers  –  E&E News
• Letter to Manufacturers and Distributors of Fluorinated Polyethylene Food Contact Containers  –  US FDA

Agricultural pesticides sold to farmers ready-mixed into "cocktails" can kill twice as many bees, according to an analysis of 90 studies. "Exposure to multiple pesticides is the norm, not the exception," Dr Harry Siviter, from the University of Texas at Austin, who led the study, told the BBC Radio 4's Inside Science programme. More:

• Farm pesticides killing more bees - study  –  BBC
• In-hive Pesticide Exposome: Assessing risks to migratory honey bees from in-hive pesticide contamination in the Eastern United States (Research article)
• Agrochemicals interact synergistically to increase bee mortality (Research abstract)

Removing this pollutant has proved especially challenging, partly because unexploded ordnance peppers many of the country's massive firing ranges. Bacteria that break down RDX exist in soil but do not consume the toxin fast enough to keep it from seeping into aquifers. More:

• Plant Absorbs Toxic RDX Contamination  –  Scientific American
• Mutant Plants Mop Up Explosives  –  Scientific American
• Field trial demonstrating phytoremediation of the military explosive RDX by XplA/XplB-expressing switchgrass (Research abstract)

POPs, or persistent organic pollutants, are toxic chemicals that accumulate and poison the environment. They include commonly recognized names like the pesticide DDT and the large group of industrial chemicals known as PCBs. More:

• What Are Persistent Organic Pollutants (POPs)? Definition, Examples, and Environmental Concerns  –  Treehugger
• Persistent organic pollutants (POPs): a global issue, a global challenge (Research article)

• The 12 initial POPs under the Stockholm Convention  –  Stockholm Convention
• Persistent Organic Pollutants  –  WHO
• Persistent Organic Pollutants: A Global Issue, A Global Response  –  US EPA
• What Is DDT? Environmental Impact and Current Uses  –  Treehugger
• What Are PFAS? Definition, Sources, and Health Risks  –  Treehugger

• Biomonitoring and Hormone-Disrupting Effect Biomarkers of Persistent Organic Pollutants In Vitro and Ex Vivo (Research article)
• Impact of environmental exposure to persistent organic pollutants on lung cancer risk (Research article)
• Persistent Organic Pollutants and Neurological Disorders: From Exposure to Preventive Interventions (Research abstract)
• The influence of persistent organic pollutants in the traditional Inuit diet on markers of inflammation (Research article)

The Defense Department responded too slowly to the threats posed to military service members by the toxic “forever chemicals” known as PFAS and is failing to track the health risks facing military firefighters, according to DOD’s inspector general. More:

• Defense Department delayed PFAS cleanup, ignored health risks, Inspector General says  –  EWG
• Learn more about PFAS, the toxic nonstick chemicals in water  –  EWG
• Interactive Map- 679 Military Sites With Known or Suspected Discharges of PFAS  –  EWG
• For Decades, The Department of Defense Knew Fire Fighting Foams With PFAS Chemicals Were Dangerous But Continued Their Use  –  EWG

Producimos una media de 7,3 kilos de residuos de aparatos como viejos ordenadores o teléfonos por individuo al año. La OMS alerta de los enormes peligros para la salud, especialmente para la de los menores de edad y embarazadas, de los vertederos donde se acumulan. More:

• 18 millones de niños viven, juegan y trabajan entre basura electrónica  –  El País

• La republica de la basura electrónica  –  El País
• Las huellas de la basura tecnológica acaban en la sangre de los habitantes de África  –  El País
• Envenenando la pobreza: Residuos electrónicos en Ghana (Informe)  –  Greenpeace

• La OMS alerta de que el incremento rápido de los desechos electrónicos afecta a la salud de millones de niños  –  OMS
• Children and digital dumpsites- e-waste exposure and child health  (Report)  –  WHO
• E-Waste in Africa: A Serious Threat to the Health of Children (Research article)

Tailandia es un país que se caracteriza mundialmente por contar con grandes extensiones de arrozales, los cuales son la base de la economía de miles de familias de toda la región. Evidentemente, mantener a salvo todas las cosechas es fundamental para los tailandeses, ya que suelen sufrir de plagas. More:

• En Tailandia 10.000 patos se encargan de limpiar los arrozales de plagas y así evitar pesticidas  –  Portal Ambiental
• Drone footage follows 10,000 ducks “cleaning” rice paddies in Thailand  –  Youtube