By Matthew Jones, University of Bath and Jack Payne, University of Bath It’s impossible to imagine everyday life without plastics. Lightweight, durable and cheap, these materials outperform many others in a diverse range of applications. Plastics have brought about positive change in ways we often…
Earth Justice After seven months of investigation, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) issued a final report and an official Notice of Warning to the GEO Group (GEO) for multiple violations in response to their misuse of the toxic pesticide HDQ Neutral inside the Adelanto Detention Facility (Adelanto). The EPA investigation…
By Megan Redshaw, J.D., Children’s Health Defense A new peer-reviewed article links phthalates, a group of neurotoxic chemicals found in hundreds of consumer products including toys, floor coverings and food packaging, to long-lasting neurodevelopmental harm in fetuses, infants and children. The authors of the study,…
By Casey Crownhart, Children’s Health Defense Disinfectant use has exploded during the coronavirus pandemic as people try to keep their hands and surfaces clean. But one family of cleaning chemicals is receiving scrutiny for potential health concerns. Quats, or quaternary ammonium compounds, are charged molecules…
By Brett Wilkins A court in France on Monday heard a case brought by a French-Vietnamese woman against over a dozen multinational corporations she accuses of causing grievous harm by selling the defoliant Agent Orange to the United States government, whose use of the deadly…
A new UC Riverside study shows flame retardants found in nearly every American home cause mice to give birth to offspring that become diabetic. These flame retardants, called PBDEs, have been associated with diabetes in adult humans. This study demonstrates that PBDEs cause diabetes in…
By Gregory A. Cade In the ’60s, the U.S. Navy started to develop alongside 3M a type of fire suppressant foam that could contain fuel fires such as those that could happen in airport hangars and other military facilities. Starting the early ’70s, the foam…
Elevated blood levels of toxic chemicals found in pesticides, nonstick cookware, and fire retardants have been tied to an increased risk for celiac disease in young people, new research shows. According to NYU Grossman School of Medicine researchers who led the study, people with the…
By Alanna Ketler A study released by the University of California, Berkeley (UBC) School of Public health found many conventional lipstick products to contain dangerously high levels of aluminum, cadmium, lead, and other toxins. Researchers tested over 30 popular lipstick products and found this to…
By Elisha McFarland The Facts: Conventional shampoos are littered with a host of toxic chemicals that do not have a positive impact on human biology. Furthermore, this industry is poorly regulated and it doesn’t take long for what goes on our skin, to go in…
By Hilda Oltean Over time, the evolution of consumerism has driven big companies into looking for cheaper ways for producing basic items like packaging, cleaning products, cookware and in some cases, even cosmetics. This means that the materials used are often combined with toxic chemicals…
Young children from low-income homes whose mothers reported frequent use of toxic chemicals such as household cleaners were more likely to show delays in language development by age 2, a new study found. In addition, the children scored lower on a test of cognitive development….
By Mayukh Saha The world is now moving towards sustainable fashion after decades of harmful fashion fads. People are slowly but steadily understanding the flipside of using products made from animal skin – bags, shoes, jackets, pants, and even belts. It causes widespread ecological damage…
Scientists at the Environmental Working Group and Indiana University have for the first time conducted a review of 26 fluorinated chemicals, or PFAS, and found that all display at least one characteristic of known human carcinogens. The study, published today in the International Journal of…
By Alanna Ketler The Facts: Many fabric softeners are loaded with toxic chemicals that may cause harm to our health. Reflect On: Have you looked for alternatives to make or to buy? There are plenty out there. Fabric softeners are one of the most unnecessary…
By Alanna Ketler 1. Antibacterial Soap & Hand Sanitizer Many people are under the impression that using antibacterial soap will prevent them from getting sick. Yes, these products do kill bacteria and other germs, but they have no effect at all on viruses, which is…
A growing health crisis fueled by synthetic chemicals known as per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances, or PFAS, in groundwater has garnered much attention in the last few years. The reported levels could be “just the tip of the iceberg,” as most of the chemicals are still…
Children with higher concentrations of a certain chemical in their blood are more likely to get cavities, according to a new study by West Virginia University School of Dentistry researchers. Manufactured chemical g roups called perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances are universal as a result of…
Researchers from North Carolina State University have found elevated levels of 11 per- and polyfluoroalkyl (PFAS) chemicals in the blood of Cape Fear River striped bass. Two of those compounds – perfluorooctane sulfonate (PFOS) and Nafion byproduct 2 – are associated with altered immune and…
The water filter on your refrigerator door, the pitcher-style filter you keep inside the fridge and the whole-house filtration system you installed last year may function differently and have vastly different price tags, but they have one thing in common. They may not remove all…
