States and cities are replacing lead pipes to address concerns over lead-contaminated drinking water, an urgent health threat. But environmental advocates are concerned that a popular alternative piping material could pose its own dangers. More:

• As states replace lead pipes, plastic alternatives could bring new risks  –  Grist

• Causes and Effects of Lead in Water  –  NRDC
• Lead Poisoning in Flint, Michigan (Report) (download PDF)  –  National Partnership for Women & Families
• Lead-Laced Water In Flint: A Step-By-Step Look At The Makings Of A Crisis  –  NPR

• REPORT: The Perils of PVC Plastic Pipes (Report) (download PDF)  –  Beyond Plastics
• Vinyl Chloride (Report) (download PDF)  –  US ATSDR
• In a growing petrochemical hub, the East Palestine derailment triggers ‘an uneasy feeling’  –  Grist
• The Ohio train derailment underscores the dangers of the plastics boom  –  Grist

• Overview of the Pathophysiological Implications of Organotins on the Endocrine System (download PDF) (Research article)

Compostable packaging is popular for environmental reasons, but it can be treated with ‘forever chemicals’ linked to health problems. More:

• Toxic PFAS chemicals used in packaging can end up in food, study finds  –  The Guardian
• The Packaging Industry Takes on PFAS ‘Forever Chemicals’ in our Food Supply  –  Civil Eats
• Per- and Polyfluoroalkyl Substances in Canadian Fast Food Packaging (download PDF) (Research article)

Canadian researchers said they have developed a method to filter toxic “forever chemicals” from water and potentially destroy the long-lasting compounds permanently. More:

• New tech could one day scrub ‘forever chemicals’ from your tap water  –  The Washington Post

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

• EPA proposes rules to limit ‘forever chemicals’ in drinking water  –  The Washington Post
• Reducing PFAS in Drinking Water with Treatment Technologies  –  US EPA

• New UBC water treatment zaps ‘forever chemicals’ for good  –  The University of British Columbia
• PFOA and PFOS removal by ion exchange for water reuse and drinking applications: role of organic matter characteristics (Research abstract)
• Removal of Zwitterionic PFAS by MXenes: Comparisons with Anionic, Nonionic, and PFAS-Specific Resins (Research abstract)
• PFAS and DOM removal using an organic scavenger and PFAS-specific resin: Trade-off between regeneration and faster kinetics (Research abstract)
• Fluence-based photo-reductive decomposition of PFAS using vacuum UV (VUV) irradiation: Effects of key parameters and decomposition mechanism (Research abstract)
• Electrochemical degradation of PFOA and its common alternatives: Assessment of key parameters, roles of active species, and transformation pathway (Research abstract)

Since Tupperware, the iconic kitchen brand that’s been a household name for decades, signaled recently that it might be going out of business, you might be wondering how long your stash of its food storage containers is safe to use — especially if it’s vintage. Figuring out the answer to that question for any type of reusable plastic food storage products — not just Tupperware — often comes down to understanding what they’re made of. More:

• How long you can use your vintage Tupperware and other plastic food storage products  –  CNN
• Bisphenol A (BPA)  –  US NIH

Here’s the bad news: Forever chemicals are everywhere. These toxic compounds, known as per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), are often used in goods that resist water and grease like packaged foods, cookware, furniture, and outdoor apparel. More:

• Forever Chemicals Are Everywhere. Here’s How to Limit Your Exposure.  –  NYT Wirecutter

• Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS)  –  US CDC
• PFAS in the U.S. Population  –  US ATSDR

• Multi-Industry Per- and Polyfluoroalkyl Substances (PFAS) Study – 2021 Preliminary Report (download PDF) (Report)  –  US EPA

• Wildlife warning: More than 330 species contaminated with ‘forever chemicals’  –  EWG
• Alarming levels of PFAS in Norwegian Arctic ice pose new risk to wildlife  –  The Guardian

• The bowls at Chipotle and Sweetgreen are supposed to be compostable. They contain cancer-linked “forever chemicals.” (Report) (download PDF)  –  The Counter
• Chemical giants hid dangers of ‘forever chemicals’ in food packaging  –  The Guardian
• FDA Announces the Voluntary Phase-Out by Industry of Certain PFAS Used in Food Packaging  –  US FDA
• Authorized Uses of PFAS in Food Contact Applications  –  US FDA

• What to Know About PFAS in Thinx and Other Period Underwear (download PDF) (Report)  –  The New York Times

• What are the health effects of PFAS? (Report) (download PDF)  –  US ATSDR
• Serum Half-Lives for Short- and Long-Chain Perfluoroalkyl Acids after Ceasing Exposure from Drinking Water Contaminated by Firefighting Foam (download PDF) (Research article)
• Internal exposure-based pharmacokinetic evaluation of potential for biopersistence of 6:2 fluorotelomer alcohol (FTOH) and its metabolites (Research abstract)

• Risk Management for Per- and Polyfluoroalkyl Substances (PFAS) under TSCA  –  US EPA
• Designation of Perfluorooctanoic Acid (PFOA) and Perfluorooctanesulfonic Acid (PFOS) as CERCLA Hazardous Substances  –  US Federal Register

Around 15 million people across the globe are working at artisanal and small-scale gold mining sites, nearly a third of them women and children. Instead of operating advanced equipment supplied by formal mining companies subject to government oversight, they use basic tools, bulldozers and unregulated chemicals. More:

• International mercury regulations fail to protect the environment, public health: study  –  Mongabay

• Quantifying mercury use in artisanal and small-scale gold mining for the Minamata Convention on Mercury's national action plans: Approaches and policy implications (download PDF) (Research article)
• About 72% of gold miners poisoned with mercury at artisanal mining sites in Cameroon  –  Mongabay
• At 30, Brazil’s Yanomami reserve is beset by mining, malaria and mercury  –  Mongabay

Scientists from the University of Toronto have detected cancer-causing chemicals called short-chain chlorinated paraffins (SCCPs) in over 87 per cent of products tested, despite the toxins being banned in Canada for a decade now. More:

• Illegal, cancer-causing chemicals detected in Canadian toys and electronics, new U of T study finds  –  Toronto Star

• The environmental distribution and toxicity of short-chain chlorinated paraffins and underlying mechanisms: Implications for further toxicological investigation (Research abstract)
• Spatial and Temporal Trends in Short-Chain Chlorinated Paraffins in Lake Ontario Sediments (Research abstract)
• Distribution of Short Chain Chlorinated Paraffins in Marine Sediments of the East China Sea: Influencing Factors, Transport and Implications (Research abstract)

• Widespread presence of chlorinated paraffins in consumer products (download PDF) (Research article) 
• Short-chain and medium-chain chlorinated paraffins in Canadian house dust and NIST SRM 2585 (Research abstract)
• Risk assessment of chlorinated paraffins in feed and food (download PDF) (Research article) 

• Evaluating age and temporal trends of chlorinated paraffins in pooled serum collected from males in Australia between 2004 and 2015 (Research article) (download PDF)
• Health risks posed to infants in rural China by exposure to short- and medium-chain chlorinated paraffins in breast milk (Research abstract)
• High-Throughput Determination and Characterization of Short-, Medium-, and Long-Chain Chlorinated Paraffins in Human Blood (Research abstract)

While PFAS has become a predominant environmental health concern, they are not the only class of forever chemicals that pose a health risk. Rather, they belong to a diverse group of chemicals that share the property of being remarkably stable in the environment. Other persistent organic pollutants (POPs), which is the scientific term for forever chemicals, include polychlorinated biphenylsl (PCBs), dioxins and organochlorine pesticides like DDT. More:

• PFAS: The “New” Forever Chemicals  –  UC Davis
• PFAS The 'New' Forever Chemicals (download PDF)  –  UC Davis

Women with higher levels of so-called “forever chemicals” in their blood have a 40% lower chance of becoming pregnant within a year of trying to conceive, according to the first known study on the effect of PFAS on female fertility. More:

• ‘Forever chemicals’ linked to infertility in women, study shows  –  The Guardian

• Revealed: scale of ‘forever chemical’ pollution across UK and Europe  –  The Guardian

• Study links in utero ‘forever chemical’ exposure to low sperm count and mobility  –  The Guardian
• The effects of perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances on female fertility: A systematic review and meta-analysis (Research abstract)
• Exposure to perfluoroalkyl substances and women's fertility outcomes in a Singaporean population-based preconception cohort (Research abstract)
• ‘Forever chemicals’ detected in all umbilical cord blood in 40 studies  –  The Guardian

• Biden EPA Praised for 'Historic Progress' But Pressured to Ban Forever Chemicals  –  Common dreams
• ECHA publishes PFAS restriction proposal  –  ECHA

• Canada: scientists discover new method to break down toxic ‘forever chemicals’  –  The Guardian
• Electrochemical degradation of PFOA and its common alternatives: Assessment of key parameters, roles of active species, and transformation pathway (Research abstract)

In response to a 2017 request by the UN Environment Assembly (UNEA), the UN Environment Programme (UNEP), in collaboration with the World Health Organization (WHO) and the Food and Agriculture Organization of the UN (FAO), produced a report on the adverse impacts of pesticides and fertilizers and what can be done to minimize them. More:

• UN Report Details Actions to Minimize Negative Impacts of Pesticides  –  IISD
• Synthesis Report on the Environmental and Health Impacts of Pesticides and Fertilizers and Ways to Minimize Them: Envisioning a Chemical-safe World (download PDF) (Report)  –  UNEP

Some furniture fabrics are coated with questionable PFAS compounds – often called 'forever chemicals' – to repel stains, but a new study suggests they may not even do the job they're supposed to. More:

• 'Forever Chemicals' Used in Furniture May Not Help Fabrics Resist Stains  –  U.S. News
• Evaluating the Performance of Per- and Polyfluoroalkyl Substance Finishes on Upholstery Fabrics (download PDF) (Research article)

• Per- and Polyfluorinated Substances (PFAS) Factsheet  –  US CDC

You may not be able to see PFAS molecules around you, but they are ubiquitous: in our food, leaching into our water supplies, and in our blood. The class of water-resistant compounds used to make raincoats waterproof and nonstick pans stick-proof are also known as "forever chemicals," so named because they do not naturally break down in the environment (or in our bloodstream). More:

• Your microwave popcorn bags are full of harmful "forever chemicals"  –  Salon
• Per- and Polyfluoroalkyl Substances in Canadian Fast Food Packaging (Research article)

• Stray pollutants in fast food and microwave popcorn could be affecting pregnancies  –  Salon
• Male fetuses, bathed in forever chemicals, have lower sperm counts as adults: study  –  Salon
• "Forever chemicals" linked to high blood pressure, study finds  –  Salon
• "Forever chemicals" in non-stick pans are in your body right now — and may be affecting your liver  –  Salon

As plastic littering in the environment is of great concern, the effects of littered biobased biodegradable plastics in aquatic habitats may be amplified by their capacity to interact with mercury (Hg). This study sought to understand better how ultraviolet (UV) ageing affects biobased polymers in water, and whether the amount of mercury that can attach to these polymers increases as a result. More:

• Biobased biodegradable polymers may amplify absorption of mercury from the marine environment  –  European Commission
• Influence of UV degradation of bioplastics on the amplification of mercury bioavailability in aquatic environments (Research article)

Sperm quality appears to be declining around the world but is a little discussed cause of infertility. Now scientists are narrowing in on what might be behind the problem. More:

• How pollution is causing a male fertility crisis  –  BBC

• The chemicals that linger for decades in your blood  –  BBC Future
• Maternal Exposure to Per- and Polyfluoroalkyl Substances (PFAS) and Male Reproductive Function in Young Adulthood: Combined Exposure to Seven PFAS (download PDF) (Research article) 

• Decrease in Anogenital Distance among Male Infants with Prenatal Phthalate Exposure (download PDF) (Research article) 
• Independent and combined effects of diethylhexyl phthalate and polychlorinated biphenyl 153 on sperm quality in the human and dog (download PDF) (Research article)
• Bisphenol A: an emerging threat to female fertility (download PDF) (Research article)

• Impact of environmental factors on human semen quality and male fertility: a narrative review (download PDF) (Research article) 
• Effects of maternal inhalation of carbon black nanoparticles on reproductive and fertility parameters in a four-generation study of male mice (download PFD) (Research article)
• New Research Finds Air Pollution Reduces Sperm Counts through Brain Inflammation  –  University of Maryland

Aside from being marketed as “good for the environment,” each has been found to carry high levels of toxic, long-lived chemicals called PFAS — or per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances — according to the first study of its kind in Canada. More:

• High levels of toxic ‘forever chemicals’ found in so-called ‘green’ food packaging used across Canada, says a new study  –  The Star

• Breaking down the Forever Chemicals –What are PFAS?  –  Clean Water Action
• Fluorinated Additives, Disposable Food Containers, and Contaminated Food (download PDF) (Factsheet)  –  CEH

• Per- and Polyfluoroalkyl Substances in Canadian Fast Food Packaging (Research article) (download PDF)
• PFAS in Food Packaging- A Hot, Greasy Exposure (download PDF) (Research article)
• Plastic containers can contain PFAS — and it’s getting into food  –  Wiley Analytical Science
• Plastic containers can contain PFAS -- and it's getting into food  –  ScienceDaily
• Directly Fluorinated Containers as a Source of Perfluoroalkyl Carboxylic Acids  (Research abstract)

• Individual and mixture associations of perfluoroalkyl substances on liver function biomarkers in the Canadian Health Measures Survey (download PDF) (Research article)
• The association between blood PFAS concentrations and clinical biochemical measures of organ function and metabolism in participants of the Canadian Health Measures Survey (CHMS) (download PDF) (Research article)
• Do perfluoroalkyl substances affect metabolic function and plasma lipids?—Analysis of the 2007–2009, Canadian Health Measures Survey (CHMS) Cycle 1 (Research abstract)
• Comparative analysis of the toxicological databases for 6:2 fluorotelomer alcohol (6:2 FTOH) and perfluorohexanoic acid (PFHxA) (Research abstract)

• ECHA publishes PFAS restriction proposal  –  ECHA
• Canada Catching Up on Regulation of PFAS Substances  –  McMillan
• Federal government failing to protect us from persistent chemical contamination  –  The Star

• PFAS in food: EFSA assesses risks and sets tolerable intake  –  EFSA
• EPA sets ‘groundbreaking’ limits on toxic ‘forever chemicals’ in drinking water  –  The Guardian

Residents of a small town in Belgium are experiencing a living nightmare, as they deal with the knowledge that the land around them is contaminated with so-called "forever chemicals", otherwise known as per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFASs). More:

• Residents of Belgian town living through nightmare of 'forever chemical' pollution  –  EuroNews
• Agreement Reached Between the Flemish Government and 3M Belgium to Support the People of Flanders  –  3M

• Exposed: 17,000 European sites contaminated by forever chemicals. Where are the worst spots?  –  EuroNews
• Revealed: The massive contamination of Europe by PFAS 'forever chemicals'  –  Le Monde

University of British Columbia researchers develop silica-based material with ability to absorb wider range of harmful chemicals. More:

• Canada: scientists discover new method to break down toxic ‘forever chemicals’  –  The Guardian

• Electrochemical degradation of PFOA and its common alternatives: Assessment of key parameters, roles of active species, and transformation pathway (Research abstract)

• High levels of ‘forever chemical’ found in endangered orcas in Canada  –  The Guardian

Through an advocacy campaign from environmental NGO ChemSec, over a hundred consumer brands worth more than €130 billion strongly support a comprehensive ban on these harmful chemicals. Many companies are taking a stand against PFAS chemicals as the EU invites the public to give its opinions on a proposed ban on these harmful chemicals. More:

• Brands worth more than €130 billion want the EU to ban PFAS chemicals  –  ChemSec

• Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS)  –  European Chemical Agency

• Investors pressure top firms to halt production of toxic ‘forever chemicals’  –  The Guardian
• The PFAS Movement  –  ChemSec
• The upcoming PFAS ban is a potential game changer  –  ChemSec

Potentially toxic chemicals found in everyday products, including fast-food wrappers, makeup and carpeting, are altering hormonal and metabolic pathways needed for human growth and development, according to a new study. More:

• Child growth and development hampered by PFAS in blood, study says  –  CNN

• Per- and Polyfluorinated Substances (PFAS) Factsheet  –  US CDC
• PFAS in the U.S. Population  –  US ATSDR

• Makeup may contain potentially toxic chemicals called PFAS, study finds  –  CNN
• Fluorinated Compounds in North American Cosmetics (Research article)

• Doctors should test levels of PFAS in people at high risk, report says  –  CNN
• Metabolic Signatures of Youth Exposure to Mixtures of Per- and Polyfluoroalkyl Substances: A Multi-Cohort Study (Research article)
• Guidance on PFAS Exposure, Testing, and Clinical Follow-Up (download PDF) (Guidance document) 

• How to Reduce Your Exposure to PFAS – PFAS Exchange  –  Silent Spring Institute
• EWG Tap Water Database  –  EWG
• Drinking Water Treatment Units - Health Effects  –  NSF International
• PFASs and alternatives in food packaging (paper and paperboard): Report on the commercial availability and current uses (download PDF) (Report)  –  OECD
• Your guide to safer personal care products  –  EWG

Doctors still do not understand why Parkinson’s occurs. However, the disease has been linked to low levels of dopamine and norepinephrine in the body. Additionally, people with certain risk factors, such as age and past traumatic brain injury, are more likely to develop the condition. More:

• Parkinson's: Could a common cleaning chemical cause the disease?  –  Medical News Today
• Trichloroethylene- An Invisible Cause of Parkinson’s Disease  –  IOS Press
• Risk Evaluation for Trichloroethylene (download PDF)  –  US EPA