Levels of mercury persist in tuna, decades after pollution controls were introduced to limit emissions, scientists say. The poisonous element is released by mining and burning coal and ends up in the ocean, where it builds up in fish. More:

• Mercury mystery: Poisonous element persists in tuna  –  BBC
• Stable Tuna Mercury Concentrations since 1971 Illustrate Marine Inertia and the Need for Strong Emission Reductions under the Minamata Convention (Research abstract)

Potential carcinogenic contaminants were found in almost 90 per cent of instant noodles tested by Hong Kong’s consumer watchdog. The Consumer Council has urged the industry to reduce the production of harmful substances to safeguard public health following the study published on February 15, 2024. Council officials said the potentially cancer-causing chemicals 3-MCPD and glycidol were detected in 17 of the 19 samples of pre-packaged fried and non-fried instant noodles that were tested along with their seasoning packets and toppings. More:

• Potential cancer-causing chemicals found in instant noodles (YouTube)  –  South China Morning Post

• 3-Monochloropropane-1,2-diol (3-MCPD) Fact Sheet (Fact sheet) (download PDF)  –  Wyeth Nutrition Science Center Hong Kong
• Glycidol (Fact sheet) (download PDF)  –  National Institutes of Health

• Instant Noodles Are they Really Good for Health A Review (Research article)
• Health risk assessment of instant noodles commonly consumed in Port Harcourt, Nigeria (Research article)
• Quality and Public Health Concerns of Instant Noodles as Influenced by Raw Materials and Processing Technology (Research abstract)
• Beware of Sodium and Fat Content of Instant Noodles 1 Serving Enough to Exceed Intake Limit Improvement Urged as 3 Seasoning Samples Detected with Higher Levels of Probably Carcinogenic Contaminant  –  Consumer Council

Two Texas farm families have seen their health decline, their pets and livestock sickened and killed, their water poisoned and and their property values wiped out due to high levels of chemical contamination linked to a company marketing treated sewage sludge as a fertilizer and soil conditioner, according to a lawsuit filed by the families. More:

• Dead livestock and poisoned water — Texas farmers sue over PFAS contamination  –  The New Lede

• Perfluoroalkyl and Polyfluoroalkyl Substances (PFAS)  –  U.S. National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences
• Per- and Polyfluorinated Substances (PFAS) Factsheet  –  U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

• 'Forever Chemicals' and Risks to Farms  –  DTN

• IARC Monographs evaluate the carcinogenicity of perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) and perfluorooctanesulfonic acid (PFOS)  –  International Agency for Research on Cancer

• Suppressed Study: The EPA Underestimated Dangers of Widespread Chemicals  –  ProPublica
• EPA proposes adding PFAS to hazardous waste cleanup law  –  The New Lede

Tea has been an integral part of Bangladeshi life for long. From breakfast to evening chat, tea is a favorite drink to serve. Besides Bangladesh, tea is among the most popular drinks in countries like India, China, Japan and the United Kingdom. More:

• Herbicide used in Bangladesh tea production threatens biodiversity & health  –  Mongabay

• Weed Management in Tea - Recent Developments (download PDF) (Research article)

• 8 - Indirect herbicide effects on biodiversity, ecosystem functions, and interactions with global changes (Research abstract)

• Glyphosate (Fact sheet) (download PDF)  –  US EPA
• Toxic Effects of Glyphosate on the Nervous System: A Systematic Review (Research article)
• 33 countries ban the use of Glyphosate – the key ingredient in Roundup  –  Biodx

The study, led by scientists at the Environmental Working Group and published today in the Journal of Exposure Science and Environmental Epidemiology, is one of the first in the U.S. to examine levels of the chemical in people and is concerning as previous animal lab studies found it negatively impacts reproduction and post birth health, and impairs proper weight and bone development. More:

• Why is this largely unknown pesticide showing up in our bodies?  –  EHN

• Chlormequat Chloride (Fact sheet) (download PDF)  –  New Jersey Department of Health and Senior Services

• EWG investigation: Dangerous agricultural chemical chlormequat found in popular oat-based products  –  EWG
• A pilot study of chlormequat in food and urine from adults in the United States from 2017 to 2023 (Research article)
• New study finds little-known toxic crop chemical in four out of five people tested  –  Phys.org

• Effects of the plant growth regulator, chlormequat, on mammalian fertility (Research abstract)
• Maternal chlormequat chloride exposure disrupts embryonic growth and produces postnatal adverse effects (Research abstract)
• The effects of chlormequat chloride on the development of pubertal male rats (Research abstract)

As the invasive water lettuce continues to multiply along the Vaal River, Rand Water has begun an integrated response to halt the growth, spraying herbicide on the plants and releasing weevils as biological control agents. While the response is seen by some as necessary to urgently address socioeconomic implications, it’s seen as controversial by others. More:

• Spraying of controversial herbicide on Vaal River water lettuce begins – critics urge caution  –  Daily Maverick

• Water lettuce (Fact sheet) (download PDF)  –  NAISMA
• Glyphosate General Fact Sheet  –  National Pesticide Information Center

• Concerns over use of glyphosate-based herbicides and risks associated with exposures a consensus statement (Research article)
• Association between glyphosate exposure and cognitive function, depression, and neurological diseases in a representative sample of US adults: NHANES 2013–2014 analysis (Research abstract)

• Rapid water lettuce spread threatens Vaal River — weevils could be the solution  –  Daily Maverick
• Water lettuce biocontrol agents (Fact sheet) (download PDF)  –  NAISMA

The decision at the committee level in the Parliament follows the European Commission’s July proposal, which aimed to reduce the number of unsafe toys sold in the EU – with special emphasis on the online market – by ensuring a level playing field between toys manufactured in the EU and imported ones. More:

• EU’s new rules to protect children from harmful chemicals in toys  –  Euractiv

• Endocrine Disruptors and Your Health (Fact sheet) (download PDF)  –  National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences
• Bisphenols should be banned  –  Taenk

• Commission steps up protection of children from unsafe toys  –  European Commission
• Green Deal: Commission adopts new Chemicals Strategy towards a toxic-free environment  –  European Commission
• The European Green Deal  –  European Commission

• ‘Game over’ for EU’s REACH chemical safety review, campaigners say  –  Euractiv

The study builds on evidence that a class of insecticides called neonicotinoids, or neonics, are harming a range of species important for planetary health. Neonics have been banned in many countries but are popular with farmers in the United States. More:

• Pesticide-treated seeds harm earthworms, study finds  –  The New Lede

• How Neonics Can Harm Soil Health and Soil Biodiversity  –  NRDC

• Mitochondrial DNA Damage in Earthworms: A Hazard Associated with Sublethal Systemic Pesticide Exposures (Research abstract)
• DNA damage and oxidative stress induced by imidacloprid exposure in the earthworm Eisenia fetida (Research abstract)
• Sub-lethal effects of six neonicotinoids on avoidance behavior and reproduction of earthworms (Eisenia fetida) (Research abstract)

• MtDNA Copy Number in Oral Epithelial Cells Serves as a Potential Biomarker of Mitochondrial Damage by Neonicotinoid Exposure: A Cross-Sectional Study (Research abstract)

• European Union expands ban of three neonicotinoid pesticides  –  Science
• EPA Withdraws Decision on Toxic Fungicide Difenoconazole  –  Center for Food Safety
• Citing birds and bees, groups petition EPA to close pesticide loophole  –  The New Lede
• States Step In to Restrict Bee-Toxic Pesticides, California the Latest in Absence of EPA Action  –  Beyond Pesticides

Every February half-term, I think back to the French ski trips I went on as a teenager. I remember the freshness of the cold, crisp air as I snow-ploughed my way down the slopes. Escaping to somewhere seemingly so pristine felt like a world away from where I grew up in London. Back then, I never considered that snow could be a potential source of exposure to a harmful chemical. More:

• Forever chemicals in ski wax are being spread on snowy slopes  –  The Conversation

• About PFASs - Portal on Per and Poly Fluorinated Chemicals  –  OECD
• Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) (Fact sheet) (download PDF)  –  Pennysilvania Department of Health
• PFAS and Forever Chemicals  –  Drinking Water Inspectorate

• Per and polyfluoroalkylated substances (PFAS) target and EOF analyses in ski wax, snowmelts, and soil from skiing areas (Research article)
• Skiers leaving ‘forever chemicals’ on pistes, study finds  –  The Guardian

• All The Stuff in Your Home That Might Contain PFAS ‘Forever Chemicals’  –  TIME

• Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) exposure and thyroid cancer risk (Research article)
• Exposure to perfluoroalkyl substances and neurodevelopment in 2-year-old children: A prospective cohort study (Research article)
• Exposure to high levels of PFAS through drinking water is associated with increased risk of type 2 diabetes—findings from a register-based study in Ronneby, Sweden (Research abstract)
• Perfluorinated alkyl acids in the serum and follicular fluid of UK women with and without polycystic ovarian syndrome undergoing fertility treatment and associations with hormonal and metabolic parameters (Research abstract)

• Grouping of PFAS for human health risk assessment: Findings from an independent panel of experts (Research article)
• Utah's famed Park City ski resort bans certain brands of ski wax after cancer-causing 'forever chemicals' from the products are found in the city's drinking water  –  Daily Mail Online
• Scientists call on ministers to cut limits for ‘forever chemicals’ in UK tap water  –  The Guardian

News reports of cancers potentially linked to a North Carolina State University building that was shut down in November after the discovery of environmental contaminants prompted a faculty vote of no-confidence in university leadership this week and caused a dust-up between university and federal officials over who halted a federal evaluation into the building. More:

• Reports Of Cancers Linked To NC State Building Spur Controversy: Here’s What’s Happening  –  Forbes

• Polychlorinated Biphenyls (PCBs) (Fact sheet) (download PDF)  –  Texas Department of Health State Services
• Learn about Polychlorinated Biphenyls  –  US EPA

• PCB and dioxin-like PCB in indoor air of public buildings contaminated with different PCB sources – deriving toxicity equivalent concentrations from standard PCB congeners (Research abstract)
• Joint Sealants: An Overlooked Diffuse Source of Polychlorinated Biphenyls in Buildings (Research abstract)
• An Unrecognized Source of PCB Contamination in Schools and Other Buildings (Research article)

• New test results from NC State building show PCB levels up to 38 times higher than EPA standards  –  NC Newsline
• 5 On Your Side confirms 40 cancer cases connected to NC State building (Video)  –  WRAL NEWS
• More than 100 people who spent time in Poe Hall report cancer diagnosis to WRAL (Video)  –  WRAL NEWS
• Cancer cases from people with connections to NC State building keep piling up (Video)  –  WRAL NEWS

• Indoor environmental investigation report - initial phase (Report) (download PDF)  –  North Carolina State University

Longtime University of Washington goalies coach Amy Griffin is not an activist by nature. But 15 years ago, she identified what she believed was a trend that she couldn’t ignore in good conscience — young goalies being diagnosed with blood cancer. More:

• Does playing soccer on artificial turf increase cancer risk, especially in kids?  –  KUOW

• Dam owner pleads guilty after spilling turf, tire bits in Puyallup River  –  KUOW
• Athletic Playing Fields and Artificial Turf: Considerations for Municipalities and Institutions (Fact sheet) (download PDF)  –  Toxic Use Reduction Institute

• Environmental and Health Impacts of Artificial Turf: A Review (Research abstract)
• Artificial-turf playing fields: Contents of metals, PAHs, PCBs, PCDDs and PCDFs, inhalation exposure to PAHs and related preliminary risk assessment (Research abstract)
• Health Risk Assessment for Artificial Turf Playgrounds in School Athletic Facilities: Multi-route Exposure Estimation for Use Patterns (Research abstract)
• Recycled rubber in artificial turf doesn't appear to cause cancer, state says  –  KUOW

NORTH CAROLINA — A superior court judge put forward an order Wednesday to make DuPont’s subsidiaries liable for PFAS contamination caused by the original company if deemed responsible for damages alleged in a lawsuit filed by attorney general Josh Stein. More:

• Superior Court rules in favor of AG Stein’s suit to put DuPont’s subsidiaries on the hook for PFAS damages  –  Port City Daily

• GenX Chemicals Toxicity Assessment (Fact sheet) (download PDF)  –  US EPA
• Human Health Toxicity Values for Hexafluoropropylene Oxide Dimer Acid and Its Ammonium Salt, Also Known as “GenX Chemicals” (Report) (download PDF)  –  US EPA
• Chemours’ fight against GenX health advisory goes to court, holds national ramifications  –  Port City Daily

Dust is full of seemingly benign detritus, but experts say it may also contain contaminants with concerning health implications. More:

• Dust busters: what’s really in household dust and how to get rid of it  –  The Guardian

• Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons (PAHs) Fact Sheet (Fact sheet) (download PDF)  –  Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

• Migration of Contaminated Soil and Airborne Particulates to Indoor Dust (Research abstract)
• Novel Insights into the Dermal Bioaccessibility and Human Exposure to Brominated Flame Retardant Additives in Microplastics (Research article)
• Potential Health Impact of Microplastics: A Review of Environmental Distribution, Human Exposure, and Toxic Effects (Research article)
• [House Dust and Its Adverse Health Effects] (Research abstract)

• Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons (PAHs) in Wildfire Smoke Accumulate on Indoor Materials and Create Postsmoke Event Exposure Pathways (Research abstract)
• Wildfire Smoke: Nationwide Health Risk  –  Climate Central

Young adults whose diets are rich in unsweetened teas, processed meats and takeout foods could be increasing their exposure to “forever chemicals,” a new study has found. More:

• Consumption of teas, takeout, hot dogs could come with a side of ‘forever chemicals’  –  The Hill

• Per- and Polyfluorinated Substances (PFAS) Factsheet  –  Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
• Technical Fact Sheet Perfluorooctane Sulfonate (PFOS) and Perfluorooctanoic Acid (PFOA) (Factsheet) (download PDF)  –  US EPA

• Associations of dietary intake and longitudinal measures of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) in predominantly Hispanic young Adults: A multicohort study (Research article)
• Longitudinal study links PFAS contamination with teas, processed meats and food packaging  –  Newsroom
• Lifestyle Factors and Genetic Variants Associated to Health Disparities in the Hispanic Population (Research article)

Premature births are on the rise, yet experts aren’t sure why. Now, researchers have found synthetic chemicals called phthalates used in clear food packaging and personal care products could be a culprit, according to a new study. More:

• Foods we eat are covered in plastics that may be causing a rise in premature births, study says  –  CNN

• Plasticisers (Fact sheet) (download PDF)  –  European Plasticisers
• The Plastic Chemicals Hiding in Your Food  –  Consumer Reports
• Phthalates Business Guidance & Small Entity Compliance Guide  –  US Consumer Product Safety Commission
• Bisphenols & Phthalates  –  Green Science Policy Institute

• Role of Environmental Chemicals in Diabetes and Obesity: A National Toxicology Program Workshop Review (Research article)
• Phthalates might interfere with testicular function by reducing testosterone and insulin-like factor 3 levels (Research article)
• A Cancer Risk Assessment of Di(2-ethylhexyl)phthalate: Application of the New U.S. EPA Risk Assessment Guidelines (Research abstract)

• Chemicals used in plastic food packaging linked to 10% of preterm births in 2018  –  Grist
• Placental outcomes of phthalate exposure (Research article)
• Prenatal phthalate exposure and adverse birth outcomes in the USA a prospective analysis of births and estimates of attributable burden and costs (Research article)
• An overview of adult health outcomes after preterm birth (Research article)

• The Association between Asthma and Allergic Symptoms in Children and Phthalates in House Dust: A Nested Case–Control Study (Research article)
• Phthalates and Children’s Health (Research abstract)
• Phthalates and Baby Boys: Potential Disruption of Human Genital Development (Research abstract)
• Exposure to phthalates: Reproductive outcome and children health. A review of epidemiological studies (Research abstract)

Scott Minor is superintendent for the water system serving the area around Kennebunk and Kennebunkport, in southern Maine, a growing region where summer tourists flocking to the coast swell the demand for water. Minor's water system had identified a safe, out-of-the-way spot for a well to supplement the water supply. Imagine Minor's surprise when tests of the well water revealed that it was contaminated by chemicals known as PFAS. More:

• These Companies Are Trying to Remove Toxic Forever Chemicals From Our Water  –  Newsweek

• PFAS in Drinking Water (Fact sheet) (download PDF)  –  Michigan Department of Health and Human Services
• EPA’s Proposal to Limit PFAS in Drinking Water (Fact sheet) (download PDF)  –  US EPA
• Proposed PFAS National Primary Drinking Water Regulation  –  US EPA

• Dangerous 'Forever Chemicals' in Your Everyday Items Are Causing Cancer  –  Newsweek
• PFAS, the 'Forever Chemicals,' Present in Nearly Half of U.S. Homes  –  Newsweek

• Getting ‘forever chemicals’ out of drinking water: EWG’s guide to PFAS water filters  –  EWG

Members of Parliament have called for "health to come first" and not economic interests in front of the gate of the Chemours chemical plant in Dordrecht. Geert Gabriëls (GroenLinks-PvdA) and Ines Kostić (Party for the Animals), together with provincial and local politicians from the SP, were among the 200 protesters at the gate of the plant, which has been emitting large quantities of harmful PFAS for years. On Saturday, residents were demonstrating in front of the chemical company Chemours in Dordrecht for the 200th time. More:

• MPs call on Chemours to put health first, campaign for PFAS ban  –  NL Times
• Residents demonstrate at chemical company Chemours for the 200th time  –  NL Times

• Perfluoroalkyl and Polyfluoroalkyl Substances (PFAS)  –  US National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences

• Occurrence, Fate, and Related Health Risks of PFAS in Raw and Produced Drinking Water (Research article)
• Distribution and sources of polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) in the River Rhine watershed (Research abstract)

• Environmental contamination and human exposure to PFASs near a fluorochemical production plant: Review of historic and current PFOA and GenX contamination in the Netherlands (Research article)
• Longitudinal poly- and perfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) levels in Dutch infants (Research article)
• Occurrence of perfluoroalkyl substances (PFASs) in a large number of wild and farmed aquatic animals collected in the Netherlands (Research article)

Vets should limit the use of flea treatments containing pesticides on dogs and cats, scientists have said, after a study revealed the vast amount of toxic substances in them that end up in rivers. More:

• Vets urged to cut pesticide flea treatments amid river pollution fears  –  The Guardian

• Fipronil Technical Fact Sheet (Fact sheet)  –  National Pesticide Information Center
• Imidacloprid Technical Fact Sheet  –  US National Pesticide Information Center

• Pet flea treatments poisoning rivers across England, scientists find  –  The Guardian
• Bee-killing pesticides banned in EU found at unsafe levels in English rivers  –  The Guardian

• Multiple neonicotinoids in children’s cerebro-spinal fluid, plasma, and urine (Research article)

The Toxic Substances Control Act, or TSCA, can help protect us from harmful chemicals. But first, the government must fully enforce it. More:

• The Toxic Chemicals Hiding in Our Homes, and How We Can Reduce Them  –  Earthjustice

• Per- and Polyfluorinated Substances (PFAS) Factsheet  –  Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
• Breaking Down Toxic PFAS  –  Earthjustice
• Here's How To Find Out If There's Teflon In Your Beauty Products  –  Huffpost

• Toxic Taps  –  Earthjustice
• Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) in United States tapwater: Comparison of underserved private-well and public-supply exposures and associated health implications (Research article)

• Biden-Harris Administration Proposes Ban on Trichloroethylene to Protect Public from Toxic Chemical Known to Cause Serious Health Risks  –  US EPA
• EPA Proposes Rule to Strengthen TSCA Risk Evaluation Process to Protect Workers and Communities  –  US EPA
• EPA proposes to ban all uses of cancer-causing contaminant TCE  –  CNN

• Seven Ways This New Chemical Law Will Make You Safer  –  Earthjustice
• EPA’s secret chemical problem, unveiled (Article) (download PDF)  –  Earthjustice

The state of Connecticut is suing 28 chemical manufacturers that it alleges are responsible for “knowingly contaminating” the state’s waters and natural resources and harming public health with toxic PFAS “forever chemicals.” More:

• Connecticut Sues 28 Firms for Alleged Contamination by ‘Forever Chemicals’  –  Insurance Journal

• PFOA in Fire-Fighting Foams factsheet (Fact sheet) (download PDF)  –  US EPA
• Firefighting Foams PFAS vs Fluorine-Free foams  –  U.S. Fire Administration
• Fire Test Performance of Eleven PFAS-Free Class B Firefighting Foams Varying Fuels, Admixture, Water Types and Foam Generation Techniques (Research article)

• 3M Will Stop Producing ‘Forever Chemical’ PFAS by End of 2025  –  Insurance Journal

• PFOS and PFOA Private Cleanup Costs at Non-Federal Superfund Sites  –  U.S. Chamber of Commerce

• 3M Reaches Tentative $10.3B Deal Over ‘Forever Chemicals’ Claims  –  Insurance Journal
• 22 States Move to Block 3M’s $10.3 Billion PFAS Deal  –  Insurance Journal