When US regulators issued a 2019 assessment of the widely used farm chemical paraquat, they determined that even though multiple scientific studies linked the chemical to Parkinson’s disease, that work was outweighed by other studies that did not find such links. Overall, the weight of scientific evidence was “insufficient” to prove paraquat causes the brain disease, officials with the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) declared. More:

• Amid calls for ban on weed killer linked to Parkinson’s, a battle over science  –  The New Lede

• Parkinson's Disease and Pesticides: What's the Connection?  –  Scientific American
• Pesticide use and incident Parkinson’s disease in a cohort of farmers and their spouses (PDF document) (Research article)
• Rotenone, Paraquat, and Parkinson’s Disease (PDF document) (Research article)

• Secret files suggest chemical giant feared weedkiller’s link to Parkinson’s disease  –  The Guardian
• Paraquat Papers Media Library  –  The New Lede
• A human toll- paraquat users blame Syngenta for Parkinson's disease  –  The New Lede

Five popular tampon brands — including two advertised as organic — have detectable levels of fluorine, an indicator of the group of chemicals known as PFAS, according to a new report. More:

• Evidence of PFAS found in tampons — including organic brands  –  EHN
• Investigation: PFAS on our shelves and in our bodies  –  EHN

• IN DEPTH: First-of-its kind testing points to dangers and unknowns of PFAS in clothing  –  EHN
• Do Your Tampons Contain PFAS -Forever Chemicals-- They Might  –  Mamavation
• Report: 65% of Period Underwear Likely Contaminated with PFAS  –  Mamavation

• Phthalates, bisphenols, parabens, and triclocarban in feminine hygiene products from the United States and their implications for human exposure  –  US National Library of Medicine

• IN-DEPTH: For clean beauty brands, getting PFAS out of makeup might be easier said than done  –  EHN

Their discovery was cause for worldwide alarm and unprecedented action. In short order, the international community marshaled its resources — scientific, economic, diplomatic — to mount a campaign to ban the chemical that caused the damage, chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs), and to restore the ozone layer. More:

• The shrinking ozone hole shows that the world can actually solve an environmental crisis  –  Vox

Polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) were widely used in industrial and commercial applications, until they were banned in the late 1970s as a result of their significant environmental pollution. PCBs in the environment gained scientific interest because of their persistence and the potential threats they pose to humans. More:

• A Review of Polychlorinated Biphenyls (PCBs) Pollution in the Air: Where and How Much Are We Exposed to? (Research article)

Richard Friedman is the lead attorney on most of the 21 lawsuits. He says the Washington lawsuits and the Vermont lawsuit are likely the first few ripples of an oncoming tsunami of cases against Monsanto, and the danger that’s been lurking beneath the depths for decades is quickly rising to the surface. More:

• Fighting a chemical giant: cases mounting against PCB manufacturer Monsanto  –  WCAX
• Iowa Superfund Research Program - PCB Research  –  The University of Iowa

• The ABCs of PCBs - A Toxic Threat to America’s Schools (download PDF) (Report)  –  U.S. Senate
• Vt. officials fast-track $2.5M for PCB school testing, remediation  –  WCAX
• CEE PhD student Jason Hua's PCB Research (YouTube)  –  University of Iowa

Many companies view performance and functionality as something sacred, and to intentionally lower the performance of a product is completely out of the question. “Our customers expect this level of performance and functionality from our products”, companies often argue. More:

• Are you climbing Mount Everest, or just going to work?  –  ChemSec

Their house sits more than 4 miles east of this Central Washington community, beyond the reach of Selah’s public water system. So, the couple and their two children relied on a well punched into a basalt lava rock aquifer to quench their thirst, cook, clean and bathe. In February two U.S. Army representatives knocked on their door to deliver cases of bottled water and a carefully worded letter that noted a “potential risk to human health.” More:

• Heartache, anger in Central Washington over drinking-water wells tainted by 'forever chemicals'  –  The Seattle Times

• PFAS  –  Washington State Department of Health
• PFAS “Forever Chemicals”  –  Toxic Free Future
• What are PFAS? A guide to understanding chemicals behind nonstick pans, cancer fears  –  US Today News

• Some dental floss may expose people to harmful chemicals  –  Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health
• The Race to Design a Rain Jacket That Won't Kill the Planet  –  WIRED

Recycling held strong appeal to many people, and returning nitrogen-rich waste to the soil could boost agricultural productivity without the need for expensive fertilizers. Care had to be taken to test for heavy metals, proponents noted, but they believed spreading human waste on farm fields, an age-old practice in many cultures, was safe and sustainable. More:

• A Spreading Problem: How PFAS got into soils and food systems  –  The Maine Monitor

• An overview of the uses of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS)  –  Royal Society of Chemistry
• 3M Knew About the Harms of PFOA and PFOS Decades Ago  –  The Intercept
• For decades, polluters knew PFAS chemicals were dangerous but hid risks from public  –  EWG
• Why Is the Biodegradation of Polyfluorinated Compounds So Rare? (Scientific perspective)

• Short-chain perfluoroalkyl acids: environmental concerns and a regulatory strategy under REACH (Research article)

• Outside the Safe Operating Space of a New Planetary Boundary for Per- and Polyfluoroalkyl Substances (PFAS) (Research article)
• Pollution: 'Forever chemicals' in rainwater exceed safe levels  –  BBC News
• PFAS in household waste may be going airborne  –  EHN

• Sludge in the Garden - Toxic PFAS in Home Fertilizers Made from Sewage Sludge (download PDF) (Report)  –  EcologyCenter & Sierra Club
• Occurrence of perfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) in garden produce at homes with a history of PFAS-contaminated drinking water (Research article)
• Perfluoroalkyl Acid Distribution in Various Plant Compartments of Edible Crops Grown in Biosolids-Amended soils (Research abstract)
• Sources, Fate, and Plant Uptake in Agricultural Systems of Per- and Polyfluoroalkyl Substances (Research abstract)

• PFAS Research: Characterizing Point Sources and their Receiving Water Bodies - Waste Water Treatment Facilities (download PDF) (Presentation)  –  University of New Hampshire

• 'Case for Caution' report calls for more restrictions to safeguard human health, agricultural productivity and environment (download PDF) (Report)  –  Cornell Chronicle
• Permanent Ban Urged on Sludge in Farming  –  The New York Times
• Toxic Sludge in Our Communities (download PDF) (Report)  –  Toxics Action Center
• Maine firm breaks new ground on composting  –  BDN

• Managing PFAS in Maine (download PDF) (Report)  –  Maine PFAS Task Force
• PFAS Emergency Relief Fund  –  Maine Farmland Trust

• A tribe in Maine is using hemp to remove 'forever chemicals' from the soil  –  Grist
• Connecticut scientists use hemp to start cleaning up PFAS on tribal lands in Maine  –  Connecticut Public
• Microbe chews through PFAS and other tough contaminants  –  University of Princeton
• Disrupting PFAS S2E1 with Yanna Liang, PhD., PE, BCEE (YouTube)  –  University of Albany

The longtime manufacturer of paraquat is being sued by thousands of Parkinson’s sufferers. The plaintiffs claim scientific studies show that exposure to paraquat can cause, or significantly increase the risk of, Parkinson’s disease, but rather than warn users, the companies prioritized paraquat sales over human health. More:

• A human toll- paraquat users blame Syngenta for Parkinson’s disease  –  The New Lede
• Secret files suggest chemical giant feared weedkiller’s link to Parkinson’s disease  –  The Guardian

• Paraquat Dichloride- One Sip Can Kill  –  US EPA
• Secret “Paraquat Papers” reveal corporate tactics to protect weed killer linked to Parkinson’s disease  –  The New Lede
• Protective Gloves and Workplace Hygiene Reduce the Risk of Parkinson's Disease  –  US-Agricultural Health Study

• EU court reimposes ban on paraquat weedkiller  –  Reuters
• The Court of First Instance Annuls the Directive Authorising Paraquat as an Active Plant Protection Substance (download PDF)  –  Court of First Instance of the European Communities

• Plaintiff's complaint (download PDF)  –  Court of Common Pleas Philadelphia County
• Complaint for Damages - Jury Trial Demanded (download PDF)  –  U.S. District Court Southern District of Illinois

The study, led by North Carolina State University researchers and published today in the Frontiers in Toxicologyjournal, suggests that per- and polyfluoroalkyl chemicals, commonly known as PFAS, are disrupting the immune systems of both exposed wildlife and humans. More:

• PFAS-polluted North Carolina alligators have weakened immune systems  –  EHN

• Blood concentrations of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances are associated with autoimmune-like effects in American alligators from Wilmington, North Carolina (Research article)

• Effects of exposure to per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances on vaccine antibodies: A systematic review and meta-analysis based on epidemiological studies (Research article)
• Influenza Vaccine Response in Adults Exposed to Perfluorooctanoate and Perfluorooctanesulfonate (Research article)

“What are F-gases?”, you might ask. Although you may not have heard this term before, you surely know of them. They’ve acted as cooling chemicals in air conditioners and refrigerators since they were first developed in the 1930’s. But the question is to what cost? More:

• What the F-gases!?  –  ChemSec
• Fluorinated greenhouse gases 2021  –  European Environment Agency
• How many PFAS bans does it take to ban PFAS?  –  ChemSec

• The Rising Threat of HFOs and TFA to Health and the Environment  –  ATMOsphere
• Investigation of the Production of Trifluoroacetic Acid from Two Halocarbons, HFC-134a and HFO-1234yf and Its Fates Using a Global Three-Dimensional Chemical Transport Model (Research abstract)
• Ultra-Short-Chain PFASs in the Sources of German Drinking Water: Prevalent, Overlooked, Difficult to Remove, and Unregulated (Research abstract)
• Ultrashort-chain perfluoroalkyl substance trifluoroacetate (TFA) in beer and tea – An unintended aqueous extraction (Research abstract)

Hair-straightening products may significantly increase the risk of developing uterine cancer among those who use them frequently, a large study suggests. More:

• Frequent use of hair-straightening products may raise uterine cancer risk, study says  –  The Guardian
• Hair Straightening Chemicals Associated With Higher Uterine Cancer Risk  –  US-NIH
• Use of Straighteners and Other Hair Products and Incident Uterine Cancer (Research article)

The Waterkeeper Alliance analysis found detectable PFAS levels in 95 out of 114, or 83%, of waterways tested across 34 states and the District of Columbia, and frequently at levels that exceed federal and state limits. More:

• More than 80% of US waterways contaminated by ‘forever chemicals’  –  The Guardian
• EPA: Toxic ‘forever chemicals’ levels in drinking water should be much lower  –  EWG

Global pesticide use has soared by 80% since 1990, according to a new Pesticide Atlas. Its use has hit biodiversity, driving falls of around 30% in populations of field birds and grassland butterflies since 1990. Almost one in 10 of Europe’s bees are now threatened with extinction, due in no small part to the use of toxic chemical formulations in herbicides, pesticides and fertilisers. More:

• Pesticide use around world almost doubles since 1990, report finds  –  The Guardian
• Pesticide Atlas (download PDF) (Report) –  HBS, Friends of the Earth, BUND, PAN
• The Export of Banned Pesticides to Africa and Central America (download PDF) (Legal opinion)  –  CIEL

And with it comes a quieter world, thanks to snow’s ability to absorb noise. This is because the spaces between snow crystals limit sound waves from bouncing around, creating a soundproofing effect. Snow also adsorbs other matters it comes into contact with. In the winter, snow becomes a superabsorbent for a wide range of pollutants including POPs. More:

• Snow can spread and worsen the effects of pollutants in the environment  –  The Conversation

• Persistent organic pollutants in Chinese waterways: Occurrence, remediation, and epidemiological perspectives (Research abstract)
• Persistent Organic Pollutants (POPs) in Antarctica: Occurrence in continental and coastal surface snow (Research abstract)

• Persistent organic pollutants: Stockholm Convention  –  Government of Canada
• Persistent Organic Pollutants: A Global Issue, A Global Response  –  US EPA

Toxic PFAS have likely contaminated roughly 57,412 locations across the U.S., according to a study. Those locations include certain industrial facilities, waste processing facilities, and places where firefighting foam containing PFAS (per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances) have been used, such as airports and military bases. More:

• Toxic PFAS pollution is likely at more than 57,000 US locations: Report  –  EHN
• What are PFAS?  –  EHN
• Presumptive Contamination: A New Approach to PFAS Contamination Based on Likely Sources (Research article)

What you wear for your workouts may be exposing you to a harmful chemical, warns a new report from the Center for Environmental Health (CEH). The nonprofit consumer advocacy group found high levels of BPA—a toxic chemical compound that can potentially disrupt metabolism, growth and development, and reproduction—in some of the world’s most popular brands of athletic wear. More:

• Report: Some sports bras and athletic wear may contain high levels of a toxic chemical  –  Fast Company
• New Testing Shows High Levels of BPA in Sports Bras and Athletic Shirts  –  Center for Environmental Health
• BPA in Socks: Are There Harmful Chemicals in Your Socks?  –  Center for Environmental Health

This fall marks the 60th anniversary of writer and scientist Rachel Carson’s 1962 book “Silent Spring.” The book was seminal in that it sparked the modern environmental movement, a U.S. ban of DDT, and the founding of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). More:

• Jennifer Liss Ohayon: Why is the EPA still exposing women to pesticides linked to breast cancer?  –  EHN

• Chemical Effects on Breast Development, Function, and Cancer Risk: Existing Knowledge and New Opportunities (Research article)
• US EPA's regulatory pesticide evaluations need clearer guidelines for considering mammary gland tumors and other mammary gland effects (Research article)
• Application of an in Vitro Assay to Identify Chemicals That Increase Estradiol and Progesterone Synthesis and Are Potential Breast Cancer Risk Factors (Research article)

• Whistleblowers Expose Corruption in EPA Chemical Safety Office  –  The Intercept
• The Department of Yes  –  The Intercept
• Commentary: Novel strategies and new tools to curtail the health effects of pesticides (Research article)

• The Right Way to Remember Rachel Carson  –  The New Yorker
• The Fracking of Rachel Carson  –  Orion Magazine

The explosion of intensive agriculture over recent decades has entrenched and universalised the use of pesticides. Often seen as allies in ensuring predictable, consistent and high-yield harvests, is our trust in these chemicals proving to be misplaced?. More:

• Pesticides: On borrowed time?  –  META

• Pesticides in our bedroom (download PDF) (Report)  –  Save Bees and Farmers
• Vital soil organisms being harmed by pesticides, study shows  –  The Guardian

• Sustainable use of pesticides  –  European Commission
• Agroecology- Farming for a better future  –  META
• Pesticide drift mitigation measures appear to reduce contamination of non-agricultural areas, but hazards to humans and the environment remain (Research article)

PFAS – per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances – are known to disrupt hormones and fetal development, and future “reproductive capacity” is largely defined as testicles develop in utero during the first trimester of a pregnancy, said study co-author Sandra Søgaard Tøttenborg of the Copenhagen University hospital. More:

• Study links in utero ‘forever chemical’ exposure to low sperm count and mobility  –  The Guardian
• ‘Forever chemicals’ detected in all umbilical cord blood in 40 studies –  The Guardian
• Maternal Exposure to Per- and Polyfluoroalkyl Substances (PFAS) and Male Reproductive Function in Young Adulthood: Combined Exposure to Seven PFAS (Research article)