Breast cancer is the leading cause of cancer death among women worldwide, and endocrine disrupting chemicals are partly to blame. One such chemical is DEHP, a phthalate chemical commonly used in plastic hospital intravenous bags and medical tubing, and studies have shown that it’s interfering with breast cancer treatment and augmenting the odds of relapse. More:

• Medical Plastic Linked to Breast Cancer Relapse  –  Living on Earth

• DEHP mediates drug resistance by directly targeting AhR in human breast cancer (Research article)
• Plastic additive increases breast cancer relapse, mortality: New science  –  EHN

• Promising growth: DEHP exposure research  –  EHN

Travelling by train from central London, it doesn’t take long before the city gives way to a patchwork of mostly agricultural fields. But one of these fields is special. The Broadbalk field – part of the Rothamsted Estate – is the site of some of the oldest agricultural research experiments in the world. More:

• Analysis: Pesticides are creating a biodiversity crisis in Europe  –  Mongabay
• Silent Death – Europe’s deep-rooted pesticide problem and a biodiversity crisis  –  Investigate Europe

For some 200,000 people living near chemical plants outside the French city of Lyon, potentially toxic levels of the compounds are showing up in vegetable gardens, drinking water, and even the milk of breastfeeding mothers. More:

• Toxic levels of 'forever chemicals' are being found in breast milk. How harmful are they?  –  Euronews
• Rainwater everywhere on Earth unsafe to drink due to ‘forever chemicals’, study finds  –  Euronews

• Perfluoroalkyl chemicals (PFAS)  –  ECHA
• Drinking Water Health Advisories for PFOA and PFOS  –  US EPA
• PFAS  –  European Commission
• Registry of restriction intentions until outcome: Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS)  –  ECHA

Researchers say global levels of man-made "forever chemicals" have made rainwater unsafe to drink around the world — even in the most remote areas. The study argues that guideline values – amounts considered acceptable – for per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) in drinking water, surface water and soil have fallen "dramatically" over the last 20 years "due to new insights into their toxicity." More:

• PFAS levels in rainwater have made it 'unsafe to drink' globally, even in remote areas: study  –  CTV News
• It’s raining PFAS: even in Antarctica and on the Tibetan plateau rainwater is unsafe to drink  –  Stockholm University
• Outside the Safe Operating Space of a New Planetary Boundary for Per- and Polyfluoroalkyl Substances (PFAS) (Research article)

• Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) in Canadians (Factsheet)  –  Health Canada
• Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS)  –  Government of Canada

• 'Forever chemicals' pose risk even at very low levels: U.S. agency  –  CTV News

• 3M's Commitment to PFAS Stewardship  –  3M

PFAS “forever chemicals” are per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances used as stain-resistant, water-resistant, & oil-resistant chemicals in commerce. They have been used for decades inside consumer products, manufacturing, and building materials. There are over 12,000 different chemicals in the PFAS chemical class (including PFOA & PTFE), and because there are so many of them, they are incredibly hard to identify and test for. In fact, it’s only really possible to identify about 100 or so in a really good commercial laboratory. More:

• Indications of Toxic PFAS Forever Chemicals Found in Toilet Paper  –  Mamavation

• Systemic toxicity induced by topical application of heptafluorobutyric acid (PFBA) in a murine model (Research abstract)
• Side-chain fluorotelomer-based polymers in children car seats (Research abstract)
• Immunotoxicity and allergenic potential induced by topical application of perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) in a murine model (Research abstract)

• Thyroid Disrupting Effects of Old and New Generation PFAS (Research article)
• PFAS and cancer, a scoping review of the epidemiologic evidence (Research article)
• Health effects of PFAS exposure  –  Food Packaging Forum
• What are the health effects of PFAS?  –  US ATSDR
• CDC and ATSDR Award $7 Million to Begin Multi-Site PFAS Study  –  US CDC

• Nonstick Pan Chemicals Linked to Low Sperm Count and Small Penis Size Study Finds  –  Mamavation
• Perfluoroalkyl Substances (PFAS) and Their Effects on the Placenta, Pregnancy, and Child Development: a Potential Mechanistic Role for Placental Peroxisome Proliferator–Activated Receptors (PPARs) (Research abstract)
• Maternal levels of perfluoroalkyl substances (PFASs) during pregnancy and childhood allergy and asthma related outcomes and infections in the Norwegian Mother and Child (MoBa) cohort (Research article)
• PFAS exposure in infancy linked to reduced vaccine response  –  Environmental Factor

• Ethylene Oxide (Report)  –  US National Toxicology Program
• Phthalates  –  TEDX
• 1,4-Dioxane (Report)  –  US National Toxicology Program
• Chronic vulvar irritation could toilet paper be the culprit? (Research article)

• A toxic-chemicals expert is sounding the alarm about 4 cancer-linked chemicals that could be making us sicker and fatter  –  Insider
• Widespread Occurrence of Bisphenol A in Paper and Paper Products: Implications for Human Exposure (Research abstract)
• Victory! Target Bans BPA from Receipts Making Millions Safer!  –  Mamavation

• Green Beauty Cosmetic Guide — PFAS “Forever Chemicals” & Makeup  –  Mamavation
• Best & Worst Cookware & Bakeware 2022–Safest Non Toxic Brands  –  Mamavation
• Best Home Water Filters for Toxic PFAS “Forever Chemical” Filtration  –  Mamavation
• Toxic Packaging Are Fast Food Wrappers Hurting Your Family  –  Mamavation

• Dark Waters | Official Trailer | In Theaters (YouTube)  –  Focus Features

There are around 4,500 of these fluorine-based compounds and they are found in almost every dwelling on Earth in hundreds of everyday products including food packaging, non-stick cookware, rain gear, adhesives, paper and paints. More:

• Pollution: 'Forever chemicals' in rainwater exceed safe levels  –  BBC News

• Outside the Safe Operating Space of a New Planetary Boundary for Per- and Polyfluoroalkyl Substances (PFAS) (Research article)
• Increasing Accumulation of Perfluorocarboxylate Contaminants Revealed in an Antarctic Firn Core (1958–2017) (Research article)

• Concern over toxic chemicals in tap water  –  BBC News
• The race to replace persistent chemicals in our homes  –  BBC News

US government health agencies need to move quickly to launch broad testing of people exposed to types of toxic chemicals known as PFAS to help evaluate and treat people who may suffer PFAS-related health problems, according to a report issued today. More:

• PFAS testing needed for people with elevated exposures, US science advisors say  –  EHN
• Guidance on PFAS Exposure, Testing, and Clinical Follow-Up (Report)  –  US National Academies

• EPA Actions to Address PFAS  –  US EPA
• FACT SHEET: Biden-Harris Administration Combatting PFAS Pollution to Safeguard Clean Drinking Water for All Americans  –  The White House

The controversial class of highly fluorinated chemicals known as per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), which are persistent and potentially toxic, has essentially become a new part of the Earth’s ecosystem. There are estimated to be around 8000 different types of PFAS out there – found in the atmosphere, rain, surface water, groundwater and even people – but technological developments now offer to break this cycle. More:

• How to put an end to ‘forever chemicals’ and annihilate PFAS pollution  –  Chemistry World

• A persistent perfluorinated problem  –  Chemistry World

• Supercritical Water Oxidation as an Innovative Technology for PFAS Destruction (Research abstract)
• PFAS annihilator  –  Battelle
• Accelerated Degradation of Perfluorosulfonates and Perfluorocarboxylates by UV/Sulfite + Iodide: Reaction Mechanisms and System Efficiencies (Research abstract)
• Near-Quantitative Defluorination of Perfluorinated and Fluorotelomer Carboxylates and Sulfonates with Integrated Oxidation and Reduction (Research article)
• Energy Evaluation of Electron Beam Treatment of Perfluoroalkyl Substances in Water: A Critical Review (Research abstract)
• Highly Defective UiO-66 Materials for the Adsorptive Removal of Perfluorooctanesulfonate (Research abstract)

• Allonnia Discovers New PFAS Biosensor  –  Allonnia
• Can nanotech and microbes partner to destroy PFAS?  –  UBNow
• Engineering microbes to degrade contaminants  –  Royal Society of Chemistry

• US environment agency announces new safety limits for fluorinated chemicals  –  Royal Society of Chemistry
• Scientific Basis for Managing PFAS as a Chemical Class (Research article)

The United Nations General Assembly declared that everyone on the planet has a right to a healthy environment, a move backers say is an important step in countering the alarming decline of the natural world. More:

• In historic move, UN declares healthy environment a human right  –  UNEP
• Historic day for human rights and a healthy planet: UN expert  –  UN Human Rights
• UN General Assembly Approves Resolution Recognizing Right to Healthy Environment  –  Health Policy Watch
• UN resolution recognizes right to clean, healthy environment  –  AP News
• UN General Assembly says that access to a clean, healthy, sustainable environment is a human right. (YouTube)  –  UN Human Rights Council

A recent EEB examination of the chemicals control in Europe reveals that at the current pace the EU would need hundreds of years to adequately control all potentially harmful chemicals on its market. The EU needs to listen to experts and speed up chemicals regulatory processes without delay. Andreea Anca reports. More:

• EU’s decade-long bureaucratic journey to stop dangerous use of chemicals  –  META
• The Need for Speed - Why it takes the EU a decade to control harmful chemicals and how to secure more rapid protections (Report)  –  European Environmental Bureau

Daily exposure to a class of chemicals used in the production of many household items may lead to cancer, thyroid disease, and childhood obesity, a new study shows. The resulting economic burden is estimated to cost Americans a minimum of $5.5 billion and as much as $63 billion annually. More:

• Daily Exposure to ‘Forever Chemicals’ Costs United States Billions in Health Costs  –  NYU Langone News
• Leveraging Systematic Reviews to Explore Disease Burden and Costs of Per- and Polyfluoroalkyl Substance Exposures in the United States (Research article)

• Center for the Investigation of Environmental Hazards  –  NYU Langone News
• FDA must do more to regulate thousands of chemicals added to your food, petitioners say  –  CNN

Rice University chemical engineers have improved their design for a light-powered catalyst that rapidly breaks down PFOA, one of the world's most problematic "forever chemical" pollutants. More:

• Researchers improve catalyst that destroys 'forever chemicals' with sunlight  –  Phy.org
• Boron nitride destroys 'forever' chemicals PFOA, GenX  –  Phy.org
• Titanium oxide improves boron nitride photocatalytic degradation of perfluorooctanoic acid (Research abstract)

The French National Agency for Food, Environment and Occupational Health Safety (ANSES) tested best-selling brands of disposable nappies and found 38 “very severe hazard” chemicals in those sold throughout Europe. Most of the chemicals disrupt hormones, the officials say, which means they are not considered safe. More:

• ‘Toxic’ nappies could pose a health risk to 90% of babies - so why isn’t the EU acting?  –  EuroNews
• AVIS révisé et RAPPORT de l'Anses relatif à la sécurité des couches pour bébé  –  ANSES
• Francia alerta de la toxicidad del 90% de los pañales que se venden en Europa  –  El Confidencial

• Summary of principles for evaluating health risks in children associated with exposure to chemicals  –  WHO

Environmental health is a branch of public health that monitors the relationship between human health and the environment, examining aspects of both our natural and man-made environment and their effect on human wellbeing. More:

• What is environmental health?  –  EHN

• What are PFAS?  –  EHN
• Glyphosate, explained  –  EHN
• How is BPA bad for my health?  –  EHN
• Fractured: The stress of being surrounded  –  EHN

Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) are a group of thousands of chemicals found in everything from floss, to makeup, to frying pans, to clothes — and the list goes on. Numerous studies have been published documenting the harmful health and environmental impacts of these chemicals. Meanwhile, reforms aimed at phasing out certain PFAS from U.S. production processes have resulted in companies substituting lesser-known — and sometimes understudied — chemicals that might be just as dangerous, researchers warn. More:

• Common questions about PFAS, answered  –  The Hill
• Toxic ‘forever chemicals’ found in Florida oysters  –  The Hill
• Addressing Urgent Questions for PFAS in the 21st Century (Research article)

• What Are PFAS?  –  Live Science
• PFAS Explainer │ Minute Updates │ Great Lakes Now (YouTube)  –  Detroit Public TV
• The C8 Health Project: Design, Methods, and Participants (Research article)
• Toxic chemicals: PFAS  –  Safer States

• Fact Sheet: Human Health Toxicity Assessment for GenX Chemicals  –  US EPA
• Human Health Toxicity Values for Perfluorobutane Sulfonic Acid and Related Compound Potassium Perfluorobutane Sulfonate  –  US EPA

• Center for Environmental and Health Effects of PFAS  –  NC State University
• Per- and Polyfluoroalkyl Substances and Incident Hypertension in Multi-Racial/Ethnic Women: The Study of Women's Health Across the Nation (Research article)
• Cancer fears plague residents of US region polluted by ‘forever chemicals’  –  The Guardian
• Adverse Maternal, Fetal, and Postnatal Effects of Hexafluoropropylene Oxide Dimer Acid (GenX) from Oral Gestational Exposure in Sprague-Dawley Rats (Research article)

• Learn about Dioxin  –  US EPA
• Drinking Water Health Advisories (HAs)  –  US EPA
• 2022 EPA PFAS Health Advisory Information  –  US EPA
• With the U.S. PFAS “Phase-out” clock ticking, what every food company should know  –  JDSupra

• Justice for PFAS exposure races a ticking clock  –  The Hill
• Leach v. E.I. du Pont de Nemours & Co. & Related Cases (Re PFOA Exposure & Contamination in the US)  –  Harvard Law and international Development Society
• Reference News Release: EPA Settles PFOA Case Against DuPont for Largest Environmental Administrative Penalty in Agency History  –  US EPA
• Milestones Achieved  –  Dupont

• Official health communications are failing PFAS-contaminated communities (Research article)
• 3M knew about the dangers of PFOA and PFOS decades ago, internal documents show  –  The Intercept

When Dr. Rob Sargis sees a patient struggling with obesity, his recommendations go beyond diet and exercise. He may advise them to stop heating things in plastics, or to avoid congested roads during rush hour. More:

• Doctors advocate for treating obesity as an environmental problem  –  EHN

• What are PFAS?  –  EHN
• Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS)  –  US CDC
• Bisphenol A (BPA) Use in Food Contact Application  –  US FDA
• Toxicity test  –  Million Marker

• Healthy Environment and Endocrine Disruption Strategies  –  HEEDS
• A Scoping Review of Maternal and Child Health Clinicians Attitudes, Beliefs, Practice, Training and Perceived Self-Competence in Environmental Health (Review article)

• BPA safety: The toxic chemical limbo game  – EHN

Analytical chemists Gabriela Castro Varela and Alexandros Asimakopoulos are hunting for toxic and unregulated chemical substances in the sewage sludge that is a by-product from the water treatment plants of Trondheim municipality. Their goal is to be able to reuse the sludge in a safe and sustainable way. More:

• Hunting down toxic substances in sludge  –  Phys.org

EHN.org, in partnership with the website Mamavation.com, spent the bulk of 2022 finding PFAS in scores of everyday products. The findings suggest these troublesome chemicals are on our shelves, in our bodies, and almost impossible to avoid. More:

• PFAS: Hard to escape in food, clothes, and makeup  –  EHN
• Investigation: PFAS on our shelves and in our bodies  –  EHN
• Where does PFAS contamination come from?  –  EHN

• Unintentional PFAS in products: A “jungle” of contamination  –  EHN
• Starbucks will eliminate all PFAS in its packaging  –  EHN
• Want single-use foodware without harmful chemicals? A new certification will help you find it  –  EHN

• CoverGirl Sued For PFAS "Forever Chemicals" & False Advertising  –  EHN
• PFAS cosmetics studies are “springboard” for litigation  –  EHN

• EPA Adds Five PFAS Chemicals to List of Regional Screening and Removal Management Levels to Protect Human Health and the Environment  –  US EPA
• Maryland Passes Bill Prohibiting the Use of 24 Ingredients in Cosmetics  –  UL Solutions
• Maine bans toxic ‘forever chemicals’ under groundbreaking new law  –  The Guardian

• New Washington state bill is the “fastest timeline in the nation” for phasing out PFAS  –  EHN
• H.R.3990 - No PFAS in Cosmetics Act (Legislative proposal)
• S.2047 - No PFAS in Cosmetics Act (Legislative proposal)
• AB-2762 Cosmetic products: safety (Legislative proposal)
• Federal PFAS Research Evaluation Act (Legislative proposal)

Some say the world is your oyster, but the world—especially human impacts on the environment—can actually be found inside an oyster, according to a new study. More:

• Florida oysters found to have toxic 'forever chemicals'  –  Phys.org
• American oysters as bioindicators of emerging organic contaminants in Florida, United States (Research article)

For months, Flanders has battled with the fallout of the historic chemical pollution scandal around a Belgian site of American multinational 3M. Now, the region's environment minister Zuhal Demir announced that a clean-up agreement has been reached. More:

• Flanders reaches agreement with 3M over pollution clean-up  –  The Brussels Times
• Committee points finger at 3M for historic pollution, hints at political responsibility  –  The Brussels Times

• ‘Remediation necessary’ around 3M site to limit risk to humans  –  The Brussels Times
• 'Only for first phase': 3M promises extra €150 million to clean up PFAS pollution  –  The Brussels Times
• The Polluter Pays Principle: Inconsistent application across EU environmental policies and actions (Special Report)  –  European Court of Auditors