Producimos una media de 7,3 kilos de residuos de aparatos como viejos ordenadores o teléfonos por individuo al año. La OMS alerta de los enormes peligros para la salud, especialmente para la de los menores de edad y embarazadas, de los vertederos donde se acumulan. More:

• 18 millones de niños viven, juegan y trabajan entre basura electrónica  –  El País

• La republica de la basura electrónica  –  El País
• Las huellas de la basura tecnológica acaban en la sangre de los habitantes de África  –  El País
• Envenenando la pobreza: Residuos electrónicos en Ghana (Informe)  –  Greenpeace

• La OMS alerta de que el incremento rápido de los desechos electrónicos afecta a la salud de millones de niños  –  OMS
• Children and digital dumpsites- e-waste exposure and child health  (Report)  –  WHO
• E-Waste in Africa: A Serious Threat to the Health of Children (Research article)

Tailandia es un país que se caracteriza mundialmente por contar con grandes extensiones de arrozales, los cuales son la base de la economía de miles de familias de toda la región. Evidentemente, mantener a salvo todas las cosechas es fundamental para los tailandeses, ya que suelen sufrir de plagas. More:

• En Tailandia 10.000 patos se encargan de limpiar los arrozales de plagas y así evitar pesticidas  –  Portal Ambiental
• Drone footage follows 10,000 ducks “cleaning” rice paddies in Thailand  –  Youtube

The Environmental Working Group released new analysis that dramatically increases an earlier estimate of the number of manufacturers and users of the toxic “forever chemicals” known as PFAS that may be releasing PFAS into the environment, including drinking water sources. More:

• Twelvefold increase in suspected industrial dischargers of ‘forever chemicals’  –  EWG
• The ‘Forever Chemicals’ in 99% of Americans  –  EWG
• Interactive Map Suspected industrial discharges of PFAS  –  EWG

• How Michigan Reduced Industrial Discharges of PFAS  –  EWG
• Gillibrand, Pappas, Delgado Reintroduce Legislation To Finally Stop Polluters From Contaminating Waterways With Toxic Levels Of Pfas  –  gillibrand.senate.gov
• Clean Water Standards for PFAS Act  –  amendments-rules.house.gov
• List of PFAS Added to the TRI by the NDAA  –  US EPA

Soil invertebrates are responsible for many critical ecological functions, such as maintaining soil structure and controlling pests, which are necessary for a healthy soil ecosystem. Those ecosystems in turn support food production and, ultimately, human health, through the nutritional support they provide. More:

• Study: Pesticides harm soil invertebrates but EPA fails to recognize impact  –  EWG
• Pesticides and Soil Invertebrates: A Hazard Assessment (Research article)

• Healthy soils are the basis for healthy food production (Leaflet)  –  FAO
• Soil and Human Health, Current Status and Future Needs (Review article)

• Bees at Risk From Neonicotinoid Insecticides  –  EWG
• Neonic Pesticides: Banned in Europe, Common on U.S. Produce, Lethal to Bees  –  Environmental Working Group
• An assessment of acute insecticide toxicity loading (AITL) of chemical pesticides used on agricultural land in the United States (Research article)

• Land‐use intensity and the effects of organic farming on biodiversity: a hierarchical meta‐analysis (Research article)

If you applied sunscreen this morning, the chances are you are now wearing billions of microplastics. Just one bottle can contain up to 100tn intentionally added plastic particles—used to bind ingredients together, form a thin coating on the skin and make it waterproof—according to the Plastic Soup Foundation. Should you be lucky enough to be on a beach holiday right now, that may be an unavoidable fate.

• Are there trillions of microplastics in your sunscreen right now?  –  Vogue India
• The oil and chemical industry is lobbying against landmark global regulation of microplastic chemicals  –  Unearthed
• Microplastics in Cosmetics (Cell phone application)  –  Beat the Microbead

• About 80% of hand sanitizers & gels contain microplastics  –  Beat the Microbead
• Microplastics in your sunscreen can be more dangerous than you think  –  Beat the Microbead

• 100,000,000,000,000 plastic particles in one sunscreen  –  Plastic Soup Foundation
• EU microplastics ban set to make a growing problem worse  –  The European Environmental Bureau
• Microbeads in cosmetics  –  OECD

Progress is slowly being made, but environmental activists have long understood the direction we were heading in. Over the last few years, we’ve covered this topic extensively in hopes of raising awareness on plastic pollution and inspiring people to make more conscious choices. Here are 10 of our top articles on the topic to help you understand everything you need to know about plastic pollution. More:

• From Marine Animal Extinction to Ocean Pollutants: Everything You Need to Know About Plastic Pollution  –  One Green Planet

• More Than Just Trash: How Chemicals From Plastic Pollution Harm Us  –  One Green Planet
• Plastic ingestion by Flesh-footed Shearwaters (Puffinus carneipes): Implications for fledgling body condition and the accumulation of plastic-derived chemicals (Research abstract)

• Is it Really Worth the Convenience? 6 Ways Plastic is Harming Animals, the Planet and Us  –  One Green Planet
• 5 Realities About Plastic Pollution That Won’t Go Away Until We Do Something  –  One Green Planet
• These 5 Marine Animals Are Dying Because of Our Plastic Trash… Here’s How We Can Help  –  One Green Planet
• 5 Ways Plastic Pollution Impacts Animals on Land  –  One Green Planet
• Why We Need to Wake Up and Do Something to Tackle Plastic Pollution in the Oceans  –  One Green Planet
• 5 Documentaries That Will Make You Rethink Single-Use Plastics  –  One Green Planet
• 700 Marine Species Might Go Extinct Because of Plastic Pollution. Here Are 5 Ways You Can Help Starting Earth Day!  –  One Green Planet

• 10 Ways to Adopt a Zero Waste Lifestyle This Earth Day!  –  One Green Planet
• Ultimate Guide to a Zero-Waste Backpack or Purse!  –  One Green Planet
• 10 Life Hacks to Help You Cut Plastic Out of Your Life  –  One Green Planet
• 20 Switches to Get Plastic Out of Your Life!  –  One Green Planet
• Follow These 5 Tips and Live Waste-Free Nearly Every Day  –  One Green Planet
• 10 Simple Actions That Just Might Save Our World’s Oceans From Plastic  –  One Green Planet

Since EPA released its investigation, we have learned the disturbing fact that the fluorination of plastic is commonly used to treat hundreds of millions of polyethylene and polypropylene containers each year ranging from packaged food and consumer products that individuals buy to larger containers used by retailers such as restaurants to even larger drums used by manufacturers to store and transport fluids. More:

• Beyond paper: PFAS linked to common plastic packaging used for food, cosmetics, and much more  –  Environmental Defense Fund
• Beyond paper, part 2: PFAS intentionally used to make plastic food packaging  –  Environmental Defense Fund

• Overview on fluorination of HDPE container - Plastic fluorination process  –  packagingguruji
• Perfluorinated Carboxylic Acids in Directly Fluorinated High-Density Polyethylene Material (Research abstract)

• Per- and Polyfluoroalkyl Substances (PFAS) in Pesticide Packaging  –  US EPA
• EPA Takes Action to Investigate PFAS Contamination  –  US EPA
• Rinses from Selected Fluorinated and Non-Fluorinated HDPE Containers  –  US EPA

• What is an EVOH Barrier?  –  Gantrade
• New Kortrax Barrier Resin Uses Quoral Platform That Improve Oxygen Transfer Rate of HDPE Containers  –  Thomas

Human exposure to electronic waste is on the increase in Nigeria. This is because of the indiscriminate disposal and crude informal recycling methods in the country. This exposes children and women to the toxic constituents of electronic wastes. These are constantly set ablaze, releasing toxic fumes into the atmosphere and contaminating underground drinking water. More:

• Nigeria’s electronic waste is a public health problem and needs urgent attention  –  The Conversation
• Children and digital dumpsites: e-waste exposure and child health (Report)  –  WHO
• Nigeria has become an e-waste dumpsite for Europe, US and Asia  –  TRT World

• Environmental contamination and public health effects of electronic waste: an overview (Research abstract)
• Health consequences of exposure to e-waste: a systematic review (Research article)
• Perceived public health effects of occupational and residential exposure to electronic wastes in Lagos, Nigeria (Research abstract)
• Elevated Serum Pb, Ni, Cd, and Cr Levels and DNA Damage in Exfoliated Buccal Cells of Teenage Scavengers at a Major Electronic Waste Dumpsite in Lagos, Nigeria (Research abstract)

• Informal e-waste management in Lagos, Nigeria – socio-economic impacts and feasibility of international recycling co-operations  (Report)  –  UNEP SBC
• Hazardous Waste Management and Challenges in Nigeria (Research article)
• Import of Electronic Waste into Nigeria: the Imperative of a Regulatory Policy Shift in (Research article)

There’s more to microplastics in your sunscreens, and it’s called UV-328, also known as 2-(2H-benzotriazol-2-yl)-4,6-di-tert-pentylphenol. It is a chemical compound widely used as a UV filter in cosmetics and various other plastic products such as rubber & paint. It is a chemical that is very persistent and toxic and could have long-lasting harmful effects on aquatic life. More:

• Microplastics in your sunscreen can be more dangerous than you think  –  Beat the Microbead
• 72% of Sun Care products contain microplastics  –  Beat the Microbead
• Microplastics in Cosmetics (Cell phone application)  –  Beat the Microbead

• The oil and chemical industry is lobbying against landmark global regulation of microplastic chemicals  –  Unearthed
• Candidate List of substances of very high concern for Authorisation  –  ECHA
• Substance Name: 2-(2H-Benzotriazol-2- yl)-4,6-ditertpentylphenol (UV-328) (Support document)  –  ECHA

After any disaster, whether it’s a fire, flooding or chemical spillage, what happens to the large volumes of waste materials left behind? Can any of the materials be salvaged, restored or upcycled? More:

• Disaster recovery: Can the loop be closed on calamity?  –  Eco-Business
• Sustainable Environmental Solutions  –  Blue Planet
• Integrated Solid Waste Management  –  UNEP

The Clean Water Standards for PFAS Act would set deadlines for the Environmental Protection Agency to issue standards that polluters must meet before discharging PFAS waste into surface water or sending wastewater containing the chemicals to waste treatment plants. More:

• EWG applauds House for advancing bill to limit PFAS discharges into water  –  EWG
• Learn more about PFAS, the toxic nonstick chemicals in water  –  EWG
• Clean Water Act Effluent Limitations Guidelines and Standards for the Organic Chemicals, Plastics and Synthetic Fibers Point Source Category (Proposed Rule)  –  US Federal Register

We've heard this in our conversations with residents of PFAS-affected communities, and in their public talks—calls for medical screening to learn about potential effects on their own and their families' health. However, people exposed to PFAS often face significant hurdles in getting screened for health effects from the exposure. And that needs to change. More:

• Improved medical screening in PFAS-impacted communities to identify early disease  –  EHN
• The Science Panel Website  –  C8 Science Panel
• PFAS Exposure Information for patients and guidance for clinicians to inform patient and clinician decision making. For people in PFAS-impacted communities (Guidance document)  –  PFAS-REACH
• PFAS Exposure Information for patients and guidance for clinicians to inform patient and clinician decision making. For clinicians (Guidance document)  –  PFAS-REACH

Efforts to end plastic pollution with recycling could leave people and the environment laden with poisonous chemicals, a new study has found. The report assessed four recycling and plastic waste management techniques that are poised to become more common as countries try to reduce plastic pollution. It found the main solutions promoted by the plastic industry — recycling, incineration, and transforming plastic into fuel — will increase people's risk of exposure to a cocktail of toxic chemicals. More:

• Plastic recycling could be more dangerous than you think  –  Canada's National Observer
• Plastic Recycling Schemes Generate High Volumes of Hazardous Waste (Report)  –  IPEN

According to a report jointly conducted by Arnika, a Czech environmental non-governmental organization (NGO), and the International Pollutants Elimination Network (IPEN), a global network of environmental and public health organizations working for a toxics-free future, various toxic chemicals were found in free-range chicken eggs in the vicinity of plastic waste disposal sites and facilities. More:

• Plastic waste's poisonous journey through food chain  –  Anadolu Agency
• Plastic waste disposal leads to contamination of the food chain (Report)  –  International Pollutants Elimination Network

Trade groups are opposing the global regulation of toxic and persistent chemicals in microplastics, according to documents obtained by investigative journalists. The industry argued that there is still insufficient evidence to justify the incorporation of the plastic additive UV-328 into the Stockholm Convention, the UN’s global treaty on persistent organic pollutants (POPs) – chemicals which, once released, do not easily break down in nature. More:

• The oil and chemical industry is lobbying against landmark global regulation of microplastic chemicals  –  Unearthed
• Is this the end of plastic? United Nations considers groundbreaking global ban on key toxic chemical to turn the tide on pollution  –  Daily Mail Online
• Aquatic pollutants in oceans and fisheries  –  IPEN

• Synthetic musk compounds and benzotriazole ultraviolet stabilizers in breast milk: Occurrence, time–course variation and infant health risk (Research article)
• Occurrence of substituted diphenylamine antioxidants and benzotriazole UV stabilizers in Arctic seabirds and seals (Research article)
• Monitoring and environmental risk assessment of benzotriazole UV stabilizers in the sewage and coastal environment of Gran Canaria (Canary Islands, Spain) (Research article)
• Occurrence and concentrations of chemical additives in plastic fragments on a beach on the island of Kauai, Hawaii (Research article)

• Benzotriazole UV 328 and UV-P showed distinct antiandrogenic activity upon human CYP3A4-mediated biotransformation (Research article)

Toxic pollution is not an inevitable byproduct of prosperity. The choice between poisoning or poverty is a false one, writes the EEB’s Senior Policy Officer for Economic Transition Nick Meynen. The massive and growing ‘forever chemicals’ scandal marks the culmination and possible endpoint of the endless growth logic, not to mention the privatising of profit and the socialising of costs. More:

• The link between forever growth and Belgium's 'forever chemicals' scandal  –  META
• Talking industry accountability: Will the polluter pay?  –  META
• Flemish Government to pay 63 million euro to clear up PFOS pollution, 3M just 75,000 euro  –  VRT NWS
• High levels of PFOS in eggs of three bird species in the neighbourhood of a fluoro-chemical plant (Research article)

• Emerging chemical risks in Europe — ‘PFAS’  –  European Environment Agency
• Immunotoxicity Associated with Exposure to Perfluorooctanoic Acid (PFOA) or Perfluorooctane Sulfonate (PFOS)  –  US National Toxicology Program
• Menopause Comes Early With High PFAS Exposure  –  MedPage Today
• PFOA and PFOS Cause Lower Sperm Counts and Smaller Penises, Study finds  –  The Intercept

• What are your environmental rights?  –  UN Environment Programme

• From the wealth of nations to the health of nations  –  META
• How Europe can grow without growing  –  META
• From dough to doughnuts: Charting Europe's post-pandemic future  –  META
• Post-Growth Open Letter to EU institutions signed by over 200 scientists: “Europe, It’s Time to End the Growth Dependency”  –  Degrowth.org
• Wellbeing Economy Alliance  –  WEGo

Plastic is practical, cheap and incredibly popular. Every year, more than 350 million tons are produced worldwide. These plastics contain a huge variety of chemicals that may be released during their lifecycles—including substances that pose a significant risk to people and the environment. However, only a small proportion of the chemicals contained in plastic are publicly known or have been extensively studied. More:

• Worrying insights into the chemicals in plastics  –  Phys.org
• Bioplastics contain substances that are as toxic as those in ordinary plastics  –  Phys.org
• Complexity of plastics make it impossible to know which are dangerous  –  Phys.org
• Deep Dive into Plastic Monomers, Additives, and Processing Aids (Research article)
• Benchmarking the in Vitro Toxicity and Chemical Composition of Plastic Consumer Products (Research article)

A suite of harmful chemicals are added to plastic and food packaging to give them desirable traits, like grease resistance or flexibility. When they burn or break down, these chemicals contaminate the surrounding environment and animals living or feeding nearby. More:

• The plastics you throw away are poisoning the world's eggs  –  Canada's National Observer
• Plastic recycling could be more dangerous than you think  –  Canada's National Observer
• Toxic Chemicals in Plastic Waste Poisoning People in Africa, Asia, Central and Eastern Europe & Latin America (Report)  –  IPEN
• Plastic Recycling Schemes Generate High Volumes of Hazardous Waste (Report)  –  IPEN

The world’s soils are under tremendous pressure, damaged and poisoned by farming, mining, industrial, and urban pollution due to poor waste management. We are in trouble if this continues because the soils provide us with 95% of our food. Furthermore, they are the second-largest active store of carbon after the oceans and thus essential in combating climate change. More:

• UN Pollution Report Warns Soils Worldwide Are Under Severe Pressure  –  Intelligent Living
• (Report) - Global assessment of soil pollution  –  FAO and UNEP

Despite the potential and still largely unknown risks posed by PFAS – in part due to the huge number of different compounds involved – many 'forever chemicals' are still found in common products in use today. This includes cosmetics sold in North America, Europe and Asia, research has found. More:

• Potentially Harmful 'Forever Chemicals' Found to Be Widespread in US Cosmetics  –  ScienceAlert
• Collins, Blumenthal Introduce Bill to Ban PFAS Chemicals in Cosmetics  –  US Senator Susan Collins

• Fluorinated Compounds in North American Cosmetics (Research article)
• Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances and fluorine mass balance in cosmetic products from the Swedish market: implications for environmental emissions and human exposure (Research article)
• Occurrence of perfluorinated carboxylic acids (PFCAs) in personal care products and compounding agents (Research abstract)