POPs in the news

Businesses discharging PFAS into Michigan's waterways

29/11/2018 -
An investigation found that manufacturing sources are sending one version of the "forever chemicals" PFAS at up to 20,000 times the allowed amount into wastewater systems that discharge it into the state's lakes, rivers and, ultimately, threatening drinking water supplies for millions of people. More:

Businesses discharging PFAS into Michigan's waterways

An investigation found that manufacturing sources are sending one version of the "forever chemicals" PFAS at up to 20,000 times the allowed amount into wastewater systems that discharge it into the state's lakes, rivers and, ultimately, threatening drinking water supplies for millions of people. More:

The Insect Apocalypse Is Here

27/11/2018 -
Trillions of bugs flitting from flower to flower pollinate some three-quarters of our food crops, a service worth as much as $500 billion every year. By eating and being eaten, insects turn plants into protein and power the growth of uncountable species — including freshwater fish and a majority of birds — that rely on them for food, and the creatures that eat those creatures. More:

The Insect Apocalypse Is Here

Trillions of bugs flitting from flower to flower pollinate some three-quarters of our food crops, a service worth as much as $500 billion every year. By eating and being eaten, insects turn plants into protein and power the growth of uncountable species — including freshwater fish and a majority of birds — that rely on them for food, and the creatures that eat those creatures. More:

Hundreds of thousands of Pennsylvanians have been exposed to dangerous PFAS chemicals, including around Pittsburgh’s airport

27/11/2018 -

The contamination is from a class of chemicals referred to as PFAS (perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances). The chemicals have gotten into water supplies in hundreds of locations across the country and are associated with a range of cancers and serious illnesses in humans, even if they've been exposed to very small amounts. More:


Hundreds of thousands of Pennsylvanians have been exposed to dangerous PFAS chemicals, including around Pittsburgh’s airport

The contamination is from a class of chemicals referred to as PFAS (perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances). The chemicals have gotten into water supplies in hundreds of locations across the country and are associated with a range of cancers and serious illnesses in humans, even if they've been exposed to very small amounts. More:

Chemicals on our food: When “safe” may not really be safe

27/11/2018 -
Weed killers in wheat crackers and cereals, insecticides in apple juice and a mix of multiple pesticides in spinach, string beans and other veggies – all are part of the daily diets of many Americans. For decades, federal officials have declared tiny traces of these contaminants to be safe. But a new wave of scientific scrutiny is challenging those assertions. More:

Chemicals on our food: When “safe” may not really be safe

Weed killers in wheat crackers and cereals, insecticides in apple juice and a mix of multiple pesticides in spinach, string beans and other veggies – all are part of the daily diets of many Americans. For decades, federal officials have declared tiny traces of these contaminants to be safe. But a new wave of scientific scrutiny is challenging those assertions. More:

Is a New Toxic Danger Threatening California?

19/11/2018 -
PFAS compounds are found in clothing, carpeting, furniture, food packaging, non-stick cooking products and fire-fighting foams. They’ve been linked in humans to cancers and hormonal disruption, as well as developmental, reproductive and immune system problems. More:

Is a New Toxic Danger Threatening California?

PFAS compounds are found in clothing, carpeting, furniture, food packaging, non-stick cooking products and fire-fighting foams. They’ve been linked in humans to cancers and hormonal disruption, as well as developmental, reproductive and immune system problems. More:

Leading researchers call for a ban on widely used insecticides

09/11/2018 - Public health experts have found there is sufficient evidence that prenatal exposure to widely used insecticides known as organophosphates puts children at risk for neurodevelopmental disorders. In a scientific review and call to action, the researchers call for immediate government intervention to phase out all organophosphates. More:

Leading researchers call for a ban on widely used insecticides

Public health experts have found there is sufficient evidence that prenatal exposure to widely used insecticides known as organophosphates puts children at risk for neurodevelopmental disorders. In a scientific review and call to action, the researchers call for immediate government intervention to phase out all organophosphates. More:

PFAS What You Need to Know

08/11/2018 -
Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) are a group of man-made chemicals that includes PFOA, PFOS, GenX, and many other chemicals. PFAS have been manufactured and used in a variety of industries around the globe since the 1940s. PFOA and PFOS have been the most extensively produced and studied of these chemicals. Both chemicals are very persistent in the environment and in the human body – meaning they don’t break down and they can accumulate over time. More:

PFAS What You Need to Know

Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) are a group of man-made chemicals that includes PFOA, PFOS, GenX, and many other chemicals. PFAS have been manufactured and used in a variety of industries around the globe since the 1940s. PFOA and PFOS have been the most extensively produced and studied of these chemicals. Both chemicals are very persistent in the environment and in the human body – meaning they don’t break down and they can accumulate over time. More:

Dirt rich: Healthy soil movement gains ground in farm country

08/11/2018 -

Regenerative agriculture, the approach to farming built around four basic rules: Never till the soil; use cover crops so soil is never bare; grow a more diverse mix of plants and graze livestock on fields after harvest or before planting. The movement developed amid concerns that traditional farming is mining the soil, which leads to poor soil health, reduced biodiversity and overuse of insecticides on crops. More:


Dirt rich: Healthy soil movement gains ground in farm country

Regenerative agriculture, the approach to farming built around four basic rules: Never till the soil; use cover crops so soil is never bare; grow a more diverse mix of plants and graze livestock on fields after harvest or before planting. The movement developed amid concerns that traditional farming is mining the soil, which leads to poor soil health, reduced biodiversity and overuse of insecticides on crops. More:

Regulation of foam's toxic chemicals a moving target

05/11/2018 -

A federal health organization was set to publish a study earlier this year that would cast serious doubt on levels of per-and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) the Environmental Protection Agency deems safe in drinking water. More:


Regulation of foam's toxic chemicals a moving target

A federal health organization was set to publish a study earlier this year that would cast serious doubt on levels of per-and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) the Environmental Protection Agency deems safe in drinking water. More:

Childhood exposure to contaminants varies by country and compound

30/10/2018 -

The levels of 45 environmental contaminants were measured in samples from 1 300 mother-child pairs in Greece, Spain, France, Lithuania, UK and Norway, as part of the HELIX Study. Most of the contaminants were found in almost all the participants, but less than one per cent of the samples had levels that exceeded current thresholds for increased risk of adverse health effects. For mercury and two perfluoroalkyl substances (PFOS and PFOA), many of the participants had concentrations that exceeded the threshold for which a reduction in exposure is recommended. More:


Childhood exposure to contaminants varies by country and compound

The levels of 45 environmental contaminants were measured in samples from 1 300 mother-child pairs in Greece, Spain, France, Lithuania, UK and Norway, as part of the HELIX Study. Most of the contaminants were found in almost all the participants, but less than one per cent of the samples had levels that exceeded current thresholds for increased risk of adverse health effects. For mercury and two perfluoroalkyl substances (PFOS and PFOA), many of the participants had concentrations that exceeded the threshold for which a reduction in exposure is recommended. More:

The Teflon Toxin Part 19: EPA continues to approve toxic PFAS chemicals despite widespread contamination

25/10/2018 -
Such chemicals, like PFOA and PFOS, have been associated with cancers, hormonal disruption, obesity, and immune and reproductive problems. In all, 203 PFAS have been made in or imported to the U.S. in large quantities since 1986, when the first CDR was published, according to EPA data. More:

The Teflon Toxin Part 19: EPA continues to approve toxic PFAS chemicals despite widespread contamination

Such chemicals, like PFOA and PFOS, have been associated with cancers, hormonal disruption, obesity, and immune and reproductive problems. In all, 203 PFAS have been made in or imported to the U.S. in large quantities since 1986, when the first CDR was published, according to EPA data. More:

Dieldrin dilemma: How dated science and fish-eating advisories may be putting brains at risk

22/10/2018 -
Dieldrin, a long-banned pesticide lingers in fish across the US. Its toxic effects on the brain have never been incorporated into fish consumption advisories. More:

Dieldrin dilemma: How dated science and fish-eating advisories may be putting brains at risk

Dieldrin, a long-banned pesticide lingers in fish across the US. Its toxic effects on the brain have never been incorporated into fish consumption advisories. More:

Arctic wildlife remains at risk from contaminants, says a Arctic Council report

11/10/2018 -
The Arctic Monitoring and Assessment Programme report says levels of mercury, and polychlorinated biphenyls, or PCBs, remain “a significant exposure concern” for Arctic wildlife, including polar bears, killer whales, pilot whales, seals, and various seabirds, shorebirds and birds of prey. More:

Arctic wildlife remains at risk from contaminants, says a Arctic Council report

The Arctic Monitoring and Assessment Programme report says levels of mercury, and polychlorinated biphenyls, or PCBs, remain “a significant exposure concern” for Arctic wildlife, including polar bears, killer whales, pilot whales, seals, and various seabirds, shorebirds and birds of prey. More:

Nationwide class action lawsuit targets Dupont, Chemours, 3M, and other makers of PFAS chemicals

06/10/2018 -

A class action lawsuit against 3M, DuPont, and Chemours was filed this week on behalf of everyone in the United States who has been exposed to PFAS chemicals. The suit was brought by Kevin Hardwick, an Ohio firefighter, but “seeks relief on behalf of a nationwide class of everyone in the United States who has a detectable level of PFAS chemicals in their blood.” More:


Nationwide class action lawsuit targets Dupont, Chemours, 3M, and other makers of PFAS chemicals

A class action lawsuit against 3M, DuPont, and Chemours was filed this week on behalf of everyone in the United States who has been exposed to PFAS chemicals. The suit was brought by Kevin Hardwick, an Ohio firefighter, but “seeks relief on behalf of a nationwide class of everyone in the United States who has a detectable level of PFAS chemicals in their blood.” More:

Orca 'apocalypse': half of killer whales doomed to die from pollution

27/09/2018 -

At least half of the world’s killer whale populations are doomed to extinction due to toxic and persistent pollution of the oceans, according to a major new study. Although the poisonous chemicals, PCBs, have been banned for decades, they are still leaking into the seas. They become concentrated up the food chain; as a result, killer whales, the top predators, are the most contaminated animals on the planet. Worse, their fat-rich milk passes on very high doses to their newborn calves. More:


Orca 'apocalypse': half of killer whales doomed to die from pollution

At least half of the world’s killer whale populations are doomed to extinction due to toxic and persistent pollution of the oceans, according to a major new study. Although the poisonous chemicals, PCBs, have been banned for decades, they are still leaking into the seas. They become concentrated up the food chain; as a result, killer whales, the top predators, are the most contaminated animals on the planet. Worse, their fat-rich milk passes on very high doses to their newborn calves. More:

U.S. agency struggling with organohalogen flame retardants in consumer products

23/09/2018 -
From laptop computers to babies’ high chairs, hundreds of everyday household goods contain chemicals intentionally added to prevent or slow the items from igniting. These compounds can end up in a home’s dust and ingested by children and adults. More:

U.S. agency struggling with organohalogen flame retardants in consumer products

From laptop computers to babies’ high chairs, hundreds of everyday household goods contain chemicals intentionally added to prevent or slow the items from igniting. These compounds can end up in a home’s dust and ingested by children and adults. More:

San Francisco Bans Fluorinated Chemicals in Foodservice Ware and More

20/09/2018 -
San Francisco has banned of the sale of food service ware: that contains fluorinated chemicals, is made from polystyrene foam, and that is not either compostable or recyclable. The polystyrene foam ban takes effect on January 1, 2019, while the other bans become effective on January 1, 2020. More:

San Francisco Bans Fluorinated Chemicals in Foodservice Ware and More

San Francisco has banned of the sale of food service ware: that contains fluorinated chemicals, is made from polystyrene foam, and that is not either compostable or recyclable. The polystyrene foam ban takes effect on January 1, 2019, while the other bans become effective on January 1, 2020. More:

Study examines harmful effects of some food additives on children

20/09/2018 -

There are more than 10,000 chemicals allowed to be added to our food. Some of them are harmless; some we don’t know the effects of, and others have been studied and show they can cause serious health risks to children and adults. A report looks into the effects of additives like food coloring, nitrates, nitrites and BPAs, among other things, and their effect on health. More:


Study examines harmful effects of some food additives on children

There are more than 10,000 chemicals allowed to be added to our food. Some of them are harmless; some we don’t know the effects of, and others have been studied and show they can cause serious health risks to children and adults. A report looks into the effects of additives like food coloring, nitrates, nitrites and BPAs, among other things, and their effect on health. More:

The DDT of this generation is contaminating water all over the US and Australia

07/09/2018 -

On September 6, 2018, a US House of Representatives hearing convened to ask why federal authorities haven’t regulated PFAS, a little-known class of chemicals that has sparked one of the biggest drinking-water contamination revelations in recent decades. More:


The DDT of this generation is contaminating water all over the US and Australia

On September 6, 2018, a US House of Representatives hearing convened to ask why federal authorities haven’t regulated PFAS, a little-known class of chemicals that has sparked one of the biggest drinking-water contamination revelations in recent decades. More:

Removing Toxic Fluorinated Chemicals From Your Home’s Tap Water

06/09/2018 -

The family of fluorinated compounds known as PFAS chemicals includes more than 4,700 chemicals—some linked to cancer, thyroid disease, weakened immunity and developmental defects, and others whose health effects are unknown. Drinking water is one of the most common sources of exposure. Based on information from state health agencies, testing labs, scientific researchers and water filter companies, the most effective choice for in-home treatment of PFAS-tainted tap water is a reverse osmosis filter, followed by an activated carbon filter. More:


Removing Toxic Fluorinated Chemicals From Your Home’s Tap Water

The family of fluorinated compounds known as PFAS chemicals includes more than 4,700 chemicals—some linked to cancer, thyroid disease, weakened immunity and developmental defects, and others whose health effects are unknown. Drinking water is one of the most common sources of exposure. Based on information from state health agencies, testing labs, scientific researchers and water filter companies, the most effective choice for in-home treatment of PFAS-tainted tap water is a reverse osmosis filter, followed by an activated carbon filter. More:

Page 51 of 79First   Previous   46  47  48  49  50  [51]  52  53  54  55  Next   Last   

DISCLAIMERS

This publication may contain advice, opinions and statements of various information and content providers, and in particular extracts from electronic journals, newspapers and magazines or from other materials (hereinafter the “materials”), about the Stockholm Convention (SC) on Persistent Organic Pollutants (POPS). Please note that the views expressed in these materials are the views of their authors and do not necessarily reflect the views nor carry the endorsement of the Secretariat of the Stockholm Convention (SSC), of the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) or of the United Nations (UN). Therefore, SSC, UNEP or the UN shall not be responsible for the accuracy or reliability, or completeness of any advice, opinion, statement or other information provided by any information provider, or by any other person or entity, in the contents of these materials. Reliance upon any such advice, opinion, statement, or other information, shall also be at the User's own risk. Neither SSC/UNEP/the UN, nor their respective affiliates, agents, employees, information providers or content providers, shall be liable to any User or anyone else for any inaccuracy, error, omission, interruption, deletion, defect, alteration of or use of any content herein, or for its timeliness or completeness, nor shall they be liable for any failure of performance, computer virus or communication line failure, regardless of cause, or for any damages resulting therefrom. SSC/UNEP/the UN shall not be liable for any loss or damage that may be occasioned, directly or indirectly, through the use of, or reliance on, the contents of these materials. 

The designations employed and the presentation of the materials in this publication do not imply the expression of any opinion whatsoever on the part of SSC, UNEP or the UN, concerning the geo-political situations or the legal status of any country, territory, or city or area or their authorities, or concerning the delimitation of their frontiers or boundaries. 

Mention of the names of companies and of commercial products does not imply their endorsement by the UN, UNEP, and by the BRS Conventions’ Secretariats.

For more information please consult the Terms of Use of the Stockholm Convention website.