Palm wine remains a much-loved local drink for many Ghanaians. It commands a very large constituency despite competition from local and foreign beverages. With or without adverts, lovers of “palmi”- young and old, know where to find the sweet, whitish smooth beverage enjoyed mostly in calabashes. However, the abuse of agro-chemicals in tapping the wine is gradually making its consumption unsafe. More:
Ghana Business News

It may seem harmless. There are bugs on a plant in a private garden and the owner sprays a pesticide on that one spot. But what happens if the chemicals get in the soil or a honeybee lands on the flower? More:
Metro Weast Daily News - USA

New lines of research suggest that chronic dietary exposure to POPs may also contribute to obesity and type 2 diabetes.2 In this issue of EHP, researchers examine how one POP in particular—2,3,7,8 tetrachlorodibenzofuran (TCDF)—affects the composition of the mouse gut microbiome.3 They report that TCDF exposure alters the gut microbiome in ways that may prove to contribute to obesity and other metabolic diseases. More:
Environmental Health Perspectives
POPs Modify Gut Microbiota–Host Metabolic Homeostasis in Mice (Research article)

Lots of chemicals are considered safe in low doses. But what happens when you ingest a little bit of a lot of different chemicals over time? In some cases, these combinations may conspire to increase your risk of cancer, according to a new report. More:
Los Angeles Times

A compound found in fruit could be the safe insect repellent of the future, according to a group of scientists from the University of California, Riverside in the US. More:
ChemistryWorld

A global taskforce of 174 scientists from leading research centers across 28 countries studied the link between mixtures of commonly encountered chemicals and the development of cancer. The study selected 85 chemicals not considered carcinogenic to humans and found 50 supported key cancer-related mechanisms at exposures found in the environment today. More:
ScienceDaily

In a review of various agricultural chemicals, IARC's specialist panel said it had decided to classify lindane as "carcinogenic to humans" in its Group 1 category, DDT as "probably carcinogenic to humans" in its Group 2A class, and the herbicide 2,4-D as "possibly carcinogenic to humans" in its Group 2B. More:
REUTERS
See also: Press Release - International Agency for Research on Cancer
                  Carcinogenicity of lindane, DDT, and 2,4-dichlorophenoxyacetic acid - The Lancet Oncology

A new study published Tuesday in the Journal of Clinical Endocrinology and Metabolism found a startling link between pregnant women exposed to DDT and the breast cancer risk to their daughters. More:
The Washington Post
See also: DDT Linked to Fourfold Increase in Breast Cancer Risk - National Geographic

Manufacturers use hundreds of substances to produce clothing that don’t show up on clothing labels. And many of these are hazardous to the environment and to human health. Chemicals of particular concern include highly fluorinated compounds used to make durable waterproof finishes, such as those on rain jackets.More:
Ensia

What do a pizza box, a polar bear and you have in common? - All carry a kind of industrial toxicant called poly- and perfluoroalkyl substances, or PFASs, that do two things: They make life convenient, and they also appear to increase the risk of cancer.
The New York Times

Study raises concern, but seats are still vital to small traveler safety - The very seats designed to provide safety for small children have been found to be at risk for containing toxic chemicals, according to an updated study by Healthystuff.org. More:
ConsumerReports.org
Hidden Passengers - Chemical Hazards in Children's Car Seats (Technical Report)

A Greenpeace report is one of an emerging body of research highlighting the possible link between the chemicals in sportswear and health risks. More:
The Guardian

Perfluorinated compounds (PFCs) pose significant environmental concerns due to their stability and bioaccumulation in humans and animals. Current methods for extraction and measurement of PFCs require relatively large volumes of blood samples, not suitable for frequent blood sampling and biomonitoring. A new microassay for analyzing PFCs in small volumes (less than five microliters) of blood has been developed. More:
Environmental Science and Technology

Despite cases of flaming laptops and recalls, opponents argue flame-retardant chemicals are being overused in electronics and may put health at risk. More:
The Guardian

USA - One of the few shining stars of the nation’s economy, the $812-billion chemistry business, is working with Congress to pass a law that would actually give the federal government more authority to regulate chemicals. An industry that has spent the past 40 or so years operating under a loosely defined “chemical regulatory system” in the U.S. Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA) has decided it’s time to bring U.S. chemical regulations into the 21st century. More:
The Philadelphia Tribune - USA

In recent decades, many common migratory songbirds have declined in population. Several factors could explain this drop-off, including habitat loss, climate change, feline predators, and wind turbines. But a new study finds that polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), toxic industrial pollutants, may share some of the blame by affecting birds’ ability to migrate. More:
Chemical and Engineering News

If you closely examine your living room couch, your favorite easy chair or your child’s car seat, the odds are strong that you will find upholstery that is filled with polyurethane foam treated with a chemical flame retardant. More:
The New York Times

Scientists and other professionals from a variety of disciplines express their concern about the production and release into the environment of an increasing number of poly- and perfluoroalkyl substances (PFASs). More:
Environmental Health Perspectives 
See also: Fluorotechnology is critical to modern life: the FluoroCouncil counterpoint to the Madrid statement
                  Alternatives to PFASs: Perspectives on the Science

Chemicals used to make products waterproof and stain resistant are persistent, pervasive, potentially harmful to humans, and should be regulated and largely replaced, according a statement signed by more than 200 scientists. More:
Environmental Health News

A Cooper's hawk discovered near a waste transfer station in greater Vancouver, Canada, is believed to be the most polluted wild bird ever discovered. In fact, it was so contaminated with flame retardant chemicals that it was "flameproof", according to a McGill University news release. Publishing in the journal Science of the Total Environment, the researchers compared levels of PBDEs in the liver fat of 13 birds of prey across Vancouver. More:
www.sciencealert.com