Consumer products are important sources of exposure to harmful chemicals. Product composition is often a mystery to users, however, due to gaps in the laws governing ingredient disclosure. Volatile organic chemicals (VOCs) are a widely used class of chemicals that can detach from or are emitted from surfaces or products. Many pose health risks and are carcinogenic, or bond with other chemicals to form air pollution. More:

• Common US consumer products release toxic compounds, new research shows  –  The Guardian
• Identifying Toxic Consumer Products: A Novel Data Set Reveals Air Emissions of Potent Carcinogens, Reproductive Toxicants, and Developmental Toxicants (download PDF) (Research article) 

Adam Nordell and his wife Johanna bought a farm in Maine back in 2014 with the hopes of raising organic produce and a family. Seven years later, they learned their land was riddled with chemicals called PFAS, a family of thousands of toxic compounds known as "forever chemicals" because of how long they last in the environment. More:

• Toxic "forever chemicals" found in U.S. farmland soil  –  CBS News

• EWG: ‘Forever chemicals’ may taint nearly 20 million cropland acres  –  EWG
• Songbird Farm PFAS Statement  –  Songbird Farm

• Freshwater fish contaminated with toxic "forever chemicals" found in nearly every state  –  CBS News

• Relief for Farmers Hit with PFAS Act  –  US Congress

A grassroots environmental organization in the Cape Fear River basin of coastal North Carolina wants the United Nations to intervene in a decades-long pollution fight and declare its ongoing PFAS pollution a human rights violation. More:

• Is PFAS pollution a human rights violation? These activists say yes.  –  Grist

• What are PFAS?  –  EHN
• Letter to the U.N. Human Rights Commission (download PDF) (Report)  –  Clean Cape Fear and U.C. Berkeley Environmental Law Clinic

• Cancer fears plague residents of US region polluted by ‘forever chemicals’  –  The Guardian
• The GenX water crisis began 4 years ago. Here's a recap of the key moments so far  –  StarNews

• US to limit PFAS 'forever chemicals' in drinking water  –  BBC News
• Chemours submits modifications to air emissions permit in preparation for expansion  –  Port City Daily

Eighteen kinds of soft contact lenses have detectable levels of organic fluorine, an indicator of the group of chemicals known as PFAS, according to a new report. An environmental wellness blog and community had contact lenses tested by a U.S.-Environmental-Protection-Agency-certified lab and found levels of organic fluorine ranging from 105 parts per million, or ppm, to 20,700 ppm. More:

• Are you putting PFAS on your eyeballs?  –  EHN
• Indications of PFAS "Forever Chemicals" in Contact Lenses – Report  –  Mamavation

• What are PFAS?  –  EHN
• Are Fluoropolymers Really of Low Concern for Human and Environmental Health and Separate from Other PFAS? (download PDF) (Research article)

• Evidence of PFAS in organic pasta sauces  –  EHN

• Investigation: PFAS on our shelves and in our bodies  –  EHN
• Tests find PFAS abundant in some dental floss  –  EHN
• Evidence of PFAS found in tampons — including organic brands  –  EHN
• Evidence of PFAS chemicals in sports bras  –  EHN

Caroline Nowlan has spent a decade working on a machine that she's only seen once, through a window. And that's probably all she's going to get, now that TEMPO is 35,000 kilometres above the surface of the Earth. TEMPO is the first pollution-measuring instrument that could scan North America hourly. More:

• She's watching a pollution-measuring machine that could reveal surprises from 35,000 km away  –  CBC News

The study took a novel approach to a frustrating conundrum many adults have experienced at some point: Pounds that slowly creep back on after successful weight loss and despite faithful adherence to a healthier diet. More:

• PFAS has more effect than type of diet on weight gain: Study  –  EHN

• What are PFAS?  –  EHN

• Weight loss relapse associated with exposure to perfluorinated alkylate substances (download PDF) (Research article)
• Another potential PFAS problem: Weight gain  –  EHN
• Obesogens: Chemicals that cause weight gain  –  EHN

States and cities are replacing lead pipes to address concerns over lead-contaminated drinking water, an urgent health threat. But environmental advocates are concerned that a popular alternative piping material could pose its own dangers. More:

• As states replace lead pipes, plastic alternatives could bring new risks  –  Grist

• Causes and Effects of Lead in Water  –  NRDC
• Lead Poisoning in Flint, Michigan (Report) (download PDF)  –  National Partnership for Women & Families
• Lead-Laced Water In Flint: A Step-By-Step Look At The Makings Of A Crisis  –  NPR

• REPORT: The Perils of PVC Plastic Pipes (Report) (download PDF)  –  Beyond Plastics
• Vinyl Chloride (Report) (download PDF)  –  US ATSDR
• In a growing petrochemical hub, the East Palestine derailment triggers ‘an uneasy feeling’  –  Grist
• The Ohio train derailment underscores the dangers of the plastics boom  –  Grist

• Overview of the Pathophysiological Implications of Organotins on the Endocrine System (download PDF) (Research article)

Compostable packaging is popular for environmental reasons, but it can be treated with ‘forever chemicals’ linked to health problems. More:

• Toxic PFAS chemicals used in packaging can end up in food, study finds  –  The Guardian
• The Packaging Industry Takes on PFAS ‘Forever Chemicals’ in our Food Supply  –  Civil Eats
• Per- and Polyfluoroalkyl Substances in Canadian Fast Food Packaging (download PDF) (Research article)

Canadian researchers said they have developed a method to filter toxic “forever chemicals” from water and potentially destroy the long-lasting compounds permanently. More:

• New tech could one day scrub ‘forever chemicals’ from your tap water  –  The Washington Post

• Our Current Understanding of the Human Health and Environmental Risks of PFAS  –  US EPA

• EPA proposes rules to limit ‘forever chemicals’ in drinking water  –  The Washington Post
• Reducing PFAS in Drinking Water with Treatment Technologies  –  US EPA

• New UBC water treatment zaps ‘forever chemicals’ for good  –  The University of British Columbia
• PFOA and PFOS removal by ion exchange for water reuse and drinking applications: role of organic matter characteristics (Research abstract)
• Removal of Zwitterionic PFAS by MXenes: Comparisons with Anionic, Nonionic, and PFAS-Specific Resins (Research abstract)
• PFAS and DOM removal using an organic scavenger and PFAS-specific resin: Trade-off between regeneration and faster kinetics (Research abstract)
• Fluence-based photo-reductive decomposition of PFAS using vacuum UV (VUV) irradiation: Effects of key parameters and decomposition mechanism (Research abstract)
• Electrochemical degradation of PFOA and its common alternatives: Assessment of key parameters, roles of active species, and transformation pathway (Research abstract)

Since Tupperware, the iconic kitchen brand that’s been a household name for decades, signaled recently that it might be going out of business, you might be wondering how long your stash of its food storage containers is safe to use — especially if it’s vintage. Figuring out the answer to that question for any type of reusable plastic food storage products — not just Tupperware — often comes down to understanding what they’re made of. More:

• How long you can use your vintage Tupperware and other plastic food storage products  –  CNN
• Bisphenol A (BPA)  –  US NIH

Here’s the bad news: Forever chemicals are everywhere. These toxic compounds, known as per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), are often used in goods that resist water and grease like packaged foods, cookware, furniture, and outdoor apparel. More:

• Forever Chemicals Are Everywhere. Here’s How to Limit Your Exposure.  –  NYT Wirecutter

• Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS)  –  US CDC
• PFAS in the U.S. Population  –  US ATSDR

• Multi-Industry Per- and Polyfluoroalkyl Substances (PFAS) Study – 2021 Preliminary Report (download PDF) (Report)  –  US EPA

• Wildlife warning: More than 330 species contaminated with ‘forever chemicals’  –  EWG
• Alarming levels of PFAS in Norwegian Arctic ice pose new risk to wildlife  –  The Guardian

• The bowls at Chipotle and Sweetgreen are supposed to be compostable. They contain cancer-linked “forever chemicals.” (Report) (download PDF)  –  The Counter
• Chemical giants hid dangers of ‘forever chemicals’ in food packaging  –  The Guardian
• FDA Announces the Voluntary Phase-Out by Industry of Certain PFAS Used in Food Packaging  –  US FDA
• Authorized Uses of PFAS in Food Contact Applications  –  US FDA

• What to Know About PFAS in Thinx and Other Period Underwear (download PDF) (Report)  –  The New York Times

• What are the health effects of PFAS? (Report) (download PDF)  –  US ATSDR
• Serum Half-Lives for Short- and Long-Chain Perfluoroalkyl Acids after Ceasing Exposure from Drinking Water Contaminated by Firefighting Foam (download PDF) (Research article)
• Internal exposure-based pharmacokinetic evaluation of potential for biopersistence of 6:2 fluorotelomer alcohol (FTOH) and its metabolites (Research abstract)

• Risk Management for Per- and Polyfluoroalkyl Substances (PFAS) under TSCA  –  US EPA
• Designation of Perfluorooctanoic Acid (PFOA) and Perfluorooctanesulfonic Acid (PFOS) as CERCLA Hazardous Substances  –  US Federal Register

Around 15 million people across the globe are working at artisanal and small-scale gold mining sites, nearly a third of them women and children. Instead of operating advanced equipment supplied by formal mining companies subject to government oversight, they use basic tools, bulldozers and unregulated chemicals. More:

• International mercury regulations fail to protect the environment, public health: study  –  Mongabay

• Quantifying mercury use in artisanal and small-scale gold mining for the Minamata Convention on Mercury's national action plans: Approaches and policy implications (download PDF) (Research article)
• About 72% of gold miners poisoned with mercury at artisanal mining sites in Cameroon  –  Mongabay
• At 30, Brazil’s Yanomami reserve is beset by mining, malaria and mercury  –  Mongabay

Scientists from the University of Toronto have detected cancer-causing chemicals called short-chain chlorinated paraffins (SCCPs) in over 87 per cent of products tested, despite the toxins being banned in Canada for a decade now. More:

• Illegal, cancer-causing chemicals detected in Canadian toys and electronics, new U of T study finds  –  Toronto Star

• The environmental distribution and toxicity of short-chain chlorinated paraffins and underlying mechanisms: Implications for further toxicological investigation (Research abstract)
• Spatial and Temporal Trends in Short-Chain Chlorinated Paraffins in Lake Ontario Sediments (Research abstract)
• Distribution of Short Chain Chlorinated Paraffins in Marine Sediments of the East China Sea: Influencing Factors, Transport and Implications (Research abstract)

• Widespread presence of chlorinated paraffins in consumer products (download PDF) (Research article) 
• Short-chain and medium-chain chlorinated paraffins in Canadian house dust and NIST SRM 2585 (Research abstract)
• Risk assessment of chlorinated paraffins in feed and food (download PDF) (Research article) 

• Evaluating age and temporal trends of chlorinated paraffins in pooled serum collected from males in Australia between 2004 and 2015 (Research article) (download PDF)
• Health risks posed to infants in rural China by exposure to short- and medium-chain chlorinated paraffins in breast milk (Research abstract)
• High-Throughput Determination and Characterization of Short-, Medium-, and Long-Chain Chlorinated Paraffins in Human Blood (Research abstract)

While PFAS has become a predominant environmental health concern, they are not the only class of forever chemicals that pose a health risk. Rather, they belong to a diverse group of chemicals that share the property of being remarkably stable in the environment. Other persistent organic pollutants (POPs), which is the scientific term for forever chemicals, include polychlorinated biphenylsl (PCBs), dioxins and organochlorine pesticides like DDT. More:

• PFAS: The “New” Forever Chemicals  –  UC Davis
• PFAS The 'New' Forever Chemicals (download PDF)  –  UC Davis

Women with higher levels of so-called “forever chemicals” in their blood have a 40% lower chance of becoming pregnant within a year of trying to conceive, according to the first known study on the effect of PFAS on female fertility. More:

• ‘Forever chemicals’ linked to infertility in women, study shows  –  The Guardian

• Revealed: scale of ‘forever chemical’ pollution across UK and Europe  –  The Guardian

• Study links in utero ‘forever chemical’ exposure to low sperm count and mobility  –  The Guardian
• The effects of perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances on female fertility: A systematic review and meta-analysis (Research abstract)
• Exposure to perfluoroalkyl substances and women's fertility outcomes in a Singaporean population-based preconception cohort (Research abstract)
• ‘Forever chemicals’ detected in all umbilical cord blood in 40 studies  –  The Guardian

• Biden EPA Praised for 'Historic Progress' But Pressured to Ban Forever Chemicals  –  Common dreams
• ECHA publishes PFAS restriction proposal  –  ECHA

• Canada: scientists discover new method to break down toxic ‘forever chemicals’  –  The Guardian
• Electrochemical degradation of PFOA and its common alternatives: Assessment of key parameters, roles of active species, and transformation pathway (Research abstract)

In response to a 2017 request by the UN Environment Assembly (UNEA), the UN Environment Programme (UNEP), in collaboration with the World Health Organization (WHO) and the Food and Agriculture Organization of the UN (FAO), produced a report on the adverse impacts of pesticides and fertilizers and what can be done to minimize them. More:

• UN Report Details Actions to Minimize Negative Impacts of Pesticides  –  IISD
• Synthesis Report on the Environmental and Health Impacts of Pesticides and Fertilizers and Ways to Minimize Them: Envisioning a Chemical-safe World (download PDF) (Report)  –  UNEP

Some furniture fabrics are coated with questionable PFAS compounds – often called 'forever chemicals' – to repel stains, but a new study suggests they may not even do the job they're supposed to. More:

• 'Forever Chemicals' Used in Furniture May Not Help Fabrics Resist Stains  –  U.S. News
• Evaluating the Performance of Per- and Polyfluoroalkyl Substance Finishes on Upholstery Fabrics (download PDF) (Research article)

• Per- and Polyfluorinated Substances (PFAS) Factsheet  –  US CDC

Chemicals that were banned after they punched a hole in Earth’s ozone layer are still building up at an alarming rate in our atmosphere, according to research published today in the journal Nature Geoscience. The chemicals were once widely used in air conditioning and refrigeration but were supposed to be phased out globally by 2010. More:

• Chemicals banned from air conditioners and refrigerators are making a comeback — and scientists don’t know why  –  The Verge

• Ozone-Depleting Substances  –  US EPA
• Earth’s ozone layer is on the mend  –  The Verge
• Global increase of ozone-depleting chlorofluorocarbons from 2010 to 2020 (download PDF) (Research article)

• Frequently asked questions relating to the Kigali Amendment to the Montreal Protocol (download PDF)  –  UNEP
• What to expect from the EPA’s new rules affecting air conditioners and refrigerators  –  The Verge

You may not be able to see PFAS molecules around you, but they are ubiquitous: in our food, leaching into our water supplies, and in our blood. The class of water-resistant compounds used to make raincoats waterproof and nonstick pans stick-proof are also known as "forever chemicals," so named because they do not naturally break down in the environment (or in our bloodstream). More:

• Your microwave popcorn bags are full of harmful "forever chemicals"  –  Salon
• Per- and Polyfluoroalkyl Substances in Canadian Fast Food Packaging (Research article)

• Stray pollutants in fast food and microwave popcorn could be affecting pregnancies  –  Salon
• Male fetuses, bathed in forever chemicals, have lower sperm counts as adults: study  –  Salon
• "Forever chemicals" linked to high blood pressure, study finds  –  Salon
• "Forever chemicals" in non-stick pans are in your body right now — and may be affecting your liver  –  Salon

As plastic littering in the environment is of great concern, the effects of littered biobased biodegradable plastics in aquatic habitats may be amplified by their capacity to interact with mercury (Hg). This study sought to understand better how ultraviolet (UV) ageing affects biobased polymers in water, and whether the amount of mercury that can attach to these polymers increases as a result. More:

• Biobased biodegradable polymers may amplify absorption of mercury from the marine environment  –  European Commission
• Influence of UV degradation of bioplastics on the amplification of mercury bioavailability in aquatic environments (Research article)