The so-called risk-based approach to harmful chemicals is a fundamental idea upon which the chemical industry rests. Advocates of this approach argue that as long as you limit exposure to a hazardous chemical, it doesn’t pose a problem. Most chemical legislations worldwide follow this principle; that’s why there are hundreds of thousands of chemicals with unknown effects in circulation and thousands that we know are detrimental to human health and the environment. More:

• 3M argues against the risk-based approach in court  –  ChemSec
• 3M reaches tentative $10 billion pollution settlement with US cities, Bloomberg reports  –  Reuters
• 3M Company's Answer and Affirmative Defenses (download PDF) (Judicial document)  –  U.S. District Court South Carolina

Bisphenyl A (BPA) is used to make plastics and can come into our bodies through ingestion, inhalation, or touch. Though research shows BPA is mostly broken down and disposed of by our bodies in a matter of hours, it can potentially be harmful, especially over years of exposure. More:

• What BPA can do to our bodies—and how to limit your exposure  –  National Geographic

• Endocrine Disruptors from Scientific Evidence to Human Health Protection (Study) (download PDF)  –  European Parliament
• Hormones and Endocrine-Disrupting Chemicals: Low-Dose Effects and Nonmonotonic Dose Responses (Research article)

• The adverse health effects of bisphenol A and related toxicity mechanisms (Research article)
• Bisphenol A and Risk of Metabolic Disorders (Research abstract)
• Developmental Bisphenol A Exposure Modulates Immune-Related Diseases (Research article)
• Bisphenols and Thyroid Hormone (Research article)
• Carcinogenic effects of bisphenol A in breast and ovarian cancers (Review)

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Environmental Protection Agency is warning that two nonstick and stain-resistant compounds found in drinking water are more dangerous than previously thought — and pose health risks even at levels so low they cannot currently be detected. More:

• EPA says ‘forever chemicals’ pose a health risk even at very low levels  –  PBS
• Why PFAS are so impervious, and who is most at risk from the forever chemicals  –  PBS
• EPA unveils strategy to regulate toxic ‘forever chemicals’  –  PBS

A recent British Medical Journal Open study revealed that 39 years after the Bhopal gas explosion, the devastating industrial disaster is still haunting future generations. Males who were exposed to the gas leak while they were still in the womb were more likely to have a disability that affected their employment and also, at a 27-fold higher risk of cancer. More:

• Almost 40 Years Later, The Bhopal Gas Explosion Is Causing 27-Fold Greater Cancer Risk  –  Forbes

• The Union Carbide Disaster in Bhopal: A Review of Health Effects (Research abstract)
• Spectrum of health condition in methyl isocyanate (MIC)-exposed survivors measured after 30 years of disaster (Research abstract)
• Long-term health and human capital effects of in utero exposure to an industrial disaster: a spatial difference-in-differences analysis of the Bhopal gas tragedy (Research article)

Partnering with EHN.org, the environmental wellness blog and community had 40 electrolyte products (from 30 brands) tested by a U.S. Environmental Protection Agency-certified lab and found levels of total fluorine ranging from 10 parts per million, or ppm, to 105 ppm in nine of them. More:

• Are you replenishing your electrolytes with a dose of PFAS?  –  EHN
• Indications of PFAS "Forever Chemicals" In Powdered Electrolytes - Buying Guide  –  Mamavation

• Unintentional PFAS in products: A “jungle” of contamination  –  EHN
• Investigation: PFAS on our shelves and in our bodies  –  EHN
• Evidence of PFAS chemicals in sports bras  –  EHN

• Are you putting PFAS on your eyeballs?  –  EHN
• Tests find PFAS abundant ​in some dental floss  –  EHN
• Evidence of PFAS found in tampons — including organic brands  –  EHN

• Evidence of PFAS in organic pasta sauces  –  EHN

• Toxicity of fluoride: critical evaluation of evidence for human developmental neurotoxicity in epidemiological studies, animal experiments and in vitro analyses (Research article)

Plants may seem defenseless against insects, having neither hands nor tail to brush them away. But many produce potent repellent chemicals, ranging from ones that just taste or smell bad to ones that can kill. These stealthy survival tactics could teach us how to curb the widespread use of chemical pesticides in agriculture. More:

• Natural pest control: Plants enlist their enemies’ enemies  –  Knowable Magazine

• Self-recognition affects plant communication and defense (Research abstract)
• Exploitation of Herbivore-Induced Plant Odors by Host-Seeking Parasitic Wasps (Research abstract)

• Tailored flower strips promote natural enemy biodiversity and pest control in potato crops (Research article)
• Priming by airborne signals boosts direct and indirect resistance in maize - Ton (Research article)
• Laboratory and field trials reveal the potential of a gel formulation of entomopathogenic nematodes for the biological control of fall armyworm caterpillars (Spodoptera frugiperda) (Research article)
• Tritrophic Interactions Mediated by Herbivore-Induced Plant Volatiles: Mechanisms, Ecological Relevance, and Application Potential (Research article)

• The ever-tenuous success of plants engineered to kill insect foes  –  Knowable Magazine
• Restoring a maize root signal that attracts insect-killing nematodes to control a major pest (Research article)

Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker signed into law the new legislation that was spurred by a 2019 incident in which a helicopter and a plane sprayed dozens of farmworkers with pesticides, causing health problems for the workers and their infant children. Previously, under the old fine system, applicators who exposed humans to pesticides could escape with little-to-no monetary penalties. More:

• Illinois enacts law increasing penalties for exposing humans to pesticides  –  Investigate Midwest
• How Illinois’ ‘fragmented system’ of monitoring pesticide exposure ‘allows individuals to get poisoned over and over without any brakes’  –  Investigate Midwest
• Top Takeaways: Five things to know from our investigation into Illinois’ monitoring of human pesticide exposure  –  Investigate Midwest
• Legislation to increase penalties for spraying people with pesticides advances in Illinois statehouse  –  Investigate Midwest

It’s hard to avoid PFAS, but experts say there are ways to mitigate your exposure to the man-made chemicals. Across the country, states are banning forever chemicals from consumer products, and some companies are promising to phase out use of the compounds. More:

• How can I avoid eating food with ‘forever’ chemicals?  –  The Washington Post
• EPA warns toxic ‘forever chemicals’ more dangerous than once thought  –  The Washington Post

• Questions and Answers on PFAS in Food  –  US FDA
• Dangerous PFAS Chemicals Are in Your Food Packaging  –  Consumer Reports

Children whose mothers are exposed to toxic PFAS can experience phenomenon previously linked to fetal tobacco smoke exposure. More:

• ‘Forever chemicals’ exposure can lead to low birth weight and obesity in later life  –  The Guardian

• ‘Forever chemicals’ detected in all umbilical cord blood in 40 studies  –  The Guardian
• Associations of Gestational Perfluoroalkyl Substances Exposure with Early Childhood BMI z-Scores and Risk of Overweight/Obesity: Results from the ECHO Cohorts (Research article)
• Gestational Perfluoroalkyl Substance Exposure and DNA Methylation at Birth and 12 Years of Age: A Longitudinal Epigenome-Wide Association Study (Research article)
• Exposure to ‘forever chemicals’ during pregnancy linked to increased risk of obesity in kids  –  Brown University

Transparency. That’s one of the most important things when it comes to getting rid of toxic chemicals. The problem is that there’s too little of it right now. But a new legislative proposal might change this. So-called product passports would increase chemical transparency and drive the market towards safer products. More:

• Product passports can detoxify the market. But not everyone likes the idea  –  ChemSec

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) failure to effectively regulate seeds coated with highly toxic pesticides violates federal pesticide laws and is devastating pollinators, wildlife, and landscapes across the country, according to environmental groups who filed a lawsuit last week. More:

• Pesticide-Coated Seeds Are the Focus of a New Push for EPA Regulations  –  Civil Eats
• Beyond Bees, Neonics Damage Ecosystems—and a Push for Policy Change Is Coming  –  Civil Eats
• Complaint for Declaratory and Equitable Relief - Coated seeds (download PDF) (Judicial document)  –  U.S. District Court California

• Neonicotinoid Insecticides in New York State economic benefits and risk to pollinators - 2020 Neonicotinoid Assessment (download PDF)  –  Cornell University
• Neonicotinoid Pesticides Biological Evaluations Frequently Asked Questions (download PDF)  –  US EPA
• Neonicotinoid (clothianidin, imidacloprid and thiamethoxam) jeopardy-Analysis (download PDF)  –  US EPA

• Neonicotinoid Seed Treatments: Limitations and Compatibility with Integrated Pest Management (Research article)
• Large-Scale Deployment of Seed Treatments Has Driven Rapid Increase in Use of Neonicotinoid Insecticides and Preemptive Pest Management in U.S. Field Crops (Research abstract)

• When Seeds Become Toxic Waste  –  Civil Eats
• Dead Bees, Sick Residents from Pesticide Pollution in Nebraska  –  Civil Eats

Secretly held documents from the two most prominent manufacturers of 'forever chemicals' show that industry leaders knew of the harmful health effects of some per- and poly-fluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) long before they told the public. More:

• These Companies Kept Silent About 'Forever Chemicals' For Decades  –  ScienceAlert

• Makers of PFAS ‘Forever Chemicals’ Covered up the Dangers  –  UC San Francisco
• Chemical industry used big tobacco’s tactics to conceal evidence of PFAS risks  –  The Guardian
• The Devil they Knew: Chemical Documents Analysis of Industry Influence on PFAS Science (Research article)

• Request for Toxicological Information - 'Teflon  –  Industry Documents Library
• C8 Blood Sampling Results  –  Industry Documents Library
• Standby Press Release - Public Notification C8  –  Industry Documents Library

• DuPont lawsuits (re PFOA pollution in USA)  –  Business & Human Rights Resource Centre

More than 1,400 pesticides contain active ingredients that meet Maine’s definition for the toxic “forever chemicals” known as PFAS, according to a new analysis of data from the state by Environmental Working Group researchers. More:

• Maine data unveils troubling trend: 55 PFAS-related chemicals in over 1,400 pesticides  –  EWG

• What are PFAS? Defining per- and polyfluoroalkyl ether acids  –  EWG
• Title 32, §1732- Definitions: Perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances; PFAS  –  Maine Legislature

• EPA Releases Data on Leaching of PFAS in Fluorinated Packaging  –  US EPA
• Per- and Polyfluoroalkyl Substances (PFAS) in Pesticide and Other Packaging  –  US EPA
• National Pesticide Information Retrieval System  –  US NPIRS

• Revisiting pesticide pollution: The case of fluorinated pesticides (Research abstract)

• What are the health effects of PFAS?  –  US ATSDR
• PFAS and Developmental and Reproductive Toxicity: An EWG Fact Sheet  –  EWG

• EPA Stops Use of 12 PFAS in Pesticide Products  –  US EPA

I first started at ChemSec back in 2010. I remember my first task was to research and find out if investors factor in the risk of hazardous chemicals in their portfolio analyses. What I found out was that only 18 out of 152 asset managers and rating agencies within the realm of Socially Responsible Investments (SRI) did so. Far too few. More:

• 3 reasons why investors are suddenly interested in chemicals  –  ChemSec
• Chemicals are part of the triple planetary crisis. Here are 3 things that must be done  –  ChemSec

• DuPont settles lawsuits over leak of chemical used to make Teflon  –  Reuters
• 3M to pay $850 million to settle fluorosurfactants lawsuit  –  C&EN

• ChemScore Report 2022 - Ranking top chemical producers on their work to reduce their chemical footprint  –  ChemSec
• Investors urge the EU to keep new financial reporting requirements truly sustainable  –  ChemSec

Stephen and Sandra Swanson were eating dinner beside their Christmas tree in 2017 when a Navy official rang the doorbell with alarming news: Hazardous chemicals from firefighting foam, used during training exercises at a nearby military airstrip, had seeped into their well water. More:

• States take matters into their own hands to ban ‘forever chemicals’  –  The Washington Post
• PFAS Contamination Crisis- New Data Show 2,858 Sites in 50 States (Interactive Map)  –  EWG

• Short-chain per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances in aquatic systems: Occurrence, impacts and treatment (Research article)

• Human Health Toxicity Assessments for GenX Chemicals  –  US EPA
• C8 Probable Link Reports  –  C8 Science Panel
• Exposure to Per- and Polyfluoroalkyl Substances and Mortality in U.S. Adults: A Population-Based Cohort Study (Research article)

• Request for Immediate Governmental Action-Regulations Relating to C8 Releases  –  Robert Bilott Letter to EPA and Other Federal Agencies Alerting Them to PFOA Problems
• Chemical giants reach $1.2B settlement over ‘forever chemicals’ in water  –  The Washington Post
• Bills to regulate toxic ‘forever chemicals’ died in Congress – with Republican help  –  The Guardian

The companies Chemours, DuPont and Corteva announced they have agreed to pay more than $1 billion to settle claims that “forever chemicals” contaminated public US water systems. More:

• Three companies agree to pay more than $1 billion to settle ‘forever chemical’ claims  –  CNN
• Chemours, DuPont, and Corteva Reach Comprehensive PFAS Settlement with U.S. Water Systems  –  Business Wire

• PFAS Explained  –  US EPA
• EPA Announces New Drinking Water Health Advisories for PFAS Chemicals, $1 Billion in Bipartisan Infrastructure Law Funding to Strengthen Health Protections  –  US EPA
• EPA wants to label certain ‘forever chemicals’ as hazardous substances  –  CNN

A trickle of studies warning that the enormous variety of living things on Earth is diminishing has turned into a flood. The evidence for these losses within regions and globally is undeniable. But data on biodiversity, and what is causing its decline, is still patchy – restricted to some causes, some places and some species. That isn’t the case for birds in Europe, however. More:

• Europe has lost over half a billion birds in 40 years. The single biggest cause? Pesticides and fertilizers  –  The Conversation
• Farmland practices are driving bird population decline across Europe  –  PNAS

Plastics contain toxic chemicals that can enter products and interact to create new harmful substances during the recycling process, a new report from Greenpeace and the International Pollutants Elimination Network (IPEN) shows. More:

• Recycling plastics “extremely problematic” due to toxic chemical additives: Report  –  EHN
• New Greenpeace Report Calls Out Toxic Hazards of Recycled Plastic  –  IPEN
• Forever Toxic: The science on health threats from plastic recycling (Report) (download PDF)  –  Greenpeace USA

• Chemicals in plastic, electronics are lowering fertility in men and women  –  PBS
• Chemicals in Plastics - A Technical Report  –  UNEP

Consumer groups are condemning the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) for allowing plastic containers made with toxic PFAS “forever chemicals” to continue being distributed across the economy – even though the agency is suing a top manufacturer over the dangerous compounds leaching into containers’ contents, such as food or personal care products. More:

• Plastic containers still distributed across the US are a potential health disaster  –  The Guardian
• EPA Takes Action to Investigate PFAS Contamination  –  US EPA

• Directly Fluorinated Containers as a Source of Perfluoroalkyl Carboxylic Acids (Reseach abstract)
• Perfluorinated Carboxylic Acids in Directly Fluorinated High-Density Polyethylene Material (download PDF) (Research article)
• Inhance Technologies Announces its Enkase® Technology Does Not Impart LCPFACs to HDPE Packaging  –  Benzinga
• Fluorinated Barrier Packaging (download PDF)  –  Inhance Technologies
• Sustainable Barrier Packaging - A Guide to Fluorination (Webinar)  –  Inhance Technologies

• Toxic ‘forever chemicals’ are contaminating plastic food containers  –  The Guardian
• New US lawsuit targets ‘forever chemicals’ in plastic food containers  –  The Guardian

Several major agrochemical companies did not disclose to European Union authorities studies assessing the toxic effects of pesticide ingredients on brain development, research said on Thursday. More:

• Firms withheld pesticide toxicity data from EU: study  –  Phys.org
• Non-disclosure of developmental neurotoxicity studies obstructs the safety assessment of pesticides in the European Union (Research article)