Paul Hessburg is a former wildland firefighter who also spent 36 years as a U.S. Forest Service scientist researching the behavior of wildfires. Once able to easily hike 20 miles in a day, he found his capacity diminished after a particularly smoky summer working in Idaho three years ago. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says that from 2000 to 2019, 400 wildland firefighters died on the job, but this may hide slower, quieter illnesses and death. More:

• Overstretched Wildland Firefighters Risk Lung, Heart Maladies  –  InvestigateWest
• Women firefighters face high exposure to toxic ‘forever chemicals’  –  Berkeley News
• Modern Wildfires Pose New Health Risks For Firefighters  –  California Healthline
• Firefighters’ blood, urine had high levels of mercury, other toxins after Sonoma County’s Tubbs fire  –  The Press Democrat

But there is a catch: No matter how careful you may be, the food you eat and the beverages you drink likely contain one or more of some 10,000 chemicals allowed to be added to foods -- some of which are known endocrine (hormone) disruptors linked to developmental, cognitive and other health problems in babies and adults. More:

• FDA must do more to regulate thousands of chemicals added to your food, petitioners say  –  CNN
• FDA takes an important step by phasing out paper greaseproofing agents containing a specific PFAS  –  EDF
• Lack of Key Considerations in FDA Food Chemical Safety Process Leaves Consumers at Risk of Chronic Diseases  –  Endocrine News
• Food Additives and Child Health (Policy statement)  –  American Academy of Pediatrics
• Endocrine-Disrupting Chemicals: An Endocrine Society Scientific Statement (Scientific statement)
• Navigating the U.S. Food Additive Regulatory Program (Review)

A new study found that some carbonated water brands have measurable amounts of so-called PFAS chemicals, which are linked to adverse health effects. Researchers examined more than 40 brands of bottled water and found that sparkling water was more likely to include higher levels of the chemicals than still water. More:

• Some sparkling water brands have PFAS chemicals, study finds  –  CBS News
• What’s Really in Your Bottled Water?  –  Consumer Reports

PFAS, industrial chemicals used to waterproof jackets and grease-proof fast-food containers, may disrupt pregnancy with lasting effects. Scientists think that PFAS can alter levels of both mothers’ and babies’ thyroid hormones, which oversee brain development, growth and metabolism, and also play a role in immunity. More:

• These Everyday Toxins May Be Hurting Pregnant Women and Their Babies  –  The New York Times
• Perfluorooctanesulfonic acid (PFOS) and Perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA)  –  Pennsylvania Department of Health
• Science Panel Website  –  C8 Science Panel
• The Devil they knew PFAS contamination and the need for Corporate Accountabilty  –  U.S. House Hearing

• PFAS chemical exposure  –  US ATSDR
• Dietary Habits Related to Food Packaging and Population Exposure to PFASs  –  EHP
• A Review of the Pathways of Human Exposure to Poly- and Perfluoroalkyl Substances (PFASs) and Present Understanding of Health Effects (Review article)

• Concentrations of perfluoroalkyl substances (PFASs) in human embryonic and fetal organs from first, second, and third trimester pregnancies (Research article)
• Accumulation of perfluoroalkyl substances in human tissues (Research article)
• Changing Interpretation of Human Health Risks from Perfluorinated Compounds (Research article)
• Serum Perfluoroalkyl Substances, Vaccine Responses, and Morbidity in a Cohort of Guinea-Bissau Children (Research article)

While several bans and policies have offered some protection, the same chemicals threatening these birds 60 years ago continue to accumulate in their bodies—and new chemical threats are adding to their toxic burdens, according to two new studies. In the first study, researchers examined how legacy pollutants around Lake Erie such as PCBs, PBDEs and DDT continue to bioaccumulate in common terns. More:

• Long-banned toxics are still accumulating in Great Lakes birds—as new chemical threats emerge  –  EHN
• Evidence of continued exposure to legacy persistent organic pollutants in threatened migratory common terns nesting in the Great Lakes (Research article)
• Perfluoroalkyl acids and sulfonamides and dietary, biological and ecological associations in peregrine falcons from the Laurentian Great Lakes Basin, Canada (Research abstract)

Food regulators in the European Union have updated their guidelines for protecting consumers from per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) in food. The latest recommendations from the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA), released Sept. 17, set a limit for combined exposure to 4 PFAS—perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA), perfluorooctane sulfonate (PFOS), perfluorononanoic acid (PFNA), perfluorohexane sulfonic acid (PFHxS)—in food. EFSA previously recommended individual limits for PFOA and PFOS. More:

• EU agency sets limit on PFAS in food  –  C&EN
• PFAS in food: EFSA assesses risks and sets tolerable intake  –  EFSA
• Risk to human health related to the presence of perfluoroalkyl substances in food (Scientific opinion)  –  EFSA

But for the courageous work of attorney Rob Bilott, the world may have never known about the dangers of the fluorinated “forever chemicals” known as PFAS. Bilott’s book "EXPOSURE: Poisoned Water, Corporate Greed, and One Lawyer’s Twenty-Year Battle Against DuPont" was recently issued in paperback. More:

• The PFAS and the Furious  –  EWG
• Groundbreaking Reporting Helped Bring ‘Dark Waters’ to Light  –  EWG
• Bad Chemistry  –  The Intercept
• Basic Information on PFAS - Per- and Polyfluoroalkyl Substances (PFAS)  –  US EPA
• Per- and Polyfluorinated Substances (PFAS) Factsheet  –  US CDC
• Dark Waters Movie Trailer  –  Focus Features
• The C8 Health Project- Design, Methods, and Participants (Research article)

• Application of the Key Characteristics of Carcinogens to Per and Polyfluoroalkyl Substances - HTML (Research article)
• Perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) and their effects on the ovary (Research article)

• Industrial chemicals pass from mother to fetus throughout pregnancy  –  ScienceDaily
• Tests Find PFAS Chemicals in Cosmetics at ‘Elevated Levels’  –  EWG
• In a First, California Moves to Protect People from Toxic PFAS Chemicals in Carpets  –  EWG
• Perfluoroalkyl acids and their precursors in indoor air sampled in children's bedrooms (Research article)
• Dietary Habits Related to Food Packaging and Population Exposure to PFASs (Research article)
• Serum concentrations of PFASs and exposure-related behaviors in African American and non-Hispanic white women (Research article)
• Perfluoroalkyl substances (PFASs) in edible fish species from Charleston Harbor and tributaries, South Carolina, United States: Exposure and risk assessment (Research article)

• Neutral Poly-/perfluoroalkyl Substances in Air and Snow from the Arctic (Research article)
• Latitudinal Gradient of Airborne Polyfluorinated Alkyl Substances in the Marine Atmosphere between Germany and South Africa (Research article)
• Perfluorinated Chemicals in the Arctic Atmosphere (Research article)

• PFAS concentration in birds  –  BONISOLI ALQUATI LAB
• PFAS in Victorian waterfowl (Report)  –  Australia Gov
• PFAS in Deer  –  Michigan.gov
• Occurrence of perfluoroalkyl substances (PFASs) in a large number of wild and farmed aquatic animals collected in the Netherlands (Research article)
• Observation of emerging per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFASs) in Greenland marine mammals (Research abstract)
• Perfluorinated contaminants in fur seal pups and penguin eggs from South Shetland, Antarctica - (Research abstract)
• The toxic exposure of flamingos to per- and Polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) from firefighting foam applications in Bonaire (Research abstract)

• Feeding the Waste Cycle: How PFAS ‘Disposal’ Perpetuates Contamination  –  EWG
• Disposal of products and materials containing per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS): A cyclical problem (Research abstract)

Oakdale residents who drank water polluted with toxic "forever chemicals" experienced elevated rates of infertility, premature births and low birthweight babies due to the contaminants, according to a multiyear review of health records. More:

• PFAS-laced water caused infertility, premature births and low birthweight, study says  –  StarTribune
• Minn. Study Is First To Show Cause-and-Effect Link Between ‘Forever Chemicals’ in Drinking Water and Reproductive Harms  –  EWG
• Reducing exposure to high levels of perfluorinated compounds in drinking water improves reproductive outcomes: evidence from an intervention in Minnesota (Research article)

Baboons in the U.S., howler monkeys in Costa Rica, and baboons, chimpanzees, red-tailed monkeys, and red colobus in Uganda are all getting exposed to dangerous pesticides and flame-retardant chemicals, according to new research. More:

• Toxic pesticides and flame-retardants found in monkey, baboon, and chimpanzee poop  –  EHN
• Feces are Effective Biological Samples for Measuring Pesticides and Flame Retardants in Primates (Research abstract)

As we learn more about the novel coronavirus and COVID-19, research is revealing ugly realities about social and environmental effects on health – including how the same chronic illnesses associated with exposure to endocrine-disrupting compounds also increase your risk of developing severe COVID-19. More:

• How chemicals like PFAS can increase your risk of severe COVID-19  –  The Conversation
• Endocrine-disrupting chemicals weaken us in our COVID-19 battle: Linda S. Birnbaum, Jerrold J. Heindel  –  EHN
• Consensus on the key characteristics of endocrine-disrupting chemicals as a basis for hazard identification (Scientific consensus)
• Immunomodulatory effects of synthetic endocrine disrupting chemicals on the development and functions of human immune cells (Research article)

Sinking your teeth into a crisp apple or chomping on a stalk of celery is something you should be able to do without thinking. After all, the best nutritional science shows that eating a variety of fruits and vegetables—and plenty of them—is a crucial component of good health. But produce sometimes comes with potentially harmful pesticide levels. More:

• Stop Eating Pesticides  –  Consumer Reports
• What Do You Really Get When You Buy Organic?  –  Consumer Reports
• Application of the Food Quality Protection Act children’s health safety factor in the U.S. EPA pesticide risk assessments (Scientific commentary)

• Pesticide exposure and risk of Alzheimer’s disease: a systematic review and meta-analysis (Research article)
• Association Between Exposure to Pyrethroid Insecticides and Risk of All-Cause and Cause-Specific Mortality in the General US Adult Population (Research article)
• Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder and Urinary Metabolites of Organophosphate Pesticides (Research article)

Liza called leading scientists, advocates and physicians who helped compile a list of 10 or so of the best candidates. She then painstakingly whittled the list to three: phthalates; PFAS, or per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances; and flame retardants. All three groups of chemicals appear throughout our homes and can disrupt our hormone, or endocrine, systems. The triple crown of toxicity. More:

• The 3 Scariest Chemicals to Watch Out For in Your Home  –  The New York Times
• How to Save Your Sperm  –  The New York Times

In seabird after seabird, Anna Robuck found something concerning: per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances, or PFAS, lurking around vital organs. “Brain, liver, kidney, lung, blood, heart,” Robuck says, rattling off a few hiding spots before pausing to recall the rest. Robuck, a Ph.D. candidate in chemical oceanography, quickly settles on a simpler response: She found the chemicals everywhere she looked. More:

• Are Forever Chemicals Harming Ocean Life?  –  The Revelator
• Potential health effects of PFAS chemicals  –  US ATSDR
• EPA: GenX Nearly as Toxic as Notorious Non-Stick Chemicals It Replaced  –  EWG
• Immunotoxicity of Perfluorinated Compounds: Recent Developments (Research article)
• Analysis of F-53B, Gen-X, ADONA, and emerging fluoroalkylether substances in environmental and biomonitoring samples: A review (Research article)

• A global survey of perfluorinated acids in oceans (Research abstract)
• Poly- and Perfluoroalkyl Substances in Seawater and Plankton from the Northwestern Atlantic Margin (Research abstract)
• Transport of Legacy Perfluoroalkyl Substances and the Replacement Compound HFPO-DA through the Atlantic Gateway to the Arctic Ocean—Is the Arctic a Sink or a Source? (Research abstract)
• Volatile per- and polyfluoroalkyl compounds in the remote atmosphere of the western Antarctic Peninsula: an indirect source of perfluoroalkyl acids to Antarctic waters? (Research abstract)

• Legacy and emerging poly- and perfluoroalkyl substances (PFASs) in seabirds from Atlantic offshore and coastal environments  –  US EPA
• Environmental perfluorooctane sulfonate exposure drives T cell activation in bottlenose dolphins (Research article)
• Elevated levels of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances in Cape Fear River Striped Bass (Morone saxatilis) are associated with biomarkers of altered immune and liver function (Research article)
• Association between perfluorinated compounds and pathological conditions in southern sea otters (Research article)
• Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFASs) – New endocrine disruptors in polar bears (Ursus maritimus)? (Research abstract)
• Perfluoroalkyl substances in diamondback terrapins (Malaclemys terrapin) in coastal South Carolina (Research abstract)
• Variation in perfluoroalkyl acids in the American alligator (Alligator mississippiensis) at Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge (Research abstract)
• Temporal Shifts in Poly- and Perfluoroalkyl Substances (PFASs) in North Atlantic Pilot Whales Indicate Large Contribution of Atmospheric Precursors (Research abstract)
• Polyfluoroalkyl Compounds in Free-Ranging Bottlenose Dolphins (Tursiops truncatus) from the Gulf of Mexico and the Atlantic Ocean (Research abstract)
• Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) in plasma of the West Indian manatee (Trichechus manatus) (Research abstract)

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration is announcing a voluntary phase-out of certain types of grease-proofing agents on paper and paperboard food packaging. This phase-out comes after an FDA post-market scientific review and analysis from rodent studies found biopersistence of the grease-proofing substances. More:

• Voluntary phase-out by industry of certain PFAS used in food packaging  –  Food Safety News
• Goodbye to some PFAS in food packaging  –  C&EN
• FDA Announces Voluntary Agreement with Manufacturers to Phase Out Certain Short-Chain PFAS Used in Food Packaging  –  US FDA
• San Francisco moves to ban food containers made with fluorinated chemicals  –  C&EN
• Per and Polyfluoroalkyl Substances (PFAS)  –  US FDA
• A guide to the PFAS found in our environment  –  C&EN
• The Toxics in Packaging Clearinghouse  –  Toxics in Packaging

The chemical contaminant PFAs is emerging as a big problem in Michigan. Michigan officials were frustrated waiting on the federal government to adopt health-protecting standards for the nonstick, so-called "forever chemicals" that have become a leading emerging contaminant in the state and across the country. So they made their own. More:

• Michigan's drinking water standards for these chemicals now among toughest in nation  –  Detroit Free Press
• PFAS Response - PFAS Response  –  Michigan Gov.

Treating the thousands of potentially toxic chemicals called per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) as a single class could reduce health risks and contamination, and improve clean-up efforts, according to a commentary by an international group of experts. More:

• PFAS should be managed as a single class of chemicals, experts say  –  Environmental Factor
• Perfluoroalkyl and Polyfluoroalkyl Substances (PFAS)  –  US NIH
• Scientific Basis for Managing PFAS as a Chemical Class - Press Conference  –  Press Conference
• Scientific Basis for Managing PFAS as a Chemical Class (Scientific commentary)

In 2019, FIS announced a ban on fluorinated waxes that is set to go into effect prior to the 2020-21 ski season. In response to the popularity of Ski Racing Media’s podcast surrounding the fluoro-wax controversy, we dug a bit deeper to break down the problem, at its root, to help our readers and those impacted by the ban better understand how all this all started, who is involved, how its affecting wax companies, teams, and athletes, and what ski families in North America need to know. More:

• Future without fluoros: a complete guide  –  Ski Racing
• Q&A with Roman Kumpost on the ban on fluorinated waxes  –  International Ski Federation
• U.S., Canadian NGB/NSOs Form North American Fluorocarbon Free Policy Working Group  –  US Ski and Snowboard
• The Deal with High-Fluoro: All the Wax Facts with Todd Carroll (podcast)

PFAS (per and polyfluoroalkyl substances) chemicals are used in a lot of household products. While the effects of PFAS on human health are still being debated, they have been detected in the past in our food and drinking water, as well as many waterways. More:

• A New 'Forever Chemical' Has Been Detected in Arctic Seawater For The First Time  –  Science alert
• PFOA and Cancer in a Highly Exposed Community: New Findings from the C8 Science Panel  –  NCBI
• Transport of Legacy Perfluoroalkyl Substances and the Replacement Compound HFPO-DA through the Atlantic (Research article)

Scientists are putting together a growing list of synthetic chemicals, known as endocrine disruptors, which have gradually become widespread in our water, air, food and blood, and which have been linked to several troubling health effects. More:

• Household Chemical Effects on Our Health Appear Increasingly Dire, New Evidence Shows  –  Science alert
• The FDA Has Found Trace Amounts of a Worrying 'Forever Chemical' in Our Food  –  Science alert
• Obesity, Infertility, and Low IQ Are Just Some of the Ways Household Chemicals Wreck Our Health  –  Gizmodo

• Scientific knowledge of endocrine disrupting chemicals  –  UNEP
• Executive Summary to EDC-2: The Endocrine Society's Second Scientific Statement on Endocrine-Disrupting Chemicals (Scientific statement)
• Endocrine-disrupting chemicals: economic, regulatory, and policy implications (Research article)

Evidence has doubled in the last five years about the negative impact on our health of endocrine-disrupting chemicals in plastics, pesticides, flame retardants and other merchandise, according to a new review of recent literature. More:

• Plastics and pesticides: Health impacts of synthetic chemicals in US products doubled in last 5 years, study finds  –  CNN Health
• Perfluoroalkyl and Polyfluoroalkyl Substances (PFAS)  –  US NIH
• Endocrine-disrupting chemicals: implications for human health (Research article)
• Trends in neurodevelopmental disability burden due to early life chemical exposure in the USA from 2001 to 2016: A population-based disease burden and cost analysis  –  (Research abstract)