POPs in the news

28/05/2019 -

The internet cheered in December when Trader Joe’s announced it would take meaningful steps towards making its packaging more sustainable. The supermarket chain outlined a plan that included reducing and eliminating excess waste, using materials that could realistically be recycled and avoiding harmful substances. It’s the last part that medical and environmental activists are keeping an eye on. More:


Food packaging is full of toxic chemicals – here's how it could affect your health

The internet cheered in December when Trader Joe’s announced it would take meaningful steps towards making its packaging more sustainable. The supermarket chain outlined a plan that included reducing and eliminating excess waste, using materials that could realistically be recycled and avoiding harmful substances. It’s the last part that medical and environmental activists are keeping an eye on. More:

24/05/2019 -

Surprising new research into dog sperm has reproductive biologists concerned about the fate of their own species. In a study, scientists found that two chemicals common in home environments damage the quality of sperm in both men and dogs. The culprits implicated are diethylhexyl phthalate (DEHP), used to make new plastics more pliable, and polychlorinated biphenyl 153 (PCB153), found in older plastics and electrical equipment. More:


Sperm counts are on the decline – could plastics be to blame?

Surprising new research into dog sperm has reproductive biologists concerned about the fate of their own species. In a study, scientists found that two chemicals common in home environments damage the quality of sperm in both men and dogs. The culprits implicated are diethylhexyl phthalate (DEHP), used to make new plastics more pliable, and polychlorinated biphenyl 153 (PCB153), found in older plastics and electrical equipment. More:

23/05/2019 -

PFAS, short for perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances, are a group of at least 4,700 synthetic chemicals that have been in commercial production since the 1940s to make surfaces resist stains, water and grease. More:

Human Exposure

PFAS regulation


Why you need to know about PFAS, the chemicals in pizza boxes and rainwear

23/05/2019 -

The Maine Department of Environmental Protection has received results from only about 40% of the treatment plants or sludge composting facilities subjects to the new testing requirements for three types of per-and polyfluoroalkyl substances. While the early returns are not necessarily surprising, they illustrate the pervasiveness of these "forever chemicals" commonly known as PFAS, as well as the challenge ahead for the state and municipal treatment facilities that provide the sludge to farmers for use as fertilizer. More:


Initial test results reveal ‘forever chemicals’ showing up in fertilizer sludge

The Maine Department of Environmental Protection has received results from only about 40% of the treatment plants or sludge composting facilities subjects to the new testing requirements for three types of per-and polyfluoroalkyl substances. While the early returns are not necessarily surprising, they illustrate the pervasiveness of these "forever chemicals" commonly known as PFAS, as well as the challenge ahead for the state and municipal treatment facilities that provide the sludge to farmers for use as fertilizer. More:

22/05/2019 -

Earlier that day, after arriving at a Mount Sinai facility in New York City, I dropped off a urine sample that will be studied for 81 chemicals in lab tests far more advanced than at a regular doctor visit. We are exposed to synthetic chemicals in plastics, cosmetics and food every day. Could it be making us toxic? An environment reporter was tested for over 1,530 chemicals to find out. More


Is modern life poisoning me? I took the tests to find out

Earlier that day, after arriving at a Mount Sinai facility in New York City, I dropped off a urine sample that will be studied for 81 chemicals in lab tests far more advanced than at a regular doctor visit. We are exposed to synthetic chemicals in plastics, cosmetics and food every day. Could it be making us toxic? An environment reporter was tested for over 1,530 chemicals to find out. More

22/05/2019 -

Synthetic chemicals are in nearly everything we touch and consume. But some chemicals can be potentially harmful and a number of experts are anxious about possible long-term health effects of our everyday exposure. They say US regulations could be stronger. More

Pesticides

Flame Retardants

PFAS chemicals, human exposure and health effects


Explained: the toxic threat in everyday products, from toys to plastic

Synthetic chemicals are in nearly everything we touch and consume. But some chemicals can be potentially harmful and a number of experts are anxious about possible long-term health effects of our everyday exposure. They say US regulations could be stronger. More

Pesticides

Flame Retardants

PFAS chemicals, human exposure and health effects

22/05/2019 -

A class of synthetic chemicals that contain fluorine atoms is grabbing headlines as emerging contaminants. More and more communities around the world are finding their drinking water supplies tainted with per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS). More:


A guide to the PFAS found in our environment

A class of synthetic chemicals that contain fluorine atoms is grabbing headlines as emerging contaminants. More and more communities around the world are finding their drinking water supplies tainted with per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS). More:

13/05/2019 -
Americans spend roughly 90 percent of their time indoors, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency notes. During that time, people cook. They clean. They chat, read, play, watch TV and do other things. People also bathe and sleep. And throughout it all, they breathe. New studies find that our activities can pollute the air we breathe indoors. And some of those compounds may harm our health. More:

Studies show how homes can pollute indoor air

Americans spend roughly 90 percent of their time indoors, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency notes. During that time, people cook. They clean. They chat, read, play, watch TV and do other things. People also bathe and sleep. And throughout it all, they breathe. New studies find that our activities can pollute the air we breathe indoors. And some of those compounds may harm our health. More:
13/05/2019 -

From 1962 to 1971, the American military sprayed vast areas of Vietnam with Agent Orange, leaving dioxin contamination that has severely affected the health of three generations of Vietnamese. Now, the U.S. and Vietnamese governments have joined together in a massive cleanup project. More:


Fifty Years After, A Daunting Cleanup of Vietnam’s Toxic Legacy

From 1962 to 1971, the American military sprayed vast areas of Vietnam with Agent Orange, leaving dioxin contamination that has severely affected the health of three generations of Vietnamese. Now, the U.S. and Vietnamese governments have joined together in a massive cleanup project. More:

03/05/2019 -

International chemical regulators unanimously approved a global ban on the use of perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA), a toxic chemical used to manufacture nonstick and stain-resistant coatings in clothing, fast-food wrappers, carpets, and other consumer and industrial products. More:


UN Chemical Regulators Approve PFOA Ban, With Exemptions

International chemical regulators unanimously approved a global ban on the use of perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA), a toxic chemical used to manufacture nonstick and stain-resistant coatings in clothing, fast-food wrappers, carpets, and other consumer and industrial products. More:

30/04/2019 -

Decades after Dupont and 3M first discovered that the perfluorinated chemicals making them fortunes could be transmitted from mothers to babies, millions of women around the world are passing dangerous amounts of these toxic compounds to their children, according to a report. More:

PFAS Pollution

Exposure to PFAS

PFAS in Human Milk


High Levels of Toxic PFAS Chemicals Pollute Breast Milk

Decades after Dupont and 3M first discovered that the perfluorinated chemicals making them fortunes could be transmitted from mothers to babies, millions of women around the world are passing dangerous amounts of these toxic compounds to their children, according to a report. More:

PFAS Pollution

Exposure to PFAS

PFAS in Human Milk

29/04/2019 -
Today, many of these time-worn cures remain popular around the globe, but in some countries, traditional healers have extended their arsenal to include not only nature’s gifts, but the products of human industry, amongst them an oily liquid, clear to yellow in colour with neither smell nor taste, that often spills or leaks from electrical equipment. More:

The dangers of modern magic

Today, many of these time-worn cures remain popular around the globe, but in some countries, traditional healers have extended their arsenal to include not only nature’s gifts, but the products of human industry, amongst them an oily liquid, clear to yellow in colour with neither smell nor taste, that often spills or leaks from electrical equipment. More:
22/04/2019 -

Scientists are ramping up research on the possible health effects of a large group of common but little-understood chemicals used in water-resistant clothing, stain-resistant furniture, nonstick cookware and many other consumer products. More:


Scientists Dig Into Hard Questions About The Fluorinated Pollutants Known As PFAS

Scientists are ramping up research on the possible health effects of a large group of common but little-understood chemicals used in water-resistant clothing, stain-resistant furniture, nonstick cookware and many other consumer products. More:

16/04/2019 - "Those products are not a fire hazard and are not expected to contain the some of the most toxic substances targeted for global elimination under the Stockholm Convention," the Canadian Environmental Law Association said in a statement. More:

Recycled plastics warning: Toxic chemicals found in toys sold in Canada

"Those products are not a fire hazard and are not expected to contain the some of the most toxic substances targeted for global elimination under the Stockholm Convention," the Canadian Environmental Law Association said in a statement. More:
09/04/2019 - If you live near industrial facilities where these products are produced or near places where PFAS-loaded fire-fighting foams are used, like airfields or military bases, these chemicals may also be in your water supply. And they can travel far from the original site of contamination. Once PFAS chemicals make their way into water, they can also be found in plants and animals, including humans. More:

Monitoring and Exposure

Health Effects


Should You Be Concerned About PFAS Chemicals?

If you live near industrial facilities where these products are produced or near places where PFAS-loaded fire-fighting foams are used, like airfields or military bases, these chemicals may also be in your water supply. And they can travel far from the original site of contamination. Once PFAS chemicals make their way into water, they can also be found in plants and animals, including humans. More:

Monitoring and Exposure

Health Effects

08/04/2019 -

More than 100 pesticides and 21 drugs were detected in the 29 waterways analysed in 10 European nations, including the UK. A quarter of the chemicals identified are banned, while half of the streams analysed had at least one pesticide above permitted levels. More:


Pesticides and antibiotics polluting streams across Europe

More than 100 pesticides and 21 drugs were detected in the 29 waterways analysed in 10 European nations, including the UK. A quarter of the chemicals identified are banned, while half of the streams analysed had at least one pesticide above permitted levels. More:

07/04/2019 -

On a chilly day in November 2017, Beth Markesino sat in the county health department. She pushed up the sleeve of her sweater and extended her arm. A medical technician drew her blood. During her visit to the facility, Markesino spotted several people she knew and said hi to them. They were getting blood work done too. More:

Exposure and Health Effects

Water Monitoring


The hunt is on for GenX chemicals in people

On a chilly day in November 2017, Beth Markesino sat in the county health department. She pushed up the sleeve of her sweater and extended her arm. A medical technician drew her blood. During her visit to the facility, Markesino spotted several people she knew and said hi to them. They were getting blood work done too. More:

Exposure and Health Effects

Water Monitoring

02/04/2019 -

I am an environmental toxicologist studying how man-made chemicals affect our health. I was always interested in understanding how our current health is shaped by chemical exposures during the embryonic and early postnatal period – life stages that are particularly sensitive to environmental stressors. More:

Flame retardants in people and in the environment

Health Effects


Kids exposed to flame retardant PBDE are at risk for lifelong liver or cardiovascular problems

I am an environmental toxicologist studying how man-made chemicals affect our health. I was always interested in understanding how our current health is shaped by chemical exposures during the embryonic and early postnatal period – life stages that are particularly sensitive to environmental stressors. More:

Flame retardants in people and in the environment

Health Effects

02/04/2019 -

It all began with a question. Julia Common, the chief beekeeper at Hives for Humanity, a Vancouver-based, non-profit organization of urban beekeepers, was asked repeatedly, “How clean is the honey from downtown Vancouver?”. More:


How clean is your city? Just ask the bees

It all began with a question. Julia Common, the chief beekeeper at Hives for Humanity, a Vancouver-based, non-profit organization of urban beekeepers, was asked repeatedly, “How clean is the honey from downtown Vancouver?”. More:

27/03/2019 -

The hefty price tag reflects the state’s serious PFAS problem. New Jersey is thought to be one of the states most contaminated with these chemicals. Seventy percent of drinking water samples taken from 20 of New Jersey’s 21 counties contained at least one compound from the class of chemicals, according to research done in 2009 and 2010. And, last year, another state study showed that all surface water samples taken from 11 waterways and ecosystems around New Jersey contained PFAS. All the fish found there contained the chemicals as well. The state is also home to military bases that have been contaminated by firefighting foam, as well as several industrially polluted sites. More:


New Jersey is making companies pay for toxic contamination — shining a new light on a little-known offender

The hefty price tag reflects the state’s serious PFAS problem. New Jersey is thought to be one of the states most contaminated with these chemicals. Seventy percent of drinking water samples taken from 20 of New Jersey’s 21 counties contained at least one compound from the class of chemicals, according to research done in 2009 and 2010. And, last year, another state study showed that all surface water samples taken from 11 waterways and ecosystems around New Jersey contained PFAS. All the fish found there contained the chemicals as well. The state is also home to military bases that have been contaminated by firefighting foam, as well as several industrially polluted sites. More:

Page 50 of 81First   Previous   45  46  47  48  49  [50]  51  52  53  54  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.