Concentrations of some potentially harmful chemical compounds in dust collected from air filtration systems on the International Space Station (ISS) exceed those found in floor dust from many American homes, a new study reveals. More:

• Chemical contamination on International Space Station is out of this world  –  University of Birmingham
• Chemical contamination on International Space Station is out of this world  –  ScienceDaily
• Persistent Organic Contaminants in Dust from the International Space Station (Research article)

Most people have heard of BPA — but researchers say its chemical cousin, BADGE, is leaving scores of workers, artisans and individuals at risk. More:

• BPA's evil cousin  –  EHN

• BADGE  –  Epoxy Europe
• A review of properties, production, human exposure, biomonitoring, toxicity, and regulation of bisphenol A diglycidyl ethers and novolac glycidyl ethers (Research article)
• Toxic effects of bisphenol A diglycidyl ether and derivatives in human placental cells (Research abstract)

• BADGE at the “very top as a chemical of concern” for workers handling epoxy resins  –  EHN
• Ramped-up US construction exposes workers to an unregulated toxic  –  EHN
• The hidden, potential cancer-causing, danger in woodworking and art supplies  –  EHN

Mercury poisoning among members of the Grassy Narrows First Nation in Ontario, Canada, is contributing to high rates of attempted suicide among Indigenous youth. That’s according to a new study out of the University of Quebec in Montreal published this month in the journal Environmental Health Perspectives. More:

• Mercury pollution is worsening a mental health crisis in this Indigenous community  –  Grist

• Mercury and health  –  WHO
• The Mercury Problem in Artisanal and Small-Scale Gold Mining  –  Chemistry Europe

• Grassy Narrows residents eating fish with highest mercury levels in province  –  Toronto Star
• The Contribution across Three Generations of Mercury Exposure to Attempted Suicide among Children and Youth in Grassy Narrows First Nation, Canada: An Intergenerational Analysis (Research article)
• Invited Perspective: Linking the Intergenerational Impacts due to Mercury Exposure in Grassy Narrows First Nation, Canada (Scientific perspective)

• Children of the poisoned river  –  CBC News
• Grassy Narrows chief questions federal commitment to mercury care home amid delays, soaring costs  –  CBC News

The endocrine system is made up of glands throughout the body, along with the hormones that these glands produce and receptors that respond to the hormones. Endocrine glands include the pituitary, thymus, pancreas and adrenals. Hormones act like messengers, traveling through the body to deliver instructions that control biological processes ranging from growth and development to sleep, digestion and childbirth. More:

• What are endocrine-disrupting chemicals?  –  EHN
• Living healthily in a chemical world  –  European Environment Agency

• Overview of the Endocrine System  –  US EPA
• What EDCs Are  –  Endocrine Society
• Why You Should Care [about EDCs]  –  Endocrine Society
• Ask the Expert: Endocrine Disrupting Chemicals (EDCs)  –  Endocrine Society

• Impact of endocrine-disrupting chemicals on neural development and the onset of neurological disorders (Research article)
• Immune and Nervous Systems Interaction in Endocrine Disruptors Toxicity: The Case of Atrazine (Research article)
• Bisphenol A and bisphenol S disruptions of the mouse placenta and potential effects on the placenta–brain axis (Research article)

• Plastics, EDCs & Health  –  Endocrine Society/IPEN
• What will it take to give babies a phthalate-free start in the world?  –  EHN
• BPA safety: The toxic chemical limbo game  –  EHN
• Concern about the Safety of Bisphenol A Substitutes (Research article)

• What are PFAS?  –  EHN
• Perfluoroalkyl and Polyfluoroalkyl Substances (PFAS)  –  US NIH
• Key EPA Actions to Address PFAS  –  US EPA
• For decades, polluters knew PFAS chemicals were dangerous but hid risks from public  –  EWG
• The Devil they Knew- Chemical Documents Analysis of Industry Influence on PFAS Science (Scientific review)

• What are the health worries around pesticides?  –  EHN
• In 1996, the EPA was ordered to test pesticides for impacts on people’s hormones. They still don’t.  –  EHN
• Adrift: Communities on the front lines of pesticide exposure fight for change  –  EHN

• The Case of DDT: Revisiting the Impairment  –  US EPA
• Grandmaternal Perinatal Serum DDT in Relation to Granddaughter Early Menarche and Adult Obesity: Three Generations in the Child Health and Development Studies Cohort (Research article)
• Learn about Dioxin  –  US EPA
• Dioxins and their effects on human health  –  WHO
• Predicting global killer whale population collapse from PCB pollution (Research article)

Researchers have documented the insects making their homes in higher places that are typically too cool for them, from the tropical highlands of South America to the mountainous but populous regions of eastern Africa. A recent Georgetown University study found them moving upward in sub-Saharan Africa at the rate of 21 feet per year. More:

• Mosquitos are moving to higher elevations — and so is malaria  –  Grist

• World malaria report 2022  –  WHO

• 10 Years of Environmental Change on the Slopes of Mount Kilimanjaro and Its Associated Shift in Malaria Vector Distributions  –  Frontiers
• Warmer temperatures push malaria to higher elevations  –  EurekAlert!
• Impact of recent climate extremes on mosquito-borne disease transmission in Kenya  –  PMC
• Malaria trends in Ethiopian highlands track the 2000 ‘slowdown’ in global warming  –  Nature Communications

• Invasive mosquitoes could unravel malaria progress in Africa  –  AP News
• Locally Acquired Malaria Cases Identified in the United States  –  US CDC

• Dramatic reductions in malaria cases and deaths continue over five years with seasonal malaria vaccine-drug combination  –  Medical Xpress
• 18 million doses of first-ever malaria vaccine allocated to 12 African countries for 2023–2025: Gavi, WHO and UNICEF  –  UNICEF

The answer to cleaning up contaminated industrial sites in Europe could lie in the microbes that are already there. More:

• In battle against soil pollution, new ally emerges  –  Modern Diplomacy

• Progress in the management of contaminated sites in Europe  –  EEA

• MIBIREM – Toolbox for Microbiome based Remediation - MIBIREM - Project - Fact sheet - HORIZON - CORDIS - European Commission  –  CORDIS
• InteGRated systems for Effective ENvironmEntal Remediation - GREENER - Project - Fact sheet - H2020 -  –  CORDIS
• Microbial Bioremediation Market Report - Microbial Bioremediation Industry Forecast 2021-2030  –  Emergen Research

The pesticide companies Bayer and Syngenta have been excoriated in a European parliament hearing after failing to disclose studies on the brain toxicity of their products. More:

• ‘Outrageous’: MEPs condemn pesticide companies for withholding toxicity data  –  The Guardian
• Pesticide firms withheld brain toxicity studies from EU regulators, study finds  –  The Guardian

California researchers have found new evidence that several chemicals used in plastic production and a wide array of other industrial applications are commonly present in the blood of pregnant women, creating increased health risks for mothers and their babies. More:

• Researchers find evidence of ‘forever chemicals’ in blood of pregnant women  –  The Guardian

• Our Current Understanding of the Human Health and Environmental Risks of PFAS  –  US EPA
• Extending Nontargeted Discovery of Environmental Chemical Exposures during Pregnancy and Their Association with Pregnancy Complications—A Cross-Sectional Study (Research article)

• Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) in United States tapwater: Comparison of underserved private-well and public-supply exposures and associated health implications (Research article)
• 3M pays $10.3bn to settle water pollution suit over ‘forever chemicals’  –  The Guardian

• EPA and 3M Announce Phase Out of PFOS  –  US EPA

AUGUSTA, Maine (AP) — A bill requiring manufacturers to report their use of a class of toxic chemicals and phase them out by 2030 is now the law in Maine. The law that took effect Thursday was one of several legislative proposals to address contamination by so-called PFAS, short for perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances, which have long been used in a variety of consumer products. More:

• Maine requires so-called PFAS to be phased out by 2030  –  AP News

OAKDALE, Minn. — The last time Amara Strande testified in front of Minnesota lawmakers, her voice was shaky, a side effect of the tumor pressing on her throat and the cancer that had spread through her lungs. More:

• She died fighting ‘forever chemicals.’ They still linger in her town  –  The Washington Post
• Fibrolamellar Carcinoma (FLC/FLHCC)  –  NCI

• Nearly half of all U.S. tap water contains forever chemicals, study says  –  The Washington Post
• East Metro | 3M PFAS contamination  –  Minnesota Pollution Control Agency
• PFAS and closed landfills  –  Minnesota Pollution Control Agency

• Our Current Understanding of the Human Health and Environmental Risks of PFAS  –  US EPA
• Toxic Secrets: The town that 3M built - where kids are dying of cancer  –  The Sydney Morning Herald

• Groundbreaking study shows unaffordable costs of PFAS cleanup from wastewater  –  Minnesota Pollution Control Agency

• A bill for an act prohibiting PFAS in certain products  –  Minnesota Legislature

• 3M reaches $10.3 billion settlement in -forever chemicals- claims  –  Axios
• 3M Resolves Claims by Public Water Suppliers, Supports Drinking Water Solutions for Vast Majority of Americans  –  3M Company
• 3M to Exit PFAS Manufacturing by the End of 2025  –  3M News

A University of Sydney led study published today in Nature has revealed the chemical odyssey pesticides embark upon after their initial agricultural application, with environmental consequences for a range of ecosystems. More:

• Global analysis shows how pesticides leach into the environment  –  The University of Sydney
• Agricultural pesticide land budget and river discharge to oceans (Research abstract)

Wrappers from eight brands of butter have detectable levels of total fluorine, an indicator of the group of chemicals known as PFAS, according to a new report from Mamavation. Partnering with EHN.org, the environmental wellness blog and community had 32 wrappers from 22 brands tested by a U.S. Environmental Protection Agency-certified lab and found levels of total fluorine ranging from 11 parts per million to 112 ppm in 16 of the wrappers. More:

• Are you spreading PFAS on your morning toast?  –  EHN

• What are PFAS?  –  EHN

• Evidence of PFAS in organic pasta sauces  –  EHN
• Are you replenishing your electrolytes with a dose of PFAS?  –  EHN

• Butter Wrappers & Indications of PFAS -Forever Chemicals - Buying Guide  –  Mamavation
• Dangerous PFAS Chemicals Are in Your Food Packaging  –  Consumer Reports
• PFAS with your pizza? People who eat more takeout have higher levels of harmful chemicals in their bodies  –  EHN
• Dietary Habits Related to Food Packaging and Population Exposure to PFASs (Research article)

• Investigation: PFAS on our shelves and in our bodies  –  EHN
• Are you putting PFAS on your eyeballs?  –  EHN
• Evidence of PFAS chemicals in sports bras  –  EHN

• Tests find PFAS abundant ​in some dental floss  –  EHN
• Evidence of PFAS found in tampons — including organic brands  –  EHN

A recent study by Healthy Building Network finds 50% of paints tested contain PFAS. Chief Research Officer Teresa McGrath shares the risks and how to avoid these dangerous chemicals in paint. More:

• Opinion: Why PFAS have no place in everyday products, including paint  –  EHN

• What are PFAS?  –  EHN
• Thyroid Disrupting Effects of Old and New Generation PFAS (Research article)

• Paints: A Source of Volatile PFAS in Air─Potential Implications for Inhalation Exposure (Research abstract)
• Product Guidance- Interior Paint Product Guidance  –  Healthy Building Network
• HBN Transparency and Material Health Attributes Information Request Email Template (Google doc)  –  Healthy Building Network

• IN-DEPTH: For clean beauty brands, getting PFAS out of makeup might be easier said than done  –  EHN
• IN-DEPTH: What we know about PFAS in our food  –  EHN
• IN DEPTH: First-of-its kind testing points to dangers and unknowns of PFAS in clothing  –  EHN

According to a new federal study, 45 percent of the United States’s tap water supply could contain at least one form of PFAS, a class of “forever chemicals” that’s been tied to negative health outcomes. More:

• What to do if you’re worried about “forever chemicals” in your drinking water  –  Vox
• You probably have “forever chemicals” in your body. Here’s what that means.  –  Vox
• How “forever chemicals” polluted America’s water (YouTube)  –  Vox

• Tap water study detects PFAS ‘forever chemicals’ across the US  –  U.S. Geological Survey
• EWG Tap Water Database  –  EWG
• Some Bottled Water Brands Have Concerning PFAS Levels, Massachusetts Regulator Warns  –  Consumer Reports

• What should I do about PFAS in my water?  –  PBS
• Nicholas School of the Environment - Not All In-Home Drinking Water Filters Completely Remove Toxic PFAS  –  Duke
• Assessing the Effectiveness of Point-of-Use Residential Drinking Water Filters for Perfluoroalkyl Substances (PFASs) (Research article)

• 4 things to know about regulating ‘forever chemicals’ in drinking water  –  PBS NewsHour

At least 45% of the nation’s tap water is estimated to have one or more types of the chemicals known as per- and polyfluorinated alkyl substances, or PFAS, according to a new study by the U.S. Geological Survey. More:

• Toxic ‘forever chemicals’ taint nearly half of U.S. tap water, study estimates  –  The Washington Post

• Tap water study detects PFAS "forever chemicals" across the US  –  U.S. Geological Survey
• Study: More Than 200 Million Americans Could Have Toxic PFAS in Their Drinking Water  –  EWG

• Perfluoroalkyl and Polyfluoroalkyl Substances (PFAS)  –  US NIH
• Our Current Understanding of the Human Health and Environmental Risks of PFAS  –  US EPA

Canada recently took its first bold step to regulate the production and use of a large group of chemicals called per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances, or PFAS, a family of environmentally persistent and toxic chemical compounds. More:

• Canada Will Start Regulating ‘Forever Chemicals.’ What to Know  –  The Tyee

• PFAS – the ‘Forever Chemicals’  –  CHEMTrust
• Draft state of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) report (Report)  –  Canada Government
• The Devil they Knew: Chemical Documents Analysis of Industry Influence on PFAS Science (Reseach article)

• Scientific Basis for Managing PFAS as a Chemical Class (Research article)
• Why is high persistence alone a major cause of concern? (Research article)
• Literature review of PFAS bioaccumulation data  –  US EPA
• Per- and Polyfluoroalkyl Substance Toxicity and Human Health Review: Current State of Knowledge and Strategies for Informing Future Research (Scientific review)

• An overview of the uses of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) (Research article)
• Fracking with "Forever Chemicals* (download PDF) (Report)  –  Physicians For Social Responsibility

• Concentrations of persistent organic pollutants in maternal and cord blood from the maternal-infant research on environmental chemicals (MIREC) cohort study (Research article)
• How to investigate human health effects related to exposure to mixtures of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances: A systematic review of statistical methods (Research article)
• Plasma concentrations of perfluoroalkyl acids and their determinants in youth and adults from Nunavik, Canada (Research article)

In Pierre-Bénite, just south of Lyon, a plant belonging to French chemical giant Arkema has become the focus of accusations. For decades, tonnes of PFAs, or so-called forever chemicals, have been released into the environment. More:

• Forever chemicals: French company poisoned environment near Lyon for decades, locals claim  –  EuroNews
• Lyon, Veneto and Antwerp plagued by dangerous forever chemicals, as call for an EU ban gains steam  –  EuroNews
• Rainwater everywhere on Earth unsafe to drink due to ‘forever chemicals’, study finds  –  EuroNews

Pets living near a PFAS manufacturing plant in Fayetteville, North Carolina have concerning levels of the toxic chemicals in their blood, and show evidence of health effects linked to exposure, new research finds. More:

• High levels of toxic chemicals in pets living near US manufacturing plant  –  The Guardian
• Domestic Dogs and Horses as Sentinels of Per- and Polyfluoroalkyl Substance Exposure and Associated Health Biomarkers in Gray’s Creek North Carolina (Research abstract)
• High levels of ‘forever chemicals’ likely making alligators sick in Cape Fear River  –  The Guardian
• Cancer fears plague residents of US region polluted by ‘forever chemicals  –  The Guardian

Declining biodiversity threatens the very basis of human life. Science contends that there are many reasons for this decline. However, while much research is being conducted into the connection between species decline on the one hand and loss of habitats, invasion by non-native species or climate change on the other, science is giving less attention to the impact of chemicals on biodiversity.  More:

• How use of chemicals and biodiversity loss are connected  –  Mirage News
• Better integration of chemical pollution research will further our understanding of biodiversity loss (Scientific comment)

Firefighters’ turnout gear — the heavy clothing they don before fighting a fire — is essential protective equipment. But the textiles that make the clothing fireproof carry hazards of their own. A May report published by the National Institute of Standards and Technology concludes that “forever chemicals” known as PFAS — some linked to cancer — are present in textiles commonly used in the gear. More:

• Firefighter gear is full of cancer-causing PFAS. What can be done about it?  –  WHQR
• Firefighting gear contains ‘forever chemicals,’ report concludes  –  The Washington Post

• Researchers Pin Down PFAS Prevalence in Firefighter Gear  –  US NIST
• Per- and Polyfluoroalkyl Substances in New Firefighter Turnout Gear Textiles (download PDF) (Report)   –  US NIST
• Firefighters’ exposure to per-and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) as an occupational hazard: A review (Review article)
• S.2525 - Guaranteeing Equipment Safety for Firefighters Act of 2019  –  US Congress
• PFAS in Fire Fighter Turnout Gear (Joint statement) – International Association of Fire Fighters (IAFF)

• Widespread Occurrence of Non-Extractable Fluorine in Artificial Turfs from Stockholm, Sweden  (Research article)

• The dangers of PFAS, often called ‘forever chemicals’  –  The Washington Post
• EPA warns toxic ‘forever chemicals’ more dangerous than once thought  –  The Washington Post