Global pesticide use has soared by 80% since 1990, according to a new Pesticide Atlas. Its use has hit biodiversity, driving falls of around 30% in populations of field birds and grassland butterflies since 1990. Almost one in 10 of Europe’s bees are now threatened with extinction, due in no small part to the use of toxic chemical formulations in herbicides, pesticides and fertilisers. More:

• Pesticide use around world almost doubles since 1990, report finds  –  The Guardian
• Pesticide Atlas (download PDF) (Report) –  HBS, Friends of the Earth, BUND, PAN
• The Export of Banned Pesticides to Africa and Central America (download PDF) (Legal opinion)  –  CIEL

And with it comes a quieter world, thanks to snow’s ability to absorb noise. This is because the spaces between snow crystals limit sound waves from bouncing around, creating a soundproofing effect. Snow also adsorbs other matters it comes into contact with. In the winter, snow becomes a superabsorbent for a wide range of pollutants including POPs. More:

• Snow can spread and worsen the effects of pollutants in the environment  –  The Conversation

• Persistent organic pollutants in Chinese waterways: Occurrence, remediation, and epidemiological perspectives (Research abstract)
• Persistent Organic Pollutants (POPs) in Antarctica: Occurrence in continental and coastal surface snow (Research abstract)

• Persistent organic pollutants: Stockholm Convention  –  Government of Canada
• Persistent Organic Pollutants: A Global Issue, A Global Response  –  US EPA

Toxic PFAS have likely contaminated roughly 57,412 locations across the U.S., according to a study. Those locations include certain industrial facilities, waste processing facilities, and places where firefighting foam containing PFAS (per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances) have been used, such as airports and military bases. More:

• Toxic PFAS pollution is likely at more than 57,000 US locations: Report  –  EHN
• What are PFAS?  –  EHN
• Presumptive Contamination: A New Approach to PFAS Contamination Based on Likely Sources (Research article)

What you wear for your workouts may be exposing you to a harmful chemical, warns a new report from the Center for Environmental Health (CEH). The nonprofit consumer advocacy group found high levels of BPA—a toxic chemical compound that can potentially disrupt metabolism, growth and development, and reproduction—in some of the world’s most popular brands of athletic wear. More:

• Report: Some sports bras and athletic wear may contain high levels of a toxic chemical  –  Fast Company
• New Testing Shows High Levels of BPA in Sports Bras and Athletic Shirts  –  Center for Environmental Health
• BPA in Socks: Are There Harmful Chemicals in Your Socks?  –  Center for Environmental Health

This fall marks the 60th anniversary of writer and scientist Rachel Carson’s 1962 book “Silent Spring.” The book was seminal in that it sparked the modern environmental movement, a U.S. ban of DDT, and the founding of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). More:

• Jennifer Liss Ohayon: Why is the EPA still exposing women to pesticides linked to breast cancer?  –  EHN

• Chemical Effects on Breast Development, Function, and Cancer Risk: Existing Knowledge and New Opportunities (Research article)
• US EPA's regulatory pesticide evaluations need clearer guidelines for considering mammary gland tumors and other mammary gland effects (Research article)
• Application of an in Vitro Assay to Identify Chemicals That Increase Estradiol and Progesterone Synthesis and Are Potential Breast Cancer Risk Factors (Research article)

• Whistleblowers Expose Corruption in EPA Chemical Safety Office  –  The Intercept
• The Department of Yes  –  The Intercept
• Commentary: Novel strategies and new tools to curtail the health effects of pesticides (Research article)

• The Right Way to Remember Rachel Carson  –  The New Yorker
• The Fracking of Rachel Carson  –  Orion Magazine

The explosion of intensive agriculture over recent decades has entrenched and universalised the use of pesticides. Often seen as allies in ensuring predictable, consistent and high-yield harvests, is our trust in these chemicals proving to be misplaced?. More:

• Pesticides: On borrowed time?  –  META

• Pesticides in our bedroom (download PDF) (Report)  –  Save Bees and Farmers
• Vital soil organisms being harmed by pesticides, study shows  –  The Guardian

• Sustainable use of pesticides  –  European Commission
• Agroecology- Farming for a better future  –  META
• Pesticide drift mitigation measures appear to reduce contamination of non-agricultural areas, but hazards to humans and the environment remain (Research article)

PFAS – per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances – are known to disrupt hormones and fetal development, and future “reproductive capacity” is largely defined as testicles develop in utero during the first trimester of a pregnancy, said study co-author Sandra Søgaard Tøttenborg of the Copenhagen University hospital. More:

• Study links in utero ‘forever chemical’ exposure to low sperm count and mobility  –  The Guardian
• ‘Forever chemicals’ detected in all umbilical cord blood in 40 studies –  The Guardian
• Maternal Exposure to Per- and Polyfluoroalkyl Substances (PFAS) and Male Reproductive Function in Young Adulthood: Combined Exposure to Seven PFAS (Research article)

U.S. authorities have detected the high levels of PFAS, or per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances, in deer in several states, including Michigan and Maine, where legions of hunters seek to bag a buck every fall. Sometimes called “forever chemicals” for their persistence in the environment, PFAS are industrial compounds used in numerous products, such as nonstick cookware and clothing. More:

• ‘Forever chemicals’ in deer, fish challenge hunters, tourism  –  AP News
• 'Forever chemicals' in deer have wildlife managers and hunters' attention –  The Providence Journal
• ‘Forever chemicals’ found in groundwater near military bases –  AP News
• Maine requires so-called PFAS to be phased out by 2030 –  AP News

Caribbean governments have made headway in reducing the presence of cancer-causing chemicals that have long been plaguing their environments. With the conclusion of a seven-year, $9 million program, eight participating countries have ramped up their abilities to sample and inventory “persistent organic pollutants” (POPs) — long-lasting, accumulative chemicals that contaminate the Caribbean, UNIDO reported. More:

• Caribbean nations taking steps to clean up cancer-causing chemicals: UN  –  The Hill
• PCBs a forgotten legacy? –  UNEP
• Nations lag on global commitments to eliminate hazardous PCB compounds: study  –  The Hill
• Development and Implementation of a Sustainable Management Mechanism for POPs in the Caribbean  –  GEF

PFAS are everywhere. These man-made industrial chemicals have been seeping into our environment for over 70 years and are today found all over the globe. The persistent and bioaccumulative nature of these chemicals not only means that they do not break down in nature, it also means that they accumulate and travel up the food chain. More:

• We tested our blood for PFAS and this is what we found out  –  ChemSec
• European teenagers are high – on PFAS –  ChemSec

When Kelvin McNickle discovered in his 30s he had non-Hodgkin lymphoma, he wondered whether it could be due to the Roundup he had used for more than a decade while clearing vegetation for councils. Now living in Queensland, he has become the lead plaintiff in a major class action against a chemical giant. More:

• Gardeners beware: household chemicals banned overseas are still used in Australia  –  The Guardian

• ‘Disturbing’: weedkiller ingredient tied to cancer found in 80% of US urine samples  –  The Guardian

• Glyphosate weedkiller damages wild bee colonies, study reveals  –  The Guardian

• Outdoor use of metaldehyde to be banned to protect wildlife  –  Gov.UK
• US must re-examine risks of glyphosate, key Roundup weedkiller ingredient  –  The Guardian
• Popular weedkiller Roundup on trial again as cancer victims demand justice  –  The Guardian

Boston’s mayor, Michelle Wu, has ordered no new artificial turf to be installed in city parks, making Boston the largest municipality in a small but growing number around the nation to limit use of the product because it contains dangerous chemicals. More:

• Boston bans artificial turf in parks due to toxic ‘forever chemicals’  –  The Guardian

• Toxic chemicals are found in blades of artificial turf  –  The Boston Globe
• July 2019 Report: Tire Crumb Rubber Characterization  –  US EPA
• Toxic Forever Chemicals Infest Artificial Turf  –  PEER.org

• ‘Our community has been deceived’: Turf wars mount over PFAS  –  E&E News
• Sierra Club opposes artificial turf at Los Gatos schools  –  The Mercury News
• More games or more grass fields? Turf wars play out across Massachusetts  –  GBH News

• Millbrae enacting temporary ban on new artificial turf  –  The Daily Journal
• RTM proactively bans crumb rubber artificial turf  –  CT Insider

A non-profit research group has found the oil and gas industry in Ohio has used PFAS, known as “forever” chemicals, in at least 101 oil and gas wells since 2013. Physicians for Social Responsibility (PSR) released a report and said that the state’s disclosure rules prevent the public from knowing how widely PFAS have been used. More:

• Group finds PFAS 'forever' chemicals used in Ohio oil and gas wells  –  The Allegheny Front

• Fracking with Forever Chemicals in Ohio (download PDF) (Study report)  –  Physicians for Social Responsibility
• EPA-approved fracking chemicals include PFAS, a 'forever chemical'  –  The Allegheny Front
• PFAS The latest toxic concern for those near fracking  –  Environmental Health News
• The national hydraulic fracturing chemical disclosure registry.  –  FraFocus

• USGS characterizes flow paths for movement of PFAS in groundwater in Southeastern Pennsylvania  –  USGS
• Our Current Understanding of the Human Health and Environmental Risks of PFAS  –  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
• Pennsylvania holds public hearings on PFAS drinking water regulation  –  The Allegheny Front
• Maximum Contaminant Levels (MCLs) for seven PFAS compounds  –  Michigan.gov

For almost four decades, the U.S. has recognized October as Breast Cancer Awareness Month to spotlight the disease and funding for research on breast cancer diagnoses, treatments and prevention. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, one in eight women in the U.S. will get breast cancer in her lifetime. More:

• This Breast Cancer Awareness Month, reduce your exposure to endocrine disruptors  –  EWG

• Endocrine disrupting chemicals and breast cancer: a systematic review of epidemiological studies (download PDF) (Research article)
• Environmental chemicals and breast cancer: An updated review of epidemiological literature informed by biological mechanisms (Research article)
• Chemical Effects on Breast Development, Function, and Cancer Risk: Existing Knowledge and New Opportunities (Research article)
• Breast Cancer In Young Women  –  US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
• Adipose Tissue-Derived Mesenchymal Stromal/Stem Cells, Obesity and the Tumor Microenvironment of Breast Cancer (Research article)

• What are endocrine disruptors?  –  EWG
• Endocrine Disruptors–‘Food’ for Thought (Research article)
• Endocrine disruptors on and in fruits and vegetables: Estimation of the potential exposure of the French population (Research article)
• Chemicals in our food may be contributing to weight gain  –  EWG

• Study: Toxic ‘forever chemicals’ widespread across many cosmetics categories  –  EWG
• What Are Parabens, and Why Don’t They Belong in Cosmetics?  –  EWG
• Personal care product use as a predictor of urinary concentrations of certain phthalates, parabens, and phenols in the HERMOSA study (Research article)
• Changes in Latina Women’s Exposure to Cleaning Chemicals Associated with Switching from Conventional to “Green” Household Cleaning Products: The LUCIR Intervention Study (Research article)

• Safer Choice  –  US EPA
• EWG’s Healthy Living App  –  EWG
• EWG's 2022 Shopper's Guide to Pesticides in Produce  –  EWG

• Your guide to safer personal care products  –  EWG's Skin Deep
• A mark you can trust  –  EWG
• EWG's Guide to Healthy Cleaning: Frequently Asked Questions  –  EWG
• Six tips to avoid phthalates after study highlights health harms, billion-dollar costs  –  EWG

When it comes to the United States phasing out PFAS, the “forever chemicals” are true to their nickname in more ways than one. It’s not going to be straightforward or swift to eliminate these substances from countless industries, even though they have been potentially linked to myriad health issues. More:

• Why getting PFAS out of our products is so hard — and why it matters  –  PBS

• Outside the Safe Operating Space of a New Planetary Boundary for PFAS (Research article)
• Distribution of perfluoroalkyl substances (PFASs) in water, sediment, and fish tissue, and the potential human health risks due to fish consumption in Lake Hawassa, Ethiopia (Research abstract)
• We’re breathing PFAS: URI-led study finds harmful forever chemicals in indoor air  –  The University of Rhode Island
• PFAS Related Air Quality Issues  –  Michigan.gov
• Reducing negative impact of PFAS  –  NGI

• An overview of the uses of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) (Research article)
• Authorized Uses of PFAS in Food Contact Applications  –  FDA USA
• ‘Forever chemicals’ found in nearly 60% of children’s ‘waterproof’ or ‘stain-resistant’ textiles  –  The Guardian
• High Levels of PFAS Found in Anti-Fogging Sprays and Cloths  –  Duke Nicholas School of the Environment
• Use of PFAS in cosmetics ‘widespread,’ new study finds  –  University of Notre Dame

• Protective gear could expose firefighters to PFAS  –  C&EN
• Firefighting Foam Chemicals: DOD Is Investigating PFAS and Responding to Contamination, but Should Report More Cost Information  –  US GAO
• The New Foam  –  US National Fire Protection Association

• What are the health effects of PFAS?  –  US ATSDR
• A Review of the Pathways of Human Exposure to PFASs and Present Understanding of Health Effects (Research article)

• States Are Taking Action  –  Safer States
• Washington's toxics in products laws  –  Department of Ecology State of Washington
• State takes steps toward banning persistent PFAS chemicals in food packaging  –  Department of Ecology State of Washington
• EPA Announces New Drinking Water Health Advisories for PFAS Chemicals, $1 Billion in Bipartisan Infrastructure Law Funding to Strengthen Health Protections  –  US EPA
• Fish and Shellfish Program (download PDF) (Newsletter)  –  US EPA

• PFAS-free & Preferred Products  –  Greenscreen for safer chemicals
• Safer Products for Washington resources  –  Department of Ecology State of Washington
• The concept of essential use for determining when uses of PFASs can be phased out (Research article)

• Why phthalates should be restricted or banned from consumer products  –  Harvard T.H. Chan
• Ozone Layer Protection  –  US EPA
• Chlorofluorocarbons and Ozone Depletion – ACS

Some 400,000 specimens from German citizens, collected over four decades and stored in an old military bunker, trace the rise—and sometimes the fall—of chemical pollutants in an industrial country. More:

• A German bunker full of blood and urine has the best record of how chemicals contaminate us  –  National Geographic

• Project Group Environmental Specimen Bank  –  Fraunhofer IBMT
• Long-term monitoring of mercury in young German adults: Time trend analyses from the German Environmental Specimen Bank, 1995–2018 (Research article)
• Long-term time trend of lead exposure in young German adults – Evaluation of more than 35 Years of data of the German Environmental Specimen Bank (Research article)
• Phthalate metabolites in 24-h urine samples of the German Environmental Specimen Bank (ESB) from 1988 to 2015 and a comparison with US NHANES data from 1999 to 2012 (Research article)

• Restrictions Roadmap under the Chemicals Strategy for Sustainability (download PDF)  –  European Commission

The Mediterranean ecosystem is fragile and human-induced pressures are felt intensely in the region. Around 70% of the population in the Mediterranean lives mostly in coastal cities and it is a popular tourist destination worldwide. However, the Mediterranean has recently been the victim of various kinds of pollution. More:

• More coordination needed to protect Mediterranean from pollution  –  Daily Sabah
• Barcelona Convention and Protocols  –  UNEP
• Mediterranean Action Plan (MAP)  –  UNEP

People who work in manufacturing, welding and chemical operations and are exposed to hazardous chemicals may face a higher risk of developing amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), a new study found. More:

• Study Points to Jobs With Highest Risk for ALS  –  US News
• Associations of self-reported occupational exposures and settings to ALS: a case–control study (Research article)

• Silica, Crystalline  –  US Department of Labor
• Facts About Formaldehyde –  US EPA

• Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS) Fact Sheet  –  US National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke
• National ALS Registry Dashboard –  US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

Most consumers would be surprised to learn Australia has less rigorous standards on pesticides than much of Europe or the United States – and UK environmental campaigners have now raised the alarm about harmful pesticides in Australian food. More:

• Australian food is grown with dangerous chemicals banned in other countries  –  The Guardian

• Why are pesticides banned overseas still used in Australia and what does it mean for the environment?  –  The Guardian
• The dirty dozen: 12 pesticides that are banned elsewhere but still used in Australia  –  The Guardian
• Independent Review of the Pesticides and Veterinary Medicines Regulatory System in Australia (download PDF) (Report)  –  Australian Government

• Green groups in last-ditch bid to block UK’s Australia trade deal  –  The Guardian
• UK trade deal with Australia amounts to ‘offshoring’ pesticide use, MPs say  –  The Guardian

• Does paraquat cause Parkinson’s disease? A review of reviews (Research article)
• Glyphosate weedkiller damages wild bee colonies, study reveals  –  The Guardian
• Highly Hazardous Pesticides  –  UNEP

• Australian mouse plague: ‘napalming’ rodents could kill native and domestic animals too  –  The Guardian
• Mouse plague poison kills dozens of birds in New South Wales  –  The Guardian

Widely used pesticides contain concerning levels of toxic “forever chemicals” called PFAS, adding to concerns about the human health risks posed by pesticides that are used in growing food, according to a study. The study found a type of PFAS called PFOS at levels hundreds of thousands of times higher than the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) considers safe in 6 out of 10 insecticides tested, including malathion, one of the most commonly applied insecticides in the world. More:

• High levels of toxic PFAS found in pesticides used in farming  –  The New Lede
• Questions and Answers: Drinking Water Health Advisories for PFOA, PFOS, GenX Chemicals and PFBS  –  US EPA

• EPA Proposes to Stop Authorized Use of Certain PFAS in Pesticide Products  –  US EPA
• Targeted analysis and Total Oxidizable Precursor assay of several insecticides for PFAS (Research article)

• EPA confirms PFAS can leach from shipping containers into food, other products  –  The New Lede