A family of colorless and tasteless man-made chemicals has become a growing concern for drinking water safety in thousands of American communities, as scientists increasingly see links to liver damage, high cholesterol, weakened immune systems and cancer. More:

• 'Ticking time bomb': PFAS chemicals in drinking water alarm scientists over health risks  –  ABC News
• What you need to know about PFAS or 'forever' chemicals  –  ABC News

• Drinking Water Health Advisories for PFOA and PFOS  –  US EPA
• EPA Continues to Take Action on PFAS to Protect the Public  –  US EPA
• H.R.2467 - PFAS Action Act of 2021  –  Congress.gov Library of Congress

Standing ankle-deep in a shallow, fast-moving section of the Tay River, Raegan Mallinson is using a kicknet — essentially a large net attached to a broomstick — and when the timer starts, she enthusiastically begins what she dubs, jokingly, a “river dance.” Mallinson is a trainer with Living Lakes Canada, a group that brings together nonprofits, academics, watershed councils, Indigenous groups and community members to combat the prevalence of what are known as “data-deficient rivers". More:

• Teaching citizen scientists to hunt for ‘canary in the coal mine’ in Alberta’s rivers  –  The Narwhal
• A Snapshot of Community Based Water Monitoring in Canada (Report)  –  Living Lakes Canada
• New WWF-Canada report reveals the health of 60 per cent of Canada’s sub-watersheds is unknown  –  WWF.CA

• Science of aquatic biomonitoring  –  Canada.ca
• Using Benthic Invertebrates as Bioindicators  –  Regional Aquatics Monitoring Program (RAMP)

At issue are fluorinated containers made of high-density polyethylene, a material widely used in food packaging because it can easily seal out moisture and other temperature changes. The packaging is generally used during the manufacturing process to hold large quantities of ingredients like oils or flavorings. More:

• FDA raises alarm over PFAS-tainted food containers  –  E&E News
• Letter to Manufacturers and Distributors of Fluorinated Polyethylene Food Contact Containers  –  US FDA

Agricultural pesticides sold to farmers ready-mixed into "cocktails" can kill twice as many bees, according to an analysis of 90 studies. "Exposure to multiple pesticides is the norm, not the exception," Dr Harry Siviter, from the University of Texas at Austin, who led the study, told the BBC Radio 4's Inside Science programme. More:

• Farm pesticides killing more bees - study  –  BBC
• In-hive Pesticide Exposome: Assessing risks to migratory honey bees from in-hive pesticide contamination in the Eastern United States (Research article)
• Agrochemicals interact synergistically to increase bee mortality (Research abstract)

Removing this pollutant has proved especially challenging, partly because unexploded ordnance peppers many of the country's massive firing ranges. Bacteria that break down RDX exist in soil but do not consume the toxin fast enough to keep it from seeping into aquifers. More:

• Plant Absorbs Toxic RDX Contamination  –  Scientific American
• Mutant Plants Mop Up Explosives  –  Scientific American
• Field trial demonstrating phytoremediation of the military explosive RDX by XplA/XplB-expressing switchgrass (Research abstract)

POPs, or persistent organic pollutants, are toxic chemicals that accumulate and poison the environment. They include commonly recognized names like the pesticide DDT and the large group of industrial chemicals known as PCBs. More:

• What Are Persistent Organic Pollutants (POPs)? Definition, Examples, and Environmental Concerns  –  Treehugger
• Persistent organic pollutants (POPs): a global issue, a global challenge (Research article)

• The 12 initial POPs under the Stockholm Convention  –  Stockholm Convention
• Persistent Organic Pollutants  –  WHO
• Persistent Organic Pollutants: A Global Issue, A Global Response  –  US EPA
• What Is DDT? Environmental Impact and Current Uses  –  Treehugger
• What Are PFAS? Definition, Sources, and Health Risks  –  Treehugger

• Biomonitoring and Hormone-Disrupting Effect Biomarkers of Persistent Organic Pollutants In Vitro and Ex Vivo (Research article)
• Impact of environmental exposure to persistent organic pollutants on lung cancer risk (Research article)
• Persistent Organic Pollutants and Neurological Disorders: From Exposure to Preventive Interventions (Research abstract)
• The influence of persistent organic pollutants in the traditional Inuit diet on markers of inflammation (Research article)

The Defense Department responded too slowly to the threats posed to military service members by the toxic “forever chemicals” known as PFAS and is failing to track the health risks facing military firefighters, according to DOD’s inspector general. More:

• Defense Department delayed PFAS cleanup, ignored health risks, Inspector General says  –  EWG
• Learn more about PFAS, the toxic nonstick chemicals in water  –  EWG
• Interactive Map- 679 Military Sites With Known or Suspected Discharges of PFAS  –  EWG
• For Decades, The Department of Defense Knew Fire Fighting Foams With PFAS Chemicals Were Dangerous But Continued Their Use  –  EWG

Producimos una media de 7,3 kilos de residuos de aparatos como viejos ordenadores o teléfonos por individuo al año. La OMS alerta de los enormes peligros para la salud, especialmente para la de los menores de edad y embarazadas, de los vertederos donde se acumulan. More:

• 18 millones de niños viven, juegan y trabajan entre basura electrónica  –  El País

• La republica de la basura electrónica  –  El País
• Las huellas de la basura tecnológica acaban en la sangre de los habitantes de África  –  El País
• Envenenando la pobreza: Residuos electrónicos en Ghana (Informe)  –  Greenpeace

• La OMS alerta de que el incremento rápido de los desechos electrónicos afecta a la salud de millones de niños  –  OMS
• Children and digital dumpsites- e-waste exposure and child health  (Report)  –  WHO
• E-Waste in Africa: A Serious Threat to the Health of Children (Research article)

Tailandia es un país que se caracteriza mundialmente por contar con grandes extensiones de arrozales, los cuales son la base de la economía de miles de familias de toda la región. Evidentemente, mantener a salvo todas las cosechas es fundamental para los tailandeses, ya que suelen sufrir de plagas. More:

• En Tailandia 10.000 patos se encargan de limpiar los arrozales de plagas y así evitar pesticidas  –  Portal Ambiental
• Drone footage follows 10,000 ducks “cleaning” rice paddies in Thailand  –  Youtube

The Environmental Working Group released new analysis that dramatically increases an earlier estimate of the number of manufacturers and users of the toxic “forever chemicals” known as PFAS that may be releasing PFAS into the environment, including drinking water sources. More:

• Twelvefold increase in suspected industrial dischargers of ‘forever chemicals’  –  EWG
• The ‘Forever Chemicals’ in 99% of Americans  –  EWG
• Interactive Map Suspected industrial discharges of PFAS  –  EWG

• How Michigan Reduced Industrial Discharges of PFAS  –  EWG
• Gillibrand, Pappas, Delgado Reintroduce Legislation To Finally Stop Polluters From Contaminating Waterways With Toxic Levels Of Pfas  –  gillibrand.senate.gov
• Clean Water Standards for PFAS Act  –  amendments-rules.house.gov
• List of PFAS Added to the TRI by the NDAA  –  US EPA

Soil invertebrates are responsible for many critical ecological functions, such as maintaining soil structure and controlling pests, which are necessary for a healthy soil ecosystem. Those ecosystems in turn support food production and, ultimately, human health, through the nutritional support they provide. More:

• Study: Pesticides harm soil invertebrates but EPA fails to recognize impact  –  EWG
• Pesticides and Soil Invertebrates: A Hazard Assessment (Research article)

• Healthy soils are the basis for healthy food production (Leaflet)  –  FAO
• Soil and Human Health, Current Status and Future Needs (Review article)

• Bees at Risk From Neonicotinoid Insecticides  –  EWG
• Neonic Pesticides: Banned in Europe, Common on U.S. Produce, Lethal to Bees  –  Environmental Working Group
• An assessment of acute insecticide toxicity loading (AITL) of chemical pesticides used on agricultural land in the United States (Research article)

• Land‐use intensity and the effects of organic farming on biodiversity: a hierarchical meta‐analysis (Research article)

If you applied sunscreen this morning, the chances are you are now wearing billions of microplastics. Just one bottle can contain up to 100tn intentionally added plastic particles—used to bind ingredients together, form a thin coating on the skin and make it waterproof—according to the Plastic Soup Foundation. Should you be lucky enough to be on a beach holiday right now, that may be an unavoidable fate.

• Are there trillions of microplastics in your sunscreen right now?  –  Vogue India
• The oil and chemical industry is lobbying against landmark global regulation of microplastic chemicals  –  Unearthed
• Microplastics in Cosmetics (Cell phone application)  –  Beat the Microbead

• About 80% of hand sanitizers & gels contain microplastics  –  Beat the Microbead
• Microplastics in your sunscreen can be more dangerous than you think  –  Beat the Microbead

• 100,000,000,000,000 plastic particles in one sunscreen  –  Plastic Soup Foundation
• EU microplastics ban set to make a growing problem worse  –  The European Environmental Bureau
• Microbeads in cosmetics  –  OECD

Progress is slowly being made, but environmental activists have long understood the direction we were heading in. Over the last few years, we’ve covered this topic extensively in hopes of raising awareness on plastic pollution and inspiring people to make more conscious choices. Here are 10 of our top articles on the topic to help you understand everything you need to know about plastic pollution. More:

• From Marine Animal Extinction to Ocean Pollutants: Everything You Need to Know About Plastic Pollution  –  One Green Planet

• More Than Just Trash: How Chemicals From Plastic Pollution Harm Us  –  One Green Planet
• Plastic ingestion by Flesh-footed Shearwaters (Puffinus carneipes): Implications for fledgling body condition and the accumulation of plastic-derived chemicals (Research abstract)

• Is it Really Worth the Convenience? 6 Ways Plastic is Harming Animals, the Planet and Us  –  One Green Planet
• 5 Realities About Plastic Pollution That Won’t Go Away Until We Do Something  –  One Green Planet
• These 5 Marine Animals Are Dying Because of Our Plastic Trash… Here’s How We Can Help  –  One Green Planet
• 5 Ways Plastic Pollution Impacts Animals on Land  –  One Green Planet
• Why We Need to Wake Up and Do Something to Tackle Plastic Pollution in the Oceans  –  One Green Planet
• 5 Documentaries That Will Make You Rethink Single-Use Plastics  –  One Green Planet
• 700 Marine Species Might Go Extinct Because of Plastic Pollution. Here Are 5 Ways You Can Help Starting Earth Day!  –  One Green Planet

• 10 Ways to Adopt a Zero Waste Lifestyle This Earth Day!  –  One Green Planet
• Ultimate Guide to a Zero-Waste Backpack or Purse!  –  One Green Planet
• 10 Life Hacks to Help You Cut Plastic Out of Your Life  –  One Green Planet
• 20 Switches to Get Plastic Out of Your Life!  –  One Green Planet
• Follow These 5 Tips and Live Waste-Free Nearly Every Day  –  One Green Planet
• 10 Simple Actions That Just Might Save Our World’s Oceans From Plastic  –  One Green Planet

Since EPA released its investigation, we have learned the disturbing fact that the fluorination of plastic is commonly used to treat hundreds of millions of polyethylene and polypropylene containers each year ranging from packaged food and consumer products that individuals buy to larger containers used by retailers such as restaurants to even larger drums used by manufacturers to store and transport fluids. More:

• Beyond paper: PFAS linked to common plastic packaging used for food, cosmetics, and much more  –  Environmental Defense Fund
• Beyond paper, part 2: PFAS intentionally used to make plastic food packaging  –  Environmental Defense Fund

• Overview on fluorination of HDPE container - Plastic fluorination process  –  packagingguruji
• Perfluorinated Carboxylic Acids in Directly Fluorinated High-Density Polyethylene Material (Research abstract)

• Per- and Polyfluoroalkyl Substances (PFAS) in Pesticide Packaging  –  US EPA
• EPA Takes Action to Investigate PFAS Contamination  –  US EPA
• Rinses from Selected Fluorinated and Non-Fluorinated HDPE Containers  –  US EPA

• What is an EVOH Barrier?  –  Gantrade
• New Kortrax Barrier Resin Uses Quoral Platform That Improve Oxygen Transfer Rate of HDPE Containers  –  Thomas

Human exposure to electronic waste is on the increase in Nigeria. This is because of the indiscriminate disposal and crude informal recycling methods in the country. This exposes children and women to the toxic constituents of electronic wastes. These are constantly set ablaze, releasing toxic fumes into the atmosphere and contaminating underground drinking water. More:

• Nigeria’s electronic waste is a public health problem and needs urgent attention  –  The Conversation
• Children and digital dumpsites: e-waste exposure and child health (Report)  –  WHO
• Nigeria has become an e-waste dumpsite for Europe, US and Asia  –  TRT World

• Environmental contamination and public health effects of electronic waste: an overview (Research abstract)
• Health consequences of exposure to e-waste: a systematic review (Research article)
• Perceived public health effects of occupational and residential exposure to electronic wastes in Lagos, Nigeria (Research abstract)
• Elevated Serum Pb, Ni, Cd, and Cr Levels and DNA Damage in Exfoliated Buccal Cells of Teenage Scavengers at a Major Electronic Waste Dumpsite in Lagos, Nigeria (Research abstract)

• Informal e-waste management in Lagos, Nigeria – socio-economic impacts and feasibility of international recycling co-operations  (Report)  –  UNEP SBC
• Hazardous Waste Management and Challenges in Nigeria (Research article)
• Import of Electronic Waste into Nigeria: the Imperative of a Regulatory Policy Shift in (Research article)

There’s more to microplastics in your sunscreens, and it’s called UV-328, also known as 2-(2H-benzotriazol-2-yl)-4,6-di-tert-pentylphenol. It is a chemical compound widely used as a UV filter in cosmetics and various other plastic products such as rubber & paint. It is a chemical that is very persistent and toxic and could have long-lasting harmful effects on aquatic life. More:

• Microplastics in your sunscreen can be more dangerous than you think  –  Beat the Microbead
• 72% of Sun Care products contain microplastics  –  Beat the Microbead
• Microplastics in Cosmetics (Cell phone application)  –  Beat the Microbead

• The oil and chemical industry is lobbying against landmark global regulation of microplastic chemicals  –  Unearthed
• Candidate List of substances of very high concern for Authorisation  –  ECHA
• Substance Name: 2-(2H-Benzotriazol-2- yl)-4,6-ditertpentylphenol (UV-328) (Support document)  –  ECHA

After any disaster, whether it’s a fire, flooding or chemical spillage, what happens to the large volumes of waste materials left behind? Can any of the materials be salvaged, restored or upcycled? More:

• Disaster recovery: Can the loop be closed on calamity?  –  Eco-Business
• Sustainable Environmental Solutions  –  Blue Planet
• Integrated Solid Waste Management  –  UNEP

The Clean Water Standards for PFAS Act would set deadlines for the Environmental Protection Agency to issue standards that polluters must meet before discharging PFAS waste into surface water or sending wastewater containing the chemicals to waste treatment plants. More:

• EWG applauds House for advancing bill to limit PFAS discharges into water  –  EWG
• Learn more about PFAS, the toxic nonstick chemicals in water  –  EWG
• Clean Water Act Effluent Limitations Guidelines and Standards for the Organic Chemicals, Plastics and Synthetic Fibers Point Source Category (Proposed Rule)  –  US Federal Register

We've heard this in our conversations with residents of PFAS-affected communities, and in their public talks—calls for medical screening to learn about potential effects on their own and their families' health. However, people exposed to PFAS often face significant hurdles in getting screened for health effects from the exposure. And that needs to change. More:

• Improved medical screening in PFAS-impacted communities to identify early disease  –  EHN
• The Science Panel Website  –  C8 Science Panel
• PFAS Exposure Information for patients and guidance for clinicians to inform patient and clinician decision making. For people in PFAS-impacted communities (Guidance document)  –  PFAS-REACH
• PFAS Exposure Information for patients and guidance for clinicians to inform patient and clinician decision making. For clinicians (Guidance document)  –  PFAS-REACH

Efforts to end plastic pollution with recycling could leave people and the environment laden with poisonous chemicals, a new study has found. The report assessed four recycling and plastic waste management techniques that are poised to become more common as countries try to reduce plastic pollution. It found the main solutions promoted by the plastic industry — recycling, incineration, and transforming plastic into fuel — will increase people's risk of exposure to a cocktail of toxic chemicals. More:

• Plastic recycling could be more dangerous than you think  –  Canada's National Observer
• Plastic Recycling Schemes Generate High Volumes of Hazardous Waste (Report)  –  IPEN