Young adults whose diets are rich in unsweetened teas, processed meats and takeout foods could be increasing their exposure to “forever chemicals,” a new study has found. More:

• Consumption of teas, takeout, hot dogs could come with a side of ‘forever chemicals’  –  The Hill

• Per- and Polyfluorinated Substances (PFAS) Factsheet  –  Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
• Technical Fact Sheet Perfluorooctane Sulfonate (PFOS) and Perfluorooctanoic Acid (PFOA) (Factsheet) (download PDF)  –  US EPA

• Associations of dietary intake and longitudinal measures of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) in predominantly Hispanic young Adults: A multicohort study (Research article)
• Longitudinal study links PFAS contamination with teas, processed meats and food packaging  –  Newsroom
• Lifestyle Factors and Genetic Variants Associated to Health Disparities in the Hispanic Population (Research article)

Premature births are on the rise, yet experts aren’t sure why. Now, researchers have found synthetic chemicals called phthalates used in clear food packaging and personal care products could be a culprit, according to a new study. More:

• Foods we eat are covered in plastics that may be causing a rise in premature births, study says  –  CNN

• Plasticisers (Fact sheet) (download PDF)  –  European Plasticisers
• The Plastic Chemicals Hiding in Your Food  –  Consumer Reports
• Phthalates Business Guidance & Small Entity Compliance Guide  –  US Consumer Product Safety Commission
• Bisphenols & Phthalates  –  Green Science Policy Institute

• Role of Environmental Chemicals in Diabetes and Obesity: A National Toxicology Program Workshop Review (Research article)
• Phthalates might interfere with testicular function by reducing testosterone and insulin-like factor 3 levels (Research article)
• A Cancer Risk Assessment of Di(2-ethylhexyl)phthalate: Application of the New U.S. EPA Risk Assessment Guidelines (Research abstract)

• Chemicals used in plastic food packaging linked to 10% of preterm births in 2018  –  Grist
• Placental outcomes of phthalate exposure (Research article)
• Prenatal phthalate exposure and adverse birth outcomes in the USA a prospective analysis of births and estimates of attributable burden and costs (Research article)
• An overview of adult health outcomes after preterm birth (Research article)

• The Association between Asthma and Allergic Symptoms in Children and Phthalates in House Dust: A Nested Case–Control Study (Research article)
• Phthalates and Children’s Health (Research abstract)
• Phthalates and Baby Boys: Potential Disruption of Human Genital Development (Research abstract)
• Exposure to phthalates: Reproductive outcome and children health. A review of epidemiological studies (Research abstract)

Scott Minor is superintendent for the water system serving the area around Kennebunk and Kennebunkport, in southern Maine, a growing region where summer tourists flocking to the coast swell the demand for water. Minor's water system had identified a safe, out-of-the-way spot for a well to supplement the water supply. Imagine Minor's surprise when tests of the well water revealed that it was contaminated by chemicals known as PFAS. More:

• These Companies Are Trying to Remove Toxic Forever Chemicals From Our Water  –  Newsweek

• PFAS in Drinking Water (Fact sheet) (download PDF)  –  Michigan Department of Health and Human Services
• EPA’s Proposal to Limit PFAS in Drinking Water (Fact sheet) (download PDF)  –  US EPA
• Proposed PFAS National Primary Drinking Water Regulation  –  US EPA

• Dangerous 'Forever Chemicals' in Your Everyday Items Are Causing Cancer  –  Newsweek
• PFAS, the 'Forever Chemicals,' Present in Nearly Half of U.S. Homes  –  Newsweek

• Getting ‘forever chemicals’ out of drinking water: EWG’s guide to PFAS water filters  –  EWG

Members of Parliament have called for "health to come first" and not economic interests in front of the gate of the Chemours chemical plant in Dordrecht. Geert Gabriëls (GroenLinks-PvdA) and Ines Kostić (Party for the Animals), together with provincial and local politicians from the SP, were among the 200 protesters at the gate of the plant, which has been emitting large quantities of harmful PFAS for years. On Saturday, residents were demonstrating in front of the chemical company Chemours in Dordrecht for the 200th time. More:

• MPs call on Chemours to put health first, campaign for PFAS ban  –  NL Times
• Residents demonstrate at chemical company Chemours for the 200th time  –  NL Times

• Perfluoroalkyl and Polyfluoroalkyl Substances (PFAS)  –  US National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences

• Occurrence, Fate, and Related Health Risks of PFAS in Raw and Produced Drinking Water (Research article)
• Distribution and sources of polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) in the River Rhine watershed (Research abstract)

• Environmental contamination and human exposure to PFASs near a fluorochemical production plant: Review of historic and current PFOA and GenX contamination in the Netherlands (Research article)
• Longitudinal poly- and perfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) levels in Dutch infants (Research article)
• Occurrence of perfluoroalkyl substances (PFASs) in a large number of wild and farmed aquatic animals collected in the Netherlands (Research article)

Vets should limit the use of flea treatments containing pesticides on dogs and cats, scientists have said, after a study revealed the vast amount of toxic substances in them that end up in rivers. More:

• Vets urged to cut pesticide flea treatments amid river pollution fears  –  The Guardian

• Fipronil Technical Fact Sheet (Fact sheet)  –  National Pesticide Information Center
• Imidacloprid Technical Fact Sheet  –  US National Pesticide Information Center

• Pet flea treatments poisoning rivers across England, scientists find  –  The Guardian
• Bee-killing pesticides banned in EU found at unsafe levels in English rivers  –  The Guardian

• Multiple neonicotinoids in children’s cerebro-spinal fluid, plasma, and urine (Research article)

The Toxic Substances Control Act, or TSCA, can help protect us from harmful chemicals. But first, the government must fully enforce it. More:

• The Toxic Chemicals Hiding in Our Homes, and How We Can Reduce Them  –  Earthjustice

• Per- and Polyfluorinated Substances (PFAS) Factsheet  –  Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
• Breaking Down Toxic PFAS  –  Earthjustice
• Here's How To Find Out If There's Teflon In Your Beauty Products  –  Huffpost

• Toxic Taps  –  Earthjustice
• Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) in United States tapwater: Comparison of underserved private-well and public-supply exposures and associated health implications (Research article)

• Biden-Harris Administration Proposes Ban on Trichloroethylene to Protect Public from Toxic Chemical Known to Cause Serious Health Risks  –  US EPA
• EPA Proposes Rule to Strengthen TSCA Risk Evaluation Process to Protect Workers and Communities  –  US EPA
• EPA proposes to ban all uses of cancer-causing contaminant TCE  –  CNN

• Seven Ways This New Chemical Law Will Make You Safer  –  Earthjustice
• EPA’s secret chemical problem, unveiled (Article) (download PDF)  –  Earthjustice

The state of Connecticut is suing 28 chemical manufacturers that it alleges are responsible for “knowingly contaminating” the state’s waters and natural resources and harming public health with toxic PFAS “forever chemicals.” More:

• Connecticut Sues 28 Firms for Alleged Contamination by ‘Forever Chemicals’  –  Insurance Journal

• PFOA in Fire-Fighting Foams factsheet (Fact sheet) (download PDF)  –  US EPA
• Firefighting Foams PFAS vs Fluorine-Free foams  –  U.S. Fire Administration
• Fire Test Performance of Eleven PFAS-Free Class B Firefighting Foams Varying Fuels, Admixture, Water Types and Foam Generation Techniques (Research article)

• 3M Will Stop Producing ‘Forever Chemical’ PFAS by End of 2025  –  Insurance Journal

• PFOS and PFOA Private Cleanup Costs at Non-Federal Superfund Sites  –  U.S. Chamber of Commerce

• 3M Reaches Tentative $10.3B Deal Over ‘Forever Chemicals’ Claims  –  Insurance Journal
• 22 States Move to Block 3M’s $10.3 Billion PFAS Deal  –  Insurance Journal

ChemSec and the European Environmental Bureau (EEB) published blood test results showing that key European leaders have tested positive for so-called ‘forever chemicals’ in their bodies. Up to seven PFAS were found in all tested individuals with five politicians exceeding existing levels of concern. The tests show that no one is immune to the presence of PFAS — not even high-level European officials. More:

• Blood tests show high-level EU politicians are polluted by PFAS  –  ChemSec

• Perfluoroalkyl and Polyfluoroalkyl Substances in the Environment: Terminology, Classification, and Origins (Research article)
• Outside the Safe Operating Space of a New Planetary Boundary for Per- and Polyfluoroalkyl Substances (PFAS) (Research article)
• PFAS Concentrations in Soils: Background Levels versus Contaminated Sites (Research article)

• Top EU officials have toxic ‘forever chemicals’ in their blood  –  POLITICO
• Per- and Polyfluoroalkyl Substances (PFAS) in Breast Milk: Concerning Trends for Current-Use PFAS (Research abstract)

• Pharma, agri companies face threat of EU ban on some ‘forever chemicals’  –  POLITICO
• Arkema faces criminal charges for forever chemical contamination in Lyon region  –  Le Monde
• Swedish court ruling unlocks potential for more PFAS lawsuits  –  ChemSec
• Dutch court rules Chemours liable for environmental damage caused by PFAS  –  Reuters

• Toxics industry fights back against proposed 'forever chemicals' ban  –  Corporate Europe Observatory
• EU Commission to drop chemicals law reform as a gift to polluters  –  European Environmental Bureau

Wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) are good at cleaning up common pollutants but often miss tiny amounts of other harmful substances, known as trace organic pollutants. More:

• Study reveals ecological threat of trace organic pollutants in China's wastewater effluents  –  Phys.org

• Trace organic compounds (Fact sheet) (download PDF)  –  Virginia Biosolids Council
• PFAS, the “forever chemicals” made simple  –  Clean Water Action
• Bisphenol S (BPS) Fact Sheet (Fact sheet) (download PDF)  –  Biomonitoring California

• Unveiling the existence and ecological hazards of trace organic pollutants in wastewater treatment plant effluents across China (Research article)
• The occurrence of emerging trace organic chemicals in wastewater effluents in Saudi Arabia (Research article)
• Occurrence and fate of emerging trace organic chemicals in wastewater plants in Chennai, India (Research abstract)

• Removal of trace organic contaminants from domestic wastewater: A meta-analysis comparison of sewage treatment technologies (Research abstract)
• Occurrence of trace organic contaminants in wastewater sludge and their removals by anaerobic digestion (Research abstract)
• Sequential biofiltration – A novel approach for enhanced biological removal of trace organic chemicals from wastewater treatment plant effluent (Research abstract)

It’s not just mothers who transfer toxic chemicals and their negative health impacts to their children. New research now reveals that fathers are also responsible for passing on the effects of past chemical exposure to their offspring. More:

• Fathers transfer past chemical exposure to their children  –  ChemSec

• Associations of paternal and maternal per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances exposure with cord serum reproductive hormones, placental steroidogenic enzyme and birth weight (Research abstract)
• Maternal and Paternal Preconception Serum Concentrations of Per and Polyfluoroalkyl Substances in Relation to Birth Outcomes (Research abstract)
• Maternal and paternal serum concentrations of perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances and the secondary sex ratio (Research abstract)

• Cumulative Chemical Exposures During Pregnancy and Early Development (Research article)
• Study finds alarming levels of ‘forever chemicals’ in US mothers’ breast milk  –  The Guardian

• Pesticide-induced multigenerational effects on amphibian reproduction and metabolism (Research article)

The EU plans to stop the use of the harmful “forever” chemicals in many industries but not their inclusion in pesticides. But PFAS-based pesticides are widely used in agriculture and this is unacceptable, Harrie Timmer of water company umbrella orginisation Vereniging van Waterbedrijven Nederland (Vewin) told the Financieele Dagblad. More:

• PFAS in pesticides are a threat to drinking water: FD  –  DutchNews

• Occurrence of perfluoroalkyl substances (PFASs) in a large number of wild and farmed aquatic animals collected in the Netherlands (Research article)

• Environmental contamination and human exposure to PFASs near a fluorochemical production plant: Review of historic and current PFOA and GenX contamination in the Netherlands (Research article)
• Longitudinal poly- and perfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) levels in Dutch infants (Research article)
• Risk assessment of exposure to PFAS through food and drinking water in the Netherlands  –  National institute for Public Health and the Environment
• Beating cancer — the role of Europe’s environment  –  European Environment Agency

• Chemours plant kept info about emissions secret, court says  –  DutchNews

Children's jackets and overalls sold in Europe contain extremely dangerous substances, warns a new study, conducted by a Czech NGO Arnika and the International Pollutants Elimination Network (IPEN). The most prevalent among the toxic "Forever Chemicals” found in children's outdoor clothing is the globally banned, exceptionally persistent perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA). More:

• Kids' jackets contain dangerous “Forever chemicals” including globally banned PFOA. Experts call for universal ban  –  Arnika

• Polyfluoroalkyl Substances (PFAS) (Fact sheet) (download PDF)  –  Boston University
• PFOS (Fact sheet) (download PDF)  –  OEHHA

• Maternal serum concentrations of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances and childhood acute lymphoblastic leukemia (Research article)

• Toxics in Our Clothing (Report)  –  Arnika

• PFAS-Free Apparel Brands For Nontoxic Clothing  –  The Good Trade

ProPublica journalist and filmmaker Liz Moughon on making a documentary that captures the impossible choices facing sleep apnea patients who relied on the dangerous Philips DreamStation breathing machines. More:

• How Patients and Doctors Are Navigating the Fallout of the Massive Recall of Philips Breathing Machines  –  ProPublica

• Philips Recalled Breathing Machines in 2021. Chemicals of “Concern” Found in Replacement Machines Raised New Alarm.  –  ProPublica
• Philips Kept Complaints About Dangerous Breathing Machines Secret While Company Profits Soared  –  ProPublica
• ProPublica and the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette Have Sued the FDA for Records Related to Recalled Breathing Machines  –  ProPublica
• We Spent a Year Investigating the Philips CPAP Recall. Here’s How We Did It.  –  ProPublica

• Formaldehyde Hazard Recognition  –  Occupational Safety and Health Administration
• Explained: Silicone sound abatement foam used in DreamStation 2 and the sleep and respiratory care devices remediated as part of the June 2021 Philips Respironics recall*  –  Philips
• Philips provides update on Philips Respironics’ PE-PUR sound abatement foam test and research program  –  Philips
• The Human Toll of Philips’ Massive CPAP Recall: With Every Breath (YouTube)  –  ProPublica

• FDA Provides Update on Recall of Certain Philips Respironics Breathing Assistance Machines  –  US Food & Drug Administration
• Carefully Monitor Philips DreamStation 2 CPAP Machines for Signs of Overheating: FDA Safety Communication  –  US Food & Drug Administration
• U.S. Senator Expands Call for Crackdown on Philips Respironics  –  ProPublica

The study, led by the University of Tasmania's School of Natural Sciences, tested for substances known as PFAS in the penguins and their habitat on Tasmanian coastlines — from the Derwent estuary to King Island. More:

• Toxic PFAS chemicals found in little penguin colonies around Tasmania, new study says  –  ABC News

• Per- and Polyfluorinated Substances (PFAS) Factsheet (Fact sheet)  –  Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
• An Overview of Per- and Polyfluoroalkyl Substances (PFAS) in the Environment: Source, Fate, Risk and Regulations (Research article)
• Per- and Polyfluoroalkyl Substances (PFAS) in Subsurface Environments: Occurrence, Fate, Transport, and Research Prospect (Research abstract)

• Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) in little penguins and associations with urbanisation and health parameters (Research article)
• A baseline for POPs contamination in Australian seabirds: little penguins vs. short-tailed shearwaters (Research abstract)

• Major study of PFAS firefighting foam's impact on communities finds limited evidence of disease links  –  ABC News

For years, researchers studying DEET—the chemical that’s widely used in insect repellants—have noted how in some cases it can harm brain cells, cause seizures and adversely affect the central nervous system. Now a group of scientists at Harvard University have found that the substance may jeopardize reproductive functions, too. More:

• Does the Insect Repellent DEET Affect Reproductive Systems?  –  Inside Climate News

• ToxFAQsTM for DEET (N,N-diethyl-meta-toluamide)  –  Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry
• Diethyltoluamide  –  PubChem

• Altered gene expression linked to germline dysfunction following exposure to DEET (Research article)
• Evidence for inhibition of cholinesterases in insect and mammalian nervous systems by the insect repellent deet (Research article)
• Too much DEET can cause brain degeneration: study  –  CBC News
• Seizure following brief exposure to the insect repellent N,N-diethyl-m-toluamide (Research abstract)

• Malaria Cases in Florida and Texas Raise Prospect of Greater Transmission in a Warmer Future  –  Inside Climate News

The country’s banana industry is heavily reliant on chemical pesticides that threaten the environment and public health. More:

• Everything Isn’t Pura Vida in Costa Rica  –  Sierra Club

• ‘Water is sacred too’: How a pesticide banned in Europe robbed a Costa Rican town of its drinking water  –  Unearthed

• Pesticide use in banana plantations in Costa Rica – A review of environmental and human exposure, effects and potential risks (Research article)
• Aerial Application of Mancozeb and Urinary Ethylene Thiourea (ETU) Concentrations among Pregnant Women in Costa Rica: The Infants’ Environmental Health Study (ISA) (Research article)
• "Los pesticidas nos dejaron estériles”: la denuncia de miles de trabajadores bananeros en América Latina  –  BBC News

• ONU alerta a Costa Rica sobre alto costo del uso plaguicidas en la salud  –  Pan American Health Organization

• How Are More Sustainable Bananas Grown?  –  Rainforest Alliance
• UCR researches and provides solutions to controversial crop in Costa Rica  –  University of Costa Rica

I explored this question in a recently published review in Frontiers in Toxicology and discovered a growing body of evidence connecting increased exposure to chemicals in the environment, such as lead, PFAS and BPA, to increased child mental health symptoms like anxiety and depression. More:

• Op-ed: What we know about toxic chemicals and children’s mental health  –  EHN

• What are endocrine-disrupting chemicals?  –  EHN
• What are PFAS?  –  EHN
• How is BPA bad for my health?  –  EHN

• Neurotoxicity of pesticides (Research abstract)
• Prenatal and Postnatal PCB-153 and p,p′-DDE Exposures and Behavior Scores at 5–9 Years of Age among Children in Greenland and Ukraine (Research article)
• Neurotoxic effects of perfluoroalkylated compounds: mechanisms of action and environmental relevance (Research abstract)
• Cognitive Impairment Induced by Lead Exposure during Lifespan: Mechanisms of Lead Neurotoxicity (Research article)

• Childhood polybrominated diphenyl ether (PBDE) exposure and neurobehavior in children at 8 years (Research article)
• Developmental neurotoxicity of polybrominated diphenyl ether (PBDE) flame retardants (Research abstract)

• Pollution and our mental health  –  EHN
• Air pollution can alter our brains in ways that increase mental illness risk  –  EHN

• Environmental chemical exposures and mental health outcomes in children: a narrative review of recent literature (Research article)
• Body Burden: The Pollution in Newborns  –  EWG
• What will it take to give babies a phthalate-free start in the world?  –  EHN
• Data and Statistics on Children’s Mental Health  –  Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

PFAS-contaminated eggs are being found far away from the Dordrecht region where the chemical factory Chemours is based, suggesting pollution with the complex group of harmful chemicals is much more widespread than previously thought, a NOS investigation has found. More:

• PFAS in eggs from hens kept as a hobby is a problem: NOS  –  DutchNews

• Transfer of Per- and Polyfluoroalkyl Substances (PFAS) from Feed into the Eggs of Laying Hens. Part 1: Analytical Results Including a Modified Total Oxidizable Precursor Assay (Research abstract)
• Ook PFAS in hobby-eieren ver buiten regio Dordrecht  –  NOS News
• Gevaarlijk veel PFAS in eieren van hobbykippen in de buurt van chemiefabriek Chemours  –  NRC
• Advies om geen eieren van hobbykippen te eten in omgeving Dordrecht vanwege PFAS  –  NOS

• Home-produced eggs: An important human exposure pathway of perfluoroalkylated substances (PFAS) (Research article)

Air pollution was worse inside British homes than it was outside for 11 months of the year in 2022, according to a global study by tech company Dyson. More:

• Is your scented candle trying to kill you? Shocking new research finds air pollution is worse inside your home compared with outside due to common household products  –  Daily Mail

• Particulate matter pollution (Fact sheet) (download PDF)  –  Nevada Division of Environmental Protection

• Compilation of Published PM2.5 Emission Rates for Cooking, Candles and Incense for Use in Modeling of Exposures in Residences (Technical report) (download PDF)  –  Berkeley National Laboratory
• Emissions of soot, PAHs, ultrafine particles, NOx, and other health relevant compounds from stressed burning of candles in indoor air (Research article)
• Emission identification and health risk potential of allergy-causing fragrant substances in PM2.5 from incense burning (Research abstract)
• Performance of low-cost indoor air quality monitors for PM2.5 and PM10 from residential sources (Research abstract)

• 14 Ways to Reduce Indoor Air Pollution  –  Consumer Reports

By contributing to the development of chronic disease and death, a group of hormone-disruptive plastic chemicals is costing the US health care system billions — over $249 billion in 2018 alone, a new study found. “The real contribution of this work is helping the public understand how much of the human health threat of endocrine-disrupting chemicals is due to plastics,” said lead author Dr. Leonardo Trasande, a professor of pediatrics and population health at NYU Langone Health in New York City. More:

• Plastic chemicals linked to $249 billion in US health care costs in 2018 alone, study finds  –  CNN

• Chemicals in Plastics - A Technical Report  –  UNEP
• Chemicals Used in Plastic Materials: An Estimate of the Attributable Disease Burden and Costs in the United States (Research article)
• Deep Dive into Plastic Monomers, Additives, and Processing Aids (Research article)
• Overview of known plastic packaging-associated chemicals and their hazards (Research article)

• High BPA levels linked to 49% greater risk of death within 10 years, study says  –  CNN
• Association Between Bisphenol A Exposure and Risk of All-Cause and Cause-Specific Mortality in US Adults (Research article)
• The role of Bisphenol A in shaping the brain, epigenome and behavior (Research abstract)
• Impact of Bisphenol A on the Cardiovascular System — Epidemiological and Experimental Evidence and Molecular Mechanisms (Research article)
• Bisphenol A and Hormone-Associated Cancers - Current Progress and Perspectives (Research article)

• Bisphenol-A and Female Infertility: A Possible Role of Gene-Environment Interactions (Research article)
• Bisphenol-A and human oocyte maturation in vitro (Research article)
• Occupational exposure to bisphenol-A (BPA) and the risk of Self-Reported Male Sexual Dysfunction (Research article)

• Polybrominated Diphenyl Ethers (PBDEs)  –  US EPA
• What are PBDEs?  –  Washington State Department of Health

• Historical and current usage of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS): A literature review (Research article)
• Makeup may contain potentially toxic chemicals called PFAS, study finds  –  CNN
• Guidance on PFAS Exposure, Testing, and Clinical Follow-Up  –  The National Academies Press

• Synthetic chemical in consumer products linked to early death, study finds  –  CNN
• Phthalates and attributable mortality: A population-based longitudinal cohort study and cost analysis (Research abstract)
• A Cancer Risk Assessment of Di(2-ethylhexyl)phthalate: Application of the New U.S. EPA Risk Assessment Guidelines (Research abstract)

• Phthalates and Children’s Health (Research abstract)
• Exposure to phthalates: Reproductive outcome and children health. A review of epidemiological studies (Research abstract)
• Phthalates and Baby Boys: Potential Disruption of Human Genital Development (Research article)
• The Association between Asthma and Allergic Symptoms in Children and Phthalates in House Dust: A Nested Case–Control Study (Research article)