Tag: toxins

Top Five Tips to Avoid Dangerous Chemicals

Endocrine-disrupting chemicals are linked to cognitive deficits, obesity, diabetes, male and female reproductive dysfunction, birth defects, cardiovascular disease and other chronic diseases. STORY AT-A-GLANCE Endocrine-disrupting chemicals (EDCs) are linked to many negative health effects and it is important to avoid exposure as much as possible EDCs lurk in food packaging, nonorganic food, nonstick cookware, detergents,…


Does Social Media Harm Kids? It Might Depend on Their Age

Your child’s risk of harm from social media is higher at certain ages and it’s different for girls and boys, researchers report. To figure out how social media use affected “life satisfaction” among 10- to 21-year-olds, the investigators analyzed long-term data on 17,400 young people in the United Kingdom. The new study found key periods when heavy…


600+ Lawsuits Alleging Syngenta Knew Weedkiller Causes Parkinson’s Set to Move Forward

A hearing last month in federal court will set the stage for upcoming litigation against Syngenta, manufacturer of Paraquat. More than 600 lawsuits alleging the agrochemical giant knew its flagship weedkiller causes Parkinson’s were combined into what is known as multidistrict litigation. As Yogi Berra might say: It’s déjà vu all over again. Five years…


Green Beauty Product Testing Finds More Than 60% Have PFAS Indicators

Green cosmetic makers know their audience. One manufacturer, in addition to the standard lines about how long-lasting and colorful their product is, says that their lip tint is “cruelty-free,” vegan, and made from wholesome ingredients like coconut oil and shea butter. Missing from the product description is any reference to per-and polyfluoroalkyl substances, or “PFAS” — although…


Ozone Linked to Depression in Adolescents

Ozone, a common air pollutant, could be one of the causes behind depressive symptoms in adolescents, according to a new study. The pollutant could have especially profound effects on mental health during the onset of puberty, raising concerns about youth exposure to the chemical. Researchers at the University of Denver and Stanford University found evidence that…


Study finds link between glyphosate exposure and pregnancy length

Women exposed to the herbicide glyphosate were more likely to experience shorter pregnancies, according to a study published last week in the journal Environmental Research. Glyphosate is the active ingredient in the widely used herbicide Roundup. Most research on the health effects of glyphosate has focused on workplace exposures — people who work in agriculture and as…


Glyphosate, Explained

Since it first went on the market in 1974, glyphosate has been used for weed control, as an exfoliant to eradicate unwanted vegetation and illegal crops, and as a crop desiccant—a chemical applied to crops to dry them out more quickly before harvest. What is Glyphosate? Glyphosate is the most widely used herbicide in the…


What We Can Learn from Mouse Models of Autism

Autism is a complex neurodevelopmental disorder whose incidence has been rising dramatically in the past two decades, in step with the dramatic rise in the use of glyphosate (the active ingredient in the pervasive herbicide Roundup) on core food crops [1, 2]. While correlation does not necessarily mean causation, there are multiple mechanisms by which…


Have the Children Been Poisoned? 

Increased exposure to toxic substances due to an overuse of ineffective measures like mask mandates, frequent use of hand sanitizers, disinfectant sprays, and frequent testing during the pandemic will have a short- and long-term impact on children’s health and future generations. Moreover, ineffective lockdowns increased the number of children relying on food bank packages which cannot fulfill…


Senate Hears Testimony on Soldiers’ Exposure to Toxic Burn Pits

At a Senate Armed Services Committee hearing on March 16, experts testified about the long-term health effects of exposure to burn pits that used jet fuel to incinerate medical waste, chemicals, human waste, and other trash at U.S. military installations during the First Gulf War and subsequent wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. One prompt for…