Chemicals

Levels of Pfas in northern gannet eggs in Canada fell up to 74% over 55-year period of studyLevels of some of the most dangerous Pfas compounds have dramatically fallen in Canadian seabird eggs, which the authors of a new peer-reviewed study say illustrates how regulations are effective.Researchers looked at Pfas levels in the eggs of northern gannets in the St Lawrence Seaway basin over a 55-year period. Pfas levels shot up from the 1960s through the peak of the chemicals’ use in the late 1990s and early aughts, then fell. Continue reading...

NHS chiefs fear rising costs and healthcare shortages due to the shipping standstill in the GulfThe war in Iran has put the NHS on high alert amid fears about looming shortages and rising costs for medicines and medical products such as syringes, intravenous bags and gloves.Much of modern healthcare is dependent on the petrochemicals now held up by the Gulf shipping standstill – whether for active pharmaceutical ingredients or to produce the millions of sterile single-use items, ranging from personal protective equipment (PPE) to catheters and diagnostic-device casings. Continue reading...

Green groups say European Commission is ‘chief roadblock’ to its own plans, as report finds poor progress four years onHarmful compounds in children’s nappies and toxic “forever chemicals” in everyday products are among 14 hazardous substance groups hit by lengthy delays to EU pollution controls, according to report findings described by scientists as “extremely frustrating”.The European Commission sought to push broad categories of dangerous substances off the market with a “restrictions roadmap” in April 2022 that was hailed at the time as the largest-ever ban of toxic chemicals. Continue reading...

• Common PFAS 'forever chemicals' exposure linked to reduced bone density in children, potentially causing lifelong skeletal weakness. • Peer-reviewed study from The Endocrine Society shows early-life contamination disrupts bone development before adulthood. • Prevalent in U.S. water supplies and consumer products, PFAS affect 99% of Americans, raising public health alarms per CDC data.

Exclusive: Testing in Bentham, home to UK’s highest recorded Pfas levels, finds one in four have blood levels in greatest risk categoryAlarming levels of toxic forever chemicals have been found in the blood of people living in a town previously revealed to be contaminated with the UK’s highest recorded level of Pfas.Pfas, short for per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances and commonly known as forever chemicals because of their persistence in the environment, have been linked to a wide range of serious illnesses, including some cancers. They are used in a variety of consumer products but one of their most prolific uses is in firefighting foam. Continue reading...

• A new study finds that exposure to PFAS (per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances)—chemicals used in non-stick coatings and water-resistant products—is linked to low bone density in teenagers. • The research, announced by the Endocrine Society, involved collaboration between the CDC, University of Cincinnati College of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Simon Fraser University, and George Washington University. • The finding adds to growing evidence that PFAS contamination poses significant health risks, particularly during critical periods of skeletal development in adolescence.

US test of 120 umbilical blood cord samples identified 42 Pfas compounds, which do not naturally break downSign up for the Breaking News US email to get newsletter alerts in your inboxNew peer-reviewed research shows fetuses likely have much higher levels of Pfas “forever chemicals” in their blood than previously thought.Testing of umbilical cord blood typically looks for a small number of common Pfas compounds, like Pfoa and Pfos. However, thousands of Pfas exist, and a new Mount Sinai study tested 120 umbilical blood cord samples that were previously found to contain up to four compounds. Continue reading...