Toxic

Ethylene oxide (EtO) is about 60 times more carcinogenic than believed in 2006, research findsA new Trump administration plan to rescind 2024 regulations for toxic ethylene oxide (EtO) pollution more broadly aims to limit the Environmental Protection Agency’s authority to strengthen public health protections around hazardous emissions and could result in more of the toxin being released into the air.Recent research has found EtO is about 60 times more carcinogenic than thought when the last regulations were developed in 2006. In 2024, the Biden EPA passed a rule that strengthened the regulations to reflect the updated science, and required the nation’s EtO emitters to collectively cut their emissions by about 90%. Continue reading...

A federal judge also warned White House to tread carefully as it moves ahead with plans to revamp DC golf courseA federal judge weighed into a dispute over Donald Trump’s controversial plans to revamp a historic Washington DC golf course on Monday, warning the president’s administration to tread carefully as it also dumped “toxic” rubble from the demolished White House East Wing there.District court judge Ana Reyes likened the saga to an episode of the hit television comedy Parks and Recreation during an emergency hearing in the capital to hear an application for a temporary restraining order filed by the DC Preservation League. 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...

Hope Not Hate campaign identifies election hopefuls calling for a ‘white Britain’ and complaining of ‘kowtowing to the black community’A Reform UK candidate who called for a “white Britain” and said Keir Starmer should be shot is among a number of contenders fuelling doubts about the party’s claim to have tightened up its vetting.The past comments of Linda McFarlane and other political hopefuls have been unearthed ahead of the 7 May elections, including one who complained about “constant kowtowing to the black community” and others who endorsed the far-right activist Tommy Robinson. Continue reading...

Commons committee heard from residents of Yorkshire town with the highest levels of ‘forever chemicals’ in UKOn 15 January, members of the House of Commons environmental audit committee (EAC) visited Bentham, the North Yorkshire town that has the highest levels of Pfas contamination in the UK.Colloquially known as “forever chemicals”, Pfas (perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances) do not naturally degrade or decompose. This persistence gives them special properties with useful applications in both industrial and consumer products. Continue reading...

• The Broad Institute is leveraging artificial intelligence to accelerate drug discovery, designing new antibiotics and predicting drug toxicity with greater accuracy than traditional methods. • The AI systems are also being applied to identify specific genes, molecules, and cells that might serve as therapeutic targets for disease treatment. • This computational approach promises to dramatically speed up the drug development pipeline and reduce the cost and time required to bring new medications to patients.

• The American Lung Association, joined by the American Academy of Pediatrics, filed a lawsuit against the EPA's repeal of 2024 limits on mercury and air toxics from power plants. • EPA's action will allow more toxic pollution, impacting children's health nationwide, according to Harold Wimmer, ALA President and CEO. • Pollutants like mercury could lead to brain development issues, asthma attacks, cancers, and premature deaths in exposed communities.

Advocates warn changes could increase risks of pollutants contaminating water and exposure to toxic wasteThe Environmental Protection Agency on Thursday proposed weakened rules governing the safe disposal of ash produced by burning coal. Those regulations were strengthened under the Biden administration as part of a wider crackdown on pollution from coal-fired power plants.The Trump administration proposed easing standards for monitoring and protecting groundwater near some coal ash sites, rolling back rules forcing the cleanup of entire coal properties instead of just places where ash was dumped. The revisions would also make it easier to reuse coal ash for other purposes. Continue reading...

Marcos Orellana, a special rapporteur, found lax environmental standards and lack of oversight allowed pollution to accumulateMexico is facing a “toxic crisis” and has become a “garbage sink” for the US, exposing Mexican communities to dangerous pollution, a UN expert has warned.In an interview with the Guardian and Quinto Elemento Lab, an investigative outlet, Marcos Orellana, an environmental specialist, said pollutants ranging from imported waste to dangerous pesticides are affecting people’s right to live healthy lives. Continue reading...

Peaches, strawberries and grapes were almost always found to be contaminated with ‘forever chemicals’ in the analysisSign up for the Breaking News US email to get newsletter alerts in your inboxA first-of-its-kind analysis has identified Pfas pesticide residues on 37% of conventional California produce, with peaches, strawberries and grapes almost always found to be contaminated with the toxic “forever chemicals”.The analysis coincided with the introduction of California legislation that would by 2035 fully ban Pfas from being used as active ingredients in pesticides, and require warning labels and other restrictions in the meantime. Continue reading...

Suella Braverman presses the FA to scrap diversity and inclusion policies, which she claims are ‘racist’Reform UK has been accused of seeking to insert “toxic politics” into football after the party pressed the Football Association in England to scrap diversity and inclusion policies.Suella Braverman wrote to the FA on Tuesday to ask for a meeting to discuss the governing body’s diversity policies, which Reform’s equalities spokesperson described as “utter woke nonsense”. Continue reading...

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...

• The EPA issued a final rule on February 27, 2026, adding sodium perfluorohexanesulfonate (PFHxS-Na) to the list of chemicals subject to toxic chemical release reporting under the Emergency Planning and Community Right-to-Know Act. • The rule implements a mandate from the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2020 and requires reporting for chemicals subject to the Pollution Prevention Act beginning with reporting year 2026. • The final rule becomes effective March 30, 2026, and the EPA determined notice-and-comment rulemaking was unnecessary as the action conforms regulations to Congressional legislative mandate.