hazardous chemicals

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EPA Throws Hammer Down on 2 Toxic Chemicals

Full ban announced for TCE, partial ban of dry-cleaning staple perc—both tied to various cancers

(Newser) - Bans of two toxic chemicals first proposed last year have finally come to fruition. On Monday, the Environmental Protection Agency barred the use of trichloroethylene (aka TCE) and perchloroethylene, also referred to as perc—both solvents used in consumer products and industrial settings and that have been tied to various...

Beware These 'Toxic Zombies' in Your Kitchen
Beware These 'Toxic
Zombies' in Your Kitchen
OPINION
Nov 1, 2024 4:40 PM CDT

Beware These 'Toxic Zombies' in Your Kitchen

Atlantic writer urges people to toss their black plastic spatulas

(Newser) - Toxic-Free Future's Megan Liu has a warning for us about the kitchen utensils we use: Beware plastic ones, especially black versions. That's because black plastic is likely to have been made with recycled electronic waste (e.g., TV and computer casings), in a process that often sees little...

After Odor Sickened His Family, He Set Up a Hidden Camera

Florida's Xuming Li arrested, accused of injecting chemical agents under neighbor's door

(Newser) - A Florida man suspicious about chemical smells in his home that appeared to be making his infant sick installed a camera to see if he could suss out what was going on—and now his neighbor is accused of being the cause. NBC News reports that 36-year-old Xuming Li, a...

Crews Release Toxic Plume After Train Derailment

Ohio residents still not able to return home

(Newser) - Crews released toxic chemicals into the air from five derailed tanker cars that were in danger of exploding Monday and began burning it after warning residents near the Ohio-Pennsylvania state line to leave the area. Flames and black smoke billowed high into the sky from the derailment site late in...

Finally, Cause of City's 'Stench of Death' Is Revealed

Fire at California warehouse filled with beauty products led to plant die-off, which led to hydrogen sulfide in the air

(Newser) - In early October, residents in Carson, Calif., started picking up on a noxious smell emanating from the Dominguez Channel, with dozens of complaints called in daily to the South Coast Air Quality Management District. Some even noted they were suffering from fatigue, headaches, and respiratory issues, reports the Guardian . Now,...

Town Sues DuPont for 'Disaster Worse Than Exxon Valdez'

Carneys Point Township wants $1.1B in remediation trust

(Newser) - The 1989 Exxon Valdez oil spill was one of the greatest environmental disasters in history, per Time , but what DuPont did to a New Jersey town of 8,000 is "worse," according to a lawsuit. Carneys Point Township says DuPont dumped 100 million pounds of toxic waste at...

Starbucks to Actually Put Pumpkin in Pumpkin Spice Latte

The battle over caramel coloring comes to an end

(Newser) - Starbucks lovers, rejoice: The pumpkin spice latte controversy is over! The company announced today that its popular fall drink will finally be made with real pumpkin, USA Today reports. To recap, (the controversial ) food blogger Vani Hari wrote a viral piece about the latte drink last year and pressed...

Chemical-Laden Train Derails in Louisiana

Homes evacuated amid toxic leak

(Newser) - With rail safety in the spotlight after last month's disaster in Canada , the derailment of a train carrying hazardous materials in Louisiana has rattled nerves but not caused any deaths or serious injuries. Around 100 homes were evacuated after at least 20 cars of a Union Pacific train went...

NJ Train-Bridge Collapse Causes Vinyl Chloride Leak

HazMat teams responding, but no major injuries reported yet

(Newser) - A collapsing train bridge in Paulsboro, NJ, this morning sent four train cars into Mantua Creek, where they are leaking vinyl chloride into the air and water, reports the South Jersey Times . Seven cars were reported overturned, and 18 people reported breathing difficulties. Firefighters and hazardous material crews have been...

Johnson & Johnson Booting Harsh Chemicals by 2015

And for baby products, even sooner

(Newser) - By 2015, almost every single Johnson & Johnson product will no longer contain dangerous chemicals, the company pledged yesterday. It had already promised to remove "chemicals of concern" from baby products by the end of next year, and is still on track to do so. Now it also plans...

Culprit for Epidemics of Autism, Obesity: Fungicide?
Culprit for Epidemics of Autism, Obesity: Fungicide?
study says
May 22, 2012 12:14 PM CDT

Culprit for Epidemics of Autism, Obesity: Fungicide?

New study suggests chemicals' effects linger for generations

(Newser) - Can the recent increase in autism, obesity, and anxiety disorders be traced back to chemical exposure? That's what a new study involving pregnant rats suggests, AFP reports. Pregnant rats who were exposed to the common fungicide vinclozolin had descendants who, three generations later, weighed more, were less sociable, and...

Chemical-Soaked Danger Lurks in Your Couch
 Chemical-Soaked 
 Danger Lurks 
 in Your Couch 
Nicholas Kristof
May 20, 2012 12:52 PM CDT

Chemical-Soaked Danger Lurks in Your Couch

Deadly chemicals in furniture illustrate lobbyist dangers

(Newser) - To you, the sofa is probably just a place to park your butt. But to Nicholas Kristof, writing in his latest New York Times column, it is a symbol of how money and politics ruin everything. That's because nearly all couches in the United States contain flame retardant chemicals...

Cancer Risk From Chemicals 'Grossly' Understated
Cancer Risk From Chemicals 'Grossly' Understated
President's panel
May 6, 2010 10:09 AM CDT

Cancer Risk From Chemicals 'Grossly' Understated

Carcinogens in food, water systematically ignored

(Newser) - Environmental factors play a much bigger role in causing cancer than currently acknowledged, and President Obama needs to do something about it, the President's Cancer Panel concluded today. “The true burden of environmentally induced cancer has been grossly underestimated,” the authors found after two years of testimony and...

Non-Stick Chemical Linked to Thyroid Issues

PFOA is used in pots and pans, furniture and even clothes

(Newser) - A common household chemical used to make non-stick pans, stain-resistant furniture, and even apparel has been linked to an increased risk of thyroid issues. The chemical, PFOA, is inert and can stay in human tissue for long periods. Researchers looked at medical records of almost 4,000 Americans and found...

Dangerous Chemical in Zhu Zhu Pet: Watchdog

Maker denies stuffed hamster contains unsafe level of antimony

(Newser) - The manufacturer of Zhu Zhu Pets is defending Mr. Squiggles against charges the stuffed hamster contains unsafe levels of a dangerous chemical. The robotic toys are the big hit of the holiday shopping season—or they were, before GoodGuide said one model has more than the permitted level of antimony,...

Calif. Strawberries May Turn Toxic
 Calif. Strawberries 
 May Turn Toxic 
glossies
Jul 17, 2009 8:40 PM CDT

Calif. Strawberries May Turn Toxic

(Newser) - California appears close to producing strawberries that induce side-effects such as neurological damage and fetal loss, Gourmet reports. Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger is under industry pressure to approve a fumigant called methyl iodide, which rids soil of all living organisms without hurting the ozone layer. But a group of 50 scientists...

Autism Linked to Household Vinyl Flooring

(Newser) - Vinyl flooring has been linked to the development of autism in children, Scientific American reports. A joint US/Swedish study looking into the effects of household contaminants stumbled upon the result, which the researchers and others stressed was preliminary. It “turned up virtually by accident,” said one scientist. He...

Deadly Acid Spill Forces 5K to Flee

Authorities contain leak of dangerous chemical

(Newser) - About 5,000 people were evacuated from their homes in eastern Pennsylvania today after a tractor-trailer carrying 33,000 pounds of acid flipped over along a state highway, CNN reports. The driver, who swerved to avoid a deer, was initially trapped inside the truck, but has been released from hospital....

Polluting Pentagon Rebuffs EPA Orders

Pentagon challenges agency's right to order toxic chemical clean up

(Newser) - The Pentagon is holding out on an Environmental Protection Agency order to clean up pollutants from three military bases where chemicals have become an "imminent and substantial" threat to the public health and environment, the Washington Post reports. The Defense Department also won’t sign contracts to clean up...

Sony Gets Green Thumbs-Up in Electronics Rankings

Nintendo lowest on Greenpeace list of environment-friendly manufacturers

(Newser) - Sony and Sony Ericsson are Greenpeace’s model tech citizens, topping a list of eco-friendly electronics companies. The environmental activists look at industry players’ use of hazardous chemicals, responsibility for obsolete products and—new this year—corporate policy toward climate change and other energy issues. Sony Ericsson was the first...

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