Toxics

In yet another 11th-hour rollback of public health protections, political leaders at the Environmental Protection Agency overruled career scientists and watered down a major health assessment for one of the most toxic “forever chemicals” estimated to contaminate the drinking water for nearly 1 million Americans.

The soda industry has long been recognized as a major contributor to the obesity epidemic. In an attempt to change the narrative, Big Soda is pushing diet drinks, spending $296 million on marketing in 2018 alone. But artificial sweeteners might not be the health boon the industry is hoping for, according to a new study by Belgian researchers.

EWG submitted comments to the EPA in opposition to proposed new uses of the neurotoxic insecticide aldicarb on oranges and grapefruit in Texas and Florida.

With two weeks left in President Trump’s term, his Environmental Protection Agency has once again issued an 11th-hour rule that will hamper the incoming Biden administration’s efforts to protect public health.

The FY 2021 omnibus appropriations bill passed by Congress Monday night provides nearly $300 million for new investments to address the regulation and cleanup of the toxic “forever chemicals” known as PFAS.

It’s been a long and hard year, and many of us are looking forward to the festivities and traditions of the holiday season. Although Covid-19 restrictions make it difficult for many to celebrate in person with their loved ones, holiday gift-giving will remain in force.

EWG News Roundup (12/18): Here’s some news you can use going into the weekend.

In his campaign’s environmental justice plan, President-elect Joe Biden made a historic commitment to tackle contamination from the toxic fluorinated “forever chemicals” known as PFAS. One critical promise in his plan is to designate the two most notorious PFAS chemicals – PFOA, formerly used to make DuPont’s Teflon, and PFOS, formerly an ingredient in 3M’s Scotchgard – as hazardous substances under the federal Superfund law.

A federal health agency is investigating whether exposure to the fluorinated "forever chemicals" called PFAS could affect the potential effectiveness and duration of a Covid-19 vaccine.