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Water

PFAS Chemicals

Getting ‘forever chemicals’ out of drinking water: EWG’s guide to PFAS water filters

Taking ‘forever chemicals’ out of drinking water: EWG’s guide to PFAS water filters. Discover the most effective water filters for reducing PFAS contamination in your water. EWG's extensive tests...

July 11, 2023

EWG investigation: Dangerous agricultural chemical chlormequat found in popular oat-based products

A new EWG investigation finds for the first time troubling concentrations of the toxic agricultural chemical chlormequat in oat-based products sold in the U.S., including everyday brands marketed to...

January 31, 2023

Federal & State Energy Policy

Power and profit: How PG&E fails California ratepayers and what to do about it

EWG’s utility business model would create a more balanced policy and regulatory regime for PG&E customers. It is designed to hold the company responsible for its investment patterns and shift...

June 16, 2022

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Displaying 49 - 72 of 148

Report: Up to 110 Million Americans Could Have PFAS-Contaminated Drinking Water

May 22, 2018

More than 1,500 drinking water systems across the country may be contaminated with the nonstick chemicals PFOA and PFOS, and similar fluorine-based chemicals, a new EWG analysis shows.

Water

Toxic Algae

Across U.S., Toxic Blooms Pollute Lakes

May 15, 2018

In 2010, there were just three reports of toxic blooms in the U.S. In 2015, there were 15, including the largest to date in Lake Erie, although the bacteria did not get into Toledo's drinking water...

PFAS Chemicals

Update: Mapping the Expanding PFAS Crisis

April 18, 2018

The latest update of an interactive map by EWG and the Social Science Environmental Health Research Institute at Northeastern University documents publicly known PFAS pollution from 94 sites in 22...

Midwest

Farm Pollution

Case Study: Corn Belt Communities Plagued by Nitrate in Tap Water

February 1, 2018

In December 2015, the 1,500 residents of Erie, Ill., received a warning that the community's tap water should not be given to babies under 6 months old, or used to mix formula or juice for those...

Water

170 Million in U.S. Drink Radioactive Tap Water

January 11, 2018

Drinking water for more than 170 million Americans contains radioactive elements at levels that may increase the risk of cancer, according to an EWG analysis of 2010 to 2015 test results from public...

Midwest

Farm Pollution

Case Study: Iowa Cities Struggle to Keep Farm Pollution Out of Tap Water

January 11, 2018

The Raccoon River in central Iowa runs through one of the most intensely farmed regions of the nation. Agriculture is vital to the area's economy, but polluted runoff from farms poses an acute threat...

EWG Investigates: Mr. Pay to Spray, Michael Dourson

September 14, 2017

President Trump has nominated Michael Dourson to oversee chemical safety for the EPA, even though Dourson has repeatedly sought to weaken chemical safety standards on behalf of polluters for a price.

Water

Hidden Carcinogen Taints Tap Water, Consumer Products Nationwide

September 6, 2017

An industrial solvent classified as a likely carcinogen, which is also a common impurity in cosmetics and household cleaners, was detected in samples of drinking water supplies for nearly 90 million...

Children’s Health

Water

Drinking Water and Children’s Health

July 26, 2017

Toxic pollutants in drinking water are particularly hazardous for children. Compared to adults, children drink more water per pound of body weight, resulting in greater exposure and greater risk. They...

Water

Introducing EWG Standards

July 26, 2017

When it comes to drinking water, getting a passing grade from the government does not mean water is safe.

PFAS Chemicals

Mapping a Contamination Crisis

June 8, 2017

The known extent of the contamination of U.S. communities with PFCs – highly fluorinated toxic chemicals, also known as PFASs, that have been linked to cancer, thyroid disease, weakened immunity and...

Organic Within Reach

May 1, 2017

With a little planning, cooking organic food can save money and time, help you eat better, cut down on waste and help protect the environment.

Water

California

Cancer-Causing Pesticide ‘Garbage’ Taints Tap Water for Millions in California

April 11, 2017

TCP is just one example of the widespread contamination of drinking water from agriculture chemicals.

Trump Plan to Gut Stream Protections Imperils Tap Water of 117 Million Americans

March 1, 2017

Trump signed an executive order requiring the Army Corps of Engineers and the EPA to overhaul the Waters of the United States rule – also known as the Clean Water Rule. In 2015, President Obama signed...

Factory Farms

Meat and Dairy Alternatives

North Carolina

Exposing Fields of Filth

November 4, 2016

When high water breaches animal barns, waste lagoons or fields with applied manure, the nearby surface water becomes toxic.

California

Federal & State Energy Policy

Toxic Chemicals May Contaminate Oil Field Wastewater Used to Grow Calif. Crops

October 26, 2016

In the last three years, farmers have irrigated 95,000 acres of food crops with billions of gallons of oil field wastewater possibly tainted with toxic chemicals.

Midwest

Feeding The World

October 5, 2016

The key to ending world hunger while protecting the environment is to help small farmers in the developing world increase their productivity and income.

Chromium-6

'Erin Brockovich' Carcinogen in Tap Water of More than 200 Million Americans

September 20, 2016

In the film "Erin Brockovich," the environmental crusader confronts the lawyer of a power company that polluted the tap water of Hinkley, Calif., with a carcinogenic chemical called chromium-6. When...

BPA

Food

Food Chemicals

BPA Bombshell

June 17, 2016

Exposure to BPA has been linked to cancer, infertility, brain, nervous system and cardiovascular abnormalities, diabetes, obesity and other serious disorders.

Children’s Health

Mercury

Food

Mercury in Seafood

March 16, 2016

In 2014, federal agencies issued draft recommendations that women who are pregnant, breastfeeding or might become pregnant and young children eat more fish that is lower in mercury. Their advice is...

Food

Food Lobby Spends $101 Million in 2015 to Avert GMO Labeling

February 25, 2016

Big food and biotechnology companies and trade associations seeking to block labeling of food with genetically modified organisms through a rider in the end-of-the year federal spending bill have...

Potassium Bromate

October 14, 2015

Few foods evoke an image of wholesomeness like fresh-baked bread. But the flour used in many commercial baked goods may include an additive that's been linked to cancer.

Water

Teflon Chemical Harmful at Smallest Doses

August 20, 2015

Every time they drink a glass of tap water, people in the mid-Ohio River Valley of West Virginia and Ohio may be consuming unsafe amounts of an industrial chemical linked to cancer, birth defects...

Food

Big Food Companies Spend Millions to Defeat GMO Labeling

August 4, 2015

Big food and biotechnology companies and trade associations have reported spending $51.6 million over the first half of this year, some or all of which went to lobby for legislation that would block...

Expert Spotlight

Chemical companies provide quarterly reports on production and sales figures to shareholders. Why shouldn’t the public and EPA receive similar reports every year about commonly used chemicals, some of which could pose a serious health risk?”

David Andrews, Ph.D.

Deputy Director, Investigations and and Senior Scientist

All Experts

News & Insights

Food

Children’s Health

What is EWG’s Food Scores?

April 16, 2024

EWG’s Food Scores is an easy-to-use food database that helps you make healthier, more informed choices about what you eat and drink based on scientific data and research.

Food

Water

Children’s Health

First-time homeowners, first-time twins: How one mom relied on EWG to babyproof her house

April 16, 2024

“When we found out we were having twins, my husband was speechless with shock,” said Katherine Armstrong, who gave birth to two girls late last year. “While I was initially surprised too, I was also...

Utilities

Renewable Energy

California

Fight to save rooftop solar in California heads to state Supreme Court

April 12, 2024

SACRAMENTO, Calif. – The fight to save California’s rooftop solar program now heads to the state Supreme Court, after it issued a rare decision to hear the appeal of a case that will determine the...

Water

PFAS Chemicals

What they’re saying about the EPA’s regulation of ‘forever chemicals’ in drinking water

April 10, 2024

Here are excerpts from the statements of environmental, health and community advocacy leaders and organizations about the EPA announcement, which marks historic progress addressing PFAS.

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Articles by David Andrews, Ph.D.