Q&A: Current policies “not enough” to ensure safe water in key US farm state
By Carey Gillam
On Tuesday, a team of 16 scientists released the results of a controversial two-year study of pollution patterns in key waterways in Iowa. The New Lede talked with Claire Hruby, one of the scientific advisors on the report, about the new report. Hruby is assistant professor, Environmental Science and Sustainability College of Arts and Sciences at Drake University in Iowa.
As nitrate levels soar in Iowa, new research underscores risks for babies
By Carey Gillam
New research out of Iowa adds to a wide body of evidence showing that when pregnant women are exposed to nitrates in drinking water, it raises the risks of problematic birth outcomes, including low birth weights and pre-term birth. The study, published June 25 in PLOS Water, found that the risks persist even when exposures are lower than the regulatory standard for allowable levels.
Children are paying the costs for Iowa’s “drinking water crisis”
Iowa is currently facing an unprecedented drinking water crisis. Recent reports indicate alarming nitrate levels in the Raccoon River; so high that city officials enacted emergency measures such as lawn water bans, to ensure water treatment facilities could comply with regulatory standards for safe drinking water. Unfortunately, at least for pregnant women, any level of nitrate in drinking water appears unsafe.
Clothing dye raises diabetes risk in pregnant women
By Brian Bienkowski
Pregnant women exposed to a harmful clothing dye have a higher risk for gestational diabetes when they are carrying a male fetus, according to a new study.
“PFAS are everywhere” – Fears growing about PFAS in pesticides
By Meg Wilcox
Vicki Blazer has studied the health of the smallmouth bass in the Chesapeake Bay watershed for more than 20 years. As a research fishery biologist for the United States Geological Survey (USGS), she keeps a close eye on pollutants and other environmental factors that could be causing diseases and die-offs plaguing the popular sportfish.
WATCH: Is Bayer losing the Roundup fight?
The New Lede breaks down the latest developments in the courtroom and corporate boardroom and asks the question: is Bayer ready to throw in the towel on Roundup?
Nearly 20% of US packaged foods contain synthetic dyes, study finds
By Brian Bienkowski
Nearly 20% of packaged foods and drinks in the US have synthetic dyes, with most marketed to children and loaded with sugar, according to a new study that examined nearly 40,000 items from popular food brands.
Bayer settles Missouri Roundup case mid-trial; looks to US Supreme Court
By Carey Gillam
Bayer this week put a halt to its latest courtroom battle over allegations that its weed killing products cause cancer, settling a Missouri case after four weeks of testimony and just as the trial was coming to a close.
Maryland residents search for answers as community struggles to overcome PFAS contamination
By Shannon Kelleher
Rick Wawrzeniak is tired of worrying about “forever chemicals.”
The role of farming in the exodus of rural America
By Dr. Ryan Schmid
In our race to “feed the world”, farmers and ranchers have been pressed into a system that manufactures food for a growing global population. Farmers have met these challenges head-on, producing an abundance of crops and meat; however, our production of abundance has not come without costs.