Plastic pollution could more than double by 2040, report finds
Failure to address a worldwide plastic pollution crisis could trigger a surge in greenhouse gas emissions and human health problems tied to the industry, according to a new report.
Shannon Kelleher
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Microplastics drive plaque buildup in arteries of male mice, study suggests
Exposure to tiny plastic particles that litter the environment may speed plaque buildup in the arteries of male mice, a condition that leads to heart disease, according to a new study.
California farmland doused with 2.5 million pounds of PFAS pesticides each year, analysis finds
Farm fields in California, the largest US agricultural state, are sprayed each year with an average of 2.5 million pounds of pesticides containing toxic PFAS, potentially exposing millions of people to the chemicals through contaminated food, soil and drinking water, according to a new analysis of state regulatory data.
Fresh warnings as a Maryland community’s PFAS crisis continues
A PFAS contamination crisis is continuing to plague a Maryland community as a plume of contaminated groundwater moves through the area, residents and their attorneys said this week.
WATCH: “I feel like I’m living off the grid” — Maryland residents speak out over PFAS pollution
Attorneys and residents sounded the alarm at a town hall Wednesday that the PFAS contamination crisis in the community of Salisbury, Maryland is far from over. Residents, who say they were left in the dark while “forever chemicals” polluted their water, have called for the company to address the full extent of the PFAS contamination and to fund a medical monitoring program for those exposed.
US social costs of plastics may total over $1 trillion annually, report finds
Plastic production, use and disposal each year saddles the US with up to $1.1 trillion in social costs, the bulk of which are due to human health impacts, according to a new report from Duke University that characterizes the tally as a “conservative” estimate.
Washington Supreme Court restores $185 million verdict for teachers allegedly poisoned by Monsanto-made PCBs
The Washington Supreme Court this week restored a $185 million verdict against the former Monsanto company, now owned by Bayer, over toxic chemicals in a state school building that allegedly poisoned three teachers.
EPA accused of misleading public about ongoing production of harmful PFAS
Federal regulators are falsely claiming that production of a dangerous PFAS chemical has been phased out in the US, according to a complaint filed this week by an environmental watchdog group alleging the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) consistently finds the chemical and other PFAS in fluorinated plastic containers.
New North Carolina PFAS exposure findings as Chemours plans expansion
Scientists detected high levels of two under-the-radar PFAS chemicals in blood serum samples from residents of Wilmington, North Carolina, collected before the local fluorochemical manufacturing plant began taking measures in 2017 to halt the flow of “forever chemicals” into the community’s drinking water.
WATCH: Farmers push back – feds try to block humane animal welfare laws
A coalition of family farmers and small meat companies is fighting new federal moves to block states from enforcing humane livestock rules — including bans on cramped cages and gestation crates. TNL staff writer Shannon Kelleher reports on-the-ground from Washington DC, where farmers descended this week to voice their concerns.