A new report has identified over 100 food chemicals that companies have declared are safe for consumption without notifying the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), leveraging what critics say is a legal loophole that prevents federal regulators from making sure food ingredients are safe.
Scientists and health advocates say proposed changes to a key US chemicals safety law would upend protections for children and other vulnerable populations suffering from toxic exposures, while industry leaders argue the changes would help them get new chemicals to market without sacrificing safety.
A top US regulatory official on Monday championed controversial chemical review reforms that critics say will support industry interests while weakening protections against toxic chemicals for the public.
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.
By Shannon Kelleher
The US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) on Monday issued a ban on a highly toxic chemical used in dry cleaning, glue and stain removers, a move the agency called a “major milestone for chemical safety after decades of inadequate protections and serious delays.”
By Douglas Main
A growing body of scientific evidence shows that microplastics are accumulating in critical human organs, including the brain, alarming findings that highlight a need for more urgent actions to rein in plastic pollution, researchers say.
By Dana Drugmand
As scientific understanding and public awareness of the health and environmental harms of plastics pollution continues to mount, plastics producers and plastic packaging manufacturers could face a rising tide of lawsuits from communities and states seeking to recover damage costs, a new report suggests.
By Dana Drugmand
Plastics makers and petrochemical industry players have engaged in a decades-long fraud aimed at deceiving the public about plastic recycling, according to a new report that spotlights freshly uncovered industry communications and internal documents.
By Shannon Kelleher
Chemical industry advocates have spent more than $110 million in recent years on lobbying efforts that included opposing laws designed to reduce the use of, and exposure to, a group of toxic chemicals known as PFAS, according to a new study.
By Grace van Deelen
The US regulatory system for chemicals is not adequately protecting human health, and an overhaul is urgently needed, according to recommendations made this week by a group of environmental and health scientists.