chemicals

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EPA Throws Hammer Down on 2 Toxic Chemicals

Full ban announced for TCE, partial ban of dry-cleaning staple perc—both tied to various cancers

(Newser) - Bans of two toxic chemicals first proposed last year have finally come to fruition. On Monday, the Environmental Protection Agency barred the use of trichloroethylene (aka TCE) and perchloroethylene, also referred to as perc—both solvents used in consumer products and industrial settings and that have been tied to various...

Previously Unknown Chemical Found in US Tap Water
Previously Unknown Chemical
Found in US Tap Water
in case you missed it
Nov 24, 2024 11:10 AM CST

Previously Unknown Chemical Found in US Tap Water

It took decades for scientists to ID chloronitramide anion; now they need to see how toxic it is

(Newser) - Some ice for your chloronitramide anion? No, that's not a libation you'd find at the Tatooine cantina in Star Wars, but a new chemical by-product in our tap water that's finally been IDed, reports the Washington Post . Research published Thursday in the journal Science notes that US...

In Amazon's Deforestation, a Potent New Threat Emerges

Authorities say chemicals are being used more because the practice is harder to detect

(Newser) - Authorities in Brazil trying to protect the Amazon from illegal deforestation have long relied on satellite images to alert them to areas that have been clear-cut or burned in a matter of days. Now, however, loggers are increasingly using a potent new tool that is much harder to detect, reports...

Beware These 'Toxic Zombies' in Your Kitchen
Beware These 'Toxic
Zombies' in Your Kitchen
OPINION
Nov 1, 2024 4:40 PM CDT

Beware These 'Toxic Zombies' in Your Kitchen

Atlantic writer urges people to toss their black plastic spatulas

(Newser) - Toxic-Free Future's Megan Liu has a warning for us about the kitchen utensils we use: Beware plastic ones, especially black versions. That's because black plastic is likely to have been made with recycled electronic waste (e.g., TV and computer casings), in a process that often sees little...

Crew Called for Help, Then the Tanker Capsized

South Korean vessel carrying acrylic acid ran into rough seas

(Newser) - A South Korean chemical tanker capsized off an island in southwestern Japan on Wednesday, authorities said, killing eight people on board. One crew member survived, while the fate of two others was unknown, reports the AP . Officials said the tanker was carrying 980 tons of acrylic acid, a corrosive organic...

Chemicals in Plastic Cost Us Billions in Health Care

$249B a year, a new study estimates

(Newser) - Plastic has been found in the deepest parts of the ocean, the air , and our brains —and now researchers have put a number to how much its prevalence is costing us in health care. A group of physicians, epidemiologists, and endocrinologists worked together to itemize the "disease burden"...

Accused of Poisoning Neighbors With Opioids, PhD Student Deported

Xuming Li of China lost student visa following charges, expulsion

(Newser) - A chemistry PhD student who was allegedly caught injecting opioids through the door of an upstairs neighbor with whom he quarreled over noise will escape charges in the US, as he's been deported to his native China. Xuming Li, 36, faced felony charges of battery and possession of a...

After Odor Sickened His Family, He Set Up a Hidden Camera

Florida's Xuming Li arrested, accused of injecting chemical agents under neighbor's door

(Newser) - A Florida man suspicious about chemical smells in his home that appeared to be making his infant sick installed a camera to see if he could suss out what was going on—and now his neighbor is accused of being the cause. NBC News reports that 36-year-old Xuming Li, a...

UK Quietly Does 180 on Animal Testing of Makeup

Government apparently reversed its stance in 2019, after decades-long ban

(Newser) - The UK government had banned the testing of makeup ingredients on animals for more than two decades when it quietly reversed its stance in 2019. It began issuing licenses for animal testing of cosmetic ingredients in line with European Union rules, which don't allow animal testing to determine whether...

Ex-Phillies Got Brain Cancer After Playing on Artificial Turf

'Philadelphia Inquirer' digs into the cluster of rare glioblastoma cases

(Newser) - The Philadelphia Inquirer is out with a jarring story about that city's baseball team: The newspaper reports that six former members of the Philadelphia Phillies died of the rare brain cancer glioblastoma, and one thing they had in common is that they played on artificial turf at the since-demolished...

Keanu Reeves, Fungus-Fighting Machine?

Scientists name chemical compounds that fight fungal infections after the butt-kicking actor

(Newser) - The cordyceps fighters in The Last of Us could definitely use some Keanu Reeves—not the tough heroes he plays in The Matrix, Speed, or John Wick, but a trio of fungus-killing chemical compounds that have now been named after the actor. Per CNN , a study was published earlier this...

3M: We'll Stop Making 'Forever Chemicals'

Industry giant announces a big move on PFAS linked to cancers

(Newser) - The conglomerate 3M announced a big move Tuesday on what have come to be known as "forever chemicals"—the company will stop making them and plans to be rid of them entirely by the end of 2025, reports CNN . Such chemicals are more formally known as perfluoroalkyl and...

That Drive-Thru Order May Contain More Than You Bargained For

Consumer Reports finds excessive amounts of 'forever chemicals' in some fast-food wrappers

(Newser) - You might want to dump those Mickey D's fries onto a plate as soon as you get home. Consumer Reports released an analysis Thursday on packaging at fast-food restaurants and supermarket chains, with a concerning find: Many of the wrappers that hold the fare we pick up at the...

Finally, Cause of City's 'Stench of Death' Is Revealed

Fire at California warehouse filled with beauty products led to plant die-off, which led to hydrogen sulfide in the air

(Newser) - In early October, residents in Carson, Calif., started picking up on a noxious smell emanating from the Dominguez Channel, with dozens of complaints called in daily to the South Coast Air Quality Management District. Some even noted they were suffering from fatigue, headaches, and respiratory issues, reports the Guardian . Now,...

Sunken Ship Will 'Basically Destroy the Bottom of the Sea'

Chemical leak believed to have triggered fires prior to sinking off Sri Lanka

(Newser) - A chemical-laden cargo ship that burned for 13 days off the coast of Sri Lanka has now sunk, along with hundreds of tons of oil in fuel tanks, in what CNN calls "one of the worst ecological disasters in the country's history." Crews managed to put out...

Thousands Flee Deadly Chemical Plant Leak

8 dead, 1K sickened near India factory

(Newser) - A chemical gas leaked from an industrial plant in southern India early Thursday, leaving people struggling to breathe and collapsing in the streets as they tried to flee. At least eight people were killed and nearly 1,000 suffered breathing difficulties and other reactions, the AP reports. The synthetic chemical...

Love Your French Press? Your Heart Might Not
Don't Make Coffee This Way
if You Have High Cholesterol
in case you missed it
Apr 26, 2020 7:11 AM CDT

Don't Make Coffee This Way if You Have High Cholesterol

Researchers say filtered coffee fares better for longevity than boiled or press-style varieties

(Newser) - A Swedish study billing itself as the first to look at the tie between the way we brew our coffee and the risk of heart attacks and premature death says one type of brewing method appears healthier than the rest. The research published in the European Journal of Preventive Cardiology ...

It Was After Midnight in Texas. Then, a 'Shock Wave'

Chemical plant explosion injures at least 3, rocks homes of locals

(Newser) - "Say some prayers." That was the Facebook post from one Texas resident after a chemical plant exploded early Wednesday. The New York Times reports the blast took place in Port Neches at the Texas Petroleum Chemical plant, which produces the colorless gas butadiene—a noted health hazard, per...

Chemical Accident Kills 1, Injures 10 at Buffalo Wild Wings

Police blame fumes from cleaning agent

(Newser) - Massachusetts authorities say a Buffalo Wild Wings employee has died and at least 10 people have been hospitalized following a chemical accident at the Burlington restaurant. Officials responding Thursday night to reports of a chemical reaction in the kitchen area found a male employee suffering from nausea, WHDH reports. Burlington...

FBI ID's Chemicals That Sickened Cops in Motel

Police outside Atlanta said three officers will recover

(Newser) - The FBI has identified the chemicals that made three Atlanta-area cops sick in a motel room where a body was found Saturday. Per WSB-TV , the police officers were sickened by a combination of household cleaning agents, though they were not specified. The DeKalb County police said Sunday that the officers...

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