phthalates

13 Stories

Ultraprocessed Foods May Harm Male Hormones, Boost Body Fat
Ultraprocessed Food
Shows a 'Big Shocker' for Men
NEW STUDY
Aug 29, 2025 4:14 PM CDT

Ultraprocessed Food Shows a 'Big Shocker' for Men

Study links packaged foods to weight gain, hormone disruption for men

(Newser) - A new study suggests that diets high in ultraprocessed foods may negatively affect not just overall metabolic health, but also male reproductive health. In their research published Thursday in the journal Cell Metabolism , scientists from the University of Copenhagen enrolled 43 healthy men, ages 20 to 35, and assigned...

The Mattress Your Child Sleeps on Could Be Harmful
The Air Around Your
Sleeping Child Is 'Worrisome'
new study
Apr 23, 2025 4:51 PM CDT

The Air Around Your Sleeping Child Is 'Worrisome'

Researchers find phthalates, flame retardants, and UV filters are released from mattresses

(Newser) - Your child may fear the monster under their bed. They'd be smarter to fear the air around it, or so suggests a new study . CNN reports researchers who analyzed the air in the bedrooms of 25 kids between the ages of 6 months and 4 years found "worrisome"...

Lunchables Are No Longer on the School Lunch Menu

Company pulls controversial product after lower than expected demand from districts

(Newser) - Kraft Heinz is pulling Lunchables from the school lunch program following a scathing review in Consumer Reports. Two of the packaged kits with deli meat, cheese, and crackers had previously been a part of the program, which provides free and discounted school meals to kids from low-income families, but no...

How Much Plastic Packaging Ends Up in Our Bodies?

In Canadian grocery stores, 71% of the food available was bound in plastic

(Newser) - When you're out shopping, finding food not encased in some kind of plastic is no easy task. In fact, per Modern Farmer , a recent study of Canadian grocery stores found 71% of products on their shelves were packaged in plastic; for baby food, it was even higher, at 76%....

Dust in Your Home Could Be Teeming With Toxins
10 Toxins Found
in 90% of Indoor
Dust Samples
STUDY SAYS
Sep 15, 2016 3:31 PM CDT

10 Toxins Found in 90% of Indoor Dust Samples

And they could lead to everything from cancer and respiratory problems to lower IQ

(Newser) - We're surrounded by toxic chemicals, and even holing up in our meticulously kept homes may not save us, Time reports. Ten chemicals that may be hazardous to our health were found in over 90% of indoor dust samples taken for a study published in the Environmental Science & Technology...

Your Fast Food May Come With Side of Industrial Chemicals

Would you like infertility with that?

(Newser) - People who eat fast food may have higher levels of potentially infertility-causing industrial chemicals in their body, according to a new study . Bloomberg reports researchers were looking specifically at DEHP and DiNP, two types of phthalates found in everything from cosmetics to window blinds. They studied nutrition data from nearly...

Common Chemicals Can Reduce Your Baby's IQ


 Nail Polish Can 
 Lower a Baby's IQ 
study says
Dec 12, 2014 4:25 PM CST

Nail Polish Can Lower a Baby's IQ

Columbia University study links phthalates to lower IQ in children

(Newser) - Want your baby's IQ to be a few points higher? Then keep it away from chemicals in household items like shower curtains, nail polish, and dryer sheets during pregnancy, a new study says. Researchers at Columbia University came to this conclusion after analyzing 328 women and their kids in...

Nail Polish, Hairspray Linked to Diabetes

 Nail Polish, Hairspray 
 Linked to Diabetes 
study says
Jul 16, 2012 12:01 PM CDT

Nail Polish, Hairspray Linked to Diabetes

Study pinpoints concentration of phthalates in urine

(Newser) - Bad news for the well manicured: If the cosmetics you slather yourself with contain phthalates, you may be more likely to get type 2 diabetes. A new study finds a link between the man-made chemicals—which can mimic human hormones and are found in everything from nail polish to shampoo...

Plastics 'Feminizing' Baby Boys
 Plastics 'Feminizing' Baby Boys 
Nov 16, 2009 5:25 AM CST

Plastics 'Feminizing' Baby Boys

In utero exposure linked to different behaviors

(Newser) - Pregnant women's exposure to plastics is "feminizing" the baby boys they give birth to, researchers have found. Heightened in utero exposure to plastics is linked to reduced interest by boys in "rough and tumble" play and also to more typically masculine toys, like trucks, trains and guns, found...

Congress Moves to Ban Toxin Found in Toys

Bush could yet veto bill including measure to keep phthalates away from children

(Newser) - Congressional negotiators have agreed to ban a group of toxins common in children’s toys, part of a consumer-protection bill, the Washington Post reports. The ban mirrors tougher standards at big retailers like Wal-Mart and Toys R Us, and, like those bans, wouldn’t take effect until after the holiday...

Baby Products Expose Infants to Chemicals

Little ones absorb dangerous phthalates from lotions, powders, shampoos

(Newser) - Common baby products may be exposing infants to dangerous chemicals called phthalates, a new study shows. The presence of the substances in infants' urine was linked with the use of baby lotions, powder, and shampoo. Experts don't know the long-term health consequences, but "there is a large body of...

Groups Ask Feds to Regulate Air Fresheners

Environmental lobby claims scents contain toxins, harm health

(Newser) - Air fresheners contain dangerous chemical compounds linked to asthma, cancer, and developmental problems, said a coalition of environmental groups in petitioning the EPA yesterday to regulate the industry. While most companies denied the charges, Walgreen Co. responded by pulling three fresheners off shelves in its 5,850 stores, the San ...

Cleanliness May Be Next to Sickliness

Household products contain chemicals linked to asthma, infant growth defects

(Newser) - Common household products, including laundry detergents and floor cleaners, contain harmful chemicals that could induce health problems in adults and infants, a new report says. Five chemicals, present in popular brands like Pine-Sol, Formula 409, and Tide, may lead to asthma attacks, developmental problems, and infertility but often are not...

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