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☆ How to limit PFAS in your drinking water and food, according to experts
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-10 | by ( Sandee Lamotte | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +9 min

“It would be about 25 years before all the PFAS leave your body.”Testing your waterWhat can consumers do right now to limit the levels of PFAS in their drinking water? Filtering your waterIf PFAS levels are concerning, consumers can purchase an under-the-counter water filter for their tap. “The water filters that are most effective for PFAS are reverse osmosis filters, which are more expensive, about in the $200 range,” Andrews said. Reverse osmosis filters can remove a wide range of contaminants, including dissolved solids, by forcing water through various filters. PFAS in food and your homeDrinking water is not the only way PFAS enters the bloodstream.

Persons: Melanie Benesh, “, ” Jane Hoppin, ”, Andrews, PFAS, ” Andrews Organizations: CNN, Environmental Protection Agency, Geological Survey, Environmental, ”, National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, Medicine, Center for Human Health, Environment, North Carolina State University, NSF, National Sanitation Foundation, EWG, US Food and Drug Administration, FDA, Research, Education, Community Health, National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences Locations: United States, polluters, Raleigh, Texas

☆ It’s not just you. Here’s why pollen allergies are worse than ever
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-04 | by ( Brenda Goodman | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +7 min

Rising temperatures are also allowing plants to bloom earlier and longer, prolonging pollen seasons. Increased rainfall means plants release more pollen when they bloom, and higher numbers of thunderstorms cause pollen grains to burst, making them more irritating and worsening symptoms. Shifting wind patterns in some parts of the world are carrying pollen over longer distances, too. Experts think more exposure to pollen equals more chances to be sensitized, which equals more allergies. So someone in Illinois, for example, might be seeing bigger changes in pollen than somebody in Texas – although Texas gets blasted with pollen, too.

Persons: you’re, ”, Mary Margaret Johnson, Lewis Ziska, Joseph Inglefield III, he’s, “, There’s, Ziska, Inglefield, Leonard Bielory, Dr, Sanjay Gupta, inhaler, that’s, ” Inglefield Organizations: CNN, Harvard, of Public Health, Mailman School of Public Health, Columbia University, Hickory Allergy, Asthma, Hackensack Meridian School of Medicine, CNN Health Locations: Chan, South Korea, Hickory , North Carolina, Illinois, Texas –, Texas, New Jersey

☆ Strawberries still have the most pesticides of any American produce, a report says. Here are the 12 fruits and vegetables on the 2024 'Dirty Dozen' list.
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-23 | by ( Lauren Edmonds | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

Strawberries topped the "Dirty Dozen," a list of 12 fruits and vegetables ranked by pesticide contamination. AdvertisementStrawberries continue to reign supreme on the Environmental Working Group's annual "Dirty Dozen" list, which ranks fruits and vegetables by pesticide contamination. The "Dirty Dozen" list is part of EWG's 2024 Shopper's Guide to Pesticides in Produce published on Wednesday. However, a toxicologist told Business Insider in 2017 that the amount of pesticides in produce on the "Dirty Dozen" list is likely too small to have significant consequences. Here are the fruits and vegetables ranked on this year's "Dirty Dozen."

Persons: — Organizations: Service, USDA, FDA, National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences Locations: United States

☆ ‘Everywhere’ chemicals linked to rise in preterm births, study says
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-06 | by ( Sandee Lamotte | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +9 min

Now, researchers have found synthetic chemicals called phthalates used in clear food packaging and personal care products could be a culprit, according to a new study. “Studies show the largest association with preterm labor is due to a phthalate found in food packaging called Di(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate, or DEHP,” Trasande said. “In our new study, we found DEHP and three similar chemicals could be responsible for 5% to 10% of all the preterm births in 2018. “This paper focused on the relationship between exposure to individual phthalates and preterm birth. “Every day, they’re often exposed to more than one phthalate from the products they use, so the risk of preterm birth may actually be greater,” said Friedman, who was not involved in the study.

Persons: phthalates, ”, Dr, Leonardo Trasande, ” Trasande, “, that’s, Alexa Friedman, Friedman, diisononyl, toxicologist Linda Birnbaum, ” Birnbaum, birthweight, DEHP, Trasande, ” Friedman, don’t, ” CNN’s Jen Christensen Organizations: CNN, NYU Langone Health, “, Environmental, American Chemistry Council, Product Safety, FDA, Food and Drug Administration, National Institute for Environmental Health Sciences, National Toxicology, National Institutes of Health’s, Child Health, Health, Mayo Clinic, American Academy of Pediatrics, AAP Locations: United States, European

☆ Red wine headaches: New study suggests possible causes
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-22 | by ( Kristen Rogers | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +5 min

CNN —Scientists may be closer to understanding the culprit behind the consumption of red wine causing headaches for some people, according to new research. A flavonol naturally occurring in red wines may interfere with the body’s ability to metabolize alcohol, causing an accumulation of toxins that can lead to swift headaches, suggests the study published Monday in the journal Scientific Reports. Using lab tests, the authors found that a derivative of quercetin — quercetin glucuronide — inhibited the enzyme variant. What’s next in the study of red wine headachesThe authors plan to test their hypothesis in a small clinical trial of people who develop these headaches, by comparing red wines with high amounts of quercetin with those that have little. In some cases, it can be four to five times higher.”As a result, you may have better luck with cheaper red wines or with white wines, which have a lower flavonol content overall, according to the study.

Persons: ”, Andrew Waterhouse, Waterhouse, imbibing, Apramita Devi, —, Jonas Spaak, Vasilis Vasiliou, What’s, ” Spaak Organizations: CNN —, University of California, UC Davis, Karolinska Institute, Yale University Locations: Davis, East, Stockholm, Sweden, Napa

☆ Marijuana users have more heavy metals in their bodies
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-30 | by ( Sandee Lamotte | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +6 min

CNN —Users of marijuana had statistically higher levels of lead and cadmium in their blood and urine than people who do not use weed, a new study found. Marijuana users also had 22% higher cadmium levels in their blood than non-users, and 18% higher levels in their urine, Sanchez said. “Our study wasn’t able to tease apart whether or not self-reported cannabis users were using medical or recreational cannabis, so we can’t say definitively if medical cannabis users specifically had higher metal levels,” she said. Heavy metals aren’t just in marijuana — tobacco smokers are exposed to even more types of toxins. While that’s good news for the environment, it’s worrisome for marijuana users.

Persons: ”, Tiffany Sanchez, Sanchez, Beth Cohen, ” Sanchez, can’t, Dr, Leonardo Trasande, NYU Langone, I’m Organizations: CNN, Columbia University Mailman School of Public Health, US Environmental Protection Agency . Marijuana, University of California, Environmental, National Health, Cleveland Clinic, NYU, US Department of Agriculture, District of Columbia Locations: New York City, San Francisco, Italy

☆ Opinion: Hitting the gym or going to yoga? Your workout clothes could be doing more harm than you realize
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-16 | by ( Opinion Alden Wicker | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +13 min

BPA is an endocrine disruptor, meaning that it mimics or interferes with the body’s hormones. It governs weight management and your energy levels, not to mention your skin’s appearance and your ability to fend off illness. Others have tried to argue that some of the chemicals in clothing fell within the legal and regulatory limits. The signs that something is very, very wrong with our reproductive health and endocrine systems are myriad. After all, you might be undoing the benefits of hitting the gym every day when your workout clothes could be doing so much damage to your health.

Persons: Alden Wicker, Athleta, Alden Wicker Alden Wicker, There’s, bisphenol, Ashley Eskew, “, Thinx, ” Dr, Laura Vandenberg, Down, ”, Shanna, Dr, Graham Peaslee, PFAS, Swan, lipsticks, ‘, ” Eskew, Eskew Organizations: New York Times, Vox, Wired, CNN, Center for Environmental Health, Nike, IKEA, Canadian Broadcasting Corporation, CBC, US Environmental Protection Agency, Industry, University of Massachusetts Amherst, of Environmental Health Sciences, Notre, Twitter Locations: Putnam, California, Patagonia, ” North Carolina, Spain

☆ ‘Forever chemicals’ in water: Nearly half of the tap water in the US is contaminated with PFAS, government study finds
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-05 | by ( Jen Christensen | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +8 min

CNN —Almost half of the tap water in the United States is contaminated with chemicals known as “forever chemicals,” according to a study from the US Geological Survey. Experts say it’s important for people to understand their risk of exposure through tap water. Water filters may help somewhat if tap water is contaminated, and there are moves to regulate some PFAS chemicals in US drinking water. This US Geological Survey map shows the number of PFAS detected in tap water samples from select sites across the nation. In August 2023, the EPA said it is conducting the “most comprehensive monitoring effort for PFAS ever” at large and midsize public water systems and hundreds of small water systems.

Persons: Jamie DeWitt, There’s, ”, DeWitt, They’re, Graham Peaslee, Dr, Sanjay Gupta, “, Peaslee, ” Peaslee Organizations: CNN, Geological Survey, National Institutes of Health, US Environmental Protection Agency, Survey, Eastern Seaboard, Environmental Health Sciences, Oregon State University’s College of Agricultural Sciences, Utilities, EPA, of Physics, University of Notre Dame, CNN Health Locations: United States, Great, Central, Southern California

☆ Air quality alert apps see spike in usage as Canada wildfires burn
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-08 | by ( Lora Kolodny | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +7 min

Some apps run on data crowdsourced from relatively affordable air quality sensors sold by companies such as PurpleAir and IQAir. Air quality apps and mapsOutdoor air quality-monitoring apps like AirNow, AirCare and AirVisual have been among the nation's most used apps in past years when wildfires raged in Oregon and California. Like most air pollution trackers, it uses a color-coded visual system to indicate whether air pollution levels are good to hazardous, or whether there is not enough data to issue a rating. These include a Fire and Smoke Map, which provides information on fire locations, smoke plumes and air quality, and the AirNow Interactive Map shows ozone and particulate matter from air quality monitors across the country. Indoor air matters, tooWhile outdoor air quality is important, society doesn't talk or do enough about indoor air quality, said Richard Corsi, University of California, Davis' incoming dean of the college of engineering, currently a professor and dean at Portland State University.

Persons: AirNow, Yanelli Nunez, Anna Kioumourtzoglou, Nunez, Richard Corsi, Davis, Corsi Organizations: CNBC, U.S . Environmental Protection Agency, ZIP, Apple Watch, Huawei, Columbia University's Mailman, of Public Health, University of California, Portland State University Locations: North America, Europe, Quebec, Ontario, U.S, New York City, Oregon, California, Mexico, Canada, Macedonia, Australia, Swiss, Greater Los Angeles

☆ Rice. Half of Humanity Eats It. And Climate Change Is Wrecking It.
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-20 | by ( Somini Sengupta | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +12 min

Sometimes there’s not enough rain when seedlings need water, or too much when the plants need to keep their heads above water. Rice farmers are shifting their planting calendars. On top of that, there’s climate change: It has upended the rhythm of sunshine and rain that rice depends on. That’s a fraction of the emissions from coal, oil and gas, which together account for 35 percent of methane emissions. His experiment, carried out over seven years, concluded that by not flooding the fields continuously, farmers can reduce rice methane emissions by more than 60 percent.

☆ Risks of Tupperware and other plastic containers
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-14 | by ( Kristen Rogers | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +6 min

Figuring out the answer to that question for any type of reusable plastic food storage products — not just Tupperware — often comes down to understanding what they’re made of. Risks of container wear and tearPutting stress on plastic food containers by washing them in the dishwasher or with rough scrub brushes “increase the ability of that plastic to leach whatever it was made out of,” Vandenburg said. The “microwave safe” label on some plastic containers doesn’t mean the product is totally safe from a health standpoint, she added. “Some of the plasticizers and chemicals can transfer from the plastic containers into the food during heating,” Rogers said. “If you can’t afford to replace everything all at once, replace them one at a time.”Glass food storage containers are a safer option.

China’s official count 0 2.5 million 83,150 deaths Model based on Shanghai outbreak 1.6 million deaths LOW ESTIMATE HIGH ESTIMATE Estimate using travel patterns 970,000 deaths Estimate using recent testing data 1.5 million deaths Estimate based on U.S. death rates 1.1 million deaths China’s official count 0 2.5 million 83,150 deaths Model based on Shanghai outbreak 1.6 million deaths LOW EST. But China’s official Covid death toll for the entire pandemic remains strikingly low: 83,150 people as of Feb. 9. Four separate academic teams have converged on broadly similar estimates: China’s Covid wave may have killed between a million and 1.5 million people. Why official data underrepresents China’s outbreak83,150 deaths China’s official count on Feb. 9 0 2.5M 83,150 deaths China’s official count on Feb. 9 0 2.5 millionChina has a narrow definition of what counts as a Covid-19 death. But the work was unwavering in its ultimate conclusion: Ending the “zero Covid” policy was likely to overwhelm the health care system, producing an estimated 1.6 million deaths.

☆ 'Concerning' map reveals where fish caught in the US are full of hazardous 'forever chemicals'
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-19 | by ( Morgan Mcfall-Johnsen | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

Fish in lakes and streams across the US are contaminated with hazardous "forever chemicals." Since their invention in the 1930s, per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) have multiplied and spread. They found PFOS — one of the most notorious substances — was the largest contributor to PFAS contamination in fish. Last year, the EPA lowered the level of PFOS in drinking water it considers safe to 0.02 parts per trillion. He said he's also seen PFAS contamination advisories for fishing spots in Sweden, where he lives.

☆ New York and L.A. meet CDC criteria for masking in public. How much will masks help this winter?
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-16 | by ( Https | Media-Cldnry.S-Nbcnews.Com Image Upload Newscms Aria-Bendix-Byline-Jm.Jpg | Aria Bendix | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +5 min

The Philadelphia school district announced Wednesday that students and staff will be required to wear masks indoors for two weeks in January in an effort to slow transmission after the holidays. The New York City Department of Education issued a letter this week strongly encouraging students and staff to wear a well-fitting mask indoors. After three years of Covid, however, experts recognized that few people are inclined to wear masks as often as they had previously while in public spaces. But Luby said he still wears a mask in public, even when others around him do not. “I find myself in that situation a lot — I’m the only person in the room wearing a mask," he said.

☆ Daylight Saving Time debate sheds light on growing racial inequities in sleep health
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-25 | by ( Jacqueline Howard | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +10 min

The American Academy of Sleep Medicine, the Sleep Research Society and other medical groups have advocated for ending the practice, calling for the adoption of a permanent standard time that would not involve shifting forward each spring and falling back each autumn. She authored a paper, published in September in the journal Sleep, detailing the potential health benefits of adopting a permanent standard time. Now, some sleep researchers worry about the potential effects that continuing to change standard time twice each year may have on sleep health inequities. “Fortunately, sleep health is largely modifiable.”As for the inequities seen in sleep health, it’s not that White adults don’t also experience a lack of sleep and its health consequences – but people of color appear to disproportionately experience them more, and that’s believed to be largely due to social systems in the United States. Improving sleep health has been a national objective in the federal government’s past two Healthy People programs, noted Caraballo-Cordovez, who is not involved in the programs.

Lee County suffered none of the state’s 123 Irma deaths. That experience influenced many people’s decisions not to flee Hurricane Ian. “Hurricane Ian is going to be the strongest outreach messaging for southwest Florida ever,” said Gleason, the Charlotte County spokesman. “When you live through it, then that message sinks in deep and forever.”A view of the Matanzas Pass side of Estero Island, home to Fort Myers Beach, Fla. Fort Myers Beach is expected to take years to rebuild. Thomas Simonetti for NBC NewsMichael Yost's two closest friends in Fort Myers Beach drowned in Hurricane Ian.

☆ They were diagnosed with uterine cancer and tumors. Now they're suing the makers of chemical hair straighteners.
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-20 | by ( Https | Media-Cldnry.S-Nbcnews.Com Image Upload Newscms | Janelle Griffith | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +4 min

Three years ago, Rhonda Terrell was diagnosed with an aggressive form of uterine cancer that has since spread to her abdomen and liver. “And I want to hold them accountable because I have granddaughters.”Bernadette Gordon, who used chemical relaxers from around 1983 to 2015, believes they caused her to develop breast and uterine cancer. In 2021, she was diagnosed with uterine cancer and underwent a hysterectomy, followed by six months of chemotherapy and radiation. There was never anything on the products' packaging, they said and their lawsuits allege, indicating that normal use of the products could cause them to develop uterine fibroids or breast or uterine cancer. “This study is the first to show a possible link between frequent use of hair straightening products and uterine cancer,” she said.

☆ The US never banned asbestos. These workers are paying the price.
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-23 | by ( Kathleen Mcgrory | Neil Bedi | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +39 min

But protocols failed to match reality at the Niagara Falls plant, according to more than a dozen workers. In addition to those signature diseases, which are rare even among asbestos workers, the tiny strands can harm the body in other ways. In the 15 years that followed, congressional attempts to ban asbestos would continue to fall short. OSHA declined to make an official available for an on-the-record interview or comment on ProPublica's findings at the Niagara Falls plant. At the OxyChem plant in Wichita, union president Keith Peacock said he was comfortable with the way asbestos was handled.

☆ Hair-straightening chemical products linked to increased uterine cancer risk in new study
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-18 | by ( Jacqueline Howard | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +6 min

CNN —Scientists are uncovering new details in the connection between using certain hair straightening products, such as chemical relaxers and pressing products, and an increased risk of cancer in women. The study, published Monday in the Journal of the National Cancer Institute, estimates that among women who did not use hair-straightening chemical products in the past 12 months, 1.6% developed uterine cancer by age 70, but about 4% of the women who frequently use such hair-straightening products developed uterine cancer by age 70. That finding “also communicates that uterine cancer is indeed rare. “In this study, women with frequent use in the past year had an over two-fold higher risk of uterine cancer,” she said. The researchers found a strong association between hair straightening products and uterine cancer cases but the use of other hair products – such as dyes and perms or body waves – was not associated with uterine cancer.

Women using chemical hair-straightening products are at a higher risk of uterine cancer than women who reported not using them, a new study by the National Institutes of Health (NIH) found. Researchers noted that Black women may have a higher risk because they are more likely to use those products more frequently. “Sixty percent of the participants who reported using straighteners were Black women. The bottom line is that the exposure burden appears to be higher among Black women,” Chandra Jackson, an NIEHS Earl Stadtman Investigator who co-authored the study, said. Advocates like Greene, one of the leading voices in the movement against Black hair discrimination, have highlighted that wearing natural hair isn’t easy or always safe for Black people.

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