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☆ EPA designates two ‘forever chemicals’ as hazardous substances
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-19 | by ( Mira Cheng | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +4 min

CNN —The US Environmental Protection Agency designated two widely used “forever chemicals” as hazardous substances under the United States’ Superfund law on Friday. This ruling will allow the EPA to investigate and clean up leaks and spills of these harmful chemicals, according to the official news release. Exposure to “forever chemicals” has been linked to cancers, heart and liver disease and immune and developmental damage to infants and children, according to the news release. There are more than 12,000 forms of PFAS chemicals in the environment. The designation comes just weeks after the EPA announced new limits for “forever chemicals” in drinking water in the United States.

Persons: Michael S, Regan, Dr, David Andrews, ”, Sanjay Gupta, ” Lisa Frank, Harris, CNN’s Jen Christensen Organizations: CNN, Environmental Protection Agency, United, EPA, Environmental, CNN Health, PIRG, Fund, Environment America Research, Policy, Biden Locations: United States, U.S, Washington

☆ 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

☆ Toxic ‘forever’ chemicals found in excessive levels in global groundwater, study says
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-08 | by ( Sandee Lamotte | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +8 min

CNN —Potentially toxic chemicals called PFAS (perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances) are found in surface and groundwaters around the world at levels much higher than many international regulators allow, a new study found. Groundwater can be contaminated by PFAS from food and consumer products added to landfills as well as from manufacturing facilities. Public concern led to a commitment by manufacturers in 2008 to phase out use of PFOA and PFOS, two of the most widely used chemicals. Generally PFAS concentrations are higher in urban areas or areas that used PFAS products extensively, O’Connell said, but it is also leached into the environment in ways that may not be obvious. “Another example is that PFAS used to be used in ski wax, so pristine environments, where people ski, have PFAS in their waters and soils,” he said.

Persons: Mario Tama, ”, David Andrews, Andrews, ” Andrews, “, Denis O’Connell, O’Connell, ” O’Connell Organizations: CNN, US Environmental Protection Agency, Health Canada, EPA, National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, Medicine . Studies, Environmental, Agency, Toxic Substances, Disease, Nature, University of New, Geological Survey, NSF, National Sanitation Foundation Locations: Mount Everest, Medicine, University of New South Wales, Sydney

☆ Common flame retardants linked to deaths from cancer in people, study finds
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-01 | by ( Sandee Lamotte | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +7 min

CNN —Flame retardants added for decades to thousands of consumer products in the United States may raise the risk of dying from cancer, according to new research. “The new study links PBDEs to deaths from cancer, building a case for the association between flame retardants and cancer mortality being real,” said Trasande, who researches the impact of plastics, flame retardants and other chemicals on children. Flame retardant chemicals also can pass to developing fetuses via the placenta and to newborns through breast milk, past research has found. In some cases, the industry has replaced these chemicals with newer phosphorus-based flame retardants, Trasande said, adding that researchers are now concerned these chemicals may be linked to cancer as well. When reupholstering older couches or chairs, be sure to replace the old foam with flame retardant-free foam.

Persons: Leonardo Trasande, ”, Trasande, ” Trasande, Tasha Stoiber, EWG Organizations: CNN, National Health, JAMA, NYU Langone Health, US Centers for Disease Control, Manufacturers, US Environmental Protection Agency, CDC, Environmental Locations: United States, PBDEs, New York City

☆ California’s biggest snowstorm of the year will paralyze travel with blizzard conditions
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-29 | by ( Mary Gilbert | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +4 min

CNN —An extremely-dangerous winter storm has arrived in California and will unload feet of snow, powerful winds and rare blizzard conditions in the mountains through the weekend. As snow continues to spread across California, so will strong winds and blizzard conditions. Snowfall rates are expected to reach extreme levels of 3 to 5 inches an hour from Friday through Saturday – especially along the Sierra Nevada. Heavy snow and roaring winds are expected to combine to produce rare and long-lasting blizzard conditions for much of the Sierra and parts of the northern ranges. Storm will provide much-needed boost to critical snowpackCalifornia’s Sierra Nevada snowpack got off to a slow start this winter.

Persons: ” Snow, We’ve, Edan, Lindaman Organizations: CNN, National Weather Service, Pacific Northwest, Sierra, Yosemite, National Park Service, Rockies, Storm, Sierra Nevada snowpack, California’s Department of Water Resources, US Environmental Protection Agency Locations: California, Reno , Nevada, Pacific, Klamath, Sierra Nevada, Northern California, Sierra, Reno

☆ Stanley and other drink cups contain lead. Should you be worried?
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-26 | by ( Madeline Holcombe | Sandee Lamotte | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +7 min

CNN —First, Stanley cups were all over social media because so many people wanted them. Videos on social media sites such as TikTok show people breaking out a lead testing kit and trying it on their Stanley cups and other travel flasks. And Stanley cups are everywhere. Stanley cups are in the hands of beauty bloggers, the cars of parents at school pickup, and even on the Christmas lists of many kids this past year. The main source of lead exposure in the United States comes from inhaling dust or eating particles contaminated by paint chips.

Persons: Stanley, ”, Jane Houlihan, ” Houlihan, It’s, “, CPSC, Patty Davis, ” Davis, Olga Naidenko, Naidenko Organizations: CNN, Stanley, Pacific Market, “, US Centers for Disease Control, Healthy, US Consumer Product Safety, Amazon, US Environmental Protection Agency, CPSC, US Consumer Product, Safety Commission, CDC, Environmental Protection Agency Locations: Washington, DC, United States

☆ Flights over 6 hours aren't worth it to me unless my trip is at least two weeks long
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-15 | by ( Joey Hadden | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

I'm a travel reporter who has spent 150 hours on long-haul flights. I've found that trips under two weeks aren't worth enduring the long-haul flights they require. AdvertisementI've spent 150 hours on 22 long-haul flights, starting when I was a kid. It takes three long-haul flights and roughly 24 total hours of travel to get there from my home in NYC. AdvertisementAll that to say, in 2024, I'll make sure my long-haul trips are at least two weeks long so I know they're worth enduring before booking.

Persons: I've, —, Joey Hadden, I Organizations: Service, Business, Environmental Protection Agency Locations: Guam, Europe, Germany, Austria, France, Spain, Italy, Switzerland, Paris, Barcelona

☆ What makes lead poisoning so dangerous? A doctor explains
▼ + stars: | 2023-12-05 | by ( Deblina Chakraborty | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +8 min

CNN: Why are high lead levels so dangerous, and why is it that children are most at risk for lead poisoning? This screening is essential, given the adverse outcomes of lead poisoning and because high lead levels are often asymptomatic. There are some therapies that exist for acute lead poisoning if a child has ingested a large quantity of lead-containing substances. A major source of lead exposure is through lead paint. Lead poisoning is a preventable tragedy, and we can all take steps to reduce its harm.

Persons: Biden, Leana Wen, Wen, laxatives Organizations: CNN, US Environmental Protection Agency, George Washington University Milken Institute School of Public Health, US Centers for Disease Control, CDC, US Food and Drug Administration Locations: United States

☆ Satellites are the new climate police for oil and gas polluters
▼ + stars: | 2023-12-02 | by ( Catherine Boudreau | Erin Snodgrass | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +8 min

Fifty oil and gas companies pledged to zero out methane emissions by 2030 at the UN climate summit. Satellites are the next tool that will hold oil and gas companies accountable in their promise to cut methane emissions and slow global warming. Many state-owned oil companies signed on, including the UAE's Adnoc, as well as Saudi Arabia's Saudi Aramco. This, in turn, means oil and gas companies responsible for the plumes can be notified faster and potentially take action. The country's state-owned oil companies are also absent from the "decabonization charter" announced in Dubai.

Persons: Adnoc, Catherine Boudreau, Erin Snodgrass, Michael Bloomberg, Sultan Al Jaber, Peter Dejong, Fred Krupp, Bloomberg Philanthropies, Melanie Robinson, Robinson Organizations: ExxonMobil, Shell, Service, United, Saturday, Environmental Defense Fund, Bloomberg, UN, Summit, EDF, IEA, RMI, European Union, Environmental Protection Agency, EPA, EU, Russia —, World Resources Institute Locations: Saudi Aramco, Dubai, United Arab Emirates, Los Angeles, Saudi, Argentina, EU, Glasgow, Scotland, China, Russia

☆ Why a Wisconsin county is dumping cheese brine on its roads this winter
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-28 | by ( Maiya Focht | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Some counties in Wisconsin have been using cheese brine or a beet juice blend instead. A few counties across the state have used cheese brine to melt icy roads in the winter. Green County is lucky enough to have a functioning cheese factory where it gets its cheese brine for de-icing. Other counties, like Polk County and Burnett County, have used cheese brine in the past but stopped when the local cheese factory halted operations. Bastian Parschau/Contributor/Getty ImagesIf you don't have access to cheese brine, then beet juice is a popular alternative, though it's not as cost-effective as cheese brine, Josh Kelch, the highway commissioner for Burnett County, told BI.

Persons: —, Andrea Bill, Bill, There's, Chris Narveson, Bastian Parschau, it's, Josh Kelch, Pat Gavinski, Gavinski Organizations: Service, University of Wisconsin's Traffic, Safety Laboratory, Anadolu, US Environmental Protection Agency, University of Minnesota, EPA, Green County Locations: Wisconsin, Green, Polk County, Burnett, Burnett County, Sauk, Sauk County

☆ This CEO is changing the rules of American farming. Here’s why
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-21 | by ( Alicia Wallace | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +12 min

At a time when social and environmental investments have been politicized, Ford and Land O’Lakes are staying the course. Courtesy Land O’Lakes, Inc.“We’re focusing on the things that are most important to our members, their families and to their businesses,” she told CNN. The EPA and the Hershey Company gave $2 million to Land O’Lakes member farms in Pennsylvania. Land O'Lakes CEO Beth Ford at the company's headquarters in Arden Hills, Minnesota, on July 29, 2021. In 2020, Land O’Lakes convened the American Connection Project coalition to advocate for public and private investment in high-speed internet infrastructure in rural communities.

Persons: “, Beth Ford, Ford, Evan Hillan, don’t, Truterra, ” Ford, ”, Ford’s, Carol, —, CNN’s Poppy Harlow, ‘ I’ve, ’ ” Ford, Harlow, Richard Tsong, I’ve, “ I’ve, O’Lakes, isn’t, Lucas Fuess, Kim Reynolds, Fuess, there’s, Kelly Garrett, ” Garrett, Garrett Organizations: Arden Hills , Minnesota CNN —, Fortune, Arden, Ford, CNN, Inc, US Environmental Protection Agency, EPA, Hershey Company, Pepsi, Mobil, Scholastic —, Star Tribune, Getty, American Connection, Biden, Republican, ”, Nature Locations: Arden Hills , Minnesota, Wisconsin, Truterra, Mill Hill , Pennsylvania, Pennsylvania, America, Ford, Sioux City , Iowa, Iowa, Iowa , Idaho , Kansas, Modale , Iowa, Inc, West, Arion , Iowa, American

☆ Reducing pesticides in food: Major food manufacturers earn an F grade
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-08 | by ( Sandee Lamotte | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +11 min

“Pesticide exposure during pregnancy may lead to an increased risk of birth defects, low birth weight, and fetal death,” the American Academy of Pediatrics stated. “Exposure in childhood has been linked to attention and learning problems, as well as cancer.”Yet pesticide exposure is widespread, even for chemicals that were banned years ago by federal agencies. In the 2023 Shopper’s Guide to Pesticides in Produce — a list of nonorganic produce with the most pesticides — researchers found 210 different pesticides on the 12 foods. In addition, consumers can ask food companies to “release the actual test results of pesticide concentrations in their products,” said EWG’s Temkin. “Food companies have not been publishing such data, instead relying on generalities,” she said via email.

Persons: ”, Cailin Dendas, “, disheartening, Jane Houlihan, Houlihan, Kale, collard, ” Alexis Temkin, toxicologist, ” Dendas, Jim Watson, Dendas, Sow, General Mills, Archer Daniels, Lamb, Nestlé, Dane Lisser, Shelby Stoolman, EWG’s, Temkin, ” Temkin, “ Steer Organizations: CNN, “ Pesticides, Healthy, “, ”, American Academy of Pediatrics, Environmental, US Environmental Protection Agency, Environmental Protection Agency, US Centers for Disease Control, Getty, Archer Daniels Midland Co, PepsiCo Inc, Conagra Brands Inc, Campbell Soup Company, Lamb Weston Holdings Inc, G Foods Inc, Cargill, Danone S.A, Del Monte Pacific Ltd, General, Inc, Kraft Heinz Company, Mars Incorporated, Mondelēz, Post Holdings Inc, ADM, US Food and Drug Administration Locations: United States, AFP

☆ Common contaminants linked to accelerated weight gain in children
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-19 | by ( Sandee Lamotte | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +8 min

The research network aims to examine the lifetime impact of exposure in the womb to chemical contaminants in air, water and food. Both DDT and HCB contamination in people occurs “mainly through bioaccumulation in the food chain via fish, fish products, meat (and) dairy products,” Montazeri said. The July 2022 report also found PFAS exposure was sufficiently associated with decreased infant and fetal growth as well as decreased antibody response to vaccines in both adults and children. Pregnant people can take steps to reduce their exposure to various chemicals in commercial products, food and water. “Phthalates and phenols come from plastics and personal care products,” Montazeri said.

Persons: ”, Parisa Montazeri, “, Montazeri, Leonardo Trasande, HCB, ” Montazeri, Trasande Organizations: CNN, Barcelona Institute, Global Health, BMI, NYU Langone Health, Environmental, US Centers for Disease Control, CDC, US Environmental Protection Agency, National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, Medicine, Getty, NYU’s Grossman School of Medicine, National Sanitation Foundation Locations: Spain, United States, PFAS

☆ The popular clothing brand Everlane slashed its carbon emissions by 22% with help from a high-tech startup. Companies all over the world are racing to do the same.
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-08 | by ( Érica Carnevalli | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +10 min

In 2021, the clothing brand teamed up with the carbon-accounting startup Watershed to track carbon emissions, mostly from Everlane's supply chain, using data collection. Everlane is one of several companies using carbon-accounting startups to track emissions and put a dollar amount on their carbon footprints. Investment by venture-capital firms in carbon-accounting startups surged from $60 million in 2020 to $767 million in 2022, according to PitchBook. But it's challenging to precisely monitor this since companies' emissions are not the same, and they often overlap. The startup works with small, midsize, and enterprise companies, including Virgin Atlantic.

Persons: Everlane, Katina, Maria Fujihara, Fujihara, Amelia Penniman, Benchimol, Lauren Gifford, Gifford, DoorDash, Michael Thornton, Thornton Organizations: Service, Fortune Business, Sinai Technologies, Bayer, Siemens, SINAI Technologies, Investment, BlackRock, Walmart, Greenhouse Gas Management Institute, US Environmental Protection Agency, International Energy Agency, Carbon Analytics, Greenhouse, Greenhouse Gas Management, Securities and Exchange Commission, Carbon Solutions, Colorado State University, Virgin Atlantic Locations: Sequoia, Airbnb, Sinai

☆ 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

☆ Living with air pollution, especially from wildfires or agriculture, raises risk of dementia, US study finds
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-14 | by ( Jen Christensen | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +8 min

The study authors said it’s the first nationally representative study of the potential effects of particle pollution on dementia in the US, and the link to dementia was most robust in areas with pollution from agriculture and wildfires. Pesticides are neurotoxins to animals, she said, so those may be the particles in agriculture pollution that are affecting human brains, as well. As for wildfires, the smoke doesn’t just come from burning trees; things like homes and gas stations burn too, becoming the particle pollution that people breathe in. The new study cannot determine the exact mechanism connecting particle pollution and dementia, but scientists have some theories. A study in England found that adults living with the highest annual concentration of air pollution had 1.4 times the dementia risk as those living with the lowest annual concentration.

Persons: it’s, ”, Sara Dubowsky Adar, Boya Zhang, Adar, Caleb Finch, William F, It’s, Masashi Kitazawa, Kitazawa, ” Kitazawa, Finch, Zhang, Dr, Sanjay Gupta, ” Zhang, “ Organizations: CNN, US Environmental Protection Agency, University of Michigan School of Public Health, Pesticides, ARCO, William, Kieschnick, University of Southern, World Health, Alzheimer’s Association, University of California, Alzheimer’s, CNN Health, World Health Organization Locations: United States, University of Southern California, Irvine, Canada, England, California

☆ 'We are being poisoned': Black residents living in Louisiana's 'Cancer Alley' say the state is guilty of 'genocide' and environmental racism
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-03 | by ( Trisha Gopal | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +13 min

Black residents living in the area have a disproportionate lifetime cancer risk. The complaint alleged that the Louisiana Department of Environmental Quality discriminated against Black residents by issuing permits that authorized new industrial facilities. Last year, the EPA announced a critical civil-rights investigation into Louisiana, looking into whether the state had violated the rights of Black residents in Cancer Alley. Smoke billows from a chemical plant in the area along 'Cancer Alley', October 12, 2013. "Once we came up with Cancer Alley, industry hated it, and they've been trying to prove that it's not a reality," he said.

Persons: Sharon Lavigne, James, Lavigne, " Lavigne, Andrew Lichtenstein, Michael Regan, Regan, Matthew, Giles Clarke, Deena Tumeh, Earthjustice, Darryl Malek, Wiley, they've, Kimberly Terrell, Terrell, I'm, James Parish, Pamela Spees, Spees, Malek, " Malek, I've Organizations: EPA, Service, Cancer, Getty, Civil, Inclusive, Brigade, Louisiana Department of Environmental, Center for Public Integrity, Environmental, Sierra Club, Atomic Workers Union, Tulane Environmental Law Clinic, Louisiana Tumor, Shell Oil Co, Cancer Alley, Formosa Plastics, Center for Constitutional Rights, Mount Triumph Baptist Church, Local Locations: Louisiana, St, James Parish, Baton Rouge and New Orleans, Inclusive Louisiana, Black, Cancer Alley, Baton Rouge, Cancer, Formosa

☆ With climate change, health care providers should be more mindful of heat-related illness, doctors say
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-27 | by ( Jen Christensen | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +8 min

Heat stroke is one of the most common and most deadly heat-related illnesses, and it becomes a significant problem during heat waves. Even healthy young people can get heat stroke, particularly if they are working or exercising outside when temperatures are high. Sorensen’s Global Consortium is trying to make it so every health care provider considers weather as a factor in health problems. “It doesn’t have to get as hot in Northern states as compared to Southern states, presumably because of differences in societal, physiological, cultural, health care adaptations,” Dresser said. Harvard is also piloting a program that will send targeted alerts to nurses, doctors and other health care professionals at clinics in areas with dangerously high temperatures.

Persons: It’s, ”, Caitlin Rublee, Dr, Cecilia Sorensen, ” Sorensen, “ We’re, Rublee, “, Sorensen, ’ ” Sorensen, I’m, Caleb Dresser, ” Dresser, Sanjay Gupta, Dresser Organizations: CNN, University of Colorado School of Medicine, US Environmental Protection Agency, US Centers for Disease Control, CDC, Global, Health Education, Columbia University, Colorado ER, Sorensen’s, Harvard Center for Climate, Health, Global Environment, Get CNN, CNN Health, Harvard Locations: United States, Midwest, Colorado, Southern

☆ Our bodies, buildings, and computers give off a lot of waste heat. Cities and scientists are learning to harness it for energy.
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-14 | by ( Morgan Mcfall-Johnsen | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +10 min

Green pipes in the Neighbourhood Energy Utility energy center divert sewage to heat pumps. Data centers can heat homes tooAcross the ocean, Stockholm is tapping into a major heat source: data centers. They found that in about 25% of those places there was enough heat underground to recycle for energy. Benz says it's worth considering adding those underground pipes as part of new construction, especially building new streets, which absorb extra heat. Of course, underground heat builds up the most in summer, when people don't need to heat their homes.

Persons: Derek Pope, Pope, Johanna Nerell, Nerell, Yui Mok, Susanne Benz, Benz Organizations: Green Tech, Service, US Environmental Protection Agency, EPA, City of, Winter, City Council, Stockholm, Nature Communications, Reuters Locations: Europe, Canada, Glasgow, London, Vancouver, City, City of Vancouver, Vancouver , British Columbia, Stockholm, Mongolia, Islington

☆ Bedbugs: What travelers need to know this summer
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-06 | by ( Forrest Brown | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +11 min

Potter suggests that before you even unpack, at least do a cursory bed check. If there are two beds in a room, Potter does not put his suitcase on the other bed. These are the signs of bedbug infestationsThis is what a serious bed bug infestation looks like on a mattress. Bed bug eggs are the size of a pinhead and pearl-white. Bedbugs are more than a bed and motel problemIn a hotel room, place your luggage on a rack, as you see above.

Persons: Michelle Quinn, bedbugs, “, Jeff March, Quinn, ”, Michael F, Potter, I’d, Andrew Francis Wallace, Dmitry Bezrukov, Daniel K, it’s, you’ve, Joel Carillet, ” Potter, she’s, ” Quinn Organizations: CNN, Google, Alamy, Entomology, University of Kentucky, Toronto Star, American, & Lodging Association, Environmental Protection Agency, Inouye International Airport, Hawaii Department of Transportation, CNN Travel, Medical, Centers for Disease Control, bedbugs, Cleveland Clinic, Washington , D.C Locations: Indiana, sofas, Honolulu , Hawaii, Washington ,

☆ ‘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

☆ How to stay healthy in hot weather
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-28 | by ( Katia Hetter | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +7 min

And how can everyone prepare for hot weather events outdoors? She previously served as health commissioner of Baltimore, where her duties included overseeing the city’s “Code Red” responses to extreme hot weather. They should seek out resources from their local and state government, which may provide cooling centers and temporary shelters during periods of extreme hot weather. Especially if you live in environments where your children are not used to hot weather, monitor them closely. CNN: How can everyone prepare for hot weather events?

Persons: Leana Wen, Wen, Heatstroke, heatstroke, it’s, don’t Organizations: CNN, George Washington University Milken Institute School of Public Health, US Environmental Protection Agency, Getty Locations: United States, Baltimore

☆ How to repel mosquitoes, according to science
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-24 | by ( Kate Golembiewski | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +8 min

Here’s the lowdown on how mosquitoes hunt us, what attracts them, and what scientists recommend for keeping them at bay. The science of mosquito bitesMost of the time, mosquitoes drink plant nectars and juices, and even help pollinate flowers. “How attractive you think you are to mosquitoes might not necessarily correlate with how attractive you actually are to the mosquitoes,” McMeniman said. The itchiness and discomfort from mosquito bites come later when the perpetrator is no longer at risk of getting swatted. No silver bullet exists to protect yourself from mosquito bites, but get a good bug spray and reapply it as needed.

Persons: “ We’re, ”, Conor McMeniman, ” McMeniman, Olivier Morin, “, We’re, there’s, Rick Bowmer, Kristen Healy, Healy, ” Healy, they’ve, McMeniman, tantalizing, Kate Golembiewski Organizations: CNN, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Johns Hopkins Malaria Research Institute, Getty, Louisiana State University, American Mosquito Control Association, Environmental Protection Agency Locations: Baltimore, It’s, AFP, coexisting, Chicago

☆ 3M agrees to pay $10.3 billion to settle 'forever chemicals' lawsuits
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-22 | by ( Samantha Delouya | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +2 min

CNN —3M announced Thursday that it had reached an agreement to settle lawsuits that claimed that toxic “forever chemicals” had contaminated water supplies in the United States. The company — which produces Post-It notes, Scotch Tape, and n95 masks, among other industrial products — said it would pay up to $10.3 billion over 13 years to fund public water suppliers in the US that have detected these chemicals in drinking water. Polyfluoroalkyl and perfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), known as “forever chemicals,” have been found in hundreds of household items, including makeup and carpeting, and are used to make coatings that repel water, grease, and oil. The settlement comes after 3M faced thousands of lawsuits for the last two decades over its manufacturing of products containing PFAS. These lawsuits allege that 3M knew PFAS caused cancer, developmental defects and other health problems, and that the chemicals contaminated US drinking water systems.

Persons: 3M’s, ”, Mike Roman Organizations: CNN — 3M, 3M, Chemours, DuPont, US Environmental Protection Agency Locations: United States

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