toxic chemicals
Credit:NASA Goddard Space Flight Center/Flickr
Scientists urge Canada to address emerging water contaminants in the Great Lakes
Scientists studying unregulated contaminants are calling for coordinated action from Ontario and federal governments to protect water and health in the Great Lakes region.
In short:
- Emerging contaminants like pharmaceuticals, microplastics, and PFAS are not being removed by Ontario's outdated wastewater treatment systems.
- These contaminants pose a threat to the Great Lakes, which supply drinking water to millions and are home to diverse ecosystems.
- Other Great Lakes states, like Michigan and New York, have implemented measures to reduce these contaminants, putting Ontario behind in environmental protection.
Key quote:
“Contaminants keep changing and growing. We’ll get much more. Are we really going to wait to see humans impacted before we start addressing this?”
— Rania Hamza, civil engineering professor at Toronto Metropolitan University.
Why this matters:
The presence of unregulated contaminants in the Great Lakes poses serious risks to human health and the environment. With millions relying on the Great Lakes for water, comprehensive measures are essential to prevent long-term ecological damage and negative health impacts. Read more: Long-banned toxics are still accumulating in Great Lakes birds—as new chemical threats emerge.
Keep reading...Show less
Credit: Rich Carey/BigStock Photo ID: 237822313
Diving into the deep ocean's mysteries and challenges
A deeper dive into the ocean's heart reveals a world rich with life, challenging our understanding of Earth's biosphere and highlighting the dire consequences of human pollution.
In short:
- Discoveries in the deep sea, such as hydrothermal vents and new species, expand our knowledge of life's potential habitats, including implications for extraterrestrial life.
- Human activity, including dumping nuclear waste and plastics, severely impacts deep-sea environments, affecting ecosystems and potentially human health.
- The deep ocean's history and its role in the Earth's biosphere suggest a need for a paradigm shift in how we view and treat this vast, interconnected habitat.
Key quote:
"The deep ocean is the largest environment on Earth, making up 95% of the ocean biosphere and, depending on how you measure it, close to 90% of the livable space on the planet."
— James Bradley, The Guardian.
Why this matters:
The deep ocean's role in Earth's biosphere challenges our human perception of biodiverse habitats and the need to make the conservation of these mysterious depths a matter of urgency for both the planet's and our own health. Conflicting interests muddy the waters of US ocean protection.
Keep reading...Show less
UN
Credit: Glynnis Jones/BigStock Photo ID: 120471452
Chemours and DuPont's knowledge of PFAS risks leads to UN intervention
A United Nations human rights panel has spotlighted a North Carolina PFAS plant for its environmental negligence, highlighting the ongoing production of toxic chemicals despite known health risks.
In short:
- The UN panel accuses Chemours and DuPont of continuing PFAS production in North Carolina, ignoring the chemicals' toxic impacts on health and the environment.
- Regulatory bodies, including the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, are criticized for being overly influenced by these corporations, undermining efforts to regulate PFAS effectively.
- Despite corporate denials and claims of responsible manufacturing, the UN calls for global action to address the harmful effects of PFAS chemicals on communities worldwide.
Key quote:
“This does need to be a global fight. These are forever chemicals.”
— Emily Donovan, co-founder of Clean Cape Fear
Why this matters:
PFAS, a.k.a. "forever chemicals," persist in our global ecosystem and have had an adverse impact on global health since their inception. Scientists are scrambling for effective solutions to this ubiquitous toxic scourge and we are reminded that "forever" is a long time.
Keep reading...Show less
Top Story
Credit: Ted Auch/FracTracker Alliance/Flickr
A Louisiana court just revived plans for the country’s biggest plastics plant
An appeals court cleared the way for the chemical giant Formosa Plastics to start building its $9.4 billion complex in Cancer Alley.
Plastic chemicals linked to $249 billion in US health care costs in just one year, study finds
By contributing to the development of chronic disease and death, a group of hormone-disruptive plastic chemicals is costing the US health care system billions — over $249 billion in 2018 alone, a new study found.
Jane Muncke: "Perils of Plastic Packaging”
On this episode, toxicology scientist Dr. Jane Muncke joins Nate to discuss the current state of food production and the effects of ultra processed foods and their packaging on our health.
Newsletter
Credit: FracTracker Alliance/Ted Auch/Flickr
‘Major’ problem in Texas: How big polluters evade federal law and get away with it
Industrial developers describe facilities as “minor” polluters to avoid federal permitting requirements, and environmental lawyers say the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality lets it happen.
ORIGINAL REPORTING
MOST POPULAR
CLIMATE
