Chemicals

"There are more than 80,000 chemicals in the United States catalogued by government regulators, and the health risks of most of them are unknown."

"Snow flurries rode a faint chemical breeze across Red Lion Creek marsh near Delaware City on Thursday as Environmental Protection Agency contractors maneuvered a sediment probe across cold muck and crackling reeds."

"Gaps forming in seasonal Arctic sea ice may be creating a toxic conveyor belt, drawing mercury from higher altitudes to rain down on the ice, snow and tundra, according to a new study."

"The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is urging pregnant women who live in the areas of West Virginia where a toxic chemical leaked into the water supply last week to drink bottled water, even in places where the no-use ban has been lifted. The move comes 'out of an abundance of caution,' the CDC and the state's Bureau of Public Health say."

U.S. pesticide law allows EPA to approve pesticides for use under "conditional registration" -- before scientists know whether they will harm human health or the environment. Critics say the loophole is overused and abused, allowing EPA to ignore health threats.

"Scientists have documented for the first time that several phthalates -- controversial chemicals used to make vinyl and fragrances -- are declining in people while several others are rising. The study, published today, is the first comprehensive, nationwide attempt to document trends in exposure to these widely used chemicals over the past decade."

"Consumers can now see whether their personal care products contain toxic chemicals, using an online database made available Friday by the California Department of Public Health."

"CHARLESTON, W.Va. -- When state inspectors arrived at the Freedom Industries tank farm late last Thursday morning, they found a 400-square-foot pool of clear liquid had collected outside a white tank marked as number 396."

"Medical screenings have found high arsenic levels in at least two of the more than 50 residents tested near Louisville’s contaminated Black Leaf industrial site, the scene of Kentucky’s largest residential environmental cleanup ever."

"When the time comes for a glittering soiree or a beach visit that demands flip-flops, nail salons are where women turn for pampering and polish. But under the luxurious veneer, salons aren't always healthy places to be."