They may smell sweet, but popular air fresheners can cause serious lung problems.
Environmental Health
BPA Exposure in Pregnant Women May Affect Daughters’ Behavior
A new study finds that exposure to bisphenol A before birth may lead to behavior problems in girls by age 3. The findings, published in Pediatrics, promise to heat up the debate over the safety of BPA, the ubiquitous chemical …
Why the Latest Study on Cell Phones and Brain Cancer Won’t Be the Last Word
Proving a negative in science is really, really hard — and that may well be the task that researchers trying to evaluate the potentially carcinogenic effects of cell phone use may have before them.
Environmental Group to Rate the Safety of 10,000 Foods
Choosing the most healthful foods for your family is no easy task. You can try looking at products’ ingredients lists, but who can tell whether things like xanthan gum, L-cysteine or Polydimethylsiloxane are safe to eat?
Environmental Toxins May Boost Heart Risk
In the first study of its kind, researchers in Sweden have linked exposure to environmental toxins to an increased risk of atherosclerosis, or hardening of the arteries — a major risk factor for heart attack and stroke.
With Bed Bugs, the Cure May Be Worse Than the Disease
Bloodsucking bed bugs have made a comeback in recent years. But as victims of infestation have become increasingly desperate to rid their homes of the bedeviling pests, many have only done themselves more harm.
Why Pregnant Women in California Have High Levels of Toxic Chemicals
Unintended consequences are a pain. California has long had some of the strictest flammability regulations in the country for furniture and other household items. As a result, in the 1970s flame retardant chemicals called …
Could Microwaves Be Associated With Children’s Asthma?
Exposure to electromagnetic fields has been linked to a number of health problems, including cancer and immune system and reproductive abnormalities, and now the latest research adds another concern to the list: childhood asthma.
‘Plant from Hell’: Giant Hogweed Can Scar, Burn and Blind
A towering weed with sap that causes blisters and burns is blooming this month across the U.S.
BPA Makes Male Mice Less Masculine and Less Appealing to Mates
Mice that were exposed in the womb to bisphenol A (BPA), a chemical found in many plastic products and the linings of food and beverage cans, grew up to be less masculine and less attractive to females, a new study finds. The …
5 Easy Ways to Reduce Toxins in Your Home
Take a tip from the Canadians. In a new report, the Canadian Partnership for Children’s Health and Environment recommends five actions that can help parents reduce the most common sources of toxic exposure in their kids. These …
‘Dirty’ or Not, You Still Need to Eat Your Fruits and Veggies
On Monday, the environmental health activists at the Environmental Working Group (EWG) released their annual report on pesticides in produce, ranking the “cleanest” and “dirtiest” fruits and vegetables, based on levels and types …
Why the Federal Government Finally Acted on Chemical Safety
Our chemical safety system is an outdated mess — and for years, the failure of the government to act on formaldehyde was proof positive of that fact.
