Veterans and their advocates describe continuously burning fires on overseas bases that consumed the military’s trash and produced toxic smoke.
Tag Archives: Hazardous and Toxic Substances
Biden Signs Bill to Help Veterans Exposed to Toxic Burn Pits
President Biden, who has long advocated the expanded benefits, has speculated that his son Beau developed brain cancer because of exposure to burn pits when he served in Iraq.
Can Fire Smoke Cause Lung Cancer?
And how does the risk compare with inhaling smoke from cigarettes?
Senate Passes Burn Pits Legislation, Expanding Benefits for Veterans
Republicans who had blocked the bill, which would extend benefits to an estimated 3.5 million veterans, allowed it to pass after trying unsuccessfully to limit funding for the treatments.
When There’s Arsenic in the Water, but ‘We Have Nowhere to Go’
The Environmental Protection Agency found that water at a mobile home park that mostly serves agricultural workers contained almost 10 times the allowable limit of arsenic. But housing alternatives are hard to find.
Why Don’t Many Hotels Install Carbon Monoxide Alarms?
Three carbon monoxide deaths at a resort in the Bahamas called attention to the dangers of the odorless gas. In the U.S., where it often takes multiple poisonings for hotels to install alarms, a debate about detector policies has been intensifying.
Are Skittles Toxic? What to Know About Food Additive Titanium Dioxide
They contain the food additive titanium dioxide, which is in thousands of food products. Here’s what we learned about its safety.
Justice Dept. Will Investigate Environmental Racism in Houston
The inquiry, part of an administration-wide racial justice initiative, came amid claims that the city has ignored illegal dumping in Black and Latino areas.
The Explosive Ambitions of Kate the Chemist
At the lecture halls of the University of Texas or on TV, Kate Biberdorf is working to catalyze more people into careers in science.
Processed Meat and Health Risks: What to Know
Here’s what the experts say.
Indictments in Flint Water Crisis Are Invalid, Michigan Supreme Court Finds
The cases against former Gov. Rick Snyder and other top officials were thrown into doubt by the ruling.
Gas Piped Into Homes Contains Benzene, Other Risky Chemicals, Study Finds
While the concentrations are low, the chemicals are potentially dangerous and some are linked to cancer risk, the researchers found.
Redesign Around Notre-Dame to Keep Tourists Moving and Lower Temperatures
Plans call for more trees around the famed Paris cathedral, which is being rebuilt after a devastating 2019 fire, and for a cooling system in front of the building.
Tattoo Artists Face a Grayer Palette in Europe
The E.U. has prohibited some pigments, deeming them potentially hazardous to humans. Artists and manufacturers around the world are struggling to find replacements.
Can Your Diet Really Affect Your Skin Cancer Risk?
A new study found that older adults who ate more fish were more likely to develop melanoma, but experts urged caution when interpreting the findings.
Mushrooms Took a Deadly Toxin From a Mysterious Source
Instead of evolving to produce poison, some distantly related fungi became toxic through a process called horizontal gene transfer, scientists say.
On an Endangered River, Another Toxic Disaster Is Waiting to Happen
Waste from coal plants is threatening the Mobile-Tensaw Delta, which the biologist E.O. Wilson called “arguably the biologically richest place” in the nation.
PFAS: The ‘Forever Chemicals’ You Couldn’t Escape if You Tried
Virtually indestructible, these artificial compounds are used in fast-food packaging and countless household items, but they have been found as far away as virgin forests.
E.P.A. to Propose Restrictions on Asbestos
The agency aims to ban the manufacturing and import of a type of asbestos that is used in brake pads, gaskets and other automotive products and is linked to cancer.
E.P.A. Decides Against Limiting Perchlorate in Drinking Water
Drinking water for as many as 16 million Americans may be contaminated with perchlorate, a chemical that can harm the development of fetuses and children.
A ‘Killing Stone’ Broke in Japan. Is a Demon on the Loose?
The rock appears in a famous legend starring a nine-tailed fox spirit. The question now is whether the fracture was a good or bad omen.
Robot Dogs Join the New York Fire Department
Plans to use two new robot dogs only in precarious search and rescue missions may help avoid the controversy that met the Police Department’s robots last year.
In Texas, Biden Says New Legislation Could Expand Benefits for Burn Pit Victims
The president is focused on veterans who fell ill after breathing in toxic materials from burning waste in Iraq and Afghanistan, exposure that he believes contributed to the death of his elder son.
Former Worker in Libby, Mont., Wins $36.5 Million in Asbestos Case
The verdict was the first of hundreds of cases pending against the company hired to oversee medical care and safety for workers at a mine and mill in Libby, Mont.
Lawmakers Press Amazon on Sales of Chemical Used in Suicides
Even as grieving families tried to warn Amazon and other e-commerce sites of the danger, there were more purchases and more deaths.
Biden Administration to Reinstate Mercury Pollution Rules Weakened Under Trump
The E.P.A. will resume enforcing limits on the release of mercury, a neurotoxin linked to developmental damage in children, from coal-burning power plants.
Alarming Levels of Mercury Are Found in Old Growth Amazon Forest
The findings, related to gold mining in Peru, provide new evidence of how people are altering ecosystems in dangerous ways around the world.
E.P.A. Chief Vows to ‘Do Better’ to Protect Poor Communities From Environmental Harm
The Environmental Protection Agency on Wednesday will announce stepped-up enforcement and monitoring to help disadvantaged communities struggling with polluted air and water.
Sri Lanka’s Plunge Into Organic Farming Brings Disaster
The economically troubled country banned chemical fertilizers without preparing farmers, prompting a surge in food prices and worries about shortages.
India’s Toxic Air Pollution Prompts Supreme Court to Act
Schools and factories close. India’s Supreme Court blasts the government’s do-nothing response. But Delhi residents continue to suffer from the bad air.
Are Scented Candles Harmful to Your Health?
When candles burn, they release various vapors and particles into the air, but research suggests that using them is safe.
Leaf Blowers Destroy the Environment
Nearly everything about how Americans “care” for their lawns is deadly, but these machines exist in a category of environmental hell all their own.
‘Shell Game’: How Chemical Companies Avoid Paying for Pollution
DuPont factories pumped dangerous substances into the environment. The company and its offspring have gone to great lengths to dodge responsibility.
Biden Administration Plans New Regulations for Toxic ‘Forever Chemicals’
Michael Regan, the E.P.A. administrator, wants to limit a class of chemicals that has been linked to cancer and is found in everything from drinking water to furniture.
What Does It Mean to Eat What You Fear?
Throughout history, we’ve tried to conquer what unsettles us by consuming it. The practice raises questions about who the real monsters are.
This Chemical Can Impair Fertility, but It’s Hard to Avoid
Hormone-disrupting phthalates can be found in everything from plastics and household goods to personal care products. Studies have shown they may be harmful to women’s reproductive systems.
Lack of Power Hinders Assessment of Toxic Pollution Caused by Ida
More than 100 industrial sites that handle large amounts of hazardous substances are in and around parishes still without power.
Ida Hit One of the Country’s Biggest Oil and Chemical Hubs
Louisiana’s 17 oil refineries account for nearly a fifth of the nation’s capacity. Past hurricanes have cause toxic spills.
Don’t Let the Fossil Fuel Industry Pivot to Toxic Plastics and Chemicals
As we confront climate change, focusing on a single metric, like greenhouse gas emissions, could leave other harmful practices unaddressed.
Chlorpyrifos Will No Longer Be Allowed on Food Crops
The agency will reverse a Trump-era decision to keep chlorpyrifos, one of the most common pesticides, in use.
E.P.A. Approved Toxic Chemicals for Fracking a Decade Ago, New Files Show
The compounds can form PFAS, also known as “forever chemicals,” which have been linked to cancer and birth defects. The E.P.A. approvals came despite the agency’s own concerns about toxicity.
Biden Administration to Restore Clean-Water Protections Ended by Trump
The Environmental Protection Agency announced it would repeal a Trump-era rule that weakened pollution controls for wetlands and streams.
Are Natural Deodorants Better for You?
Much of the marketing suggests that they’re safer than more traditional underarm products, but that hype is not based on science.
Indonesian Lawsuit Seeks Court’s Help in Pollution Battle
A district court in Indonesia’s capital is expected to rule soon in a suit accusing the president and top officials of failing to curb pollution.
Train in Iowa With Hazardous Materials Derails, Prompting Evacuation
About 80 people in Sibley, Iowa, were ordered to evacuate. It was unclear what exactly the train was carrying or what was burning.
Over 25,000 DDT-Tainted Barrels Are Discovered on Seafloor Off California
One researcher said the number of drums laced with the pesticide far exceeded his expectations. “It was hard to wrap my head around the density of targets,” he said.
Your Smartphone Should Be Built to Last
A movement is underway to slow the obsolescence of our electronic gear.
Living in a World in Which Nature Has Already Lost
In “Second Nature,” Nathaniel Rich offers a tour of the ways humans have both conquered the natural world and been overwhelmed by the unintended consequences.
Florida Crisis Highlights a Nationwide Risk From Toxic Ponds
Thousands of open-air waste pools near power plants, mines and industrial farms can pose safety dangers from poor management and, increasingly, the effects of climate change.
Florida’s Crisis Highlights a Nationwide Risk From Toxic Ponds
Thousands of open-air waste pools near power plants, mines and industrial farms can pose safety dangers from poor management and, increasingly, the effects of climate change.