Latest news with #EnvironmentalScience
Yahoo
15 hours ago
- Health
- Yahoo
Scientists shaken by alarming discovery inside collapsing bee colonies — here's what they found
The honey bee population continues to decline at an alarming rate, putting our access to food at risk. Neonicotinoid pesticides negatively impact honey bee health, as the chemicals have been found to slow the insect's ability to forage pollen, according to a study from Environmental Science and Technology. While the pesticide doesn't immediately increase bee mortality rates, the researchers stated that pollen foraging is crucial to brood development; thus, decreased foraging impacts colony health. Meanwhile, the honey bee colonies continue to shrink, so any threat to colony health exacerbates this issue. In March, Washington State University researchers found that commercial honey bee colony losses in the U.S. could reach 60-70% in 2025. Bees are one of our most important pollinators, meaning they fertilize our plants and crops. Without them, about 35% of global crop production is at risk, according to the World Economic Forum. As crop yields become more unpredictable due to rising temperatures causing extreme weather, declining bee populations further impact our global food supply chain. These environmental stressors have led to scarce harvests, which can lead to high costs at the grocery store and decreased access to our favorite ingredients. Beyond assisting the global agricultural industry, bees are critical to our diverse ecosystem because they help pollinate plants and flowers that beautify our communities. We may not be able to stop declining bee populations overnight, but there are ways we can combat the issue at both a mass scale and an individual level. The University of Georgia Bee Program has suggestions for food growers to protect pollinators, including tips for strategically timing the use of certain pesticides so that bees are less likely to be exposed to them or using less toxic pesticides. In an article for the Tahoe Daily Tribune, Cal Orey, an author who has interviewed beekeepers about colony collapses, also pointed to the importance of supporting researchers working to protect our bees. Individuals can also ensure that their yards and gardens are friendly to pollinators. This can be done by avoiding pesticides, growing flowering native plants, and providing hydration for bees, just to name a few examples. Which of these groups has the biggest role to play in reducing food waste? Grocery stores Restaurants Individuals The government Click your choice to see results and speak your mind. Join our free newsletter for easy tips to save more and waste less, and don't miss this cool list of easy ways to help yourself while helping the planet.
Forbes
18-05-2025
- Health
- Forbes
Forever Chemicals In Your Closet? How PFAS May Be Harming Your Health
In the pursuit of performance, the fashion industry has quietly adopted a class of synthetic chemicals that offer stain resistance, water repellency and durability. But the price may be higher than advertised. Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances, collectively known as PFAS, are increasingly found in clothing, from yoga leggings to hiking jackets and activewear. Dubbed "forever chemicals" because they don't naturally break down, PFAS persist in our environment and bodies, raising urgent questions about their long-term effect on human and planetary health and safety. Initially developed in the mid-20th century, PFAS are now ubiquitous in consumer goods, including personal care products, nonstick cookware, food packaging and water-resistant fabrics. In the apparel industry, they're often applied as coatings to make clothes repel water, oil, and dirt, which is convenient for outdoor gear and athletic wear, but at an environmentally hidden expense. According to a 2022 report by Toxic-Free Future, 72% of products labeled as water- or stain-resistant contained detectable levels of PFAS. These findings align with independent studies, such as one published in Environmental Science & Technology Letters, which found PFAS in multiple mainstream apparel brands, including some marketed as "green" or "eco-conscious." While PFAS aren't absorbed through the skin as easily as they are ingested, research suggests that chronic, low-level exposure from clothing still contributes to a person's overall toxic burden. That's because PFAS can break down over time, entering the Air as dust, lingering on skin, and washing into water systems, where they accumulate in the environment and human tissue. Here's what the science shows: Endocrine Disruption Immune System Suppression Increased Cancer Risk Metabolic and Cardiovascular Effects Reproductive and Developmental Toxicity This growing body of evidence has prompted researchers to frame PFAS exposure not as an isolated risk, but as a chronic environmental stressor that interacts with other economic and sociocultural issues, including diet, air pollution and systemic health issues. As scientific awareness grows, so does public pressure. U.S. states like California and New York are leading the way by implementing bans on intentionally added PFAS in textiles, beginning with outerwear and expanding into broader apparel categories. The European Union is considering a comprehensive ban on PFAS in all consumer goods under its REACH regulatory framework. Still, industry resistance persists. Many apparel brands cite durability and supply chain complexity as reasons for the slow adoption of sustainable practices. Despite the highly complex nature of this worldwide topic, alternatives exist, including wax-based coatings, bio-based repellents, and PFAS-free membranes. While systemic change is paramount, informed consumer choices remain a powerful force. Here's how to reduce PFAS exposure through your wardrobe: The comfort of stain-free leggings or rainproof jackets might not be worth the cost to our long-term human and planetary health. As consumers, scientists and changemakers start to challenge the invisible risks woven into our clothes, the fashion industry faces a crucial inflection point: choose short-term performance or long-term responsibility. Certainly, what we wear is about expression, but also exposure and a more profound commitment to our overall well-being.
Fast Company
13-05-2025
- Health
- Fast Company
Your soap, lotion, and shampoo may contain formaldehyde
Common personal care and beauty products like lotions, soaps, shampoos, eyeliner, and even eyelash glue can contain formaldehyde or preservatives that release formaldehyde—a known carcinogen that has been linked to cancer. And Black and Latina women could be at particular risk. Formaldehyde is a preservative (it's a key ingredient of embalming fluid) and so it's sometimes added to beauty products as a way to extend their shelf life and inhibit the growth of bacteria or mold. Formaldehyde-releasing preservatives are seen as an alternative to formaldehyde, but these chemical compounds do the same thing: they extend shelf life while slowly releasing formaldehyde into the product over time (just how much depends on multiple factors, but studies suggest longer storage times and higher temperatures lead to more formaldehyde released). That formaldehyde could then be absorbed by the skin, and even though the amount may be small, experts say low levels of formaldehyde still pose health risks. Personal care products are often used frequently, so repeated exposures could add up. These chemicals have already been found in hair-straightening products, which are predominantly used by Black women. A new study, recently published in the journal Environmental Science & Technology Letters, found that this risk extends beyond chemical hair relaxers to all sorts of beauty products: lotions, shower gels, face creams, shampoo and conditioners, hair oils, eyeliner, eyelash glue, and so on. In that study, researchers asked a group of Black and Latina women in Los Angeles about their use of personal care products over a week. More than half reported using items that contain formaldehyde-releasing preservatives—and many of those products are ones that the participants used daily, or multiple times in a week. Finding formaldehyde in beauty products For the study, 64 Black and Latina women were tasked with tracking all of their beauty product use, logging the information in an app developed by the Silent Spring Institute, a research organization focused on the environmental causes of breast cancer. (Silent Spring chemists authored the study, and it was part of a larger research effort between Silent Spring, Occidental College Black Women for Wellness, and Columbia University.) That app also asked them to take a photo of each ingredient label, which allowed the researchers to analyze the ingredient lists for formaldehyde and formaldehyde-releasing preservatives. Formaldehyde-releasing preservatives often go by complex chemical names like 1,3-dimethylol-5,5-dimethylhydantoin, also called DMDM hydantoin or DMDMH, meaning they don't actually appear as 'formaldehyde' on ingredient lists. Fifty-three percent of participants said they used at least one product with formaldehyde releasers on its ingredient label, and DMDMH was the most common. Of the items that contained any formaldehyde-releasing preservatives, DMDMH was in 47% of skincare and 58% of hair products. The fact that these toxic chemicals are in so many products highlights the health risks women face, particularly Black and Latina women. One woman in the study used three products with formaldehyde-releasing preservatives: a leave-in conditioner, rinse-off conditioner, and a body wash. Some women used these products multiple times a day, like hand soap or lotion. Over a five day period, 20 study participants used lotions with formaldehyde-releasing preservatives for a total of 76 times. One eyelash glue even specifically listed formaldehyde as an ingredient. The preservatives were also found in hair gels, oils, curl creams, and edge controls, predominantly used by Black women. The study didn't list specific brands or product names containing formaldehyde-releasing preservatives, though it did note that 12 such lotions were from Bath & Body Works. 'While this study does not specify which of body lotions its participants were using, we rigorously test formulas for all our personal care and home fragrance products, including FRPs to meet regulatory and safety standards,' a Bath & Body Works spokesperson said in a statement. Protecting consumers from formaldehyde releasers Formaldehyde exposure is linked to adverse health effects, including increased risk of multiple types of cancer. Researchers say there's been a growing concern about formaldehyde-releasing preservatives, and how personal care products that contain them could pose a risk to women's health, particularly Black and Latina women. Previous studies have connected the use of hair relaxers to an increased risk of uterine cancer in Black women. Others say these formaldehyde-releasing chemicals aren't a concern. Unilever, for example, has a web page about how it doesn't use formaldehyde as an ingredient but does use 'formaldehyde donors' like DMDMH. It says they're safe to use, per the U.S. Cosmetic Ingredient Review Expert Panel and Europe's Scientific Community on Consumer Safety. Still, in Europe, products with formaldehyde are more regulated. The European Union has banned formaldehyde in cosmetics, and requires any cosmetics with formaldehyde releasers above a 0.001% concentration to have a warning label. The U.S. currently doesn't ban formaldehyde in cosmetics (a federal ban on formaldehyde and formaldehyde releasers in chemical hair straighteners was considered back in 2023, and is currently stalled after President Donald Trump paused all federal regulations). At least 10 states, including California and Oregon, have enacted or considered laws to regulate formaldehyde in cosmetics—either by banning it, or requiring warning labels for formaldehyde releasers. There has been a drop in products containing formaldehyde in California after the state's Safe Cosmetics Program began in 2007, but experts say even beyond warning labels, banning formaldehyde releasers completely across the country would be the best-case scenario to reduce risks. The researchers suggest people avoid products containing DMDMH. Silent Spring has resources for how people can avoid formaldehyde releasers, including by noting the other chemical names for such preservatives that may appear on ingredient lists. Black Women for Wellness also has resources for consumers concerned about chemical exposure. 'We're trying to do the right thing,' Janette Robinson Flint, executive director of Black Women for Wellness, says in a statement. 'But there needs to be more government oversight. We shouldn't have to be chemists to figure out what kinds of products will make us sick.'
Forbes
06-05-2025
- Health
- Forbes
Is Your Nursery Endangering Your Infant Or Toddler?
Give your newborn the healthiest, safest crib and nursery possible. getty Becoming a parent is one of the most exciting and fulfilling things you can do in your life. It can also be one of the scariest. You want to make all the best decisions possible for your baby and hope you have the best information for doing so. What if the details you hadn't considered endangers your child's health and safety? According to a new study from the University of Toronto published last month in Environmental Science & Technology, that might be the case. Mattresses and bedding are the potential hazards the report addressed, but there are others as well, as experts explain. The university study used samples from 25 bedrooms of children ranging in age from six months to four years in Toronto and Ottawa and detected elevated concentrations of dangerous chemicals in the rooms' air. In a companion study, the researchers went further, purchasing 16 mattresses to analyze for chemical emissions into the air. 'They varied in which chemicals of concern were in them and the levels. There was no pattern according to brand or price point,' explained research director Miriam Diamond, a professor in the college's School of the Environment. Nine of the mattresses had foam from Canada, she shared; the others had foam from US or of uncertain origin. All of their covers were made from imported textiles, she added. What about environmental certifications, I asked her? Could they provide assurance to parents that the mattresses they were purchasing were safe for their babies? 'No, unfortunately not,' she replied, noting that one out of two certified mattresses that her team tested did not meet the terms of the certification. 'We're most concerned with the very young as their organs and brains are still developing,' Diamond shared. So what can parents do to keep their babies healtheir and safer? First, she suggested purchasing neutral-colored bedding. 'Brightly colored items like sheets and sleepers could have higher levels of UV-filters to prevent the colors from fading.' She also suggested washing the bedding regularly. 'Washing removes some or most of the chemicals." Another suggestion the professor offered, 'Add an extra protective layer between the mattress and where the child sleeps. I recommend a cotton terrycloth towel. All textiles can accumulate a lot of these chemicals and especially terrycloth that has a high surface area.' Those too should get washed with the bedding. Jonsara Ruth, executive director of the Healthy Materials Lab at Parsons School of Design in New York, had additional mattress shopping advice for parents: 'First and foremost, before purchasing, ask the manufacturer to ensure that there are no added flame retardants.' Avoid buying mattresses made of polyurethane or offering added chemical treatments such as 'Stain and Water Repellants,' she advised. In general, 'Beware of mattresses that claim fireproof, antimicrobial, or water-resistant,' she cautioned. Many manufacturers use fabrics with forever chemicals that are linked to childhood diseases, Ruth added. 'Even though it sounds convenient to have a moisture resistant cover on the mattress, avoid vinyl. Petrochemical ingredients used to make vinyl like vinyl chloride are carcinogenic, off gas VOCs and contain phthalates [forever chemicals] which are linked to cancer and developmental problems.' Healthier Alternatives 'Choose mattresses made with natural latex rubber, wool, or cotton fills. Healthy options can include coconut fiber, horsehair and natural latex rubber in filling, springs and insulator pads,' Ruth suggested. 'Thankfully there are several materials that are waterproof and stain resistant that do not contain harmful chemicals.' A few manufacturers make mattress covers and pads from wool, she noted. This naturally water-resistant material also regulates body temperature, 'so it is proven to be soothing to a sleeping infant whose body temperature fluctuates often during sleep and often wakes them up,' she noted. (There are very few things a new parent cherishes more than a baby sleeping longer!) 'Organic textiles eliminate the use of harmful chemicals throughout the production process,' she explained. 'Healthier sheets and blankets can be made of organic linen, hemp, cotton and wool.' Bonus Mattress And Bedding Tip You may be tempted to tuck your baby in with her favorite stuffies. This too can be problematic, Diamond commented. 'Declutter the sleeping area by minimizing stuffed animals, bumpers, etc.,' the professor advised. 'De-cluttering the bedroom is probably a good idea also. We found an association between several of the chemicals and the contents of the sleeping environment,' she added. Other Nursery Furniture Advice 'Furniture, especially cribs where babies spend the majority of time, is another category to be carefully considered,' Ruth commented. 'Laminated wood products often contain formaldehyde which is problematic – exposure to formaldehyde can lead to asthma and is linked to cancer. Also, the finishes used to protect wood are often based in petrochemicals, which contain chemicals of concern.' Since children often teethe or chew on the edge of a crib, it's better if that finish is not toxic, she added. There are several companies that make solid wood furniture that either has natural finishes or none at all that you can paint with zero VOC paints. 'Avoid any furniture made with compressed wood products, which often contain large amounts of glue/adhesive that can contain formaldehyde,' she cautioned. Ask a retailer or manufacturer for the product's ingredients or a safety data sheet to see what you're buying. Since those documents can be tricky for non-professionals to decipher, Ruth suggested these resources for new parents: Healthy Babies Bright Futures, Children's Environmental Health Network, and Made Safe. Shopping Tips Is buying these safer products – especially mattresses – likelier to cost more, I asked the Healthy Materials Lab director. Unfortunately, they do have higher price tags, she replied, but noted that there are a range of models, some less costly. When it comes to other nursery essentials, like cribs and changing tables, 'Buying second-life solid wood furniture is better because the off gassing from unhealthy finishes has already happened,' she suggested. These will also typically save you money (and be more environmentally friendly. Final Thoughts When it comes to the furnishings going into your baby's room, 'Manufacturers need to be more vigilant,' Diamond stated. Governments can play a role with more protective legislation. 'But governments can't do it all! Manufacturers need to take responsibility!' she concluded. *** Interviews were conducted by email in April and May 2025.
