Latest news with #NotreDameUniversity
DW
2 days ago
- Health
- DW
Hazardous 'forever chemicals' found in period products – DW – 07/26/2025
Period underwear and menstrual cups are touted as an environmentally-friendly alternative to pads and tampons. Now a team of researchers has discovered that they can contain risky "forever chemicals," or PFAS. The name sounds almost poetic: forever chemicals. But these are perfluoroalkyl or polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), which get their name from the fact that they practically never decompose — and stay in our environment forever. They also have serious consequences for humans. Some PFAS are carcinogenic, while others have an effect on the immune system or reduce the effectiveness of vaccinations. "PFAS can affect fertility, sperm quality or even the development of the child in the womb," toxicologist Marike Kolossa-Gehring told the German TV show . Forever chemicals have also been linked to thyroid disorders and high blood pressure. Now, a research team in the US has found that these chemicals can be found in reusable period products. Almost a third of the period underwear, menstrual cups and reusable pads tested by the scientists were made using these toxic chemicals. The team, led by Alyssa Wicks and Graham Peaslee at the US University of Notre Dame, tested 59 reusable period products from North America, South America and Europe. The researchers found low levels in some products, which were most likely packaging residues. But in some products, the levels were so high that PFAS must have been used in the manufacturing process — even though they would work just as well without the toxic chemicals. To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video "We found PFAS in some, but not all of the products," Peaslee, a physicist and professor emeritus at Notre Dame University, told DW. "So it's not necessary. Some don't have PFAS, and they sell fine." The chemicals can cause harm to humans in two ways. The direct route is absorption through the skin of the wearer. "The skin absorbs between 1% and 50% of PFAS in the product," said Peaslee. "Even if only 1% or 2% are absorbed, that's still bad." The indirect route endangers not only the individual using the item, but everyone else, too. When the products are disposed of, the chemicals end up in our water cycle, where, as their name suggests, they do not decompose. People the wind up absorbing PFAS via their drinking water or food that has been irrigated with contaminated groundwater. "These products are sold as eco-friendly, because they produce less waste than single-use products," says Peaslee. "But this chemical class is particularly terrifying, because they're everywhere and don't go away." PFAS are widespread. They are water and dirt repellent, as well as resistant to pressure and heat. This makes them attractive for companies like clothing and packaging manufacturers. Forever chemicals can be found in water-repellent jackets or shoes, in tents and in food packaging. PFAS are even used in cosmetics to alter the consistency of the product, or as a colorant, for example. With the study, Wicks, Peaslee and their team want to raise awareness of the dangers of PFAS in menstrual products, both among companies and consumers. They do not mention brand names in their published report. "We didn't want to be sued," said Peaslee, adding that could easily happen in the US. The researcher said that it would be more cost-effective for producers to omit PFAS from their products, as these materials are expensive. However, at the end of the day, he expects any industry move away from PFAS will primarily be driven by consumers. "Consumers have a lot of market power," says Peaslee. "Consumers should ask [whether products are manufactured without PFAS] and be vocal about their choices. If there's demand, companies will start to test for [the chemicals] and say when their products don't contain PFAS. And companies won't lie, because they don't want to get sued, either."
DW
3 days ago
- Health
- DW
Hazardous 'forever chemicals' in period products – DW – 07/26/2025
Period underwear and menstrual cups are touted as an environmentally-friendly alternative to pads and tampons. Now a team of researchers has discovered that they can contain risky "forever chemicals," or PFAS. The name sounds almost poetic: forever chemicals. But these are perfluoralkyl or polyfluoralkyl substances (PFAS), which get their name from the fact that they practically never decompose — and stay in our environment forever. They also have serious consequences for humans. Some PFAS are carcinogenic, others have an effect on the immune system or reduce the effectiveness of vaccinations. "PFAS can affect fertility, sperm quality or even the development of the child in the womb," toxicologist Marike Kolossa-Gehring told the German TV show . Forever chemicals have also been linked to thyroid disorders and high blood pressure. Now a research team in the US has found that these chemicals can be found in reusable period products. Almost a third of the period underwear, menstrual cups, and reusable pads tested by the scientists were made using thSee toxic chemicals. The team, led by Alyssa Wicks and Graham Peaslee at the US University of Notre Dame, tested 59 reusable period products from North America, South America and Europe. The researchers found low levels in some products, which were most likely packaging residues. But in some products, the levels were so high that PFAS must have been used in the manufacturing process — even though they would work just as well without the toxic chemicals. To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video "We found PFAS in some, but not all of the products," Peaslee, a physicist and professor emeritus at Notre Dame University, told DW. "So it's not necessary. Some don't have PFAS, and they sell fine." The chemicals can cause harm to humans in two ways. The direct route is absorption through the skin of the wearer. "The skin absorbs between 1% and 50% of PFAS in the product," said Peaslee. "Even if only 1% or 2% are absorbed, that's still bad." The indirect route endangers not only the individual using the item, but everyone else, too. When the products are disposed of, the chemicals end up in our water cycle, where, as their name suggests, they do not decompose. People the wind up absorbing PFAS via their drinking water or food that has been irrigated with contaminated groundwater. "These products are sold as eco-friendly, because they produce less waste than single-use products," says Peaslee. "But this chemical class is particularly terrifying, because they're everywhere and don't go away." PFAS are widespread. They are water and dirt repellent, as well as resistant to pressure and heat. This makes them attractive for companies like clothing and packaging manufacturers. Forever chemicals can be found in water-repellent jackets or shoes, in tents and in food packaging. PFAS are even used in cosmetics to alter the consistency of the product, or as a colorant, for example. With the study, Wicks, Peaslee and their team want to raise awareness of the dangers of PFAS in menstrual products, both among companies and consumers. They do not mention brand names in their published report. "We didn't want to be sued," said Peaslee, adding that could easily happen in the US. The researcher said that it would be more cost-effective for producers to omit PFAS from their products, as these materials are expensive. However, at the end of the day, he expects any industry move away from PFAS will primarily be driven by consumers. "Consumers have a lot of market power," says Peaslee. "Consumers should ask [whether products are manufactured without PFAS] and be vocal about their choices. If there's demand, companies will start to test for [the chemicals] and say when their products don't contain PFAS. And companies won't lie, because they don't want to get sued, either."
AU Financial Review
16-07-2025
- AU Financial Review
Students furious at enrolment, results chaos months after uni hack
Students at a major private university say they have been unable to enrol in classes, forced to repeat units and placed at risk of losing their graduate jobs because of online system problems lingering from a cyberattack more than six months ago. Notre Dame University's 12,000 students and staff lost access to several online platforms in January after it was hit by a ransomware attack in which hackers stole students' details, HECS information and tax file numbers.
Yahoo
05-06-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Fist pumps and goose bumps: Lebanon High School Class of 2025 graduates in high spirits
Friday night was an occasion for fist pumps and confetti at Lebanon High School. Class president Joe Susong led the 149th graduating Lebanon High School class into the gymnasium. Friends and family in the bleachers cheered and whistled. They waved bouquets of flowers, baby photos, and signs attached to sticks at their children who stood in black robes on the edge of adulthood. The seniors searched for familiar faces and flashed the peace sign, pumped their fists, pointed, and grinned from ear to ear. They hugged one another and waited for the band to complete 'Pomp and Circumstance.' Students who will serve in the armed forces after graduation led the standing-room-only crowd in the Pledge of Allegiance and basked in a spontaneous standing ovation from their peers. Olivia Follmar encouraged her class not to ask God for easy lives but to become stronger men and women, before she led them in prayer. Principal Frank Meyer began with a Mark Twain quote, 'I have never let my schooling interfere with my education.' 'Your schooling ends tonight, but your education is just beginning,' he said. He encouraged them to take their hunger to keep learning and to be brave enough to fall short. 'Fail at something important and figure out how to do it again, better,' he said. Valedictorian Taylor O'Brien plans to attend Notre Dame University in the fall. He had a high school grade point average of 4.6, is an Eagle Scout, an academic all-star, and lettered four years in swimming, among other accomplishments. O'Brien said he doesn't know what he wants to be when he grows up and assumed that most of his classmates don't know either. 'That's okay,' he told them. 'Not knowing creates the possibility for opportunity,' he said. 'The best way to predict the future is to create it.' Salutatorian Claire Boling urged classmates to enjoy the time they have left together this summer and to forge friendships and make memories with a new set of people as they move forward.
Yahoo
22-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
‘A Day to Exhale': Supreme Court Deadlocks on Religious Charter Schools — For Now
Charter supporters and those wary of the eroding separation of church and state heaved a sigh of relief Thursday when an evenly split U.S. Supreme Court blocked the opening of what would have been the nation's first religious charter school. But the reprieve may be short-lived. Both supporters and opponents recognize the constitutional debate over whether publicly-funded charter schools can explicitly promote religion isn't settled. Get stories like this delivered straight to your inbox. Sign up for The 74 Newsletter 'It's obviously disappointing,' said Nicole Garnett, a Notre Dame University law professor. But the decision — a 4-4 tie — doesn't set a precedent, she said. 'The issue remains alive and will undoubtedly resurface soon.' Garnett's novel legal argument in favor of charters being private inspired Catholic church leaders in Oklahoma to apply for a charter in 2023. But ironically, her long and close friendship with Justice Amy Coney Barrett is the likely reason for the split decision. As The 74 reported in March, Garnett and Barrett met as Supreme Court law clerks in 1998, both taught at Notre Dame and raised their children in the same neighborhood. Josh Blackman, an associate professor at the South Texas College of Law, and a friend of Garnett's, predicted at the time that the case 'might go to a 4-4 decision.' 'I feel bad for Nicole,' he said. 'This is her life's work.' Barrett recused herself from the case, and in a simple one-page order, the justices said the state supreme court's ruling last year to deny a charter to St. Isidore of Seville Catholic Virtual School stands — for now. Related 'It's a day of celebration and relief,' said Robert Franklin, a former member of the Oklahoma virtual charter board who voted against the school's application. 'I am not so naive [to think] that the matter doesn't find breath again at a later date, but for today, it's a day to exhale.' While the opinion doesn't say how the justices decided, experts largely suspect that Chief Justice John Roberts played a central role and sided with the three liberals on the court. Early in April's oral arguments, he appeared skeptical of the school's argument that Oklahoma didn't create or control the school. The conservative-leaning court, which has increasingly ruled in favor of expanding religious freedom, agreed to hear the case just four days after President Donald Trump took office. Roberts is the author of the three most recent opinions that Garnett and other scholars consider to be a 'trilogy' — a 2016 case over whether a religious school could participate in a state program offering playground resurfacing materials and two cases involving state funds for religious education, in 2020 and 2022. But Roberts is also known for restraint. The potential disruption to nearly 8,000 schools nationwide may have proved to be too much for the chief justice, said Robert Tuttle, a professor of law and religion at the George Washington University Law School. Related The case 'seemed to many people like a vehicle for expanding the idea of school choice as broadly as possible,' Tuttle said. But he speculated that the court — most likely Roberts — 'recognized the concerns … that this would have the possibility of killing charter schools.' He agrees with Garnett that a similar case could rise to the court, but for now, the matter remains unsettled. Even in cases of a tie, justices can issue their own opinions, something they did not do in this case. 'If it were settled, then you would have opinions,' he said. But the case presented multiple 'red flags under the Establishment clause.' Thursday's ruling, he said, means that when it comes to faith-based charter schools, the line between religious freedom and government entanglement is unclear. 'What we know is that the Supreme Court doesn't know it either.' Related The decision leaves many Catholic families in Oklahoma, especially those in rural areas, without a publicly funded faith-based option. In a statement, Archbishop of Oklahoma City Paul Coakley and David A. Konderla, the bishop of Tulsa, said that they are 'exploring other options for offering a virtual Catholic education to all persons in the state.' Days before the oral arguments, Starlee Coleman, president and CEO of the National Alliance for Public Charter Schools, warned the court and the Trump administration that declaring charter schools to be private would threaten funding for students since state laws define them as public. Others argued that a decision in favor of religious charter schools would compromise civil rights protections since many faith-based schools deny admission or services to LGBTQ students or kids with disabilities. 'Families choose public charter schools because they provide innovative, student-centered learning environments tailored to students' unique needs and because they are accountable to families and taxpayers,' Coleman said in a statement Thursday. 'That's what makes them special, and that's what we're here to protect.' The administration, as part of its school choice agenda, has heavily promoted charter schools since January by removing Biden-era regulations and increasing funding. But some experts say states might tweak charter school laws to clarify that charters are public despite being operated by private organizations. 'The fact that it was as close as it was is a signal. This is a chance to make some changes because it's going to come up again,' said Preston Green, an education and law professor at the University of Connecticut. He has recommended that states amend laws to clarify that board members for charter schools are public officials. Green recognizes that Thursday's outcome may have been a fluke. A recusal such as Barrett's is unlikely to happen again. 'There's just no guarantee that Coney Barrett is going to the side with the liberals. There's no guarantee that Roberts — or whoever it was — would come out that way the second time around.'
