Hacker News with Generative AI: Chemicals

PFAS in fertilisers blamed for killing livestock in Texas and wreaking havoc (chemistryworld.com)
The mystery of why farmers had started falling ill in Johnson County, Texas and what killed the fish in their ponds and livestock on their ranches may have been solved.

Environmental Issues, Agriculture, Chemicals, Texas, Livestock

107 points by chiffre01 3 days ago | 38 comments

She Lobbied for a Carcinogen. Now She's at the EPA, Approving New Chemicals (nytimes.com)
Formaldehyde, the chemical of choice for undertakers and embalmers, is also used in products like furniture and clothes. But it can also cause cancer and severe respiratory problems. So, in 2021, the Environmental Protection Agency began a new effort to regulate it.

Politics, Health, Chemicals

15 points by mikhael 8 days ago | 0 comments

Trump administration halts proposed EPA limits on PFAS pollution (thenewlede.org)
Amid a flurry of actions curtailing Biden’s environmental policies, the administration of newly inaugurated President Donald Trump this week withdrew a plan to set limits on toxic PFAS chemicals in industrial wastewater.

Politics, Environment, Pollution, Chemicals

30 points by adomasm3 37 days ago | 5 comments

EU bans BPA in food materials (europa.eu)
The Commission has today adopted a ban on the use of Bisphenol A (BPA) in food contact materials, due to its potentially harmful health impact.

EU, Food Safety, Regulation, Chemicals

82 points by geox 73 days ago | 10 comments

Perc, commonly used in dry cleaning, now banned by the EPA (wsj.com)
The federal government is banning a toxic dry-cleaning chemical, leading people to wonder whether it’s safe to dry clean their clothes.

Environment, Chemicals, Dry Cleaning, Health

5 points by Jimmc414 78 days ago | 0 comments

Researchers detect elevated levels of PFAS in fitness tracker/smartwatch bands (news.nd.edu)
Fitness trackers and smartwatch bands are the latest consumer products found to contain per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), according to new research from the University of Notre Dame.

Health, Consumer Products, Research, Chemicals

15 points by gnabgib 78 days ago | 3 comments

Attorney General Ken Paxton sues companies over "forever chemicals" (texastribune.org)
Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton filed a lawsuit Wednesday against chemical giants 3M and DuPont, accusing them of decades-long misrepresentations and omissions regarding the safety of PFAS, or “forever chemicals,” sold for use in countless consumer products.

Lawsuits, Environmental Issues, Chemicals, Texas

7 points by adomasm3 84 days ago | 0 comments

EPA Bans Cancer-Causing Chemicals Used in Dry Cleaning (nytimes.com)
The Environmental Protection Agency on Monday banned two solvents found in everyday products that can cause cancer and other serious diseases.

Chemicals, Health, Regulation, Dry Cleaning

6 points by whack 87 days ago | 1 comments

Is 'Toxic Fashion' making us sick? A look at the chemicals lurking in our clothe (2023) (npr.org)
In 2018, Delta airlines unveiled new uniforms made of a synthetic-blend fabric. Soon after, flight attendants began to get sick. Alden Wicker explains how toxic chemicals get in clothes in To Dye For.

Fashion, Health, Chemicals, Sustainability

49 points by LordNibbler 114 days ago | 22 comments

More states ban PFAS, or 'forever chemicals,' in more products (phys.org)
Legislative momentum against PFAS has surged this year, as at least 11 states enacted laws to restrict the use of "forever chemicals" in everyday consumer products or professional firefighting foam.

Environment, Legislation, Consumer Products, Chemicals

4 points by PaulHoule 122 days ago | 0 comments

Cooking with black plastic is particularly crucial to avoid (theatlantic.com)
It’s probably leaching chemicals into your cooking oil.

Cooking, Food Safety, Health, Chemicals

475 points by Jimmc414 127 days ago | 844 comments

It Could Take over 40 Years for PFAS to Leave Groundwater (news.ncsu.edu)
Per- and polyfluoroalkyl chemicals, known commonly as PFAS, could take over 40 years to flush out of contaminated groundwater in North Carolina’s Cumberland and Bladen counties, according to a new study from North Carolina State University.

Environmental Science, Water Contamination, North Carolina, Chemicals

6 points by geox 147 days ago | 0 comments

1000s of Toxins from food packaging found in humans – research (theguardian.com)
More than 3,600 chemicals approved for food contact in packaging, kitchenware or food processing equipment have been found in humans, new peer-reviewed research has found, highlighting a little-regulated exposure risk to toxic substances.

Food Safety, Chemicals, Health, Research

37 points by prmph 161 days ago | 11 comments

Kids using lotions have higher levels of hormone-disrupting toxins (theguardian.com)
Children who use more personal care products like sunscreen, lotion, soaps and haircare items have higher levels of toxic phthalates in their bodies, new research finds, and the highest levels were found in Black and Latino children.

Health, Children, Environment, Chemicals

6 points by Jimmc414 163 days ago | 0 comments

Trichloroethylene: An Invisible Cause of Parkinson's Disease? (nlm.nih.gov)
The etiologies of Parkinson’s disease (PD) remain unclear. Some, such as certain genetic mutations and head trauma, are widely known or easily identified. However, these causes or risk factors do not account for the majority of cases. Other, less visible factors must be at play. Among these is a widely used industrial solvent and common environmental contaminant little recognized for its likely role in PD: trichloroethylene (TCE).

Parkinson's Disease, Environmental Health, Science, Chemicals, Health

58 points by domofutu 170 days ago | 7 comments

Evidence for widespread human exposure to food contact chemicals (nature.com)
Humans are known to be exposed to FCCs via foods, but the full extent of human exposure to all FCCs is unknown.

Science, Food Safety, Chemicals, Health

19 points by pilingual 170 days ago | 1 comments

Hair and skin care products expose kids to hormone disrupting chemicals (npr.org)
A new study links the recent use of hair oils, lotions and other personal care products with higher levels of phthalates in children. The hormone-disrupting chemicals are a health concern for kids.

Health, Science, Children, Chemicals

6 points by biscuit1v9 178 days ago | 1 comments

Two states become first in US to ban use of PFAS in firefighters' gear (theguardian.com)

Firefighting, Environmental Protection, Legislation, Chemicals, Public Health

18 points by PaulHoule 184 days ago | 1 comments

Something's Poisoning America's Farms. Scientists Fear 'Forever' Chemicals (nytimes.com)

Agriculture, Environment, Chemicals, Science

36 points by yasp 188 days ago | 44 comments

Male autism spectrum disorder is linked to prenatal BPA (nature.com)

Autism, Science, Health, Prenatal Development, Chemicals

16 points by wjb3 209 days ago | 6 comments

Don't let children play in sea foam (PFAS) (dutchnews.nl)