toxic chemicals

A study found toxic metals in popular tampon brands. Here's what experts advise

4:07pm July 11, 2024

by Rachel Treisman

A first-of-its-kind study found lead, arsenic and other heavy metals in various tampon brands, but didn't link them to harmful health effects. Experts explain why it matters — and what to watch for.

Members of the Bengaluru Solidarity Group in Support of the Bhopal Struggle take part in a candlelight vigil to commemorate the 30th anniversary of the Bhopal gas disaster in Bangalore on December 2, 2014.

The world's worst industrial disaster harmed people even before they were born

9:28am November 22, 2023

by Rhitu Chatterjee

The 1984 gas leak in Bhopal, India, killed thousands. New research finds babies born to mothers who were pregnant at the time have suffered long-term impacts worse than those directly exposed.

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An accident involving a commercial tanker truck caused a hazardous material to leak onto Interstate 10 outside Tucson, Ariz., on Tuesday, prompting state troopers to shut down traffic on the freeway.

National

A hazardous spill in Arizona closes down an interstate and forces an evacuation

3:07pm February 15, 2023

by The Associated Press

A portion of the main freeway that links the state's two largest cities remains closed outside Tucson a day after a deadly crash caused a hazardous material leak and forced evacuations nearby.

Parts of the Cape Fear River near Fayetteville, N.C., are contaminated with a PFAS compound called GenX. The North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services is surveying residents in the area about their health.

Scientists Dig Into Hard Questions About The Fluorinated Pollutants Known As PFAS

9:22am April 22, 2019

by Rebecca Hersher

PFAS are a family of chemicals accumulating in the soil, rivers, drinking water and the human body. How much exposure to these substances in clothes, firefighting foam and food wrap is too much?

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The Camp Fire burned so hot and intense there is little remaining in the mountains near Concow, Calif. Residents would like to camp out on their properties, but the federal government says they have to wait until toxic debris is cleared.

National

Residents Of Paradise And Other Towns Destroyed By Wildfire Must Wait To Go Home

6:34pm February 08, 2019

by Kirk Siegler

People who survived the deadliest and most destructive wildfire in California history were told this week that they cannot camp out or park RVs on their destroyed properties. They must keep waiting.

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A curious harbor seal checks out diver Mike Weber as he and other divers pick up golf balls in the waters off the coast of Northern California. His daughter wrote a paper about all the golf balls found in the ocean from nearby golf courses.

Teenage Diver Finds Tons Of Golf Balls Rotting Off California

12:10pm January 18, 2019

by Christopher Joyce

Alex Weber discovered more than 50,000 balls in the ocean near coastal California golf courses. When golf balls degrade, as these were doing, they release plastic particles and toxic chemicals.

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Protestors holding pictures of people who died from use of paint removers, including Drew Wynne, protest outside a Portland, Maine, Lowe's store on May 10, 2018. They were trying to persuade the retailer to stop selling paint strippers containing methylen

Retailers Plan To Clear Deadly Paint Removers From Shelves, As EPA Delays Ban

9:54am November 12, 2018

A chemical in common paint removal products is implicated in more than 50 deaths. Even though a federal ban has been delayed, some major retailers are voluntarily taking the products off shelves.

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Shannan Wheeler says he suffered chemical injuries on his arms after a fire broke out at the Arkema chemical plant 3 miles from where he lives. He's now part of a lawsuit against the company.

After Chemical Fires, Texans Worry About Toxic Effects

4:38pm November 02, 2017

by Rebecca Hersher

Some residents and first responders are suing the chemical company Arkema, claiming it didn't do enough to protect them from fires that started at one of its plant near Houston after Hurricane Harvey.

A smokestack rises in the background over the East Houston community of Manchester, Texas, where the air was heavy with what smelled like gasoline after Hurricane Harvey in late August. The neighborhood is ringed by industrial sites.

Air Pollution From Industry Plagues Houston In Harvey's Wake

5:05am September 14, 2017

Flooding in Houston and utility outages led to belches of fumes from refineries and other industrial sites. Residents of a region already struggling with air pollution wonder: Is it safe to breathe?

Courtesy of Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health

Health & Safety

Webcast: Your Workplace And Your Health

1:06pm July 11, 2016

Stress, violence and bullying are among key workplace health issues that people reported in our new poll. A discussion at Harvard on the issues was livestreamed Monday and will be archived here.