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a man collects water using a fishing pole and can
World’s Rivers Rife with Drugs: Study
Levels of pharmaceuticals considered unsafe for aquatic organisms were found at more than one-quarter of sampling sites.
World’s Rivers Rife with Drugs: Study
World’s Rivers Rife with Drugs: Study

Levels of pharmaceuticals considered unsafe for aquatic organisms were found at more than one-quarter of sampling sites.

Levels of pharmaceuticals considered unsafe for aquatic organisms were found at more than one-quarter of sampling sites.

environmental toxins

babies
Sex Ratios at Birth Linked to Pollutants
Chloe Tenn | Dec 3, 2021 | 2 min read
A large, long-term study across the US and Sweden finds potential correlations between specific pollutants and the proportions of male and female babies born.
a sign reading "United States Environmental Protection Agency" on the side of a building
EPA Finalizes Much-Criticized “Transparency” Rule
Shawna Williams | Jan 5, 2021 | 3 min read
The regulation, which requires that the agency give preference to dose-response studies in which the underlying data are available, could downplay findings key to defining the dangers of pollution.
Q&A: Tire Rubber Preservative Harms Coho Salmon, Study Suggests
Max Kozlov | Dec 7, 2020 | 5 min read
6PPD, a tire preservative, reacts with ozone to produce a compound that the researchers say may be responsible for large die-off events.
EPA to Limit Assessments of Toxic Chemical Risks
Ashley Yeager | Jun 8, 2018 | 2 min read
Reducing the evaluation to only direct contact, rather than including environmental exposures, could leave damaging substances on the market, critics say.
Cellular Senescence in Astrocytes May Play Central Role in Parkinson’s Disease
Katarina Zimmer | Jan 24, 2018 | 4 min read
The elimination of these glia in the mouse brain ameliorated the development of Parkinsonian neuropathologies induced by the pesticide toxin paraquat.  
NOAA: Common Pesticides Threaten Endangered Salmon, Other Marine Life
Shawna Williams | Jan 15, 2018 | 1 min read
Organophosphates jeopardize dozens of species, a federal review finds.
Consilience, Episode 3: Cancer, Obscured
Ben Andrew Henry | Apr 14, 2017 | 7 min read
Ben Henry explores the science behind a deep-fried cancer scare and traditional treatments that may shrink tumors.
Cooking Up Cancer?
Diana Kwon | Apr 1, 2017 | 4 min read
Overcooked potatoes and burnt toast contain acrylamide, a potential carcinogen that researchers have struggled to reliably link to human cancers.
Avoiding Endocrine Disruptors Drops Diabetes Risk: Study
Kerry Grens | Oct 27, 2016 | 2 min read
Based on epidemiological data, researchers estimate that reducing exposures to certain environmental chemicals could drop people’s chances of developing the disease.
CDC to Track Algal Blooms
Bob Grant | Jun 23, 2016 | 1 min read
The federal agency launches a new system to collect nationwide data on outbreaks of harmful algae and associated health problems.
Obesogens
Kerry Grens | Nov 1, 2015 | 10+ min read
Low doses of environmental chemicals can make animals gain weight. Whether they do the same to humans is a thorny issue.
Fat Factors
Kerry Grens | Oct 31, 2015 | 1 min read
A mouse's exposure to certain environmental chemicals can lead the animal—and its offspring and grandoffspring—to be overweight.
Formaldehyde Fears
Jef Akst | Oct 1, 2015 | 4 min read
Data on the links between ALS and the chemical have been contradictory, but the latest study suggests undertakers are at risk.
Undertaker's Bane
The Scientist | Sep 30, 2015 | 1 min read
Harvard Professor Marc Weisskopf discusses the potential link between formaldehyde and ALS.
Drugging the Environment
Megan Scudellari | Aug 1, 2015 | 10+ min read
Humans have spiked ecosystems with a flood of active pharmaceuticals. The drugs are feminizing male fish, confusing birds, and worrying scientists.
Putting Phytoremediation into Action
Éric Montpetit and Erick Lachapelle | Aug 1, 2015 | 3 min read
Researchers studying the use of bacteria and plants to remove toxins from the soil must better communicate their results if they want their techniques to be used by practitioners in the field.
Silence of the Lambs
Kerry Grens | Aug 1, 2015 | 4 min read
A die-off of newborn lambs in Australia leads to the discovery of a new toxin and clues to a devastating liver disease in children.
Missing Mouse Mojo
Carrie Arnold | Feb 1, 2015 | 3 min read
Cracking the case of laboratory mice that suddenly stopped reproducing involved a little chemical sleuthing
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