Environmental toxins

Found large amounts of harmful substances in vacuum cleaner bags

November 24, 2016 in Health

A Swedish chemist controlled vacuum cleaner bags from round the world looking for harmful substances. One of the most toxic bags was the one she had at home.

Nine of ten fulmars have plastic in their stomachs

April 9, 2015 in Environment

Plastic in the form of very small particles, called ‘microplastic’, pollutes much of the marine environment. Scientists now find microplastics in the majority of samples collected from the world's oceans.

Environmental toxins affect infant growth rates

March 16, 2015 in Health

PCB and DDE exposure in the womb or in breast milk can alter the growth development of a child, according to the Norwegian Institute of Public Health.

Untested chemicals damage children’s brains

February 17, 2014 in Health

The number of industrial chemicals with a proven neurotoxicity effect on children’s brains has doubled since 2006. Meanwhile, the number of children with developmental disorders such as autism and ADHD is on a rise. Scientists are raising the alarm.

Pesticide cocktails cause environmental risk

February 4, 2014 in Environment

The risk assessment of pesticide is usually performed on individual compounds. The combination of these environmental chemicals may however give rise to unexpected and unwanted effects.

Gender confusion among periwinkles

April 8, 2013 in Natural Sciences

The ban on tin compounds has been a boon for periwinkles and other seashore snails. But scientists continue to find sexually abnormal female sea snails in the vicinity of shipyards.

Ivory gulls threatened by eggshell thinning

December 21, 2012 in Environment

High levels of environmental contaminants are linked with thinner eggshells in the ivory gull, a red-listed high Arctic seabird. Scientists are concerned that pollutants and the stress from global warming could cause populations to plummet.

Hunting mysterious environmental toxins

September 8, 2012 in Natural Sciences

PFAS is a group of environmental toxins which have been observed in almost every organism and every ecosystem in the entire world, including humans. But nobody really understands how they enter the body.