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Pesticides in household dust

A walk in the countryside could be bringing pesticides into your home – that’s what research suggests when pesticide residues across rural locations in ten countries in the EU were analysed. The study analysed more than 600 environmental samples in agricultural settings including soil, water, and household dust.   Whilst you might expect pesticides to … Continued

PFAS found in American infant milk formula

PFAS (Per- and polyfluorinated alkyl substances) can be detected in infant milk formula – this is the finding of research carried out by Consumer Reports in the US, who tested 41 brands of infant formula for a range of chemicals and toxins, including PFAS.    PFAS are a group of more than 10,000 chemicals that are … Continued

Cocktail effects of herbicides

An American study of childhood cancer rates has looked at the combined effects of exposures to pesticides and herbicides over a 22 year period in Nebraska which has some of the highest cancer rates in the US. Researchers discovered that a 10% rise in exposure to pesticide mixtures was linked to increases in childhood cancer … Continued

Pre-natal exposure to chemicals affects fat tissue in offspring

Pre-natal exposure to endocrine disrupting chemicals has been associated with raised levels of childhood fat tissue, a precursor to obesity in a study published in the last week.    Urine samples collected from 341 women during pregnancy were tested for a total of 25 chemicals including phenols, parabens, and phthalates. Urines tests from their offspring … Continued

Concentrations of microplastics in the brain are rising

Microplastic and nanoplastic particle concentrations in the brain are rising – that is the conclusion of new research at the University of New Mexico. Analysis of postmortem brain tissue found concentrations of micro and nanoplastics known as MNPs were higher in tests carried out during 2024 when compared to levels detected in 2016. Brain tissue … Continued

Rye grass ‘weeds’ resistance to glyphosate

It’s widely known that crop fields are routinely sprayed with pesticides and herbicides such as glyphosate to keep weeds down and boost crop yields. But it’s perhaps less understood that crop fields are also routinely sprayed with glyphosate before spring crops are planted, to clear stubbles before seeds are drilled into soil.    Glyphosate is … Continued

Alcohol and cancer risk

A health advisory in January to the American people has issued a stark warning to raise awareness of the health risks of alcohol consumption and increases in rates of avoidable cancers. The Surgeon General’s Advisory states that 741,300 global deaths were attributed to alcohol consumption in 2020, ranging from daily consumption of less than 2 units up … Continued

Our most read updates of 2024 about environmental toxins and health impacts

2024 has seen major steps forward in our understanding of the impacts of exposure to environmental toxins detected in body fluids and cells, and their subsequent impacts of human health. In our final post this year, here are some of our most read news updates of 2024 about the links between exposure to environmental toxins, … Continued

Christmas trees – real or artificial?

We buy around 7 million real Christmas trees each year with 80% grown in 1500 UK based Christmas tree farms. It’s estimated that one hectare of trees adds enough oxygen to the environment for 44 people during the tree’s lifespan.   In comparison the carbon footprint of an artificial Christmas tree is 40 kg of … Continued

Pre-natal exposure to everyday chemicals raises child asthma risk

Exposure to alkylphenols, a group of chemicals used in everyday cleaning products has been linked with higher rates of asthma in children at age four whose mothers were exposed to this group of chemicals during pregnancy. This is the disturbing finding of a new study of 3500 mother-child pairs living in Japan. Researchers measured urinary concentrations … Continued

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