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
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
A new study investigating the impact of endocrine disrupting chemicals (EDCs) on male reproductive health has examined correlations between multiple exposures of 12 chemicals found in everyday personal care and consumer products and 13 metabolites of phthalates and plasticizers, and their combined impact on sex steroid hormone levels in adult males. Researchers applied multiple … Continued
It’s probably not surprising that when plastics are recycled, much of their chemical composition travels with them into recycled plastic items. Plastics manufactured for electronics products such as cables are modified by adding chemicals with flame retardant properties to meet safety standards. So what happens when these plastics are recycled, where do the flame retardants … Continued
A new study of 1000’s of children and adolescents in the Netherlands has concluded that exposure to ambient air pollution during early life can have long terms effects on the development of white matter in the brain. The study investigated links between early childhood exposure to air pollution and the development of white matter microstructures of the … Continued
UK politicians tested for so called ‘Forever chemicals’ including PFAS and PFOA all had detectable levels of 5 chemicals on average from this vast group of chemicals. The tests found “worrying levels” of PFAS above established levels of concern, measured in hair and blood samples. Although a small sample, the study carried out on behalf … Continued
September is Childhood Cancer Awareness Month. The IRAC report that worldwide, 275,000 children and adolescents are diagnosed with cancer each year. In the UK 10 children are diagnosed each day. Childhood cancer types differ from adult forms – leukaemia, brain cancers, and lymphomas are the most common types. During September charities across the UK … Continued
As children prepare to go back to school many will need new uniforms. But what’s the best choice for parents to make? It’s a mix of price, durability, and sizing up how long they’ll last before their children outgrow them. Retailers complete for parent’s attention at this time of year by developing products that appeal to … Continued
Women exposed to pesticides in the months prior to conception and the early months of pregnancy may have a higher risk of stillbirth a new study finds. Researchers examined data of more than one million births over a 14 year period during which more than 2000 stillbirths were recorded. Stillbirth rates of women who … Continued
Children’s hair tested by French researchers in a new study found that almost one third of the samples had detectable levels of biomarkers for chemicals found in the environment, with 10% of the total samples detecting 100% of the biomarkers. Tests were carried out on children’s hair samples to detect biomarkers for 32 groups … Continued
