Chemicals

"A new study suggests that whole classes of BPA-free plastics—including the kind in styrofoam—release estrogenic chemicals."

"A growing body of evidence found an array of flame-retardant chemicals – many which are carcinogenic – in test participants, a potential health concern for firefighters and others exposed to the chemicals."

"FAIRBANKS -- The city of North Pole [AK] filed a lawsuit Wednesday against the two most recent owners of the oil refinery within its borders over sulfolane contamination that has spread into residents' groundwater."

"DuPont Co. ’s chemical plant in La Porte, Texas, for many years has gained a strong reputation among industrial-safety experts for migrating to safer chemicals. ... So when a gas leak at the plant earlier this month caused four employees—two of them brothers—to be fatally overcome by an industrial chemical called methyl mercaptan, some in the chemical safety world were taken aback."

"Wineries and vineyards dot the landscape of Livermore with brand new homes and schools popping up right next to them. ... The beauty, however, soon became overshadowed by her family’s illnesses, and nobody knew why it was happening."

"No one talks much about toxic Superfund sites anymore. But 49 million Americans live close to one."

"Levels of a type of pesticide commonly used in backyard gardens and on farms have increased in urban and rural watersheds in California, the state said in a report released Wednesday."

"CHARLOTTE, N.C. — The city of Charlotte is still trying to recover from one of the worst catastrophes in the city's history."