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‘Alarming’ Levels of Toxins Found in Free-Range Eggs Near Dumpsites Globally
A recent study has found “alarming” levels of toxic chemicals in free-range eggs around the globe. The finding is based on more than a decade of analyses of eggs on five continents, which detected free-range eggs contaminated with globally banned flame retardants, and particularly brominated dioxins, which are toxic to human health and the environment.
E-waste sites, dumpsites and waste incinerators are key sources of these pollutants, with eggs tested in their vicinity found to be severely contaminated by chemicals released when plastic waste is burned. Eggs sampled near an e-waste site in Ghana in 2019, for example, had levels of brominated and chlorinated dioxins 200 times higher than the safety standard for food. Intentional production and use of dioxins has been eliminated or severely restricted worldwide under the U.N. Stockholm Convention on Persistent Organic Pollutants.
The study, published in the journal Emerging Contaminants, was led by the International Pollutants Elimination Network, along with the Czech nonprofit Arnika and an international team of scientists. The research was far-reaching, with free-range egg toxicology data gathered in many developing countries, and countries with economies in transition, in Africa, Asia, North and South America and Europe.
The findings are extremely concerning, the study authors say, as eggs are an important source of protein in low- and middle-income countries, with the study indicating these toxic chemicals are entering the food chain.
3M PFAS Trial Delayed, More Health Claims Filed
A federal judge recently delayed the first trial in the PFAS litigation, known as a bellwether case, as more plaintiffs file health-related claims against 3M and other companies. 3M is one of five companies being sued for manufacturing firefighting foam that was used on military bases and airports. The foam contained PFAS that contaminated drinking water in communities across the country.
3M recently agreed to pay up to $12.5 billion to settle environmental claims brought by water districts across the country. However, the health-related claims brought by people who live near those military bases and airports are ongoing. Thousands of people are accusing 3M and other companies that supplied the firefighting foam of causing serious health issues, including cancer.
Any plaintiff filing a claim must be diagnosed with kidney cancer, testicular cancer, ulcerative colitis, thyroid disease, thyroid cancer or liver cancer. The federal judge in South Carolina also ruled that plaintiffs must prove they were directly exposed to the firefighting foam or lived in an area where the drinking water was contaminated.
After Finding Forever Chemicals in Its Drinking Water, This Eastern Oregon City Stopped Testing for Them
Oregon Public Broadcasting reported:
It’s been two years since Hermiston officials revealed Eastern Oregon’s largest city had “forever chemicals” in its water supply. It may be years more before Hermiston residents get more information about the discovery. Exposure to PFAS has been linked to cancers, impacts to the liver and heart, and immune and developmental damage to infants and children, according to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.
Sometimes referred to as “forever chemicals” because of their resistance to degradation, perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances, or PFAS, are a group of thousands of chemicals often associated with manufacturing and industrial products. Under orders from state and federal governments, Hermiston was among a slate of Oregon cities that tested for PFAS for the first time in 2023.
The city tested again in 2024 and the results are reflected in the city’s 2024 water quality report. The report shows that Hermiston’s water consistently tested above the federal maximum containment level for a PFAS called perfluorooctane sulfonate. Other PFAS chemicals were also detected in the water in the 2024 report. Hermiston Assistant City Manager Mark Morgan said Hermiston’s water is safe to drink.
Philadelphia Takes on Companies Over Alleged Deceptive Plastic Recycling Claims
When Philadelphia filed a lawsuit last month alleging two prominent companies were engaged in a “coordinated campaign of deception” regarding the recyclability of their plastic film products, the city joined a growing group of state and local governments hoping litigation can help stem a rising tide of plastic waste.
Public officials in New York, Minnesota, Connecticut, California, Baltimore and Los Angeles have over the last three years lodged complaints against several companies that act as powerful links in the chain of plastic production, including ExxonMobil, PepsiCo, Coca-Cola, Walmart and Reynolds Consumer Products.
The lawsuits are each distinct, but they all allege the defendants misled the public about the efficacy of recycling in order to continue profiting off the production and sale of plastic. California accused ExxonMobil of encouraging the excessive use of plastic, contributing to the state’s billion-dollar annual cost for plastic waste management. New York, meanwhile, alleged that PepsiCo’s single-use plastics pollute the Buffalo River, contaminating drinking water and harming wildlife.
Clean Water Advocates Warn Pacific Seafood of Legal Action Over Warrenton Pollution
The Center for Food Safety reported:
Center for Food Safety (CFS) and Northwest Environmental Defense Center (NEDC) intend to sue a Pacific Bio Products facility over more than three years of ongoing pollution of the Columbia River at its Warrenton, Oregon facility. Pacific Bio Products – Warrenton is owned by seafood and aquaculture giant Pacific Seafood.
In a notice letter sent Oct. 14, the groups allege that the facility in question has been in repeat and ongoing violation of its Oregon Department of Environmental Quality permit’s pollution discharge, monitoring, and reporting requirements. Many of the alleged violations are egregious, including monthly average total residual chlorine discharges over 4,000% of the permit’s limits, and as recently as August 2025, a discharge of over 73,000% of the permit’s daily chlorine limit.
The Warrenton facility is used to manufacture bulk seafood products including fishmeal and shrimp and crab shell products that are used as (or in) pet food additives, livestock and aquaculture feed, and fish oils. Citizens and groups suing under the Clean Water Act are required to give sixty days’ notice before filing a lawsuit to enforce the public’s right to clean water. CFS and NEDC are representing themselves and are also represented by FarmSTAND and Kampmeier & Knutsen, PLLC.
Export-Grade Poison: Sale of EU-Banned Pesticides Soars as Brazil Becomes the World’s Top Consumer
While European countries tighten their domestic regulations and ban numerous agricultural chemicals, they continue to manufacture and export pesticides deemed highly dangerous to public health and the environment. The revelation comes from a report by the NGO Public Eye and Unearthed, the investigative journalism project funded by Greenpeace U.K.
In 2024, European Union (EU) member states approved the export of nearly 122,000 tons of pesticides banned for use within their own farms, a 50% increase compared to the 81,000 tons reported in 2018. In terms of products, 75 pesticides banned in Europe to protect human health and the environment were authorized for export in 2024, almost double the 41 products exported in 2018.
Altogether, EU-banned pesticide exports were sent to 93 different countries last year; 75% of them were low- and middle-income nations, where environmental and health regulations are typically weaker. The U.S. was the largest importer, followed by Brazil, now the world’s biggest pesticide market.
