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Indoor Air Contains Thousands of Microplastics Small Enough to Penetrate Deep Into Our Lungs, Study Finds
Thousands of microplastics so small they can penetrate deep into the lungs are in the air you breathe in your home and car, a new study has found. The particles are likely the result of the degradation of plastic-filled objects such as carpet, curtains, furniture and textiles and the plastic parts of car interiors, according to the study published Wednesday in the journal PLOS One.
“People spend an average of 90% of their time indoors, including homes, workplaces, shops, transportation … all the while they are exposed to microplastic pollution through inhalation without even thinking about it,” senior study author Jeroen Sonke and lead author Nadiia Yakovenko said in a joint statement.
“Microplastics in the air, especially indoors, may be an invisible threat we are only beginning to understand.”
Perdue Keeps Breaking Law by Improperly Disposing of PFAS-Laced Waste, Maryland Residents Allege
In the latest move to combat contamination of a Maryland community’s drinking water, two Salisbury residents allege Perdue Agribusiness is violating federal law by failing to properly dispose of waste that contains toxic PFAS chemicals, according to a lawsuit filed July 25.
The legal action, filed in the U.S. District Court for the District of Maryland, follows a class action lawsuit filed against the company last fall representing over 400 residents. The initial lawsuit alleges that community members have suffered health issues as a result of the company’s “reckless” disposal of the chemicals.
The recent complaint alleges that the company’s local soybean facility is violating the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act by improperly disposing of waste laced with per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances. The lawsuit specifically accuses the company of dumping some of its contaminated waste into local streams and storing some in lagoons and disposal areas from which the contaminants leach into groundwater and surface water.
The lawsuit was filed three months after attorneys for the plaintiffs warned they would sue if violations continued.
‘I Can’t Let Him Go’: Those Impacted by Camp Lejeune’s Toxic Water Are Still Fighting
“I can’t let him go,” Mason told us of her voicemail recording, holding back tears. “I can call it up and hear his voice.”
Dan Mason, a Marine who was stationed at Camp Lejeune from 1977 to 1979, died of non-Hodgkin lymphoma in August 2023, just months after he filed suit against the federal government over its failure to inform those at Camp Lejeune about the toxic chemicals in the water at the North Carolina base. His wife of more than four decades is now determined to get him justice.
“He fought his cancer so hard to live, he fought so hard, he fought like a Marine, with courage and dignity. But he couldn’t win,” Jeanie Mason said. “He wanted me to continue his fight. … I had no idea that it would go this far. I think he would be proud that I found the strength and the courage.”
Mason is part of an extensive group of military veterans, veteran families and lawmakers pushing for the passage of the Ensuring Justice for Camp Lejeune Victims Act, a bipartisan bill that would make technical changes to the 2022 PACT Act that would allow those impacted by the toxic water to be more quickly compensated for their losses. The bill has been introduced in both the House and the Senate, but it is in the early stages of its possible approval.
Fruit Fly Study Shows the Toxic Effects of Chronic Arsenic Exposure on the Central Nervous System
Arsenic is often referred to as the “king of poisons” and the “poison of kings” because of its high toxicity levels and murderous use in the Middle Ages.
Arsenic is a major pollutant of groundwater in Asia and some areas of the U.S. and is still a big threat to human health today. It is a naturally occurring element found in soil and rock, but it can dissolve into groundwater and contaminate drinking water sources, particularly private wells. It can also be present in certain foods, especially rice, seafood and some fruit juices.
More than 140 million people in over 70 countries across the globe, including the U.S., are chronically exposed to arsenic in the environment with harmful physiological effects, including neurotoxicity.
Half of UK Councils Still Use Pesticides in Public Places, Research Finds
More than half of councils in the U.K. continue to use pesticides in parks, playgrounds, pavements, playing fields and housing estates, research revealed on Wednesday.
But increasingly, local authorities are taking action to end or reduce their use of pesticides, according to research by the Pesticide Action Network (PAN).
The most widely used pesticide by local authorities is the weedkiller glyphosate, which has been linked to cancer. The overuse of pesticides has also been linked to major declines in wildlife, including birds, bees and hedgehogs.
PAN sent freedom of information requests to councils across the U.K. and had responses from more than 90%. Of the 368 local authorities who replied, 165, or 45% were taking action to end or reduce their use of pesticide.
