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EPA Finalizes Tough New Standards on Lead Paint Dust

In a move that further toughens safety standards for lead paint dust, the Environmental Protection Agency on Thursday announced the finalization of a rule that declares any detectable amount of the toxin in a home or child care center to be hazardous.

“Too often our children, the most vulnerable residents of already overburdened communities, are the most profoundly impacted by the t...

EPA Finalizes Rule to Require Removal of Lead Pipes in U.S. Water System

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency on Tuesday finalized a rule that will require the removal of all lead pipes from the country's water systems.

“We’ve known for decades that lead exposure has serious long-term impacts for children’s health. And yet, millions of lead service lines are still delivering drinking water to homes,” EPA Administrator

  • Robin Foster HealthDay Reporter
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  • October 8, 2024
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    • Could Living in Poor Neighborhoods Fuel Prostate Cancer in Black Men? Study Says It Might

    The stress of living in a poor neighborhood might contribute to higher rates of aggressive prostate cancer in Black men, a new study warns.

    Black men are more than twice as likely to die from prostate cancer than white men, and more likely to develop it as well, the researchers no...

    San Francisco Set to Ban 'Forever Chemicals' in Firefighter Gear

    San Francisco is on the verge of passing a ban on "forever chemicals" in the protective clothing firefighters wear while battling blazes.

    City lawmakers are expected to pass an ordinance on Tuesday that will prohibit the use of firefighting...

    Climate Change May Be Fueling a Rise in Stroke Deaths

    Intense weather fluctuations caused by climate change could be contributing to an increase in stroke deaths, a new study claims.

    Freezing cold fronts and broiling heat waves are associated with more than half a million deaths annually in recent years, researchers report April 10 in the ...

    EPA Sets Strict Limit on PFAS 'Forever Chemicals' in U.S. Drinking Water

    The Environmental Protection Agency announced Wednesday that it has finalized a first-ever rule that will drastically lower the amount of PFAS, also known as "forever chemicals," in the nation's drinking water.

    "Drinking water contaminated with PFAS has plagued communities across this country for too long," EPA Administrator Mi...

    Warmer Autumns May Doom Hardworking Honey Bees

    Honey bees fly to flowers whenever the weather is right, and warmer autumns and winters are putting these crop pollinators at risk, researchers warn.

    Using climate and bee population models, a Washington State University team showe...

    EPA Will Spend $5.8 Billion to Help Clean Up U.S. Drinking Water

    Nearly $6 billion in funding will soon be spread through every U.S. state and territory as part of a massive, ongoing effort to clean up the nation's water supply, the Biden Administration announced Tuesday.

    EPA Adminstrator Michael Regan and Vice Preside...

    Despite the Evidence, Nearly 15% of Americans Deny Climate Change

    Nearly 15% of Americans still deny that climate change is real, according to a new national assessment from the University of Michigan.

    Evidence of climate change has been mounting, including science which has shown that climate-related natural disasters are growing in frequency and intensity sooner than originally predicted, researchers said.

    Nevertheless, climate change is still n...

    More Cancers Linked to Contaminated Water at Camp LeJeune

    A much anticipated government study finds that military personnel stationed at Camp Lejeune in North Carolina between 1975 and 1985 face at least a 20% higher risk for certain cancers than those stationed elsewhere.

    Why the increased risk?

    For decades, the drinking water at the Marine Corps base was contaminated with industrial solvents,

  • Robin Foster HealthDay Reporter
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  • February 1, 2024
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    • Cleaning Toxins From Your Home After a Wildfire: Experts Offer Tips

    It's easy to see the immediate health hazards of wildfire smoke, as people struggle to breathe through a sooty haze.

    But a new study finds that harmful chemicals found in wildfire smoke can linger in a person's home for weeks after the immediate threat has passed, posing a continuing health threat.

    The chemicals -- compounds called polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) -- are high...

    Wildfires Are Undoing Gains Made Against Air Pollution

    Unhealthy air from wildfires is causing hundreds of additional deaths in the western United States every year, a new study claims.

    Wildfires have undercut progress made in cleaning America's air, and between 2000 and 2020 caused an increase of 670 premature deaths each year in the West, researchers report Dec. 4 in The Lancet Planetary Health journal.

    "Our air is supposed t...

    EPA to Require Removal of All Lead Pipes From U.S. Water System

    THURSDAY, Nov. 30, 2023 (Healthday News) -- The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency announced Thursday that it plans to require the removal of all lead pipes from the country's water systems.

    The proposed rule, an ambitious effort that will cost up to $30 billion over the next decade, would affect about 9 million pipes that send water to homes in countless communities across the United S...

    Controlled Fires Cut Wildfire Risk by 60%, Study Shows

    Controlled forest burns can prevent the sort of high-intensity wildfires that have plagued the Western U.S. and Canada as a result of climate change, a new study argues.

    A low-intensity fire in the mixed conifer forests of California provides an estimated 60% reduction in the risk of a catastrophic wildfire, and that effect lasts at least six years, researchers report in the journal <...

    Does Meat Need Warning Labels on How It Harms Climate, Health?

    Adding warning labels to meat about its impact on climate and health could lower its consumption, a new study suggests.

    British researchers investigated what adding cigarette-style graphic warning labels to meat in a cafeteria setting might do.

    "Reaching net zero is a priority for the nation and the planet. As warning labels have already been shown to reduce smoking as well as drink...

    U.S. Heat-Related Heart Deaths Will Multiply With Warming Temperatures

    As sweltering summer days become more common, the number of Americans who die of heat-related heart problems or strokes could soar over the next few decades, a new study projects.

    The study -- published Oct. 30 in the journal Circulation -- estimates that by mid-century the United States will see thos...

    A Tropical Skin Infection Spread by Sand Flies Is Spreading in the U.S.

    Climate change is bringing diseases once considered tropical afflictions to the United States, and new research warns that a parasite spread by sand flies may be the latest to join this growing list.

    The Leishmania parasite causes several forms of the disease leishmaniasis, including cutaneous leishmaniasis, which causes skin sores. Cutaneous leishmaniasis infects up to 1 million...

    Could a Warming Climate Bring Yellow Fever to America?

    Yellow fever may be resurfacing in the United States, thanks to climate change.

    The mosquito-borne viral illness decimated southern U.S. cities from 1820 to 1905, and now a new report says it could return to those areas.

    One of the potential reasons for a yellow fever resurgence? Global warming, because mosquitoes love warm, wet weather.

    Exactly where yellow fever...

    Car Exhaust Could Harm a Woman's Pregnancy

    Air pollution from heavy traffic may be driving pregnancy complications and health concerns for infants.

    Researchers who matched more than 60,000 birth records with air-monitoring data found that pregnant patients living in an urban area with elevated levels of nitrogen dioxide had higher rates of preterm birth.

    This included delivery before 28 weeks, according to

  • Cara Murez HealthDay Reporter
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  • October 16, 2023
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    • Ragweed, Mold & More: Get Ready for Fall Allergies

    While the hot, dry summer may have offered a break to people with some environmental allergies, that reprieve could be over.

    Ragweed and mold are in the air this fall.

    "This summer was good news for people who are sensitive to mold and pollen as there were little of those allergens in the air, but now that we're seeing more rain coming in after this drought, we're experiencing a big...

    Climate Change Will Harm Children's Mental Health: Report

    Raging wildfires, droughts, floods and record-breaking heat brought on by climate change are taking a toll on kids' already fragile mental health.

    This is the main message from a new report by the American Psychological Association and the climate advocacy organization ecoAme...

    Renters May Age Faster Than Homeowners, Study Finds

    Renting a home, rather than owning it outright, may speed up the body's aging process, a new study suggests.

    Researchers found that when compared with people who owned their home outright (no mortgage), those who rented showed signs of faster "biological aging" -- which meant their body cells and tissues were a bit "older."

    On average, the impact was equivalent to just a small fract...

    Local Rates of Flu, RSV Show Up in a City's Wastewater

    Toilet bowls reveal much about the health of a community, alerting scientists to coming outbreaks of flu and other seasonal viruses, researchers say.

    "Just one flush can hold a lot of information," said Kristine Du, co-author of a new Canadian study.

    "Wastewater surveillance equ...

    Runaway Global Warming Will Make Some Areas Too Hot for Human Life

    The signs of climate change are everywhere, from raging wildfires to flash flooding to soaring temperatures.

    Now, a new study warns that things could get worse, with scientists reporting that even small increases in global temperatures will make some parts of the Earth too hot for humans to endure.

    "As long as we continue to put greenhouse gases emissions into the atmosphere, we're...

    Going Vegan Healthy for Dogs, Cats -- and the Planet

    Should Fluffy and Fido go vegan?

    A new study says yes -- for the environment.

    The United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization estimates that livestock are responsible for 14.5% of the greenhouse gas emissions. In response, some experts say eating ve...

    Exercise Can Preserve Astronauts' Heart Health on Long Space Flights

    Extensive exercise regimens are keeping astronauts healthy and protecting their hearts during extended space missions, new research finds.

    A study from scientists at UT Southwestern Medical Center in Dallas found no loss of heart mass or output, and no loss of function in the heart's ventricles, during flights that can last up to six months.

    The findings could have implications...

    Climate Change's Hotter Days Could Bring More Alcohol, Drug Crises

    Sweltering temperatures appear to fuel drug-related hospital visits, a problem that could be worsening with climate change, a new study suggests.

    "We saw that during periods of higher temperatures, there was a corresponding increase in hospital visits related to alcohol and substance use, which also brings attention to some less obvious potential consequences of climate change,"said first...

    Unsafe Neighborhoods Have Higher Levels of Child Abuse

    Having safer neighborhoods, where families feel less stress, can help prevent child abuse, according to new research that supports this long-suspected theory.

    When parents feel higher levels of stress or hopelessness about their surroundings, they may have a harder time caring for their children,

  • Cara Murez HealthDay Reporter
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  • September 25, 2023
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    • Gun Injuries Rise as Neighborhoods Gentrify

    As working class neighborhoods gentrify, you'll likely see rents rise, pricey restaurants move in -- and maybe also a rise in gunshot wounds, researchers say.

    In U.S. neighborhoods that gentrified, gun injuries were 62% higher than they were in similar neighborhoods that hadn't gone upscale, according to a new study.

    Overall firearm incidence was also 26% higher in these gentrifyin...

    Wildfire Smoke Pollution a Growing Global Threat

    More people around the world are exposed to wildfire smoke that has the potential to harm human health, and their numbers are growing, new research finds.

    More than 2 billion people are exposed to at least one day of potentially health-impacting wildfire smoke each year, a figure that has grown by almost 7% in the past decade, according to a study led by Australian scientists.

    Mor...

    Rat-Borne Parasite That Can Cause Brain Disease Spreading in Southern U.S.

    Brown rats found and analyzed near Atlanta now carry rat lungworm, researchers report.

    It's a parasite that can trigger a dangerous brain encephalitis in both people and pets, and which now threatens a wide area of the U.S. Southeast.

    Researchers in Georgia say the microscopic rat lungworm, known scientifically as Angiostrongylus cantonensis, typically begins its life cycle...

    Average Hospital Bed Has a Big Carbon Footprint

    How big is a hospital bed's carbon footprint?

    Pretty big, new research shows.

    One hospital bed alone was roughly equivalent to the carbon footprint of five Canadian households, according to researchers studying a British Columbia hospital during 2019. They identified energy and water use and the purchasing of medical products as the hospital's primary energy hotspots, accounting fo...

    Dirty Air Could Raise Breast Cancer Risk

    Air pollution has long been known to harm the heart and lungs, but new research suggests it might also raise the risk of breast cancer.

    Researchers at the U.S. National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences (NIEHS) and the National Cancer Institute (NCI) discovered that the largest increases in breast cancer incidence were among women who, on average, had higher levels of particulate...

    People Exhale Less COVID Virus as Their Infection Wanes

    When you have COVID-19, when are you most infectious? Researchers are getting closer to an answer, with a new study finding that folks exhale the highest amounts of virus during the first eight days of their illness.

    Scientists found that patients exhale quite a bit of virus during the first several days -- as many as 1,000 copies of airborne virus per minute.

    Those levels drop st...

    Global Warming Could Make Pregnancies More Dangerous

    Global warming has been linked to higher rates of asthma, heart disease and other health concerns. Now, new research suggests that rising temperatures across the planet may place pregnant women at greater risk for severe pregnancy-related illnesses, especially in their third trimester.

    And this is likely to get worse in the near future, said study author

  • Denise Mann HealthDay Reporter
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  • September 8, 2023
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    • Warm Waters Raise Risk for Flesh-Eating Bacteria. Here's Tips to Stay Safe

    As waters warm across the United States and hurricanes and flooding season begins, the odds of being infected by flesh-eating bacteria are also rising, U.S. health officials warn.

    According to a Sept. 1 health alert from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, a dozen types of the bacteria called <...

    Common Plastics Chemical Could Harm Boys' Development

    Phthalates are commonly used in plastics, and researchers have now tied them to developmental issues in toddler boys who were exposed to the chemical in the womb.

    The new study links the chemicals to emotional and behavioral development issues in 2-year-old boys ...

    Poorer Neighborhoods Linked to Higher Asthma Rates in Kids

    When factoring in why children get asthma, a child's neighborhood may be important to consider.

    New research finds that living in a neighborhood during early childhood that has better access to resources was associated with lower asthma incidence. Better resourc...

    Segregation Has Close Ties With Lead Poisoning in Black American Kids

    Young Black children living in racially segregated U.S. neighborhoods are at heightened risk of potentially brain-damaging lead exposure, a new study warns.

    The study, of nearly 321,000 North Carolina children under the age of 7, found that those living in predominantly Black neighborhoods had higher blood levels of lead than those living in more integrated areas.

    Experts said the f...

    Canadian Wildfire Smoke Caused Spikes in Asthma-Related ER Visits Across the U.S.

    Smoke from Canadian wildfires sent high numbers of people suffering from asthma attacks to America's emergency rooms this spring and summer, according to two new reports.

    From April 30 to August 4, 2023, smoke from out-of-control wildfires in Canada increased emergency room visits for asthma by 17% over average, according to data from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. ...

    Climate Change Is Stressing Out the Young, But Inspiring Some to Action

    Young people have high levels of distress about climate change, and a new study argues that their anguish could be key to fighting it.

    "People of all ages are being affected by the climate crisis. Young people in particular, though, will live through more of the unfolding hazards of the climate crisis than older generations,"said researcher

  • Sarah D. Collins HealthDay Reporter
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  • August 23, 2023
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    • Space Travel Takes Toll on Astronauts' Blood, Bone

    When astronauts travel to space, the experience depletes their red blood cells and bone, according to a new study.

    Fortunately, it appears their bodies can eventually replenish them after they've returned to Earth, thanks to fat stored in the bone marrow.

    "We found that astronauts had significantly less fat in their bone marrow about a month after returning to Earth,"said senior st...

    Another Source of Lead Exposure for Kids: Secondhand Smoke

    One source of lead exposure in children may surprise you.

    It's secondhand smoke, according to a Texas A&M University study.

    "Further research will likely paint a clearer picture of this exposure route, especially in younger children, but the findings ...

    Race, Income Big Factors in Deaths After U.S. Hurricanes

    Death rates skyrocket during extreme weather events among the most vulnerable Americans, especially those from minority groups.

    A study looking at hurricanes over more than three decades showed that their impacts varied and were driven by differences in social, economic and demographic factors such as race.

    "Really, we wanted to understand what the comparative impact was over time ...

    Could the Aloe Plant Double as an Insecticide?

    While vast quantities of peels from the aloe vera plant are thrown out every year as agricultural waste, this natural ingredient has potential to be a powerful insecticide, new research suggests.

    "It's likely that millions of tons of aloe peels are disposed of globally every year,"said principal investigator

  • Cara Murez HealthDay Reporter
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  • August 15, 2023
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    • Summer Buzzkill: Sorting Out Mosquito Myths & Facts

    Mosquitoes can be a big pest, leaving behind itchy bumps on skin and potentially spreading serious diseases, such as West Nile virus.

    Sam Telford III is a professor of infectious disease and global health at Cummings School of Veterinary Medicine at Tufts University and a commissioner for the Central Ma...

    Chemical Contamination on International Space Station Exceeds That Found Back Home

    Astronauts aboard the International Space Station (ISS) are living in an environment that contains higher levels of potentially harmful chemicals than seen in American homes, new research reveals.

    The discovery is important because it could guide the design of future spacecraft.

    "Our findings have implications for future space stations and habitats, where it may be possible to exclu...

    Carcinogens Found at Montana Nuclear Missile Base as Cancer Cases Rise Nearby

    An investigation into a high number of cancers at a Montana nuclear missile base has led to the discovery of unsafe levels of a likely carcinogen.

    The hundreds of cancer cases appear to be connected to underground launch control centers at Malmstrom Air Force Base.

    Levels of PCBs, an oily or waxy substance that is considered a

  • Cara Murez HealthDay Reporter
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  • August 8, 2023
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    • Extreme Heat Can Take Toll on People Battling Mental Health Issues

    While the record-breaking heat the United States is experiencing this summer can stress people to their limits, it can be particularly hard to navigate for those with mental health issues.

    "All mental illnesses increase with heat because it results in more fatigue, irritability and anxiety, and it can exacerbate depressive episodes," said

  • Steven Reinberg HealthDay Reporter
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  • July 27, 2023
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    • High Cadmium Levels Linked to Endometriosis

    Women are more likely to develop endometriosis if they have elevated levels of cadmium in their system, a new study reports.

    Twice as many women with slightly or moderately elevated levels of the toxic element wound up with endometriosis compared to women with the lowest levels, researchers say.

    "Although endometriosis is estimated to affect 1 in 10 women, the reason why this condit...