December 11, 2019
Baseball fans may be excited to have combination pitcher/slugger Shohei Ohtani on the Los Angeles Angels, but new research suggests that he isn’t the only dual threat that could help out Southern California. UC Berkeley engineers have discovered a mineral-coated sand that can soak up toxic metals like lead and cadmium from water.…
December 10, 2019
A sweeping defense bill would mandate phasing out by 2024 firefighting foam that contains chemicals linked to cancer and other health problems, and improve planning to protect military bases from natural disasters.…
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I recently attended a Society of Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry North America meeting focused entirely on per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS). To a casual observer, it might have seemed like just another scientific conference. Powerpoint talks, coffee break, powerpoint talks, poster session, repeat. But below the surface, the meeting was the latest battlefield in an escalating fight over environmental liabilities that could have multibillion dollar consequences for chemical manufacturers.…
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October 12, 2019
While working on his dissertation at the UC Berkeley School of Environmental Engineering, Tom Bruton had high hopes for developing a groundbreaking technology to break down toxic chemicals in groundwater. But in 2017, after years of painstaking development, his method proved less than effective.…
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Synergist chemicals keep a low profile, but they are a crucial part of flame retardants’ act: Think of them as Teller to flame retardants’ Penn. These little-known compounds don’t slow ignition on their own, but when used in combination with flame retardants, they help delay fire spreading by creating less-flammable chars or quenching chemical reactions. And we use a lot of them: While flame retardants can make up 15% of the weight of some plastic electronics cases, synergists can comprise another 10%.…
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September 24, 2019
Scientist and adventurer Arlene Blum discusses her research on cancer-causing chemicals in kid’s pajamas in the 70s and chemical safety today.…
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August 27, 2019
Among the technical and sometimes arcane-seeming debates at this year’s meeting of the International Code Council was one that grew surprisingly emotional: whether building codes should allow the use of polystyrene insulation not treated with flame retardant in foundations, below a 3.5-inch concrete slab. At stake was a larger argument about whether some volatile elements, including bromine, are safer for human health if they’re part of longer chains of molecules. …
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August 21, 2019
Arlene was interviewed by Joe and Terry Graedon on the dangerous substances added to everyday products. The podcast, Show 1177: How You Can Avoid Toxins in Your Home, is available here.…
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