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A new <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0160412024004355#b0205">study</a> published in Environment International found that 14 of the 30 tampon brands tested contained measurable quantities of 16 metals, including <keyword id="21287030" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="heavy-metals" source="keywords">heavy metals</keyword> like lead and arsenic. Unlike other areas of skin, the <keyword id="22359234" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="vaginal-tissue" source="keywords">vaginal tissue</keyword> readily absorbs substances, potentially leading to "systemic exposure" to these metals, warn scientists. The study acknowledges several possible sources for the metals in <keyword id="21056381" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="tampons" source="keywords">tampons</keyword>. They could be present in the cotton itself due to environmental factors or contamination. Alternatively, the metals might be added during manufacturing for purposes like pigmentation, whitening, or anti-bacterial properties. But how “safe” are they? We know what you're thinking: a relatively tiny chunk of Indians use tampons. But while this study claims to be the first of its kind for tampons, this is hardly the first time questionable materials have been found in a <keyword id="22359233" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="sanitary-product" source="keywords">sanitary product</keyword> created for women. Other heavy metals, potentially harmful <keyword id="20406621" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="chemicals" source="keywords">chemicals</keyword> and even carcinogens have previously been detected in sanitary napkins as well. And last we checked, over 40% of Indian women used <keyword id="584042" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="sanitary-pads" source="Orion">sanitary pads</keyword> while menstruating. <h2>Link between sanitary pads and <keyword id="22359235" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="reproductive-diseases" source="keywords">reproductive diseases</keyword></h2>A 2022 <a href="https://toxicslink.org/publications/reports/wrapped-in-secrecy-toxic-chemicals-in-menstrual-products">report</a> focused on two main culprits: phthalates and volatile organic compounds that are added for elasticity and absorbency in pads. These chemicals were detected in all ten tested brands, including both inorganic and organic varieties. Popular names like <keyword id="20280828" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="whisper" source="keywords">Whisper</keyword>, Stayfree, Sofy, PeeSafe, Nua, and Plush were included in the analysis. <div type="Article" hostid="261" msid="111624399" title="How did over 800 students test HIV positive in Tripura?" mstype="2" mssubtype="0"></div>Experts have repeatedly warned of the potential <keyword id="19977451" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="health-risks" source="keywords">health risks</keyword> associated with these chemicals, going as far as to suggest that these chemicals could disrupt hormonal functions, potentially leading to PCOS, endometriosis, and hypothyroidism. Long-term exposure may even increase cancer risk. The concern is heightened by the vagina's high absorbency, allowing these chemicals to enter the body at a faster rate. A lot of this is conjecture based on what doctors and experts suspect, primarily because not nearly enough research has been conducted on the potential impacts of sanitary products on women’s bodies. Naturally, there’s a lack of regulation from governments on period products. <h2>The glaring lack of proper labelling of sanitary products</h2>Sanitary product manufacturers love to wrap their stuff in flowery and “girly” packages, with the size of a pad’s wings and how it will last you all day long advertised in bold letters. But they don’t think it’s necessary to test their products for their content and perhaps even share that little tidbit with their customers. Companies making pads and tampons are usually exempt from listing ingredients as these are categorised as "medical products." However, many argue this label is misleading as pads cannot be considered medical intervention, they’re just for absorption. The absence of research on quality standards raises red flags. Individuals and NGOs have voiced concerns about potentially harmful chemicals in some pads but to no avail. Even existing regulations offer no solace. The Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS) did implement higher quality standards for reusable sanitary pads, sanitary napkins and period panties. However, Without ingredient lists, it's impossible for consumers to make informed choices about their health. <h2>A call for change</h2>This lack of transparency and outdated regulations create a situation where millions of women are unknowingly exposed to potential health risks. Sanitary pad companies should be required to list all ingredients on the packaging, empowering consumers with knowledge. The BIS needs to update its guidelines to include thorough testing for harmful chemicals, ensuring safety. Most of all, further research is crucial to assess the quality and safety of sanitary pads available in the Indian market. <div type="Article" hostid="261" msid="111578389" title="Talc, found in baby powder and cosmetics, is “probably” cancer-causing, says WHO agency" mstype="2" mssubtype="0"></div>While the ongoing research sheds light on a previously unknown potential health risk associated with sanitary products, we acknowledge that using a pad is a lot more hygienic and safe than using a cloth rag. But clear labelling and stricter regulations are essential to ensure the safety of individuals who rely on these products.

Your go-to sanitary product likely has harmful heavy metals in it, even if the label doesn’t say so!

Have you been harbouring the misimpression that the worst thing that could happen to you while commuting to work is getting stuck in rush hour traffic? As it turns out, being trapped in your car for the duration is even worse because you could be inadvertently breathing in <keyword id="21593992" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="cancer-causing-air" source="keywords">cancer-causing air</keyword>. This is a real bummer, considering rolling down your windows would mean inhaling polluted air most of the time. New research has found <keyword id="21589825" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="flame-retardants" source="keywords">flame retardants</keyword> in nearly all (99%) of the cars tested in the US. These chemicals, including tris (1,3-dichloro-2-propyl) phosphate (TDCIPP) and tris (2-chloroethyl) phosphate (TCEP). Why is this a problem? These chemicals are linked to cancer, <keyword id="21593994" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="neurological-problems" source="keywords">neurological problems</keyword>, and even lower IQ in children. In fact, even firefighters seem to have been raising concerns about flame retardants potentially contributing to their high cancer rates. And companies have been adding these potentially carcinogenic flame retardants to car seats and other materials, off-gassing harmful chemicals into the air you breathe. “Considering the average driver spends about an hour in the car every day, this is a significant <keyword id="21593993" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="public-health-issue" source="keywords">public health issue</keyword>. It’s particularly concerning for drivers with longer commutes as well as child passengers, who breathe more air pound for pound than adults,” explains lead author Rebecca Hoehn, a scientist at <keyword id="20075490" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Duke-University" source="keywords" meta.keywordsubtype="org" meta.entityname="Duke University" meta.hostid="261" meta.entityid="Duke University">Duke University</keyword>. Here's the kicker: exposure seems to be worse during hot weather. Car interiors can reach scorching temperatures, causing these flame retardants to break down and pollute the air you breathe. The good news? There's a safer way. California, US, for example, updated its flammability standards for furniture and baby products to eliminate flame retardants without compromising safety. This update actually led to a decrease in flame retardant levels in homes, proving there's a better path forward. While opening windows and parking in the shade can help, the real solution lies in urging <keyword id="19996197" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="car-manufacturers" source="keywords">car manufacturers</keyword> and safety regulators to update outdated standards. We shouldn't have to choose between fire safety and our health. “Commuting to work shouldn’t come with a cancer risk, and children shouldn’t breathe in chemicals that can harm their brains on their way to school,” says the study’s co-author Lydia Jahl, a senior scientist at the Green Science Policy Institute. The findings of this study have been detailed in Environmental Science &amp; Technology and can be accessed <a href="https://pubs.acs.org/doi/10.1021/acs.est.3c10440">here</a>.

Toxic chemicals in your car seats could be increasing risks of cancer, study warns

<ul class="summary-list"><li>David Einhorn touted Solvay as a top-five portfolio pick while speaking at the Sohn Conference.</li><li>The Belgian chemical firm has high returns on capital and stable margins, the hedge fund manager said.</li></ul>Value-investing legend David Einhorn has his eyes set on the Belgian firm Solvay, praising its market potential during a <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JnkeCQ021kQ" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Sohn Conference presentation</a>. Speaking later with CNBC, he said it <a href="https://www.cnbc.com/2024/04/03/greenlights-david-einhorn-unveils-chemicals-company-solvay-as-top-investment-idea.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">holds a top-five spot</a> in his portfolio."Solvay is a commodity chemical company with a relatively high and stable margin, a high return on capital and a good return of capital," Einhorn outlined on Wednesday. He added: "We think this boring essential chemicals business will generate attractive risk-adjusted returns for investors."The comments sent Solvay's American depository receipts soaring 18% to $3.22 apiece at 2:45 p.m. ET.In large part, the company focuses on manufacturing soda ash, a common compound used to produce everything from glass, soaps, to lithium batteries. Though soda ash is not a volatile commodity, COVID distortions have pulled down its capacity utilization, with 2024 set to be a trough year, Einhorn said. Due to Solvay's ties to soda ash, many sell-side analysts have printed mostly negative reviews of the company, he cited. But these reports have largely ignored the fact that 70% of Solvay's revenue streams come from other chemical products, including peroxides, silica and coatis."The point I'm making is that while there is a reduction in soda ash prices and profits in 2024, which everyone knows about, the rest of the business is less cyclical and more resilient," he said. "The bears seem intent on completely ignoring that reality."What's more, the company is investment-grade rated, with modest leverage and high returns on capital, he said. While consensus expects earnings of 3.62 euros a share this year, Einhorn said that an European economic recovery should keep the price above 4 euros a share in 2024."If management executes on its growth and cost targets, normal earnings per share should [rise] to more than €6 per share,"

Elite hedge funder David Einhorn touted his investment in a Belgian chemicals company, sending the stock surging 18%

<ul class="summary-list"><li>Officials said a 19-year-old male planned to use knives and explosives at a Taylor Swift concert.</li><li>He and another 17-year-old male are believed to have been radicalized by ISIS, authorities said.</li></ul>Austrian officials said they arrested three male teenagers on Wednesday on suspicion of planning an attack on a Taylor Swift concert in Vienna, the threat of which prompted organizers to cancel three of the singer's shows.The main suspect, a 19-year-old Austrian citizen, was arrested in the town of Ternitz, about 30 miles from Vienna, said the head of the Directorate of State Security and Intelligence, Omar Haijawi-Pirchner.Haijawi-Pirchner said at <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jlTJAB_7UUw">a news conference on Thursday</a> that the suspect was planning a suicide attack with knives and explosives that would kill "as many people as possible" at the concert.Officials said they found explosives, detonators, and chemicals in the 19-year-old's home, and that he'd been researching bomb-making techniques.The young man was "clearly radicalized" by the Islamic State and had posted an oath of allegiance to the terrorist organization's leader, Haijawai-Pirchner said.He is cooperating with authorities and fully admitted to the plot, Haijawi-Pirchner added.Franz Ruf, the director-general for public safety in the Ministry of the Interior, said the suspect had planned the attack since July and has North Macedonian roots.<div type="image" title="A screen displays a photo of a young man posing with two knives. His face is blurred." height="5109" width="7384" msid="112391536" hostid="261" sizebytes="652144"></div>The other two teenagers arrested were a 15-year-old and a 17-year-old. The 17-year-old has refused to speak with authorities, who found Islamic State and Al-Qaeda propaganda in his home.The Austrian citizen, who has Turkish and Croatian roots, worked for a facilities company that was contracted to provide services at the concert venue. Authorities didn't say what services these were.Officials said he'd just broken up with his girlfriend and was seized outside the concert stadium.Neither the 19-year-old nor the 17-year-old had tickets to the shows, authorities added.Little information was provided on the 15-year-old, whom authorities said was also questioned by police.Ruf said the three suspects were in contact with other people who knew about the planned attack, but that authorities aren't looking for any other suspects.Interior Minister Gerhard Karner said foreign intelligence agencies helped uncover the plot, which led concert organizers to cancel the Eras Tour shows on Wednesday.Some <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/taylor-swift-vienna-eras-tour-cancelled-fan-experience-los-angeles-2024-8">stunned fans</a> had <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/taylor-swift-concert-vienna-canceled-devastated-but-safe-eras-tour-2024-8#:~:text=Taylor%20Swift's%20three%20shows%20in,would%20have%20been%20her%20first">already arrived from other continents</a> for the concerts scheduled for Thursday, Friday, and Saturday.In lieu of the concert, scores of fans gathered near the venue on Thursday to sing Swift's songs as police looked on.<div type="image" title="Taylor Swift fans sing at their own informal gathering at Stephansplatz on August 8 in Vienna." height="4679" width="7018" msid="112391537" hostid="261" sizebytes="2450504"></div>Ewald Tatar, the head of concert organizer Barracuda Music, <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.krone.at/3486790">said at a press conference</a> that the shows had been canceled for the safety of concert-goers and those outside the stadium.Tatar expected crowds of up to 15,000 people to gather in the hours before the shows began, which would build to nearly 100,000 people inside and outside the stadium before Swift took the stage."I have to say that, despite everything, I am very happy with this decision," Tatar told reporters, saying management had made the "right" choice.Barracuda Music has said all tickets will be refunded within 10 days.Europe has been on high alert for ISIS-related attacks on pop concerts, after several mass attacks were carried out by the group, including a <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/ariana-grande-pays-tribute-to-manchester-bombing-victims-2018-5">bombing in Manchester</a> that killed 22 people at an Ariana Grande concert in 2017.

Taylor Swift's canceled concert: Officials found explosives, detonators, and a stockpile of chemicals in a 19-year-old's home

<ul class="summary-list"><li>Some workers at <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/elon-musk-the-boring-company">The Boring Company</a> experienced injuries including chemical burns, Bloomberg reported.</li><li>Some staff spent their entire 12-hour shifts in the tunnels, including lunch, the publication said.</li></ul>Some workers at The Boring Company have dealt with chemical burns and close-call accidents during the construction of the <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/elon-musk-boring-company-tests-tesla-tunnel-system-las-vegas-2021-5">Las Vegas tunnel system</a>, according to <a target="_blank" href="https://www.bloomberg.com/news/features/2024-02-25/china-markets-investors-shaken-as-hedge-funds-lose-out-in-quant-crash">a recent report</a> from Bloomberg.They also experienced 12-hour shifts, including lunch, in the tunnels, which could reach over 100 degrees Fahrenheit, the report said.The tunnels in Las Vegas, a 1.7-mile loop that connects the Las Vegas Conventions Center, were first opened to the public in 2021, but Elon Musk's tunneling company has been working to expand it to connect to Resorts World on the Las Vegas Strip, a nearby airport, and Allegiant stadium.According to the report, during the expansion, some workers said they had to wade through about two feet of mud that included chemicals that can cause burns. Some staff were left scarred as a result, Bloomberg reported, citing an investigation from the Occupational Safety and Health Administration.One worker described the feeling of the chemicals on their skin as similar to being "on fire," Bloomberg reported.There have reportedly been some close-call incidents at the construction site as well. An intern at The Boring Company was "nearly crushed" last summer when a container holding two tons of concrete broke, Bloomberg reported, citing an OSHA report. On another occasion, the brakes on a forklift failed and a worker might have landed under the machine if he had been wearing his seatbelt, the publication said, citing another OSHA report.Bloomberg reported that OSHA fined The Boring Company $112,504 last fall after it found eight "serious" violations. But, the company pushed back on OSHA's claims in November, saying the organization "failed to establish that the alleged violations occurred," the publication said.A spokesperson from The Boring Company did not respond to requests for comment from Business Insider or Bloomberg.Musk founded the tunneling company in 2016 as a solution to congested roadways. The company has an <a target="_blank" rel="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/video-tesla-speeds-through-elon-musk-boring-company-hawthorne-tunnel-2018-12">R&amp;D tunnel</a> in Hawthorne, California, but its only active commercial tunnel is the Las Vegas site. The Las Vegas tunnel is used to ferry people back and forth on Teslas from the <a target="_blank" rel="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/elon-musk-boring-company-las-vegas-loop-tunnel-first-look-2021-4">Las Vegas Convention Center </a>to other nearby attractions.It's not the first time one of Musk's companies has been linked to potential worker safety concerns. Last year, a Reuters investigation found that SpaceX workers were putting in over 80-hour workweeks and <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/spacex-workers-took-adderall-slept-bathroom-iv-treatments-deadlines-report-2023-11">facing high injury rates</a> in order to keep up with Musk's "maniacal sense of urgency."The billionaire has been known to run his companies with high intensity, sometimes calling for <a target="_blank" rel="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/tesla-employees-describe-intense-conditions-life-under-elon-musk-2018-8">work sprints</a> and even <a target="_blank" rel="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/elon-musk-sleeping-habits-tesla-factory-floor-twitter-late-nights-2022-11">sleeping on the factory floor</a> at Tesla.Do you work for one of Musk's companies or have insight to share? Reach out to the reporter from a non-work email and device at gkay@insider.com

Workers at Elon Musk's Boring Company have reportedly faced chemical burns from sludge while building tunnels

<ul class="summary-list"><li>Lithium-ion batteries are the most common type of battery found in electric vehicles.</li><li>Scientists found they contain PFAS or 'forever chemicals' found in air, water, snow, soil, and sediment.</li></ul>Scientists have uncovered a new source of hazardous "forever chemical" pollution: the rechargeable lithium-ion batteries found in most electric vehicles.Some lithium-ion battery technologies use a class of <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/what-are-pfas-chemicals-2018-8">PFAS chemicals</a>, or per-and polyfluoroalkyl substances, that helps make batteries less flammable and conduct electricity. Scientists found high levels of these PFAS in air, water, snow, soil, and sediment samples near plants that make those chemicals in the US, Belgium, and France, according to a <a target="_blank" href="https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-024-49753-5">peer-reviewed study</a> in the journal Nature Communications.PFAS are known as "forever chemicals" because they <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/chart-how-long-hazardous-forever-chemicals-pfas-stay-in-blood-2023-3">build up quickly</a> in the environment, people, and animals and don't break down for thousands of years. They've been linked to a host of health conditions, including <a target="_blank" href="https://www.atsdr.cdc.gov/toxprofiles/tp200.pdf">liver damage</a>, high <a target="_blank" href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2831917/">cholesterol</a>, low <a target="_blank" href="https://ehp.niehs.nih.gov/1408837/">birth weights</a>, and chronic <a target="_blank" href="https://academic.oup.com/aje/article/174/8/893/155305">kidney disease</a>.The findings underscore how switching to cleaner cars and renewable energy is key to solving the climate crisis, but comes with its own set of trade-offs that are still emerging and understudied. While the environmental and health impacts of mining lithium and other minerals used in batteries, solar panels, wind turbines, and other technology are well documented, it's only now that researchers are uncovering lithium-ion batteries as a source of PFAS pollution."Slashing [carbon dioxide] emissions with innovations like electric cars is critical, but it shouldn't come with the side effect of increasing PFAS pollution," Jennifer Guelfo, an associate professor of environmental engineering at Texas Tech University and coauthor of the study, said in a statement.It's an issue of global concern because lithium-ion batteries are used worldwide, the study said. The same class of PFAS has recently been detected at low levels in European and Chinese water, but the source of the pollution was unclear.The specific class of PFAS that Guelfo's team found is called bis-perfluoroalkyl sulfonimides, or bis-FASIs. Scientists tested more than a dozen lithium-ion batteries used in EVs and consumer electronics like laptops, and found bis-FASIs at various concentrations.It's hard to know just how widespread the chemicals are in specific lithium-ion batteries because there isn't enough research yet, Lee Ferguson, associate professor of environmental engineering at Duke University and coauthor of the study, said.Guelfo said bis-FASIs is comparable to "older notorious" chemicals like PFOA, in part because they are extremely difficult to degrade and studies show the chemicals change the behavior of aquatic organisms at low concentrations. PFOA has been phased out of production in the US but <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/epa-hazardous-forever-chemicals-drinking-water-limits-2024-4">continues to pollute drinking water</a>.The study was the first "cradle-to-grave" evaluation of the environmental impacts of bis-FASI use in lithium-ion batteries. The effects of bis-FASIs in humans hasn't been studied yet.The scientists detected bis-FASIs chemicals at parts per billion levels — much higher than the limits the Environmental Protection Agency <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/epa-hazardous-forever-chemicals-drinking-water-limits-2024-4">set for PFAS in drinking water in April</a>. Strategies to get rid of PFAS in drinking water can also remove bis-FASIs, the study said, which should become more widely adopted due to EPA's regulations. However, chemical makers and some water utilities <a target="_blank" href="https://www.npr.org/sections/shots-health-news/2024/06/21/nx-s1-5013957/pfas-forever-chemicals-drinking-water-rule-lawsuits">have challenged the agency in court.</a>Other routes of exposure to bis-FASIs exist. Air emissions data suggest the chemicals can travel to areas far from manufacturing sites. They can also leach into the environment from landfills, where the majority of lithium-ion batteries end up.The study said only about 5% of lithium-ion batteries are recycled, and by 2040, there could be some 8 million tons of lithium-ion battery waste.Guelfo said scientists, engineers, manufacturers, and policymakers need to develop battery technology and recycling solutions that don't exacerbate PFAS pollution."We need to be carefully evaluating these chemicals that are being used in sustainable energy infrastructure," Guelfo said. "We should be evaluating them now before it becomes a more widespread problem. We an opportunity to really maximize the idea of sustainability."Companies including 3M, Solvay, and Arkema either hold patents for bis-FASIs or advertise its production or use, the study said. (In December — after the research was conducted — Solvay spun off its specialty and applied chemical businesses into a new entity named Syensqo. The lithium battery business is housed there.)Scientists focused their research on areas near the companies' manufacturing plants in Minnesota, Kentucky, Antwerp, Belgium, and Salindres, France.3M has manufactured PFAS for decades and last year <a target="_blank" href="https://www.nytimes.com/2023/06/22/business/3m-settlement-forever-chemicals-lawsuit.html">agreed to a $10 billion settlement</a> with US cities and towns over their claims that the company contaminated drinking water with forever chemicals. 3M said it will exit all PFAS manufacturing by the end of 2025.The company's settlement followed another agreement by Chemours, DuPont and Corteva to pay $1.19 billion to help resolve thousands of lawsuits.Correction: July 8, 2024 — This story was updated to clarify the name of one of the companies that make EV battery materials. After the research, Solvay spun off its lithium battery business into a new entity named Syensqo.

The most common type of EV battery is a growing source of 'forever chemical' pollution, scientists say

<ul class="summary-list"><li>China has been hit by another major food scandal, this time involving cooking oil in chemical tanks.</li><li>State media found tank trucks were delivering chemicals and edible oil interchangeably without cleaning.</li></ul>A new cooking-oil scandal has erupted in China, about a decade after the country's infamous crackdown on restaurants reusing gutter oil and sewage grease.The furor follows a <a target="_blank" href="https://m.bjnews.com.cn/detail/1719878490168127.html">bombshell investigation</a> published on July 2 by the state media outlet Beijing News, which found multiple cases of tank trucks transporting edible cooking oil immediately after delivering chemicals used for coal-to-liquid processing.The report's author, Han Futao, found that none of the tank interiors were cleaned between loads.Han described one case in which a tank truck in Hebei province delivered chemicals in Qinhuangdao before rushing to Sanhe days later to be filled with soy oil.Several truck drivers told Beijing News the practice was a widespread cost-saving measure used by firms with thousands of trucks — an "open secret" in the industry, Han wrote.In some seasons, the truckers said, drivers would transport industrial wastewater before delivering edible oils.These chemicals aren't classified as flammable or hazardous, or else Chinese law would mandate that they be transported in special tanks.The report has since ignited outrage on China's social-media platforms, which have become inundated with viral topics discussing the scandal.<a target="_blank" href="https://std.samr.gov.cn/gb/search/gbDetailed?id=71F772D80340D3A7E05397BE0A0AB82A">National regulations</a> have been a key target for public anger. They recommend that oil companies use tank trucks dedicated to edible substances, but the guideline is only encouraged and isn't mandatory."Shouldn't a kerosene can be a kerosene can and a cooking-oil can be a cooking-oil can? Even if they are cleaned, they are not necessarily that clean," one top comment on <a target="_blank" href="https://weibo.com/2028810631/OmI2Y2ic0?refer_flag=1001030103_">Weibo</a>, China's version of X, said.The backlash ballooned even further when people began reposting <a target="_blank" href="https://weibo.com/1642512402/OmIzhaFJN?refer_flag=1001030103_">regulatory warnings from 2013</a> about the practice in Hunan province, indicating its use for more than a decade.A <a target="_blank" href="https://news.sina.cn/sa/2005-12-19/detail-ikknscsi9329300.d.html">2005 local news report</a> describing the mixing of edible oils with "hazardous chemicals" during transport went viral, too."They've been caught before, but the problem persists. Is the punishment harsh enough?" <a target="_blank" href="https://weibo.com/2197587727/OmJc3zD4g?refer_flag=1001030103_">one blogger wrote</a>."19 years ago, the media reported that the tanks were mixed with food. Why hasn't it been solved yet?" <a target="_blank" href="https://weibo.com/1582297713/OmIYQbP6u?refer_flag=1001030103_">another wrote</a>.Days after Beijing News' report, state media jumped in with scathing commentary."If this is an 'open secret in the industry,' where does it put the public's health and life safety? Where does it put the dignity and justice of the law?" the <a target="_blank" href="https://www.thepaper.cn/newsDetail_forward_28008070">People's Daily</a> columnist Zhang Jingshan wrote on Monday evening.Sinograin, a state body that oversees China's grain and oil stocks, <a target="_blank" href="https://weibo.com/5042945896/OmhMEmWoZ">published a statement</a> on Saturday saying it had launched an investigation into the "mixed use of tank trucks."But the statement has been followed by calls online for a wider investigation involving higher authorities."Checking your own unit is like covering your ears while stealing a bell," <a target="_blank" href="https://weibo.com/7880066476/OmIuOt3z7?refer_flag=1001030103_">wrote one blogger</a> demanding an explanation. "This needs the attention of the relevant departments. Food is a major issue of people's livelihoods and shouldn't be underestimated!"Food safety in China has already been a sensitive topic for years in the wake of multiple scandals involving gutter oil and deadly chemicals in baby milk powder.The repeated controversies have contributed to <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/china-food-scandal-middle-class-buy-direct-farms-2021-12">growing distrust in cities toward commercially sold foods</a> in supermarkets and grocery stores, sparking a campaign by the central government to <a target="_blank" href="https://news.cgtn.com/news/2019-09-04/Why-China-can-guarantee-food-safety-JIh4q7AQ6I/index.html">promote food safety</a> in the country.

China is freaking out over an 'open secret' that its cooking oil was ferried for years in chemical tanks that weren't cleaned

<ul class="summary-list"><li>Less than one-third of the semiconductor workforce is female, with few in leadership roles.</li><li>Female employees spoke about their experiences as companies make efforts to close the gender gap.</li></ul>When a young engineering student attended her first recruitment fairs at the Colorado School of Mines, she initially felt discouraged as she tried to break into the semiconductor industry as a chemical engineer."It definitely feels like, oh, they're only picking 10 women and 90 men, and therefore the 10 women they pick are going to be just that much more competitive," said the student who asked not to be identified so she could speak freely, told Business Insider.She went to work as a process engineer at an Intel chip fab in Arizona. Only three out of the 10 people on her team were women, she said. She often felt some of the best resources for the chip fab, like top construction workers, were dedicated to teams with more men, while women were given less leeway to make mistakes."We're very isolated, very often in a resource sense," she said.This dynamic is not specific to one company; <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/women-utah-silicon-slopes-difficulties-tech-jobs-2023-10">gender disparity</a> is widespread throughout the tech industry. According to a 2023 Accenture analysis, <a target="_blank" href="https://www.accenture.com/content/dam/accenture/final/accenture-com/document-2/Accenture-GSA-Women-In-The-Semiconductor-industry-2023-Survey-Report.pdf#zoom=40">the median representation of women</a> in the semiconductor industry is between 20% and 29%, up from between <a target="_blank" href="https://www.gsaglobal.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/11/GSA-ACN-2022-Women-in-Semiconductor-BRIEF-Final.pdf">20% and 25% in 2022</a>. Over half of companies reported less than 10% representation of women in technical director roles and less than 5% in technical executive leadership roles.As the US is projected to <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.semiconductors.org/america-projected-to-triple-semiconductor-manufacturing-capacity-by-2032-the-largest-rate-of-growth-in-the-world/">triple</a> its domestic chip manufacturing and generative AI could become a <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.bloomberg.com/company/press/generative-ai-to-become-a-1-3-trillion-market-by-2032-research-finds/">$1.3 trillion</a> market by 2032, building an inclusive workforce will be critical to developing the technology and ensuring that the economic boom benefits as many people as it can.Part of that is a challenge in the education pipeline. Although they make up the majority of undergraduate and advanced degrees, women make up <a target="_blank" href="https://swe.org/research/2024/degree-attainment/">less than 23%</a> of engineering and computer science graduates. This percentage <a target="_blank" href="https://www.pewresearch.org/social-trends/2021/04/01/stem-jobs-see-uneven-progress-in-increasing-gender-racial-and-ethnic-diversity/">drops even more</a> among minorities, as <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://swe.org/research/2024/degree-attainment/">Black and Latina women</a> comprised less than 4% of engineering graduates and 5% of computer science graduates over the past 10 years.Recruiters for the chips industry said that closing the gap within hiring can sometimes be a sensitive topic as gender is a protected class in antidiscrimination laws. While the chip industry makes efforts to expand the recruiting pool in general so that hiring can be more inclusive, the changes can feel incremental.According to the most recently published corporate social responsibility reports, about 20% of <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://images.nvidia.com/aem-dam/Solutions/documents/FY2024-NVIDIA-Corporate-Sustainability-Report.pdf">Nvidia's total workforce</a> are women. Women make up about 15% of technical roles, 18% of managers, and 40% of executive officers. <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.amd.com/en/corporate/corporate-responsibility/esg-data-tables.html">AMD's workforce</a> is 24% women. About 19% of engineers, 14% of senior management, and 17% of the executive team are women. Women make up 28% of <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://csrreportbuilder.intel.com/pdfbuilder/pdfs/CSR-2023-24-Full-Report.pdf">Intel's workforce</a>, and they hold 25% of technical roles and 19% of senior leadership. <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.micron.com/content/dam/micron/global/public/documents/about/diversity-and-inclusion/2023-diversity-and-inclusion-report.pdf">At Micron</a>, 31% of its total global workforce is made up of women, and they hold 25% of technical roles, 17% of senior leadership roles, and 21% of leader roles."Intel has a long track record of fostering a diverse and inclusive culture, and it is core to our values," an Intel spokesperson said in a statement.Intel <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://csrreportbuilder.intel.com/pdfbuilder/pdfs/CSR-2023-24-Full-Report.pdf">set goals</a> to increase its female senior leadership representation to 25% and technical roles to 40% by 2030. The Intel spokesperson also pointed to its <a target="_blank" href="https://www.intel.com/content/www/us/en/newsroom/news/intels-first-us-apprenticeship-for-manufacturing-technicians.html#gs.e7dyxb">first registered apprenticeship program</a> for manufacturing facility technicians for its Arizona fabs, of which all of the selected participants are women."We treat all employees with fairness and respect and don't tolerate behavior that is contrary to those values," the spokesperson added.Both <a target="_blank" href="https://www.amd.com/content/dam/amd/en/documents/corporate/cr/corporate-responsibility-report.pdf#page=48">AMD</a> and <a target="_blank" href="https://affiliate.insider.com?h=a4ac2b73c1c514109e91f0be9bf14a0d79fc38bcd49fb86fb71c71c2eed432ce&amp;postID=66cd2c227d61a86c1876c776&amp;postSlug=chip-companies-nvidia-intel-gender-gap-ai-boom-2024-8&amp;site=bi&amp;u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.nvidia.com%2Fen-us%2Fon-demand%2Fsession%2Fgtcspring23-se52644%2F">Nvidia</a> have employee resource groups focused on women in tech. An Nvidia spokesperson declined to comment on this story. An AMD spokesperson said the number of female engineers and participants in their pipeline mentoring programs has increased in the last five years and that the company has collaborated with the Global Semiconductor Alliance to recruit female engineers at the University of Texas at Austin and MIT. Pipeline program participants also cited in a 2023 survey, an improvement in their perception of growth and development at the company. Micron did not respond to requests for comment at the time of publication.<h2 id="f746dd30-b0bf-4eec-9c37-7c263414fbd7">Few women in leadership</h2>One former Intel process engineer, who still works in the chips industry, said she decided to leave the company because she felt that it could be a "hostile environment" at times, with male engineers challenging her when they were not rewarded with projects. The engineer, whose identity is known to Business Insider, asked to remain anonymous because she's not authorized to speak to the press."There were also other high-performing men on my team who were getting the same projects and same opportunities as me, but there were never any complaints made about them," she said.Although Intel made more efforts to hire women, she said she did not see as much effort in promotion. Out of hundreds of people in her department, only two managers were female, she said.A lack of women in leadership can create the perception that female employees have no room to grow, resulting in a higher turnover rate."Attracting talent without a plan to retain the talent just really creates the same cyclical problem," said Jared Tatham, a managing director at Insight Global who oversees its semiconductor recruitment portfolio.<h2 id="2f606934-b1c0-4157-9b12-1401d857878e">Reducing bias in hiring</h2>Clients have requested more gender diversity in the pipeline, said Luke Tomaszko, a managing principal consultant at Acceler8 Talent who works with early-stage hardware companies that focus on AI chip design. He said startups must be conscious of this as they build out the culture and makeup of their teams."The industry can be so male-dominated that if you have a team of 100 men, then it's not really a welcoming environment for a woman to come in," Tomaszko said.Insight Global's Tatham works with clients that range from material suppliers for equipment at foundries to companies that do chip design, testing, and packaging. He said he makes it a goal to reach out with calls more personally with potential candidates rather than just rely upon the job descriptions since <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://hbr.org/2022/07/apply-to-a-job-even-if-you-dont-meet-all-criteria">men are more likely</a> to apply for jobs even if they don't meet all the criteria.Tomaszko said that before posting job descriptions, his agency runs the listings through tools such as a <a target="_blank" href="https://adminvc.ucla.edu/equity/hiring-guide/gender-decoder">gender decoder</a> to review words that may have a gender-biased leaning.<h2 id="a8c5aaf0-fcbe-47d6-b532-9085cb10fdb8">Demanding schedules and childcare</h2>The CHIPS and Science Act spurred some efforts to reduce childcare costs. Micron received <a target="_blank" href="https://www.whitehouse.gov/briefing-room/statements-releases/2024/04/25/fact-sheet-president-biden-announces-up-to-6-1-billion-preliminary-agreement-with-micron-under-the-chips-and-science-act/">$6.1 billion</a> in funding this year, including for the construction of new childcare facilities in Idaho and New York. However, childcare is only one facet of improving the pipeline.The schedule of a chip fab may also be a challenge. The former Intel process engineer said that the on-call schedule, which meant she would have to cover in case anything went wrong at the factory, was "definitely" something that made her think about how it would affect longer-term family planning."When you're woken up multiple times during the night, and then you have to do your whole day the following day, I imagine that'd be particularly challenging for birthing mothers. You'd have to stay physically within two hours of the factory that entire week, just in case of any emergency," she said.Closing the gender gap in the chip industry will require more efforts from companies and top leadership to make these career paths more inclusive and stable. Some women say there have been some improvements in inclusivity and building community.The former process engineer said that she now takes part in an all-women cohort at her company that has monthly meetings. In these meetings, they discuss podcasts and readings about leadership, and company veterans and newcomers alike can share different ideas."It's not just like one person leading it. There are several different cohorts with different leaders, and it really just seems to be supported by our senior management," she said.Got a tip or an insight to share? Contact the reporter Helen Li at <a target="_blank" href="mailto:ecosgrove@businessinsider.com">hli@insider.com</a> or use the secure-messaging app Signal with the username: hliwrites.99.

Chip companies like Nvidia and Intel are facing a major gender gap amid the AI boom

<ul class="summary-list"><li>Donald Tang is the executive chairman of Shein and is considered by some to be its public face.</li><li>Tang, an immigrant from China, has a media and investment banking background.</li></ul><a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/who-is-shein-ceo-xu-yangtian-chris-sky-shein-ipo-2024-6">Shein's CEO</a> is known for keeping out of the limelight, but the company's chair isn't afraid of a little attention.The Financial Times reported that Chinese-American entrepreneur and <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/what-is-shein-billion-dollar-fast-fashion-company-explained-2023-7">Shein Executive Chair</a> Donald Tang has, in recent months, taken over as the company's public face.An anonymous colleague of Tang's told the FT he's considered the most "visible leader" of the company, adding that employees joke they wouldn't recognize Shein's billionaire CEO, Xu Yangtian, if they shared an elevator together.It's unclear why Yangtian prefers to live in the shadows, but Business Insider previously reported that it could be his way of avoiding attention from the Chinese government, which can exert significant control over companies in the country.While Shein's headquarters moved to Singapore in 2021, the company was founded in China in 2008 and still contracts with thousands of Chinese factories to produce its styles. Its largest market is the US — and the company does not sell its products in China, <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.wsj.com/business/shein-ipo-china-us-london-513066a1">The Wall Street Journal</a> reported.As Shein's executive chairman, Tang navigates the intricacies of doing business in both worlds.<h2 id="5b7fee95-abad-4ade-b929-99c31447e473">A media mogul turned entrepreneur</h2>Tang, a media mogul turned <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/shein-2-billion-profit-2023-ipo-fast-fashion-environmentally-conscious-2024-3">fast-fashion</a> entrepreneur, began his business journey as an immigrant from China to the US. In a 2006 personal essay in the Los Angeles Times, Tang wrote that he came with $20 to his name to pursue a relationship with his future wife, Jean.He wrote that he met Jean at a math competition and even skipped a grade to be with her. Tang eventually confessed his feelings to her in class, and when her family moved to America, he spent nine months working to get approved to move abroad."Love empowers people to do wonderful things," Tang wrote. "As a nation of immigrants, we are an amalgamation of love stories from around the world."Tang previously worked at Merrill Lynch and Co. and later as a Bear Stearns investment banker, where he became chief executive of its operations in Asia. He eventually founded the media holding company Tang Media Partners, which acquired US distributor Open Road Films in 2017. Open Road Films later became Global Road Entertainment, distributing the sci-fi film "A.X.L." among a handful of other projects.According to reports, Global Road Entertainment declared Chapter 11 bankruptcy in 2018, less than a year after Tang failed to raise enough capital.In 2022, Tang was brought in by Shein as an executive vice chairman, where he became "a powerful force in shaping the future" of the company, FT reported a person who worked with him said.<h2 id="8b3057f3-4dab-4322-8943-9d8b8662463b">An executive chairman with broad oversight</h2>Tang was promoted to executive chairman a year after joining Shein and was given oversight of the company's public affairs, business strategy, corporate development, and finance.His front-facing role came as the fast-fashion retailer considered going public on the New York Stock Exchange. The company, last valued at $66 billion, is one of the largest in the world, catering to consumers worldwide with its inexpensive and seasonal clothes and accessories.However, the Journal reported that the company's journey to an American <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/inside-shein-path-ipo-climate-fast-fashion-controversies-stock-exchange-2024-5#:~:text=Despite%20its%20consumer%20popularity%2C%20Shein,reporting%20requirements%20than%20private%20companies.">IPO</a> has faced an uphill battle as Shein finds itself in the middle of US-China tensions. Chinese officials want the company to abide by national messaging for major corporations in the country, while Washington lawmakers are skeptical of the company's ties to China, the outlet noted. As a result, Shein shifted its efforts to a public listing in London.Shein is also the subject of continued scrutiny for <a target="_blank" href="https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cg67w73nxqxo">exploiting workers</a>, <a target="_blank" href="https://www.telegraph.co.uk/fashion/news/shein-emma-farley-chinese-fast-fashion-plagiarism-cheap/">plagiarizing designers</a>, selling garments <a target="_blank" href="https://www.greenpeace.org/international/press-release/56979/taking-the-shine-off-shein-hazardous-chemicals-in-shein-products-break-eu-regulations-new-report-finds/">containing hazardous chemicals</a>, and contributing <a target="_blank" href="https://time.com/6247732/shein-climate-change-labor-fashion/">to the climate crisis</a>.Tang has played a role in affirming that Shein aims to improve despite its past errors.In an interview with Time Magazine following a heavily criticized <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/influencer-shein-brand-trip-ignoring-worker-abuses-2023-6">influencer trip to a Shein factory</a>, Tang told the publication that the company aimed to do better to ensure that factories complied with labor standards."We're committed to better working conditions. We have done quite a lot since last year. That's not enough," Tang told the publication. "We have to do a lot more to ensure that consumers are taken care of and that workers are taken care of."Representatives for Shein declined to comment for this story when reached by Business Insider.

Who is Donald Tang, the public face of Shein, who employees know better than their own company's CEO?

It was already a hectic day when my <keyword id="19996817" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="insurance" source="keywords">insurance</keyword> broker left a frantic voicemail telling me that my homeowner's insurance had lapsed. I felt nauseous and naked. Suddenly, any leak, fire, or tree branch falling onto the hundred-year-old Hudson Valley house that's been in my family for nearly 40 years could <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/stock-market-meltdown-rebound-fed-japan-interest-rate-decision-emergency-2024-8">wipe out</a> my bank account. I spiraled in shame. How did I let this happen? Did I forget to update a <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/credit-card-rewards-points-friends-fights-brunch-money-payment-venmo-2024-7">credit card</a>? Did I miss a bill? Did I do something wrong with the policy? But when I checked my records, even the <keyword id="20508386" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Travelers" source="keywords" meta.keywordsubtype="org" meta.entityname="Travelers" meta.hostid="261" meta.entityid="Travelers">Travelers</keyword> website, there was nothing. A few hours later, my panic turned to bewilderment. When I finally reached my insurance broker, he told me the reason Travelers revoked my policy: AI-powered aerial <keyword id="19942081" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="surveillance" source="keywords">surveillance</keyword>. My finances were imperiled, it seemed, by a bad piece of code. I take privacy and surveillance extremely seriously — so seriously that I started one of the leading <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.stopspying.org/">think tanks</a> on the topic, the Surveillance Technology Oversight Project. But while I study <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/amazon-walmart-warehouse-surveillance-employees-oxfam-report-2024-4">surveillance</a> threats around the country for a living, I had no idea that my own insurance company was using my premium dollars to spy on me. Travelers not only uses <a target="_blank" href="https://www.travelers.com/about-travelers/technology-analytics/data-driven-and-powered-by-ai">aerial photography and AI</a> to monitor its customers' roofs, but also <a target="_blank" href="https://ppubs.uspto.gov/dirsearch-public/print/downloadPdf/20240005470">wrote patents on the technology</a> — nearly 50 patents actually. And it may not be the only insurer spying from the skies. This didn't just feel creepy and invasive — it felt wrong. Literally wrong: There was nothing wrong with my <keyword id="20715650" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="roof" source="keywords">roof</keyword>. I'm a lazy homeowner. I hate gardening, and I don't clean as often as I should. But I still take care of the essentials. Whether it's upgrading the electrical or installing a new HVAC, I try to make sure my home is safe. But to Travelers' <keyword id="19899640" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="AI" source="keywords">AI</keyword>, it appeared, my laziness was too big a risk to insure. Its algorithm didn't detect an issue with the foundation or a concern with a leaky pipe. Instead, as my broker revealed, the ominous threat that canceled my insurance was nothing more than moss. Where there's moisture, there's moss, and if you leave a huge amount of it on a roof for a protracted period, it can undermine the roof's lifespan. A small amount is largely harmless. Still, treating it couldn't be simpler. Sure, I could have knocked out the moss sooner, but life was busy, and so it kept falling (and growing) between the cracks. Finally, in June, weeks before I knew my roof was being surveilled, I went to the hardware store, spent 80 bucks on moss killer, hooked the white bottle of chemicals up to the garden hose, and sprayed it on the roof. The whole thing took about five minutes. A few days later, much to my relief, the moss was dying. I thought it was the end of an entirely unmemorable story. Who knows. Maybe if I'd done that a month sooner, Travelers' technology never would have flagged me, never would've said I was an insurance risk. But one of the deep frustrations of the AI-surveillance age is that as companies and governments track ever more of our lives in ever more detail, we rarely know we're being watched. At least not until it's too late to change their minds. While there's no way to know exactly how many other Travelers customers have been targeted by the company's surveillance program, I'm certainly not the first. In February, Boston's ABC affiliate reported on a customer who was threatened with nonrenewal if she didn't replace her roof. The roof was well within its life expectancy, and the customer hadn't encountered any issues with leaks; still, she was told that without a roof replacement she wouldn't be insured. She said she faced a $30,000 bill to replace a slate roof that experts estimated could have lasted another 70 years. Insurers have every incentive to be overly cautious in how they build their AI models. No one can use AI to know the future; you're training the technology to make guesses based on changes in roof color and grainy aerial images. But even the best AI models will get a lot of predictions wrong, especially at scale and particularly where you're trying to make guesses about the future of radically different roof designs across countless buildings in various environments. For the insurance companies designing the algorithms, that means a lot of questions about when to put a thumb on the scale in favor of, or against, the homeowner. And insurance companies will have huge incentives to choose against the <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/why-are-new-homes-ugly-construction-builders-design-materials-architecture-2024-7">homeowner</a> every time. Think about it: Every time the <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/ai-quietly-picking-your-pocket-with-personalized-pricing-2024-7">AI gives the green light</a> to a roof that actually has something wrong, the insurance company picks up the bill. Each time that happens, the company can add that data point to its model and train it to be even more risk-averse. But when homeowners are threatened with cancellation, they pick up the bill for repairs, even if repairs are unnecessary. If the Boston homeowner throws out a slate roof with 70 years of life left in it, the insurance company never knows it was wrong to remove it. It never updates the model to be less aggressive for similar homes. Over time, insurance companies will have every incentive to make the models more and more unforgiving, threatening more Americans with loss of coverage and potentially driving millions or billions of dollars' worth of unnecessary home repairs. And as insurers face increasing losses due to the climate crisis and inflation, the pressure to push unnecessary preventive repairs on customers will only rise. A confusing coda to this whole ordeal was what Travelers said when I reached out with a detailed list of fact-checking questions and a request for an interview. In response, a spokesperson sent a terse denial: "Artificial intelligence analysis/modeling and drone surveillance are not a part of our underwriting decision process. When available, our underwriters may reference high-resolution aerial imagery as part of a holistic review of property conditions." How did this make sense given what was written on Travelers' own website and patent applications? Then the precision and slipperiness of the language started to stand out. What exactly counts as the "underwriting decision process"? When Travelers boasts online that its workers "rely on algorithms and aerial imagery to identify a roof's shape — typically a time-consuming process for customers — with close to 90% accuracy," does that classification not count as the underwriting process? And even though Travelers has flown <a target="_blank" href="https://www.aloft.ai/wp-content/uploads/2021/05/Travelers-case-study-updated-5.14.21.pdf">tens of thousands of drone flights</a>, are those not part of underwriting? And if AI and drones aren't actually affecting customers, why file so many patent applications like "<a target="_blank" href="https://ppubs.uspto.gov/dirsearch-public/print/downloadPdf/20240005470">Systems and Methods for Artificial Intelligence (AI) Roof Deterioration Analysis</a>"? It felt like the company was trying to have it both ways, boasting about using the latest and greatest tech while avoiding accountability for errors. When I brought these follow-up questions to the company, Travelers did not respond. Thankfully, my own roof isn't going anywhere, at least not for now. A few hours after my panicked ordeal with Travelers began and I started to scramble to find new coverage, the situation resolved. Travelers admitted that it screwed up. It never conceded that its AI was wrong to tag me. But it revealed the reason I couldn't find my cancellation notice: The company never sent it. Travelers may have invested huge sums in neural networks and drones, but it apparently never updated its billing software to reliably handle the basics. Without a nonrenewal notice, it couldn't legally cancel coverage. Bad cutting edge tech screwed me over; bad basic software bailed me out. Part of what is so disturbing about the whole episode is how opaque it was. When Travelers took aerial footage of my house, I never knew. When it decided I was too much of a risk, I had no way of knowing why or how. As more and more companies use more and more opaque forms of AI to decide the course of our lives, we're all at risk. AI may give companies a quick way to save some money, but when these systems use our data to make decisions about our lives, we're the ones who bear the risk. Maddening as dealing with a human insurance agent is, it's clear that AI and surveillance are not the right replacements. And unless lawmakers take action, the situation will only get worse. The reason I still have insurance is simple consumer-protection laws. New York state won't allow Travelers to revoke my insurance without notice. But why do we let companies like Travelers use AI on us in the first place without any protections? A century ago, lawmakers saw the need to regulate the insurance market and make policies more transparent, but now updated laws are needed to protect us from the AI trying to decide our fates. If not, the future looks unsettling. Insurance is one of the few things that protect us from the risks of modern life. Without AI safeguards, the algorithms will take what little peace of mind our policies give us. Correction: August 9, 2024 — A previous version of this story cited a Travelers broker who said the company flew a drone over the author's house. After the story was published, Travelers clarified that any "high-resolution aerial imagery" it used did not come from a drone. <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/author/albert-fox-cahn">Albert Fox Cahn</a> is the founder and executive director of the Surveillance Technology Oversight Project, or STOP, a New York-based civil-rights and privacy group.

My insurance company spied on my house from the sky. Then the real nightmare began.

<ul class="summary-list"><li>The Biden administration has set the first-ever limits on levels of PFAS in drinking water.</li><li>These "forever chemicals" are linked to some cancers, lower fertility, and other health issues.</li></ul>The Biden administration is cracking down on toxic "forever chemicals" that are widespread in America's tap water, food, and household products.The EPA on Wednesday finalized the first-ever limits on levels of PFAS in drinking water, putting the chemicals in the same class of other well-known pollutants like lead, arsenic, and nitrate.PFAS are called "forever chemicals" because they don't biodegrade and instead accumulate in the environment and our bodies over time, creating a hazard to human health. Peer-reviewed <a target="_blank" href="https://www.epa.gov/pfas/our-current-understanding-human-health-and-environmental-risks-pfas">studies have linked</a> them to some cancers, decreased fertility, reduced vaccine response, high cholesterol, and developmental delays in children."It is easily the most consequential and difficult decision to protect drinking water in the past 30 years," Ken Cook, president of the Environmental Working Group, told reporters.He added that the watchdog group started researching PFAS more than two decades ago and found PFAS everywhere they tested, including in umbilical cord blood.The chemicals were originally developed in the 1940s to make non-stick cookware, and then exploded in use in clothing, carpets, food packaging, and firefighting foam used by airports and military bases to put out jet-fuel fires. Companies that make PFAS also dumped the chemical into waterways, landfills, and unlined pits in states like North Carolina and Minnesota.EPA Administrator Michael Regan is announcing the new limits in drinking water in Fayetteville, North Carolina, where residents in 2017 learned a river was heavily contaminated with PFAS pollution from a manufacturing plant owned by Chemours, and DuPont before it."This action will prevent thousands of deaths and reduce tens of thousands of serious illnesses," Regan told reporters, citing EPA estimates about the impact of the drinking water limits.There are thousands of different types of PFAS manufactured today. The EPA is regulating six of them based on research linking them to harm and showing they are prevalent in drinking water, David Andrews, deputy director of investigations and senior scientists at EWG, told BI.They include PFOA and PFOS that persist in waterways and the environment, despite being phased out of production in the US since the 2000s. The EPA said these two chemicals effectively aren't safe at any level, but the lowest level modern labs can detect in drinking water is 4 parts per trillion — the limit the agency set.The limit for several other chemicals is 10 parts per trillion. EPA also set limits for mixtures of two or more PFAS chemicals, because research shows they may have combined health impacts.States and local water officials will have five years to comply with the new limits: Three to test PFAS levels; and if they exceed the federal limits, another two years to install technology that cleans up the water. The administration is making $1 billion available in grants for public water systems and private well owners to install treatment technology.Senior administration officials said they expect up to 10% of the 66,000 water systems in the US will have to take steps to comply. That means the vast majority won't detect PFAS levels beyond the new limits. But this is just an estimate, they added. The first three years of sampling will indicate the real scope of the problem."The technology is there, especially to clean up drinking water, to filter these compounds out of the water. So it becomes a question of cost and political feasibility," Andrews previously told BI."The agency has known about the harms that these chemicals can cause for decades," he added. "For too long, many people across the country have had been drinking contaminated water levels that likely impact health."The Biden administration has a broader $9 billion PFAS strategy that goes beyond drinking water, including military bases, airports, and food packaging.The FDA <a target="_blank" href="https://www.fda.gov/food/cfsan-constituent-updates/fda-announces-pfas-used-grease-proofing-agents-food-packaging-no-longer-being-sold-us">in February said</a> paper food packaging — like fast-food wrappers, microwave popcorn bags, and take-out pizza boxes — is no longer being made with certain kinds of grease-proofing PFAS. The voluntary phase-out eliminated the main source of exposure from our diets, the agency said. Still, there are lingering stocks of packaging that contain PFAS that could take months to be exhausted.Some scientists told BI that while these are important steps, they aren't enough to control PFAS contamination."It's better than no regulation, but it's really just a Band Aid solution to the entire problem," Carmen Messerlian, a professor of reproductive environmental epidemiology at Harvard's TH Chan School of Public Health, who studies PFAS, said. "We should regulate the entire class of chemicals and stop companies from manufacturing them to begin with, rather than try to regulate how much is in our water."Correction: April 10, 2024: An earlier version of this article misspelled Carmen Messerlian's last name.

Your drinking water could contain fewer hazardous 'forever chemicals' under new federal rules

<keyword id="19896380" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Reliance-Industries" source="keywords" meta.keywordsubtype="org" meta.entityname="Reliance Industries" meta.hostid="261" meta.entityid="Reliance Industries">Reliance Industries</keyword>, under the leadership of <keyword id="19916798" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Mukesh-Ambani" source="keywords">Mukesh Ambani</keyword>, showcased its vision for the future during the company’s Annual General Meeting (AGM) that was held today (August 29). During the AGM, <keyword id="19936674" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="reliance" source="keywords">Reliance</keyword> laid out ambitious plans that span across its diverse businesses. The conglomerate, which has interests ranging from oil to telecom to retail, is positioning itself as a key player in India’s growth story, with a particular focus on <keyword id="20239522" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="technological-innovation" source="keywords">technological innovation</keyword>, energy security, and retail expansion. <h2>Not chasing short-term profits</h2><keyword id="19898589" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="ambani" source="keywords">Ambani</keyword>, during his speech, said that Reliance is not merely chasing short-term profits but is dedicated to creating long-term wealth for the nation. He reiterated the company’s commitment to providing high-quality products and services that enhance the lives of Indian consumers. The chairman announced that the company’s board will consider issuing bonus shares on September 5, further rewarding shareholders as Reliance continues to grow. <h2>Transforming into a deep-tech company</h2>A major theme of the AGM this year was Reliance’s transformation into a deep tech company, with advanced manufacturing capabilities at its core. Ambani described this shift as essential to securing a place in the global top-30 companies in the near future. He highlighted the company’s strategic adoption of artificial intelligence (AI), calling it one of the most transformative events in human history. AI, he noted, opens up new avenues to address complex problems, making Reliance a net producer of technology. Reliance has been making significant strides in R&amp;D, with over ₹3,643 crore invested in FY24 alone, taking the total research expenditure to over ₹11,000 crore in the last four years. This investment is driving innovations in various areas, including bio-energy, solar power, green energy, and high-value chemicals. The company has also been active in digital research, filing patents in 6G, 5G, AI, and IoT, among others. Ambani assured that this tech-driven transformation would propel Reliance into a new phase of hyper-growth, multiplying its value in the coming years. <h2><keyword id="20337020" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="retail-business" source="keywords">Retail business</keyword> to double</h2>In addition to technological advancements, Reliance Retail, the company’s retail arm, is set to double its business in the next three to four years. Isha Ambani, Director of Reliance Retail, shared that the retail segment recorded a gross revenue of ₹3.06 lakh crore for the financial year ending March 31, 2024, marking a 17.8% growth over the previous year. The retail business has rapidly expanded, with Reliance opening 1,840 new stores in the past year, bringing the total to 18,836 stores across 79 million square feet of retail space. This growth has positioned Reliance Retail among the top-5 global retailers in terms of store count and among the top-10 in market capitalization globally. Isha Ambani emphasised that much of this growth is driven by a focus on smaller towns, where two-thirds of the new stores have been opened. Reliance Retail is also focused on creating high-quality, affordable products through its Consumer Brands business, which has seen the re-launch of popular brands like Campa, Lotus Chocolates, and Sosyo. Mukesh Ambani concluded by underscoring Reliance’s mission to provide energy security to India while also contributing to a cleaner and greener world. As the global landscape becomes increasingly uncertain, he expressed confidence in India’s role as a key growth engine in the global economy. The International Monetary Fund (IMF) projects that India will become the world’s third-largest economy by 2027, surpassing Japan and Germany. Ambani affirmed that Reliance will continue to be a driving force in India’s march toward becoming a developed nation.

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