Best printers for Home

Best Mixer Grinder

Best wired Earphones

Best 43 Inch TV in India

Best Wi Fi Routers

Best Home Theatre in India

Smart Watch under 5000

Best Laptops for Education

Best Laptop for Students

<keyword id="22976106" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="indoor" source="keywords">Indoor</keyword> <keyword id="19900550" type="General" weightage="100" keywordseo="air-pollution" source="keywords">air pollution</keyword> is a bigger <keyword id="21117961" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="health-risk" source="keywords">health risk</keyword> than <keyword id="20543591" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="outdoor" source="keywords">outdoor</keyword> air pollution in India, and sometimes cities are cleaner than nearby villages where <keyword id="22976772" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="household-pollution" source="keywords">household pollution</keyword> is higher, according to the country's two top policy experts. Addressing the India <keyword id="20445293" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="clean-air" source="keywords">Clean Air</keyword> Summit (ICAS) 2024, Principal Advisor, <keyword id="19904190" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Ministry-of-Health-and-Family-Welfare" source="keywords" meta.keywordsubtype="org" meta.entityname="Ministry of Health and Family Welfare" meta.hostid="83" meta.entityid="Ministry of Health and Family Welfare">Ministry of Health and Family Welfare</keyword>, Soumya Swaminathan said, "Studies done in Delhi have shown that women's average exposure to high levels of <keyword id="20827287" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="black-carbon" source="keywords">black carbon</keyword> (women <keyword id="19895006" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="WHO" source="keywords">who</keyword> are mostly at home) is as much as auto-rickshaw passengers going around outdoor exposed to the ambient air pollution in Delhi, resulting in high systolic blood pressure." "Cities contribute less than 20 per cent to the overall state emissions, wherever they have been assessed, but household emissions predominate, ranging between 20 per cent and 40 per cent. Across the country, we are seeing is that sometimes cities are cleaner than the surrounding villages where household air pollution predominates," she said at the summit organised by think-tank Center for Study of Science, Technology and Policy. This builds a strong case for expanding the scope of India's National Clean Air Programme (<keyword id="20133150" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="NCAP" source="keywords">NCAP</keyword>), which currently focuses on non-attainment cities. Air pollution is a major threat to public health and contributes to a significant amount of morbidity as well as mortality. Apart from PM2.5 and PM10, short-lived climate pollutants such as black carbon, methane, ozone, and hydrocarbons have the potential to harm the environment and warm the atmosphere even more than CO2. Black carbon can cause chronic respiratory illnesses, lung cancer, emphysema, pneumonia, asthma, heart disease, and low birthweight. "In terms of reducing our life expectancy, globally, PM2.5 is contributing to about 2.3 years of life lost. Just below that is tobacco. In fact, there's so much attention on tobacco and global frameworks for control, but not the same level of attention has been paid to PM2.5 and certainly not the same level of commitments," Swaminathan said. The impact of air pollution is not limited to public health but has a significant economic cost as well. Recently, the World Bank published a study highlighting that air pollution has resulted in a loss of around USD 8.1 trillion in 2019, which is 6.1 per cent of the global gross domestic product (GDP). "We are always talking about air pollution as a problem but studies also show a strong economic case for action on clean air. There are significant positive consequences to investing in cleaning up the air in terms of the return on investments. We know air pollution is not just bad for our health, but it's also bad for agriculture, because it reduces the sunlight that's reaching the crops and it's bad for our economy or any country's economy as it deters people from coming and living or visiting those places," Swaminathan added. Kalpana Balakrishnan, Director, WHO Collaborating Center for Occupational and Environmental Health, said that the main barrier to shifting to clean cooking fuels that can help reduce household air pollution levels is finance. "If we give free LPG to women for two years, they are unlikely to shift back to biomass cooking even if you remove the subsidies," she said. Through Pradhan Mantri Ujjwala Yojana (PMUY) launched in May 2016, more than 100 million households in India received LPG cylinders by the end of March 2023. Studies shows over 50 per cent of the households that received new LPG cylinders under PMUY did not choose to refill it even once. Around a third of the world's population - 2.4 billion people globally (including 500 million people in India) - still lack access to clean cooking solutions. Although the Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas (MOPNG) claims that the country's household LPG "coverage" stands at 99.8 per cent, the National Family Health Survey conducted in 2019-21 (NFHS-5) shows that 41 per cent of the population still cooks on biomass.

Indoor air pollution poses greater health risk than outdoor: Experts

Nanoplastics and microplastics (NMPs) are sneaky invaders, hiding in the tap water we drink every day. These tiny fragments of plastic have already been linked to unsettling changes in gut health and antibiotic resistance, raising alarm bells about their impact on our bodies. But here’s some refreshing news: scientists have discovered a surprisingly simple solution — boiling your water. <h2>A kitchen hack for cleaner water</h2>Researchers, led by biomedical engineer Zimin Yu, have found that boiling water and then filtering it can remove up to 90% of nanoplastics and microplastics from tap water. “This simple boiling water strategy can 'decontaminate' NMPs from household tap water and has the potential for harmlessly alleviating human intake of NMPs through water consumption,” the team explains. Even better? You probably already have the tools you need in your kitchen: a pot to boil water and a simple stainless steel mesh to filter out any leftover bits. <h2>How does it work?</h2>The trick lies in the build-up of limescale — or calcium carbonate — when water is heated. If you’ve ever peeked inside a kettle, you’ve seen this chalky layer. When water is boiled, calcium carbonate naturally precipitates out of the solution, forming a crust. This crust traps NMPs on its surface, making it easier to filter them out. “Our results showed that nanoplastic precipitation efficiency increased with increasing water hardness upon boiling,” the researchers write. For example, in soft water (low in calcium carbonate), the process managed to remove about 25% of NMPs. Meanwhile, in hard water (higher calcium carbonate levels), the process removed up to 90% of NMPs. <h2>The harder the water, the better the results</h2>Hard water, often considered a nuisance because of limescale, might actually be a secret weapon against microplastics. The researchers found that the harder the water, the more effective the boiling process was at capturing and removing plastic fragments. In water containing 300 mg/L of calcium carbonate, NMP removal reached an impressive 90%. Even at lower levels, such as 80 mg/L, over a third of the plastics were filtered out. Using a simple tea strainer or other household filters, these lime-encrusted plastic fragments can be easily removed before the water is consumed. <h2>Why it matters</h2>Microplastics aren’t just a problem for the planet — they’re becoming an intimate part of our daily lives. Previous studies have identified plastics like polystyrene, polyethylene, and polypropylene in drinking water. While the long-term effects on human health remain uncertain, the evidence suggests we’re better off without them. “Drinking boiled water apparently is a viable long-term strategy for reducing global exposure to NMPs,” the researchers say. For many, boiling water before drinking it is already a cultural norm. But the researchers hope their findings will encourage more people worldwide to adopt this practice as plastics continue infiltrating our water sources. The findings of this research have been published in Environmental Science &amp; Technology Letters and can be accessed <a href="https://pubs.acs.org/doi/10.1021/acs.estlett.4c00081">here</a>.

Worried about the harmful microplastics in your water? You just need to boil and strain it before consumption

A recent study suggests that <keyword id="11898020" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="cooking" source="Orion">cooking</keyword> with gas stoves poses a significant health risk due to the emission of harmful nanoparticles. These nanoparticles, significantly smaller than the width of a human hair, are easily inhaled and can bypass the body's natural defenses, potentially reaching deep into the respiratory system and other organs. The study's findings reveal that <keyword id="6664163" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="gas-stove" source="Orion">gas stove</keyword> emissions can be 10 to 100 times higher in concentration than nanocluster aerosols found in car exhaust fumes on busy streets. This raises concerns, as these nanoparticles are linked to an increased risk of developing asthma and other respiratory illnesses. The research team, led by Professor <keyword id="20792870" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="nusrat-jung" source="keywords">Nusrat Jung</keyword>, measured the emission of nanocluster aerosols during various cooking activities, including boiling water and grilling sandwiches. Their findings showed that even short cooking periods released trillions of these nanoparticles into the air, potentially impacting the entire household. While the study doesn't advocate for drastic measures like switching to historical steam appliances, it highlights the importance of using kitchen exhaust fans while cooking with gas stoves. Ideally, these fans should automatically activate to effectively remove harmful nanoparticles from the indoor environment. However, further research is needed to determine the exact effectiveness of exhaust fans in mitigating <keyword id="119851" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="nanoparticle" source="Orion">nanoparticle</keyword> exposure. Additionally, the researchers call for recognising nanocluster aerosols as a distinct category of air pollutants in future regulations, emphasising the need for stricter controls to safeguard indoor air quality. The findings of this research have been published in PNAS Nexus.

Gas stoves create more nanoparticle pollution than a busy street with diesel and gas cars, study finds

Those fast-food wrappers, paper plates, and non-stick pans share a hidden danger you might not be aware of: a hefty dose of liver disease and cancer-causing "forever chemicals". These "forever chemicals," formally known as per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (<keyword id="20307473" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="pfas" source="keywords">PFAS</keyword>), were a notable invention. Their strong carbon-fluorine bond makes them very strong, making them ideal for protecting food packaging and clothing. Even in landfills, PFAS stubbornly resist natural breakdown. Rainwater then carries them to our waterways, and eventually, to us. Numerous studies have investigated the effects of PFAS on our bodies, and unsurprisingly, the results aren't pretty. Exposure to these forever chemicals has been linked to <keyword id="464029" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="liver-damage" source="Orion">liver damage</keyword>, weakened immune and nervous systems, cancers, and even impaired brain development in newborns. PFAS have around since the 1950s, and studies suggest almost every adult in the US has some within their system. A recent study even found some German drinking water containing levels of forever chemicals exceeding safe limits. Fortunately, places like New Zealand and California are starting to ban these chemicals in commercial products. Naturally, you might wonder why we can't simply treat our water to remove these contaminants. Unfortunately, it's quite challenging, especially for large volumes. Traditional methods like activated carbon or reverse osmosis just clump the PFAS together, requiring further treatment and disposal – and the chemicals aren't even destroyed! In some cases, it even worsens environmental contamination. But there's a ray of hope! Researchers have discovered that bombarding the two most common types of PFAS – <keyword id="20660118" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="pfoa" source="keywords">PFOA</keyword> from Teflon and PFOS from household cleaners and sprays – with high-energy electron beams can break them down, even in large amounts of water! This study showed that the <keyword id="2839306" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="electron-beam" source="Orion">electron beam</keyword> swiftly destroys the forever chemicals, making it potentially highly beneficial for treating groundwater using conventional methods. The researchers even believe it could be used directly on water from factories before it's released. While more research and development are needed for large-scale implementation, this breakthrough offers a promising avenue for tackling the "forever chemicals challenge. However, collaboration between scientists, industry, and the government will be crucial for advancing this technology and exploring its wider applications. In the meantime, public awareness and responsible use of PFAS-containing products can help prevent further contamination. The research supporting this article can be accessed <a href="https://news.fnal.gov/2024/01/researchers-at-fermilab-use-electron-beams-to-eradicate-forever-chemicals-in-water/" data-type="tilCustomLink">here</a>.

Worried about 'forever chemicals' in your water? Try electron-beaming it!

<ul class="summary-list"><li>Certain <keyword id="12103232" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="viruses" source="Orion">viruses</keyword> can hitch a ride on <keyword id="12318690" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="microplastics" source="Orion">microplastics</keyword> to increase their odds of survival.</li><li>Viruses attached to plastic particles can stay infectious for up to three days.</li></ul>Plastic <keyword id="11932995" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="pollution" source="Orion">pollution</keyword> in lakes and rivers is not only a risk to water-dwelling wildlife, but also to humans who may get sick after swimming.More than half of Brits who have tried "wild swimming" in untreated waters have subsequently fallen ill, including many cases of gastrointestinal distress, the advocacy group <a href="https://www.sas.org.uk/news/sas-on-poo-watch-ahead-of-the-jubilee-weekend/">Surfers Against Sewage</a> reported in June.Viruses that cause vomiting and diarrhea can stick to microplastics and stay infectious for up to three days in freshwater, according to a study published in the journal <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0269749122008089">Environmental Pollution</a>.Researchers at the University of Stirling, in Scotland, experimented with tiny plastic pellets similar to those found in waterways around the world. They found that viruses were able to survive longer on the microplastics compared to natural materials.Microplastics have been found in virtually every corner of the world since their discovery more than 20 years ago. They're no larger than grains of rice, and humans and animals unknowingly ingest them by <a href="https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fendo.2021.724989/full">drinking water and breathing air</a>.While scientists aren't entirely sure <a href="https://www.insider.com/you-are-consuming-microplastics-how-much-what-to-know-risks-2022-4">how microplastic consumption affects human health</a> on a wide scale, recent research has revealed that plastic pollution can influence the survival of viruses in foreign environments, which has the potential to affect the spread of disease.<h2>Plastics may pick up viruses in sewer systems</h2>Microplastics can come from household waste and road run-off, either depositing directly into rivers or making their way through sewers.The authors of the pollution study suggested that plastic particles meet viruses in sewage systems, since humans shed various pathogens in their poop.Stomach bugs like <keyword id="12601184" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="norovirus" source="Orion">norovirus</keyword> and rotavirus are found in particularly high concentrations in human waste, they noted. Even after sewage is treated, these viruses have been <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0048969718311951?via%3Dihub">detected in the sludge</a> that's deposited in waterways and have been known to <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC8401112/">contaminate shellfish beds</a>.The same research group previously found <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0025326X22004489">sewage-borne pathogens</a>, including the bacteria E. coli, on plastic waste that had washed up on beaches in Scotland.<h2>Some viruses stick to plastics better than others</h2>When viruses or bacteria combine with microplastics in the sewage system, they can survive for longer and travel further than they would on their own, increasing the risk to beachgoers and wildlife.The researchers found that the <a href="https://www.cdc.gov/rotavirus/index.html">rotavirus</a>, a gastrointestinal virus that affects babies and children, stuck to the plastics better and was more likely to survive compared to the other virus tested. The rotavirus shares some structural similarities with other stomach bugs and the viruses that cause common colds, in that it lacks a viral envelope. Non-enveloped viruses may have a better chance at sticking to plastics, the authors concluded."It doesn't take many virus particles to make you sick," lead researcher Richard Quilliam told <a href="https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2022/06/27/getting-going-swimming-microplastics-may-behind/">The Telegraph</a>. "And if the viruses then release themselves from the plastic into the water or the sand, their persistence in the environment is increased."

Microplastics can carry vomiting viruses in fresh water for up to 3 days

<ul class="summary-list"><li><keyword id="12299572" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="phthalates" source="Orion">Phthalates</keyword> exposure was linked to early death in a new study.</li><li>The chemicals are known to disrupt hormones, leading to a range of <keyword id="11894571" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="health" source="Orion">health</keyword> problems.</li></ul>Exposure to a common class of chemicals called phthalates was linked to premature deaths, especially deaths caused by heart disease, a new study published on Tuesday in <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0269749121016031">Environmental Pollution</a> found.The man-made chemicals are found in <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/how-to-avoid-pfas-in-water-and-food-2019-8">hundreds of consumer products</a>, including food-storage containers, shampoo, <a href="https://www.insider.com/how-to-avoid-cancer-linked-forever-chemicals-pfas-in-makeup-2021-7">makeup</a>, perfume, and children's toys. For decades, scientists have known that phthalates can interfere with important hormone function. Even the smallest hormonal disruptions can cause significant effects - including developmental and reproductive issues, as well as problems with the brain and immune system - the <a href="https://www.niehs.nih.gov/health/topics/agents/endocrine/index.cfm">National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences</a> said.Phthalates exposure has been explicitly linked to <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6277685/">obesity</a>, <a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/24499162/">diabetes</a>, and <a href="https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fphar.2020.626448/full">heart disease</a> in several studies."These chemicals have a rap sheet," Leonardo Trasande, the lead author and director of NYU Langone's Center for the Investigation of Environmental Hazards, told <a href="https://www.cnn.com/2021/10/12/health/plastic-chemical-early-death-wellness/index.html">CNN</a>. "And the fact of the matter is that when you look at the entire body of evidence, it provides a haunting pattern of concern."Trasande and colleagues at NYU Grossman School of Medicine analyzed data from more than 5,000 adults between the ages of 55 and 64. They found that those with the highest level of phthalates in their urine were more likely to die earlier than expected, especially of heart-related causes.The study calculated that between 91,000 to 107,000 American adults a year suffer premature deaths linked to these chemicals. The authors put a price tag on those early deaths: an estimated $40 billion to $47 billion each year in lost economic productivity.<h2>'Everywhere chemicals' can pose a risk if eaten or inhaled</h2>Phthalates are typically added to products to make them longer-lasting. Various plastic tubing and some children's toys might contain the chemicals so they're harder to break, and toiletries and cosmetics commonly include phthalates to maintain fragrance.The <keyword id="12299571" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="chemical" source="Orion">chemical</keyword> class is so common that phthalates are nicknamed "everywhere chemicals." The chemicals pose a threat if inhaled or ingested, so <a href="https://www.insider.com/half-of-kids-under-age-6-have-lead-blood-study-2021-9">children are at an especially high risk</a> of exposure as they tend to put their hands in their mouths.In an email to Insider, Trasande shared a list of tips for keeping phthalates <a href="https://www.insider.com/how-to-avoid-household-products-that-contain-toxic-pfas-chemicals-2021-7">out of your home</a>:<ul><li>Use unscented lotions and laundry detergents.</li><li>Use cleaning supplies without scents.</li><li>Use glass, stainless steel, ceramic, or wood to hold and store foods.</li><li>Buy fresh or frozen fruits and vegetables instead of canned and processed versions.</li><li>Avoid air fresheners and all plastics labeled as No. 3, No. 6, and No. 7.</li><li>Avoid microwaving and machine dishwashing plastics.</li></ul><h2>Industry leaders pushed back</h2>The American Chemistry Council, which represents the US chemical, plastics, and chlorine industries, sent <a href="https://www.cnn.com/2021/10/12/health/plastic-chemical-early-death-wellness/index.html">CNN</a> a statement calling the study "demonstrably inaccurate" because it lumped all phthalates into a single group rather than considering the differences in toxicity.But Trasande told Insider that the ACC's response was "predictably similar to those used by the tobacco industry when studies showed evidence of that harm," and that the council provided no evidence to contradict the study's findings.

Chemicals in shampoo and makeup are linked to early death, study finds

<ul class="summary-list"><li>Some 2.4 billion people cook on wood and charcoal fire pits or kerosene stoves.</li><li>This accounts for 2% of global greenhouse gas emissions and harms forests and public health.</li></ul>The modern stove probably doesn't make you think about protecting forests. A group backed by the United Nations wants to change that in hopes of unlocking billions of dollars in funding for a little-known climate solution. Some 2.4 billion people in the developing world lack access to "clean cooking," instead preparing food on wood and charcoal fire pits or inefficient kerosene stoves. The carbon-dioxide emissions are on par with the entire airline industry — about 2% of the global total — and exposure to soot shaves years off the lives of those who cook, who are often women and children. There is also a cost to nature: More than one-third of the wood harvested for fuel isn't replenished, which contributes to forest degradation and threatens growing investment in nature-based climate solutions, <a href="https://newsletter.businessinsider.com/click/28907130.24660/aHR0cHM6Ly9jbGVhbmNvb2tpbmcub3JnL3dwLWNvbnRlbnQvdXBsb2Fkcy8yMDIyLzA4L0FjY2VsZXJhdGluZy1DbGVhbi1Db29raW5nLWFzLWEtTmF0dXJlLUJhc2VkLUNsaW1hdGUtU29sdXRpb24ucGRmP3V0bV9jb250ZW50PUluc2lkZXJfU3VzdGFpbmFiaWxpdHk/628bdf90094963f5ad0eef3eBc937ca61" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener sponsored">according to a report out this week from the Clean Cooking Alliance</a>. "Lack of access to clean cooking is the most underinvested health and environmental problem in the world," Jillene Connors Belopolsky, the alliance's chief of staff and chief external-affairs officer, said. "It's historically been viewed as a women's issue." The alliance works to spur adoption of stoves that meet international standards for indoor air quality, including those that use liquefied petroleum gas, biogas or ethanol. Electric stoves and pressure cookers <a href="https://newsletter.businessinsider.com/click/28907130.24660/aHR0cHM6Ly93d3cud2hvLmludC9uZXdzLXJvb20vZmFjdC1zaGVldHMvZGV0YWlsL2hvdXNlaG9sZC1haXItcG9sbHV0aW9uLWFuZC1oZWFsdGg_dXRtX2NvbnRlbnQ9SW5zaWRlcl9TdXN0YWluYWJpbGl0eQ/628bdf90094963f5ad0eef3eB3116c3d6" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener sponsored">also make the list</a>. Even though liquefied petroleum gas is a fossil fuel, it pollutes less than wood and coal and is the most cost-effective solution in sub-Saharan Africa, <a href="https://newsletter.businessinsider.com/click/28907130.24660/aHR0cHM6Ly93d3cuaWVhLm9yZy9yZXBvcnRzL3NkZzctZGF0YS1hbmQtcHJvamVjdGlvbnMvYWNjZXNzLXRvLWNsZWFuLWNvb2tpbmc_dXRtX2NvbnRlbnQ9SW5zaWRlcl9TdXN0YWluYWJpbGl0eQ/628bdf90094963f5ad0eef3eB06466e7f" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener sponsored">where the vast majority of households</a> lack access to clean cooking and electricity, Belopolsky said. Farming communities also offer an opportunity in the region because animal and crop waste can be converted into biogas and ethanol. But scaling clean cooking is hamstrung by a lack of financing from wealthier countries and the private sector, similar to most climate efforts in the "global south," which faces the direst impacts of global warming but has contributed the least to the crisis. Investment has hovered around $130 million annually, well below the $4.5 billion needed, according to estimates. Connecting clean cooking to nature could unlock more funding. About $133 billion flows into forest protection and restoration, sustainable land management, and other nature-based projects, with calls to triple that sum this decade. If a fraction of that was funneled into clean cooking, it could make a big impact, Belopolsky said. The Clean Cooking Alliance has advised more developing countries to put clean cooking in their climate-action plans and says investors and corporations should consider how the transition to cleaner cooking can make their investments less risky. "You can't tell people they can't use the natural resources around them to feed their families without providing an affordable alternative," Belopolsky said. "If we invest billions of dollars to protect or restore forests or implement regenerative agricultural practices, but communities that live around those projects don't have access to clean cooking and are collecting wood, that's counterproductive and a risk to that investment." There are signs the message is resonating. Between 2017 and 2020, the revenue that clean-cooking companies made from selling carbon offsets grew by 21 times. In 2020, Switzerland and Peru were the first countries to strike a carbon-offset deal under the framework of the Paris climate accord, which included clean-cooking projects. Switzerland provided the finance and eventually plans to count the emissions reductions toward its climate goals.

'Clean cooking' can help protect forests and also combat climate change by reducing pressure on woodlands and cutting air pollution

<ul class="summary-list"><li>More than 120,000 US sites may cause exposure to "forever chemicals," the Guardian reports.</li><li>Data from the <keyword id="12330096" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="epa" source="Orion">EPA</keyword> showed the most affected areas were in Colorado, Oklahoma, and California. </li></ul>More than 120,000 facilities around the US may be exposing people to dangerous "forever chemicals" linked to cancer and other diseases, according to EPA data obtained by the <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2021/oct/17/us-epa-pfas-forever-chemicals-sites-data">Guardian</a>. The report includes four times more affected areas than previously known, the Guardian reported, including industrial manufacturers, oil, gas, and mining operations, landfills, military sites, and some airports.The areas most affected include Colorado (with 21,400 sites), California (13,000), and Oklahoma (12,000), according to the Guardian report, which includes a full map of the facilities identified by the EPA.One Colorado county alone had more than 8,000 potential <keyword id="11947904" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="pfas" source="Orion">PFAs</keyword> sites, the majority of which were related to oil and gas operations, the Guardian reported. The area, Weld County, is also home to more than 328,981, per the 2020 census, who may be exposed to the chemicals. Nearby residents "are certain to be exposed, some at very high levels," David Brown, a public <keyword id="11894571" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="health" source="Orion">health</keyword> toxicologist and former director of environmental epidemiology at the Connecticut department of health, told the Guardian, adding that there may be even more sites than suggested by the latest data. <h2>PFAs are unregulated and linked to cancer, immune system disruption, and developmental issues</h2>The manmade chemicals in question are called per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances. Known as PFAs, these substances are notable because they don't break down over time, and can accumulate in the environment, including the air and water, as well as inside in the human body. PFAs have been linked to health risks like certain cancers, high cholesterol, immune system disruption, thyroid problems, and developmental issues in infants, <a href="https://www.epa.gov/pfas/basic-information-pfas#health">according to the EPA</a>.PFAs can be found in facilities that use the chemicals for various manufacturing or industrial purposes, including oil and gas processing, metal coating, printing, waste management, cleaning, and fire-fighting. The chemicals have also been detected in <a href="https://www.insider.com/how-to-avoid-household-products-that-contain-toxic-pfas-chemicals-2021-7">household products</a> like cosmetics, carpeting and upholstery, and rain gear, or other water-repellent clothing. Food and <a href="https://www.insider.com/some-sparkling-water-brands-contain-risky-pfas-chemicals-report-2020-9">drinking water</a> can also contain PFAs through exposure to grease and stain-resistant packaging (like takeout containers) and non-stick cookware.A <a href="https://www.ewg.org/news-insights/news-release/2021/07/twelvefold-increase-suspected-industrial-dischargers-forever">previous July report</a> found 29,900 locations known or suspected of using the chemicals, twelve times the number identified in 2020. Currently, PFAs are not federally regulated, although the EPA issues voluntary guidelines, and some states have set regulatory limits.

EPA reveals 120,000 sites in the US where people may be exposed to toxic 'forever chemicals,' the Guardian reports

<ul class="summary-list"><li>Cenotes in Tulum have grown polluted due to <keyword id="34617" type="COMPANY" weightage="60" keywordseo="construction">construction</keyword> spurred by an influx of visitors.</li><li>Construction of hotels and restaurants razes mangroves, which facilitate natural filtration.</li><li>Without mangroves, pollutants like sewage, chemicals, and feces end up in Tulum's waterways.</li></ul>Construction in the popular <keyword id="6377475" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="tourist">tourist</keyword> destination of Tulum, Mexico, is booming to keep up with <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/partying-yachts-drugs-remote-work-destroying-worlds-most-instagrammable-destinations-2021-7">an influx of digital nomads and other visitors</a>. With new hotels and restaurants come a greater draw for tourists. But the construction has been spelling disaster for the <keyword id="6356826" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="ENVIRONMENT">environment</keyword>. Cenotes, which are sinkholes or caves that have filled with water and are often used as swimming holes, have grown polluted because of such development. Of the roughly 6,000 cenotes found across the Yucatán Peninsula, <a href="https://www.riviera-maya-news.com/studies-on-centoes-show-high-levels-of-contamination/2017.html?cn-reloaded=1">roughly 80% are contaminated</a>, according to Mexico's Ministry of Environment and Natural Resources.Part of the problem stems from the destruction of mangroves that takes place during much of this construction. These trees and shrubs act as a natural filtration system to keep pollutants out of the water. Without them, contaminants like sewage, chemicals, and more find their way into Tulum's waterways.From there, the contamination can seep into the underground water system and then into the sea. Divers have even documented <a href="https://udgtv.com/noticias/buzo-documenta-contaminacion-de-cenotes-peninsula-yucatan/">contamination of the cenotes with feces</a>. The construction also harms wildlife, such as sea turtles, by destroying their natural habitats. Read more about how the rise in tourism is impacting destinations like Tulum in Insider's story <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/partying-yachts-drugs-remote-work-destroying-worlds-most-instagrammable-destinations-2021-7">here</a>.Groundwater pollutants in the aquifers under Mexico's Riviera Maya district include chemicals from painkillers, illicit drugs like cocaine, remnants of personal care products like deodorants and toothpaste, and chemical run-off, according to a <a href="https://unu.edu/news/news/pollutants-in-aquifers-threaten-mexicos-riviera-maya.html">United Nations University study</a>.The <keyword id="13001" type="COMPANY" weightage="60" keywordseo="pollution">pollution</keyword> of cenotes can also "adversely affect the nearby ecosystem, like lagoons, estuaries and coral reefs, causing a serious deterioration of this ecosystem and in public health," according to a <a href="https://biorisk.pensoft.net/article/58455/">study</a> published last year that examined coliform bacteria in cenotes in Cancún.Adding to the problem is the fact that cenotes are often used as dumping grounds for waste. Roughly 25% of household wastewater on the peninsula <a href="https://www.barrons.com/articles/with-tourism-expanding-can-yucatans-cenotes-be-preserved-01555686417">ends up in the region's aquifers untreated</a>. Researchers say improvements to regional wastewater treatment and sewage management systems are necessary to help curb this practice. Addressing agricultural runoff is another important step.

Divers found human waste in Tulum's sinkholes and cave pools as a construction boom in the region destroys a natural water filtration system

A good school for the children, a bungalow in an elegant part of the Indian capital, a job as a freelance writer, a maid, a driver, an inverter for the power cuts, and a water purifying system. These were some of the items Indian expat Jyoti Pande Lavakare ticked off on her list as “done” as she prepared to leave the piercing blue skies of Palo Alto in California to return to New Delhi in June 2009 with her husband Ajay, a technology start-up executive. The move proved smooth. Within months, the household had settled into a new rhythm. They were returning to spend time with their elderly parents and ensure their son, Madhav, and daughter, Naina, both in their early teens, had some “connection” with India, where both Jyoti and Ajay had grown up. They hoped to make them more resilient by teaching them to cope with power cuts, water shortages, and similar hardships. What Lavakare, now in her early 50s, hadn’t bargained for was the poisonous air. The city had a “hidden” secret: its air was fouler than Beijing’s but hardly anyone knew. With every passing winter, the air quality was plummeting. Jyoti Pande Lavakare. “In 2014, I realised something was making us all sick. At my children’s school, children were falling ill constantly. My friends’ children were falling ill. I had a bad asthma attack. When we met other expats, the talk was about what was wrong with the air,” says Lavakare. She thought she was being hypersensitive. Indian friends teased her for having become too “American”. But Lavakare began reading about and researching the air quality and soon became obsessive about the pollution. When the American embassy in Delhi, which had been collecting air quality data but keeping it private, released the figures to the public in 2015, the secret was out. Lavakare was right to be obsessed: New Delhi’s pollution was off the charts, registering 222 during US President Barack Obama’s visit in January 2015. Readings from 151 to 200 are considered unhealthy, and any above that very unhealthy, meaning “health warnings of emergency conditions”. The Indian capital’s residents were living in a gas chamber. In January 2015, Bloomberg quoted David Spiegelhalter, a University of Cambridge statistician, as saying that, by visiting the capital and breathing its air for just three days, Obama might have cut six hours from his expected lifespan. New York Times correspondent Gardiner Harris (a neighbour of Lavakare’s in Sunder Nagar) wrote a quietly impassioned article on how he was leaving New Delhi after his young son suffered a horrifying asthma attack. Breathing the air was the equivalent of smoking 44 cigarettes a day, according to the independent Berkeley Earth science research group. “At first I was in denial. Had I brought my children back to India to breathe pure poison and harm their lungs? But when the data started coming out … I knew we were in a crisis,” says Lavakare. She bought face masks and air <keyword id="2029750" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="purifiers">purifiers</keyword>, but that was only dealing with her own patch. Angry at the horror of the city’s 20 million residents breathing filthy air, she co-founded Care for Air in 2015 with other professionals, as a platform to build awareness that the city was in the midst of a “public health emergency” and to lobby for clean air. With her colourful silk saris and long wavy hair, pushed back by her glasses, Lavakare is now well-known as an expert on air pollution; she is invited to join television debates. She is unimpressed with the measures the New Delhi government has just announced to “minimise” (no one is talking of eliminating) the pollution this winter that turns the capital into a kind of “air gulag”, thick with tiny particles known as PM2.5 which damage not just respiratory systems, as many seem to think – but many other human organs too. The quality of October’s air plunged to “poor” even before Diwali, the Hindu festival of lights when the bursting of firecrackers makes the “normal” pollution many times worse. On some days in late October, the state-run Central Pollution Control Board’s air quality index stood at around 300 – six times the recommended level. The index has risen as high as 999 after Diwali for two consecutive years. This year, the government began putting tougher measures in place. Under its Graded Response Action Plan, drivers are allowed to use their cars every other day, depending on whether their number plates end in an odd or even number, to limit vehicle emissions; people found burning waste are fined; bus and metro services are increased; the use of diesel generators has been banned; and water sprinklers and mechanical sweepers will be used to deal with the construction dust and debris that is responsible for the bulk of the pollution. <h2 style="margin-top: 1.14286rem; margin-bottom: 0.428571rem; font-variant: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-size: 1.71429rem; line-height: 2.21429rem; font-family: Merriweather, serif; vertical-align: baseline;">At first I was in denial. Had I brought my children back to India to breathe pure poison and harm their lungs?Jyoti Pande Lavakare</h2> By getting the doctors on Care for Air’s board to appear on television to talk about its effects, visiting schools to educate children, and galvanising the media to cover the subject, the group has succeeded in raising public awareness and making people, even the poor, demand action. You can see the difference in the booming sales of air purifiers and face masks. “When people first began wearing masks a few years ago, people used to stare. It seemed odd. Or they’d cross the street, thinking the person was contagious. Now no one thinks twice about wearing a mask,” says Mukesh Nath, a chemist in Sarai Jullena. For Lavakare, the fight for the right to breathe clean air has become fused with her personal life. She’s not worrying about her children – Naina has gone to Barnard College in New York, where she is studying sociology, and Madhav, currently on a gap year, has been accepted by Yale University in Connecticut. It’s more that, while she was campaigning and lobbying against pollution, it sneaked into her family, devastating it. Jyoti Pande Lavakare (left), her late mother Kamale Pande and father Jagdish Chandra Pande. Photo: courtesy of Lavakare family She had returned to India to spend time with her parents. But over a year ago, her mother, Kamale Pande, a classical vocalist and non-smoker, was diagnosed with terminal lung cancer. She had no family history of the disease and was otherwise in excellent health. Suddenly, all those abstract statistics were embodied in her own mother’s lungs. Specialists linked the disease directly to <keyword id="55910" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="20" keywordseo="Air-Pollution">air pollution</keyword> and Lavakare has no doubt at all about the causal link. In her book Choked, published this year, Beth Gardiner wrote: “You see one person run over in the street and you’ll never forget it, but thousands dying from the effects of dirty air will never even faze you.” Lavakare’s mother died last year. Trying to process her grief is one reason Lavakare is working on her own book, called Breathing Here is Injurious to Your Health, to be published next year. It’s the story of her relationship with her dying city, with pollution, her mother’s suffering and on what can be done to spare Indians from pollution’s catastrophic impact. The fight for clean air is going to be prolonged. Misleading statistics have to be contested, for one. The Delhi government recently issued full-page advertisements to trumpet how air pollution had been cut by 25 per cent thanks to its efforts. <h2 style="margin-top: 1.14286rem; margin-bottom: 0.428571rem; font-variant: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-size: 1.71429rem; line-height: 2.21429rem; font-family: Merriweather, serif; vertical-align: baseline;">Sometimes, I wish we hadn’t given up our green cardJyoti Pande Lavakare, who returned to India with her family from Palo Alto, California, in 2009</h2> “Experts agree that there is no data available – at least in the public domain – that clearly validates the claim. It doesn’t mean the government is lying, but unless independent data analysts and scientists can access the data, no one can say whether this is just another piece of fake news or a manipulation of cherry-picked statistics,” says Lavakare. Sunita Narain, director general of the Centre for Science and Environment in New Delhi, says the coming weeks will see pollution getting worse. “There are 14 ‘hotspots’ – areas where pollution levels exceed the average because of the burning of municipal solid waste and industrial waste. To reduce the remaining 65 per cent of pollution, these sources need to be tackled,” she says. Lavakare wants action on a “war footing”. The city needs an empowered and accountable authority whose sole goal is to reduce pollution. She is convinced that neither New Delhi nor the country – last year, 11 of the world’s 15 most polluted cities were in India – can afford incremental progress. Anger inflects her voice, mostly when she talks of how little has been done. “Take 2018 – there was not a single ‘clean air’ day in the city. Take the government’s Clean India (Swachh Bharat) campaign. “How you can have a Clean India without clean air?” Or the government’s other pet scheme, Make in India. “How can you Make in India if you can’t breathe in India?” Lavakare asks. The figures are not just dispiriting, they are apocalyptic. A report by the Energy Policy Institute at the University of Chicago in 2016 said air pollution was reducing the life expectancy of the average New Delhi resident by about 10 years. She and Ajay discuss whether they should become “pollution refugees” by leaving the city for Goa, a coastal state in India’s southeast. Friends have already sold up and fled. Many have had nasty health scares. Some have opted for crazy commutes, such as between Delhi and Toronto or Delhi and London. “Sometimes, I wish we hadn’t given up our green card,” she says.

You Searched For "household pollution" and got 10 results

Indoor air pollution poses greater health risk than outdoor: Experts

PTI

Worried about the harmful microplastics in your water? You just need to boil and strain it before consumption

BI India Bureau

Gas stoves create more nanoparticle pollution than a busy street with diesel and gas cars, study finds

Ankush Banerjee

Worried about 'forever chemicals' in your water? Try electron-beaming it!

Ankush Banerjee

Microplastics can carry vomiting viruses in fresh water for up to 3 days

Andrea Michelson

Chemicals in shampoo and makeup are linked to early death, study finds

Andrea Michelson

'Clean cooking' can help protect forests and also combat climate change by reducing pressure on woodlands and cutting air pollution

Catherine Boudreau

EPA reveals 120,000 sites in the US where people may be exposed to toxic 'forever chemicals,' the Guardian reports

Gabby Landsverk

Divers found human waste in Tulum's sinkholes and cave pools as a construction boom in the region destroys a natural water filtration system

Sarah Jackson

New Delhi’s toxic air and how one expat family was affected – sick children, asthma, a death, and a campaign to awaken city to pollution threat

SCMP

Popular Keywords

Buying Guides