Scientists Find Toxic Metals Linked to Autism in Popular Toothpaste + More
Source: Children’s Health Defense
Scientists Find Toxic Metals Linked to Autism in Popular Toothpaste
A startling new investigation has uncovered toxic heavy metals lurking in some of America’s most trusted toothpaste brands, including those made for children. Lead Safe Mama, a small business focused on lead-poisoning prevention, sent 51 toothpaste products to an independent lab for testing.
The lineup included household names like Crest, Colgate, Sensodyne, Orajel, Burt’s Bees, Tom’s of Maine, and Hello. A staggering 90% tested positive for lead, 65% contained arsenic, 47% had mercury and 35% were found to have cadmium. Many products were found to have more than one of these toxins. All four of these substances are known neurotoxins, capable of damaging brain cells and affecting cognitive development at certain levels.
Some research has linked prolonged exposure to these metals with learning disabilities and even autism. Beyond neurological effects, exposure to heavy metals has also been associated with cancer, kidney disease, birth defects, and cardiovascular dysfunction.
Dangerously High Levels of Arsenic and Cadmium Found in Store-Bought Rice, Report Finds
Samples of store-bought rice from more than 100 different brands purchased in the U.S. contained dangerously high levels of arsenic and cadmium, according to a new report shared first with CNN.
“Even at low levels, both arsenic and cadmium have been linked to serious health harms, including diabetes, developmental delays, reproductive toxicity and heart disease,” said coauthor Jane Houlihan, research director for Healthy Babies, Bright Futures. The organization, which is dedicated to reducing children’s exposure to toxic chemicals, produced the report.
“Heavy metal contamination in young children is especially concerning, as early-life exposures are associated with reduced IQ and a range of cognitive and behavioral problems,” Houlihan said.
One in four samples of rice purchased from grocery and retail stores across the U.S. exceeded levels of inorganic arsenic set in 2021 by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration for infant rice cereal, according to the report published Thursday.
In a Landmark PFAS Payout, 3M to Pay New Jersey $450 Million
In a historic settlement, chemical giant 3M has agreed to pay up to $450 million to New Jersey to resolve claims over its role in decades-long contamination from toxic “forever chemicals,” just days before a scheduled trial that would have been the first in the country to determine environmental PFAS liability to a state.
The settlement, announced by New Jersey Attorney General Matt Platkin and the state Department of Environmental Protection Commissioner Shawn LaTourette, is among the largest ever secured by the state for natural resource damages. It stems from 3M’s supply of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances, commonly known as PFAS, to the DuPont Chambers Works facility in Salem County, a site now operated by Chemours.
PFAS are a group of synthetic chemicals used to make products resistant to water, grease and heat, like nonstick cookware, firefighting foam and waterproof fabrics. What makes them useful also makes them dangerous: they don’t break down naturally and can build up in people, animals and the environment over time.
BASF Wyandotte Site Leaching Pollutants Into Detroit River — and a Fix Is Years Away
The Detroit Free Press reported:
Toxin-laden groundwater is venting into the Detroit River — at a rate of up to 60 gallons per minute — from a longstanding chemical plant site in Wyandotte, according to state environmental regulators. And the plant’s owner is in violation of a nearly 40-year-old federal court consent decree with the state of Michigan that’s supposed to stop that from happening, the Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes and Energy alleges.
The plant, at 1609 Biddle Ave. in Wyandotte, is an American subsidiary of German chemical giant BASF. In a May 8 response letter to EGLE, company officials stated they “respectfully disagree” with the regulator, and question EGLE’s interpretation of what’s required of them. “BASF has been and remains in compliance with the Consent Decree,” BASF site director Michele Barney stated.
BASF is working with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency on a long-term fix that would include a 1.7-mile barrier between the property’s edge and the river, and 300,000 gallons in on-site storage tank capacity to better stop polluted groundwater from leaving the site. But construction on that project isn’t expected before 2027.
EPA Will Weaken Rule Curbing Forever Chemicals in Drinking Water
The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced Wednesday that it plans to rescind and reconsider limits on four “forever chemicals” under a landmark drinking water standard implemented last year by President Joe Biden. The drinking water rules were adopted as part of the Biden administration’s efforts to limit public exposure to per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), hazardous chemicals linked to a range of serious illnesses.
The original rule covered six common PFAS contaminants, including PFOA, a known human carcinogen, and PFOS, a likely carcinogen. The EPA estimates that more than 158 million Americans are exposed to PFAS through their drinking water. The agency plans to maintain current rules for PFOA and PFOS, though it will extend the deadline for compliance from 2029 to 2031.
In its announcement, EPA Administrator Lee Zeldin said the changes will “protect Americans from PFOA and PFOS in their drinking water” while providing “common-sense flexibility in the form of additional time for compliance.”
The EPA did not provide additional comment.
The Most Promising Ways to Destroy ‘Forever Chemicals’
Toxic “forever chemicals” that can persist in the environment for years have long troubled environmentalists and regulators. Their harmful effects on human health are well documented, but their ubiquitous use and strong bonds make it difficult to eliminate them.
Environmental Protection Agency chief Lee Zeldin recently announced somewhat vague actions to combat contamination from per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances, or PFAS, which have been found in drinking water, food packaging and soil.
But the agency announced Wednesday that it plans to weaken a drinking water rule introduced by the Biden administration.
