"If birds hosting flu virus are exposed to the waterborne pollutant, they might develop drug-resistant strains, chemists worry."

"With more and more toxic chemicals turning up in people's bodies and the environment, the Obama administration asked Congress Tuesday to draft a tougher law for how the government regulates tens of thousands of chemicals."

"Dirty water from residential washing machines is a significant source of a toxin polluting Puget Sound, according to a study released Tuesday."

"The US Environmental Protection Agency is recommending that owners of older buildings – including schools – test brittle, aging masonry and window caulking for high levels of likely cancer-causing chemicals."

"A federal judge on Monday dismissed most of a lawsuit filed against chemical giant DuPont Co. by Parkersburg (W.Va.) residents over the pollution of their city's water with the toxic chemical C8."

"New research raises questions about the safety of eating wild game, and triggers a renewed debate about banning lead ammunition."

"A Madison County [Ill.] class-action lawsuit filed in 2004 over the use of the popular herbicide atrazine is gaining steam, and one lawyer says it could reshape farming practices nationwide."

"Two top U.S. natural gas producers called on the industry to release data about the chemicals they use in the fast-growing Marcellus shale development to counter fears it was polluting water supplies."

"Sunoco's use of deadly hydrofluoric acid at its Philadelphia refinery has come under scrutiny after a March accident that sent 13 contract workers to the hospital."

"The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency filed a complaint against VF Corp, owner of the North Face brand, on Tuesday, claiming that more than 70 styles of shoes advertised as bacteria-killing by the company had not been registered with the agency."

"It took a court order, a bomb squad, and seven months of work by U.S. EPA specialists, but the Abrachem Chemical facility in Clifton, New Jersey now is decontaminated."

"Abandoned mercury mines throughout central California's rugged coastal mountains are polluting the state's major waterways, rendering fish unsafe to eat and risking the health of at least 100,000 impoverished people."

"AUSTIN, Texas -- A cancer-causing sealant that covers thousands of parking lots, school playgrounds and driveways in Austin and Travis County has officials debating over its effect on human health."

"Hispanics have a cancer risk from air pollutants as much as five times the rate of others living in the same cities. But it isn’t outdoor air posing the greatest danger; it is something much closer to home: Toilet deodorizers and moth repellents in their bathrooms and closets. Researchers call for a ban on the carcinogenic chemical used in the consumer products."

"At many discount toy stores in this country, products that test at dangerously high levels for lead are still on the shelves -- despite a new federal law to protect children."