"Companies on three continents continue to make and sell consumer paints that contain dangerous levels of lead despite the availability of technology to produce high-quality, low lead paint. A tougher lead paint standard takes effect in the United States later this month, but imported consumer goods may still contain hazardous amounts of lead paint."

"One of the world's most common insect repellents [DEET] acts on the central nervous system in the same way as some insecticides and nerve gases, according to a study released on Wednesday."

A new study finds that rural residents who drink water from private wells are much more likely to have Parkinson's disease, bolstering theories that farm pesticides may be partly to blame.

Both environmentalists and the chemical industry say they want Congress to overhaul the key law aimed at protecting Americans from toxic chemicals in the products they use.

"NEW BEDFORD, Mass. -- Noxious fumes at a trash disposal facility sent 119 people to hospitals Monday, including two who were listed in critical condition."

"More than twice as many D.C. children as previously reported by federal and local health officials had high levels of lead in their blood amid the city's drinking water crisis, according to congressional investigators, throwing into doubt assurances by those officials that the lead in tap water did not seriously harm city children."

"In food safety bill, the House gives the FDA a deadline to prove Bisphenol A is safe, or restrict its use in products used by pregnant women, and young children."

"A National Academies workshop examined the evidence of epigenetic effects and considered whether the thousands of chemicals in use today should be tested for them. Some pollutants and chemicals don't kill cells or mutate DNA. Instead, they may be more subtle, muting genes or turning them on at the wrong time, which can lead to diseases that are passed on for generations. Asthma in New York City children exposed to traffic exhaust is an example, experts say."

"Silver dental fillings containing mercury are safe for use by adults and children ages 6 and above, the Food and Drug Administration said Tuesday."

"A chemical [DEHP] used in many plastic products and already under scrutiny for potential health risks is suspected of raising the risk of liver problems in premature babies, according to a new study."

Drifting clouds of sprayed agricultural pesticides often harm the crops of nearby farmers. Even kids are sprayed. Regulation, typically done by states, is often ineffective.

"Everyday consumer products such as stain repellants and paper coatings may be a 'significant source' of the toxic chemical C8, according to a new U.S. Environmental Protection Agency study."

"The $28 billion styrene industry has filed a lawsuit in Sacramento Superior Court to block California environmental officials from listing the product as a cause of cancer and birth defects."

"The U.S. Army has acknowleged that the nerve gas leak monitors at a Kentucky chemical weapons storage depot were not working for nearly two years, 2003-2005."

"A Great Lakes study linking a pesticide in fish to diabetes adds to the growing chorus of studies suggesting that environmental contaminants may play a role in the widespread disease."