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Home > Chemicals

Personal Care Products — Bringing the Problems Home [1]

Health and environmental concerns about some beauty items — like the use of formaldehyde in certain hair straighteners — have started to emerge as a focus for federal regulation. But as the latest TipSheet points out, the response has been slow and fitful. Meanwhile, here are story ideas and resources to help reporters find local angles for this environmental and public health hazard.

SEJ Publication Types: 
TipSheet [2]
Topics on the Beat: 
Chemicals [3]
Consumer [4]
Government [5]
Health [6]
Journalism & Media [7]
Laws & Regulations [8]
Region: 
National (U.S.) [9]
Visibility: 
Public [10]
  • Read more about Personal Care Products — Bringing the Problems Home [1]

Analysis: "‘Forever Chemicals’ Contaminate America’s Freshwater Fish" [11]

"A recent study from The Environmental Working Group found that just one serving of fish can be equivalent to a month of drinking water contaminated with 48 parts per trillion of the common chemical PFOS."

Biodiversity [12]
Chemicals [3]
Consumer [4]
Environmental Health [13]
Fish & Fisheries [14]
Pollution [15]
Water & Oceans [16]
Public [10]
National (U.S.) [9]
Source: Washington Post [17], 01/05/2024
  • Read more about Analysis: "‘Forever Chemicals’ Contaminate America’s Freshwater Fish" [11]

"Flowers Are Evolving to Have Less Sex" [18]

"As toxic pesticides and vanishing habitats have driven down the populations of bees and other pollinators, some flowers have evolved to fertilize their own seeds more often, rather than those of other plants."

Agriculture [19]
Biodiversity [12]
Chemicals [3]
Natural Resources [20]
Pollution [15]
Wildlife [21]
Public [10]
National (U.S.) [9]
International [22]
Source: NYTimes [23], 01/05/2024
  • Read more about "Flowers Are Evolving to Have Less Sex" [18]

"Consumer Reports Finds 'Widespread' Presence Of Plastics In Food" [24]

"Consumer Reports has found that plastics retain a "widespread" presence in food despite the health risks, and called on regulators to reassess the safety of plastics that come into contact with food during production."

Chemicals [3]
Environmental Health [13]
Food [25]
Public [10]
National (U.S.) [9]
Source: Reuters [26], 01/05/2024
  • Read more about "Consumer Reports Finds 'Widespread' Presence Of Plastics In Food" [24]

Proposed Youngstown Tires-To-Gas Plant Paused Over Environmental Justice [27]

"Officials in Youngstown, Ohio, have dealt a setback to a company’s plan to build and operate a recycled tire waste-to-energy plant near the center of the city and adjacent to a neighborhood of predominantly Black residents, enacting a one-year moratorium on such industrial processes."

Chemicals [3]
Energy & Fuel [28]
Environmental Health [13]
Environmental Justice [29]
Laws & Regulations [8]
Pollution [15]
Waste [30]
Public [10]
National (U.S.) [9]
Great Lakes (IL IN MI MN OH WI) [31]
Source: Inside Climate News [32], 01/04/2024
  • Read more about Proposed Youngstown Tires-To-Gas Plant Paused Over Environmental Justice [27]

‘Major’ Problem in Texas: Polluters Evade Federal Law and Get Away With It [33]

"Industrial developers describe facilities as “minor” polluters to avoid federal permitting requirements, and environmental lawyers say the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality lets it happen."

Air [34]
Chemicals [3]
Environmental Health [13]
Environmental Justice [29]
Laws & Regulations [8]
Pollution [15]
Public [10]
National (U.S.) [9]
Southwest (AZ NM OK TX) [35]
Source: Inside Climate News [36], 01/03/2024
  • Read more about ‘Major’ Problem in Texas: Polluters Evade Federal Law and Get Away With It [33]

"Many on Gulf Coast Say Time Is Running Out For EPA To Act On Toxic Air" [37]

"As a girl growing up near refineries and chemical factories in this part of the Gulf Coast, 77-year-old Lois Malvo thought nothing of the way her eyes burned when she played outside. Now she sees dangers all around her."

Chemicals [3]
Disasters [38]
Environmental Health [13]
Environmental Justice [29]
Laws & Regulations [8]
Pollution [15]
Public [10]
National (U.S.) [9]
Source: Washington Post [39], 01/02/2024
  • Read more about "Many on Gulf Coast Say Time Is Running Out For EPA To Act On Toxic Air" [37]

Environmental Digital Storytelling — A Best-in-Show Sampler [40]

As part of its periodic survey of the compelling work by digital journalists using data and multimedia, Reporter’s Toolbox looks at some favorite projects in the last year or so. On the list are granular maps and spinning globes, compelling photo essays and clickable storytelling. But the heart of the best digital journalism, Toolbox reminds us, is that it matters. And these do.

SEJ Publication Types: 
Reporters Toolbox [41]
Topics on the Beat: 
Agriculture [19]
Chemicals [3]
Climate Change [42]
Diversity [43]
Environmental Justice [29]
Fish & Fisheries [14]
Food [25]
Health [6]
Infrastructure [44]
Journalism & Media [7]
Natural Resources [20]
People & Population [45]
Pollution [15]
Water & Oceans [16]
Region: 
National (U.S.) [9]
Northeast (CT MA ME NH NJ NY RI VT) [46]
International [22]
Canada [47]
Africa [48]
Asia [49]
Europe [50]
Visibility: 
Public [10]
  • Read more about Environmental Digital Storytelling — A Best-in-Show Sampler [40]

Former Official Says EPA Fails To Protect Public From Toxic Pesticides [51]

"Federal regulators are discouraged from speaking up about potentially dangerous pesticides, according to a former agency official."

Agriculture [19]
Chemicals [3]
Environmental Health [13]
Environmental Justice [29]
Environmental Politics [52]
Laws & Regulations [8]
Public [10]
National (U.S.) [9]
Source: Guardian [53], 12/20/2023
  • Read more about Former Official Says EPA Fails To Protect Public From Toxic Pesticides [51]

"Norway Greenlights World’s First Commercial Deep-Sea Mining Project" [54]

"Here’s what the new project means for the US and other countries beyond the Nordic region".

Chemicals [3]
Climate Change [42]
Energy & Fuel [28]
Natural Resources [20]
Pollution [15]
Water & Oceans [16]
Public [10]
Europe [50]
Source: Sierra [55], 12/18/2023
  • Read more about "Norway Greenlights World’s First Commercial Deep-Sea Mining Project" [54]

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Source URL:https://www.sej.org/category/topics-beat/chemicals/toxics?page=129

Links
[1] https://www.sej.org/publications/tipsheet/personal-care-products-bringing-problems-home [2] https://www.sej.org/category/sej-publication/tipsheet [3] https://www.sej.org/category/topics-beat/chemicals/toxics [4] https://www.sej.org/category/topics-beat/consumer [5] https://www.sej.org/category/topics-beat/government [6] https://www.sej.org/category/topics-beat/health [7] https://www.sej.org/category/topics-beat/journalism/media [8] https://www.sej.org/category/topics-beat/laws [9] https://www.sej.org/category/region/national [10] https://www.sej.org/taxonomy/term/81 [11] https://www.sej.org/headlines/analysis-forever-chemicals-contaminate-america-s-freshwater-fish [12] https://www.sej.org/category/topics-beat/biodiversity-1 [13] https://www.sej.org/category/topics-beat/environmental-health [14] https://www.sej.org/category/topics-beat/fisheries [15] https://www.sej.org/category/topics-beat/pollution [16] https://www.sej.org/category/topics-beat/water [17] https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2024/01/04/forever-chemicals-contaminate-americas-freshwater-fish/ [18] https://www.sej.org/headlines/flowers-are-evolving-have-less-sex [19] https://www.sej.org/category/topics-beat/agriculture [20] https://www.sej.org/category/topics-beat/land [21] https://www.sej.org/category/topics-beat/wildlife [22] https://www.sej.org/category/region/international [23] https://www.nytimes.com/2024/01/04/science/flower-sex-evolution-bees.html [24] https://www.sej.org/headlines/consumer-reports-finds-widespread-presence-plastics-food [25] https://www.sej.org/category/topics-beat/food [26] https://www.reuters.com/business/healthcare-pharmaceuticals/consumer-reports-finds-widespread-presence-plastics-food-2024-01-04/ [27] https://www.sej.org/headlines/proposed-youngstown-tires-gas-plant-paused-over-environmental-justice [28] https://www.sej.org/category/topics-beat/energy [29] https://www.sej.org/category/topics-beat/environmental-justice [30] https://www.sej.org/category/topics-beat/waste [31] https://www.sej.org/category/region/national/great-lakes [32] https://insideclimatenews.org/news/03012024/youngstown-ohio-tires-synthetic-gas-plant/ [33] https://www.sej.org/headlines/major-problem-texas-polluters-evade-federal-law-and-get-away-it [34] https://www.sej.org/category/topics-beat/air [35] https://www.sej.org/category/region/national/southwest [36] https://insideclimatenews.org/news/26122023/state-of-denial-texas-polluters-evade-federal-law/ [37] https://www.sej.org/headlines/many-gulf-coast-say-time-running-out-epa-act-toxic-air [38] https://www.sej.org/category/topics-beat/disaster [39] https://www.washingtonpost.com/climate-environment/2023/12/21/oil-refineries-pollution-gulf-coast-epa/ [40] https://www.sej.org/publications/reporters-toolbox/environmental-digital-storytelling-best-show-sampler [41] https://www.sej.org/category/sej-publication-types/reporter%E2%80%99s-toolbox [42] https://www.sej.org/category/topics-beat/climate-change [43] https://www.sej.org/category/topics-beat/diversity [44] https://www.sej.org/category/topics-beat/infrastructure [45] https://www.sej.org/category/topics-beat/people-population [46] https://www.sej.org/category/region/national/northeast [47] https://www.sej.org/category/region/international/canada [48] https://www.sej.org/category/region/international/africa [49] https://www.sej.org/category/region/international/asia [50] https://www.sej.org/category/region/international/europe [51] https://www.sej.org/headlines/former-official-says-epa-fails-protect-public-toxic-pesticides [52] https://www.sej.org/category/topics-beat/environmental-politics [53] https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2023/dec/15/epa-failing-public-health-pesticides-chemicals [54] https://www.sej.org/headlines/norway-greenlights-world-s-first-commercial-deep-sea-mining-project [55] https://www.sierraclub.org/sierra/norway-greenlights-world-s-first-commercial-deep-sea-mining-project [56] https://www.sej.org/category/topics-beat/chemicals/toxics?page=128 [57] https://www.sej.org/category/topics-beat/chemicals/toxics?page=125 [58] https://www.sej.org/category/topics-beat/chemicals/toxics?page=126 [59] https://www.sej.org/category/topics-beat/chemicals/toxics?page=127 [60] https://www.sej.org/category/topics-beat/chemicals/toxics?page=130 [61] https://www.sej.org/category/topics-beat/chemicals/toxics?page=131 [62] https://www.sej.org/category/topics-beat/chemicals/toxics?page=132 [63] https://www.sej.org/category/topics-beat/chemicals/toxics?page=133 [64] https://www.sej.org/category/topics-beat/chemicals/toxics?page=531