"At the same time that you're buttering your morning toast, you also may be slathering it with the tiny amounts of the flame retardant PBDE."

Jennifer Taggart, a southern California lawyer/engineer who blogs as The Smart Mama, pointed her hand-held X-ray flourescence analyzer at some kids' Shrek glasses from McDonalds coveted by her 7-year old -- and within days sparked a recall of 12 million glasses because they contained cadmium.

"A black sealant sprayed on parking lots, driveways and playgrounds turns out to be the largest contributor to the rise of a toxic pollutant in urban lakes and reservoirs across America, according to a new U.S. Geological Survey study."

"Exposure to mercury pollution could be hitting some wild birds' reproductive prospects hard by causing males to pair with other males."

"California regulators approved a pesticide Wednesday for use by fruit and vegetable growers despite heavy opposition from environmental and farmworker groups that cited its links to cancer."

"The water in almost 15,000 D.C. homes that received repairs during a massive effort to remove lead pipes may still be contaminated by dangerous levels of the metal, according to a report released Wednesday by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention."

"When the Department of Homeland Security wants advice on how to guard against terrorist attacks at chemical plants, it relies heavily on a special agency panel focused on the topic. There's just one problem, critics say: The committee is stacked with more than a dozen chemical corporation lobbyists and other industry representatives, who have worked to water down agency standards and oppose tougher security requirements."

Canada's "federal government is introducing the most stringent rules in the world to effectively ban lead from toys for young children and other products that kids put in their mouths."

"Europe on Thursday banned baby bottles containing the chemical Bisphenol-A as of early next year over fears it may harm the health of children throughout the EU's half a billion population."

Petrochemical companies are spending more money to influence government decisions on energy and climate.