"After almost two decades of delays, the Environmental Protection Agency said Thursday that it was on track to implement a regulation requiring the construction industry to help prevent cases of lead poisoning among children."

Parallel investigations into clusters of cancer cases near Pratt & Whitney plants in Connecticut and Florida raise questions about industrial chemicals that have been in use for decades.

"Hundreds of people are suing New York City over cancer diagnoses they received after working at ground zero. A judge last week rejected a $575 million legal settlement for thousands of sick 9/11 responders in part because he thought it should contain more money for cancer victims."

Bad water kills more people than wars or earthquakes, UN officials declared, as they prepared to celebrate World Water Week next week.

"During the past decade, the Environmental Protection Agency's commitment to keeping children safe from toxic chemicals has lapsed, and top officials routinely ignored scores of recommendations by the agency's own children's health advisory committee, according to a report released Wednesday by the Government Accountability Office."

"Anti-asbestos activists from around the world called in Italy Tuesday for a worldwide ban on the hazardous building material and for companies that use it to be brought to justice."

A dramatic decline in male births among indigenous American peoples -- both in the Arctic and elsewhere -- has been linked to toxic industrial pollution. "Toxic pollutants travel from industrialized countries and accumulate in the marine food chain of the Arctic region, and in the traditional diet of indigenous peoples."

"A toxic fire -- the third in three years -- broke out Wednesday at a Santa Clara recycling plant, prompting an order for residents to stay inside and close their windows while firefighters put out the flames."