drinking water

Dangerous “forever chemicals” in water, food and air won’t go away with the new EPA rules. But six simple tactics can reduce your exposure at home.

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A child drinks bottled water in Reynosa, Mexico.Daniel Becerril/Reuters Dangerous ‘forever chemicals’ called PFAS contaminate drinking water, food and air. It may be impossible to avoid PFAS completely, but there are a few simple ways to reduce your exposure. Eating at home, throwing away non-stick pans and unnecessary carpets and filtering your water can help. … Read more

Why EPA has set federal drinking water limits for these health-harming contaminants

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The more scientists learn about the health risks of PFAS, which are found in everything from nonstick cookware to carpets and ski wax, the more concerning these “forever chemicals” become. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency now believes that there are no safe levels for the two common PFAS – PFOA and PFOS – in drinking … Read more

PFAS ‘forever chemicals’ end up in ocean ecosystems where dolphins, fish and manatees dine – we traced their origins

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PFAS, the “forever chemicals” causing health problems across the country, are not just a problem in drinking water. As these chemicals leak from failing septic systems and landfills and wash away airport runways and farm fields, they can flow into streams that eventually flow into ocean ecosystems that are home to fish, dolphins, manatees, sharks … Read more

Drought, heat and mismanagement make obtaining fresh water an increasingly difficult task

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As the world warms due to human-induced climate change, it is becoming increasingly difficult for many people to access fresh water for drinking, cooking and cleaning. That’s because the warming world is leading to erratic rainfall patterns, extreme heat and periods of drought – on top of decades of poor water management and extraction policies … Read more

Mexico City’s 21 million residents are facing a severe water shortage

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MEXICO CITY – North America’s most populous city is in the grip of a serious water crisis, as persistent drought and years of little rain push the already stressed system that supplies Mexico City with running water to its limits. More than 21 million residents in the Mexico City metropolitan area have suffered water shortages … Read more

The latest EPA assessment shows virtually no improvement in nitrogen pollution of rivers and streams

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ST. LOUIS (AP) — The nation’s rivers and streams remain persistently polluted with nutrients that contaminate drinking water and fuel a massive dead zone for aquatic life in the Gulf of Mexico, according to a newly released Environmental Protection Agency assessment. It’s a difficult problem concentrated in agricultural areas that drain into the Mississippi River. … Read more

The latest EPA assessment shows virtually no improvement in nitrogen pollution of rivers and streams

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ST. LOUIS (AP) — The nation’s rivers and streams remain persistently polluted with nutrients that contaminate drinking water and fuel a massive dead zone for aquatic life in the Gulf of Mexico, according to a newly released Environmental Protection Agency assessment. It’s a difficult problem concentrated in agricultural areas that drain into the Mississippi River. … Read more

NASA wants to return to the moon, but is it worth it?

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What is going on In the four-year period between 1969 and 1972, twelve American astronauts walked on the moon. Not a single human being, from any country, has repeated this feat in the more than fifty years that have followed. The United States hopes to break this trend within the coming years through NASA’s new … Read more

Scientists find about a quarter of a million invisible nanoplastic particles in a liter of bottled water

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The average liter of bottled water contains almost a quarter of a million invisible pieces of tiny nanoplastics, which are detected and categorized for the first time by a microscope using dual lasers. Scientists long thought there were many of these microscopic pieces of plastic, but until researchers at Columbia and Rutgers universities did their … Read more