Bad Chemistry

Articles by Sharon Lerner on the global contamination crisis surrounding toxic industrial chemicals such as PFOA, PFOS, and GenX. The U.S. has refused to regulate the chemicals in this class, known as PFAS, despite the fact that they persist indefinitely in the environment and have been linked to cancer and many other illnesses.

Bad ChemistryHigh Levels of Toxic PFAS Chemicals Pollute Breast Milk Around the World

Sharon Lerner — Apr. 30

Studies are showing high levels of toxic PFAS chemicals in breast milk that far exceed U.S. drinking water health advisory limits.

Bad ChemistryBrazil’s Pesticide Industry Is Creating Massive PFOS Contamination

Sharon Lerner — Apr. 29

Brazil is exploiting a loophole in an international treaty that allows it to manufacture and export a pesticide containing the dangerous chemical PFOS.

Bad ChemistryNew Jersey Is Making Companies Pay for Toxic Contamination — Shining a New Light on a Little-Known Offender

Sharon Lerner — Mar. 27

In the absence of federal regulations, New Jersey is the first state to set safety levels for PFAS contamination and make companies pay for clean up.

Bad ChemistryChemours Is Using the U.S. as an Unregulated Dump for Europe’s Toxic GenX Waste

Sharon Lerner — Feb. 1

GenX was introduced in 2009 by DuPont to replace PFOA, but it presents many of the same health and environmental problems and causes cancer in lab animals.

Bad ChemistryThe U.S. Military Plans to Keep Incinerating Toxic Firefighting Foam, Despite Health Risks

Sharon Lerner — Jan. 27

The U.S. military plans to incinerate unused firefighting foam containing hazardous chemicals, even with the health and environmental risks this poses.

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