In a new study, researchers at University of Southern California (USC) have associated certain neighborhood factors — such as food access or proximity to Superfund sites — with higher levels of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) in human blood.
The researchers examined the levels of certain types of PFAS, including PFOS, PFOA, PFHxS, PFPeS and PFHpS based on a neighborhood’s tap water, level of access to fresh foods and proximity to industrial polluting sites and Superfund sites. As explained by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, a Superfund site is an area designated as a hazardous waste dumping ground, such as landfills, mining sites and some types of manufacturing facilities.
The study drew from two previous Southern California-based studies’ data to observe how the defined neighborhood factors affected the PFAS levels in the blood of 446 people, mostly based in Los Angeles County, LAist reported.
The results revealed that each factor on its own was associated with elevated levels of certain types of PFAS in the blood. The team published the results in the journal Environmental Research.
“Instead of placing the burden on individuals to avoid PFAS, we’re looking at neighborhood factors beyond their control,” Shiwen (Sherlock) Li, Ph.D., lead author of the study and postdoctoral researcher at USC’s Keck School of Medicine, said in a statement. “How can we improve our neighborhood environments to reduce PFAS and the associated disease risk?”
The results revealed that places with PFOA, PFOA or PFHxS in the tap water also had residents with higher levels of these compounds in their blood compared to people without these compounds detected in the tap water. The areas with PFAS in the water revealed an increase of around 1.54 nanograms per milliliter (ng/mL) of PFOS, 0.47 ng/mL for PFOA and 116 ng/ML for PFHxS.
The study also reviewed low access to fresh food as a potential link to higher PFAS in blood, because PFAS have been found in food packaging. This neighborhood factor was linked to higher levels of PFOS (an increase of 2.52 ng/mL), PFOA (0.6 ng/mL increase) and PFHpS (0.06 ng/mL) in human blood, with increases by around 40% to 60% and even over 100% for certain PFAS, as LAist reported.
The results found elevated levels of PFOS for people living within a 3-mile radius of an industrial site known for processing PFAS, and it showed higher levels of PFOS, PFHxS, PFHpS and PFPeS for people living within 3 miles of a Superfund site. In August 2024, a separate study revealed that landfills have become major sources of airborne PFAS pollution, although exact measurements of the amounts of PFAS pollution from landfills are still uncertain.
As the Keck School of Medicine reported, the residents in the study were primarily Latino, which highlighted the need for environmental justice efforts to address PFAS in underserved communities.
“We’re adding a different perspective to solving the PFAS problem, because the risk to exposure of PFAS at the neighborhood level is not evenly distributed,” Li said.
Currently, the Keck School of Medicine’s Department of Population and Public Health Sciences has ramped up efforts to educate communities about PFAS contamination in water, although Li emphasized the importance of systemic changes to reduce PFAS pollution.
“In my opinion, it’s harder to change individual behaviors, but if you can create clean environments for everyone, they don’t need any behavioral change in the first place,” Li explained, as reported by LAist.
The EPA is making efforts to regulate PFAS, two of which (PFOA and PFOS) were added to the list of hazardous substances under the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act (CERCLA).
In April 2024, EPA finalized regulations for six types of PFAS in drinking water, and these rules are set to take effect in 2029.
The post Higher PFAS Levels in Blood Linked to Neighborhood Factors appeared first on EcoWatch.
https://www.ecowatch.com/pfas-levels-blood-neighborhood-factors.html
Thoreau wrote in Walden that “Time is but the stream I go a-fishing in,” which reminds us that life is short and nature fills it beautifully. What are you looking for that can’t be found during an afternoon in nature?
Earth911 inspirations. Post them, share your desire to help people think of the planet first, every day. Click the poster to get a larger image.
The post Earth911 Inspiration: Time Is but the Stream appeared first on Earth911.
https://earth911.com/inspire/earth911-inspiration-time-is-but-the-stream/
Green Living
Classic Sustainability In Your Ear: The Ocean River Institute’s Natural Lawn Challenge for Climate Action
Turn back the clock with this classic interview that will get you ready for Spring yard care planning. A lawn may be beautiful but it can take a heavy toll on the environment, accounting for between 30% and 60% of residential water use in the United States. Rob Moir, Ph.D., is president and executive director of the Ocean River Institute in Cambridge, Massachusetts. ORI works with residential lawn owners to heal damaged ecosystems by restoring coastal areas to lessen the destructive impacts of climate change. The benefits of a natural lawn reach far beyond reduced local water pollution, eliminating chemicals that can contribute to cancers, diabetes, Alzheimer’s disease, and other cellular diseases. Natural lawns are also better for local pollinators and store much more carbon than heavily fertilized lawns. If you considered removing your lawn to play a part in the battle against climate change, this interview may change your mind — a healthy lawn is a powerful carbon sink.
The Ocean River Institute is recruiting Massachusetts communities, town by town, to take a pledge to follow natural lawn practices in the Healthy Soils for Climate Restoration Challenge. You don’t need to live in Massachusetts to participate and learn about the alternatives to the traditional, chemical-intensive lawn practices that use Roundup, a source of glyphosates that kills soil-dwelling fungi and local pollinators, and fast-acting nitrogen fertilizers. You can learn more about the Ocean River Institute at www.oceanriver.org.
Rob has contributed many articles about climate change and the history of environmental change since this interview, including:
- Finding a Northwest Passage to the Sea
- Turning the Tide—How Land and Water Shape Our Climate Future
- Learning from Captain Scoresby’s Ten-gallon Fir-Cask
- Earth Savvy?
- Let the Ground Keep Falling Rainwater
- The Sultans of Swag Versus Looking at Clouds from Both Sides Now
- Subscribe to Sustainability in Your Ear on iTunes and Apple Podcasts.
- Follow Sustainability in Your Ear on Spreaker, iHeartRadio, or YouTube
Editor’s Note: This episode originally aired on May 30, 2022.
The post Classic Sustainability In Your Ear: The Ocean River Institute’s Natural Lawn Challenge for Climate Action appeared first on Earth911.
https://earth911.com/podcast/earth911-podcast-the-ocean-river-institutes-natural-lawn-challenge-for-climate-action/
Choosing your perfect gown can be one of the most exciting decisions for your special day, but for the eco fashionista, it can be a challenge to find a dress that fits your values and style — but these brands have exceptional sustainable wedding dresses you’ll swoon over!
Using earth-minded materials like hemp, cruelty-free peace silk, deadstock recycled fabrics and vintage lace, and producing consciously, either in small batches or handcrafting each individual piece made-to-order, the brands below meet high standards for transparency, ecological sustainability, and fair labor.
[For more sustainable wedding dresses, check out this guide to secondhand wedding dress sites!]
Note that the guide contains affiliate links. As always, we only feature brands that meet strict criteria for sustainability we love, that we think you’ll love too!
1. Christy Dawn
Dreamy dress brand Christy Dawn does not disappoint with their romantic bridal collection! Each piece is more swoon-worthy than the next.
Their three sustainable bridal gowns are made from regenerative silk charmeuse —sourced through BOMBYX, an innovative silk producer using best practices — and colored in a beautiful pearl silk with non-toxic dyes. Each dress is ethically cut and sewn by makers in Los Angeles earning living wages, as with the rest of Christy Dawn’s collections.
The Britta Dress and Fitzgerald Dress are 1920s inspired while the Athena Dress is a more modern (but equally romantic) option. All of these dresses are made-to-order with an estimated timeline of 4 weeks.
Conscious Qualities: Regenerative silk and organic non-toxic dyes, ethically made-to-order in Los Angeles
Price Range: $2,500 – $3,000
Size Range: XS – XL
2. Pure Magnolia
Blending the traditional with the modern, Pure Magnolia designs classic-inspired sustainable wedding dresses with contemporary touches. And each dress is made in their Canadian studio by seamstresses earning fair wages from eco-fabrics, such as organic cotton and hemp silk.
The brand sources recycled fabrics whenever possible as well, and recycles their scrap fabric through FABCYCLE.
Conscious Qualities: Eco-friendly fabrics, locally and fairly made, recycles scrap fabrics
Price Range: $845 – $3,300 CAD
Size Range: 0 – 28
3. Lost in Paris
Lost in Paris crafts each of their creatively designed bohemian-inspired gowns ethically in their Sydney, Australia studio. Unconventional yet undeniably striking, Lost in Paris’ dresses are made from vintage lace and cotton.
Investing in a dress from Lost in Paris is seamless — the brand offers at-home sample try-ons, offers train and sleeve adjustments on several styles, ships their dresses worldwide for free, and even accepts returns. Oh, and, if one of their ready-made sizes doesn’t work for you, you can get a dress designed to your measurements.
Conscious Qualities: Made-to-order model, uses vintage lace, locally made
Price Range: $950 – $3900 AUD
Size Range: XXS – XXL + custom sizing options
For More Slow Fashion Content:
4. Wear Your Love
Wear Your Love creates feminine, effortless dresses in their Northern California studio that are — in contrast to the majority of wedding dresses on the market — actually comfortable! The brand’s free-spirited designs are made with soft, earth-minded fabrics like organic cotton and each dress is made to order for each bride to their exact measurements.
There are also customizations available for each eco-friendly wedding dress such as train or no train, skirt or sleeve linings, back coverage, skirt style, and more.
Conscious Qualities: Eco-friendly fabrics, made-to-order model, locally and transparently made
Price Range: $680 – $1,700
Size Range: N/A; dresses are made to your measurements
5. Larimeloom
Based in Reggio Emilia, Italy, Larimeloom crafts exceptional custom-made dresses by hand in their atelier. The brand creates comfortable minimalist dresses from durable natural fabrics and colors them with natural or non-toxic dyes.
Larimeloom has also implemented zero waste design techniques, cutting their patterns strategically in order to minimize fabric waste.
Conscious Qualities: Made-to-order model, zero-waste designs, natural fabrics and dyes
Price Range: 650€ – 2,650€
Size Range: XS – XL
6. Sister Organics
Sourcing quality earth-friendly natural fabrics like organic hemp and cotton, Sister Organics creates classic, eco-friendly wedding dresses for UK-based brides.
Each dress is made to order in England, so you can select a pre-defined size, customize the length of a size, or get an entirely different dress made for your measurements.
Conscious Qualities: Eco-friendly fabrics, made-to-order model
Price Range: £125 – £390
Size Range: XXS – XXL + custom sizing
7. Indiebride London
Indiebride’s vintage-inspired sustainable wedding dresses are delicate and romantic yet free-spirited, offering a unique collection for the bride that wants to skip the conventional wedding gown and choose a piece that fits their individual style.
The brand’s conscious wedding dresses are handmade in London using majority natural fibers and can be altered or customized to your specifications.
Conscious Qualities: Made-to-order model, uses many natural fabrics, locally made
Price Range: £1,200 – £1,700
Size Range: 8 – 16 (UK sizes)
More Resources For Your Eco Wedding:
10 Secondhand Wedding Dress Sites for the Eco Bride
7 Ethical Lab-Grown Diamond Engagement and Wedding Rings
17 Brands with Conscious Dresses (great options for bridesmaid dresses in here!)
The post 7 Best Sustainable Wedding Dresses for Your Special Day appeared first on Conscious Life & Style.
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