A new study led by Arizona State University has revealed an association between exposure of glyphosate, one of the most commonly used herbicides in the world, and long-term impacts on brain health in mice.

The study tested the impacts that two different doses of glyphosate exposure had on mice, with a high dose (500 mg per kg) and a lower dose (50 mg per kg), which was similar to the amount that was used to determine the acceptable dose of exposure to humans. The researchers observed how the exposure impacted the brains during a 13-week exposure as well as six months after exposure had ended compared to the control mice, which received no glyphosate exposure.

The team determined that glyphosate exposure led to neuroinflammation as well as behaviors and symptoms similar to anxiety and Alzheimer’s. For some of the animals, the exposure was associated with results as extreme as premature death.

Even the low dose led to negative impacts on the brains that lasted several months after exposure had ended. The scientists published their findings in the journal Journal of Neuroinflammation.

“My hope is that our work drives further investigation into the effects of glyphosate exposure, which may lead to a reexamination of its long-term safety and perhaps spark discussion about other prevalent toxins in our environment that may affect the brain,” Samantha Bartholomew, first author of the paper and a Ph.D. candidate at Arizona State University, said in a statement.

These results have raised concerns over the current standards for glyphosate, which is considered to have no concerning risks to human health when used as directed on the label, according to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. 

Further, the researchers warned about the potential impacts to aging populations, which are already experiencing an increase in cognitive decline, according to Ramon Velazquez, a co-author of the study, researcher with the ASU-Banner Neurodegenerative Disease Research Center and assistant professor of life sciences.

But the researchers hope that more investigation is completed to determine if the current acceptable limits of glyphosate are too high, or whether any exposure of glyphosate poses risks.

“Herbicides are used heavily and ubiquitously around the world,” said Patrick Pirrotte, senior author of the study and associate professor at the Early Detection and Prevention Division at Translational Genomics Research Institute (TGen). “These findings highlight that many chemicals we regularly encounter, previously considered safe, may pose potential health risks. However, further research is needed to fully assess the public health impact and identify safer alternatives.”

While the findings brought up the question of what these impacts observed on brains of mice could mean for glyphosate exposure and its potential impacts on human brains, it can also be used as an example to further research alternatives to testing on mice and other animals. Because of the complexity of brains, it is currently still common to use animal testing to observe reactions and impacts in brain research. 

As Cruelty-free International reported, researchers are working on other ways to complete these important types of organ and nervous system studies without the use of animal testing. Scientists are rapidly exploring and advancing alternatives, such as computer modeling, tissue donations, cell cultures and “human-on-a-chip” models for brain research. PETA reported that AI is becoming more suitable as a method for alternative testing. However, more research on non-animal testing is necessary, and once alternatives are more established, they will require regulation to be implemented.

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A new report by the Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research (PIK), in collaboration with the UN Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD), has found that global land degradation is increasing by about 1 million square kilometers per year, nearly the size of Egypt.

The report, “Stepping back from the precipice: Transforming land management to stay within planetary boundaries,” evaluated global land degradation to better understand how land use could impact planetary boundaries. By comparing land degradation within this specific scientific framework, the report authors showed how unsustainable land-system changes can impact other global systems.

In September 2024, PIK released a separate report that warned that we are about to exceed a seventh of nine planetary boundaries, putting the world at risk of surpassing tipping points and threatening the lives of humans and wildlife.

As the “Stepping back from the precipice” report notes, proper land use is essential for climate regulation, biodiversity, healthy freshwater systems and the ability to produce food and water. Further, proper land use is essential to keeping at least seven of the planetary boundaries within safe operating limits. Already, we have passed six boundaries, including land-system change.

According to PIK, original global forest cover is around 60%, while the limit for safe operation requires around 75% of forest cover. As The Guardian reported, total land degradation on Earth is already around 15 million square kilometers (5.8 million square miles), an area larger than Antarctica, which spans around 14.2 million square kilometers (5.5 million square miles). The cost of this degradation is around $6.3 trillion to $10.6 trillion each year, and around 1.2 billion people are already impacted by land degradation.

Now, the world faces continuing land degradation to the tune of an additional 1 million square kilometers (386,102 square miles) each year, PIK and UNCCD warned in the report. According to the report authors, some of the main drivers of expanding land degradation include unsustainable farming practices — which are linked to nearly 90% of forest loss — as well as deforestation and urbanization.

“If we fail to acknowledge the pivotal role of land and take appropriate action, the consequences will ripple through every aspect of life and extend well into the future, intensifying difficulties for future generations,” Ibrahim Thiaw, executive secretary of UNCCD, told The Guardian.

As part of the report, the organizations included several recommendations for urgent actions to minimize and reverse land degradation, such as restoring forests, grasslands and savannahs; investing in sustainable agriculture practices; more sustainably managing freshwater sources; increasing public and private investments in sustainable land use; using sustainable frameworks including the planetary boundaries in policymaking; and pursuing equity and justice in all land use changes.

“These transformative actions hold great potential for addressing land degradation, but their implementation will require an enabling environment, conducive policies, significant investments and an integration of principles of fairness and justice across multiple sectors and scales,” the report concluded.

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According to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) 50th annual Automotive Trends Report, model year (MY) 2023 electric and plug-in hybrid vehicles have led to an 11% decline in carbon dioxide emissions from new vehicles.

The report noted that fuel economy reached a record high and greenhouse gas emissions from new vehicles reached a record low for MY 2023 vehicles, in part thanks to EVs. 

Further, the report found that all 14 of the major automotive manufacturers were meeting the light-duty greenhouse gas program requirements set by the EPA for the MY 2023 vehicles. The program requires MY 2023 through MY 2026 vehicles to prioritize vehicle technology that reduces pollution and emissions. According to the EPA, the light-duty greenhouse gas program could save more than 3 billion tons of emissions by 2050.

Already, clean vehicle technology, including fully electric and plug-in hybrid vehicles, has made a substantial difference to emissions, the EPA Automotive Trends Report revealed. New MY 2023 vehicles led to a decrease in carbon emissions to 319 grams per mile, a record low. Compared to 20 years ago, the report found that carbon dioxide emissions have declined by 142 grams per mile or around 31%. EVs and plug-in hybrids have been particularly helpful, reducing carbon emissions by 38 grams per mile.

The reduction in carbon emissions has also been accompanied by an increase in vehicle fuel economy, which has risen 40% since MY 2004. For MY 2023 vehicles alone, new vehicle fuel economy reached a record high of 27.1 miles per gallon, according to the EPA.

“This report provides a critical data-driven affirmation that strong, technology-neutral standards can underpin environmental progress while saving drivers money at the pump,” EPA Administrator Michael Regan said in a statement. “Manufacturers continue to innovate and are bringing technologies to market which will directly improve air quality, better protecting people’s health and saving lives.”

The EPA revealed that these vehicle upgrades have made significant improvements in pollution and public health since the agency began recording data in 1975. According to the agency, today’s light-duty vehicles are about 99% cleaner for common pollutants, such as carbon monoxide and nitrogen oxides.

These trends are expected to continue as the EPA estimated an increase in electric, plug-in hybrid, and fuel cell vehicle production for MY 2024. According to the report, these vehicles increased to make up 11.5% of vehicle production in MY 2023 from just 6.7% of production for MY 2022, and they could increase again to 14.8% of production for MY 2024.

Although the report brings good news for the EV market, the EPA warned that light-duty vehicles are still contributing a significant amount, around 17%, to total emissions in the U.S. As such, officials said there will need to be more efforts to improve fuel economy and reduce emissions from vehicles.

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In a new study, researchers have found a link between the use of certain personal care products, such as makeup, hair products and fragrances, by pregnant people and higher levels of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) in human milk.

Researchers compared the use of personal care products and PFAS levels in prenatal plasma and human milk of 2,001 pregnant and lactating people within the Maternal-Infant Research on Environmental Chemicals Study, which took place in 10 cities in Canada from 2008 to 2011.

The results showed that pregnant people who used products like hair dyes, perm solutions, hair sprays and gels, nail polish and other nail products, makeup and fragrance in the first trimester had higher PFAS concentrations in the prenatal plasma and people using these products in the third trimester had higher PFAS concentrations in their milk after giving birth. The scientists published their findings in the journal Environment International.

A graphical abstract of the study. Environment International

“While PFAS are ubiquitous in the environment, our study indicates that personal care products are a modifiable source of PFAS,” Amber Hall, an author of the study and a postdoctoral research associate in epidemiology at Brown University, said in a statement. “People who are concerned about their level of exposure to these chemicals during pregnancy or while breastfeeding may benefit from cutting back on personal care products during those times.”

The study revealed that the highest levels of PFAS were linked to frequent use of nail care products, makeup, perfumes or fragrances, hair dye and hair sprays, as The Guardian reported.

In the study, researchers found that people wearing makeup regularly in the first trimester of pregnancy had 14% higher PFAS concentrations in their plasma compared to pregnant people who did not wear makeup every day. Lactating people wearing makeup daily had 17% higher PFAS levels in milk.

Similarly, lactating people using permanent hair dye shortly after giving birth had 16% to 18% higher levels of PFAS in milk. People who used hair dye at least twice while pregnant had 36% higher levels of perfluorooctane sulfonate (PFOS), a type of PFAS, compared to people who dyed their hair less than two times while pregnant.

Using nail products during the postpartum period was linked to 27% higher PFOS levels in human milk.

Because the study only looked into just four of the thousands of types of PFAS, Hall explained that the total PFAS concentrations could be even higher.

This is not the first study to investigate PFAS in personal care products or their presence in human bodies. Earlier this year, New Zealand even moved forward with a ban of PFAS in cosmetics by 2027, and these chemicals have been found in human blood and the blood of umbilical cords. 

This latest research further ties PFAS exposure to higher risks for pregnant people and infants. According to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), PFAS exposure has been linked to decreased fertility, high blood pressure in pregnant people, developmental impacts in children, reduced vaccine response and ability of the immune system to fight infections, hormone interference, and increased risk of some types of cancer.

In response, the researchers noted that the findings could help better inform parents in their use of personal care products when pregnant or lactating, but that the results could also be wide-reaching and should not burden individuals. Instead, the authors said this should prompt more research and regulation of PFAS to protect public health.

“Not only do studies like these help people assess how their product choices may affect their personal risk, but they can also help us show how these products could have population-level effects,” said Joseph Braun, an author of the study and a professor of epidemiology and director of children’s environmental health at Brown University. “And that makes the case for product regulation and government action, so that we can remove some of the burden from individuals.”

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In 2019, a group of major companies from around the world agreed to form the Alliance to End Plastic Waste (AEPW), an alliance that set out to reduce the amount of plastic flowing into the environment by around 15 million metric tons by the end of 2023. 

But according to a new report by Unearthed, a Greenpeace investigative journalism team, the initiative members have actually produced more than 1,000 times the amount of plastic than they’ve cleaned up in the 2019 to 2023 timeframe.

The report found that the initiative was established by American Chemistry Council (ACC), a trade association, and a PR company. According to Unearthed, the project aimed to “change the conversation – away from short-term simplistic bans of plastic.”

The Unearthed team examined data provided by Wood Mackenzie, a consultancy firm, and found that five companies that are major players in the alliance, including Shell, ExxonMobil, TotalEnergies, ChevronPhillips and Dow, were producing more plastic in just two days than the total amount of plastic the alliance has cleaned up since 2019. 

As Mother Jones reported, these companies produced 132 million metric tons of polyethylene and polypropylene alone in the 2019-2023 timeframe, not including other types of plastics or the plastic produced by other member companies in the alliance. 

“The recycling schemes they’re promoting can barely make a dent in all the plastic these companies are pumping out,” said Will McCallum, co-executive director at Greenpeace UK, as reported by Mother Jones. “They’re letting the running tap flood the house while trying to scoop up the water with a teaspoon. The only solution is to cut the amount of plastic produced in the first place.”

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AEPW got rid of its target to divert 15 million metric tons of plastic waste last year. According to Packaging Insights, the alliance achieved only 0.2% of its targets and said that the 15 million metric ton benchmark “was just too ambitious.” 

As a Planet Tracker spokesperson told Packaging Insights, the alliance’s goal to invest $1.5 billion in plastic waste cleanup over a five-year timeline was just a drop in the bucket compared to the $400 billion going toward expanding plastic manufacturing. So far, members have only invested around $375 million, Unearthed reported.

“It’s hard to imagine a clearer example of greenwashing in this world,” Bill McKibben, environmental campaigner, told Unearthed. “The oil and gas industry — which is pretty much the same thing as the plastics industry — has been at this for decades.”

The Unearthed investigative report comes during the latest round of global plastics treaty negotiations in Busan, South Korea. Alliance members, along with the ACC, have been present for the negotiations and have argued against plastic bans, saying that plastic waste, not plastic production, was the problem.

A 2023 report estimated that without a strong global plastics treaty, plastic consumption could increase from 261 million metric tons in 2019 to 451 million metric tons by 2050. Plastic production already doubled from 2000 to 2019, and the amount of plastic waste could triple by 2060, a 2023 study by the World Economic Forum found.

Aileen Lucero, an EcoWaste Coalition campaigner, told Unearthed, “To fix this planetary health crisis, we need to address the underlying problems of hazardous chemical inputs in plastic manufacturing and the unbridled production of disposable plastics.”

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