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Midpregnancy herbicide exposure linked to increased preterm birth risk

Exposure to a widely used herbicide during the middle months of pregnancy may increase the chance of giving birth too early, before 37 weeks, a new study shows.

31 Jul 2026

Exposure to fungicides and insecticides alters onset of puberty in girls

The study, which tracked more than 500 Spanish girls between the ages of 7 and 10, links the presence of certain fungicides in urine to early menarche and that of the insecticide chlorpyrifos to delayed menarche, highlighting the impact of pesticides on pubertal development.

31 Jul 2026

Tea, tap water and child IQ: What a Canadian pregnancy study found

Researchers analyzed 485 mother-child pairs in Canada to examine whether estimated fluoride intake from tea during pregnancy was associated with IQ at ages 3 to 4. Each 0.5 mg/day increase was associated with a 2.24-point lower full-scale IQ score, although the observational design and estimated exposure prevent causal conclusions.

31 Jul 2026

Tire microplastics could fuel antibiotic resistance in urban environments

Tiny particles released as vehicle tires wear down may do more than pollute urban air, water, and soil. A new perspective article suggests that tire microplastics could create environmental hotspots that help antibiotic resistance genes persist, move between bacteria, and spread through cities.

29 Jul 2026

Researchers examine mosquitoes’ resistance mechanisms to common insecticide

Traditionally, public health programs have relied on chemicals for mosquito management, and this may be why combating them is becoming more difficult.

29 Jul 2026

Wearable fingertip patch tracks Parkinson's medication levels through sweat

Engineers and neuroscientists at the University of California San Diego have developed a soft, wearable fingertip patch that continuously tracks a patient's Parkinson's disease medication levels through their sweat.

27 Jul 2026

Noncombustible nicotine products replace cigarette use among young adults

As cigarette smoking reaches historic lows in the U.S., new research from MUSC Hollings Cancer Center suggests a fundamental shift in tobacco use is driving that trend.

27 Jul 2026

Better bait may help stop New World screwworm infestations

Jessica Metcalf's work stinks. Literally. But the Colorado State University professor's research may be key to protecting livestock and wildlife from a flesh-eating parasite.

24 Jul 2026

Stuffed toys can release short-chain PFAS into saliva, study finds

Researchers tested 18 stuffed toys and found that all released at least one targeted PFAS into artificial saliva under mouthing-relevant conditions, with PFHxA driving much of the variation between products. Modeled intake of the four PFAS covered by EFSA’s group tolerable weekly intake remained below that benchmark, but some high-PFHxA toys had reduced margins of exposure, and water rinsing produced mixed results.

22 Jul 2026

Midpregnancy herbicide exposure linked to increased risk of preterm birth

Exposure to a widely used herbicide during the middle months of pregnancy may increase the chance of giving birth too early, before 37 weeks, a new study shows.

22 Jul 2026

Air pollution mixtures linked to higher early preterm birth risk

Pregnancy puts higher oxygen demands on the body, so expectant mothers breathe significantly more air over the course of a day. When air quality is bad, they're also breathing in more harmful pollutants.

21 Jul 2026

AI may predict harmful chemical exposures affecting human health

Artificial intelligence is rapidly improving scientists' ability to detect chemicals in the environment and human body.

19 Jul 2026

New laser technology detects counterfeit alcohol through sealed bottles

A laser-based technology being developed at Adelaide University could soon help authorities detect deadly counterfeit alcohol, expose wine fraud and even identify dangerous chemicals inside sealed bottles – all without opening them.

17 Jul 2026

BYK Strengthens its portfolio of measurement and testing instruments through a strategic acquisition in the autonomous driving market

BYK-Gardner USA, a subsidiary of the specialty chemicals group ALTANA, is acquiring perisens GmbH.

From Paul N. Gardner Company 17 Jul 2026

Researchers identify immune cell receptor that drives organ aging process

We may age at different rates, but none of us escapes aging. A study in mice and in human cells by Stanford Medicine researchers pins much of the blame on a particular type of immune cell's increased inability, with advancing age, to gobble up another immune cell type.

16 Jul 2026

Early PFAS exposure linked to childhood intestinal inflammation

Researchers at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai have found that exposure to per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), commonly known as "forever chemicals," during pregnancy and early life is associated with increased intestinal inflammation during childhood.

16 Jul 2026

Japanese study links breastfeeding to mixed risks for childhood allergies

Breastfeeding is widely recognized for its important role in supporting a child's early growth and immune system development.

16 Jul 2026

AI could accelerate commercialization of bio-based chemical manufacturing

The era of "biomanufacturing", in which microbes, not petroleum, produce chemical products, is one step closer. A KAIST research team has analyzed the key challenges limiting the commercialization of biomanufacturing and proposed an AI-driven strategy for industrialization.

13 Jul 2026

New microparticles improve biofilm removal from wounds and surgical instruments

Newly developed microparticles can infiltrate stubborn bacterial matrices and release tiny oxygen bubbles to clean surfaces and wounds more efficiently than hydrogen peroxide or other cleaning agents alone, researchers at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign report.

9 Jul 2026

Antifungal nanoparticles made from immune cell membranes fight infections

Tiny particles made from the membranes of human immune cells could offer a promising new way to fight fungal infections that are becoming harder to treat. Engineers at the University of California San Diego created antifungal nanoparticles that target Candida albicans, a fungus responsible for oral and vaginal yeast infections as well as life-threatening bloodstream infections.

9 Jul 2026