Environmental Health

"Amid debate over the safety of publishing such research, a study in Science outlines how lab teams engineered the contagious strains of H5N1, and concludes that the deadly virus could cause a global pandemic."

"A bioactive chemical cousin of BPA turns up on money and in receipts"

"For a century, doctors have waged war against bacteria, using antibiotics as their weapons. But that relationship is changing as scientists become more familiar with the 100 trillion microbes that call us home — collectively known as the microbiome."

"Gov. Jerry Brown urged state regulators Monday to reduce the prevalence of chemical flame retardants in household furniture, joining a growing number of critics who argue the chemicals are toxic and unnecessary."

"TEXAS CITY, Texas -- More than 50,000 Texas City residents have joined a class-action suit against BP PLC, alleging they got sick in 2010 from a 41-day emissions release from a refinery that was the scene of a deadly explosion."

"Risking an election-year backlash from Republicans, the Obama administration is proposing new air quality standards to lower the amount of soot that can be released into the air.

The move, to be announced Friday, is likely to win support from environmental groups and public health advocates but exposes the president to potential criticism from congressional Republicans and industry officials that the rules are overly strict and could hurt economic growth and cause job losses in political swing states such as Ohio and Pennsylvania.

"After five years of toil, a consortium of several hundred U.S. researchers has released a detailed census of the myriad bacteria, yeasts, viruses and amoebas that live, eat, excrete, reproduce and die in or on us."

"Described in two papers in Nature and a raft of reports in other journals, the data released Wednesday describe microbes of the skin, saliva, nostrils, guts and other areas of 242 adults in tiptop health.

"MOSS POINT, Mississippi -- Too many Moss Point residents are dying from cancer, leaders from a Memphis-based civil rights organization said Tuesday."