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Trump EPA floats ‘safer’ formaldehyde exposure, undermining public health and MAHA goals Ketura Persellin December 12, 2025 WASHINGTON – The Environmental Protection Agency is again putting public health at risk: almost doubling the amount of formaldehyde, the cancer-causing chemical, it considers safe to inhale.It’s the latest in a string of EPA actions that clash with the Trump administration’s “Make America Healthy Again,” or MAHA, movement. Instead of pursuing MAHA’s goal of tackling health harms from toxic chemicals, the agency is opening the door to more exposure.The EPA’s revised assessment of formaldehyde’s risks, released last week, would overturn a Biden EPA finding that effectively states there is no safe level of exposure to the chemical. At the time, some critics said even that finding did not go far enough in acknowledging formaldehyde’s risks.The chemical is widely used in building materials and many consumer goods, such as clothing, bedding, furniture and toys, among others. Science links the chemical to cancer, leukemia, respiratory illness, reproductive damage and other serious health harms.Several federal agencies and international governing bodies, including the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the National Institutes of Health and the World Health Organization, classify formaldehyde as a known human carcinogen.Scientists agree carcinogens like formaldehyde pose health risks, even at very low doses.Risking more pollution “This new EPA action opens the door to more pollution and may fundamentally change the agency’s framework for chemical risk assessment, said David Andrews, Ph.D., the Environmental Working Group’s acting chief science officer. “This change will enable chemical companies to profit further at the expense of public health.” Not surprisingly, the revised risk assessment was heavily influenced by former chemical industry officials now leading the EPA’s Office of Chemical Safety and Pollution Prevention, according to reports by the New York Times and ProPublica.Those officials, Nancy Beck and Lynn Dekleva, are both former senior directors at the American Chemistry Council, the chemical industry’s main trade group. They played a key role in pushing the agency’s new industry-backed stance, which abandons the long-standing EPA scientific principle that even low-level exposure to known carcinogens poses risks."This decision shows just how far the Trump EPA is willing to go to put industry interests above public health,” said EWG Vice President for Government Affairs Melanie Benesh. “Doubling the so-called ‘safe’ level of formaldehyde isn’t science – it’s a gift to industry. The public deserves an EPA that protects them, not one that treats exposure of dangerous chemicals as an acceptable risk,” she added.Undermining MAHAThis regulatory rollback is part of a broader effort by EPA Administrator Lee Zeldin, Beck and Dekleva to weaken chemical safety standards. That effort directly undermines the goals of the MAHA movement by exposing workers, families and communities to a well-documented carcinogen at levels the EPA’s own scientists have warned are unsafe.It’s the latest in a string of EPA and other federal agency actions that conflict with MAHA’s goals of reducing exposure to harmful chemicals, including pesticides.The EPA published the draft formaldehyde risk assessment on December 3 and is asking for feedback on it through February 2.###The Environmental Working Group (EWG) is a nonprofit, non-partisan organization that empowers people to live healthier lives in a healthier environment. Through research, advocacy and unique education tools, EWG drives consumer choice and civic action. Areas of Focus Toxic Chemicals Press Contact Alex Formuzis alex@ewg.org (202) 667-6982 December 12, 2025

The results of a recent community effort highlight the rapid decline of glaciers worldwide, as well as the importance and challenges of glacier monitoring.

FDA proposes approval of long-sought sunscreen ingredient bemotrizinol Monica Amarelo December 11, 2025 WASHINGTON – A milestone was reached today that could finally bring U.S. consumers access to the type of modern, more effective sun protection used abroad for decades: The Food and Drug Administration is proposing classifying bemotrizinol as an active ingredient in over-the-counter sunscreens.   The move is part of the agency’s renewed effort to modernize the outdated sunscreen marketplace and encourage innovation.   According to the FDA review, bemotrizinol provides strong broad-spectrum protection, safeguarding consumers against both ultraviolet A and B, or UVA and UVB, rays. UVA radiation can penetrate the skin more deeply than UVB rays and is associated with skin aging and cancer, including melanoma.   The ingredient also shows very low absorption through the skin and rarely causes irritation, the agency says.    If the FDA finalizes its plan, bemotrizinol would become the first new active sunscreen ingredient allowed on the U.S. market in decades. The new ingredient gives adults and children 6 months and older access to a much-needed non-mineral option with stronger UVA protection.   The FDA will publish its review of the ingredient in the Federal Register on December 12 and take public comment on it for 45 days.   Call for safer sunscreens   For more than 20 years, the Environmental Working Group has pushed the FDA and the industry to bring safer, more effective sunscreen ingredients to U.S. consumers.    EWG has documented the shortcomings of many sunscreens sold in the U.S. The organization has also long urged the adoption of modern ingredients used widely in Europe and elsewhere that offer better, more reliable protection against the risks of sun exposure.   “This proposal signals real hope for public health,” said David Andrews, Ph.D., EWG’s acting chief science officer. “Mineral sunscreens are a top choice for consumers, but for those who prefer non-mineral products the ingredient options have been limited.    “For years, Americans have been denied access to sunscreen ingredients that offer stronger UVA protection with fewer health concerns. Approving bemotrizinol would finally begin to close the gap between U.S. consumers and the rest of the world,” he added.   EWG first urged the FDA in 2019 to add bemotrizinol and several other modern filters to the list of approved U.S. sunscreen ingredients. The request cited promising safety data and superior UVA performance. Bemotrizinol is already widely used in sunscreens around the world, but it has never been approved for use in the U.S. Today’s proposed order responds to a request from its manufacturer, DSM Nutritional Products, to allow concentrations up to 6%.  “Modernizing our sunscreen market is long overdue,” said Melanie Benesh, EWG’s vice president of government affairs. “For too long, American families have had to rely on outdated ingredients while likely safer, more effective options were available overseas.  “The FDA’s proposal is a major step toward aligning U.S. sunscreen availability with public health science. Today’s announcement also shows that it’s possible to conduct the necessary studies to show that filters are both safe and effective,” she added.   Guide to Sunscreens   In 2021, EWG scientists tested 51 sunscreens with a sun protection factor, or SPF, between 15 and 110. The scientists found that many of the products offered just a quarter of their stated SPF protection against UVA rays.    Since 2007, EWG has published its annual Guide to Sunscreens to help consumers navigate misleading marketing claims, outdated regulations and inconsistent UVA protection.    Most top-scoring sunscreen products in the guide, and those EWG recommends, are mineral sunscreens formulated with zinc oxide or titanium dioxide. These mineral-based sunscreens remain top choices.    And now bemotrizinol improves the variety of options available for use in non-mineral sunscreen products.    EWG will continue to advocate for strong safety standards, better UVA performance and the removal of ineffective or potentially harmful sunscreen chemicals. ###   The Environmental Working Group (EWG) is a nonprofit, non-partisan organization that empowers people to live healthier lives in a healthier environment. Through research, advocacy and unique education tools, EWG drives consumer choice and civic action. Areas of Focus Personal Care Products Sunscreen Family Health Women's Health Children’s Health Marks step toward safer, more effective ultraviolet ray protection for U.S. families Press Contact Monica Amarelo monica@ewg.org (202) 939-9140 December 11, 2025

Does your laundry shed microplastics? JR Culpepper December 11, 2025 Tiny bits of plastic are found nearly everywhere, from the summit of Mount Everest to the ocean floor. Are some of them coming from your washer and dryer?  Microplastics are the microscopic pieces of plastic that have spread throughout the world, contaminating plants, animals and even the human body, detected in blood, lungs and placental tissue.Scientists are only beginning to understand the health implications, but recent research prompts concerns. Last year, a study suggested the presence of microplastics may increase the risk of heart attack and other cardiovascular problems among people with heart disease. The tiny plastics were found to double the risk of stroke or heart attack.Small particles, big problemsPlastic doesn’t decompose in the way food and paper do. Instead, it breaks down into smaller and smaller pieces. Obvious sources can shed these fragments, such as plastic bags, bottles and car tires. They can also come from unexpected sources, such as clothing made with synthetic fabric. Clothing sheds fiber fragments, which resemble microscopic pieces of string. If a garment is made with synthetic materials – plastic-based fabric like polyester, nylon and elastane, among others – the fiber fragments the clothing sheds will also be plastic.Any handling of clothing can cause some shedding – even before the items land in the store, they can shed during the production process. They shed when they’re worn. But worst of all is the laundry. A single load can release several million fiber fragments. These fibers don’t necessarily stay in your washer and dryer. Your machine’s rinse cycle discards many of them, and others are blown out through the vents in your dryer. Some remaining fibers may be caught in the lint filter. Whether in the water or the air, these fibers end up getting deposited into the environment, where they can travel in the atmosphere, enter the soil, or contaminate drinking water sources. Tiny plastic pieces add upScientists estimate that household laundry cycles produce more than 3,500 metric tons of fiber fragments each year in the U.S. alone – clothing and other textiles shed larger bits of fiber, too. But a significant number are microplastic fiber fragments. Synthetic fibers can hold chemicals used to treat the clothing during production, such as anti-wrinkle agents and fire retardants. Other chemicals include the water-repelling toxic “forever chemicals” known as PFAS, and those that make clothes more stretchy, such as phthalates, a class of chemicals with hormone-disrupting properties. Bisphenol A, or BPA, another endocrine–disrupting chemical, has been found in activewear. If fiber fragments hold these chemicals and make their way into the body, they may be harmful. Other textiles, such as carpets, furniture, and curtains, can shed fibers throughout your home, both in and out of the laundry. What you can doNot all clothing sheds microplastics at the same rate. Loosely woven fabrics such as fleece often produce more, while tightly woven fabrics stay together better during the laundry cycle. Relying on natural fabrics, such as organic cotton, linen, hemp, silk and wool, is one way to curb your exposure to microplastics, but these garments still produce fiber fragments and could’ve been treated with potentially harmful chemicals. Looking for Global Organic Textile Standard or OEKO-TEX certifications on clothing and textiles ensures third-party tests for harmful chemicals.  Here are some ways to release fewer fragments from your laundry load. Wash in cold water. Quicker cycles in cold water help reduce microfiber generation significantly.Fill the machine. A fuller load means less friction, which is easier on the fabric.Skip the extra rinse cycle. The use of more water has been shown to increase the release of fiber fragments.Wash less often. Less frequent laundering will not only extend the lifetime of your clothing but also shed less microplastic.Consider hang-drying clothes. Drying your clothes this way is much more gentle than tumble drying and generates fewer fiber fragments. It also saves electricity.Buy secondhand. Pre-washed and worn clothes shed far fewer fibers.Look into products that help collect fibers. Washing bags, filters, and other products are designed to collect fibers from inside the washer or dryer.Invest in an air purifier. An air purifier can help reduce fibers and microplastics in household air. As a reminder, take care to vacuum and wet-dust regularly. Whether microplastics in your home are from laundry or from outside, cleaning regularly will help ensure they don’t hitch a ride into the air and make their way into your food or water.  Areas of Focus Toxic Chemicals Authors JR Culpepper Guest Authors Samantha Romanick, Ph.D. December 11, 2025

Six fun and thoughtful ways to keep our climate and planet in mind this holiday season.