Latest News On Environmental Health

Latest KFF Health News Stories

Rare ‘Flesh-Eating’ Bacterium Spreads North as Oceans Warm

KFF Health News Original

A rise in cases of Vibrio vulnificus and its spread northward have heightened concern about the bacterium, which can cause human tissue to rot and skin to decay. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is trying to make more doctors aware of the dangerous pathogen.

Heat-Related Deaths Are Up, and Not Just Because It’s Getting Hotter

KFF Health News Original

Excessive heat contributed to 1,670 deaths nationwide last year, according to federal data — the highest rate in at least two decades. An increase in drug use and homelessness, along with hotter temperatures, were among the reasons.

‘Like a Russian Roulette’: US Military Firefighters Grapple With Unknowns of PFAS Exposure

KFF Health News Original

Federal research linking “forever chemicals” to testicular cancer confirms what U.S. military personnel long suspected. But as they seek testing for PFAS exposure, many wonder what to do with the results. There’s no medical treatment yet.

Trabajadores sufren mientras el Congreso y empresarios debaten la necesidad de normas contra el calor

KFF Health News Original

No existen normas federales para proteger a los trabajadores cuando los días son excesivamente calurosos. Y sin el apoyo bipartidista del Congreso, incluso con la atención urgente de la administración Biden, es posible que el alivio no llegue en años.

Pioneering Study Links Testicular Cancer Among Military Personnel to ‘Forever Chemicals’

KFF Health News Original

The military first documented health concerns surrounding chemicals known as PFAS decades ago yet has continued to use firefighting foam made with them. Despite scores of lawsuits by its personnel and high rates of testicular cancer among troops, it has been slow to investigate a connection.

As Many American Cities Get Hotter, Health Systems Face Off Against Heatstroke

KFF Health News Original

With millions of Americans suffering under relentless heat waves this summer, more people are seeking medical attention for heat-related illnesses. As temperatures get more extreme, hospitals, fire departments, and ambulance crews are preparing to treat more patients for heat exhaustion and heatstroke.

Texan Activists Thirst for a National Heat Standard to Protect Outdoor Workers

KFF Health News Original

As much of the U.S. faces extremely high summer temperatures, Texas’ Republican governor, Greg Abbott, has taken steps that effectively eliminate mandated water breaks for construction workers. In response, protesters from the Lone Star State came to Washington, D.C., to press for federal protections for such outdoor workers.

KFF Health News' 'What the Health?': Let’s Talk About the Weather

Podcast

It’s been the summer of broken weather records around the world — for heat, rain, and wildfire smoke — advertising the risks of climate change in a big way. But, apparently, it’s not enough to break the logjam in Washington over how to address the growing climate crisis. Meanwhile, in Texas, women who were unable to get care for pregnancy complications took their stories to court, and Congress gears up to — maybe — do something about prescription drug prices. Alice Miranda Ollstein of Politico, Shefali Luthra of The 19th, and Rachel Cohrs of Stat join Julie Rovner, KFF Health News’ chief Washington correspondent, to discuss these issues and more. Also this week, Rovner interviews Meena Seshamani, the top administrator for the federal Medicare program.

Proposed PFAS Rule Would Cost Companies Estimated $1B; Lacks Limits and Cleanup Requirement

KFF Health News Original

A proposed Environmental Protection Agency rule calls for companies to disclose PFAS manufactured or imported since 2011. The chemical industry is upset because such compliance would cost an estimated $1 billion, while environmental health advocates worry because the rule wouldn’t ban the chemicals outright.

California Schools Start Hatching Heat Plans as the Planet Warms

KFF Health News Original

State researchers offer recommendations on how schools can become more heat-resilient in the face of global warming. Proposed changes to state law could make it easier to build shade structures.

As Water Levels Drop, the Risk of Arsenic Rises

KFF Health News Original

As the West grapples with a megadrought, its driest spell in at least 1,200 years, rising levels of arsenic — a known carcinogen — in Colorado’s San Luis Valley offer clues to what the future may hold.

A medida que bajan los niveles de agua, suben los de arsénico

KFF Health News Original

A medida que el oeste lucha contra una mega sequía que ha durado más de dos décadas y los estados corren el riesgo de recortes en el agua del menguante río Colorado, el Valle de San Luis ofrece pistas sobre lo que el futuro puede deparar.

Lead Contamination Surfaces in Affluent Atlanta Neighborhood

KFF Health News Original

The Environmental Protection Agency recently confirmed high lead levels in an upscale Atlanta neighborhood. The location stands in contrast to many polluted sites investigated by the federal Superfund program — often in former industrial or waste disposal areas where environmental racism has left marginalized groups at risk.