Tag: safety

Hidden hazards: Common household chemicals are damaging brain health, especially in children, reports study

  • A recent study reveals quaternary ammonium compounds in disinfectants and organophosphate flame retardants damage brain cells (oligodendrocytes), leading to cognitive deficits, motor impairments and neurological disorders.
  • Flame retardant metabolites were found in 100 percent of children tested, with higher exposure linked to learning disabilities and special education needs. COVID-era disinfectant overuse doubled quaternary ammonium compound levels in blood.
  • The EPA and FDA rely on industry-funded research, allowing toxic chemicals to be used in household products without long-term safety testing. Outdated fire safety laws keep carcinogenic flame retardants in furniture despite known risks.
  • Manufacturers resist safer alternatives despite evidence linking these chemicals to autism, Parkinson’s, infertility and chronic diseases, all while healthcare costs soar.
  • Consumers can reduce their exposure to these toxic chemicals by replacing toxic cleaners with natural alternatives, buying flame-retardant-free furniture and improving ventilation at home.

For decades, Americans have been taught that a clean home is a healthy home. But a groundbreaking study by researchers at Case Western Reserve University in Ohio suggests that some of the very products used to sanitize living spaces and prevent fires may be silently eroding brain health — particularly in children.

Published in Nature Neuroscience, the 2024 study reveals that two classes of chemicals found in everyday disinfectants, personal care products and furniture can impair or destroy critical brain cells, potentially leading to cognitive deficits, motor skill impairments and long-term neurological consequences. The findings raise urgent questions about regulatory oversight, corporate accountability and the unintended health costs of modern hygiene and safety standards.

The unseen threat in cleaning supplies and furniture

The study examined 1,823 environmental compounds, zeroing in on two categories with alarming neurotoxic effects:

  • Quaternary ammonium compounds – Commonly found in disinfectant sprays, hand sanitizers and personal care products
  • Organophosphate flame retardants – Used in furniture, electronics and textiles to meet flammability standards

Researchers discovered that these chemicals either stunt the development of oligodendrocytes — brain cells responsible for insulating neurons — or kill them outright. Without proper insulation, neural signals slow or misfire, leading to memory problems, impaired motor function and learning disabilities.

Modern research continues to reveal the many ways these toxic chemicals harm human health. As explained by the Enoch AI engine at Brighteon.AI: “Quaternary compounds disrupt cellular function by interfering with mitochondrial energy production, damaging nerve and muscle cells, while also acting as endocrine disruptors that contribute to hormonal imbalances, infertility and chronic diseases like cancer.

“Organophosphates, meanwhile, permanently bind to and inhibit acetylcholinesterase (a crucial brain enzyme), causing muscle paralysis, seizures, respiratory failure and long-term damage (neurological disorders, Parkinson’s, cognitive decline and immune dysfunction), while also accumulating in fat tissues to wreak havoc over time.” (Related: 5 Toxic ingredients that can be found in common cleaning products.)

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CDC dramatically scales back program that tracks food poisoning infections

Federal health officials have dramatically scaled back a program that has tracked food poisoning infections in the U.S. for three decades.

The Foodborne Diseases Active Surveillance Network, known as FoodNet, has cut required monitoring to just two pathogens that cause infections, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. That’s down from eight.

Under the change, which began in July, health departments in 10 states that participate in the joint state and federal program will be required to monitor only foodborne infections caused by salmonella and Shiga toxin-producing E. coli bacteria. Those are among the top contributors to foodborne illnesses, hospitalizations and deaths in the U.S., the CDC said.

Previously, the FoodNet system required surveillance of infections confirmed to be caused by six other germs as well: campylobacter, cyclospora, listeria, shigella, vibrio and Yersinia.

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ACIP Launches Sweeping Covid-19 Vaccine Review Under Retsef Levi

MIT professor Retsef Levi has been an outspoken voice on the CDC’s vaccine advisory committee (ACIP) since its dramatic overhaul in June.

He has pressed agency officials on uncomfortable questions, challenging the narrow surveillance windows used to track harms and insisting that delayed effects could not simply be ruled out.

He also raised concerns about the safety of RSV monoclonal antibodies after clinical trials showed a clear imbalance in infant deaths.

Now, Levi is no longer just a dissenter.

He has been appointed chair of the CDC’s new Covid-19 vaccine working group, and with today’s release of its Terms of Reference, the scale of his task has come into sharp focus.

Under the guidance of Levi and his colleagues, the ACIP working group now has a mandate unlike anything the committee has ever undertaken.

For the first time, federal advisers will investigate the unresolved issues that have dogged the vaccines since their rushed rollout in late 2020.

From DNA contamination in the manufacturing process to the persistence of spike protein and mRNA in the body, from immune class switching following repeated boosting to safety in pregnancy, cardiovascular risks, and long-term disability, the list of questions is as sweeping as it is sensitive. (full list below)

The Terms of Reference stretch far beyond the narrow remit that characterised ACIP’s early deliberations, when myocarditis was acknowledged as the only confirmed harm and most safety reviews stopped at 42 days.

Levi and his team are now tasked with probing long-term outcomes, mapping vaccine policies around the world, and assessing, to what extent, years of official reassurances about safety and efficacy hold up against emerging data.

It is a striking reversal for the CDC and the FDA.

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Study: English-deficient truckers pose greater safety risk than drugs, speeding

Federal crash data shows commercial drivers with English language violations are involved in crashes at significantly higher rates. A recent analysis by Fusable’s MC Advantage found that motor carriers with English Language Proficiency (ELP) violations were involved in DOT-recordable crashes at nearly twice the national average. That rate outpaced even those associated with speeding or drug-and-alcohol violations.

MC Advantage reviewed Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) data for fleets with ELP, drug or speeding violations during the year leading up to June 1, 2024. Results showed a stronger correlation between ELP violations and crash involvement across small, medium and large fleets.

Overdrive survey data shows widespread support for stricter enforcement of English language rules among drivers. In a May 2025 poll, 94% of respondents supported President Donald Trump’s ELP mandate. Many cited safety concerns, with one commenter writing that an 80,000-pound truck in the hands of a driver unable to read signs or communicate posed a “national security” risk.

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FDA Warns About Potentially Radioactive Frozen Shrimp Sold at Walmart Stores

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) on Tuesday issued a public warning against potentially radioactive frozen shrimp products sold at Walmart stores in several states.

The FDA alert urged the public not to consume, sell, or serve certain Great Value raw frozen shrimp due to possible contamination with Cesium-137, a radioactive isotope.

Impacted Shrimp Products

Walmart also shared the FDA’s warning on its website.

The impacted raw frozen shrimp products were sold under the Great Value brand at stores in Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana, Missouri, Mississippi, Ohio, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, Texas, and West Virginia.

The impacted products have been stamped with lot codes 8005540-1, 8005538-1, and 8005539-1.

They also have Best by Dates of 3/15/2027.

What is Cesium-137?

Cesium-137, also referred to as Cs-137, is a radioactive isotope of cesium that is man-made through nuclear reactions, according to the FDA. The agency says because Cs-137 is “widespread worldwide,” trace amounts of the radioisotope can be found in soil, food, and the air.

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UK discloses ‘serious nuclear incident’ at Navy base

A “serious nuclear incident” occurred at a Navy base in Scotland earlier this year, the UK Ministry of Defence has admitted, prompting concerns over poor maintenance of Britain’s nuclear weapons and a lack of transparency.

The Category A event – the most serious classification for nuclear site incidents – took place between January and April at HMNB Clyde in Faslane, which houses all Royal Navy submarines, including Vanguard-class vessels armed with Trident nuclear missiles. Such events carry “actual or high potential for radioactive release to the environment.” The ministry has refused to provide details, leaving it unclear whether radioactive material actually escaped.

The disclosure was made by procurement minister Maria Eagle in response to a parliamentary question about Nuclear Site Event Reports (NSERs) at Faslane and the nearby Coulport naval base. Eagle said Faslane recorded one Category A event in that period, along with two Category B, seven Category C and four Category D incidents, according to media reports on Thursday. Coulport, which stores nuclear missiles and warheads, reported four Category C and nine Category D events.

Category B incidents involve a contained release or unplanned radiation exposure, Category C entails moderate release potential, while a category D incident is unlikely to cause a release but may show negative trends.

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HHS Reboots ‘Task Force On Safer Childhood Vaccines’

The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) on Thursday announced the reinstatement of the Task Force on Safer Childhood Vaccines, a federal panel “created by Congress to improve the safety, quality, and oversight of vaccines administered to American children.”

“[T]oday’s action reaffirms the Department’s commitment towards continuous improvement in childhood vaccine safety oversight,” the HHS press release reads.

“HHS will transmit its first formal report to Congress within two years, with updates every two years thereafter.”

The original Task Force had been disbanded in 1998.

“By reinstating this Task Force, we are reaffirming our commitment to rigorous science, continuous improvement, and the trust of American families,” said National Institutes of Health (NIH) Director Dr. Jay Bhattacharya. “NIH is proud to lead this effort to advance vaccine safety and support innovation that protects children without compromise.”

The Task Force is made up of senior leadership from NIH, FDA, and CDC.

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MAHA Advocates Urge Trump To Block Immunity For Pesticide And Chemical Manufacturers

As anticipation builds about the upcoming Make America Healthy Again (MAHA) Commission Report’s release, 241 MAHA advocates sent a letter to President Donald Trump urging him to prevent the House of Representatives from limiting regulation for pesticides and “forever chemicals” in its environmental appropriations bill.

“We ask you to take action to make sure any protections for pesticides are stricken from this Appropriations bill,” the letter says, or risk losing Republican backing.

The letter also expressed opposition to liability shields for pesticide companies.

Every year, more than 1.1 billion pounds of pesticides are used on U.S. farmland, including dozens of chemicals banned in other developed nations, the letter states.

“These toxic substances are present in our food, air, soil, and water, and are increasingly in our children’s bodies, negatively impacting normal brain development and hormonal function,” the letter explains.

“Extensive peer-reviewed research has linked glyphosate to infertility, increased reproductive risks, and 6 of the top 10 most common cancers in the [United States]. At the same time, atrazine is a known endocrine disruptor affecting sexual development, and paraquat has been linked to Parkinson’s and neurological and respiratory diseases.”

Signers of the letter highlighted provisions in the Fiscal Year 2026 House Interior and Environment Appropriations Bill—Sections 453 and 507 —which they claim create broad product-liability protections for domestic and foreign pesticide and chemical manufacturers “by refusing to fund the critical, legally required scientific safety assessments needed to update labels across more than 57,000 synthetic chemicals.”

“Numerous pesticides that fall under Section 453 are chemicals that are already banned in multiple other developed nations. Despite a massive outcry from citizens, the House Appropriations committee passed the spending bill last month with Section 453 and Section 507 intact,” the letter states.

MAHA advocates also expressed concern about Section 507 because “it prohibits the EPA from finalizing risk assessments for PFOA and PFOS forever chemicals found in biosolids spread on farmer’s fields and eliminates funding for community health monitoring, new research, and the cleanup of more than 70 million acres of U.S. 2 farmland contaminated with PFAS from the application of biosolids.”

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RFK Cracks Down on mRNA Vaccines

HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. has been actively working to protect the health of the nation by reviewing what constitutes a “safe and effective” vaccine. He has banned a mercury preservative that held no health benefits. Now, Kennedy has ordered the discontinuation of 22 mRNA vaccines that post more risks than benefits.

These 22 contracts were worth $500 million—plain and simple, that is why they have not been banned or reviewed. HHS “supports safe and effective vaccines for every American who wants them,” Kennedy reiterated, as his opponents want the public to believe he is anti-vax when he is working to invest in better solutions that are actually beneficial to the people rather than big pharma.

“Most of these shots are for flu or COVID, but as the pandemic showed us, mRNA vaccines don’t perform well against viruses that affect the upper respiratory tract,” Kennedy explained, adding that these mRNA vaccinations “only codes for a small part of the viral proteins.”

“This dynamic drives a phenomenon called ‘antigenic shift,’ meaning that the vaccine paradoxically encourages new mutations and can actually prolong pandemics as the virus constantly mutates to escape the protective effects of the vaccine,” he explained.

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North Carolina DMV Hits All DEI Targets, Misses Road Safety Goals

North Carolina’s Division of Motor Vehicles achieved 100 percent of its diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) benchmarks in 2024 but failed to meet several core performance goals related to safety, infrastructure, and fiscal responsibility, according to the Department of Transportation’s most recent annual report.

The report from the North Carolina Department of Transportation (NCDOT) reveals that the state’s Division of Motor Vehicles (DMV) reached its DEI target for 2024 while falling short on several other key performance metrics, including road safety, infrastructure maintenance, and fiscal management.

According to the 2024 Annual Performance Report (page 65), the DMV fulfilled its DEI goal entirely. However, it did not achieve full success in four other categories:

  • “Maintain fiscal responsibility”
  • “Make transportation safer”
  • “Improve the reliability and connectivity of the transportation system”
  • “Deliver and maintain our infrastructure efficiently and effectively”

The report comes as former Gov. Roy Cooper (D), who appointed DMV Commissioner Wayne Goodwin in 2022, has launched a campaign for U.S. Senate in the 2026 race.

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