The Environmental Protection Agency announced Wednesday that it has finalized a first-ever rule that will drastically lower the amount of PFAS, also known as "forever chemicals," in the nation's drinking water.
“Drinking water contaminated with PFAS has plagued communi...
As waters warm across the United States and hurricanes and flooding season begins, the odds of being infected by flesh-eating bacteria are also rising, U.S. health officials warn.
The Biden administration on Monday awarded $58 million in grants to help schools and daycare centers remove lead from drinking water.
The announcement came during an event in Boston.
“I am excited to join local leaders in Boston to announce $58 milli...
Under the surface of your favorite swimming pool, beach and lakes, hazards too small to be seen by the naked eye may await.
And these bacteria, viruses and parasites can turn a refreshing plunge into a nasty infection.
“There's a variety of microorganisms that ca...
Drowning is the leading cause of death among children aged 1 to 4 years old in the United States, and too many older children continue to die in the water, according to a new report from the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC).
A child can slip underwater in t...
Summer is here and so, too, is swimming season.
As fun as a pool can be, it's also a major safety risk if you don't take the appropriate precautions.
An expert from Huntington Health, an affiliate of Cedars-Sinai in Los Angeles, offers some tips for a safe pool s...
A potentially deadly germ has made its way to the U.S. Gulf Coast, health officials warned this week.
So far, three cases of infection from the bacteria Burkholderia pseudomallei have been reported to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The bact...
Be cautious when heading to Florida's beaches this summer, an expert warned, as a 5,000-mile floating mass of sargassum seaweed has begun washing up on the state's shores.
It can be low risk in some instances, but it also has the potential for triggering serious respira...
Black and Hispanic communities in the United States are more often poor — and also more likely to have harmful levels of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) in their drinking water, a new study reveals.
Sources of PFAS pollution — including major manufacturers...
Drowning isn't always accompanied by the stereotypical flailing and cries for help.
It can happen wherever there's water, including streams, lakes, water parks, bathtubs and even toilets.
It's also often preventable, according to an expert from Penn State Health, w...
Global warming is fostering the spread of a deadly flesh-eating bacteria along the northeastern coast of the United States, researchers report.
Vibrio vulnificus bacteria grow in warm shallow coastal waters and can infect a person via a cut or insect bite durin...
U.S. water utilities will be required to remove certain “forever chemicals” from drinking water as the Biden administration sets first-ever limits on perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl compounds, better known as known as PFAS.
Nearly all Americans have PFAS in their ...
Researchers studying well water found current monitoring practices often fail to reflect actual groundwater pollution risks.
The problem: Spikes in harmful bacteria, like those from animal and human waste, vary depending on the season. They may be higher at times when te...
It's a little safer to get into the water: Unprovoked shark attacks dropped to a 10-year low worldwide in 2022, shark watchers say.
A total of 57 unprovoked bites occurred in 2022, tying with 2020 for the fewest number of reported incidents during the last 10 years,...
U.S. communities with higher Hispanic, American Indian or Black populations also have the highest concentrations of metal in public water systems, new research reveals.
Researchers from Columbia University Mailman School of Public Health in New York City found significan...
Black children and teens drown in swimming pools at rates seven times higher than white children, but a new survey suggests that special swimming programs could make a difference and help save lives.
The survey, from the Ann and Robert H. Lurie Children's Hospital o...
Splash pads -- those shallow pools of wet, cooling summertime fun for kids -- can also be sources of nasty gastro infections for youngsters who swallow water during their play.
That's the take-home lesson from a new analysis of outbreaks of two bacterial illnesses,
When weather gets hot and people start jumping into a pool, lake or ocean, cases of swimmer's ear are likely to climb, but one expert says there are steps you...
Neck floats marketed for babies to use in water can lead to serious injury or death, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration warned this week.
The inflatable plastic rings are especially dangerous for infants who have developmental delays or special needs, such as those wi...
Many children missed out on potentially lifesaving swimming lessons during the pandemic, so parents should enroll them in classes as soon as possible, the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) recommends.
Hundreds of U.S. children die in pool and hot tub drownings each year, and the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) is urging parents to redouble safety efforts this summer.
That's because many children have been away from the water during the past two years du...
When you're at a beach or pool, would you be able to identify someone who's drowning and take action to save them?
"Even the most experienced swimmers can be in danger if the weather is bad, currents are strong or a medical emergency occurs in the water," said Dr. Gillia...
If heading back into the water this summer has you concerned about flesh-eating bacteria, an expert offers some advice.
"Flesh-eating bacteria refers to an infection ...
With summer comes warm weather and swimming. But for some people, knowing how to swim may not be enough to ensure their safety.
That's because certain medical conditions bump up the risk for drowning in a big way, according to a new Canadian study.
About one in th...
Fracking has already raised the ire of environmentalists for its effects on the planet, but new research sends up another red flag: The wastewater produced by the complicated oil and gas drilling process is loaded with toxic and cancer-causing contaminants that threaten both p...
Enforcement of a rule limiting power plant emissions of mercury and other hazardous pollutants will be resumed, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency announced Monday.
It's the latest move by the Biden administration to reinstate environmental protections lifted by th...
In an effort to further lower lead levels in drinking water, the Biden administration on Thursday announced $2.9 billion in infrastructure bill funds for lead pipe removal and tighter lead limits.
The new, tougher limits to be imposed by the Environmental Protection Agen...
Health officials say they are trying to track down the source of 10 reported cases of Legionnaires' disease within a one-mile radius in a Long Island, N.Y., neighborhood.
The patients range in age from 35 to 96. As of Saturday, one had died, two remained hospitalized and...
A drowning child has a much lower risk of severe disability or death if a bystander steps in, even without cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR), new research finds.
"Bystanders play a critical role in preventing poor outcomes in childhood drowning by instituting safe, ear...
The rings of stately pines on the coasts of North and South Carolina offer telling long-term evidence of climate change and a chilling forecast for the future.
The upshot: The last 300 years have gotten wetter and wetter, making hurricanes ever more dangerous.
"Our...
If you're at the beach or pool, applying sunscreen before and after you've been in the water is a must, a cancer specialist says.
The intensity of exposure to harmful ultraviolet (UV) rays "is higher under water than it is above water," said Dr. Arun Mavanur. He is a sur...
There's some good news as millions of American children head back to the nations' lakes, beaches and pools: Newly released numbers for 1999 through 2019 show steady progress in reducing the number of young lives lost to drowning.
"Over the past two decades, the rate of u...
The best way to prevent drowning in children and teens is to guard against the danger on multiple fronts, a leading pediatricians' group says.
The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) released its "Prevention of Drowning" report online this week, which notes that about 7...
Cost and lack of time are among the reasons parents don't enroll their kids in swimming lessons, a new survey finds.
"Swimming is one of the most important life-saving skills that children and adults should master. Whether for fun or for exercise, swimming will serve the...
As you seek to cool down in a pool or at the beach this summer, always keep water safety for yourself and others in mind, an expert urges.
"With children, I always recommend starting swim lessons at an early age and having parents put on floaties or life vests on their c...
It's the first holiday since the pandemic began where Americans can mingle without masks if they are fully vaccinated, so celebrations are in order. But folks still need to avoid alcohol if they're driving or boating over the Memorial Day weekend.
"This Memorial Day week...
If you live in the path of hurricanes , the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) is urging you to be prepared.
Deaths from carbon monoxide (CO) poisoning, fires and electric shock are common during severe weather events, according to the CPSC.
Hurricane s...
Poor and minority Americans are most likely to lose access to clean tap water as droughts become more common and severe, a new paper says.
Water service in the United States is delivered by tens of thousands of community systems, most of which are small and funded lo...
The mystery of "stinging water" has been solved, scientists say.
Stinging water is the seawater near and around upside-down jellyfish (Cassiopea) -- and swimmers can get stinging, itchy skin while submerged in it, even if they have no direct contact with the c...
If climate change continues unabated, the United States should prepare for an increase in deaths from injuries, a new study claims.
Looking at data on injury deaths and temperature over 38 years, researchers found a correlation between unusually high temperatures and...
Drowning death rates at public beaches, lakes and rivers are three to four times lower in states with tighter rules for swimming in such locations, a new U.S. study finds.
Researchers analyzed U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention data to focus on the 20 st...
Stricter U.S. government standards for drinking water have reduced arsenic violations by public water systems, proving such safety regulations work, researchers say.
Public water systems provide more than 80% of the nation's drinking water.
The new stan...
With category 3 Hurricane Dorian ravaging the Bahamas as it lumbers toward the east coast of Florida,the National Safety Council offered anyone in its path steps to stay safe.
First, the council urges residents to monitor Dorian's progress and heed government warnin...
It's a horrible fate: You take a cool dip in the ocean and become infected with flesh-eating bacteria.
Climate change is making this terrifying scenario more common in the northern part of the United States, one infectious disease expert says.
These infect...
Fluoride exposure from drinking water during pregnancy could be making children less intelligent, a new Canadian study argues.
Expectant moms with higher levels of fluoride in their urine tended to have kids with lower average IQs, based on a study of 601 mother-chil...
Your dog bounds heedlessly into a local lake or pond, playfully splashing in the water.
But within minutes, your canine companion is staggering, drooling or suffering seizures. Left untreated, the dog will likely die.
This fate has befallen a handful of poo...
A flesh-eating bacteria has migrated into the Delaware Bay between Delaware and New Jersey, drawn north by the warmer waters of climate change, doctors say.
Five cases of infection with Vibrio vulnificus occurred in 2017 and 2018 along the Delaware Bay, compar...
Nicole and Jonathan Hughes, a teacher and a physician with three young children, were acutely aware of the dangers of swimming pools and lakes. From fenced-off pools to life jackets to constant supervision, they did everything right.
Tragedy struck anyway.
<...Levels of antibiotics in some of the world's rivers are hundreds of times higher than what's considered safe, British researchers report.
For the new study, investigators checked rivers in 72 countries on six continents for 14 widely used antibiotics and found them a...
Swimming pools are one of the great joys of summer, but U.S. health officials warn that the chemicals that keep the water pristine can land you in the ER.
Between 2008 and 2017, there were more than 4,500 pool chemical-related injuries reported each year, a new repor...