Hair extensions contain many more dangerous chemicals than previously thought, new research has found after identifying dozens of hazardous substances in popular products—including those made from human hair.
The findings add to growing concern about a largely unregulated category of beauty products that are widely used and disproportionately affect Black women.
The new study by the Silent Spring Institute, a Massachusetts-based organization that researches cancer prevention, found that nearly all hair extensions tested contained chemicals linked to serious health risks, including cancer, hormone disruption, developmental problems, birth defects and immune system effects.
More than 70 percent of Black women report wearing hair extensions at least once in the past year, compared with “less than 10 percent” of women from other racial and ethnic groups. Researchers note that this disparity in use means potential health risks fall unevenly on one part of the population.
The research was led by Dr. Elissia Franklin, who examined 43 popular hair extension products purchased online and from beauty supply stores. The products were categorized by fiber type—including synthetic extensions, which are mostly plastic polymers, and bio-based extensions made from materials such as human hair, banana fiber or silk.
Of the synthetic samples tested, 19 claimed to be flame retardant, three were labeled water resistant, nine heat resistant and three were marketed as “non-toxic.” Despite these labels, researchers found hazardous chemicals in nearly all products.
To analyze the extensions, the team used a technique known as non-targeted analysis, which screens for a wide range of chemicals. Using two-dimensional gas chromatography paired with high-resolution mass spectrometry, the researchers detected more than 900 chemical signatures across the samples. These included unknown substances.
Machine-learning software was then used to compare those signatures with an existing chemical library. Through that process, the researchers identified 169 individual chemicals spanning nine known structural classes.
Dr. Hazal Jafari, a board-certified dermatology specialist with over 20 years of experience in clinical and aesthetic dermatology told Newsweek that the study’s results do not surprise her.
“In dermatology we have long known that hair products, dyes, relaxers and adhesives in extensions can cause irritation, allergic contact dermatitis often on the scalp, behind the ears and around the hairline,” she said.
“What is new here is the extent of the testing and the number of chemical compounds detected. People often think that hair extensions are ‘just hair,’ but many are subjected to a variety of coatings, preservatives, dyes, fragrances, and chemical finishes during the manufacturing process and because they’re often worn continuously for extended periods of time, they can result in prolonged skin contact with the attendant risk of inflammation.
“In terms of toxicity, it was not really on the mind of most consumers, but for the dermatologists, we’ve always known that the scalp is an area that absorbs and responds in the same way as any other skin area.”
The analysis revealed dozens of substances associated with serious health risks.
These included flame retardants, phthalates, pesticides, styrene, tetrachloroethane and organotins. Many of these chemicals have been linked to increased risks of cancer, hormone disruption, developmental harm and effects on the immune system.
All but two of the 43 products contained hazardous chemicals. The only samples without detected hazardous substances were two of the three labeled as “non-toxic.”
In total, an alarming 48 of the identified chemicals appear on major hazard lists.
Twelve are listed under California’s Proposition 65, which flags chemicals known to cause cancer, birth defects or reproductive harm. The researchers also found 17 chemicals associated with breast cancer across 36 samples, including compounds known to alter hormones in ways that increase cancer risk.
“These findings make clear that stronger oversight is urgently needed to protect consumers and push companies to invest in making safer products,” Franklin said in a statement. “This is an industry that has long overlooked the health of Black women, who should not have to choose between cultural expression, convenience, and their health.”
Jafari added: “To women who want to continue their use of these hair extensions, steer clear of anything that smells strongly of chemicals, try not to use any kind of adhesive or glue on your scalp, and be particularly aware if you experience itching, fiery sensations, scaling, or thinning at the hairline. should you experience inflammation on the scalp, it is therefore a good idea to take out these hair extensions. Consumers should look for reputable brands that have more transparency in their ingredients and safety testing, but the truth of the matter is that many beauty products are not regulated as strictly as people think.”
But it looks like change is happening. New York recently introduced legislation that requires manufacturers of synthetic braids and hair extensions to disclose all ingredients used.
In New Jersey, a bill that bans harmful chemicals from synthetic hair products is advancing through the legislature.
Do you have a tip on a science story that Newsweek should be covering? Do you have a question about chemicals in beauty products? Let us know via science@newsweek.com.
Reference
Franklin, E. T., Favela, K., Spies, R., Ranger, J. M., & Rudel, R. A. (2026). Identifying Chemicals of Health Concern in Hair Extensions Using Suspect Screening and Nontargeted Analysis. Environment & Health. https://doi.org/10.1021/envhealth.5c00549
Near the refrigerator, the lead level was 27 times the federal limit. And that wasn’t all.
Jeff Van Ness is constantly cleaning.
Every day, he vacuums, mops and wipes every surface in his house, which stands on one of the blocks in Altadena, Calif., that survived the flames of the Los Angeles wildfires, but not the smoke.
He works in deliberate lines across the kitchen tile, then along the baseboards, then into the corners where the smoke pooled nearly a year ago — following a map only he can see.
It’s the only way to quiet his thoughts: Is it safe for his children, 6-year-old Sylvia and 9-year-old Milo, to walk barefoot on the kitchen tiles? Should he wash the toys they drop on the floor with bleach, or with soap and water? The darkest thoughts are about his wife, Cathlene Pineda, 41, a jazz pianist who is on medication for cancer. If the toxins were in the house, he wonders, could they bring the cancer back?
The family reluctantly returned home in August, eight months after the Los Angeles fires and two months after a consultant they hired found lead — a dangerous neurotoxin — inside the house. After their insurer, Farmers Insurance, dismissed those findings and cut off payments for their hotel, the Van Nesses had little choice but to return and do the only thing they could: clean.
“We don’t have the means to pay our mortgage and live somewhere else,” said Mr. Van Ness, 44, a waiter at a five-star hotel. “It’s a feeling of helplessness that is indescribable.”
Lead level in the dining area: 7 times the federal limit
Source: New York Times testing from Sept. 26Gabriela Bhaskar/The New York Times
For nearly every house reduced to ash by the fires that blackened the Los Angeles sky last January, another was left standing but steeped in smoke, according to an analysis by The New York Times.
These homes sit at an uncomfortable juncture: intact but potentially contaminated.
Like most insurance policies in California, the Van Nesses’ contract with Farmers — the second largest home insurer in the state — covers smoke damage, but it doesn’t spell out how the damage should be repaired. That’s because there are no state or federal standards for how an insurer should remediate a smoke-damaged home after a fire. In May, the California Department of Insurance created a task force to establish such standards, but until its recommendations are announced, families like the Van Nesses are caught in a regulatory no man’s land.
A growing body of research shows that smoke from urban wildfires, like the ones that engulfed Altadena and Pacific Palisades, is more dangerous than smoke produced when vegetation alone burns. Ordinary objects become poisons when extreme heat turns them into gases. The button you push to start your car often contains beryllium — harmless when sealed in metal but highly toxic once airborne. A car’s tires can melt into a cloud of benzene, as can the foam in a sofa. The handle of a kitchen faucet can give off chromium.
Microscopic particles carried by the smoke slip into a home’s insulation, lodge in the seams of hardwood floors and pass through the mesh in kitchen tiles, contaminating the space with carcinogens and other toxins. Industrial hygienists and toxicologists insist that removing the contamination requires tearing out nearly every surface the smoke touched — not just the insulation, but the hardwood floors, tiles, plaster and stucco.
By contrast, the insurance industry is relying on what experts interviewed by The Times describe as outdated or incomplete research, endorsing cleanups based only on what can be seen and smelled. If insurers test at all, it is for a small subset of contaminants.
According to more than two dozen scientists, insurance adjusters and consumer advocates interviewed for this article, as well as a review of thousands of pages of internal insurer documents, this approach is supported by a small roster of industry consultants who cite research papers that have not been peer-reviewed, or were funded by the insurance industry.
“We call it the tobacco playbook because it was done for so long and so successfully by an industry that was making a deadly product,” said David Michaels, who served as the assistant secretary of labor directing the Occupational Safety and Health Administration from 2009 to 2017, and who has written two books detailing this strategy. “This is absolutely the latest iteration of ‘science for hire.’”
The Exposure
To understand what happened to the Van Ness home and whether it was safe to return over the summer, The Times asked the family for permission to have a certified professional test for lead and other heavy metals in each room, and to submit strands of hair so scientists could measure family members’ exposure to these metals over time.
Jan. 8: Smoke from the Eaton fire looming over the Van Ness home.Photo by Jeff Van Ness
By then, the house had already been extensively cleaned.
In February, a contractor hired by the family carried out the remediation that Farmers Insurance had recommended: The attic insulation was ripped out, floors were vacuumed and mopped, countertops and other surfaces were wiped, carpets and drapes were laundered and air scrubbers were left roaring in every room.
Feb. 18: Furniture wrapped in plastic during the remediation.Composite image from video taken by Jeff Van Ness
By March, dangerous chemicals were being found inside neighboring homes. But Farmers’ tests concluded that the Van Ness house was safe inside, finding hazardous levels of lead only outdoors.
Those findings were contradicted by an independent test the family paid for in June, which showed lead above the federal threshold in the living room and in the attic — results that Farmers dismissed. That was when Mr. Van Ness repainted the walls and began his obsessive cleaning.
The readings commissioned by The Times were taken in September — a month after the family had moved back in — and allowed reporters to see whether the home remained contaminated, and whether the Van Nesses had been exposed to harmful substances.
Six of the 11 samples collected in the house showed unsafe levels of contaminants, including extremely high levels of lead which is known to metabolize quickly, leaving the blood and entering bones and tissue. No metals were found in the other five samples taken from the bedrooms, the living room, the piano and a wooden toy.
Sept. 26: Where testing by The Times found lead and other metals after the house was remediated.
Source: New York Times testing from Sept. 26
The readings showed 27 times the federal hazard limit of lead on the floor next to the refrigerator, and more than seven times the limit where the kitchen tile meets the dining room floor.
A sample taken from the HVAC in the attic found lead levels close to 8,000 micrograms per square foot. Although the Environmental Protection Agency does not set lead-dust standards for attic surfaces, a rule change passed during the Biden administration holds that any reportable level of lead dust inside a home is considered a hazard. The concentrations found in the attic were “sky high,” said Joe L. Nieusma, a toxicologist who was one of 10 experts who reviewed the results.
“There are multiple carcinogens in the house and extremely high levels of lead,” Dr. Nieusma said. “It’s not safe for humans — or animals — to live in that residence.”
To determine whether the toxins inside the Van Ness home had made their way into their bodies, The Times commissioned Manish Arora, vice chairman of environmental medicine at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai in New York and the creator of a technology that uses strands of hair to measure a person’s exposure to chemicals in the environment.
One centimeter of hair represents approximately one month in a person’s life.
“Every other test is like a snapshot,” Dr. Arora told the family, explaining why their blood tests were negative. “Hair has the ability to map back in time. It’s like a molecular movie.”
After reviewing the family’s hair samples, Dr. Arora concluded that the Van Nesses had been exposed to dangerous levels of toxins.
Each family member’s strand of hair showed “measurable spikes in heavy metals after they returned to the home in August, indicating a period of elevated exposure,” he said. The results revealed that Milo had elevated levels of all 11 chemicals that Dr. Arora’s lab tested for, including lead, a potent neurotoxin with no safe level of exposure in children. Sylvia’s hair showed elevated levels of nine chemicals compared with the exposure levels of 1,000 children in California who are participants in an ongoing statewide study funded by the National Institutes of Health.
But he also found that the continued cleaning was working — at least for lead. For both parents and children, the levels of lead in their hair began to decline after they returned home and as they steadily moved bags of contaminated belongings to the curb and Mr. Van Ness continued his compulsive cleaning.
The presence of these metals does not mean the family will necessarily become ill, Dr. Arora, the founder and chief executive of LinusBio, which analyzed the hair, cautioned. “But it does show that their bodies absorbed contaminants during that period, exposure that scientists associate with increased risks of neurological and developmental harm and, in the case of arsenic, cancer,” he said.
All 10 experts who reviewed the testing results from the house expressed concern about the level of contamination and said that the insurance-led remediation effort was not sufficient. Several of them highlighted the risk in the attic, where testing by The Times detected beryllium, chromium and cadmium, all known to cause cancer in humans.
Especially concerning is beryllium, said Dr. Michaels, who issued the standard for beryllium during his tenure as the longest-serving administrator of OSHA. “There is no safe level of beryllium exposure,” he said, describing how, at the Department of Energy, an accountant had developed the debilitating lung condition known as chronic beryllium disease after handling files stored in a building where beryllium had been processed years before.
“The most shocking thing is that this is after the home was remediated,” said Joseph G. Allen, the director of the Healthy Buildings Program at Harvard University’s T.H. Chan School of Public Health and a former scientific adviser to the White House, who reviewed the results.
“Junk Science”
What happened to the Van Ness family is unfolding across the Los Angeles basin, as homeowners navigate a narrow range of options: accept a modest cleanup or shoulder the cost themselves. Or, most fraught of all: move back in and accept their insurers’ assurances that the air is breathable, the walls are clean and the home is safe, according to responses to a Times survey of more than 500 survivors of the recent fire, as well as interviews with three dozen affected families.
For nearly every house destroyed by the fires, another was left standing but steeped in smoke, according to a Times analysis.Philip Cheung for The New York Times
Evidence showing that the remediation approved by insurers is inadequate is mounting: Data from 45 homes tested after professional cleaning showed that 43 of them still tested positive for unsafe levels of lead, according to Eaton Fire Residents United, a coalition of concerned residents.
Farmers ultimately paid for the Van Ness family’s hotel accommodation for seven months and approved a budget of $25,900 to have the home professionally cleaned — a fraction of what it would have cost to follow the advice of experts who insisted that the only way to remove the contaminants was to strip away every surface the smoke touched. That kind of renovation would have cost upward of $500,000, according to data from the real estate tracking firm Cotality.
Scale those numbers across the Los Angeles burn zone, and the math is staggering: Doing only a surface-level cleanup of the nearly 10,000 homes that likely had smoke damage would save insurers over $8.5 billion, according to a Times analysis using Cotality data.
“The first commandment of an insurance company is, ‘Pay as little as possible and as late as possible,’” said John Garamendi, a Democratic congressman who represents Northern California and who was the state’s first insurance commissioner in 1991.
Dylan Schaffer, a lawyer who is representing more than 500 policyholders whose homes were damaged by toxic smoke from the Los Angeles fires, agreed that the insurers are driven by the bottom line. “There is no other explanation. The science is against them.”
It was when the Van Nesses started asking about the science that they ran into problems with Farmers.
Ms. Pineda was diagnosed with cancer five years ago, leaving her immunocompromised.Gabriela Bhaskar/The New York Times
Five years ago, Ms. Pineda was diagnosed with Stage 3B cancer. Concerned that she could be exposed to carcinogens inside her house after the fire, her oncologist wrote a letter to Farmers urging the insurer to replace all the soft goods — including mattresses, bedding and carpets — according to correspondence reviewed by The Times.
The adjuster texted back: “Did the oncologist perform any type of testing of these soft goods to support their recommendation?”
The question landed like a blow — as though her doctor’s warning didn’t count unless it came with results from the very tests the family had asked the insurer to perform.
“It felt like when you have those dreams that something’s happening,” she said, “and you’re screaming at the top of your lungs in your dream to wake someone up or to alert someone, and nothing is coming out.”
In California, insurers began trying to limit payouts for smoke damage more than a decade ago, after a series of devastating wildfires, according to Dave Jones, a former state insurance commissioner who was the top regulator when carriers first started inserting policy language that excluded toxic smoke.
When those exclusions were struck down in court, the carriers turned to something more subtle: They downplayed the science by relying on in-house experts, whose studies are often not peer-reviewed and whose methods are increasingly at odds with the emerging science of urban wildfires, according to interviews with two former insurance commissioners, insurance industry whistleblowers, attorneys and consumer advocates.
The initial settlement letter that Farmers sent to the Van Nesses, which was reviewed by The Times, referred to “scientific studies” that it said showed that household materials exposed to the smoke could be cleaned. According to these studies, it said, soot, char and ash have “no inherent physical or chemical properties that will cause physical damage to common household materials,” and that “routine laundering” and “everyday cleaning methods” were enough to restore the home to its pre-fire state.
In a single footnote, the letter referred to only one source: a three-page paper from 2019. It appeared on the website of a private company specializing in hazardous materials that once employed Richard L. Wade, the paper’s author.
Contacted by The Times, Dr. Wade confirmed that the document was never published nor peer-reviewed and described it not as a study but as “a research summary,” contradicting how Farmers characterized it.
“This report is not objective science,” said Dr. Michaels, currently a professor at George Washington University’s Milken Institute School of Public Health, after reviewing the paper. “It makes unsupported and unverifiable assertions,” he said, adding, “It’s science for hire.”
Dr. Wade did not respond to questions regarding the criticism of his research paper.
In an email, Luis Sahagun, a spokesman for Farmers Insurance, wrote: “Every claim is evaluated and reviewed on an individual basis. Our goal is to pay claims quickly and fairly, taking into account the circumstances of the loss and the terms of the policy.”
The company did not address detailed questions from The Times about the contamination found inside the Van Ness home after the insurer-led remediation, or about the carcinogens detected in the family’s hair, saying that “we cannot comment on individual claims or customers.”
Jeff Van Ness is nervous about turning on the HVAC which sits inside a contaminated attic. So he opens the window.Gabriela Bhaskar/The New York Times
When the family sent their independent results to Farmers in June, the insurer turned to Safeguard EnviroGroup, a company that is advising the leading insurance carriers in California following the fires, and whose principal scientist is Dr. Wade, the expert whose paper was not peer-reviewed but was used as a reference.
In a document labeled “confidential” and obtained by The Times, Safeguard EnviroGroup’s founder, Brad Kovar, sought to discredit the family’s independent report, writing that the hygienist hired by the Van Nesses lacked a particular license, and that the report — which found the highest levels of lead in the attic — had failed to specify whether the samples came from a floor, a shelf or a windowsill, each of which has a different regulatory threshold.
In their denial letter to the family, Farmers, citing the report by Safeguard EnviroGroup, further described the attic as a “non-habitable space” — the only explanation the insurer provided for never having tested the attic for contaminants.
But in response to a detailed list of questions, a spokesman for Mr. Kovar seemed to contradict that guidance, saying that “all non-habitable spaces are relevant if they meet established contamination thresholds and provide pathways of exposure.”
The spokesman added: “Our conclusions are based on fact, data, established methodologies and recognized scientific standards.”
Dr. Nieusma pointed out that the HVAC is in the attic and acts as the “lungs of the house.” If the attic is contaminated, the HVAC is likely redistributing those toxic particles throughout the home.
“What they are doing is junk science,” said Dr. Zahid Hussain, winner of the Department of Energy Secretary’s distinguished service award for his work at the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, adding that references to empty or unvetted studies are rife in the insurance industry when it comes to smoke.
The (Lack of) Standards
The Van Ness home, along with the debate over what the family’s insurer should have done to repair it, is a microcosm of a broader fight now dividing the American Industrial Hygiene Association, which publishes a technical guide for how to remediate smoke damage. In the absence of state or federal standards, insurers have cited this guide, which lists Mr. Kovar and Dr. Wade among its authors.
But a cohort of industrial hygienists say the guide has been hijacked by insurance industry contractors who have introduced language suggesting that toxins can be cleaned using everyday methods. This summer, the hygienists submitted to the A.I.H.A. a list of what they said were errors and distortions in the latest edition of the guide, arguing it should be retracted or significantly revised.
They said that numerous non peer-reviewed research papers had been added as references in the bibliography, while peer-reviewed studies showing that microscopic particles of smoke can penetrate the fibers of a house were removed or omitted.
On Dec. 16, the debate turned tense on a video call during which the A.I.H.A. declined to make changes, according to three participants on the call.
In an emailed statement, Jessie Lewis, an A.I.H.A. spokeswoman, declined to discuss the specifics of the meeting, saying that the technical guide was a “science-based publication” and that the most recent edition was not influenced by the insurance industry. She had no comment after The Times pointed out that the organization’s top donors included the Property Casualty Insurance Association of America, one of the main lobbying groups for the insurance industry.
The same battle is now roiling the newly created California Smoke Claims & Remediation Task Force, where Safeguard EnviroGroup employees including Dr. Wade presented slides claiming that professional cleaning was enough and that testing for anything more than lead, asbestos and soot, char and ash was an unnecessary “rabbit hole,” as first reported in a San Francisco Chronicle investigation. They argued that the A.I.H.A. guide — the same one that scientists are asking to be retracted — should be the accepted standard.
Back in Altadena, the Van Nesses are trying to make their home feel like home again.Gabriela Bhaskar/The New York Times
Since returning to their house in August, the Van Nesses have debated leaving for good. But where would they go?
Mr. Van Ness’s job provides the health insurance needed for his wife’s continuing cancer treatment with the oncologist who saved her life. And on his waiter’s salary, they feel trapped in one of the country’s most strained housing markets.
“It’s free-falling while reaching for branches that you hope will break your fall but don’t,” he said. “And so you flail. You paint, you rack up debt and get rid of the things that you think are dangerous, you keep windows open, you wash your hands more,” he said. “And you worry that your efforts are no match for what really needs to happen.”
For now, the Van Nesses are doing what they can: fighting with their insurer. And cleaning.
Methodology
Sample collection – With the family’s permission, The Times commissioned certified professionals and scientists to collect samples from the house and the family. Eleven wipe samples were taken from the house, including the attic and the family’s converted garage, using the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health’s 9102 sampling method: seven samples and one blank for lead; four samples and one blank for a broader metals panel. Additionally, air samples were collected using equipment from Access Sensor Technologies and Casella Solutions.
The Times commissioned an independent lab, Eurofins, to analyze the results, and the professional hired by The Times followed strict chain-of-custody procedures, documenting each step in the collection, handling and transfer of the samples to ensure their integrity and prevent contamination or tampering.
Lab analysis – For the wipe samples, the lab used Inductively Coupled Plasma (I.C.P.) Mass Spectrometry (M.S.), modifying the N.I.O.S.H. 9102 protocol to use a more precise analytical method, a step recommended by scientific advisors and senior researchers at the lab. Air samples were analyzed using three common analytical methods: I.C.P.-M.S., I.C.P.-Atomic Emission Spectroscopy (A.E.S.), and X-ray Fluorescence (X.R.F) Spectroscopy. The air samples were analyzed by Thomas Reilly, chief executive officer at Access Sensor Technologies, a company that makes portable technology measuring contaminants in the air; the analysis yielded inconclusive results. Experts agreed that detecting metals in the air would be difficult when collecting samples months after the fires, because the family ventilated the home and used air purifiers.
For the hair analysis, the samples were sent to LinusBio, the lab funded and led by Manish Arora.
Results – Ten experts reviewed the lab results commissioned by The Times and compared them with the tests conducted by the contractor chosen by Farmers Insurance.
Dr. Joseph G. Allen, a certified industrial hygienist and an associate professor of exposure assessment science at Harvard University’s T.H. Chan School of Public Health, where he heads its Healthy Buildings Program.
Dawn Bolstad-Johnson, a certified industrial hygienist who has tested more than 100 homes in the Los Angeles area.
Dr. Jill Johnston, an associate professor at the University of California at Irvine’s Joe C. Wen School of Population & Public Health whose research focuses on the health impacts of environmental contaminants.
Jeanine Humphrey, an industrial hygienist who has tested more than 100 smoke-damaged homes in Los Angeles.
Dr. Zahid Hussain, a former division deputy of the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory and the recipient of the Department of Energy Secretary’s Distinguished Service Award.
Dr. Lisa A. Maier, a pulmonologist who leads a clinical team studying and caring for patients with chronic beryllium disease as chief of National Jewish Health’s Division of Environmental and Occupational Sciences.
Peggy Mroz, lead epidemiologist in the Division of Environmental and Occupational Health Sciences at National Jewish Health, who studies chronic beryllium disease.
Dr. Joe L. Nieusma, a toxicologist and author of a recent study showing that particles of smoke saturate every crevice, seam and texture of a home and are recirculated through airflow.
Dr. Michael Weitzman, a professor and former chairman of the department of pediatrics at the New York University School of Medicine, whose research on lead poisoning in children contributed to the decision by the E.P.A. to lower its dust lead clearance levels.
One expert asked not to be named because of fear of retaliation.
The following chemicals were detected in the home via wipe samples: lead, beryllium, cadmium, chromium, lithium and manganese. Some of these elements are naturally occurring in the body, but when found in extremely high concentrations they are harmful to human health and linked to neurological and developmental problems, as well as damage to specific organs, including the kidneys.
For surface wipe samples, the post-abatement federal hazard limit for lead is 5 µg/ft2 for floors, 40 µg/ft2 for window sills and 100 µg/ft2 for window troughs.
The following chemicals were found in the hair analysis at elevated levels when compared with median exposure levels of 1,000 children in California who are participants in an ongoing statewide study funded by the National Institutes of Health: zinc, strontium, phosphorus, manganese, magnesium, lithium, lead, copper, calcium, barium and arsenic.
Estimating damage from smoke – To estimate the number of homes that were likely smoke-damaged, The Times drew a 250-yard buffer around structures identified by Cal Fire as partially burned. This buffer was chosen based on the public health advisory issued by the Los Angeles County Department of Public Health after the fires. It is a conservative measure: A National Academy of Sciences report stated that any property within one to 10 kilometers from a burned structure could be damaged by smoke, depending on the direction of the wind.
To estimate the $8.5 billion in savings for insurers to remediate the homes that have likely experienced smoke damage, The Times counted the homes within 250 yards of a burned structure. When a property had additional structures, like a guesthouse or a garage, the structures were all counted as one. For each property, The Times used a median cost of remodeling, excluding demolition — a metric provided by Cotality, a company that tracks and analyzes real estate.
Why hair sampling and not blood? –To date, 99.5 percent of residents tested by the Los Angeles County Department of Public Health following the recent fires — all but 10 out of more than 2,000 people — had blood lead levels below the Centers for Disease Control’s ceiling of 3.5 micrograms per deciliter, meaning almost no one showed elevated levels despite widespread evidence of lead contamination. The Times turned to the technology created by Dr. Arora which uses hair strands because it maps past exposure over time.
In response to questions on its two-phase cooling products from WIRED, including whether or not the company planned to submit chemicals for fast-tracked consideration under the administration’s new data center exemption, Chemours spokesperson Cassie Olszewski said the company is “in the process of commercializing our two-phase immersion cooling fluid, which will require relevant regulatory approvals.”
“Our work in this area has been focused on developing more sustainable and efficient cooling solutions that would allow data centers to consume less energy, water, and footprint while effectively managing the increasing amount of heat generated by the next generation of chips with higher processing power,” Olszewski said.
These chips could also be a significant source of new chemicals. Both Schweer and Jonathan Kalmuss-Katz, a lawyer at environmental nonprofit Earthjustice, say that the semiconductor industry, which produces the chips that provide the computing power in data centers, stands to gain significantly from the expedited review process. The semiconductor manufacturing process uses forever chemicals at multiple different points of production, including in the crucial photolithography process, which uses light to transfer patterns to the surface of silicon wafers.
Schweer says that in his last few years working at the EPA, this industry submitted a large number of applications for new chemicals. Kalmuss-Katz says that semiconductor manufacturers “are a main driver of new chemicals.”
“The administration has this kind of AI-at-all-costs mindset, where you’re rushing to build more and more data centers and chip fabs without any meaningful plan for dealing with their climate impacts, their natural resource impacts, and the toxic substances that are being used and released from these new facilities,” he says.
Lobbying documents show that the semiconductor industry has been asking for changes this year to the EPA’s new-chemicals program. In March, Nancy Beck, a former policy director for an industry lobbyist group who now leads the Office of Chemical Safety and Pollution Prevention, the office that oversees new chemical reviews, met with representatives from SEMI, a global advocacy organization for the industry. The meeting was initially organized to discuss the “EPA’s approach to regulations on PFAS and other chemicals that are essential to semiconductor manufacturing,” according to emails obtained by WIRED via a Freedom of Information Act request. Emails show that Beck suggested during the meeting that the lobbying group follow up with a public comment in support of changes to the new chemicals program, which the group sent over the next month in a letter. (“The Trump EPA encourages stakeholders to submit and document their comments on proposed rules so that we get a diverse array of perspectives,” says Hirsch, the EPA spokesperson.)
For years, the U.S. and China have been locked in a pattern on the deadly issue of fentanyl. The White House pressures Beijing to stop Chinese companies from exporting chemicals used to make the drug to Mexico. Beijing takes incremental steps in exchange for Washington dialing down economic pressure—only for China to drag its feet when relations deteriorate.
President Trump, after a summit on Thursday with Chinese leader Xi Jinping, said tariffs he had imposed on China over its role in the fentanyl trade would be lowered to 10% from 20% because of Beijing’s “very strong action” in cracking down and Xi’s commitment to do more.
Susumu Kitagawa, Richard Robson and Omar M. Yaghi were awarded the Nobel Prize in Chemistry for developing a new form of molecular architecture called metal-organic frameworks that can harvest water from desert air, capture carbon dioxide, store toxic gases or catalyze chemical reactions.
The structures, metal ions connected by carbon-based linkers, have large holes that allow other molecules to flow in and out, almost like rooms in a house. They can capture and release gases, water or other substances. Changing the size or shape of its components can make a countless amount of new frameworks designed for specific substances, reactions or to conduct electricity.
Vegetables’ health benefits may extend beyond their nutritious value, thanks to researchers studying their ability to detect and possibly remove harmful forever chemicals from soil.
The chemicals, or PFAS, are a class of thousands of substances that have been used in common products, including nonstick cookware, for decades. They linger in the environment indefinitely, which is why they are also called forever chemicals. The substances are in most Americans’ blood, even newborns, according to the Environmental Working Group and the government.
While experts are still studying the health implications, findings suggest an association with reproductive issues, immune system harm, and hormonal complications, the Environmental Protection Agency added.
It’s no surprise that PFAS are also in dirt, which can contribute to crop contamination. That’s where University of Virginia Professor Bryan Berger thinks the plants themselves can help to solve the problem, according to Grist.
“I think a lot of people now are aware of PFAS, or concerned about it, or want to know whether it’s present in their water, their food. The whole purpose of what we’re trying to do is develop something that’s simple and cost effective to answer that question for them,” Berger said in the story.
He and a group of researchers have been working with the tribal Mi’kmaq Nation on land they acquired from a former Air Force Base. Early findings showed that hemp can astoundingly “draw PFAS out of the soil,” according to Grist. But there is much more information to be gathered about how the troublesome chemicals move in the ground, and how plants can identify and potentially remediate them.
“I think everybody is struggling with that question, trying to figure out, what does ‘forever’ mean?” Berger said in the story.
The government has started regulating PFAS, but the chemicals are still turning up all over the place. Current testing using spectrometers costs hundreds of dollars per sample and can take weeks for results. Berger’s team developed a microbial biosensor that glows when exposed to PFAS, a much quicker, less expensive option that was successfully tested on the tribe’s land, all according to Grist.
But Berger thinks plants could be engineered in a similar way to be sentinels that glow when forever chemicals are present. It’s similar to a longtime practice of planting vegetation susceptible to certain diseases to see if the pathogen is present. In this case, a glowing row of crops identifies PFAS — giving farmers instant knowledge without more tests, Grist continued.
One study Berger mentioned in the story noted that potatoes in Maine contaminated with PFAS didn’t have the substances in the edible part, only the leaves. It’s remarkable progress. But Berger said there’s still no affordable way to eliminate them.
“It’s the million-dollar question,” he added in Grist.
The plants themselves might be able to do it. The team’s idea is to use a “specially engineered” microbe that mimics photosynthesis. Energy from the process would destroy PFAS that the microbe absorbed, as Grist described it.
It’s an early-stage idea still being tested.
“If it works, it’s the most environmentally benign way we could do things because it’s almost all biological,” Berger told Grist.
Colorado’s H2Plus is developing a water filter that can break down PFAS at the molecular level, as another example in the works. The innovations, along with more regulations and smarter product use, can help. Ditching plastic containers, bottles, and other throwaway items can limit plastic, microplastics, and other harmful waste. Switching to better products can also save you money.
Join our free newsletter for weekly updates on the latest innovations improving our lives and shaping our future, and don’t miss this cool list of easy ways to help yourself while helping the planet.
USALCO has acquired Fontus Blue, enhancing its capabilities in drinking and wastewater treatment by integrating Fontus Blue’s AI-driven Decision Blue® platform, which optimizes water treatment processes.
BALTIMORE, June 10, 2025 (Newswire.com)
– USALCO, a leader in clean water solutions, is pleased to announce its acquisition of Fontus Blue, an innovative digital solutions provider for water utilities. This strategic acquisition marks a significant milestone for USALCO as it expands its capabilities to deliver cutting-edge, comprehensive solutions for drinking and wastewater treatment facilities.
Fontus Blue, founded in 2011 by Chris Miller, PhD, PE, has built a strong reputation for partnering with water utilities to optimize water treatment processes. Their proprietary algorithms and state-of-the-art Software as a Service (SaaS) platform Decision Blue® empower operators to simplify complex treatment decisions, optimize processes, and manage costs effectively. Decision Blue leverages advanced AI and computational models to provide real-time insights, enabling water treatment plants to forecast and enhance water quality with remarkable precision.
“This acquisition represents a transformative step forward in USALCO’s mission to deliver innovative and efficient water treatment solutions,” said Ken Gayer, CEO of USALCO. “Fontus Blue’s expertise in digital water solutions perfectly complements our product portfolio, allowing us to offer unmatched value to our customers. Together, we are uniquely positioned to tackle the evolving challenges of the water industry and ensure safe, high-quality drinking water for communities nationwide.”
Chris Miller, CEO of Fontus Blue, shared his enthusiasm for the partnership. “Joining forces with USALCO is a tremendous opportunity to amplify the impact of our technology and bring Decision Blue to more customers. We are proud to integrate our expertise in digital innovation with USALCO’s long-standing leadership in water treatment chemistry. The Fontus Blue technology is also a wonderful complement to USALCO’s digital services offerings, which are now operating and being installed in multiple water treatment facilities.”
Integrating Fontus Blue’s digital capabilities into USALCO’s portfolio underscores its commitment to enhancing its service offerings for water treatment facilities. USALCO will now provide a seamless combination of leading chemical solutions and digital decision-support services, empowering water utilities with the tools to achieve unparalleled efficiency and performance.
“This partnership is a game-changer for the industry,” said Terry Waldo, Chief Commercial Officer of USALCO. “By combining USALCO’s chemical expertise with Fontus Blue’s groundbreaking Decision Blue platform, we are setting a new standard for water treatment solutions. Together, we are poised to redefine how water treatment plants operate, delivering safer, more sustainable, and cost-effective processes for our customers.”
About USALCO
USALCO is a premier provider of water treatment solutions for municipal and commercial customers across the United States. It offers bespoke formulated chemistries, innovative digital technologies, and an industry-leading product portfolio to address diverse water treatment challenges. Headquartered in Baltimore, MD, USALCO has 33 manufacturing and distribution facilities nationwide.
Fontus Blue partners with water utilities to implement innovative digital water solutions, leveraging the deep technical expertise of their team. Fontus Blue has earned a strong reputation for collaborating with water utilities to optimize their treatment processes by deploying Decision Blue® and Virtual Jar® for many use cases, including turbidity removal and filter operations, TOC removal, disinfection management, and DBP management. Their services simplify treatment decisions, optimize processes, and manage costs.
The Environmental Protection Agency said Tuesday it has finalized a ban on consumer uses of methylene chloride, a chemical that is widely used as a paint stripper but is known to cause liver cancer and other health problems.
The EPA said its action will protect Americans from health risks while allowing certain commercial uses to continue with robust worker protections.
The rule banning methylene chloride is the second risk management rule to be finalized by President Joe Biden’s administration under landmark 2016 amendments to the Toxic Substances Control Act. The first was an action last month to ban asbestos, a carcinogen that kills tens of thousands of Americans every year but is still used in some chlorine bleach, brake pads and other products.
“Exposure to methylene chloride has devastated families across this country for too long, including some who saw loved ones go to work and never come home,” EPA Administrator Michael Regan said in a statement. The new rule , he said, “brings an end to unsafe methylene chloride practices and implements the strongest worker protections possible for the few remaining industrial uses, ensuring no one in this country is put in harm’s way by this dangerous chemical.”
Methylene chloride, also called dichloromethane, is a colorless liquid that emits a toxic vapor that has killed at least 88 workers since 1980, the EPA said. Long-term health effects include a variety of cancers, including liver cancer and lung cancer, and damage to the nervous, immune and reproductive systems.
The EPA rule would ban all consumer uses but allow certain “critical” uses in the military and industrial processing, with worker protections in place, said Michal Freedhoff, assistant administrator for the EPA’s Office of Chemical Safety and Pollution Prevention.
Methylene chloride will continue to be allowed to make refrigerants as an alternative to other chemicals that produce greenhouse gases and contribute to climate change, Freedhoff said. It also will be allowed for use in electric vehicle batteries and for critical military functions.
“The uses we think can safely continue (all) happen in sophisticated industrial settings, and in some cases there are no real substitutes available,” Freedhoff said.
The chemical industry has argued that the EPA is overstating the risks of methylene chloride and that adequate protections have mitigated health risks.
The American Chemistry Council, the industry’s top lobbying group, called methylene chloride “an essential compound” used to make many products and goods Americans rely on every day, including paint stripping, pharmaceutical manufacturing and metal cleaning and degreasing.
An EPA proposal last year could introduce “regulatory uncertainty and confusion” with existing exposure limits set by the federal Occupational Safety and Health Administration, the group said.
The chemical council also said it was concerned that the EPA had not fully evaluated the rule’s impacts on the domestic supply chain and could end up prohibiting up to half of all end uses subject to regulation under the Toxic Substances Control Act.
While the EPA banned one consumer use of methylene chloride in 2019, use of the chemical has remained widespread and continues to pose significant and sometimes fatal danger to workers, the agency said. The EPA’s final risk management rule requires companies to rapidly phase down manufacturing, processing and distribution of methylene chloride for all consumer uses and most industrial and commercial uses, including in home renovations.
Consumer use will be phased out within a year, and most industrial and commercial uses will be prohibited within two years.
Liz Hitchcock, director of a safer chemicals program for the advocacy group Toxic-Free Future, praised the new rule but added: “As glad as we are to see today’s rule banning all consumer and most commercial uses, we are concerned that limits to its scope will allow continued exposure for too many workers to methylene chloride’s dangerous and deadly effects.”
Consumers should look for labels indicating that a product is free from methylene chloride, said the toxic-free group, which has published a list of paint and varnish strippers and removers sold by major U.S. retailers that do not contain it.
Wendy Hartley, whose son Kevin died from methylene chloride poisoning after refinishing a bathtub at work, called the new rule “a huge step that will protect vulnerable workers.”
Kevin Hartley, 21, of Tennessee, died in 2017. He was an organ donor, Wendy Hartley said, adding that because of the EPA’s actions, “Kevin’s death will continue to save lives.”
Testing done by ADEM, Butler said, also did not assess water samples taken from sites closest to the dump. And while PFAS compounds are certainly common, he said, experts have concluded that elevated levels in the human body can be a warranted health concern.
At this month’s meeting, many residents agreed with Butler, expressing a lack of confidence that ADEM—or any government officials—are looking out for residents in and around the Moody site.
Courtesy of Lee Hedgepeth/Inside Climate News
Jeff Wickliffe, chair of the University of Alabama at Birmingham’s Department of Environmental Health Sciences, told those gathered that he believes more data is needed to fully understand what impacts the site could have had on those living nearby.
Because there are no natural sources of forever chemicals, Wickliffe said, it’s difficult to believe claims that only vegetative material was burned at the site given the levels present in the water. Other waste was likely present, he argued, in order to produce the levels of PFAS compounds present in discharge from the Moody site.
Questions around the source of PFAS in residents’ blood, if present, can be addressed by taking background measurements of individuals who weren’t exposed to the impacts of the fire and resulting pollution, for example, Wickliffe said.
Testing residents’ blood or urine for the presence of such compounds, then, may allow locals to document at least one avenue of potential impacts from the Moody site on their health, he said.
According to the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), increases in exposure to PFAS compounds can increase cholesterol, decrease birth weight, lower antibody responses to vaccines, and increase risks of pregnancy-induced hypertension, preeclampsia, and kidney and testicular cancer.
The risk of health impacts from PFAS is determined by exposure factors like dose, frequency, and duration, as well as individual factors like sensitivity or disease burden, according to the federal agency.
The facility will bring USALCO’s expertise in producing the world’s finest coagulants into the state of Arkansas, supplying local customers and providing improved logistics into Oklahoma and Central Plains locations, while bringing new full-time jobs to the region.
BALTIMORE, February 27, 2024 (Newswire.com)
– USALCO, LLC (“USALCO” or the “Company”), a leading producer of high-quality water treatment solutions for municipal and commercial customers in the United States, announced today the start of a project to construct a new water treatment chemicals production facility in Fort Smith, Arkansas. The facility will bring USALCO’s expertise in producing the world’s finest coagulants into the state of Arkansas.
The new facility will supply local customers and provide improved logistics into Oklahoma and Central Plains locations while bringing new full-time jobs to the region. “Through the production of high-efficiency, specialty coagulants, this new plant will reduce the number of shipments from surrounding states, resulting in lower carbon emissions and lower total cost for end-users,” said Project Leader Scot Lang, adding,” The construction of this new facility is a testament to USALCO’s commitment to deliver value to customers through more advanced water treatment solutions.”
About USALCO
USALCO is a leading provider of water treatment solutions for municipal and commercial customers in the United States, offering bespoke formulated chemistries and leading product efficacy to address a diverse range of water treatment requirements. Headquartered in Baltimore, MD, USALCO operates 32 manufacturing and distribution facilities throughout the United States. For more information, visit https://www.usalco.com/.
U.S. President Joe Biden said “Ukrainian soldiers had to ration ammunition due to dwindling supplies as a result of congressional inaction, resulting in Russia’s first notable gains in months.” Biden called on lawmakers to approve $60 billion in aid to Ukraine that has been held up in the U.S. Congress.
The fall of Avdiivka is Russia’s biggest gain since capturing the city of Bakhmut in May 2023, and comes almost two years to the day since Russian President Vladimir Putin launched his full-scale invasion of Ukraine.
Ukraine’s newly appointed military chief, Gen. Oleksandr Syrsky, said in a statement that he decided to withdraw forces from the embattled city to “avoid encirclement [by Russian troops] and preserve the lives and health of servicemen.”
Moscow said that some Ukrainian troops were still holed up in an industrial plant in the Avdiivka area, according to media reports. Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu told the Kremlin that Russian forces were working to clear final pockets of resistance at the Avdiivka Coke and Chemical Plant, officials said in a statement.
Outnumbered Ukrainian defenders had battled a Russian assault around Avdiivka for four months in one of the most intense battles of the war. Zelenskyy said Russian forces had been suffering seven casualties for every Ukrainian death in Avdiivka, but even that death rate wasn’t stopping the attacks.
“Russia has only one specific advantage, complete devaluation of human life,” Zelenskyy said.
Should you pass on that morning bowl of cereal or oatmeal?
Thatâs what some people may be asking in light of a study released this week by the Environmental Working Group, a Washington, D.C.-based nonprofit focused on agricultural and chemical-safety laws in the U.S. The study looked at the prevalence of a pesticide called chlormequat in oat-based food products, including cereals like Cheerios and Quaker Oats.Â
The EWG said it found detectable levels of the chemical in 92% of nonorganic oat-based foods purchased in May 2023.
âStudies in laboratory animals show that chlormequat can cause harm to the normal growth and development of the fetus and damage the reproductive system,â Olga Naidenko, vice president at the EWG, told MarketWatch. Those risks, the EWG report noted, can include reduced fertility.Â
It has not been proven that the substance affects humans in the same way the studies cited by the EWG found it does lab animals, and there are other studies that have found chlormequat had no effect on reproduction in pigs or mice, or any impact on fertilization rates in mice.
The EWG is still advocating that concerned consumers buy organic oat products as an alternative, however.Â
âCertified organic oats are, by law, grown without synthetic pesticides,â Naidenko said.Â
Representatives for General Mills GIS, +1.28%,
the company that makes Cheerios, and PepsiCo PEP, -0.92%,
which owns Quaker Oats, didnât immediately respond to a request for comment.Â
“âAny family raising kids or thinking about starting a family should do whatever they can do to avoid chlormequat. Itâs not a safe product.â”
â Charles Benbrook, a scientific consultant who focuses on pesticides
The EWGâs recommendation to go organic was echoed by experts that MarketWatch contacted.Â
Charles Benbrook, a scientific consultant based in Washington state who focuses on pesticides, said heâs an oatmeal eater who chooses organic oatmeal âwhen I can get it.â
Regarding chlormequat, Benbrook said, âItâs not a safe product.â
âAny family raising kids or thinking about starting a family should do whatever they can do to avoid chlormequat,â he said.
Melissa Furlong, an assistant professor of environmental health sciences at the University of Arizona, said itâs important to note that chlormequat is not the only pesticide that is found in oat-based cereals. Thereâs still much we need to learn about the health effects the substance might have on humans, she added.
âThatâs not to say it isnât the worst [pesticide]. We donât really know,â Furlong said.Â
Chlormequat has not been approved for use on food crops grown in the U.S., according to the EWG, but it can be found in oats and oat products from other countries. Under the Trump administration, the Environmental Protection Agency started allowing imports of such products into the U.S., the EWG noted, which is why chlormequat can be found in some cereals sold in this country.
The EPA is considering approving chlormequat for use on crops grown in the U.S., according to the agencyâs website. In a call for public comment on its proposed decision, the agency said, âBased on EPAâs human health risk assessment, there are no dietary, residential, or aggregate (i.e., combined dietary and residential exposures) risks of concern.â
The EPA didnât respond immediately to a request for comment.
For her part, Furlong said that while she usually buys organic oat products, she isnât rigid about it â and she might still buy the occasional box of Cheerios.
What does cannabis, coca leaf, and all coffee have in common? They all contain alkaloids, a powerful group of medicinal compounds found in plants around the world. While little is presently known about cannabis alkaloids, they are suspected to possess impressive medical benefits like other plant alkaloids.
Alkaloids vs. Cannabinoids
Alkaloids are “one of the most common groups of chemicals that [have] medicinal properties found in plants,” commonly used alkaloids include “morphine, cocaine, nicotine, caffeine, quinine, ephedrine, and many more.” They derive their name, alkaloid, from the word alkali, chemicals that react like bases, counteracting acids. Usually found in the outer tissues of plants, the bitter flavor of alkaloids is believed to be a natural defense in plants to prevent them being eaten by herbivores, similar to cannabinoids and terpenes which both assist in preventing predation.
While cannabinoids like THC, CBD, CBG, and THCv, are oily, lipohpilic (binds to fats), and hydrophobic (do not bind to water) compounds, alkaloids are a very different class of chemicals. The biggest chemical difference between alkaloids and cannabinoids is that all alkaloids include a nitrogen atom which binds to additional hydrogen atoms. Cannabinoids, on the other hand, do not have any nitrogen atoms and contain a chain of carbon atoms, which gives them their oily character.
Courtesy Duke University
Despite their differences, efficient methods to extract both alkaloids and cannabinoids from plants is to simply burn the leaves or other parts that contain the chemicals, or perform a chemical extraction. These methods have been used for thousands of years for both types of chemicals; the caffeine in coffee is chemically extracted by brewing with water, cannabis is smoked, and cocaine was originally extracted through chewing or brewed as a tea.
Discovery of Alkaloids in Cannabis
Cannabis is a verycomplicated plant and “more than 500 compounds have been reported from C. sativa, of which 125 cannabinoids have been isolated and/or identified as cannabinoids.” Non-cannabinoid constituents of cannabis include “42 phenolics, 34 flavonoids, 120 terpenes and 2 alkaloids.” Though, there is some debate over the number of alkaloids which have been identified.
The discovery of alkaloids in cannabis actually manages to predate the discovery of the first cannabinoid, CBN, back in 1896, by more than a decade. In 1881, the first research on the alkaloid cannabinine was presented at the British Pharmaceutical Conference, and two years later another physiologically active alkaloid, tetanocannabin, was discovered. Cannabis alkaloid research then remained dormant until the 1970s.
In 1971, a group of scientists isolated four different alkaloids from cannabis, which they named cannabimines A-D. In 1975, two teams of researchers at the University of Mississippi (UMiss) identified and isolated the first spermidine alkaloid, cannabisativine, from the roots, leaves, and stems of both Mexican and Thai cultivars. The next year, the same researchers at UMiss isolated the second spermidine alkaloid, anhydrocannabisativine and showed that cannabisativine could be converted to anhydrocannabisativine.
While the cannabis alkaloids cannabisativine and annhydrocannabisativine were first discovered in Mexican and Thai cultivars, anhydrocannabisativine has since been “found in plant samples of Cannabis from 15 different geographical locations.”
Which Part of The Plant Has the Most Alkaloids?
Just like how not every part of a cannabis plant has the same amount of cannabinoids, alkaloids are also unequally distributed around the plant. Research has repeatedlyshown that, “cannabis roots are not a significant source of cannabinoids or the aforementioned terpenes, but are rich in other compounds, including … alkaloids.” So while terpenes and cannabinoids are concentrated primarily in the trichomes on the leaves, cannabis alkaloids are primarily found in the roots (but can be found in the stems and leaves as well).
Medical Effects of Cannabis Alkaloids
While cannabis alkaloids have a lot of medical potential, the specifics of that potential are unknown. In the case of cannabisativine and anhydrocannabisativine, “no pharmacological information is available,” but it is believed that “there are several compounds in cannabis root with potential anti-inflammatory activity, including alkaloids.”
Other researchers have noted that, as a class of compounds, “alkaloids may be used as analgesics, antibiotics, anticancer drugs, antiarrhythmics, asthma medications, antimalarials, anticholinergics, bronchodilators, laxatives, miotics, oxytocics, vasodilators, psychotropics, and stimulants,” and that likely includes cannabis alkaloids. One study of cannabis alkaloids found them to “have diuretic, analgesic, anticancer, antipyretic, and antiemetic effects.”
In one study, a petroleum ether solution of cannabis alkaloids and cannabinoids had “a course of action comparable to that of atropine,” a drug commonly given to reduce fluid in the respiratory tract during surgery, which “can also treat insecticide or mushroom poisoning.” It is not clear to what extent those observed effects were due to the alkaloids or the cannabinoids.
A Quick Hit
Despite being one of the most common groups of medicinal chemicals found in plants, alkaloids are some of the least known chemicals in cannabis. Early research shows that they may have strong medical benefits as part of the entourage of medicinal compounds in cannabis.
A tech employee’s recording of the meeting firing her from a sales role at Cloudflare NET, -1.79%
has spurred criticism of the company — and a broader conversation about the right way to let employees go.
Viewers have called the roughly 10-minute TikTok video, which went viral this week, “sad” and a “disaster.” Even Cloudflare CEO Matthew Prince responded on X (formerly Twitter) that it was “painful for me to watch.”
In the video captioned, “POV: You’re about to get laid off,” former Cloudflare account executive Brittany Pietsch logs into a virtual meeting with an HR representative and a director at the company, both of whom she says she’s never met before. In a caption, Pietsch writes that she assumed they were meeting to let her go, because she had heard from coworkers who had been axed already.
In the video, the company reps say that Pietsch hadn’t met performance expectations, and that Cloudflare had decided to “part ways” with her. Pietsch’s response is what has pushed this clip to be shared all over social-media newsfeeds: She asks for an explanation for why she, specifically, is being let go by the company, particularly because she’s a new employee who hasn’t heard any negative feedback. She also asks why her manager isn’t a part of this termination meeting.
“Every single one-on-one [meeting] I’ve had with my manager, every conversation I’ve had with him — he’s been giving me nothing but ‘I am doing a great job,’” she says during the meeting. “I’m just definitely very confused and would love an explanation that makes sense.”
The director, who can’t be seen in the video, says he “won’t be able to go into specifics” on Pietsch’s performance.
In a statement to MarketWatch, a Cloudflare spokesperson clarified that the company did not conduct layoffs, and is not engaged in a reduction of force. “When we do make the decision to part ways with an employee, we base the decision on a review of an employee’s ability to meet measurable performance targets,” the Cloudflare statement said. “We regularly review team members’ performance and let go of those who aren’t right for our team. There is nothing unique about that review process or the number of people we let go after performance review this quarter.”
Pietsch did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Company CEO Prince added on X, formerly known as Twitter, that the company fired 40 salespeople out of 1,500 in its go-to-market division. “That’s a normal quarter,” he wrote in his post. “When we’re doing performance management right, we can often tell within 3 months or less of a sales hire, even during the holidays, whether they’re going to be successful or not.”
But he also added: “We try to fire perfectly. In this case, clearly we were far from perfect. The video is painful for me to watch. Managers should always be involved. HR should be involved, but it shouldn’t be outsourced to them … We don’t always get it right.”
Many viewers seem to agree, as the video has drawn close to 200,000 views on TikTok and millions of views on X, along with going viral on Reddit.
“Total disaster on both sides,” lawyer Eric Pacifici said.
“Totally unfair to her,” wrote Austen Allred, CEO of the online-coding bootcamp Bloom Institute of Technology. “Pretty sad across the board.”
On LinkedIn, Pietsch gave her own response to the social-media uproar. She said that her manager was unaware that she was being let go, and that she asked questions during the meeting not to try and save her job, but rather to get greater clarity on why she had been singled out for termination.
“I’ll never be able to wrap my mind around it,” she wrote in the post. “We as employees are expected to give 2 weeks notice and yet we don’t deserve even a sliver of respect when the roles are reversed?”
What’s the right way to fire an employee?
It’s never easy to part ways with an employee, according to Molly, a human-resources consultant who runs the TikTok account HR Molly, which has 80,000 followers. She asked only to be identified by her first name for privacy reasons.
But that being said, it’s very important to treat affected employees with respect. That can include sharing as much information as possible about why the decision is being made.
“I tell people that even if you catch someone stealing, even that termination meeting should have a level of decency,” she said. “It seems like there’s a significant consensus that the meeting [in the viral video] lacked some dignity.”
It’s also important to understand these kinds of conversations will be difficult for an employee no matter what, Molly added.
“We know this impacts people and we know this is emotional and that it’s harmful. How can we do it in a way that creates the least amount of additional harm?” she said, noting that she picked up the concept from fellow TikTok creator and diversity consultant Ciarra Jones. “Companies need to prioritize the well-being of the employee that’s impacted.”
As for recording your layoff or firing meeting — that can be risky, Molly said, and downright illegal in states that require you to receive consent before doing so.
But companies and HR professionals would be wise to remind themselves that, in this day and age, it can happen, she said. And if a camera or tape recorder would change the way you handle an interaction, it’s a good sign to reevaluate.
According to its company website, Cloudflare has dozens of job postings for open positions across the company, including sales roles.
In her LinkedIn post, Pietsch said that she’s not very concerned about any backlash over the video that might impede her chances of getting another job.
“Any company that wouldn’t want to hire me because I shared a video of how a company fired me or because I asked questions as to why I was being let go is not a company I would ever want to work for anyway,” she wrote.
Costa Rica is riding a green wave, and no, it’s not just the lush rainforests. The country’s CBD market is booming, with an impressive 333 products now registered. This isn’t just a fad; it’s a full-blown lifestyle revolution, encompassing everything from munchies to magic potions.
2. A Feast of Choices: CBD-Infused Edibles
In Costa Rica, CBD isn’t just a health supplement; it’s a culinary delight. With 257 food products registered, the options are as varied as the country’s biodiversity. Imagine sipping on CBD-infused drinks, nibbling on chocolates, gorging on gummies, or spreading CBD peanut butter on your morning toast. From coffees to brownies, the CBD-infused menu is as enticing as it is vast.
3. CBD Cosmetics: Beauty with Benefits
Move over, traditional skincare! Costa Rica’s CBD cosmetic range is redefining beauty regimes. Imagine slathering your skin with CBD gels, creams, serums, and even lipsticks. These aren’t just vanity products; they’re packed with moisturizing, antioxidant, antimicrobial, and anti-inflammatory properties. It’s beauty that heals.
4. Cutting-Edge Wellness: Nano Aqua’s CBD Water
Innovation is the name of the game in Costa Rica’s CBD market. Take Nano Aqua’s CBD-infused water, for instance. This isn’t your average flavored water; it’s a technological marvel, enhanced with nanotechnology for superior absorption. Brewed in the heart of…
The numbers: A closely watched index that measures U.S. manufacturing activity rose by 0.7 percentage point to 47.4 in December, according to the Institute for Supply Management on Wednesday.
Economists surveyed by the Wall Street Journal had forecast the index to rise to 47.2.
Any number below 50 reflects a shrinking economy. Manufacturing has contracted for 14 straight months.
Key details: The key new-orders index fell 1.2 percentage points to 47.1 in December.
Production rose 1.8 percentage points to 50.3 from the prior month. Employment picked up slightly but remained below the 50-percentage-point threshold.
Prices fell 4.7 percentage points to 45.2. That’s the biggest drop since May 2023. Inventories were down 0.5 percentage point to 44.3 in December.
Customer inventories dipped back below 50 last month to 48.1 in December.
Only one industry, primary metals, reported growth in December, while 16 reported contractions.
Layoffs picked up in December, concentrated in the computer and electronics, machinery, and food and beverage sectors.
Big picture: The contraction in manufacturing is the longest since 2000-01, after the dot-com bubble exploded, said Jay Hawkins, senior economist at BMO Capital Markets.
Economists said that depressed capital spending has been the key drag on the factory sector, along with weak global trade. They expect that a sharp drop in long-term interest rates will improve the picture, but the change won’t happen overnight.
What the ISM said: Tim Fiore, chair of the ISM manufacturing survey committee, was relatively upbeat about the data. He said the sector was closing the year in a “really good position” and forecast that the ISM factory index would rise above the 50-percentage-point threshold by March. Fiore said he also expects the inventory number to pick up in coming months.
What economists said: “The survey indicates that conditions in the factory sector remain unusually weak and that output is likely to continue declining for at least a few more months,” said Andrew Hunter, deputy chief U.S. economist at Capital Economics.
The Russell 2000 Index soared 12% in December, which might reflect investors’ exuberance about the state of the U.S. economy — it appears the Federal Reserve has won its battle against inflation.
But if you are looking to broaden your exposure to the stock market beyond the large-cap S&P 500 SPX,
buying shares of a fund that tracks the Russell 2000 Index RUT
might not be the best way to do it. This is because the Russell 2000 isn’t selective — it is made up of the smallest 2,000 companies by market capitalization in the Russell 3000 Index RUA,
which itself is designed to capture about 98% of the U.S. public equity market.
A better choice might be the S&P Small Cap 600 Index SML
because S&P Global requires companies to show four consecutive quarters of profitability to be initially included in the index, among other criteria.
Below is a screen of analysts’ favorite stocks among the S&P Small Cap 600, along with another for the Russell 2000.
Watch for a “head fake”
Much of the small-cap buying in December might have resulted from covering of short positions by hedge-fund managers. This idea is backed by the timing of trading activity immediately following the Federal Open Market Committee’s announcement on Dec. 13 that it wouldn’t change its interest-rate policy, according to MacroTourist blogger Kevin Muir. The Fed’s economic projections released the same day also indicate three cuts to the federal-funds rate in 2024.
Heading into the end of the year, a fund manager who had shorted small-caps, and then was surprised by the Fed’s interest-rate projections, might have scrambled to buy stocks it had shorted to close-out the positions and hopefully lock in gains, or limit losses.
That buying activity and resulting pop in small-cap prices could set up a typical “head fake” for investors as the new year begins, according to Muir.
The long-term case for quality
Looking at data for companies’ most recently reported fiscal quarters, 58% of the Russell 2000 reported positive earnings per share, according to data provided by FactSet. In other words, hundreds of these companies were losing money. These might include promising companies facing “binary events,” such as make-or-break drug trials in the biotechnology industry.
In comparison, 78% of companies among the S&P Small Cap 600 were profitable, and 93% of the S&P 500 were in the black.
Here are long-term performance figures for exchange-traded funds that track all three indexes:
For the first screen, we began with the S&P Small Cap 600 and narrowed the list to 385 companies covered by at least five analysts polled by FactSet. Then we cut the list to 92 companies with “buy” or equivalent ratings among at least 75% of the covering analysts.
Here are the 20 remaining stocks among the S&P Small Cap 600 with the highest 12-month upside potential indicated by analysts’ consensus price targets:
Any stock screen should only be considered a starting point. You should do your own research to form your own opinion before making any investment. one way to begin is by clicking on the tickers for more about each company.
Moving on to the Russell 2000, when we narrowed this group to stocks covered by at least five analysts polled by FactSet, we were left with 936 companies. Among these, 355 have “buy” or equivalent ratings among at least 75% of the covering analysts.
Among those 355 stocks in the Russell 2000, these 20 have the highest implied upside over the next year, based on consensus price targets:
The 2023 rally for stocks in the U.S. accelerated as more investors bought the idea that the Federal Reserve succeeded in its effort to bring inflation to heel.
The S&P 500 SPX
ended Friday with a 24.2% gain for 2023, following a 19.4% decline in 2022. (All price changes in this article exclude dividends). Among the 500 stocks, 65% were up for 2023. Below is a list of the year’s 20 best performers in the benchmark index.
This article focuses on large-cap stocks. MarketWatch Editor in Chief Mark DeCambre took a broader look at all U.S. stocks of companies with market capitalizations of at least $1 billion, to list 10 with gains ranging from 412% to 1,924%.
The Fed began raising short-term interest rates and pushing long-term rates higher in March 2022 by allowing its bond portfolio to run off. That explains the poor performance for stocks in 2022, as bonds and even bank accounts because more attractive to investors.
Investors are anticipating the return to a low-rate environment by scooping up 10-year U.S. Treasury notes BX:TMUBMUSD10Y,
whose yield ended the year at 3.88%, down from 4.84% on Oct. 27 — the day of the S&P 500’s low for the second half of 2023.
Before looking at the list of best-performing stocks of 2023, here’s a summary of how the 11 sectors of the S&P 500 performed, with the full index and three more broad indexes at the bottom:
A look at 2023 price action really needs to encompass what took place in 2022 for context. The broad indexes haven’t moved much from their levels at the end of 2022 (again, excluding dividends). We have included current forward price-to-earnings ratios along with those at the end of 2021 and 2022. These valuations have declined a bit, which may provide some comfort for investors wondering how likely it is for stocks to continue to rally in 2024.
Biggest price increases among the S&P 500
Here are the 20 stocks in the S&P 500 whose prices rose the most in 2023:
The Governing Body of the International Treaty on Plant Genetic Resources for Food and Agriculture (ITPGRFA) highlighted the need to ensure close collaboration with the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD), particularly in the context of the negotiations to enhance the functioning of the Treaty’s Multilateral System (MLS) of access and benefit-sharing (ABS) and ongoing talks under the CBD towards a multilateral mechanism on benefit-sharing from the use of digital sequence information (DSI) on genetic resources.
ITPGRFA aims to conserve crop diversity and share its benefits for human and planetary well-being.
The theme of the tenth session of its Governing Body (GB 10) was ‘From Seeds to Innovative Solutions, Safeguarding Our Future: Contributing to the Implementation of the Global Biodiversity Framework for Sustainable Food Systems,’ which highlighted the importance of crop diversity for food security, environmental sustainability, and socioeconomic well-being in the face of global challenges. The Earth Negotiations Bulletin (ENB) summary report of the meeting notes that convening less than a year after the adoption of the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework (GBF), the meeting “underscored farmers’ contributions to agricultural biodiversity, and drew attention to the interlinkages between the Treaty and [CBD].”
“Four Working Group meetings are planned for the next biennium,” ENB highlights, “to allow for progress on the negotiations…
BERLIN—Bayer Chief Executive Bill Anderson said the company would bounce back quickly from a recent spate of bad news, and warned that a breakup of the pharmaceutical and agricultural company was no universal cure for its ailments.
A stream of negative news has rekindled calls from investors for Bayer to unlock value by spinning off its units into separate businesses. But in an interview with The Wall Street Journal this week, Anderson said the company couldn’t be distracted from the tough restructuring to fix the businesses.
