Societies celebrate heroes and commemorate tragedies. But why is there so little public acknowledgment of environmental disasters?
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Articles on Toxins
Displaying 1 - 20 of 47 articles
It’s not just the ingredients we should be concerned about. The devices themselves release chemicals that end up in our blood and urine.
This caterpillar can cause excruciating pain when touched. But unlike most venomous arthropods, it uses its venom purely for self-defence.
Sweating it out can be beneficial for maintaining fitness and good mental health, but it’s not right for everyone.
Research is clear that what we eat can drive our test preferences as early as 2 years of age.
The tiny organisms that cause harmful blooms of algae can have a big impact on your trip to the shore. A toxicologist explains what causes these events and how to keep people and pets safe.
From ‘Breaking Bad’ to James Bond, certain chemicals are popular options for characters looking to achieve nefarious ends.
Milk and its derivatives, meat products (especially fat), fish and seafood may be contaminated with PCBs, toxic substances that have been proven to accelerate cellular ageing.
Detox diets and cleanses supposedly clear the body of allegedly toxic substances. But the evidence suggests otherwise.
The insecticide Bti kills target organisms like mosquitoes and blackflies, but new research shows it may also have negative effects on non-target species like frogs.
Burning leaded gasoline releases toxic lead into the environment, and for 100 years people around the world have been dealing with the health effects. How did a century of toxic fuel come to be?
People are exposed to toxic substances – like pesticides, chemicals in plastics and radiation – every day. A growing body of research shows that this exposure is causing a decline in male fertility.
Black residents of Shelburne, N.S., spent decades living near a dump, worrying about its possible connection to elevated cancer rates. A new study will investigate the dump’s long-term consequences.
For combustion to occur, oxygen must be present. Ammonium nitrate prills provide a much more concentrated supply of oxygen than the air around us.
A chemical refined from the blue, copper-based blood of horseshoe crabs helps identify contaminants in medical equipment inserted into humans.
Researchers know the basic biology of what happens to your system after a night of heavy drinking. Unfortunately, evidence-based cures for the common hangover are still at the investigation stage.
Cape monkfish caught from some areas off Namibia’s coast should be screened for mercury and other heavy metals.
Researchers have just discovered a new species of bacteria that cranks out a deadly toxin. In a common arrangement in the marine environment, a slug and alga both use this toxin for their own defense.
Household rat poison is endangering caracals, and other wildlife species in Cape Town, that prey on poisoned rodents. If not managed, this can negatively alter the region’s ecosystem.
It doesn’t always pay to know what’s really in your food – but it’s fun to find out, anyway.
Top contributors
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Professor of Chemical and Biological Engineering, Biomedical Engineering, and Public Health, Colorado State University
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Professor of Children's Environmental Health, Simon Fraser University
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Chief Environmental Scientist, EPA Victoria; Honorary Professor, School of Natural Sciences, Macquarie University
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Postdoctoral Research Fellow, Institute for Molecular Bioscience, The University of Queensland
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Professor in Evolutionary Biology, Macquarie University
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Associate professor, University of Sydney
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Senior Lecturer in Sport and Exercise Science, University of Worcester
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Emeritus Professor of Medicine, University of Adelaide
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Deputy Head, Health and Social Care Unit Monash University, NHMRC Emerging Leader Fellow, Associate Professor, Monash University
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Professor of Human Geography and Planning, University of Tasmania
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Senior lecturer in Pharmacology, University of Adelaide
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Associate Professor in Ecology, Hawkesbury Institute for the Environment, Western Sydney University
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Veronique Chachay is a Friend of The Conversation.
Research & Teaching Academic, The University of Queensland
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Senior Lecturer in Sport and Exercise Science, Anglia Ruskin University
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Associate Professor and Head of Respiratory Environmental Health, Telethon Kids Institute
