Ask your Members of Congress to become co-sponsors of the Toxic Chemicals Safety Act Our current chemical laws are woefully out of date. The last time the chemical law (called the Toxics Substances Control Act or TSCA) was updated was 1976, when smoking was permitted in airplanes, hospitals, and all other public places. There were no laws requiring that children or adults wear seatbelts. Lead was still being added to gasoline. Thankfully, we know so much more now and it's time our laws were brought into the 21st century. 

  Plastic Surf: The Unhealthful Afterlife of Toys and Packaging ( Preview ) By now even schoolchildren know that the plastics we discard every year in the millions of tons persist in the environment for hundreds of years. And we have all heard of the horrors caused by such debris in the sea: fur seals entangled by nylon nets, sea otters choking on polyethylene six-pack rings, and plastic bags or toys stuck in the guts of sea turtles. This photograph, showing plastic fragments collected in just an hour at a cove near Gloucester, Mass., hints at a lesser-known but equally disturbing story: much smaller bits of plastic that are accumulating in oceans all over the world can potentially harm marine life and possibly even human health. 

  Levels of controversial soap chemical rise Last week the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention published data on the levels of 212 chemicals in 2400 volunteers in the US. The average amount of triclosan, a chemical added to soaps and toothpastes to kill fungi and bacteria, had increased from 13 micrograms per litre of urine in 2003-4 to 18.5 μg/l in 2005-6. 

  Female Infants Growing Breasts: Another Disaster From Hormones in Milk Production According to the official Chinese Daily newspaper, medical tests performed on the babies found levels of estrogens circulating in their bloodstreams that are as high as those found in most adult women. These babies are between four and 15 months old. And the evidence is overwhelming that the milk formula they have been fed is responsible. 

  7 Toxic Seafood Chemicals That You Don't Know About (PHOTOS) 2.6 billion people obtain 20 percent of their animal protein from eating seafood. Contaminants leak into the world's water supplies from industrial and municipal waste, storm water runoff and even agricultural practices causing serious environmental, animal and human health issues. Check out our slideshow of seven toxic chemicals in fish that you don't know about. As always, we want to hear from you in the comments. 

  Tip 14: EWG's Back-To-School Guide. Buying school supplies is an annual end-of-summer tradition. It's also an opportunity to look for safer products for your children and their classrooms. The good news is that with a little time and attention, a backpack full of non-toxic school supplies is in reach. Purchase your back-to-school supplies (and any other item, for that matter) through EWG's link to Amazon. Amazon will donate part of your purchase to EWG! Or download the PDF to take with you to the store. 

  Should adults be taking 2,000 to 4,000 IU of vitamin D & should there be safety or policy changes? Should there be worldwide policy changes regarding everyone's intake of vitamin D, particularly, vitamin D3? Anthony Norman is a distinguished professor emeritus of biochemistry and biomedical sciences at the University of California, Riverside and a leading international expert in vitamin D 

  Three Kinds of Water That Won’t Age You There are many different forms of water available for your drinking pleasure. It’s important to understand the benefits of each to ensure that you are drinking and topically using the right type of water for healthier skin and body. According to Dr. Dennis Gross, tap water contains heavy metals that can act as free radicals, which can destroy collagen. Even washing your face with tap water can lead to impurities and heavy metals that cling to your skin, creating a breeding ground for damage to occur throughout the day.