Carbon monoxide (CO) is a highly toxic, lighter than air gas which is most often found in an area surrounding a combustion source (e.g., a furnace, boiler or space heater) where there is insufficient oxygen to allow for complete combustion of fuel in use. Deemed the “silent killer” because it is colorless, odorless, tasteless, and non-irritating, carbon monoxide is virtually impossible to detect without testing.

Health experts are cheering President Trump’s vow to ban flavored e-cigarettes, which they say are a major reason for the sharp rise in youthful vaping in the U.S. Trump made the announcement on Wednesday, noting “We can’t have our youth be so affected.” A half dozen recent deaths and hundreds of cases of lung disease across the country appear to be related to vaping, although the cases are still under investigation.

For a huge swath of Northern California, the air suddenly became hazardous last November. Thick smoke from the most destructive wildfire in state history was delivering a secondary blow to nearly ten million Californians, some of whom turned to a new class of consumer air monitors to help keep them safe.

The EPA is proposing to designate 20 chemical substances as High-Priority Substances for upcoming risk evaluations, per a statutory requirement under the 2016 amendments to the Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA) by. The proposed designation is a required step in a new process of reviewing chemical substances currently in commerce under the amended TSCA.

More Americans than previously estimated live within a city block of aged, underground natural gas storage wells, some more than a century old and most of them lacking modern designs to prevent major leaks, according to researchers from Harvard University.

Today is National Heatstroke Prevention Day (July 31st), a good time to focus attention on precautions that should be taken against extreme heat and humidity. Employees who are new to outdoor work at at greatest risk for heat-related illnesses. Cal/OSHA found that of 25 incidents of heat-related illness they investigated, almost half of the cases involved a worker on their first day of work.

Four major automakers have reached an agreement with California on fuel economy standards that would reduce emissions – and the American Lung Association (ALA) approves. Ford, Volkswagen, Honda, and BMW this week agreed to increase the average fuel economy of their new vehicle fleets to nearly 50 miles per gallon by model year 2026 - an increase of 3.7 miles per gallon per year.

With recent bouts of extreme heat affecting large parts of the nation – and more likely up ahead - heat stroke – when the body’s cooling system fails - has gained considerable attention as a risk for outdoor workers. Symptoms include a rapid heartbeat, hot, red skin due to the inability to sweat and internal temperatures rising to dangerous levels.

There is a broad scientific consensus that alcohol is a carcinogen, and that even moderate drinking increases one’s chances of getting cancer. But surveys show that most Americans remain unaware of that fact. Now a coalition of consumer and public health groups have launched a long shot effort to put a cancer warning on alcohol bottles and cans.