Risky business.

Acrylamide is found in carbohydrate-rich fried foods (French fries and potato chips) and in roasted coffee. While warning signs are appearing all over California for acrylamide based on older research, the trend is away from acceptance of the breast cancer hypothesis.

BPA is a widely used chemical found in baby bottles, dental sealants, thermal paper (receipts), and pesticides. It has a similar chemical structure to estrogen. BPA’s reproductive effects have been extensively reported and new science keeps coming. The biggest mover for BPA in recent science comes from behavioral impacts on children prenatally exposed to BPA.

Cadmium is a used in batteries, solar panels, pigments, and alloys. A natural source of cadmium is leafy vegetables which retain higher levels of cadmium if exposed to fertilizers with cadmium. The association of cadmium with kidney injury is strong, but recent research points away from acceptance.

Chloropyrifos is a controversial insecticide used to protect crops and woodlands. It is associated with motor dysfunction, but recent studies have not supported the claim.

Glyphosate is the most applied herbicide in the US. It has reproductive effects in women: glyphosate has been connected to short gestation period while pregnant (preterm birth).

Oxybenzone is a common chemical sunscreen. It is associated with female infertility, and the trend in the literature is toward acceptance.

PFBA is a compound used in textiles, food-contact paper, and electronics. It is a replacement for PFOA and PFOS, which was phased out starting in the early 2000s. The increasing science harm acceptance score is for a PFBA link to male infertility. Substitutes all too often have the same problems as the compounds they replace.

PFOS was used for years as a stain repellant until manufacturing in the US was phased out starting in the 2000s. It is still found in the environment. It is also imported into the US for use in firefighting foam, photolithographic chemicals, and hydraulic fluids. Prenatal exposure to PFOS may affect children and has been associated with poor eye hand coordination, for which the increased science acceptance score is shown.

Styrene is a big mover in recent science. It is used in the production of polystyrene plastics and resins. It has been previously thought occupational exposure to styrene may cause lymphoma, but recent studies have suggested this to be incorrect.