hazardous chemicals

Scientists are making progress in identifying environmental hazards that contribute to cancer. Researchers say many cases could be avoided if the work is accelerated.

Neighborhoods around a Louisiana chemical plant have the highest cancer risk in the U.S. Residents felt powerless, until the Environmental Protection Agency released data on what they were breathing.

Environmental officials are inspecting toxic waste sites in southeast Texas that were flooded and potentially damaged last week.

Synthetic chemicals have been found in Colorado water supplies. The Pentagon is examining hundreds of military sites for possible contamination by PFCs, which have been linked to health problems.

Wednesday's massive explosion in Tianjin killed more than 100; then fire broke out, and more explosions followed. Now Chinese authorities are clearing the area over fears of sodium cyanide poisoning.

The planes used to spray Agent Orange in Vietnam weren't retired from service — they were used by reservists in the U.S. for more than a decade after the war, exposing the crews to harmful chemicals.