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Latest news: Chemicals

Manufacturer gears up for $2b 'forever chemicals' fight

Manufacturer gears up for $2b 'forever chemicals' fight

Australia is seeking billions in damages from a leading manufacturer, claiming it concealed information over the risks of PFAS-containing firefighting foam.

Liquid mercury ‘show and tell’ shuts outback town

Liquid mercury ‘show and tell’ shuts outback town

Liquid mercury ‘show and tell’ shuts outback town

Liquid mercury ‘show and tell’ shuts outback town

Mercury vials taken from a town dump to school have shut key sites in an outback town as firefighting crews test the air and search for more contamination.

The 'horrific' disease hitting regional Aussies hardest

The 'horrific' disease hitting regional Aussies hardest

The 'horrific' disease hitting regional Aussies hardest

The 'horrific' disease hitting regional Aussies hardest

Exposure to pesticides and other environmental factors could be behind far higher rates of motor-neurone disease in regional areas, experts warn.

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Kmart, Bunnings building as Officeworks stays deskbound

Kmart, Bunnings building as Officeworks stays deskbound

Kmart and Bunnings performed strongly in the first half of 2025/26, owner Wesfarmers says, but another of its well-known chains is lagging.

Acid spill to be washed down drains after evacuation

Acid spill to be washed down drains after evacuation

An acid spill, which forced an emergency warning and the brief evacuation of a primary school, has been diluted and flushed down drains into a river.

Rat poison that kills native animals taken off Amazon

Rat poison that kills native animals taken off Amazon

A form of rat poison that inadvertently kills possums, eagles and owls has been removed from a major e-commerce platform, amid calls to ban the product.

Dissent over tough line against cancer linked chemicals

Dissent over tough line against cancer linked chemicals

A ban on 'forever chemicals' and legal action against a leading manufacturer have been recommended by an inquiry sparked by health fears and contamination.

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Trump agrees outline trade deal with EU's von der Leyen

Trump agrees outline trade deal with EU's von der Leyen

Trump agrees outline trade deal with EU's von der Leyen

Trump agrees outline trade deal with EU's von der Leyen

US President Donald Trump and EU Commission chief Ursula von der Leyen have agreed to the framework of a trade deal fixing tariffs at 15 per cent on EU goods.

'Hazard approach' needed to control forever chemicals

'Hazard approach' needed to control forever chemicals

'Hazard approach' needed to control forever chemicals

'Hazard approach' needed to control forever chemicals

An inquiry has been told greater action is needed by government to safeguard against "forever chemicals", which can be found in common products.

Forever chemicals being found 'literally everywhere'

Forever chemicals being found 'literally everywhere'

Forever chemicals being found 'literally everywhere'

Forever chemicals being found 'literally everywhere'

Managing toxic forever chemicals already in the environment is becoming increasingly difficult and work needs to be done to prevent the introduction of more.

Toxic foam used in celebrations before contamination

Toxic foam used in celebrations before contamination

Toxic foam used in celebrations before contamination

Toxic foam used in celebrations before contamination

Residents in one coastal village cannot fish, swim or grow food due to contamination by "forever chemicals", and live in fear of getting cancer.

Environment agency heads deny blame for chemical spread

Environment agency heads deny blame for chemical spread

Environment agency heads deny blame for chemical spread

Environment agency heads deny blame for chemical spread

The NSW authority responsible for water pollution has been grilled about the spread of cancer-linked chemicals throughout water supplies in a fiery exchange.

Mobile fix for 'forever chemicals' in drinking water

Mobile fix for 'forever chemicals' in drinking water

Mobile fix for 'forever chemicals' in drinking water

Mobile fix for 'forever chemicals' in drinking water

A mobile treatment system will be installed at a key water filtration plant as authorities rush to bring levels of PFAS chemicals in line with new standards.

Major project workers at risk from cancer-causing dust

Major project workers at risk from cancer-causing dust

Major project workers at risk from cancer-causing dust

Major project workers at risk from cancer-causing dust

Construction workers involved in major tunnelling projects could be exposed to higher levels of silica dust than those using now-banned engineered stone.

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Solar tech breakthrough could tackle stubborn emissions

Green heat capable of powering traditionally hard-to-abate heavy industries is firing up a company that has been spun out of a CSIRO research program.

Thousands of PFAS chemicals unmonitored, research finds

There is an urgent need to identify levels of "forever chemicals", according to scientists who found concentrations of one could double in the environment.

Drinking water chemical limits hard to swallow for some

Guidelines for potential cancer-causing chemicals allowed in Australian drinking water have been released, with at least one region failing to meet them.

Weed killer outlawed over risk to unborn babies

Farmers and retailers must immediately stop using a herbicide due to an imminent risk to human health, following earlier concerns from US regulators.

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'Forever chemicals' to fall under the microscope

Synthetic chemicals linked to cancer and other worrying health impacts could soon be better understood as parliament launches an inquiry into PFAS substances.

Water standards in focus as 'forever chemicals' found

Traces of cancer-linked chemicals have been detected in drinking water supplies, prompting an investigation and calls for calm.

Farmers roundly welcome weedkiller court decision

Farming groups have welcomed a Federal Court ruling that popular herbicide Roundup cannot be proven to cause cancer as lawyers ponder a possible appeal.

Roundup class action loss a 'win for farmers': Bayer

The makers of Roundup have welcomed a Federal Court ruling that the popular herbicide cannot be proven to cause cancer.

'Myrtle' plant to turn industrial emissions into solids

Australia's flagship carbon capture utilisation plant will trap emissions and turn them into solid materials for export to Japan, Europe and the United States.

'Forever chemicals' exceed guidelines in water sources

A study looking at 'forever chemicals' reveals concerns the chemicals commonly found in household appliances are rising in source water around the world.

First Nations green hydrogen project wins federal grant

A clean energy project has hit a milestone for future production of hydrogen and ammonia powered by giga-scale solar and hydro as well as Indigenous knowledge.

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