Es la época del año en que las personas comienzan a pensar en la limpieza de primavera y el cuidado del césped, lo que también significa una mayor exposición a los riesgos para la salud de productos que quizás no consideren venenos. Casi todos los hogares de Indiana están llenos de artículos que pueden ser letales, desde repelente de insectos hasta laca para el cabello, desde cera para muebles hasta fertilizante para el césped. Almacenados incorrectamente, algunos productos pueden causar lesiones o incluso la muerte si alguien los ingiere, los huele o los derrama sobre la piel o la ropa. El Dr. Blake Froberg del Indiana Poison Center dice que los líquidos como el anticongelante y el líquido limpiaparabrisas pueden parecer bebidas deportivas para los niños pequeños y pueden tener algunos efectos muy dañinos.

"Ciertos aceites para lámparas: con la llegada del verano, mucha gente tendrá antorchas. Y ese aceite de lámpara que se usa en las antorchas, para un niño pequeño, puede parecer jugo de manzana, y puede tener efectos muy dañinos para los pulmones de alguien si lo ingieren," explicó Froberg.

Los síntomas de intoxicación incluyen náuseas, vómitos, diarrea y erupciones cutáneas. El Departamento de Salud de Indiana sugiere almacenar los productos químicos domésticos con las etiquetas adecuadas y tapas herméticas, y revisar periódicamente esos contenedores. Froberg agrega que deben estar en gabinetes cerrados con llave inaccesibles para los niños. Los datos de los Centros de Envenenamiento de Estados Unidos muestran que en Indiana, se informa un caso de envenenamiento cada 11 minutos.

Los medicamentos también pueden ser peligrosos, con casi 68,000 casos de niños que ingirieron algún tipo de analgésico en un año reciente, a nivel nacional. Froberg dice que no solo hay que preocuparse por los medicamentos recetados.

"Acetaminofen, que a menudo se vende como Tylenol; aspirina, difenhidramina, a menudo se venden como Benadryl. Por lo tanto, debe prestar atención no solo a sus medicamentos recetados, sino también a los medicamentos de venta libre," añadió también el entrevistado.

Froberg señala que las tapas a prueba de niños en los medicamentos pueden ralentizarlos, pero con el tiempo suficiente, un niño puede descubrir cómo abrirlas. Los datos de los Centros de Envenenamiento de Estados Unidos muestran que el 44 % de los niños de Indiana de 5 años o menos han estado involucrados en un incidente relacionado con envenenamiento, y el 95 % de estos ocurren en el hogar.



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Missouri may, at one time, have had a reputation as the "meth-lab capital of the country" - but a five-part podcast uncovers its true history.

"Home Cooked: A Fifty-Year History of Meth in America" delves into the relationship of methamphetamine use with broader drug policies and social and cultural ramifications.

Reporter Olivia Weeks with The Daily Yonder, who produced and hosts the podcast, said meth use was once associated with rural areas, but that assumption is inaccurate. Weeks said Missouri fought back against its meth-lab reputation.

"They policed their meth-lab problem really strongly, and had really high lab bust numbers and then those have basically disappeared," she said. "But now, the rest of the country is dealing with this problem that was associated with Missouri."

In the podcast, she explains that most of the methamphetamine entering the United States comes through commercial points of entry, hidden in legal shipping containers, rather than being smuggled across the border by individuals.

Weeks said the real dangers of meth result in part from it being outlawed. She explained that even when it was a prescription drug in the 1950s and '60s, there was illegal use - but at least it was made by pharmaceutical companies. Once methamphetamine became illegal, she said, the lack of control over its production has led to environmental damage and dangerous chemical processes being attempted in home labs.

"The main problem, main danger of using methamphetamine is that you don't know what's in it," she said, "and you don't know what dose you're taking."

She acknowledged the pharmaceutical industry's history of exploiting addictive drugs, and cautioned against a simple solution such as decriminalizing or legalizing meth use. Instead, she said, her research has prompted her to support harm-reduction strategies that keep users safe.

This story was produced with original reporting by Olivia Weeks for The Daily Yonder.

Minnesota is the site of a high-profile drinking-water contamination case linked with so-called forever chemicals and advocates are hopeful residents will be protected in the future by a new national standard announced Wednesday.

The Environmental Protection Agency unveiled a final rule which, for the first time, sets a legally enforceable drinking-water benchmark for PFAS chemicals all states will have to follow. Scientists have been highlighting health risks with more detection of PFAS in everyday products and water sources.

Avonna Starck, state director for Clean Water Action, said requiring near-zero levels sends a strong message.

"We've been hearing from polluters that it's too hard, it's too expensive, it's not feasible to stop using these chemicals," Starck pointed out. "This standard really said, 'No, actually this is something that we're gonna do, this is something that we can do.'"

There is some concern from operators of public water systems, who fret about costs to update facilities. However, officials noted there is federal funding to help with the transition. Minnesota recently adopted its own PFAS law, which emphasizes product bans, following a 2018 settlement with manufacturer 3M over claims its production of PFAS chemicals damaged drinking water and natural resources.

The subsequent state law was named in honor of Amara Strande, who died last year from cancer her family believes is linked to the toxic chemical waste from 3M. Her sister Nora said the new federal standard for drinking water is welcome news.

"PFAS is in the air, it's in the water, it's in our products, it's in our land," Strande outlined. "We need to work on this on multiple levels."

Under the new rule, the EPA estimated between 6% and 10% of 66,000 public drinking water systems around the U.S. may have to take action to reduce PFAS. All of them have three years to complete initial monitoring. If levels exceed the new standards, the systems must take corrective action within five years.


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Nonorganic fruits and vegetables are loaded with chemical pesticides, including fungicides which can harm male reproductive systems, according to the 2024 Shoppers Guide to Pesticides in Produce.

Alexa Friedman, senior scientist for the Environmental Working Group, explained food is the primary way most people in Wyoming and across the nation are exposed to pesticides, which have been linked to a number of negative health outcomes.

"Things like cardio metabolic disorders, different types of diabetes, as well as some cancers," Friedman outlined. "If you are exposed to multiple pesticides over the course of a lifetime they might lead to a greater risk in any of these health outcomes."

Conventionally-grown strawberries top this year's Dirty Dozen list, followed by spinach, kale and collard and mustard greens, grapes, peaches, pears, nectarines, apples, bell and hot peppers, cherries, blueberries and green beans.

Fungicides, which can be endocrine disrupters and harm human hormone systems, are often applied after harvest to keep produce mold-free on its way to market. Most of the produce tested by the U.S. Department of Agriculture fell within the legal allowance for pesticide residue but Friedman argued "legal" does not necessarily mean "safe."

"Even if the amount of pesticides are within legal limits on these produce, it doesn't mean it's safe for everyone, particularly susceptible populations like children," Friedman stressed.

The shopper's guide also includes the Clean Fifteen, a list of fruits and vegetables with very low or no pesticide residues. Organic avocados, sweet corn and pineapple top the list.

Friedman encouraged people to continue to eat as many fruits and vegetables as possible, organic or conventional, due to their nutritional value compared with highly processed foods.

"We always recommend continuing to consume fruits and vegetables, and to up your fruit and vegetable intake," Friedman pointed out. "If you are interested in purchasing organic versions of the produce that's on the Dirty Dozen, there are also some more budget friendly options in the frozen aisles."


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