When Scotts Miracle-Gro got pushback for contributing to the global algae-bloom catastrophe, the Ohio-based multinational company decided against responding to its role in the environmental disaster with a mundane press release and took action. Corporate decisions were made to remove phosphorus from products and partner with nonprofits to find ways to eradicate the chemical from water bodies.

A review of human and animal studies showed some toxic chemicals commonly found in the environment had a bigger effect on pregnant women who had high levels of stress, researchers wrote in PLOS ONE. Pregnant women who had high stress levels and smoked were about twice as likely to have a low birth-weight baby as those who had low levels of stress and smoked.

Perfluorochemicals (PFCs) -- toxic chemicals linked to cancer and other diseases -- pollute the drinking water supplies of 15 million people in 27 states, according to a report released Thursday by the Environmental Working Group and Boston's Northeastern University. Although the EPA tests for the contaminants, the tests do not include smaller local water systems or private wells.

The Port of Portland has filed a lawsuit in federal court against Monsanto claiming the company knowingly produced toxic chemicals that led to costly cleanups by the port. The claim states that Monsanto knew of its toxic chemicals as early as 1937 and did nothing.