‘Birth Defects’ Category

Back in the 1970s, south of San Francisco, many companies in the electronics industry began hiring workers to manufacture semiconductor chips, circuit boards and other components for use in computers. Yvette Flores, one of Waters Kraus & Paul’s clients, was one of them. Her job was to fuse together glass tubes for Spectra-Physics, a company that made lasers. Ms. Flores used a spray gun...

One of the primary causes ofbirth defects in the United States is the parent’s exposure to toxic chemicals. According to the Centers for Disease Control, one baby in 33 will suffer from a birth defect. Some of the toxic substances that can cause birth defects include coal ash, pesticides used in the agricultural industry, and toxic chemicals used to manufacture conductor...

Pesticides have been shown in repeated studies to cause birth defects, cancer and neurological problems. Yet American farmworkers are routinely exposed to dangerous pesticides. As part of their jobs, they are often exposed when they mix up batches of pesticides to spray on crops and then again as they apply the pesticides in the fields.

New safety...