What We Know (and Don’t Know) About ‘Forever Chemicals’ in Food
There’s a growing understanding of the health threats of PFAS chemicals in what we eat and drink.
By Hiroko Tabuchi
Hiroko Tabuchi
I’m a reporter for The New York Times writing on pollution and the environment.
What I Cover
I focus on pollution and environmental costs, helping readers understand environmental effects and trade-offs, particularly as humanity tries to pivot away from fossil fuels. My beat brings together the world’s growing reliance on plastics, the challenges of recycling, the risks of water pollution — whether from microplastics or PFAS chemicals — the lobbying efforts for and against chemicals, and the scientific and technological search for solutions.
My Background
I have been a journalist for more than 20 years, covering the Japanese economy from Tokyo and climate and energy from New York. I have written about the oil industry’s campaign to rewrite American car emissions rules, how Americans’ appetite for leather is worsening Amazon deforestation and why the “chasing arrows” symbol doesn’t necessarily mean that something is recyclable.
I was part of a team that was awarded the 2013 Pulitzer Prize for explanatory reporting for an examination of global manufacturing giants and a Pulitzer finalist on two other teams: one that covered the Japanese tsunami and nuclear disaster in 2011 and another that exposed the breadth of a political war on science in 2020. My project that used infrared technology to detect methane emissions from oil and gas infrastructure won the 2020 National Press Foundation award for innovative storytelling.
I grew up in Kobe, Japan, and I have a degree in international relations from the London School of Economics. I speak English, Japanese and some Chinese.
Journalistic Ethics
I strive for my work to be accurate and fair. I do not have direct financial or other ties to companies I cover. I do not go on press junkets sponsored by companies, nor do I accept gifts or favors from anyone who might figure in my reporting.
I protect sources who wish to remain anonymous for fear of retaliation, while vetting their claims with other sources or with documents. Most of all, I seek to keep the powerful accountable to the public and to pay attention to marginalized or vulnerable voices. You can read more about The Times’s ethics guidelines.
Contact Me
Email: hiroko.tabuchi@nytimes.com
WhatsApp: Email to get my number
Signal: Email to get my number
Anonymous tips: nytimes.com/tips
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The White House Has a Plan to Slash Plastic Use in the U.S.
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