Neglected oil and gas pipelines deteriorating in the North Sea pose a potential hazard, as they may discharge significant amounts of hazardous substances such as mercury, radioactive lead, and polonium-210, infamous for its role in the poisoning of Russian defector Alexander Litvinenko, caution scientists.

Mercury, a highly toxic element present naturally in oil and gas, adheres to the interior of pipelines and accumulates over time, eventually being released into the sea as the pipelines corrode.

Also read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/science/scientists-make-stunning-discovery-of-fossil-belonging-to-240-million-year-old-dragon-693402">Scientists make stunning discovery of fossil belonging to 240 million-year-old 'dragon'</a>

Methylmercury, the most toxic form of the metal, is emitted by these pipelines, with other forms potentially converting into it. The Minamata Convention on Mercury internationally warns that elevated mercury levels in marine mammals like dolphins, whales, and seals can lead to "reproductive failure, behavioural changes, and even death." Seabirds and large predatory fish, such as tuna and swordfish, are also particularly at risk.

Lhiam Paton, a researcher at the University of Graz’s Institute for Analytical Chemistry, who has highlighted the mercury pollution issue, emphasises that even a slight rise in sea mercury levels can have a significant impact on top-of-the-food-chain animals.

The North Sea harbors approximately 27,000 km of gas pipelines, and experts estimate that the metal concentration in the sea could surge anywhere from 3 per cent to 160 per cent&nbsp;above current levels. Unlike some countries where regulations mandate the removal of pipelines after oil well cessation, North Sea companies are permitted to leave them to deteriorate.

Also read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/science/a-silent-warning-microplastics-is-found-in-every-human-placenta-a-new-study-reveals-693332">A silent warning? Microplastics found in every human placenta, reveals new study</a>

Paton, whose findings are published in the Journal of Hazardous Materials, warns that pipelines left on the seabed may retain substantial amounts of mercury, waiting to be released into the local marine environment as they corrode post-decommissioning. The impact on wildlife and food chains will depend on the form of mercury released, with certain forms less likely to be absorbed by marine life. Researcher Dr. Darren Koppel emphasises the need to understand the long-term fate of mercury in contaminated pipelines and the conditions leading to its integration into food webs.

In addition to mercury, scientists are concerned about naturally occurring radioactive materials, such as radium, present in some underwater oil and gas reservoirs. These materials may accumulate as scales inside subsea pipelines, with potential radiological risks to marine organisms. Experts stress the necessity for further research to comprehend the environmental impact fully.

<a data-ctorig="https://www.wionews.com/science/video-nasa-releases-stunning-time-lapse-footage-of-gamma-ray-sky-676739" data-cturl="https://www.google.com/url?client=internal-element-cse&amp;cx=006054055338965708568:09spwrlibei&amp;q=https://www.wionews.com/science/video-nasa-releases-stunning-time-lapse-footage-of-gamma-ray-sky-676739&amp;sa=U&amp;ved=2ahUKEwiIv4Wi6sOEAxVGRmwGHTSRDI8QFnoECAAQAg&amp;usg=AOvVaw097MpNv2u2NFy2Wp-tHafT" dir="ltr" href="https://www.wionews.com/science/video-nasa-releases-stunning-time-lapse-footage-of-gamma-ray-sky-676739" target="_blank">Video: NASA releases stunning time-lapse footage of gamma-ray</a>

Hugo Tagholm, executive director of Oceana UK, describes the situation as another instance of the severe harm caused by oil and gas developments on marine wildlife, emphasising mercury's neurotoxic effects. Despite being a signatory to the Minamata convention, aimed at addressing mercury pollution, the UK has recently granted new oil and gas licenses in the North Sea. Concerns are raised about the potential risks to the rich biodiversity of the North Sea and the millions dependent on it.

Responding to these concerns, Offshore Energies UK decommissioning manager Ricky Thomson asserts the industry's commitment to meeting obligations under national and international regulations. The decommissioning process involves rigorous environmental impact assessments, with operators obtaining permits and consents from the offshore environmental regulator.

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/science/new-nasa-videos-show-shocking-visualisation-of-global-carbon-emissions-606508">Video:&nbsp;New NASA videos show shocking visualisation of global carbon emissions</a>

However, concerns persist, with experts emphasising the need for transparency, collaboration, and ongoing research to address the potential environmental consequences of neglected pipelines. Worldwide, there are approximately 1.3 million km of installed oil and gas pipelines.

(With inputs from agencies)

Neglected oil and gas pipelines deteriorating in the North Sea pose a potential hazard, as they may discharge significant amounts of hazardous substances such as mercury, radioactive lead, and polonium-210, infamous for its role in the poisoning of Russian defector Alexander Litvinenko, caution scientists.

Neglected oil and gas pipelines deteriorating in the North Sea pose a potential hazard, as they may discharge significant amounts of hazardous substances such as mercury, radioactive lead, and polonium-210, infamous for its role in the poisoning of Russian defector Alexander Litvinenko, caution scientists. Mercury, a highly toxic element present naturally in oil and gas, adheres to the interior of pipelines and accumulates over time, eventually being released into the sea as the pipelines corrode. Also read: Scientists make stunning discovery of fossil belonging to 240 million-year-old 'dragon' Methylmercury, the most toxic form of the metal, is emitted by these pipelines, with other forms potentially converting into it. The Minamata Convention on Mercury internationally warns that elevated mercury levels in marine mammals like dolphins, whales, and seals can lead to "reproductive failure, behavioural changes, and even death." Seabirds and large predatory fish, such as tuna and swordfish, are also particularly at risk. Lhiam Paton, a researcher at the University of Graz’s Institute for Analytical Chemistry, who has highlighted the mercury pollution issue, emphasises that even a slight rise in sea mercury levels can have a significant impact on top-of-the-food-chain animals. The North Sea harbors approximately 27,000 km of gas pipelines, and experts estimate that the metal concentration in the sea could surge anywhere from 3 per cent to 160 per cent above current levels. Unlike some countries where regulations mandate the removal of pipelines after oil well cessation, North Sea companies are permitted to leave them to deteriorate. Also read: A silent warning? Microplastics found in every human placenta, reveals new study Paton, whose findings are published in the Journal of Hazardous Materials, warns that pipelines left on the seabed may retain substantial amounts of mercury, waiting to be released into the local marine environment as they corrode post-decommissioning. The impact on wildlife and food chains will depend on the form of mercury released, with certain forms less likely to be absorbed by marine life. Researcher Dr. Darren Koppel emphasises the need to understand the long-term fate of mercury in contaminated pipelines and the conditions leading to its integration into food webs. In addition to mercury, scientists are concerned about naturally occurring radioactive materials, such as radium, present in some underwater oil and gas reservoirs. These materials may accumulate as scales inside subsea pipelines, with potential radiological risks to marine organisms. Experts stress the necessity for further research to comprehend the environmental impact fully. Video: NASA releases stunning time-lapse footage of gamma-ray Hugo Tagholm, executive director of Oceana UK, describes the situation as another instance of the severe harm caused by oil and gas developments on marine wildlife, emphasising mercury's neurotoxic effects. Despite being a signatory to the Minamata convention, aimed at addressing mercury pollution, the UK has recently granted new oil and gas licenses in the North Sea. Concerns are raised about the potential risks to the rich biodiversity of the North Sea and the millions dependent on it. Responding to these concerns, Offshore Energies UK decommissioning manager Ricky Thomson asserts the industry's commitment to meeting obligations under national and international regulations. The decommissioning process involves rigorous environmental impact assessments, with operators obtaining permits and consents from the offshore environmental regulator. Video: New NASA videos show shocking visualisation of global carbon emissions However, concerns persist, with experts emphasising the need for transparency, collaboration, and ongoing research to address the potential environmental consequences of neglected pipelines. Worldwide, there are approximately 1.3 million km of installed oil and gas pipelines. (With inputs from agencies)

Abandoned pipelines pose threat of releasing toxins into North Sea, scientists issue warning

By the end of 2025, 3M, the corporation that makes Scotch tape and Post-It notes, will stop producing contentious per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS).

Numerous household objects include "forever chemicals," which are also used to create coatings and other products that can withstand heat, oil, grease, and water. The most current research indicates that these chemicals are significantly more toxic to human health than first anticipated and are possibly more so at concentrations that are thousands of times lower.

3M acknowledged that laws are tightening up on the chemicals in a statement released on Tuesday, stating that their choice was "based on careful analysis and a thorough examination of the shifting external situation."

“While PFAS can be safely made and used, we also see an opportunity to lead in a rapidly evolving external regulatory and business landscape to make the greatest impact for those we serve,” said 3M CEO Mike Roman in a statement to CNN. “This action is another example of how we are positioning 3M for continued sustainable growth by optimizing our portfolio, innovating for our customers, and delivering long-term value for our shareholders.”

The company estimates that the discontinuation of PFAS would result in a financial loss of between $1.3 billion and $2.3 billion over the following several years. PFAS, however, only makes up a "tiny fraction" of 3M's (MMM) business, the company claimed.

Manufacturers of two of the most widely used everlasting chemicals, PFOS and PFOA, have voluntarily discontinued making them during the past ten years.

The use of several PFAS compounds was phased out by the US Food and Drug Administration in 2016 at the federal level. In 2020, the FDA and manufacturers came to an agreement to gradually remove certain PFAS compounds from food packaging and other products that came into contact with food. The compounds do, however, have a tendency to linger, according to FDA environmental monitoring.

WATCH WION LIVE HERE:

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By the end of 2025, 3M, the corporation that makes Scotch tape and Post-It notes, will stop producing contentious per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS). Numerous household objects include "forever chemicals," which are also used to create coatings and other products that can withstand heat, oil, grease, and water.

By the end of 2025, 3M, the corporation that makes Scotch tape and Post-It notes, will stop producing contentious per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS). Numerous household objects include "forever chemicals," which are also used to create coatings and other products that can withstand heat, oil, grease, and water. The most current research indicates that these chemicals are significantly more toxic to human health than first anticipated and are possibly more so at concentrations that are thousands of times lower. 3M acknowledged that laws are tightening up on the chemicals in a statement released on Tuesday, stating that their choice was "based on careful analysis and a thorough examination of the shifting external situation." “While PFAS can be safely made and used, we also see an opportunity to lead in a rapidly evolving external regulatory and business landscape to make the greatest impact for those we serve,” said 3M CEO Mike Roman in a statement to CNN. “This action is another example of how we are positioning 3M for continued sustainable growth by optimizing our portfolio, innovating for our customers, and delivering long-term value for our shareholders.” The company estimates that the discontinuation of PFAS would result in a financial loss of between $1.3 billion and $2.3 billion over the following several years. PFAS, however, only makes up a "tiny fraction" of 3M's (MMM) business, the company claimed. Manufacturers of two of the most widely used everlasting chemicals, PFOS and PFOA, have voluntarily discontinued making them during the past ten years. The use of several PFAS compounds was phased out by the US Food and Drug Administration in 2016 at the federal level. In 2020, the FDA and manufacturers came to an agreement to gradually remove certain PFAS compounds from food packaging and other products that came into contact with food. The compounds do, however, have a tendency to linger, according to FDA environmental monitoring. WATCH WION LIVE HERE:

3M to discontinue making hazardous ‘forever chemicals’ starting in 2025: Reports

The pleas to Amazon were explicit. A food preservative sold by the online retailer and other e-commerce sites was being used as a poison to die by suicide.

“Please stop selling this product,” began one review, posted on Amazon in July 2019 by a person who wrote that a niece had used it to kill herself. “I’ve already notified Amazon and they said they would help with this but they have not.”

Since then, suicides linked to sales of the preservative through Amazon have continued. The New York Times identified 10 people who had killed themselves using the chemical compound after buying it through the site in the past two years, including a 16-year-old girl in Ohio, a pair of college freshmen in Pennsylvania and Missouri, and a 27-year-old in Texas whose mother has filed a wrongful death suit against Amazon. Enough people purchased the preservative to attempt suicide that the company’s algorithm began suggesting other products that customers frequently bought along with it to aid in such efforts.

But when family members left behind and others alerted Amazon to the deaths and to the danger of the sales, the company declined to act.

Now, members of Congress are demanding answers. In a letter sent last week to Andy Jassy, Amazon’s president and CEO, a bipartisan group of House members sought an accounting of the company’s sales of the preservative and related suicides, details on how the retailer had addressed the dangers, and an explanation of how it had responded to complaints.

The move comes just weeks after publication of a Times investigation that linked a website, which provides explicit instructions on suicide, to a long trail of deaths. Most were from the chemical compound, sold legally in many countries. Site members advised one another on where to buy it and how to use it. Many of those who died — the Times has identified more than 50 people — were under 25; some were minors.

In response to the article, members of Congress have sought briefings from Google and other tech companies that help make the suicide site accessible, and have asked Attorney General Merrick Garland to consider ways to prosecute its operators.

In their letter to Amazon, seven House lawmakers pressed the company, saying that the ease and swiftness with which vulnerable people could buy the compound, called sodium nitrite, was a “grave concern.”

The lawmakers are targeting Amazon for questioning because they believe it to be the e-commerce site most often used to buy the compound and get it quickly delivered, and because of claims by parents and others that product reviews on Amazon warning about the danger were removed, said Rep. Lori Trahan, D-Mass., a member of the House Energy and Commerce Committee.

In a written response to the lawmakers on Thursday, Brian Huseman, Amazon’s vice president for public policy, extended condolences to families of the dead while defending Amazon’s practices and sales of the compound. He said it was used for a range of purposes and was available from other retailers.

“Amazon makes a wide selection of products available to our customers because we trust that they will use those products as intended by the manufacturers,” he wrote. “Like many widely-available consumer products,” he added, the compound “can unfortunately be misused.”

The lawmakers found the company’s answers insufficient.

“Amazon had the opportunity with their response to collaborate with us on this issue that’s tragically ending the lives of people across our nation,” Trahan said. “Instead, they failed to answer many of our most critical questions”

In email exchanges with the Times, an Amazon spokesperson declined to comment on the 10 deaths that the Times identified.

Other sites said they had restricted sales of the compound.

Last year, an eBay director wrote to a coroner in England that the company had prohibited global sales of the compound in 2019 after receiving a report of its potential use in suicides. However, the Times identified eight suicides involving eBay sales of the poison since then, including a death the coroner was reviewing.

eBay did not respond to detailed emails and messages seeking comment. But in the letter to the coroner, the eBay director acknowledged that despite the ban, it was possible for “unscrupulous or unaware sellers to circumvent our policies and filters.” He wrote that the company would support government restrictions on online sales of the chemical to prevent suicides.

In November 2020, Etsy banned sales of the compound, said a spokesperson, who declined to explain why. An Etsy customer posted in May 2018 that he was planning to use his purchase to kill himself. In August 2020, a 35-year-old in Mississippi wrote on the suicide site that he had bought the compound on the site. Days later, he was dead.

The United States is among many countries that allow the chemical compound to be sold as a food preservative, and the federal Food and Drug Administration regulates its use for that purpose.

There is no systematic tracking of suicides involving the compound, but the Times identified dozens of people who had used it since 2018 in the United States, the United Kingdom, Italy, Canada and Australia. More than 300 members of the suicide website had announced intentions to use the compound to kill themselves.

A study of 47 cases of poisoning by the preservative reported to the National Poison Data System over a five-year period found that suicide attempts with it had been increasing since 2017. A 2020 article in the Journal of Emergency Medicine warned that because the compound “is readily accessible through online vendors, and is being circulated through various suicide forums,” emergency rooms might see more patients who have used it.

Dr. Kyle Pires, a resident emergency room physician at Yale University Hospital who treated a 28-year-old woman who had bought the compound on Amazon, wrote in the journal Clinical Toxicology about her death and the recent rise in suicides by this method. The article, published last May, said policymakers should be aware of the preservative’s use in suicides and encouraged emergency rooms to stock doses of an antidote, methylene blue, that can prevent death if administered early.

Pires said businesses should be able to buy the preservative, but sales to individuals should be banned.

“There’s an argument that it’s a slippery slope to restrict sales of something that is legal just because some people are using it to kill themselves,” Pires said. “This is a cost-benefit analysis of a small number of hobbyists using this chemical to cure meat at home versus these growing numbers of young people, including teenagers, using it to kill themselves. For me, it’s an easy calculation.”

In the United Kingdom, coroners for nearly two years have been highlighting suicides involving online purchases of the preservative and asking the government to take action. A cross-government group is working with businesses — including manufacturers and online suppliers of the preservative — to reduce access and end some sales to individuals, according to a spokesperson for the government’s Department of Health and Social Care. The United Kingdom already requires sellers to inform law enforcement officials of any suspicious purchases of the compound, although it is unclear how often such reports are made.

Some businesses have gone further.

Metalchem, a British vendor, stopped selling the compound to the public in April 2020 after learning that it had been used for suicide. Mike Keay, the company’s CEO, also notified an English coroner that he had asked other businesses to stop selling the compound online “when the reason for the purchase cannot be reasonably ascertained.”

“Sadly, nearly two years later and the preservative is still available online, even on Amazon, with worldwide shipping,” Keay wrote in an email to The Times this week.

In the United States, Amazon continued to receive complaints about its sales of the compound — including, in May 2020, from someone whose father had just used it to die; in October 2020, from the grieving mother of an 18-year-old who had killed himself; and last year from Ruth Scott of Schertz, Texas, who is suing the company.

Her 27-year-old son, Mikael, who had struggled with depression, learned about the compound on the suicide website and bought it on Amazon. He killed himself in December 2020.

Ruth Scott said she had reached out five times to inform Amazon, only to hit brick walls. A customer service representative wrote to her that her message would be passed along.

“I am sorry for your loss,” said the email, which was reviewed by The Times. “But at least your son is now on our God’s hand.”

After Carrie Goldberg, a lawyer for Scott wrote to Amazon’s general counsel and implored the company to remove the product from its platform, lawyers for Amazon pointed out a Texas law and court decisions protecting the seller of a legal product used in a suicide.

“They know it’s killing people,” Scott said. “They are fully aware. They just don’t care.

The pleas to Amazon were explicit. A food preservative sold by the online retailer and other e-commerce sites was being used as a poison to die by suicide. “Please stop selling this product,” began one review, posted on Amazon in July 2019 by a person who wrote that a niece had used it to kill herself.

The pleas to Amazon were explicit. A food preservative sold by the online retailer and other e-commerce sites was being used as a poison to die by suicide. “Please stop selling this product,” began one review, posted on Amazon in July 2019 by a person who wrote that a niece had used it to kill herself. “I’ve already notified Amazon and they said they would help with this but they have not.” Since then, suicides linked to sales of the preservative through Amazon have continued. The New York Times identified 10 people who had killed themselves using the chemical compound after buying it through the site in the past two years, including a 16-year-old girl in Ohio, a pair of college freshmen in Pennsylvania and Missouri, and a 27-year-old in Texas whose mother has filed a wrongful death suit against Amazon. Enough people purchased the preservative to attempt suicide that the company’s algorithm began suggesting other products that customers frequently bought along with it to aid in such efforts. But when family members left behind and others alerted Amazon to the deaths and to the danger of the sales, the company declined to act. Now, members of Congress are demanding answers. In a letter sent last week to Andy Jassy, Amazon’s president and CEO, a bipartisan group of House members sought an accounting of the company’s sales of the preservative and related suicides, details on how the retailer had addressed the dangers, and an explanation of how it had responded to complaints. The move comes just weeks after publication of a Times investigation that linked a website, which provides explicit instructions on suicide, to a long trail of deaths. Most were from the chemical compound, sold legally in many countries. Site members advised one another on where to buy it and how to use it. Many of those who died — the Times has identified more than 50 people — were under 25; some were minors. In response to the article, members of Congress have sought briefings from Google and other tech companies that help make the suicide site accessible, and have asked Attorney General Merrick Garland to consider ways to prosecute its operators. In their letter to Amazon, seven House lawmakers pressed the company, saying that the ease and swiftness with which vulnerable people could buy the compound, called sodium nitrite, was a “grave concern.” The lawmakers are targeting Amazon for questioning because they believe it to be the e-commerce site most often used to buy the compound and get it quickly delivered, and because of claims by parents and others that product reviews on Amazon warning about the danger were removed, said Rep. Lori Trahan, D-Mass., a member of the House Energy and Commerce Committee. In a written response to the lawmakers on Thursday, Brian Huseman, Amazon’s vice president for public policy, extended condolences to families of the dead while defending Amazon’s practices and sales of the compound. He said it was used for a range of purposes and was available from other retailers. “Amazon makes a wide selection of products available to our customers because we trust that they will use those products as intended by the manufacturers,” he wrote. “Like many widely-available consumer products,” he added, the compound “can unfortunately be misused.” The lawmakers found the company’s answers insufficient. “Amazon had the opportunity with their response to collaborate with us on this issue that’s tragically ending the lives of people across our nation,” Trahan said. “Instead, they failed to answer many of our most critical questions” In email exchanges with the Times, an Amazon spokesperson declined to comment on the 10 deaths that the Times identified. Other sites said they had restricted sales of the compound. Last year, an eBay director wrote to a coroner in England that the company had prohibited global sales of the compound in 2019 after receiving a report of its potential use in suicides. However, the Times identified eight suicides involving eBay sales of the poison since then, including a death the coroner was reviewing. eBay did not respond to detailed emails and messages seeking comment. But in the letter to the coroner, the eBay director acknowledged that despite the ban, it was possible for “unscrupulous or unaware sellers to circumvent our policies and filters.” He wrote that the company would support government restrictions on online sales of the chemical to prevent suicides. In November 2020, Etsy banned sales of the compound, said a spokesperson, who declined to explain why. An Etsy customer posted in May 2018 that he was planning to use his purchase to kill himself. In August 2020, a 35-year-old in Mississippi wrote on the suicide site that he had bought the compound on the site. Days later, he was dead. The United States is among many countries that allow the chemical compound to be sold as a food preservative, and the federal Food and Drug Administration regulates its use for that purpose. There is no systematic tracking of suicides involving the compound, but the Times identified dozens of people who had used it since 2018 in the United States, the United Kingdom, Italy, Canada and Australia. More than 300 members of the suicide website had announced intentions to use the compound to kill themselves. A study of 47 cases of poisoning by the preservative reported to the National Poison Data System over a five-year period found that suicide attempts with it had been increasing since 2017. A 2020 article in the Journal of Emergency Medicine warned that because the compound “is readily accessible through online vendors, and is being circulated through various suicide forums,” emergency rooms might see more patients who have used it. Dr. Kyle Pires, a resident emergency room physician at Yale University Hospital who treated a 28-year-old woman who had bought the compound on Amazon, wrote in the journal Clinical Toxicology about her death and the recent rise in suicides by this method. The article, published last May, said policymakers should be aware of the preservative’s use in suicides and encouraged emergency rooms to stock doses of an antidote, methylene blue, that can prevent death if administered early. Pires said businesses should be able to buy the preservative, but sales to individuals should be banned. “There’s an argument that it’s a slippery slope to restrict sales of something that is legal just because some people are using it to kill themselves,” Pires said. “This is a cost-benefit analysis of a small number of hobbyists using this chemical to cure meat at home versus these growing numbers of young people, including teenagers, using it to kill themselves. For me, it’s an easy calculation.” In the United Kingdom, coroners for nearly two years have been highlighting suicides involving online purchases of the preservative and asking the government to take action. A cross-government group is working with businesses — including manufacturers and online suppliers of the preservative — to reduce access and end some sales to individuals, according to a spokesperson for the government’s Department of Health and Social Care. The United Kingdom already requires sellers to inform law enforcement officials of any suspicious purchases of the compound, although it is unclear how often such reports are made. Some businesses have gone further. Metalchem, a British vendor, stopped selling the compound to the public in April 2020 after learning that it had been used for suicide. Mike Keay, the company’s CEO, also notified an English coroner that he had asked other businesses to stop selling the compound online “when the reason for the purchase cannot be reasonably ascertained.” “Sadly, nearly two years later and the preservative is still available online, even on Amazon, with worldwide shipping,” Keay wrote in an email to The Times this week. In the United States, Amazon continued to receive complaints about its sales of the compound — including, in May 2020, from someone whose father had just used it to die; in October 2020, from the grieving mother of an 18-year-old who had killed himself; and last year from Ruth Scott of Schertz, Texas, who is suing the company. Her 27-year-old son, Mikael, who had struggled with depression, learned about the compound on the suicide website and bought it on Amazon. He killed himself in December 2020. Ruth Scott said she had reached out five times to inform Amazon, only to hit brick walls. A customer service representative wrote to her that her message would be passed along. “I am sorry for your loss,” said the email, which was reviewed by The Times. “But at least your son is now on our God’s hand.” After Carrie Goldberg, a lawyer for Scott wrote to Amazon’s general counsel and implored the company to remove the product from its platform, lawyers for Amazon pointed out a Texas law and court decisions protecting the seller of a legal product used in a suicide. “They know it’s killing people,” Scott said. “They are fully aware. They just don’t care.

Lawmakers press Amazon on sales of chemical used in suicides