Pollution

Microplastics in Human Placentas Linked to Premature Births

Microplastics in Human Placentas Linked to Premature Births

A new study presented as part of the annual Society for Maternal-Fetal Medicine meeting has revealed a link between microplastic bioaccumulation in the human placenta to preterm, or premature, births. In the study, researchers analyzed 175 placentas collected at both term and preterm, or under 37 weeks of pregnancy, and measured the amounts of 12 […]

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    Chemours Chemical Plant Still Polluting West Virginia Water With Toxic PFAS After Almost 25 Years, Lawsuit Claims

    Chemours Chemical Plant Still Polluting West Virginia Water With Toxic PFAS After Almost 25 Years, Lawsuit Claims

    A Chemours chemical plant in West Virginia is polluting nearby waters with toxic PFAS “forever chemicals,” according to a new lawsuit brought by the West Virginia Rivers Coalition. The complaint is the most recent in a fight that has been ongoing since 2001 over pollution from the Washington Works plant, reported The Guardian. The PFAS-contaminated […]

    Trump Freezes $50 Billion in DOE Funding for Programs Including Clean Energy Innovation

    Trump Freezes $50 Billion in DOE Funding for Programs Including Clean Energy Innovation

    The Trump administration has halted spending from the United States Department of Energy (DOE)’s approximately $50 billion budget while a “comprehensive review” is conducted to ensure its spending and other actions — which include funding for new energy technologies — are in alignment with the priorities of President Donald Trump, according to an agency memo […]

    Scientists Identify Bacteria That Can Break Down Some PFAS and Their Byproducts

    Scientists Identify Bacteria That Can Break Down Some PFAS and Their Byproducts

    Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances, or PFAS, have taken on the nickname “forever chemicals” for their inability to break down in the environment. These chemicals, which are found in everything from food packaging to camping gear, are popular for their stain-, moisture- and grease-resistant properties, but they have been found to accumulate in the environment and […]

    Trump Pulls U.S. Out of Paris Agreement, Again

    Trump Pulls U.S. Out of Paris Agreement, Again

    As one of his first orders of business upon taking office, President Donald Trump has once again withdrawn the U.S. from the Paris Agreement.  During his former presidency. Trump had announced the withdrawal of the U.S. from the agreement in June 2017, as he argued that the accord put an unfair economic burden on American […]

    CO2 Levels Rose at Record Rate in 2024

    CO2 Levels Rose at Record Rate in 2024

    Atmospheric carbon dioxide levels rose faster than ever last year, according to scientists who say the rise is “incompatible” with goals set by the Paris Agreement, the United Kingdom’s Met Office said, as reported by BBC News. Carbon levels are currently over 50 percent higher than before the rampant burning of fossil fuels by humans […]

    EPA Regulations Limiting Power Plant Emissions Likely to Be Weakened by Trump

    EPA Regulations Limiting Power Plant Emissions Likely to Be Weakened by Trump

    Recent policies from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) would lower emissions and force an early retirement of most U.S. coal plants, speeding up the transition away from fossil fuels with limited cost, a new study shows. However, whether those rules will stay intact during an upcoming Trump administration is doubtful. The power plant rules, […]