Pollution

According to official data, air pollution levels in Milan — including fine particulates — have been among Europe’s highest for February. Fine particulate matter poses the most health risks because it can go deep into the lungs and even make its way into the bloodstream. “It stinks! I smell a constant stench of smog, I […]

A new study led by researchers from University of Southern California (USC)’s Keck School of Medicine has found that certain foods — like processed meats, hot dogs, teas and foods not prepared at home — are likely to contain higher levels of PFAS “forever chemicals.” Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) are a group of thousands […]

A bill proposed in California takes aim at single-use cups used for dining in at chain restaurants in the state. The proposed Senate Bill 1167 (SB1167) would require that chain restaurants provide reusable, non-toxic cups for customers that dine in the restaurant, rather than offering paper, plastic or other single-use cups. “California has a massive […]

Runoff and raw sewage in the Tijuana River at the Mexico-United States border is exposing communities to a noxious mixture of toxic chemicals and microbes, a new report by researchers with the School of Public Health at San Diego State University (SDSU) said. The contaminated river flows from Mexico into South San Diego, bringing industrial […]

According to a new report from fossil fuel accountability organization the Center for Climate Integrity (CCI), the plastics industry has known for decades that the widespread recycling of its products was not feasible, but continued to promote it and mislead the public. Many of the fossil fuel companies that were aware and deceived the public […]

Government employees in Bangkok have been ordered to work from home for the next two days in order to avoid a thick layer of noxious smog covering the city. On Thursday, authorities warned that air pollution levels in Thailand’s capital and neighboring provinces had reached unhealthy levels, reported Reuters. Non-government employees have been urged to […]

Parts of an oil spill first detected near the island nation of Trinidad and Tobago on February 7 are drifting into the Caribbean Sea, putting the country’s coral reefs, as well as other nations, at risk. The spill was determined to have been caused by an overturned barge being pulled by a tugboat called Solo […]

While scientists have known that pollutants from human activities like agriculture, plastic production and coastal development threaten corals, a new study is the first to find pollutants tied to burning fossil fuels embedded in corals. Researchers from the Instituto de Acuicultura de Torre de la Sal collected samples from the coral species Cladocora caespitosa of […]