lakes

Only 37% of Europe’s Surface Water Is Healthy, Study Finds

Only 37% of Europe’s Surface Water Is Healthy, Study Finds

Just a little more than one-third of Europe’s surface water is in “good” health or better, a new report from the European Environment Agency (EEA) has found. The report also said the majority of protected aquatic species and habitats have either a “poor” or “bad” conservation status. The data was collected from 19 EU member […]

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    Heading to a Beach This Summer? Here’s How to Keep Harmful Algae Blooms From Spoiling Your Trip

    Heading to a Beach This Summer? Here’s How to Keep Harmful Algae Blooms From Spoiling Your Trip

    Plunging into the ocean or a lake is one of the great joys of summer. But arriving at the beach to find water that’s green, red or brown, and possibly foul-smelling, can instantly spoil the party.

    As a toxicologist, I study health risks from both synthetic and natural substances. I’ve conducted research into early detection of harmful algal blooms, or HABs, which are an increasing threat to humans, animals and the environment.

    Texas the Biggest Culprit in Toxic Waterway Discharge in U.S., Report Finds

    Texas the Biggest Culprit in Toxic Waterway Discharge in U.S., Report Finds

    A new report from nonprofit Environment America analyzed U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) data and found that Texas is the No. 1 state in the U.S. for discharging of toxic pollutants into streams, rivers and lakes.  Environment America has been producing the report since 2009. Since the first analysis of the EPA’s Toxics Release Inventory […]

    More Human Remains Expected to Appear as Lakes Dry Up

    More Human Remains Expected to Appear as Lakes Dry Up

    Over the weekend, boaters at Lake Mead came across a shocking discovery: a decaying barrel with decades-old human remains. The body is believed to be linked to a homicide in the 1980s but finally came to the surface as the lake’s water levels plummet. With ongoing droughts across the western U.S., more bodies are likely […]

    50% of U.S. Lakes and Rivers Are Too Polluted for Swimming, Fishing, Drinking

    50% of U.S. Lakes and Rivers Are Too Polluted for Swimming, Fishing, Drinking

    Fifty years ago, the U.S. passed the Clean Water Act with the goal of ensuring  “fishable, swimmable” water across the U.S. by 1983. Now, a new report from the Environmental Integrity Project (EIP) finds the country has fallen far short of that goal. In fact, about half of the nation’s lakes and rivers are too polluted for swimming, fishing or drinking.