public health

A new study has discovered that small coastal estuaries contain concentrations of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) “forever chemicals” high enough to indicate a worldwide issue. For the study, the researchers looked at the distribution, occurrence and risks of PFAS during the dry season in three micro-estuaries, a press release from Hebrew University of Jerusalem […]

Researchers from The James Hutton Institute in Aberdeen, Scotland and the University of Graz in Austria have found PFAS from ski wax on the snowy slopes of ski resorts in Austria. The findings raise concern on the impact these “forever chemicals” could have on the local environment, particularly groundwater. The study, published in the journal […]

Climate-induced sea level rise will lead to dangerous levels of arsenic being released into Bangladesh’s drinking water, putting tens of millions of people in the country at greater risk of cancer, new research by scientists from Norwich University has found. Scientists say global heating due to human-caused climate change will lead to extreme weather, sea […]

Air pollution emissions in the United States have decreased considerably since the Clean Air Act of 1970 was enacted, but the benefits have not always been equally felt. According to a new study by researchers at Columbia University Mailman School of Public Health, the amount of the improvements is largely dependent on demographics, with socioeconomic […]

Microplastics are so pervasive, they have been found all over the planet and in the human body. A new study has found that a liter of bottled water contains an average of approximately 240,000 detectable plastic fragments, which is 10 to 100 times more than earlier estimates, a press release from Columbia Climate School said. […]

The smell of campfire smoke is as associated with summer nights as woodsmoke from fireplaces and woodstoves is with winter. It adds an ancient scent and particles to the air that stick to your skin, hair and clothes. Wildfire smoke likewise doesn’t just leave an acrid smell behind. Its remnants contain harmful chemical compounds called […]

Many people have heard that switching to a more plant-based diet has health benefits. But while adjusting your diet may be a personal choice, its impacts are far from just individual. According to a recent study by an international team of researchers, shifting our diets to ones that are more plant-based could prevent as many […]

The United States Supreme Court agreed on Wednesday to hear oral arguments in a case looking to stop the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) from implementing a federal regulation — the “Good Neighbor” Rule — that protects people in states downwind from industrial and coal plant pollution that drifts across state lines, a press release […]