Too Much More Microplastic in the Ocean Than We Realized

If you pulled 1,000 liters of water out of the ocean, how many small bits of plastic would you expect to find? Ten pieces? One hundred pieces? 8.3 million pieces of what researchers call "mini-microplastic" is the finding of an alarming new study.

Reducing Air Pollution Saves Lives in Just Weeks

In the US,  a 13-month closure of a steel mill in Utah resulted in reducing hospitalizations for pneumonia, pleurisy, bronchitis and asthma by half. School absenteeism decreased by 40 percent, and daily mortality fell by 16 percent.

Indonesia is being contaminated by imported plastics

Researchers from the Sweden-based International Pollutants Elimination Network (IPEN) have found that plastic waste shipped from Western countries is contaminating Indonesia's food supply.

Nanoparticles from air pollution go straight into brain

The discovery of abundant toxic nanoparticles from air pollution in human brains was made in 2016. A comprehensive global review earlier in 2019 concluded that air pollution may be damaging every organ and virtually every cell in the human body.

Aviation emissions' impacts on air quality larger than on climate

When you consider the full flight, which includes emissions from takeoff, cruise and landing, aircraft emissions are also responsible for around 16,000 premature deaths a year from impaired air quality. 

China's ultra low-emissions policy worked

  • 20 Oct 2019

 In 2014, China introduced an ambitious policy to rapidly reduce air pollution from coal-fired power stations. And now drops of over 70% in just three years leaves the country with much cleaner air.

Air pollution linked to risk of ′silent′ miscarriage

A big study examined the records of more than a quarter million pregnant women in Beijing from 2009 to 2017 in light of the womens' exposure to air pollution. Among the women 17,497 were found to have experienced silent miscarriages.

Ozone threat from climate change

Increasing temperatures due to climate change will shift climatic conditions, resulting in worse air quality by increasing the number of days with high concentrations of ozone, which has large negative impacts on health.

Antibiotics found in some of the world's rivers exceed 'safe' levels

Concentrations of antibiotics found in some of the world's rivers exceed 'safe' levels by up to 300 times, the first ever global study has discovered.

New evidence links ultra-processed foods with a range of health risks

Two large European studies find positive associations between consumption of highly processed ("ultra-processed") foods and risk of cardiovascular disease and death.

World’s first ‘BioSolar Leaf’ to tackle air pollution in London, UK

The technology, which is the first of its kind in the world, purifies the air through the photosynthesis of microscopic plants, removing greenhouse gases from the environment whilst generating breathable oxygen.

There’s no getting away from microplastic contamination

Wherever that plastic is ending up, we know that it's breaking down over time, disintegrating into micro particles less than 5mm in size, and some even breakdown to the nanoscale at less than one micrometer (size of bacteria).

Millions of children develop asthma due to traffic-related pollution

About 4 million children worldwide develop asthma each year because of inhaling nitrogen dioxide air pollution, according to a study published today by U.S. researchers.

Tasmania's lakes among most contaminated in the world

Metal contamination levels in some of Tasmania’s lakes are among the highest in the world, a new study has found, while those within the state’s Wilderness World Heritage Area have also been badly polluted by mining.

Hundreds of schools closed as toxic smog chokes Bangkok, Thailand

Air quality in Bangkok is hovering at unhealthy levels as the amount of PM 2.5 exceeded the safe level. Wednesday’s Air Quality Index in Bangkok was 175 at midday.