Pollution

Environmental exposures, from air and ocean pollution to climate change and urbanization, have profound and far-reaching effects on human health and well-being. This hub brings together authoritative, evidence-based articles that examine the health risks associated with pollution, microplastics, toxicants, and environmental changes, alongside practical strategies for risk reduction and public health protection. Explore how environmental hazards influence conditions such as asthma, neurological health, pregnancy outcomes, and skin health, and discover the vital connections between planetary health and individual well-being. These resources support informed decision-making for clinicians, policymakers, and the public alike.

Bacterial Risks at Beaches and Evidence-Based Safety Strategies

Beaches face escalating risks from microbial contamination due to climate change and human activity, increasing the burden of waterborne illnesses for swimmers. Integrating advanced monitoring technologies, improved public education, and policy reforms is essential for protecting beachgoers’ health.

Air Pollution and Eye Health

What are the Health Effects of Exhaust Emissions?

Urbanization and Human Health

Health Effects of Artificial Light

Pollution and Alzheimer's

5 Easy Ways to Reduce Your Microplastic Intake

How PFAS Are Impacting Human Health

How Does the Health of Our Planet Affect Our Own Health?

What is Planetary Health?

Anti-Pollution Skincare: Protecting Skin in Urban Environments

What are the Health Effects of Exhaust Emissions?

See more featured articles »

How Air Pollution Impacts Brain Health

The Role of Toxicology in Wildlife Conservation

The Effect of Climate Change on Asthma

Pollution and Mental Health

Autism and Particulate Air Matter

AAM - Air pollution and Alzheimer's

Air Pollution and Lung Health

What Impact does Climate Change have on Our Health?

How has COVID-19 Influenced Pollution?

How do Microplastics Affect Our Health?

Environmental Health Hazards: An Overview

Healthcare During The Climate Crisis

How Composting Protects Public Health and Our Planet

Pollution and Mental Health

Can Weather or Air Pollution Trigger Migraine?

Ocean Pollution and Human Health

Environmental Hazards in Pregnancy

Latest Pollution News and Research

Rising wildfire smoke in the US offsets improvements in prenatal health

Wildfires are well-known health risks. Now, in a new Frontiers in Environmental Health study, researchers in the US have – for the first time – evaluated how prenatal PM2.5 exposure has changed over space and time on a national scale, and what role wildfires play in shaping these trends.

7 Aug 2026

Fine particle pollution raises rheumatoid arthritis flare risk and disease activity

Higher ambient PM2.5 exposure was associated with increased rheumatoid arthritis disease activity and a greater likelihood of flares in a four-year South Korean cohort of 1,070 patients. The association appeared stronger with sustained exposure over approximately two weeks or longer, while women and nonsmokers showed more pronounced links between PM2.5 and DAS28-CRP.

7 Aug 2026

Air pollution in pregnancy raises birth risks differently across trimesters

A population-based study of 26,582 live singleton births in Madrid found that associations between NO₂ exposure and adverse birth outcomes varied by pregnancy stage, with key patterns emerging in the first and third trimesters.

6 Aug 2026

Galápagos wastewater is creating new reservoirs of antibiotic-resistant bacteria

Portable field surveillance reveals how untreated sewage is reshaping coastal microbial communities and spreading diverse resistance genes across one of the world’s most protected marine environments.

6 Aug 2026

Proper wastewater treatment can reduce the impact of hospitals on surrounding waters

Antibiotic resistance genes are now widely found in rivers, lakes, soils, animals, and people. Hospitals are often considered important sources because their wastewater can contain antibiotics, drug-resistant bacteria, and resistance genes.

5 Aug 2026

Air pollution may worsen rheumatoid arthritis symptoms and flare risk

A novel study shows that exposure to air pollution, especially fine particulate matter like dust, soot, and smoke (PM2.5), is associated with increased disease activity and flare risk in rheumatoid arthritis (RA).

5 Aug 2026

Two British birth cohorts find no added health burden from a coastal childhood

Researchers analyzing two British birth cohorts found no association between coastal residence in adolescence and midlife multimorbidity, while an unadjusted association in the 1958 cohort weakened after accounting for neighborhood deprivation.

3 Aug 2026

Study links neighborhood visual traits to human sleep

Your neighborhood's "streetscape"-the physical environment of your street-is something that you have probably never consciously thought about, despite seeing it every day.

3 Aug 2026

A 10-country survey finds an unexpected air pollution awareness gap

Researchers surveyed 10,618 adults across 1,372 localities in the world’s 10 most populous countries and matched their responses with average 2019-2021 PM2.5 concentrations. Higher PM2.5 exposure was associated with lower air-quality knowledge but greater concern and more frequent protective behaviors, with patterns differing across demographic groups.

2 Aug 2026

Midpregnancy herbicide exposure linked to increased preterm birth risk

Exposure to a widely used herbicide during the middle months of pregnancy may increase the chance of giving birth too early, before 37 weeks, a new study shows.

31 Jul 2026

Tea, tap water and child IQ: What a Canadian pregnancy study found

Researchers analyzed 485 mother-child pairs in Canada to examine whether estimated fluoride intake from tea during pregnancy was associated with IQ at ages 3 to 4. Each 0.5 mg/day increase was associated with a 2.24-point lower full-scale IQ score, although the observational design and estimated exposure prevent causal conclusions.

31 Jul 2026

Hydrogen-powered shipping could deliver $284 billion in annual health benefits

Researchers modeled how replacing conventional global shipping fuels with hydrogen could change PM2.5 and ozone pollution, premature mortality, and monetized health benefits. Under complete transition, the model estimated 129,458 fewer premature deaths and US$284 billion in annual monetized health benefits, although some regions experienced increased pollution from hydrogen production or altered ozone chemistry.

31 Jul 2026

Coastal residents more likely to have worse midlife health

People who live by the coast in midlife are more likely to have worse health, finds a new study in England and Wales led by UCL researchers.

30 Jul 2026

Cigarette smoke extract primes airway cells for greater nanoplastic damage

Researchers found that cigarette smoke extract weakened epithelial barriers and increased the proportion of human airway cells that were polystyrene nanoparticle-positive. Sequential treatment caused greater metabolic disruption and increased mucus-producing cells, suggesting heightened epithelial vulnerability, although the findings are limited to in vitro models.

30 Jul 2026

Tire microplastics could fuel antibiotic resistance in urban environments

Tiny particles released as vehicle tires wear down may do more than pollute urban air, water, and soil. A new perspective article suggests that tire microplastics could create environmental hotspots that help antibiotic resistance genes persist, move between bacteria, and spread through cities.

29 Jul 2026

Longer lives now come with more years spent in poor health worldwide

Global life expectancy rose from 64.6 to 73.8 years between 1990 and 2023, but healthy life expectancy did not keep pace. The widening morbidity gap means most populations now spend a decade or more in poor health.

26 Jul 2026

Midpregnancy herbicide exposure linked to increased risk of preterm birth

Exposure to a widely used herbicide during the middle months of pregnancy may increase the chance of giving birth too early, before 37 weeks, a new study shows.

22 Jul 2026

Global study reveals widening gap between lifespan and healthspan

People around the world are living longer than ever before but spending more of those additional years in poor health, according to a new Global Burden of Disease (GBD) study published in The Lancet Public Health.

21 Jul 2026

Air pollution mixtures linked to higher early preterm birth risk

Pregnancy puts higher oxygen demands on the body, so expectant mothers breathe significantly more air over the course of a day. When air quality is bad, they're also breathing in more harmful pollutants.

21 Jul 2026

WHO updates guidelines to reduce risk of dementia worldwide

The World Health Organization (WHO) today released updated guidelines on reducing the risk of cognitive decline and dementia, providing countries with evidence-based recommendations to help prevent or delay the onset of dementia across the life course.

16 Jul 2026