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.

AAM - Air pollution and Alzheimer's

The Effect of Climate Change on Asthma

Pollution and Mental Health

Air Pollution and Eye Health

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

What are the Health Effects of Exhaust Emissions?

How has COVID-19 Influenced Pollution?

How PFAS Are Impacting Human Health

5 Easy Ways to Reduce Your Microplastic Intake

How Composting Protects Public Health and Our Planet

Healthcare During The Climate Crisis

See more featured articles »

What are the Health Effects of Exhaust Emissions?

How Air Pollution Impacts Brain Health

The Role of Toxicology in Wildlife Conservation

Pollution and Mental Health

How do Microplastics Affect Our Health?

What is Planetary Health?

Can Weather or Air Pollution Trigger Migraine?

Pollution and Alzheimer's

Air Pollution and Lung Health

Environmental Hazards in Pregnancy

Ocean Pollution and Human Health

Autism and Particulate Air Matter

Urbanization and Human Health

Anti-Pollution Skincare: Protecting Skin in Urban Environments

What Impact does Climate Change have on Our Health?

Environmental Health Hazards: An Overview

Health Effects of Artificial Light

Latest Pollution News and Research

Researchers develop powerful tools for microbiome research advancement

The microscopic organisms that fill our bodies, soils, oceans and atmosphere play essential roles in human health and the planet's ecosystems. Yet even with modern DNA sequencing, figuring out what these microbes are and how they are related to one another remains extremely difficult.

13 Dec 2025

Indoor environments expose people to a growing mix of new contaminants

Indoor dust, air and everyday products are exposing people to a growing mix of "new contaminants" inside homes, schools and workplaces, according to a new perspective published in the journal New Contaminants.

13 Dec 2025

Smoke from Canadian wildfires linked to worse asthma symptoms in children

New research from the University of Vermont reveals exposure to smoke from Canadian wildfires in the summer of 2023 led to worsening asthma symptoms in children in Vermont and upstate New York.

11 Dec 2025

Study offers a unified biological model to explain the causes of autism

A new University of California San Diego School of Medicine study offers a unified biological model to explain how genetic predispositions and environmental exposures converge to cause autism spectrum disorder (ASD).

10 Dec 2025

Industrial and farm chemicals quietly alter the balance of gut microbes

This study systematically screened over 1,000 agricultural and industrial chemicals and found that many can inhibit human gut bacteria in vitro. Beyond antimicrobial effects, these chemicals act as selective pressures that can reshape microbial competition, tolerance mechanisms, and metabolic pathways.

8 Dec 2025

Long-term air pollution exposure linked to more advanced coronary artery disease

Long-term exposure to common air pollutants is associated with more advanced coronary artery disease-with notable differences between women and men-according to a large-scale study of more than 11,000 adults being presented today at the annual meeting of the Radiological Society of North America (RSNA).

4 Dec 2025

Air pollution weakens the life-extending benefits of exercise

A study reveals that high PM2.5 levels reduce the health benefits of exercise, highlighting the need for air quality considerations in activity guidelines.

3 Dec 2025

Long-term exposure to polluted air weakens the health benefits of exercise

Long-term exposure to toxic air can substantially weaken the health benefits of regular exercise, suggests a new study by an international team including UCL (University College London) researchers.

28 Nov 2025

How the gut microbiome links obesity to colorectal cancer

The gut microbiome serves as both a biomarker and therapeutic target in diseases like obesity, metabolic syndrome, and colorectal cancer.

28 Nov 2025

Diesel exhaust particles can impair microglial functions

Diesel exhaust particles can disturb the function of human brain immune cells, known as microglia, according to a recent study led by the University of Eastern Finland.

25 Nov 2025

CRISPR-edited fungus boosts protein production and cuts environmental impact

In a new study publishing November 19 in the Cell Press journal Trends in Biotechnology, researchers used a gene-editing technology called CRISPR to increase a fungus's production efficiency and cut its production-related environmental impact by as much as 61%-all without adding any foreign DNA.

21 Nov 2025

US cancer registries, constrained by Trump policies, to recognize only ‘male’ or ‘female’ patients

The top authorities of U.S. cancer statistics will soon have to classify the sex of patients strictly as male, female, or unknown, a change scientists and advocates say will harm the health of transgender people, one of the nation's most marginalized populations.

21 Nov 2025

UK Biobank releases the world’s largest metabolomic dataset for disease research

UK Biobank has today [Thursday 20 November] released the final set of data on nearly 250 metabolites – the molecules in our blood produced by our bodies as we go about our lives – in half a million volunteers.

20 Nov 2025

Mapping the health hazards of fossil fuel infrastructure

Fossil fuels release pollutants into the air when extracted and burned, but there's more to their production than massive oil rigs diving deep into the Earth and smoky power plants.

17 Nov 2025

Scientists develop innovative technique to locate microplastics

While microplastic pollution continues to advance, research into its possible effects on health remains hampered by technical hurdles: to date, there are no suitable methods for precisely identifying the particles in the body without destroying tissue.

13 Nov 2025

Hard water drives a surge in microplastic shedding from polyester, study finds

Researchers found that hand-washing in mineral-rich water dramatically increases microplastic fibre shedding from polyester fabrics, fragmenting fibres into shorter pieces. A two-layer PDMS coating sharply reduced shedding from green polyester but was far less effective on black polyester due to pre-existing surface finishes.

12 Nov 2025