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.

How PFAS Are Impacting Human Health

Can Weather or Air Pollution Trigger Migraine?

AAM - Air pollution and Alzheimer's

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

What is Planetary Health?

Anti-Pollution Skincare: Protecting Skin in Urban Environments

Healthcare During The Climate Crisis

What are the Health Effects of Exhaust Emissions?

Environmental Hazards in Pregnancy

5 Easy Ways to Reduce Your Microplastic Intake

The Effect of Climate Change on Asthma

See more featured articles »

Pollution and Mental Health

Pollution and Alzheimer's

How do Microplastics Affect Our Health?

Air Pollution and Lung Health

The Role of Toxicology in Wildlife Conservation

What Impact does Climate Change have on Our Health?

What are the Health Effects of Exhaust Emissions?

Autism and Particulate Air Matter

Air Pollution and Eye Health

How Air Pollution Impacts Brain Health

Pollution and Mental Health

Urbanization and Human Health

Environmental Health Hazards: An Overview

How has COVID-19 Influenced Pollution?

How Composting Protects Public Health and Our Planet

Ocean Pollution and Human Health

Health Effects of Artificial Light

Latest Pollution News and Research

Study identifies mechanism that helps prevent cancer, neurodegeneration, and premature aging

Researchers at the University of Oxford and Nanyang Technological University, Singapore (NTU Singapore) have uncovered the mechanism by which cells identify and repair a highly toxic form of DNA damage that causes cancer, neurodegeneration, and premature aging.

21 Jul 2025

Agricultural dust exposure may pose significant risks to gut health

Inhaling agricultural dust may pose significant risks to gut health for workers in animal agriculture, a University of California, Riverside, study has found.

18 Jul 2025

Microplastics found to trigger cancer-linked changes in lung cells

Although the respiratory system is one of the main entry points for microplastics and nanoplastics (MNPs) from the air into the body, little is known about the effects of these tiny particles on the lungs.

15 Jul 2025

Monoclonal antibody delivered through the nose blocks hay fever in mice

Approximately 40% of the European population are allergic to pollen, and their symptoms cause an estimated loss of 100 million school- and workdays every year.

11 Jul 2025

Toxic metals in breast milk linked to infant growth problems in Guatemala

Research led by the University of Arizona Health Sciences found a potential link between growth problems among infants and high levels of toxic metals and other elements in the breast milk of Mayan women in Guatemala's Lake Atitlán watershed region.

11 Jul 2025

Lead exposure in early life linked to faster memory loss in children

A study led by researchers at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai shows that exposure to lead during pregnancy and early childhood may accelerate the rate at which children forget information-a critical marker of memory impairment that may have implications for learning and development.

9 Jul 2025

Research reveals Ghanaian children face high cancer risk from local fish

Researchers found that most fish sampled from Ghana’s Keta Lagoon had arsenic and mercury levels exceeding World Health Organization limits. Health risk assessments show these contaminants pose significant cancer and non-cancer risks, especially for children.

8 Jul 2025

Multi-contaminant water treatment could prevent tens of thousands of cancer cases

Drinking water treatment that pursues a multi-contaminant approach, tackling several pollutants at once, could prevent more than 50,000 lifetime cancer cases in the U.S., finds a new peer-reviewed study by the Environmental Working Group.

8 Jul 2025

Prenatal exposure to air pollution and climatic factors associated with adverse birth outcomes in India

Prenatal exposure to ambient fine particulate matter and climatic factors, such as temperature and rainfall, are associated with adverse birth outcomes in India, according to a study published July 2nd, 2025, in the open-access journal PLOS Global Public Health by Mary Abed Al Ahad from the University of St Andrews, U.K.

3 Jul 2025

‘MAHA Report’ calls for fighting chronic disease, but Trump and Kennedy have yanked funding

‘MAHA report’ calls for fighting chronic disease, but Trump and Kennedy have yanked funding

2 Jul 2025

Long-term exposure to air pollution associated with early signs of heart damage

Researchers using cardiac MRI have found that long-term exposure to air pollution is associated with early signs of heart damage, according to a study that was published today in Radiology, a journal of the Radiological Society of North America (RSNA).

1 Jul 2025

Global effort enters an active growth phase to preserve the Earth's microbial heritage

A global effort to create a "microbial Noah's Ark" to preserve the world's diverse collection of healthy microbes before they disappear is now entering an active growth phase.

27 Jun 2025

Prenatal air pollution exposure linked to higher childhood obesity risk

Exposure to air pollution during pregnancy, specifically to fine particulate matter (PM2.5), may increase the risk of childhood overweight or obesity.

25 Jun 2025

Wildfire smoke exposure linked to increased heart failure risk

Long-term exposure to wildfire smoke may increase the risk of heart failure (HF), especially in older adults, women and vulnerable populations, according to a study published today in JACC, the flagship journal of the American College of Cardiology.

23 Jun 2025

Common bacterium can turn everyday plastic waste into paracetamol

Paracetamol production could be revolutionized by the discovery that a common bacterium can turn everyday plastic waste into the painkiller, a study reveals.

23 Jun 2025

Zebrafish study reveals hidden dangers in recycled plastic

A single pellet of recycled plastic can contain over 80 different chemicals. A new study with researchers from University of Gothenburg and Leipzig shows that recycled polyethylene plastic can leach chemicals into water causing impacts in the hormone systems and lipid metabolism of zebrafish larvae.

23 Jun 2025

Higher ocean microplastics linked to more diabetes, stroke, and heart disease

A new ecological study links high marine microplastic levels near US coastlines with significantly greater prevalence of type 2 diabetes, coronary artery disease, and stroke. The findings raise concerns about environmental exposure through seafood, groundwater, and air in vulnerable coastal communities.

19 Jun 2025