Pollution News and Research

Latest Pollution News and Research

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

What the air you breathe may be doing to your brain

For years, the two patients had come to the Penn Memory Center at the University of Pennsylvania, where doctors and researchers follow people with cognitive impairment as they age, as well as a group with normal cognition.

12 Nov 2025

Tiny airborne plastics may facilitate virus spread

As plastic pollution worsens worldwide, scientists are uncovering a new and unsettling possibility. Tiny airborne fragments of plastic, known as micro- and nanoplastics, may do more than pollute the air we breathe.

11 Nov 2025

Medical evidence strengthens legal battles against air pollution and climate harm

Medical and scientific evidence is proving invaluable in holding public authorities accountable for the impact of unlawful air pollution on people's health, say experts in The BMJ's climate issue today.

5 Nov 2025

WHO calls on leaders to transform urban areas into engines of health, equity and sustainability

On World Cities Day, the World Health Organization (WHO) calls on national and city leaders to transform urban areas into engines of health, equity and sustainability.

31 Oct 2025

Aligning your body clock may protect your heart and metabolism, says AHA

A new American Heart Association scientific statement highlights how maintaining circadian health through regular sleep, light exposure, meal timing, and exercise may reduce cardiometabolic disease risk. Disrupting these daily rhythms can impair glucose regulation, blood pressure, and cardiovascular function.

29 Oct 2025

Circadian rhythm disruptions may increase the risk of cardiovascular disease

As modern lifestyles increasingly challenge the body's natural circadian rhythm, the American Heart Association is spotlighting the potential health consequences of regular disruptions to our body's internal clock with a new scientific statement published today in its flagship journal Circulation.

28 Oct 2025

Air pollution, even below EPA guidelines, increases breast cancer risk

Women living in parts of the United States with lower air quality, especially neighborhoods with heavy emissions from motor vehicles, are more likely to develop breast cancer, according to a multiyear analysis involving more than 400,000 women and 28,000 breast cancer cases.

28 Oct 2025

Prenatal air pollution exposure tied to higher autism risk in children

A population-based study of over two million births in Ontario found that prenatal exposure to the sulfate and ammonium components of fine particulate matter (PM₂.₅) was associated with a higher risk of autism spectrum disorder. The risk was greatest during mid to late pregnancy and among infants in urban, lower-income neighborhoods.

26 Oct 2025

Decline in vitamin D levels observed during the Covid-19 pandemic

Routine data from laboratories reveal a decline in vitamin D levels during the Covid-19 pandemic, especially in older women and urban dwellers.

21 Oct 2025

Prenatal air pollution exposure may slow newborn brain development

The study shows prenatal air pollution exposure correlates with slower brain myelination in infants, emphasizing the need for improved air quality policies.

20 Oct 2025

Social and environmental inequality linked to risk of Alzheimer’s

The study uncovers links between neighborhood disadvantage and Alzheimer's biomarkers, stressing the importance of addressing social inequalities in healthcare.

20 Oct 2025

Nanoplastics with environmental coatings can sneak past the skin's defenses

Plastic is ubiquitous in the modern world, and it's notorious for taking a long time to completely break down in the environment - if it ever does.

17 Oct 2025

Maternal exposure to PM2.5 during pregnancy linked to lower myelination in newborns' brains

A study published in Environment International concludes that air pollution during pregnancy is associated with slower brain maturation in newborns.

16 Oct 2025

Air pollution and Parkinson’s: What a 292,000-person study reveals about hidden risks

Researchers in Northern Ireland examined whether exposure to fine particulate matter (PM2.5) and nitrogen dioxide (NO₂) increases the risk of Parkinson’s disease. While no overall link was found after adjusting for confounders, younger adults under 50 showed a modest association with PM2.5, raising questions about age-related susceptibility and diagnostic misclassification.

15 Oct 2025

Children living near the Salton Sea face declining lung function

Children living near the Salton Sea, in Southern California's desert region of Imperial County, are experiencing poorer lung function than children exposed to less wind-blown dust, according to a new study led by researchers at the University of California, Irvine's Joe C. Wen School of Population & Public Health.

14 Oct 2025

Nurses urged to ditch gloves for IV antibiotics

A scoping review reveals non-sterile glove use during IV antibiotic preparation lacks evidence, potentially harming infection control and increasing costs.

13 Oct 2025

Global health study warns of rising youth deaths amid declining overall mortality

Global mortality rates are falling but not among youths and young adults, according to the latest Global Burden of Disease (GBD) study published in The Lancet today and presented at the World Health Summit in Berlin.

13 Oct 2025

Living near Superfund sites increases risk of aggressive breast cancer

Women living close to federally designated Superfund sites are more likely to develop aggressive breast cancers - including the hard-to-treat triple-negative subtype - according to new studies from Sylvester Comprehensive Cancer Center, part of the University of Miami Miller School of Medicine.

10 Oct 2025

Pollution News and Research

Latest Pollution News and Research

Scientists develop innovative technique to locate microplastics

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

What the air you breathe may be doing to your brain

Tiny airborne plastics may facilitate virus spread

Medical evidence strengthens legal battles against air pollution and climate harm

WHO calls on leaders to transform urban areas into engines of health, equity and sustainability

Aligning your body clock may protect your heart and metabolism, says AHA

Circadian rhythm disruptions may increase the risk of cardiovascular disease

Air pollution, even below EPA guidelines, increases breast cancer risk

Prenatal air pollution exposure tied to higher autism risk in children

Decline in vitamin D levels observed during the Covid-19 pandemic

Prenatal air pollution exposure may slow newborn brain development

Social and environmental inequality linked to risk of Alzheimer’s

Nanoplastics with environmental coatings can sneak past the skin's defenses

Maternal exposure to PM2.5 during pregnancy linked to lower myelination in newborns' brains

Air pollution and Parkinson’s: What a 292,000-person study reveals about hidden risks

Children living near the Salton Sea face declining lung function

Nurses urged to ditch gloves for IV antibiotics

Global health study warns of rising youth deaths amid declining overall mortality

Living near Superfund sites increases risk of aggressive breast cancer

Event guide: 4th Extra-Hepatic Lipid-Based Nanoparticles Delivery Summit eBook

PhD researcher at LifeArc

Unveiling Hidden Potential: Organoids for Disease Modeling in Neuroscience Research

How GLP‑1 Agonists Are Shaping the Future of Obesity Treatment With Dr Bryony Henderson

Pollution News and Research

Latest Pollution News and Research

Event guide: 4th Extra-Hepatic Lipid-Based Nanoparticles Delivery Summit eBook

PhD researcher at LifeArc

Unveiling Hidden Potential: Organoids for Disease Modeling in Neuroscience Research

How GLP‑1 Agonists Are Shaping the Future of Obesity Treatment With Dr Bryony Henderson

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