Pollution News and Research

Latest Pollution News and Research

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

Why dementia prevention should be tailored by country

An international study reveals common clusters of dementia risk factors, highlighting the need for tailored prevention strategies across diverse populations.

15 Jul 2026

Micro and nanoplastics in the blood linked to increased heart attack risk factors

People who have suffered a serious heart attack had higher levels of micro and nanoplastics in their blood, compared to patients diagnosed with chronic ischemic heart disease and those who have normal blood vessels supplying the heart, according to a study published in the European Heart Journal today (Wednesday).

14 Jul 2026

AI could accelerate commercialization of bio-based chemical manufacturing

The era of "biomanufacturing", in which microbes, not petroleum, produce chemical products, is one step closer. A KAIST research team has analyzed the key challenges limiting the commercialization of biomanufacturing and proposed an AI-driven strategy for industrialization.

13 Jul 2026

Cruise ship pollution increases risk of viral infections in ports

Air pollution from cruise ships could be damaging the health of people living in port cities by increasing inflammation and susceptibility to viruses such as the common cold and COVID-19.

11 Jul 2026

Exposure to port-derived particles facilitates the replication of COVID-19 and cold viruses

Air pollution from cruise ships could be damaging the health of people living in port cities by increasing inflammation and susceptibility to viruses such as the common cold and COVID-19.

10 Jul 2026

Global cancer cases projected to reach nearly 35 million by 2050

Millions of people are facing physical, emotional and financial toll of cancer, a disease that claims more than 26 000 lives every day, according to a report released today by the World Health Organization (WHO).

9 Jul 2026

Inhaler misuse linked to cognitive impairment and poor manual dexterity

Cognitive function, hand dexterity, and breathing ability play an important role in helping people with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) use their inhalers correctly, according to a new study.

9 Jul 2026

Long-term exposure to air pollution linked to increased risk of Parkinson’s disease

Air pollution is a major public health issue, with long-term exposure to fine particulate matter linked with an increased risk of various diseases, including stroke and dementia.

9 Jul 2026

Cleaner transportation could prevent thousands of premature deaths

A shift to cleaner transportation could prevent more than 3,600 premature deaths in Montreal and Toronto by reducing ultrafine particle pollution, finds a new study led by McGill researchers.

8 Jul 2026

Study links geography to significant differences in sperm quality

A new nationwide study has found substantial regional differences in sperm quality, with men in the highest-performing region recording almost double the total motile sperm count of those in the lowest-performing region.

6 Jul 2026

Air pollution may impact genes involved in sperm development

New research presented today at the 42nd Annual Meeting of the European Society of Human Reproduction and Embryology (ESHRE) suggests that exposure to air pollution may impact genes associated with sperm development, raising new questions about male fertility, pregnancy outcomes and offspring health.

6 Jul 2026