Plastic waste is a global problem. Now a chemist has developed a new strategy for breaking down the most common plastic so it can be not just recycled, but upcycled into desirable goods.
Shaking polypropylene bottles and washing them with very hot water can release millions of tiny plastic particles. Here are four ways to reduce exposure.
PFAS chemicals are toxic, widespread and persistent in the environment, and the federal government has been slow to regulate them. A scientist explains why evaluating them one by one isn’t working.
Last week, much of the Midwest and eastern US experienced hazy skies and red sunsets. The cause was smoke transported from the Western US by the jet stream and spread as far as Boston and even Europe.
Jill Johnston, University of Southern California and Lara Cushing, University of California, Los Angeles
A study shows that low-income communities and communities of color are bearing the brunt of the energy industry’s pollution in the region. The risks also extend to the unborn.
In South Asia, days with both extreme heat and extreme pollution are expected to increase 175% by 2050. Separately, the health effects are bad; together they will likely be worse.
Australia has failed to ratify an international treaty to reduce harmful mercury emissions. Mercury exposure can cause kidney damage and brain impairment, especially in children.
Australians choked through a smoke-ridden summer during the bushfire crisis. But many of us are unaware of the silent damage indoor wood fire heaters are doing to our health.
Natural assets produce important city services and complement engineered infrastructure. Investing in natural assets can help protect our environment, reduce municipal service costs and create jobs.
Professor & Chair in Air Quality and Health; Founding Director, Global Centre for Clean Air Research (GCARE), Co-Director, Institute for Sustainability, University of Surrey, University of Surrey