The unanticipated public health consequences of unsustainable development reminds the world that the issues are not in the distant future, but instead face us now.
Health studies in Pennsylvania show links between some health problems and local fracking activity.
Les Stone/Reuters
As the new Australian parliament takes the reins, health groups are moving to ensure the new health minister addresses a major health threat in this term of government: climate change.
Nigeria is one of the countries in Africa that has a serious air pollution problem.
Reuters
Africa has largely been ignored when it comes to official global air quality programmes. Yet low-income countries like many of those in Africa are particularly affected by air pollution.
New LED-based streetlights are whiter than traditional ones and contain more blue light, which can disrupt people’s circadian rhythms.
meltedplastic/flickr
The American Medical Association (AMA) issued guidelines for communities to reduce harmful effects of LED streetlights. A medical researcher explains what can go wrong.
What’s in that bottle? And is it safe?
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Congress has passed a long-overdue update of a key law regulating hazardous chemicals. But a legal scholar says the new law does not go far enough to reduce chemical exposure risks.
A human-dependent mosquito, the range of the disease-carrying Aedes aegypti is projected to grow in the U.S. and affect more people globally.
sanofi-pasteur/flickr
Andrew Monaghan, University Corporation for Atmospheric Research
More people in the U.S. and world will be exposed to the disease-carrying mosquito Aedes aegypti, not just because of warmer temperatures but global population changes as well.
Field tests of flood-tolerant ‘scuba rice.’
International Rice Research Institute/Flickr
Advocates have argued for years about whether genetically engineered crops are safe to grow and eat. Plant pathologist and geneticist Pamela Ronald calls for a more nuanced discussion.
Are genetically engineered crops safe for human health and the environment? A new report says yes but points out problems and regulatory gaps. Three members of the study panel offer their takeaways.
The chemical PFOA, used in common coatings, was found in elevated levels in the water supply of Hoosick, New York earlier this year.
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A growing number of communities in upstate New York and New England are discovering the chemical PFOA in their water supply. Here’s what you should know about the health effects of PFOA.
The way data is currently collected has limited use for environmental health researchers when it comes to understanding health problems at a localised level.
Wenhui Qiu, Shanghai University; Ming Yang, Shanghai University, and Nancy Wayne, University of California, Los Angeles
Manufacturers have removed the industrial chemical BPA from many products over concerns that it mimics hormones in the body. Now studies show that BPS, a popular substitute, has similar effects.
If the U.S. moved to electric vehicles, there would be a substantial cut in air pollution – and health benefits to go with it.
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Global warming is often seen as a problem for future generations, but focusing on the immediate – and substantial – health benefits of clean energy can change public perception of climate change.
Blue-green algae blooms are increasing in size and frequency as global temperatures rise.
For the first time, researchers have shown that feeding vervet monkeys a toxin produced by blue-green algae resulted in protein deposits in the brain, consistent with those seen in human Alzheimer’s.
Children living closest to the mines had the lowest literacy and numeracy scores.
Katherine Clark/Flickr
Children in mining and smelting towns who are exposed high levels of lead, arsenic and cadmium are more than twice as likely to have developmental disorders than the national average.
Eleven million cars worldwide could be affected by the scandal.
Reuters/Arnd Wiegmann
Volkswagen’s cheating allowed its vehicles to pass rigorous emissions testing, giving customers maximum driving performance at the cost of the environment and our health.
Tackling climate change is the greatest global health opportunity of the 21st century, a team of 60 international experts today declared in a special report for the medical journal The Lancet.
Research Director, Australian Microplastic Assessment Project (AUSMAP); Honorary Senior Research Fellow, School of Natural Sciences, Macquarie University