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Articles on Pollution

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Thick smoke fills the air and nearly blocks out the sun, east of Kamloops, B.C., on Aug. 14, 2021. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Darryl Dyck

Wildfire smoke may warm the Earth for longer than we thought

Brown carbon refers to a range of pollutants found in smoke from wildfires. They can contribute to global warming before they undergo a process that alters their chemical properties.
Snow’s physical properties mean that it can accumulate chemicals from the environment, including nanoparticles from car exhaust. (Shutterstock)

Snow can spread and worsen the effects of pollutants in the environment

From persistent chemicals to exhaust particulate matter, snow accumulates highly toxic pollutants. Regulations are needed to address the impacts on water supplies and the food chain.
UV absorbents and industrial antioxidants can reach aquatic environments through the degradation of plastics, or via wastewater treatment plant effluents. (Environment and Climate Change Canada)

Contaminants of emerging concern, found in sunscreens and plastics, end up in the St. Lawrence River

UV absorbents and industrial antioxidants are used in many household goods to protect them from UV radiation. They can have an adverse impact on ecosystems.
Maywood Riverfront Park was built on the site of eight former industrial properties in Los Angeles County. Luis Sinco/Los Angeles Times via Getty Images

Flood maps show US vastly underestimates contamination risk at old industrial sites

Climate change is colliding with old factory sites where soil or water contamination still exist, and the most vulnerable populations are particularly at risk.
Image of Earth’s city lights, created with data from the Defense Meteorological Satellite Program. NASA/Newsmakers via Getty Images

What the controversial 1972 ‘Limits to Growth’ report got right: Our choices today shape future conditions for life on Earth

A 1972 report warned that unchecked consumption could crater the world economy by 2100. Fifty years and much debate later, can humanity innovate quickly enough to avoid that fate?
A farmer works with his tractor in front of the Kusile Power Station located in eMalahleni. In Gauteng province residents can sometimes smell the pollution coming from this direction. Wikus de Wet/AFP via Getty Images

The air in South African Highveld cities smells foul in the winter: here’s why

Johannesburg occasionally smells like rotten eggs. The wind brings the smell from the east or the southeast, where most industries are located.

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