Pollution

Scientists Identify Bacteria That Can Break Down Some PFAS and Their Byproducts

Scientists Identify Bacteria That Can Break Down Some PFAS and Their Byproducts

Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances, or PFAS, have taken on the nickname “forever chemicals” for their inability to break down in the environment. These chemicals, which are found in everything from food packaging to camping gear, are popular for their stain-, moisture- and grease-resistant properties, but they have been found to accumulate in the environment and […]

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    EPA Regulations Limiting Power Plant Emissions Likely to Be Weakened by Trump

    EPA Regulations Limiting Power Plant Emissions Likely to Be Weakened by Trump

    Recent policies from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) would lower emissions and force an early retirement of most U.S. coal plants, speeding up the transition away from fossil fuels with limited cost, a new study shows. However, whether those rules will stay intact during an upcoming Trump administration is doubtful. The power plant rules, […]

    3M Knew PFAS ‘Forever Chemicals’ in Its Firefighting Foams Were Toxic for Decades, Documents Reveal

    3M Knew PFAS ‘Forever Chemicals’ in Its Firefighting Foams Were Toxic for Decades, Documents Reveal

    For decades, 3M — a multibillion-dollar chemical company based in Minnesota — sold its firefighting foams as safe and biodegradable, while having knowledge that they contained toxic per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), according to newly uncovered documents, reported The Guardian. Starting in the 1960s and continuing until 2003, 3M’s firefighting foams contained perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) […]

    Nearly One-Third of U.S. Residents Exposed to Dangerous, Unregulated Contaminants in Drinking Water, Analysis Finds

    Nearly One-Third of U.S. Residents Exposed to Dangerous, Unregulated Contaminants in Drinking Water, Analysis Finds

    More than 97 million United States residents have been exposed to contaminants in their drinking water that are unregulated and could affect their health, a new analysis by Silent Spring Institute has found. Hispanic and Black communities have a higher likelihood of their water being contaminated by unsafe levels of toxic chemicals, a press release […]

    Microplastics Exposure Linked to Digestive, Reproductive and Respiratory Health Risks

    Microplastics Exposure Linked to Digestive, Reproductive and Respiratory Health Risks

    Microplastics exposure has been linked to multiple health risks, including increased colon cancer risk, sperm and testicular damage, and injury or inflammation to the lungs, according to a recent report led by researchers at University of California San Francisco’s (UCSF) Program on Reproductive Health and the Environment and the Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC). Researchers […]

    PFAS ‘Forever Chemicals’ Used on Farms Could Significantly Raise Health Risks, EPA Draft Guidelines Warn

    PFAS ‘Forever Chemicals’ Used on Farms Could Significantly Raise Health Risks, EPA Draft Guidelines Warn

    Toxic chemicals from sewage sludge used as fertilizer pose health risks to those who regularly consume products from farms that use it, in some instances raising cancer risk by “several orders of magnitude” over what is considered acceptable by the United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), federal officials said on Tuesday. EPA’s draft risk assessment, […]

    2024 Global Average Temperature Was Hottest on Record and First Above 1.5°C

    2024 Global Average Temperature Was Hottest on Record and First Above 1.5°C

    Fueled by the climate crisis, the global average temperature soared above the 1.5 degrees Celsius threshold for the first time in 2024, intensifying extreme weather. Experts from the United Nations World Meteorological Organization (WMO) have confirmed that last year was the planet’s hottest on record, reaching 1.55 degrees Celsius above the pre-industrial average, reported UN […]

    Scientists Engineer Bacteria to Break Down Microplastics Found in Wastewater

    Scientists Engineer Bacteria to Break Down Microplastics Found in Wastewater

    Microplastics — the ubiquitous tiny plastic particles that are the result of the breakdown of plastic water bottles, packaging and synthetic clothing fibers — can run through wastewater treatment plants, making their way into the environment. Researchers have engineered bacteria that is commonly found in the treatment plants to break down microplastic pollution before it […]