Pollution News and Research

Latest Pollution News and Research

Perceived stress linked to worsened symptoms in COPD patients

Increased perceived stress may cause worsened respiratory symptoms and decreased quality of life in people with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), according to a new study.

29 Apr 2025

Antibiotic use by humans is polluting rivers across the globe, study shows

A global modeling study found that 8,500 tonnes of antibiotics from human use alone enter rivers annually, threatening aquatic ecosystems and accelerating antimicrobial resistance. Over 6 million kilometers of river length exceed safety thresholds, especially in low- and middle-income countries with limited wastewater treatment.

24 Apr 2025

Urgent action needed to protect children from extreme heat in schools and child care settings

As Canadians face increasingly intense and frequent heat waves, health, education and legal experts are sounding the alarm on a growing crisis: extreme heat in schools and child care settings due to the escalating effects of climate change.

24 Apr 2025

More trees near homes connected to healthier newborns

The link between proximity to greenspace - including trees and parks- and healthy birth outcomes is well established.

23 Apr 2025

Millions in the US live without local air quality monitoring

In 2024, more than 50 million people in the United States lived in counties with no air-quality monitoring, according to a new study from researchers in the Penn State College of Health and Human Development.

21 Apr 2025

Yale study links childhood thyroid cancer risk to air and light pollution

A new study led by researchers at Yale University suggests that early-life exposure to two widespread environmental pollutants- small particle air pollution and outdoor artificial light at night-could increase the risk of pediatric thyroid cancer.

17 Apr 2025

Seasonal air pollution found to undermine IVF success

Exposure to fine particulate matter during fertility treatment windows—especially in winter—negatively impacts pregnancy and live birth rates

17 Apr 2025

Multidimensional sleep health linked to better cardiometabolic outcomes

Healthy sleep includes multiple components, such as number of hours of sleep per night, how long it takes to fall asleep, daytime functioning and self-reported sleep satisfaction, and addressing these different dimensions of sleep may help to reduce cardiometabolic health and related risk factors, according to a new American Heart Association scientific statement published today in Circulation: Cardiovascular Quality and Outcomes.

14 Apr 2025

Researcher develops biodegradable sanitary pads using water hyacinth

In a casual conversation, researcher Pooja Singh and two of her colleagues were discussing the idea of developing biodegradable sanitary pads and started to contemplate what raw materials to use.

11 Apr 2025

India, China, and the US will drive global diabetes burden by 2050, study finds

Global diabetes deaths and disability are rising, particularly in India, China, and the US, with type 2 diabetes (T2DM) driving the trend. Type 1 diabetes (T1DM) burdens are declining, but inequalities are widening, and projections show a steep rise in T2DM by 2050.

9 Apr 2025

Public health risks of urban wildfire smoke prompt push for more monitoring

When the catastrophic Los Angeles fires broke out, John Volckens suspected firefighters and residents were breathing toxic air from the burning homes, buildings, and cars, but it was unclear how much risk the public faced.

8 Apr 2025

How air pollution may be undermining your brain—one breath at a time

Research reveals air pollution, particularly from industry and fuels, negatively affects cognitive function in older adults, with language skills most impacted.

8 Apr 2025

Increased government transparency leads to lower pollution and better health

When are you most forthcoming with life updates? And when are you the most transparent about exactly what those updates are? For most folks - show of hands, please - it's when things are going well. Sharing our wins is in our nature; our losses, typically, not so much.

7 Apr 2025

Brain health in older adults threatened by prolonged air pollution

Long-term exposure to high levels of air pollution may harm the brain health of older adults in England, finds a new study led by UCL researchers.

7 Apr 2025

Exposure to wildfire smoke raises mental health visits to emergency departments

Exposure to fine particulate air pollution (PM2.5) from wildfire smoke was associated with increased visits to emergency departments (ED) for mental health conditions, according to a new study led by researchers at Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health.

4 Apr 2025

New project aims to help pin down the process of West Nile virus transmission

Mosquitoes have been transmitting the West Nile virus to humans in the United States for over 25 years, but we still don't know precisely how the virus cycles through these pests and the other animals they bite.

2 Apr 2025

Only 13% of French adults have optimal heart health—here’s what’s driving the gap

Only 13% of French adults aged 18–69 have optimal cardiovascular health, according to a national study using the American Heart Association’s Life’s Essential 8 (LE8) score. The findings highlight missed prevention opportunities and suggest that modest lifestyle changes could prevent up to 81% of cardiovascular events.

1 Apr 2025

Study links childhood air pollution exposure to weaker brain connections

A new study led by the Barcelona Institute for Global Health (ISGlobal), a centre supported by the "la Caixa" Foundation, has found that children exposed to higher levels of air pollution in early and mid childhood have weaker connections between key brain regions.

1 Apr 2025

Study shows women can hear better than men

An international team of scientists has found that biological sex is the leading factor explaining differences in hearing sensitivity, with women having significantly more sensitive hearing than men.

From University of Bath 1 Apr 2025

MPs back new report promoting ‘Healthy Hearts’ across the nation

A collection of articles from University of Manchester experts which provides a roadmap to tackle the national cardiovascular health crisis has been warmly received in Westminster.

27 Mar 2025