pollution

A study finds that not only did aquatic bacteria thrive when chemicals washed from degrading plastic were introduced into lake water, they also broke down organic matter more efficiently.

See some of the coolest images recently featured by The Scientist

Laboratory experiments find that Toxoplasma, Cryptosporidium, and Giardia can congregate on microplastic beads and fibers, suggesting they might make their way into and around the world’s oceans by hitching rides on tiny bits of trash.

Levels of pharmaceuticals considered unsafe for aquatic organisms were found at more than one-quarter of sampling sites.

A large, long-term study across the US and Sweden finds potential correlations between specific pollutants and the proportions of male and female babies born.

In Chapter 5, "Pick Up the Pieces," author Erica Cirino investigates the potential health risks of the small plastic particles that permeate the planet.

Plastic waste pervades every ecosystem on Earth and is likely affecting neurobiology as well.

The Princeton University evolutionary biologist studies how animals are changing due to human activity.

By measuring various pollutants in the immediate vicinity of pregnant women and tracking brain development of their children, researchers in Barcelona aim to untangle any influence the former has on the latter.

Researchers find a widespread decline in dissolved oxygen levels in lakes, which is known to reshape ecosystems.

More and more people are traveling around the world to watch the luminous displays of fireflies, but tourism-related light pollution and habitat degradation threaten to snuff out the insects at some locations.  

The Trump-era regulation, which allowed certain studies to be downplayed in the development of environmental regulations, drew sharp criticism from scientists and environmental groups.

The regulation, which requires that the agency give preference to dose-response studies in which the underlying data are available, could downplay findings key to defining the dangers of pollution.

Jos Lelieveld of the Max Planck Institute for Chemistry explains how fine particulate might contribute to deaths from COVID-19.

While the world is still coming to grips with the new reality wrought by COVID-19, the risk of catastrophe from a warming planet persists.

A novel sampler records data on a broad range of environmental contaminants.

Citing potential worker shortages and the effects of restricted travel and social distancing, the Environmental Protection Agency announced a “sweeping suspension” of environmental regulations that some say gives companies free rein to pollute.

Also known as superworms, the scavengers are able to digest the plastic, opening up the possibility of harnessing their abilities to help tackle our pollution crisis.

Seabirds in Norway use fishing debris to construct nests.