pollution

Plastic is virtually unavoidable in 2026, but there may be ways to reduce your exposure...

IntroductionPesticide contamination of agricultural soils has emerged as a global environmental concern due to its potential impact on soil quality, food safety, and ecosystem health. Despite increasing pesticide use worldwide, information on the occurrence and distribution of residual pesticides in agricultural soils remains limited in many regions.MethodsThis study aimed to determine the occurr…

Tackling air pollution and climate change together could save lives and boost economies, a UN reports show.

The PA Department of Environmental Protection says between 2023 and August 2026, Shell’s ethane cracker, exceeded limits on visible emissions set by its state-issued air permit more than two dozen times.

This work reviews (i) reported concentrations of three types of emerging pollutants of concern (EPOCs) in stormwater originating from vehicular traffic activities, and (ii) the capacity for bioretention cells and permeable pavements for treating these EPOCs. Reported concentrations in the literature for microplastics (MPs), 6PPD-Quinone (6PPD-Q), and heavy metals lead (Pb) and cadmium (Cd) in urb…

Newark, New Jersey is home to dozens of parks where kids play soccer, families have picnics, and neighbors walk their dogs. But a new study finds that the soil in some of these green spaces contains higher-than-normal levels of two harmful metals: lead and arsenic. RCEI Affiliate Ashaki A. Rouff, Professor in the Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences at ... Read More The post Newark’s Pa…

Nature Geoscience, Published online: 08 September 2026; doi:10.1038/s41561-026-02085-z The soot fraction of global black carbon emissions increased from 16% in 1750 to 35% in 2019, mainly driven by fossil fuel consumption, suggesting a higher warming potential per unit mass, according to an analysis of atmospheric measurements.

A team of researchers just chased a pair of reentering satellites in a private jet to learn about the pollution caused by space debris burning up in Earth's atmosphere.

New research finds that western Siberia is becoming wetter as the world warms, while eastern Siberia seems to be getting drier. And both these conditions are fueling a rise in methane emissions, spelling trouble for the climate.

Scientific Data, Published online: 08 September 2026; doi:10.1038/s41597-026-08198-9 A comprehensive six-year (2015–2020) dataset of six daily ground-level air pollutant concentrations across China

npj Climate and Atmospheric Science, Published online: 08 September 2026; doi:10.1038/s41612-026-01540-3 Seasonal shifts in regional and local controls on ambient isoprene in a semi-arid African savanna

Tiny fragments of plastic are in the air, land and water in the country, where the burning of trash is common.