Pollution

Pollution is the introduction of contaminants – substances or forms of energy – into the natural environment that cause harm. While it can occur naturally, pollution typically refers to human-caused sources such as industrial activity, transportation, agriculture, or waste mismanagement. It includes air, water, soil, noise, light, thermal, radioactive, and plastic pollution, among others. Pollution has wide-ranging effects on ecosystems and human health, contributing to biodiversity loss, environmental degradation, and increased mortality, particularly in vulnerable populations.

Image: plastic pollution, river, plastic
‘Unofficial’ talks on plastic pollution treaty to begin in JapanNews

‘Unofficial’ talks on plastic pollution treaty to begin in Japan

Tokyo, Japan | AFP Delegates from around 20 countries will hold three days of "informal" talks in Japan from Sunday aimed at salvaging efforts towards a…
SourceSourceMarch 1, 2026 Full article
Image: SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket during the SAOCOM-1A mission night launch (2018)
Rocket re-entry pollution detected in upper atmosphere for the first timeScience

Rocket re-entry pollution detected in upper atmosphere for the first time

Upper atmosphere lithium spike detected Growing satellite fleets raise new concerns Regulation and long-term impacts unclear A Falcon 9 rocket re-entry has led to the…
Muser NewsDeskMuser NewsDeskFebruary 19, 2026 Full article
Image: aerial view of high-rise buildings covered with smoke (s. air quality, air pollution, China)
China has slashed air pollution, but the ‘war’ isn’t overNews

China has slashed air pollution, but the ‘war’ isn’t over

Beijing, China | AFP | Muser NewsDesk Fifteen years ago, Beijing's Liangma riverbanks would have been smog-choked and deserted in winter, but these days they are…
SourceSourceFebruary 17, 2026 Full article
Image: Factory producing CO2 pollution
Climate action could save 1.3 million lives but global cooperation is keyClimate

Climate action could save 1.3 million lives but global cooperation is key

First-of-its-kind study assesses how health benefits of aggressive climate policy travel across international borders Summary: Global climate policy could prevent up to 1.32 million premature…
SourceSourceFebruary 12, 2026 Full article
A shoal of Striped Mackerel fish filter feeding amongst loads of plastic waste
Chile’s climate summit chief to lead plastic pollution treaty talksNews

Chile’s climate summit chief to lead plastic pollution treaty talks

Geneva, Switzerland | AFP | Muser NewsDesk Countries on Saturday elected Chile's COP climate summit chief negotiator to revive stalled talks on striking a landmark global…
SourceSourceFebruary 8, 2026 Full article
Plastic pollution - oceans
Health threat of global plastics projected to soarScience

Health threat of global plastics projected to soar

Paris, France | AFP | Muser NewsDesk The threat posed by plastic production, usage and disposal to human health will skyrocket in the coming years unless…
SourceSourceJanuary 27, 2026 Full article
Image: Rustic Cooking on Open Flame
Study finds widespread burning of plastic for cooking and heatingScience

Study finds widespread burning of plastic for cooking and heating

Research sheds new light on the prevalence of burning plastic as an everyday energy source, uncovering serious international health, social equality and environmental concerns Summary:…
SourceSourceJanuary 11, 2026 Full article
Graphic news (s. climate, science, nature)
France pushes back plastic cup ban by four yearsNews

France pushes back plastic cup ban by four years

Paris, France | AFP The French government on Tuesday postponed a ban on plastic throwaway cups by four years to 2030 because of difficulties finding alternatives.…
SourceSourceDecember 30, 2025 Full article
Image: Refuel, Petrol, Fuel (s. oil demand)
EU weakens 2035 combustion-engine ban to boost car industryNews

EU weakens 2035 combustion-engine ban to boost car industry

Brussels, Belgium | AFP The EU on Tuesday walked back a 2035 ban on new petrol and diesel cars seen as a milestone in the fight…
SourceSourceDecember 16, 2025 Full article
Image: AI art of Earth - climate change effects (s. science, climate, Muser)
Climate Science Digest: December 15, 2025Science

Climate Science Digest: December 15, 2025

Explore the latest insights from top science journals in the Muser Press roundup (December 15, 2025), featuring impactful research on climate change challenges. In brief:…
Muser NewsDeskMuser NewsDeskDecember 15, 2025 Full article
Graphic news (s. climate, science, research, scientists. emission targets, floods, environment)
Vietnam’s capital chokes through week of toxic smogNews

Vietnam’s capital chokes through week of toxic smog

Hanoi, Vietnam | AFP Toxic smog has blanketed Vietnam's capital for more than a week, blotting out the skyline and leaving residents wheezing as Hanoi's air…
SourceSourceDecember 11, 2025 Full article
Image: Recycling symbol and environmental balance (AI Gen.)
How air travel and renewable power differ in their air quality impactsClimate

How air travel and renewable power differ in their air quality impacts

Cutting air travel and purchasing renewable energy can lead to different effects on overall air quality, even while achieving the same CO₂ reduction, new research…
SourceSourceDecember 9, 2025 Full article
Satellite Image: Hurricane Harvey near its peak intensity while approaching Texas on August 25, 2017
Toxic floods heighten climate anxiety in vulnerable communitiesScience

Toxic floods heighten climate anxiety in vulnerable communities

Major storms are spreading industrial contaminants across entire neighborhoods, raising concerns about future well-being, especially in communities of color, according to new research from Rice…
SourceSourceDecember 2, 2025 Full article
Image: white bird, plastic pollution, beach
How climate change intensifies the dangers of microplastic pollutionClimate

How climate change intensifies the dangers of microplastic pollution

Increased toxicity from plastic pollution in a warmer climate is highly likely to be affecting whole ecosystems, with potentially disproportionate impacts on apex predators such…
SourceSourceNovember 30, 2025 Full article
Satellite Image: Huelva estuary, Spain
Image of the day: Colours shaped by the Huelva estuaryNews

Image of the day: Colours shaped by the Huelva estuary

The colours shaped by the Huelva estuary form a distinctive pattern along the southwest coast of Spain, where the Tinto and Odiel rivers converge before…
Muser NewsDeskMuser NewsDeskNovember 29, 2025 Full article
Image: Thousands of people gather in the southern Tunisian city of Gabes to demand the closure of a chemical plant
Thousands gather to urge closure of Tunisia chemical plantNews

Thousands gather to urge closure of Tunisia chemical plant

Gabes, Tunisia | AFP Thousands of demonstrators gathered in Gabes in southern Tunisia on Friday, calling for the closure of facilities at an ageing chemical factory…
SourceSourceOctober 31, 2025 Full article
Image: AI art of Earth - climate change effects (s. science, climate, Muser)
Climate Science Digest: October 30, 2025Science

Climate Science Digest: October 30, 2025

Explore the latest insights from top science journals in the Muser Press daily roundup (October 30, 2025), featuring impactful research on climate change challenges. In…
Muser NewsDeskMuser NewsDeskOctober 30, 2025 Full article
Image: medicine, pills, medicaments
Wastewater plants fail to remove common drugsScience

Wastewater plants fail to remove common drugs

Common antidepressants, antibiotics and allergy drugs are being discharged into waterways, as conventional treatment fails to remove them Summary: Municipal wastewater treatment plants are failing…
SourceSourceOctober 13, 2025 Full article
Image: AI art of Earth - climate change effects (s. science, climate, Muser)
Climate Science Digest: October 1, 2025Science

Climate Science Digest: October 1, 2025

Explore the latest insights from top science journals in the Muser Press daily roundup (October 1, 2025), featuring impactful research on climate change challenges. In…
Muser NewsDeskMuser NewsDeskOctober 1, 2025 Full article
Sunset over Oil Platform
Heatwaves worsened by major carbon producersClimate

Heatwaves worsened by major carbon producers

In brief: According to ETH Zurich climate researchers, greenhouse gas emissions from major fossil fuel and cement producers are significant contributors to the occurrence and…
SourceSourceSeptember 19, 2025 Full article
Satellite Image: Lough Neagh, Northern Ireland
UK’s largest lake ‘dying’ as algae blooms worsenNews

UK’s largest lake ‘dying’ as algae blooms worsen

Ballyronan, United Kingdom | AFP | Muser NewsDesk For the third year running toxic blue-green algae blooms that look like pea soup and smell like rotten…
SourceSourceSeptember 15, 2025 Full article
Image: AI art of Earth - climate change effects (s. science, climate, Muser)
Climate Science Digest: September 6, 2025Science

Climate Science Digest: September 6, 2025

Explore the latest insights from top science journals in the Muser Press daily roundup (September 6, 2025), featuring impactful research on climate change challenges. In…
Muser NewsDeskMuser NewsDeskSeptember 6, 2025 Full article
Satellite Image: Lake Suchitlan, El Salvador
Image of the day: Lake Suchitlan covered by invasive water lettuceNews

Image of the day: Lake Suchitlan covered by invasive water lettuce

World Lake Day was marked on 27 August with a reminder of the challenges facing lakes worldwide, including El Salvador’s Lake Suchitlan. Once known for…
Muser NewsDeskMuser NewsDeskAugust 27, 2025 Full article
Image: tourists in Antarctica
Surging tourism is polluting Antarctica, scientists warnScience

Surging tourism is polluting Antarctica, scientists warn

Santiago, Chile | AFP | Muser NewsDesk Soaring numbers of tourists and expanding research projects are increasingly polluting Antarctica, scientists warned Wednesday, a fresh blow for…
SourceSourceAugust 21, 2025 Full article