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: Nice, France (s. big cruise ship)
French city Nice backtracks on big cruise ship banNews

French city Nice backtracks on big cruise ship ban

Nice, France | AFP The mayor of Nice backtracked Friday on sharply limiting visits by large cruise ships to avoid overtourism in the French Riviera…
SourceSourceMarch 1, 2025 Full article
Aerial view: Shanghai, China (s. climate target, carbon emissions)
China missed key climate target last year: official dataNews

China missed key climate target last year: official data

Beijing, China | AFP China missed a key climate target in 2024 and emissions in the world's second-largest economy continued to rise as coal remained…
SourceSourceFebruary 28, 2025 Full article
Image: Researcher holds a test tube with water in a hand in blue glove (s. PFAS, forever chemicals, cancer)
What we know about how ‘forever chemicals’ affect healthNews

What we know about how ‘forever chemicals’ affect health

Paris, France | AFP What are PFAS?'Chemical whack-a-mole'What can you do? Invisible, omnipresent "forever chemicals" have been linked to a wide range of serious effects…
SourceSourceFebruary 13, 2025 Full article
Small iceberg floating in ocean water under a bright sky with the Sun visible above - climate change effects (s. science, climate, Muser)
Climate Science Digest: February 06, 2025Science

Climate Science Digest: February 06, 2025

Explore the latest insights from top science journals in the Muser Press daily roundup, featuring impactful research on climate change challenges. In brief: Scientists reimagine…
Muser NewsDeskMuser NewsDeskFebruary 7, 2025 Full article
Satellite Image: Indo-Gangetic Plain
Image of the day: Haze blankets the Indo-Gangetic PlainNews

Image of the day: Haze blankets the Indo-Gangetic Plain

Summary: A region vulnerable to pollutionHealth risks and air quality monitoring Summary: A dense haze settled over parts of the Indo-Gangetic Plain in late January,…
Muser NewsDeskMuser NewsDeskJanuary 30, 2025 Full article
Skyscrapers are seen amidst high air pollution levels in Bangkok
Bangkok air pollution forces 352 schools to closeNews

Bangkok air pollution forces 352 schools to close

Bangkok, Thailand | AFP Air pollution in the Thai capital forced the closure of more than 350 schools on Friday, city authorities said, the highest…
SourceSourceJanuary 24, 2025 Full article
Straws turn into microplastics
Uniting society to combat microplastics pollutionScience

Uniting society to combat microplastics pollution

Microplastics pollution has emerged as a pervasive global challenge, stemming from humanity’s reliance on plastic products and the resilience of these materials in the environment.…
Muser NewsDeskMuser NewsDeskJanuary 20, 2025 Full article
This map shows the pair of Nord Stream natural gas pipelines that runs under the Baltic Sea from Russia to Germany
Methane leaks from Nord Stream pipeline blasts revised upNews

Methane leaks from Nord Stream pipeline blasts revised up

Paris, France | AFP A series of underwater explosions that ruptured the Nord Stream gas pipelines in 2022 caused the largest known methane leak on…
Muser NewsDeskMuser NewsDeskJanuary 15, 2025 Full article
At the Pic du Midi mountain observatory it is raining from all directions – ideal for exploring the pathways of arsenic in the atmosphere.
Tracing arsenic in rain reveals complex environmental pathwaysScience

Tracing arsenic in rain reveals complex environmental pathways

Researchers at ETH Zurich have uncovered new insights into how arsenic, a toxic trace element, travels through the atmosphere and interacts with biological systems. By…
Muser NewsDeskMuser NewsDeskJanuary 9, 2025 Full article
Aerial pgoto of Hanoi, Vietnam
Vietnam’s capital blanketed by toxic smogNews

Vietnam’s capital blanketed by toxic smog

Hanoi, Vietnam | AFP - Thick smog blanketed Hanoi on Friday, obscuring buildings and leaving nine million residents choking on toxic air as the Vietnamese…
SourceSourceJanuary 3, 2025 Full article
City buildings in the fog (s. air pollution, aerosols, dust, climate, science)
A deeper look at aerosols’ impact on wintertime haze formationScience

A deeper look at aerosols’ impact on wintertime haze formation

New research published in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences is reshaping our understanding of how light-absorbing aerosols contribute to winter haze events. These…
Muser NewsDeskMuser NewsDeskDecember 30, 2024 Full article
Graphic news (s. climate, science, research, scientists. emission targets, floods, environment)
Japan inspects US air base over chemical spillNews

Japan inspects US air base over chemical spill

Tokyo, Japan | AFP - Japanese authorities on Friday carried out an inspection of a US military base in Tokyo, a government spokesman said, after…
SourceSourceDecember 20, 2024 Full article
Plastic pollution
Plastic pollution recovery efforts uncover vital trends in Japanese riversClimate

Plastic pollution recovery efforts uncover vital trends in Japanese rivers

Plastic waste in Japan’s rivers reveals not just the scale of pollution but also critical trends shaping cleanup efforts and community responses. A nationwide analysis…
Muser NewsDeskMuser NewsDeskDecember 12, 2024 Full article
Clay sprayed on the ocean’s surface converts carbon into food for microscopic zooplankton
Zooplankton and clay dust offer a surprising solution to carbon storageScience

Zooplankton and clay dust offer a surprising solution to carbon storage

Harnessing the natural appetites of zooplankton, researchers at Dartmouth College have developed an innovative way to accelerate the ocean’s capacity to store carbon, potentially advancing…
Muser NewsDeskMuser NewsDeskDecember 10, 2024 Full article
Image: dried mealworms
Plastic-eating bugs: A potential ally in combating microplastic pollutionScience

Plastic-eating bugs: A potential ally in combating microplastic pollution

Researchers at the University of British Columbia (UBC) are investigating whether insects can offer a viable solution to the persistent problem of microplastic pollution. A…
Muser NewsDeskMuser NewsDeskDecember 4, 2024 Full article
Seagull with a plastic bag
Divided plastic pollution negotiators call for more timeNews

Divided plastic pollution negotiators call for more time

Busan, South Korea | AFP Negotiators have failed to reach agreement on a landmark treaty to curb plastic pollution and need more time to continue…
SourceSourceDecember 1, 2024 Full article
Image: Landfill (s. plastics, climate action plans)
Calls for extension as plastic treaty negotiations falterNews

Calls for extension as plastic treaty negotiations falter

By Sara Hussein and Katie Forster Busan, South Korea | AFP - Delegates seeking the world's first deal to curb plastic pollution began openly advocating…
SourceSourceDecember 1, 2024 Full article
Image: Plastic pollution
From paradise to plastics pollution: Bali’s battle for marine plastics debrisNews

From paradise to plastics pollution: Bali’s battle for marine plastics debris

Bali is cleaning up its ocean of plastics. Bali has a unique opportunity to address plastic waste by integrating sustainable practices into the tourism experience.…
SourceSourceDecember 1, 2024 Full article
Image: Landfill (s. plastics, climate action plans)
EU committed to conclusion of global agreement on plastic as final negotiations startNews

EU committed to conclusion of global agreement on plastic as final negotiations start

It wants the new treaty to address the adverse impacts of plastic pollution on the environment and human health. The Commission is participating in the…
SourceSourceNovember 25, 2024 Full article
Image: Once a beautiful beach now litters with plastic waste calling attention to environment
‘Existential challenge’: plastic pollution treaty talks beginNews

‘Existential challenge’: plastic pollution treaty talks begin

By Sara Hussein and Roland de Courson | AFP Busan, South Korea - A final round of talks on a treaty to end plastic pollution…
SourceSourceNovember 25, 2024 Full article
Small iceberg floating in ocean water under a bright sky with the Sun visible above - climate change effects (s. science, climate, Muser)
Climate Science Digest: November 21, 2024Science

Climate Science Digest: November 21, 2024

Environmental impacts of plastics: Moving beyond the perspective on waste A UFZ team analyses the impacts of plastics on climate change, biodiversity loss and environmental…
SourceSourceNovember 22, 2024 Full article
Image: Fire destroying everything in its path
Illegal farm fires fuel Indian capital’s smog miseryNews

Illegal farm fires fuel Indian capital’s smog misery

New Delhi, India | AFP - The illegal burning of farm fields in northern India reached a record high this season, fuelling a toxic smog…
SourceSourceNovember 19, 2024 Full article
Small iceberg floating in ocean water under a bright sky with the Sun visible above - climate change effects (s. science, climate, Muser)
Climate Science Digest: November 14, 2024Science

Climate Science Digest: November 14, 2024

National and EU Policy critical to control emissions in Germany’s emerging hydrogen economy A new study by the Research Institute for Sustainability – Helmholtz Centre…
Muser NewsDeskMuser NewsDeskNovember 14, 2024 Full article
Small iceberg floating in ocean water under a bright sky with the Sun visible above - climate change effects (s. science, climate, Muser)
Climate Science Digest: November 7, 2024NewsScience

Climate Science Digest: November 7, 2024

New fungal spore calendar offers crucial aid for allergy and asthma sufferers Researchers in Leicester have created England's first comprehensive fungal spore calendar, a tool…
Muser NewsDeskMuser NewsDeskNovember 7, 2024 Full article