Pollution

No-one enjoys idling in peak-hour traffic, yet scientists have identified that a blood pressure spike during it doesn't come from frustration but from ultrafine particles flowing into the car. And the average 4.5 mm Hg spike lasts for an entire day.

While the use of recycled plastics is normally considered a noble endeavor, a new study says it's time to think twice. In an analysis of the material from more than 10 different countries, hundreds of potentially harmful chemicals were uncovered.

Checking for pollutants in the environment via soil sampling and other traditional methods can be a laborious process, but what alternatives are there? Well, scientists have now engineered a plant to turn red when exposed to specific toxic chemicals.

Purifying polluted soil can be a difficult process, often requiring the soil to be dug up and transported to an offsite remediation facility. Now, however, scientists have developed an eco-friendly method of treating it where it lays – by zapping it.

Years before Samsung and others started tackling microplastic from machine washes escaping into the environment, there was Slovenia-based PlanetCare. Now the company has announced its second-generation external filter.

While it's important to track and quantify airborne pollutants, most gas sensors are located at ground level, not up where the pollutants spread. A new lab-on-a-drone system is designed to address that limitation, by taking the tech to the sky.

A new study has found that we’re doing something right when it comes to air pollution. An analysis of global data has found that exposure to fine particulate matter, a leading environmental health risk, has fallen.

We often hear of cyanobacteria as being the cause of toxic algae blooms in lakes. Soon, however, a 3D-printed material that incorporates the microbes may be used to purify polluted water – and after the bacteria are finished, they'll kill themselves.

Researchers have found that tire wear and tear is a major contributor to urban waterway pollution, producing particulate matter that includes microplastics. But they also found effective ways of reducing this type of potentially harmful pollution.

A European study found that 90% of so-called eco-friendly paper straws contain “forever chemicals,” compounds that barely break down and can accumulate in our bodies, leading to health problems. The findings are consistent with previous US studies.

Fog nets are a literal lifesaver in arid regions with regular fog – but unfortunately they can also capture airborne pollution. Scientists at ETH Zurich have now developed fog nets that can use sunlight to break down hazardous molecules.

Estrogen can harm aquatic plants and animals when passed into waterways via human and agricultural waste streams. Researchers have now developed a new way of removing the hormone from water, however, using what's known as "smart rust."