Pollution

90 Percent of Seabirds Have Eaten Plastic

And plastic pollution will threaten even more birds as production grows

The Grand Canyon is Full of Mercury

Researchers find high levels of mercury and selenium in plants and animals along the Colorado River

Grimy City Buildings Re-Pollute the Air

Filthy urban surfaces “breathe” pollutants when they’re exposed to sun

Looking at tree density on a city scale.

This New Mapping Tool Shows City Planners Where to Plant Trees

Researchers at Portland State University have created an app that looks at tree density in respect to neighborhood, population and pollution

A map of nitric oxide pollution in Denver's Highlands neighborhood

Google Street View Cars Are Mapping City Air Pollution

Google, Aclima and the EPA team up to add sensors to cars, first in Denver and then in the Bay Area, that monitor air quality throughout the day

Discharge from the Gold King Mine colored Colorado's Animas River a distinct golden hue on August 6.

Why Tens of Thousands of Toxic Mines Litter the U.S. West

The spill in Colorado's Animas River highlights the problem of wastewater building up in abandoned mines

A researcher tests the sensor's stretchability.

Thin Sensors on Our Skin or in Our Clothes May Warn Us of Environmental Hazards

Australian researchers are developing flexible sensors that track dangers that humans cannot detect with their own senses

The Animas River under better circumstances in 2011.

What's Next for the Animas River?

Cleanup efforts are underway at the river, which turned a bright orange-yellow after a catastrophic chemical spill

Scientists Have Been Talking About Greenhouse Gases for 191 Years

The first explorations of the greenhouse effect began in 1824

Why the International Olympic Committee is Worried About Water Quality in Rio

Viruses and bacteria may threaten swimmers in the 2016 summer games

Skimming Oil in the Gulf of Mexico

Scientists Find a Natural Way to Clean Up Oil Spills, With a Plant-Based Molecule

Researchers at the City College of New York are testing a spray made of phytol, a molecule in chlorophyll, on oil in lab wave pools

EJSCREEN overlays demographic data with EPA pollution data.

The EPA Has a New Tool For Mapping Where Pollution and Poverty Intersect

To better target its efforts, the agency is identifying problem areas, where people are facing undue environmental risks

How Air Pollution Makes Floods Worse

A better understanding of how aerosols interact with weather could lead to better flood forecasts, fewer floods

Adidas designed a shoe with bits of ocean garbage and illegal fishing nets. Would you wear it?

Adidas Just Made a Running Shoe Out of Ocean Trash

The apparel company recently released a prototype that incorporates recycled ocean plastic

A screenshot of the new visualization from Pitch Interactive and Google News Lab

Here’s What People Are Asking Google About Climate Change

The visualization reveals what people want to know about the environment

A shuttle astronaut's view of the International Space Station.

To Get Rid of Space Junk, Shoot It Down With Lasers

Proposals to send debris-targeting craft into orbit are piling up, and one mission may soon start test firing from the space station

David Lerner uses a conductivity and temperature meter to test for sewage in water, a method that's more costly and less effective than using tampons.

How Scientists Are Monitoring Water Quality With Tampons

The feminine hygiene products glow under ultra-violet light after absorbing pollutants called optical brighteners

Single-use cigarette lighters, collected by Mandy Barker, represent our transition to a consumerist, throw-away society.

This Artist Transforms Beach Trash Into Stunning, Majestic Images

Mandy Barker didn't have spend too much time on the shores to collect enough debris for her masterpieces

Palazzo Italia

Smog-Eating Buildings Battle Air Pollution

Sunlight triggers chemical reactions in the façades of buildings in Mexico City and Milan to improve air quality

Got Allergies? Air Pollution Could Be to Blame

New research suggests that ozone and nitrogen dioxide can alter allergens, creating more potent immune responses

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