PFAS exposure linked to a nearly 200% increase in infant mortality, study finds
24 December 2025 - The infants of New Hampshire mothers whose water sources flowed through sites contaminated by PFAS experienced significantly higher rates of adverse health outcomes, and even death, according to a recent study published in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. (more)

US Great Lakes microplastics: How they get there, how they spread, and why the picture remains murky
17 December 2025 - The plastic showing up in the Great Lakes doesn't arrive in one dramatic spill. It slips in piece by piece -- blown off land, flushed through sewers, shed from everyday products, and often weathered to bits -- until it becomes nearly impossible to track. Scientists agree on the source of the pollution: people. What remains far less clear is how microplastics move through the Great Lakes system, where they collect, and why some waters appear far more contaminated than others. (more)

Eating just a handful of plastic can be fatal for marine animals, a study finds
20 November 2025 - Candy wrappers. Balloons. Grocery bags. Every day, the equivalent of 2,000 full garbage trucks worth of plastic gets dumped in the world's oceans. Scientists have long known that plastic waste is harmful to marine life. A new study, published in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, shows much plastic a marine animal has to eat for it to be lethal. (more)

Thousands of toxic sites across US face risk of coastal flooding
20 November 2025 - Study finds rising seas could flood facilities handling waste, sewage, and oil and gas -- and coastal states are most at risk. More than 5,500 toxic sites nationwide could face coastal flooding by 2100 due to rising sea levels, according to new research. (more)

How climate change worsens heatwaves, droughts, wildfires, and floods
5 November 2025 - Many extreme weather events are becoming more common and more intense around the world, fuelled by human activities such as the burning of fossil fuels. Here are four ways that rising temperatures are affecting weather extremes. (more)

Two girls are found dead in New York after a fatal game of 'subway surfing,' authorities say
4 October 2025 - New York City police found two girls dead early Saturday morning in what apparently was a game of 'subway surfing' that turned out to be fatal, authorities said. ....'It's heartbreaking that two young girls are gone because they somehow thought riding outside a subway train was an acceptable game,' New York City Transit President Demetrius Crichlow said in a statement. 'Parents, teachers, and friends need to be clear with loved ones: getting on top of a subway car isn't 'surfing' — it's suicide.' (more)

Young girls are using anti-aging products they see on social media. The harm is more than skin deep
3 October 2025 - Girls as young as 8 are turning up at dermatologists' offices with rashes, chemical burns, and other allergic reactions to products not intended for children's sensitive skin. ...More than the physical harm, parents and child psychologists worry about the trend's effects on girls' mental health -- for years to come. Extensive data suggests a fixation on appearance can affect self-esteem and body image and fuel anxiety, depression, and eating disorders. (more)

Swiss glaciers shrank 3 percent this year, the fourth-biggest retreat on record
2 October 2025 - Switzerland's glaciers have faced 'enormous' melting this year with a 3 percent drop in total volume -- the fourth-largest annual drop on record -- due to the effects of global warming, top Swiss glaciologists reported Wednesday [1 October]. (more)