Toxic man-made mercury pollution has been discovered in the deepest part of the ocean, in the Marianas Trench — more than six miles below the surface. Researchers from China and the US used submarine robots to identify mercury in the fish and crustaceans living in the deepest part of the western Pacific Ocean. Mercury enters … Read more
Artificial light sources along the British coastline are posing a ‘serious threat’ to species of coastal wildlife by disrupting their feeding habits. Coast-based crustaceans orientate their nightly migrations based on the moon’s position and brightness of the natural night sky. But the abundance of artificial light or ‘skyglow’ from people’s houses, shopfronts, nightclubs and flashing … Read more
Dyson recruits an army of city dwellers to wear its ‘air quality backpacks’ while travelling and doing exercise to compare pollution levels during and after the coronavirus lockdown Participants will wear backpacks as they tackle permitted travel and exercise Once lockdown is lifted they will retrace their steps to detect pollution changes London, New York … Read more
British people are breathing in the equivalent of one cigarette a day because of air pollution, a leading doctor has warned. The Government is now being begged by two royal medical colleges to do more to tackle the public health crisis, which is shortening thousands of people’s lives. The Royal College of Physicians and Royal … Read more
Microplastics shed from tyres are a major source of river and ocean pollution, UK government-backed study finds Researchers from Plymouth studied the sources and transport of microplastics These tiny polluting particles have been found in oceans and waterways globally Tyres now join plastic bags, clothes and cosmetic microbeads as key sources The findings may help the … Read more
Air pollution plummeted over China starting in February when the country enforced lockdowns due to the coronavirus, but new data reveals emissions have rebounded since orders were lifted in April. NASA and European Space Agency (ESA) released images showing nitrogen levels from vehicles and industrial facilities have returned to near normal for this time of … Read more
Mussel beds act as traps for microplastic pollution dumped in the ocean by slowing the sea water flowing over them, research shows Experts experimented with flowing water over different mussel reef structures When the mussels clumped together like in nature, the flow became turbulent This increased threefold the amount of microplastic ingested by the mussels By Ian … Read more
Sound of the sea: Underwater noise pollution from ships plummets during the coronavirus lockdown offering respite for ‘stressed’ whales and other marine life The COVID-19 crisis has seen a reduction in shipping traffic around the world Experts recording sound off of the coast of Canada have seen noise levels drop Researchers are now racing to … Read more
Of 30 billion plastic bottles used by UK households each year, only 57 per cent are currently recycled. With half of these going to landfill, half of all plastic bottles that are recycled go to waste. Around 700,000 plastic bottles a day end up as litter. This is largely due to plastic wrapping around bottles … Read more
Before and after images show how coronavirus lockdown is ridding cities of their pollution and clearing the earth’s skies Coronavirus has halted global travel and forced governments to put all-but essential industries on hiatus That has meant a dramatic fall in air pollution in cities that would typically be shrouded in smog Photos lay bare … Read more