Sustainability in the News

Source: The Conversation, 7/22/25

Every few years, the tires on your car wear thin and need to be replaced. But where does that lost tire material go? The answer, unfortunately, is often waterways, where the tiny microplastic particles from the tires’ synthetic rubber carry several chemicals that can transfer into fish, crabs and perhaps even the people who eat them.

Source: American Chemical Society, 8/18/25

More than half of the 7.5 million bales of cotton produced annually in the U.S. will be used in clothing manufacturing. The finishing techniques used to make cotton fabric smooth, water-repellant and resistant to wrinkling can be detrimental to the environment and the wearer. Now, researchers propose a method for using cottonseed oil as a “greener” and safer alternative to formaldehyde and per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), often called forever chemicals, when finishing cotton fabrics.

Taylor Kanipe, a graduate student at North Carolina State University (NC State), presented her results at the fall meeting of the American Chemical Society (ACS), held Aug. 17-21.

Source: Northeastern University, 9/10/25

Toxic per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances, also known as PFAS or “forever chemicals,” are in everything from Band-Aids and clothing to water and floss. However, new research reveals they are potentially even more widespread in the U.S. than previously thought. The research done by Northeastern University’s PFAS Project Lab reveals that while there are about 2,200 known sites of PFAS contamination in the U.S., there are close to another 80,000 likely contaminated sites. It presents what the researchers say is a much more complete — and stark — picture of PFAS contamination while also presenting legislators, communities and environmental activists with a roadmap of where to focus their efforts. 

Source: Chemical & Engineering News, 9/3/25

Flame retardants slow the spread of fires but they can have serious, unintended human health and environmental impacts. Inadequate toxicity testing and inconsistent regulations make it difficult to keep potentially harmful fire-resisting chemicals out of products. Researchers in industry and academia are trying to develop safer chemistries and working on next-generation biobased flame retardants.

Source: University of Stuttgart, 9/8/25

A joint team from the University of Stuttgart in Germany and the University of Melbourne in Australia has developed a new method for the straightforward analysis of tiny nanoplastic particles in environmental samples. One needs only an ordinary optical microscope and a newly developed test strip—the optical sieve. The research results have now been published in “Nature Photonics” (doi: 10.1038/s41566-025-01733-x).

Source: University of New Mexico Health Sciences Center, 10/6/25

Source: American Academy of Neurology, 10/3/25

A massive nationwide study has linked long-term exposure to the industrial chemical trichloroethylene (TCE) with a higher risk of Parkinson’s disease in older adults. Researchers examined over 1.1 million people, finding that those living in areas with the highest outdoor TCE levels faced a 10% greater risk of developing Parkinson’s.

Source: BioCycle, 11/18/25

On September 1, 2025, the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency (MPCA) began requiring all wastewater treatment facilities (WWTF) intending to apply biosolids to agricultural land or used for reclamation projects to collect at least one representative sample of their biosolids and test it for per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) each year using draft EPA Method 1633A. The results from this sample must be received prior to biosolids being applied to land. 

Source: Chemical & Engineering News, 11/18/25

As more rockets and satellites in low Earth orbit burn up in the atmosphere at the end of their lives, the amount of introduced vapors and particulate matter there is dramatically rising. A new study under review in Advances in Space Research calculates just how much waste this traffic is injecting into Earth’s upper atmosphere. The results show that last year, the mass of metals introduced to the atmosphere by human activity annually nearly doubled from the levels seen from 2015 to 2020. For 24 different elements, this influx now contributes more mass than natural sources. Both records are on track to be shattered this year.

Source: Inside Climate News, 11/9/25

Major battery breakthroughs seemingly happen every day, but only some of that tech ever leaves the lab. Here's what’s is actually going to change EVs and what’s just a dream.

Source: The Guardian, 12/2/25

A new bill proposed in the New York city council would ban the use of toxic Pfas "forever chemicals" in protective gear worn by the city’s 11,000 firefighters. The New York fire department is the nation's largest firefighting force, and approval of the legislation would mark a major win for advocates who are pushing for safer "turnout gear" alternatives across the US. Massachusetts and Connecticut last year became the first states to ban the use of Pfas in turnout gear, and Illinois enacted a ban this year.

Source: Environmental Health News, 12/5/25

A recent analysis published by Science of The Total Environment found that exposure to bisphenol chemicals — including BPA and its replacements BPS and BPF — were responsible for over 127 million cases of obesity, type 2 diabetes, and metabolic syndrome globally in 2024. 

Source: University of Minnesota, 12/17/25

A new study led by researchers from Brown University, the University of Minnesota, Jacobs Engineering, Arq Inc., and the U.S. Navy demonstrates a potential solution to the challenge of mitigating PFAS in real-world situations. Specifically, researchers wanted to see whether a specially-engineered, ultra-fine carbon material called colloidal carbon product (CCP) could be injected underground to trap PFAS in groundwater. 

Source: The Guardian, 1/8/26

'Higher consumption of some food preservatives is associated with an increased risk of type 2 diabetes and cancer, two studies suggest. The findings, published in the medical journals Nature Communications and the BMJ, may have important public health implications given the ubiquitous use of these additives globally, researchers said. While more studies are needed, they said the findings should lead to a re-evaluation of regulations governing the use of preservatives by companies in products such as ultra-processed foods (UPF) to improve consumer protection worldwide.'

Visit https://www.nature.com/articles/s41467-025-67360-w and https://doi.org/10.1136/bmj-2025-084917 to read the Nature Communications and BMJ articles, respectively.

Source: Science News, 1/13/26

'The last three years were the hottest on record, a new analysis of global climate data finds. They also mark the first three-year period in which the global average temperature exceeded 1.5 degrees Celsius above preindustrial levels — a threshold associated with increased risks to biodiversity, human health and weather extremes.'

See https://climate.copernicus.eu/sites/default/files/custom-uploads/GCH-2025/GCH2025-full-report.pdf for the full report from the European Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts, and https://climate.copernicus.eu/global-climate-highlights-2025 for interactive highlights.

Source: Euro News, 1/13/26

'New research from the University of Leeds warns that tiny plastic fragments have been found in greater quantities in rural environments than urban locations. Scientists say trees and other vegetation are capturing microplastic particles from the atmosphere and depositing them in woodlands.

Published in the journal Environmental Pollution, the three-month study detected up to 500 microscopic particles of plastic per square meter per day in an area of woodland – almost twice as many as collected in a major city centre.'

Source: France 24, 2/3/26

'Britain on Tuesday unveiled its first national plan to curb "forever chemicals," seeking to cut risks to human health and the environment, the government said. PFAS, used in products from cookware to food packaging, persist for decades and accumulate in nature, posing threats likely to endure for hundreds of years.' 

To read the new UK policy paper, visit https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/pfas-plan/pfas-plan-building-a-safer-future-together.

Source: Capital & Main, 1/16/26

'After the devastating Eaton and Palisades fires, federal officials and private companies led a patchwork of efforts to remove debris and contaminated material from areas that burned and others covered in toxic ash.

One year later, homeowners have had the inside of their houses tested after completing remediation and many found hazardous levels of chemicals including lead and asbestos. Community groups and scientists who have worked together on testing projects are now pushing for a more stringent certification system to ensure families don't move into homes with dangerous levels of pollutants.'

Source: Inside Climate News, 1/28/26

'One-third of fish living in Pacific island waters—like Fiji's thumbprint emperor or Vanuatu's dash-and-dot goatfish—are contaminated with microplastics, according to data published Wednesday by researchers at the University of the South Pacific. Commonly misperceived to be a remote wilderness insulated from global waste, this study establishes the first regional baseline of Pacific marine microplastic ingestion. Such pollution threatens delicate ecosystems and the coastal populations who rely on fish as a primary source of protein.'

Source: University of Birmingham, 2/6/25

People's ability to interpret emotions or focus on performing a task is reduced by short-term exposure to particulate matter (PM) air pollution, potentially making everyday activities, such as the weekly supermarket shop, more challenging.

Source: SnowBrains, 1/30/26

'Hot waxing presents several opportunities for acute exposure to PFAS from ski wax, as was highlighted in a recent literature review from Middlebury College. Heating the wax to above its melting point releases volatile organic compounds, or compounds with relatively low boiling points. Mechanical scraping of the wax can also release aerosols and particulate matter, capable of further inhalation hazard...The recent review highlighted that a host of studies have found that ski technicians have higher blood concentration of PFAS than any other occupation, including firefighters, known for their high levels of exposure from the use of PFAS containing fire suppressing foams.'

Source: The New Lede, 2/2/26

'In a move that reflects mounting US opposition to a class of harmful insecticides linked to environmental and human health risks, Colorado lawmakers last week introduced a bill to curb the use of neonicotinoids.

The Strengthening Economic and Environmental Decisions (SEED) Act, or SB65, introduced to the state Senate on Jan. 28, would prohibit the use of crop seeds coated with neonicotinoids on farmland unless the buyer obtains a certificate from a government-approved verifier who can certify that the use of the treated seeds is "necessary and appropriate."'

Source: Environmental Health News, 1/9/26

'A recent review published in Emerging Contaminants found that eggs from chickens raised near waste disposal sites contained high levels of bromated flame retardants (BFRs), a class of long-lasting toxic industrial chemicals.'

Source: Texas A&M University, 2/4/26

'What do microplastics, water color, and satellites have in common? Dr. Karl Kaiser, professor of marine and coastal environmental science in the College of Marine Sciences and Maritime Studies at Texas A&M University at Galveston is exploring an innovative idea: using satellites to spot microplastics in the ocean. How? By studying how tiny plastic particles change the way light reflects off the water — and how that changes the color we see from space. If this connection works, it could give scientists a powerful new tool to track microplastic pollution across the globe without ever leaving orbit.'

See https://doi.org/10.1021/acs.analchem.5c05604.

Source: Chemistry World (Royal Society of Chemistry), 2/4/26

"Scientists have disagreed over methods used in a number of high-profile studies that found microplastics throughout the human body. Having been criticised, the researchers who worked on them say that the scientific community must continue to improve on these results. 'I would not dismiss the papers coming out – they are using the best methods available and the consistency across labs is becoming clear,' Matthew Campen from the University of New Mexico tells Chemistry World...The issue was brought to public attention by an investigation in The Guardian that highlighted concerns raised by scientists about these studies...Central among the various criticisms are concerns that the plastics discovered might have been accidentally introduced by the scientists themselves...Bartczak and colleagues are trying to help by developing representative test materials and quality control materials. They have also produced a practical guide on how to measure microplastics reliably...'There is broad agreement that microplastics are persistent pollutants of growing global concern, that they accumulate in all environmental compartments, and that they are present in drinking water and food. However, the true scale of the problem and the associated toxicological implications are still being evaluated.'"

Source: Chemical & Engineering News, 3/11/26

‘Cobalt and nickel, bound together in lithium-ion battery cathodes, are difficult to separate during battery recycling. Researchers have now found a way to tease the elements apart electrochemically with the help of tartaric acid, which is found in grapes and is a wine-industry by-product (Sci. Adv. 2026, DOI: 10.1126/sciadv.aec7956).'

Source: Turkiye Today, 4/5/26

"Microplastics can reduce production in aquaculture systems by as much as 18%, according to a new study by researchers from Istanbul University, who warn that urgent measures are needed to protect sustainable food production. The research, carried out by Professor Nuray Erkan and Gokhan Tuncelli at Istanbul University’s Faculty of Aquatic Sciences, examined how microplastic exposure affects farmed aquatic species within a controlled production system. The team modeled an integrated multi-trophic aquaculture system, a method that combines different species across the food chain to mimic natural ecosystems and improve efficiency. In this setup, rainbow trout, freshwater mussels, and duckweed (a small floating aquatic plant) were cultivated together. Published in Aquaculture International, the study exposed systems to 10–20 micrometer polyethylene microplastics through feed and water for 45 days. This was followed by a 45-day depuration phase to allow organisms to clear the contaminants. When microplastics were present in both feed and water, the system’s total biomass production dropped by 18%. Researchers also observed that fish growth performance declined at certain stages compared to the control group, while duckweed production decreased as well. Although mussels did not show a consistent drop in filtration capacity, the overall efficiency of the system was negatively affected, indicating that microplastics can disrupt production balance even when some species appear less impacted." 

Read the full study at https://doi.org/10.1007/s10499-026-02508-z. 

Source: Horizon Magazine, 12/3/24

EU-funded researchers are turning food processing waste into a valuable resource, transforming discarded biomaterials into natural fertilizers.

Source: The Hill, 4/5/25

A new study indicates that long-term exposure to air pollutants could directly correlate to an increased risk for depression. The study published in Environmental Science and Ecotechnology and conducted by Harbin Medical University and Cranfield University examined the link to depressive symptoms in a Chinese adult population and six common air pollutants over 7 years.

Source: École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL), 5/8/25

An edible robot made by EPFL scientists leverages a combination of biodegradable fuel and surface tension to zip around the water's surface, creating a safe -- and nutritious -- alternative to environmental monitoring devices made from artificial polymers and electronics.

Source: McGill University, 5/8/25

Researchers at McGill University, in collaboration with Polytechnique Montréal, pioneered a new way to create hydrogels using ultrasound, eliminating the need for toxic chemical initiators. This breakthrough offers a faster, cleaner and more sustainable approach to hydrogel fabrication, and produces hydrogels that are stronger, more flexible and highly resistant to freezing and dehydration. The new method also promises to facilitate advances in tissue engineering, bioadhesives and 3D bioprinting. Hydrogels are gels composed of polymers that can absorb and retain large amounts of water.  They are widely used in wound dressings, drug delivery, tissue engineering, soft robotics, soft contact lenses and more. 

Source: University of California, Davis, 5/8/25

Sulfur applied to sugarcane crops in South Florida is flowing into wetlands upgradient of Everglades National Park, triggering a chemical reaction that converts mercury into toxic methylmercury, which accumulates in fish, new research from University of California, Davis finds.

In a paper published in Nature Communications, researchers collected water and mosquito fish across wetlands fed by agricultural canals. They documented how sulfur runoff can dramatically increase methylmercury concentrations in fish — sometimes up to 10 million times greater than the waters in which they lived, posing a risk to human health and wildlife. Growers apply sulfur to alkaline soils in South Florida to manage pH levels and increase the availability of nutrients to sugarcane.

Source: NPR, 5/8/25

More than half of Black and Latina women in Los Angeles who participated in a new study regularly used personal-care products containing a known carcinogen. Study participants photographed the ingredient lists of all the products they used at home over the course of a week. The journal Environmental Science & Technology Letters published the study Wednesday.

Of 64 women, researchers found that 53% reported using soap, lotion, shampoo, conditioner, skin lightener, eyeliner, eyelash glue and other beauty products that contained formaldehyde and formaldehyde-releasing preservatives — toxins found to cause cancer in humans.

Source: The Conversation, 3/12/25

A vast number of chemicals are registered for production and use around the world. But only a portion have been thoroughly evaluated for their toxicity due to time, cost, ethical concerns and regulatory limitations. Better understanding the process of determining the toxicity of chemicals could help make them safer. 

Source: CNRS, 4/24/25

A study describes a new method of recycling silicone waste (caulk, sealants, gels, adhesives, cosmetics, etc.). It has the potential to significantly reduce the sector's environmental impacts. This is the first universal recycling process that brings any type of used silicone material back to an earlier state in its life cycle where each molecule has only one silicon atom. And there is no need for the raw materials currently used to design new silicones. Moreover, since it is chemical and not mechanical recycling, the reuse of the material can be carried out infinitely. 

Source: Macquarie University, 6/30/25

New Macquarie University-led research published in Royal Society Open Science, shows chlorothalonil, one of the world's most widely used agricultural fungicides, deeply impacts the reproduction and survival of insects, even at the lowest levels routinely found on food from cranberries to wine grapes.

Source: Packaging Insights, 6/11/25

Researchers at McMaster University in Canada have cultivated a mushroom species that can be used to produce a biodegradable material suitable for use in packaging.

Source: Trellis, 6/13/25

The billions of tons of mining waste stored worldwide contains minerals that react with and lock away CO2. A successful trial using waste heaps at a BHP mine in Australia is in the process of wrapping up. If the approach scales, it could lead to the creation of a new and relatively low-cost credit for durable carbon removal.

Source: Medical News Today, 7/24/25

Vishal Midya is the corresponding author of a new study recently published in the journal eBioMedicine that found exposure to a class of synthetic chemicals called perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS)Trusted Source — also known as "forever chemicals" — may increase a person's risk of developing type 2 diabetes.

Source: University of Illinois College of ACES, 8/11/25

Tile drainage is a common practice used in agricultural fields to remove excess water, but it also transports harmful nutrients into water bodies, contributing to algal blooms that deprive aquatic life of oxygen. Woodchip bioreactors are an efficient way to reduce nitrogen pollution by treating the water as it exits the field. However, these denitrifying bioreactors may leach phosphorus from the woodchips into the environment. A new study from the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign evaluates data from 10 bioreactors in Illinois to determine whether they are a source of phosphorus pollution.

Source: HealthDay, 8/19/25

For adolescents, exposure to perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) is associated with weight regain after bariatric surgery, according to a study published online Aug. 14 in Obesity. 

Source: Knowable Magazine, 8/8/25

At first glance, Nam-Joon Cho’s lab at Singapore’s Nanyang Technological University looks like your typical research facility — scientists toiling away, crowded workbenches, a hum of machinery in the background. But the orange-yellow stains on the lab coats slung on hooks hint at a less-usual subject matter under study. The powdery stain is pollen: microscopic grains containing male reproductive cells that trees, weeds and grasses release seasonally. But Cho isn’t studying irksome effects like hay fever, or what pollen means for the plants that make it. Instead, the material scientist has spent a decade pioneering and refining techniques to remodel pollen’s rigid outer shell — made of a polymer so tough it’s sometimes called “the diamond of the plant world” — transforming the grains to a jam-like consistency.

Source: The Guardian, 9/7/25

Sam Shoemaker’s record-setting voyage shows the promise – and limits – of fungi as a plastic alternative. 

Source: Kobe University, 9/4/25

A Japanese research team successfully harnessed E. coli to produce PDCA, a strong, biodegradable plastic alternative. Their method avoids toxic byproducts and achieves record production levels, overcoming key roadblocks with creative fixes. 

Source: Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance, 10/17/25

Excessive microplastics contamination could be fuelling antimicrobial resistance (AMR), already a spiralling problem worldwide, a new research report reveals. The report, published in The Journal of Hazardous Materials, finds that plastics act as a platform for biofilms – communities of bacteria and other microbes that cling to their surfaces. These biofilms can help accelerate the spread of drug resistance by creating a protective barrier that blocks the entry of antibiotics into the microbes, and helps resistance genes to transmit more easily within the biofilm community.

News Medical, 11/2/25

In a recent article in the Journal of Exposure Science & Environmental Epidemiology, researchers examined blood chemical levels in adults exposed to per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) through public drinking water systems. Their findings suggest that even in areas without industrial PFAS manufacturing, people can be significantly exposed to these “forever chemicals” through contaminated drinking water, requiring ongoing monitoring.

Source: University of California - Riverside, 11/18/25

A mouse study led by University of California, Riverside biomedical scientists suggests that everyday exposure to microplastics — tiny fragments shed from packaging, clothing, and countless plastic products — may accelerate the development of atherosclerosis, the artery-clogging process that leads to heart attacks and strokes. The harmful effects were seen only in male mice, offering new clues about how microplastics may affect cardiovascular health in humans.

Source: Inside Climate News, 11/17/25

Ingesting just six pieces of rubber—each smaller than a pea—can all but seal a seabird’s fate, leaving it with a 90 percent chance of death. A 300-pound adult green sea turtle has about a 50 percent chance of survival after swallowing two golf balls’ worth of plastic bags and food wrappers. Gulping down less than a soccer ball’s volume of fishing line or nets is enough to kill nearly all sea lions, seals, dolphins and porpoises.

These are just some of the fatal thresholds marine wildlife face when plastic ends up inside their bodies, according to a new analysis by scientists from the Ocean Conservancy, an international marine conservation nonprofit. In a study released Monday, researchers outline the amount of swallowed debris it takes to block an animal’s gut, tear its digestive tract or force its intestines to twist. 

Source: Inside Climate News, 11/11/25

Local communities are hosting events where people can bring in their broken goods for repairs—free of charge.

Source: ABC7 Chicago, 12/3/25

Politicians, advocacy groups, and governors, including Illinois Governor JB Pritzker, are calling on the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency to jump start a water monitoring program to track the microplastics in drinking water.