Sustainability in the News

Source: U.S. Right to Know, 9/11/25

Pesticides banned years ago in the European Union are drifting through the skies and turning up in clouds above France, raising concerns about how long these toxins persist and how far they can travel, with potentially harmful global health impacts, according to a pathbreaking new study.  The research, published in Environmental Science & Technology, is the first to detect dozens of agricultural chemicals—including insecticides, herbicides, fungicides, and other substances—suspended in cloud water droplets. That means pesticides not only linger in the environment but also move through the atmosphere and fall back to Earth in rain or snow, sometimes at levels exceeding European safe drinking water limits, the research suggests. 

Source: American Chemical Society, 10/14/25

Wetlands act as nature’s kidneys: They trap sediments, absorb excess nutrients and turn pollutants into less harmful substances. Now, the list of pollutants wetland plants can remove includes per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS). From a greenhouse study, researchers in ACS’ Environmental Science & Technology report that moisture-loving yellow flag irises and fungi on their roots are a promising combination for PFAS removal. As part of a constructed wetland, this pair could effectively treat contaminated wastewater.

Source: WHYY-TV/WHYY-FM (Philadelphia), 1/20/26

'Scientists from Temple University's College of Engineering are researching whether the use of air bubbles can remove toxic chemicals from surface water before it makes its way to people's taps. The goal is to remove harmful PFAS chemicals and microplastics at the same time, and with sustainability in mind. The current mainstay for removing PFAS is effective, but also energy-intensive.' 

The foam-based technology being studied at Temple can avoid the use of toxic chemicals and is more energy efficient than current PFAS removal methods. See the Temple University press release for additional information.

Source: Institute of Science, Tokyo, 2/19/25

New research has emerged on the development of a novel membrane distillation system and an adsorbent (a substance that can trap chemicals on its surface) for the removal of hazardous perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS). Scientists from Institute of Science Tokyo, Japan, utilized carbon-based materials to successfully remove PFAS from water. This innovative approach could contribute to sustainable purification technologies in the future.

Source: Phys.org, 2/2/26

'A University of Missouri researcher is pioneering an innovative solution to remove tiny bits of plastic pollution from our water. Mizzou's Susie Dai recently applied a revolutionary strain of algae toward capturing and removing harmful microplastics from polluted water. Driven by a mission to improve the world for both wildlife and humans, Dai also aims to repurpose the collected microplastics into safe, bioplastic products such as composite plastic films...The findings are published in the journal Nature Communications.'

Source: University of Arkansas, 4/21/25

Microplastics, tiny plastic particles found in everyday products from face wash to toothpaste, are an emerging threat to health and ecology, prompting a research team to identify what keeps them trapped in stream ecosystems. The research team’s study, “Transport and retention of microplastic fibers in streams are impacted by benthic algae, discharge, and substrate,” was published in Limnology and Oceanography in February.

Source: George Washington University, 5/7/25

In a sweeping new study of more than 13,000 urban areas worldwide, researchers have mapped air pollution levels and carbon dioxide emissions, providing comprehensive global analysis of urban environmental quality. The research led by George Washington University, in collaboration with scientists from Washington University in St. Louis and the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, used data from satellite observations, ground-based measurements and computer models to measure city-level air pollution and the average amount of carbon dioxide released into the atmosphere in 13,189 urban areas globally. The study, which highlights regional disparities, focused on the years spanning from 2005-2019. 

Source: University of Georgia, 6/11/25

New research from the University of Georgia’s Odum School of Ecology and Marine Extension and Georgia Sea Grant suggests there may be elevated levels of mercury in Georgia and South Carolina waters.

In studying alligators from the Okefenokee Swamp, Jekyll Island and Yawkey Wildlife Center, UGA researchers found high levels of mercury, prompting concerns about the levels of the heavy metal in the environment. Previous research has shown accumulating levels of the heavy metal in smaller animals in Georgia swamps but not as much is known about animals as high up in the food chain as the alligator. Mercury concentrations in alligators show that the toxin can easily move up the food chain. The researchers discovered that mercury concentrations were more prominent in larger, older gators. That wasn’t just from absorption over time but presumably from the alligators consuming greater amounts of creatures already contaminated with mercury.

Source: AZO Cleantech, 7/18/25

A recent study, published in npj Science of Food, investigated microplastic contamination in milk, fresh cheese, and ripened cheese, providing one of the most detailed assessments yet of plastics in dairy products. The research team used advanced spectroscopic techniques to analyze the size, shape, colour, and concentration of microplastics in these widely consumed foods. 

Source: New York Times, 7/9/25 (gift article)

A study published Wednesday in the journal Nature estimates the volume of nanoplastics, which are even smaller than microplastics and invisible to the naked eye, to be at least 27 million metric tons in North Atlantic seas — more than the weight of all wild land mammals.

Source: EurekAlert, 10/6/25

New research presented at UEG Week 2025 shows that microplastics – plastic particles smaller than 5mm commonly found in the environment – can alter the human gut microbiome, with some changes resembling patterns linked to depression and colorectal cancer. 

Source: Stanford University, 12/2/25

For millions of Americans, staying indoors offers little protection from dangerous air pollution, according to a new Stanford University-led study. The paper, published Dec. 2 in PNAS Nexus, reveals that gas and propane stoves expose people to substantial amounts of nitrogen dioxide, a pollutant linked to health problems that include asthma, obstructive pulmonary disease, preterm birth, diabetes, and lung cancer. Replacing gas stoves with electric reduces nitrogen dioxide exposure by over a quarter on average across the U.S. and by half for the heaviest stove users, according to the findings. Previous studies have measured nitrogen dioxide pollution from gas stoves, but this is the first study to measure exposure to nitrogen dioxide outdoors and indoors nationally.

Source: ScienceDaily, 12/25/25

'A new eco-friendly technology can capture and destroy PFAS, the dangerous “forever chemicals” found worldwide in water. The material works hundreds to thousands of times faster and more efficiently than current filters, even in river water, tap water, and wastewater. After trapping the chemicals, the system safely breaks them down and refreshes itself for reuse. It’s a rare one-two punch against pollution: fast cleanup and sustainable destruction.' 

The technology was developed by researchers at Rice University. Their results were recently published in Advanced Materials.

NOTE: Sustainability in the News will not be published on Monday, January 19, in observance of Martin Luther King Jr. Day, but will return on 1/20/26.

Source: Science News Explores, 1/7/26

'Polluted air is bad for your lungs. That dirty air might also be why many kids need glasses, new data show. This observation comes from a study of vision in about 30,000 school-age children. Kids had better eyesight when air pollution levels were lower, scientists found.'

See https://doi.org/10.1093/pnasnexus/pgaf279. 

Source: Oceanographic, 1/6/26

'New research suggests microplastics are disrupting the ocean’s natural ability to absorb carbon dioxide by interfering with marine life and carbon cycles, potentially weakening one of Earth’s most important defences against climate change.' See https://doi.org/10.1016/j.hazmp.2025.100032 to read the referenced study.

Source: University of Buffalo, 1/23/25

Most remediation of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) involves adsorbing and trapping them, but certain microbes can actually break apart the strong chemical bonds that allow these chemicals to persist for so long in the environment. Now, a University at Buffalo-led team has identified a strain of bacteria that can break down and transform at least three types of PFAS, and, perhaps even more crucially, some of the toxic byproducts of the bond-breaking process.

Source: Oceanographic, 1/30/26

'Microplastic pollution in British seas has been found to be more than double what has been previously recorded, according to new data collected in a joint project between the University of Portsmouth and GB Row Challenge...While the findings represent a substantial change compared to previous measurements, researchers say that other factors, like differences in weather, sea state and samplings potentially could have stirred up microplastics that would have otherwise remained below the surface, in turn affecting the results.'

Source: CNN, 3/17/26

‘The “forever chemicals” known as PFAS are increasingly known to potentially pose many threats, the latest of which may be child bone health, according to a new study. Perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances, or PFAS, are a class of about 15,000 synthetic chemicals commonly used in products such as clothing, nonstick cookware, firefighting foams, food packaging, carpets, cleaning products, paints, and stain and water repellents. These compounds do not break down in the environment and can easily migrate into the air, dust, food and soil, also contaminating nearly half the drinking water in the United States.  Notably, PFAS accumulate in our bodies and have been found in the blood of people of all ages, including newborns.’ 

Researchers found that PFAS chemical exposure in children tended to be related to lower bone strength in those individuals as young teens. This was particularly true for perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA), historically one of the most widely used and studied PFAS chemicals in the US. The findings suggest exposure to these chemicals may keep individuals from reaching their genetic potential for bone density, potentially raising risk for fractures and osteoporosis in older adulthood. The study was published in the Journal of the Endocrine Society.

Source: North Carolina State University, 3/26/25

In a new paper, researchers at North Carolina State University show proof of concept for a system that, in a single cycle, actively removes microplastics from water. The findings, described in the journal Advanced Functional Materials, hold the potential for advances in cleansing oceans and other bodies of water of tiny plastics that may harm human health and the environment.

Source: Earth.com, 3/8/26

'Microplastics are usually discussed as an ocean problem. But they are also building up in farmland soils, and a new scientific review argues that their impact goes beyond physical pollution. A team of researchers led by Jiangsu University focuses on what happens at the microscopic level on the surface of plastic particles, where microbes meet, compete, and trade genes. These interactions, they say, could influence soil fertility, ecosystem recovery, and the long-term sustainability of agriculture...The review’s core idea is simple but unsettling: microplastics are not passive debris. In soil, they may become miniature biological arenas where microbes and viruses reshape each other – and in doing so, reshape the land we depend on for food. The study is published in the journal Agricultural Ecology and Environment.'

Graz University of Technology, 4/14/25

Microplastics and the much smaller nanoplastics enter the human body in various ways, for example through food or the air we breathe. A large proportion is excreted, but a certain amount remains in organs, blood and other body fluids. In the FFG bridge project Nano-VISION, which was launched two years ago together with the start-up BRAVE Analytics, a team led by Harald Fitzek from the Institute of Electron Microscopy and Nanoanalysis at Graz University of Technology (TU Graz) and an ophthalmologist from Graz addressed the question of whether nanoplastics also play a role in ophthalmology. The project partners have now been able to develop a method for detecting and quantifying nanoplastics in transparent body fluids and determining their chemical composition. As an exemplary application of the method, the research team is investigating whether intraocular lenses release nanoplastics. There have been no such studies to date, and initial results have already been submitted to a scientific journal. 

Source: Inside Climate News, 4/9/26

"Exposure to “forever chemicals” during pregnancy could increase the risk of childhood asthma, according to new research from Sweden. Researchers from Lund University found that prenatal exposure to very high levels of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances, known as PFAS, in drinking water corresponded with a higher incidence of childhood asthma in a community dealing with decades of contamination. The findings, published Thursday in PLOS Medicine, are notable. Although PFAS exposure causes myriad well-documented health harms, links to asthma have not been as well-studied."

Source: University of Cambridge, 7/27/25

An analysis of studies incorporating data from almost 30 million people has highlighted the role that air pollution – including that coming from car exhaust emissions – plays in increased risk of dementia...In a paper published in The Lancet Planetary Health, a team led by researchers at the Medical Research Council (MRC) Epidemiology Unit, University of Cambridge, carried out a systematic review and meta-analysis of existing scientific literature to examine this link further. This approach allowed them to bring together studies that on their own may not provide sufficient evidence, and which sometimes disagree with each other, to provide more robust overarching conclusions. In total, the researchers included 51 studies, including data from more than 29 million participants who had been exposed to air pollutants for at least one year, mostly from high-income countries. Of these, 34 papers were included in the meta-analysis: 15 originated in North America, 10 in Europe, seven in Asia, and two in Australia. The researchers found a positive and statistically-significant association between 3 types of air pollutant and dementia.

Source: U.S. Right to Know, 9/5/25

Common chemicals in plastics, personal care products, and food packaging may drive the onset, growth, and spread of breast cancer—the second-leading cause of cancer deaths in women, new research suggests. The findings, published this month [September 2025] in Ecotoxicology and Environmental Safety, suggest phthalates hijack the body’s hormone systems, activate cancer-promoting genes, and make tumors easier to form. and harder to treat. The study raises new questions about the safety of chemicals that millions of Americans encounter every day in air, food, and water.   

Source: SciTech Daily, 12/14/25

Scientists have found that microplastics drifting through rivers, lakes, and oceans steadily release a wide range of dissolved organic chemicals into the water. These chemicals change over time, with sunlight playing a major role in how they form and break down. The research offers the most detailed molecular-scale look so far at how microplastic-derived dissolved organic matter, known as MPs DOM, develops and changes in natural aquatic environments. 

Source: The Post and Courier, 1/21/26

Congaree Riverkeeper Bill Stangler traced PFAS contamination in South Carolina's Lower Saluda River to a Shaw Industries' plant in Irmo that makes nylon fibers and resins for carpets. This in-depth article was written by Tonly Bartelme with contributions from Glenn Smith and Marilyn W. Thompson of The Post and Courier.

Source: Environmental Health News, 3/13/26

‘A recent study published by the Journal of Exposure Science & Environmental Epidemiology examined the link between some childhood cancers and water sources contaminated by two PFAS chemicals - PFOS and PFOA - in Los Angeles and Orange Counties, California…Children born in areas with PFAS contaminated water sources had an increased risk of childhood cancers. PFOA contamination was particularly linked to a higher risk of retinoblastoma (a rare eye cancer), while PFOS contamination was associated with higher odds of both retinoblastoma and neuroblastoma (a nerve cancer). The study authors emphasized the contributing role of multiple environmental risk factors, particularly given the high rates of poverty in these counties.’ 

Source: The New Lede, 3/10/26

‘A genetically modified wheat under development in the US would increase the use of an herbicide that is linked to soil, water and fetal harm, according to a new report. The report, from the environmental organization Friends of the Earth (FOE), comes six months after agricultural organizations announced they are partnering to develop what would be the first genetically modified (GMO) wheat, called HB4, commercially available in the US. Proponents of HB4 say it is drought-tolerant and will bolster food security and help farmers grow wheat in a changing climate. FOE said that HB4 — which was approved by the US Department of Agriculture (USDA) in 2024 — would prompt more use of the herbicide glufosinate, which scientific studies have linked to premature births, impaired fetal development, kidney problems and disruption of the gut microbiome. HB4 is engineered to withstand glufosinate, which can be sprayed directly on the wheat and will only kill weeds. The FOE report also warns that HB4 could hamper US exports since not all importing countries accept GMO wheat, and it would harm US farmers that are not using GMO wheat by contaminating their fields.’

Source: Inside Climate News, 3/15/25

Controlling the source of the so-called forever chemicals can make the clean-up process more sustainable, according to a new member of the Metropolitan Water Reclamation District.

Source: University of Colorado at Boulder, 6/23/25

Years after wildfires burn forests and watersheds, the contaminants left behind continue to poison rivers and streams across the Western U.S. — much longer than scientists estimated. 

A new study published in Nature Communications Earth & Environment, analyzed water quality in more than 500 watersheds across the Western U.S., and is the first large-scale assessment of post-wildfire water quality. The results showed contaminants like organic carbon, phosphorus, nitrogen, and sediment can degrade water quality for up to eight years after a fire. Water managers can use this data to help them plan for the future and respond appropriately when wildfires strike.  

Source: The Conversation, 9/4/25

To better understand the ways people are being exposed to PFAS, researchers examined four exposure pathways – drinking water contamination, food contamination, recreational exposure and industrial emissions, such as from Superfund sites, airports, military bases and manufacturing plants – across three Great Lakes states: Michigan, New York and Pennsylvania. The interactive map and online dashboard that they created lets residents look up their communities’ known PFAS exposure risks and calculate their own risks. The results also offer insights for people across the U.S. who share similar environments, dietary choices and lifestyles.

Source: Forbes, 10/22/25

The demand for Lithium-ion batteries might be on the rise, but how many of us are aware they contain harmful PFAS compounds, otherwise known as “forever chemicals”? The use of such compounds is obviously not good for the environment, and the search is now on for alternative compounds, which can be used in the next generation of batteries.

Source: Chemical & Engineering News, 10/27/25

In the past year, several research groups have reported methods for upcycling PTFE, better known by its brand name, Teflon, into useful chemicals. The latest work in this area comes from chemists led by Roly J. Armstrong at Newcastle University and Erli Lu and Dominik J. Kubicki at the University of Birmingham. The team developed a process that transforms PTFE into sodium fluoride and amorphous carbon (J. Am. Chem. Soc. 2025, DOI: 10.1021/jacs.5c14052). The chemists use a ball mill to grind chunks of sodium metal together with PTFE in what’s known as a mechanochemical reaction. Because the reaction uses no solvents and has no by-products, it’s environmentally friendly and has 100% atom economy. Other PTFE-upcycling reactions that have been reported to date use organic solvents or complex catalysts, or they create by-products. 

Source: Inside Precision Medicine, 10/27/25

Cigarette butts may pose a risk to the health of smokers and nonsmokers alike by acting as genetic pools of microbial antibiotic resistance, researchers report. With estimated annual cigarette consumption reaching nine trillion this year, the findings suggest that discarded butts present both a major health and environmental issue. The study, in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, revealed that cigarette butts were significant reservoirs and amplifiers of antibiotic resistance genes, which can drive the emergence of drug-resistant pathogens.

Source: Minnesota Pollution Control Agency, 11/5/25

Volunteers across all of Minnesota’s 87 counties have been busy carefully plucking pine needles from coniferous trees in their neighborhoods and collecting them in plastic bags. Why? They’re gathering clues about how PFAS move through the air so the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency (MPCA) can better understand how to protect Minnesotans from PFAS pollution. Air monitoring equipment can detect PFAS in the air, but it has limitations. It requires a fenced-in area with electricity, trained staff to operate the monitoring equipment, and expensive analysis only available at a few laboratories. Pine needles, on the other hand, become a natural and much less expensive way to gather data.

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: Science Alert, 1/4/26

"Every time a load of laundry is done, millions of microplastics are washed from the fibers of our clothes into local waterways. By some estimates, up to 90 percent of plastic in 'sewage sludge' comes from washing machines. This material is then often used in agriculture as soil or fertilizer, possibly exposing those who eat the resulting crops to these pollutants...Figuring out a way to capture plastic pollutants before they leave our washing machines is challenging work. Current filtration systems available on the market can easily become clogged. Researchers at the University of Bonn and the Fraunhofer Institute for Environmental, Safety, and Energy Technology turned to nature for inspiration. They decided to make a water filtration system that mimics the mouths of some fish, like mackerel, sardines, and anchovies."

Read about this research in npj Emerging Contaminants.

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: Environmental Health News, 1/9/26

"A recent study published by The Lancet Planetary Health examined the public health risks of exposure to a mixture of common plasticizer chemicals, including bisphenol A (BPA) and eight phthalates. 

In short: 

• Exposure to the mixture of nine plasticizer chemicals was associated with an increased risk of death from all causes, as well as an increased risk of death from cancer and cardiovascular disease. 
• Reducing overall population exposure to this mixture could prevent hundreds of thousands of deaths in the U.S. each year. 
• These risks were only found in people who had lower concentrations of vitamin D and vitamin B9 (folate) in their blood, suggesting that vitamins may help play a role in mitigating harm from exposure. "

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: The Independent, 1/8/26

'Chinese scientists have detected plastic particle clouds hovering in the air over two large cities indicating that these potentially toxic particles are far more abundant than previously thought.'

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: CBS New York, 3/5/26

'A new study shows toxic forever chemicals known as PFAS may be entering the food chain on Long Island through contaminated soil, water and air...Citizens Campaign for the Environment (CCE) conducted the study, along with Stony Brook University and Public Employees for Environmental Responsibility (PEER), in August 2025. They said they purchased a total of 23 items of produce from eight farms on the North Fork and South Fork, including six conventional farms that use pesticides and two organic farms. The farms were not named in the study. The produce included carrots, romaine lettuce, Boston lettuce and beets. The vegetables were frozen the day they were collected and tested for PFAS at Stony Brook labs. Testing revealed some high levels of PFAS, which have been linked to cancer.'

Source: NYU Langone Health, 3/31/26

"Exposure to a chemical commonly used to make plastic more flexible may have contributed to about 1.97 million preterm births in 2018 alone, or more than 8 percent of the world’s total, a new analysis of population surveys shows. The chemical was also linked to the deaths of 74,000 newborns, the researchers further estimate. The toxin, di-2-ethylhexylphthalate (DEHP), is part of a group of chemicals called phthalates, which appear in cosmetics, detergents, bug repellents, and other household products. Experts have found that these substances can break down into microscopic particles and enter the body through food, air, and dust. Led by NYU Langone Health researchers, the new study focused on preterm birth, which is a major risk factor for lasting learning and developmental issues and is a leading cause of infant death, according to the World Health Organization. The new analysis provides the first global estimate of preterm births connected to exposure to DEHP and explores which parts of the world are most affected, according to the authors. A report on the findings published online March 31 in the journal eClinicalMedicine."

Read the full study at https://www.thelancet.com/journals/eclinm/article/PIIS2589-5370(26)00089-1/fulltext.

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: U.S. Geological Survey, 2/28/25

Stormwater and road runoff are recognized forms of pollution that can contain chemicals harmful to fish and other aquatic animals. This includes 6PPD-quinone, the oxidized form of the chemical compound 6PPD that is used to prevent tires from degrading and cracking, ensuring driver safety. As 6PPD-quinone sheds from tires during normal wear it can enter streams in stormwater runoff. This page provides an overview of current research and future directions by the USGS Environmental Health Program.

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: 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: 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.