Pollution
The latest chemistry news and research on pollution, including remediation, environmental monitoring, contamination and toxicity, from the Royal Society of Chemistry's magazine, Chemistry World
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OpinionWhere does chemical recycling of plastics go from here?
US and EU plant closures highlight economic difficulties of scaling technology alongside associated policy and infrastructure
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BusinessChemical recycling plants closing in EU and US
Firms aiming to break down and re-make plastics are struggling with economic feasibility and environmental impact
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NewsCan we have a world without PFAS?
Chemistry World spoke to Rudy Dams, a former 3M scientist, about our uneasy relationship with PFAS, proposed bans and the search for alternatives
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Podcast50 years after Seveso & changing the way we separate hydrocarbons
What have we learned 50 years on from the Seveso accident? And we discuss three promising membrane strategies that could replace fractional distillation in crude oil refineries.
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BusinessNew York state sues chemical companies over PFAS pollution
Lawsuit alleges 3M, Chemours, DuPont and others knowingly sold polluting products, and seeks damages and cleanup cost payments
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NewsPaint in buildings a huge reservoir of PFAS waiting to enter the environment
Decades worth of chemicals stored in paints that have been applied to homes and businesses
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ResearchMetabolised antibiotics can drive antimicrobial resistance just as much as their parent compounds
Studies on wastewater show that antibiotic transformation products may play an underappreciated role in driving antimicrobial resistance
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FeatureSeveso disaster at 50: how Italy’s dioxin catastrophe transformed chemical safety
On 10 July 1976, a chemical reactor near Milan released a cloud containing dioxin over residential areas. The Seveso disaster traumatised a community, sparked pan-European environmental campaigns and transformed industrial safety regulation across the continent.
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NewsScientists fear that microplastics may be helping bacteria outsmart antibiotics
Emerging evidence reveals that plastics particles can induce stress and boost exchange of resistance genes
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NewsBreakdown product of pesticides and refrigerants may be classed as reproductive toxicant by EU
Development might lead to phaseout of chemicals that release trifluoroacetic acid and puts substantial commercial interests at risk
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ResearchExtreme weather likely to increase methane emissions from landfills
Observations and models reveal precipitation and temperature linked to 13% of emissions from these sites
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BusinessAustralia sues 3M over firefighting foam PFAS contamination
Government claims 3M withheld and misrepresented information about environmental risks
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Business11 presumed dead in US paper mill implosion
Two deaths confirmed, nine missing and nine others injured after chemical tank ruptured
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PodcastQuantum computing & a mysterious microplastic contaminant
How close are we to using quantum computers in our own labs? Plus, an unexpected source of contamination affecting microplastics research results.
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ResearchLab glove deposits drive false microplastic signatures in atmospheric pollution samples
Researchers uncover contamination pathway that’s complicating efforts to understand how much plastic is in the air
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BusinessUS officially moves to dismantle drinking water PFAS regulations
If finalised, the new rules will remove limits on four substances and give utilities longer to comply with remaining limits
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NewsPaint manufacturers still putting consumers at risk in Mexico with sale of toxic lead paints
Over half of paints sold in the country contain unsafe levels of lead pigments, with some reaching up to 29% lead
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ResearchIndustrial emissions of feedstock chemicals are hindering recovery of ozone layer
Emissions of certain ozone-depleting chemicals could delay the ozone layer’s recovery by six to 11 years
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BusinessBursting bubbles break down PFAS
Mantisonix is using ultrasound to destroy fluorochemical pollutants in water
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NewsPreliminary results suggest high lead levels can be found in discount children’s clothing
Tests of lead levels in 12 children’s t-shirts from various fast fashion retailers exceeds US federal limits