A new documentary follows a 14-year-old writing letters to jailed climate activists, released as seniors were arrested during a climate protest on Parliament Hill in Ottawa while attempting to deliver climate impact documents to MPs.
In northern Greece, cash-strapped farmers are turning to cut-price illegal pesticides smuggled by organized crime networks, despite growing evidence of health and environmental risks. The counterfeit agricultural chemicals are being distributed across Europe's farmland.
A major international meta-analysis found that both short- and long-term exposure to common air pollutants — particularly fine particulate matter (PM2.5) and nitrogen dioxide — are significantly associated with an increased risk of death by suicide, suicide attempts, and suicidal ideation.
Study of over 11,000 people found nighttime light exposure associated with thicker, stiffer heart chambers and early signs of reduced heart function, suggesting keeping bedrooms darker may benefit cardiovascular health.
Anita Bazell died after being taken to hospital with a body temperature of 41.2C during June's heatwave, one of thousands who died due to extreme hot weather linked to the climate crisis. Her family is questioning why she was dressed in winter clothing during the extreme heat.
The World Meteorological Organization reports that increasing wildfires and heatwaves driven by climate change are hindering global efforts to improve air quality, raising exposure to toxic PM2.5 pollution even as industrial regulations have reduced emissions. The UN agency warns this trend will make it progressively harder to meet WHO clean air standards.
The UK Health Security Agency and Met Office have issued amber heat health alerts across England as the country faces its fifth heatwave of the summer, with temperatures expected to reach up to 38C. The alerts cover south-west England and extend from South Yorkshire to east Wales and Somerset, with extreme heat conditions forecast from Tuesday through Friday.
A new study published in Frontiers in Environmental Health reveals that while overall prenatal exposure to fine particulate matter (PM2.5) decreased between 2003 and 2019, wildfire smoke's contribution to prenatal PM2.5 exposure more than doubled during this period, making it the dominant source of unhealthy air pollution for pregnant women in the United States.
President Lee Jae Myung declared South Korea's deadly heatwave a national disaster after temperatures reached 42.5°C in Yangsan—the highest in 122 years of weather observations—and at least 19 people died. Seoul received its first-ever severe heatwave warning as authorities ordered emergency measures including halting outdoor work.
South Korea registered its highest temperature since records began over a century ago, reaching 42.5°C, prompting authorities to issue the country's first 'severe heatwave warning' and activate emergency response measures. The record heatwave has resulted in nearly 300 hospitalizations and over 1,700 heat-related illness cases across the peninsula.
A study found that young non-smokers with healthier diets had higher rates of lung cancer, raising questions about whether pesticide exposure from conventionally grown produce could play a role.
New research analyzing patients from Kite Pharma's Yescarta clinical trials has identified inherited genetic signatures that can predict which patients are at higher risk for toxic side effects from CAR-T cell therapy, potentially enabling better patient selection and monitoring for this cancer immunotherapy.
Health officials across North Dakota, Florida, Massachusetts, California, and Northern Ireland have issued warnings about harmful blue-green algae blooms in lakes and rivers, with at least one dog death reported in California's Eel River. The outbreaks are linked to hot weather, low water levels, and water quality issues.
France's national health agency reported 5,764 excess deaths between June 17 and July 2, 2026, during an exceptional heatwave period that affected multiple regions. The figure is significantly higher than the Health Minister's initial late-June estimate of 2,025 deaths.
New research published in the Journal of Exposure Science & Environmental Epidemiology found that all 18 tested stuffed toys released at least one type of PFAS into artificial saliva under conditions simulating children mouthing the toys, with PFHxA being the primary compound detected.
Heavy smoke from more than 800 wildfires burning across Canada spread south on July 16, 2026, darkening skies and creating hazardous air quality conditions across the US Midwest and East Coast. Officials warned millions of Americans, particularly elderly and medically vulnerable people, to stay indoors as unhealthy air readings were reported in at least 20 states.
Scientists estimate that unprecedented heatwaves in May and June 2026 caused more than 2,700 excess deaths in England and Wales, with approximately 440 deaths per day during the June heatwave's three-day peak. Across Europe, the extreme heat resulted in over 10,000 excess deaths, with researchers attributing the severity to a 'heat dome' worsened by human-induced climate change.
The World Health Organization has issued a warning that Europe may face additional deadly weeks as a new heatwave builds over the Atlantic, with Portugal and southern Spain forecast to reach temperatures of 43°C this week. The WHO has indicated that Europe's heat preparedness measures fall short of what is needed.
Preliminary official data shows at least 3,700 excess deaths across Western Europe following a severe late-June heatwave, with older populations particularly affected. The crisis has triggered political fallout in France, where the prime minister faces a no-confidence vote.
The World Health Organization reported on June 30 that Venezuela's healthcare system is facing significant strain following deadly twin earthquakes, with damaged hospitals, missing staff, and growing concerns about infectious disease outbreaks and food shortages among survivors.
A severe heat wave linked to dozens of deaths moved across Europe in late June 2026, with temperatures exceeding 40°C (104°F). Authorities implemented emergency measures including alcohol bans and event cancellations in France, while infrastructure damage occurred in Germany and Sweden.
Health Secretary RFK Jr. declared a public health emergency for Hawaii in response to severe weather events, providing federal healthcare providers and suppliers greater flexibility to meet emergency needs of Medicare and Medicaid beneficiaries in the affected areas.
Analysis of human brain tissue shows microplastics and nanoplastics are present in both tumor and healthy samples, confirming their ability to cross into the brain, though their concentrations, distribution, and direct health effects remain uncertain and require further study.
Extract from seeds of the moringa plant can effectively bind and remove microplastics from water, matching or even outperforming conventional chemical treatments, offering a low cost natural solution for cleaner drinking water, especially in small or resource limited communities.
Following the EPA/HHS announcement, PolitiFact published an expert-backed guide on how microplastics enter the body through food, water, and air, which organs they accumulate in, and what the science says about health risks — drawing on interviews with leading researchers and synthesizing the current state of evidence.
Scientists face a fundamental paradox: microplastics are contaminating the very labs, equipment, and clothing used to study them. Without standardized protocols to separate real environmental samples from lab contamination, experts warn the credibility of the entire field of microplastics research is at stake.
The Environmental Protection Agency has designated microplastics as a potential drinking water contaminant requiring study, marking a significant regulatory step seen as appealing to the MAHA movement's focus on environmental health concerns.
University of Michigan researchers found that standard lab gloves shed soap-like particles that closely mimic microplastics under spectroscopy, generating thousands of false positives per sample. The finding suggests years of microplastic measurements may be significantly overestimated, demanding new lab protocols across the field. Published in Analytical Methods.
New analysis finds that exposure to chemicals used to make plastic more flexible may have contributed to approximately 1.97 million preterm births in 2018 alone, representing more than 8% of the world's total preterm births that year.
New research suggests a widely consumed food may help remove harmful microplastics from the body by binding to particles or aiding their excretion, pointing to a potential dietary approach to reducing long-term exposure and related health risks.
Birmingham's water utility revealed that previous leadership had stopped fluoridating drinking water at three of its four treatment plants without informing the public, and is now making the cessation permanent.
New research has established a connection between Agent Orange exposure during the Vietnam War and myelodysplastic syndrome (MDS) blood cancers, potentially enabling affected veterans to access benefits and treatment.
States are implementing plans for a $50 billion congressional fund intended to improve rural health care, but the funding structure may paradoxically incentivize rural hospitals to reduce services or close facilities in some states.
