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A day at the beach can be fun with family and friends, but water pollution can ruin the experience.

The problem is more widespread than many might think: In a new report, the Environment America Research & Policy Center, a nonprofit organization, found that half of U.S. beaches had potentially unsafe contamination levels in 2022.

Among nearly 3,200 beaches nationwide that were teste...

Under the surface of your favorite swimming pool, beach and lakes, hazards too small to be seen by the naked eye may await.

And these bacteria, viruses and parasites can turn a refreshing plunge into a nasty infection.

"There's a variety of microorganisms that can make recreational activities in water less than fun,"said

Pollutants produced by the U.S. oil and gas industry cause thousands of deaths and cost the country tens of billions in health care expenses, a new study reports.

Nitrogen dioxide (NO2), fine particulate matter and ozone all contribute to air pollution, and all are emitted as part of oil and gas production, the researchers said.

The new study estimates that the oil and gas industry ...

The Environmental Protection Agency on Tuesday proposed limiting the use of a chemical used to clean medical equipment in sterilizing plants because it also raises cancer risks for workers.

The agency plans to slash emissions of the odorless gas, called ethylene oxide, by about 80% at 86 medical sterilization facilities.

"EPA's number one priority is protecting people's health and s...

Sewage-polluted Southern California coastal waters become airborne in sea spray aerosol, and can spread to people on land, even beyond the beach, according to a new study.

For this research, scientists sampled coastal aerosols at Imperial Beach in San Diego County and water from the Ti...

The state of California is suing several companies for their role in manufacturing "forever chemicals."

The lawsuit filed Thursday also claims that the companies, including 3M and DuPont, covered up the harm their products, commonly known as PFAS, were causing to the...

Alligators along North Carolina's Cape Fear River have high blood levels of 14 toxic chemicals, along with signs of immune system damage, new research shows.

The study of levels of per- and polyfluoroalkyls (PFAS) in the reptiles' blood adds to concerns that the chemicals may cause genetic and immune system harm. Alligators are a

An unprecedented water crisis continues to take a heavy toll on the mental health of adults in Flint, Michigan, a large survey shows.

Five years after the crisis, an estimated one in five -- about 13,600 people -- remained clinically depressed, the survey found. And about one in four -- 15,0...

Workers who cleaned up the 2010 Deepwater Horizon oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico were more likely than others to have developed asthma or related symptoms, a long-term follow-up shows.

"This is the first study to ever look at specific chemicals from oil spills and link them to respiratory diseases," said study co-author Dale Sandler, of the U.S. National Institute of Environmental Health...

While it's more widely known that polluted air can harm human health, another danger may be lurking at your feet.

New research shows that soil, too, can contain contaminants that can impact health. These include pesticides and heavy metals.

In this study, sci...

Nations are falling short in their efforts to get rid of toxic PCB chemicals that pose a risk to human health and the environment, researchers report.

"We're only six years out from the Stockholm Convention's deadline to responsibly eliminate PCB stocks, but shockingly little progress has been made," said study co-author Lisa Melymuk, an assistant professor of environmental chemistry at M...

Pollution from varied sources caused 9 million deaths worldwide in 2019, accounting for 1 in 6 of all deaths, a new study says.

Of those pollution-related deaths, three-quarters -- close to 7 million -- were caused by outdoor or indoor air pollution. Toxic chemical pollution (including lead) caused 1.8...

Land parasites that pose a risk to human and wildlife health can hitch rides on the millions of pounds of microplastics that float between oceans, a new study shows.

"It's easy for people to dismiss plastic problems as something that doesn't matter for them, like, 'I'm not a turtle in the ocean; I won't c...

When you eat mussels or other seafood, you might also be getting a serving of microplastics, a new study suggests.

Demonstrating that plastic trash is everywhere, researchers discovered microplastics from plastic pollution in edible blue mussels from 10 of southern Australia's most popular and more remote...

Red tide is a scourge of Southwest Florida, often littering beaches with dead fish and marine life and disrupting plans for boating and bathing.

But Mother Nature isn't entirely to blame for this blight.

A new study confirms what some have long suspected - that human activity helps sustain and intensify naturally occurring

Two-thirds of U.S. community water systems have detectable levels of uranium, and the highest levels are in Hispanic communities, according to a new study.

"Previous studies have found associations between chronic uranium exposure and increased risk of hypertension, cardiovascular disease, kidney damage and lung cancer at high levels of exposure," said researcher Anne Nigra, assistan...

Enforcement of a rule limiting power plant emissions of mercury and other hazardous pollutants will be resumed, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency announced Monday.

It's the latest move by the Biden administration to reinstate environmental protections lifted by the Trump administration.

"The science is clear: we must limit mercury and toxic air pollution to protect our kids a...

Meat eaters are far more apt to choose plant-based foods at restaurants if menus are at least 75% vegetarian, according to a new study.

Along with the health benefits, British researchers said getting more people to eat plant-based foods could help fight climate change.

"Th...

A boy or a girl? New research suggests that the air pregnant women breathe or the water they drink could play a role in their baby's sex.

The finding stems from tracking hundreds of factors -- including pollution exposure -- surrounding the birth of more than 6 million Americans an...

While the lockdowns of the pandemic may have done the planet's atmosphere a favor, a new study predicts that discarded masks, gloves and face shields will add more than 25,000 tons of plastic waste to the world's oceans.

Researchers from Nanjing University's School of Atmospheric Sciences in China and the University of California, San Diego (UCSD) Scripps Institution of Oceanography used ...

So-called "forever chemicals" might increase pregnant women's risk of a dangerous condition known as preeclampsia, researchers say.

Perfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) are widely used and long-lasting chemicals found in the drinking water of many U.S. communities.

A new study found a link between PFAS exposure and late-onset preeclampsia, a condition characterized by high blood pressur...

MONDAY, Oct. 18, 2021 (HealthDay News) --- A new plan to limit pollution from so-called "forever chemicals" will include restricting their release into the environment and speeding cleanup of contaminated sites, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency announced Monday.

The chemicals, called PFAS (per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances), are used in products ranging from cookware to carpets ...

The rings of stately pines on the coasts of North and South Carolina offer telling long-term evidence of climate change and a chilling forecast for the future.

The upshot: The last 300 years have gotten wetter and wetter, making hurricanes ever more dangerous.

"Our findings suggest that the maximum amount of rainfall from these storms is increasing and is likely going to continue to...

Leaky sewer pipes are to blame for large amounts of human medicines getting into rivers, lakes and other bodies of water, a new study reveals.

Researchers found that tens of thousands of doses of drugs get into Chesapeake Bay in Maryland every year due to seeping sewer pipes.

"Pharmaceuticals enter freshwaters through multiple pathways, including effluent from wastewater treatment a...