Pollution

Find out everything there is to know about pollution and stay updated on the latest pollution news with the comprehensive articles, interactive features and pollution pictures at LiveScience.com. Learn more as scientists continue to make amazing discoveries about pollution.

Related Topics: Earth's Atmosphere, Energy, Environment, Extinction

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Should You Worry About Microplastics in Bottled Water?

By Mindy Weisberger published

There are some very good reasons why you shouldn't panic about a study reporting microplastics in bottled water.

Smoke rises from an industrial building during sunset

Pollution facts and types of pollution

By Alina Bradford last updated

The different ways that the environment gets contaminated.

A Department of Transportation photo captures Unalaska, part of Alaska's Aleutian Islands.

Enriched Uranium Particle Appears Over Alaska — and No One Knows Why

By Rafi Letzter published

A research plane detected a single particle of enriched uranium over Alaska's Aleutian Islands. The particle's origin is a mystery.

Not Cool: Why an Ice Cream Museum Got Fined for Its 'Sprinkles'

By Mindy Weisberger published

A swimming pool filled with fake sprinkles recently landed a Florida museum in hot water.

8 Ways That Air Pollution Can Harm Your Health

By Mindy Weisberger published

Toxic air can take an unexpected toll on physical and mental health.

zombie apocalypse

Monsters and Zombies? Nope, Americans Are Most Afraid of the Government

By Sara G. Miller published

This year, the scariest Halloween costumes could be corrupt government officials or polluted water — at least according to a new survey ranking the top fears of Americans.

blue dog

Who's a Blue Boy? Indian Dogs Tinted by Polluted River

By Sara G. Miller published

Dogs of a different color have been spotted roaming the streets of Navi Mumbai in India, according to news reports.

Plastic picked from the landfill for recycling.

Humans Have Produced a Whopping 9 Billion Tons of Plastic

By Tracy Staedter published

Since large-scale manufacturing of plastics took off in the 1950s and until 2015, humans have produced approximately 9 billion tons of plastic.

Air pollution has covered solar panels at a university with grime.

Air Pollution May Make Solar Panels Less Efficient

By Jasmin Malik Chua published

From inefficient grids, shortfalls in policy, and even an eclipse, solar-energy collection faces no shortage of hurdles. Scientists have discovered another stumbling block: air pollution. 

tailpipe exhaust from sports car

Why 'Greener' Gas-Powered Vehicles Aren't As Clean As You Think

By Tia Ghose published

So called "cleaner" gas-powered cars still emit pollutants that eventually turn into harmful particulate matter in the atmosphere, new research shows.

The new air pollution map was created for the city of Oakland, California. It offers the highest-resolution view to date of air quality on a block-by-block basis.

New Pollution Map Offers Unprecedented View of City's Air Quality

By Tracy Staedter published

The new map for the city of Oakland, California, offers the highest-resolution view to date of air quality on a block-by-block basis.

Take a Whiff of Cities' Unique Smells with 'Pollution Pods'

By Mindy Weisberger published

A science/art installation for a Norwegian festival offers visitors the chance to sniff the polluted air from six different cities.

A woman lays awake in bed, looking at a clock.

Trouble Sleeping? Air Pollution Could Be the Culprit

By Tereza Pultarova published

People in a new study who lived in areas with high levels of air pollution slept worse.

Polluted air enters through a tube on one side, is purified in the middle and exits the other tube as clean air.

Device Purifies Air and Creates Energy All at the Same Time

By Tracy Staedter published

A small innovation could have a big impact on air pollution.

lulu-polluted-whale.jpg

Dead Orca Contained Highest Levels of Toxins Ever Recorded in a Whale

By Kacey Deamer published

This could be the world's most polluted whale.

A coal-burning power plant near Bismarck, North Dakota, on July 30, 2013.

Life Without the EPA: Superfund Apartments and Acid Rain

By Michael Dhar published

Imagining the U.S. without federal environmental oversight from the EPA.

Nearly 2 Million Kids Die from Pollution Each Year

By Rachael Rettner published

More than a quarter of deaths in children under age 5 worldwide are tied to polluted environments, such as contaminated water and smoggy air.

global warming, heat, drought, field

Climate Change Could Have Wide-Ranging Effects on Mental Health

By Sara G. Miller published

Climate change may have surprising and wide-ranging effects on mental health, experts say.

Smog over Tokyo.

Here's How Climate Change Can Cause More Air Pollution (All By Itself)

By Sara G. Miller published

Not only does air pollution trap sunlight and cause climate change, but the relationship also works the other way: Rising temperatures increase levels of air pollution.

Warm Blob in the Pacific Ocean

'The Blob' in Pacific Ocean Linked to Spike in Ozone

By Tia Ghose published

The "blob," a patch of warm water that sat off the Pacific Coast between 2014 and 2015, caused higher ozone levels throughout the western region of the United States, new research finds.