‘Heavy metals’ contaminate 17% of the world’s croplands, say scientists

Heavy metals are a silent threat to our food – here’s what we can do about it.

Jagannath Biswakarma, Senior Research Associate, School of Earth Sciences and Cabot Institute for the Environment, University of Bristol • conversation
April 17, 2025 ~6 min

New technologies could help destroy persistent ‘forever chemicals’

Scientists and engineers are developing new ways to destroy PFAS efficiently and sustainably.

Patrick Sears, Senior Lecturer in Chemistry and Forensic Analysis, University of Surrey • conversation
Oct. 11, 2024 ~7 min


Health risks are rising in mountain areas flooded by Hurricane Helene and cut off from clean water, power and hospitals

Weather disasters, particularly floods, can create health threats that linger for months, from infected cuts to mold growth to mental stress.

Jennifer Horney, Professor of Epidemiology and Core Faculty of Disaster Research Center, University of Delaware • conversation
Oct. 1, 2024 ~7 min

Health risks are growing in mountain areas flooded by Hurricane Helene and cut off from clean water, power and clinics

Weather disasters such as floods create health threats that can linger for months, from infected cuts to mold growth to mental stress.

Jennifer Horney, Professor of Epidemiology and Core Faculty of Disaster Research Center, University of Delaware • conversation
Oct. 1, 2024 ~7 min

Wildfires don’t just burn farmland − they can contaminate the water farmers use to irrigate crops and support livestock

Just like fires can contaminate municipal water systems by melting pipes, farms’ and ranches’ water supply systems are at risk. A first-of-its-kind study after the Maui fires explores the harms.

Andrew J. Whelton, Professor of Civil, Environmental and Ecological Engineering, Purdue University • conversation
Aug. 13, 2024 ~9 min

What’s in tattoo ink? My team’s chemical analysis found ingredients that aren’t on the label and could cause allergies

Some tattoo inks contain unlabeled materials that can cause allergic reactions.

John Swierk, Assistant Professor, Chemistry, Binghamton University, State University of New York • conversation
March 22, 2024 ~7 min

50 years after the Bunker Hill mine fire caused one of the largest lead-poisoning cases in US history, Idaho's Silver Valley is still at risk

A fire and decades of silver and lead mining created the largest contiguous Superfund site in the nation in what today is one of the fastest-growing states. It includes popular Lake Coeur d’Alene.

Martin Schiavenato, Assistant Professor of Nursing, Gonzaga University • conversation
Aug. 30, 2023 ~11 min

Arsenic contamination of food and water is a global public health concern – researchers are studying how it causes cancer

Millions of people worldwide are exposed via soil and water to arsenic, whether naturally occurring or related to pollution. Chronic exposure is linked to the formation of cancer stem cells.

Diana Azzam, Assistant Professor of Environmental Health Sciences, Florida International University • conversation
June 5, 2023 ~5 min


What is listeria? A microbiologist explains the bacterium behind recent deadly food poisoning outbreaks

Listeria causes serious illness and food recalls nearly every year.

Yvonne Sun, Assistant Professor of Microbiology, University of Dayton • conversation
Aug. 19, 2022 ~10 min

How to destroy a 'forever chemical' – scientists are discovering ways to eliminate PFAS, but this growing global health problem isn't going away soon

PFAS can be filtered, but getting rid of the chemicals is a monumental challenge. A new breakthrough offers some hope.

Hui Li, Professor of Environmental and Soil Chemistry, Michigan State University • conversation
Aug. 18, 2022 ~8 min

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