Plastics have been widely adopted in all sorts of products from food packaging to toys to medical devices, in part because they were believed to be chemically inert—meaning they don’t easily undergo chemical reactions when in contact with other substances. But when it comes to microplastics, a recent study challenges that notion. The study, published this month in the journal Nature, looked at several kinds of microplastics in a lab and found that when they came into contact with water, it essentially acted as a catalyst to create free radicals. Those are unstable molecules which in the human body are linked to inflammation and disease. Unlike larger, intact pieces of plastic, microplastics have far more surface area as compared to their volume, creating the conditions for chemical reactions to occur. Dr. Leonardo Trasande is a pediatrician who directs the NYU Center for the Investigation of Environmental Hazards and was not part of the study. He shared his perspective on the results with us. This interview has been edited for length and clarity. AYNSLEY O’NEILL: When we say that plastic is considered chemically inert, what exactly does that mean, and what did this new study find to change our understanding of...

In June, federal officials confirmed the first Texas case of New World screwworm in decades. Since then, the number of confirmed cases has grown to more than 50. Left unchecked, the outbreak still threatens to kill livestock and wildlife, infect pets, and potentially even infect people. Fortunately, scientists have far more tools to fight this outbreak than they did decades ago. The campaign that originally eradicated screwworm relied on what’s known as the sterile insect technique. Scientists raised massive numbers of screwworm flies, sterilized them with radiation, and released them into the wild. As sterile males mated with wild females, they slowed the parasite’s reproduction. Today’s researchers are using genetic science to enhance that strategy. USDA scientists have developed an all-male strain of screwworm fly, enabling them to mass-produce sterile males in even greater numbers. Using CRISPR gene-editing technology, the same technology behind breakthrough treatments for sickle cell disease, scientists are also working to engineer sterile flies without relying on damaging radiation. So far, these approaches are showing promise. But the screwworm outbreak highlights a broader concern. Animal diseases — from screwworm to bird flu, which has caused the deaths of more than 140 million birds in recent years —...

Fine particulate matter consists of tiny particles with diameters in the nanometer range. They are produced, for example, by fuel combustion, remain suspended in the air and can penetrate deep into the respiratory tract. There, they can trigger oxidative stress, a process that promotes inflammation and, over the long term, can lead to serious health problems such as respiratory or cardiovascular diseases. Scientists call this harmful property the particles' oxidative potential. However, fine particles usually remain in the atmosphere for hours or even several days before people inhale them. Little is known about how these particles' harmful properties change over time. A research team led by Professor Markus Kalberer therefore investigated how the oxidative potential, and thus the toxicity, of fine particles emitted by a small aircraft jet engine and a marine diesel engine develops over time. Aircraft emissions become more toxic Using a photochemical reactor, the researchers simulated what happens to the particles in the atmosphere over 1 to 12 days. To investigate the oxidative properties of fresh and aged exhaust emissions, they used a measuring instrument developed specifically for this purpose at the University of Basel: the Online Oxidative Potential Ascorbic Acid Instrument (OOPAAI). The results were remarkable:...

Scientists comparing the gut microbiomes of two geographically distant populations uncovered surprising similarities despite thousands of years of separation.

Two routes to the apocalypse After sifting through hundreds of potential threats, the commission identified the 17 that pose a “catastrophic” risk. “Crucially, all 17 threats are interconnected, which is why they must be addressed together, not in isolation,” said co-chair Professor Christopher J. L. Murray, Director of the Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation at the University of Washington, in a statement. Two of the 17 rose above the rest: the threat of nuclear conflict, and the risks posed by malicious use of AI. While neither was considered a likely scenario by the experts, they acknowledge that either could potentially lead to the extinction of the human race. Experts in nuclear weapons have previously warned that the general public is no longer “frightened enough” of the threat they pose – something that would have been unthinkable to many just a few generations ago, when they were living under the constant shadow of the Cold War. AI, on the other hand, feels like a singularly modern problem. Those closest to it have gone back and forth over whether it truly poses an existential threat to humanity, and there are some sobering thought experiments on the topic. The impact the broader...

For decades, business leaders have assessed climate risk primarily through its impacts on physical assets, supply chains, and regulation. However, a growing body of research now suggests that this view misses one of the most significant costs of climate change: human health. This environmental issue is also, increasingly, a workforce issue, a productivity issue, and ultimately, a business resilience issue. Boards and executives must understand the implications of worsening climate-related health risks across Asia. Climate and health are converging as a business issue Extreme weather places a clear burden on the healthcare system. Heatwaves drive heatstroke, dehydration, and other health conditions; rising air pollution from haze causes respiratory conditions; floods and natural disasters cause injury while disrupting the day-to-day operations of hospitals and clinics. Yet the costs of extreme weather extend far beyond healthcare. Extreme heat, poor air quality, and climate-sensitive diseases can affect workforce wellbeing and productivity. Research from the World Health Organization (WHO) and the World Meteorological Organization (WMO) finds that worker productivity declines as temperatures rise. The Lancet Countdown estimated that global labor losses from heat exposure totaled $1.1 trillion in 2024. The economic implications could be even more significant in Asia, which is warming faster than...

HaPPE Earth is a start-up founded in 2021 by cousins Dr Mary O’Riordan and Lisa O’Riordan, making 100 per cent compostable, plastic-free personal protective equipment (PPE). Its medical-grade aprons, booties and hairnets are designed to replace single-use plastics in healthcare and other industries. Their bio-based materials, derived in part from sustainable sources such as thistles, degrade in just five weeks, compared with standard PPE, which can take up to 50 years. HaPPE features in a recent report – The Green Dividend: Why Sustainability Is Ireland’s Health and Enterprise Opportunity – by Health Innovation Hub Ireland (HIHI) on how sustainability priorities should drive entrepreneurship throughout Irish healthcare. The hub is designed to support health start-ups and was established by the Department of Health and the Department of Enterprise Trade and Employment. It is supported through Enterprise Ireland and the HSE. A HIHI pilot of HaPPE’s compostable apron across hospital and nursing home settings in Cork, Dublin and Donegal found that replacing standard single-use aprons with the HaPPE alternative reduced carbon emissions significantly. The report highlights opportunities being pursued but not yet at scale, though efficiencies (both economic and sustainable) and climate benefits are obvious. If composting facilities were to be deployed...

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During NASA’s SpaceX Crew‑13 mission aboard the International Space Station, astronauts will support a series of biomedical and human performance investigations, including a new collaborative effort to study how spaceflight affects blood flow and clotting. NASA also is testing crew members’ manual piloting skills, evaluating methods to counter vision and brain changes, gathering essential health data to inform future missions, and measuring forces astronauts experience during return‑to‑Earth to help refine re-entry hardware and procedures. Among upcoming research, a new collaboration with ESA (European Space Agency), called Venous Haemostasis, builds on previous studies of blood flow in space by combining the two space agencies’ research efforts. By coordinating blood collections and other physiological data, researchers can reduce how often astronauts need blood drawn while combining analytical measurements to better understand how microgravity affects blood clotting and circulation. “In space, weightlessness can disrupt normal blood flow in astronauts’ veins,” said Jason Lytle, one of the study’s principal investigators and a cardiovascular researcher at NASA’s Johnson Space Center in Houston. “Irregular and slow blood flow can increase the risk of blood clot formation, a serious health condition. Venous Haemostasis will help us understand why these changes may occur in some astronauts but not...

There should be a new government fund for forever chemical testing in contaminated areas in Wales, according to the actor Michael Sheen and the producers behind a recent BBC documentary into the…

A new study from the University of Washington details how a decline in pollinating insects is putting human health at risk.

YouTube video by Cleo Abram

One Health links human, animal and environmental health, but global threats demand stronger veterinary systems, pandemic prevention & international cooperation.

Wildfire smoke may be especially harmful to humans because of an evolutionary mutation that affects how our immune cells handle tiny air pollution particles.

Researchers from Adelaide University and the University of Hong Kong say marine heatwaves should be treated as an important public health concern. They argue that the effects on people have received relatively little attention, even as evidence continues to show how widely these events can affect communities. The consequences can be severe. The rapid strengthening of Hurricane Otis in 2023 and the destruction it caused in Mexico (an estimated damage bill of more than US$15 billion) have been linked to marine heatwaves. Typhoon Doksuri in 2023, which had impacts across Asia (which affected more than two million people across Asia), has also been associated with unusually warm ocean conditions. In South Australia, a devastating algal bloom linked to marine heat conditions has also been associated with numerous health problems in coastal communities. How Marine Heatwaves Can Affect Human Health A new paper published in Nature Sustainability describes how sustained periods of abnormally high ocean temperatures can set off a chain of consequences for people. These include more severe weather, reduced seafood availability, threats to food safety, disrupted livelihoods and greater mental health pressures in coastal areas. Lead author Dr. Laura Falkenberg, from Adelaide University's School of Physics, Chemistry and Earth...