Scientists identify widespread silicone pollutant in global atmosphere

May 13, 2026

Reported by AI

Researchers have found unexpectedly high levels of methylsiloxanes, a class of silicone compounds, present in air samples from cities, rural areas, and forests around the world. The study links much of the pollution to vehicle emissions from engine oil additives. Experts warn that daily human inhalation of these substances may exceed exposure to other known pollutants like PFAS.

The findings come from a team at Utrecht University and the University of Groningen. They measured the compounds across sites in the Netherlands, Lithuania, and Brazil. Concentrations reached 98 nanograms per cubic meter in São Paulo and dropped to 0.9 nanograms per cubic meter in a Lithuanian forest. The pollutants accounted for 2 to 4.3 percent of total organic aerosols in the samples tested.

Realistic depiction of pesticide spraying in rural Peru, with heatmap showing elevated cancer risk in high-exposure Indigenous communities.

Study maps pesticide mixtures in Peru and finds higher cancer risk in high-exposure areas

April 27, 2026 Reported by AI Image generated by AI Fact checked

A study published in *Nature Health* reports a statistical link between environmental exposure to mixtures of agricultural pesticides and higher cancer risk in Peru. Using modeled pesticide dispersion from 2014 to 2019 and cancer registry data from 2007 to 2020 covering more than 150,000 cases, researchers found that people living in high-exposure areas faced, on average, about a 150% higher likelihood of cancer, with Indigenous and rural farming communities among those most exposed.

Land sources emit over 20 times more airborne microplastics than oceans

Researchers at the University of Vienna have determined that land releases more than 20 times as many microplastic particles into the atmosphere as the oceans, challenging prior assumptions. Their study, published in Nature, used global measurements to correct overestimated emission models. The findings highlight land as the dominant source, though uncertainties persist.

University of Michigan study finds lab gloves skew microplastics data

March 30, 2026 Reported by AI

Researchers at the University of Michigan have discovered that common nitrile and latex lab gloves release particles resembling microplastics, potentially inflating pollution estimates. The study, led by Madeline Clough and Anne McNeil, traced contamination to stearates in the gloves during sample preparation. Switching to cleanroom gloves could reduce false positives significantly.

Health

Study finds dozens of PFAS in cord blood from babies born in early 2000s

Health

Nearly half of US children exposed to poor air quality, ALA warns

Health

Study suggests microplastics may contribute to Alzheimer's and Parkinson's

Researchers propose glow-in-the-polymer approach to track microplastics inside living organisms

A research team has outlined a fluorescence-based strategy designed to make microplastics and nanoplastics visible inside living organisms, potentially enabling real-time tracking of how the particles move, change and break down in biological systems.

Pilot study finds microplastics in most prostate tumor samples, with higher levels than nearby benign tissue

February 25, 2026 Reported by AI Fact checked

Researchers at NYU Langone Health reported detecting microplastics in prostate tumor tissue from a small group of men undergoing prostate removal surgery, with average concentrations about 2.5 times higher in tumor samples than in nearby noncancerous tissue. The team says the findings, scheduled for presentation Feb. 26, 2026, at the American Society of Clinical Oncology’s Genitourinary Cancers Symposium, add early evidence that microplastic exposure could be relevant to prostate cancer but do not establish cause and effect.

Is Delhi haze caused by Iran's petrol rain? Expert answers

In recent days, rumours circulating online have suggested that the haze over Delhi could be linked to smoke or chemical fallout from refinery strikes in Iran, even claiming that 'petrol rain' in the region was responsible for the unusual atmospheric conditions. An expert provides answers to these claims.

May 07, 2026 16:53