Topic description and stories

A block of silica aerogel being held in a person's hand

Sensors made from ‘frozen smoke’ can detect toxic formaldehyde in homes and offices

09 Feb 2024

Researchers have developed a sensor made from ‘frozen smoke’ that uses artificial intelligence techniques to detect formaldehyde in real time at...

Read more

A habitable planet for healthy humans

13 Dec 2023

Cambridge Zero symposium gathers researchers to examine the connections between planetary and public health.

Read more
Monitoring particle air pollution either side of the tredge installed at St Ambrose primary school, Manchester.

Roadside hedges can reduce harmful ultrafine particle pollution around schools

13 Sep 2023

A new study led by Cambridge University confirms that planting hedges between roadsides and school playgrounds can dramatically reduce children’s...

Read more

Northern Fulmar in flight

World’s most threatened seabirds visit remote plastic pollution hotspots

04 Jul 2023

Analysis of global tracking data for 77 species of petrel has revealed that a quarter of all plastics potentially encountered in their search for...

Read more
Seal swimming in the sea near Robinson Crusoe Island

Toxic discovery on Robinson Crusoe Island

30 Apr 2023

Dr Constanza Toro-Valdivieso has been to the ends of the Earth to collect seal poo. Her results show that seemingly healthy seals are contaminated by...

Read more
The River Mimram. Image: Charles Rangeley-Wilson

Saving England's chalk streams

27 Apr 2023

A conference organised by Pembroke College, Cambridge Conservation Initiative and WildFish Conservation has mobilised activists working to save chalk...

Read more

London Underground trains

London Underground polluted with metallic particles small enough to enter human bloodstrem

15 Dec 2022

The London Underground is polluted with ultrafine metallic particles small enough to end up in the human bloodstream, according to University of...

Read more
View of Earth from 40,000 feet

Scientists develop new method to assess ozone layer recovery

24 Aug 2022

Researchers have developed a new method for assessing the impacts of ozone-destroying substances that threaten the recovery of the ozone layer.

Read more

Sustainable, biodegradable glitter – from your fruit bowl

11 Nov 2021

Cambridge researchers have developed a sustainable, plastic-free glitter for use in the cosmetics industry – and it’s made from the cellulose found...

Read more

Museum of Zoology displays ceramic art to explore Earth's 'breaking points'

21 Jul 2021

The museum's reopening exhibition uses the fragility of fired clay to throw attention back on to ecological decline, ecosystem collapse and...

Read more
Packaging incorporating Xampla's plant-based plastic

‘Vegan spider silk’ provides sustainable alternative to single-use plastics

10 Jun 2021

Researchers have created a plant-based, sustainable, scalable material that could replace single-use plastics in many consumer products.

Read more

Tree rings show scale of Arctic pollution is worse than previously thought

25 Sep 2020

The largest-ever study of tree rings from Norilsk in the Russian Arctic has shown that the direct and indirect effects of industrial pollution in the...

Read more

Pages