As more plastic waste is being released into the environment, microplastics in drinking water and food are being ingested by humans, causing damage to internal organs after being absorbed through the digestive system. That's most notably occurring in the kidneys, as found in a study published by Communications Biology.

What's happening?

The study has found that microplastics — tiny plastic particles less than 5 millimeters in length — are the primary carriers of the environmental pollutant Benzo[a]pyrene into the body. The specific pathways are not fully understood, but there is evidence that BaP is being absorbed primarily through the intestines after oral ingestion, posing health risks.

The peer-reviewed study found that bottled water is the main source of microplastics, doing damage to the intestinal wall and kidneys and causing systemic inflammation.

Why are microplastics in the environment an issue?

Microplastics in the environment are causing a big problem since they are nearly impossible to clean up because of their tiny size. They have been found in the stomachs of humans and animals, as well as in the air, soil, tap water, food, and drinks. They are also accumulating in our oceans, causing damage to coral reefs and oceanic ecosystems. The effects of microplastics are still being studied, so we don't yet know the full extent of the potential risks to the environment or human health.

Since microplastics are not found in nature and are manufactured by humans, they cannot be broken down by organisms.

In a statement to The Cool Down, a representative for the International Bottled Water Association disputed the study's findings: "Very importantly, this article is based on a study stating that polystyrene microplastic particles are carriers of Benzo[a]pyrene (BAP) into living organisms," they wrote. "However, bottled water containers are not made using polystyrene.

Watch now: How bad is a gas stove for your home's indoor air quality?

"In addition, FDA has a Standard of Quality (SOQ) for BAP of 0.2 ug/L in bottled water. The concentration of BAP used in the study was 4 ug/L, which is 20 times more than the FDA limit for bottled water. There is also an EPA MCL [maximum contaminant level] of 0.2 ug/l for tap water."

The spokesperson also said that "with the high rates of obesity, diabetes, and heart disease in our on-the-go society, bottled water provides a safe, healthy, and convenient beverage choice" and that "discouraging people from choosing this healthy drink option is not in the public interest."

That said, while the IBWA's concerns with the study's methodology bear mentioning, plastic bottles of soda or other drinks are equally likely to cause microplastic exposure as water bottles. This is especially concerning when and if the bottle gets hot, such as when left in a hot car, as the Today Show covered. Plastic bottles of all kinds also equally contribute to global pollution problems, as plastic can generally only be recycled one or two times before it degrades too much, while aluminum and glass are infinitely recyclable.

Glass is generally the safest choice for avoiding contamination, as it is highly inert, and many aluminum bottles and cans are lined with plastic of some kind, even if they would still feature much less plastic than plastic bottles. Of course, better than all of the above is using a reusable water bottle.

What can we do to help reduce microplastics in the environment?

By reducing plastic use and recycling properly, we can reduce the amount of microplastics being released into the environment.

Investing in a reusable water bottle rather than purchasing single-use plastics and using reusable containers rather than disposable bags is a simple way to reduce your use of plastics that break down into microplastics. You can also ditch plastic grocery bags and instead use reusable bags when you shop. You can also support brands that use plastic-free packaging.

Properly recycling plastics is also critical to keeping them out of the environment, where they can be broken down into microplastics that we can breathe and ingest.

Scientists are working on solutions to the problem of microplastics in the environment. A filter called bioCap seems to offer promising results and is in development.

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Though we don't yet know the full ramifications of microplastics in the environment, by taking small steps as individuals, we can help reduce the risk.

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Renewable energy solutions are not only being explored by countries around the world; they're also being heavily implemented into everyday life as well. The Netherlands is an excellent example of this. The country's wind turbines, despite controversies surrounding their possible impact on human health, accounted for 18% of its total electricity output in 2022. However, thanks to an agreement between two energy companies and a marine solutions company, a new initiative is integrating artificial reef structures directly into wind turbine foundations in an effort to not just provide green energy but also safeguard the marine environment.

RWE AG, alongside TotalEnergies, is working with ARC marine to install specially-made reef cubes. The eco-friendly cubes will be part of the new OranjeWind offshore wind farm being constructed in the North Sea. Made from recycled materials, these cubes are expected to promote underwater habitats in the region. A total of 66 reef cubes will be spread among 11 different turbines, making it one of the largest man-made reefs in the area, though not the world's biggest. The cubes are expected to be in place for the life of the turbines.

Erecting massive wind turbines directly into the ocean can heavily impact any underwater life that exists there. However, the use of artificial reefs is intended to prevent or at least mitigate any negative impact by encouraging marine growth and enhancing existing habitats that may be affected by turbine construction. This is apparent from the design of the reef cubes, as they are intended to attract local species such as cod and oysters that are beneficial to the local ecosystem.

Read more: 5 Things You Should Never Plug Into A Generator

Reaching new heights in offshore wind energy

Plans for the OranjeWind offshore wind farm in the Netherlands moved forward when RWE and TotalEnergies formed a partnership in 2024. The facility is expected to produce around 795 megawatts of power, which will be used to provide electricity to several projects as well as create green hydrogen for local industry. The overall goal of the OranjeWind project is to reduce CO2 emissions by about 5 million tons per year while also cutting back on emissions produced by local refineries.

Offshore wind farms in the Netherlands, similar to the ones in China, require a solid foundation, as they're not built on dry land. RWE accomplishes this by either installing turbine supports into the ocean floor or by using floating foundations in deeper waters. When these turbines generate electricity, it's harnessed at a nearby offshore power station. The energy then transfers to a substation on land, where it's then distributed to the local power grid.

The push to develop and harness wind energy in the Netherlands has resulted in the country taking some big leaps forward over the past several years. Wind energy capacity had increased overall by the close of 2024, reaching about 11.7 gigawatts of power. This figure also included a higher contribution from offshore wind farms, which accounted for about 19% in 2024. In fact, the country's goal of increasing offshore wind was realized a full year earlier than planned.

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Read the original article on SlashGear.

If you think cola is America's go-to drink, think again. In 2017, the Beverage Marketing Corporation found that the top-purchased packaged beverage in the U.S. was bottled water. It hasn't changed over time either, with the International Bottled Water Association saying water retail sales reached more than $50 billion in 2024, reflecting the highest volume growth rate across the category. You're likely one of these H2O-loving shoppers, since more than half of Americans consume bottled water every week (via YouGov).

Most water fans know bottled waters aren't created equal, so they have a go-to brand. To find the best, Mashed contributor Steven Luna tasted and ranked 27 bottled water brands. And while Acqua Panna was named the best bottled water brand, you may be surprised at the lowest-ranked option. According to Luna, Ethos was the worst bottled water brand he tasted.

You've likely seen Ethos bottles at Starbucks, which acquired the company in 2005. The brand's claim to fame is that part of your purchase (specifically, 5 cents) supports clean water access to children in need around the globe. Benevolent? Sure. Tasty? No.

"Ethos bottled water tastes like tap water. Not filtered tap water, either, just whatever comes out of the spigot when you turn the handle," Luna reports. He likes that the brand inspires awareness of the Western privilege of having clean water at our fingertips, but "if Ethos gave just a little more effort to the water in the bottle, it would be a no-brainer."

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What does the public think of Ethos bottled water?

If you've never had Ethos before, you may be wondering whether Luna's opinion is a fluke. It turns out there are plenty of folks who agree, and the public critique of Ethos goes far beyond how the water tastes.

Starbucks claims that as of 2015, they've raised more than $12 million in funds for water accessibility projects. But there's a dark side to that number. Starbucks used to get a lot of its Ethos water from private springs in Baxter, California and groundwater in nearby Merced. Both were once categorized as "exceptional drought" locations by U.S. Drought Monitor, meaning the company was taking from a dwindling source (via Type Investigations).

Customers have also criticized the plastic packaging, which seems counterintuitive for a brand touting conservation. Others feel Ethos water is a capitalistic tool for virtue signaling disguised as altruism. On a simpler level, some see it as a generally bad purchase for consumers.

Even Starbucks baristas have tried to deter customers, one taking to Reddit to tell consumers to stop buying them: "They're around $3 a piece and a complete waste of money. We will literally give you FREE water if you just ask us for it. If you really need [it] in a bottle, go to the grocery store and save yourself the money."

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Read the original article on Mashed.

Tiny air pollution particles may be doing more than harming our lungs. A new study links long-term exposure to PM_2.5 to a higher risk of Alzheimer's disease, suggesting these particles could be affecting the brain more directly than scientists have assumed.

While air pollution has previously been linked with other conditions that might be driving Alzheimer's – including high blood pressure and depression – this research suggests that particulate matter could be contributing directly to some of the millions of new Alzheimer's diagnoses recorded each year.

The study comes from a team at Emory University in the US, and was designed to build on earlier research showing an association between PM_2.5 in the air and neurodegenerative diseases, including Alzheimer's.

"Alzheimer's disease is the most common form of dementia and a growing public health challenge, especially in aging populations," write the researchers in their published paper.

"Our findings suggest that PM_2.5 exposure was associated with increased Alzheimer's disease risk, primarily through direct rather than comorbidity-mediated pathways."

The researchers looked at health records for more than 27.8 million US citizens aged 65 and older across the course of 18 years, comparing medical conditions and diagnoses against estimated levels of air pollution, based on their local ZIP code.

Crucially, the link between exposure to higher levels of air pollution and an increased risk of Alzheimer's disease was a strong one, and remained notable even when other health problems were factored in.

"We examined 5-year average exposure immediately preceding disease onset and were unable to estimate exposures earlier in life due to the lack of historical exposure data," the authors explain.

"It is likely that the disease process began earlier, and our findings may therefore reflect the correlation of relatively recent exposure with past exposure levels."

In other words, rather than air pollution pushing up heart disease risk, and heart disease then pushing up Alzheimer's risk, for example, it seems air pollution can have its own effect on Alzheimer's risk.

This type of study is observational, so it doesn't show direct cause and effect between air pollution and Alzheimer's disease. It's also worth remembering that air pollution exposure was estimated from environmental data, not measured directly, and didn't take into account exposure inside people's homes or at work.

There was another interesting finding in the data, which was that those who had suffered a stroke were at a slightly higher risk of developing Alzheimer's disease. This suggests that strokes may make the brain more vulnerable to air pollution.

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"The observed effect modification by stroke may reflect an underlying biological vulnerability in cerebrovascular pathways," write the researchers.

"Stroke-related neurovascular damage can compromise the blood–brain barrier, facilitating the translocation of PM_2.5 particles or their associated inflammatory mediators into the brain."

We still don't know exactly what causes Alzheimer's, but it seems likely that many different contributors are involved. Each new study like this improves our understanding of what those contributors might be – and how effective preventative treatments could work.

There are likely to be numerous ways that fine particles can speed up neurodegeneration, the researchers suggest. They may include affecting brain tissue directly, elevating inflammation across the body, and the build-up of proteins linked to Alzheimer's.

Future research may be able to investigate these mechanisms more closely, but in the meantime, it seems that it's one of the many risk factors that contribute to Alzheimer's disease.

We know that the environments we live in can have major impacts on health in a wide variety of ways, and even more so in older age – when our bodies may not have the same level of defensive protection or the same restorative powers as they once had.

Related: Memory Loss in Alzheimer's Linked to Problems With The Brain's 'Replay Mode'

And of course, there are a multitude of reasons to want to cut down on air pollution, besides the association with Alzheimer's. It affects our mental well-being too, and worsens the effects of extreme heat waves, for example.

"Neighborhood environments that support healthy living are essential for sustainable, population-level disease prevention, including dementia," says psychologist Simone Reppermund from the University of New South Wales, who wasn't involved in the study.

"This influence is even greater in later life, when people spend more time in their local area due to retirement or poor health and are at higher risk of cognitive decline."

The research has been published in PLOS Medicine.

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In an effort to reduce excess methane production, New York City is enacting a mandatory composting program. Despite lofty goals to help alleviate rising energy costs, the measure will fine buildings that refuse to participate.

What's happening?

As reported by Inside Climate News, New York City has resumed enforcing its mandatory, citywide composting program. To ensure full participation, the city will be implementing fines for buildings that fail to separate organic waste from trash.

According to the New York City Department of Sanitation, all residential buildings are now required to separate food scraps, food-soiled containers, and yard waste from regular trash receptacles. Failure to comply will result in fines ranging from $25 for first offenses to $300 to third and subsequent offenses.

Fines for noncompliance first began back in April 2025. However, then-Mayor Eric Adams opted to halt enforcement of the majority of these fines after just a few weeks. Once Mayor Zohran Mamdani was sworn into office in January 2026, the city soon reenacted the financial penalties.

Why is a curbside composting program important?

The composting initiative aims to help reduce the amount of methane gas pollution in local landfills. Methane has been linked as one of the biggest contributors to rising global temperatures.

Although buildings that fail to comply may quickly rack up hundreds of dollars in fines, experts say that the move goes well beyond just making a buck or two for the city. Samantha MacBride, a former director of research and operations for New York City's sanitation department, noted that the real benefits will take time to develop.

"There's a lot more than just writing tickets that needs to be done to make this program solid and work in the long run," MacBride told Inside Climate News.

Collected waste will either be processed into nutrient-rich soil for parks and gardens or sent to the treatment facilities to be converted into renewable natural gas. This sustainable resource could help drive down skyrocketing energy prices.

What's being done to help raise awareness about the program?

Vincent Gragnani, press secretary for the New York City Department of Sanitation, noted that the mandatory program may come with a learning curve for some in the city.

"We know that this involves a significant change in people's behavior, and that these changes take time," Gragnani said, per Inside Climate News.

Despite the expected stumbles, MacBride explained that there may be a way to best help New York City residents. By incorporating the community angle into the composting program, residents could potentially see the fruits of their labor as a price worth paying.

"The best way to share the positive benefits of separating your organics and the positive motivations that come with that, in my opinion, is through community-based experiences with composting," MacBride said. "A person brings their food scraps to drop off, they see the compost process, they see kids and young people gaining skills that can be very marketable."

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