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Motorbikers riding in heavy smog in New Delhi, India
Image: Hindustan Times/imago images

Pollution

Pollution can take many forms. But most agree that pollution is harmful for people and other life on Earth — whether dirty air, water or solid waste. What is more controversial is how to best prevent it and clean it up.

Skip next section Reports & Analysis

Reports & Analysis

An art installation made with discarded plastic bottles

A Nigerian museum turns waste into art

A Nigerian museum turns waste into art

A museum in Nigeria is attracting visitors with decoration and works of art made from recycled materials.
ArtsApril 22, 202401:36 min
Ther River Seine in Paris by Notre Dame Cathedral

Ahead of Paris Olympics, outcry grows over water pollution

Ahead of Paris Olympics, outcry grows over water pollution

Worries about the water quality for Paris 2024 events in the River Seine follow other scandals in western Europe.
SportsApril 18, 2024
A landfill in front of smokestacks

How European trash illegally ends up in Southeast Asia

How European trash illegally ends up in Southeast Asia

The illegal waste trade from Europe to Southeast Asia has emerged as a highly profitable, low-risk criminal enterprise.
Nature and EnvironmentApril 17, 2024
A pair of glasses with a black frame against a yellow background beside contact lense kit on a pink background

Eyeing sustainability: Contact lenses vs. glasses

Eyeing sustainability: Contact lenses vs. glasses

Is all the waste associated with contact lenses better than the environmental impact of manufacturing glasses?
Nature and EnvironmentApril 12, 2024
A power station in the distance amid heavy air pollution

Africa's fight against urban air pollution

Africa's fight against urban air pollution

Cities are growing rapidly in Africa, but many countries lack effective technologies to measure air pollution.
Nature and EnvironmentApril 6, 2024
A man throws empty batteries into a cardboard recycling box in Poland, Europe.

Avoiding landfill: Recycling batteries in Poland

Avoiding landfill: Recycling batteries in Poland

An activist in Poland has encouraged the public to recycle batteries to keep them out of landfill, and it's catching on.
Nature and EnvironmentMarch 26, 202401:54 min
Skip next section In the spotlight

In the spotlight

Desalination plant in Spain

Desalination — can it help us survive water scarcity?

It is known for being energy-intensive, expensive and polluting. But with dwindling freshwater, is desalination vital?
Nature and EnvironmentMarch 22, 2024
A collage of greyscale, smog-filled cityscapes: Cars, chimneys, trash bags, high-rises, smoke. In the foreground, a hand in a yellow rubber cleaning glove is wiping over the scene with a green cloth. In the trail of the cleaning cloth, a different city collage is revealed: Blue skies over green trees and an idyllic canal, with colorful houses surrounding it.

How megacities are tackling air pollution

Many of the world's biggest cities are slowly improving their air quality. Here's how.
HealthJanuary 11, 2024
A tiny piece of plastic on a finger

Surrounded by microplastics: The risks and solutions

Microplastics have been found almost everywhere — even in the human body. What does this mean for our health?
Nature and EnvironmentJanuary 10, 2024
A sea turtle surrounded by trash at a beach in Karachi

Pakistan: Beach pollution endangers sea turtles

Thousands of sea turtles nest on the beaches of southern Pakistan every year. But they face many threats.
Nature and EnvironmentNovember 28, 202302:23 min
Hindu devotees worship the sun god as they stand amidst the foam covering the polluted Yamuna River during the Hindu religious festival of Chhath Puja

Pollution in Delhi: Toxic foam on India's Yamuna River

It is not just smog that is making life difficult for Delhi's residents, now toxic foam is floating on the Yamuna River.
Nature and EnvironmentNovember 23, 20238 images
A hand holds a sieve filled with microplastic particles taken from the ocean

Can the problem of plastic pollution ever be solved?

Microplastic particles are a threat to the environment and human health. The problem: nobody can agree on a solution.
Nature and EnvironmentNovember 18, 202302:40 min