Browse Pollution Stories

Without direct intervention, food systems could be the largest contributor to environmental pollution by mid-century. This warning — and more importantly, the research efforts in place to make change — were highlighted in Edward Buckler’s keynote address at the 2023 D.W. Brooks Lecture and Awards. “Right now our food system is costing us more than the value we are getting out of it. This is something we need to fundamentally address,“ said Buckler, a research geneticist with the U.S. Department of Agriculture Agricultural Research Service.

University of Georgia researchers in the College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences and the College of Engineering are wrapping up the final year of a study to develop improved, cost-effective treatment systems with advanced technologies for removing polyfluoroalkyl and perfluoroalkyl substances from water, wastewater and biosolids. The team was awarded nearly $1.6 million through a congressionally mandated grant from the Environmental Protection Agency to mitigate PFAS.

The toll that air pollution takes on a person’s physical health is well documented. But new University of Georgia research suggests there could be another price too: a child’s drive to be successful.

Septic tank maintenance is often ignored but imperative to keeping many households healthy.

Are your sinuses clogged? Do you feel like you are walking in a sea of yellow dust? Have you washed your car three times this week? Welcome to pollen season in Georgia.

In the U.S., the most toxic pesticides can only be purchased and used by those who’ve undergone rigorous training. In some other countries, that’s not the case. Mickey Taylor, who coordinates Georgia’s Pesticide Safety Education Program (PSEP) through University of Georgia Cooperative Extension, recently attended a conference in Qui Nhon, Vietnam. There, Taylor discussed best practices for implementing pesticide regulation and education programs in emerging economies.

Trash discarded in waterways kills fish and other aquatic life, and trash thrown out on roadsides is an eyesore that clogs drains and other infrastructure. To combat this problem, the University of Georgia Cooperative Extension office in Camden County, Georgia, coordinates annual Rivers Alive cleanup events.

The air quality in north Georgia has suffered over the past weeks due to several wildfires burning across the north Georgia mountains. While the smoke ebbs and flows depending on the direction of the wind, smoke is likely to be an issue for at least the next few weeks.

If you’ve walked outside during the last week, you’ve probably noticed the smell of smoke in the air. Wildfires associated with the current exceptional drought that is covering much of northern Georgia and surrounding states has created perfect conditions for the growth of these fires.

With the summer heat and sporadic rainfall, conditions are right for farm ponds to become inundated with harmful algal blooms.