plastic

Plastic particles are found in our organs, blood and even semen. But do they stay in us forever? What damage are they doing? Here are six questions scientists are trying to answer.

Negotiations over a U.N. treaty to cut plastics have been bogged down. Environmental groups blame the oil and gas industry.

California and other states — and some cities — have learned a lesson: Bans on plastic bags don’t always go as planned. In fact, California's original ban made things worse.

California’s lawsuit alleges that ExxonMobil has known for decades that recycling would not effectively stem the flow of plastic waste.

The new study has scientists concerned that microplastics may be contributing to reproductive health issues.

A United Nations official said negotiators have a "clear path to landing an ambitious deal" on plastic pollution. But environmentalists say the plastic industry is undermining an effective agreement.

Critics say the U.S. has been unwilling to push for measures in a global agreement that would drive big cuts in plastic waste.

Biosolids — a type of treated sewage byproduct from wastewater treatment plants — are used as a nutrient-rich fertilizer on farms across the Midwest. But a group of toxic “forever chemicals” are slipping through the cracks and could be inadvertently contaminating millions of acres of farmland.

Despite a daily cleanup that leaves the post-parade landscape remarkably clean, uncaught beads dangle from tree limbs like Spanish moss and get ground into the mud under the feet of passers-by.

A study by the U.S. Geological Survey found that the man-made chemicals are present in nearly half the country's tap water supply.