On May 15, an unknown toxic chemical leaked at a chemical-related facility in Nuremberg, southern Germany. Two people lost consciousness at the scene, one person died after being taken to the hospital, and approximately 30 people were injured. The nature of the leaked substance and the cause of the incident are still under investigation.

A study released by the University of Naples on May 13 revealed that groundwater in 14 municipalities across the four provinces of Caserta, Naples, Salerno, and Avellino—all surrounding Naples—is severely contaminated with trichloroethylene and tetrachloroethylene, with levels at some sites exceeding safety standards by dozens of times.

On May 14, a severe dust storm swept through three states in the Midwest, stirring up large amounts of soil dust, pesticide residues, and heavy metal particles, creating a pollution belt stretching hundreds of kilometers. Prolonged exposure increases the risk of lung cancer and cardiovascular disease.

The village of Dampierre-Saint-Nicolas in the Normandy region went bankrupt in 2014. Due to the factory’s long-term illegal discharge of chlorinated solvents, trichloroethylene concentrations in the groundwater exceeded safe levels by 10 to 100 times, and the pollutants continue to seep into the soil aquifer.

A study by the University of Naples has confirmed that groundwater in 14 municipalities in Italy is severely contaminated with trichloroethylene (TCE) and tetrachloroethylene (PCE), both of which are potent carcinogens.

On May 12, the “ERMES-ii Rhein” project released the results of a three-year study covering the states of Hesse, Rhineland-Palatinate, and Baden-Württemberg, as well as the French-Swiss border. The findings revealed that 59% of the 1,497 monitoring sites exceeded permissible limits, with contaminants including pesticide residues, pharmaceutical residues, and PFAS.

On May 9, the surface of the Nam Khan River in Vientiane Province’s Vientiane District was covered with a dense layer of dead fish stretching for several kilometers. Preliminary investigations suggest that untreated, high-concentration organic wastewater discharged from upstream factories caused a sharp drop in dissolved oxygen levels and excessive ammonia nitrogen levels in the…

On May 8, a violent explosion and fire occurred at the Chalmette Refinery, located approximately 16 kilometers east of New Orleans. Flames and thick smoke shot into the sky, causing nearby buildings to shake noticeably and residential homes to sway. The incident released large amounts of black smoke, volatile organic compounds (VOCs), and sulfur compounds,…

Since the launch of Operation Green Shield in January 2026, a total of 803 containers of e-waste have been repatriated, with 150 containers to be returned by May 1. Illegal dismantling has led to heavy metal leakage, causing lead and mercury levels in soil and groundwater to exceed safety standards and increasing the risk of…

PFAS levels exceeded standards at 629 water bodies across 26 prefectures in Japan; groundwater in Osaka exceeded the standard by 1,460 times, and groundwater at a factory in Ishikawa Prefecture exceeded the standard by 1,992 times.