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Floods kill 9, damage ecosystem in southern South Africa
Floods and landslides caused by persistent heavy rains in the Eastern Cape province of South Africa have resulted in nine deaths, a school bus carrying students was swept away by floodwaters and 11 students are missing. The floods directly destroyed fish spawning grounds and migration paths in major rivers, including the Mzimvubu River, causing fish…
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North American Wildfires Continue to Spread, Cross-Border Pollution Impact Escalates
Canadian wildfires entered a period of high incidence in June, with Manitoba and Saskatchewan having burned more than 12,000 square kilometers, causing PM2.5 concentrations in the Midwestern U.S. On June 23, Minneapolis’ Air Quality Index (AQI) reached 210 (“very unhealthy”), and hospital respiratory visits surged by 35%. On June 23, the Minneapolis AQI reached 210…
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Pennsylvania Ozone Pollution Warning
On June 23, the Pennsylvania Department of the Environment issued an Orange Air Quality Warning for 12 counties in eastern and central Pennsylvania due to spikes in ozone concentrations caused by high temperatures and static weather. Ozone, a major component of photochemical smog, is a significant respiratory hazard for sensitive populations such as children, the…
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U.S. Airstrike on Iranian Nuclear Facility May Trigger Serious Environmental Crisis
June 22, 2025 A U.S. airstrike on Iran’s nuclear facility could trigger a triple catastrophe of chemical toxicity, radiological exposure and ecological contamination. In the event of damage to the Fordow nuclear facility, a leak of uranium hexafluoride would release highly toxic hydrogen fluoride gas, and radioactive fallout could affect the ecosystem of the Tigris…
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Chemical Spill in Ohio, USA
On June 11, 2025, hundreds of residents were evacuated after a fuming nitric acid leak at the Austin Powder Plant in Vinton County, Ohio. This was the second major chemical spill in the state after the “poison train” derailment in 2023, which resulted in contamination in 16 states and exposed gaps in rail transportation safety…
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Israeli Air Strike on Iranian Nuclear Facility Raises Risk of Nuclear Contamination
An Israeli airstrike on Iran’s Natanz nuclear enrichment facility resulted in damage to above-ground buildings and electrical systems, as well as damage to some 15,000 centrifuges in the underground cascade halls due to power outages. The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) confirmed the risk of alpha radiation contamination and chemical toxicity inside the facility, but…
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Canada’s Forest Fire Crisis
As of June 15, 2025, 38,000 square kilometers had been burned in Canada, with tens of thousands of people forced to evacuate as fires raged out of control in British Columbia and elsewhere. Smoke from the fires has spread to the Midwest and even to Europe, where PM2.5 concentrations have increased tenfold in cities like…
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Contamination of medical fentanyl in Argentina exposes drug safety lapses
On May 29, Argentina’s Ministry of Health reported that several batches of medical fentanyl had been contaminated with bacteria, causing 34 deaths and 69 infections. The drugs in question were distributed to many parts of the country, and the health department urgently stopped using the relevant batches and seized the laboratory. The cause of the…
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Ecuador’s Esmeraldas Oil Spill Continues to Impact Livelihoods
Nearly three months after the March 13 oil spill in Ecuador’s Esmeraldas province, which spilled more than 25,000 barrels of crude oil, the impacts continue. UN reports show that 31% of the affected population has been forced to flee their homes and 57,000 women and 44,000 children are at risk. More than 3,500 people have…
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Gas leak at Japan’s Cineros refinery
On May 17, 2025, a gas leak at one of the refineries of Japan’s largest oil company, Citation, located in the coastal area of Sakai City, Osaka Prefecture, resulted in three people being rushed to the hospital, one of whom later died in what the plant claimed may have been a hydrogen sulfide leak. The…