Floods driven by climate change are raising the danger of long-banned toxic chemicals resurfacing in rivers, soil, and food chains, according to a new UN Environment Programme (UNEP) report.
The Frontiers 2025 report highlights floods as a growing threat that can stir up harmful substances buried in sediments and infrastructure over decades or centuries. These toxins risk spreading across agricultural lands, urban areas, and freshwater sources, endangering both human health and ecosystems.
“Floodwaters can remobilize chemicals thought safely buried,” the report said, warning that increasing extreme weather linked to global warming is amplifying this risk.
Experts note many of these persistent chemicals, banned under international agreements like the 2006 Stockholm Convention, remain trapped in riverbeds, landfills, and contaminated sites. Flooding events can release them back into the environment, allowing them to bioaccumulate in wildlife and humans.
Low-lying and coastal populations are particularly vulnerable, as more people worldwide settle in flood-prone areas. UNEP officials urge governments to strengthen water management, environmental monitoring, and emergency planning to address these risks.
Industrial toxins such as persistent bioaccumulative and toxic substances (PBTs), per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), and asbestos are among the dangerous chemicals that floods may release. Despite bans and restrictions, these compounds continue to appear in water systems globally, posing long-term health threats.
UNEP experts also highlight the urgent need to improve early warning systems and monitoring capabilities, especially in vulnerable regions, to better manage and mitigate the impact of chemical pollution linked to climate-driven flooding.
“Preventing contamination is far more cost-effective than dealing with its aftermath,” the report stresses, calling for greater policy attention to these emerging environmental challenges.
Factory output in China grew 5.7% year-on-year in July, down from 6.8% in June and the slowest pace in eight months, according to data from the Nation...
Fires in Spain’s northwestern Zamora province forced residents to prepare for evacuation from their homes on Thursday as the country endured one of ...
Start your day informed with AnewZ Morning Brief: here are the top news stories for the 15th of August, covering the latest developments you need to k...
The weirdest and most ugliest products sold online in China can be seen in a new exhibition in Hangzhou....
Japan has commemorated 80 years since its surrender in World War II with a Tokyo memorial attended by Emperor Naruhito, as Prime Minister Shigeru Ishi...
Donald Trump and Vladimir Putin hold talks in Alaska on Friday, with the U.S. president's hopes of sealing a ceasefire agreement on Ukraine uncertain but with a last gasp offer from Putin of a possible nuclear deal that could help both men save face.
In a Fox News interview, President Ilham Aliyev said Azerbaijan’s transit deal with Armenia is “not against anyone” and marks the “final step toward peace,” while also addressing the 2024 downing of AZAL Flight 8243, demanding accountability and full compensation.
U.S. President Donald Trump and his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin are set to meet in Alaska, United States on 15th of August in a historical summit.
Ukraine’s allies say U.S. President Donald Trump has indicated a willingness to support security guarantees for Kyiv in a Germany-hosted virtual meeting on Wednesday, a potentially significant, though still vague, commitment one day before a high-stakes U.S.-Russia summit on ending the war.
The world’s biggest dance music festival faces an unexpected setback as a fire destroys its main stage, prompting a last-minute response from organisers determined to keep the party alive in Boom, Belgium.
A powerful eruption at Japan’s Shinmoedake volcano sent an ash plume more than 3,000 metres high on Sunday morning, prompting safety warnings from authorities.
According to the German Research Centre for Geosciences (GFZ), a magnitude 5.7 earthquake struck the Oaxaca region of Mexico on Saturday.
A resumption of Iraq’s Kurdish oil exports is not expected in the near term, sources familiar with the matter said on Friday, despite an announcement by Iraq’s federal government a day earlier stating that shipments would resume immediately.
A magnitude 5.2 earthquake struck 56 kilometres east of Gorgan in northern Iran early Sunday morning, according to preliminary seismic data.
In recent months, the U.S. and Russia have engaged in crucial diplomatic talks, despite rising tensions over Ukraine, nuclear arms, and cybersecurity. What’s behind these meetings, and why do they matter?
Fires in Spain’s northwestern Zamora province forced residents to prepare for evacuation from their homes on Thursday as the country endured one of its most destructive wildfire seasons in 20 years, fuelled by extreme heat and suspected arson.
Start your day informed with AnewZ Morning Brief: here are the top news stories for the 15th of August, covering the latest developments you need to know.
The weirdest and most ugliest products sold online in China can be seen in a new exhibition in Hangzhou.
Japan has commemorated 80 years since its surrender in World War II with a Tokyo memorial attended by Emperor Naruhito, as Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba pledged the nation would never again go to war.
You can download the AnewZ application from Play Store and the App Store.
What is your opinion on this topic?
Leave the first comment