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.
Russia launched a large-scale aerial assault on Ukraine, marking the fourth major attack this month, with hundreds of drones and dozens of missiles st...
Hungary’s opposition leader Péter Magyar announced that his Tisza party will introduce a "Hungarian New Deal" to revitalise the country’s slowing...
According to a Wall Street Journal report on Saturday, SpaceX is investing $2 billion into xAI as part of a broader $5 billion equity funding round, s...
Iran has opened the first phase of its largest solar power plant as part of a major government programme to expand renewable energy capacity....
UK authorities have raised an amber heat health alert for much of southern England, warning that the ongoing heatwave could lead to a rise in deaths....
President Donald Trump on Saturday ordered 30 % duties on imports from the European Union and Mexico starting on 1 August, ending months of inconclusive negotiations and deepening a tariff campaign that is already generating more than $100 billion in annual customs revenue for the U.S. Treasury.
European wine and dairy producers are facing growing uncertainty as new U.S. tariffs threaten to disrupt exports to one of their most lucrative markets.
President Donald Trump toured flood-hit areas in Texas and expanded federal disaster assistance to eight more counties.
Washington and Ottawa are once again at odds, as President Trump unveils a sharp new tariff on Canadian goods—citing drug trafficking and trade disputes just weeks ahead of a key deadline.
A series of earthquakes have struck Guatemala on Tuesday afternoon, leading authorities to advise residents to evacuate from buildings as a precaution against possible aftershocks.
A deadly mass shooting early on Monday (7 July) in Philadelphia's Grays Ferry neighbourhood left three men dead and nine others wounded, including teenagers, as more than 100 shots were fired.
Australian researchers have created a groundbreaking “biological AI” platform that could revolutionise drug discovery by rapidly evolving molecules within mammalian cells.
Dozens of international and domestic flights were cancelled or delayed after Mount Lewotobi Laki Laki erupted on Monday, but Bali’s main airport remains operational.
French member of parliament Olivier Marleix was found dead at his home on Monday, with suicide being considered a possible cause.
Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese arrived in Shanghai, beginning a six-day tour across three Chinese cities, with discussions expected to focus on regional security concerns and strengthening economic relations.
Russia launched a large-scale aerial assault on Ukraine, marking the fourth major attack this month, with hundreds of drones and dozens of missiles striking cities across the country. At least two people were killed in Chernivtsi, near the Romanian border.
Hungary’s opposition leader Péter Magyar announced that his Tisza party will introduce a "Hungarian New Deal" to revitalise the country’s slowing economy through major investments and stable policies if it wins next year’s election.
UK authorities have raised an amber heat health alert for much of southern England, warning that the ongoing heatwave could lead to a rise in deaths.
Israel is expected to submit a new withdrawal map today during ongoing ceasefire negotiations in Doha, Qatar, as talks face challenges over the size of the buffer zone around Gaza.
You can download the AnewZ application from Play Store and the App Store.
What is your opinion on this topic?
Leave the first comment