Feature Channels: Pollution

Filters close
Released: 1-Feb-2023 9:00 AM EST
Plastic is moving quickly from our shops to our bins
University of Portsmouth

Coastal city residents would like to do more to reduce their single-use plastic waste and they are trying to recycle more, even trying to recycle items that simply can’t be recycled, often called “wish-cycling”.

Released: 31-Jan-2023 12:15 PM EST
Proximity to electric vehicle charging stations positively impacts home values
University of Rhode Island

A new study finds that proximity to electric vehicle charging stations (EVCSs) can raise property values depending on where homes are situated. The study, conducted by a team of researchers from the University of Rhode Island, the University of Maryland College Park, Princeton University and Cardiff University, was recently published in Nature Sustainability.

Newswise: Michigan Ross Startup BlueConduit Joins White House Partnership to Find, Remove Lead Pipes Across U.S.
Released: 30-Jan-2023 5:05 PM EST
Michigan Ross Startup BlueConduit Joins White House Partnership to Find, Remove Lead Pipes Across U.S.
University of Michigan Ross School of Business

A Ross School of Business startup that helped accelerate the removal of dangerous lead pipes in Flint and many other communities has joined a White House partnership aimed at replacing all of the nation’s lead service lines in a decade.

Newswise: Scientists Use SDSC’s Expanse to Advance Green Chemistry
Released: 30-Jan-2023 11:05 AM EST
Scientists Use SDSC’s Expanse to Advance Green Chemistry
University of California San Diego

Computational chemists reduce or eliminate hazardous materials by running simulations to develop fast, accurate models. MIT researchers use SDSC's supercomputer to explore the luminescent properties of iridium-centered phosphors.

Newswise: Human activity has degraded more than a third of the remaining Amazon rainforest, scientists find
Released: 26-Jan-2023 6:30 PM EST
Human activity has degraded more than a third of the remaining Amazon rainforest, scientists find
Future Earth

The Amazon rainforest has been degraded by a much greater extent than scientists previously believed with more than a third of remaining forest affected by humans, according to a new study published on January 27 in the journal Science.

Released: 26-Jan-2023 5:45 PM EST
“Dark” side of air pollution across China poses potential health threat
University of Birmingham

China is a night-time ‘hot-spot’ for the production of nitrate radicals (PNO3) that could have a major impact on health-threatening ozone and fine particulates (PM2.5) in the atmosphere, a new study reveals.

Newswise: Prenatal pollution exposure linked to lower cognitive scores in early life
Released: 25-Jan-2023 3:05 PM EST
Prenatal pollution exposure linked to lower cognitive scores in early life
University of Colorado Boulder

Toddlers whose moms were exposed to higher levels of air pollution during mid- to late-pregnancy tend to score lower on measures of cognition, motor coordination and language skills, according to new University of Colorado Boulder research.

Newswise: Traffic pollution impairs brain function
Released: 24-Jan-2023 7:15 PM EST
Traffic pollution impairs brain function
University of British Columbia

A new study by researchers at the University of British Columbia and the University of Victoria has shown that common levels of traffic pollution can impair human brain function in only a matter of hours.

Newswise: Enlisting mealworms to help tackle plastic waste
Released: 24-Jan-2023 2:30 PM EST
Enlisting mealworms to help tackle plastic waste
University of Delaware

A University of Delaware researcher is leading a multi-institutional team exploring ways to engineer microbes from the gut of the yellow mealworm to degrade non-recyclable plastics. The work is supported with funding from the Department of Energy.

Newswise: Global study of hypoxia in rivers shows it is more prevalent than previously thought
Released: 24-Jan-2023 1:15 PM EST
Global study of hypoxia in rivers shows it is more prevalent than previously thought
University of Nevada, Reno

New research led by University of Nevada, Reno Assistant Professor Joanna Blaszczak shows hypoxia in rivers and streams is generally much more prevalent across the globe than previously thought.

Newswise: Transportation deserts get a lift from collaboration between NYU Tandon and Dollaride
Released: 24-Jan-2023 12:55 PM EST
Transportation deserts get a lift from collaboration between NYU Tandon and Dollaride
NYU Tandon School of Engineering

Millions of New Yorkers live in “transit deserts” – areas in which public transportation is not easily accessed – but a major grant from New York State means Dollaride, in collaboration with Tandon’s C2SMART Center (the Connected Cities for Smart Mobility Toward Accessible and Resilient Transportation), will help fill that gap with environmentally-friendly electric vehicles.

Released: 23-Jan-2023 3:05 PM EST
Virus plus microplastics equal double whammy for fish health
Virginia Institute of Marine Science

Microplastics—tiny particles generated as plastics weather and fragment—pose a growing threat to ecosystem and human health. A new laboratory study shows these threats extend beyond direct physical or chemical impacts, revealing that the presence of microplastics increases the severity of an important viral fish disease.

Newswise: Bacteria really eat plastic
Released: 23-Jan-2023 2:20 PM EST
Bacteria really eat plastic
Royal Netherlands Institute for Sea Research

The bacterium Rhodococcus ruber eats and actually digests plastic. This has been shown in laboratory experiments by PhD student Maaike Goudriaan at Royal Netherlands Institute for Sea Research (NIOZ).

Released: 20-Jan-2023 10:25 AM EST
Is your gas stove really hurting you and your family?
Michigan Medicine - University of Michigan

A University of Michigan pulmonologist discusses the risks and offers tips for protecting your health in your home

Newswise:Video Embedded stars-disappear-before-our-eyes-citizen-scientists-report
VIDEO
18-Jan-2023 2:00 PM EST
Stars Disappear Before Our Eyes, Citizen Scientists Report
NSF's NOIRLab

A startling analysis from Globe at Night — a citizen science program run by NSF’s NOIRLab — concludes that stars are disappearing from human sight at an astonishing rate. The study finds that, to human eyes, artificial lighting has dulled the night sky more rapidly than indicated by satellite measurements. The study published in the journal Science showcases the unique contributions that citizen scientists can make in essential fields of research.

Released: 18-Jan-2023 4:05 AM EST
A new approach to sharing the burden of carbon dioxide removal
International Institute for Applied Systems Analysis (IIASA)

A new study analyzes what fair and equitable burden-sharing means for nature-based carbon dioxide removal in developing countries.

Newswise: Using fungi, researchers convert ocean plastic into ingredients for drug industry
Released: 17-Jan-2023 4:35 PM EST
Using fungi, researchers convert ocean plastic into ingredients for drug industry
University of Kansas

Research on fungi underway at the University of Kansas has helped transform tough-to-recycle plastic waste from the Pacific Ocean into key components for making pharmaceuticals.

   
Released: 17-Jan-2023 12:50 PM EST
Strict regulation of PFOS and toxic “forever chemicals”
Environmental Working Group (EWG)

A new study by Environmental Working Group scientists finds that consumption of just a single serving of freshwater fish per year could be equal to a month of drinking water laced with the “forever chemical” PFOS at high levels that may be harmful.

Newswise: 20,000 premature US deaths caused by human-ignited fires
Released: 16-Jan-2023 4:55 PM EST
20,000 premature US deaths caused by human-ignited fires
Institute of Physics (IOP) Publishing

Over 80% of premature deaths caused by small smoke particles in the United States result directly from human-ignited fires.

   
Released: 16-Jan-2023 12:40 PM EST
All in the planning: State policies working to fix Gulf nutrient pollution
University of Illinois College of Agriculture, Consumer and Environmental Sciences (ACES)

Tackling nutrient pollution in the Gulf of Mexico is a big job, requiring coordination between dozens of states whose waters flow into the Mississippi.

Released: 16-Jan-2023 11:55 AM EST
Computers that power self-driving cars could be a huge driver of global carbon emissions
Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT)

In the future, the energy needed to run the powerful computers on board a global fleet of autonomous vehicles could generate as many greenhouse gas emissions as all the data centers in the world today.

Released: 13-Jan-2023 1:20 PM EST
AI improves detail, estimate of urban air pollution
Cornell University

Using artificial intelligence, Cornell University engineers have simplified and reinforced models that accurately calculate the fine particulate matter (PM2.5) – the soot, dust and exhaust emitted by trucks and cars that get into human lungs – contained in urban air pollution.

   
Newswise: The Latest From The American Astronomical Society Meeting And Other Space News
9-Jan-2023 4:20 PM EST
The Latest From The American Astronomical Society Meeting And Other Space News
Newswise

Below are some of the latest articles that have been added to the Space and Astronomy channel on Newswise, a free source for journalists.

Released: 12-Jan-2023 9:00 AM EST
The Federal Government Is Not Going to Seize Your Gas Stove, but Environmental Health Concerns May Lead to Regulations
Newswise

The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC), a federal agency, is not currently considering a ban on gas stoves. Therefore the claim that the government is banning gas stoves or that they plan on seizing people’s stoves is false.

     
Released: 11-Jan-2023 6:15 PM EST
Significant reductions in global greenhouse gas emissions still possible
McGill University

About a quarter of the world’s electricity currently comes from power plants fired by natural gas. These contribute significantly to global greenhouse gas emissions (amounting to 10% of energy-related emissions according to the most recent figures from 2017) and climate change.

Released: 11-Jan-2023 2:30 PM EST
How UCI saved the ozone layer
University of California, Irvine

On Jan. 9, a United Nations-backed panel of experts announced that Earth’s protective ozone layer is on track to recover within four decades, closing an ozone hole over the Antarctic that was first noticed in the 1980s. But it was research conducted at the University of California, Irvine in the 1970s that made this good new possible.

Released: 11-Jan-2023 12:45 PM EST
Electric vehicles helping drivers to reduce their bills
Institute of Physics (IOP) Publishing

90% of vehicle-owning US households could reduce their bills as well as their carbon footprint by switching to electric vehicles.

Newswise: Plastic pollution in the oceans is an equity issue, says new UW-led report
Released: 10-Jan-2023 2:20 PM EST
Plastic pollution in the oceans is an equity issue, says new UW-led report
University of Washington

A new report and upcoming international virtual event addresses the unequal burden of marine plastics on different communities. The illustrated report includes case studies from around the world and recommends future changes.

   
Released: 10-Jan-2023 1:35 PM EST
Children near airports may be exposed to dangerous levels of lead
Oxford University Press

A new paper in PNAS Nexus, published by Oxford University Press, finds that children living near one California airport have higher lead levels in their blood.

10-Jan-2023 10:05 AM EST
Telehealth cuts health care’s carbon footprint and patient’s costs during pandemic
UC Davis Health (Defunct)

UC Davis Health researchers assessed the carbon footprint and potential savings in lives, costs and time of telehealth visits during the pandemic’s first two years. They found that video visits in five UC health systems resulted in substantial savings in patient costs and carbon emissions.

   
Newswise: Turning plastic waste into a valuable soil additive
Released: 9-Jan-2023 12:55 PM EST
Turning plastic waste into a valuable soil additive
University of California, Riverside

University of California, Riverside, scientists have moved a step closer to finding a use for the hundreds of millions of tons of plastic waste produced every year that often winds up clogging streams and rivers and polluting our oceans.

Released: 9-Jan-2023 12:40 PM EST
Jet engine lubrication oils are a major source of ultrafine particles
Goethe University Frankfurt

Ultrafine particles form during combustion processes, for example when wood or biomass is burned, as well as in power and industrial plants.

Released: 6-Jan-2023 12:00 PM EST
EPA Squanders Opportunity to Protect the American Public from Life-threatening Particulate Air Pollution
American Thoracic Society (ATS)

Today, the EPA released an inadequate proposed rule that fails to protect the health of the American public from the life-threatening effects of common daily exposures to the air pollutant, particulate matter.

Newswise: Marine Plankton Tell the Long Story of Ocean Health, and Maybe Human Too
Released: 6-Jan-2023 11:30 AM EST
Marine Plankton Tell the Long Story of Ocean Health, and Maybe Human Too
University of California San Diego

UC San Diego researchers suggest that rising levels of manmade chemicals, accumulating in marine plankton, might be used to monitor the impact of human activity on ecosystem health and perhaps study links between ocean pollution and land-based rates of childhood and adult chronic illnesses.

   
Newswise: Study links specific outdoor air pollutants to asthma attacks in urban children
Released: 5-Jan-2023 4:00 PM EST
Study links specific outdoor air pollutants to asthma attacks in urban children
NIH, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID)

Moderate levels of two outdoor air pollutants, ozone and fine particulate matter, are associated with non-viral asthma attacks in children and adolescents who live in low-income urban areas, a study funded by the National Institutes of Health has found.

Newswise: Leveraging machine learning to help predict ship exhaust gas emissions
Released: 4-Jan-2023 5:15 PM EST
Leveraging machine learning to help predict ship exhaust gas emissions
Korea Maritime and Ocean University

Ships are a major means of commercial transport, contributing to 80% of global goods and energy trade. However, they emit exhaust gases—from the engines when they are sailing, and from the engines and boiler when they dock in ports.

Newswise: Surf, Sand and Seaweed: The latest breakthroughs in Marine Science
Released: 4-Jan-2023 1:40 PM EST
Surf, Sand and Seaweed: The latest breakthroughs in Marine Science
Newswise

Here are some of the latest articles that have been added to the Marine Science channel on Newswise, a free source for media.

Newswise: New study: Methane emissions offset carbon uptake in Baltic macroalgae habitats
Released: 4-Jan-2023 11:05 AM EST
New study: Methane emissions offset carbon uptake in Baltic macroalgae habitats
Stockholm University

Bladderwrack in the Baltic Sea emits significant amounts of methane, which, to some extent, can offset the uptake of atmospheric carbon dioxide by these algae.

Newswise: From the road to the plate: lettuce takes up toxic additives from tyre wear
Released: 4-Jan-2023 5:00 AM EST
From the road to the plate: lettuce takes up toxic additives from tyre wear
University of Vienna

Wind, sewage sludge, and waste water carry tyre wear particles from roads onto farmland. A new lab study shows: The pollutants contained in the particles could get into the vegetables grown there.

Newswise: Pollution-fighting superpowers of a common roadside weed
Released: 30-Dec-2022 6:35 PM EST
Pollution-fighting superpowers of a common roadside weed
Society for Integrative and Comparative Biology (SICB)

When horseweed is grown in contaminated soil, it extracts and accumulates heavy metals like lead, copper, and zinc. These fast-growing plants could help to detoxify even highly polluted environments.

Released: 30-Dec-2022 12:25 PM EST
South Asian Black carbon aerosols accelerate loss of glacial mass over the Tibetan plateau
Chinese Academy of Sciences

Black carbon aerosols are produced by the incomplete combustion of fossil fuels and biomass, and are characterized by strong light absorption.

Newswise: Model analysis of atmospheric observations reveals methane leakage in North China
Released: 22-Dec-2022 7:10 PM EST
Model analysis of atmospheric observations reveals methane leakage in North China
National Institute for Environmental Studies

Natural gas is a relatively clean burning fossil fuel, that causes less air pollution than coal and is widely used in the world.

Newswise: Microplastics deposited on the seafloor triple in 20 years
Released: 22-Dec-2022 3:30 PM EST
Microplastics deposited on the seafloor triple in 20 years
Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona

The total amount of microplastics deposited on the bottom of oceans has tripled in the past two decades with a progression that corresponds to the type and volume of consumption of plastic products by society.

Released: 22-Dec-2022 12:25 PM EST
Media Tip: Scientists enhance recyclability of post-consumer plastic
Argonne National Laboratory

Scientists at the U.S. Department of Energy’s (DOE) Institute for Cooperative Upcycling of Plastics (iCOUP) have developed a new method for recycling high-density polyethylene (HDPE).

Newswise: Inflation Reduction Act Offers Significant Benefits for Public Health
Released: 22-Dec-2022 12:10 PM EST
Inflation Reduction Act Offers Significant Benefits for Public Health
George Washington University

An analysis published today in the New England Journal of Medicine describes the significant benefits The Inflation Reduction Act offers to improve public health through tax credits and other financial incentives.

   
Released: 21-Dec-2022 12:40 PM EST
Are California nursing homes adequately prepared for wildfire-related emergencies?
Wiley

Emergency preparedness in nursing homes should be commensurate with local environmental risks to ensure residents’ safety, but new research in the Journal of the American Geriatrics Society found that nursing homes in California that face a greater risk of wildfire exposure have poorer compliance with Medicare’s emergency preparedness standards.

   
Released: 20-Dec-2022 6:10 PM EST
Exposure to toxic blue-green algae, exacerbated by climate change, shown to cause liver disease in mouse models
University of California, Irvine

Algal blooms or cylindrospermopsin, exacerbated by climate change, shown to have a connection with several adverse health effects.

   
Released: 20-Dec-2022 3:35 PM EST
UK woodlands could store almost twice as much carbon as previously estimated
University College London

UK forests could store almost double the amount of carbon than previous calculations suggest, with consequences for our understanding of carbon stocks and humanity’s response to climate change, according to a new study involving UCL researchers.



close
1.53348