Feature Channels: Pollution

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9-Sep-2021 5:00 PM EDT
Bluefin Tuna Reveal Global Ocean Patterns of Mercury Pollution
Rutgers University-New Brunswick

Bluefin tuna, a long-lived migratory species that accumulates mercury as it ages, can be used as a global barometer of the heavy metal and the risk posed to ocean life and human health, according to a study by Rutgers and other institutions.

Released: 13-Sep-2021 12:05 PM EDT
Balancing food security and nitrogen use
International Institute for Applied Systems Analysis (IIASA)

An international team of researchers explored the possible effects that current nitrogen related mitigation options could have on reconciling regional food security and environmental targets for nitrogen.

Released: 9-Sep-2021 11:15 AM EDT
UCI is No. 2 in Sierra magazine’s 2021 ‘Cool Schools’ ranking of sustainability leaders
University of California, Irvine

Irvine, Calif., Sept. 9, 2021 — The green streak continues! Sierra magazine has named the University of California, Irvine No. 2 overall in its annual “Cool Schools” ranking of sustainability leaders among U.S. and Canadian universities and colleges, marking the 12th time in a row that UCI has placed in the top 10 of the widely acclaimed list.

Released: 9-Sep-2021 10:15 AM EDT
Tissue abnormalities found in oysters years after Deepwater Horizon oil spill
California Academy of Sciences

Study provides baseline for measuring impact of petroleum pollution on economically and ecologically important species along the Gulf Coast

Released: 8-Sep-2021 1:25 PM EDT
Americans should see improved water quality after federal judge strikes down water pollution rule, WVU scientist says
West Virginia University

Nicolas Zegre, a hydrology researcher at West Virginia University, is available to discuss the recent ruling tossing Trump-era regulations allowing pollution — including industrial waste, pesticides and other chemicals — to be discharged into small streams and other waterways.

Released: 8-Sep-2021 10:55 AM EDT
First global study of wildfire pollution reveals increase in mortality rate
Monash University

The first study into the global impact of wildfire-related pollution and deaths comprehensively links short term exposure to wildfire-related fine particulate matters (PM2.5) in the air and all-cause, respiratory and cardiovascular mortalities across cities and regions around the globe.

Released: 7-Sep-2021 4:05 AM EDT
Putting a price on climate change
International Institute for Applied Systems Analysis (IIASA)

A new study looks back on how ten years of scientific advancements have influenced emissions estimates, and explores how to resolve some of the most important outstanding gaps in existing models.

Newswise: Mountaintop mining causes 40% loss of aquatic biodiversity
Released: 3-Sep-2021 3:10 PM EDT
Mountaintop mining causes 40% loss of aquatic biodiversity
Duke University

Trickling down over rocks, surrounded by wildflowers and ferns, Appalachian mountain streams are chock-full of life.

1-Sep-2021 7:00 AM EDT
Decades After Toxic Exposure, 9/11 First Responders May Still Lower Their Risk of Lung Injury
NYU Langone Health

Losing weight and treating excess levels of fat in the blood may help prevent lung disease in firefighters exposed to dangerous levels of fine particles from fire, smoke, and toxic chemicals on Sept. 11, 2001, a new study shows.

Released: 1-Sep-2021 8:40 AM EDT
Biofuels offer a cost-effective way to lower shipping emissions
Argonne National Laboratory

Substituting biofuel could reduce the amount of greenhouse gases and other pollutants entering the air from ocean shipping, according to a study from researchers at the U.S. Department of Energy and Department of Transportation.

27-Aug-2021 10:00 AM EDT
Watercooler parts could be a source of organophosphate ester exposure
American Chemical Society (ACS)

Researchers in ACS’ Environmental Science & Technology Letters report that organophosphate esters (OPEs) were found in water dispensed from watercooler systems, but they estimated that daily consumption would be far below the levels associated with health problems.

Released: 27-Aug-2021 6:25 PM EDT
Carbon neutrality – a new policy brief for municipalities world wide
University of Helsinki

How to design efficient demo areas for urban carbon sequestration? In the latest policy brief research groups from the University of Helsinki and Aalto University focus on the main principles of urban demonstration areas using biochars for carbon sequestration.

17-Aug-2021 8:00 AM EDT
Detecting an unprecedented range of potentially harmful airborne compounds (video)
American Chemical Society (ACS)

Many products release molecules that drift through the air. Some can potentially cause health problems. Researchers now report a personal air-sampling system that can detect an unprecedented range of these compounds from a special badge or pen. They will present their results at ACS Fall 2021.

Released: 24-Aug-2021 7:05 AM EDT
Lupin and Arsenic: research on soil decontamination by an exceptional plant
Universite de Montreal

Researchers at the University of Montreal and the Montreal Botanical Garden have discovered a new chemical mechanism used by roots of white lupin to clean up arsenic-contaminated soils, such as those from mining operations.

Released: 23-Aug-2021 10:05 AM EDT
NSF awards to impact air quality in Great Lakes region and beyond
Wayne State University Division of Research

A Wayne State University researcher recently received confirmation for funding of two grants from the National Science Foundation that will help protect the air we breathe and other aspects of our environment.

Released: 20-Aug-2021 4:05 PM EDT
We can expect more emissions from oil refineries in the near-term future, analysis finds
Cell Press

A global inventory has revealed that CO2 emissions from oil refineries were 1.3 Gigatonnes (Gt) in 2018 and could be as large as 16.5 Gt from 2020 to 2030.

Released: 19-Aug-2021 3:00 PM EDT
VIDEO AND TRANSCRIPT AVAILABLE: Breakthrough Cases and COVID Boosters: Live Expert Panel for August 18, 2021
Newswise

Expert Q&A: Do breakthrough cases mean we will soon need COVID boosters? The extremely contagious Delta variant continues to spread, prompting mask mandates, proof of vaccination, and other measures. Media invited to ask the experts about these and related topics.

Released: 18-Aug-2021 4:30 PM EDT
To Reduce Vehicle Pollution, a Single Atom Can Do the Work of Several
Pacific Northwest National Laboratory

A discovery from PNNL and Washington State University could help reduce the amount of expensive material needed to treat vehicle exhaust by making the most of every precious atom.

Released: 18-Aug-2021 4:20 PM EDT
Urban lights keep insects awake at night
Osaka City University

A new study shows how an increase in nighttime lighting (light pollution) and heat from urban areas disturbs the hibernation periods of insects.

Released: 18-Aug-2021 11:15 AM EDT
Small satellites have role assessing atmospheric particulates, UAH research shows
University of Alabama Huntsville

Small commercial satellites have a role in atmospheric particulates investigations, according to recently published thesis research by a research associate with the Earth System Science Center at The University of Alabama in Huntsville (UAH), a part of the University of Alabama System.

Released: 17-Aug-2021 11:20 AM EDT
New project brings AI to environmental research in the field
Ohio State University

A new 30-foot tower has sprouted on the edge of The Ohio State University Airport, but it has nothing to do with directing the thousands of planes that take off and land there each year.

Released: 16-Aug-2021 4:55 PM EDT
New study analyzes global environmental consequences of weakening US-China trade relationship
University of Maryland, Center for Environmental Science

A new study has found that United States would face intensifying nitrogen and phosphorus pollution and increasing irrigation water usage in agricultural production as a result of persistent US-China trade tension, such as China’s retaliatory tariffs on US agriculture.

Released: 16-Aug-2021 11:20 AM EDT
3 Million Asthmatics and Over Half of U.S. Affected by Wildfire Smoke, Says UAH Research
University of Alabama Huntsville

An estimated 3 million asthmatics and over half of the states in the United States are being affected by particulates that are blowing over them from fires in Canada and the western U.S., according to new research at The University of Alabama in Huntsville (UAH).

   
Released: 10-Aug-2021 4:40 PM EDT
MTU Engineers Clean Up Water Pollution with Sunlight
Michigan Technological University

In addition to providing vitamin D, helping flowers grow and creating the perfect excuse to head to the beach, sunlight also helps break down chemicals in streams, lakes and rivers. Michigan Tech’s Daisuke Minakata has developed a comprehensive reactive activity model that shows how singlet oxygen’s reaction mechanisms perform against a diverse group of contaminants and computes their half-life in a natural aquatic environment.

5-Aug-2021 10:55 AM EDT
Common Environmental Pollutants Damage Mucus Structure, Function
American Institute of Physics (AIP)

In Biophysics Reviews, researchers review recent scientific literature about the effects of particle contaminants on the mucosal system, an internal membrane that serves as the body's lubricant and the first line of defense from infections and toxins. These data establish a clear link between exposure to airborne or waterborne particulate matter and several health conditions.

   
Released: 10-Aug-2021 8:50 AM EDT
Red Tide Respiratory Forecast is Now Operational
Gulf of Mexico Coastal Ocean Observing System-Regional Association (GCOOS-RA)

The Red Tide Respiratory Forecast developed by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s National Centers for Coastal Ocean Science (NOAA-NCCOS) in partnership with the Gulf of Mexico Coastal Ocean Observing System (GCOOS), the state of Florida and others, is now fully supported and available to the public.

   
Released: 5-Aug-2021 11:50 AM EDT
The Final 25%: How to Tackle Hard-to-Reach Emissions
University of Oxford

Electricity, transport, and heating account for a massive 80% of greenhouse gas emissions and are at the forefront of the battle to achieve Net Zero.

Released: 4-Aug-2021 8:40 AM EDT
Up in Smoke
University of Utah

University of Utah researchers have developed a method to better predict if and when wildfire smoke might affect the ground-level air quality of nearby residents.

2-Aug-2021 12:05 AM EDT
Fine Particulate Air Pollution Associated with Higher Risk of Dementia
University of Washington

Using data from two large, long-running study projects in the Puget Sound region — one that began in the late 1970s measuring air pollution and another on risk factors for dementia that began in 1994 — University of Washington researchers identified a link between air pollution and dementia.

Released: 3-Aug-2021 1:45 PM EDT
Study provides first holistic assessment of plastic pollution in the Caribbean
University of Plymouth

The Caribbean is renowned globally for its stunning beaches and crystal clear ocean.

Released: 3-Aug-2021 8:30 AM EDT
What’s Killing Coral Reefs in Florida is Also Killing Them in Belize
Florida Atlantic University

Only 17 percent of live coral cover remains on fore-reefs in Belize. A study finds new evidence that nitrogen enrichment from land-based sources like agriculture run-off and sewage, are significantly driving macroalgal blooms to increase on the Belize Barrier Reef and causing massive decline in hard coral cover. With only 2 percent of hard coral cover remaining in the Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary, it’s too late to save that reef, but there’s still hope for the Belize Barrier Reef.

Released: 2-Aug-2021 1:15 PM EDT
A New Study Reveals: Overfishing and Other Human Pressures Are Severely Harming Many Marine Protected Areas (MPAs) Around the World
Tel Aviv University

A new study by Tel Aviv University reveals significant ecological damage to many MPAs around the world.

Released: 29-Jul-2021 3:15 PM EDT
More Carbon Emissions Will Kill More People; Here's How Many
Earth Institute at Columbia University

A just-published study coins a new metric: the "mortality cost of carbon.

   
Released: 27-Jul-2021 2:40 PM EDT
Possible Future for Western Wildfires: Decade-Long Burst, Followed by Gradual Decline
University of Washington

A model of the eastern California forests of the Sierra Nevada looks at the longer-term future of wildfires under future climate change scenarios. Results show an initial roughly decade-long burst of wildfire activity, followed by recurring fires of decreasing area — a pattern that could apply to other drought-prone regions of the West.

Released: 26-Jul-2021 2:45 PM EDT
What Happens to Marine Life When Oxygen Is Scarce?
Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution

Woods Hole, Mass. (July 26, 2021) — In September of 2017, Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution postdoctoral scholar Maggie Johnson was conducting an experiment with a colleague in Bocas del Toro off the Caribbean coast of Panama. After sitting on a quiet, warm open ocean, they snorkeled down to find a peculiar layer of murky, foul-smelling water about 10 feet below the surface, with brittle stars and sea urchins, which are usually in hiding, perching on the tops of coral.

26-Jul-2021 4:05 AM EDT
Inequity in the Air of India
International Institute for Applied Systems Analysis (IIASA)

Air pollution in India is generated more by the wealthy, while the poor suffer most of the health impact, according to a study by five IIASA researchers published in Nature Sustainability.

Released: 26-Jul-2021 9:00 AM EDT
Plastic the Trojan Horse
University of Portsmouth

A new study has found plastic accumulation in foods may be underestimated.

Released: 22-Jul-2021 11:55 AM EDT
Crime Scene Tape Set to Revolutionize Microplastics Research
Staffordshire University

An adhesive tape patented by Staffordshire University researchers to recover trace evidence from crimes scenes is being adopted to analyse microplastics more efficiently.

Released: 22-Jul-2021 8:55 AM EDT
2 in 1 Face Mask Against Dust and Virus – Chula Health Innovation in the New Normal
Chulalongkorn University

Chula’s Faculty of Engineering joins hands with PTT to develop a 2 in1 face mask, an innovation that protects against PM2.5 dust particles and COVID-19 virus that can be reused more than 15 times, helps reduce waste, is pollution-free, and will be available for sale soon.

Released: 21-Jul-2021 2:35 PM EDT
New Study Confirms Relationship Between Toxic Pollution, Climate Risks to Human Health
University of Notre Dame

In a first-of-its-kind study that combines assessments of the risks of toxic emissions, nontoxic emissions and people’s vulnerability to them, Notre Dame researchers found a strong and statistically significant relationship between the spatial distribution of global climate risk and toxic pollution.

   
Released: 20-Jul-2021 3:20 PM EDT
COVID-19 Shutdowns Reveal Racial Disparities in Exposure to Air Pollution
George Washington University

A new GW study of COVID-19 shutdowns in the United States reveals pronounced disparities in air pollution — with disenfranchised, minority neighborhoods still experiencing more exposure to a harmful air pollutant compared to wealthier, white communities.

Released: 16-Jul-2021 2:20 PM EDT
Wildfire Smoke Exposure Linked to Increased Risk of Contracting COVID-19
Desert Research Institute (DRI)

Wildfire smoke may greatly increase susceptibility to SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19, according to new research from the Center for Genomic Medicine at the Desert Research Institute (DRI), Washoe County Health District (WCHD), and Renown Health (Renown) in Reno, Nev.

   
Released: 15-Jul-2021 8:55 AM EDT
Chula Successfully Converts Carbon Dioxide to Methanol – Reduces Global Warming, and Adds Value to the Circular Economy
Chulalongkorn University

An Engineering professor, Chulalongkorn University has successfully converted carbon dioxide to methanol via a thermochemical method that consumes less energy and provides more yield, providing an alternative solution to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and stimulate the circular economy.

Released: 14-Jul-2021 3:35 PM EDT
Chemistry Discovery Could Remove Micropollutants from Environment
U.S. ARMY Research Laboratory

Army-funded research identified a new chemistry approach that could remove micropollutants from the environment.

Released: 13-Jul-2021 12:40 PM EDT
University of Portsmouth becomes the first non-US partner of a new project to tackle plastic pollution in the USA
University of Portsmouth

The University of Portsmouth is now a key member of a collaborative effort funded by the United States Department of Energy (DOE) and industry to tackle the growing global crisis of plastic waste.

Released: 12-Jul-2021 11:50 AM EDT
Just 25 mega-cities produce 52% of the world's urban greenhouse gas emissions
Frontiers

In 2015, 170 countries worldwide adopted the Paris Agreement, with the goal limiting the average global temperature increase to 1.5°C.

Released: 8-Jul-2021 11:50 AM EDT
How air pollution changed during COVID-19 in Park City, Utah
University of Utah

Throughout the pandemic, air sensors watched during lockdowns as air pollution fell in residential and commercial areas, and then as pollution rose again with reopenings. The changing levels, the researchers found, which behaved differently in residential and commercial parts of the city, show where pollution is coming from and how it might change in the future under different policies.

7-Jul-2021 4:05 AM EDT
Dealing with Global Carbon Debt
International Institute for Applied Systems Analysis (IIASA)

IIASA researchers and international colleagues are calling for immediate action to establish responsibility for carbon debt by implementing carbon removal obligations.

Released: 6-Jul-2021 7:05 PM EDT
Empowering a Neighborhood to Breathe Easy
Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory

Companies like Purple Air and IQAir, with air pollution sensors that cost under $300, have brought air quality monitoring to the masses. But when Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory scientist Tom Kirchstetter looked at Purple Air’s map last year during wildfire season, he noticed a big hole in Richmond, a city of 110,000 to the north of Berkeley.



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