Feature Channels: Pollution

Filters close
Released: 23-Sep-2020 1:55 PM EDT
First evidence that air pollution particles and metals are reaching the placenta
Queen Mary University of London

Pollution particles, including metals, have been found in the placentas of fifteen women in London, according to research led by Queen Mary University of London.

   
Released: 23-Sep-2020 1:05 PM EDT
UK lockdown and air pollution: Nitrogen dioxide halved but sulphur dioxide doubled
University of Liverpool

A University of Liverpool study of air pollution in the UK during the first 100 days of lockdown has revealed that whilst nitrogen oxide levels were cut by half, levels of sulphur dioxide increased by over 100%.

Released: 16-Sep-2020 2:20 PM EDT
Researchers ask: how sustainable is your toothbrush?
Trinity College Dublin

Researchers at Trinity College Dublin have examined the sustainability of different models of the most commonly used oral health product - the toothbrush - to ascertain which is best for the planet and associated human health.

Released: 16-Sep-2020 9:00 AM EDT
Pollution Exposure Linked to Stroke Risk in People with Common Heart Rhythm Disorder
Health Sciences at the University of Pittsburgh

People with atrial fibrillation who are exposed to greater levels of pollution have a higher risk of stroke than their peers who live with less pollution.

Released: 11-Sep-2020 9:00 AM EDT
Hazardous Air Pollutant Exposure Linked as Contributing Factor to COVID-19 Mortality in the United States
SUNY College of Environmental Science and Forestry

A study by researchers at the SUNY College of Environmental Science and Forestry (ESF) researchers and ProPublica, and published in Environmental Research Letters has found a link between chronic exposure to hazardous air pollutants (HAPS) and COVID-19 mortality rates.

   
Released: 8-Sep-2020 2:15 PM EDT
Lockdown did not reduce "most harmful" type of air pollution in Scotland
University of Stirling

The significant reduction in vehicle journeys during the COVID-19 lockdown did not reduce the level of toxic fine particles in Scotland's air, according to experts at the University of Stirling.

Released: 8-Sep-2020 12:45 PM EDT
Alliance for Consumer Education to Host Inaugural Clearing the Air Summit
Household and Commercial Products Association

This virtual event will explore the science and safety of air care products

Released: 8-Sep-2020 8:20 AM EDT
NUS engineers turn pineapple leaves into biodegradable aerogels for food preservation and wastewater treatment
National University of Singapore (NUS)

Researchers from the National University of Singapore developed a technique of using pineapple leaf fibres to create ultra-light, biodegradable aerogels. These versatile aerogels can be used for food preservation, wastewater treatment, oil absorbing as well as heat and sound insulation.

Released: 4-Sep-2020 4:15 PM EDT
FSU researchers track nutrient transport in the Gulf of Mexico
Florida State University

Researchers from Florida State University found no evidence that nitrate from the Mississippi-Atchafalaya River System is mixing across the Northern Gulf shelf into the open waters of the Gulf of Mexico. The findings are consistent with recent modeling work by fellow scientists that indicates 90 percent of Mississippi River nutrients are retained in the near-shore ecosystem, which implies that nutrients from the Mississippi River do not leave the Gulf.

Released: 4-Sep-2020 2:35 PM EDT
Wildfire Smoke May Increase Risk to COVID-19 Infection
University of Utah Health

Wildfires are becoming more common and severe due to climate change and warmer and drier conditions in the West. As wildfire season rages in the United States, people are also at increased risk for COVID-19 infection due to wildfire smoke.

Released: 3-Sep-2020 4:35 PM EDT
Climate change could deliver more sediment and pollution to the San Francisco Bay-Delta
American Geophysical Union (AGU)

Climate change could deliver more silt, sand and pollution to the San Francisco Bay-Delta, along with a mixed bag of other potential consequences and benefits, according to a new study in the AGU journal Water Resources Research, which publishes research articles and commentaries providing a broad understanding of the role of water in Earth's natural systems.

28-Aug-2020 10:00 AM EDT
The widespread footprint of blue jean microfibers
American Chemical Society (ACS)

Researchers reporting in ACS’ Environmental Science & Technology Letters have detected indigo denim microfibers not only in wastewater effluent, but also in lakes and remote Arctic marine sediments.

Released: 1-Sep-2020 2:15 PM EDT
Red fox displaces Arctic fox thanks to littering
Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU)

Animal species that are at home in the high mountains are finding their habitats reduced and fragmented by roads. In addition, they face competition from scavengers from lower boreal areas that find their way to the mountains.

Released: 1-Sep-2020 8:00 AM EDT
Idle threat
University of Utah

A team led by University of Utah chemical engineering assistant professor Kerry E. Kelly has received a $1.2 million National Science Foundation grant to design and test the viability of a real-time air pollution monitoring system and display for idling parked cars. The display would work similarly to dynamic speed limit displays in neighborhoods that monitor motorists' speed. In this case, these new displays would give feedback to drivers if air pollution rises due to idling.

   
Released: 26-Aug-2020 2:25 PM EDT
Pollution exposure at work may be associated with heart abnormalities among Latinx community
American Heart Association (AHA)

Hispanic/Latinx adults who are exposed to smoke from burning wood, vehicle exhaust, pesticides or metals at workplaces are more likely to have abnormalities of the heart structure and function that could lead to cardiovascular disease, according to new research published today in the Journal of the American Heart Association, an open access journal of the American Heart Association.

Released: 26-Aug-2020 1:15 PM EDT
Experts reveal major holes in international ozone treaty
University of Sussex

A new paper, co-authored by a University of Sussex scientist, has revealed major holes in an international treaty designed to help repair the ozone layer, putting human health at risk and increasing the speed of climate change.

   
Released: 20-Aug-2020 2:05 PM EDT
February lockdown in China caused a drop in some types of air pollution, but not others
University of Washington

Atmospheric nitrogen dioxide, which comes from transportation, was half of what would be expected over China in February 2020. Other emissions and cloud properties, however, showed no significant changes.

Released: 20-Aug-2020 11:05 AM EDT
New Research Shows Air Pollution Could Play a Role in Development of Cardiometabolic Diseases, Diabetes
University Hospitals Cleveland Medical Center

Air pollution is the world’s leading environmental risk factor, and causes more than nine million deaths per year. New research published in the Journal of Clinical Investigation shows air pollution may play a role in the development of cardiometabolic diseases, such as diabetes. Importantly, the effects were reversible with cessation of exposure.

   
Released: 19-Aug-2020 12:05 PM EDT
Plastic debris releases potentially harmful chemicals into seabird stomach fluid
Frontiers

Plastic waste in the ocean is an increasing problem for wildlife, including seabirds who frequently mistake it for food.

Released: 19-Aug-2020 9:25 AM EDT
Bacteria Can Defuse Dangerous Chemical In Passaic River
Rutgers University-New Brunswick

Bacteria that can help defuse highly toxic dioxin in sediments in the Passaic River – a Superfund hazardous waste site – could eventually aid cleanup efforts at other dioxin-contaminated sites around the world, according to Rutgers scientists. Their research, published in the journal Environmental Science & Technology, needs further work to realize the full potential of the beneficial bottom-dwelling microbes.

Released: 18-Aug-2020 1:45 PM EDT
Recent global warming trends are inconsistent with very high climate sensitivity
University of Exeter

Research published this week in Earth System Dynamics reports that the most sensitive climate models overestimate global warming during the last 50 years.

Released: 18-Aug-2020 7:00 AM EDT
Low-Cost Home Air Quality Monitors Prove Useful for Wildfire Smoke
Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory

Published recently in the journal Sensors, a new study by Berkeley Lab air quality scientists tested four models of low-cost air quality monitors during actual wildfire pollution events and found that their readings of PM2.5 – or particulate matter under 2.5 microns, which has been linked to respiratory and cardiovascular issues – were consistently higher than the reference monitor used by the regulatory agencies; however, since each monitor had a relatively consistent response to the smoke, it is possible to use the readings to estimate true PM2.5 levels. Overall, the researchers concluded that the monitors can provide actionable information.

Released: 17-Aug-2020 8:20 AM EDT
NUS study finds that air pollution is a driver of residential electricity demand
National University of Singapore (NUS)

A study conducted by Associate Professor Alberto Salvo from the Department of Economics at the National University of Singapore Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences revealed that households respond to ambient air pollution by increasing electricity consumption, which in turn increases the carbon emissions that are co-produced in supplying the electricity.

   
Released: 17-Aug-2020 6:00 AM EDT
Live Press Conference: Ocean microbes could interact with pollution to influence climate
American Chemical Society (ACS)

A press conference on this topic will be held Tuesday, Aug. 17, at 1 p.m. Eastern time online at www.acs.org/fall2020pressconferences.

Released: 17-Aug-2020 6:00 AM EDT
Live Press Conference: Micro- and nanoplastics detectable in human tissues
American Chemical Society (ACS)

A press conference on this topic will be held Tuesday, Aug. 17, at 12 p.m. Eastern time online at www.acs.org/fall2020pressconferences.

11-Aug-2020 8:00 AM EDT
Ocean microbes could interact with pollution to influence climate
American Chemical Society (ACS)

Little is known about how ocean microbes affect climate. Now, scientists report that pollution can change molecules released to the atmosphere by ocean microbes. They present their results today at the American Chemical Society Fall 2020 Virtual Meeting & Expo.

11-Aug-2020 8:00 AM EDT
Methods for microplastics, nanoplastics and plastic monomer detection and reporting in human tissues
American Chemical Society (ACS)

When plastic breaks down, tiny fragments can get into the environment. Scientists now report that they are among the first to examine micro- and nanoplastics in human organs and tissues. They will present their results today at the American Chemical Society Fall 2020 Virtual Meeting & Expo.

Released: 13-Aug-2020 1:05 PM EDT
Pollution linked to antibiotic resistance
University of Georgia

Antibiotic resistance is an increasing health problem, but new research suggests it is not only caused by the overuse of antibiotics. It’s also caused by pollution.

Released: 11-Aug-2020 6:35 PM EDT
Car passengers can reduce pollution risk by closing windows and changing route
University of Birmingham

Drivers and passengers can inhale significantly lower levels of air pollution by setting their vehicle's ventilation systems more effectively and taking a 'cleaner' route to their destination, a new study reveals.

Released: 7-Aug-2020 3:50 PM EDT
I'm a public health physician and scientist and I'm blocking the path of an oil pipeline to protect health
American Thoracic Society (ATS)

As a doctor, I didn’t expect to find myself living in a tree at the age of 63, but here I am: 82 feet (25 meters) off the ground in a lovely grove of old cotton wood trees trying to stop construction on an oil pipeline.

   
Released: 7-Aug-2020 1:25 PM EDT
Inconsistent EPA regulations increase lead poisoning risk to kids, study finds
Brown University

Two federal environmental standards regulating lead hazards in homes and child care facilities have different maximum thresholds, a discrepancy putting more than 35,000 kids in the United States at increased risk of lead poisoning.

Released: 7-Aug-2020 11:55 AM EDT
COVID recovery choices shape future climate
University of Leeds

A post-lockdown economic recovery plan that incorporates and emphasises climate-friendly choices could help significantly in the battle against global warming, according to a new study.

Released: 6-Aug-2020 3:10 PM EDT
Study Finds High Levels of Toxic Pollutants in Stranded Dolphins and Whales
Florida Atlantic University

Researchers examined toxins in tissue concentrations and pathology data from 83 stranded dolphins and whales from 2012 to 2018. They looked at 11 different animal species to test for 17 different substances. The study is the first to report on concentrations in blubber tissues of stranded cetaceans of atrazine, DEP, NPE and triclosan. It also is the first to report concentrations of toxicants in a white-beaked dolphin and in Gervais’ beaked whales.

Released: 6-Aug-2020 2:35 PM EDT
New Science Behind Algae-based Flip-flops
University of California San Diego

UC San Diego researchers formulated polyurethane foams, made from algae oil, to meet commercial specifications for midsole shoes and the foot-bed of flip-flops. Their latest result, in a series of recent research publications, offers a complete solution to the plastics problem—at least for polyurethanes.

6-Aug-2020 2:00 PM EDT
New paper addresses mix of contaminants in Fukushima wastewater, highlights risks of dumping in ocean
Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution

Ten years after the Tohoku-oki earthquake and tsunami devastated Japan’s Fukushima Dai-ichi Nuclear Power Plant, radiation levels have fallen in all but the waters closest to the plant. But a new hazard exists and is growing every day in the number of storage tanks on land surrounding the power plant that hold contaminated wastewater.

Released: 5-Aug-2020 10:05 PM EDT
UCLA Fielding School of Public Health team leading California state study of air pollution and COVID-19
UCLA Fielding School of Public Health

UCLA Fielding School of Public Health team leading California state study of air pollution and COVID-19. A research team led by UCLA Fielding School of Public Health faculty has been awarded a contract to study connections between air pollution and the COVID-19 pandemic, officials said.

   
31-Jul-2020 9:00 AM EDT
Disparities in a common air pollutant are visible from space
American Chemical Society (ACS)

Researchers reporting in Environmental Science & Technology have used airplanes and a satellite to uncover disparities in nitrogen dioxide amounts in the atmosphere above Houston.

Released: 4-Aug-2020 3:50 PM EDT
Surface clean-up technology won't solve ocean plastic problem
University of Exeter

Clean-up devices that collect waste from the ocean surface won't solve the plastic pollution problem, a new study shows.

Released: 30-Jul-2020 5:25 PM EDT
Whale 'snot' reveals likely poor health during migration
University of New South Wales

Whale-watching season is delighting the viewing public along the east Australian coast but while it's a boon for the tourism industry, for the majestic humpback whale it's potentially a time of less optimal health.

Released: 30-Jul-2020 12:30 PM EDT
Forty percent of dementia cases could be prevented or delayed by targeting 12 risk factors throughout life, experts say
Keck Medicine of USC

Twenty-eight world-leading dementia experts added three new risk factors in the new report — excessive alcohol intake and head injury in mid-life and air pollution in later life. These are in addition to nine factors previously identified by the commission in 2017.

Released: 30-Jul-2020 10:30 AM EDT
Plastics, pathogens and baby formula: What’s in your shellfish?
University of California, Irvine

The first landmark study using next-generation technology to comprehensively examine contaminants in oysters in Myanmar reveals alarming findings: the widespread presence of human bacterial pathogens and human-derived microdebris materials, including plastics, kerosene, paint, talc and milk supplement powders.

Released: 22-Jul-2020 2:50 PM EDT
Dragonflies reveal mercury pollution levels across US national parks
Dartmouth College

A citizen science program that began over a decade ago has confirmed the use of dragonflies to measure mercury pollution, according to a study in Environmental Science & Technology.

Released: 22-Jul-2020 12:15 PM EDT
Plastics found in sea-bed sharks
University of Exeter

Microplastics have been found in the guts of sharks that live near the seabed off the UK coast.

Released: 22-Jul-2020 10:55 AM EDT
COVID-19 shutdown led to increased solar power output
Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT)

As the Covid-19 shutdowns and stay-at-home orders brought much of the world's travel and commerce to a standstill, people around the world started noticing clearer skies as a result of lower levels of air pollution.



close
1.63732