Feature Channels: Pollution

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In an effort looking for optimized air pollution control, scientists from Peking University have detected large variations in the composition and toxicity of ambient particles collected from 31 major Chinese cities located across varying latitudes. The results imply an urgent need to rethink the suitability of current air quality standard adopted, i.e., sole use of PM mass concentration.

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A new study of coral reefs in Papua New Guinea shows ocean acidification simplifies coral structure, making crucial habitat less appealing to certain fish species.

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A pivotal study decrypts the global interplay of particulate matter (PM2.5) and ozone (O3) pollutants, highlighting an urgent call for integrated strategies to curb their detrimental impacts on human health and the environment. This research unveils the spatial and temporal dynamics of compound pollution, offering a blueprint for a coordinated global response.

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U-Ride is the first app that allows users to easily compare and track the environmental and health impacts of their trip. They can see their carbon savings in pounds of CO2 and calories burned as an individual and as a community. Data collected from U-Ride will help improve the transit system over time and ensure that major transportation investments made by universities as well as government agencies are benefitting the greatest number of students.

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A new study out this week finds that protecting an additional 1.2% of the world's land as nature preserves would prevent the majority of predicted plant and animal extinctions. ...

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Many municipal landfills “burp” gas from decomposing organic matter rather than letting it build up. And burps from buried waste containing per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) can release these “forever chemicals” into the air, say researchers in ACS’ Environmental Science & Technology Letters.

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Delving into the genetic underpinnings of fruit sweetness, researchers have discovered a novel regulatory mechanism in apples. The study spotlights MdbZIP44, a transcription factor that modulates starch and sugar metabolism in response to nitrogen levels, offering a genetic strategy to enhance fruit quality and potentially revolutionize the horticulture industry.

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Wildlife Conservation Society, along with American Forest Foundation, Conservation International, Environmental Defense Fund, Fauna & Flora, and The Nature Conservancy, signed a joint letter supporting the use of high-quality carbon credits in the abatement of scope 3 emissions under the Science Based Target initiative’s Net-Zero-Standard.

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A new study delves into the potential health risks posed by the release of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) from plastic water bottles when exposed to sunlight.

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In an advancing sustainable waste management and CO2 sequestration, researchers have crafted reactors that mineralize carbon dioxide with fly ash particles. This avant-garde technique is set to offer a sustainable and lasting solution to the pressing issue of greenhouse gas emissions, repurposing an industrial by-product in the process.

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A new special issue of Frontiers of Environmental Science & Engineering presents groundbreaking research on strategies for achieving a pollution-free planet. This collection explores diverse approaches, from advanced wastewater treatment technologies to digital management systems, offering a comprehensive blueprint for a sustainable future.

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A new study by an international team of researchers, published today in Nature Climate Change, has revealed significant progress in the drive to reduce atmospheric levels of chemicals that destroy the Earth’s protective ozone layer, confirming the success of historic regulations limiting their production and use. Empa scientists contributed to this study with measurements from the high-alpine research station at Jungfraujoch.

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The United States has enough biomass potential to produce 35 billion gallons per year of aviation biofuel by 2050, a new report confirms. ORNL’s John Field provided biomass feedstock production expertise to the report focused on the role of the bioeconomy in U.S. decarbonization strategies.

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Based on an analysis of data from a regional cancer center, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute researchers calculate that, nationwide, cancer care that utilizes telehealth and local care would generate 33.1% less greenhouse gas emissions than the traditional model of in-person care. Study published in JAMA Oncology.

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A new study that investigated the presence of the smallest particles of microplastics (MPs) in ocean waters from the Caribbean to the Arctic found that the most abundant (and tiny) MPs in the ocean are not being detected by net tow surveys.

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Homes and public places where people smoke may have high levels of harmful trace metals from cigarettes, even after smoking stops, Berkeley Lab researchers have found. These metals include cadmium, arsenic, and chromium, and the levels may be above safety limits set by California.

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A recent article outlines a novel approach to understanding and reducing personal carbon emissions. By comparing daily energy use to food consumption and transportations, researchers provide clear strategies for individuals to reduce their carbon footprint effectively.

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Scientists at the McKelvey School of Engineering at Washington University in St. Louis will explore stratospheric aerosol injection with a $1.5 million grant from the Simons Foundation International.

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A recent review has unveiled revolutionary methods to recycle and transform everyday polyethylene terephthalate (PET) plastic into valuable materials. By harnessing cutting-edge enzymes and catalysts, the review dramatically improves how we break down and reuse PET, slashing energy use and emissions.

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Argonne National Laboratory will be receiving $3 million over three years to lead a project on developing a technology for ironmaking with zero carbon emissions and lower required energy.

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In a study in ACS Nano, researchers describe swarms of microscale robots (microrobots) that captured bits of plastic and bacteria from water. Afterward, the bots were decontaminated and reused.

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Research from a West Virginia University scholar of rural Appalachia shows how even the most marginalized communities can assert power and create change when they come together to form coalitions.

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Dr. Lee Ung's team at the Clean Energy Research Center of the Korea Institute of Science and Technology (KIST) announced the development of a novel CCU process that converts CO2 into formic acid.

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A team of scientists from the U.S. Department of Energy’s Ames National Laboratory recently developed a chemical conversion process that makes diesel out of plastic waste.

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The New York Aquarium is debuting a traveling art exhibit, “Washed Ashore: Art to Save the Sea” to message about how plastics polluting the environment are harmful to wildlife and people. The exhibit will be at the aquarium Friday, May 24, to Monday, Sept. 2, 2024.

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Scientists at Oak Ridge National Laboratory and six other Department of Energy national laboratories have developed a United States-based perspective for achieving net-zero carbon emissions. The roadmap was recently published in the journal Nature Reviews Chemistry.

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The Korea Institute of Civil Engineering and Building Technology (KICT) has conducted research on a nano-material-based adsorption process to efficiently remove uranium wastewater extracted from actual radioactive-contaminated soil. They have also proposed its applicability to prevent secondary environmental pollutions.

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A new review explores the interaction between exercise and air pollution exposure to determine how a person’s physiology reacts—and in some cases, acclimates—to environmental pollutants. The review is published in Physiological Reports.

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The Korea Institute of Industrial Technology (KITECH) has introduced a new solution in the form of : a transparent mask, addressing concerns surrounding microplastic pollution and harmful solvents of conventional fibrous masks.

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The Wilkes Climate Launch Prize is one of the largest university-affiliate climate awards in the world and is geared to spur innovation and breakthroughs. The prize is specifically calibrated to support unconventional or first-of-a-kind projects that often have difficulty getting funding.

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In a public commitment to become the most environmentally friendly health care organization in the nation and lead the industry to reduce its outsized impact on climate change, Penn Medicine has signed the ambitious Health Sector Climate Pledge, promising to significantly cut and, eventually, eliminate its carbon emissions by 2042.

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Remote work could cut hundreds of millions of tons of carbon emissions from car travel – but at the cost of billions lost in public transit revenues, according to a new study.

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Carbon monoxide emissions from industrial production have serious consequences for human health and are a strong indicator of overall air pollution levels. Many countries aim to reduce their emissions, but they cannot control air flows originating in other regions.

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In only nine years between 2010 and 2019, Africa has turned from being a net carbon sink, to being a net carbon source.

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Award recognizes Giordano for Italian Scientific Excellence in the world and the International Study on the correlation between health and pollution in the Land of Fire in Campania

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A case study on the effects of open waste burning on air quality in Northwestern Greenland calls attention to the importance of no-one-left-behind sustainable air quality monitoring in the Arctic region.

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The Korea Institute of Science and Technology (KIST) announced that a team of Dr. Seunghak Lee, Jaeshik Chung, and Sang Hyun Kim from the Water Resources Cycle Research Center has discovered that the natural purification of groundwater is enhanced by nitrate, a known pollutant.

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Composting food and garden waste instead of sending it to landfills can significantly reduce methane emissions and help mitigate global warming. A new study from the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign explores the effects of curbside compost collection programs in New South Wales, Australia.