UCI study finds 53 percent jump in e-waste greenhouse gas emissions between 2014, 2020

Greenhouse gas emissions into the atmosphere from electronic devices and their associated electronic waste increased by 53 percent between 2014 and 2020, including 580 metric tons of carbon dioxide in 2020 alone, according to University of California, Irvine researchers.

UCLA-led study finds California’s greenhouse gas reductions could be wiped out by 2020 wildfires

A new analysis led by researchers with the University of California has found the 2020 wildfires in the state, the most disastrous wildfire year on record, put twice as much greenhouse gas emissions into the Earth’s atmosphere as the total reduction in such pollutants in California between 2003-2019.

Alzheimer’s Disease: Making Connections between Air Pollution and Neurodegeneration

Exposure to urban air pollutants such as ozone (O3) is increasingly linked with Alzheimer’s disease; yet because ozone cannot travel from the lungs to the brain, the mechanism by which it contributes to development of Alzheimer’s has been poorly understood.…

WVU toxicologist calls passage of burn pit bill ‘critical step in improving veteran health’

A West Virginia University researcher with expertise in air pollution and inhalation exposures is available to discuss burn pits following this week’s U.S. Senate passage of a bill expanding health care benefits for veterans who developed illnesses after being exposed…

Air pollution caused 2,780 deaths, illnesses, and IQ loss in children in Massachusetts in 2019, researchers report

Air pollution remains a silent killer in Massachusetts, responsible for an estimated 2,780 deaths a year and for measurable cognitive loss in Bay State children exposed to fine particulate pollutants in the air they breathe, according to a new study by researchers at Boston College’s Global Observatory on Planetary Health.

UAlbany Expert in Climate Change, Environmental Law Offers Insight on Supreme Court EPA Ruling

Albany, N.Y. (July 1, 2022) – The U.S. Supreme Court on Thursday limited the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)’s authority to set climate standards for power plants.  The court’s 6-3 ruling – which addressed an Obama-era regulation aimed at coal-fired power…

Higher socioeconomic status linked to increased air pollution exposure in China

For the first time, a University of Washington led team has uncovered that people living in China who have a higher socioeconomic status are actually more exposed to outdoor air pollution, also known as ambient air pollution. This finding runs contrary to existing studies conducted throughout North America, which have shown that higher pollution levels tend to be experienced among people with lower socioeconomic status.

COVID-19 Lockdown Measures Affect Air Pollution from Cities Differently

In Chaos, researchers in China created a network model drawn from the traffic index and air quality index of 21 cities across six regions in their country to quantify how traffic emissions from one city affect another. They leveraged data from COVID-19 lockdown procedures to better explain the relationship between traffic and air pollution and turned to a weighted climate network framework to model each city as a node using data from 2019 and 2020. They added a two-layer network that incorporated different regions, lockdown stages, and outbreak levels.

UCLA Fielding School of Public Health Experts Available for Comment Related to 26th UN Climate Change Conference of the Parties (COP26) in Glasgow on 31 October – 12 November 2021.

The UCLA Fielding School of Public Health has experts available for comment and reaction to the 26th UN Climate Change Conference of the Parties (COP26) in Glasgow on 31 October – 12 November 2021. These include renowned scientists with expertise on…

How recovery from COVID-19 and climate policies might affect the use of “clean” cooking fuels

A group of IIASA researchers shows how recovery from the pandemic and climate mitigation policies might affect access to clean fuels.

AI-driven dynamic face mask adapts to exercise, pollution levels

Researchers reporting in ACS Nano have developed a dynamic respirator that modulates its pore size in response to changing conditions, such as exercise or air pollution levels, allowing the wearer to breathe easier when the highest levels of filtration are not required.

Hopkins Med News Update

NEWS STORIES IN THIS ISSUE:

-Study: Race and Ethnicity May Impact Prevalence and Treatment of Heart Valve Dysfunction
-Johns Hopkins Medicine Suggests Eliminating Nerve Cell Protein May Stop ALS, Dementia
-Researchers Tell Doctors to Avoid Routine Urinary Tests for Older Patients with Delirium
-Johns Hopkins Medicine Researchers Show How Air Pollution May Cause Chronic Sinusitis
-Researchers ID Location on Brain Protein Linked to Parkinson’s Disease Development
-COVID-19 News: The Return of Onsite Schooling — and How to Keep Your Kids Safe from COVID

COVID-19 Shutdowns Reveal Racial Disparities in Exposure to Air Pollution

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.

How air pollution changed during COVID-19 in Park City, 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.

Empowering a Neighborhood to Breathe Easy

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.

Increased use of household fireworks creates a public health hazard, UCI study finds

Irvine, Calif., June 29, 2021 – Fireworks are synonymous in the United States with the celebration of Independence Day and other special events, but the colorful displays have caused a growing risk to public safety in recent years, according to a study by environmental health researchers at the University of California, Irvine.

Research News Tip Sheet: Story Ideas from Johns Hopkins Medicine

During the COVID-19 pandemic, Johns Hopkins Medicine Media Relations is focused on disseminating current, accurate and useful information to the public via the media. As part of that effort, we are distributing our “COVID-19 Tip Sheet: Story Ideas from Johns Hopkins” every other Wednesday.

In Utero Exposure to Tiny Pollution Particles in the Air Is Linked to Asthma in Preschoolers, Study Shows

Women who were highly exposed to ultra-fine particles in air pollution during their pregnancy were more likely to have children who developed asthma, according to a study published in the American Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine in May. This is the first time asthma has been linked with prenatal exposure to this type of air pollution, which is named for its tiny size and which is not regulated or routinely monitored in the United States.

Greening the Earth and Improving Health through Human-Powered Transport

Driving has become a way of life for people throughout the world. However, heavy reliance on gas-powered vehicles contributes to three problems (global climate change, air pollution and physical inactivity) that result in millions of deaths per year. As developing…

The Role of Air Pollution in Pulmonary Fibrosis

To mark Clean Air Month, the Pulmonary Fibrosis Foundation (PFF) aims to increase public understanding of the role air pollution has in the development of interstitial lung diseases (ILD) such as pulmonary fibrosis (PF), including how polluted air can make you sick and the telltale signs to be aware of.

As Wildfires Increase in Severity, Experts Call for Coordinated Federal Response;

In advance of a wildfire season projected to be among the worst, the American Thoracic Society has released a report that calls for a unified federal response to wildfires that includes investment in research on smoke exposure and forecasting, health impacts of smoke, evaluation of interventions, and a clear and coordinated communication strategy to protect public health.

@POTUS decision comes at a time when we are bracing for a particularly challenging #wildfire season: Dr. Mary Rice. @atscommunity

Mary Rice, MD, MPH,  is a pulmonary and critical care physician at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center and an assistant professor of medicine at Harvard Medical School.  As a physician, she cares for adults with respiratory disease, including asthma and chronic obstructive…

George Washington University Experts Available for Interviews on Climate Change, Air Pollution and Sustainability

WASHINGTON (April 16, 2021) — For Earth Day 2021, President Joe Biden has invited 40 world leaders to take part in a virtual summit to focus on solutions for climate change and other environmental problems. The George Washington University has experts who…