A Texas A&M study found that these inexpensive, convenient devices can measure exposure to a class of chemicals that can be harmful during pregnancy
Tag: POLLUTION/REMEDIATION
New tracking system monitors danger to rainforests
Scientists develop novel new indicator for monitoring danger to the world’s rainforests, which are losing capacity to cycle carbon and water
Mobility restrictions can have unexpected impacts on air quality
An international collaborative study led by University of Helsinki has conducted a holistic study to investigate the effects of COVID-19 restrictions on several air quality pollutants for the Po Valley region in northern Italy. The area is well known to…
Scientists come up with new method for simultaneous processing of different types of waste
An international research team has come up with an innovative method for metal recovery from industrial waste. The new method allows the simultaneous recovery of multiple metals from waste oxides in a single process. This novel route will lower the…
New study reports strong indications of freshened groundwater offshore the Maltese Islands
Study is a product of the MARCAN project, led by the University of Malta
New tests can detect tiny but toxic particles of coal ash in soil
Test finds ash at concentrations so low and sizes so small that other tests would likely miss it
Land repair vital for survival
Successful dryland restoration to benefit 2bn people
California’s carbon mitigation efforts may be thwarted by climate change itself
UCI study: Higher heat will limit ecosystem’s role in removing atmospheric CO2
Crime scene tape set to revolutionize microplastics research
Forensic scientists have developed a new method to help monitor plastic pollution across the world.
The challenge of capturing carbon
In the race to combat climate change, capturing carbon dioxide (CO 2 ) emissions has been touted as a simple road to reach net-zero emissions by 2050. While the science behind carbon capture is sound, current technologies are expensive and…
Unexpected proteome plasticity in response to persistent temperature rise
Study in budding yeast brings molecular biology to climate change
Toxic facility relocation depends on community pressure
URBANA, Ill. – No one wants to live near a toxic plant. Toxic-releasing facilities such as paper, pulp, and other manufacturing plants negatively affect human health, environmental quality, and property values. And communities with lower income and educational attainment are…
Deep-sea research bolstered with $2 million grant
Bigelow Laboratory for Ocean Sciences has been awarded $2 million by the National Science Foundation to lead an international effort to accelerate scientific understanding of the environmental impacts of emerging industries in the deep sea – one of the most…
Save Our Seas Foundation announces a record 61 grants for 2021
The Save our Seas Foundation is celebrating an overwhelming number of applications and awards. This heralds a hopeful new cohort of ocean conservationists, young scientists and local initiatives being supported to make a positive change for our planet.
Enzyme-based plastics recycling is more energy efficient, better for environment
BOTTLE Consortium effort develops model that finds sizeable energy and carbon-saving benefits for recycling PET, a common plastic used in bottles, clothing, carpet
The Indus basin: Untapped potential for long-term energy storage
Hydropower has massive potential as a source of clean electricity, and the Indus basin can be a key player in fulfilling long-term energy storage demands across Africa, Asia, Europe, and the Middle East. IIASA researchers explored the role the Indus…
The environmental toll of disposable masks
A new study calculates the waste generated by N95 usage and suggests possible ways to reduce it
New study examines commuter characteristics and traffic pollution exposure among commuters
George Mason University faculty Jenna Krall studies commuter habits, such as departure time and commute length, and their associations with air pollution exposure
Study shows that electronic air cleaning technology can generate unintended pollutants
As the Covid-19 pandemic raged, news reports show that sales of electronic air cleaners have surged due to concerns about airborne disease transmission. But a research team at the Georgia Institute of Technology has found that the benefits to indoor…
Nitrogen-producing process of anammox bacterium finally uncovered
After years of research, the molecular structure of the enzyme responsible for a large part of the global nitrate and nitrogen production by bacteria has finally been uncovered. The anammox bacterium and other bacteria use this enzyme to convert toxic…
How does exhaled heated tobacco aerosol behave in the air?
Considerable research informs the dynamics of exhaled e-cigarette aerosols, but how much do we know about the same processes for heated tobacco? Liz Mason picks over the particles
Chemical plants combat nitrous oxide emissions
When most people think of nitrous oxide (N 2 O), they think of a trip to the dentist. However, N 2 O is the third-most emitted greenhouse gas after carbon dioxide and methane, and it causes severe damage to the…
Detecting wildlife illness and death with new early alert system
Network of wildlife rehabilitation organizations helps track emerging threats
Mathematical model predicts the movement of microplastics in the ocean
A new model tracking the vertical movement of algae-covered microplastic particles offers hope in the fight against plastic waste in our oceans
Just 25 mega-cities produce 52% of the world’s urban greenhouse gas emissions
In 2015, 170 countries worldwide adopted the Paris Agreement, with the goal limiting the average global temperature increase to 1.5°C.
Just 25 mega-cities produce 52% of the world’s urban greenhouse gas emissions
New research published by the open access publisher Frontiers inventories greenhouse gas emissions of 167 globally distributed cities. The study shows that just 25 mega-cities produce 52% of the greenhouse gas emissions from the studied cities.
Urban areas with high levels of air pollution may increase risk of childhood obesity
A study of more than 2,000 children in Sabadell (Barcelona, Spain) associates these three environmental factors with higher body mass index
Researchers: Let crop residues rot in the field — it’s a climate win
Plant material that lies to rot in soil isn’t just valuable as compost. In fact, agricultural crop residue plays a crucial role in sequestering carbon, which is vital for reducing global CO2 emissions.
When resistance is futile, new paper advises RAD range of conservation options
Major ecosystem changes like sea-level rise, desertification and lake warming are fueling uncertainty about the future. Many initiatives – such as those fighting to fully eradicate non-native species, or to combat wildfires – focus on actively resisting change to preserve…
Dealing with global carbon debt
As atmospheric concentrations of CO2 continue to rise, we are putting future generations at risk of having to deal with a massive carbon debt. IIASA researchers and international colleagues are calling for immediate action to establish responsibility for carbon debt…
Many nonprofits, companies report using commercial species in tree planting projects
Nonprofits and companies planting trees in the tropics may often pick species for their commercial rather than ecological value, researchers found in a new analysis of organizations’ publicly available data. They also found many may not have tracked the trees’…
Researchers propose a scheme that treats carbon emissions like financial debt
Paying off our carbon debt
$1.4 million grant increases coverage of Mississippi River Basin
Walton Family Foundation grant will create the Mississippi River Basin Ag & Water Desk, covering agriculture, water and environmental issues within the region
How air pollution changed during COVID-19 in Park City, Utah
As luck would have it, the air quality sensors that University of Utah researcher Daniel Mendoza and his colleagues installed in Park City, Utah in September 2019, hoping to observe how pollution rose and fell through the ski season and…
Study: Oil spill impact on Canadian arctic, the environment and indigenous peoples
As melting sea ice brings more ships through the Northwest Passage, new research shows that Canada must prepare for the costs and consequences of an Arctic oil spill
Atmospheric acidity impacts oceanic ecology
Increased acidity in the atmosphere is disrupting the ecological balance of the oceans, according to new research led by the University of East Anglia (UEA). The first study to look at acidity’s impact on nutrient transport to the ocean demonstrates…
More EVs could reduce CO2 emissions in Hawaii by 93% in less than 30 years
By 2050, faster adoption of electric vehicles (EVs) and faster generation of renewable energy will result in 99% less fossil fuel consumed and 93% less CO2 emissions from passenger and freight vehicles on O?ahu. That’s under the most ambitious scenario…
Light pollution has complex effects on animal vision
Changes in the colour and intensity of light pollution over the past few decades result in complex and unpredictable effects on animal vision, new research shows.
Light pollution has complex effects on animal vision
Changes in the colour and intensity of light pollution over the past few decades result in complex and unpredictable effects on animal vision, new research shows. Insect attraction to light is a well-known phenomenon, but artificial lighting can also have…
What to do with food waste? Well, that depends
NREL researchers examine disposal methods as more landfills prepare to shut down
Study is first to show that air pollutants increase risk of painful periods for women
Dysmenorrhea, that is, frequent severe and painful cramps during menstruation from abnormal contractions of the uterus, is the most common of all gynecological disorders. It affects between 16-91% of girls and women of reproductive age, of whom 2%-29% have symptoms…
Freshwater methamphetamine pollution turns brown trout into addicts
Human pollution is often evident from oil slicks and plastic drifting on shore, but many of the drugs that we consume also end up washing out into our water and current effluent treatment isn’t equipped to deal with them. Drugs…
Schools in Barcelona create a map of the city’s air pollution thanks to citizen science
A study led by University of Barcelona researchers and carried out together with more than 1,650 students and their family members from 18 educational centres in Barcelona shows that citizen science is a valid approach able for doing high quality…
University of Guam: Less than 10% of transplanted cycads survive long-term in foreign soil
Long-term monitoring needed to accurately measure transplantation success
Long-term urban emissions data show a decrease in high-income countries
A new study shows how urbanisation has influenced anthropogenic CO2 and air pollutant emissions across all world regions, by making use of the latest developments in the Emissions Database for Global Atmospheric Research (EDGAR, https:/ / edgar. jrc. ec. europa.…
Microbes in cow stomachs can break down plastic
Bacteria found in the rumen, one of the compartments that make up the cow stomach, can break down plastics, representing an eco-friendly way to reduce litter
The missing ocean plastic sink: Gone with the rivers
The mysterious ocean plastic sink
Air pollution during pregnancy may affect growth of newborn babies
A study by the UPV/EHU-University of the Basque Country analyses the relationship between atmospheric pollution during pregnancy and the level of thyroxine in newborns
Special issue: Our plastics dilemma
Although plastics have become an essential material, permeating almost all aspects of modern living, many of the inherent properties that make them useful in such a wide variety of applications also make them a serious environmental threat. In a special…
Cleaner air has boosted US corn and soybean yields, Stanford-led research shows
A key factor in America’s prodigious agricultural output turns out to be something farmers can do little to control: clean air. A new Stanford-led study estimates pollution reductions between 1999 and 2019 contributed to about 20 percent of the increase…