Feature Channels: Environmental Health

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24-Jul-2020 10:30 AM EDT
Newer PFAS compound detected for first time in Arctic seawater
American Chemical Society (ACS)

Researchers reporting in ACS’ Environmental Science & Technology have studied the transport of 29 PFAS into and out of the Arctic Ocean, detecting a newer compound for the first time in Arctic seawater.

24-Jul-2020 10:30 AM EDT
Estimating bisphenol exposures in the Australian population
American Chemical Society (ACS)

By analyzing urine samples and wastewater, researchers report in ACS’ Environmental Science & Technology how human exposure to bisphenols has changed over time in an Australian population.

Released: 28-Jul-2020 3:05 PM EDT
NYU School of Global Public Health Creates COVID-19 Safety Training for Rideshare Drivers
New York University

New York University’s School of Global Public Health is teaming up with the Independent Drivers Guild (IDG) to increase the safety of rideshare drivers and passengers during the COVID-19 pandemic.

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.

21-Jul-2020 6:35 PM EDT
Jet Aircraft Exhaust Linked to Preterm Births
UCLA Fielding School of Public Health

Researchers from the UCLA Fielding School of Public Health have found that pregnant women exposed to high levels of ultrafine particles from jet airplane exhaust are 14% more likely to have a preterm birth than those exposed to lower levels.

16-Jul-2020 11:30 AM EDT
As Evidence of “Hormone Disruptor” Chemical Threats Grows, Experts Call for Stricter Regulation
NYU Langone Health

A growing number of chemicals in pesticides, flame retardants, and certain plastics have been linked to widespread health problems including infertility, diabetes, and impaired brain development, a set of reviews of hundreds of studies concludes.

Released: 20-Jul-2020 2:10 PM EDT
Ames Lab-led research team wins a $12.8M boost from the Department of Energy to tackle plastic upcycling science
Ames National Laboratory

The U.S. Department of Energy’s Ames Laboratory will lead the Institute for Cooperative Upcycling of Plastics (iCOUP) Energy Frontier Research Center (EFRC), with $12.8 million in funding over four years.

Released: 17-Jul-2020 1:35 PM EDT
Pesticides speed the spread of deadly waterborne pathogens
University of California, Berkeley

Widespread use of pesticides and other agrochemicals can speed the transmission of the debilitating disease schistosomiasis, while also upsetting the ecological balances in aquatic environments that prevent infections, finds a new study led by researchers at the University of California, Berkeley.

10-Jul-2020 9:00 AM EDT
Air Pollution From Wildfires Linked to Higher Death Rates in Patients with Kidney Failure
American Society of Nephrology (ASN)

• Exposure to higher amounts of fine particulate air pollution was associated with higher death rates among patients with kidney failure.

Released: 16-Jul-2020 2:50 PM EDT
COVID-19 and Air Quality: Another Perspective
SUNY College of Environmental Science and Forestry

Researchers at the SUNY College of Environmental Science and Forestry (ESF) discovered the air quality in New York City did not improve during the New York on PAUSE order. While other studies have suggested that the levels of nitrogen dioxide and other air particles decreased during the pandemic in cities such as New Delhi and industrialized parts of northern China, the ESF team found the opposite in the Big Apple.

Released: 16-Jul-2020 2:35 PM EDT
Fish reef domes a boon for environment, recreational fishing
University of New South Wales

In a boost for both recreational fishing and the environment, new UNSW research shows that artificial reefs can increase fish abundance in estuaries with little natural reef.

Released: 16-Jul-2020 1:45 PM EDT
COVID-19 lockdown reduced dangerous air pollutants in five Indian cities by up to 54 percent
University of Surrey

A team of 10 interdisciplinary researchers from the University of Surrey's renowned Global Centre for Clean Air Research (GCARE), including PhD students and post-doctoral researchers, have united to develop a rapid assessment of the impact COVID-19 has had on air quality.

Released: 16-Jul-2020 11:45 AM EDT
Urban Future Lab, Greentown Labs, and the Fraunhofer USA TechBridge Program announce the Carbon to Value Initiative
New York University

The Urban Future Lab at the NYU Tandon School of Engineering, Greentown Labs, and the Fraunhofer USA TechBridge Program launch the Carbon to Value Initiative (C2V Initiative), a partnership driving the creation of a thriving innovation ecosystem for the commercialization of carbontech

Released: 15-Jul-2020 3:00 PM EDT
Survey: Most Ophthalmologists Support Efforts to Reduce Medicine’s Big Carbon Footprint
American Academy of Ophthalmology (AAO) and ASCRS

A just published survey of more than 1,300 U.S. cataract surgeons and nurses shows 93 percent believe that something needs to be done to reduce the excessive amount of waste produced by surgery.

   
13-Jul-2020 5:45 PM EDT
Study of Natural Gas Flaring Finds High Risks to Babies
UCLA Fielding School of Public Health

UCLA & USC study of natural gas flaring finds high risks to babies; researchers found exposure was associated with 50% higher odds of preterm birth compared with no exposure.

Released: 14-Jul-2020 7:00 AM EDT
Arlington, Va., Named ‘Fittest City’ in 2020 American Fitness Index Ranking of Top 100
American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM)

ACSM and the Anthem Foundation release the 2020 American Fitness Index, ranking America’s 100 largest cities on health behaviors, chronic disease and community infrastructure indicators. Arlington, Va. earned the title of “America’s Fittest City.” Seattle, Wash.; Minneapolis, Minn.; Madison, Wis.; San Francisco, Calif.; Washington, D.C.; Irvine, Calif.; Denver, Colo.; Boise, Idaho; and Boston, Mass., round out the top 10 fittest cities.

   
Released: 9-Jul-2020 4:55 PM EDT
Study finds less impact from wildfire smoke on climate
Los Alamos National Laboratory

New research revealed that tiny, sunlight-absorbing particles in wildfire smoke may have less impact on climate than widely hypothesized because reactions as the plume mixes with clean air reduce its absorbing power and climate-warming effect.

Released: 9-Jul-2020 8:05 AM EDT
Quenching the need for water quality data in West Virginia
West Virginia University - Eberly College of Arts and Sciences

A new portal is increasing access to surface and groundwater water quality data from shale gas regions around the state to inform stakeholders about trends in water quality.

Released: 7-Jul-2020 1:10 PM EDT
A chemical cocktail of air pollution in Beijing, China during COVID-19 outbreak
Institute of Atmospheric Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences

The novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19) spreads rapidly around the world, and has limited people's outdoor activities substantially.

   
Released: 7-Jul-2020 10:50 AM EDT
Plant-Based Diets Support Healthy Testosterone Levels
University of Miami Health System, Miller School of Medicine

Men who follow plant-based diets have testosterone levels that are basically the same as the levels in men who eat meat, a study shows. This finding dispels a widespread notion that men need large amounts of animal protein in order to support healthy levels of this hormone.

Released: 6-Jul-2020 4:50 PM EDT
Improving wildfire emissions model
South Dakota State University

New satellite instrumentation will help researchers estimate fire emissions every half hour for the United States.

3-Jul-2020 9:55 AM EDT
Nitrogen Pollution Policies Around the World Lag Behind Scientific Knowledge, New Analysis Finds
New York University

National and regional policies aimed at addressing pollution fueled by nitrogen lag behind scientific knowledge of the problem, finds a new analysis by an international team of researchers.

24-Jun-2020 11:00 AM EDT
Common Fireworks Release Toxic Metals Into the Air
NYU Langone Health

Some of America’s favorite Independence Day fireworks emit lead, copper, and other toxins, a new study suggests. These metals, which are used to give fireworks their vibrant color, also damage human cells and animal lungs.

   
Released: 1-Jul-2020 10:00 AM EDT
Researchers tracking COVID-19 in wastewater to join forces on framework for translating data into a public health response
University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee

Researchers from four institutions will create a "startup blueprint" that cities can use to implement SARS-CoV-2 surveillance at their area's wastewater treatment plants. Funded by the Sloan Foundation, the action plan they develop could be used to monitor COVID-19 and other pathogens.

Released: 1-Jul-2020 8:00 AM EDT
Understanding Molecular Mechanisms of Air Pollution’s Impact on Interstitial Lung Disease is Critical to Minimizing its Effects
American Thoracic Society (ATS)

More research must be done to investigate the role of air pollution on the epigenome in patients with interstitial lung diseases (ILDs), in order to develop strategies that minimize the effects of these pollutants, according to a new article published online in the American Thoracic Society’s American Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine.

Released: 30-Jun-2020 11:50 AM EDT
For Cardiac Rehab Patients, In-Home Portable Air Cleaners Lower Fine-Particle Pollutant Exposure
Wolters Kluwer Health: Lippincott

Using an in-home portable air cleaner (PAC) can significantly reduce exposure to fine-particle air pollutants – a major risk factor for cardiovascular events in people with pre-existing heart disease, reports a pilot study in the July issue of Journal of Cardiopulmonary Rehabilitation and Prevention. The journal is published in the Lippincott portfolio by Wolters Kluwer.

Released: 30-Jun-2020 10:20 AM EDT
Raw milk may do more harm than good
University of California, Davis

Raw or unpasteurized cows' milk from U.S. retail stores can hold a huge amount of antimicrobial-resistant genes if left at room temperature, according to a new study from researchers at the University of California, Davis.

Released: 30-Jun-2020 9:35 AM EDT
NSF Grant Supports Search for Plastic Polymer That Can Be Broken Down and Reused
Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (RPI)

With the support of a grant from the National Science Foundation, chemical engineers from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute aim to develop a new polymer that can replace polystyrene, a commonly used plastic that is inexpensive and easy to make — but is difficult to break down into its original components for reuse, a process called depolymerization.

Released: 29-Jun-2020 5:05 PM EDT
Atmospheric processes likely caused puzzling haze over China during COVID-19 shutdown
Wiley

New research indicates that significant enhancement of secondary aerosol formed in the atmosphere via gas-to-particle conversion, together with long-lasting regional transport, may be the cause of severe haze over China despite a dramatic reduction in emissions during the COVID-19 shutdown.

   
Released: 29-Jun-2020 4:50 PM EDT
Ancient Maya Reservoirs Contained Toxic Pollution
University of Cincinnati

Mercury, algae made water undrinkable in heart of city

   
Released: 25-Jun-2020 2:55 PM EDT
Global pollution estimates reveal surprises, opportunity
Washington University in St. Louis

Using recent satellite observations, ground monitoring and computational modeling, researchers at the McKelvey School of Engineering at Washington University in St. Louis have released a survey of global pollution rates. There are a couple of surprises, for worse, but also, for better.

   
Released: 24-Jun-2020 2:50 PM EDT
Steep NYC traffic toll would reduce gridlock, pollution
Cornell University

Cornell University and the City College of New York research shows that by creating steep tolls for cars to enter Manhattan, traffic congestion and greenhouse gas emissions could be reduced.

Released: 24-Jun-2020 2:30 PM EDT
Wildfire smoke has immediate harmful health effects: UBC study
University of British Columbia

Exposure to wildfire smoke affects the body's respiratory and cardiovascular systems almost immediately, according to new research from the University of British Columbia's School of Population and Public Health.

Released: 23-Jun-2020 2:10 PM EDT
Decline in green energy spending might offset COVID-era emissions benefits
Yale School of Forestry & Environmental Studies

The short-term environmental benefits of the COVID-19 crisis, including declines in carbon emissions and local air pollution, have been documented since the early days of the crisis.

   
Released: 23-Jun-2020 9:45 AM EDT
Study: Air pollution from fracking linked to deaths in Pennsylvania
Binghamton University, State University of New York

Approximately 20 people in Pennsylvania lost their lives during a seven-year period because of particulate matter pollution emitted by shale gas wells, according to a recent study including faculty at Binghamton University, State University of New York.

Released: 23-Jun-2020 8:45 AM EDT
Gear treated with ‘forever chemicals’ poses risk to firefighters
University of Notre Dame

Graham Peaslee’s team tested more than 30 samples of used and unused PPE from six specialty textile manufacturers in the United States and found them to be treated extensively with PFAS or constructed with fluoropolymers, a type of PFAS used to make textiles oil and water resistant.

Released: 19-Jun-2020 3:25 PM EDT
From COVID-19 to Lead Poisoning, Health Crises Expose Racist Policies and Practices
Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (RPI)

The manner in which the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic has laid bare racist and systemic inequalities in the United States has parallels in other environmental health threats, such as lead exposure, according to an essay written for the online magazine Toxic News by two researchers from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute.

Released: 19-Jun-2020 11:50 AM EDT
Overconsumption and growth economy key drivers of environmental crises
University of New South Wales

A group of researchers, led by a UNSW sustainability scientist, have reviewed existing academic discussions on the link between wealth, economy and associated impacts, reaching a clear conclusion: technology will only get us so far when working towards sustainability - we need far-reaching lifestyle changes and different economic paradigms.

Released: 17-Jun-2020 5:40 PM EDT
Is the air getting cleaner during the COVID-19 pandemic?
University of Washington

Using air quality data from U.S. Environmental Protection Agency monitors across the U.S., a UW-led team looked for changes in two common pollutants over the course of 2020.

Released: 17-Jun-2020 12:10 PM EDT
Association between morbidity and poverty reversed during early US COVID-19 epidemic
Frontiers

The first confirmed case of COVID-19 in the USA was on January 20, 2020 in Washington State. Since then, there have been over two million confirmed cases and 113,000 deaths in the country.

   
Released: 17-Jun-2020 10:55 AM EDT
Half of the world's population exposed to increasing air pollution, study shows
University of Exeter

Half of the world's population is exposed to increasing air pollution, new research has shown.

   
Released: 17-Jun-2020 10:35 AM EDT
Penn’s Center of Excellence in Environmental Toxicology (CEET) Receives $8 Million Grant from the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences
Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania

The Center of Excellence in Environmental Toxicology (CEET) at the University of Pennsylvania received an $8 million grant, to be distributed over the next five years, from the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, a renewal of its P30 Environmental Health Sciences Core Center (EHSCC) grant.

   
Released: 17-Jun-2020 8:45 AM EDT
Research: Key Detergent Polymers Pose Low Risk to Surface Waters
American Cleaning Institute

Newly published research indicates that an important ingredient used in detergents and cleaning products pose a low ecological risk to waterways. The study, “Environmental risk assessment of polycarboxylate polymers used in cleaning products in the United States,” is published in Chemosphere and is now available via open access. The research was conducted by American Cleaning Institute (ACI), Integral Consulting, Inc. and The Procter and Gamble Company.

Released: 15-Jun-2020 12:05 PM EDT
The many lifetimes of plastics
Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution

Many of us have seen informational posters at parks or aquariums specifying how long plastics bags, bottles, and other products last in the environment. They’re a good reminder to not litter, but where does the information on the lifetime expectancy of plastic goods come from, and how reliable is it?

Released: 15-Jun-2020 8:00 AM EDT
Is Lead Contamination Ancient History?
Soil Science Society of America (SSSA)

Despite the phase out of lead, urban soils a leading source of lead exposure

Released: 11-Jun-2020 10:30 AM EDT
NIH names Rick Woychik Director of the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences
National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences (NIEHS)

National Institutes of Health Director Francis S. Collins, M.D., Ph.D., has appointed Richard (Rick) P. Woychik, Ph.D., as director of NIH’s National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences (NIEHS), Research Triangle Park, North Carolina.



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