Popular for wastewater treatment, membrane filters are commonly cleaned with strong chemicals that can destroy membranes. Now, researchers reporting in ACS Applied Materials & Interfaces have developed reusable nanoparticle catalysts incorporating glucose to break down filter contaminants without damage.
Disposable face masks could be harmful to wildlife, according to researchers who have observed harmful effects of the masks on keystone marine animals in coastal areas.
Climate impacts and adaptations are just some of the topics Katharine Mach, an associate professor at the University of Miami’s Rosenstiel School of Marine and Atmospheric Science, helped address as a lead author on the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change Sixth Assessment Report.
People and ecosystems least able to cope are being hardest hit by climate change, according to the latest Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) report, released today.
A Canada-U.S. research team has estimated concentrations of perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) in breast milk – and raise the need for more research.
A new collaborative project aims to locate New York’s largest sources of methane emissions using specialized mobile laboratory equipment that is collecting advanced air quality data across the state.
Authors of a new paper recently published in the peer-review journal PLOS One have developed a new Bloom Severity Index and a new Respiratory Irritation Index for red tide blooms in the Gulf of Mexico — the first standardized and objective way to gauge how severe red tides are.
As companies that drill for oil and natural gas using hydraulic fracturing consider recycling and reusing wastewater that surfaces from wells during the fracking process, chemists at The University of Toledo discovered that the new and unexplored waste contains many environmental contaminants including organic chemicals and metallic elements.
A new study by Tel Aviv University researchers found that in a marine environment, microplastics absorb and concentrate toxic organic substances and thus increase their toxicity by a factor of 10, which may lead to a severe impact on human health.
The researchers found that increased viral load in nasal samples was associated with higher viral loads in the air and on surfaces in the room. In addition, increased filtration and ventilation significantly reduced viral loads in the air and on surfaces. And higher relative humidity reduced viral particles in the air by half, while leading to more viral particles on surfaces, where they are less likely to spread disease.
Sandia National Laboratories recently updated the Maccs code to better aid the Nuclear Regulatory Commission and the global nuclear industry in assessing the consequences of nuclear accidents. The Maccs code can also evaluate the potential health and environmental risks posed by advanced nuclear reactors and small modular nuclear reactors.
What exactly causes that ‘skunky’ odour emitted by cannabis production facilities, and what do these emissions mean for air quality, workers, and the general public?
A new study led by the University of Washington found that anaerobic processes occurring on floodplains of the Tonle Sap, the largest lake in Southeast Asia, are important contributors of the carbon dioxide that is dissolved in surface waters. The findings were published Feb. 14 in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.
A recent University of Toronto study, in collaboration with Parkdale Queen West Community Heath Centre and the Healthy Nail Salons Network, shows that nail technicians in discount salons are exposed to several chemicals widely used as plasticizers and flame retardants.
One out of three people in a large survey showed signs of exposure to a pesticide called 2,4-D, according to a study published today by researchers at the George Washington University. This novel research found that human exposure to this chemical has been rising as agricultural use of the chemical has increased, a finding that raises worries about possible health implications.
UCI-led study investigates effects of air pollution exposure on ovarian function Results from the study support possible links between air pollution exposure and additional adverse health outcomes in women, from cardiovascular disease and Alzheimer’s to osteoporosis. A recent study led by UCI researchers found that a type of air pollution known as fine particulate matter, or PM2.
People travelling on the London Underground and similar rail systems were at a low risk of being exposed to the virus that causes COVID-19, according to computer simulations.
Wastewater-based epidemiological tracking of COVID-19 in the Tokyo 2020 Olympic and Paralympic village showed that SARS-CoV-2 was present in areas without diagnosed individuals.
A new study from the Texas A&M University School of Public Health suggests the air quality inside homes may not stack up against air quality inside office buildings.
A study is the first to unveil the prevalence of plastics in the entire water column of an offshore plastic accumulation zone in the southern Atlantic Ocean and implicates the ocean interior as a crucial pool of ‘missing’ plastics. Results show that small microplastics are critical, underexplored and integral to the oceanic plastic inventory. In addition, findings show that weak ocean current systems contribute to the formation of small microplastics hotspots at depth, suggesting a higher encounter rate for subsurface particle feeders like zooplankton.
To promote clean cities, Marcy Rood built a network of organizations and individuals at DOE and at Argonne. She was recognized as a Clean Fuels Champion for her long-term commitment to educate and facilitate change, one fleet and one consumer at a time.
An article by an international team of scientists proposes a more limited set of more easily measurable targets that can be used in scenario analysis for achieving all of the SDGs by the target date.
Jan. 31, 2022 – Today, the Environmental Protection Agency took an important step towards reducing mercury and other toxic air pollutants in America’s air. The EPA released a proposed ruling stating that it is “necessary and appropriate” for them to require further reductions in mercury and air toxic emissions from industrial point sources of pollution in the U.S.
As La Niña continues to deliver wet, humid weather, UniSA scientists are warning that we should be preparing for a monster mosquito season – unwanted by many, but perfectly timed for Australia’s largest mosquito surveillance program, Mozzie Monitors.
New research shows that chemical reactivity, seasonality and distribution of airborne particulate matter are critical metrics when considering air pollution’s impact on human health.
Under the intensity of a prolonged pandemic, the world finds an ever-growing and seemingly never-ending waste stream of used surgical masks, plastic face shields, and medical gloves and gowns. Cornell University engineers now offer a solution to sustainably reroute the discarded material.
A Rutgers study has detected tiny airborne particles containing RNA from the SARS-CoV-2 that causes COVID-19, both inside and outside of the rooms in which infected people were self-isolating at home. This finding suggests that airborne transmission beyond the isolation rooms in homes may pose a risk of infection to other home occupants.
Chula Engineering professor proposes ways to manage used masks and ATK test kits by choosing reusable masks, separating infectious waste, and preparing it properly before discarding it to be destroyed in a non-polluting disposal system to reduce overflowing waste problem.
In ‘Recipe for Survival: What You Can do to Live a Healthier and More Environmentally Friendly Life,’ scheduled for publication in January 2022, UCLA Fielding School professor Dr. Dana Ellis Hunnes provides “recipes” for improving personal and planetary health
As many as a quarter of children in Flint, Michigan – approximately seven times the national average – may have experienced elevated blood lead levels after the city’s water crisis, and more children should have been screened, new Cornell University research finds.
A new study shows that living in a neighbourhood socioeconomic disadvantage is a risk factor for adverse weight development in children under school age.
A team of University of Delaware researchers looking for ways to upcycle biomass into new products has demonstrated that it is possible to efficiently turn industrially processed lignin into high-performance plastics, such as bio-based 3D-printing resins, and valuable chemicals. An economic and life-cycle analysis reveals the approach can be competitive with similar petroleum-based products, too.
EPA researchers have been evaluating different types of aerosol treatment technologies that could potentially be used to reduce the amount of virus (or other pathogens) in the air in occupied spaces, for example in an office or school.
For the first time, researchers can infer levels of nitrogen dioxide on scales as small as a square kilometer thanks to a new method developed in the lab of Randall Martin.
The RUDN University medic with colleagues from Kazakhstan and the USA studied the markers of inflammation in the respiratory tract in a metalworking occupational cohort. It is known that they inhale particles of metals and their oxides, and this can have negative health consequences. According to the composition of the exhaled air, doctors assessed which workers have a more pronounced risk of inflammatory processes in the lungs.
From lifting our moods, to boosting our immune systems, the intrinsic health benefits of being in nature are well known. But as urbanisation continues to encroach on green spaces, finding ways to connect with natural environments is becoming more challenging.
The 2022 SOT Award recipients represent outstanding individuals in academia, industry, and government whose work in chemical exposures and effects, genetic risk factors, radiation effects, new approach methodologies, the microbiome, and more is improving understanding of health risks.