Feature Channels: Pollution

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Biodiversity Research Institute (BRI) announces the publication of the scientific paper Restoration of common loons following the North Cape Oil Spill, Rhode Island, USA, in the journal Science of the Total Environment (now available online). This loon restoration study, conducted in collaboration with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service over a 15-year period, resulted in the acquisition or conservation easements of nearly 607,028 ha (1.5 million acres) of Maine forests and waters to support the protection of 119 loon pairs in perpetuity.

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A team of scientists has developed a computational model that uses artificial intelligence to find sites for hydropower dams in order to help reduce greenhouse gas emissions.

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Toxins produced during harmful algal blooms may be more harmful to people than previously known.

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The same chemicals responsible for the pungent smell of a cannabis plant may also contribute to air pollution on a much larger scale, according to new research from the Desert Research Institute (DRI) and the Washoe County Health District (WCHD) in Reno, Nev.

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Worldwide, the occurrence of large-scale sewer blockages caused by the massive buildup of discarded fats, oils and greases (FOGs) is on the rise. The problem is getting more severe as solid waste products such as paper towels, sanitary products and wipes are flushed down toilets. The combination of FOGs with the waste paper products can be dangerous and environmentally caustic.

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Can a computer be used to explain why an environmental toxin might lead to neurodegenerative disease? According to Penn State College of Medicine researchers, a computer generated-simulation allowed them to see how a toxin produced by algal blooms in saltwater might cause amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS).

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ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. (September 12, 2019)- A new study from the University of South Florida St. Petersburg and Eckerd College estimates the waters of Tampa Bay contain four billion particles of microplastics, raising new questions about the impact of pollution on marine life in this vital ecosystem.

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Scientists obtained a total of 733 pathogen isolates from 171 individual wild Bottlenose dolphins in Florida and found that the overall prevalence of resistance to at least one antibiotic for the 733 isolates was 88.2 percent. Resistance was highest to erythromycin, followed by ampicillin. It is likely that these isolates from dolphins originated from a source where antibiotics are regularly used, potentially entering the marine environment through human activities or discharges from terrestrial sources.

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Researchers at Queen’s University Belfast have discovered new ways to convert single-use plastic waste into products such as storage tanks for water and fuel, and sporting goods such as kayaks and canoes, which could help to solve global environmental problems.

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A new study published in nature Sustainability proposes alternative hunger eradication strategies that will not compromise environmental protection.

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With support from the National Science Foundation, a team of researchers is developing a “citizen science” soil research project in Troy, New York and Tierra Amarilla, Chile that engages residents in greater understanding of contaminants in their midst and strategies for protecting public health.

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Golf ball-size clods of weathered crude oil originating from the 2010 Deepwater Horizon catastrophe could remain buried in sandy Gulf Coast beaches for decades, according to a new study by ecologists at Florida State University.

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Plastics in our waste streams are breaking down into tiny particles, causing potentially catastrophic consequences for human health and our aquatic systems, finds research from the University of Surrey and Deakin's Institute for Frontier Materials.

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Marketed as a healthier alternative to cigarettes, a new class of tobacco products called heat-not-burn devices is quickly gaining in popularity across the globe. A study by Berkeley Lab's Indoor Environment Group shows that

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Chinese and Rutgers scientists have discovered how aquatic plants cope with water pollution, a major ecological question that could help boost their use in wastewater treatment, biofuels, antibiotics and other applications.

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Irvine, Calif., Sept. 3, 2019 — The green streak continues! Sierra magazine has named the University of California, Irvine No. 1 in the nation and No. 2 overall in its annual “Cool Schools” ranking of sustainability leaders among U.S. and Canadian colleges.

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With wildfires from the Arctic to the Amazon, the issue of wildfires, and the resulting smoke, is in the news. Dr. Cora Lynn Sack, a UW Medicine pulmonologist, comments.

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Adolescents exposed to higher levels of fine-particle air pollutants have heightened autonomic nervous system reactions to social stress, reports a study in Psychosomatic Medicine: Journal of Biobehavioral Medicine, the official journal of the American Psychosomatic Society.

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The University of Illinois at Chicago’s 2019 Urban Forum, titled "Are we there yet? The myths and realities of autonomous vehicles," will examine the questions and uncertainties surrounding not only the societal and legislative impact of autonomous vehicles, but also the technological advances needed for these vehicles to proliferate.

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July ended with the hottest recorded average temperature since people have been making daily readings. With the warming, climate change is assured. A huge chunk of Greenland has melted, Arctic seas have opened, and the diversity of life on Earth may be threatened. Now, the effects are spreading across the Hawaiian Islands, with some of the most diverse and abundant life under peril due to a massive coral bleaching event underway.

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In a paper published in Environmental Research Communications, University of Utah researchers Daniel Mendoza, Martin Buchert and John Lin used tap-on tap-off rider data to quantify the emissions saved by buses and commuter rail lines, and also project how much additional emissions could be saved by upgrading the bus and rail fleet. The study was conducted in cooperation with the Utah Transit Authority and the Utah Department of Environmental Quality, Division of Air Quality.

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In addition to their role in plant fertilization and reproduction, pollens and spores have another, hidden talent: With a simple treatment, these cheap, abundant and renewable grains can be converted into tiny sponge-like particles that can grab on to pollutants and remove them from water, scientists report.

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Polyurethane waste is piling up in landfills, but scientists have a possible solution: They have developed a method to make polyurethane degradable. Once the original product’s useful life is over

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Every day we are ingesting tiny, often microscopic pieces of plastic known as "microplastics" with our food, beverages and the air we breathe. The new Microplastics in Drinking-water report examines the evidence, key findings, recommendations and research needs. It is the first effort to examine the potential human health risks associated with exposure to microplastics in the environment. (Virtual Press Conference Details)

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Based on analysis of large population data sets from both the United States and Denmark, a new study found poor air quality associated with increased rates of bipolar disorder and major depression in both countries.

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Of all the reasons why researchers would prefer more robust monitoring of pollutants in the atmosphere, one stands out: Having this basic information is an indication of progress in the realm of environmental science. A McKelvey School of Engineering scientist outlines the extent of the gap between what researchers know and don’t know.

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Long-term exposure to air pollution was linked to increases in emphysema between 2000 and 2018, according to a new study funded by the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences (NIEHS) and the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI), both part of the National Institutes of Health.

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The NSF-funded project will focus on how gases, such as ozone, react with pollutants in the atmosphere. The research may help reduce air pollution levels and consequently, human cardiovascular diseases.

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Air pollution—especially ozone air pollution which is increasing with climate change—accelerates the progression of emphysema of the lung, according to a new study led by the University of Washington, Columbia University and the University at Buffalo.

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Long-term exposure to outdoor air pollutants, especially the pollutant ozone, accelerates the development of emphysema and age-related decline in lung function, even among people who have never smoked, according to a study published in the Journal of the American Medical Association.

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Disease-causing air pollution remains high in pockets of America – particularly those where many low-income and African-American people live, a disparity highlighted in research presented at the annual meeting of the American Sociological Association in New York.

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Green turtles are more likely to swallow plastic that resembles their natural diet of sea grass, new research suggests.

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The number of passengers on airlines almost doubled worldwide from 2007 to 2017 – from 2.2 billion to 4 billion people – according to the World Bank. And the public is increasingly aware of how atmospheric emissions from air travel can negatively impact both human health and climate. Researchers from Missouri University of Science and Technology are helping to establish international standards for jet engine particulate matter emissions that will reduce those impacts. Missouri S&T recently received $1.2 million from the U.S. Department of Transportation to determine emissions characteristics of non-volatile particulate matter (nvPM), or black carbon, from burning conventional and sustainable alternative jet fuels (SAJFs) in jet engines at cruise altitudes.

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A collaborative, multisector team, led by the University of Michigan's Water Center at the Graham Sustainability Institute and the School for Environment and Sustainability, has been awarded a five-year, $20 million cooperative agreement to support the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration in overseeing research at a nationwide network of 29 coastal reserves.

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Scientists are increasingly warning that prescription drugs can affect wildlife and ecosystems when they find their way into the environment.

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People think of electric scooters, or e-scooters, as environmentally friendly ways to get around town. But a new study from North Carolina State University finds it's not that simple: shared e-scooters may be greener than most cars, but they can be less green than several other options.

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An international collaboration led by scientists at Tokyo University of Agriculture and Technology (TUAT) , Japan, has found that hazardous chemicals were detected in plastics eaten by seabirds.

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Today, DHS S&T announced three finalists for the first stage of the $250,000 Escape Respirator Challenge.

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Special permeable concrete pavement can help reduce the “urban heat island effect” that causes cities to sizzle in the summer, according to a Rutgers-led team of engineers. Their study appears in the Journal of Cleaner Production.

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The program is part of a network of upper level research studios that will address a critical global issues.

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A measure to conserve groundwater in northwestern India has led to unexpected consequences: added air pollution in an area already beset by haze and smog.

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You can’t see nanoparticles, but many of the products we use contain these atomic-scale units of various chemical elements. Are these miniscule bits of human industry safe when they are shed into the environment? Rebecca Klaper is working to identify which are toxic and design them to be safer in the first place.

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Study finds trace levels of medicines in drinking water from private wells

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“Legacy” mercury pollution from decades ago and miles away is an important source of contamination in New Jersey Meadowlands waterways, according to a Rutgers-led study that could help guide cleanup efforts.

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Private, independent firms are less likely to pollute and incur EPA penalties than public and private equity-owned firms, according to new research from the University of Notre Dame.