Feature Channels: Environmental Health

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Released: 28-Jan-2021 2:15 PM EST
Light pollution linked to preterm births, reduced birth weights
University of Colorado Denver

In a first-of-its-kind study, researchers discovered that light pollution leads to more than just wasted energy and washed-out starlight--it can increase the likelihood of a preterm birth by almost 13%.

   
Released: 27-Jan-2021 10:55 AM EST
Texas Tech Decontamination Wipe Finds New Use Helping Animals
Texas Tech University

FiberTectTM was conceived for military applications but has since expanded into oil spills and, now, animal operations.

Released: 21-Jan-2021 12:25 PM EST
Antibiotic resistance may spread even more easily than expected
Chalmers University of Technology

Pathogenic bacteria in humans are developing resistance to antibiotics much faster than expected. Now, computational research at Chalmers University of Technology, Sweden, shows that one reason could be significant genetic transfer between bacteria in our ecosystems and to humans. This work has also led to new tools for resistance researchers.

   
Released: 14-Jan-2021 2:40 PM EST
S&T Joins Coalition Seeking to ‘Flush’ out COVID-19 in Wastewater
Homeland Security's Science And Technology Directorate

S&T is working with NIST and the University of Louisville to develop guidelines to standardize Wastewater-Based Epidemiology testing methods nationwide.

11-Jan-2021 1:05 PM EST
Low cost chlorine dispensing device improves tap water safety in low-resource regions
Tufts University

Engineers have developed an inexpensive chlorine dispensing device that improves the safety of drinking water in remote and low resource regions at the point of collection. It requires no electricity and very little maintenance, and provides a quick and easy way to eliminate water borne pathogens.

Released: 13-Jan-2021 3:00 PM EST
Research: EU Model Overestimates Environmental Exposure of Key Surfactant
American Cleaning Institute

A European Union model used to predict the environmental exposure of a major detergent ingredient is overly conservative and “significantly overestimates” effluent concentrations, new research shows. A study co-authored by the American Cleaning Institute (ACI), “Comparing the European Union System for the Evaluation of Substances (EUSES) environmental exposure calculations with monitoring data for alkyl sulphate surfactants,” is now available in the journal Environmental Sciences Europe.

Released: 11-Jan-2021 1:45 PM EST
‘Swiss Army knife’ catalyst can make natural gas burn cleaner
University of Illinois Chicago

“Swiss Army knife” catalyst can bring the combustion temperature of methane down by about half – from above 1400 degrees Kelvin down to 600 to 700 degrees Kelvin.

7-Jan-2021 12:05 PM EST
Study Finds New Evidence of Health Threat From Chemicals in Marijuana and Tobacco Smoke
Dana-Farber Cancer Institute

Scientists at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention have uncovered new evidence of the potential health risks of chemicals in tobacco and marijuana smoke.

Released: 5-Jan-2021 10:30 AM EST
EPA Attacks Science and Breaks Precedent in Final Data Transparency Rule
American Thoracic Society (ATS)

The American Thoracic Society opposes the EPA’s final rule on Data Transparency issued in the waning days of the Trump Administration. The final rule, which is the focus of a press conference today, is a continuation of the Trump Administration's persistent attack on the science showing the adverse health effects of environmental pollution. This rule would exclude vital scientific data from future EPA decision-making and make patient confidential information more vulnerable to public disclosure.

     
Released: 23-Dec-2020 4:35 PM EST
Highest levels of microplastics found in molluscs, new study says
University of York

Mussels, oysters and scallops have the highest levels of microplastic contamination among seafood, a new study reveals.

Released: 20-Dec-2020 5:10 PM EST
Exposure to Metals Can Impact Pregnancy
Rutgers University-New Brunswick

Exposure to metals such as nickel, arsenic, cobalt and lead may disrupt a woman’s hormones during pregnancy, according to a Rutgers study.

Released: 18-Dec-2020 11:25 AM EST
Living environment affects the microbiota and health of both dogs and their owners
University of Helsinki

In urban environments, allergic diseases are more common among dogs and their owners compared to those living in rural areas. Simultaneous allergic traits appear to be associated with the microbes found in the environment, but microbes relevant to health differ between dogs and humans.

   
Released: 17-Dec-2020 7:05 PM EST
Wildfire smoke carry microbes that can cause infectious diseases
UC Davis Health (Defunct)

Wildfire smoke contains microbes, infectious agents that might cause diseases. In a perspective piece published in Science, researchers at UC Davis Health and the University of Idaho proposed a multidisciplinary approach to study the health impacts of microbes carried by wildfire smokes.

   
14-Dec-2020 11:50 AM EST
New Nature Lover? It’s a COVID-19 Side-Effect
University of Vermont

What does it take to get some people to go outside and experience nature? For some urban dwellers, it took the COVID-19 pandemic, researchers say. The new study finds that 26% of people visiting parks during early months of the COVID-19 pandemic had rarely – or never – visited nature in the previous year. The study is one of the first to explore how COVID-19 has changed Americans’ relationship with nature. The research will appear in PLOS ONE journal.

8-Dec-2020 12:15 PM EST
Drinking Water Significant Source of Microplastics in Human Diet
Society for Risk Analysis (SRA)

In an effort to understand the potential risks associated with exposure to micro/nanoplastics, the Emerging Risks of Micro/nanoplastics: Perspectives From Diverse Sectors symposia at the 2020 Society for Risk Analysis virtual Annual Meeting, December 13-17, 2020, aims to highlight the current state of knowledge associated with physical and chemical transformation, hazard characterization, environmental effects, social implications and policy limitations.  

Released: 16-Dec-2020 8:05 AM EST
In Pandemic, People Are Turning to Nature – Especially Women
University of Vermont

One of the first studies on Americans' relationship with nature during COVID finds significant increases in outdoor activity, especially among women. Women were 1.7 (gardening) to 2.9 (walking) times more likely to report increasing their activity compared to men. In general, outdoor activities seeing the largest increases were: watching wildlife, gardening, photos or art in nature, relaxing alone outside, and walking.

8-Dec-2020 11:55 AM EST
3D Printers May Be Toxic for Humans
Society for Risk Analysis (SRA)

Several studies that aim to characterize and quantify the release and composition, particle size, and residence time in the indoor environment will be presented in the Exposure and Risk Assessment of 3D Printing and Emerging Materials symposium on December 15, from 12:00-1:30 p.m. ET at the 2020 Society for Risk Analysis virtual Annual Meeting held December 13-17, 2020.

   
Released: 15-Dec-2020 1:30 PM EST
LED lights found to kill coronavirus: Global first in fight against COVID-19
American Friends of Tel Aviv University

Researchers from Tel Aviv University (TAU) have proven that the coronavirus can be killed efficiently, quickly, and cheaply using ultraviolet (UV) light-emitting diodes (UV-LEDs). They believe that the UV-LED technology will soon be available for private and commercial use.

   
14-Dec-2020 8:50 AM EST
Chula Pharmaceutical Sciences Unveils New Innovation – PM2.5 Dust Fighting Spray
Chulalongkorn University

The Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences researchers have successfully developed “PhytFoon”, a spray compound to deal with the PM 2.5 dust particles, which have become an annual plague that hinders the air quality and health of Thai people. The Dust Fighting Spray works by trapping the PM 2.5 dust particles suspended in the air and then weighing them down to the ground. The compound will be launched to the market by S.T. Protex Co. Ltd. at a conference on December 16, 2020, at the Renaissance Ratchaprasong Hotel. The company has received production rights from Chulalongkorn University to produce the PM 2.5 dust–fighting spray, “PhytFoon“.



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