Pollution News

September 9, 2016

Air Pollution a Risk Factor for Diabetes: Study

Nutrient Pollution Is Changing Sounds in the Sea

Microplastics Discovered in the Deep, Open Ocean

Nanofur for Oil Spill Cleanup

Latest Headlines

updated 12:57am EDT

Pushing a Parasite from Land to Sea

Sep. 6, 2016 — Higher levels of rainfall and coastal development increase the risk of disease-causing organisms flowing to the ocean, according to a study. The work advances earlier work by tracking the parasite T. ... read more

Aerosol Emissions in East Asia Driven by Consumption in Developed Countries

Sep. 6, 2016 — Much of the influence on climate from air pollution in East Asia is driven by consumption in the developed countries of Western Europe and North America, according to research by atmospheric ... read more

London Air Pollution Policies Are Starting to Have Impact, but More Work to Be Done

Sep. 2, 2016 — Air pollution from London's roads is improving overall but more work may be needed to tackle some sources of traffic pollution, which continue to ... read more

Drugs in the Water? Don't Blame the Students

Sep. 1, 2016 — A new study contradicts the common assumption that down-the-drain disposal is an important source of pharmaceutical pollution in ... read more

Plants Found to Regulate Leaf Temperature to Boost Carbon Uptake

Aug. 30, 2016 — A new study has found that plants regulate their leaf temperature with some independence from the surrounding air temperature, a trait that increases carbon uptake ... read more

Making Pesticide Droplets Less Bouncy Could Cut Agricultural Runoff

Aug. 30, 2016 — By using a clever combination of two inexpensive additives to the spray, researchers found they can drastically cut down on the amount of liquid that bounces ... read more

Research Priorities for the Field of Atmospheric Chemistry

Aug. 26, 2016 — Increasing energy demands and expanding industrial and agricultural activities worldwide are changing the composition of the atmosphere and contributing to major global challenges like climate change ... read more

New 'Greener' Method Developed for Producing Some Metals

Aug. 25, 2016 — While trying to develop a new battery, researchers find a whole new energy-efficient way to produce some metals without creating ... read more

Ecological Consequences of Amphetamine Pollution in Urban Streams

Aug. 25, 2016 — Pharmaceutical and illicit drugs are present in streams in Baltimore, Maryland. At some sites, amphetamine concentrations are high enough to alter the base of the aquatic ... read more

Unconventional Natural Gas Wells Associated With Migraine, Fatigue

Aug. 25, 2016 — New research suggests that Pennsylvania residents with the highest exposure to active natural gas wells operated by the hydraulic fracturing ('fracking') industry are nearly twice as likely to suffer ... read more

Residents Must Leave Housing Complex Due To Lead

Water Contamination in New Zealand Leaves Thousands Ill

Urban Romanian Wetland Gets Protected Status

Michigan's Lead Problem Extends Beyond Flint

Air Contamination Near Fracking Sites Result of Operational Inefficiencies

Aug. 26, 2016 — Chemists have published a new study that indicates that highly variable contamination events registered in and around unconventional oil and gas developments are the result of operational ... read more

Study Reveals Surprising Role of Haze in the Warming of Chinese Cities

Aug. 23, 2016 — A new study suggests that regional variations may cause the phenomenon known as the urban heat island effect, and that the impacts of haze pollution in the US and China vary ... read more

Biological Invasions Threaten Developing Countries

Aug. 23, 2016 — Invasions from alien species such as Japanese knotweed and grey squirrels threaten the economies and livelihoods of residents of some of the world's poorest nations, new research ... read more

Ancient Air Pockets Changing the History of Earth’s Oxygen

Aug. 22, 2016 — Geologists are using new direct methods to measure the Earth's oxygenation. They identified, for the first time, exactly how much oxygen was in Earth's atmosphere 813 million years ago -- ... read more

Climate Change May Extend Ozone Season in the Southeastern US

Aug. 22, 2016 — Extreme weather conditions associated with climate change may extend the ozone season in the Southeastern United States as drought-stressed trees emit more of the precursor compound that helps form ... read more

How Cars Could Meet Future Emissions Standards: Focus on Cold Starts

Aug. 22, 2016 — Car emissions is a high-stakes issue, as last year's Volkswagen scandal demonstrated. Wrongdoing aside, how are automakers going to realistically meet future, tougher emissions requirements to ... read more

Cloth Masks Offer Poor Protection Against Air Pollution

Aug. 19, 2016 — Inexpensive cloth masks worn by people who hope to reduce their exposure to air pollution vary widely in effectiveness and could be giving users a false sense of security, especially in highly ... read more

Scientists Explore Oil Clean-Up Properties of Aquatic Ferns

Aug. 17, 2016 — Certain varieties of aquatic floating weeds demonstrate an impressive ability to selectively absorb oil from contaminated water. These plants, which are often regarded as a nuisance, could in fact ... read more

New Residential Water Heater Concept Promises High Efficiency, Lower Cost

Aug. 15, 2016 — Scientists have developed a novel method that could yield lower-cost, higher-efficiency systems for water heating in residential buildings, outlines a new report. The newly termed ... read more

Mapping the Health Threat of Wildfires Under Climate Change in US West

Aug. 15, 2016 — A surge in major wildfire events in the US West as a consequence of climate change will expose tens of millions of Americans to high levels of air pollution in the coming decades, according to a new ... read more

'Chemtrails' Not Real, Say Atmospheric Science Experts

Aug. 12, 2016 — Well-understood physical and chemical processes can easily explain the alleged evidence of a secret, large-scale atmospheric spraying program, commonly referred to as 'chemtrails' or ... read more

In Right Balance, Environmental Regulations Increased Firms' Profits, New Study Finds

Aug. 12, 2016 — CEOs and corporate lobbyists often spend plenty of time decrying how potential government regulations will affect their bottom line, but a new study finds that the US Clean Water Act, when ... read more

Discovery of Sunlight-Driven Organic Chemistry on Water Surfaces

Aug. 11, 2016 — Fatty acids found on the surface of water droplets react with sunlight to form organic molecules, a new study reports, essentially uncovering a previously unknown form of ... read more

Tighter Air Pollution Standards May Save Thousands of Lives, Greatly Improve Public Health

Aug. 10, 2016 — Reducing outdoor concentrations of two air pollutants, ozone and fine particulate matter to levels below those set by the US Environmental Protection Agency would likely save thousands of lives each ... read more

Surprising Way Laundry Adds Flame Retardants to Surface Waters

Aug. 10, 2016 — In recent years, evidence has been building suggesting that flame retardants, which are used in furniture and electronics, are potentially linked to health problems. And studies have shown that the ... read more

Accounting for Ozone: Study First to Quantify Impact of Oil and Gas Emissions on Denver's Ozone Problem

Aug. 8, 2016 — A new study is the first to directly quantify how emissions from oil and gas activities influence summertime ozone pollution in the Colorado Front Range confirms that chemical vapors from oil and gas ... read more

Noisy Neighbours: Measuring the Impact of Human-Generated Noise Pollution on Sea Mammals in the Mediterranean

Aug. 8, 2016 — A new study is set to to analyze the possible influence of anthropogenic or human-generated disturbances on different cetacean mammals in the Mediterranean Sea. It focuses on three areas within the ... read more

Hidden, Local Climate Impacts of Drought-Friendly Vegetation

Aug. 5, 2016 — Scientists determined that if a many Los Angeles property owners switch their lawns to drought-tolerant landscaping, it could increase local temperatures and exacerbate heat waves, and would have ... read more

Hidden Pollution Exchange Between Oceans and Groundwater Revealed

Aug. 4, 2016 — Researchers have uncovered previously hidden sources of ocean pollution along more than 20 percent of America's coastlines. The study offers the first-ever map of underground drainage systems ... read more

Mechanisms on Why 'Green' Helps in Urban Life

Aug. 2, 2016 — New research finds that airborne bacterial communities differ from one urban park to the next but those of parking lots are alike -- and differ from those of parks in subtle but potentially important ... read more

Friday, August 26, 2016