Ozone News and Research

RSS

Prenatal exposure to air pollutants may increase infants' obesity risk

Women exposed to higher levels of air pollution during pregnancy have babies who grow unusually fast in the first months after birth, putting on excess fat that puts them at risk of obesity and related diseases later in life, new CU Boulder research shows.

15 Jun 2021

Boeing tested air purifiers like those widely used in schools. It decided not to use them in planes.

Aerospace giant Boeing tested two kinds of ionization technologies — like those widely adopted in schools hoping to combat covid — to determine how well each killed germs on surfaces and decided that neither was effective enough to install on its commercial planes.

8 Jun 2021

Could semen quality indicate SARS-CoV-2 insult susceptibility in polluted areas?

In a recent review in Environmental Science and Pollution Research, Italian researchers focused on “the evidence that correlates the degree and type of pollution with the increased susceptibility of many countries to this pandemic and proposes human semen as an early marker of the environmental health and the general health of individuals.” Their observations are based on a robust body of experimental evidence.

2 Jun 2021

SARS-CoV-2 can be neutralized by UV-A and UV-B

Since the end of the 1800s, Ultra-violet (UV) light has been widely documented for its germicidal properties. The UV-C light produced by low-pressure mercury tubes is widely used for disinfecting wastewater, closed environments, and biological products and is well-established, safe, and economical. UV light can have a germicidal effect on bacteria and viruses.

2 Jun 2021

Air quality in Spain temporarily improved during first COVID-19 wave, prevented 150 premature deaths

Air quality in Spain temporarily improved during the first wave of COVID-19, largely as a result of mobility restrictions. Until recently, however, the effect of this improvement on the health of the population was poorly understood.

12 May 2021

Study: Asthma attacks decreased among Black and Hispanic/Latinx patients during the pandemic

Asthma attacks account for almost 50 percent of the cost of asthma care which totals $80 billion each year in the United States. Asthma is more severe in Black and Hispanic/Latinx patients, with double the rates of attacks and hospitalizations as the general population.

6 May 2021

Defective epithelial barrier responsible for up to two billion chronic diseases

Humans are exposed to a variety of toxins and chemicals every day. According to the epithelial barrier hypothesis, exposure to many of these substances damages the epithelium, the thin layer of cells that covers the surface of our skin, lungs and intestine. Defective epithelial barriers have been linked to a rise in almost two billion allergic, autoimmune, neurodegenerative and psychiatric diseases.

6 May 2021

As schools spend millions on air purifiers, experts warn of overblown claims and harm to children

Last summer, Global Plasma Solutions wanted to test whether the company's air-purifying devices could kill covid-19 virus particles but could find only a lab using a chamber the size of a shoebox for its trials. In the company-funded study, the virus was blasted with 27,000 ions per cubic centimeter.

3 May 2021

Household aerosols now emit more harmful volatile organic compound air pollution than all UK vehicles

Aerosol products used in the home now emit more harmful volatile organic compound (VOC) air pollution than all the vehicles in the UK, new research shows.

27 Apr 2021

Use of ozone as a decontaminant for SARS-CoV-2

Researchers in Germany have demonstrated how an ozone-based decontamination device significantly reduces the volume of viral residue left on surfaces of two surrogate viruses for severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2).

20 Apr 2021

New data reveals the effect of lockdowns on air pollution levels

One consequence of the coronavirus pandemic has been global restrictions on mobility. This, in turn, has had an effect on pollution levels in the atmosphere.

15 Apr 2021

Scientists optimize wastewater disinfection process to minimize spread of antibiotic resistance

Antibiotic-resistant bacteria have become a global threat today, owing in part to the efficiency with which resistance spreads among them. Some of this spread happens in waterbodies—and our wastewater systems are no exception.

8 Mar 2021

Children exposed to air pollution may be at higher risk of disease in adulthood

Children exposed to air pollution, such as wildfire smoke and car exhaust, for as little as one day may be doomed to higher rates of heart disease and other ailments in adulthood, according to a new Stanford-led study.

22 Feb 2021

Long-term exposure to air pollution can increase cardiovascular and respiratory risks

Exposure to what is considered low levels of air pollution over a long period of time can increase the risk of heart attack, stroke, atrial fibrillation, and pneumonia among people ages 65 and older, according to new research published today in the American Heart Association's flagship journal Circulation.

22 Feb 2021

What are the main food safety concerns associated with the COVID-19 pandemic?

A new study deals with the main food safety concerns associated with the COVID-19 pandemic.

17 Feb 2021

Air pollution in India caused 1.67 million deaths in 2019

Air pollution in India resulted 1.67 million deaths in 2019 - the largest pollution-related death toll in any country in the world - and also accounted for $36.8 billion (US) in economic losses, according to a new study led by researchers from the Global Observatory on Pollution and Health at Boston College, the Indian Council of Medical Research, and the Public Health Foundation of India.

23 Dec 2020

Researchers develop a harmless air sterilization prototype to kill microbes

With COVID-19 raging around the globe, researchers are doubling down on methods for developing diverse antimicrobial technologies that could be effective in killing a virus, but harmless to humans and the environment.

23 Dec 2020

Despite reduced air pollution, damaging surface ozone levels rose in lockdown

Less traffic on the roads during the first lockdown led to a reduction in air pollution but may have caused potentially damaging surface ozone levels to rise, a new study has revealed.

20 Dec 2020

Methylene blue and light inactivates SARS-CoV-2 on N95 respirators and masks, study finds

Researchers at the University of Washington show that methylene blue (MB) and light can decontaminate masks and respirators by inactivating three tested coronaviruses without compromising integrity. The method is effective, low-cost, and does not require specialized equipment, making it applicable in any setting.

16 Dec 2020

Study: Silica offers the best environmental alternative to plastic microbeads

Following bans on plastic microbeads in wash-off cosmetics, a new study weighs up the environmental costs of alternatives. Microbeads have been included in personal care and cosmetic products ranging from toothpaste and sunscreen to body scrubs and industrial hand cleaners, usually to improve qualities like abrasiveness.

15 Dec 2020