Pollution News and Research

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Low-level radiation exposure poses less threat to health than modern lifestyle risks

Human populations have always been exposed to ionizing radiation, and more so in modern life due to its use in medicine, industry and the armed forces.

13 Sep 2017

ARL researchers identify hydrogen-producing power of urine

Scientists at the U.S. Army Research Laboratory observed an unexpected result when combining urine with a newly engineered nano-powder based on aluminum. It instantly releases hydrogen from the urine at much higher rate than with ordinary water.

12 Sep 2017

Study reveals that air pollution may cause Northern China to suffer a lifespan reduction of 3 years

A study conducted in China has revealed the effect that high-level air pollution has on a person’s life expectancy.

12 Sep 2017

Detailed understanding of ‘one of the most complex organs’ could provide new ways to treat lung disorders

Details of lung cell molecular pathways that promote or inhibit tissue regeneration were reported by researchers from the Perelmen School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania in Cell this week. Their aim is to find new ways to treat lung disorders.

7 Sep 2017

Substitution of gasoline for ethanol in dual-fuel vehicles increases level of polluting nanoparticles

When ethanol prices at the pump rise for whatever reason, it becomes economically advantageous for drivers of dual-fuel vehicles to fill up with gasoline.

28 Aug 2017

Living near newly built roads in Ethiopia linked to higher rates of infant mortality

Researchers have shown that living near newly built roads in Ethiopia is associated with higher rates of infant mortality. Proximity to new roads has negative health effects because of toxic waste dumped illegally during the construction phase, according to early research by economists at Queen Mary University of London and Trinity College Dublin.

24 Aug 2017

New Global Burden of Disease study estimates vast impact of asthma and COPD

Latest global estimates illustrate the vast impact of the two most common chronic respiratory diseases, with 3.2 million deaths from chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and 0.4 million deaths caused by asthma in 2015, according to a new Global Burden of Disease study published in The Lancet Respiratory Medicine journal.

18 Aug 2017

Air pollution particles could make you more susceptible to infection, say scientists

AIR pollution could make you more vulnerable to infection, scientists at a Scots university have revealed.

18 Aug 2017

Study finds link between elemental sulfur use and respiratory problems in farmworkers' children

Elemental sulfur, the most heavily-used pesticide in California, may harm the respiratory health of children living near farms that use the pesticide, according to new research led by UC Berkeley.

17 Aug 2017

Gestational exposure to diesel exhaust could increase susceptibility to adult heart failure

According to a study published online in The FASEB Journal, involving mice, gestational exposure to airborne particles derived from diesel exhaust can modify DNA in utero and alter the expression of genes that potentially increase susceptibility to adult heart failure.

7 Aug 2017

Racial disparities in childhood asthma linked to residential segregation

Researchers have had trouble explaining why black children are much more likely than other children to suffer from asthma.

7 Aug 2017

Shrinking Salton Sea contributes to dust sources with potential to impact human health

Scientists at the University of California, Riverside investigating the composition of particulate matter (PM) and its sources at the Salton Sea have found that this shrinking lake in Southern California is exposing large areas of dry lakebed, called playa, that are acting as new dust sources with the potential to impact human health.

3 Aug 2017

Maternal exposure to air pollution early in pregnancy linked to preterm, low birth weight babies

Exposure to air pollution early in a pregnancy could increase risk for preterm birth and low birth weight, according to a study led by researchers at NYU School of Medicine, and published on July 27 in Environmental Health Perspectives.

27 Jul 2017

Researchers find cost-effective 'germ trap' solution for medical facilities

When an infectious airborne illness strikes, some hospitals use negative pressure rooms to isolate and treat patients. These rooms use ventilation controls to keep germ-filled air contained rather than letting it circulate throughout the hospital. But, in the event of an epidemic, these rooms can quickly fill up.

26 Jul 2017

Black neighborhoods, segregated cities found to have high levels of noise pollution

As the number of white residents in a neighborhood declines, noise rises. But noise pollution is inescapable in segregated cities, where noise pollution is worse for everyone, according to the first breakdown of noise exposure along racial, ethnic and socioeconomic lines in the United States.

25 Jul 2017

First in-car study of rush hour pollution finds alarming results

The first in-car measurements of exposure to pollutants that cause oxidative stress during rush hour commutes has turned up potentially alarming results.

21 Jul 2017

Has California hit the brakes in regulating breath-robbing big rigs?

James Lockett sits on his bed and opens the drawer of his nightstand, revealing a stash of asthma inhalers: purple disc-shaped ones he uses twice a day to manage his symptoms and others for full-blown attacks.

18 Jul 2017

University of Birmingham secures NIHR funding to launch Global Health Research Group

The University of Birmingham has secured £2 million from the National Institute for Health Research to launch a research group aimed at improving healthcare for patients with lung diseases around the world.

14 Jul 2017

New non-toxic elements can replace harmful lead-containing materials in electronic products

Most smartphones and other electrical or electronic products contain small amounts of lead, which doesn't sound like a big problem on its own. But when there are many billions of such products, either in daily use or gone astray, the total sums up to very large amounts of lead - which is a toxic heavy metal.

12 Jul 2017

Psychosocial factors play major role in well-being of older people, study says

"Ageing itself is not inevitably associated with a decline in mood and quality of life," says Prof. Karl-Heinz Ladwig, summarizing the results.

7 Jul 2017