Pollution News and Research

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Scientists shed light on runny nose

Scientists at the University of Colorado School of Medicine have shed light on one of the most common of ailments - the runny nose.

11 Apr 2014

JPIAMR outlines steps to minimise antimicrobial resistance

Antibiotics have saved millions of lives from once deadly infectious diseases. But, misuse of antibiotics and other antimicrobials in humans and animals has led to bacteria evolving resistance.

3 Apr 2014

Researchers find concise information on how best to prevent soil contamination

Consuming foods grown in urban gardens may offer a variety of health benefits, but a lack of knowledge about the soil used for planting, could pose a health threat for both consumers and gardeners.

1 Apr 2014

Rice University analysis of state efforts shows dramatic gains in reducing airborne particulate matter

National efforts in the last decade to clear the air of dangerous particulate matter have been so successful that most urban areas have already attained the next benchmark, according to new research by Rice University.

29 Mar 2014

Pollution from agricultural sources poses larger health costs than previously estimated

Ammonia pollution from agricultural sources poses larger health costs than previously estimated, according to NASA-funded research.

29 Mar 2014

Higher exposure to TRAP increases odds of readmission to hospital for asthma

Higher exposure to traffic-related air pollution (TRAP) dramatically increases the odds of readmission to the hospital for asthma - but only for white children, according to a new Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center study.

27 Mar 2014

Researchers explore link between diet, metabolic homeostasis and air pollutant exposure

Is air pollution connected with increases in obesity, diabetes, and chronic kidney disease? Researchers are providing insight into that question today at the Society of Toxicology 53rd Annual Meeting and ToxExpo in Phoenix, Ariz.

26 Mar 2014

WHO report confirms air pollution as world's largest single environmental health risk

In new estimates released today, WHO reports that in 2012 around 7 million people died - one in eight of total global deaths - as a result of air pollution exposure. This finding more than doubles previous estimates and confirms that air pollution is now the world's largest single environmental health risk. Reducing air pollution could save millions of lives.

25 Mar 2014

Research findings underscore importance of mice as reservoirs for tick-borne pathogens

People living in northern and central parts of the U.S. are more likely to contract Lyme disease and other tick-borne ailments when white-footed mice are abundant. Mice are effective at transferring disease-causing pathogens to feeding ticks. And, according to an in-press paper in the journal Ecology, these "super hosts" appear indifferent to larval tick infestations.

25 Mar 2014

WTC first responders at higher risk for obstructive sleep apnea, PTSD

Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai researchers have linked high levels of exposure to inhaled particulate matter by first responders at Ground Zero to the risk of obstructed sleep apnea and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), both conditions that may impact cardiovascular health.

21 Mar 2014

Researchers to send 48 microbes to International Space Station

Microbes collected from Northern California and throughout the nation will soon blast into orbit for research and a microgravity growth competition on the International Space Station (ISS).

13 Mar 2014

Researchers determine long-term fate of chemicals in drinking water

Virginia Tech faculty engineers and students are unravelling fundamental chemical and health properties of the chemical that contaminated the drinking water for the residents of West Virginia.

11 Mar 2014

Higher levels of exposure to traffic-related air pollution linked to changes in right ventricle of the heart

Exposure to high levels of traffic-related air pollution is associated with changes in the right ventricle of the heart that may contribute to the known connection between air pollution exposure and heart disease, according to a new study.

7 Mar 2014

Scientists reveal how microbes on plastic marine debris affect ocean ecosystem

Scientists are revealing how microbes living on floating pieces of plastic marine debris affect the ocean ecosystem, and the potential harm they pose to invertebrates, humans and other animals.

25 Feb 2014

Researchers develop early warning systems for preventing epidemics

The environment has an impact on our health. Preventing epidemics relies on activating the right counter-measures, and scientists are now trying to find out how better use of forecasting can help.

24 Feb 2014

Heavy exposure to air pollution increases risk for developing hypertension during pregnancy

Breathing the air outside their homes may be just as toxic to pregnant women - if not more so - as breathing in cigarette smoke, increasing a mom-to-be's risk of developing deadly complications such as preeclampsia, according to findings from a new University of Florida study.

13 Feb 2014

Researchers learn about the impact invasive zebra mussels have on risk of algae blooms

Researchers at Grand Valley State University's Annis Water Resources Institute are learning more about the impact invasive zebra mussels and native aquatic insect larvae have on the risk of algae blooms in two West Michigan lakes. The results of the research will be published in the journal Oikos.

13 Feb 2014

Cedars-Sinai receives $1M grant to study molecular changes in brain due to air pollutants

Researchers at the Maxine Dunitz Neurosurgical Institute and Department of Neurosurgery at Cedars-Sinai will conduct a study to determine if several potentially toxic compounds that exist in polluted air are capable of entering the brain from the bloodstream and causing brain cancer.

12 Feb 2014

Air pollution puts pressure on primary care

Research in Hong Kong shows that air pollution concentrations are significantly associated with the number of consultations for upper respiratory tract infections (URTIs), contributing to the burden on primary care services.

10 Feb 2014

Research focuses on health effects from wood burning

With the winter weather still going strong, lots of people will be restocking the wood pile next to their fireplaces and wood burning stoves. Can using a wood burning stove or fireplace pose a threat to my health?

6 Feb 2014