Pollution News and Research

Latest Pollution News and Research

Allergy and asthma linked to the air pupils breathe

Poor air quality inside classrooms could play a role in the development of asthma and allergies in children, the results of a French study show.

31 Jul 2012

Vitamin D might modify damaging effects of smoking on lung function

Vitamin D deficiency is associated with worse lung function and more rapid decline in lung function over time in smokers, suggesting that vitamin D may have a protective effect against the effects of smoking on lung function, according to a new study from researchers in Boston.

21 Jul 2012

Mother's exposure to air pollution increases risk of obesity and insulin resistance in offspring

Pregnant mice exposed to high levels of air pollution gave birth to offspring with a significantly higher rate of obesity and insulin resistance in adulthood than those that were not exposed to air pollution. This effect seemed especially prevalent in male mice, which were heavier regardless of diet. These findings, published online in the FASEB Journal, suggests a link between diesel exhaust exposure in utero and bulging waistlines in adulthood.

20 Jul 2012

Vitamin D may modify damaging effects of smoking on lung function

20 Jul 2012

State roundup: Mass. to allow coupons for some branded drugs

Johns Hopkins Hospital lost its coveted spot as the nation's top-ranked hospital for the first time in 22 years, edged out by Boston's Massachusetts General Hospital in the latest analysis by U.S. News & World Report to be released Tuesday. Hopkins still ranked No. 2, and marketing experts said falling one spot will hurt the hospital's ego more than its reputation.

18 Jul 2012

Roundup: Some troubled N.Y. hospitals don't carry malpractice insurance; Lobbying may dilute Mass. health care cost bill

Several of the city's most troubled hospitals are partially or completely uninsured for malpractice, state records show, forgoing what is considered a standard safeguard across the country.

17 Jul 2012

FDA clears Asthmapolis’ sensor system and associated software

Asthmapolis announced today that it has received U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) 510(k) clearance to market its asthma sensor system and associated software to healthcare providers and their patients.

11 Jul 2012

Ozone concerns aired over effect on cardiac biomarkers

Exposure to ozone for as little as 2 hours could induce physiologic changes associated with cardiovascular disease, say US researchers.

10 Jul 2012

Women in rural Bangladesh prefer traditional cookstoves despite significant health risks

Women in rural Bangladesh prefer inexpensive, traditional stoves for cooking over modern ones despite significant health risks, according to a Yale study in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.

30 Jun 2012

Ozone concerns aired over effect on cardiac biomarkers

Exposure to ozone for as little as 2 hours could induce physiologic changes associated with cardiovascular disease, say researchers.

28 Jun 2012

Persistent organic pollutants play a major role in metabolic syndrome

Lack of physical activity and poor diet alone cannot explain the dramatic rise in obesity and diabetes occurring in many countries, believe some researchers. It is time to face the possibility that hazardous chemicals may also share part of the blame.

27 Jun 2012

Biological filter to remove estrogens from waste water and drinking water

A biological filter to remove estrogens from waste water and drinking water. The 15 Bielefeld students submitting this project to the 'international Genetically Engineered Machine competition' (iGEM) at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) in Boston, USA are setting their sights high.

26 Jun 2012

New tissue-culture study: Fungicide can induce insulin resistance

A fungicide used on farm crops can induce insulin resistance, a new tissue-culture study finds, providing another piece of evidence linking environmental pollutants to diabetes. The results will be presented Saturday at The Endocrine Society's 94th Annual Meeting in Houston.

26 Jun 2012

Ozone exposure associated with cardiovascular ailments

Young, healthy adult volunteers exposed for two hours to ozone developed physiological changes associated with cardiovascular ailments, according to a small study reported in Circulation, an American Heart Association journal.

26 Jun 2012

Turn down the volume to improve heart health

Individuals who live in an area that is exposed to high road traffic noise have a significantly increased risk for myocardial infarction (MI), researchers suggest.

25 Jun 2012

EMA CHMP adopts positive opinion for Seebri Breezhaler to treat COPD

Sosei Group Corporation confirms the information released today by Novartis that the European Medicines Agency's Committee for Medicinal Products for Human Use (CHMP) has adopted a positive opinion for Seebri Breezhaler (glycopyrronium/NVA237) 44 mcg delivered dose (50 mcg glycopyrronium per capsule), as a once-daily inhaled maintenance bronchodilator treatment to relieve symptoms in adult patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD).

23 Jun 2012

Study: Unexpected activity of estrogenic compounds during early stages of embryonic development

Chemicals in the environment that mimic estrogen can strongly influence the development of humans and other animals. New research to be presented at the 2012 International Zebrafish Development and Genetics Conference, held June 20-24 in Madison, Wisconsin, reveals that these substances may act even earlier than previously realized, at the very beginning stages of embryonic development.

22 Jun 2012

Study links two specific strains of bacteria with indoor mold from water damage

Bacterial contamination in water-damaged buildings has been identified as a potential cause of health problems, including infection and respiratory conditions like asthma. Which specific bacteria contribute to these problems, however, has been unknown-making it difficult for public health officials to develop tools to effectively address the underlying source of the problem.

21 Jun 2012

Latest allergy research presented at EAACI Congress 2012

Ground-breaking research results about stress during pregnancy and changes in pollen potency across Europe will be presented - among other novel research - at the world's leading congress on allergy and immunology - the EAACI Congress 2012 - that will open tomorrow in Geneva, Switzerland.

16 Jun 2012

Interventions aimed at preventing, treating pneumonia in children need to be expanded in developing world

"This month, USAID's flagship Maternal and Child Health Integrated Program (MCHIP) joins countries around the world in celebrating International Children's Day," Dyness Kasungami, a child health team leader for MCHIP, writes in the Huffington Post Blog, adding, "While great strides in child survival have been made in the past years, we also remember those children who do not live to see their fifth birthday -- the 7.6 million children who die of preventable causes each year."

16 Jun 2012