Pollution News and Research

Latest Pollution News and Research

Longer looks: Music as a means of treatment for PTSD

On one of the many days Leo Dunson wanted to die, the Iraq veteran put a gun to his temple and pulled the trigger. The loaded weapon misfired. For the troubled former soldier, it was another inexplicable failure, like his divorce or inability to make friends after returning from the war. In a Las Vegas recording studio, Dunson rapped about his life: "What's wrong with me? Got PTSD. These pills ain't working, man, I still can't think."

18 May 2012

Quasi-experimental data supports argument that air pollution may be a global risk factor for CVD

During the 2008 Beijing Olympics, changes in air pollution were associated with changes in biomarkers of systemic inflammation and thrombosis (formation of blood clot) as well as measures of cardiovascular physiology in healthy young persons, according to a study in the May 16 issue of JAMA, a theme issue on Global Health.

16 May 2012

ACOEM honors JNJ with 2012 Corporate Health Achievement Award

Johnson & Johnson (JNJ) the world's most comprehensive and broadly based manufacturer of health care products, as well as a provider of related services for the consumer and pharmaceutical and medical devices and diagnostics markets, has been awarded the 2012 Corporate Health Achievement Award (CHAA) by the American College of Occupational and Environmental Medicine.

10 May 2012

Long-term exposure to roadways linked with increased risk of death in patients with heart attack

Living close to a major highway poses a significant risk to heart attack survivors, reinforcing the need to isolate housing developments from heavy traffic areas, a Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center study concludes.

8 May 2012

Beta-carotene-derived molecules have opposite effect in the body

New research suggests that there could be health hazards associated with consuming excessive amounts of beta-carotene.

2 May 2012

City centre residents more likely to suffer from coronary artery calcification

City centre residents who took part in a study were almost twice as likely to suffer from coronary artery calcification (CAC), which can lead to heart disease, than people who lived in less polluted urban and rural areas, according to research published in the May issue of the Journal of Internal Medicine.

27 Apr 2012

Avocado oil protects against free radicals in mitochondria

Atmospheric oxygen facilitated the evolution and complexity of terrestrial organisms, including human beings, because it allowed nutrients to be used more efficiently by those organisms, which in turn were able to generate more energy. However, as we find out more about how oxygen molecules work inside the body, more attention is being paid to their not-so-good effects, and researchers are seeking ways to thwart them.

23 Apr 2012

Global Alliance for Clean Cookstoves Executive Director responds to Washington Post article on clean cookstove research

In a statement published on the website of the Global Alliance for Clean Cookstoves, Executive Director Radha Muthiah responds to an article published in the Washington Post on Monday, which highlighted the results of a recent MIT/Harvard study on the public health benefits of clean cookstoves.

21 Apr 2012

ACOEM re-releases checklist of ‘Ten Environmental Hazards You Can Live Without’

With more and more people spending a good portion of their day inside - whether at home, school, and/or in the workplace - it is important to recognize that indoor environments may contain a number of hazards. However, many of these hazards can easily be eliminated and/or controlled. To address these issues, and to commemorate the annual observance of Earth Day on April 22, the American College of Occupational and Environmental Medicine (ACOEM) has re-released its checklist of "Ten Environmental Hazards You Can Live Without."

20 Apr 2012

Studies suggesting limited impact of clean cookstoves demonstrate need for more research

In this post in the Center for Global Development's "Views from the Center" blog, Charles Kenny, a senior fellow at the Center, responds to an article published in the Washington Post on Monday, which highlighted the results of a recent MIT/Harvard study on the public health benefits of clean cookstoves.

20 Apr 2012

Car exhaust causes more premature deaths in the UK

In a study appearing this month in the journal Environmental Science and Technology, MIT researchers report that emissions from cars, trucks, planes and powerplants cause 13,000 premature deaths in the United Kingdom each year.

20 Apr 2012

Fluorescent fish shows oestrogenic chemicals’ impact on human body

Understanding the damage that pollution causes to both wildlife and human health is set to become much easier thanks to a new green-glowing zebrafish. Created by a team from the University of Exeter, the fish makes it easier than ever before to see where in the body environmental chemicals act and how they affect health.

19 Apr 2012

Earth Day prompts examination of health-care providers' roles in climate change

Physicians and nurses have a role if not "a moral and professional responsibility to act" to help to reduce climate change and help those impacted, say the authors of "Climate Change & Health: Is There a Role for the Health Care Sector?," published by the Catholic Health Association of the United States.

18 Apr 2012

Washington Post examines research assessing public health benefits of clean cookstoves

"One of the most talked-about public-health initiatives is improving indoor air quality in the rural developing world," the Washington Post reports, noting "Over the past two years, the United States has pledged $105 million to fighting the cookstove problem."

18 Apr 2012

Air pollution can contribute to obesity in children

Overall, 17% of children in the United States are obese, and in inner-city neighborhoods, the prevalence is as high as 25%. While poor diets and physical inactivity are the main culprits, there is new evidence that air pollution can play a role.

17 Apr 2012

DEP exposure suppresses function of phagocytic immune cells

A team of researchers, led by Dr. Stephan Schwander, of the University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey - School of Public Health (UMDNJ-SPH), has determined a possible link between exposure to a common component of urban air pollution and a change in the function of important immune cells that protect against the bacteria that cause tuberculosis.

16 Apr 2012

Toxic nail varnish at salons raises concerns

It has been long seen that workers at nail salons suffer health problems. Workers have more headaches, respiratory problems and skin irritations than the general population and are exposed to chemicals at higher than recommended levels, according to research in scientific journals.

12 Apr 2012

American Forests, ACTIVATE partner to celebrate Earth Month

ACTIVATE, the innovative, enhanced vitamin beverage ideal for people with active lifestyles, today announced it will extend its sustainability efforts and partner with American Forests to celebrate Earth Month through a unique "Plant a Tree" in-store initiative.

7 Apr 2012

Traditional mud stoves may emit less pollution than some 'improved cookstoves'

The first real-world, head-to-head comparison of "improved cookstoves" (ICs) and traditional mud stoves has found that some ICs may at times emit more of the worrisome "black carbon," or soot, particles that are linked to serious health and environmental concerns than traditional mud stoves or open-cook fires.

5 Apr 2012

ACOEM joins AHA, ALA and other organizations to formally oppose S.J. Res. 37

The American College of Occupational and Environmental Medicine (ACOEM) has joined the American Heart Association, the American Lung Association, and other leading organizations to formally oppose S.J. Res. 37, a resolution by Senator James Inhofe (R-Okla) that employs the Congressional Review Act to reverse the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's (EPA) Mercury and Air Toxics Standards for Power Plants.

3 Apr 2012