Pollution News and Research

Latest Pollution News and Research

Researchers to develop future body sensor network

Modern man is surrounded by a multitude of sensors. Today's sensors are simple and made for specific purposes, like measuring temperature, balance, build-up of smoke, or tyre pressure. The common trait of the sensors is that they are all embedded in a closed system.

5 Apr 2011

South Asian Conference on Sanitation kicks off in Sri Lanka

The fourth South Asian Conference on Sanitation kicked off Monday in the Sri Lankan capital city of Colombo, to raise awareness about the "sanitation crisis in the region," Xinhua reports.

5 Apr 2011

Geisinger expert offers advice on how to manage child's asthma

Asthma is the leading cause of hospital visits and missed school days in children, according to the National Institute of Health. A chronic condition, pediatric asthma requires continual care to prevent serious, life-threatening asthma attacks.

1 Apr 2011

Winner Medical's spunlace non-woven fabric technology wins Circular Economy Project Award

Winner Medical Group Inc., a leading manufacturer of medical dressings, medical disposables and non-woven fabric made from 100% natural PurCotton products in China, proudly announced today that its wholly owned subsidiary, Winner Industries Co., Ltd., was the only medical device manufacturing company to win the Circular Economy Project Award for the year 2010.

23 Mar 2011

Northwest Russian women breast milk consists of more POPs than Norwegian

Russian women living in Northwest Russia are more exposed to environmental toxins than Norwegian women. In spite of this, PhD candidate Anuschka Polder urges Russian women to breastfeed their babies.

22 Mar 2011

'Father of Biological Nutrient Removal' recognised for using micro-organisms to treat used water for the protection of lakes and rivers

Singapore International Water Week today announced that Dr James L. Barnard has been awarded the Lee Kuan Yew Water Prize 2011, a prestigious award that recognises outstanding contributions towards solving global water problems by either applying technologies or implementing policies and programmes which benefit humanity.

17 Mar 2011

Human growth, height, size: Reasons to be small

Almost everybody these days thinks that it is best to be tall, meaning much taller than the average traditional height of Asian populations, and even taller than the current average height of populations in high-income countries. It is also often believed – though people might be shy to admit this – that tall people are intrinsically superior to short people. The expressions 'look up to' and 'look down on' are significant.

15 Mar 2011

Global chronic disease burdens are increasing rapidly: Research

Those working for healthier humans around the globe are making headway in fighting communicable diseases such as AIDS, malaria and diarrheal illness, according to research from the Frederick S. Pardee Center for International Futures in the University of Denver's Josef Korbel School of International Studies.

15 Mar 2011

Infant formulas with fluoridated water increase risk of discolored teeth: HHS

All infant formulas, either concentrated or ready-to-feed, already contain some fluoride and, when routinely mixed with fluoridated water, increase the risk of dental fluorosis, according to Dr. Howard Koh, Assistant Secretary for Health, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services in a video commentary published on Medscape.com, March 8, 2011.

11 Mar 2011

Tiniest pollution particles can contribute to cardiovascular disease in diabetic people

Scientists are untangling how the tiniest pollution particles - which we take in with every breath we breathe - affect our health, making people more vulnerable to cardiovascular and respiratory problems.

10 Mar 2011

CUBN gene mutation linked with albuminuria in individuals with or without diabetes

A team of researchers from the United States and Europe has identified a single genetic mutation in the CUBN gene that is associated with albuminuria both with and without diabetes. Albuminuria is a condition caused by the leaking of the protein albumin into the urine, which is an indication of kidney disease.

9 Mar 2011

Three new research initiatives to study how design of neighbourhoods impact obesity

The Honourable Leona Aglukkaq, Minister of Health, today announced three new research initiatives studying how the design of neighbourhoods impact obesity. The studies were funded by the Canadian Institutes of Health Research and the Heart and Stroke Foundation of Canada.

9 Mar 2011

New report highlights wide range of hazardous air pollutants emitted from power plants

The American Lung Association today released Toxic Air: The Case for Cleaning Up Coal-fired Power Plants, a new report that documents the range of hazardous air pollutants emitted from power plants and the urgent need to clean them up to protect public health.

8 Mar 2011

Study: Role of air pollutants in cardiometabolic syndrome

To explore one of the most critical health/environment intersections - how the very air we breathe can cause heart disease and diabetes and contribute to the problems of obesity - Michigan State University has been named a Clean Air Research Center by the Environmental Protection Agency.

8 Mar 2011

New analysis compares House and administration proposals with public budgets

When it comes to the federal budget, the public is on a different page than either the House of Representatives or the Obama Administration - with a different set of priorities and a greater willingness to cut spending and increase taxes - concludes a new analysis by the University of Maryland's Program for Public Consultation.

4 Mar 2011

Viewpoints: WSJ on Medicare Advantage, Texas Gov. Perry on 'Fed inroads,' Med students' health policy ignorance

The White House has apparently decided that it won't enforce the unpopular parts of its health-care plan until after the 2012 election. The latest evidence is its decision not to slash Medicare Advantage, the program that Democrats hate because it lets seniors choose private insurance options. ... Would this be the same Medicare Advantage that candidate Barack Obama vowed to eliminate, saying in 2007 that "We shouldn't be rewarding the insurance industry for deceiving and defrauding our seniors"? (2/25).

25 Feb 2011

Toxic contamination of groundwater: South Australia residents warned

Australia’s Environment Protection Authority (EPA) has announced fears of groundwater contamination beneath up to 2000 homes. The EPA said that industrial activity at the former Hills Industries site in Edwardstown, south of Adelaide, caused dangerous materials - including a chemical known to cause cancer - to seep into the groundwater.

23 Feb 2011

AAFA study: Richmond ranked as No. 1 Asthma Capital in the U.S.

For the second year in a row, Richmond, VA, has been ranked as the No. 1 Asthma Capital – the most challenging place to live with asthma in the U.S. – according to the Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America, which conducted the study.

23 Feb 2011

New footprint calculator shows human impact on nitrogen cycle

People who want to eat healthy and live sustainably have a new way to measure their impact on the environment: a Web-based tool that calculates an individual's "nitrogen footprint."

23 Feb 2011

New study shows strong link between climate and air pollution

Differences in air pressure over the North Atlantic have meant that the last two winters in Gothenburg, Sweden, have been extremely cold. This has led to the air in Gothenburg being more polluted with nitrogen oxides than ever before. A new study from the University of Gothenburg shows that there is a strong link between climate and air pollution.

23 Feb 2011