Pollution News and Research

Latest Pollution News and Research

Air pollution levels change considerably within small geographical areas

Pedestrians could reduce the amount of traffic pollution they breathe in simply by crossing the street, according to the latest research from the University of Leeds.

7 Oct 2009

Nature's best mercury fighters: Bacteria

Mercury pollution is a persistent problem in the environment. Human activity has lead to increasingly large accumulations of the toxic chemical, especially in waterways, where fish and shellfish tend to act as sponges for the heavy metal.

5 Oct 2009

Social shame works better than Government subsidies: Study

Government subsidies persuade some people to change habits, but social shame works even better, suggests a recent study of efforts to reduce elevated childhood death and disease rates blamed on the microbial pathogens that cause diarrhea in rural India.

1 Oct 2009

Non-domestic air pollution is a major concern, says report

Plumes of harmful air pollutants can be transported across oceans and continents -- from Asia to the United States and from the United States to Europe -- and have a negative impact on air quality far from their original sources, says a new report by the National Research Council.

30 Sep 2009

Research study on the U.S. life expectancy

The Great Depression had a silver lining: During that hard time, U.S. life expectancy actually increased by 6.2 years, according to a University of Michigan study published in the current issue of the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.

29 Sep 2009

New line of household disinfectant wipes and sprays launched

Seventh Generation, the nation's leading brand of non-toxic, environmentally safe household solutions, incorporates the latest breakthrough in green chemistry with the introduction of a new line of household disinfectant wipes and sprays.

25 Sep 2009

AABM Team wins two medals in a national contest

The Aquatic Animal Bio-Medicine R&D Team (AABM Team) of National Cheng Kung University (NCKU) in Taiwan, led by Distinguished Prof. Huey-Lang Yang from Institute of Biotechnology, won two medals out of more than 100 teams in the national contest, “2009 Crazy Idea – King of Practical Applications on Creative Researches and Development of Biotechnology,” organized by the Industrial Development Bureau of the Ministry of Economic Affairs, Taiwan.

25 Sep 2009

Obama addresses U.N. General Assembly, calls for 'new era of engagement'

In his first U.N. General Assembly address, President Obama on Wednesday "called for 'a new era of engagement' ... with the world, pledging to work together with other countries while defending the interests of the United States," Reuters reports (9/23).

24 Sep 2009

Improved respiratory health in Mexican women who use vented stoves

Women in Central Mexico who used a vented stove instead of the traditional indoor open fire, experienced improved respiratory health on par with a pack-a-day smoker kicking the habit, according to a recent study.

23 Sep 2009

Dust Alert sensor to monitor quality of air

Worried that dust from a nearby construction zone will harm your family's health? A new Tel Aviv University tool could either confirm your suspicions or better yet, set your mind at rest.

23 Sep 2009

E. coli pervasive in stream-water with fecal indicator bacteria

Bacteria commonly used to indicate health risks in recreational waters might not be so reliable after all. Pathogenic E. coli were pervasive in stream-water samples with low concentrations of fecal indicator bacteria.

23 Sep 2009

Data show a decrease in ozone layer

By merging more than a decade of atmospheric data from European satellites, scientists have compiled a homogeneous long-term ozone record that allows them to monitor total ozone trends on a global scale - and the findings look promising.

22 Sep 2009

Identification of nitric oxide using lasers and sensors

Nitric oxide, a gas well known to scientists for its myriad functions, has proven challenging to measure accurately outside the laboratory. A team of Princeton and Rice University researchers has demonstrated a new method of identifying the gas using lasers and sensors that are inexpensive, compact and highly sensitive. Such a portable device, suitable for large-scale deployment, could be of great value to atmospheric science, pollution control, biology and medicine.

21 Sep 2009

Industrial biotechnology can reduce greenhouse gas emissions

The WWF report Industrial biotechnology – more than green fuel in a dirty economy?, which has been published today, concludes that industrial biotechnology can provide dramatic reductions in greenhouse gas emissions and provide strong progress toward a green and sustainable economy.

18 Sep 2009

No unsafe levels of air pollutants or metals detected at schools in Beaver and Erie counties: DEP

Air quality sampling by the state Department of Environmental Protection at schools in Beaver and Erie counties has not detected unsafe levels of air pollutants or metals, Environmental Protection Secretary John Hanger said today.

18 Sep 2009

American Lung Association applauds EPA’s decision to reduce threat from dangerous air pollutant

Today the Administrator of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Lisa Jackson, announced that the Agency will embark on a formal review of the national air quality standard for ozone, a decision that offers the opportunity to finally protect the health of millions of Americans from the most widespread and one of the most dangerous air pollutants.

17 Sep 2009

Event to highlight diminishing water resources in California

Turfgrass plays an important role in the landscape and has a direct and significant impact on California's economy. Aesthetically pleasing and present in everyday life, turfgrass provides a safer, cushioned surface for sports and recreational activities and is known to increase home values.

16 Sep 2009

Technology and science tours on Pittsburgh's economy

Carnegie Mellon University, the University of Pittsburgh and UPMC (University of Pittsburgh Medical Center) have driven a dramatic shift in the Pittsburgh economy during the last four decades, transforming the city from a manufacturing town to an international knowledge-based center for research, education and medicine.

14 Sep 2009

Lead exposure may result in cardiovascular mortality

Growing evidence shows that exposure to lead in the environment is associated with cardiovascular disease, including increased risk of hypertension. However, those studies have looked at lead concentrations in blood, not bone lead, a better indicator of cumulative lead exposure over time.

10 Sep 2009

Tel Aviv University biologist discusses about human fertility

About 10% of all couples hoping for a baby have fertility problems. Environmentalists say pollution is to blame and psychiatrists point to our stressful lifestyles, but evolutionary biologist Dr. Oren Hasson of Tel Aviv University's Department of Zoology offers a different take. The reproductive organs of men and women are currently involved in an evolutionary arms race, he reports in a new study. And the fight isn't over yet.

8 Sep 2009