Pollution News and Research

Latest Pollution News and Research

Exposure to flaring at oil and gas production sites linked to higher odds of preterm birth

Researchers from USC and UCLA have found that exposure to flaring -- the burning off of excess natural gas -- at oil and gas production sites is associated with 50% higher odds of preterm birth, compared with no exposure.

15 Jul 2020

Portable lab kit helps detect waterborne hazards

A portable testing lab that fits into a suitcase is being hailed as the key to tackling one of the world's biggest dangers to health.

14 Jul 2020

Bird poop may harbor abundant antibiotic resistance genes

Bird poop may pose more health risks than people realize, according to Rice University environmental engineers who study antibiotic resistance.

13 Jul 2020

High-level noise exposure linked to risk of having low birth weight babies

Prolonged exposure to loud noise is more than annoying? it is bad for human health. Beyond the obvious potential damage to hearing, chronic noise exposure has also been linked to adverse cardiovascular effects, such as increased risks of heart attacks and strokes.

13 Jul 2020

Study suggests natural UV radiation protects against coronavirus

A new study by scientists at the University of Edinburgh and published on the preprint server medRxiv* in July 2020 suggests an interesting link between ultraviolet A radiation and deaths due to COVID-19. While this is an observational study, which means that direct inferences cannot be drawn from this finding, it does, however, suggest better strategies for reducing the death rate due to COVID-19.

8 Jul 2020

Work begins on UK-wide system for detecting coronavirus in wastewater

Scientists will develop a standardized UK-wide system for detecting coronavirus in wastewater, in order to provide an early warning of future outbreaks and reduce reliance on costly testing of large populations.

6 Jul 2020

Study: Teenagers who stay up late are more likely to suffer from asthma, allergies

Teenagers who prefer to stay up late and wake later in the morning are more likely to suffer from asthma and allergies compared to those who sleep and wake earlier, according to a study published in ERJ Open Research.

6 Jul 2020

Toxic metallic air pollution nanoparticles found inside myocardial mitochondria of city dwellers

Toxic metallic air pollution nanoparticles are getting inside the crucial, energy-producing structures within the hearts of people living in polluted cities, causing cardiac stress - a new study confirms.

3 Jul 2020

New platform helps investigate harmful effects of microplastics and nanoplastics

Plastic pollution is a critical environmental issue facing the world today, yet the impact of all the microplastics (MPs) and nanoplastics (NPs) that have seeped into the food and beverage supply on human health is an "undervalued avenue of research," according to the team behind a revealing new study released today in STEM CELLS.

2 Jul 2020

Crowdsourced data could help provide real-time representation of food deserts

New research from The University of Texas at Dallas suggests food deserts might be more prevalent in the U.S. than the numbers reported in government estimates.

2 Jul 2020

Air pollution may lead to interstitial lung diseases

More research must be done to investigate the role of air pollution on the epigenome in patients with interstitial lung diseases (ILDs), in order to develop strategies that minimize the effects of these pollutants, according to a new article published online in the American Thoracic Society's American Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine.

1 Jul 2020

In-home portable air cleaners reduce particulate exposure for cardiac patients

Using an in-home portable air cleaner (PAC) can significantly reduce exposure to fine-particle air pollutants - a major risk factor for cardiovascular events in people with pre-existing heart disease, reports a pilot study in the July issue of Journal of Cardiopulmonary Rehabilitation and Prevention.

30 Jun 2020

Air pollution associated with infant mortality finds study

A new study from Stanford researchers shows that a rise in air pollution is associated with increased mortality rates among infants. This new article and its results were published today in the latest issue of the journal Nature Sustainability.

29 Jun 2020

Weather determines NO2 concentrations, shows study

In connection with the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic, satellite measurements made headlines showing how much the air pollutant nitrogen dioxide (NO2) had decreased in China and northern Italy.

27 Jun 2020

Study provides more evidence of causal link between air pollution and premature death

Strengthening U.S. air quality standards for fine particulate pollution to be in compliance with current World Health Association (WHO) guidelines could save more than 140,000 lives over the course of a decade, according to a new study from Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health.

26 Jun 2020

Measuring air quality across London could help fight against COVID-19

Measuring air quality across London could help fight COVID-19 by providing a rapid means of deciding whether to reduce public transport movement - given strong links between exposure to air pollution and COVID-19 transmission, a new study reveals.

26 Jun 2020

Study examines how nitrogen dioxide from gas cookers can impact the cardiovascular system

The study, published recently in Circulation Research and led by a team from King's College London, has investigated how nitrogen dioxide can impact the cardiovascular system.

26 Jun 2020

Data provides current picture of world's air quality

It is not unusual to come across headlines about pollution or global warming and find that they reach different conclusions depending upon the data source.

26 Jun 2020

New study comprehensively profiles environmental factors linked to childhood obesity

Childhood obesity is a health threat that is becoming more and more common worldwide. It increases risk later on for a variety of life-threatening challenges, including type 2 diabetes, cancer, heart disease, and even mental health problems.

25 Jun 2020

Short-term exposure to low level air pollution can affect gene expression

New data from a landmark study by Monash University researchers raises concerns that even short-term exposure to low level air pollution can affect gene expression, leaving us at risk of diseases such as cancer, cardiovascular and respiratory diseases.

24 Jun 2020