Pollution News

May 1, 2020

Top Headlines

Discarded fishing net in ocean (stock image). | Credit: (c) Richard Carey / stock.adobe.com

Faster-Degrading Plastic Could Promise Cleaner Seas

Apr. 20, 2020 To address plastic pollution plaguing the world's seas and waterways, chemists have developed a new polymer that can degrade by ... read more

Yellowstone National Park (stock image). | Credit: (c) Lane Erickson / stock.adobe.com

New Geochemical Tool Reveals Origin of Earth's Nitrogen

Apr. 16, 2020 Researchers have used a new geochemical tool to shed light on the origin of nitrogen and other volatile elements on Earth, which may also prove useful as a way to monitor the ... read more

Old Carbon Reservoirs Unlikely to Cause Massive Greenhouse Gas Release, Study Finds

Feb. 20, 2020 As global temperatures rise, permafrost and methane hydrates -- large reservoirs of ancient carbon -- have the potential to break down, releasing ... read more

Methane Emitted by Humans Vastly Underestimated

Feb. 19, 2020 Researchers measured methane levels in ancient air samples and found that scientists have been vastly underestimating the amount of methane humans are emitting into the atmosphere via fossil fuels. ... read more

Latest Headlines

updated 5:23am EDT

Simulating Borehole Ballooning Helps Ensure Safe Drilling of Deep-Water Oil, Gas

Apr. 28, 2020 A device which simulates borehole ballooning, a detrimental side effect of deep-water drilling operations, is expected to ensure safe and efficient ... read more

Long-Term Consequences of Coastal Development as Bad as an Oil Spill on Coral Reefs

Apr. 29, 2020 Oil pollution is known to cause lethal and sublethal responses on coral communities in the short-term, but its long-term effects have not been widely ... read more

Upcycling Spongy Plastic Foams from Shoes, Mattresses and Insulation

Apr. 29, 2020 Researchers have developed a new method for upcycling polyurethane foams, the spongy material found in mattresses, insulation, furniture cushions and ... read more

Plastic Pollution Reaching the Antarctic

Apr. 28, 2020 Food wrapping, fishing gear and plastic waste continue to reach the Antarctic. Two new studies detail how plastic debris is reaching sub-Antarctic ... read more

Falling Visibility Shows African Cities Suffering Major Air Pollution Increases

Apr. 23, 2020 Falling visibility in three major African cities reveals that air pollution has increased significantly over the last 45 years - leaving citizens ... read more

Digital Agriculture Paves the Road to Agricultural Sustainability

Apr. 22, 2020 Researchers outline how to develop a more sustainable land management system through data collection and stakeholder ... read more

Spotting Air Pollution With Satellites, Better Than Ever Before

Apr. 22, 2020 Researchers have devised a method for estimating the air quality over a small patch of land using nothing but satellite imagery and weather conditions. Such information could help researchers ... read more

Carbon Dioxide Sensor Can Lower Energy Use, Reduce Utility Costs

Apr. 22, 2020 Researchers developed a sensor to help control and cut down on energy consumption through heating and ventilation ... read more

Nearly Half of US Breathing Unhealthy Air; Record-Breaking Air Pollution in Nine Cities

Apr. 21, 2020 Amid the COVID-19 pandemic, the impact of air pollution on lung health is of heightened concern. A new report finds nearly half of the nation's ... read more

What Did Scientists Learn from Deepwater Horizon?

Apr. 20, 2020 Scientists review what they -- and their science colleagues from around the world -- have learned from studying the spill over the past ... read more

Earlier Headlines

Study Describes Cocktail of Pharmaceuticals in Waters in Bangladesh

Apr. 20, 2020 An analysis revealed that water samples held a cocktail of pharmaceuticals and other compounds, including antibiotics, antifungals, anticonvulsants, anesthetics, antihypertensive drugs, pesticides, ... read more

A Cheap Organic Steam Generator to Purify Water

Apr. 20, 2020 A high-efficiency steam generator for the purification and desalination of water can be built using cheap and natural materials such as ... read more

Arctic Stratospheric Ozone Levels Hit Record Low in March

Apr. 16, 2020 Ozone levels above the Arctic reached a record low for March, researchers report. An analysis of satellite observations show that ozone levels reached their lowest point on March 12 at 205 Dobson ... read more

Breathing Heavy Wildfire Smoke May Increase Risk of out-of-Hospital Cardiac Arrest

Apr. 15, 2020 Heavy wildfire smoke may raise the risk of out-of-hospital cardiac arrest. To reduce exposure to wildfire smoke, researchers advise people to stay indoors with doors and windows closed, to use ... read more

First Gulf of Mexico-Wide Survey of Oil Pollution Completed 10 Years After Deepwater Horizon

Apr. 15, 2020 Since the 2010 BP oil spill, marine scientists have sampled more than 2,500 individual fish representing 91 species from 359 locations across the Gulf of Mexico and found evidence of oil exposure in ... read more

Soot May Only Be Half the Problem When It Comes to Cookstoves

Apr. 15, 2020 Researchers spent two weeks in India cooking with local residents. They found that soot wasn't the only worrisome byproduct of traditional cookstoves; organic carbons are causing problems, ... read more

Offshore Oil and Gas Platforms Release More Methane Than Previously Estimated

Apr. 13, 2020 Offshore energy-producing platforms in US waters of the Gulf of Mexico are emitting twice as much methane, a greenhouse gas, than previously thought, according to a new ... read more

Improving Accuracy of Future Climate Change Predictions

Apr. 8, 2020 New research has shone light on the impact of clouds on climate change. The study has raised serious doubts of the likely impact of human-led interventions involving methods of cloud ... read more

Babies in Popular Low-Riding Pushchairs Are Exposed to Alarming Levels of Toxic Air Pollutants

Apr. 8, 2020 Parents who are using popular low-riding pushchairs could be exposing their babies to alarming levels of air pollution, finds a new ... read more

New Study Helps Improve Accuracy of Future Climate Change Predictions

Lobster Digestion of Microplastics Could Further Foul the Food Chain

Apr. 8, 2020 Tiny fragments of plastic waste are dispersed throughout the environment, including the oceans, where marine organisms can ingest them. However, the subsequent fate of these microplastics in animals ... read more

River-Groundwater Hot Spot for Arsenic

Apr. 7, 2020 Naturally occurring groundwater arsenic contamination is a problem of global significance, particularly in South and Southeast Asian ... read more

Litter Problem at England's Protected Coasts

Apr. 7, 2020 Beaches in or near England's Marine Protected Areas (MPAs) have the same levels of litter as those in unprotected areas, new research ... read more

Scientists' Warning to Humanity on Insect Extinctions

Apr. 6, 2020 As the human race continues to battle the COVID-19 pandemic, scientists have found that the planet's insects are also facing a crisis after accelerating rates of extinction have led to a ... read more

Link Between Air Pollution and Coronavirus Mortality in Italy Could Be Possible

Apr. 6, 2020 A group of scientists has found another small piece in the puzzle of understanding COVID-19. Looking for reasons why the mortality rate is up to 12% in the northern part of Italy and only approx. ... read more

Removing the Novel Coronavirus from the Water Cycle

Apr. 3, 2020 Researchers have called for more research to determine the best ways to keep SARS-CoV-2 out of the water cycle. They also suggest that developed nations should finance water treatment systems in the ... read more

Coastal Pollution Reduces Genetic Diversity of Corals, Reef Resilience

Apr. 3, 2020 A new study found that human-induced environmental stressors have a large effect on the genetic composition of coral reef populations in Hawai'i. They confirmed that there is an ongoing loss of ... read more

A Friendlier Way to Deal With Nitrate Pollution

Apr. 2, 2020 Learning from nature, scientists have found a catalyst that efficiently transforms nitrate into nitrite -- an environmentally important reaction -- without requiring high temperature or acidity, and ... read more

Our Oceans Are Suffering, but We Can Rebuild Marine Life

Apr. 2, 2020 It's not too late to rescue global marine life, according to a study outlining the steps needed for marine ecosystems to recover from damage by 2050. The study found many components of marine ... read more

The Candy-Cola Soda Geyser Experiment, at Different Altitudes

Apr. 1, 2020 Dropping Mentos® candies into a bottle of soda causes a foamy jet to erupt. Although science fair exhibitors can tell you that this geyser results from rapid degassing of the beverage induced by the ... read more

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