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September 25, 2019 | https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2019/09/190925115119.htm | Aerosols from coniferous forests no longer cool the climate as much | Emissions of greenhouse gases have a warming effect on the climate, whereas small airborne particles in the atmosphere, aerosols, act as a cooling mechanism. That is the received wisdom in any case. However, new research from Lund University in Sweden can now show that the tiniest aerosols are increasing at the expense of the normal sized and slightly larger aerosols -- and it is only the latter that have a cooling effect. | The air is full of small airborne particles -- aerosols. Some are naturally produced, while others are caused by humankind's combustion of fuel. Some are harmful to our health, while others reflect sunlight.One of the important natural sources of aerosols is the fragrant terpenes from coniferous forests. For example, the boreal coniferous forest area "the taiga" that stretches like a ribbon across the whole world, accounts for 14 per cent of the world's vegetation coverage, and is thus the world's largest coherent land ecosystem.Through chemical reactions with the ozone in the atmosphere, the terpenes are transformed into highlyeavily oxygenatedidised organic molecules which bind with otherstick to aerosol particles that are already in the air. This leads to more cloud droplets, as each cloud droplet is formed through steam condensing on a sufficiently large aerosol particle. More cloud droplets lead to denser clouds and reduced insolation.However, the new study published in Emissions of ammonia from agriculture and sulphur dioxide from fossil fuels change the rules of the game: the terpenes as well as other organic molecules are instead divided into many more, but smaller, aerosol particles. As the diameter of very tiny aerosols is smaller than the wavelength of light, the particles are unable to reflect light.Although sulphur dioxide and ammonia are gases, they generate new particles via chemical reactions in the atmosphere."Paradoxically, a larger number of aerosol particles can lead to the cooling effect from the organic molecules released from the forests being reduced or even eliminated," says Pontus Roldin, researcher in nuclear physics at Lund University in Sweden and first author of the article.Together with an international research team he developed a model that for the first time reveals the process behind new particle formation of these aerosols."The heavily oxidised organic molecules have a significant cooling effect on the climate. With a warmer climate it's expected that forests will release more terpenes and thus create more cooling organic aerosols. However, the extent of that effect also depends on the emission volumes of sulphur dioxide and ammonia in the future. It's very clear, though, that this increase in organic aerosols cannot by any means compensate for the warming of the climate caused by our emissions of greenhouse gases," says Pontus Roldin.This study can help to reduce uncertainty surrounding aerosol particles' effect on clouds and the climate.There has already been a considerable reduction of sulphur dioxide emissions in Europe and USA since the 1980s and steps in the right direction have now also been noted in China. Instead, the main issue is the acidification problem observed in lakes, forests and air pollution."Relatively simple technical solutions are required to reduce sulphur dioxide, for example, cleaning of exhaust gases from ships and coal-fired power plants etc. It's much harder to reduce ammonia, as it's released directly from animals and when soil is fertilised," says Pontus Roldin.It is estimated that in the future, global meat production will rise considerably as prosperity in poor countries, mainly in Asia, increases. Today, it is not known what the consequences of these changes will be, but to make an estimate requires the use of detailed models like the one that has now been developed.In the next few years, Pontus Roldin will work within a research project that will contribute knowledge to next generation climate models, such as EC-Earth."We already know that the forest is a significant carbon sink. However, other factors, such as the cooling effect of aerosols, types of vegetation and emissions, affect the climate. Hopefully, our results can contribute to a more complete understanding of how forests and climate interact," concludes Pontus Roldin. | Pollution | 2,019 |
September 25, 2019 | https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2019/09/190925075731.htm | Studies link air pollution to mental health issues in children | Three new studies by scientists at Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, in collaboration with researchers at the University of Cincinnati, highlight the relationship between air pollution and mental health in children. | A study to be published Sept. 25 in The lead authors of this study are Cole Brokamp, PhD, and Patrick Ryan, PhD. They are researchers in the division of Biostatistics and Epidemiology at Cincinnati Children's."This study is the first to show an association between daily outdoor air pollution levels and increased symptoms of psychiatric disorders, like anxiety and suicidality, in children," says Dr. Brokamp. "More research is needed to confirm these findings, but it could lead to new prevention strategies for children experiencing symptoms related to a psychiatric disorder. The fact that children living in high poverty neighborhoods experienced greater health effects of air pollution could mean that pollutant and neighborhood stressors can have synergistic effects on psychiatric symptom severity and frequency."Two other Cincinnati Children's studies were recently published that also link air pollution to children's mental health:The lead authors of the study are Kimberly Yolton, PhD, director of research in the division of General and Community Pediatrics at Cincinnati Children's, and Dr. Ryan."Collectively, these studies contribute to the growing body of evidence that exposure to air pollution during early life and childhood may contribute to depression, anxiety, and other mental health problems in adolescence," says Dr. Ryan. "More research is needed to replicate these findings and uncover underlying mechanisms for these associations." | Pollution | 2,019 |
September 24, 2019 | https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2019/09/190924104103.htm | Safe solution to mop up oil spills | QUT researchers have come up with a new, safe way to clean up oil spills using compounds equally useful as common household cleaning products. | There have been more than 700 oil spills worldwide in the past 20 years, polluting oceans and coastlines as well as endangering marine ecology and other wildlife.Associate Professor Jingsan Xu said the team from QUT's Science and Engineering Faculty, had invented a nontoxic, low-cost, easily processed foam for oil removal.He said when an oil spill occurred, the foam could be sprayed onto its surface to absorb the waste very quickly. The same principal could be applied to spills in the home of cooking or other oils. The foam is then easily scraped away for safe disposal.A paper revealing their findings -- Reversible Switching of the Amphiphilicity of Organic-Inorganic Hybrids by Adsorption-Desorption Manipulation -- has just been published in "Thousands of tons of oil have been disgorged into our oceans over the decades. One of the most memorable was the Exxon Valdez oil spill in Prince William Sound, Alaska, in 1989 which spilled 37,000 metric tons of crude oil and is considered one of the worst ever human-caused environmental disasters," said Professor Xu."More recently, the Deepwater Horizon oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico in 2010 had the dubious honour of becoming the largest marine oil spill in the history of the petroleum industry."Although there are methods for cleaning up oil spills, they are usually very messy and difficult to contain while some methods, such as in situ burning, create more hazards for the environment."Sorbents -- large sponges -- are also used but only for the removal of final traces of oil or in places skimmers cannot get to. The key to saving the environment from maximum damage is to mop up the oil as quickly as possible."So what we have focussed on is the adaptability and possibilities associated with surfactants which are already widely used in research, industrial production and daily lives via household cleaning products."Surfactants are compounds that lower the surface tension between two liquids, between a gas and a liquid, or between a liquid and a solid -- in other words, they can be detergents, wetting agents, emulsifiers, foaming agents, and dispersants."One way to remove the floating oil from sea surface is adsorption. Hydrophobic porous foam -- low density material that can float on liquid -- is a promising candidate to achieve that and we recently reported on the synthesis of a hydrophobic hybrid foam which showed excellent adsorption performance to a range of organic liquids."Professor Xu and the team have now created what they call a 'hybrid surfactant' by combining an oil-soluble molecule, stearic acid, with water-dispersible alumina nanofibers via chemisorption at the oil-water interface."Our hybrid surfactant exhibits reversible switching between hydrophilic (molecules attracted to water) and lipophilic (able to dissolve in fats, oils, lipids, and non-polar solvents) states by manipulating the adsorption-desorption volume of stearic acid attached to the alumina nanofibers," he said."Therefore, the emulsions stabilised by this organic-inorganic hybrid can reversibly transform between oil-in-water and water-in-oil type by simple mechanical manipulation."Unlike conventional approaches, no other external stimulus is needed to set the amphiphilic properties of the hybrid surfactant. This protocol may have significant applications in cosmetic, food and other fields."As a bonus, organic-inorganic three-dimensional solid foams can be readily prepared based on the emulsion system, which demonstrates a strong potential for use in evaporating oil spills -- in the ocean or the kitchen -- in a very quick fashion." | Pollution | 2,019 |
September 18, 2019 | https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2019/09/190918161623.htm | Cutting emissions gradually will avert sudden jump in warming | Reducing fossil fuel emissions steadily over coming years will prevent millions of premature deaths and help avoid the worst of climate change without causing the large spike in short-term warming that some studies have predicted, new analysis by researchers at Duke University and the University of Leeds finds. | "We analyzed 42 scenarios presenting different timescales for a very rapid worldwide transition from fossil fuels to clean energy," said Drew Shindell, Nicholas Professor of Earth Science at Duke's Nicholas School of the Environment. "Under all of these scenarios there is no significant spike in warming, no climate penalty, and we actually see a decrease in warming rates within two decades of the start of the phase-out.""The only scenarios that result in a significant warming spike are implausible ones in which worldwide emissions are halted instantaneously or over a very short timescale. But in the real world, that's not going to happen. It will take decades to transition to clean energy," Shindell said.Climate negotiations have been clouded in recent years by the view that cleaning up fossil-fuel air pollution rapidly will unintentionally lead to a near-term rise in atmospheric warming of about a half-degree Celsius, which might take up to a century to reverse. The idea is that the sun-obscuring aerosols fossil fuel consumption puts into the atmosphere would clear relatively quickly, but long-lived greenhouse gases such as carbon dioxide would persist and create a net warming."Our finding shows these fears are unfounded," said Christopher J. Smith, research fellow at the School of Earth and Environment at Leeds."Under a realistic rate of fossil-fuel phase-out, we do clean up the air, unmasking historically suppressed cooling," Smith said. "But we would also reduce the rate of further greenhouse gases put into the atmosphere, slowing down future warming. These competing effects will approximately balance out, and any increase in the rate or level of near-term warming will be quite small compared to what we would see if we allowed emissions to remain at current levels," he said.The new finding is good news on the public health front, too, Shindell noted, because aerosol particulates are highly toxic when inhaled and cause millions of premature deaths each year, "so taking these steps to reduce emissions and slow climate change will also save lives," he said."We know there are enormous risks associated with continuing to burn fossil fuels," Shindell said. "What this work shows is that it's mistaken to think that the transition to clean energy also has large environmental risks. Instead, it provides huge public health benefits while also mitigating climate change."Shindell and Smith published their peer-reviewed study Sept. 18 in By showing an alignment between climate and public health policy goals, Shindell and Smith hope their finding will spur progress in climate negotiations and add momentum to the discussions and presentations taking place at the UN Climate Action Summit in New York City on Sept. 23."This research dispels the misconception that the air-quality and climate benefits of transitioning to clean energy play out at different timescales," Smith emphasized. "Climate change mitigation does not come at the expense of air pollution reductions.""As the world moves to decarbonize and transition away from fossil fuels, we must ensure that our actions benefit both climate and human well-being," said Helena Molin Valdéz, head of the Climate and Clean Air Coalition Secretariat at the UN Environment office in Paris. This new study will help do just that, she noted."It is important to see clearly that transitioning away from fossil fuels does not lead to environmental trade-offs, but produces benefits for both combatting climate change and improving air quality," said Maria Neira, director of the World Health Organization's Department of Public Health, Environmental and Social Determinants of Health. | Pollution | 2,019 |
September 18, 2019 | https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2019/09/190918121200.htm | Mechanism modeling for better forecasts, climate predictions | As hurricanes grow in power as the climate changes, accurately modeling the interactions between the atmosphere and the ocean grows increasingly important to prepare people to batten down or to evacuate. The many mechanisms of the atmosphere-ocean system -- known as air-sea flux -- make modeling extremely complicated, however. | Qi Shi, a postdoctoral researcher in the Great Lakes Research Center at Michigan Technological University, has created the first detailed analysis of ocean and atmospheric responses to currents, waves and wind. In the article "Coupling Ocean Currents and Waves with Wind Stress over the Gulf Stream" published in Remote Sensing this summer, Shi argues that current numerical models simply don't account for the impact of waves, currents and wind coupled together. This coupling is crucial because without it, models do not accurately represent marine atmospheric boundary layer processes."We quantified the impact of this coupling to improve the accuracy of air-sea fluxes, because without modeling currents, there is a constant bias in models," Shi said. "What causes that bias? Missing the full spectrum of feedback mechanisms."Simply put: Better modeling gives weather forecasters and climate scientists a more accurate picture of what happens where atmosphere and ocean meet.Part of what makes modeling air-sea flux so complicated are the sheer number of feedback mechanisms in the system: To model waves, one must account for surface roughness and wind; to model sea surface temperature, one must account for air-sea temperature differences, water vapor, humidity, evaporation and more. Modeling wind and surface currents are equally complex.Numerical models solve equations that describe the atmosphere, ocean, and land surface to predict future weather and climate. Interactions among each model component, such as heat exchange between atmosphere and ocean, play an important role in driving both oceanic and atmospheric circulation.Hurricanes are fueled with heat and moisture from the ocean. Ocean currents and waves modify wind shear and surface roughness, which are key variables for calculating the air-sea heat and momentum fluxes. Using a high-resolution, three-way coupled ocean-wave-atmospheric modeling system, Shi determined the role of coupling ocean currents, waves and wind stress in reducing model bias in air-sea flux over the Gulf Stream.Shi's work is the first detailed mechanism study in the current-wave-stress coupling process, which can be applied to increase the accuracy of forecasts for hurricane intensity and climate prediction as well as to better use satellite observations in the numerical models."We provide evidence that observation of currents is important and has significant influence on models," Shi said.Shi said she hopes to see the eventual launch of a satellite that observes ocean currents to validate ground observations. | Pollution | 2,019 |
September 17, 2019 | https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2019/09/190917115428.htm | Fungicides as an underestimated hazard for freshwater organisms | Fungicides are worldwide used in agriculture. Large amounts of applied fungicides leak into nearby surface waters. The effects of these substances on aquatic organisms are poorly understood and not specifically addressed in the EU regulatory frameworks with respect to the protection of surface waters. Scientists at the Leibniz-Institute of Freshwater Ecology and Inland Fisheries (IGB) have found that pollution by fungicides can have unforeseen but far-reaching consequences for the functioning of aquatic systems -- like indirect effects on the development of algal blooms. | The researchers investigated whether fungicides regularly used in agriculture such as tebuconazole or azoxystrobin influence the growth of aquatic fungi. In water bodies, fungi act as decomposers, but also as pathogens or parasites of other aquatic organisms. The research team was able to show that fungicides at concentrations similar to those found in natural water bodies drastically decreased infection of cyanobacteria by parasitic fungi. Cyanobacteria -- formerly called blue-green algae -- often grow disproportionally, causing blooms that can be toxic to humans and animals. "By infecting cyanobacteria, parasitic fungi limit their growth and thus reduce the occurrence and intensity of toxic algal blooms," says IGB researcher Dr. Ramsy Agha, head of the study. "Whereas we usually perceive disease as a negative phenomenon, parasites are very important for the normal functioning of aquatic ecosystems and can -- as in this case -- also have positive effects. Pollution by fungicides can interfere with this natural process," the researcher adds.The research team, together with colleagues from the University of Minho in Portugal, has already been able to show in other studies that fungicides have a negative effect on the growth of aquatic fungi. Like in the recent study, they investigated the interaction between parasitic fungi and their hosts in the presence of fungicides. For example, they showed that the infection of water fleas with yeast fungi decreased under commonly occurring fungicide concentrations in the lake water.There are only rough estimates of the proportion of fungi in aquatic microbial communities in the various types of water. In some freshwaters they can probably account for up to 50 percent of microorganisms with cell nuclei. Fungi hold many important ecological roles in aquatic ecosystems; as decomposers of organic matter and as a part of the food chain. Regarding the latter, fungi are a food source for higher trophic levels.Despite their importance, aquatic fungi are not specifically addressed in the EU regulatory frameworks. To protect the ecology of waters from adverse effects of plant protection products (PPP), a prospective risk assessment is conducted by the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) prior to authorization of active ingredients and their formulated products. The EFSA guidance document (EFSA, 2013) requires toxicity data for three taxonomic groups: plants, invertebrates and a fish species, representing a simplified vision of aquatic food chains.One reason for the disregard of aquatic fungi in risk assessments is the lack of standardized bioassays using aquatic fungi as test species. "As the cultivation and identification of aquatic fungi in scientific labs is continuously improving, risk evaluations should consider the impact of fungicides on aquatic fungi," says IGB researcher Prof. Dr. Justyna Wolinska, head of the working group Disease Evolutionary Ecology. | Pollution | 2,019 |
September 13, 2019 | https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2019/09/190913111405.htm | Environmental pollution in China begins decreasing | For decades pollution in China has paralleled economic growth. But this connection has been weakened in recent years, according to a new international research study published in the | The study was conducted by an international team of researchers from five countries, including Deliang Chen, a professor of physical meteorology at the University of Gothenburg and a Coordinating Lead Author of the UN Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC)."Our research shows that increased environmental awareness and investments in China over the past decade have produced results," says Chen.In the late 1970s China's economy began expanding, and the expansion accelerated during the following decades. Environmental pollution kept pace with economic growth."But the analysis of our data shows a weakening of that relationship for China starting in 1995," Chen says.Researchers have studied statistics for economic growth, environmental conditions, regional differences, the gap between urban and rural areas, social inequality, land-based impacts on the ocean, equality in education, health care and living standards in China during the 1977-2017 period. The research results are based on huge amounts of "big data.""In our study we have looked at the data from all areas based on the UN's 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). As researchers, we normally tend to look at our own data, but in this study, we have used existing data from many different sources."The study shows that environmental pollution in China as a whole has begun to decline, but that greenhouse gas emissions have continued to increase.The study also shows that China has improved in 12 of the 17 SDGs during the last 40 years, while major problems still exist in the other five."China's economic growth has not come without great sacrifice and with negative consequences for the environment and climate. But it is still encouraging to note these improvements. At the same time, it reminds us of the urgent need to solve major problems such as increased greenhouse gas emissions and inequality of income.Many believe that economic progress and pollution have to go hand in hand. But our study shows that this connection has become weaker in recent years in China. And it provides a little more hopeful picture. This hope and the lessons learned in China can be interesting for other countries that also need to be developed."Big data is digitally stored information so massive (usually terabytes and petabytes) that it is difficult to process with traditional database methods. | Pollution | 2,019 |
September 13, 2019 | https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2019/09/190913080749.htm | Verdict for China's efforts on coal emissions | Researchers from China, France and the USA have evaluated China's success in stemming emissions from its coal-fired power plants (CPPs). | CPPs are one of the main contributors to air pollution in China, and their proliferation over the last 20 years has had significant impacts on air quality and public health.These impacts led authorities to introduce measures to control emissions from CPPs and reduce their effects.Writing today in Dr Qiang Zhang, from Tsinghua University, China, is the study's lead author. He said: "Between 2005 and 2015, the coal-fired power generation of CPPs in China grew by more than 97 percent. In 2010, CPPs' sulphur dioxide, nitrogen oxide and fine particulate matter (PM2.5) emissions accounted for 33 per cent, 33 per cent and 6 percent of China's total national emissions, respectively. The large amount of air pollutant emissions from CPPs causes fine particulate air pollution, which contributed 26 percent of the fine particulate nitrate and 22 percent of the fine particulate sulphate ambient concentration in 2012."To combat this, China introduced three primary policies for CPPs during 2005-2020. They aimed to improve efficiency energy by promoting large CPPs and decommissioning small plants during 2005-2020; brought in national emission cap requirements by installing of end-of-pipe control devices during 2005-2015; and introduced ultra-low emission standards between 2014-2020."To measure the effect these policies had on emissions, the team developed two retrospective emission scenarios based on a high-resolution coal-fired power plant database for China.They also developed two emission prediction scenarios to forecast the CPPs' emission changes associated with the implementation of ultra-low emission standards and power generation increments during 2015-2020.Finally, they evaluated the air quality and health impacts associated with CPPs' emission changes during 2005-2020, using a regional air quality model and the integrated exposure-response model.Dr Fei Liu, from the Universities Space Research Association, Goddard Earth Sciences Technology and Research, USA, is the study's corresponding author. She said: "Our results show that overall, China's efforts on emission reductions, air quality improvement and human health protection from CPPS between 2005-2020 were effective."We found that the upgrading of end-pipe control facilities could reduce PM2.5 exposures by 7.9 ug/m3 and avoid 111,900 premature deaths annually. Meanwhile, the early retirement of small and low-efficiency units could reduce PM2.5 exposures by 2.1 ug/m3 and avoid 31,400 annual premature deaths."This suggests similar measures could be taken in countries such as India, to enable the reduction of emissions alongside rapid economic development." | Pollution | 2,019 |
September 12, 2019 | https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2019/09/190912134354.htm | 'Fire inversions' lock smoke in valleys | Smoke from a summer wildfire is more than just an eye-stinging plume of nuisance. It's a poison to the lungs and hearts of the people who breathe it in and a dense blanket that hampers firefighting operations. | There's an atmospheric feedback loop, says University of Utah atmospheric scientist Adam Kochanski, that can lock smoke in valleys in much the same way that temperature inversions lock the smog and gunk in the Salt Lake Valley each winter. But understanding this loop, Kochanski says, can help scientists predict how smoke will impact air quality in valleys, hopefully helping both residents and firefighters alike.Kochanski and colleagues' study appears in the In 2015, firefighters battling wildfires in northern California noticed that smoke accumulating in valleys wasn't going away. The smoke got so bad that air support had to cancel flights, slowing down the firefighting effort. "That raised the question," Kochanski says, "Why is that? Why all of a sudden, is the smoke so persistent and what keeps this very thick layer of smoke in those valleys for such a long period of time?"Kochanski and his colleagues, including researchers from the Desert Research Institute, University of Colorado, Boulder and Harvard & Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics set out to answer those questions. Their first clue came from measurements of temperature both below and above the smoke layer. The air, they found, was warmer above the smoke than below.Residents of the Salt Lake Valley and other bowl-shaped valleys will recognize the pattern of warmer air above colder valley air as an inversion -- a reversal of the normal cooling of air with altitude. The atmospheric chemistry of Salt Lake's wintertime inversions is a little different than that of a fire inversion, but the physics are the same: Warm air rises, cold air sinks and the inversion puts a warm lid over a valley, trapping all the valley air below.The main difference is that in case of the smoke inversions the smoke layer makes the inversion even stronger.Kochanski and his colleagues modeled the dynamics of air and smoke in valley terrain and found a feedback loop that reinforces the atmospheric inversion conditions."A key to this situation is the moment when the smoke appears in the atmosphere and it just does enough to block incoming solar radiation," Kochanski says. With the sun's energy blocked, the air at the ground begins to cool. "The near-surface cooling limits the mixing, enhances local inversions and leads to even higher smoke concentrations, that in turn block more solar radiation and make smoke even more persistent."The cooling also weakens winds in the smoke-filled valley and stabilizes the atmosphere, impeding wind from breaking through and clearing out the stagnant air.Kochanski says there are three ways out of a fire inversion. One is the settling of smoke once the fire is extinguished, allowing more light and heat to reach the ground. Another is a sufficiently large wind that can push through and mix the layers of air. A third is precipitation, as falling rain can scrub the air clean of aerosols."If it's business as usual and day by day you have nice sunny weather without any wind or precipitation events, well, this positive feedback loop leads to more smoke in the valleys than could be expected just based on the fire behavior alone," Kochanski says.Understanding the conditions that create the feedback loop help researchers predict how and when it might form or dissipate. Fire inversions will still remain a problem for firefighters, but Kochanski says that now researchers will be able to put together more accurate smoke forecasts."We can better tell where, how dense and how persistent the smoke is going to be," he says. "That's something that wasn't available before." Weather models will also be able to forecast air quality effects from smoke in ways they couldn't before, he adds.The results of this study are already being integrated into the National Predictive Services Program. "When I'm talking about applications," Kochanski says. "It's not 10 years from now. It's something that we will start working on within the next couple of months." | Pollution | 2,019 |
September 12, 2019 | https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2019/09/190912111819.htm | Four billion particles of microplastics discovered in major body of water | A new study from the University of South Florida St. Petersburg and Eckerd College estimates the waters of Tampa Bay contain four billion particles of microplastics, raising new questions about the impact of pollution on marine life in this vital ecosystem. | This is the first measurement of microplastic abundance and distribution in the region. Researchers hope the findings will provide necessary data to inform the debate around policies to reduce plastic in the marine environment.Microplastics are tiny plastic particles less than 1/8 of an inch, barely or not at all visible to the eye. They come from the breakdown of larger plastics, such as water bottles, fishing gear and plastic bags, or from synthetic clothing and other items that contain elements of plastic. Previous studies have found these particles in every ocean on the planet and even in the Arctic."Very little is known about how much microplastics are out there and the full consequences of these particles on marine life," said Kinsley McEachern, the first author of the study and a recent Environmental Science and Policy graduate student at USF St. Petersburg. "But emerging research indicates a wide range of impacts on marine ecosystems from the large accumulation of microplastics."Since particles are similar size as plankton, filter feeders such as oysters, clams, many fish and some birds ingest microplastics, allowing them to enter the food chain. Persistent organic pollutants, including toxic pesticides, and metals can stick to their surfaces, making ingestion potentially that much more damaging. Effects include cellular damage, reproductive disruption and even death.The study revealed that the predominant type of these tiny particles in Tampa Bay -- in both water and sediment -- are thread-like fibers that are generated by fishing lines, nets and washing clothes. Synthetic fibers are released from clothes while they are being laundered, discharged to wastewater treatment plants and eventually released into the bay.The next largest source are fragments that come from the breakdown of larger plastics."These plastics will remain in the bay, the gulf and ocean for more than a lifetime, while we use most plastic bags and bottles for less than an hour," said David Hastings, Principal Investigator of the study, Courtesy Professor at USF College of Marine Science and a recently retired Professor of Marine Science and Chemistry at Eckerd College. "Although it is tempting to clean up the mess, it is not feasible to remove these particles from the water column or separate them out from sediments.""Only by removing the sources of plastics and microplastic particles can we successfully decrease the potential risks of plastics in the marine environment," added McEachern.Researchers found the largest concentrations of microplastics in water occurred after intense and long rainfall events, while in sediments the greatest amount of microplastics were located close to industrial sources.For more than a decade, Hastings led annual research cruises in Tampa Bay with Eckerd College students to collect water samples and plankton. During these trips, he and his students were also seeing small pieces of plastic."We were looking at plankton, which form the base of the marine food web. But when we put the samples underneath the microscope, we were astonished to find many brightly colored pieces of microplastic. We wanted to learn more," said Hastings.Teaming up with McEachern, who was interested in focusing her graduate research on this issue, USFSP Associate Professor of Chemistry Henry Alegria and the Environmental Protection Commission of Hillsborough County, they set about counting microplastics in the region at 24 stations over a 14-month period. Collecting stations were located at the mouths of major rivers, near industrial facilities and in relatively pristine coastal mangroves. Particles believed to be plastic were probed with a hot dissecting needle. If the material quickly melted or disfigured, the sample was classified as a microplastic.On average, the study found four pieces of microplastic per gallon of water at all sites, and more than 600 pieces of microplastic per pound of dry sediment. Extrapolating those findings to the entire Tampa Bay estuary, the researchers estimated there are approximately four billion particles in the water and more than 3 trillion pieces in surface sediments."This is a very important study in that it is the first for our region and shows the extent of the problem," said Alegria. "It also provides a vital baseline on total numbers and distribution. This is important for management plans moving forward to show whether future actions and policies are effective at reducing these particles in our environment."Researchers say the findings, though substantial, might also be conservative, since collection in the bay occurred several feet below the water surface, likely missing any buoyant microplastics at the surface."We collected only a few pieces of Styrofoam, most likely because we sampled below the surface and foam floats at the surface," explained Hastings.Plastic pollution in the marine environment has been a concern for decades. However, only recently have scientists started to uncover the widespread abundance of microplastics in the environment. With mounting physical evidence of plastic pollution, there have been greater calls for action in coastal communities around the world. Recently bans on plastic bags and single-use plastics have been enacted by some local governments in Tampa Bay to reduce marine pollution and protect Florida's largest open-water estuary.The findings of billions of particles of microplastics in Tampa Bay waters could bring even greater calls for action and influence future decisions in the region and beyond. Researchers at USF St. Petersburg and Eckerd College are conducting further research to more fully understand microplastic pollution in the marine environment. | Pollution | 2,019 |
September 11, 2019 | https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2019/09/190911193303.htm | Microplastics stunt growth of worms | New research shows that the presence of microplastics can stunt the growth of earthworms, and even cause them to lose weight -- potentially having a serious impact on the soil ecosystem. | The study, to be published in the journal Academics from Anglia Ruskin University (ARU) examined the impact of biodegradable polylactic acid (PLA), high-density polyethylene (HDPE), and microplastic clothing fibres (acrylic and nylon) on earthworms living in the soil as well as ryegrass sown on top.After a period of 30 days in the presence of HDPE, which is commonly used in the production of plastic bottles and carrier bags, they found that rosy-tipped earthworms (Aporrectodea rosea) lost on average 3.1% of their weight.In comparison, the earthworms living in control conditions, without added microplastics, saw their weight increase by 5.1% over the 30-day period.At the same time the study found that the presence of HDPE led to a decrease in the soil pH. And soil containing PLA, a biodegradable form of plastic, led to a reduction in the shoot height of the ryegrass (Lolium perenne), while both PLA and clothing fibres led to fewer ryegrass seeds germinating.Lead author Dr Bas Boots, Lecturer in Biology at Anglia Ruskin University (ARU), said: "The earthworms lost weight overall when certain microplastics were present and grew significantly in weight in soil without added microplastics. However, the specific reasons for this weight loss needs unravelling."It may be that the response mechanisms to microplastics may be comparable in earthworms to that of the aquatic lugworms, which have been previously studied. These effects include the obstruction and irritation of the digestive tract, limiting the absorption of nutrients and reducing growth."Connor Russell, a graduate of the MSc Applied Wildlife Conservation course at Anglia Ruskin University (ARU) and a co-author of the study, said: "Earthworms can be called 'ecosystem engineers' as they help maintain a healthy soil. They do this through ingesting dead organic matter, therefore contributing to the availability of nutrients."Their burrowing activity improves soil structure, helping with drainage and preventing erosion. It's therefore highly likely that any pollution that impacts the health of soil fauna, such as earthworms, may have cascading effects on other aspects of the soil ecosystem, such as plant growth." | Pollution | 2,019 |
September 11, 2019 | https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2019/09/190911101523.htm | How much photovoltaics (PV) would be needed to power the world sustainably? | The study is a collaborative effort of an international team of solar energy experts from Aalto University of Finland, Massachusetts Institute of Technology and SMART (Singapore-MIT Alliance for Research and Technology). It analyses the intersection of two dominant trends in the energy sector during the 21st century: the impetus to decarbonise the energy sector to mitigate dangerous anthropogenic climate change and the increased economic prosperity in tropical countries which makes for a higher demand for cooling than heating. | More specifically, the study investigates whether the several billions of air-conditioning devices expected to come online within the 21st century could be powered by clean PV electricity, avoiding the need for additional carbon-based electricity generation, and accelerating the growth of the PV industry in the process. Dr Hannu Laine, the study's lead author, says, "As we scoured through the scientific literature, we found many detailed theoretical and experimental studies demonstrating the synergy of cooling and PV on small-scale such as single buildings or communities. However, we were unable to locate a single analysis assessing the scope and degree of the synergy of cooling and PV at a global level."Another omittance was the discussion on how the picture will change as global warming proceeds, tropical countries gain wealth and as air-conditioners grow more efficient, "This deficiency makes it impossible for policymakers, investors and researchers to estimate the global impact of the phenomenon" Dr Laine adds.The study team set out to estimate how much PV electricity generation would be required to power the global cooling demand today and how that number would change as tropical countries gain wealth, as global warming proceeds, and as technological innovation creates more efficient air-conditioners. Using established socio-economic, climate change and energy efficiency improvement projections, they predicted that the cooling demand would increase from approximately 400 TWh/year in 2018 to nearly 14,000 TWh/year by the end of the century, a dramatic 35-fold increase, despite air-conditioners growing significantly more efficient. In monetary terms, this means that the cooling industry increases from an approximately 50 billion dollars/year industry to a 1.5 trillion dollars/year industry.It was concluded that the potential added AC PV capacity is on par with the global PV production capacity today as a whole, or enough to power the entire country of France with PV, and by the end of the century it will grow to be enough to meet that of India. Dr Laine concludes, "We expect these results to drive significant additional policy interest as well as research and business investments into the synergy of cooling and solar photovoltaics." | Pollution | 2,019 |
September 9, 2019 | https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2019/09/190909154204.htm | To reduce pollution, policymakers should broaden focus beyond smokestacks | Emissions from air pollutants are associated with premature mortality. Between 2008 and 2014, air pollution health damage from fine particulate matter exposure fell by 20 percent in the United States. There are four sectors in the U.S. economy that together are responsible for over 75 percent of air pollution damage but contribute less than 20 percent to national GDP: agriculture, utilities, manufacturing and transportation. | In the paper, "Fine Particulate Matter Damages and Value Added in the United States Economy," Nicholas Z. Muller, the Lester and Judith Lave Associate Professor of Economics, Engineering, and Public Policy, Peter Tschofen, a doctoral candidate in Engineering and Public Policy at Carnegie Mellon University, and Ines Azevedo, Associate Professor of Energy Resources Engineering at Stanford, used integrated assessment models to compute marginal damages from fine particulate matter-related emissions to measure economy-wide gross external damage due to premature mortality and other health outcomes."Canonically, we tend to think about air pollution as coming from smokestacks," says Muller. "But what we're finding is a transition from the utilities sector to the agriculture sector in terms of the most significant sources of damages from particulate matter."Though the utilities and manufacturing industries might be expected to be the main producers of air pollution, Muller explains that their air pollution output is actually shrinking due to government regulations and market forces, while the less regulated agriculture and transportation industries have remained roughly constant, thus capturing a larger percentage of total impacts."The air pollution policies that have been levied on the utilities sector have done a very good job in reducing emissions and damages, so policy can be effective at protecting public health in this regard," says Muller. "It's also evidence that we need a more comprehensive, targeted and thoughtful way to regulate pollution from agricultural systems."Muller suggests regulations could involve changing the composition of fertilizer, using different means to treat waste from animals, and limiting dust emissions from livestock and tilling. "All of these things need to be looked at in terms of their costs because what we're seeing is that emissions in the agricultural sector are very damaging."Though regulations inducing firms to change their behavior and implement technological controls that limit emissions are costly, Muller and co-author's research suggests that the long-term benefits of these actions are quite large."When you consider the net value of the agriculture and transportation sectors' contributions to total economic output, it would be a lot more if they were to clean up because they're imposing all these external costs that measurements like GDP just don't capture," he says.GDP, Muller explained, focuses on the production of goods and services. By definition, GDP cannot measure the impact of air pollution externalities because these costs accrue outside the market. An example is the production of electricity using coal. There is a market transaction for power that is recorded, if you will, in GDP. However, emissions released from the smokestack have impacts downwind on communities not privy to the market transaction. These ancillary impacts are not tracked by GDP, and, crucially, the downwind costs are not reflected in market prices for power, absent public policy. The goal of the paper by Muller, Tschofen, and Azevedo is to tally up these external costs from air pollution. | Pollution | 2,019 |
September 9, 2019 | https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2019/09/190909081800.htm | Major environmental challenge as microplastics are harming our drinking water | Plastics in our waste streams are breaking down into tiny particles, causing potentially catastrophic consequences for human health and our aquatic systems, finds research from the University of Surrey and Deakin's Institute for Frontier Materials. | Led by Dr Judy Lee and Marie Enfrin from the Department of Chemical and Process Engineering at the University of Surrey and Dr Ludovic Dumée at Deakin's Institute for Frontier Materials, the project investigated nano and microplastics in water and wastewater treatment processes. The team found that tiny pieces of plastic break down further during treatment processes, reducing the performance of treatment plants and impacting on water quality. The study was published in Journal of There has been substantial study of microplastics pollution, but their interaction with water and wastewater treatment processes had not been fully understood until now.Approximately 300 million tons of plastic are produced globally each year and up to 13 million tons of that is released into rivers and oceans, contributing to approximately 250 million tons of plastic by 2025. Since plastic materials are not generally degradable through weathering or ageing, this accumulation of plastic pollution in the aquatic environment creates a major concern.The research highlights the current difficulty in detecting the presence of nano and microplastics in treatment systems. In order to ensure water quality meets the required safety standards and to reduce threats to our ecosystems, new detection strategies are needed with the aim of limiting the number of nano and microplastics in water and wastewater treatment systems.Dr Lee, Project Lead and Senior Lecturer at the University of Surrey, said: "The presence of nano and microplastics in water has become a major environmental challenge. Due to their small size, nano and microplastics can easily be ingested by living organisms and travel along water and wastewater treatment processes. In large quantities they impact the performance of water treatment processes by clogging up filtration units and increasing wear and tear on materials used in the design of water treatment units." | Pollution | 2,019 |
September 6, 2019 | https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2019/09/190906092747.htm | Fe metabolic engineering method succeeds in producing 1,2,4-butanetriol sustainably from biomass | A more environmentally-friendly and sustainable method of producing the useful chemical 1,2,4-butanetriol has been discovered. The Kobe University team were the first in the world to utilize a method involving the direct fermentation of xylose in rice straw using an engineered yeast strain to produce 1,2,4-butanetriol. In the course of conducting this research, the team successfully overcame two bottlenecks to maximize the production. | The research was conducted by Academic Researcher Takahiro Bamba and Professor Akihiko Kondo (from the Graduate School of Science, Technology and Innovation), and Professor Tomohisa Hasunuma (of the Engineering Biology Research Center).The commodity chemical 1,2,4-butanetriol has a wide variety of practical uses across different fields. For example, it can be utilized in the production of solvents and to synthesize various pharmaceutical products- such as anti-viral and cholesterol-lowering drugs, among others.Current methods of producing 1,2,4-butanetriol use raw materials derived from oil and result in byproducts that are harmful to the environment. The most common way to produce the chemical is by using sodium borohydride (NaBH4) to chemically reduce malic acid to 1,2,4-butanetriol. However the process generates a large amount of borate salts. Disposing of these salts causes pollution. Chromite and Rubidium can also be used as catalysts for 1,2,4-butanetriol production, however these methods require high temperature and high pressure, and also result in toxic byproducts.Deriving xylose (the second most abundant natural sugar) from lignocellulosic biomass (dry plant matter) and using it to produce chemicals offers multiple advantages as it is a renewable resource that causes far less environmental pollution. It provides a sustainable alternative to petroleum-based production.1,2,4-butanetriol is produced by microbes through a 5 stage reaction process within the cells.However in steps 1, 3 and 4 of the reaction, there were no enzymes to provide a catalyst in the yeast. In this study, rice straw hydrolysate was used to produce xylose. The yeast used was genetically engineered with the required enzymes in order to successfully produce an efficient yield of 1,2,4-butanetriol.In the first successful trial, only 0.02g/L of 1,2,4-butanetriol was produced. By examining these results, it became apparent that there were insufficient catalytic activities for Stage 3 and Stage 4 inside the yeast cells. This meant that the reaction was slowed down in Stages 3 and 4. These reactions were considered to be bottlenecks.With the presence of iron sulphur clusters within the structure of the xylonate dehydratase catalyst in stage 3, it became clear that it was difficult for the yeast to maintain a reaction with the iron sulphur protein in the cells. This was due to an insufficient amount of iron sulphur clusters within the yeast cells.Iron (Fe) is essential for the yeast cells to produce 1,2,4-butanetriol, however too much iron damages the cells. Metabolic engineering (optimizing regulatory and genetic processes within cells to increase the production of a particular substance) was utilized to further genetically modify the yeast in order to increase its iron metabolism. This improved the yeast's reactivity with the xylonate dehydratase and ensured that functional Fe-S enzymes were formed. Using this modified yeast strain improved catalytic activity by approximately 6 times.Furthermore, the Stage 4 bottleneck was overcome by using KdcA (derived from Lactococcus lactis- a bacterium commonly used for fermentation in the food industry) as the decarboxylase to provide sufficient catalytic activity.Ultimately, this method succeeded in producing 1.7g/L of 1,2,4-butanetriol when engineered yeast was used. In addition, 1.1 g/L of 1,2,4-butanetriol was produced by the rice straw hydrolysate solution that was used as the medium during the fermentation experiment.This research suggests that it would be possible to produce other chemicals that require iron sulphur proteins using a similar method. Optimizing the metabolic pathway in this study through further research would allow for greater production of useful compounds from lignocellulosic biomass. This could potentially reduce future dependence on finite oil resources and polluting methods of production. | Pollution | 2,019 |
September 5, 2019 | https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2019/09/190905145351.htm | New insights on impacts of crop trading in China | Feeding the world's growing population is one of the great challenges of the 21st century. This challenge is particularly pressing in China, which has 22% of the world's population but only 7% of the global cropland. Synthetic nitrogen fertilizer has been intensively used to boost crop yields in China, but more than 60% of it has been lost, causing severe environmental problems such as air pollution, eutrophication of lakes and rivers, and soil degradation. | In a recent study, scientists from the University of Maryland Center for Environmental Science used historical records to shed light on sustainability policies for balancing food demand, crop production, trade expenditure, and the environmental degradation associated with food production in China."It is critical to understand and quantify the trade-offs of using international trade as one of the strategies for resolving food demand and environmental challenges," said study co-author Xin Zhang of the University of Maryland Center for Environmental Science. "The lack of systematic approaches for assessing the impacts of trade on sustainability has been preventing us from understanding the synergies and trade-offs among different environmental and socioeconomic concerns related to trade and crop production."The study is among the few to consider both the socioeconomic and environmental impacts of crop trading, and is one of the pioneer studies to consider the impact of crop mixes in an import portfolio and domestic production."Economic costs to alleviate environmental pollutions caused by producing export crops could be comparable to the economic benefits brought by trade," said co-author Guolin Yao.Focusing on China's crop production and trade over 1986-2015, scientists evaluated the impacts of trade from several perspectives, including environmental (such as nitrogen pollution and land use), social (for example, crop self-sufficiency for a country) and economic (such as trade expenditure and environmental damage cost). Their findings show that crop imports can relieve nitrogen pollution and land-use pressure in China and the world but not without adding environmental burdens to other countries and exposing China's food availability to the risks of the international market or unstable bilateral trade relationships. They also found that the environmental damage costs of nitrogen pollution avoided by importing crops in China are less than current trade expenditure, but may reach or surpass it as China's economy develops."This paper proposes new concepts of 'alternative' nitrogen and land. If China has to produce imported crops domestically, then how much nutrients and land is needed? Since the nitrogen-use efficiency and crop yield is usually lower in China than countries with better technologies or more favorable environments, reallocating production in those countries can provide relief on environment in China and the world," Zhang said. "The international food trade could mitigate environmental degradation by coordinating global food supply and demand. "China increasingly relies on agricultural imports, driven by its rising population and income, as well as dietary shifts. International trade offers an opportunity to relieve pressures on resource depletion and pollution, while it poses multiple socioeconomic challenges, such as food availability."Food trade can reduce global nitrogen inputs by redistributing the production of commodities to regions more efficient in nitrogen use," said Zhang.Globalization of food trade can help alleviate the pressure of increasing food demands and subsequent nitrogen pollution, and a diverse and carefully designed crop trade portfolio can protect a country against local disruptions and shortfalls in production. Currently, 23% of the food produced for human consumption is traded internationally, tending to flow from regions with high production efficiency to less efficient regions."We are not only assessing what happened in last 30 years but also what are the potentials of China to relieve nitrogen pollution with adjusting their trade portfolio," she said. "we found such potentials are less than but comparable to the nitrogen mitigation potentials by improving technologies and practices for nutrient management." | Pollution | 2,019 |
September 5, 2019 | https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2019/09/190905111658.htm | Climate change could bring short-term gain, long-term pain for loggerhead turtles | An overwhelming scientific consensus affirms that for thousands of species across the globe, climate change is an immediate and existential threat. | For the loggerhead turtle, whose vast range extends from the chilly shores of Newfoundland to the blistering beaches of Australia, the story isn't so cut and dried.New research from conservation biologists at Florida State University and their collaborators suggests that while some loggerheads will suffer from the effects of a changing climate, populations in certain nesting areas could stand to reap important short-term benefits from the shifting environmental conditions.In an investigation of 17 loggerhead turtle nesting beaches along the coast of Brazil, scientists found that hatchling production -- the rate of successful hatching and emergence of hatchling turtles -- could receive a boost in temperate areas forecasted to warm under climate change. But those improvements could be relatively short lived."Even though hatchling success is projected to increase by the year 2100 in areas that currently have lower temperatures, it is likely that as climate change progresses and temperatures and precipitation levels approach negative thresholds, hatchling production at these locations will start to decrease," said study author Mariana Fuentes, an assistant professor in FSU's Department of Earth, Ocean and Atmospheric Science.The study was published in the journal During the incubation process, marine turtle eggs are heavily influenced by their environments. Air and sand temperatures can determine the sex of hatchlings, spikes in moisture content can drown developing embryos, and excessive solar radiation exposure can affect turtles' morphology and reduce their chances of survival.In their study, the FSU researchers evaluated current and projected hatchling production under a variety of different environmental conditions throughout the expansive Brazilian coastline.In the northern equatorial nesting beaches where temperatures already soar, the team found persistent and accelerating climate change will increase air temperatures and escalate precipitation beyond the thresholds for healthy incubation -- a major hit to hatchling production.For the temperate beaches farther down the coast, climate change will bring similar increases in air temperature and precipitation. But, hundreds of miles from the equator, the effects of those changes look considerably different."These cooler beaches are also predicted to experience warming air temperatures; however, productivity is predicted to increase under both the extreme and conservative climate change scenarios," said former Florida State master's student Natalie Montero, who led the study.Over the coming decades, as the climate shifts and temperatures climb, these conventionally cooler beaches will become more suitable for healthy loggerhead incubation. But if climate change continues unabated, "these beaches could also become too warm for successful production, much like the warmer beaches in our study," Montero said.The researchers also stress that changes associated with a warming climate -- beach erosion, unchecked coastal development and environmental degradation, for example -- pose urgent threats to marine turtle nesting beaches at all latitudes, regardless of air temperature or precipitation.And while contemporary and future shifts in climate conditions could benefit select loggerhead populations, well-documented warming trends suggest the long-term prospects of these and other ancient sea turtle species remain precarious."Sea turtles have been around for a long time and have survived many changes to the global climate," Montero said. "However, climate changes of the past took a long time, allowing sea turtles to adapt to the changing conditions. Today's climate change is happening very quickly, and therefore sea turtles must adapt quickly or perish." | Pollution | 2,019 |
September 5, 2019 | https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2019/09/190905080134.htm | Plant research could benefit wastewater treatment, biofuels and antibiotics | Chinese and Rutgers scientists have discovered how aquatic plants cope with water pollution, a major ecological question that could help boost their use in wastewater treatment, biofuels, antibiotics and other applications. | The study is in the journal The researchers used a new DNA sequencing approach to study the genome of The scientists discovered how the immune system of The study could help lead to the use of duckweed strains for bioreactors that recycle wastes, and to make drugs and other products, treat agricultural and industrial wastewater and make biofuels such as ethanol for automobiles. Duckweed could also be used to generate electricity."The new gene sequencing approach is a major step forward for the analysis of entire genomes in plants and could lead to many societal benefits," said co-author Joachim Messing, Distinguished University Professor and director of the Waksman Institute of Microbiology at Rutgers University-New Brunswick.Duckweed can also serve as protein- and mineral-rich food for people, farmed fish, chickens and livestock, especially in developing countries, according to Eric Lam, a Distinguished Professor in Rutgers' School of Environmental and Biological Sciences who was not part of this study. Lam's lab is at the vanguard of duckweed farming research and development. His team houses the world's largest collection of duckweed species and their 900-plus strains.The lead author was in Messing's laboratory and now has her own laboratory at Shanghai Jiao Tong University in China. Scientists at the Chinese Academy of Sciences and Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences contributed to the study. | Pollution | 2,019 |
September 4, 2019 | https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2019/09/190904141300.htm | Mathematical model provides new support for environmental taxes | A new mathematical model provides support for environmental taxation, such as carbon taxes, as an effective strategy to promote environmentally friendly practices without slowing economic growth. Xinghua Fan and colleagues at Jiangsu University, China, publish their model and findings in the open-access journal | A worldwide "green development" movement calls for reducing pollution and increasing resource utilization efficiency without hindering economic expansion. Many governments have proposed or imposed environmental taxes, such as taxes on carbon emissions, to promote environmentally friendly economic practices. However, few studies have rigorously quantified the effects of environmental taxes on the interconnected factors involved in green development.To help clarify the impact of environmental taxation, Fan and colleagues developed and validated a mathematical model that reflects the closely integrated relationships between environmental taxes, economic growth, pollution emissions, and utilization of resources, such as water and fossil fuels. Then they applied the model to real-world data in order to analyze the effects of environmental taxes on green development in China.The analysis suggests that environmental taxes can indeed help to stimulate economic growth, decrease emissions, and improve resource utilization. The researchers explored several different scenarios, finding that the beneficial effects of an environmental tax are enhanced by advanced technology, elevated consumer awareness, and -- especially -- firm government control.The authors suggest that their model could be applied to explore the effects of environmental taxes in other countries beyond China. Researchers may also seek to modify the model for application to different industries or economic sectors, as opposed to countries or regions. The model could potentially be improved by identification and incorporation of more sophisticated mathematical relationships between the various green development factors. | Pollution | 2,019 |
August 29, 2019 | https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2019/08/190829115428.htm | Bacteria feeding on Arctic algae blooms can seed clouds | New research finds Arctic Ocean currents and storms are moving bacteria from ocean algae blooms into the atmosphere where the particles help clouds form. These particles, which are biological in origin, can affect weather patterns throughout the world, according to the new study in the AGU journal | Particles suspended in air called aerosols can sometimes accelerate ice crystal formation in clouds, impacting weather climate and weather patterns. Such ice-nucleating particles include dust, smoke, pollen, fungi and bacteria. Previous research had shown marine bacteria were seeding clouds in the Arctic, but how they got from the ocean to the clouds was a mystery.In the new study, the researchers took samples of water and air in the Bering Strait, and tested the samples for the presence of biological ice nucleating particles. Bacteria normally found near the sea floor was present in the air above the ocean surface, suggesting ocean currents and turmoil help make the bacteria airborne.Oceanic currents and weather systems brought bacteria feeding off algae blooms to the sea spray above the ocean's surface, helping to seed clouds in the atmosphere, according to the new research."These special types of aerosols can actually 'seed' clouds, kind of similar to how a seed would grow a plant. Some of these seeds are really efficient at forming cloud ice crystals," said Jessie Creamean, an atmospheric scientist at Colorado State University in Fort Collins, Colorado, and lead author on the new study.Understanding how clouds are seeded can help scientists understand Arctic weather patterns.Pure water droplets in clouds don't freeze until roughly minus 40 degrees Celsius (minus 40 degrees Fahrenheit). They are supercooled below their freezing point but still liquid. Aerosols raise the base freezing temperature in supercooled clouds to minus five degrees Celsius (23 degrees Fahrenheit), by providing a surface for water to crystalize on, and creating clouds mixed with supercooled droplets and ice crystals. Mixed clouds are the most common type of clouds on the planet and the best for producing rain or snow."Cloud seeds," like the bacteria found in algae blooms, can create more clouds with varying amounts of ice and water. An increase in clouds can affect how much heat is trapped in the atmosphere, which can influence climate. The clouds' compositions can affect the Arctic's water cycle, changing the amount of rain and snow that is produced. Increasing the number of clouds and changing the composition of Arctic clouds also affects northern weather systems, potentially affecting weather trends worldwide, the authors of the new study said.Without ice nucleating particles, precipitation from clouds is less likely to happen, Heike Wex, an atmospheric scientist at the Leibniz Institute for Tropospheric Research in Leipzig, Germany, unaffiliated with the new study explained.To learn how biological "cloud seeds" travel from ocean depths to the atmosphere, Creamean and her colleagues took samples from 8 meters (26 feet) below the water's surface and air samples roughly 20 meters (66 feet) above the water's surface in the Bering Strait during an algae bloom.Algae blooms are big increases in photosynthetic plant-like microorganisms that many ocean animals eat, including some kinds of bacteria. The researchers found bacteria known to seed clouds at the bottom of a phytoplankton bloom in the Bering Strait, but not in the surrounding air. The scientists found the same bacteria roughly 250 kilometers (155.3 miles) northwest of the bloom, suggesting a strong current transported the bacteria to a new spot. The bacteria were also in the air above the water. A storm brought the bacteria from the ocean depths to the surface, transporting the bacterial "cloud seeds" into the air in water droplets."What existed at the bottom of the ocean was making its way up to the surface waters," Creamean said.Since the scientists only were able to take samples from 20 meters (66 feet) up, they don't yet know how the ice nucleating particles ascend to cloud elevation, which on average starts at 1.9 kilometers (1.2 miles) above the surface.The polar regions are experiencing rapid warming from climate change. The Arctic's accelerated warming could cause more algae blooms as well as more bacteria of the type found to seed clouds, in turn further affecting its weather systems, according to the authors."This is a piece of the puzzle as to how these clouds form in the Arctic and potentially impact weather patterns all over the world," Creamean said. | Pollution | 2,019 |
August 27, 2019 | https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2019/08/190827170603.htm | Water harvester makes it easy to quench your thirst in the desert | With water scarcity a growing problem worldwide, University of California, Berkeley, researchers are close to producing a microwave-sized water harvester that will allow you to pull all the water you need directly from the air -- even in the hot, dry desert. | In a paper appearing this week in During field tests over three days in California's arid Mojave Desert, the harvester reliably produced 0.7 liters per kilogram of absorber per day -- nearly three cups of clean, pure H2O. That's 10 times better than the previous version of the harvester. The harvester cycles 24/7, powered by solar panels and a battery.Even on the driest day in the desert, with an extremely low relative humidity of 7% and temperatures over 80 degrees Fahrenheit, the harvester produced six ounces (0.2 liters) of water per kilogram of MOF per day."It is well known that in order to condense water from air at a low humidity -- less than 40 percent relative humidity -- you need to cool down the air to below freezing, to zero degrees Celsius, which is impractical. With our harvester, we are doing this at very low humidity without such cooling; there is no other material that can do that," said Yaghi, a UC Berkeley professor of chemistry and co-director of the Kavli Energy NanoSciences Institute. "This is not like a dehumidifier, which operates at high relative humidity. Some people say that 0.7 liters is not a lot of water. But it is a lot of water, if you don't have water."Yaghi's startup, Water Harvester Inc., is now testing and will soon market a device the size of a microwave oven that can supply 7 to 10 liters of water per day: enough drinking and cooking water for two to three adults per day, based on recommendations from the National Academy of Sciences that men should consume 3.7 liters and women 2.7 liters of fluid per day.An even larger version of the harvester, one the size of a small refrigerator, will provide 200 to 250 liters of water per day, enough for a household to drink, cook and shower. And in a couple of years, the company hopes to have a village-scale harvester that will produce 20,000 liters per day. All would run on power from solar panels and a battery or off the electrical grid."We are making ultra-pure water, which potentially can be made widely available without connection to the water grid," said Yaghi, the James and Neeltje Tretter Chair in the College of Chemistry. "This water mobility is not only critical to those suffering from water stress, but also makes possible the larger objective -- that water should be a human right."The harvester's secret ingredient is a type of MOF invented by Yaghi and his UC Berkeley colleagues that easily and quickly takes up water from the air and just as readily disgorges it so the water can be collected. MOFs, which Yaghi has been developing since the mid-1990s, are so porous that a gram has a surface area equivalent a football field. Other types of MOFs capture carbon dioxide from flue gases, catalyze chemical reactions or separate petrochemicals in processing plants.The researchers came up with their first water-absorbing MOF, called MOF-801, in 2014. Water molecules in ambient air stick to the internal surface -- a process called adsorption -- and increase the humidity inside the MOF to a point where the water condenses even at room temperature, just as water condenses on cooler surfaces when the humidity is high. When the MOF is heated slightly, the water comes back out and can be condensed and collected.The first harvester employing MOF-801 premiered in 2017 and was totally passive and solar powered: It sat and adsorbed water at night and gave it up the next day in the heat of the sun, with the water vapor condensing on the inside surface of the container.By 2018, Yaghi's Berkeley team had turned that proof-of-concept device into a second-generation harvester that collected 0.07 liters -- a little over 2 ounces -- of water per day per kilogram of MOF during one day-night cycle in the Arizona desert, again using heat from the sun to drive the water out of the MOF."Although the amount of water was low, the experiment showed how water from desert air can be concentrated into the pores of the MOF, removed by mild heating with sunlight and then condensed at ambient conditions," Yaghi said.The 2019 model is no longer passive: It uses solar panels to power fans blowing ambient air over MOF contained within a cartridge, so that more of the MOF is exposed to air. The MOF-filled cartridge, about 10 inches square and 5 inches thick, is intersected by two sets of channels: one set for adsorbing water, the other for expelling it to the condenser, allowing continuous cycling throughout the day. The solar panels, attached to batteries so that the harvester can run at night, also power small heaters that drive the water out of the MOF.The productivity of this new water harvester is 10 times the amount harvested by the previous device and 100 times higher than the early proof-of-concept device. No traces of metal or organics have been found in the water.The improved productivity and shorter cycling time of the new device comes from a newly designed MOF, MOF-303, that is based on aluminum, as opposed to MOF-801, which is based on zirconium. MOF-303 can hold 30% more water than MOF-801 and can adsorb and desorb water in a mere 20 minutes under ideal conditions -- something Yaghi's startup is close to achieving."MOF-303 does two things very well: It takes up much more water than the zirconium MOF we reported on before, and it does it much faster," Yaghi said. "This allows water to go in and out much faster; you can pump air in and harvest the water over many cycles per day."Yaghi gets inquiries about his harvester nearly every day from people, agencies and countries around the world, many in arid regions of the Middle East, Africa, South America, Mexico, Australia and around the Mediterranean. The bulk of the funding for improvements to the harvester comes from Saudi Arabia's King Abdulaziz City for Science and Technology, as part of a joint KACST-UC Berkeley collaboration called the Center of Excellence for Nanomaterials and Clean Energy Applications. Desert kingdoms chronically short on water appreciate the harvester's potential, said Yaghi, who comes from another arid country, Jordan."The atmosphere has almost as much water at any one time as all the rivers and lakes," he said. "Harvesting this water could help turn dry deserts into oases." | Pollution | 2,019 |
August 27, 2019 | https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2019/08/190827095054.htm | Bad Blooms: Researchers review environmental conditions leading to harmful algae blooms | When there is a combination of population increase, wastewater discharge, agricultural fertilization, and climate change, the cocktail is detrimental to humans and animals. This harmful cocktail produces harmful algal blooms, and many of these are toxic to humans and wildlife. | Wayne Wurtsbaugh, Professor Emeritus in the Watershed Sciences Department at Utah State University, along with Hans Paerl and Walter Dodds published a global review of conditions that lead to these harmful algal blooms in rivers, lakes, and coastal oceans. Wurtsbaugh says that the review will be an excellent resource for students studying pollution and for managers wanting to review recent advances in this field of study. Their review highlights how agricultural, urban, and industrial activities have greatly increased nitrogen and phosphorus pollution in freshwater and marine systems. This pollution has degraded water quality and biological resources costing societies billions of dollars in losses to fisheries, the safety of drinking water, increases to greenhouse gas emissions and related social values. Their findings have been published in, "Nutrients, eutrophication and harmful algal blooms along the freshwater to marine continuum."Their scientific review highlights that although individual bodies of water may be more effected by increases in either phosphorus or nitrogen, the unidirectional flow through streams, lakes, and into marine ecosystems creates a continuum where both nutrients become important in controlling the algal blooms. The authors report how increasing nutrients has caused harmful blooms in waters as diverse as Utah Lake (Utah), mid-west agricultural streams, and the Gulf of Mexico where a 5,800 mi2 (15,000 km2) dead zone has developed. The authors conclude that although the specifics of algal production varies in both space and time, reducing the human causes of both phosphorus and nitrogen may be necessary to decrease the harmful algal blooms along the freshwater to marine continuum. These algae blooms make waters dysfunctional as ecological, economic, and esthetic resources.The technology currently exists to control excessive nutrient additions, but more effective environmental regulations to control agricultural nutrient pollution, and investment in more advanced wastewater treatment plants will be needed to reduce these inputs and improve water quality. The enhancement of the quality of freshwater and coastal systems will become essential as climate change and human population growth place increased demands for high quality water resources. | Pollution | 2,019 |
August 26, 2019 | https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2019/08/190826143407.htm | New rider data shows how public transit reduces greenhouse gas and pollutant emissions | Public transit has long been an answer for people looking to leave their car at home and reduce their air pollution emissions. But now, with better rider tracking tools, the University of Utah and the Utah Transit Authority can better answer the question: How much does public transit reduce pollution emissions? | In a paper published in Mendoza and his colleagues are certainly not the first to ask how much pollution public transit can save. But a couple of recent technological advances have enabled them to answer the question with a level of detail previously unparalleled.The first is the advance of tap-on tap-off farecards that provide anonymized data on where those riders who have electronic passes enter and exit public transit. Approximately half of UTA's passengers use an electronic fare medium. "Now we can truly quantify trips in both time and space," Mendoza says. "We accounted for all of the 2016 passenger miles by scaling the farecard data, and we know which trips farecard holders make on buses, light rail and commuter rail."The second is the General Transit Feed Specification system. It's the data source that supplies Google Maps with transit information to help users find the bus or train they need. With that data source, the researchers could track where and how often UTA's buses and trains run.So, with high-resolution data on the movement of both vehicles and passengers, the researchers could paint a nearly comprehensive picture of public transit along the Wasatch Front.So, with that data, the researchers could quantify the emissions produced and miles traveled of the transit systems (TRAX light rail uses electricity produced outside the Wasatch Front, hence the emissions aren't in Salt Lake's air) and balance that with the miles traveled by passengers and the estimated amount of car travel avoided by riding transit.On weekdays during rush hours, and in densely populated areas, the balance was clearly on the side of reduced emissions. "That tapers off significantly during the evening hours, on the outskirts of the city, and definitely during the weekends," Mendoza says. In those situations, the number of passengers and how far they rode transit did not offset certain criteria pollutant emissions. (Criteria pollutants are six common air pollutants that the EPA sets standards for through the Clean Air Act.)For transit to improve its regional reduction in emissions, particularly PMThe current study looks at the bus and train fleet as they are now, with some UTA buses around 20 years old and FrontRunner trains whose engines are rated a Tier 0+ on a 0-4 scale of how clean a locomotive's emissions are (Tier 4 is the cleanest; UTA is scheduled to receive funds programmed through the Metropolitan Planning Organizations to upgrade FrontRunner locomotives to Tier 2+). So, Mendoza and his colleagues envisioned the future."What if we upgrade all these buses, some of them from 1996 or so?" Mendoza says. "They emit a significantly larger amount than the newer buses, which are 2013 and newer."What if, they asked, UTA upgraded their buses to only 2010 models and newer, fueled by either natural gas or clean diesel? And what if the FrontRunner engines were upgraded to Tier 3?Emissions of some pollutants would drop by 50%, and some by up to 75%, they found."Now, with this information, UTA can go to stakeholders and funding agencies and say, 'Look, we've done this analysis," Mendoza says. "This is how much less we can pollute.'"Mendoza adds that taking transit offers additional benefits besides reducing air pollution. Taking transit gives riders time to read, work or listen while traveling. How does Mendoza know? He's a dedicated transit rider. "I always get to where I need to go pretty much on time and completely unstressed," he says. "I almost never drive." | Pollution | 2,019 |
August 26, 2019 | https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2019/08/190826092340.htm | Salt marshes' capacity to sink carbon may be threatened by nitrogen pollution | Deep in the waterlogged peat of salt marshes, carbon is stored at much greater rates than in land ecosystems, serving as an offset to climate change due to carbon dioxide (CO | However, a new study indicates that a common pollutant of coastal waters, nitrate, stimulates the decomposition of organic matter in salt marsh sediments that normally would have remained stable over long periods of time. This increase in decomposition, which releases CO"Traditionally, we have viewed salt marshes as resilient to nitrogen pollution, because the microbes there remove much of the nitrogen as gas through a process called denitrification," writes first author Ashley Bulseco, a postdoctoral scientist at the MBL."But this research suggests that when nitrate is abundant, a change occurs in the microbial community in salt marsh sediments that increases the microbes' capacity to degrade organic matter. This potentially reduces the ability of the marsh to store carbon," Bulseco writes.As global temperatures continue to rise, a number of carbon capture strategies have been proposed, including sequestering CO"Given the extent of nitrogen loading along our coastlines, it is imperative that we better understand the resilience of salt marsh systems to nitrate, especially if we hope to rely on salt marshes and other blue carbon systems for long-term carbon storage," the authors write.The next phase of this research, already in progress, is to analyze the microbial community responsible for degrading carbon in a salt marsh ecosystems, especially when exposed to high concentrations of nitrate. | Pollution | 2,019 |
August 23, 2019 | https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2019/08/190823080021.htm | Pollution and winter linked with rise in heart attack treatment | Heavily polluted areas have a higher rate of angioplasty procedures to treat blocked arteries than areas with clean air, according to research to be presented at ESC Congress 2019 together with the World Congress of Cardiology.(1) Procedures are even more common in winter, the most polluted time of year. | Study author Dr Rafal Januszek of the University Hospital in Krakow, Poland said: "Epidemiological studies have reported negative impacts of pollution on the cardiovascular system but the effects on specific diseases were unclear. We also show for the first time that patients from areas with cleaner air are more sensitive to changes in pollution, while those from more polluted cities can adapt to fluctuations."Using particulate matter (PM) 10 levels published by the Chief Inspectorate for Environmental Protection in Poland, six unpolluted cities and five polluted cities were selected for the study. PM10 are particles ten micrometres or less in diameter. Sources include industrial processes like iron making and quarrying, lawn mowing, wood and coal stoves, bushfires, dust storms, and vehicle exhaust emissions.The study enrolled 5,648 patients from unpolluted cities and 10,239 patients from polluted cities. All patients underwent stent insertion (percutaneous coronary intervention; PCI) to open arteries blocked due to acute coronary syndromes (heart attack or unstable angina). PCI data were obtained from the ORPKI Polish National PCI Registry.Dates of PCI procedures were matched with air quality on the same day during a 52-week period. Analyses were also performed to compare winter versus non-winter weeks because pollution levels rise during winter.The annual average PM10 concentration was significantly higher in polluted cities (50.95 μg/m3) compared to unpolluted cities (26.62 μg/m3). In both polluted and unpolluted areas, a rise in PM10 concentration was significantly associated with a greater frequency of PCI.Patients in cities with clean air were more sensitive to pollution rises, with each 1 μg/m3 increase in PM10 concentration linked to 0.22 additional PCIs per week. While in polluted cities, the same rise in PM10 was linked with just 0.18 additional PCIs per week.Regarding the seasonal effect, the PCI rate was significantly lower in non-winter, compared to winter, weeks in both polluted and clean cities. "The higher incidence of PCI in winter is related to greater air pollution during this period," said Dr Januszek. "This is due to several factors such as artificial heating and the resulting smog."He concluded: "The study shows that the incidence of acute coronary syndromes treated with PCI was higher in winter and rose along with increasing pollution, and this rise was higher in regions with initially cleaner air, if taking the same increment in pollution into account. This is further evidence that more needs to be done to lower pollution levels and protect the public's health." | Pollution | 2,019 |
August 21, 2019 | https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2019/08/190821173711.htm | Air pollution linked to risk of premature death | Exposure to toxic air pollutants is linked to increased cardiovascular and respiratory death rates, according to a new international study by researchers from Monash University (Australia) and abroad. | The study, led by Dr Haidong Kan from Fudan University in China, analysed data on air pollution and mortality in 652 cities across 24 countries and regions, and found increases in total deaths are linked to exposure to inhalable particles (PM10) and fine particles (PM2.5) emitted from fires or formed through atmospheric chemical transformation.Published in the Associate Professor Yuming Guo from Monash University's School of Public Health and Preventive Medicine in Australia, said as there's no threshold for the association between particulate matter (PM) and mortality, even low levels of air pollution can increase the risk of death."The adverse health effects of short-term exposure to air pollution have been well documented, and known to raise public health concerns of its toxicity and widespread exposure," Professor Guo said."The smaller the airborne particles, the more easily they can penetrate deep into the lungs and absorb more toxic components causing death."Though concentrations of air pollution in Australia are lower than in other countries, the study found that Australians are more sensitive to particulate matter air pollution and cannot effectively resist its adverse impacts. This may be attributed to Australians' physiological functions having adapted to living in areas with low levels of particulate matter air pollution."Given the extensive evidence on their health impacts, PM10 and PM2.5 are regulated through the World Health Organisation (WHO) Air Quality Guidelines and standards in major countries, however Australians should pay more attention to the sudden increase in air pollution," Professor Guo said.The results are comparable to previous findings in other multi-city and multi-country studies, and suggest that the levels of particulate matter below the current air quality guidelines and standards are still hazardous to public health. | Pollution | 2,019 |
August 20, 2019 | https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2019/08/190820200458.htm | Vehicle exhaust pollutants linked to near doubling in risk of common eye condition | Long term exposure to pollutants from vehicle exhaust is linked to a heightened risk of the common eye condition age-related macular degeneration, or AMD for short, suggests research published online in the | Exposure to the highest levels of air pollutants was associated with an almost doubling in risk among those aged 50 and older, the findings show.AMD is a neurodegenerative condition that affects the middle part of the retina, known as the macula. It is one of the most common causes of poor vision in older people, and is most likely caused by an interplay between genetic and environmental risk factors.Long term exposure to air pollution has been linked to a heightened risk of several conditions, including respiratory and cardiovascular diseases. But less is known about its potential effects on eye health.To explore this further, the Taiwanese researchers analysed national health insurance and air quality data from 1998 to 2010 to see if there might be a link between long term exposure to the pollutants nitrogen dioxide (NO?) and carbon monoxide (CO) and a heightened risk of AMD.As the condition is more common among older age groups, the researchers focused only on 39,819 people aged 50 and above, most of whom lived in either highly (30%) or moderately (32.5%) urbanised areas.Because there are seasonal variations in air pollutant levels, the researchers calculated an average annual exposure, which was categorised into four different levels.During the monitoring period, 1442 people developed AMD.After taking account of potentially influential factors, such as age, sex, household income, and underlying illnesses, those with the highest level of exposure to NO? (more than 9825.5 ppb) were nearly twice (91%) as likely to develop AMD as those exposed to the lowest level (less than 6563.2 ppb).And people who were exposed to the highest level of CO (more than 297.1 ppm) were 84% more likely to develop AMD than those exposed to the lowest level (less than 195.7 ppm).The highest rate (5.8%) of newly diagnosed AMD was among people living in the area with the highest level of CO exposure.This is an observational study, and as such, can't establish cause. And the authors emphasise that the data didn't include information on other risk factors, such as smoking, genetics, and inflammation.This is the first study of its kind to "demonstrate a significant association between AMD and high levels of ambient NO? and CO," they write.Recent research has implicated NO? in cardiovascular and neurological ill health, and as the retina is part of the central nervous system, there is a plausible biological explanation for its vulnerability to this pollutant, they add. | Pollution | 2,019 |
August 20, 2019 | https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2019/08/190820172106.htm | To make lakes healthy, you first need the right recipe | Pollution of lakes is a worldwide problem. Restoration attempts take a lot of time and effort, and even then they might backfire. A team of researchers led by the Netherlands Institute of Ecology (NIOO-KNAW) suggests a different approach. First, you have to determine to which of four different types your lake belongs, they write in the August issue of | "Not all lakes are alike," says researcher and first author Annette Janssen. Even if the problem is the same: pollution, usually caused by too many nutrients. Instead of making a lake healthier, an oversupply of phosphorus or nitrogen will turn the water into 'green soup' -- which is toxic, too, in many cases. "For an effective solution, you have to take into account the spatial differences between lakes." It's a factor that, until now, had been largely neglected.Where and how do nutrients enter the lake? And where does the water originate? There are lakes with a single point of entry -- e.g. a pipeline or a river feeding the lake -- and lakes where the nutrients and/or the water enter in a more diffuse way: from groundwater or precipitation. Based on these spatial differences, the researchers distinguish between four types of lakes, all of which would require a different restoration approach.Take Lake Loosdrecht in the Netherlands. Its natural situation is for nutrients and phytoplankton to be relatively homogeneously distributed. It's a seepage lake, which means the water, too, enters in a relatively diffuse way. In lakes of this type, says Janssen, flushing with clean water often proves to be successful.A lake that belongs to an entirely different category is Lake Taihu near the Chinese city of Shanghai, where Janssen did much of her PhD research. Lake Taihu is fed by a river, and close to its mouth a thick layer of smelly algae covers the water. At the outflow, on the other hand, the water is relatively clean. An attempt by the authorities to flush this lake did not work out well. Janssen: "In lakes of the Type 'Taihu', flushing only spreads pollution across a larger area, like an oil spill." The same is true for lakes of the Type 'Pátzcuaro' (Mexico), which are point-loaded seepage lakes.In lakes of the Type 'Tahoe' (United States), finally, flushing does work, as the highest concentration of nutrients is found at the outflow and would therefore leave the lake quite rapidly. But another promising approach -- the removal of certain species of fish (bio-manipulation) -- only seems to work in lakes of the same type as Lake Loosdrecht. There, it will help to give plants and animals linked to having clear water the space they need."But the only thing that can lead to a permanent recovery in all four lake types," conclude the NIOO-researchers and their colleagues from Wageningen UR, PBL Netherlands Environmental Assessment Agency, Witteveen+Bos and the United States Geological Survey, is "to reduce the supply of nutrients." That's tricky, to say the least. But thanks to a recent Veni grant from the Dutch Research Council, Annette Janssen will be getting down to work on this soon. | Pollution | 2,019 |
August 20, 2019 | https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2019/08/190820141604.htm | Is pollution linked to psychiatric disorders? | Researchers are increasingly studying the effects of environmental insults on psychiatric and neurological conditions, motivated by emerging evidence from environmental events like the record-breaking smog that choked New Delhi two years ago. The results of a new study publishing August 20 in the open-access journal | The team found that poor air quality was associated with higher rates of bipolar disorder and major depression in both US and Danish populations. The trend appeared even stronger in Denmark, where exposure to polluted air during the first ten years of a person's life also predicted a more than two-fold increase in schizophrenia and personality disorders."Our study shows that living in polluted areas, especially early on in life, is predictive of mental disorders in both the United States and Denmark," said computational biologist Atif Khan, the first author of the new study. "The physical environment -- in particular air quality -- warrants more research to better understand how our environment is contributing to neurological and psychiatric disorders."Although mental illnesses like schizophrenia develop due to a complex interplay of genetic predispositions and life experiences or exposures, genetics alone do not account entirely for variations in mental health and disease. Researchers have long suspected that genetic, neurochemical and environmental factors interact at different levels to affect the onset, severity and progression of these illnesses.Growing evidence is beginning to provide insight into how components of air pollution can be toxic to the brain: Recent studies on rodents suggest that environmental agents like ambient small particulate matter (fine dust) travel to the brain through the nose and lungs, while animals exposed to pollution have also shown signs of cognitive impairment and depression-like behavioral symptoms. "We hypothesized that pollutants might affect our brains through neuroinflammatory pathways that have also been shown to cause depression-like signs in animal studies," said Andrey Rzhetsky, who led the new study.To quantify air pollution exposure among individuals in the United States, the University of Chicago team relied on the US Environmental Protection Agency's measurements of 87 air quality measurements. For individuals in Denmark, they used a national pollution register that tracked a smaller number of pollutants with much higher spatial resolution.The researchers then examined two population data sets, the first being a U.S. health insurance claims database that included 11 years of claims for 151 million individuals. The second dataset consisted of all 1.4 million individuals born in Denmark from 1979 through 2002 who were alive and residing in Denmark at their tenth birthday. Because Danes are assigned unique identification numbers that can link information from various national registries, the researchers were able to estimate exposure to air pollution at the individual level during the first ten years of their life. In the US study, exposure measurements were limited to the county level. "We strived to provide validation of association results in independent large datasets," said Rzhetsky.The findings have not been without controversy. "This study on psychiatric disorders is counterintuitive and generated considerable resistance from reviewers," said Rzhetsky. Indeed, the divided opinions of the expert reviewers prompted "A causal association of air pollution with mental diseases is an intriguing possibility. Despite analyses involving large datasets, the available evidence has substantial shortcomings and a long series of potential biases may invalidate the observed associations," says Ioannidis in his commentary. "More analyses by multiple investigators, including contrarians, are necessary."Rzhetsky also cautioned that the significant associations between air pollution and psychiatric disorders discovered in the study do not necessarily mean causation, and said that further research is needed to assess whether any neuroinflammatory impacts of air pollution share common pathways with other stress-induced conditions. | Pollution | 2,019 |
August 14, 2019 | https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2019/08/190814144503.htm | Microplastic drifting down with the snow | Over the past several years, microplastic particles have repeatedly been detected in seawater, drinking water, and even in animals. But these minute particles are also transported by the atmosphere and subsequently washed out of the air, especially by snow -- and even in such remote regions as the Arctic and the Alps. This was demonstrated in a study conducted by experts at the Alfred Wegener Institute and a Swiss colleague, recently published in the journal | The fact that our oceans are full of plastic litter has by now become common knowledge: year after year, several million tonnes of plastic litter find their way into rivers, coastal waters, and even the Arctic deep sea. Thanks to the motion of waves, and even more to UV radiation from the sun, the litter is gradually broken down into smaller and smaller fragments -- referred to as microplastic. This microplastic can be found in marine sediment, in seawater, and in marine organisms that inadvertently ingest it. In comparison, there has been little research to date on whether, and if so, to what extent, microplastic particles are transported by the atmosphere. Only a handful of works are available, e.g. from researchers who were able to confirm the particles' presence in the Pyrenees and near major urban centres in France and China.A team of experts from the Alfred Wegener Institute, Helmholtz Centre for Polar and Marine Research (AWI) has now found that microplastic particles can apparently be transported over tremendous distances by the atmosphere and are later washed out of the air by precipitation, particularly snow. As the team led by Dr Melanie Bergmann and Dr Gunnar Gerdts report in the journal The AWI researchers found the highest concentration in samples gathered near a rural road in Bavaria -- 154,000 particles per litre. Even the snow in the Arctic contained up to 14,400 particles per litre. The types of plastic found also varied greatly between sampling sites: in the Arctic, the researchers chiefly found nitrile rubber, acrylates and paint, which are used in a host of applications. Given its resistance to various types of fuel and broad temperature range, nitrile rubber is often used in gaskets and hoses. Paints containing plastic are used in several different areas, e.g. to coat the surfaces of buildings, ships, cars and offshore oil rigs. Near the rural road in Bavaria, the samples especially contained various types of rubber, which is used in countless applications, such as automotive tires.One intriguing aspect of the AWI study: the microplastic concentrations found are considerably higher than those in studies conducted by other researchers, e.g. on dust deposits. According to Gunnar Gerdts, this could be due to one of two reasons: "First of all, snow is extremely efficient when it comes to washing microplastic out of the atmosphere. Secondly, it could be due to the infrared spectroscopy we used, which allowed us to detect even the smallest particles -- down to a size of only 11 micrometres." Gerdts and his colleagues melt the snow and pour the meltwater through a filter; the residue trapped in the filter is then examined with an infrared microscope. Depending on the type of plastic, different wavelengths of the infrared light are absorbed and reflected; in this way, an optical fingerprint can be used to determine what type of plastic they've found.Whereas other experts sort out microplastic from their samples by hand under the microscope, which can easily cause some particles to be overlooked, Gerdts uses his infrared microscope to test all of the residue, ensuring that he and his team hardly miss a thing. "We've automated and standardised the technique so as to rule out the errors that can creep in when manual analysis is used." As such, it's hardly surprising that the analyses conducted at the AWI yielded especially high particle concentrations.In light of the meteorological realities, the AWI experts are convinced that a major portion of the microplastic in Europe, and even more so in the Arctic, comes from the atmosphere and snow. According to Melanie Bergmann: "This additional transport route could also explain the high amounts of microplastic that we've found in the Arctic sea ice and the deep sea in previous studies."Lastly, there's another key question that motivates her work. "To date there are virtually no studies investigating the extent to which human beings are subject to microplastic contamination." In addition, most research has focused on how animals or human beings absorb microplastic from what they eat. As Bergmann explains: "But once we've determined that large quantities of microplastic can also be transported by the air, it naturally raises the question as to whether and how much plastic we're inhaling. Older findings from medical research offer promising points of departure for work in this direction." Yet another aspect that warrants a closer look in the future. | Pollution | 2,019 |
August 13, 2019 | https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2019/08/190813101940.htm | Human impacts on oceans nearly doubled in recent decade | Over the recent decade, total human impacts to the world's oceans have, on average, nearly doubled and could double again in the next decade without adequate action. That's according to a new study by researchers from the National Center for Ecological Analysis and Synthesis (NCEAS) at UC Santa Barbara. | Published in the journal "That creates even more urgency to solve these problems," said lead author Ben Halpern, director of NCEAS and a professor at UC Santa Barbara's Bren School of Environmental Science & Management.Climate change is a key factor driving the increase across the world, as seas warm, acidify and rise. On top of that, commercial fishing, runoff from land-based pollution and shipping are intensifying progressively each year in many areas of the ocean."It's a multifactor problem that we need to solve. We can't just fix one thing if we want to slow and eventually stop the rate of increase in cumulative impacts," said Halpern.The study also projected the impacts one decade into the future, based on the rate of change in the recent past, finding that they could double again if the pace of change continues unchecked.The assessment provides a holistic perspective of where and how much human activities shape ocean change -- for better or worse -- which is essential to policy and planning."If you don't pay attention to the big picture, you miss the actual story," said Halpern. "The bigger picture is critical if you want to make smart management decisions -- where are you going to get your biggest bang for your buck."Regions of particular concern include Australia, Western Africa, the Eastern Caribbean islands and the Middle East, among others. Coastal habitats such as mangroves, coral reefs and seagrasses are among the hardest-hit ecosystems.There is an upside to the story, however. The authors did find "success stories" around every continent, areas where impacts have declined, such as the seas of South Korea, Japan, the United Kingdom and Denmark, all of which have seen significant decreases in commercial fishing and pollution.These declines suggest that policies and other actions to improve ocean conditions are making a difference -- although, the analysis does not attribute specific actions to those declines."We can improve things. The solutions are known and within our grasp. We just need the social and political will to take action," said Halpern.To assess the pace of change, the authors leveraged two previous and similar assessments conducted by several of the same team members and others in 2008 and 2013, which provided first glimpses into the full, cumulative extent of humanity's impacts on oceans."Previously, we had a good measure of the magnitude of human impacts, but not a clear picture of how they are changing," said co-author Melanie Frazier, a data scientist at NCEAS.Frazier was surprised to see in the data how dramatically ocean temperatures have increased in a relatively short period of time."You don't need fancy statistics to see how rapidly ocean temperature is changing and understand the magnitude of the problem," said Frazier. "I think this study, along with many others, highlights the importance of a concerted global effort to control climate change." | Pollution | 2,019 |
August 12, 2019 | https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2019/08/190812144922.htm | Natural-gas leaks are important source of greenhouse gas emissions in Los Angeles | Scientist have found that methane in L.A.'s air correlates with the seasonal use of gas for heating homes and businesses. In discussions of anthropogenic climate change, carbon dioxide generally gets the spotlight, but it is not the only greenhouse gas spewed into the atmosphere by human activity, nor is it the most potent. | Methane is another greenhouse gas that is increasing in Earth's atmosphere because of humans. Methane is produced by human activity in much smaller amounts than carbon dioxide, but it is roughly 25 times more powerful as a greenhouse gas. Though it is often associated with cow flatulence, bovines are not the only human-associated source of methane.New research by Caltech scientists shows that, at least in the Los Angeles Basin, leaks of natural gas used for heating homes and businesses are major contributors to methane in the atmosphere.The research was conducted by Liyin He (MS '18), a graduate student in environmental science and engineering, while working in the lab of Yuk L. Yung, Caltech professor of planetary science and research scientist at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory, which Caltech manages for NASA. She found that methane concentrations in the air above L.A. fluctuate in tandem with the seasons. In winter, when natural gas use is at its highest, methane concentrations are also highest. In the summer, when natural gas use drops, so does the amount of methane in the air."Naturally, methane emissions should be pretty flat across the seasons, but maybe a little higher in the summer period because of a lot of things decompose from higher temperatures," He says. "But it seems that in the city, natural gas consumption is so high in the winter that a lot of it leaks into the atmosphere."He conducted her research by using a device called a remote-sensing spectrometer atop Mt. Wilson, a mountain whose peak towers a mile above Los Angeles. From its lofty perch, the spectrometer had a view of a wide swath of the urban area below. Methane is invisible to human eyes, but it is easily seen by the spectrometer because it strongly absorbs infrared light, the wavelength of light to which the spectrometer is sensitive.Using this setup, the spectrometer was pointed at 33 surface sites around the region and collected methane measurements six to eight times a day for six years. When those measurements were aggregated, a clear pattern emerged: methane levels in the atmosphere peaked each December and January and dipped to a low each June and July.Though He's research does not identify specific sources of methane, she says that it is likely that the entire natural gas distribution system, from storage fields to pipelines to stoves and furnaces, is responsible for the leaks.Because methane is such a potent greenhouse gas, and because it is relatively short-lived in the atmosphere, identifying and reducing those natural gas leaks is one way humans might help reduce the effects of climate change, He says."Agriculture and wetlands are still the most important sources of methane when we consider the global scale, He says. "But I think pipeline leakage is the most important one when it comes to cities." | Pollution | 2,019 |
August 10, 2019 | https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2019/08/190810094052.htm | Low-income, black neighborhoods still hit hard by air pollution | Disease-causing air pollution remains high in pockets of America -- particularly those where many low-income and African-American people live, a disparity highlighted in research presented at the annual meeting of the American Sociological Association in New York. | The nation's air on the whole has become cleaner in the past 70 years, but those benefits are seen primarily in whiter, higher-income areas, said Kerry Ard, an associate professor of environmental sociology at The Ohio State University, who will present her research today (Aug. 10, 2019.)Ard used a variety of detailed data sources to examine air pollution and the demographics of the people who lived in 1-kilometer-square areas throughout a six-state region from 1995 through 1998. These are the four years after President Bill Clinton's 1994 executive order that focused attention on the environmental and health effects of federal actions on minority and low-income populations. The act's goal was "achieving environmental protection for all communities."The six-state area analyzed in the Ohio State study, home to many aging and shuttered industrial plants, includes Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, Minnesota, Ohio and Wisconsin. These states make up the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency region with the highest level of unequal distribution of air toxins between whites and African-Americans.In the four years included in her analysis, Ard found persistent air pollution hot spots that did not improve."We're seeing that these pollution hot spots are the same, year after year, and every time they are in low-income communities -- often communities of color. This has implications for a wide array of health disparities -- from preterm births and infant mortality to developmental delays in childhood, to heart and lung disease later in life," Ard said."Our results do not support that there was a perceivable mitigation of this gap after the executive order. In fact, we found that for every 1 percent increase in low-income African Americans living in an area, the odds that an area would become a hot spot grew significantly. This was also true, but to a lesser extent, for increases in low-income white populations."Previous research has shown that despite widespread reductions in air pollution, blacks are still experiencing twice the health risk from air pollution than whites.This isn't particularly surprising given that many blacks moved north toward industry -- and jobs -- during the Great Migration of African Americans from southern rural states, Ard said. Though many of the older, more-harmful plants have closed, others remain open and are often grandfathered into older regulatory standards that aren't as strict as those imposed on newer companies, she said.Ard said that efforts to control pollution aren't going far enough to begin to eliminate the air-quality disparities and the health inequities to which they contribute. Ard, who is part of Ohio State's Institute for Population Research, recently published a textbook chapter focusing on this work."We really need to look at older industrial plants and how they are being regulated and how enforcement is happening in these areas," she said.Air pollution is known to cause an array of health problems, but even those links aren't as well-understood as they should be because most efforts focus generically on fine particulate matter or on single toxins, rather than combinations that have the potential to inflict more harm, Ard said. Fine particulate matter refers to small, lightweight particles in the air that easily make their way into the lungs and sometimes the bloodstream and are known to trigger and worsen a host of diseases. But what, specifically, is in that matter is significant, and should be analyzed to steer policies aimed at protecting human health, Ard said.In addition to tightening up air-quality standards for all polluters -- and specifically going after the worst chemicals or combinations of chemicals -- policymakers should consider efforts such as replanting trees in blighted areas in an effort to improve air quality, Ard said. | Pollution | 2,019 |
August 9, 2019 | https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2019/08/190809104939.htm | Chicago water pollution may be keeping invasive silver carp out of Great Lakes | Invasive silver carp have been moving north toward the Great Lakes since their accidental release in the 1970s. The large filter-feeding fish, which are known to jump from the water and wallop anglers, threaten aquatic food webs as well as the $7 billion Great Lakes fishery. But, for the past decade, the invading front hasn't moved past Kankakee. A new study, led by scientists at the University of Illinois, suggests that Chicago's water pollution may be a contributing to this lack of upstream movement. | "It's a really toxic soup coming down from the Chicago Area Waterway, but a lot of those chemicals go away near Kankakee. They might degrade or settle out, or the Kankakee River might dilute them. We don't really know what happens, but there's a stark change in water quality at that point. That's right where the invading front stops," says Cory Suski, associate professor in the Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Sciences and co-author of the study. "And this fish never stops for anything."The researchers think the fish stall out at Kankakee because they are responding negatively to compounds in the water flowing downstream from Chicago. They formulated their hypothesis after reading a 2017 water quality report from the U.S. Geological Survey. USGS researchers tracked changes in water chemistry in a single pocket of water as it moved from Chicago downstream through the Illinois River. Right near Kankakee, many of the pharmaceuticals, volatile organic compounds, and wastewater indicators dropped off the charts.Suski says many of these compounds have been shown in other studies to induce avoidance behaviors in fish, but his team didn't look at behavior. Instead, they examined gene expression patterns in blood and liver samples from silver carp at three locations along the Illinois River: at Kankakee, approximately 10 miles downstream near Morris, and 153 miles downstream near Havana."We saw huge differences in gene expression patterns between the Kankakee fish and the two downstream populations," Suski explains. "Fish near Kankakee were turning on genes associated with clearing out toxins and turning off genes related to DNA repair and protective measures. Basically, their livers are working overtime and detoxifying pathways are extremely active, which seem to be occurring at the cost of their own repair mechanisms. We didn't see that in either of the downstream populations."Suski stresses that his study wasn't designed to demonstrate a cause-and-effect relationship between water pollution and silver carp movement, but the results hint at a compelling answer to a decade-old mystery. The researchers hope to follow up to show how the fish are metabolizing the pollutants, which will give them a better understanding of which compounds are having the biggest effects. Right now, it's a black box -- the USGS study documented approximately 280 chemicals in the Chicago Area Waterway and downstream sites.Regardless of which specific pollutants may be responsible for stopping silver carp -- if that hypothesis is later proven -- the results could have interesting implications for management."We're not saying we should pollute more to keep silver carp out of the Great Lakes. That's not it," Suski says. "Right now, things are stable, but that might not always be the case. There's a lot of work in Chicago to clean up the Chicago Area Waterway. Already, water quality is improving, fish communities are getting healthier. Through the process of improving the water quality, which we should absolutely be doing, there's a possibility that this chemical barrier could go away. We don't need to hit the panic button yet, but at least we should be aware." | Pollution | 2,019 |
August 9, 2019 | https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2019/08/190809085731.htm | Green turtles eat plastic that looks like their food | Green turtles are more likely to swallow plastic that resembles their natural diet of sea grass, new research suggests. | The turtles strongly favour narrow lengths of plastic in natural colours like green and black, rather than debris of other shapes and colours, the study found.Scientists from the University of Exeter and the Society for the Protection of Turtles (Cyprus) examined the guts of turtles found washed up on beaches in Cyprus.Plastic was found in all turtles whose full gastrointestinal tract could be examined, with one found to contain 183 pieces.The study could not determine what, if any, role the plastic had in the turtles' deaths. Most had likely died as a result of interaction with fishing nets."Previous research has suggested leatherback turtles eat plastic that resembles their jellyfish prey, and we wanted to know whether a similar thing might be happening with green turtles," said Dr Emily Duncan, of the University of Exeter."Sea turtles are primarily visual predators -- able to choose foods by size and shape -- and in this study we found strong evidence that green turtles favour plastic of certain sizes, shapes and colours."Compared to a baseline of plastic debris on beaches, the plastic we found in these turtles suggests they favour threads and sheets that are black, clear or green."The sources of this plastic might include things like black bin bags, and fragments from items such as fishing rope and carrier bags."Duncan is also a National Geographic Explorer and a team member of the "Sea to Souce: Ganges" plastic expedition. She's currently working on similar research on plastic pollution with turtle populations in Australia, supported by a National Geographic Society grant.The study found smaller turtles tended to contain more plastic, possibly because they are less experienced (and therefore more likely to eat the wrong food) or because diet choices change with age and size.Of the 34 turtles examined, the scientists were able to examine the full gastrointestinal tracts of 19.All of these turtles contained plastic, with the number of pieces ranging from three to 183."Research like this helps us understand what sea turtles are eating, and whether certain kinds of plastic are being ingested more than others," said Professor Brendan Godley, who leads the Exeter Marine research strategy."It's important to know what kinds of plastic might be a particular problem, as well as highlighting issues that can help motivate people to continue to work on reducing overall plastic consumption and pollution."The research was supported by Plymouth Marine Laboratory, and funders included the Sea Life Trust and the European Union. | Pollution | 2,019 |
August 8, 2019 | https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2019/08/190808091420.htm | Researchers identify type of parasitic bacteria that saps corals of energy | Researchers at Oregon State University have proposed a new genus of bacteria that flourishes when coral reefs become polluted, siphoning energy from the corals and making them more susceptible to disease. | The National Science Foundation-funded study, published in the Coral reefs are found in less than 1% of the ocean but are home to nearly one-quarter of all known marine species. Reefs also help regulate the sea's carbon dioxide levels and are a crucial hunting ground that scientists use in the search for new medicines.Corals are home to a complex composition of dinoflagellates, fungi, bacteria and archaea that together make up the coral microbiome. Shifts in microbiome composition are connected to changes in coral health.Since their first appearance 425 million years ago, corals have branched into more than 1,500 species, including the one at the center of this research: the endangered Acropora cervicornis, commonly known as the Caribbean staghorn coral.In the study, when the corals were subjected to elevated levels of nutrients -- i.e., pollution from agricultural runoff and sewage -- the newly identified bacterial genus began dominating the corals' microbiome, jumping from 11.4% of the bacterial community to 87.9%.The bacteria are in the order A clade is a group of organisms believed to have evolved from a common ancestor.This research, which included canvassing DNA sequence data from a multitude of past studies, shows that the bacterial clade is globally associated with many different coral hosts and has genes that enable it to parasitize its hosts for amino acids and ATP, the main energy-carrying molecule within cells."We previously showed that this OTU refers to operational taxonomical unit -- an OTU classifies groups of closely related organisms."When we discovered the gene that takes ATP from the host, we knew we were onto something really cool," Klinges said. "The gene has a similar protein structure to mitochondrial genes but does the reverse -- it gives back ADP, which is no longer useful, to the animal."When nutrient levels are normal and corals are healthy, the corals can tolerate low populations of "This order of bacteria is in the microbiome of diseased corals but it's also in healthy corals at low levels," Klinges said. "It's affecting the host's immune system even if it isn't pathogenic on its own -- there are so many cascading effects. As nutrient pollution increasingly affects reefs, we suspect that parasites within the new genus will proliferate and put corals at greater risk."In a metadata analysis of 477,075 samples from the Earth Microbiome Project and Sequence Read Archive databases, researchers found "Together these data suggest that our proposed genus broadly associates with corals and also with many members of the non-bilaterian metazoan phyla -- Placozoa, Porifera, Cnidaria and Ctenophora -- as well as the even more ancient protists," said study co-author and OSU microbiologist Rebecca Vega Thurber."That blew my mind," Klinges added. "We were just looking at this one species of coral and one species of bacteria, and now we know the genus of bacteria is involved in hundreds and thousands of years of coral evolution. We expect to find different bacterial species in other corals, but they fall in the same genus and therefore have a pretty similar function. In next few years our lab will assemble genomes of related bacteria present in other species of coral."Scientists from the University of Miami, Duke University, the University of California, Santa Barbara, Penn State, George Mason University, Roger Williams University collaborated on this research, as did the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration and two German universities. | Pollution | 2,019 |
August 7, 2019 | https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2019/08/190807105638.htm | Air pollution cuts are saving lives in New York state | Lower air pollution levels saved an estimated 5,660 lives in New York State in 2012, compared to 2002 levels, according to a new study. | Published in The study compared seven datasets, including both on-the-ground and satellite measurements, to analyze trends in PM2.5 levels across New York State. The researchers found that PM2.5 levels dropped by 28 to 37 percent between 2002 and 2012. They calculated that this drop cut the air pollution mortality burden for New York State residents by 67 percent -- from 8,410 premature deaths in 2002 to 2,750 deaths in 2012."What's novel about this study is that we use seven different PM2.5 exposure estimates to analyze the long-term change in mortality burden, and they all show a consistent decrease in mortality burden," said Xiaomeng Jin, the Lamont researcher who led the study.The study considered four ailments triggered by long-term exposure to fine particulate matter: chronic obstructive pulmonary diseases, ischemic heart disease, lung cancer, and cerebrovascular and ischemic stroke.The study provides evidence that emission controls on air pollutants, initiated by the Clean Air Act of 1970 -- and expanded under amendments passed in 1990 that required a review of scientific evidence on which standards are set and implemented -- have improved public health across New York State, said the researchers."Those reviews have sometimes resulted in stricter standards being set, which in turn set in motion the process of emission controls to meet those standards," said Lamont atmospheric chemist and co-author of the study Arlene Fiore.Among the other factors that have helped clear the air: continued progress in cleaner vehicles; additional programs to reduce air pollution, including programs targeting diesel fuel, a source of sulfur dioxide; and the reduction of high sulfur dioxide-emitting coal-burning power plants.Fiore said this study is a key step to documenting the health benefits from cleaner air. | Pollution | 2,019 |
August 6, 2019 | https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2019/08/190806121140.htm | Hotter, wetter, dryer: Uptick in extreme weather, temps | It's going to rain a lot in West Virginia. It's going to be really dry, too. | Huh?While torrential downpours and flash flooding don't evoke images of drought or water insecurity, those polar opposites make sense in the erratic world of a warming climate, according to West Virginia University research.Such instability could undermine the availability of food and water in West Virginia, further challenging an already economically struggling state.Nicolas Zegre, director of the Mountain Hydrology Laboratory at WVU, analyzed seasonal changes in water and energy balances over the Appalachian region. Zeroing in on West Virginia, he projected that the following trends could occur by the end of the 21st century:Zegre's findings, published in the The data represents a daily timescale from 1950 to 2100 and includes climate variables such as precipitation, temperature, evaporation, wind speed and humidity. Those variables wind up playing critical roles in water security, ecosystem health and economic supply chains, Zegre said.The 10-degree spike in temperature is a worst-case scenario, expected if the amount of carbon emissions released into the environment continue at the current rate or increase. But if reducing emissions becomes a global priority, Zegre expects average temps to jump to 5 degrees instead of 10 degrees."Changes of these magnitudes may seem trivial but, in fact, they are not," said Zegre, an associate professor of forest hydrology in the Davis College of Agriculture, Natural Resources and Design.One burning question to emerge from his research -- 'How can there be drought if flooding and heavy precipitation are expected to rise?' -- is explained by Zegre. Increased evaporation is the culprit. He compares the phenomenon of evaporation to how we sweat."Warmer air temperature provides more energy for evaporating water from Earth's surface, similar to how humans sweat more on warmer days," Zegre said. "The more energy we exert, the warmer our bodies are. We become dehydrated unless we drink more water. The same can be said for our ecosystem."Higher elevations are warming and drying at a faster rate. They see greater amounts of rainfall and are where streams and water sources that humanity relies on, begin. That means both precipitation and drought are expected. It's contrary to how we think about the predictability of the climate system."The atmosphere expands under warmer conditions and increases the amount of water that can be stored exponentially (Think of a balloon expanding in warm air and shrinking in cooler air.). With more water stored in the atmosphere, frequent and intense storms are likely to occur, resulting in increased flooding, landslides and pollution.Beyond these potential extreme weather events, a wealth of social problems can unfurl as a result.Before entering academia at WVU, Zegre spent eight years in the U.S. Army and National Guard."I see climate change from a national security standpoint," he said. "Climate change is a 'threat multiplier.' Whether it be overseas conflict or reliable water supplies locally. It exacerbates unstable situations."Zegre pointed at the influx of refugees flowing into Europe in recent years. The Syrian refugee crisis began after a prolonged drought collapsed that country's agriculture economy."There was no water, and very extreme temperatures," Zegre said. "As parts of the globe see more flooding and drier conditions, people seek better ways of life. Large-scale emigration from regions under threat presents very real challenges for receiving countries."Even the Department of Defense conducts research on how climate change influences readiness, operations and security, Zegre said.Water insecurity is another major concern. At the Mountain Hydrology Lab, Zegre and his team focus on the implications of environmental and climate change on fresh water security in mountain regions.Droughts and variable weather events can make clean, reliable water a valuable, possibly scarce, commodity, especially to regions drying out faster than Appalachia.The Appalachian Mountains produce a larger amount of precipitation and streamflow than the surrounding lower lying regions. Streamflow generated in West Virginia, for example, provides fresh water to roughly nine million people (or 3 percent of the U.S. population) in the Eastern and Midwestern U.S.Zegre hopes his research can be utilized to form policy from an impartial standpoint that enhances quality of life in West Virginia in today's divided, partisan political world."Our bodies are the best environmental sensors we have," he said. "If we're open to observing what's happening around us, it's fairly obvious what is occurring."As a forester, I see how the growing season has changed. Our forests are putting leaves out earlier than what they used to. Anglers are seeing different insects hatching at different times. Kayakers are seeing creeks and streams flowing more often."As another point, Zegre compared his time as an undergraduate student at WVU in the 1990s to living in Morgantown today."There were hardly any mosquitoes or ticks in Morgantown in the 1990s," he said. "Now they're everywhere."Understanding climate change and its impacts is critically needed for public discourse," he said. "It's crucial for developing well-informed citizens and necessary for promulgating policies and practices that protect West Virginians."We developed this dataset with the specific goal of providing the public, educators, businesses and decision makers with easy access to data, maps, and interpretation to understand and mitigate the consequences of climate change on quality of life in West Virginia." | Pollution | 2,019 |
August 5, 2019 | https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2019/08/190805153709.htm | Fertilizer feast and famine: Solving the global nitrogen problem | Commercial organic and synthetic nitrogen fertilizer helps feed around half of the world's population. While excessive fertilizer use poses environmental and public health risks, many developing nations lack access to it, leading to food insecurity, social unrest and economic hardship. | A team of scientists, led by the University of California, Davis, has published a study that identifies five strategies to tackle the problem. These include applying fertilizers more precisely, getting nitrogen to where it's needed most, removing nitrogen pollution from the environment, reducing food waste and empowering consumers to think about sustainable food options."We have a two-sided challenge and we can't just focus on one side and forget about the other," said lead author Ben Houlton, professor and director of the John Muir Institute of the Environment at UC Davis. "People not having access to fertilizer to grow food is as much of a problem as inefficient use of it."The cost of fertilizer is a major barrier in emerging market economies, particularly for farmers in sub-Saharan Africa and parts of Latin America. Government subsidies can help, but the research suggests the problem isn't just an economic one. Policies among governments need to be better coordinated to help farmers gain access to fertilizer, using the most advanced and sustainable precision-agricultural approaches.A coordinated international policy is urgently needed, said Houlton. While groups like the International Nitrogen Initiative have made significant progress in advancing global nitrogen issues, the study calls for a formal research mandate similar to the United Nations' Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change to solve the global nitrogen problem.Feeding an expected 10 billion people by 2050 could increase fertilizer use by as much as 40 percent. Shifting fertilizer application practices will be key, said Houlton. Slow-release fertilizers, "fertigation" (fertilizers with irrigation water) and using new sensor technologies and drones can help improve nitrogen efficiency. These techniques can be costly, presenting challenges to adoption."Similar to offering consumers rebates for buying the first electric cars, we need incentives for farmers to adopt these practices," Houlton said.The study also discusses ways to remove nitrogen pollution from the environment, including river and floodplain restoration projects and buffer strips designed to improve water quality.One-quarter of all food produced is wasted. Its disposal at landfills also produces greenhouse gases such as methane and nitrous oxide. The research suggests repurposing food waste as animal feed or turning it into compost. The study also highlights the need for increasing consumer awareness to reduce overbuying.Another strategy for reducing nitrogen overuse is to empower consumers to understand sustainable food growing practices and healthy food choices . Not all crops, dairy or meat is grown in the same way. The study suggests more research and life cycle assessments of how different growing practices affect nitrogen footprints so consumers can determine options that make the most sense for their particular culture and values."Nitrogen as a problem is quite solvable" Houlton said. "The benefits of a sustainable nitrogen balance can materialize remarkably quickly, from assisting in humanitarian crises to slashing global climate pollutants, preserving Earth's biodiversity, and reducing toxic algae blooms in rivers, lakes and the sea."Co-authors include Kate Scow, Maya Almaraz, and Thomas Tomich of UC Davis. The study was supported by the National Science Foundation. | Pollution | 2,019 |
August 2, 2019 | https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2019/08/190802104535.htm | Shared E-scooters aren't always as 'green' as other transport options | People think of electric scooters, or e-scooters, as environmentally friendly ways to get around town. But a new study from North Carolina State University finds it's not that simple: shared e-scooters may be greener than most cars, but they can be less green than several other options. | "E-scooter companies tout themselves as having little or no carbon footprint, which is a bold statement," says Jeremiah Johnson, corresponding author of the study and an associate professor of civil, construction and environmental engineering at NC State. "We wanted to look broadly at the environmental impacts of shared e-scooters -- and how that compares to other local transportation options."To capture the impact of e-scooters, researchers looked at emissions associated with four aspects of each scooter's life cycle: the production of the materials and components that go into each scooter; the manufacturing process; shipping the scooter from the manufacturer to its city of use; and collecting, charging and redistributing the scooters.The researchers also conducted a small-scale survey of e-scooter riders to see what modes of transportation they would have used if they hadn't used an e-scooter. The researchers found that 49% of riders would have biked or walked; 34% would have used a car; 11% would have taken a bus; and 7% wouldn't have taken the trip at all. These results were similar to those of a larger survey done by the city of Portland, Oregon.In order to compare the impact of e-scooters to that of other transport options, the researchers looked at previously published life cycle analyses of cars, buses, electric mopeds and bicycles. Researchers looked at four types of pollution and environmental impact: climate change impact; nutrient loading in water; respiratory health impacts related to air pollution; and acidification. The performance results were similar for all four types of pollution."A lot of what we found is pretty complicated, but a few things were clear," Johnson says. "Biking -- even with an electric bike -- is almost always more environmentally friendly than using a shared e-scooter. The sole possible exception is for people who use pay-to-ride bike-share programs. Those companies use cars and trucks to redistribute the bicycles in their service area, which can sometimes make them less environmentally friendly than using an e-scooter."By the same token, the study found that driving a car is almost always less environmentally friendly than using an e-scooter. But some results may surprise you. For example, taking the bus on a route with high ridership is usually more environmentally friendly than an e-scooter."We found that the environmental impact from the electricity used to charge the e-scooters is fairly small -- about 5% of its overall impact," Johnson says. "The real impact comes largely from two areas: using other vehicles to collect and redistribute the scooters; and emissions related to producing the materials and components that go into each scooter."That means that there are two major factors that contribute to each scooter's environmental footprint. First is that the less driving that is done to collect and redistribute the scooters, the smaller the impact. The second factor is the scooters' lifetime: the longer the scooter is in service, the more time it has to offset the impact caused by making all of its constituent parts."There are a lot of factors to consider, but e-scooters are environmentally friendly compared to some modes of transport," Johnson says. "And there are things that companies and local governments can do to further reduce their impacts. For example, allowing -- or encouraging -- companies to collect scooters only when they hit a battery depletion threshold would reduce a scooter's impact, because you wouldn't be collecting scooters that don't need re-charging." | Pollution | 2,019 |
August 1, 2019 | https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2019/08/190801104036.htm | Toxic chemicals hindering the recovery of Britain's rivers | Toxic chemicals from past decades could be hindering the recovery of Britain's urban rivers, concludes a recent study by scientists from Cardiff University, the University of Exeter, and the Centre for Ecology and Hydrology. | During the 1970s, over 70% of the rivers in the South Wales valleys were classified as grossly polluted, by a combination of poor sewage treatment, colliery waste and industrial discharge. Since then, industry has declined, deep mining has ceased and sewage treatment has improved to the point that clean water species such as salmon and otters have returned to rivers such as the Taff.However, Welsh rivers in urban locations still have damaged food chains and fewer species of invertebrates in comparison to more rural rivers. According to the researchers, these effects might be explained by the higher concentrations of former industrial pollutants such as PCBs (Polychlorinated Biphenyls) and flame-retardant chemicals (PBDEs) that persist in these rivers despite being phased out.Dr Fred Windsor, a doctoral student at Cardiff University, explained: "Despite major success in controlling sewage pollution in South Wales' rivers over the last three decades, something appears to be holding back biological recovery. Our investigations show that persistent contaminants might be responsible as they still occur widely in invertebrates, particularly in urban river environments."Professor Charles Tyler, from the University of Exeter's School of Biosciences, added: "These apparent effects of what we call 'legacy' pollutants -- PCBs, flame retardants, organochlorine pesticides and other complex organic chemicals that have now been largely discontinued from production and use -- are yet another reminder that we continue to live with problems caused by toxic chemicals from past decades. These chemicals still occur widely in rivers, lakes and seas in Britain and beyond, and still affect a wide range of animals."Professor Steve Ormerod of Cardiff University's School of Biosciences and Water Research Institute concluded: "Urban river ecosystems in Britain have been on an improving trajectory since at least 1990, but there is still a way to go before we can say that they've wholly recovered from well over a century of industrial and urban degradation."The ecological pressures on our rivers are multiple, ranging from combined sewer overflows to engineering modifications, and this research adds a new dimension to understanding why they're not yet at their best."The slow degradation of some pollutants means that we may have to wait a long time before these chemicals disappear. Perhaps one of the lessons is that we should avoid ecosystem damage in the first place rather than try to solve problems after they occur." | Pollution | 2,019 |
August 1, 2019 | https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2019/08/190801093326.htm | Low level exposure to air pollution is harmful, mouse model shows | Air pollution is made up of both gaseous and particulate matter (PM). Each year almost two million people die as a direct result of air pollution with many more experiencing impaired lung function, developing lung diseases such as asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). However research, on the effects of low level air pollution, is often overlooked. | An international research team, led by the University of Technology Sydney (UTS) and the Woolcock Institute of Medical Research (WIMR) investigated whether a low level of exposure to PM10 was harmful. PM10 refers to particles equal or below 10 microns in size, they make up a large proportion of air pollution and can enter the lung.The results of the study have been published in the Dr Yik Chan from UTS and WIMR, and co-lead author on the paper, said that low level air pollution was often mistakenly treated as "safe" and not harmful to health."In Sydney and other Australian capital cities the levels of traffic related air pollution (TRAP) are low by world standards and not often considered a problem in terms of developing chronic lung disease. However almost everyone living in an urban area is exposed to TRAP," Dr Chan said."Sydney has a lot of new construction taking place, as well as a growing population and increased traffic is inevitable," he said.Researchers from the Kolling Institute, UNSW, Chinese University of Hong Kong, Chinese Academy of Sciences were also involved in the study that showed that, after three weeks, mice exposed to low levels of traffic related PM10 had an inflammatory response.Chief Investigator Associate Professor Brian Oliver said that "these results have important implications for new [building] developments.""For example, should schools or day care centres be built next to busy roads?"Our results indicate that PM is a pro-inflammatory molecule, which exerts effects even at low concentrations. In our model we found strong, and statistically significant evidence of, lung inflammation and dysregulated mitochondrial activity. The mitochondria are the powerhouse of the cell, which means that any changes to the mitochondria effects energy production by the cell, and therefore how the cell divides and responds to external stimuli."The researchers say that people living alongside major traffic corridors need to be aware of the potential adverse effects on their respiratory health. | Pollution | 2,019 |
July 30, 2019 | https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2019/07/190730125338.htm | To conserve water, Indian farmers fire up air pollution | A measure to conserve groundwater in northwestern India has led to unexpected consequences: added air pollution in an area already beset by haze and smog. | A new study reveals how water-use policies require farmers to transplant rice later in the year, which in turn delays harvests and concentrates agricultural burnings of crop residues in November -- a month when breezes stagnate -- leading to increased air pollution.The perfect storm of conditions during November has created almost 30 percent higher atmospheric concentrations of fine particulate matter, small particles that are especially concerning for human health.The study, "Tradeoffs Between Groundwater Conservation and Air Pollution From Agricultural Fires in Northwest India," published in The scientists analyzed groundwater conservation policies and their effect on the timing of farmers' planting and harvesting crops and burning crop residues. They also connected this information with meteorological and air pollution data."This analysis shows that we need to think about sustainable agriculture from a systems perspective, because it's not a single objective we're managing for -- it's multidimensional, and solving one problem in isolation can exacerbate others ," said Andrew McDonald, associate professor of soil and crop sciences and a co-author of the paper. Balwinder Singh, a cropping systems simulation modeler at CIMMYT in New Delhi, India, is the paper's first author.Northwest India suffers from two critical sustainability issues: air pollution and groundwater depletion. Almost 1.1 million Indians died from air pollution in 2015, adding up to costs equaling 3 percent of the country's gross domestic product, according to the study.Groundwater depletion is an ongoing issue, and rice cultivation is particularly water-intensive. News reports in June shed light on water scarcity in Chennai, in the south; in the northwest, two groundwater conservation measures enacted in 2009 delayed groundwater use by farmers until later in the season. The acts ultimately prohibited transplanting rice into paddies until after June 20.Farmers must quickly clear residues immediately following rice harvests in this area, known as India's bread basket, to prepare fields for planting wheat that grows in the winter.Solutions could include new agronomic technologies such as the tractor-mounted Happy Seeder, a device that allows farmers to drill through heavy crop residues and plant seeds without burning. They might couple such advances with shorter-duration rice varieties that offer flexibility in planting and harvesting dates. | Pollution | 2,019 |
July 25, 2019 | https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2019/07/190725102945.htm | Fracking likely to result in high emissions | Natural gas releases fewer harmful air pollutants and greenhouse gases than other fossil fuels. That's why it is often seen as a bridge technology to a low-carbon future. A new study by the Institute for Advanced Sustainability Studies (IASS) has estimated emissions from shale gas production through fracking in Germany and the UK. It shows that CO | In the last ten years natural gas production has soared in the United States. This is mainly due to shale gas, which currently accounts for about 60 per cent of total US gas production. Shale, a fine-grained, laminated, sedimentary rock, has an extremely low permeability, which in the past made it difficult -- and uneconomical -- to extract.However, recent advancements in horizontal drilling and hydraulic fracturing have opened up previously unrecoverable shale gas reserves to large-scale, commercial production.In light of experiences in the US and dwindling conventional gas reserves, the debate on shale gas has also taken centre stage in Europe. The purported climate advantages of shale gas over coal and the implications for domestic energy security have made fracking in shale reservoirs an interesting prospect for many European countries.IASS researcher Lorenzo Cremonese led a study that investigated the greenhouse gas and air pollutant emissions (including carbon dioxide, methane, carbon monoxide, nitrogen oxides, particulates and other volatile organic compounds) expected to result from future shale gas production in Germany and the UK.A team of researchers from the University of Potsdam, the TNO Utrecht, the Freie Universität Berlin, and the IASS determined the amount of these chemical compounds that would be released into the atmosphere through fracking activities, based on estimated reservoir productivities, local capacity, and the technologies used. Their findings have been published in the International Journal To quantify total emissions, the authors assigned gas losses to each stage of upstream gas production. In the process, they also generated two plausible emission scenarios: a 'realistic' and an 'optimistic' scenario.While methane leakage rates for the optimistic scenario approximate official figures in national inventories, the rates for the realistic scenario exceed them by a large margin. The emission intensity of shale gas in electricity generation is up to 35 per cent higher than estimates of the current emission intensity of conventional gas in Germany. The study also questions the accuracy of methane leakage estimates for current conventional gas production.At the same time, the results show that in all plausible scenarios, emissions of air pollutants like carbon monoxide, nitrogen oxides and particulate matter will have a negligible effect on overall national emissions of these substances. But unlike greenhouse gases, air pollutants have immediate health effects at local and regional level. They are the focus of another study currently being prepared.The present study fills a gap in the scientific debate on European shale gas reserves and the consequences of exploiting them. "If shale gas becomes a reality in Europe, the risks arising from that will have to be minimised through strict adherence to environmental standards," explains Cremonese.The study also provides valuable insights for the discussion on the climate effects of a new gas industry, and, more generally, on the question of if and how natural gas should play a role in the global energy transition."The major differences between the realistic and optimistic scenarios in terms of their anticipated emissions underline once again the importance of improving existing emissions reduction technologies and practices," says Cremonese. "In light of the climate crisis, the environmental risks posed by gas emissions need to move quickly onto the agenda in policymaking and in negotiations with the gas industry in order to keep the adverse effects of a European shale gas industry to an absolute minimum." | Pollution | 2,019 |
July 25, 2019 | https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2019/07/190725102939.htm | Airborne particles can send our detox systems into overdrive | An international team of scientists have observed a previously unclear inflammatory mechanism caused by airborne particles that can worsen asthma symptoms, it has been reported in | As the world gets more and more industrialized, the risk of developing respiratory diseases increases. Very small particles released from industry and vehicle fumes are harmful to our health but exactly how is still unclear. In a collaborative study, researchers in Japan, the US and Germany have uncovered one mechanism that can exaggerate inflammation in response to diesel fumes and worsen symptoms of respiratory diseases.Tiny particles in the air are released from vehicles with diesel exhausts, factories or urban landscapes. People living in urban or industrial areas have a higher risk of developing diseases such as asthma. However, the mechanism behind how asthma develops is very complicated, explains Associate Professor Yasuhiro Ishihara of the Graduate School of Integrated Sciences for Life, Hiroshima University. Many different factors can trigger asthma, such as genetics and allergies, but Ishihara speculates that:"If we know the mechanism maybe we can prevent particle-induced asthma,"Research teams from Hiroshima University, the University of California and the Leibniz Research Institute identified a cell receptor that was activated by these particles, called AhR. This receptor promotes the production of inflammatory molecules to get rid of toxins in the body (such as fumes and diesel particles). It is found on cells in organs that are in contact with air, such as the skin, the gut and lungs. AhR's function is to detoxify the body, but overactivation of this receptor can often cause health problems.In their study, the group stimulated human and mice immune cells with diesel particles that activated AhR. The cells produced IL-33, a chemical messenger that promotes inflammation. To confirm that the levels of IL-33 were caused by AhR the researchers blocked signals from AhR in the cells and no IL-33 was found.The researchers concluded that AhR activation by airborne particles can make symptoms of diseases like asthma more severe. Diesel fumes aggravate immune cells to release chemicals that promote inflammation.Ishihara states that even though this is a promising finding and opens the door to a deeper understanding of the mechanisms of these diseases, the best way to avoid these is to "escape." Even if you are not living right beside a factory or lots of vehicles, airborne particles can be distributed by the wind."This is an urgent issue in our drastically developed world." emphasizes Ishihara.Though scientists are performing great research to improve our quality of urban life, living in the countryside could still be the best bet for avoiding particle-based asthma. | Pollution | 2,019 |
July 25, 2019 | https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2019/07/190725100430.htm | Lobster organs and reflexes damaged by marine seismic surveys | A new study of the impact on marine life of seismic air guns, used in geological surveys of the seafloor, has found that the sensory organs and righting reflexes of rock lobster can be damaged by exposure to air gun signals. | Published in the journal The study was funded by the Australian Government through the Fisheries Research and Development Corporation (FRDC), Origin Energy, and the Victorian Government's CarbonNet Project.Lead author Dr Ryan Day said researchers exposed rock lobster to seismic air gun noise during field tests in Tasmania's Storm Bay and examined the effects on a key sensory organ, the statocyst, and the lobsters' reflexes."While the impact of air guns on whales and fishes has been relatively well-studied, the effects on marine invertebrates such as lobsters, crabs and squid remain poorly understood," Dr Day said."We chose to study the impact on rock lobster because they are a high value fishery and an important part of global marine ecosystems."Previous studies have shown that the statocyst, a sensory organ on a lobster's head, is critical in controlling their righting reflex, enabling them to remain coordinated and evade predators."After exposing lobsters to the equivalent of a commercial air gun signal at a range of 100-150 metres, our study found that the animals suffered significant and lasting damage to their statocyst and righting reflexes."The damage was incurred at the time of exposure and persisted for at least one year -- surprisingly, even after the exposed lobsters moulted," Dr Day said.The study's Principal Investigator, Associate Professor Jayson Semmens, said that while the ecological impacts of the damage were not evaluated, the impairment would likely affect a lobster's ability to function in the wild."This study adds to a growing body of research that shows marine invertebrates can suffer physiological impacts and changes to their reflexes in response to anthropogenic noise such as seismic surveys," Associate Professor Semmens said."In recent years our research team has also looked at the impact of seismic surveys on lobster embryos, scallops and zooplankton."Such studies are important to enable government, industry and the community to make informed decisions about how such activities can best be conducted while minimising negative outcomes for fisheries and ecosystems globally," he said. | Pollution | 2,019 |
July 24, 2019 | https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2019/07/190724111119.htm | Fracking activities may contribute to anxiety and depression during pregnancy | A new study led by a researcher at Columbia University Mailman School of Public Health identifies a link between proximity to hydraulic fracking activities and mental health issues during pregnancy. Results appear in the journal | The researchers looked at 7,715 mothers without anxiety or depression at the time of conception, who delivered at the Geisinger Health System in Pennsylvania between January 2009 and January 2013. They compared women who developed anxiety or depression during pregnancy with those who did not to see if the women's proximity to hydraulic fracturing activity played a role. Hydrofracking locations were available through public sources.They found that for every 100 women, 4.3 additional women would experience anxiety or depression if they lived in the highest quartile of exposure compared to the other quartiles. The prevalence of anxiety or depression during pregnancy was 15 percent in the highest quartile, compared to just 11 percent in the lower three quartiles. The risk appeared greater among mothers receiving medical assistance (an indicator of low income) compared to those who did not: the authors observed 5.6 additional cases of anxiety or depression per 100 exposed women. They found no relationship between anxiety or depression during pregnancy and preterm birth and reduced term birth weight (an earlier study the research team found a link between proximity to hydrofracking and these adverse birth outcomes).First author Joan Casey, PhD, assistant professor in the Department of Environmental Health Sciences, points to several possible reasons why living near fracking sites could lead to mental health problems in women. "Fracking activities may act as community-level stressors by degrading the quality of the natural environment, neighborhoods, such as by the production of toxic wastewater and increases in truck traffic, leading residents to feel a lack of control that harms their health," says Casey. "Another possibility is that air pollution from the sites could be directly contributing to mental health problems in this vulnerable population. Future research could examine other potential factors like air quality, noise, light pollution, psychosocial stress, and perception of activities." | Pollution | 2,019 |
July 24, 2019 | https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2019/07/190724111116.htm | Cold, dry planets could have a lot of hurricanes | Nearly every atmospheric science textbook ever written will say that hurricanes are an inherently wet phenomenon -- they use warm, moist air for fuel. But according to new simulations, the storms can also form in very cold, dry climates. | A climate as cold and dry as the one in the study is unlikely to ever become the norm on Earth, especially as climate change is making the world warmer and wetter. But the findings could have implications for storms on other planets and for the intrinsic properties of hurricanes that most scientists and educators currently believe to be true."We have theories for how hurricanes work at temperatures that we're used to experiencing on Earth, and theoretically, they should still apply if we move to a colder and drier climate," said Dan Chavas, an assistant professor of earth, atmospheric and planetary sciences at Purdue University. "We wanted to know if hurricanes really need water. And we've shown that they don't -- but in a very different world."In the world we live in now, hurricanes need water. When they reach land, they die because they run of out the water they evaporate for energy -- but that doesn't have to be the case. The findings were published in the "Just because there isn't something changing phase between liquid and vapor doesn't mean a hurricane can't form," Chavas said.In collaboration with Timothy Cronin, an assistant professor of atmospheric science at MIT, he used a computer model that mimics a very basic atmosphere and constantly generates hurricanes. In a general hurricane scenario, this looks like a box with ocean at the bottom, but Chavas tweaked it to dry out the surface or cool it below temperatures that usually generate hurricanes.The coldest simulations were run at 240 degrees Kelvin (-28 F) and produced a shocking number of cyclones. These cold, dry storms were generally smaller and weaker than the hurricanes on Earth, but they formed at a higher frequency.As the temperature drops, the air can hold less water, which explains why cold temperatures and dry surfaces yield similar results in experiments. At 240 degrees K, air can hold roughly 100 times less water vapor than at temperatures typical of the modern tropics.Interestingly, there is a range of moderate temperatures and moisture levels in which no cyclones formed at all. From 250 to 270 degrees Kelvin (-10 F to 26 F), no hurricanes formed, although the researchers aren't sure why. At 280 Kelvin (44 F), the atmosphere filled again with cyclones."Maybe that means there are ideal regimes for hurricanes to exist and the current world we live in is one," Chavas said. "Or you could be in another world where there's no water, but it's still capable of producing many hurricanes. When people are considering whether we could live on a dry, rocky planet like Mars, this could be something to consider."Such a planet could have even more hurricanes than occur on Earth. Because it's difficult to study the atmospheres of other planets, scientists have to work with their knowledge of Earth and fundamental understanding of how atmospheres function. | Pollution | 2,019 |
July 24, 2019 | https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2019/07/190724104010.htm | 30,000-plus U.S. lives could be saved by reducing air pollution levels below current standard | Research findings from the Center for Air Quality, Climate, and Energy Solutions (CACES) at Carnegie Mellon University show significant human health benefits when air quality is better than the current national ambient air quality standard. The estimate of lives that could be saved by further reduction of air pollution levels is more than thirty thousand, which is similar to the number of deaths from car accidents each year. | CACES' results were published this week in two related studies in the journals "These findings are particularly relevant at a time when the EPA is planning to change how it calculates the benefits of cleaner air by dismissing any health benefits below the current standard," said Allen Robinson, director of CACES and professor of mechanical engineering at Carnegie Mellon. "These benefits are important to consider when evaluating efforts to tackle climate change, such as the Clean Power Plan."Another key finding is the substantial health benefits that have occurred from clean-up efforts over the past two decades. For example, in parts of California and some southern states, these efforts are estimated to have increased life expectancy by 0.3 years. "Although there is more work to be done to continue to improve our air quality, it is important to celebrate the tremendous progress that has been made," added Robinson.The two studies used very large, national sets of public data. "The fact that they are public data is very important because it means that independent research teams can replicate our results," said Robinson. "This satisfies legislators' demands for transparent science and ensures that there is admissible scientific evidence on which to base environmental regulations."The study published in "The ubiquitous and involuntary nature of exposures, and the broadly-observed effects across sub-populations, underscore the public-health importance of breathing clean air," said Arden Pope, professor of economics at Brigham Young University and the lead author of the "In every county, some people are dying too early at current levels of air pollution, which would make further improvements a truly national priority," said Majid Ezzati, professor of global environmental health at Imperial College London and the senior author of the Additional collaborators include Cornerstone Research, Harvard University, Health Canada, the National Cancer Center (Korea), the University of Chicago, and the University of Washington. The research was supported by the Center for Air, Climate, and Energy Solutions (CACES) funded by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Grant Number R835873, and the Wellcome Trust. | Pollution | 2,019 |
July 23, 2019 | https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2019/07/190723142937.htm | Air pollution in US associated with over 30,000 deaths and reduced life expectancy | Air quality in the US may be linked with increased mortality and reduced life expectancy according to research from Imperial College London and the Center for Air, Climate and Energy Solutions at Carnegie Mellon University. | The study, published in the journal These particles are mainly emitted from automobiles, power plants and industry, and known to be hazardous to health. The tiny particles, around 30 times smaller than the width of a human hair, can be inhaled deep into the lungs, and have been associated with increased risk of a range of conditions including heart attack and various forms of lung disease.The amount of this fine particle pollution in the US has declined since 1999. The current US annual PM2.5 standard is set at 12 microgram per cubic meter of air (ug/mIn 2015 the highest concentration was in Tulare County, California (13.2ug/mHowever, the new research shows that at levels between 2.8ug/mThese deaths would lower national life expectancy by 0.15 years for women, and 0.13 years for men. The life expectancy loss due to PM2.5 was largest around Los Angeles and in some southern states, such as Arkansas, Oklahoma and Alabama.At any PM2.5 concentration, life expectancy loss was, on average, larger in counties with lower income than in wealthier counties.Professor Majid Ezzati, lead author of the research from Imperial's School of Public Health said: "We've known for some time that these particles can be deadly. This study suggests even at seemingly low concentrations -- mostly below current limits -- they still cause tens of thousands of deaths. Lowering the PM2.5 standard below the current level is likely to improve the health of the US nation, and reduce health inequality."He added: "US PM2.5 concentrations are generally lower than those in many Europe cities -- which suggests there may also be substantial number of deaths in Europe associated with air pollution."In the study, the research team -- all part of the Center for Air, Climate and Energy Solutions -- assessed data from over 750 air quality monitoring stations from across the US, and combined this with other sources of air pollution data, such as satellite images.The team then combined this with death counts from the National Center for Health Statistics. There were a total of 41.9 million deaths between 1999 to 2015 in the USA, with 18.4 million of these deaths from cardiorespiratory diseases, for which there is strong evidence of an association with air pollution.Using a series of statistical models (the computer code for which is publicly available), the team combined all this data and estimated the increase in death rate per 1ug/mThe team factored in various factors that could affect the results, such as age, education, poverty and smoking rates. They could only indirectly account for other factors such as healthcare access and diet, that affect deaths in different counties.The research was funded by the Environmental Protection Agency and the Wellcome Trust. | Pollution | 2,019 |
July 23, 2019 | https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2019/07/190723121904.htm | 'Legacy' mercury pollution still a problem in New Jersey meadowlands waters, US | "Legacy" mercury pollution from decades ago and miles away is an important source of contamination in New Jersey Meadowlands waterways, according to a Rutgers-led study that could help guide cleanup efforts. | The study in the The researchers examined the degree to which old mercury contamination has been redistributed throughout the Hackensack River, the main waterway in Meadowlands, and the degree to which legacy pollution outweighs the mercury that may arrive from the atmosphere or other sources. Mercury, a toxic metal, causes neurological effects in wildlife and people."Our results will be useful to environmental managers at state and federal agencies overseeing cleanup efforts," said lead author John Reinfelder, a professor in the Department of Environmental Sciences at Rutgers University-New Brunswick. "They are wrestling with deciding how much of the Meadowlands' tidal waterways require remediation and the benchmark for how clean they need to be."Reinfelder and a U.S. Geological Survey scientist tracked mercury in the complex New Jersey Meadowlands ecosystem where water, sediment and contaminants are transported by tides, runoff and storm surges.Old upstream sources of contamination comprised an estimated 21 percent to 82 percent of all sources of mercury, showing the impact on Meadowlands waterways more than 9 miles from the initial site of contamination, according to Reinfelder, who works in the School of Environmental and Biological Sciences. | Pollution | 2,019 |
July 23, 2019 | https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2019/07/190723104101.htm | Exposure to air pollution among women in Mozambique greatly intensified by the use of kerosene lamps | Exposure to black carbon particles is 81% higher among Mozambican women who use kerosene as the main source of energy for lighting compared to those who use electricity. This was the main finding of a study undertaken by the Barcelona Institute for Global Health (ISGlobal), an institute supported by "la Caixa," in collaboration with the Manhiça Health Research Centre (CISM) in Mozambique and the Institute of Environmental Assessment and Water Studies (IDAEA) in Barcelona. | The study, which has been published in the journal Black carbon is one of the components of PM2.5 (particles with a diameter smaller than 2.5 millionths of a metre), an air pollutant that is harmful to both human health and the planet. Black carbon from domestic combustion generates 25% of global anthropogenic PM2.5 emissions and 80% of those produced in Africa.One striking finding was that personal levels of black carbon exposure among the women participating in this study were much higher than those observed in studies of adults and children living in European cities (a daily average of 15 ?g/m3 compared to 2.8 ?g/m3 in Europe).In Europe, black carbon is used as a marker of traffic-related air pollution, but in rural areas and in middle- and low-income countries, it is a marker of domestic combustion.It is estimated that 95% of Mozambique's population depends on unclean fuels for cooking and, due to the absence of electricity in large areas of the country, the use of portable kerosene lamps (or candeeiro de vidrio, as they are called in Portuguese) for domestic lighting is widespread. "The use of kerosene as an energy source in the home has been associated with tuberculosis, acute respiratory infections in children, low birth weight and neonatal mortality," explains ISGlobal researcher Ariadna Curto, the lead author of the study. "And it is women who bear the brunt of this effect because traditionally they carry the burden of all the domestic work."In this study group, peak exposure to black carbon occurred, on average, between 6 and 7 in the afternoon -- around sunset -- and peak concentrations were 93% higher among the women who reported lighting their homes with kerosene lamps."Another significant finding was that women living with a partner had a 55% higher peak of exposure than single, widowed or divorced women. This difference can be attributed to the fact that the women in our study undertook all the domestic work in the household (almost all of the participants were housewives) and, consequently, the greater the number of people living in the home, the greater their personal exposure," explains Ariadna Curto.The other factors, in addition to the type of lighting used, that were predictive of black carbon exposure were type of kitchen and ambient temperature. Black carbon exposure was 61% higher in the group of women who reported having a totally or partially enclosed kitchen than in those who had no kitchen or an outdoor kitchen. Another relevant factor is that in most of the participant households, the women used solid biomass fuels (wood and coal) for cooking, which further increased their exposure to black carbon.Analysis of data on temperature revealed that average exposure to black carbon decreased by 24% for each 5° C increase in ambient temperature. "This difference is probably due to the fact that when the temperature rises, the women tend to cook outdoors (where the smoke is dispersed) and use less fuel to heat the house," explains Cathryn Tonne, ISGlobal researcher and last author of the study.Finally, PM2.5 concentrations exceeded the maximum safe threshold specified by the WHO in 12% of the samples collected by the device installed in the CISM facilities to measure ambient pollution, with higher concentrations being observed mainly during the dry season. "Air quality in sub-Saharan Africa is expected to deteriorate further in the near future as a result of several factors, including an increase in vehicle ownership and industrial expansion. Studies like ours show that improving access to electricity or clean alternative lighting (solar lamps, for example) in populations currently dependent on inefficient household energy sources would have very positive effects on air quality and reduce negative health impacts," adds Cathryn Tonne. | Pollution | 2,019 |
July 23, 2019 | https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2019/07/190723121855.htm | 100 days, 100 nights: Sensor network reveals telltale patterns in neighborhood air quality | Black carbon, commonly known as soot, is a significant contributor to global warming and is strongly linked to adverse health outcomes. Produced by the incomplete combustion of fuels -- emitted from large trucks, trains, and marine vessels -- it is an air pollutant of particular concern to residents in urban areas. Sensors available on the market today are expensive, making black carbon difficult to track. | Researchers at the U.S. Department of Energy's Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (Berkeley Lab), collaborating with UC Berkeley, have developed a new type of sensor network that is much more affordable yet capable of tracking this particulate matter. With more than 100 custom-built sensors installed across West Oakland for 100 days, the team created the largest black carbon monitoring network to be deployed in a single city.A full description of the 100×100 air quality network was published in the journal The project was launched to address a persistent concern in the community: the need for better tools to monitor black carbon across time and space. Expanding on prior research at Berkeley Lab, the team addressed this challenge by building the Aerosol Black Carbon Detector (ABCD). "We generated a technology that didn't exist to make this invisible problem visible," said Thomas Kirchstetter, who leads the Energy Analysis and Environmental Impacts Division at Berkeley Lab, and is an Adjunct Professor of Civil and Environmental Engineering at UC Berkeley.Small and inexpensive, the ABCD is a compact air quality monitor that can measure the concentration of black carbon in an air sample. "We had to create a sensor that was as accurate as high-grade, expensive instrumentation, but low enough in cost that we could distribute 100 of them throughout the community," said Kirchstetter. Thanks to design innovations that coauthor Julien Caubel developed during his PhD research, which help the sensors withstand changes in temperature and humidity, the ABCD can produce reliable data when left outside for extended periods of time. The materials for each ABCD cost less than $500. In comparison, commercially available instruments that measure black carbon cost many thousands of dollars.The fleet of sensors was deployed throughout West Oakland, a fifteen-square-kilometer mixed-use residential/industrial neighborhood surrounded by freeways and impacted by emissions from the Port of Oakland and other industrial activities. Six land-use categories were designated for sensor placement: upwind, residential, industrial, near highway, truck route, and port locations. "It was important to build a well-distributed network across the neighborhood in order to capture pollution patterns," said coauthor Chelsea Preble, a Berkeley Lab affiliate and postdoctoral researcher at UC Berkeley. Through a collaboration with the West Oakland Environmental Indicators Project (WOEIP), Environmental Defense Fund, Bay Area Air Quality Management District, and Port of Oakland, the scientists recruited community members willing to host the black carbon sensors outside of their homes and businesses. "Our partnership with WOEIP, in particular working with Ms. Margaret Gordon and Brian Beveridge, was essential to the success of the study," said Preble.To track the individual sensors in real time, including their operating status, and collect measurements, coauthor Troy Cados built a custom website and database. Every hour, the devices sent black carbon concentrations to the database using 2G, the mobile wireless network. The study produced approximately 22 million lines of data, yielding insights about the nature of air pollution on a local scale. Now available for download, the data is also being used by collaborators from UC Berkeley, the Bay Area Air Quality Management District, and other institutions to improve air pollution modeling tools.How did these devices work? The ABCD pulled air through a white filter, where black carbon particles were deposited. Optical components in the sensor periodically measured the amount of light transmitted through the darkening filter. Black carbon concentration in the air was based on how much the filter had darkened over time. This technique, developed several decades ago by Berkeley Lab and now commercially available, served as a foundation for the innovations in this study.In West Oakland, the researchers found that black carbon varied sharply over distances as short as 100 meters and time spans as short as one hour. The highest and most variable levels were associated with truck activity along Maritime Street, typically low in the pre-dawn hours when the Port of Oakland was closed and peaking at the start of business, around eight in the morning. The lowest black carbon concentrations in the study area were recorded on Sundays, when truck activity is typically lowest, and at upwind sites near the bay, west of the freeways and the city's industrial activity. Most of the sensors were able to collect data sufficient to establish pollution patterns during the first 30 days of the study, suggesting that similar -- and shorter -- studies could provide other communities with valuable information about their air quality."This research is an example of how a national laboratory can have a meaningful impact by working with communities," said Kirchstetter. "We worked to address a concern that they've long had and provided data describing how pollution varies throughout the neighborhood, which can be used to advocate for cleaner air," he said. The team is currently working to advance this technology, making it more robust and easier to use so that it can be deployed for longer periods of time at other locations."We've long been involved in the generation of air pollution sensing technologies," said Kirchstetter, whose mentor, Tica Novakov, started the field of black carbon research and was an inspiration for this work. "Berkeley Lab has experts in air quality and materials sciences, and can further the science of sensors to continue this path forward," he said. Since the completion of the project, Cados and Caubel have founded a start-up to develop these techniques and make them more readily available.The authors on this paper were Julian Caubel, Troy Cados, Chelsea Preble, and Thomas Kirchstetter. The study was funded by Environmental Defense Fund, with in-kind support provided by the Bay Area Air Quality Management District. | Pollution | 2,019 |
July 19, 2019 | https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2019/07/190719135534.htm | Air pollution linked to increase in newborn intensive care admissions | Infants born to women exposed to high levels of air pollution in the week before delivery are more likely to be admitted to a newborn intensive care unit (NICU), suggests an analysis by researchers at the National Institutes of Health. Depending on the type of pollution, chances for NICU admission increased from about 4% to as much as 147%, compared to infants whose mothers did not encounter high levels of air pollution during the week before delivery. The study was led by Pauline Mendola, Ph.D., of the Epidemiology Branch at NIH's Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development. It appears in | "Short-term exposure to most types of air pollutants may increase the risk for NICU admission," Dr. Mendola said. "If our findings are confirmed, they suggest that pregnant women may want to consider limiting their time outdoors when air quality advisories indicate unhealthy conditions."Previous studies have linked elevated levels of certain kinds of air pollutants to higher risks for gestational diabetes and preeclampsia, a blood pressure disorder of pregnancy. Earlier research also has shown that infants born to women exposed to high levels of air pollutants are at risk for preterm birth, of being small for their gestational age at birth and of growing more slowly than normal in the uterus. Given these associations, the study authors sought to determine whether prenatal exposure to air pollution might increase the chance for NICU admission.Researchers analyzed data from the Consortium on Safe Labor, which compiled information on more than 223,000 births at 12 clinical sites in the United States from 2002 to 2008. They linked records from more than 27,000 NICU admissions to data modified from the Community Multiscale Air Quality Modeling System, which estimates environmental pollution concentrations in the United States. Researchers matched air quality data in the area where each birth occurred to the week before delivery, the day before delivery and the day of delivery. They then compared these time intervals to air quality data two weeks before delivery and two weeks after delivery to identify risk of NICU admission associated with pollution levels.The researchers also examined the odds of NICU admission associated with high concentrations of particulate matter (pollution particles) less than 2.5 microns in diameter (PM2.5). These types of particles originate from various sources, among them diesel and gasoline engines, power plants, landfills, sewage facilities and industrial processes. Exposure to high concentrations of organic compounds in the air was associated with a 147% increase in risk of NICU admission. Elemental carbon and ammonium ions presented similar increases in risk (38% and 39%, respectively), while exposure to nitrate compounds was associated with a 16% higher risk of NICU admission.Chances of NICU admission increased significantly with exposures to traffic-related pollutants on the day before and the day of delivery, compared to the week before delivery: 4% and 3%, respectively, for an approximately 300 parts per million (ppm) increase in carbon monoxide; 13% and 9% for an approximately 26 ppm increase in nitrogen dioxide; and 6% and 3% an approximately 3 ppm increase in sulfur dioxide.Researchers do not know why exposure to air pollution might increase the chances for NICU admission. They theorize, however, that pollutants increase inflammation, leading to impaired blood vessel growth, particularly in the placenta, which supplies oxygen and nutrients to the developing fetus.The authors note that rising NICU admission rates present financial challenges for families and society, as average daily NICU costs may reach or exceed $3,000. If their results are confirmed by other studies, limiting pregnant women's exposure to high levels of air pollutants may provide a way to reduce NICU admissions. | Pollution | 2,019 |
July 18, 2019 | https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2019/07/190718112440.htm | Greater prevalence of congenital heart defects in high intensity oil and gas areas | Mothers living near more intense oil and gas development activity have a 40-70% higher chance of having children with congenital heart defects (CHDs) compared to those living in areas of less intense activity, according to a new study from researchers at the Colorado School of Public Health. | "We observed more children were being born with a congenital heart defect in areas with the highest intensity of oil and gas well activity," said the study's senior author Lisa McKenzie, PhD, MPH, of the Colorado School of Public Health at the University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus.At least 17 million people in the U.S. and 6% of Colorado's population live within one mile of an active oil and gas well site.The study was published today in the peer-reviewed journal The researchers studied 3,324 infants born in Colorado from 2005-2011. They looked at infants with several specific types of CHDs.Researchers estimated the monthly intensity oil and gas well activity at mother's residence from three months prior to conception through the second month of pregnancy. This intensity measure accounted for the phase of development (drilling, well completion, or production), size of well sites, and production volumes.They found mothers living in areas with the most intense levels of oil and gas well activity were about 40-70% more likely to have children with CHDs. This is the most common birth defect in the country and a leading cause of death among infants with birth defects. Infants with a CHD are less likely to thrive, more likely to have developmental problems and more vulnerable to brain injury.Animal models show that CHDs can happen with a single environmental exposure during early pregnancy. Some of the most common hazardous air pollutants emitted from well sites are suspected teratogens -- agents that can cause birth defects -- known to cross the placenta.The study builds on a previous one that looked at 124,842 births in rural Colorado between1996-2009 and found that CHDs increased with increasing density of oil and gas wells around the maternal residence. Another study in Oklahoma that looked at 476,000 births found positive but imprecise associations between proximity to oil and gas wells and several types of CHDs.Those studies had several limitations including not being able to distinguish between well development and production phases at sites, and they did not confirm specific CHDs by reviewing medical records.The limitations were addressed in this latest study. Researchers were able to confirm where the mothers lived in the first months of their pregnancy, estimate the intensity of well activity and account for the presence of other air pollution sources. The CHDs were also confirmed by a medical record review and did not include those with a known genetic origin."We observed positive associations between odds of a birth with a CHD and maternal exposure to oil and gas activities...in the second gestational month," the study researchers said.The study data showed higher levels of CHDs in rural areas with high intensities of oil and gas activity as opposed to those in more urban areas. McKenzie said it is likely that other sources of air pollution in urban areas obscured those associations.Exactly how chemicals lead to CHDs is not entirely understood. Some evidence suggests that they may affect the formation of the heart in the second month of pregnancy. That could lead to birth defects.McKenzie said the findings suggested but did not prove a causal relationship between oil and gas exploration and congenital heart defects and that more research needs to be done."This study provides further evidence of a positive association between maternal proximity to oil and gas well site activities and several types of CHDs," she said. "Taken together, our results and expanding development of oil and gas well sites underscore the importance of continuing to conduct comprehensive and rigorous research on health consequences of early life exposure to oil and gas activities." | Pollution | 2,019 |
July 17, 2019 | https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2019/07/190717105300.htm | Monitoring air quality after Fourth of July fireworks in US | The U.S. recently celebrated the Fourth of July with dazzling fireworks displays in many cities. After the "oohs" and "ahhs" faded, some people might have wondered how the lingering gunpowder-scented smoke affected air quality. Now researchers reporting in | According to the American Pyrotechnics Association, about 254 million pounds of fireworks exploded in consumer and public displays in 2017. Previous studies have shown that fireworks festivities around the world can cause very high short-term air pollution, which could have harmful effects on the respiratory system in humans. However, most of these studies used filter-based methods to collect air over 12- or 24-hour time periods, so they didn't provide real-time information. James Schwab and colleagues wanted to conduct a detailed investigation on air quality before, during and after a large fireworks display in Albany, New York -- a city of about 100,000 people that typically has relatively clean air.The researchers collected minute- and hour-averaged air samples from two sites in uptown and downtown Albany from June 27 to July 7, 2017, and analyzed pollutants by mass spectrometry. The peak levels of submicron particulate matter were more than eight times higher after the fireworks display than before. The team also observed a large spike in potassium levels -- from the black powder used as a propellant in fireworks -- on the night of July 4, which peaked at 350 times the background level for 2-3 hours and lingered until the next morning. The levels of other substances including organics, nitrate and sulfate also increased in the hours following the display. The team estimated that emissions during the fireworks show were about 10 times higher than the hourly emissions rate from vehicles in the Albany area. The researchers say that additional studies, including those assessing human health impacts, are needed. | Pollution | 2,019 |
July 16, 2019 | https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2019/07/190716113035.htm | Chaos theory produces map for predicting paths of particles emitted into the atmosphere | Floating air particles following disasters and other largescale geological events can have a lasting impact on life on Earth. Volcanic ash can be projected up to the stratosphere and halt air traffic by lingering in the atmosphere for months. Particles from industrial accidents have the potential to travel full hemispheres before falling to the ground. A new model drawing on chaos theory, and published in this week's | Using available wind data, researcher Tímea Haszpra developed a model for following air particles as they travel around the globe. Using it, she has generated maps that can be used as atlases to predict how particles, such as volcanic ash or pollution, will be dispersed above the world."One of the most surprising parts of the research is the wide range of individual lifetimes," she said. "Lifetimes ranged from about two to 150 days for typical volcanic ash particles. More than 10% of smaller particles survive in the atmosphere as much as one year, and more than 1% survive two years."Atmospheric particle motion exhibits fractal-like behavior, and when data is specially filtered, an object that governs chaotic particle motion and is called a chaotic saddle can be found. The paths of each simulated particle show properties that are transiently brought together by the changes in the flow of the atmosphere, akin to sitting on the saddle, before falling off the saddle and, consequently, falling to Earth.In general, she found that particles coming from the area around the equator remain in the atmosphere for the longest time, and particles smaller than one micron could stay in the atmosphere for years before falling.The average lifetime of a particle in the air is about one month, but they also found that particles in one area of a map could be in the air up to 10 times as long as particles nearby on the map. How these lifetimes were distributed around the globe varied depending on the season.To illustrate the concepts in the paper, Haszpra has created an online game, called RePLaT-Chaos, that lets players learn the topic of atmospheric advection by creating and testing their own volcanic eruptions.Haszpra believes her findings can inform future efforts that have been suggested to use sun-reflecting air particles to counteract climate change. She plans to expand on this work by incorporating historical meteorological data and climate models to better understand how the dispersion of particles might change when the climate changes. | Pollution | 2,019 |
July 15, 2019 | https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2019/07/190715114300.htm | Curbing indoor air pollution in India | Around the world, more than three billion people -- nearly half the world's population -- cook their food using solid fuels like firewood and charcoal on open fires or traditional stoves. This produces a lot of smoke, creating indoor air pollution, which, according to the World Health Organization (WHO), annually kills millions of people. This type of pollution is of particular concern in India, where women and their young children, who typically stay close to their mothers while they are cooking, bear the brunt of the health problems caused by indoor pollution. | This led the Indian government to launch a massive program -- Pradhan Mantri Ujjwala Yojana (PMUY) -- in 2016, to increase the adoption of Liquefied Petroleum Gas (LPG), which is a clean fuel alternative that can be used for cooking. The program provides a combination of financial incentives in the form of subsidies and loans to cover the capital cost of stoves and LPG cylinder installations, and aims to generate awareness about the benefits of clean cooking. To date, around 70 million poor women, mostly in rural India, have benefitted from the program in the 35 months since its launch. Until now, few analyses of the program have been done to understand if the adoption of this new technology has led to sustained use of LPG. If LPG does not replace solid fuel use, the envisaged health and environmental benefits of the program will not be fully realized.In their study published in The study addressed four questions: First, the team looked into how long it would have taken to reach the current level of LPG adoption in a business-as-usual scenario, in other words, in the absence of the program. Second, they asked to what extent PMUY consumers are using LPG compared to general (non-PMUY) rural consumers. As part of this exercise, the researchers compared PMUY customers' use of LPG with that of other rural peers, rather than to urban or average national consumers' use of the fuel, as the rural population has easier access to non-monetized solid fuels like firewood, as well as distinct livelihoods and lifestyles compared to the urban population. The common narrative that the use of fuels is likely to increase gradually as people become more familiar with them, led the team to also examine whether LPG use for PMUY beneficiaries will increase over time. Lastly, the team examined the impact of price fluctuations and seasonal variations on LPG consumption.The analysis indicates that the program has fast-tracked LPG consumer enrolments by about 16 months in the region assessed, while the consumption of LPG by program beneficiaries is estimated to be about half that of the average rural consumer (2.3 compared to 4.7 cylinders of 14.2 kg LPG annually). This, in turn, is about half of what would be required by an average family in India to cook exclusively with LPG -- a typical rural family would require about 10 cylinders per year. The team analyzed up to five years of LPG purchase data for general rural customers since they adopted LPG and found no discernable changes in LPG consumption with experience or time for these users. In their first three years as customers, roughly 75% of consumers' LPG cylinder purchases either stayed the same or fluctuated by one to two cylinders. The analysis also indicates that consumers are sensitive to changes in LPG prices and that there is significant seasonal variation in purchases of LPG over a year. Refill rates in summer when agricultural activity is limited, are for instance about 10% lower than rates during cropping and harvest seasons when people are busy with agricultural work."Our work reaffirms that there is a distinct difference between the adoption of a new technology and its sustained use. The PMUY was specifically designed to promote adoption, and based on that metric, this program is an unparalleled success, with near universal LPG access expected within the next couple of years. However, if we focus on the ultimate goal of smokeless kitchens, PMUY must be modified to explicitly incentivize regular LPG use. Our study suggests some obvious mid-course corrections to the program to encourage regular use of LPG. This includes the use of seasonal vouchers during low cash flow periods for poor rural agricultural households, and behavioral nudges and stronger information and education campaigns," says Abhishek Kar, lead author of the study. Kar is a doctoral candidate at the University of British Columbia in Canada, and started the work as part of the IIASA Young Scientist Summer Program (YSSP).According to the researchers, the rural general population (non-PMUY beneficiaries) should also be targeted by incentives to advance regular LPG use, as their average use is still very low across rural India. As some African countries are planning to emulate India's PMUY, the lessons from this evaluation could also be highly relevant to policy beyond India."Increasing the adoption of LPG among rural, poor populations is a daunting task, which the government of India has admirably achieved. Getting people to use LPG regularly is however a far more difficult task. Addressing this requires further research to better understand the barriers to regular use and to establish effective strategies to overcome these," concludes Shonali Pachauri, study coauthor and a researcher in the IIASA Energy Program. | Pollution | 2,019 |
July 10, 2019 | https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2019/07/190710121643.htm | Mussels are inspiring new technology that could help purify water and clean up oil spills | Mussels are notorious maritime stowaways known for damaging the hulls of boats, but these same adhesive properties have widespread engineering applications, scientists in China and the United states write in review published July 10 in the journal | Mussels withstand powerful currents and forceful waves by attaching themselves to rocks using clusters of thin, surprisingly hardy byssus threads. These threads owe their adhesive power to an amino acid group called dihydroxyphenylalanine (DOPA), which clings to the surface by performing a series of molecular gymnastics, including hydrogen bonds and hydrophobic and electrostatic interactions.Scientists have found that DOPA can adhere to all sorts of solid substrates through these interactions -- and so can dopamine, a molecule with a similar structure to DOPA. Research suggesting that dopamine can form a universal coating on a wide range of substrates spurred the growth of mussel-inspired chemistry as a powerful new tool for material surface engineering and environmental science."Mussels are broadly regarded as a nuisance in marine industries because they will colonize submerged surfaces," says Hao-Cheng Yang a researcher at the School of Chemical Engineering and Technology at Sun Yat-sen University in China. "But from another point of view, the robust attachment of mussels on substrates under water has inspired a biomimetic strategy to realize strong adhesion between materials in water."A variety of mussel-inspired innovations are already underway. A group of researchers in China has developed a universal red blood cell, which can be accepted by individuals of every blood type, that works by using mussel-inspired coatings to shelter the cell from detection by the body's immune system (and therefore preventing the destructive immune response that would result).Other research has succeeded in developing superior materials for separating oil and water, which could help to mitigate environmental damage to marine environments after oil spills. Unlike some previously developed materials, researchers believe these mussel-driven innovations may be suitable for large-scale production. Mussels have also inspired advancement in water purification technology. Innovative materials capable of removing heavy metals, organic pollutants, and pathogens from wastewater are being developed from polymerized dopamine, which easily binds to these contaminants or to other materials with such capture properties.However, although the binding properties of mussels have inspired a variety of recent research, challenges still must be overcome before they can be applied in the real world. Scientists are still working to fully understand the structure-property relationships of mussel-inspired chemicals such as polydopamine and to understand the complex web of interactions between amino acids that influence their adhesive properties."Despite simplicity and effectiveness, there are still some inherent limitations," says Yang. "Alkaline conditions are usually needed to realize the polymerization of dopamine, so it cannot be applied to materials that are unstable under alkaline conditions. Moreover, the deposition of PDA is a time-consuming process -- it takes tens of hours to form a uniform coating on most material surfaces."Some researchers hope to overcome these challenges by finding low-cost, stable, and safe substitutes to polydopamine, such as polyphenols. | Pollution | 2,019 |
July 8, 2019 | https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2019/07/190708201829.htm | Air pollution speeds up aging of the lungs and increases chronic lung disease risk | A study of more than 300,000 people has found that exposure to outdoor air pollution is linked to decreased lung function and an increased risk of developing chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). | COPD is a long-term condition linked to reduced lung function that causes inflammation in the lungs and a narrowing of the airways, making breathing difficult. According to the Global Burden of Disease (GBD) project COPD is the third leading cause of death worldwide, and the number of global COPD deaths are expected to increase over the next ten years.Lung function normally declines as we age, but the new research published today (9 July, 2019) in the Anna Hansell is Professor of Environmental Epidemiology in the Centre for Environmental Health and Sustainability at the University of Leicester, UK, and was part of the research team. She said: "There are surprisingly few studies that look at how air pollution affects lung health. To try and address this, we assessed more than 300,000 people using data from the UK Biobank study to examine whether air pollution exposure was linked to changes in lung function, and whether it affected participants' risk of developing COPD."The researchers used a validated air pollution model to estimate the levels of pollution that people were exposed to at their homes when they enrolled in the UK Biobank study. The types of pollutants the researchers investigated included particulate matter (PMParticipants answered detailed health questionnaires as part of the UK Biobank data collection, and lung function was measured using spirometry tests performed by medical professionals at Biobank assessment centers at enrolment between 2006 and 2010. Spirometry is a simple test used to help diagnose and monitor certain lung conditions by measuring how much air can be breathed out in one forced breath.The research team then conducted multiple tests to see how long-term exposure to higher levels of the different air pollutants was linked to changes to participants' lung function. The participants' age, sex, body mass index (BMI), household income, education level, smoking status, and exposure to secondhand smoke were accounted for in the analyses. Further analyses also looked at whether working in occupations that increase the risk of developing COPD impacted disease prevalence.The data showed that for each annual average increase of five micrograms per cubic meter of PMWhen the researchers assessed COPD prevalence, they found that among participants living in areas with PMThe current EU air quality limits for PMProfessor Hansell explained: "In one of the largest analyses to date, we found that outdoor air pollution exposure is directly linked to lower lung function and increased COPD prevalence. We found that people exposed to higher levels of pollutants had lower lung function equivalent to at least a year of ageing."Worryingly, we found that air pollution had much larger effects on people from lower income households. Air pollution had approximately twice the impact on lung function decline and three times the increased COPD risk on lower-income participants compared to higher-income participants who had the same air pollution exposure."We accounted for participants' smoking status and if their occupation might affect lung health, and think this disparity could be related to poorer housing conditions or diet, worse access to healthcare or long-term effects of poverty affecting lung growth in childhood. However, further research is needed to investigate the differences in effects between people from lower- and higher-income homes."The researchers were not able to track participants' exposure to pollutants in their daily lives, and say that study participants were generally wealthier and healthier than the wider general public, which could have resulted in underestimations of the strength of the links between declining lung function and air pollution exposure.Professor Tobias Welte from Hannover University, Germany, is President of the European Respiratory Society and was not involved in the study. He said: "The findings of this large study reinforce that exposure to polluted air seriously harms human health by reducing life expectancy and making people more prone to developing chronic lung disease."Access to clean air is a fundamental need and right for all citizens in Europe. Governments have a responsibility to protect this right by ensuring that maximum pollutant levels indicated by the World Health Organization are not breached across our cities and towns. Breathing is the most basic human function required to sustain life, which is why we must continue to fight for the right to breathe clean air."The research team are conducting further studies to look at whether genetic factors interact with air pollution and its effects on health. | Pollution | 2,019 |
July 8, 2019 | https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2019/07/190708154042.htm | How to reduce extreme heat in city neighborhoods | Planting more vegetation, using reflective materials on hard surfaces and installing green roofs on buildings can help cool potentially deadly urban heat islands -- a phenomenon that exists in nearly all large cities -- a new study from Portland State University shows. Those solutions, however, present a growing challenge to developers and planners as neighborhoods become increasingly dense and single-family homes give way to apartment buildings. | Led by Urban Studies and Planning Professor Vivek Shandas and published in the May 21 edition of the journal The modeling showed that the biggest differences came from using reflective materials and planting trees. Shandas said green roofs provided localized cooling of the roofs themselves, especially when watered, but that they needed to be studied further before they could be considered as a broader solution for urban heat. He noted, however, that green roofs provide other environmental benefits such as retaining storm water, controlling pollution and providing a habitat for wildlife.The study was done at the request of the City of Portland, and may be used by city officials as a guide in Portland's planning and development. The work also includes interactive maps showing every land parcel in the city, their pollution index levels, percent of vegetation canopy and more."One of the biggest takeaways from this work is that in the places we live, work and play, the construction materials, colors, amount of roadways and greenery -- decisions that are largely left to city planners -- have an effect on the varying temperatures we experience in Portland," Shandas said. "We have control over the design of our cityscapes. If summers are getting hotter, shouldn't we be considering how different built designs impact local temperatures?"The phenomenon of higher temperatures in areas with a lot of buildings and pavement is known as the urban heat island effect. Previous studies by Shandas and others show that urban heat islands are associated with higher pollution and negative health conditions, especially for the elderly, young children and people with lower incomes.While testing solutions that reduce urban heat, the study also showed the effects of doing the opposite. For example, it showed that paving over places that previously had a lot of tree canopy could raise the temperature as much as 25 degrees Fahrenheit on a summer day. Nearby neighborhoods would experience a spillover effect."Nature-based solutions such as the ones described in the study -- when applied effectively and used in combination -- can reduce temperatures of even the hottest places," Shandas said. | Pollution | 2,019 |
July 8, 2019 | https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2019/07/190708154038.htm | Lead pollution in Arctic ice shows economic impact of wars and plagues for past 1,500 years | How did events like the Black Death plague impact the economy of Medieval Europe? Particles of lead trapped deep in Arctic ice can tell us. | Commercial and industrial processes have emitted lead into the atmosphere for thousands of years, from the mining and smelting of silver ores to make currency for ancient Rome to the burning of fossil fuels today. This lead pollution travels on wind currents through the atmosphere, eventually settling on places like the ice sheet in Greenland and other parts of the Arctic.Because of lead's connection to precious metals like silver and the fact that natural lead levels in the environment are very low, scientists have found that lead deposits in layers of Arctic ice are a sensitive indicator of overall economic activity throughout history.In a new study published in the This work builds on a study published by some of the same researchers in 2018, which showed how lead pollution in a single ice core from Greenland tracked the ups and downs of the European economy between 1100 BCE and 800 CE, a period which included the Greek and Roman empires."We have extended our earlier record through the Middle Ages and Modern Period to the present," explained Joe McConnell, Ph.D., lead author on the study and Director of DRI's Ultra-Trace Ice Core Chemistry Laboratory in Reno, Nevada. "Using an array of thirteen ice cores instead of just one, this new study shows that prior to the Industrial Revolution, lead pollution was pervasive and surprisingly similar across a large swath of the Arctic and undoubtedly the result of European emissions. The ice-core array provides with amazing detail a continuous record of European -- and later North American -- industrial emissions during the past 1500 years.""Developing and interpreting such an extensive array of Arctic ice-core records would have been impossible without international collaboration," McConnell added.The research team found that increases in lead concentration in the ice cores track closely with periods of expansion in Europe, the advent of new technologies, and economic prosperity. Decreases in lead, on the other hand, paralleled climate disruptions, wars, plagues, and famines."Sustained increases in lead pollution during the Early and High Middle Ages (about 800 to 1300 CE), for example, indicate widespread economic growth, particularly in central Europe as new mining areas were discovered in places like the German Harz and Erzgebirge Mountains, "McConnell noted. "Lead pollution in the ice core records declined during the Late Middle Ages and Early Modern Period (about 1300 to 1680 Ce) when plague devastated those regions, however, indicating that economic activity stalled."Even with ups and downs over time due to events such as plagues, the study shows that increases in lead pollution in the Arctic during the past 1500 years have been exponential."We found an overall 250 to 300-fold increase in Arctic lead pollution from the start of the Middle Ages in 500 CE to 1970s," explained Nathan Chellman, a doctoral student at DRI and coauthor on the study. "Since the passage of pollution abatement policies, including the 1970 Clean Air Act in the United States, lead pollution in Arctic ice has declined more than 80 percent.""Still, lead levels are about 60 times higher today than they were at the beginning of the Middle Ages," Chellman added.This study included an array of ice cores and the research team used state-of-the-art atmospheric modeling to determine the relative sensitivity of different ice-core sites in the Arctic to lead emissions."Modeling shows that the core from the Russian Arctic is more sensitive to European emissions, particularly from eastern parts of Europe, than cores from Greenland," explained Andreas Stohl, Ph.D., atmospheric scientist at NILU and coauthor on the study. "This is why we found consistently higher levels of lead pollution in the Russian Arctic core and more rapid increases during the Early and High Middle Ages as mining operations shifted north and east from the Iberian Peninsula to Great Britain and Germany."The combination of expertise on this study is unique, continuing a collaboration between researchers in fields as different as ice-core chemistry and economic history. These results, the team argues, are a testament to the benefits of interdisciplinary collaboration."What we're finding is interesting not just to environmental scientists who want to understand how human activity has altered the environment," said Andrew Wilson, Ph.D., Professor of the Archaeology of the Roman Empire at Oxford and co-author on the study. "These ice-core records also are helping historians to understand and quantify the ways that societies and their economies have responded to external forces such as climate disruptions, plagues, or political unrest."Collection, analysis, and interpretation of the ice cores used in this study were supported by the U.S. National Science Foundation, NASA, the John Fell Oxford University Press Research Fund and All Souls College, Oxford, the German Ministry of Education and Research, the German Research Foundation, and the Desert Research Institute. | Pollution | 2,019 |
July 8, 2019 | https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2019/07/190708112431.htm | Just the tonic! How an afternoon tipple made from peas could help save the rainforest | It's the season for a cold, refreshing gin and tonic. We may question the health impact of one too many, but what is the environmental footprint of that classically delicious aperitif? | An international team of researchers teamed up with a pioneering distillery manager to answer this very question in a study recently published in the scientific journal Processes arising throughout the life cycle of gin production -- including cultivation of wheat, production of enzymes, heat, electricity, packaging materials and transport -- give rise to greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions of 2.3 kg COLead author of the study, Theophile Lienhardt, puts this into context. He said: "In terms of climate change impact, sipping a large measure of gin is similar to consuming a small serving (150 ml) of milk, or to driving one km in a petrol car."But what if that gin was made from peas? Working with the team of researchers, experts at Arbikie Distillery in Scotland have run trials in which the kernels of dried, de-hulled peas (Pisum sativum L.) are milled and fermented in place of mashed wheat grain.The study was part of the pan-European project, TRansition paths to sUstainable legume based systems in Europe: TRUE, led by Dr Pietro Iannetta, who is a molecular ecologist at the James Hutton Institute.Dr Iannetta said: "We found that the environmental footprint of pea gin was significantly lower than for wheat gin across 12 of 14 environmental impacts evaluated, from climate change, through water and air pollution, to fossil energy consumption."Professor Mike Williams, a botanist from Trinity College Dublin's School of Natural Sciences, was part of the research team.He added: "Peas -- working with specialised bacteria in their roots -- are able to convert nitrogen from the atmosphere into biological fertiliser. As a result, they don't require applications of polluting synthetic nitrogen fertilisers, which are widely and heavily used in industrial agriculture. Furthermore, pea hulls and distillery co-products provide protein-rich animal feeds that can replace soybean imported from Latin America, where cultivation is driving deforestation."Co-products from one litre of pea gin substitute up to 0.66 kg of soybean animal feed, which is twice as much as can be gained from the production of wheat gin. In fact, when the potential avoidance of GHG emissions from substituted soybean cultivation, deforestation, processing and transport are also taken into account, the environmental footprint saving can exceed the GHG emissions arising from production -- effectively making pea gin carbon neutral.And if we were to make another adjustment to our gastronomic decision-making, we could do even more for the planet.Lecturer in life cycle assessment at Bangor University and NUI Galway, Dr David Styles, added: "Of course, if we wanted to more dramatically shrink our environmental footprint and reduce deforestation, we could eat those peas directly to provide our protein and fibre requirements -- instead of drinking gin and eating beef fed on the co-products."But for those moments when we simply can't resist an afternoon G&T, the combined efforts of the research team and Arbikie Distillery mean a responsible tipple needn't cost the earth. Nor must those partaking make any sacrifices in flavour.Manager of the Arbikie Distillery, Kirsty Black, said: "Following two distillations plus an infusion with botanical ingredients including juniper and coriander, the final gin retains the same sumptuous, aromatic flavour as if made from cereal grain." | Pollution | 2,019 |
July 4, 2019 | https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2019/07/190704221029.htm | Call for green burial corridors alongside roads, railways and country footpaths | A leading public health expert is calling for a strategic initiative to develop green burial corridors alongside major transport routes because British graveyards and cemeteries are rapidly running out of room. With 500,000 deaths annually in England and Wales, it is likely that there will be no burial space left within five years. | Writing in the The environmental and human health impacts of the fluids and materials used in embalming and coffins is a matter of growing interest and concern, writes Prof Ashton, and resonates with the recent move towards simpler funeral approaches, not least green funerals with biodegradable regalia and coffins in woodland areas.With little prospect of finding burial space for those who seek it, he writes, there is a real opportunity of stepping up to the mark as boldly as the Victorians did with the Metropolitan Burial Act of 1852.Prof Ashton concludes: "A glimpse of what might be possible with political will and imagination can be seen by what has happened alongside long-forgotten canals by neglect and default where wildlife corridors have evolved over time. It is time to revisit the public health roots of human burial and connect them to a new vision for a planet fit for future generations." | Pollution | 2,019 |
June 27, 2019 | https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2019/06/190627164801.htm | Largest-ever simulation of the Deepwater Horizon spill | In a 600-ft.-long saltwater wave tank on the coast of New Jersey, a team of New Jersey Institute of Technology (NJIT) researchers is conducting the largest-ever simulation of the Deepwater Horizon spill to determine more precisely where hundreds of thousands of gallons of oil dispersed following the drilling rig's explosion in the Gulf of Mexico in 2010. | Led by Michel Boufadel, director of NJIT's Center for Natural Resources (CNR), the initial phase of the experiment involved releasing several thousand gallons of oil from a one-inch pipe dragged along the bottom of the tank in order to reproduce ocean current conditions."The facility at Ohmsett allows us to simulate as closely as possible the conditions at sea, and to thus observe how droplets of oil formed and the direction and distance they traveled," Boufadel said.Later this summer, his team will conduct the second phase of the experiment, when they will apply dispersants to the oil as it shoots into the tank to observe the effects on droplet formation and trajectory.His team's research, conducted at the U.S. Department of the Interior's Ohmsett facility at Naval Weapons Station Earle in Leonardo, N.J., was detailed in a recent article, "The perplexing physics of oil dispersants," in the "These experiments are the largest ever conducted by a university in terms of the volume of oil released and the scale," he noted. "The data we obtained, which has not been published yet, is being used by other researchers to calibrate their models."The team expects to come away from these experiments with insights they can apply to a variety of ocean-based oil releases."Rather than limiting ourselves to a forensic investigation of the Deepwater Horizon release, we are using that spill to explore spill scenarios more generally," Boufadel said. "Our goal is not to prepare for the previous spill, but to broaden the horizons to explore various scenarios."More than nine years after the Deepwater Horizon drilling rig exploded, sending up to 900,000 tons of oil and natural gas into the Gulf of Mexico, there are, however, lingering questions about the safety and effectiveness of a key element of the emergency response: injecting chemicals a mile below the ocean surface to break up oil spewing from the ruptured sub-sea wellhead to prevent it from reaching environmentally sensitive regions.To date, spill cleanups have focused primarily on removing or dispersing oil on the ocean surface and shoreline, habitats deemed more important ecologically. Knowledge of the deep ocean is in general far murkier, and at the time of the accident, BP's drilling operation was the deepest in the world.Two years ago, Boufadel and collaborators from the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution, NJIT, Texas A&M University and the Swiss Federal Institute of Aquatic Science and Technology pooled their scientific and technical expertise to provide some of the first answers to these controversial policy questions.The team began by developing physical models and computer simulations to determine the course the oil and gas took following the eruption, including the fraction of larger, more buoyant droplets that floated to the surface and the amount of smaller droplets entrapped deep below it due to sea stratification and currents. Boufadel and Lin Zhao, a postdoctoral researcher in the CNR, developed a model that predicted the size of droplets and gas bubbles emanating from the wellhead during the sub-surface blowout; they then factored in water pressure, temperature and oil properties into the model, and employed it to analyze the effects of the injected dispersants on this stream."Among other tests of our model, we studied the hydrodynamics of various plumes of oil jetting into different wave tanks," Zhao noted. Researchers at Texas A&M in turn created a model to study the movement of pollutants away from the wellhead.The researchers determined that the use of dispersants had a substantial impact on air quality in the region of the spill by reducing the amount of toxic compounds such as benzene that reached the surface of the ocean, thus protecting emergency workers on the scene from the full brunt of the pollution. Their study was published in "Government and industry responders were faced with an oil spill of unprecedented size and sea depth, pitting them in a high-stakes battle against big unknowns," Christopher Reddy, a senior scientist at Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution, and Samuel Arey, a senior researcher at the Swiss Federal Institute of Aquatic Science and Technology, wrote in Oceanus magazine."Environmental risks posed by deep-sea petroleum releases are difficult to predict and assess due to the lack of prior investigations," Boufadel noted. "There is also a larger debate about the impact of chemical dispersants. There is a school of thought that says all of the oil should be removed mechanically."Boufadel added that the water-soluble and volatile compounds that did not reach the surface were entrapped in a water mass that formed a stable intrusion at 900 to 1,300 meters below the surface."These predictions depend on local weather conditions that can vary from day to day. However, we predict that clean-up delays would have been much more frequent if subsurface dispersant injection had not been applied," Reddy and Arey said, adding, "But this is not the final say on the usage of dispersants."The current experiment is an attempt to provide more definitive answers. | Pollution | 2,019 |
June 27, 2019 | https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2019/06/190627114111.htm | How to produce natural gas while storing carbon dioxide | New research at The University of Texas at Austin shows that injecting air and carbon dioxide into methane ice deposits buried beneath the Gulf of Mexico could unlock vast natural gas energy resources while helping fight climate change by trapping the carbon dioxide underground. | The study, published June 27 in the journal Lead author Kris Darnell, a recent doctoral graduate from the UT Jackson School of Geosciences, said the research is the next step in solving two significant global challenges: energy security and carbon storage."Our study shows that you can store carbon dioxide in hydrates and produce energy at the same time," said Darnell, whose research was funded by the University of Texas Institute for Geophysics (UTIG).In the process, the nitrogen in the injected air sweeps the methane toward a production well and allows carbon dioxide to take its place, researchers said. The beauty of this approach is that it extracts natural gas from methane hydrate deposits and at the same time stores carbon dioxide, a greenhouse gas, in a deep environment where it is unlikely to be released into the atmosphere where it could contribute to climate change.This is not the first time that hydrate deposits have been proposed for carbon dioxide storage. Earlier attempts either failed or produced lackluster results. The new study breaks down the physics behind the process to reveal why previous attempts failed and how to get it right.The next step, said Darnell, is to test their findings in a lab. The Jackson School and the UT Hildebrand Department of Petroleum and Geosystems Engineering are currently testing the method in a specialized facility in the Jackson School, which is one of the few in the world that can store and test methane hydrate. This work is being led by Peter Flemings, a Jackson School professor and senior UTIG research scientist, and David DiCarlo, a professor in the Hildebrand Department. Both are co-authors on the paper."Two things are really cool. First, we can produce natural gas to generate energy and sequester COIf the process can be shown to work in the field on an industrial scale, it has enormous potential.Methane hydrate is one of a group of chemical compounds known as gas hydrates in which gas molecules become trapped inside cages of water ice molecules rather than chemically bonding with them. UT and the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) are working together to study naturally forming methane hydrates with the aim of figuring out their potential as an energy resource. This is important because estimates suggest that methane harvested from hydrate deposits found beneath the Gulf of Mexico alone could power the country for hundreds of years.In the paper, the authors showed that a process in which one type of molecule trapped in hydrate is exchanged for another (called guest molecule exchange) is a two-stage process and not a single, simultaneous process, as it was previously thought to be.First, nitrogen breaks down the methane hydrate. Second, the carbon dioxide crystalizes into a slow-moving wave of carbon dioxide hydrate behind the escaping methane gas.The computer simulations indicate that the process can be repeated with increasing concentrations of carbon dioxide until the reservoir becomes saturated. The authors said that unlike some methods of carbon storage, this provides a ready incentive for industry to begin storing carbon dioxide, a major driver of climate change."We're now openly inviting the entire scientific community to go out and use what we're learning to move the ball forward," Flemings said.The research that led to the paper was supported by DOE. | Pollution | 2,019 |
June 27, 2019 | https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2019/06/190627113953.htm | Scientists discover how plants breathe -- and how humans shaped their 'lungs' | Scientists have discovered how plants create networks of air channels -- the lungs of the leaf -- to transport carbon dioxide (CO | Botanists have known since the 19th century that leaves have pores -- called stomata -- and contain an intricate internal network of air channels. But until now it wasn't understood how those channels form in the right places in order to provide a steady flow of COThe new study, led by scientists at the University of Sheffield's Institute for Sustainable Food and published in In collaboration with colleagues at the University of Nottingham and Lancaster University, they showed that the movement of COThe discovery marks a major step forward in our understanding of the internal structure of a leaf, and how the function of tissues can influence how they develop -- which could have ramifications beyond plant biology, in fields such as evolutionary biology.The study also shows that wheat plants have been bred by generations of people to have fewer pores on their leaves and fewer air channels, which makes their leaves more dense and allows them to be grown with less water.This new insight highlights the potential for scientists to make staple crops like wheat even more water-efficient by altering the internal structure of their leaves. This approach is being pioneered by other scientists at the Institute for Sustainable Food, who have developed climate-ready rice and wheat which can survive extreme drought conditions.Professor Andrew Fleming from the Institute for Sustainable Food at the University of Sheffield said: "Until now, the way plants form their intricate patterns of air channels has remained surprisingly mysterious to plant scientists."This major discovery shows that the movement of air through leaves shapes their internal workings -- which has implications for the way we think about evolution in plants."The fact that humans have already inadvertently influenced the way plants breathe by breeding wheat that uses less water suggests we could target these air channel networks to develop crops that can survive the more extreme droughts we expect to see with climate breakdown."Dr Marjorie Lundgren, Leverhulme Early Career Fellow at Lancaster University, said: "Scientists have suspected for a long time that the development of stomata and the development of air spaces within a leaf are coordinated. However, we weren't really sure which drove the other. So this started as a 'what came first, the chicken or the egg?' question."Using a clever set of experiments involving X-ray CT image analyses, our collaborative team answered these questions using species with very different leaf structures. While we show that the development of stomata initiates the expansion of air spaces, we took it one step further to show that the stomata actually need to be exchanging gases in order for the air spaces to expand. This paints a much more interesting story, linked to physiology."The X-ray imaging work was undertaken at the Hounsfield Facility at the University of Nottingham. The Director of the Facility, Professor Sacha Mooney, said: "Until recently the application of X-ray CT, or CAT scanning, in plant sciences has mainly been focused on visualising the hidden half of the plant -- the roots -- as they grow in soil."Working with our partners in Sheffield we have now developed the technique to visualise the cellular structure of a plant leaf in 3D -- allowing us to see how the complex network of air spaces inside the leaf controls its behaviour. It's very exciting."The Institute for Sustainable Food at the University of Sheffield brings together multidisciplinary expertise and world-class research facilities to help achieve food security and protect the natural resources we all depend on. | Pollution | 2,019 |
June 27, 2019 | https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2019/06/190627113949.htm | Climate impact of clouds made from airplane contrails may triple by 2050 | In the right conditions, airplane contrails can linger in the sky as contrail cirrus -- ice clouds that can trap heat inside the Earth's atmosphere. Their climate impact has been largely neglected in global schemes to offset aviation emissions, even though contrail cirrus have contributed more to warming the atmosphere than all CO | Contrail cirrus change global cloudiness, which creates an imbalance in the Earth's radiation budget -- called 'radiative forcing' -- that results in warming of the planet. The larger this radiative forcing, the more significant the climate impact. In 2005, air traffic made up about 5% of all anthropogenic radiative forcing, with contrail cirrus being the largest contributor to aviation's climate impact."It is important to recognise the significant impact of non-COBut the new The increase in contrail cirrus radiative forcing is due to air traffic growth, expected to be 4 times larger in 2050 compared to 2006 levels, and a slight shift of flight routes to higher altitudes, which favours the formation of contrails in the tropics. The impact on climate due to contrail cirrus will be stronger over Northern America and Europe, the busiest air traffic areas on the globe, but will also significantly increase in Asia."Contrail cirrus' main impact is that of warming the higher atmosphere at air traffic levels and changing natural cloudiness. How large their impact is on surface temperature and possibly on precipitation due to the cloud modifications is unclear," says Burkhardt. Bock adds: "There are still some uncertainties regarding the overall climate impact of contrail cirrus and in particular their impact on surface temperatures because contrail cirrus themselves and their effects on the surface are ongoing topics of research. But it's clear they warm the atmosphere."Cleaner aircraft emissions would solve part of the problem highlighted in the study. Reducing the number of soot particles emitted by aircraft engines decreases the number of ice crystals in contrails, which in turn reduces the climate impact of contrail cirrus. However, "larger reductions than the projected 50% decrease in soot number emissions are needed," says Burkhardt. She adds that even 90% reductions would likely not be enough to limit the climate impact of contrail cirrus to 2006 levels.Another often discussed mitigation method is rerouting flights to avoid regions particularly sensitive to the effects of contrail formation. But Bock and Burkhardt caution about applying measures to reduce the climate impact of short-lived contrail cirrus that could result in increases in long-lived CO"This would enable international aviation to effectively support measures to achieve the Paris climate goals," Burkhardt concludes. | Pollution | 2,019 |
June 26, 2019 | https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2019/06/190626124958.htm | Significant UK air quality improvements over past 40 years cut death rates | Policies to improve air quality in the UK over the past 40 years have led to significant reductions in pollution and associated mortality rates, a new study has found. | Research led by the Centre for Ecology & Hydrology charted the levels of emissions of a variety of air pollutants in the UK between 1970 and 2010 -- a period in which there was a raft of national and European legislation to tackle pollution. The scientists say their study is ground-breaking due to the long timeframe studied and the removal of weather factors from modelling, meaning any changes in air pollution can be directly attributed to emission levels.They found that over the 40-year period, total annual emissions of PM2.5 (fine particulate matter), nitrogen oxides (NOx), sulphur dioxide (SO2) and non-methane volatile organic compounds (NMVOC) in the UK all reduced substantially -- by between 58% and 93%. Emissions of ammonia (NHBased on these reduced emissions levels, the study estimated that mortality rates attributed to PM2.5 and NOHowever, scientists involved in the research stress that tackling air pollution in the UK remains an ongoing challenge. Nitrogen dioxide concentrations are still often above legal limits in many urban areas and levels of ammonia emissions are increasing.Edward Carnell of the Centre for Ecology & Hydrology, lead author of the study, said: "Technology advances over the past 40 years, such as the three-way catalytic converter for cars and equipment to reduce sulphur and nitrogen dioxide emissions from large power plants have contributed to significant reductions in emission levels and therefore improved public health. However, it is legislation that has driven these technological improvements."Our results demonstrate the effectiveness of a series of policies at UK and European level since 1970 and this research supports policy-makers' efforts to continue implementing much-needed measures to further improve air quality."The 40-year period investigated by this study saw the implementation of landmark policies on controlling air pollution. These included the 1979 UN Air Convention, major UK legislation such as the Clean Air Act 1993, Environment Act 1995 and several Air Quality Standards Regulations, plus a series of EU directives relating to different pollutants.Emissions of ammonia, mainly from agriculture, have so far not been a target of stringent legislation. Ammonia is released into the air when manure, slurry and fertiliser are applied to agricultural land. Together with nitrogen oxides from traffic and domestic stoves, for example, it can form fine particles that affect air quality in urban areas far away from the source. In addition to posing a risk to human health, ammonia pollution affects water and soil quality and therefore animal and plant life.Environment Minister, Thérèse Coffey, said: "We have taken huge strides in tackling air quality over the last 40 years, and this research shows our actions are producing results."But we know there is a lot more to do. That is why our landmark Clean Air Strategy addresses all sources of air pollution. We have clear plans in place to tackle roadside nitrogen emissions and agricultural ammonia, and are working closely with industry, local authorities and other government departments to accelerate progress."Dr Stefan Reis of the Centre for Ecology & Hydrology (CEH), a senior author of the study, added: "Ammonia contributes not only to threats to human health, but also causes biodiversity loss. However, for the past 30 years, it has been the 'forgotten pollutant'."Therefore, we were very pleased to see Defra's new Clean Air Strategy aim for a 16 per cent reduction of UK ammonia emissions by 2030 (compared with 2005 levels), to fulfil commitments under the European National Emission Ceilings Directive. This landmark strategy proposes regulations and financial support, which, if adopted, would substantially reduce UK ammonia emissions, bringing substantial benefits for both for vulnerable ecosystems and human health."Dr Sotiris Vardoulakis of the Institute of Occupational Medicine in Edinburgh, one of the co-authors of the study, said: "This study highlights the substantial improvements in air quality we have experienced over four decades, as well as the risks that air pollution still poses to public health in the UK. Concerted action is needed by the Government, local authorities, businesses and individuals to further improve air quality and protect human health."The study, which also involved the Universities of Oxford, Birmingham, Edinburgh and Exeter, was funded by the Natural Environment Research Council (NERC). It has been published in the journal | Pollution | 2,019 |
June 26, 2019 | https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2019/06/190626124945.htm | Computer scientists predict lightning and thunder with the help of artificial intelligence | At the beginning of June, the German Weather Service counted 177,000 lightning bolts in the night sky within a few days. The natural spectacle had consequences: Several people were injured by gusts of wind, hail and rain. Together with Germany's National Meteorological Service, the Deutscher Wetterdienst, computer science professor Jens Dittrich and his doctoral student Christian Schön from Saarland University are now working on a system that is supposed to predict local thunderstorms more precisely than before. It is based on satellite images and artificial intelligence. In order to investigate this approach in more detail, the researchers will receive 270,000 euros from the Federal Ministry of Transport. | One of the core tasks of weather services is to warn of dangerous weather conditions. These include thunderstorms in particular, as these are often accompanied by gusts of wind, hail and heavy rainfall. The Deutscher Wetterdienst (DWD) uses the "NowcastMIX" system for this purpose. Every five minutes it polls several remote sensing systems and observation networks to warn of thunderstorms, heavy rain and snowfall in the next two hours. "However, NowcastMIX can only detect the thunderstorm cells when heavy precipitation has already occurred. This is why satellite data are used to detect the formation of thunderstorm cells earlier and thus to warn of them earlier," explains Professor Jens Dittrich, who teaches computer science at Saarland University and heads the "Big Data Analytics" group. Together with his doctoral student Christian Schön and the meteorologist Richard Müller from DWD, he has therefore developed a system that could soon supplement NowcastMIX in predicting thunderstorms. Their project is a first step to explore the applicability of artificial intelligence in the prediction of weather and climate phenomena.In order to accurately predict thunderstorms in a specific region, the so-called convection of air masses, i.e. the rise of heated air while colder air sinks in the surrounding area, must be detected early and precisely. This has been known for a long time. The highlight of the new system, however, is that it only requires two-dimensional images, namely satellite images, to detect these three-dimensional air shifts.In order to see what is happening in the sky three-dimensionally based on the two-dimensional images, the researchers use photographs taken fifteen minutes apart. Part of the image series for the respective area goes as input to an algorithm that calculates what the future image, not supplied to the algorithm, would look like. The scientists then compare this result with the real image. The size of the deviation between the forecast and reality -- the researchers call it the "error" -- then serves as input for a second algorithm, which the researchers have trained using machine learning to recognize the relationship between the size of the error and the occurrence of a thunderstorm. In this way, they can calculate whether it there is thunder and lightning or not. "This is the strength when we apply artificial intelligence to large amounts of data. It recognizes patterns that remain hidden from us," explains Professor Dittrich. This is one of the reasons why he and other colleagues have just initiated the new bachelor's and master's degree program "Data Science and Artificial Intelligence."In the case of lightning and thunder, this combination is definitely "multifaceted," says Dittrich. "Based on the satellite images alone, we can predict flashes with an accuracy of 96 percent for the next 15 minutes. If the prediction window is opened further, the accuracy decreases, but still remains above 83 percent for up to five hours."However, the rate of false alarms is still too high, according to the researchers. Nonetheless, they believe that they can significantly reduce these false alarms by training their model on additional features that are also used by the current NowcastMIX system, for example. The Federal Ministry of Transport has already granted the computer scientists from Saarbruecken 270,000 euros to investigate this in more detail. | Pollution | 2,019 |
June 25, 2019 | https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2019/06/190625181939.htm | Air pollution found to affect marker of female fertility in real-life study | Ovarian reserve, a term widely adopted to reflect the number of resting follicles in the ovary and thus a marker of potential female fertility, has been found in a large-scale study to be adversely affected by high levels of air pollution. | Results from the Ovarian Reserve and Exposure to Environmental Pollutants (ORExPo study), a 'real-world data' study using hormone measurements taken from more than 1300 Italian women, are presented today at the Annual Meeting of ESHRE by first investigator Professor Antonio La Marca from the University of Modena and Reggio Emilia, Italy.Behind the study lay emerging evidence that many environmental chemicals, as well as natural and artificial components of everyday diet, have the potential to disturb the physiological role of hormones, interfering with their biosynthesis, signaling or metabolism. The hormone in this case, anti- Müllerian hormone or AMH, is secreted by cells in the ovary and is now widely recognised as a reliable circulating marker of ovarian reserve.(1)'The influence of age and smoking on AMH serum levels is now largely accepted,' explains Professor La Marca, 'but a clear effect of environmental factors has not been demonstrated so far.'The ORExPo study was in effect an analysis of all AMH measurements taken from women living in the Modena area between 2007 and 2017 and assembled in a large database. These measurements were extended to a computing data warehouse in which AMH levels were linked to patients' age and residential address. The analysis was completed with environmental data and a 'geo-localisation' estimate based on each patient's residence. The assessment of environmental exposure considered daily particulate matter (PM) and values of nitrogen dioxide (NOResults from the 1463 AMH measurements collected from 1318 women firstly showed -- as expected -- that serum AMH levels after the age of 25 were inversely and significantly related to the women's age. However, it was also found that AMH levels were inversely and significantly related to environmental pollutants defined as PM10, PM2.5 and NOThese results were determined by dividing the full dataset into quartiles reflecting PM10, PM2.5 and NOSevere ovarian reserve reduction, as reflected in a serum AMH concentration below 1 ng/ml, was significantly more frequent in the fourth quartile than in the first three quartiles for PM10 (62% vs 38%), for PM2.5, and for NOWhile noting that this study again confirms that age is the most important determinant of AMH concentration in women, Professor La Marca emphasised that other factors such as smoking, body weight and long-term hormonal contraception are already recognised as having an impact on AMH. Similarly, he said, environmental pollutants may also have a significant effect in determining circulating levels of AMH. 'Living in an area associated with high levels of air pollutants in our study increased the risk of severely reduced ovarian reserve by a factor of 2 or 3,' he said. | Pollution | 2,019 |
June 25, 2019 | https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2019/06/190625102432.htm | Conceptual model can explain how thunderstorm clouds bunch together | Understanding how the weather and climate change is one of the most important challenges in science today. A new theoretical study from associate professor, Jan Härter, at the Niels Bohr Institute, University of Copenhagen, presents a new mechanism for the self-aggregation of storm clouds, a phenomenon, by which storm clouds bunch together in dense clusters. The researcher used methods from complexity science, and applied them to formerly established research in meteorology on the behavior of thunderstorm clouds. The study is now published in | When the sun warms up the surface of the ocean, warm, humid air rises from the ocean surface, forming tall, columnar thunderstorm clouds, which reach heights of approximately 12 km and measure typically only a few kilometers across. As these clouds produce rain, some of it evaporates and cools the local area under the cloud. By this, the initial circulation of air, forming the cloud, is shut down and the cloud dissipates. If it were this simple, this should be the end of the thunderstorm cloud. However, the dense air below the cloud needs to equilibrate with less dense air surrounding it: "Cold air is denser, and it spreads away from the cloud. Gust fronts are formed which can collide with gust fronts from other clouds. As a consequence the air rises up, and new clouds are produced. This means that areas where sufficiently many clouds are, are more likely to set off additional clouds," Jan Härter explains (Illustration 1). "Areas with fewer clouds exhibit further reduction of clouds. As energy needs to enter the system, and since energy comes from the sunlight, there is a limit to how big the cloud lumps can grow -- so we put a constraint into our model. The result is that cloud clusters form, with cloud-free regions in between. This is also seen in observations for the tropical ocean."Building models is purely theoretical, but still manages to explain a phenomenon. "It is a theoretical argument, a suggestion for a mechanism that can now be tested. Clustering of thunderstorm clouds has been observed in the real world, but still lacks a scientific explanation. If we contrast two extreme cases, where one cloud is created, it ends up shutting itself down. Then statistical mechanics says no convective self aggregation will take place. Comparing this to another model where two clouds create another one, aggregation can take place. That's basically what the theoretical model can do." Jan Härter goes on: "This type of self organization is hugely interesting and can occur in a range of systems from biology to magnetism.Tropical meteorology is, due to the strong interaction of clouds with solar irradiation there, relevant for climate change. More clustering in a future climate might affect how much the ocean warms, relative to the rate seen today. Prediction of clustering of storm clouds could affect the weather in Denmark as well, and fairly recent events in Denmark with surprise flash floods, flooded sewers and basements, and damage to infrastructure has prompted questions on the origin of such sudden floods. Deeper understanding of how clouds interact could shed new light on the occurrence of such floods. | Pollution | 2,019 |
June 24, 2019 | https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2019/06/190624173824.htm | How trees affect the weather | Nature, said Ralph Waldo Emerson, is no spendthrift. Unfortunately, he was wrong. | New research led by University of Utah biologists William Anderegg, Anna Trugman and David Bowling find that some plants and trees are prolific spendthrifts in drought conditions -- "spending" precious soil water to cool themselves and, in the process, making droughts more intense. The findings are published in "We show that the actual physiology of the plants matters," Anderegg says. "How trees take up, transport and evaporate water can influence societally important extreme events, like severe droughts, that can affect people and cities."Anderegg studies how tree traits affect how well forests can handle hot and dry conditions. Some plants and trees, he's found, possess an internal plumbing system that slows down the movement of water, helping the plants to minimize water loss when it's hot and dry. But other plants have a system more suited for transporting large quantities of water vapor into the air -- larger openings on leaves, more capacity to move water within the organism. Anderegg's past work has looked at how those traits determine how well trees and forests can weather droughts. But this study asks a different question: How do those traits affect the drought itself?"We've known for a long time that plants can affect the atmosphere and can affect weather," Anderegg says. Plants and forests draw water out of the soil and exhale it into the atmosphere, affecting the balance of water and heat at our planet's surface, which fundamentally controls the weather. In some cases, like in the Amazon rainforest, all of that water vapor can jumpstart precipitation. Even deforestation can affect downwind weather by leaving regions drier than before.Anderegg and his colleagues used information from 40 sites around the world, in sites ranging from Canada to Australia. At each site, instruments collected data on the flows of heat, water and carbon in and out of the air, as well as what tree species were prevalent around the instrumentation. Comparing that data with a database of tree traits allowed the researchers to draw conclusions about what traits were correlated with more droughts becoming more intense.Two traits stuck out: maximum leaf gas exchange rate and water transport. The first trait is the rate at which leaves can pump water vapor into the air. The second describes how much water the tree can move to the leaves. The results showed that in cool regions, plants and trees slowed down their water use in response to declining soil moisture. But in hot climates, some plants and trees with high water transport and leaf gas exchange rates cranked up the AC, so to speak, when the soil got dry, losing more and more water in an effort to carry out photosynthesis and stay cool while depleting the soil moisture that was left."You end up getting to these conditions that are hotter and drier much faster with those plants than with other plants," Anderegg says.It's true that hot and dry regions tend to have more plants and trees that are adapted to dry conditions. But regardless of the climate some species with water-intensive traits, such as oaks in a Mediterranean climate, can still exacerbate a drought.Anderegg says that understanding the relationship between a tree's traits and drought conditions helps climate scientists and local leaders to plan for future drought effects on communities."Failing to account for this key physiology of plants would give us less accurate predictions for what climate change is going to mean for drought in a lot of regions," he says.Drought is always on Anderegg's mind, even during the recent wet spring. "Just because we're having a good water year in the U.S. and in Utah this year doesn't get us off the hook," he says. "We need to remember that we're going to see a lot more droughts in the future." | Pollution | 2,019 |
June 23, 2019 | https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2019/06/190623122533.htm | Ocean swimming alters skin microbiome, increasing vulnerability to infection | Swimming in the ocean alters the skin microbiome and may increase the likelihood of infection, according to research presented at ASM Microbe 2019, the annual meeting of the American Society for Microbiology. | "Our data demonstrate for the first time that ocean water exposure can alter the diversity and composition of the human skin microbiome," said Marisa Chattman Nielsen, MS, a PhD student at the University of California, Irvine, the lead author on the study. While swimming normal resident bacteria were washed off while ocean bacteria were deposited onto the skin."The researchers detected ocean bacteria on all participants after air drying and at six and 24 hours post-swim, but some participants had acquired more ocean bacteria and/or had them persist for longer.The research was motivated by previous studies which have shown associations between ocean swimming and infections, and by the high prevalence of poor water quality at many beaches, due to wastewater and storm water runoff. Recent research has demonstrated that changes in the microbiome can leave the host susceptible to infection, and influence disease states. Exposure to these waters can cause gastrointestinal and respiratory illness, ear infections, and skin infections.The investigators sought 9 volunteers at a beach who met criteria of no sunscreen use, infrequent exposure to the ocean, no bathing within the last 12 hours, and no antibiotics during the previous six months. The researchers swabbed the participants on the back of the calf before they entered the water, and again after subjects had air dried completely following a ten-minute swim and at six and 24 hours post swim.Before swimming, all individuals had different communities from one-another, but after swimming, they all had similar communities on their skin, which were completely different from the "before swim" communities. At six hours post swim, the microbiomes had begun to revert to their pre-swim composition, and at 24 hours, they were far along in that process."One very interesting finding was that Vibrio species -- only identified to the genus level -- were detected on every participant after swimming in the ocean, and air drying," said. Nielsen. (The Vibrio genus includes the bacterium that causes cholera.) At six hours post swim, they were still present on most of the volunteers, but by 24 hours, they were present only on one individual."While many Vibrio are not pathogenic, the fact that we recovered them on the skin after swimming demonstrates that pathogenic Vibrio species could potentially persist on the skin after swimming," said Nielsen. The fraction of Vibrio species detected on human skin was more than 10 times greater than the fraction in the ocean water sample, suggesting a specific affinity for attachment to human skin.Skin is the body's first line of defense, both physically and immunologically, during exposure to contaminated water. "Recent studies have shown that human skin microbiome plays an important role in immune system function, localized and systemic diseases, and infection," said Nielsen. "A healthy microbiome protects the host from colonization and infection by opportunistic and pathogenic microbes." | Pollution | 2,019 |
June 20, 2019 | https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2019/06/190620155657.htm | Do ice cores help to unravel the clouds of climate history? | For the first time, an international research team led by the Leibniz Institute for Tropospheric Research (TROPOS) has investigated atmospheric ice nucleating particles (INPs) in ice cores, which can provide insights on the type of cloud cover in the Arctic over the last 500 years. These INPs play an important role in the formation of ice in clouds and thus have a major influence on the climate. So far, however, there are only a few measurements that date back only a few decades. The new method could help to obtain information about historical clouds from climate archives and thus close large gaps in knowledge in climate research. | The team from TROPOS, the University of Copenhagen, the University of Bern and the Paul Scherrer Institute writes in the journal Climate archives are important for reconstructing the past climate and making statements about the development of the climate in the future. In Europe, the weather has only been observed and recorded regularly for around 300 years. For the time before and for locations without a weather station, however, research depends on conclusions from natural archives. Paleoclimate research uses a wide variety of natural archives such as tree rings, ice cores or sediments. In recent decades, a number of methods have been developed and refined that use indirect indicators (climate proxies) to draw conclusions about climate factors such as temperature, precipitation, volcanic eruptions and solar activity. Clouds are responsible for precipitation, among other things, but they are very elusive and therefore difficult to study. But the number, type and extent of clouds and their ice content have a big influence on the radiation budget of the atmosphere, the temperature on the ground and precipitation, and information about parameters affecting clouds are hence important for climate reconstruction.A method how to improve our knowledge about clouds and their role in climate history is now presented by an international research team from Germany, Denmark and Switzerland. According to them, the team has reconstructed the concentrations of ice nucleating particles (INP) from ice cores for the first time. These measurements could be used to reconstruct cloud cover in the future. "Ice formation in mixed-phase clouds is mainly caused by heterogeneous ice formation, i.e. INP are necessary to stimulate the freezing of supercooled cloud droplets. The number and type of these particles therefore influence precipitation, lifetime and radiation properties of the clouds. In the laboratory, we were able to show that two types of particles are particularly suitable for this purpose: Mineral dust from the soil as well as various biological particles such as bacteria, fungal spores or pollen," explains Dr. Frank Stratmann, head of the clouds working group at TROPOS.Ice cores are often used to reconstruct various climate parameters such as temperature, precipitation or volcanic eruptions over thousands of years. For the now published study, the team was able to draw on parts of two ice cores from the Arctic: The core "Lomo09" was drilled on the Lomonosovfonna glacier on Svalbard at an altitude of 1200 metres in 2009. The ice core "EUROCORE" was elaborately extracted in 1989 from the summit of the Greenland Ice Sheet at an altitude of over 3000 metres. The frozen samples of these cores were sent to Leipzig, where they were now examined for INP. Small samples of the ice were melted and the melt water divided into many small drops of 1 and 50 microliters. These drops were placed in two experimental setups, each with almost 100 tiny troughs, and were then cooled down in a controlled manner. These setups were already used in previous studies: Both, LINA (Leipzig Ice Nucleation Array) and INDA (Ice Nucleation Droplet Array), are instruments in which the many drops of water are cooled in a controlled manner. Through a glass window it can be observed from above at which temperature how many drops freeze. The number of frozen drops is then converted into the concentration of ice nucleating particles. "In 2015 US-American researchers derived atmospheric INP concentrations from snow and precipitation water. What works for precipitation should also work for ice samples was our approach. And so we were the first to show that historical ice nuclei concentrations can also be extracted from the ice cores," says Markus Hartmann of TROPOS, who carried out the investigations as part of his doctoral thesis.This opens up new possibilities for paleoclimate research. Since the 1930s, countless ice cores have been extracted from glaciers all over the world and the climate of the past has been reconstructed. The Information on the cloud phase (i.e. if it contains ice or and or liquid water) was not available. The study by polar and atmospheric researchers is a first step in this direction. Since the team did not have a continuous ice core available, it could only reconstruct the ice nucleating particles from individual years of the period 1735 to 1989 on Greenland and 1480 to 1949 on Svalbard. Overall, there was no trend in the ice nucleating particles over the last half millennium. "However, the Arctic has only been warming dramatically for about 25 years. The ice analyzed now was formed before this strong warming began. Both measurements of a continuous ice core and of newer ice would therefore be desirable," adds Markus Hartmann.The fact that humankind has caused global warming through its emissions is undisputed among researchers. However, it is unclear how much the clouds in the atmosphere have been changed as a result. Researchers therefore also hope to gain important insights from investigations into ice nucleating particles in the air. In autumn/winter 2016, a team from the University of Beijing, TROPOS, the University of Gothenburg and the Chinese Academy of Sciences measured the concentrations of ice nucleating particles in the air of the Chinese capital Beijing. However, they were unable to prove any connection with the high level of air pollution there. "We therefore assume that the ice nucleating particles in Beijing originate more from natural sources such as dust storms or the biosphere, both of which are known as sources of ice nucleating particles, than from anthropogenic combustion processes," says Dr. Heike Wex of TROPOS. But this is a snapshot of one place and the indirect influence of man should not be forgotten: Changes in land use or droughts have an impact on dust in the atmosphere and on the biosphere, which in turn can lead to changes in clouds." In order to better understand the effects of humanity on the atmosphere, cloud researchers measure both at the hotspots of air pollution such as the metropolises of emerging countries and in comparatively clean regions such as the polar regions.So far relatively little is known about the quantity, properties and sources of ice nucleating particles in the Arctic, although they are an important factor in cloud formation and thus for the climate there. Especially long time series with monthly or weekly time resolution are practically non-existent, but essential to investigate seasonal effects. In the journal Atmospheric Chemistry and Physics, an Open Access journal of the European Geosciences Union (EGU), an international team, also led by TROPOS, recently published an overview of the seasonal variations in ice nuclei concentrations in the Arctic. Samples from four research stations in the Arctic from 2012/2013 and 2015/2016 were investigated in the Leipzig Cloud Laboratory of TROPOS: Alert in Canada, Ny-Ålesund on Spitsbergen (Norway), Utqiagvik (Barrow) in Alaska (USA) and Villum (Station Nord) in Greenland (Denmark). "This gives us an overview of the variations between the seasons: Most abundant are ice nucleating particles in the air from the end of spring until the beginning of autumn, the least are found in winter and at the beginning of spring. This influences how the type of cloud cover in the Arctic changes during the year and thus the influence of clouds on Arctic warming," explains Heike Wex. Researchers hope that the studies will lead to better predictions on climate change, as climate models are currently unable to adequately reflect the warming of the Arctic, which will lead to uncertainties ranging from rising sea levels to regional climate changes in Europe.The complex feedback processes between biosphere and climate will also be part of the MOSAiC expedition: In September 2019, the German research icebreaker Polarstern, led by the Alfred Wegener Institute (AWI), will drift through the Arctic Ocean for one year. Supplied by additional icebreakers and aircraft, a total of 600 people from 17 countries will take part in the MOSAiC expedition. Together with an international partner, the AWI is responsible for the five main research areas: sea ice physics and snow cover, processes in the atmosphere and in the ocean, biogeochemical cycles and the Arctic ecosystem. TROPOS will play a leading role in two central measurements: Firstly, a remote sensing container for the entire ice drift will continuously explore the vertical aerosol and cloud distribution using lidar, radar and microwave radiometers. On the other hand, a tethered balloon will measure the Arctic boundary layer as accurately as possible during a flight section. Both measurements allow more or less the direct detection of the vertical distribution of the ice nucleating particles. In addition, TROPOS will again investigate the surface microlayer of the sea and melt ponds, which is likely to be a major source of ice nucleating particles in the Arctic.Since 2016, the Collaborative Research Centre TR172 "Arctic Amplification" of the German Research Foundation (DFG) has been investigating the reasons why the Arctic warms much more than the rest of the Earth. In addition to the University of Leipzig, the research network also includes the universities of Bremen and Cologne, the Alfred Wegener Institute, the Helmholtz Centre for Polar and Marine Research (AWI) and the Leibniz Institute for Tropospheric Research (TROPOS) in Leipzig. Tilo Arnhold | Pollution | 2,019 |
June 20, 2019 | https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2019/06/190620104911.htm | Laser method promising for detecting trace chemicals in air | Researchers have developed a new laser-based method that can detect electric charges and chemicals of interest with unprecedented sensitivity. The new approach could one day offer a way to scan large areas for radioactive material or hazardous chemicals for safety and security applications. | The new technique, called mid-infrared picosecond laser-driven electron avalanche, detects extremely low charge densities -- the number of electric charges in a certain volume -- in air or other gases. The researchers were able to measure electron densities in air produced by a radioactive source at levels below one part per quadrillion, equivalent to picking out one free electron from a million billion normal air molecules.In "We can determine charge densities much too low to measure with any other method," said Daniel Woodbury, the lead author on the paper. "We demonstrate the method's ability to detect a radioactive source, but it could eventually be used for any situation that requires measuring trace amounts of a chemical in a gas, such as helping to track pollution, chemicals or safety hazards."The new technique is based on a process known as electron avalanche in which a laser beam accelerates a single free electron in a gas until it gains enough energy to knock a different electron off a molecule, resulting in a second free electron. This process repeats and develops into a collisional cascade, or avalanche, that grows exponentially until a bright observable spark appears in the laser focus."Although laser-driven electron avalanche has existed since the 1960s, we used a new kind of high-energy, long-wavelength laser -- a picosecond mid-IR laser -- to enable detection of localized collisional cascades seeded only by the initial free electrons," said Howard M. Milchberg, the research team lead. "When shorter wavelength laser pulses are used, the original free electrons seeding the avalanches are masked by free electrons generated directly by laser photons, rather than through collisions."The research builds on the group's previous work, which demonstrated that avalanche breakdown driven by a mid-IR laser was sensitive to the density of electrons near a radioactive source and changed the amount of time it took for the breakdown to happen."We conceived this method to remotely measure radiation near a radioactive source because the signals from Geiger counters and scintillators, conventional detectors of radioactive decay products, drop significantly at distances far from the source," said Robert M. Schwartz, a student working on the project. "With a laser beam, however, we can remotely probe electrons produced in air near the source."However, in their previous experiments it was hard to determine exactly how many electrons were seeding a breakdown because the avalanche growth is exponential. "Ten, 100 or even 1000 electrons could all produce very similar signals," said Woodbury. "While we could use theoretical models to give rough estimates, we couldn't definitively say what electron densities we were measuring."In the new work, the researchers realized that, for the right laser pulse length, the multiple breakdowns seeded by individual electrons inside the laser focus would remain distinct. Taking images of the laser focal volume and counting these sparks -- each seeded by an individual electron -- is equivalent to measuring the density of these original seed electrons.They found that a mid-infrared laser (3.9-micron wavelength) with a 50-picosecond pulse duration hit the sweet spot in terms of both wavelength and pulse duration.The researchers demonstrated the viability of the detection concept by using it to measure charge densities produced near a radioactive source that ionizes the air. They measured electron densities down to a concentration of 1000 electrons per cubic centimeter, limited by the background charge in air from cosmic rays and naturally occurring radioactivity. The method was used to precisely benchmark their laser avalanche probe for remote detection of the radioactive source."Other methods are limited to approximately 10 million times higher concentrations of electrons with little to no spatial and temporal resolution," said Milchberg. "Our method can count electrons directly and determine their location with a precision on the order of ten microns on time scales of about 10 picoseconds."The researchers say that the technique can be used to measure ultra-low charge densities from a range of sources including strong field physics interactions or chemical species. "Pairing the picosecond mid-IR laser with a second laser that selectively ionizes a molecule of interest could allow the technique to measure the presence of chemicals with sensitivities far better than 1 part per trillion, the current limit for detecting very small concentrations in a gas," said Woodbury. They are continuing work to make the method more practical for use in the field. | Pollution | 2,019 |
June 13, 2019 | https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2019/06/190613103146.htm | Carbon-neutral fuel made from sunlight and air | Researchers from ETH Zurich have developed a novel technology that produces liquid hydrocarbon fuels exclusively from sunlight and air. For the first time worldwide they demonstrate the entire thermochemical process chain under real field conditions. The new solar mini-refinery is located on the roof of ETH's Machine Laboratory building in Zurich. | Carbon-neutral fuels are crucial for making aviation and maritime transport sustainable. ETH researchers have developed a solar plant to produce synthetic liquid fuels that release as much COAldo Steinfeld, Professor of Renewable Energy Carriers at ETH Zurich, and his research group developed the technology. "This plant proves that carbon-neutral hydrocarbon fuels can be made from sunlight and air under real field conditions," he explained. "The thermochemical process utilises the entire solar spectrum and proceeds at high temperatures, enabling fast reactions and high efficiency." The research plant at the heart of Zurich advances ETH's research towards sustainable fuels.The solar mini-refinery on the roof of ETH Zurich proves that the technology is feasible, even under the climate conditions prevalent in Zurich. It produces around one decilitre of fuel per day. Steinfeld and his group are already working on a large-scale test of their solar reactor in a solar tower near Madrid, which is carried out within the scope of the EU project sun-to-liquid. The solar tower plant is presented to the public in Madrid at the same time today as the mini-refinery in Zurich.The next project goal is to scale the technology for industrial implementation and make it economically competitive. "A solar plant spanning an area of one square kilometre could produce 20,000 litres of kerosene a day," said Philipp Furler, Director (CTO) of Synhelion and a former doctoral student in Steinfeld's group. "Theoretically, a plant the size of Switzerland -- or a third of the Californian Mojave Desert -- could cover the kerosene needs of the entire aviation industry. Our goal for the future is to efficiently produce sustainable fuels with our technology and thereby mitigate global COTwo spin-offs already emerged from Aldo Steinfeld's research group: Synhelion, founded in 2016, commercializes the solar fuel production technology. Climeworks, founded already in 2010, commercialises the technology for COThe process chain of the new system combines three thermochemical conversion processes: Firstly, the extraction of CO | Pollution | 2,019 |
June 13, 2019 | https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2019/06/190613095227.htm | Two hours a week is key dose of nature for health and wellbeing | Spending at least two hours a week in nature may be a crucial threshold for promoting health and wellbeing, according to a new large-scale study. | Research led by the University of Exeter, published in The study used data from nearly 20,000 people in England and found that it didn't matter whether the 120 minutes was achieved in a single visit or over several shorter visits. It also found the 120 minute threshold applied to both men and women, to older and younger adults, across different occupational and ethnic groups, among those living in both rich and poor areas, and even among people with long term illnesses or disabilities.Dr Mat White, of the University of Exeter Medical School, who led the study, said: "It's well known that getting outdoors in nature can be good for people's health and wellbeing but until now we've not been able to say how much is enough. The majority of nature visits in this research took place within just two miles of home so even visiting local urban greenspaces seems to be a good thing. Two hours a week is hopefully a realistic target for many people, especially given that it can be spread over an entire week to get the benefit."There is growing evidence that merely living in a greener neighbourhood can be good for health, for instance by reducing air pollution. The data for the current research came from Natural England's Monitor of Engagement with the Natural Environment Survey, the world's largest study collecting data on people's weekly contact with the natural world.Co-author of the research, Professor Terry Hartig of Uppsala University in Sweden said: "There are many reasons why spending time in nature may be good for health and wellbeing, including getting perspective on life circumstances, reducing stress, and enjoying quality time with friends and family. The current findings offer valuable support to health practitioners in making recommendations about spending time in nature to promote basic health and wellbeing, similar to guidelines for weekly physical." | Pollution | 2,019 |
June 12, 2019 | https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2019/06/190612141423.htm | Large summer 'dead zone' forecast for Chesapeake Bay after wet winter and spring | Ecologists from the University of Maryland Center for Environmental Science and the University of Michigan are forecasting a large Chesapeake Bay "dead zone" in 2019 due to well-above-average river flows associated with increased rainfall in the watershed since last fall. | "The forecast this year reflects the high levels of precipitation that have been observed across the Bay's watershed," said report co-author Jeremy Testa of the University of Maryland Center for Environmental Science. "The high flows observed this spring, in combination with very high flows late last fall, are expected to result in large volumes of hypoxic and anoxic water."The bay's hypoxic (low oxygen) and anoxic (no oxygen) zones are caused by excess nutrient pollution, primarily from agriculture and wastewater. The excess nutrients stimulate an overgrowth of algae, which then sinks and decomposes in the water. The resulting low oxygen levels are insufficient to support most marine life and habitats in near-bottom waters, threatening the bay's crabs, oysters and other fisheries.This summer's Chesapeake Bay hypoxic or "dead zone," an area of low oxygen that can kill fish and other aquatic life, is expected to be about 2.1 cubic miles, while the volume of water with no oxygen is predicted to be between 0.49 and 0.63 cubic miles during early and late summer.The predicted volumes are larger than the dead zone observed during the summer of 2018 and would be among the four largest in the past 20 years. Measurements of the Chesapeake Bay's dead zone go back to 1950, and the 30-year mean maximum dead zone volume is 1.74 cubic miles."The forecast is not surprising considering the near-record high flows in 2018 that have continued into 2019," said Bruce Michael, director of the Resource Assessment Service at the Maryland Department of Natural Resources. "That said, bottom dissolved oxygen concentrations are improving over the long-term in Maryland's portion of the Chesapeake Bay, indicating our efforts to reduce nutrient pollution throughout the entire watershed are improving water quality conditions, helping to support fish, shellfish and our aquatic resources."The Maryland Department of Natural Resources will conduct bimonthly Bay water quality monitoring cruises June through August to track Bay summer hypoxia. Results from each monitoring cruise will be available on the Department's Eyes on the Bay website at The University of Maryland Center for Environmental Science's Chesapeake Bay Report Card released earlier this spring gave the Bay a grade of "C" in 2018, in part due to the extreme precipitation. Spring rainfall plays an important role in determining the size of the Chesapeake Bay "dead zone." This year, exceptionally high spring rainfall and streamflow is transporting nitrogen to tidal waters in amounts above the long-term average, according to the U.S. Geological Survey, which provides the nitrogen-loading estimates used to generate the annual hypoxia forecast.In spring 2019, the Susquehanna River delivered 102.6 million pounds of nitrogen into the Chesapeake Bay. The Potomac River, as measured near Washington, D.C., supplied an additional 47.7 million pounds of nitrogen, according to USGS. This is well-above long-term averages of 80.6 million pounds from the Susquehanna and 31.8 million pounds from the Potomac. Loads from the Susquehanna have not been this high since 2011."Managing estuarine responses to changing conditions on the landscape continues to be one of the nation's environmental challenges," said Joel Blomquist, hydrologist for the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS). "The science partnership in the Chesapeake Bay is setting the standard for supporting environmental managers with observation-based science.""This year's forecast is for the fourth largest dead zone in the past 20 years, illustrating that more work needs to be done," said University of Michigan aquatic ecologist and report coauthor Don Scavia. "The Chesapeake Bay dead zone remains considerably larger than the reduction goals, and we'll never reach those targets unless more is done to reduce nutrient pollution."The bay outlook is based on models developed at the University of Michigan and the University of Maryland Center for Environmental Science, with funding provided by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration and data generated by the United States Geological Survey and Maryland Department of Natural Resources.Throughout the year, researchers measure oxygen and nutrient levels as part of the Chesapeake Bay Monitoring Program, run by the Maryland Department of Natural Resources and the Virginia Department of Environmental Quality. This year's findings will be released in the fall. | Pollution | 2,019 |
June 11, 2019 | https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2019/06/190611133945.htm | Consequences of Deepwater Horizon oil spill | If you were able to stand on the bottom of the seafloor and look up, you would see flakes of falling organic material and biological debris cascading down the water column like snowflakes in a phenomenon known as marine snow. | Recent disasters like the Deepwater Horizon oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico, however, have added a new element to this natural process: oil.During these events, the natural marine snow interacts with oil and dispersants to form what's known as marine oil snow as it sinks from the surface through water column to the seafloor sediments.The danger with marine oil snow is that it transfers oil and its negative impacts from the water column to the sediments on the bottom of the seafloor, delivering a more diverse suite of oxygenated compounds to sediments and deep-sea ecosystems. These oxygenated forms of many oil compounds are more toxic to organisms in the sediments than are the non-oxygenated forms.While this result may lessen the impact on near-surface organisms like fish and birds and shellfish, it transfers the oil to the deep ocean where it impacts fauna, deep corals, and fish down there, where adverse impacts were documented after the Deepwater Horizon oil spill.The University of Delaware's Andrew Wozniak conducted research to investigate the fate and accumulation of marine oil snow in the Gulf of Mexico, the results of which were recently published in the Wozniak, assistant professor in the School of Marine Science and Policy in UD's College of Earth, Ocean and Environment, conducted the research while a research faculty member at Old Dominion University. He said that to recreate the conditions of the Gulf of Mexico, he and his collaborators used 100-liter glass tanks filled with seawater collected from the Gulf.In addition to the seawater, they added plankton collected from coastal waters directly before the initiation of the experiment. They also added the kind of oil spilled during the Deepwater Horizon disaster, along with the chemical dispersant used to break it up, and monitored the tanks for four days.Particles in the tanks formed on the surface, in the water column and the rest sank to the bottom. Wozniak collected the particles that sank and isolated the oil component to conduct a chemical analysis.When they performed the chemical analysis and compared it to the initial oil, the samples differed in a way that could be attributed to microbial degradation.Wozniak said this occurred as the marine oil snow sank through the water column.When an event like an oil spill occurs, the phytoplankton and bacteria in the ocean interact with the oil -- which is bad for them -- and they release extracellular polymeric substances (EPS) which collects the oil."It's kind of a defense mechanism and because that EPS is sticky, it gets that oil aggregated and hopefully protects them from the oil," said Wozniak.The result of the EPS protection is a base particle for other substances to glom onto."If something with enough density like minerals form on it, then they'll sink and that's when you get that marine oil snow," said Wozniak.By looking at the degraded material at the bottom of the mesocosms, Wozniak could see that as the oil sank through the water column, it provided a microhabitat for microbes and microbes that prefer hydrocarbons and oil-like compounds proliferated.In addition to supporting that community of bacteria, it also keeps a portion of oil that has been changed -- potentially for the worse -- in the ocean."It may have consequences for the toxicity of the oil because it oxygenates compounds," said Wozniak. "The oxygenated forms of some of the compounds, like Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons, tend to be more toxic and so it may have important implications for future study for what's happening in sediments or deep coral reefs."The research was supported by a grant from the Gulf of Mexico Research Initiative to support consortium research entitled the Aggregation and Degradation of Dispersants and Oil by Microbial Exopolymers (ADDOMEx) Consortium. | Pollution | 2,019 |
June 11, 2019 | https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2019/06/190611081859.htm | Fracking causes some songbirds to thrive while others decline | A new paper in | The shale gas industry has grown rapidly in recent years and its resulting infrastructure can have negative consequences for native wildlife communities. While other studies have documented negative impacts of these developments on birds and their habitats, few have described variability among species in their spatial responses to fracking.The Marcellus-Utica Shale region, which lies beneath the Appalachian Mountains and holds one of the largest deposits of natural gas in North America, is a major source of gas production in the United States. Production has led to more interstate and gathering pipelines, access roads, and other gas infrastructure in the region.Researchers studied the relationship between 27 bird species and their distance from shale gas construction in northern West Virginia, from 2008 to 2017. They organized the birds into three groups based on their relationship to human development in the region. The first category, forest interior birds, includes species like the Ovenbird that are associated with large areas of mature forests. The second group includes early successional birds, such as Indigo Buntings, which prefer young forest and shrubland habitats. The final category is human-adapted birds, like the Brown-headed Cowbird, which thrive in environments that have been altered by people.The researchers recorded annual changes to the landscape across the study area, and monitored birds at 142 survey stations. Over the ten-year period, the footprint of shale gas increased tenfold, from approximately 42 acres in 2008 to over 432 acres in 2017, with an even greater increase in new forest edges created by gas infrastructure. The researchers found that forest interior birds decreased in numbers near gas development, avoiding both drilling sites and road and pipeline corridors. The Ovenbird population declined 35% at the study site while Cerulean Warblers, a forest species of conservation concern, declined by 34%. These are sharp declines at a site previously recognized as a globally Important Bird Area for its significant populations of Cerulean Warblers and other forest interior birds. Conversely, early successional species like the Indigo Bunting saw population increases and began to concentrate along new pipelines and access roads. Similarly, the Brown-headed Cowbird showed an increase in numbers throughout the study site, but displayed a clear pattern of attraction to areas disturbed by fracking.This suggests that forest disturbances from shale gas energy development may create more habitats for generalist or highly adaptable species while pushing out birds that depend on interior forests. For instance, the Brown-headed Cowbird that saw an increased population in this study is a nest parasite that manipulates other birds into raising its young, which can be detrimental to the host. The researchers also noted that shale gas expansion meant increased human access and activity, including traffic, light, and noise pollution, which poses problems for birds that rely on song to attract mates. In particular, pipeline compressors are a source of chronic noise that can carry into surrounding habitats, exacerbating the negative impacts of habitat loss."We hope to find a way to balance our energy needs with maintaining healthy forest ecosystems, which we also depend on for clean air, clean water, carbon storage, and countless other ecological services," said author Laura S. Farwell, Ph.D. "Like the proverbial canary in the coal mine, these birds are early indicators of ecosystem degradation. We hope our research will help inform planning decisions about where to avoid or minimize gas development in order to protect valuable forest resources, both for humans and for other species." | Pollution | 2,019 |
June 10, 2019 | https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2019/06/190610111525.htm | Our water cycle diagrams give a false sense of water security | Pictures of the earth's water cycle used in education and research throughout the world are in urgent need of updating to show the effects of human interference, according to new analysis by an international team of hydrology experts. | Leaving humans out of the picture, the researchers argue, contributes to a basic lack of awareness of how humans relate to water on Earth -- and a false sense of security about future availability of this essential and scarce resource.The team has drawn up a new set of diagrams to promote better understanding of how our water cycle works in the 21st century. These new diagrams show human interference in nearly all parts of the cycle.The study, published in It showed that, in a sample of more than 450 water cycle diagrams in textbooks, scientific literature and online, 85 per cent showed no human interaction at all with the water cycle, and only 2 per cent of the images made any attempt to connect the cycle with climate change or water pollution.In addition, nearly all the examples studied depicted verdant landscapes, with mild climates and abundant freshwater -- usually with only a single river basin.The researchers argue there is an urgent need to challenge this misrepresentation and promote a more accurate and sophisticated understanding of the cycle and how it works in the 21st century. This is crucial if society is to be able to achieve global solutions to the world's water crisis."The water cycle diagram is a central icon of hydro science, but misrepresenting the ways in which humans have influenced this cycle diminishes our awareness of the looming global water crisis," says Professor David Hannah, UNESCO Chair in Water Sciences at the University of Birmingham."By leaving out climate change, human consumption, and changes in land use we are, in effect, creating large gaps in understanding and perception among the public and also among some scientists."The new diagrams drawn up by the team show a more complex picture that includes elements such as meltwater from glaciers, flood damage caused by land use changes, pollution and sea level rises.Professor Stefan Krause, Head of the Birmingham Water Council states: "For the first time, the new water cycle diagram adequately reflects the importance of not just quantities of water but also water quality and pollution as key criteria for assessing water resources."Professor Ben Abbott, from Brigham Young University, is lead author on the paper: "Every scientific diagram involves compromises and distortions, but what we found with the water cycle was widespread exclusion of a central concept. You can't understand water in the 21st century without including humans.""Other scientific disciplines have done a good job depicting how humans now dominate many aspects of the Earth system. It's hard to find a diagram of the carbon or nitrogen cycle that doesn't show factories and fertilizers. However, our drawings of the water cycle are stuck in the 17th century.""Better drawings of the water cycle won't solve the global water crisis on their own, but they could improve awareness of how local water use and climate change have global consequences." | Pollution | 2,019 |
June 7, 2019 | https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2019/06/190607091037.htm | Fishers keen to help address the problem of marine litter | Commercial fishers are acutely aware of the potential for marine litter to cause lasting damage to their catches and the wider industry, a new study suggests. | They also appreciate they can be part of the solution, but believe others -- including the shipping and offshore industries -- could be doing more to support their efforts to prevent items of marine litter ending up in our oceans.The research, published in With hubs in Scotland and the South West of England, its aim is to reduce the amount of marine litter in our seas by physically removing it, while also highlighting the importance of good waste management among the fleet.Researchers at the University of Surrey and the University of Plymouth spoke to around 120 fishers and other stakeholders, including boat owners and crew both signed up and not registered with the FFL initiative.Overall, fishers said they often found marine litter in their hauls, adding it was extremely important to manage waste responsibly at sea and on the coast, and that keeping the sea and coasts clean was important to them.They also believed similar attitudes were held throughout the fishing industry, adding that most fishers assumed responsibility for their own waste and for disposing of it in a responsible manner.Those surveyed were also broadly supportive of the FFL programme, with scheme members reporting less environmentally harmful waste management behaviours at sea and in other contexts than their non-FFL counterparts.Dr Kayleigh Wyles, now a Lecturer in Environmental Psychology at the University of Surrey, conducted the research while at the University of Plymouth. She said: "Marine litter is a global, persistent, and increasing threat to the oceans, and there are many great initiatives which are currently working to address this. Fishing for Litter is a unique example, accessing remote and hard to reach marine litter. Our study shows it makes use of people in the right place at the right time, and empowers fishers to do something about a problem that directly affects them (both whilst at work but also during their leisure time). As such, it can make an important contribution to an issue which might often seem to sit across boundaries and policies."Associate Professor (Reader) in Psychology Dr Sabine Pahl, from the University of Plymouth's International Marine Litter Research Unit, added: "The responsibility for marine litter does not sit at the door of any one industry or organisation. However, it does require a collective global change of behaviour and that is something we should all be working to address. Our study shows fishers are passionate about their seas, and ultimately this is a positive initiative that others -- whether they work on land or at sea -- can emulate as we look to reduce the global impact of marine litter now and in the future."The FFL schemes in Scotland and the South West are led by KIMO UK, an association of coastal local authorities whose goal is to eliminate pollution from the Northern Seas, with member ships given special bags that they then use to dispose and collect marine litter.The latest reports showed that 230 vessels in Scotland and 160 in the South West are signed up to the scheme, and together they have collected more than 1,600 tons of marine litter since the scheme's UK inception.Faron McLellan, KIMO UK Coordinator, added: "We at KIMO are so grateful for the research carried out on this study. One of the most important observations highlighted is the environmental motivations from the participating vessels. We see this on a daily basis but it's something we feel the public may not be aware of, and for it to be recognised in such a study is really important. Being able to identify the strengths and weaknesses of the Fishing For Litter scheme is key for both the success and expansion of our project. Many of the outcomes listed can be adopted within our current grant phases and we look forward to implementing them in due course." | Pollution | 2,019 |
June 6, 2019 | https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2019/06/190606133743.htm | Researchers uncover indoor pollution hazards | When most people think about air pollution, they think of summertime haze, traffic or smokestack exhaust, wintertime inversions, or wildfire smoke. | They rarely think of the air that they breathe inside their own homes.In a new study of indoor air quality, a team of WSU researchers has found surprisingly high levels of pollutants, including formaldehyde and possibly mercury, in carefully monitored homes, and that these pollutants vary through the day and increase as temperatures rise. Their study, led by Tom Jobson, professor in the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, and graduate student Yibo Huangfu, was published in the journal, Researchers know that air pollution, whether inside or outside, has a significant impact on people's health, including their heart, lungs, brain, and neurological health. But, while the government has increased regulation of outdoor air pollution over the past 40 years, there is little regulation of the air in people's homes. Building laws generally require that homes are structurally sound and that people are comfortable -- with minimal impacts from odors and humidity."People think of air pollution as an outdoor problem, but they fail to recognize that they're exposing themselves to much higher emission rates inside their homes," Jobson said.These emissions come from a variety of sources, such as building materials, furniture, household chemical products, and from people's activities like cooking.One of the ways to clear out harmful chemicals is with ventilation to the outdoors. But, with increased concern about climate change and interest in reducing energy use, builders are trying to make homes more airtight, which may inadvertently be worsening the problem.In their study, the researchers looked at a variety of homes -- meant to reflect the typical housing styles and age in the U.S. They found that formaldehyde levels rose in homes as temperatures increased inside -- between three and five parts per billion every time the temperature increased one degree Celsius."As a home gets hotter, there is a lot more formaldehyde in the home. The materials are hotter and they off-gas at higher rates," Jobson said.The work shows how heat waves and changing regional climate might affect indoor air quality in the future."As people ride out a hot summer without air conditioning, they're going to be exposed to much higher concentrations of pollutants inside," he said.The researchers also found that pollution levels varied throughout the day -- they were highest in the afternoon and lowest in the early morning. Until now, manufacturers and builders have assumed that pollutants stay the same throughout the day as they consider the emissions from their materials, so they may not be getting a true picture of how much pollution people are exposed to indoors, he said.The researchers also were surprised to find in one home that gypsum wallboard emitted high levels of formaldehyde and possibly mercury when it's heated. That home, built in the early 1970s, had radiant heating in its ceiling, which was a popular heating system at that time.After finding high levels of formaldehyde in the home, the researchers suspected the gypsum wallboard radiant ceiling in the home. About half of the gypsum used in homes as drywall is made from waste products of the coal industry. They pulled a piece from the home, heated it up in their laboratory, and measured high levels of formaldehyde -- as much as 159 parts per billion.Household formaldehyde exposure is notregulated in the United States, but the US Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry, part of the Centers for Disease Control, has set eight parts per billion as posing a minimum risk level."Exposure to these chemicals impacts people's ability to think and learn," said Jobson. "It's important for people to be more cognizant of the risk -- Opening a window is a good thing."The researchers plan to continue looking at ways to reduce exposure to indoor air pollutants, such as using green building materials."We have to balance making more energy efficient homes with protecting our health and cognitive function," he said.The work was funded by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. | Pollution | 2,019 |
June 6, 2019 | https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2019/06/190606102038.htm | Microplastic throughout Monterey Bay | Many people have heard of the "Great Pacific Garbage Patch," a vast area of ocean between California and Hawaii where ocean currents concentrate plastic pollution. However, it turns out there may also be a lot of plastic far below the ocean's surface. | A newly-published study in This is the first study to look systematically at microplastic, with repeated sampling at the same locations and a range of depths, from just beneath the ocean surface to depths of 1,000 meters.The study in California's Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary also found that small ocean animals are consuming microplastic, which introduces the particles into food webs from near-surface waters down to the deep seafloor."Our findings buttress a growing body of scientific evidence pointing to the waters and animals of the deep sea, Earth's largest habitat, as the biggest repository of small plastic debris," said Anela Choy, the lead author of the paper."Our study demonstrates a link between microplastics distributed across the water column and entry of this foreign material into marine food webs by important marine animals, such as pelagic crabs and giant larvaceans."The groundbreaking research was a joint effort by the Monterey Bay Aquarium Research Institute (MBARI) and Monterey Bay Aquarium. Choy conducted the research while a postdoctoral fellow at MBARI. She is currently an assistant professor at Scripps Institution of Oceanography at the University of California San Diego.Kakani Katija, an MBARI engineer on the team, added, "This research shows how we can leverage scientific, engineering and conservation expertise to develop new technology that provides powerful insights into how humans are impacting the ocean."Using MBARI's underwater robots, equipped with sampling devices designed specifically for this project, the researchers filtered plastic particles out of seawater on multiple occasions at two different locations and at various depths -- from five to 1,000 meters below the surface of Monterey Bay, California. Some samples were collected just offshore of Moss Landing Harbor, but the majority were collected about 25 kilometers from shore, in the deep waters of Monterey Canyon.The results surprised the team. They found nearly identical concentrations of microplastic particles near the surface and in the deepest waters surveyed. Perhaps more startling, they found roughly four times the concentration of microplastic particles in the midwater range (200 to 600 meters down) than in waters near the surface.In addition to sampling the water, the researchers also looked at concentrations of microplastic particles in specimens of two marine species that filter-feed in the water column: pelagic red crabs and giant larvaceans. The team found microplastic in all of the animal specimens they surveyed.Pelagic red crabs and tadpole-like giant larvaceans are critical parts of ocean food webs. Pelagic red crabs are commonly found in large numbers near the ocean's surface, where they are consumed by many species of fishes, including tunas. Larvaceans create large mucus filters that collect organic material -- and microplastic -- then discard those filters, which are consumed by other animals as they sink to the ocean floor.Equipped with a microscope and a laboratory technique called Raman spectroscopy, researchers from Arizona State University contributed to the study.The most abundant plastics found -- polyethylene terephthalate (PET), polyamide, and polycarbonate -- are commonly used in consumer products, including food and beverage packaging such as single-use drink bottles and to-go containers. Most of the microplastic particles the researchers discovered were highly weathered, suggesting that they had been in the environment for months or years.Even though Monterey Bay is home to commercial fisheries, the researchers found very few particles of polypropylene or other plastics commonly used in local fishing gear. The researchers also detected more microplastic particles offshore than nearshore."This suggests that most of the particles did not originate from local fishing gear," explained Kyle Van Houtan, chief scientist at Monterey Bay Aquarium and one of the study's co-authors. "It also suggests that at least some of the microplastic was transported into the area by ocean currents."This finding could indicate that plastic is widely distributed in the deep ocean, and may even be concentrated there.Bruce Robison, a senior scientist at MBARI and co-author on the paper, noted: "These results are intriguing and show the need for similar deep-water surveys in other locations, so we can find out how widespread the problem is."Van Houtan further explained the significance of the study and pointed to a possible solution. "The ubiquitous presence of plastic pollution throughout the water column points to source reduction -- making and using less plastic in the first place -- as one of the most effective means of solving this issue," he said."It may be virtually impossible to remove existing microplastic from the deep sea," he continued. "But when we slow the flow of plastic from land, we can help prevent the increasing accumulation of plastic in our global ocean." | Pollution | 2,019 |
June 5, 2019 | https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2019/06/190605110000.htm | New polymer tackles PFAS pollution | The problem of cleaning up toxic polyfluorinated alkyl substances (PFAS) pollution -- commonly used in non-stick and protective coatings, lubricants and aviation fire-fighting foams -- has been solved through the discovery of a new low-cost, safe and environmentally friendly method that removes PFAS from water. | In The US, contamination by PFAS and other so-called "forever chemicals" has been detected in foods including grocery store meats and seafoods by FDA tests, prompting calls for regulations to be applied to humanmade compounds. Consistent associations between very high levels of the industrial compounds in peoples' blood and health risks have been reported but insufficient evidence has been presented to prove the compounds as the cause.In Australia, PFAS pollution -- which does not break down readily in the environment -- has been a hot news item due to the extensive historical use of fire-fighting foams containing PFAS at airports and defence sites, resulting in contaminated ground water and surface water being reported in these areas.Researchers from the Flinders University Institute for NanoScale Science and Technology have -- on World Environment Day -- revealed a new type of absorbent polymer, made from waste cooking oil and sulfur combined with powdered activated carbon (PAC).While there have been few economic solutions for removing PFAS from contaminated water, the new polymer adheres to carbon in a way that prevents caking during water filtration. It works faster at PFAS uptake than the commonly used and more expensive granular activated carbon method, and it dramatically lowers the amount of dust generated during handling PAC that lowers respiratory risks faced by clean-up workers."We need safe, low-cost and versatile methods for removing PFAS from water, and our polymer-carbon blend is a promising step in this direction," says Flinders University's Dr Justin Chalker, co-director of the study. "The next stage for us is to test this sorbent on a commercial scale and demonstrate its ability to purify thousands of litres of water. We are also investigating methods to recycle the sorbent and destroy the PFAS."During the testing phase, the research team was able to directly observe the self-assembly of PFOA hemi-micelles on the surface of the polymer. "This is an important fundamental discovery about how PFOA interacts with surfaces," explains Dr Chalker.The team demonstrated the effectiveness of the polymer-carbon blend by purifying a sample of surface water obtained near a RAAF airbase. The new filter material reduced the PFAS content of this water from 150 parts per trillion (ppt) to less than 23 parts per trillion (ppt), which is well below the 70 ppt guidance values for PFAS limits in drinking water issues by the Australian Government Department of Health.The core technology for this PFAS sorbent is protected by a provisional patent."Our canola oil polysulfide was found to be highly effective as a support material for powdered activated carbon, enhancing its efficiency and prospects for implementation," says Nicholas Lundquist, PhD candidate at Flinders University and first author in the ground-breaking study. | Pollution | 2,019 |
June 5, 2019 | https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2019/06/190605100332.htm | Estimating microplastic consumption | Since the mass production of plastics began in the 1940s, the versatile polymers have spread rapidly across the globe. Although plastics have made life easier in many ways, disposing of the materials is a growing problem. Now, researchers in the ACS journal | Microplastics are tiny (often microscopic) pieces of plastic that can arise from multiple sources, such as the degradation of larger plastic products in the environment, or the shedding of particles from food and water containers during packaging. Humans can inadvertently take in the materials when eating food or breathing air containing microplastics. The health effects of ingesting these particles are unknown, but some pieces are small enough to enter human tissues, where they could trigger immune reactions or release toxic substances. But how much microplastics do humans consume? That's the question Kieran Cox and colleagues wanted to tackle.To do so, the researchers reviewed 26 previous studies that analyzed the amounts of microplastic particles in fish, shellfish, added sugars, salts, alcohol, tap or bottled water, and air. Other foods were not included in the analysis because the data were lacking. The team then assessed approximately how much of these foods men, women and children eat from the recommended dietary intakes of the 2015-2020 Dietary Guidelines for Americans. From this analysis, the estimated microplastic consumption ranged from 74,000 to 121,000 particles per year, depending on age and sex. People who drink only bottled water could consume an additional 90,000 microplastics annually compared with those who drink only tap water. Because the researchers considered only 15% of Americans' caloric intake, these values are likely underestimates, they say. Additional research is needed to understand the health effects, if any, of the ingested particles. | Pollution | 2,019 |
June 3, 2019 | https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2019/06/190603160816.htm | Climate action urgently required to protect human health in Europe | EASAC is the voice of independent science advice, mobilising Europe's leading scientists from 27 national science academies to guide EU policy for the benefit of society. By considering a large body of independent studies on the effects of climate change on health, and on strategies to address the risks to health, EASAC has identified key messages and drawn important new conclusions. The evidence shows that climate change is adversely affecting human health and that health risks are projected to increase. Solutions are within reach and much can be done by acting on present knowledge, but this requires political will. With current trends in greenhouse gas emissions, a global average temperature increase of over 3°C above pre-industrial levels is projected by the end of the century. The increase will be higher over land than the oceans, exposing the world population to unprecedented rates of climate change and contributing to the burden of disease and premature mortality. Health risks will increase as climate change intensifies through a range of pathways including: | EASAC emphasises that the top priority is to stabilise climate and accelerate efforts to limit greenhouse gas emissions. The economic benefits of action to address the current and prospective health effects of climate change are likely to be substantial.Working Group co-chair, Professor Sir Andy Haines (London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine), comments, "If urgent action is not taken to reduce emissions in order to keep temperatures below the 2°C (or less) limit enshrined in the Paris Climate Agreement, we face potentially irreversible changes that will have wide ranging impacts on many aspects of health. The scientific community has an important role in generating knowledge and countering misinformation. We hope that this comprehensive report will act as a wake-up call and draw attention to the need for action, particularly by pursuing policies to decarbonise the economy. The protection of health must have a higher profile in policies aimed at mitigating or adapting to the effects of climate change." Key messages addressed in the report include:Pollution endangers planetary health, damages ecosystems and is intimately linked to global climate change. Fine particulate and ozone air pollution arise from many of the same sources as emissions of greenhouse gases and short-lived climate pollutants. For the EU overall, fossil-fuel-related emissions account for more than half of the excess mortality attributed to ambient (outdoor) air pollution. A recent estimate suggests that about 350,000 excess deaths annually in the EU can be attributed to ambient air pollution from burning fossil fuels and a total of about 500,000 from all human-related activities.Understanding of the range of health effects of air pollution on the health of children and adults is growing. Seven million babies in Europe are living in areas where air pollution exceeds WHO recommended limits and such exposure may affect brain development and cognitive function. Action to reduce pollution through decarbonisation of the economy must be viewed as a priority to address both climate change and public health imperatives.Promoting dietary change could have major health and environmental benefits, resulting in significant reductions of up to about 40% in greenhouse gas emissions from food systems as well as reducing water and land use demands. Such diets can also lead to major reductions on non-communicable disease burden through reduced risk of heart disease, stroke and other conditions.If food and nutrition security declines because of climate change, the EU can probably still satisfy its requirements by importing food. But this will have increasing consequences for the rest of the world; for example, by importing fodder for livestock from arable land that has been created through deforestation. It is therefore vital to develop climate-smart food systems to ensure more resilient agricultural production and to promote food and nutrition security, for the benefit of human health.The spread of infectious diseases in Europe could increase through climate change. These diseases include those that are spread by vectors (particularly mosquitos) and food- and water-borne infections. There is also an increased risk to animal health across Europe from conditions such as Blue tongue virus.Distribution of the mosquito species Aedes albopictus, known to be a vector for diseases such as dengue, is already expanding in Europe and may extend to much of Western Europe within the next decade.Water-borne infections such as diarrhea may increase following heavy rainfall and flooding and higher temperatures may be associated with increased antibiotic resistance for pathogens such as E. coli. In the case of Salmonella species, an increase in temperature will increase multiplication and spread in food and increase the risks of food poisoning. There could also be an increase in Norovirus infections related to heavy rainfall and flooding. Strengthening communicable disease surveillance and response systems should be a priority for improving adaptation to climate change.Although the EU is actively engaged in efforts to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and to identify suitable adaptation measures, the impacts of climate change on health have been relatively neglected in EU policy. Recognising the serious challenges that climate change poses to the global health gains made in recent decades is key to promoting public engagement.Furthermore, the impact of climate change in other regions can have tangible consequences in Europe and the EU has responsibilities in addressing problems outside its area.The EU must do more to ensure that health impact assessment is part of all proposed initiatives, and that climate and health policy is integrated with other policy priorities including coordinating strategies at EU and national level. It is also vital that the steps are taken to counter misinformation about the causes and consequences of climate change which threaten to undermine the political will to act. | Pollution | 2,019 |
June 3, 2019 | https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2019/06/190603151711.htm | New method to gauge atmosphere's ability to clear methane | New research by UMBC's Glenn Wolfe and collaborators is shaping how scientists understand the fate of methane, a potent greenhouse gas, in Earth's atmosphere. | Of the greenhouse gases, methane has the third greatest overall effect on climate after carbon dioxide and water vapor. And the longer it stays in the atmosphere, the more heat it traps. That's why it's essential for climate models to properly represent how long methane lasts before it's broken down. That happens when a methane molecule reacts with a hydroxyl radical -- an oxygen atom bound to a hydrogen atom, represented as OH -- in a process called oxidation. Hydroxyl radicals also destroy other hazardous air pollutants."OH is really the most central oxidizing agent in the lower atmosphere. It controls the lifetime of nearly every reactive gas," explains Wolfe, an assistant research professor at UMBC's Joint Center for Earth Systems Technology. However, "globally, we don't have a way to directly measure OH." More than that, it's well understood that current climate models struggle to accurately simulate OH. With existing methods, scientists can infer OH at a coarse scale, but there is scant information on the where, when, and why of variations in OH.New research published in NASA satellites have been measuring atmospheric formaldehyde concentrations for over 15 years. Wolfe's new research relies on that data, plus new observations collected during NASA's recent Atmospheric Tomography (ATom) mission. ATom has flown four around-the-world circuits, sampling air with the aid of a NASA research aircraft.This "flying laboratory," as Wolfe describes it, collected data on atmospheric formaldehyde and OH levels that illustrates a remarkably simple relationship between the two gases. This did not surprise the scientists, because formaldehyde is a major byproduct of methane oxidation, but this study provides the first concrete observation of the correlation between formaldehyde and OH. The findings also showed that the formaldehyde concentrations the plane measured are consistent with those measured by the satellites. That will allow Wolfe's team and others to use existing satellite data to infer OH levels throughout most of the atmosphere."So the airborne measurements give you a ground truth that that relationship exists," Wolfe says, "and the satellite measurements let you extend that relationship around the whole globe."Wolfe, however, is the first to acknowledge that the work to improve global models is far from done. The airplane measured OH and formaldehyde levels over the open ocean, where the air chemistry is relatively simple. It would be more complicated over a forest, and even more so over a city.While the relationship the researchers determined provides a solid baseline, as most of Earth's air does, indeed, float above oceans, more work is needed to see how OH levels differ in more complex environments. Potentially, different data from existing NASA satellites, such as those tracking emissions from urban areas or wildfires, could help.Wolfe hopes to keep refining this work, which he says is at "the nexus of the chemistry and climate research communities. And they're very interested in getting OH right."The current study did consider seasonal variations in OH, by analyzing measurements taken in February and August. "The seasonality is one aspect of this study that's important," Wolfe says, "because the latitude where OH is at its maximum moves around." Considering seasonal shifts in OH concentrations, or even multi-year shifts caused by phenomena like El Niño and La Niña, could be one angle to explore when trying to improve global climate models.Looking further at OH levels on a global scale using satellite data validated by airplane data could also help scientists refine their models. "You can use the spatial variability and the seasonality to understand at the process level what's driving OH, and then ask if the model gets that right or not," Wolfe says. "The idea is to be able to poke at all these features, where we haven't really had any data to do that with before."This new research is one step in the journey to enhancing our understanding of the global climate, even as it is rapidly changing. More accurately understanding how, for example, cutting methane emissions would affect the climate, and how quickly, could even influence policy decisions."It's not perfect. It needs work," Wolfe says. "But the potential is there." | Pollution | 2,019 |
June 3, 2019 | https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2019/06/190603124517.htm | Slowdown in Earth's temps stabilized nature's calendar | Sometimes referred to as nature's calendar, phenology looks at the seasonal life cycle of plants and animals and is one of the leading indicators of climate change. It's the observance of natural occurrences like the first formation of buds and flowers in the spring and the changing colors of leaves in the fall. According to researchers at the University of New Hampshire, when the rate of the Earth's air temperature slows down for a significant amount of time, so can phenology. | In a study, recently published in the journal "This finding was a big surprise to us because the Earth's climate is changing and affecting the length of the seasons," says Jingfeng Xiao, a research associate professor at the UNH Earth Systems Research Center. "Over the past decades we have experienced longer growing seasons, with spring coming earlier and fall coming later, but this wasn't the situation from 1998 to 2012 in the northern hemisphere."Phenology plays a major role in helping to regulate plant photosynthesis, transpiration, and energy exchange. When phenology stabilizes, it's easier to estimate when to start a garden, when fall foliage will peak and helps life cycles like pollination, migration and mating.Researchers examined the carbon dioxide exchange between plants and the atmosphere from 56 sites located in forests, croplands, savannas, shrublands and grasslands in the northern hemisphere. They were the first to compare those findings with satellite imagery that indicated the dates of leaf-out (when leaves emerge in the spring) and senescence (when leaves fall and plants die off or enter dormancy in autumn) to estimate the length and timing of the growing season, which stayed about the same for that time period.Earlier leaf-out and/or later senescence can mean a longer growing season, increase in agriculture production and crop yield, as well as an increase in the amount of carbon dioxide absorbed by plants from the atmosphere. However, it can also mean the need for more water use and could affect stream flow and aggravate water crisis issues."It's not just about plants, many people are also physically affected by phenological trends," said Xiao. "Anyone suffering from seasonal allergies knows, an earlier spring, or growing season, can mean an earlier allergy season."Phenological variations also make it more difficult for scientists to estimate the Earth's carbon, water and energy exchange between the atmosphere and the Earth's surface, which can then affect climate change projections.The scientists admit that the time period they studied, where the Earth's air temperature rate slowed down, may seem to contrast with other research on global warming but they emphasize that even during this period the Earth's temperatures continued to rise. They point out that temporary trends like this one require very long datasets -- at least a decade or longer -- to properly assess big-picture phenological trends. | Pollution | 2,019 |
June 3, 2019 | https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2019/06/190603102545.htm | Improvements in water quality could reduce ecological impact of climate change on rivers | Improvements in water quality could reduce the ecological impact of climate change on rivers, finds a new study by Cardiff University's Water Research Institute and the University of Vermont. | Warm water can affect freshwater organisms in similar ways to many pollutants: both reduce the availability of oxygen in the water. As oxygen levels decline, sensitive species may disappear, including invertebrates such as mayflies, and fish such as salmon and trout. On a more positive note, efforts to improve water quality, such as improved wastewater treatment and tighter regulation, could potentially counteract some of the effects of climate warming.The team looked at how invertebrate communities had changed at >3000 locations across England and Wales, over a 20 year span starting in 1991. During this period, average water temperatures increased by 0.6°C, but the biological effects of warming appear to have been offset by simultaneous improvements in water quality that were equivalent to more than 0.8°C of cooling.Lead author, Dr Ian Vaughan from Cardiff University's Water Research Institute, commented: "Globally, freshwaters are amongst our most threatened habitats, showing some of the largest species declines and fastest rates of extinction. Many freshwater species are very sensitive to temperature, with as little as a 0.5°C increase having large effects. Despite rising temperatures, many rivers in England and Wales have continued to recover from historical pollution problems over recent decades, suggesting that ongoing water quality improvements offset temperature rises."For the first time, we have estimated the size of this water quality 'credit', which appears to have paid the climatic 'debt' accumulated during this period. Although pollution control is not a panacea for the effects of climate change on rivers, our study suggests it is a valuable tool in mitigating effects of climate change in addition to its wider environmental benefits."Helen Wakeham, the Environment Agency's Director for Water Quality, added: "Action on climate change is a number one priority for the Environment Agency. We are delighted to hear that the great improvements in water quality in England over recent decades have off-set the impact of climate change on river invertebrates."The Environment Agency is working with partners and industry to further reduce environmental pressures to, amongst other things, increase the resilience of the water environment to the negative consequences of climate change." | Pollution | 2,019 |
May 30, 2019 | https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2019/05/190530141448.htm | Over half a million corals destroyed by port of Miami dredging, study finds | A team of researchers including scientists at the University of Miami (UM) Rosenstiel School of Marine and Atmospheric Science, published new findings that reveal significant damage to Miami's coral reefs from the 16-month dredging operation at the Port of Miami that began in 2013. The study found that sediment buried between half to 90 percent of nearby reefs, resulting in widespread coral death. | The results, published in the journal "Coral reefs worldwide are facing severe declines from climate change," said Andrew Baker, associate professor of marine biology and ecology at the UM Rosenstiel School and senior author of the study. "If we want to conserve these ecosystems for the generations that come after us, it's essential that we do all we can to conserve the corals we still have left. These climate survivors may hold the key to understanding how some corals can survive global changes. We have to start locally by doing all we can to protect our remaining corals from impacts, like dredging, that we have the ability to control or prevent."The researchers reanalyzed data originally collected by consultants as part of the dredge's environmental monitoring program. This program had attributed most of the documented coral losses in the area to a region-wide outbreak of coral disease that occurred at the same time. The new study controlled for these impacts by looking at losses of coral species that were not susceptible to the disease and by testing whether corals closer to the dredge site were more likely to die during the dredge period than those further away. The new analysis revealed that most of the documented coral losses near the Port of Miami were in fact the result of dredging."It was important to differentiate these multiple impacts occurring on the reefs to understand the direct effects of dredging specifically," said lead author Ross Cunning, who began the project while a postdoctoral scientist at the UM Rosenstiel School and is now a research biologist at the Shedd Aquarium in Chicago. "We brought together all the available data from satellites, sediment traps, and hundreds of underwater surveys. Together, the multiple, independent datasets clearly show that dredging caused the major damages observed on these reefs."Florida's reef tract is the only nearshore reef in the continental United States, and coral cover has declined by at least 70 percent since the 1970's. Staghorn corals, which were once common in shallow water, have declined an estimated 98 percent and are now threatened species under the Endangered Species Act. The affected areas adjacent to the dredge site are of high conservation value and have been designated as "critical habitat" for the recovery of these threatened staghorn corals. Nationwide, coral reefs provide over $1.8 billion in flood risk reduction annually.The researchers also studied whether sediment plumes -- milky clouds of suspended dredging sediment visible from space -- could predict impacts observed on the reefs below. The authors found that plumes detected using satellites had a remarkably high correlation with impacts documented on the seafloor. This is the first study to show that satellite data can be reliably used to predict dredging impacts on corals and their habitats."This connection allowed us to predict impacts beyond where ship-based monitoring was taking place, and showed that dredging likely damaged this reef several kilometers away," said study co-author Brian Barnes of the University of South Florida. "While this same relationship may not apply in all projects, this is a remarkable finding that further establishes Earth-observing satellites as independent monitoring tools to fill in gaps where data are otherwise not available.""This study provides a clear and scientifically robust estimate of the impact of this dredging project on Miami's coral reef resources. It tells a devastating story of loss that we cannot afford to ignore any longer," said Rachel Silverstein, executive director and waterkeeper of Miami Waterkeeper and a co-author of the study. "We hope that these findings will provide valuable information to guide restoration of the impacted reefs and prevent these kinds of impacts in the future."The study, titled "Extensive coral mortality and critical habitat loss following dredging and their association with remotely-sensed sediment plumes," was published in the August 2019 online issue of the journal | Pollution | 2,019 |
May 30, 2019 | https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2019/05/190530101204.htm | International travelers experience the harmful effects of air pollution | Even a short stay for travelers in cities with high levels of air pollution leads to breathing problems that can take at least a week from which to recover, a new study shows. | Led by researchers at NYU School of Medicine, the study is the first of its kind, say the authors, to analyze pollution-related coughing and breathing difficulties, and recovery times upon returning home, in healthy, young adults traveling internationally.Published earlier this month in the "We had several reports that tourists were feeling sick when visiting polluted cities, so it became important for us to understand what was really happening to their health," says senior study investigator Terry Gordon, PhD, a professor in the Department of Environmental Medicine at NYU Langone Health.For the study, researchers analyzed six measurements of lung and heart health in 34 men and women traveling abroad for at least a week from the metropolitan New York City area. Most were visiting family in cities with consistently high levels of air pollution, including Ahmedabad and New Delhi, India; Rawalpindi, Pakistan; and Xian, China.Some destinations studied -- Beijing, Shanghai, and Milan -- are heavily polluted during certain months but have relatively cleaner air at other times. Other, mostly European, destinations such as Geneva, London; San Sebastien, Spain; Copenhagen; Prague; Stockholm; Oslo; and Reykjavik had consistently lower levels of air pollution. The research team noted that New York City has relatively low levels of air pollution, in part because of strict regulations, its location on the coast, and weather patterns.Specifically, the study found that being in a polluted city reduced measures of lung function by an average of 6 percent and by as much as 20 percent in some people. Participants also ranked their respiratory symptoms from one (mild) to five (requiring treatment), reporting a cumulative average symptom score of eight.People who visited the highly polluted cities reported as many as five symptoms, while those who visited lower pollution cities had fewer or none. Two patients sought medical attention because of their symptoms. The pollution levels of the cities studied did not make a significant difference in the blood pressure of visitors, researchers say.All study participants had a normal body mass index (between 21 and 29 for men, and between 18 and 26 for women), and none had preexisting health conditions. Before embarking on their travels, all were taught how to measure their lung function and heart rate daily using commercially available spirometers (to measure lung function), wrist blood pressure monitors, and heart rate sensors. Researchers then compared the health data against levels of air pollution collected from local government agencies.The researchers used international standards to categorize highly polluted cities as those having more than 100 micrograms per cubic meter of particulate matter (PM), or air pollution dust. Moderate pollution is anything between 35 and 100 micrograms per cubic meter of PM, and low pollutions levels are anything less than that."What travelers should know is that the potential effects of air pollution on their health are real and that they should take any necessary precautions they can," says study lead investigator M.J. Ruzmyn Vilcassim, PhD, a postdoctoral fellow in the Department of Environmental Medicine.Gordon suggests that those visiting highly polluted cities should consider wearing masks or consult a doctor prior to travel if they have preexisting respiratory or cardiac health difficulties, and to consider avoiding travel during certain months. For instance, farmers burn their fields during the winter months in New Delhi, India, raising levels of pollutants in the city.Although participants gradually returned to normal health, study investigators say there needs to be more follow-up research to know if there were long-term effects, or if longer stays would influence the pollution impact. Next, researchers plan to study international travelers who are more susceptible to the effects of air pollution, such as the elderly and people with asthma or heart conditions.Funding for the study was provided by National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences grants ES000260 and ES007324, an Air Waste and Management Association 2017 Scholarship, and an NYU College of Global Public Health grant.In addition to Gordon and Vilcassim, other NYU School of Medicine researchers include George D. Thurston, ScD; Lung-Chi Chen, PhD; Chris C. Lim, PhD; Eric Saunders, PhD; and Yixin Yao, PhD. | Pollution | 2,019 |
May 30, 2019 | https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2019/05/190530101141.htm | Exposure to airborne metal pollution associated with increased risk of early mortality | Although there is ample evidence that air pollution -- specifically airborne particulate matter -- is associated with an increased risk of premature death, it is still not known which specific particles are responsible for this effect. The Barcelona Institute for Global Health (ISGlobal), a research centre supported by "la Caixa," participated in a study that used wild moss samples to estimate human exposure to airborne metal particles in order to analyse the relationship between atmospheric metal pollution and risk of mortality. | This unique study, based on an innovative approach, has been published in the journal "There have been very few studies on the health effects of airborne metal pollutants, partly because of technical limitations, such as the lack of stations measuring air pollution. We thought that moss, because of its capacity to retain these metals, would be a useful tool for estimating the atmospheric metal exposure of people living in rural areas," explains Bénédicte Jacquemin, ISGlobal and INSERM researcher and last author of the study.The scientists constructed a mathematical model based on the geolocation data for each moss sample and the results of the BRAMM laboratory analysis. This model was then used to map the exposure of each participant to the metals under study. The metals were classified into two groups, according to whether their origin was considered natural or anthropogenic. The final analysis showed that participants exposed to higher atmospheric concentrations of metals of anthropogenic origin had an increased risk of death.The metals deemed to be of anthropogenic origin were cadmium, copper, mercury, lead and zinc. While all of these metals are naturally present in the earth's crust, their presence in the atmosphere is due to human activities, such as industry, traffic and heating."Our results indicate that the metals present in the airborne particulate matter could be a key component in the effects of air pollution on mortality," explains Jacquemin. "It is important to bear in mind that the people we included in this study live in rural areas far from major urban and industrial centres and road networks. This means that they are very likely to be exposed to lower levels of air pollution than people living in urban environments, which gives us an idea of the seriousness of the health effects of air pollution, even at relatively low levels of exposure," she stresses."These findings support our hypothesis that moss bio-monitoring can be a good complementary technique for identifying the toxic components in suspended particulate matter," the researcher adds. | Pollution | 2,019 |
May 29, 2019 | https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2019/05/190529131221.htm | Clean air taxis cut pollution in New York City | New York City Clean Air Taxi rules are successful in cutting emissions and reducing air pollution, according to a new study by researchers at the Columbia University Mailman School of Public Health and Drexel University. Between 2009 and 2015, the legislation more than doubled the fuel efficiency of the fleet of 13,500 yellow taxis, leading to estimated declines in air pollution emissions. The findings are published in the | The scientists report that overall fuel efficiency of the medallion taxi fleet climbed from 15.7 to 33.1 MPG, and corresponding estimates of nitrous oxide and particulate exhaust emissions declined by 82 percent and 49 percent, respectively. They also found these emission reductions were associated with decreases in concentrations of pollutants in the city's air.Introduced in 2006, Clean Air Taxi legislation mandated that at least 9 percent of new medallions for yellow taxis be set aside for hybrid or compressed natural gas vehicles, and incentivized the purchase of low-emission taxis by extending the allowed period of models classified as "clean air" by the United States Environmental Protection Agency. Clean Air Taxi laws do not regulate the city's 100,000 for-hire vehicles like Ubers and Lyfts which are governed by separate laws and regulations."The past decade has seen steady improvements in the quality of air in New York City, and clean-air taxis appear to be one contributing factor," Dustin Fry, MPH, a researcher at Drexel University Dornsife School of Public Health. "This is good news for New Yorkers' health since we know air pollution raises the risks of low birth weight and asthma in children."The researchers created maps to measure taxi traffic intensity across the city and used inspection and trip data to approximate taxi-related exhaust emissions of two major sources of air pollution: nitric oxide and particulate matter. They then used New York City Community Air Survey data collected at more than 100 monitoring sites across the city to estimate the impact of these changes.The biggest effect was seen in Manhattan neighborhoods with a high density of yellow taxis -- not in low-income and outer borough areas with elevated rates of respiratory illness. The authors say this finding suggests other policies are needed to make meaningful advances in improving respiratory health."This study provides evidence that air pollution legislation can have real impact," says study co-author Frederica Perera, PhD, professor of Environmental Health Sciences and director of Translational Research at the Columbia Center for Children's Environmental Health. "Even though overall, yellow taxis account for a small proportion of vehicular miles traveled on New York City's streets, in midtown they account for almost half. Similar regulations targeting other vehicles could make an even bigger difference." | Pollution | 2,019 |
May 29, 2019 | https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2019/05/190529131136.htm | New path to capturing and upgrading carbon dioxide | A research team from U of T Engineering has developed a new electrochemical path to transform CO | "Today, it is technically possible to capture CODirect-air carbon capture is an emerging technology whereby companies aim to produce fuels or plastics from carbon that is already in the atmosphere, rather than from fossil fuels. Canadian company Carbon Engineering, which has built a pilot plant in Squamish, B.C., captures COIn order to be fully recycled, the dissolved carbonate is normally turned back into COThe U of T Engineering team's alternative method applies an electrolyzer, a device that uses electricity to drive a chemical reaction. Having previously used electrolyzers to produce hydrogen from water, they realized that they could also be used to convert dissolved carbonate directly back into CO"We used a bipolar membrane, a new electrolyzer design that is great at generating protons," says Geonhui Lee, who along with postdoctoral fellow Y. Chris Li is among the lead authors of a new paper in Their electrolyzer also contains a silver-based catalyst that immediately converts the CO"This is the first known process that can go all the way from carbonate to syngas in a single step," says Sargent.While many types of electrolyzers have been used to convert CO"Once the COIn the lab, the team demonstrated the ability to convert carbonate to syngas at an overall energy efficiency of 35%, and the electrolyzer remained stable for more than six days of operation.Sargent says that more work will be needed to scale up the process to the levels needed for industrial application, but that the proof-of-concept study demonstrates a viable alternative path for direct-air carbon capture and utilization."It goes a long way toward answering the question of whether it will ever be possible to use air-captured CO | Pollution | 2,019 |
May 29, 2019 | https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2019/05/190529113059.htm | Environmental justice issues | For the past 40 years, research has proven that people of color, low-income communities and ethnic minorities suffer the effects of environmental contamination more than other communities. The Flint, Mich., water crisis and the Dakota Pipeline protests serve as national examples of environmental injustices, but similar issues affect communities across the country. | New research from the University of Pittsburgh's Swanson School of Engineering Mascaro Center for Sustainable Innovation, in partnership with the Kingsley Association and funded by the Heinz Endowments examined the impact that bottom-up, community-level initiatives have in addressing environmental justice issues. They found that the best way to address a community's environmental injustices is to meet them where they are, integrating into the community and building trust over a long-term partnership.Pittsburgh has long struggled with air quality since its early industrial days, and the effects of environmental pollution on health are well-known. Residents in the Greater Pittsburgh region are at twice the cancer risk of surrounding counties, and disadvantaged communities see the worst of it. The East End of Pittsburgh is among the city's most underserved boroughs, struggling with crumbling infrastructure, community disinvestment, and high traffic density. These factors all contribute to the poor air quality affecting citizens' health and wellness, which is what their program, the Environmental Justice Community Action Matrix (EJCAM), is designed to address."When your house is in need of repairs, it can't effectively keep the outdoor air out. Since Americans spend nearly 90 percent of their time indoors, the concentration of pollution inside the house could be a significant contributor to poor health," says Melissa Bilec, PhD, the Roberta A. Luxbacher Faculty Fellow and associate professor of civil and environmental engineering. "I visited one community member's home and noticed that she was using an oxygen tank, and it struck me just how much these environmental issues are impacting people's health inside their own homes."Dr. Bilec and her team, with PhD student, Harold Rickenbacker as a lead, have partnered with the Kingsley Association, a community organization in Larimer, since 2007 on environmental justice initiatives. EJCAM, their most recent collaboration, went through four stages, using the Theory of Change paradigm: outreach, involvement, participatory research and consultation. It culminated in in-house air quality testing that Dr. Bilec says wouldn't have been possible without the trust that their partnership built, especially Harold's commitment and time spent in working with the community.EJCAM created Community Action Teams (CATs), which trained community members to become leaders who would train others and advocate for environmental issues; the Urban Transition Cities Movement (UTCM) brought together unlikely stakeholders community members, non-profit leaders, small businesses, universities, governmental agencies, youth and public officials. Because of these initiatives, community members have become more involved and aware of environmental issues, knowledgeable about green materials, infrastructure and land use practices. They're active in the management of forthcoming landscape features in housing developments and pollution control schemes.The most important thing Dr. Bilec learned through this process was that in order to be effective, the first step must be building trust. And the way to build trust is to be visible in the community over time.Harold Rickenbacker, a PhD candidate working with Dr. Bilec on the initiative and lead author of the paper, dedicated himself to integrating with the community to truly understand its needs and the best way to fill them. He attended community meetings, church gatherings and other events. A mobile air quality monitoring bicycle campaign took researchers and community members to the streets, riding bikes mounted with air particulate counters that give a real-time map of air quality in the area. More than that, it gave the researchers a way to be visible and connect with the community, who would often stop them to ask what they were doing."We found the most important thing we could do was to be present, to listen to the citizens and figure out how our research can help them," says Mr. Rickenbacker. "Community-based initiatives are effective, but they have to be a sustained partnership, not a one-off event." | Pollution | 2,019 |
May 29, 2019 | https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2019/05/190529094009.htm | New light shed on the harms of air pollution | A new University at Buffalo study based on levels before, during and after the Beijing Olympics reveals how air pollution affects the human body at the level of metabolites. | Researchers found that 69 metabolites changed significantly when air pollution changed. Their results were published today (May 29) in the journal The study identified two major metabolic signatures, one consisting of lipids and a second that included dipeptides, polyunsaturated fatty acids, taurine, and xanthine. Many of those metabolites are involved in oxidative stress, inflammation, cardiovascular and nervous systems, researchers note.The findings are based on the Beijing Olympics Air Pollution study, conducted during the 2008 Olympic Games in China, when temporary air pollution controls were implemented. The study was led by UB epidemiologist Lina Mu.The study enrolled 201 adults prior to Beijing's air quality improvement initiative, when air pollution was high. Researchers followed them during the Games, when air pollution was low, and afterward, when levels returned to their usual high in the city of 21 million people. A subset of 26 non-smokers aged 30 to 65 was selected for the metabolomics analysis.Metabolites are small molecules that are the end products of environmental exposures, such as air pollution, and body metabolism. "Think of our body as a society. These metabolites fulfill different positions, such as teacher, farmer, worker, soldier. We need each one functioning properly in order to maintain a healthy system," said Mu, PhD, associate professor of epidemiology and environmental health in UB's School of Public Health and Health Professions."Our study found that the human body had systemic changes at the metabolite level before, during and after the 2008 Beijing Olympics, when ambient air pollution changed drastically," said Zhongzheng Niu, a PhD candidate and a paper co-author.The molecules mostly belonged to the lipid and dipeptide families.The study provides researchers with a broader view of the molecular mechanism underlying the impact of air pollution on the human body. Most previous studies only looked at a small number of molecules. However, the human body is complex and molecules affect one another.Mu and her colleagues used the "omics" method, a new platform that can measure a whole collection of all detectable metabolites -- 886 in their study -- simultaneously. Instead of examining these molecules one by one, Mu and her team used network analysis to analyze them all together."We found that these metabolites together depicted a relatively comprehensive picture of human body responses to air pollution," said paper co-author Rachael Hageman Blair, associate professor of biostatistics at UB. She and her team developed the novel analysis method used in the studyThe responses include cellular stability, oxidative stress, anti-oxidation and inflammation.Researchers measured metabolomics repeatedly when air pollution was high, low and high. Such a design mimicked a "natural experiment" while controlling for variations unrelated to air pollution changes. This provided stronger evidence than previous studies.Air pollution is an environmental exposure that can't be avoided by people who live in places like Beijing. The World Health Organization reports that 91 percent of the world's population lives in places where air quality exceeds WHO guidelines.Once inhaled, air pollutants stimulate the body's respiratory system, including the nose and lungs. Some cells in the body may be directly insulted by these air pollutants, their membrane may be broken, their secretion may be disordered, and they may send out signaling molecules to other organs for subsequent responses, Mu explains. Metabolites are all these broken membranes, secreted products and signals."Capturing these molecules tells us what is going on when people are exposed to air pollution," Mu said.Air pollution also induces cellular oxidative stress, which breaks cell membranes.Researchers found that some molecules that serve as building blocks of cell membranes were elevated when air pollution levels rose. Broken cell membranes release different kinds of lipid molecules. Some of these lipid molecules, with the help of enzymes, turn to inflammatory molecules, which could be harmful to the body."The good thing is that we also found some protective molecules, namely antioxidants, also increased when air pollution is high, indicating our body has a defense system to reduce harm," Mu said.Studies such as this one may help identify individuals most vulnerable to air pollution, as well as finding potential biological pathways to guide treatment that reduces harm to the body, Mu said. | Pollution | 2,019 |
May 28, 2019 | https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2019/05/190528095246.htm | Light at night is harmful for amphibians, new research shows | Light at night might be convenient for humans, but it's having a detrimental effect on amphibian populations, according to new research from Binghamton University, State University of New York. | "Research on the effects of light pollution has recently seen a surge in popularity," said Binghamton University Assistant Professor of Biological Sciences Jessica Hua. "It's difficult to find any place on Earth that is not affected by even minimal light pollution. We recognized a gap in the research and realized that not much was known about how light pollution can impact amphibians. Since amphibians are sensitive to environmental changes, they make great models for studying how pollution of any type can impact other species."Hua, along with graduate student Grascen Shidemantle and undergraduate student Dyllan May, exposed wood frogs to a control and two anthropogenic light conditions: intensified daytime illuminance and artificial light at night (ALAN). They found that both the intensified daytime illuminance treatments and the ALAN treatment decreased hatching success in tadpoles. Tadpoles that were reared in the ALAN treatment, on the other hand, were larger, less active, more sensitive to road salt pollution and had more parasites."Overall, I think the main thing we learned from this study is that exposure to light at night has the potential to make amphibians more susceptible to the effects of additional stressors, like road salt and parasites," said Shidemantle. "This is concerning since these are common stressors that many amphibians have to cope with. The light at night on itself might not have too much of a negative effect on its own, however, since wildlife rarely encounter just one stressor in their natural habitat, the combination of light pollution with additional stressors may have negative impacts on amphibian populations."Shidemantle is considering looking at how light pollution impacts other organisms in wetland ecosystems that amphibians might interact with, such as damselfly larvae which are common predators of tadpoles. She received a grant from the National Science Foundation this year to further explore the effects of light pollution on amphibians."It is critical to understand how humans impact wildlife so that we can make more responsible decisions about how we proceed with activities such as urbanization and construction," said Shidemantle. "Also, it is likely that these effects of light pollution extend beyond just amphibians -- the impacts on amphibians may have indirect effects on other organisms that amphibians interact with in their ecosystem."The paper, "The effect of intensified illuminance and artificial light at night on fitness and susceptibility to abiotic and biotic stressors," was published in | Pollution | 2,019 |
May 24, 2019 | https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2019/05/190524113519.htm | How to prevent mosquitofish from spreading in water ecosystems | Preventing the introduction of the mosquitofish and removing its population are the most effective actions to control the dispersal of this exotic fish in ponds and lakes, according to a study published in the journal | The new study, carried out in water ecosystems close to urban environments of the Barcelona provincial area, is signed by the experts Oriol Cano Rocabayera, Adolfo de Sostoa, Lluís Coll and Alberto Maceda, from the Faculty of Biology and the Biodiversity Research Institute of the University of Barcelona (IRBio).The mosquitofish (This species is especially present in the southern-western areas of the peninsula, the Mediterranean coast and the Ebro basin. In general, it is found in habitats with warm waters, with a low or no flow and shallow waters -- in general, wetlands and the shallow waters in rivers- and areas with agricultural activity or peri-urban areas affected by pollution. In the peninsular area, it is a competitive predator that has forced local species to move -- such as the Spanish toothcarp (Its high fecundity, sexual precocity, tolerance to environmental pollution and competitive superiority are "factors that make its monitoring more difficult if the only strategies to preserve biodiversity in the water ecosystem are based on the improvement of water or the natural habitat," notes researcher Oriol Cano Rocabayera, first author of the article and member of the Department of Evolutionary Biology, Ecology and Environmental Sciences of the UB and IRBio."If some mosquitofish enter a new habitat -or when there are a few of them after a control action to remove the population- this exotic species is able to increase its fecundity rate to balance the population imbalance. However, if the population of mosquitofish is stable and abundant, the fecundity lowers but new mosquitofish are bigger and have more chances of surviving," says Cano.Changes in water regime -- building of dams, canalizations, etc. -- favour the presence of certain exotic species -- like the mosquitofish -- that prefer water with low flow. In general, the restoration of the hydrological regime has the best strategy to control invasive species."However, preventing the arrival of these and removing the populations of mosquitofish in the available ecosystems are the most effective actions for their control. Nevertheless, their small size, the wide range of tolerance, their diet and connectivity of water ecosystems makes this control and their removal very expensive and difficult."The new study reveals that habitats with abundant water plants -for example, naturalized dams- and well-preserved environments improve the physical condition of mosquitofish. Therefore, the complexity of the habitat is a factor that brings more preys and shelter against the attack of the predators. "The mosquitofish's survival in high salinity waters is difficult, and these waters are now the natural habitat where the Spanish toothcarp is limited to," comments Cano Rocabayera.The global distribution of this invasive species -- found in all continents but for the Antarctica -- is related to the areas where it was introduced a century ago due the biological control of mosquitos that carried malaria. Therefore, the most recent outbreaks of tropical diseases transmitted via mosquitoes -- Zika, Chikunguya and Pappataci fever -- make it essential to extreme the surveillance on the effects of the introduction of these exotic fish in the local fauna, especially in tropical regions with a high biodiversity.According to the authors of the study, "we need to apply more effective control measures on the small water masses, that is, in habitats where the complete removal of the population can be guaranteed. Also, we need to raise awareness among people on the danger of releasing exotic animals in the natural environment." | Pollution | 2,019 |
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