Carpets found to retain a stubborn grip on pollutants from tobacco smoke
In rooms where smoking has taken place regularly, tobacco's imprint lingers on indoor surfaces, even long after regular smoking has stopped. The leftover residues, known as thirdhand smoke, can be a long-term source of indoor pollutants. New research.....»»
Working to strengthen Pacific Northwest defenses against wildfires and wildfire smoke
In the summer of 2020, wildfire smoke blanketed the city of Portland, Oregon, leading to a prolonged period of poor air quality and health concerns for residents. Subsequently, in 2021 the city experienced a heat wave with temperatures reaching as hi.....»»
Microbes found to destroy certain "forever chemicals" by cleaving stubborn fluorine-to-carbon bonds
A UC Riverside environmental engineering team has discovered specific bacterial species that can destroy certain kinds of "forever chemicals," a step further toward low-cost treatments of contaminated drinking water sources......»»
Chlorinated flame retardants found to affect avian embryonic development
Short-chain chlorinated paraffins (SCCPs) were listed under the category of globally controlled persistent organic pollutants (POPs) by the Stockholm Convention in 2017. However, SCCPs toxicity, particularly its developmental toxicity in avian embryo.....»»
Wildfire smoke has a silver lining: It can protect vulnerable tree seedlings
Forest scientists at Oregon State University studying tree regeneration have found that wildfire smoke comes with an unexpected benefit: It has a cooling capacity that can make life easier for vulnerable seedlings......»»
2023 Rolling Hills Estates landslide likely began the winter before
Californians are familiar with landslides that occur around storms, when saturated soil and rock loses its grip and slips from its perch on the substrate. These types of landslides can be triggered by intense rainfall, and incoming storms can be a wa.....»»
Canadian wildfire smoke dispersal worsened by coincident cyclones, study suggests
Wildfires are unplanned and unpredictable threats to Earth; while we may intuitively relate them to extreme heat at lower latitudes, they are known to occur in Arctic regions, such as those recently ravaging Russia......»»
Nanocarbon catalyst design unlocks new avenue for sustainable fuel additive production
Vehicle exhaust from fossil fuel combustion constitutes a main source of air pollutants like carbon dioxide and carbon monoxide. To mitigate air pollution, researchers are looking into additives to fuels like dimethoxymethane (DMM). But DMM productio.....»»
In bid to loosen Nvidia’s grip on AI, AMD to buy Finnish startup for $665M
The acquisition is the largest of its kind in Europe in a decade. Enlarge (credit: Akos Stiller/Bloomberg via Getty Images) AMD is to buy Finnish artificial intelligence startup Silo AI for $665 million in one of the lar.....»»
Deadly, record-breaking heat wave grips western US
A record-breaking heat wave continued to grip the western United States on Tuesday, smashing records and endangering lives with little relief in sight......»»
"Southerly busters" in Australia are becoming more frequent but less severe as the climate changes
When Australia's east coast is caught in the grip of a heat wave, relief can come in the form of abrupt, often gale-force wind changes known as "southerly busters.".....»»
Wildfire smoke kills thousands of Californians a year: It doesn"t have to be so deadly, say researchers
When wildfires rage, the immediate threat is obvious—but smoke from the fires actually kills far more people than the flames do. It doesn't have to be so deadly......»»
Thousands told to flee raging California wildfire
Thousands of people have been ordered to evacuate as a wildfire rages out of control in northern California, with a swathe of the United States in the grip of a "record-breaking and dangerous" heat wave that was complicating firefighting efforts......»»
New vestiges of the first life on Earth discovered in Saudi Arabia
Stromatolites are the earliest geological record of life on Earth. These curious biotic structures are made of algae carpets growing toward the light and precipitating carbonates. After their first appearance 3.48 Ga ago, stromatolites dominated the.....»»
This deal on the Dyson V8 cordless vacuum cuts the price by $120
The Dyson V8 Cordless Vacuum is fantastic for removing stubborn pet hair at home. It's on sale now at Walmart......»»
This new robot vacuum competes with rivals nearly twice its price
Available for less than $600, the Yeedi C12 Pro Plus is a surprisngly robust robot vacuum capable of handling both carpets and hard floors......»»
Scientists explore how single-atom catalysts impact water purification in advanced oxidation process
The rapid increase in global industrialization in the past centuries has resulted in the disposal of excessive toxic pollutants into the environment, seriously threatening the aquatic ecosystem and human health. Peroxymonosulfate-based advanced oxida.....»»
The Google Pixel 9 could be in trouble
A recent survey shows that Google phones are struggling to retain customer loyalty and market share in the U.S. market. Here's what's happening......»»
WTF Is With the Pink Pineapples at the Grocery Store?!
Using DNA from tangerines and tobacco, food scientists have made a familiar fruit tastier—and more Instagrammable—than ever. We looked into pink pineapples so you don’t have to......»»
‘Self-Cleaning’ Paint Could Break Down Pollutants on Surfaces and from the Air
Recycled materials contribute to a potential pollutant-neutralizing paint.....»»
Democratizing air quality data at nearly no cost
Due to the high cost of air quality monitors, many countries don't have the tools in place to regularly monitor pollutants. Without routine measurements, policymakers cannot make evidence-based policy decisions to reduce fine particulate matter (PM2......»»