Microplastics could make other pollutants more harmful
Microplastics—small plastic pieces less than five millimeters in length—are becoming a ubiquitous ecological contaminant. Studies suggest that on their own, these tiny bits are potentially harmful, and it's unclear what effect they could have on.....»»
Extreme heat, wildfire smoke harm low-income and nonwhite communities the most, study finds
Extreme heat and wildfire smoke are independently harmful to the human body, but together their impact on cardiovascular and respiratory systems is more dangerous and affects some communities more than others......»»
Why are people climate change deniers? Study reveals unexpected results
Do climate change deniers bend the facts to avoid having to modify their environmentally harmful behavior? Researchers from the University of Bonn and the Institute of Labor Economics (IZA) ran an online experiment involving 4,000 US adults, and foun.....»»
Cops bogged down by flood of fake AI child sex images, report says
Investigations tied to harmful AI sex images will grow "exponentially," experts say. Enlarge (credit: SB Arts Media | iStock / Getty Images Plus) Law enforcement is continuing to warn that a "flood" of AI-generated fake.....»»
New Zealand to ban "forever chemicals" in make-up
New Zealand is set to become one of the first countries to ban harmful "forever chemicals" from cosmetic products, environment watchdogs said Wednesday......»»
Pollutants from aerosols and river runoff are changing the marine phosphorus cycle in coastal seas, finds study
New research into the marine phosphorus cycle is deepening our understanding of the impact of human activities on ecosystems in coastal seas. The research, co-led by the University of East Anglia, in partnership with the Sino-UK Joint Research Centre.....»»
Microparticles from road tires are "high concern" pollutants, research shows
Plastic microparticles released into the environment from common road tires should be treated as a "high concern" pollutant that may exceed chronic safety limits in some heavily contaminated environments, new research has shown......»»
Study shows much more pollution leaking into atmosphere from oil sands operations than thought
An international team of chemical and environmental engineers has found that oil sands operations in Canada are emitting significantly more pollutants into the air than previously thought. In their study, reported in the journal Science, the group co.....»»
Alarming levels of PFAS contamination found in small coastal ecosystems
Micro-estuaries, often overlooked but vital ecosystems supporting biodiversity and enhancing human life quality in densely populated areas, play a crucial role in controlling the transfer of pollutants from land to sea. A new study investigating the.....»»
Study reveals ecological threat of trace organic pollutants in China"s wastewater effluents
Wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) are good at cleaning up common pollutants but often miss tiny amounts of other harmful substances, known as trace organic pollutants......»»
Fungal infections affect pine trees" ability to ward off mountain pine beetles
University of Alberta research provides new insight into how harmful fungal infections could affect the ability of lodgepole pines to defend themselves from deadly mountain pine beetle attacks......»»
Aluminum mining waste could be a source of green steel
After the extraction, the remaining waste is less harmful to the environment. Enlarge / A red mud retaining pond in Germany. (credit: Wikimedia Commons) The metals that form the foundation of modern society also cause a.....»»
Galápagos penguin is exposed to and may accumulate microplastics at high rate within its food web, modeling suggests
Modeling shows how microplastics may bioaccumulate in the Galápagos Islands' food web, with Galápagos penguins most affected, according to a study published in PLOS ONE by Karly McMullen from the University of British Columbia, Canada, under the su.....»»
Bloom-forming cyanobacteria and dinoflagellates in five Argentinian reservoirs: A multi-year sampling
Harmful algal blooms (HABs), characterized by the proliferation of detrimental algae and cyanobacteria, occur worldwide. HABs include any event causing adverse effects on human health, socioeconomic interests, or aquatic systems. The consequences of.....»»
Tiny water-walking bugs provide scientists with insights on how microplastics are pushed underwater
Microplastics are tiny plastic particles that can cause big problems when they enter the water supply. One way my fluid dynamics lab explores microplastic movement is by studying how tiny water-walking insects are pushed underwater by raindrops......»»
Sexual minority young people in Canada more likely to experience harmful police contact, finds study
While there has been much public scrutiny and research on police interactions and violence towards sexual minorities in the United States, there is a gap in the current literature on how sexual minorities fare with law enforcement contact in Canada......»»
Exploding kamikaze bacteria: How a few "soldier" cells confer virulence to a population by sacrificing themselves
You suddenly feel sick—pathogenic bacteria have managed to colonize and spread in your body. The weapons they use for their invasion are harmful toxins that target the host's defense mechanisms and vital cell functions. Before these deadly toxins c.....»»
Jinglinxi, China: Ditches and ponds could be used in upland catchments to balance drainage and intercept pollutants
Globally, non-point source pollution is an important source of water quality deterioration in rivers and lakes. A ditch-pond system, consisting of ditches and ponds, is considered to be similar to free-surface wetlands, linking pollution sources to t.....»»
New material opens up possibility of converting water pollutants into hydrogen gas
WPI Researchers have developed a material to remove urea from water and potentially convert it into hydrogen gas. By building these materials of nickel and cobalt atoms with carefully tailored electronic structures, the group has unlocked the potenti.....»»
Education and understanding is vital when tackling rising reports of harmful sexual behavior by children
An analysis of data from 42 police forces across England and Wales has found that over half of the 106,984 child sexual abuse cases in 2022 involved reported offenses by young people aged between ten and 17. This is a rise of 7.6% from 2021......»»
Global collaboration of scientists needed to solve polycrisis, say researchers
Heightened global interconnectivity and human pressures on planetary boundaries generate increasingly harmful and extensive crisis interactions that make it impossible to solve any one problem alone, findings published in Global Sustainability reveal.....»»