Pollution News

RSS

New Test Could Help Track Shale Gas Hazard in Shallow Groundwater

A new technique to spot contamination of shallow groundwater has been devised by a team of researchers from the Universities of Edinburgh and Glasgow and the Scottish Universities Environmental Research Centre. The new technique can be used for tracking the contamination caused by unconventional gas extraction methods like fracking.

25 Apr 2016

Researchers Identify New Species of Bacteria that Uses Dual Enzymes to Breakdown Plastic

Researchers have identified a species of bacteria that uses just two enzymes to break down plastic. Poly(ethylene terephthalate), or PET, is a type of polymer used in plastic that is highly resistant to biodegradation.

11 Mar 2016

Wastewater Treatment Facilities Ineffective at Removing Certain Chemicals

Farmers in drought areas are especially concerned by this question. As fresh water resources become scarce, one option for water-conscious farmers is to water crops with treated wastewater.

3 Mar 2016

Exposure to Certain Air Pollutants may Impact Pregnancy Outcomes

Pregnant women with asthma may be at greater risk of preterm birth when exposed to high levels of certain traffic-related air pollutants, according to a study by researchers at the National Institutes of Health and other institutions.

2 Mar 2016

Development of Coal-to-Chemicals Industries Could Affect China’s Clean Energy Measures

China’s plan to ramp up production of new chemicals and synthetic fuels made from coal could derail recent efforts to lower its carbon dioxide emissions and instead lock the Chinese government into high-carbon investments for years to come, a new Duke University study finds.

2 Mar 2016

Plastic Waste Could Move into Ocean Depths Through Faeces of Plankton

Plastic waste could find its way deep into the ocean through the faeces of plankton, new research from the University of Exeter and Plymouth Marine Laboratory shows.

1 Mar 2016

Introduction of European Union Policies and New Technologies Reduces Air Pollution

A study led by the University of Leeds has found that about 80,000 deaths are prevented each year due to the introduction of European Union (EU) policies and new technologies to reduce air pollution.

1 Mar 2016

Cooperative Field Study of Air Quality to Advance Air Pollution Monitoring from Space

NASA and the Republic of Korea are developing plans for a cooperative field study of air quality in May and June to advance the ability to monitor air pollution accurately from space.

26 Feb 2016

Reducing U.S. Climate Emissions Could Prevent Pollution-Related Premature Deaths by 2030

Reducing U.S. climate emissions enough to avoid a 2-degree Celsius increase in global warming could prevent up to 175,000 pollution-related premature deaths nationwide by 2030 and generate health benefits of about $250 billion annually, according to a new analysis by researchers at Duke University and the NASA Goddard Institute for Space Studies.

23 Feb 2016

Despite Reduced Sulfur Emissions, Atmospheric Sulfate Particles are Still Acidic

When acidic materials are spilled, the clean-up procedure involves adding a base chemical to neutralize the acid. Up to a point, the more base added, the more neutral and less toxic the spill becomes.

23 Feb 2016