http://www.sciencedaily.com/news/earth_climate/pollution/ Pollution articles. Air pollution, water pollution, noise pollution, soil pollution and more. Read current events articles on pollution, pollution prevention and pollution control. en-us Thu, 22 May 2008 15:05:01 EDT Thu, 22 May 2008 15:05:01 EDT 60 http://www.sciencedaily.com/images/logosmall.gif http://www.sciencedaily.com/news/earth_climate/pollution/ For more science articles, visit ScienceDaily. http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/05/080514143344.htm Exactly how airborne particulates harm our lungs still puzzles epidemiologists, physicians, environmental scientists, and policy makers. Now California Institute of Technology researchers have found that they act by impairing the lungs' natural defenses against ozone. Thu, 15 May 2008 17:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/05/080514143344.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/05/080513171430.htm Exposure to coarse particulate matter air pollution such as from agricultural activities, windblown dust and mechanical grinding is not statistically significantly associated with emergency hospital admissions for respiratory and cardiovascular diseases among Medicare patients This is the largest US nationwide study on the acute health effects of coarse particle pollution. Coarse particles are airborne pollutants that fall between 2.5 and 10 microns in diameter. Thu, 15 May 2008 05:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/05/080513171430.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/05/080515092618.htm US Forest Service scientists with the Center for Urban Forest Research have completed a study that found planting and nurturing Indianapolis street trees brought a 500 percent return in benefits from storm water reduction, energy conservation, cleaner air and increased property values. Thu, 15 May 2008 00:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/05/080515092618.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/05/080513101721.htm A toxic gas present in air pollution and tobacco smoke plays a significant role in triggering tuberculosis infection, according to a new study. The study shows for the first time how carbon monoxide triggers Mycobacterium tuberculosis, the causative agent of tuberculosis, to shift from active infection to a drug-resistant dormant state. TB latency is a global problem that results in tuberculosis escaping detection and treatment. The CO biological trigger happens with both airborne and internal sources of the gas. Wed, 14 May 2008 02:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/05/080513101721.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/05/080513101634.htm With the Olympic Games in sight, the Chinese Government is committed to improving the air quality in Beijing, and has had measures in place since 1998 which have already made a difference. However, there is still some way to go to meet national air quality standards in the Chinese capital, according experts in environmental science in Beijing. Tue, 13 May 2008 20:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/05/080513101634.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/05/080507133259.htm The Amazon rainforest, so crucial to the Earth's climate system, is coming under threat from cleaner air say prominent climate scientists. The new study identifies a link between reducing sulphur dioxide emissions from burning coal and increasing sea surface temperatures in the tropical north Atlantic, resulting in a heightened risk of drought in the Amazon rainforest. Thu, 08 May 2008 14:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/05/080507133259.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/05/080506100329.htm Using sophisticated unmanned aircraft, research scientists hope to assess Southern California's potential for climate change and better understand the sources of air pollution. Thu, 08 May 2008 11:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/05/080506100329.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/05/080506105139.htm Fallow agricultural land and steppe-formation processes are evidently capable of having a much greater effect on global air quality than was previously assumed. This is the conclusion drawn by researchers after examining a dust cloud that formed over parched fields in southern Ukraine and led to extremely high concentrations of particulate matter in Central Europe. On March 24, 2007, the dust cloud spread across Slovakia, Poland and the Czech Republic to Germany. Thu, 08 May 2008 08:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/05/080506105139.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/05/080506163915.htm A recent study shows that mercury releases from products in the US declined dramatically between 1990 and 2005, but that they continue to be a significant source of environmental contamination. Mercury released from products contributes nearly one-third of total mercury emissions to the air in the US The findings offer a new view into the relative magnitudes of the different sources of mercury release. Wed, 07 May 2008 08:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/05/080506163915.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/04/080430103945.htm Researchers have now quantified the amount of excess nitrogen removed from an urban stream during environmental restoration projects. This breakthrough allows environmental managers to assess the pollution-reducing benefits of storm water management and urban stream restoration, and could lead to new nitrogen reduction opportunities as public works managers make repairs to our nation's aging urban infrastructure. Tue, 06 May 2008 02:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/04/080430103945.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/05/080503071646.htm Free radical pollution in the air could be a cause of asthma. Chemists have discovered that the atmospheric nitrate radical irreversibly damages amino acids, which are the building blocks for proteins in the human body. This, they suggest, could be a cause of some respiratory diseases. Mon, 05 May 2008 23:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/05/080503071646.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/05/080501133444.htm Montana State University research about pollution in the Ganges River has reached the Supreme Court of India, producing some optimism among MSU scientists. Sat, 03 May 2008 08:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/05/080501133444.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/05/080501110008.htm Bacteria that feed on seaweed could help in the disposal of pollutants in the world's oceans, according to a new study. Researchers explain that as marine pollution is on the increase novel approaches to removing toxic contaminants is becoming an increasingly pressing issue. Fri, 02 May 2008 20:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/05/080501110008.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/05/080502133720.htm It is a common belief that the water quality of the Charles River and other lakes, streams and rivers is at its worst after a large rainfall because of pollutants carried by runoff. However, a recent study found high concentrations of E. coli bacteria in the Charles River after a long period of no rain. Fri, 02 May 2008 00:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/05/080502133720.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/04/080425081709.htm Living organisms can be used to track the dispersal of atmospheric pollutants, particulates and trace elements. Biomonitoring can be used in environments where a technological approach to monitoring is not only difficult and costly but may be impossible. Mon, 28 Apr 2008 14:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/04/080425081709.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/04/080423181652.htm Last year alone global levels of atmospheric carbon dioxide, the primary driver of global climate change, increased by 0.6 percent, or 19 billion tons. Additionally methane rose by 27 million tons after nearly a decade with little or no increase. NOAA scientists released these and other preliminary findings Aprill 23 as part of an annual update to the agency's greenhouse gas index, which tracks data from 60 sites around the world. Thu, 24 Apr 2008 05:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/04/080423181652.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/04/080422135728.htm Short-term exposure to current levels of ozone in many areas is likely to contribute to premature deaths, says a new National Research Council report, which adds that the evidence is strong enough that the US Environmental Protection Agency should include ozone-related mortality in health-benefit analyses related to future ozone standards. Wed, 23 Apr 2008 02:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/04/080422135728.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/04/080417105446.htm Creating an improved aerodynamic shape for truck trailers by mounting sideskirts can lead to a cut in fuel consumption and emissions of up to as much as 15%. Earlier promising predictions, based on mathematical models and wind tunnel tests have been confirmed during road tests with an adapted trailer. Tue, 22 Apr 2008 08:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/04/080417105446.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/04/080416151943.htm When frogs hit the road, many croak. Researchers found more than 65 animal species killed along a short stretch of roads and nearly 95 percent of the total dead were frogs and other amphibians, suggesting that road-related death, or road-kill, possibly contributes to their worldwide decline. Mon, 21 Apr 2008 14:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/04/080416151943.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/04/080417095919.htm A fuzzy logic approach to analyzing water quality could help reduce the number of people in the developing world forced to drink polluted and diseased water for survival. Fri, 18 Apr 2008 17:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/04/080417095919.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/04/080416214912.htm Ocean Conservancy released its annual report on trash in the ocean with new data from the 2007 International Coastal Cleanup the most comprehensive snapshot of the harmful impacts of marine debris. The mission of Ocean Conservancy's International Coastal Cleanup is to engage people to remove trash from the world's beaches and waterways, to identify the sources of debris and to change the behaviors that cause pollution. Fri, 18 Apr 2008 11:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/04/080416214912.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/04/080415185019.htm A new study reports that inner-city children with asthma may be particularly vulnerable to air pollution at levels below current air quality standards. The study analyzes the short-term effects of outdoor pollution levels on asthma symptoms and lung function in children. Thu, 17 Apr 2008 11:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/04/080415185019.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/04/080414193025.htm Engine exhaust fumes are linked to excess deaths from pneumonia across England, suggests new research. Calculations revealed that pneumonia, peptic ulcer, coronary and rheumatic heart diseases, lung and stomach cancers, and other diseases, were all associated with a range of emissions, as well as deprivation, smoking, binge drinking and a northern UK location. Wed, 16 Apr 2008 23:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/04/080414193025.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/04/080408163231.htm Air pollution in the world's busiest ports and shipping regions may be markedly worse than previously suspected, according to a new study showing that industrial and shipping pollution is exacerbated when it combines with sunshine and salty sea air. Mon, 14 Apr 2008 17:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/04/080408163231.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/04/080410140531.htm In a world without human-produced pollution, biological productivity controls cloud formation and may be the lever that caused supergreenhouse episodes during the Cetaceous and Eocene, according to paleoclimatologists. Fri, 11 Apr 2008 11:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/04/080410140531.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/04/080410170413.htm Air pollution from power plants and automobiles is destroying the fragrance of flowers and thereby inhibiting the ability of pollinating insects to follow scent trails to their source, a new study indicates. This could partially explain why wild populations of some pollinators, particularly bees -- which need nectar for food -- are declining in several areas of the world, including California and the Netherlands. Fri, 11 Apr 2008 05:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/04/080410170413.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/04/080407114644.htm Contaminated seaweeds in Sydney Harbour could be threatening the small animals that feed on them, according to a new study revealing that the harbor's seaweeds have the world's highest levels of copper and lead contamination. Thu, 10 Apr 2008 23:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/04/080407114644.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/04/080409170347.htm Sugar-powered cars may be in your future. Chemists report development of a "revolutionary" process for converting plant sugars into hydrogen, which could be used to cheaply and efficiently power vehicles equipped with hydrogen fuel cells without producing any pollutants. Thu, 10 Apr 2008 05:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/04/080409170347.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/04/080409114631.htm Children exposed to high levels of air pollution during their first year of life run a greater risk of developing asthma, pollen allergies, and impaired respiratory function. However, genetic factors are also at play. Thu, 10 Apr 2008 05:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/04/080409114631.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/04/080407132120.htm Scientists are now flying through springtime Arctic pollution to find out why the region is warming -- and summertime sea ice is melting -- faster than predicted. Some 35 NOAA researchers are gathering with government and university colleagues in Fairbanks, Alaska, to conduct the study. Wed, 09 Apr 2008 17:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/04/080407132120.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/04/080407172656.htm A new, high-resolution, interactive map of US carbon dioxide emissions from fossil fuels has found that the emissions aren't all where we thought. The maps and system, called Vulcan, show carbon dioxide emissions at more than 100 times more detail than was available before. Until now, data on carbon dioxide emissions were reported monthly at the level of an entire state. The Vulcan model examines carbon dioxide emissions at local levels on an hourly basis. Tue, 08 Apr 2008 11:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/04/080407172656.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/04/080403125546.htm An independent scientific analysis gives the Chesapeake Bay (near Washington DC, US) a C-minus in 2007, indicating that Bay ecological conditions were slightly better than the previous year, but far below what is needed for a healthy bay. Mon, 07 Apr 2008 20:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/04/080403125546.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/04/080401165017.htm This month, NASA begins the most extensive field campaign ever to investigate the chemistry of the Arctic's lower atmosphere. The mission is poised to help scientists identify how air pollution contributes to climate changes in the Arctic. Fri, 04 Apr 2008 20:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/04/080401165017.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/04/080401172339.htm Researchers have confirmed for the first time that a "dead zone" has existed off the Texas coast for at least the past 23 years and will likely remain there, causing potential harmful effects to marine life in the area. Fri, 04 Apr 2008 17:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/04/080401172339.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/04/080401095212.htm Bacteria that consume heavy metals have been found in some of the most contaminated parts of the Peak District in the Southern Pennines, UK and may be changing the pollutants into more toxic forms that could leak out into reservoirs. Fri, 04 Apr 2008 02:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/04/080401095212.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/03/080331122552.htm Could combustion without flames be used to build industrial gas turbines for power generation that are much more efficient than current models and produce almost no polluting emissions? Researchers in the Middle East now provide a possible answer in the International Journal of the Environment and Pollution. Wed, 02 Apr 2008 11:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/03/080331122552.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/03/080331092500.htm In a case study on how not to recycle electronic waste (e-waste), scientists in the United States and Hong Kong have documented serious environmental contamination with potentially toxic metals from crude e-waste recycling in a village located in southeast China. Recycling methods used in family-run workshops could pose a serious health risk to residents of the area through ingestion and inhalation of contaminated dust, the researchers say. Tue, 01 Apr 2008 17:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/03/080331092500.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/03/080328070103.htm Independent tests conducted by engineers at the US Department of Energy on a BMW Hydrogen 7 Mono-Fuel demonstration vehicle have found that the car's hydrogen-powered engine surpasses the super-ultra low-emission vehicle level, the most stringent emissions performance standard to date. Mon, 31 Mar 2008 08:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/03/080328070103.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/03/080328091347.htm The American West is heating up more rapidly than the rest of the world, according to a new analysis of the most recent federal government temperature figures. The news is especially bad for some of the nation’s fastest growing cities, which receive water from the drought-stricken Colorado River. The average temperature rise in the Southwest’s largest river basin was more than double the average global increase, likely spelling even more parched conditions. Sun, 30 Mar 2008 14:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/03/080328091347.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/03/080326164430.htm The US public, while aware of the deteriorating global environment, is concerned predominantly with local and national environmental issues. A strong majority of the public expressed general concern about the environment. According to the survey, the top three issues that the public wants the government to address are protecting community drinking water, reducing pollution of U.S. rivers and lakes, and improving urban air pollution issues like smog. In the survey, global warming ranks eighth in importance. Sat, 29 Mar 2008 08:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/03/080326164430.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/03/080326201751.htm Pollution from coal mining may have a negative impact on public health in mining communities. "Residents of coal-mining communities have long complained of impaired health," and researchers say "This study substantiates their claims. Those residents are at an increased risk of developing chronic heart, lung and kidney diseases." Thu, 27 Mar 2008 23:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/03/080326201751.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/03/080325141202.htm A new study predicts that climate change will irreversibly alter water circulation in Lake Tahoe in the Western US, radically changing the conditions for plants and fish in the lake -- and it could happen in 10 years. Wed, 26 Mar 2008 08:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/03/080325141202.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/03/080324103026.htm Despite widespread concerns about preserving the world's largest body of fresh water, researchers report that pollution is continuing in Russia's fabled Lake Baikal. The deepest lake in the world, Lake Baikal holds 20 percent of the world's unfrozen freshwater and is home to more than 1,500 species found nowhere else on earth. Tue, 25 Mar 2008 17:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/03/080324103026.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/03/080320150032.htm Chemists have discovered that a chemical reaction in the atmosphere above major cities long assumed to be unimportant in urban air pollution is in fact a significant contributor to urban ozone -- the main component of smog. Tue, 25 Mar 2008 11:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/03/080320150032.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/03/080323210225.htm Black carbon, a form of particulate air pollution most often produced from biomass burning, cooking with solid fuels and diesel exhaust, has a warming effect in the atmosphere three to four times greater than prevailing estimates. soot and other forms of black carbon could have as much as 60 percent of the current global warming effect of carbon dioxide, more than that of any greenhouse gas besides carbon dioxide. The researchers also noted, however, that mitigation would have immediate societal benefits in addition to the long term effect of reducing greenhouse gas emissions. Mon, 24 Mar 2008 08:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/03/080323210225.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/03/080319085406.htm Scientists know that air pollution particles from mid-latitude cities migrate to the Arctic and form an ugly haze, but a new study finds surprising evidence that polar explorers saw the same phenomenon as early as 1870. Fri, 21 Mar 2008 20:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/03/080319085406.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/03/080319114623.htm A national policy to cut carbon emissions by as much as 40 percent over the next 20 years could still result in increased economic growth, according to an interactive website that reviews 25 of the leading economic models used to predict the economic impacts of reducing emissions. Thu, 20 Mar 2008 02:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/03/080319114623.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/03/080317164336.htm In a new NASA study, researchers taking advantage of improvements in satellite sensor capabilities offer the first measurement-based estimate of the amount of pollution from East Asian forest fires, urban exhaust and industrial production that makes its way to western North America. Tue, 18 Mar 2008 14:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/03/080317164336.htm