NOTICIAS RECIENTES SOBRE CALIDAD DEL AIRE
Containing methane and its contribution to global warming
Methane is a gas that deserves more attention in the climate debate as it contributes to almost half of human-made global warming in the short-term. A new study shows that it is possible to significantly contribute to reduced global warming through the implementation of available technology that limits methane release to the atmosphere.
28.Feb.2020
How much does black carbon contribute to climate warming?
Black carbon particles -- more commonly known as soot -- absorb heat in the atmosphere. For years, scientists have known that these particles are having an effect on Earth's warming climate, but measuring their exact effect has proved elusive.
28.Feb.2020
A better way to detect underground water leaks
Researchers propose a new way to locate water leaks within the tangle of aging pipes found beneath many cities. The improvement could save time, money and billions of gallons of water.
27.Feb.2020
Printer toner linked to genetic changes, health risks in new study
According a new study, the microscopic toner nanoparticles that waft from laser printers may change our genetic and metabolic profiles in ways that make disease more likely.
27.Feb.2020
New method converts carbon dioxide to methane at low temperatures
Scientists developed a new method to convert carbon dioxide to methane with an electric field at low temperatures. In comparison to previous methods, this new method can produce any amount of methane whenever necessary. Because methane is a valuable gas which can be used to generate heat and electricity, this method could be exploited to help reduce the use of fossil fuels and prevent global warming.
27.Feb.2020
Antarctic ice walls protect the climate
Inland Antarctic ice contains volumes of water that can raise global sea levels by several meters. A new study shows that glacier ice walls are vital for the climate, as they prevent rising ocean temperatures and melting glacier ice.
27.Feb.2020
Ancient meteorite site on Earth could reveal new clues about Mars' past
Scientists have devised new analytical tools to break down the enigmatic history of Mars' atmosphere -- and whether life was once possible there. It could help astrobiologists understand the alkalinity, pH and nitrogen content of ancient waters on Mars, and by extension, the carbon dioxide composition of the planet's ancient atmosphere.
26.Feb.2020
Motley crew: Rust and light a possible answer to the conundrum of hydrogen fuel production
Production of hydrogen fuel is a key goal towards the development of sustainable energy practices, but this process does not have feasible techniques yet. Scientists have identified a novel technique of using rust and light to speed up hydrogen production from organic waste solution, a finding that can revolutionize the clean energy industry.
26.Feb.2020
Tadpoles break the tension with bubble-sucking
When it comes to the smallest of creatures, the hydrogen bonds that hold water molecules together to form 'surface tension' lend enough strength to support their mass: think of insects that skip across the surface of water. But what happens to small creatures that dwell below the surface of the water? For tadpoles, they do something called bubble-sucking.
26.Feb.2020
Instrument may enable mail-in testing to detect heavy metals in water
Researchers have developed an approach called SEPSTAT, for solid-phase extraction, preservation, storage, transportation, and analysis of trace contaminants. The method is based on a small, user-friendly device the team developed, which absorbs trace contaminants in water and preserves them in a dry state so the samples can be easily dropped in the mail and shipped to a laboratory for further analysis.
25.Feb.2020
Heatwave exposure linked to increased risk of preterm birth in California
A new study found that exposure to heatwaves during the last week of pregnancy was strongly linked to an increased risk of preterm delivery -- the hotter the temperature or the longer the heatwave, the greater the risk.
25.Feb.2020
What to expect when you're expecting electric transportation
While electric vehicles alone may not reduce carbon emissions, a new study reveals that when electric vehicles are powered with renewable energy and coupled with carbon policy strategies, they can help combat climate change without sacrificing economic growth.
25.Feb.2020
Turbomachine expander offers efficient, safe strategy for heating, cooling
Researchers developed a device to decrease energy consumption of the vapor-compression heat pump cycle, which is commonly used in homes, businesses and vehicles for cooling and heating. The team created a novel turbomachine expander that helps harvest previously wasted energy used in the process of moving the air from high to low pressure. The device can be used as a control agent within an existing heat pump.
25.Feb.2020
Reducing nutrient pollution helps coral resist bleaching
Coral reefs are not doomed. Although human activities threaten the iconic ecosystems in many different ways, scientists maintain that reefs can continue to thrive with the right assistance.
24.Feb.2020
Quadrupling turbines, US can meet 2030 wind-energy goals
The United States could generate 20% of its electricity from wind within 10 years, without requiring any additional land, according to new research.
24.Feb.2020
Let it snow: Quantifiable observation of cloud seeding
Scientists found that cloud seeding in the Idaho mountains produced a total of about 235 Olympic-sized swimming pools' worth of water.
24.Feb.2020
'Grand Challenge' review stresses global impact of microplastics
Microplastics are not just an ocean problem.
24.Feb.2020
Offshore wind farms could power much of coastal China
If China is to meet and exceed its Paris Climate Agreement goal by 2030, it's going to need to find a way to increase its wind capacity. Researchers found that offshore wind could be a big part of the solution.
21.Feb.2020
Old carbon reservoirs unlikely to cause massive greenhouse gas release, study finds
As global temperatures rise, permafrost and methane hydrates -- large reservoirs of ancient carbon -- have the potential to break down, releasing enormous quantities of the potent greenhouse gas methane. But would this methane actually reach the atmosphere? Researchers found that even if methane is released from these natural stores in response to warming, very little reaches the atmosphere; therefore, anthropogenic emissions should be more concerning than these natural feedbacks.
20.Feb.2020
Risk of coronavirus importation in Africa
Egypt, Algeria and Republic of South Africa are the African countries most at risk for coronavirus COVID-19 importation in the continent, due to high air traffic with the contaminated Chinese provinces. But these countries are also among the best equipped on the continent to quickly detect and deal with new cases. In other African countries, the risk of importation is lower, but health organization deficiencies raise concerns about rapid spread.
20.Feb.2020
Illuminating interactions between decision-making and the environment
Employing a game theory model, researchers demonstrate how strategic decisions influence the environment in which those decisions are made, alterations which in turn influence strategy. Their analysis, which identifies how incentives can tip a strategy from one extreme to another, applies to fields as diverse as fisheries dynamics to climate change policy.
19.Feb.2020
Jet stream not getting 'wavier' despite Arctic warming
Rapid Arctic warming has not led to a 'wavier' jet stream around the mid-latitudes in recent decades, pioneering new research has shown.
19.Feb.2020
Fish in the Sahara? Yes, in the early Holocene
Catfish and tilapia make up many of the animal remains uncovered in the Saharan environment of the Takarkori rock shelter in southwestern Libya, according to a new study.
19.Feb.2020
Veggie-loving fish could be the new white meat
A secret to survival amid rising global temperatures could be dwelling in the tidepools of the US West Coast. Biologists studying the genome of an unusual fish residing in those waters offer new possibilities for humans to obtain dietary protein as climate change imperils traditional sources.
19.Feb.2020
Methane emitted by humans vastly underestimated
Researchers measured methane levels in ancient air samples and found that scientists have been vastly underestimating the amount of methane humans are emitting into the atmosphere via fossil fuels. The researchers indicate that reducing fossil fuel use is a key target in curbing climate change.
19.Feb.2020
Do the climate effects of air pollution impact the global economy?
Aerosol emissions from burning coal and wood are dangerous to human health, but it turns out that by cooling the Earth they also diminish global economic inequality, according to a new study.
18.Feb.2020
Warming, acidic oceans may nearly eliminate coral reef habitats by 2100
Rising sea surface temperatures and acidic waters could eliminate nearly all existing coral reef habitats by 2100, suggesting restoration projects in these areas will likely meet serious challenges, according to new research.
18.Feb.2020
New biochemical compound breaks down environmental pollutants
Researchers discover a new biochemical compound that can break down environmental pollutants.
18.Feb.2020
New catalyst recycles greenhouse gases into fuel and hydrogen gas
Scientists have taken a major step toward a circular carbon economy by developing a long-lasting, economical catalyst that recycles greenhouse gases into ingredients that can be used in fuel, hydrogen gas, and other chemicals. The results could be revolutionary in the effort to reverse global warming, according to the researchers.
18.Feb.2020
Earth's glacial cycles enhanced by Antarctic sea-ice
A 784,000 year climate simulation suggests that Southern Ocean sea ice significantly reduces deep ocean ventilation to the atmosphere during glacial periods by reducing both atmospheric exposure of surface waters and vertical mixing of deep ocean waters; in a global carbon cycle model, these effects led to a 40 ppm reduction in atmospheric CO2 during glacial periods relative to pre-industrial level, suggesting how sea ice can drive carbon sequestration early within a glacial cycle.
18.Feb.2020
Freshwater insects recover while spiders decline in UK
Many insects, mosses and lichens in the UK are bucking the trend of biodiversity loss, according to a comprehensive analysis of over 5,000 species.
17.Feb.2020
New green technology generates electricity 'out of thin air'
Electrical engineers and microbiologists have created a device they call an 'Air-gen' or air-powered generator, with electrically conductive protein nanowires produced by the microbe Geobacter. The Air-gen connects electrodes to the protein nanowires in such a way that electrical current is generated from the water vapor naturally present in the atmosphere.
17.Feb.2020
How learning about fish can help us save the Amazon rainforest
They might not be as popular as jaguars and parrots, but fish hold the key to lots of the Amazon rainforest's secrets. Studying the different kinds of fish living in the region's lakes and rivers helps scientists understand how rainforest ecosystems are connected. An investigation of fish populations is helping scientists make a case that protecting one tiny corner of the Guiana Shield can help protect rivers and biodiversity across the Amazon.
17.Feb.2020
Air pollution's tiny particles may trigger nonfatal heart attacks
Scientists have found that even a few hours' exposure to ambient ultrafine particles common in air pollution may potentially trigger a nonfatal heart attack.
14.Feb.2020
Hydropower dams cool rivers in the Mekong River basin, satellites show
Using 30 years of satellite data, researchers discovered that within one year of the opening of a major dam in the Mekong River basin, downstream river temperatures during the dry season dropped by up to 3.6 degrees F (2 degrees C).
14.Feb.2020
Half of US deaths related to air pollution are linked to out-of-state emissions
More than half of all air-quality-related early deaths in the United States are a result of emissions originating outside of the state in which those deaths occur, researchers report.
12.Feb.2020
Small altitude changes could cut climate impact of aircraft by up to 59%
Altering the altitudes of less than 2% of flights could reduce contrail-linked climate change by 59%, says a new study.
12.Feb.2020
How roots find their way to water
Plants use their roots to search for water. While the main root digs downwards, a large number of fine lateral roots explore the soil on all sides. Interestingly, lateral roots appear to already 'know' very early on where they can find water.
12.Feb.2020
Polar bears in Baffin Bay skinnier, having fewer cubs due to less sea ice
Satellite tracking of adult females and visual monitoring of polar bears in Baffin Bay show changes from the 1990s to the period from 2009 to 2015. Bears in Baffin Bay are getting thinner and adult females are having fewer cubs than when sea ice was more available.
12.Feb.2020
Hot climates to see more variability in tree leafing as temperatures rise
Scientists found that while all regions of the country can expect an earlier start to the growing season as temperatures rise, the trend is likely to become more variable year-over-year in hotter regions.
11.Feb.2020
Synthetic chemicals in soils are 'ticking time bomb'
Synthetic chemicals that were released into the environment for the first time 80 years ago have been linked to harmful health effects, and more of them are migrating slowly from the soil, according to new research.
11.Feb.2020
Himalayan glacier shows evidence of start of Industrial Revolution
Human beings altered one of the highest peaks in the Himalayas hundreds of years before a person ever set foot there, new research has found. The study indicates that the byproducts of burning coal in Europe in the late 18th century made their way to the Dasuopu glacier in the central Himalayas, some 6,400 miles as the crow flies from London, the birthplace of the Industrial Revolution.
10.Feb.2020
Twist in the story of volcanism and mass extinctions
An emerging scientific consensus is that gases -- in particular carbon gases -- released by volcanic eruptions millions of years ago contributed to some of Earth's greatest mass extinctions. But new research suggests that that's not the entire story.
10.Feb.2020
The many lives of charcoal
In sub-Saharan Africa, charcoal dominates as an energy resource for cooking. A graduate student traveled to her native Uganda to study how this fuel is produced, traded, and used.
10.Feb.2020
Scientists warn humanity about worldwide insect decline
Insect declines and extinctions are accelerating in many parts of the world. With this comes the disappearance of irreplaceable services to humans, the consequences of which are unpredictable. A group of scientists from across the globe has united to warn humanity of such dangers.
10.Feb.2020
New commuter concern: Cancerous chemical in car seats
The longer your commute, the more you're exposed to a chemical flame retardant that is a known carcinogen and was phased out of furniture use because it required a Proposition 65 warning label in California.
07.Feb.2020
Scientists reveal whole new world of chemistry by stepping indoors
An atmospheric chemist had spent her entire career probing the complexities of outdoor air -- how gases and particles in the atmosphere move, interact and change, and how human activities perturb the air we breathe. Then, she went inside. It turns out the chemistry inside can be vastly more complex than that of outdoor air systems.
06.Feb.2020
Bumblebees carry heavy loads in economy mode
Bumblebees are the big lifters of the insect world, able to fly back to the hive with almost their own bodyweight in nectar on board. A new study shows how they do it -- and that bees can show more flexibility in behavior than you might expect from a bumbling insect.
05.Feb.2020
Nanoparticles produced from burning coal result in damage to mice lungs
Titanium oxide found in coal smog and ash can cause lung damage in mice after a single exposure, with long-term damage occurring in just six weeks.
05.Feb.2020
Global cooling after nuclear war would harm ocean life
A nuclear war that cooled Earth could worsen the impact of ocean acidification on corals, clams, oysters and other marine life with shells or skeletons, according to the first study of its kind.
05.Feb.2020