NOTICIAS RECIENTES SOBRE CALIDAD DEL AIRE
The time is ripe! An innovative contactless method for the timely harvest of soft fruits
In agriculture, there are many mechanical methods to indirectly measure a fruit's ripeness through its firmness. However, most fall short for soft fruits, which do not exhibit the same types of measurable vibration as harder ones. Now, scientists have developed an innovative method to measure fruit firmness using laser-induced plasma shockwaves. Their contactless, non-destructive approach works on mangoes and should be useful for other soft fruits as well.
01.Mar.2021
COVID-19 lockdown highlights ozone chemistry in China
Recently, the ozone season in China has been getting longer, spreading from summer into early spring and late winter. The COVID-19 lockdown can help explain why. Researchers found that decreases in NOx emissions are driving increased ozone pollution in late winter in China.
01.Mar.2021
On calm days, sunlight warms the ocean surface and drives turbulence
In tropical oceans, a combination of sunlight and weak winds drives up surface temperatures in the afternoon, increasing atmospheric turbulence, unprecedented new observational data shows.
01.Mar.2021
True cost of the planet's energy and transport systems
The hidden social, environmental and health costs of the world's energy and transport sectors is equal to more than a quarter of the globe's entire economic output, new research reveals.
01.Mar.2021
Transmission risk of COVID-19 from sewage spills into rivers can now be quickly quantified
Scientists have identified that the COVID-19 virus could be transmitted through faecal contaminated river water.
01.Mar.2021
Rocket launches reveal water vapor effect in upper atmosphere
Results of a 2018 multirocket launch will help scientists better understand the impact of more water vapor accumulating near the fringe of the Earth's atmosphere.
01.Mar.2021
Microplastic sizes in Hudson-Raritan Estuary and coastal ocean revealed
Scientists for the first time have pinpointed the sizes of microplastics from a highly urbanized estuarine and coastal system with numerous sources of fresh water, including the Hudson River and Raritan River.
01.Mar.2021
Extreme melt on Antarctica's George VI ice shelf
Antarctica's northern George VI Ice Shelf experienced record melting during the 2019-2020 summer season compared to 31 previous summers of dramatically lower melt, a new study found. Using satellite observations that detect meltwater on top of the ice and within near-surface snow, the researchers found the most widespread melt of any season. Surface meltwater ponding is potentially dangerous to ice shelves because when these lakes drain, the ice fractures and may trigger ice-shelf break-up.
25.Feb.2021
Follow the smell of the ocean to find where marine predators feed
Researchers have demonstrated that zooplankton can be located by following the concentration gradient of dimethyl sulfide, a chemical that is released when zooplankton forage on phytoplankton, in ocean water and air.
24.Feb.2021
Oxidation processes in combustion engines and in the atmosphere take the same routes
Alkanes, an important component of fuels for combustion engines and an important class of urban trace gases, react via another reaction pathways than previously thought. These hydrocarbons, formerly called paraffins, thus produce large amounts of highly oxygenated compounds that can contribute to organic aerosol and thus to air pollution in cities. The results of this interdisciplinary work provide crucial information about oxidation processes both in combustion engines and in the atmosphere.
23.Feb.2021
Alaska thunderstorms may triple with climate change
Warming temperatures will potentially alter the climate in Alaska so profoundly later this century that the number of thunderstorms will triple, increasing the risks of widespread flash flooding, landslides, and lightning-induced wildfires, new research finds.
23.Feb.2021
Simply speaking while infected can potentially spread COVID-19
COVID-19 can spread from asymptomatic but infected people through small aerosol droplets in their exhaled breath. Most studies of the flow of exhaled air have focused on coughing or sneezing; however, speaking while near one another is also risky. In a new study, scientists used smoke and laser light to study the flow of expelled breath near and around two people conversing in various relative postures commonly found in the service industry.
23.Feb.2021
New sensor paves way to low-cost sensitive methane measurements
Researchers have developed a new sensor that could allow practical and low-cost detection of low concentrations of methane gas. Measuring methane emissions and leaks is important to a variety of industries because the gas contributes to global warming and air pollution.
23.Feb.2021
Environmental policies not always bad for business, study finds
Critics claim environmental regulations hurt productivity and profits, but the reality is more nuanced, according to an analysis of environmental policies in China by a pair of economists.
22.Feb.2021
How outdoor pollution affects indoor air quality
Just when you thought you could head indoors to be safe from the air pollution that plagues the Salt Lake Valley, new research shows that elevated air pollution events, like horror movie villains, claw their way into indoor spaces.
22.Feb.2021
Air pollution puts children at higher risk of disease in adulthood
A new study reveals evidence that early exposure to dirty air alters genes in a way that could lead to adult heart disease, among other ailments. The findings could change the way medical experts and parents think about the air children breathe and inform clinical interventions.
22.Feb.2021
Synthesis of a rare metal complex of nitrous oxide opens new vistas for the degradation of a potent greenhouse gas
Like its chemical relative carbon dioxide (CO2), nitrous oxide (N2O) is an important greenhouse gas and the dominant ozone-depleting substance. Strategies for limiting its emissions and its catalytic decomposition with metals are being developed. A study indicates that nitrous oxide can bind to metals similarly to carbon dioxide, which helps to design new complexes with even stronger bonding. This could allow the use of nitrous oxide in synthetic chemistry.
22.Feb.2021
Long-term exposure to low levels of air pollution increases risk of heart and lung disease
Analysis of records for more than 63 million Medicare enrollees from 2000 to 2016 finds long-term exposure to air pollution had a significant impact on the number of people hospitalized for cardiac and respiratory conditions. Researchers examined three components of air pollution: fine particulate matter, nitrogen dioxide and ozone. Even levels lower than national standards affected heart and respiratory illnesses.
22.Feb.2021
Future ocean warming boosts tropical rainfall extremes
Climate models predict that the difference between El Niño and La Niña related tropical rainfall will increase over the next 80 years, even though the temperature difference between El Niño and La Niña may change only very little in response to global warming. A new study uncovers the reasons for this surprising fact.
22.Feb.2021
New study on the forecasting of extreme rainfall events in Mediterranean countries
A new study identifies nine specific large-scale weather patterns that influence extreme precipitation over the Mediterranean. Making use of this connection between localized extremes and large-scale weather variability can help to better predict heavy rainfall up to three weeks ahead.
22.Feb.2021
Ancient relic points to a turning point in Earth's history 42,000 years ago
The temporary breakdown of Earth's magnetic field 42,000 years ago sparked major climate shifts that led to global environmental change and mass extinctions, a new international study shows.
18.Feb.2021
Human impact on solar radiation levels for decades
Based on the long-term Potsdam radiation time series, researchers have shown that variations in the intensity of sunlight over decades are down to ultra-fine, human-made dirt particles in the atmosphere.
18.Feb.2021
Shale gas development in PA increases exposure of some to air pollutants
Air pollution levels may have exceeded air quality standards during the development of some Marcellus Shale natural gas wells in Pennsylvania, potentially impacting more than 36,000 people in one year alone during the drilling boom, according to scientists.
18.Feb.2021
Skies of blue: Recycling carbon emissions to useful chemicals and reducing global warming
Researchers optimize a novel process for the efficient conversion of carbon emissions into useful chemicals like acetate using microbes
17.Feb.2021
Lakes isolated beneath Antarctic ice could be more amenable to life than thought
Lakes underneath the Antarctic ice sheet could be more hospitable than previously thought, allowing them to host more microbial life.
17.Feb.2021
Scientists develop blood test to predict environmental harms to children
Scientists have developed a method using a DNA biomarker to easily screen pregnant women for harmful prenatal environmental contaminants like air pollution linked to childhood illness and developmental disorders. This approach has the potential to prevent childhood developmental disorders and chronic illness through the early identification of children at risk.
17.Feb.2021
Fishes contribute roughly 1.65 billion tons of carbon in feces and other matter annually
Scientists have little understanding of the role fishes play in the global carbon cycle linked to climate change, but a study found that carbon in feces, respiration and other excretions from fishes - roughly 1.65 billion tons annually - make up about 16 percent of the total carbon that sinks below the ocean's upper layers.
17.Feb.2021
Plastic recycling results in rare metals being found in children's toys and food packaging
Scientists tested a range of new and used products - including children's toys, office equipment and cosmetic containers - and found they contained quantities of rare earth elements.
17.Feb.2021
The 20 best places to tackle US farm nitrogen pollution
A pioneering study of U.S nitrogen use in agriculture has identified 20 places across the country where farmers, government, and citizens should target nitrogen reduction efforts. The 20 nitrogen 'hotspots of opportunity'-- which appear on a striking map -- represent a whopping 63% of the total surplus nitrogen balance in U.S. croplands, but only 24% of U.S. cropland area. Nitrogen inputs are so high in these areas that farmers can most likely reduce nitrogen use without hurting crop yields.
17.Feb.2021
Thermal energy storage with new solution meant to ease grid stress
Scientists have developed a simple way to better evaluate the potential of novel materials to store or release heat on demand in your home, office, or other building in a way that more efficiently manages the building's energy use.
16.Feb.2021
Electricity source determines benefits of electrifying China's vehicles
Researchers have concluded air quality and public health benefits of EVs -- as well as their ability to reduce carbon emissions -- in China are dependent on the type of transport electrified and the composition of the electric grid.
16.Feb.2021
Shrubs and soils: A hot topic in the cool tundra
As the climate warms in the Arctic, shrubs expand towards higher latitudes and altitudes. Researchers investigated the impacts of dwarf shrubs on tundra soils in the sub-Arctic Fennoscandia.
16.Feb.2021
Corn belt farmland has lost a third of its carbon-rich soil
More than one-third of the Corn Belt in the Midwest - nearly 100 million acres - has completely lost its carbon-rich topsoil, according to new research that indicates the U.S. Department of Agricultural has significantly underestimated the true magnitude of farmland erosion.
15.Feb.2021
Commuters are inhaling unacceptably high levels of carcinogens
New research shows the average commuter in California is breathing unsustainably high levels of benzene and formaldehyde, two Prop. 65-listed, carcinogenic chemicals.
15.Feb.2021
More trees do not always create a cooler planet, study shows
New research by an environmental scientist reveals that deforestation in the U.S. does not always cause planetary warming, as is commonly assumed; instead, in some places, it actually cools the planet.
12.Feb.2021
Increasing hurricane intensity around Bermuda linked to rising ocean temperatures
New research shows that hurricane maximum wind speeds in the subtropical Atlantic around Bermuda have more than doubled on average over the last 60 years due to rising ocean temperatures in the region.
12.Feb.2021
Facts on the ground: How microplastics in the soil contribute to environmental pollution
Plastic is a major threat to the environment. Of particular ecological risk is its manifestation as microplastics (
11.Feb.2021
The songs of fin whales offer new avenue for seismic studies of the oceanic crust
The songs of fin whales can be used for seismic imaging of the oceanic crust, providing scientists a novel alternative to conventional surveying.
11.Feb.2021
Emissions of banned ozone-depleting substance are back on the decline
Global emissions of a potent substance notorious for depleting the Earth's ozone layer -- the protective barrier which absorbs the Sun's harmful UV rays -- have fallen rapidly and are now back on the decline, according to new research.
10.Feb.2021
Pre-COVID subway air polluted from DC to Boston, but New York region's is the worst, study finds
Commuters now have yet another reason to avoid packing themselves into subway stations. New York City's transit system exposes riders to more inhaled pollutants than any other metropolitan subway system in the Northeastern United States, a new study finds. Yet even its 'cleaner' neighbors struggle with enough toxins to give health-conscious travelers pause.
10.Feb.2021
Dragonflies perform upside down backflips to right themselves
High speed cameras and CGI technology have revealed the inbuilt righting mechanisms used by dragonflies when they are thrown off balance.
09.Feb.2021
'Defective' carbon simplifies hydrogen peroxide production
Scientists introduce a new catalyst to reduce oxygen to widely used hydrogen peroxide. The process sidesteps complex and expensive processes that generate toxic organic byproducts and large amounts of wastewater.
09.Feb.2021
The pandemic lockdown leads to cleaner city air across Canada, paper reveals
Researchers found that emission levels dropped dramatically over the course of the pandemic. They measured downtown air quality monitoring station data from eight Canadian cities and compared their concentration levels of nitrogen dioxide, carbon monoxide and sulfur dioxide between February and August 2020 to the figures recorded over the same period in 2018 and 2019. They also used satellite imagery and urban transportation fuel consumption figures to investigate emissions traffic congestion data provided by tracking technology embedded in phones and cars worldwide.
09.Feb.2021
Long-term environmental damage from transportation projects in Kenya, scientists warn
The construction of a major railway through Kenya will have long-term environmental impacts on the area, suggesting more work needs to be done to limit the damage on future infrastructure projects, a major study reveals.
09.Feb.2021
Shining a light on the true value of solar power
Utility companies have worried that solar panels drive up electric costs for the people who don't have panels. Renewable energy researchers show the opposite is actually true -- grid-tied solar photovoltaic (PV) owners are actually subsidizing their non-PV neighbors.
09.Feb.2021
High greenhouse gas emissions from Siberian Inland Waters
Rivers and lakes at high latitudes are considered to be major sources for greenhouse gas emissions to the atmosphere, but these losses are poorly constrained. Researchers quantify carbon emissions from rivers and lakes across Western Siberia, finding that emission are high and exceed carbon export to the Arctic Ocean.
09.Feb.2021
Arctic permafrost releases more CO2 than once believed
There may be greater CO2 emissions associated with thawing Arctic permafrost than ever imagined. An international team of researchers has discovered that soil bacteria release CO2 previously thought to be trapped by iron. The finding presents a large new carbon footprint that is unaccounted for in current climate models.
09.Feb.2021
Biologists uncover forests' unexpected role in climate change
Biologists shows that trees around the world are consuming more carbon dioxide than previously reported, making forests even more important in regulating the Earth's atmosphere and forever shift how we think about climate change.
08.Feb.2021
Fast-growing parts of Africa see a surprise: Less air pollution from seasonal fires
In Africa, air pollution recently surpassed AIDS as the leading cause of premature death. But researchers have discovered at least a temporary bright spot: dangerous nitrogen oxides, byproducts of combustion, are declining across the north equatorial part of the continent. The reason: a decline in the longtime practice of setting of dry-season fires to manage land.
08.Feb.2021
How rocks rusted on Earth and turned red
How did rocks rust on Earth and turn red? A new study has shed new light on the important phenomenon and will help address questions about the Late Triassic climate more than 200 million years ago, when greenhouse gas levels were high enough to be a model for what our planet may be like in the future.
08.Feb.2021