NOTICIAS RECIENTES SOBRE CALIDAD DEL AIRE
Environmental contaminants alter gut microbiome, health
The microbes that inhabit our bodies are influenced by what we eat, drink, breathe and absorb through our skin, and most of us are chronically exposed to natural and human-made environmental contaminants. Scientists review the research linking dozens of environmental chemicals to changes in the gut microbiome and associated health challenges.
21.May.2020
Scientists find evidence of link between diesel exhaust, risk of Parkinson's
A new study in zebrafish identified the process by which air pollution can damage brain cells, potentially contributing to Parkinson's disease.
21.May.2020
Ancient ocean oxygen levels associated with changing atmospheric carbon dioxide
Why do carbon dioxide levels in the atmosphere wax and wane in conjunction with the warm and cold periods of Earth's past? Scientists have been trying to answer this question for many years, and thanks to chemical clues left in sediment cores extracted from deep in the ocean floor, they are starting to put together the pieces of that puzzle.
20.May.2020
In China, quarantine improves air and prevents thousands of premature deaths
A new study finds that China's countrywide ban on traffic mobility from February 10 to March 14, 2020 greatly limited automobile emissions and sharply reduced the country's often severe air pollution. The improved air quality, in turn, prevented thousands of pollution-related deaths.
20.May.2020
Spring rains are a surprising source of pollen
Spring rains washes away some pollen, but not all. Researchers have found tree pollen fragments can remain airborne for hours after a storm. The tiny pollen particles can exacerbate allergies because they can reach deep in the lungs.
20.May.2020
Microplastics found in Florida's birds of prey for first time
A new study has confirmed and quantified, for the first time, the presence of microplastics in terrestrial and aquatic birds of prey in Florida, including hawks, ospreys and owls. The research is important because birds of prey are critical to a functioning ecosystem. The accumulation of microplastics in their digestive systems could lead to poisoning, starvation and death.
20.May.2020
Great potential in regulating plant greenhouse gas emissions
New discoveries on the regulation of plant emissions of isoprenoids can help in fighting climate change - and can become key to the production of valuable green chemicals.
20.May.2020
But it's a dry heat: Climate change and the aridification of North America
Discussions of drought often center on the lack of precipitation. But among climate scientists, the focus is shifting to include the growing role that warming temperatures are playing as potent drivers of greater aridity and drought intensification.
19.May.2020
The same few industrial facilities emit majority of toxic pollution year after year
Call them 'super polluters' -- the handful of industrial facilities that emit unusually high levels of toxic chemical pollution year after year. There are only a few of them, but together they account for the majority of annual industrial pollution.
19.May.2020
Aggressive carbon taxation could help US meet targets in Paris agreement
A new study looked at US tax policy as it relates to carbon dioxide (CO2), from 2015 through 2030. The study found only limited short-term opportunities for decarbonization (reducing greenhouse gas emissions) outside the electricity sector. The result is substantial CO2 tax revenue. The findings shed light on future tax policy decisions.
19.May.2020
COVID-19 crisis causes 17 percent drop in global carbon emissions
The COVID-19 global lockdown has had an 'extreme' effect on daily carbon emissions, but it is unlikely to last, according to a new analysis.
19.May.2020
How climate killed corals
A squad of climate-related factors is responsible for the massive Australian coral bleaching event of 2016. If we're counting culprits: it's two by sea, one by land.
18.May.2020
South Asia faces increased threat of extreme heat, extreme pollution, study shows
Scientists know that extreme heat has a negative impact on the human body -- causing distress in the respiratory and cardiovascular systems -- and they know that extreme air pollution can also have serious effects. But as climate change impacts continue globally, how often will humans be threatened by both of those extremes when they occur simultaneously?
18.May.2020
Eavesdropping crickets drop from the sky to evade capture by bats
Researchers have uncovered the highly efficient strategy used by a group of crickets to distinguish the calls of predatory bats from the incessant noises of the nocturnal jungle. The findings reveal the crickets eavesdrop on the vocalizations of bats to help them escape their grasp when hunted.
18.May.2020
Mussel reefs heighten risk of microplastic exposure and consumption
In the first study of its kind, scientists found that when mussels were clumped together forming reefs -- as they do in nature -- the reef structure resulted in a three-fold rise in the amount of ingested plastic.
18.May.2020
Climate change threatens progress in cancer control
Climate change threatens prospects for further progress in cancer prevention and control, increasing exposure to cancer risk factors and impacting access to cancer care, according to a new commentary.
18.May.2020
Modern sea-level rise linked to human activities
New research reaffirms that modern sea-level rise is linked to human activities and not to changes in Earth's orbit. Surprisingly, the Earth had nearly ice-free conditions with carbon dioxide levels not much higher than today and had glacial periods in times previously believed to be ice-free over the last 66 million years, according to a new article.
15.May.2020
CFC replacements are a source of persistent organic pollution in the Arctic
Substances used to replace ozone-depleting chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs) may be just as problematic as their predecessors, a new study shows.
14.May.2020
The revolt of the plants: The Arctic melts when plants stop breathing
Researchers have identifies a physiologic mechanism in vegetation as cause for Arctic warming.
14.May.2020
The exposome: When our environment drives health and disease
The exposome is the sum of all the environmental drivers of health and diseases: a combination of external factors such as chemicals contained in the air, water or food, and of internal components produced by our organism in response to various stress factors. This very complex set of elements is continually evolving, and to map it fully is a challenging undertaking.
14.May.2020
How particulate matter arises from pollutant gases
When winter smog takes over Asian mega-cities, more particulate matter is measured in the streets than expected. An international team has now discovered that nitric acid and ammonia contribute to the formation of additional particulate matter. Nitric acid and ammonia arise in city centers predominantly from car exhaust. Experiments show that the high local concentration of the vapors in narrow and enclosed city streets accelerates the growth of tiny nanoparticles into stabile aerosol particles.
14.May.2020
New, rapid mechanism for atmospheric particle formation
Researchers have discovered a previously unknown mechanism that allows atmospheric particles to very rapidly form under certain conditions. The research could aid efforts to model climate change and reduce particle pollution in cities.
13.May.2020
Cold War nuke tests changed rainfall
Historic records from weather stations show that rainfall patterns in Scotland were affected by charge in the atmosphere released by radiation from nuclear bomb tests carried out in the 1950s and '60s.
13.May.2020
Street smarts required in heat mitigation
Researchers investigated how solar reflective coatings on select Los Angeles city streets affected radiant heat and, in turn, pedestrians' comfort on a typical summer day. The idea is, if you coat a street with a lighter color than traditional pavement black, it will actually lower the surrounding temperatures. But researchers wanted to measure what effect reflective coating had on pedestrians.
11.May.2020
Photosynthesis in a droplet
For hundreds of millions of years plants have had the ability to harness carbon dioxide from the air using solar energy. The research network is on the trail of building artificial cells as sustainable green bioreactors. A research team has now succeeded in developing a platform for the automated construction of cell-sized photosynthesis modules. The artificial chloroplasts are capable of binding and converting the greenhouse gas carbon dioxide using light energy.
11.May.2020
COVID-19 lockdowns significantly impacting global air quality
Levels of two major air pollutants have been drastically reduced since lockdowns began in response to the COVID-19 pandemic, but a secondary pollutant -- ground-level ozone -- has increased in China, according to new research.
11.May.2020
Water loss in northern peatlands threatens to intensify fires, global warming
Scientists have uncovered new information about the distinct effects of climate change on boreal forests and peatlands, which threaten to worsen wildfires and accelerate global warming.
11.May.2020
Potentially fatal combinations of humidity and heat are emerging across the globe
A new study has identified thousands of incidents of previously rare or unprecedented extreme heat/humidity combinations in parts of Asia, Africa, Australia, South America and North America, including in the U.S. Gulf Coast region.
08.May.2020
Human-driven pollution alters the environment even underground
The Monte Conca cave system in Sicily is showing signs of being altered by pollution from above.
08.May.2020
A radar for plastic: High-resolution map of 1 kilometer grids to track plastic emissions in seas
Plastic waste often ends up in river bodies and oceans, posing a serious threat to the marine ecosystem. To prevent the accumulation of plastic debris, we must find out where plastic emission is prevalent. To this end, scientists have come up with a new method to track plastic emissions from inland areas to sea. This method is useful to identify the ''hotspots'' of plastic emission and can even help to implement appropriate measures to avoid plastic pollution.
07.May.2020
Cold air with water vapor rises: What that means for earth's climate
In the tropical atmosphere, cold air rises due to an overlooked effect -- the lightness of water vapor. This effect helps to stabilize tropical climates, and the impacts of a warming climate would be much worse without it.
06.May.2020
Simulations forecast US nationwide increase in human exposure to extreme climate events
Using the now-decommissioned Titan supercomputer, a team of researchers estimated the combined consequences of many different extreme climate events at the county level, a unique approach that provided unprecedented regional and national climate projections that identified the areas most likely to face climate-related challenges.
05.May.2020
Surf and turf: Green new deal should be a 'teal new deal'
Incorporating the oceans into climate policy is essential, scientists say in a new article.
05.May.2020
Saving energy and lives: How a solar chimney can boost fire safety
Built as part of the sustainable features of a new Australian building, the specially-designed solar chimney radically boosts safe evacuation time in a fire - from 2 minutes to over 14 minutes.
05.May.2020
Climate change has been influencing where tropical cyclones rage
While the global average number of tropical cyclones each year has not budged from 86 over the last four decades, climate change has been influencing the locations of where these deadly storms occur, according to new research.
04.May.2020
Pacific oysters may not contain as many microplastics as previously thought
Researchers have discovered that the abundance of tiny microplastic contaminants in Pacific oysters from the Salish Sea is much lower than previously thought.
04.May.2020
Scientists take a step closer to heat-tolerant wheat
Researchers working on molecular-level responses in crops have taken a step closer to their goal of producing heat-tolerant wheat.
04.May.2020
Window to another world: Life is bubbling up to seafloor with petroleum from deep below
Microbial life is bubbling up to the ocean floor along with fluids from deeply buried petroleum reservoirs, reports a team of scientists.
01.May.2020
Capturing CO2 with new self-forming membrane
A new class of self-forming membrane has been developed. Capturing the carbon dioxide which can then be processed, the membrane dramatically reduced the demand for silver and the cost.
01.May.2020
CO2 emissions from dry inland waters globally underestimated
Inland waters play an important role in the global carbon cycle. Calculations that scale up the carbon dioxide emissions from land and water surface areas do not take account of inland waters that dry out intermittently. This means that the actual emissions from inland waters have been significantly underestimated -- as shown by the results of a recent international research project.
01.May.2020
Naked mole-rats need carbon dioxide to avoid seizures and here's why
African naked mole-rats are sometimes referred to as animal superheroes. They resist cancer, tolerate pain, and live a remarkably long time. They're also known for their ability to handle high levels of carbon dioxide and can go for several minutes without oxygen. But researchers say they may have found the mole-rats' kryptonite: they need high levels of carbon dioxide to function.
30.Abr.2020
Shrinking instead of growing: How shrews survive the winter
Even at sub-zero temperatures, common shrews do not need to increase their metabolism.
29.Abr.2020
Long-term consequences of coastal development as bad as an oil spill on coral reefs
Oil pollution is known to cause lethal and sublethal responses on coral communities in the short-term, but its long-term effects have not been widely studied. The Bahia Las Minas oil spill, which contaminated about 40 square kilometers (about 15 square miles) near the Smithsonian's Galeta Point Marine Laboratory in Colon and became the largest recorded near coastal habitats in Panama, served as an opportunity to understand how coral reefs in tropical ecosystems recover from acute contamination over time.
29.Abr.2020
Upcycling spongy plastic foams from shoes, mattresses and insulation
Researchers have developed a new method for upcycling polyurethane foams, the spongy material found in mattresses, insulation, furniture cushions and shoes.
29.Abr.2020
Plastic pollution reaching the Antarctic
Food wrapping, fishing gear and plastic waste continue to reach the Antarctic. Two new studies detail how plastic debris is reaching sub-Antarctic islands.
28.Abr.2020
Simulating borehole ballooning helps ensure safe drilling of deep-water oil, gas
A device which simulates borehole ballooning, a detrimental side effect of deep-water drilling operations, is expected to ensure safe and efficient operations. If not prevented, borehole ballooning can lead to irreversible damage and serious drilling accidents, which can result in reservoir pollution and huge economic loss. In Review of Scientific Instruments, researchers present a device that can simulate this dangerous phenomenon in the hopes of preventing it.
28.Abr.2020
Honey bees could help monitor fertility loss in insects due to climate change
New research could help scientists track how climate change is impacting the birds and the bees... of honey bees.
27.Abr.2020
Catalyst opens door to more efficient, environmentally friendly ethylene production
Researchers have engineered a new catalyst that can more efficiently convert ethane into ethylene, which is used in a variety of manufacturing processes. The discovery could be used in a conversion process to drastically reduce ethylene production costs and cut related carbon dioxide emissions by up to 87%.
24.Abr.2020
Falling visibility shows African cities suffering major air pollution increases
Falling visibility in three major African cities reveals that air pollution has increased significantly over the last 45 years - leaving citizens facing further short-term increases in human-made pollution due to increasing urbanization and economic development, a new study reveals.
23.Abr.2020
Digital agriculture paves the road to agricultural sustainability
Researchers outline how to develop a more sustainable land management system through data collection and stakeholder buy-in.
22.Abr.2020