Air and Water
Pollution recognizes no political boundaries—and that includes radiation
Scientists have long recognized that many pollutants travel far from where they originated. Power plant emissions can be carried by winds to distant states, where they contribute to acid rain, ground-level ozone, or mercury in isolated lakes. That’s why some of our national parks, even though they are protected areas, have smog and haze problems.
The challenge for scientists is teasing out the sources of pollution once they have dispersed. Although some elements carry isotopic signatures, others do not; so it’s challenging to trace pollutants like lead or compounds like nitrogen oxides back to their precise source.
The earthquake and tsunami that damaged the Fukushima nuclear power plant in Japan last year provided an inadvertent demonstration of how air currents can transport pollution over long distances. Within a week of the earthquake, radioactive material was found in rainfall on the west coast of North America. It was in such small concentrations that it didn’t pose a health hazard. But the point is that, because there was no other possible source for the radioactive material, it served as a tracer. Meteorologists noted a strong jet stream over Japan in the days after the disaster; it carried the contaminants across the Pacific where they were then deposited in rainfall.
Although this fallout did not prove hazardous to Americans, the story is a sobering reminder that ocean and air currents are powerful mechanisms for moving pollution. We can’t control or regulate them. It is also a reminder that no matter how safe the nuclear power industry portrays itself to be, all of the safeguards in the world could not prevent the disaster that unfolded in Japan.
Web Link
Scientific paper on Fission-Product Isotopes from Fukushima to U.S.
http://pubs.acs.org/doi/abs/10.1021/es203217u
Photo, taken on May 20, 2007 using a Nikon Coolpix L5, courtesy of J. Brew via Flickr.
Most air pollutants come from the fuels we burn, but one comes from the air we breathe
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Nitrogen forms three-quarters of our atmosphere. In its principal atmospheric form, it is inert. A process called nitrogen fixation, which is accomplished by soil microbes or by combustion, converts nitrogen to reactive compounds. In these reactive forms, such as nitrogen oxides, nitrogen is an important plant nutrient. [Read more…] about Most air pollutants come from the fuels we burn, but one comes from the air we breathe
A new renewable energy source is making waves
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For years, when we talked about using renewable energy, our options were solar, wind, geothermal, and hydropower. Each has its pluses and minuses, but each is a significant step away from burning fossil fuel. [Read more…] about A new renewable energy source is making waves
Deer appetites shape the future of our forests
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Chances are good that either you or someone you know has had both positive and negative experiences with deer. Vehicle collisions, damage to landscape plantings, and intrusions into fruit and vegetable gardens are common negative occurrences. [Read more…] about Deer appetites shape the future of our forests
What comes around goes around
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Modern society produces a lot of wastewater. Households, hospitals, businesses, and institutions discharge their dirty water into sewers. Each month, we allow every industry in the U.S. to discharge 33 pounds of hazardous waste. Sewage treatment plants are tasked with removing pathogens, metals, and an array of chemical compounds. [Read more…] about What comes around goes around
Wake up and smell the coffee
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We can add high quality coffee to the growing list of crops being destabilized by our changing climate. The Union of Concerned Scientists recently reported that Arabica coffee yields are down and prices are rising. This isn’t just bad news for coffee shops. It threatens the economy in places like Ethiopia, Costa Rica, and India. [Read more…] about Wake up and smell the coffee
Nitrogen might be the most ironic of all the elements
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Nitrogen is a key plant nutrient. And all of our plants grow in an atmosphere that is saturated with nitrogen—78 percent of the air we breathe is nitrogen. [Read more…] about Nitrogen might be the most ironic of all the elements
When it comes to tracking eels, citizens make a difference
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American eels are born way out in the Atlantic Ocean, between Bermuda and Puerto Rico. Juveniles, known as “glass eels,” migrate to freshwater habitats like the Hudson River when they are just a couple of inches long. There, they can spend up to twenty years maturing. They return to the ocean only to spawn. [Read more…] about When it comes to tracking eels, citizens make a difference
April showers bring May flowers
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The next time you hear the pitter-patter of rain drops on your rooftop, or find yourself reaching for your umbrella, take some time to consider the fate of rainfall. [Read more…] about April showers bring May flowers
When is it a bad idea to fertilize a plant?
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Fertilizer makes our crops grow bigger and our grass greener. But nutrients from fertilizer end up in our waterways, where they may fertilize microscopic plants called phytoplankton. [Read more…] about When is it a bad idea to fertilize a plant?
For a few weeks in 2008, the city of Beijing reduced its notorious air pollution
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Like most developing countries, China has prioritized economic development over environmental protection. But after winning the right to host the 2008 Summer Olympic Games in Beijing, the country made a commitment to address its pollution problem. Olympic organizers promised blue skies over Beijing. [Read more…] about For a few weeks in 2008, the city of Beijing reduced its notorious air pollution
We all live in a watershed
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Our bodies are more than 60% water and we require about 8 cups a day to stave off dehydration. Keeping water clean is as good for humans as it is for the environment. [Read more…] about We all live in a watershed
Why should we care about freshwater mussels?
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There were once three hundred species of mussels in the United States. They supplied food to Native Americans and people harvested them for pearls and for mother-of-pearl to make buttons. Now, hardly anyone eats freshwater mussels and buttons are mostly made of plastic. [Read more…] about Why should we care about freshwater mussels?
You might want to think twice about that picnic on the beach
Most of us take precautions when planning to spend a day in the sun and surf. We apply sunscreen, don hats, and pay attention to warnings about waves, sharks, and water quality. But a recent report highlights an overlooked beach risk: the sand. [Read more…] about You might want to think twice about that picnic on the beach
Every Day is Earth Day
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Sunday is the 42nd anniversary of Earth Day, which first took place on April 22, 1970 and helped to prompt an awakening of American citizens to the importance of the environment. [Read more…] about Every Day is Earth Day
The Olympic games, traffic congestion, and childhood asthma
