Health
Experimenting with a day off
In air pollution studies, it’s difficult to perform traditional science. Normally, we can’t stop running a city’s transportation system or power plants to assess the impact on our daily activities. But, inadvertently, we do perform some accidental experiments. [Read more…] about Experimenting with a day off
When antibacterials go down the drain
The rise of antibacterial products has come with a hidden cost to human health and the environment. An earlier segment explored triclosan, which was first used as a hospital scrub in the 1970s. Around half of liquid soaps now contain the chemical, as do toothpastes, deodorants, cosmetics, and other personal care products. It’s become a billion dollar industry. [Read more…] about When antibacterials go down the drain
Where do greenhouse gases come from?
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Greenhouse gases are responsible for our planet having the mild temperatures that make life as we know it possible. The most important ones – water vapor and carbon dioxide – have historic stable levels that are a result of a fine balance among various environmental processes on land and sea. [Read more…] about Where do greenhouse gases come from?
Urban Forests
In earlier segments, we’ve discussed how trees improve our mental and social well-being. Trees increase property values in neighborhoods where they are planted. Through the evaporation of soil water, trees cool the urban environment, reducing the need for air conditioning. In fact, a number of cities have embarked on large campaigns to plant trees within the city limits. [Read more…] about Urban Forests
The poison in your toothpaste
Chances are good that you’ve never heard of triclosan, despite the fact that the chemical is in everything from toothpaste to children’s toys. Triclosan is added to products to slow or stop the growth of bacteria, fungi, and mildew. A survey found that some three-quarters of Americans between 6 and 65 have residues of triclosan in their bodies. [Read more…] about The poison in your toothpaste
Another reason to be ticked off
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It’s time to add another tongue-tying illness to the list of maladies carried by ticks. Lyme disease is the most common tick-borne illness in the U. S., with more than 30,000 people infected annually. Ticks that carry Lyme can also spread anaplasmosis and babesiosis. And now they have been tied to Borrelia miyamotoi, a pathogen characterized by relapsing fevers. [Read more…] about Another reason to be ticked off
Endocrine disrupters are a global problem
There are some 800 known endocrine disrupting substances – from pesticides and pharmaceuticals to flame retardants and plasticizers. What they have in common is an ability to disrupt the hormone system in humans and animals, leading to problems like cognitive impairment, fertility declines, diabetes, and cancer. [Read more…] about Endocrine disrupters are a global problem
The European Commission takes a stand for bees
Wild and managed pollinators are on the decline. Locally, this means less successful gardens. The big picture is even more sobering. Dwindling numbers of honeybees, bumblebees, and other pollinating insects threaten our food security. About 1/3 of important food crops require pollinator services. [Read more…] about The European Commission takes a stand for bees
Nitrogen pollution and babies
Nitrogen oxide pollution, created during the combustion of fossil fuels, tends to be elevated in areas with a lot of industrial activity and vehicle traffic. These reactive gases contribute to acid rain, smog, and ground-level ozone. For some time now, the public health community has linked nitrogen oxide exposure to respiratory ailments, like asthma. [Read more…] about Nitrogen pollution and babies
Fukushima impacts two years later
When the tsunami triggered the explosions at the Fukushima Nuclear Power Plant in Japan, we all worried about the release of radioactivity to the environment. Indeed, just a few days later, increased levels of radioactive cesium were measured in rainfall along the west coast of the United States. Public Health officials assured us that, while measurable, this radioactive fallout did not pose a human health hazard. [Read more…] about Fukushima impacts two years later
A tiny invader that’s driving people indoors
The Asian tiger mosquito is yet another invasive species that has taken hold in the United States. It arrived here in 1985 in a shipment of tires imported from Asia. This little mosquito is an aggressive human biter capable of transmitting diseases. But its greatest impact in the U.S., so far, is the way it is profoundly changing peoples’ relationships with the outdoors. [Read more…] about A tiny invader that’s driving people indoors
When good ideas produce bad outcomes
When rainwater passes over hard surfaces, like roads and parking lots, it accumulates pollutants, which are then washed into nearby waterways. In Baltimore, polluted runoff waters are carried to the Chesapeake Bay, where they have negative impacts on the Bay’s ecosystem. [Read more…] about When good ideas produce bad outcomes
Water poverty
Human life, like all animal and plant life, is dependent upon water. Human societies and individuals cannot survive for more than a few days without fresh water. But despite the fact that 71% of the Earth’s surface is covered with water, less than 3% of it is fresh water and 2/3 of that is frozen away in glaciers, ice, and snow. [Read more…] about Water poverty
Wastewater from hydrofracking
In New York State, no issue is more controversial than using hydraulic fracturing to extract natural gas from the Marcellus Shale formation. Here a well is drilled vertically, then horizontally into the layers of gas-rich shale. High pressure injection of water and fracking fluid fragments the shale, releasing the natural gas, which then flows back to the surface along with some water, known as flowback water. [Read more…] about Wastewater from hydrofracking
Trees are good for human health
Many of us have experienced a restorative walk in the woods. But does associating with trees really make us any healthier? After investigating the loss of some 100 million ash trees in the Eastern and Midwestern United States, Forest Service researcher Geoffrey Donovan and his colleagues suspect that the answer is yes. [Read more…] about Trees are good for human health
The rise of the superbug
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A lot of our protein—especially chicken and pork—is now grown in Confined Animal Feeding Operations, known as CAFOs. Here a huge number of animals are kept under controlled conditions and fed special diets to fatten them up quickly. To combat the inevitable diseases that spread among animals kept at high density, the animals are often fed antibiotic-rich feed, even if they aren’t sick. [Read more…] about The rise of the superbug
Improving water, improving lives
Add water pollution to the list of ills suffered by under-served urban communities. Economically-depressed neighborhoods are hotspots for water contamination due to aging sewer and storm-water systems. Optimistically, a new study suggests that water cleaning and community greening can go hand-in-hand. [Read more…] about Improving water, improving lives
A seasonal change we can live without
Spring weather brings with it the unwelcome bloom of roadside litter. Colorful cans, bottles, and wrappers sprout from the melting snow every year at this time. [Read more…] about A seasonal change we can live without
Chronic lead exposure packs a toxic punch
