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Routine cleaning and sanitation are key to prevent microbial contamination in food products

Spoilage and foodborne illness could be reduced by using specially designed rapid-testing ATP swabs to clean surfaces in commercial food processing facilities.

7 May 2021

Fossil skull of a woman provides the oldest reconstructed modern human genome to date

Ancient DNA from Neanderthals and early modern humans has recently shown that the groups likely interbred somewhere in the Near East after modern humans left Africa some 50,000 years ago. As a result, all people outside Africa carry around 2% to 3% Neanderthal DNA.

8 Apr 2021

Researchers find large quantities of previously undetected PFAS

Researchers from the Harvard John A. Paulson School of Engineering and Applied Sciences (SEAS) found large quantities of previously undetectable compounds from the family of chemicals known as PFAS in six watersheds on Cape Cod using a new method to quantify and identify PFAS compounds.

8 Mar 2021

Researchers discover rice plant variant that resists arsenic

The agricultural cultivation of the staple food of rice harbors the risk of possible contamination with arsenic that can reach the grains following uptake by the roots.

3 Mar 2021

Link between forestry management and pesticides in aquatic species

A new study by researchers at Portland State University found mussels, clams, and oysters in watersheds along the Oregon Coast are exposed to pesticides used in managing forests.

3 Mar 2021

Study: Cattle feed yards emit synthetic chemical cocktails into the environment

A recent Point of Reference article, "The meat of the matter: Environmental dissemination of beef cattle agrochemicals," published in Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry, points at synthetic chemical cocktails being emitted from cattle feed yards into the environment and how they can impact our ecosystem and our health.

15 Jan 2021

Researchers design effective material to speed up the production of hydrogen fuel

Hydrogen is a sustainable source of clean energy that avoids toxic emissions and can add value to multiple sectors in the economy including transportation, power generation, metals manufacturing, among others.

22 Dec 2020

Bayreuth researchers investigate microplastic contamination in mussels

"If you eat mussels, you eat microplastics." This was already known to a limited extent about mussels from individual ocean regions. A new study by the University of Bayreuth, led by Prof. Dr. Christian Laforsch, reveals that this claim holds true globally.

18 Dec 2020

Microplastics found in drinking water

Now, a new study has shown that there are high levels of microplastics in the human diet and that drinking water is a significant source.

17 Dec 2020

Plastics contain endocrine-disrupting chemicals that threaten human health, shows new report

Plastics contain and leach hazardous chemicals, including endocrine-disrupting chemicals (EDCs) that threaten human health.

16 Dec 2020

Researchers test effects of weedkiller on wildlife

Prolonged exposure to environmentally relevant concentrations of the weedkiller Roundup causes significant harm to keystone species according to new research at the University of Birmingham.

16 Dec 2020

Novel technique enables the study of non-bacterial microbiomes of plant species

A new method designed by plant pathologists in Connecticut now allows researchers to access an effective and low-cost tool to facilitate the analysis of the all non-bacterial microbiomes of all plant species.

11 Dec 2020

Researchers analyze oxo-degradable and biodegradable plastics

The use of plastic mulch (plastic covering on crop lines) is a widespread technique used in agricultural regions in order to increase the profitability of the crops. According to the European Commission, 100,000 tonnes of plastic mulch was used per year in the European Union in 2016.

11 Dec 2020

Researchers analyze processes that determine the fate of excess nitrogen in soil.

Nutrient contamination of groundwater as a result of nitrogen-based fertilizers is a problem in many places in Europe.

10 Dec 2020

Researchers design living plant-based sensor to track arsenic levels

For the first time, researchers from SMART have engineered a living plant-based sensor for the detection of arsenic in the belowground environment

3 Dec 2020

Air quality could influence the virulence and spread of COVID-19

The correlation between the high concentration of fine particles and the severity of influenza waves is well known to epidemiologists.

25 Nov 2020

Study proposes new way to increase community participation in environmental engineering

Black, Hispanic, and Native American students and faculty are largely underrepresented in environmental engineering programs in the United States.

20 Nov 2020

Major investment will shed light on impact of plastic pollution in developing countries

An investment of £20 million will support interdisciplinary research that aims to improve understanding of the impacts of plastic pollution in developing countries.

18 Nov 2020

English rivers are extensively contaminate with neurotoxic pesticides used in veterinary flea products

Researchers at the University of Sussex have found widespread contamination of English rivers with two neurotoxic pesticides commonly used in veterinary flea products: fipronil and the neonicotinoid imidacloprid. The concentrations found often far exceeded accepted safe limits.

17 Nov 2020

Scientists examine dietary differences between male and female dolphins

More evidence has emerged to support stricter coastal management, this time focusing on pollution and overfishing in the picturesque tourist waters off Auckland in New Zealand.

4 Nov 2020