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New study reveals surprising features in coral sperm and eggs

When stony corals have their renowned mass spawning events, in sync with the moon's cycle, colonies simultaneously release an underwater "cloud" of sperm and eggs for fertilization.

From Rutgers University 19 Aug 2020

"Ocean-in-a-lab" shows air pollution can alter weather patterns

Oceans cover almost three-quarters of the globe, yet little is known about how gases and aerosols made by ocean microbes affect weather and climate, or how human-produced pollution could influence this process.

18 Aug 2020

New research suggests pollution is also a cause for antibiotic resistance

Antibiotic resistance is an increasing health problem, but new research suggests it is not only caused by the overuse of antibiotics. It's also caused by pollution.

From University of Georgia 14 Aug 2020

'Cleaner' route, good ventilation setting can reduce pollution risk for car passengers

Drivers and passengers can inhale significantly lower levels of air pollution by setting their vehicle's ventilation systems more effectively and taking a 'cleaner' route to their destination, a new study reveals.

12 Aug 2020

Study finds agricultural additions as largest human source of sulfur in the environment

A new paper out today in Nature Geoscience identifies fertilizer and pesticide applications to croplands as the largest source of sulfur in the environment--up to 10 times higher than the peak sulfur load seen in the second half of the 20th century, during the days of acid rain.

11 Aug 2020

Car drivers of poorest cities can be exposed to higher levels of air pollution

Car users from the world's least affluent cities are exposed to a disproportionate amount of in-car air pollution because they rely heavily on opening their windows for ventilation, finds a first of its kind study from the University of Surrey.

From University of Surrey 6 Aug 2020

Consumption of inorganic arsenic bearing rice linked to elevated cardiovascular mortality

Rice is the most widely consumed staple food source for a large part of the world's population. It has now been confirmed that rice can contribute to prolonged low-level arsenic exposure leading to thousands of avoidable premature deaths per year.

From The University of Manchester 5 Aug 2020

Novel method can examine dangerous levels of heavy metals in food and water

Finding out if the food and water we consume are safe from toxic and carcinogenic metals can now be much faster and simpler.

5 Aug 2020

Ecological stress within freshwater species can be detected with DNA metabarcoding

DNA or eDNA, for example, river water or, as in the case of the study by the team from the University of Duisburg-Essen (Essen, Germany) within the German Barcode of Life project (GBOL II): Vera Zizka, Dr Martina Weiss and Prof Florian Leese, from individuals in bulk samples.

3 Aug 2020

Light pollution from coastal cities likely to have harmful impacts on seafloor ecosystems

The global expansion of coastal cities could leave more than three-quarters of their neighboring seafloor exposed to potentially harmful levels of light pollution.

31 Jul 2020

Coastal urbanization increases contamination in seafood

The first landmark study using next-generation technology to comprehensively examine contaminants in oysters in Myanmar reveals alarming findings: the widespread presence of human bacterial pathogens and human-derived microdebris materials, including plastics, kerosene, paint, talc and milk supplement powders.

31 Jul 2020

New initiative launched to tackle climate change and global poverty

With a founding $25 million gifts from King Philanthropies, MIT's Abdul Latif Jameel Poverty Action Lab (J-PAL) is launching a new initiative to solve problems at the nexus of climate change and global poverty.

30 Jul 2020

New study shows how climate change may alter the prescribed burning windows

As the Bushfire Royal Commission investigates the deadly "Black Summer" and how it could have been prevented, research from the Climate the ARC Centre of Excellence for Climate Extremes (CLEX) and Climate Change Research Centre at the University of New South Wales shows how climate change may alter prescribed burning in the future across Australia.

30 Jul 2020

Commercial pesticides can help improve crop safety

Researchers have revealed that commercial pesticides can be applied to crops in the Cucurbitaceae family to decrease their accumulation of hydrophobic pollutants, thereby improving crop safety.

29 Jul 2020

Researchers identify how airway cells work together in regeneration and aging

Researchers at the Eli and Edythe Broad Center of Regenerative Medicine and Stem Cell Research at UCLA have identified the process by which stem cells in the airways of the lungs switch between two distinct phases -- creating more of themselves and producing mature airway cells -- to regenerate lung tissue after an injury.

28 Jul 2020