pollution Archives

Lake Erie Dead Zone: A lighthouse on frozen Lake Erie, photo by George Bannister

Study Sheds Light on Lake Erie’s Dead Zone

March 15, 2021May 2, 2021 Science Connectedagriculture, climate change, fertilizers, pollution

A dead zone in Lake Erie gives clues to how phosphorus levels change in the water and what this means for future environmental conditions.

Environment Oceanography

Ocean Plastic Mounts Despite Cleanups

August 25, 2020March 14, 2023 Science Connectedocean plastic, pollution

Ocean plastic is accumulating rapidly, but reducing plastic waste and improving surface cleanup technology can make a difference in the future.

Environment Health

Listen to Your Gut on Air Pollution

May 4, 2020October 16, 2023 Science Connectedbacteria, obesity, pollution

Air pollution exposure alters the bacteria in the gut microbiome and could have more health effects than we realized, according to a new study.

Sea turtle photographed by Lorianne DiSabato at the New England Aquarium in Boston, MA (CC BY-NC-ND 2.0)

Environment Oceanography Zoology

To Sea Turtles, Ocean Plastic Smells Like Food

April 8, 2020April 8, 2020 Science Connectedanimal behavior, ocean plastic, pollution, sea turtles

Sea turtles may eat plastic found in the ocean because it builds up a layer of microorganisms and smells the same as their food, a new study finds.

Environment

Microplastics Contaminate Snow from Alps to Arctic

September 3, 2019November 22, 2021 Science Connectedarctic, environment, microplastics, plastic pollution, pollution, snow

By Jacqueline Mattos Microplastics are tiny pieces of plastic that pollute the environment and can range from 0.05 to 5 millimeters in length. Bigger plastic items can be fragmented by the action of light, temperature fluctuations, ocean waves, or mechanical abrasion into smaller pieces that are widely dispersed, persistent in the environment, and sometimes accompanied by microorganisms. A recent article by Bergmann et al., published in the periodical Science Advances, assessed quantities of microplastics in the snow from the Alps and other northern European sites to the Arctic and found…

Environment Oceanography Science Policy

The US Needs a Federal Ban on Marine Plastic Pollution

May 30, 2019March 11, 2021 Science Connectedocean, plastic, plastic pollution, pollution

Marine plastic pollution must be addressed by the United States through policies on single-use plastics and abandoned fishing nets.

Citizen Science SciStarter Blog

Sound Around Town Uses Data to Combat Noise Pollution

May 10, 2019May 12, 2019 Science Connectedcitizen science, health, pollution, public health, urban

By Bradley Allf At the start of World War I, thousands of soldiers were coming down with a baffling condition: they became blind, deaf, lost their memory, or developed uncontrollable shaking despite no obvious physical injury. Even stranger, this malady could be triggered by memories of the war even after the fighting had ended. At the time, doctors called what they were seeing “shell-shock,” though today we would call it by a different name: post-traumatic stress disorder. Anything that brought back memories of the trenches could precipitate this condition, but…

Environment New Technologies

Artificial Night-Lights Are Growing, Getting Brighter

December 7, 2017December 12, 2017 Science Connectedenergy, light, night, pollution

By Neha Jain @lifesciexplore As soon as it gets dark, street lights, which have become widespread in the developed world—and are rapidly expanding in the developing world—are switched on. Indeed, since the second half of the twentieth century, Earth has become brighter at night. Now, new satellite-based research shows that our outdoor artificial night-lights are still spreading to more areas on Earth and have gotten brighter over the past few years. How night-lights impact the world Outdoor lighting is regarded as a necessity, especially in highly populated areas, but artificial…