Hacker News with Generative AI: Environmental Science

Scented products cause indoor air pollution on par with car exhaust (newatlas.com)
Using scented products indoors changes the chemistry of the air, producing as much air pollution as car exhaust does outside, according to a new study.

Environmental Science, Health, Pollution, Chemistry

366 points by clumsysmurf 2 days ago | 192 comments

Penguins Help to Map Antarctica's Growing Mercury Threat (scientificamerican.com)
When Philip Sontag first visited Antarctica as a Ph.D. student, he brought back an unusual souvenir: a huge bag of penguin feathers.

Antarctica, Environmental Science, Mercury Pollution, Wildlife

10 points by Brajeshwar 2 days ago | 1 comments

Water chlorination levels in US and EU likely increase cancer risk (theguardian.com)
Chlorinating drinking water at levels common in the United States and European Union probably increases the risk of several cancers, a new analysis of recent research from across the globe finds.

Health, Cancer, Water Treatment, Public Health, Environmental Science

3 points by kawera 4 days ago | 1 comments

Dust from car brakes more harmful than exhaust, study finds (e360.yale.edu)
In cars, pollution doesn’t come from exhaust alone. It also comes from wear and tear on roads, tires, and brakes. According to new research, tiny bits of dust cast off by brake pads may inflict more harm than car exhaust.

Environmental Science, Transportation, Health, Pollution

450 points by Brajeshwar 6 days ago | 454 comments

Ocean temperatures are rising much faster than scientists expected (popularmechanics.com)
Another scientific study is raising alarms about the rate at which the world’s oceans are warming.

Climate Change, Ocean Warming, Science, Environmental Science

50 points by GeoAtreides 12 days ago | 1 comments

Melamine sponges shed microplastics when scrubbed (acs.org)
Melamine cleaning sponges might easily erase stains and scuffs, but they also release microplastics into the environment as they wear away.

Microplastics, Environmental Science, Cleaning Products

9 points by buccal 12 days ago | 1 comments

Accumulation of Microplastics in Human Brain Tissue Rising Rapidly: Study (ecowatch.com)
In a new study, health sciences researchers at the University of New Mexico (UNM) have found microplastics in human brain tissue in concentrations much higher than in other organs.

Environmental Science, Human Health, Pollution, Microplastics, Research

8 points by mikhael 15 days ago | 0 comments

Accumulation of Microplastics in Human Brain Tissue Rising Rapidly (ecowatch.com)
In a new study, health sciences researchers at the University of New Mexico (UNM) have found microplastics in human brain tissue in concentrations much higher than in other organs.

Environmental Science, Health, Microplastics, Brain Health

8 points by hochmartinez 16 days ago | 2 comments

Polish city is using mussels to monitor water quality (2020) (awa.asn.au)
While all water professionals are aware of the delicate balance between human systems and biological indicators, the thought of relying on the mechanisms of mussels to safeguard a city’s population from polluted drinking water takes trust in nature to new heights.

Environmental Science, Water Quality, Biology, Sustainability

204 points by gscott 18 days ago | 62 comments

Microplastics found in the brains of mice within hours of consumption (phys.org)
A team of environmental biologists at the Chinese Research Academy of Environmental Sciences, working with one colleague from Duke University, and another from National University of Singapore, has found that it takes microplastics consumed by mice just a few hours to make their way to their brains.

Science, Environmental Science, Microplastics, Health

4 points by pseudolus 24 days ago | 0 comments

Climate scientist: "There's no place that's safe" (cbsnews.com)
Climate scientist: "There's no place that's safe"

Climate Change, Environmental Science, Global Warming

9 points by Brajeshwar 30 days ago | 0 comments

Wildfires are erasing California's climate gains, research shows (2022) (news.uchicago.edu)
A new analysis finds the wildfires in 2020 alone make up 30 percent of the state’s greenhouse gas emissions.

Climate Change, California, Wildfires, Environmental Science

40 points by amichail 33 days ago | 37 comments

Groundwater Movement (Interactive) (concord.org)
Use the buttons and sliders below to explore permeability of each layer and how water moves through the layers. Follow a water drop. Where do aquifers form? Drill wells and explore which type of well is sustainable and which isn't.

Groundwater, Interactive, Science, Environmental Science, Geology

88 points by jdwg 36 days ago | 6 comments

Across southeastern US, weedy rice steals herbicide resistance from crop rice (phys.org)
Weedy rice is a close relative of cultivated rice that infests rice fields worldwide and drastically reduces yields.

Agriculture, Genetics, Biology, Environmental Science, Invasive Species

7 points by PaulHoule 40 days ago | 3 comments

Scientists identify 11 genes affected by PFAS, shedding light on neurotoxicity (phys.org)
Per- and polyfluorinated alkyl substances (PFAS) earn their "forever chemical" moniker by persisting in water, soil and even the human brain.

Science, Environmental Science, Health, Neurotoxicity, PFAS

5 points by thebeardisred 44 days ago | 0 comments

Nuclear waste is reusable. Why aren't we doing it? [video] (youtube.com)

Nuclear Waste, Sustainability, Environmental Science, Video

4 points by keepamovin 52 days ago | 0 comments

Saltwater to Widely Taint Coastal Groundwater by 2100 (nasa.gov)
Seawater will infiltrate underground freshwater supplies in about three of every four coastal areas around the world by the year 2100, according to a recent study led by researchers at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Southern California.

Climate Change, Water Resources, Environmental Science, Coastal Areas

37 points by geox 53 days ago | 1 comments

Remediation of PFAS by processed and amended clays and activated carbon in soil (sciencedirect.com)
Remediation methods for soil contaminated with poly- and perfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) are needed to prevent their leaching into drinking water sources and to protect living organisms in the surrounding environment.

Environmental Science, Soil Contamination, Remediation, PFAS

10 points by Jimmc414 53 days ago | 2 comments

Ocean Carbon Removal: Captura's marine carbon capture explained (ieee.org)
These companies are trying to make the oceans a better carbon sink

Climate Change, Environmental Science, Technology, Sustainability

65 points by geox 57 days ago | 67 comments

Ancient copper industry in King Solomon's mines did not pollute environment (eurekalert.org)
A new study from Tel Aviv University overturns prevailing scientific beliefs that King Solomon’s Mines not only harmed the health of workers in the ancient copper industry but also pose risks to the health of modern residents living near the site.

Archaeology, Environmental Science, History, Israel

18 points by instagraham 57 days ago | 4 comments

Huge math error corrected in black plastic study; authors say it doesn't matter (arstechnica.com)
Editors of the environmental chemistry journal Chemosphere have posted an eye-catching correction to a study reporting toxic flame retardants from electronics wind up in some household products made of black plastic, including kitchen utensils.

Science, Environmental Science, Chemistry, Consumer Products, Research

173 points by ars 67 days ago | 112 comments

Technical Report on Mirror Bacteria: Feasibility and Risks (purl.stanford.edu)
This report describes the technical feasibility of creating mirror bacteria and the potentially serious and wide-ranging risks that they could pose to humans, other animals, plants, and the environment.

Biotechnology, Microbiology, Risk Assessment, Environmental Science

20 points by Hooke 67 days ago | 1 comments

A controversial plan to refreeze the Arctic is seeing promising results (cnn.com)

Climate Change, Arctic, Environmental Science

7 points by joak 71 days ago | 0 comments

Forever chemicals found in bottled and tap water from around the world (phys.org)
Researchers found 10 'target' PFAS (perfluoroalkyl substances)—chemicals which do not break down in nature—in tap and bottled water available for consumption in major cities in the UK and China.

Environmental Science, Water Quality, Chemistry, Public Health

6 points by akyuu 79 days ago | 1 comments

Carbon dioxide capture from open air using covalent organic frameworks (nature.com)
Capture of CO2 from the air offers a promising approach to addressing climate change and achieving carbon neutrality goals1,2.

Climate Change, Environmental Science, Carbon Capture, Chemistry

14 points by the-chitmonger 81 days ago | 60 comments

Bye-bye microplastics: new plastic is recyclable and ocean-degradable (riken.jp)
Researchers led by Takuzo Aida at the RIKEN Center for Emergent Matter Science (CEMS) have developed a durable plastic that won’t contribute to microplastic pollution in our oceans.

Plastic Pollution, Materials Science, Environmental Science, Recycling

7 points by JeanKage 86 days ago | 2 comments

Quantification of record-breaking subsidence in California's San Joaquin Valley (nature.com)
In California’s San Joaquin Valley, groundwater overdraft has caused dramatic and continued land subsidence during two main periods, 1925–1970 (“the historic period”) and post-2006.

Environmental Science, Geology, California, Water Resources

5 points by Stratoscope 87 days ago | 1 comments

China's emissions have now caused more global warming than EU – Carbon Brief (carbonbrief.org)
China’s historical emissions within its borders have now caused more global warming than the 27 member states of the EU combined, according to new Carbon Brief analysis.

Climate Change, Emissions, China, European Union, Environmental Science

10 points by loongloong 89 days ago | 5 comments

Meltwater from Greenland and the Arctic is weakening ocean circulation (theconversation.com)
A vast network of ocean currents nicknamed the “great global ocean conveyor belt” is slowing down. That’s a problem because this vital system redistributes heat around the world, influencing both temperatures and rainfall.

Climate Change, Oceanography, Global Warming, Environmental Science

22 points by Gedxx 91 days ago | 9 comments

Light-based photocatalytic system can break down PFAS at room temperature (phys.org)
Researchers at Colorado State University have found a new approach for breaking down PFAS—a group of human-made "forever" chemicals commonly used for their water-resistant properties that can carry health risks from long-term exposure.

Chemistry, Environmental Science, Water Contamination, Materials Science

21 points by kmckiern 93 days ago | 1 comments