Pollution, features and articles | Educational Science

Sep 30, 2005

Bad Air Days to Increase Out West as Planet Warms

By the year 2050, warmer temperatures in the Western United States could fuel a doubling in the number of bad air days this time of year, according to a new study. Stagnation events, as they are called, form during dry, windless conditions. Air heats up and becomes laden with dust,...

Jul 31, 2005

Beach Pollution Worse During Full Moon

The Full Moon has been blamed for a lot of things, most often falsely or without solid evidence. But here's one to add to the column of truths: Full Moons mean more polluted beaches. So do New Moons, when the satellite is not visible. A new study of 60 beaches...

Apr 30, 2005

Study Reveals Natural Air Cleaners

New! Improved! 20 percent more cleaning power! That could be the label on new smog-reducing product found in Earth's atmosphere. Natural chemicals in the air scrub away pollution more effectively than previously thought, according to new research. Chemicals in the air produce natural air cleaners called hydroxyl radicals, which gobble...

Jan 31, 2005

U.S. Exports Pollution to Europe

On Nov. 14, 2001, a low-pressure system caused a large mass of air huddled over the eastern half of the United States to rise up several miles, where it was then carried by the jet stream to Europe. This plume brought with it carbon monoxide, ozone, and other pollutants from...

Sep 30, 2006

World's 10 Most Polluted Places

Areas that researchers have declared the most polluted in the world are typically little known even in their own countries. Yet they in total afflict more than 10 million people, experts reported today. The kinds of pollution in these areas not only lead to cancers, birth defects, mental retardation and...

Dec 31, 2005

Tailpipe Test: Study Finds Worst Polluters

The make of your car makes a big difference in how much it pollutes, according to a comprehensive comparison of pollution levels by manufacturer. Age is a huge factor, too. A vehicle from 1985 emits almost 38 times more carbon monoxide than a 2001 model, on average. Researchers analyzed data...

Dec 31, 2005

Less Pollution on City Sidewalks than Streets

Passengers in taxis, buses, and cars all inhale substantially more pollution than cyclists and pedestrians, a new study shows. Researchers measured levels of ultrafine, traffic-produced pollution particles on busy London streets using a newly developed particle counter fitted with a video recorder. The equipment allowed them to match particle levels...

Jul 31, 2007

California Farm Town Is Nation's Smoggiest

ARVIN, Calif. -- Lying in a rich agricultural region dotted with vineyards and orange groves, this central California community seems an unlikely place for a dubious distinction: the most polluted air in America. Hemmed in by mountains, Arvin is the final destination for pollutants from cities as far away as...

Jul 31, 2008

One-Third of U.S. Schools in 'Air Pollution Danger Zone'

As summer vacation ends and children head back to class, they might need a new school supply: face masks. About one third of American schools are within an “air pollution danger zone” near major highways and the pollutants that stream from cars and trucks, a new study finds. Previous research,...

Apr 30, 2008

Nanowire 'Paper Towel' Designed to Clean Up Oil Spills

A mat of nanowires with the touch and feel of paper could be an important new tool in the cleanup of oil and other organic pollutants, scientists announced today. MIT researchers and colleagues say they have created a membrane that can absorb up to 20 times its weight in oil,...

Feb 29, 2008

Arctic Pollution Dates to 1800s

Today's Arctic explorers are well-acquainted with the ugly haze that hangs over the North Pole, created by air pollution that drifts up from cities in lower latitudes. But a new study suggests this veil of pollution has been present since the late 1800s. The first report of Arctic haze was...

Jul 31, 2009

Pollution Reduces Rain Vital to Crops

Air pollution in China has cut the amount of light rainfall by 23 percent over the past 50 years, a new study finds. The cause: Particles in air pollution cause smaller drops of water to form, and smaller drops have a harder time making rain clouds. The result: Bad air...

Jun 30, 2010

Pollution, Algae Mar Beautiful Lake

Algae bloom in Lake Atitlan in Guatemala, November 2009. (Image credit: Eliska Rejmankova)Editor's Note: This story has been changed to reflect the correct location of Lake Tahoe and the formation of Lake Atitlan. Guatemala's Lake Atitlan, long considered a beautiful tourist destination, has been beset by dense, slimy algae blooms...

Sep 30, 2012

Pollution & Debris Stirred by Sandy Threaten Coastal Waters

Oil, pesticides, PCBs: Drip by drip, year after year, pollutants are absorbed into New York City's streets, and now Hurricane Sandy's floodwaters are soaking them out. Hurricane Katrina's urban floodwaters had high levels of bacteria, lead and harmful levels of chemicals including phosphorous and arsenic, studies found. Local officials in...

Apr 30, 2012

Streetlights Lure Beasts of the Tiny Kind

Beware streetlights: A new study finds that well-lit areas of cities and towns are more likely to be home to predators and scavengers. Luckily for humans, these predators and scavengers are of the invertebrate variety, including predator beetles and other insects. The study is the first to find that light...