Researchers have known since at least 2008 that wildfires can create chromium-6, but a new study, published in the journal Environmental Science and Technology in November, is the first to report details such as how long it might persist in groundwater.
When scientists applied a new model of human survivability that takes into account the body's ability to function and stay cool depending on age, they found all six events had seen non-survivable periods for older people who could not find shade.
Our study suggests that living near a [nuclear power plant] may carry a measurable cancer risk - one that lessens with distance. We recommend that more studies be done that address the issue of NPPs and health impacts, particularly at a time when nuclear power is being promoted as a clean solution to climate change.
The US are claiming that they've hit 5,000 sites. So right now, we're just scratching the surface. That's just the tip of the iceberg. The researchers say that figure likely captures only a fraction of the damage from strikes on missile bases to attacks on oil tankers in the Persian Gulf.
Plastic is everywhere. Inside the human body, in the depths of the ocean and the far reaches of the Arctic. Now a new study warns that, unless the world changes course, plastic could more than double its damage to human health within the next two decades. The culprit is not plastic litter in the environment or microplastics, but the emissions released across plastic's entire life cycle from fossil fuel extraction and manufacturing to transport, recycling and disposal.
The remaining question, though, was where all this methane was coming from in the first place. Throughout the pandemic, there was speculation that the surge might be caused by super-emitter events in the oil and gas sector, or perhaps a lack of maintenance on leaky infrastructure during lockdowns. But the new research suggests that the source of these emissions was not what many expected. The microbial surge