Kathryn Murdoch Steps Out of the Family Shadow to Fight Climate Change

You know her last name, and her father-in-law, Rupert, the conservative media mogul. Now, she hopes to remove partisan obstacles to climate progress that her family's empire helped build.

Kathryn Murdoch Steps Out of the Family Shadow to Fight Climate Change

You know her last name, and her father-in-law, Rupert, the conservative media mogul. Now, she hopes to remove partisan obstacles to climate progress that her family's empire helped build.

Avocado Toast, Meet Gene Editing

Scientists in the U.S. and Mexico have mapped the DNA of several varieties, work that could help the fruit survive the effects of climate change.

Avocado Toast, Meet Gene Editing

Scientists in the U.S. and Mexico have mapped the DNA of several varieties, work that could help the fruit survive the effects of climate change.

Climate Risk in the Housing Market Has Echoes of Subprime Crisis, Study Finds

After hurricanes, mortgage lenders offload more of their vulnerable loans to Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, whose rules prevent them from saying no.

Climate Risk in the Housing Market Has Echoes of Subprime Crisis, Study Finds

After hurricanes, mortgage lenders offload more of their vulnerable loans to Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, whose rules prevent them from saying no.

The Interior Secretary Wants to Enlarge a Dam. An Old Lobbying Client Would Benefit.

David Bernhardt is backing a plan to raise the height of the Shasta Dam in California even though his department's experts have warned against the change.

The Interior Secretary Wants to Enlarge a Dam. An Old Lobbying Client Would Benefit.

David Bernhardt is backing a plan to raise the height of the Shasta Dam in California even though his department's experts have warned against the change.

Bring Your Outdoor Garden Inside (Yes, It’s Physically Possible)

Before you put your garden and landscaping waste in the ...

The post Bring Your Outdoor Garden Inside (Yes, It's Physically Possible) appeared first on Earth911.com.

Canada’s Green Party Doctors a Photo. Opponents Cry Hypocrisy

A photoshopped image of Canada's Green Party leader that shows her holding a reusable cup has raised charges of hypocrisy.

Are the Kids Alright in the Era of Climate Change?

The dissonance between slow action by politicians and increasing urgency from scientists has made young people more angry than anxious.

Earth911 Inspiration: Edward Abbey — One Square Mile of Wilderness

This week's quotation is from American author Edward Abbey: "I ...

The post Earth911 Inspiration: Edward Abbey — One Square Mile of Wilderness appeared first on Earth911.com.

Seniors: Advice for Maintaining Your Eco-Friendly Habits

The younger generation has the energy to spearhead eco-friendly movements, ...

The post Seniors: Advice for Maintaining Your Eco-Friendly Habits appeared first on Earth911.com.

E.P.A. Accuses California of ‘Significant’ Air and Water Problems

In the Trump administration's latest jab at California, the Environmental Protection Agency is saying the state is not protecting its water quality.

How to Develop an Appetite for Insects

Scientists who study bugs are thinking harder about how to turn them into good food.

Climate Risk In the Housing Market Has Echoes of Subprime Crisis, Study Finds

After hurricanes, mortgage lenders offload more of their vulnerable loans to Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, whose rules prevent them from saying no.

Development and validation of a bumble bee adult chronic oral test

The regulation of pesticide uses is based on the local Risk Assessment frameworks, including a specific framework for pollinators. These frameworks rely on data from honey bee toxicity in a three-tiered process, from laboratory to semi-field to field settings, and exposure estimates based on application rates or refined via residue levels in nectar and pollen. In recent years, concerns about the risk to other bees such as bumble bees have been the driver for the development of new methods to address toxicity and exposure with selected surrogate species. Here, we present the results from the second international ring test for a bumble bee adult chronic oral test. Nine European laboratories conducted the 10 d test with Bombus terrestris workers while 3 US laboratories conducted the test with B. impatiens. Along with biological observations and consumption measurements, the stock solutions and feeding diets were confirmed for the concentration of dimethoate. There were 5 and 7 dimethoate test levels for the European and US ring test, respectively. The LC50 endpoints derived from this test were on average 0.468 and 0.258 mg a.s./kg of diet for B. terrestris and B. impatiens, respectively. Similarly, the LDD50 endpoints derived from the test were on average were 0.093 and 0.032 µg a.s./bee/d for B. terrestris and B. impatiens, respectively. Our results indicate the test design is robust and replicable, and after a two-year effort, a validation report is in preparation to initiate the process to develop it into an OECD Guideline document. Disclaimer: This presentation does not represent U.S. EPA policy.

Web-based Story Map-US Embassy, Paris - Combatting Vector-borne Diseases

State Department highlights their bilateral cooperation with France on infectious diseases, highlighting vector-borne disease - No abstract. This is a web-based Story Map (attached as .pdf) To mark the occasion of World Mosquito Day (August 20), the U.S. Embassy in Paris, France created a "Story Map" highlighting the growing threat of vector-borne and other infectious diseases such as Zika, dengue fever, yellow fever and lyme disease that pose a threat to global health. This visual story is meant to be informative and also highlights the positive steps French and American officials have taken to work together on this important issue. Featured on some of the slides is Dr. Elizabeth Hilborn, at the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA-NHEERL-EPHD) who participated in a two month State Department Embassy Science fellowship at France's Ministry of Health (MOH), focusing on overcoming the challenges of Lyme disease in France and the United States. The Story Map link can be found here: http://bit.ly/2I6OlxY (Chrome is the recommended browser).

Environmental risk factors for Toxoplasma gondii seropositivity and its association with allostatic load in residents of central North Carolina

Toxoplasma gondii infection can be acquired through ingestion of undercooked meat or environmental oocysts excreted by cats. This cross-sectional study of 206 adults in the Durham-Chapel Hill, North Carolina metropolitan area had two objectives: 1) to assess environmental risk factors for Toxoplasma gondii infections and 2) to evaluate an association of chronic infections with biomarker-based measure of physiologic dysregulation known as allostatic load (AL). Serum samples were tested for IgG antibody to T. gondii using commercial diagnostic ELISA kits. AL was estimated as a sum of 15 biomarkers of health dichotomized at distribution-based cutoffs. Vegetated land cover within 500 m of residences was estimated using 1 m resolution data from USEPA's EnviroAtlas. Odds ratios (OR) of T. gondii seropositivity (N = 17, 8.3%) were 5.3 (95% Confidence Limits 1.4; 20.7) for handling soil with bare hands at least weekly and 10.0 (2.0; 50.6) for current cat ownership, adjusting for sociodemographic covariates and eating undercooked meat. The interaction effect of having an outdoor cat and handling soil was also statistically significant. An interquartile range (IQR) increase in distance-weighted vegetated land cover within 500 m of residence was associated with 1.7 (1.04; 2.7) OR of handling soil weekly, and, in separate analysis, with 3.7 (1.5; 9.1) OR of T. gondii seropositivity adjusting for covariates and spatial autocorrelation. Adjusted mean AL was 61% (13%; 130%) greater in seropositive individuals. Greater vegetated land cover was associated with lower AL in seronegative (p < 0.0001) and seropositive (p = 0.004) individuals. The results suggest that some individuals residing in green areas could be at a higher risk of acquiring T. gondii infections through inadvertent ingestion of soil contaminated with cat feces. These zoonotic infections may partially offset the health benefits of green spaces in a subset of the population. This abstract does not reflect EPA policy.

Associations between Cumulative Environmental Quality and Neural Tube Defects

Neural tube defects (NTD), including anencephaly, spina bifida (SB), and encephalocele, are some of the most severe birth defects. The impact of how cumulative environmental quality contributes to associations with NTDs is unknown. The Environmental Quality Index (EQI) is a comprehensive measure of cumulative environmental exposures for five domains (air, water, land, sociodemographic, built) from 2000-2005. We conducted a county-level analysis to assess the associations between the EQI and four birth defects (NTD, anencephaly, SB, and encephalocele) using data from the Texas Birth Defects Registry and live birth records from 2000-2006. Prevalence ratios (PR) and 95% confidence intervals (CI) were estimated from Poisson regression models between the NTD defects and the EQI, represented by three exposure categories based on percentiles (75%, "worst"), adjusted for potential confounders. We observed non-linear trends for overall EQI and the water domain, with increased prevalence of birth defects observed in the mid environmental quality categories as compared with the better. For overall EQI, mid environmental quality was associated with higher prevalence of NTDs (PR=1.27, 95%CI:1.06,1.52), anencephaly (1.39,95%CI:1.16,1.66), SB (1.18,95%CI:0.98,1.42), and encephalocele (1.34,95%CI:1.11,1.60), as compared to better environmental quality. In the water domain, mid environmental quality was associated with higher prevalence of each of these four outcomes (NTDs: 1.58,95%CI:1.14,1.78; anencephaly: 2.29,95%CI:2.03,2.57; SB: 1.46,95%CI:1.30,1.65; encephalocele 1.01,95%CI:0.90,1.13). Comparing worst environmental quality to better environmental quality for the sociodemographic domain, the PRs were 2.14 (95%CI:1.93,2.37) for NTDs, 3.32 (95%CI:3.00,3.68) for anencephaly, 1.91 (95%CI:1.72,2.12) for SB, and 1.12 (95%CI:1.00,1.25) for encephalocele. In the air, land, and built domains, inverse associations were observed with NTDs, anencephaly, SB, and encephalocele. We found that sociodemographic factors, water quality, and overall environmental quality contribute to associations with these NTD outcomes, but not with air, land or built environmental quality. This abstract does not reflect EPA policy.

Cumulative Environmental Quality Associations with Limb Reduction Birth Defects

Individual environmental exposures have been associated with limb reduction birth defects, including limb reduction, transverse limb reduction and longitudinal limb reduction. However, environmental exposures often occur simultaneously and the contribution of multiple exposures in association these limb reduction defects is not well understood. We used the Environmental Quality Index (EQI) and its five domains (air, water, land, sociodemographic, built) to estimate county-level cumulative environmental exposures from 2000-2005. The EQI domains were divided into three exposure categories based on percentiles (75%, "worst") and matched to limb reduction, transverse limb reduction and longitudinal limb reduction defects identified from Texas Birth Defects Registry and live birth records from 2000-2006 to assess associations using Poisson regression models. There was an increased prevalence of longitudinal limb reduction defects [prevalence ratio (PR) 1.17, (95% confidence interval:1.06,1.29)], but not limb reduction or transverse limb reduction defects comparing the worst environmental quality category compared to the best for overall EQI. The strongest associations were observed in the sociodemographic domain, with worse environmental quality associated with higher prevalence of limb reduction (1.62,95%CI:1.45,1.80), transverse limb reduction (1.46,95%CI:1.31,1.62), and longitudinal limb reduction (1.82,95%CI:1.63,2.04). In the water domain, associations were non-linear. Compared to better environmental quality, mid and worst environmental quality were associated with higher prevalence of limb reduction (1.61,95%CI:1.43,1.81 and 0.56,95%CI:0.50,0.62, respectively); transverse limb reduction (1.38,95%CI:1.24,1.55 and 0.55,95%CI:0.49,0.61, respectively), and longitudinal limb reduction (1.91,95%CI:1.69,2.17 and 0.54,95%CI:0.48,0.61, respectively). Inverse associations were observed in the air, land, and built domains for all three outcomes (limb, transverse limb, and longitudinal limb reduction defects). When assessing the associations between cumulative environmental exposures and limb reduction defects, strong, positive associations were found with sociodemographic factors and water quality, but not with air, land or built environmental quality. This abstract does not reflect EPA policy.

Neighborhood Socioeconomic Status and Mortality Among Heart Failure Patients

Background Heart failure (HF) is a major public health concern in the USA with high mortality. Although neighborhood-level socioeconomic status (NSES) is associated with adverse health outcomes in the general community, it is unclear if NSES is associated with mortality in HF patients.Methods We used electronic health records from 30,060 heart failure patients seen at a University of North Carolina-affiliated hospital between July 1, 2004 and December 31, 2016. We created indicators for NSES using Ward's hierarchical clustering of ten Census-based measures assessed at the block group level, yielding seven neighborhood clusters across North Carolina (NC). We conducted Cox proportional hazards analysis, adjusting for age, sex, and race, to evaluate differential hazards of mortality across the seven clusters.Results We assigned participants to one of seven clusters based on NSES and urbanicity: urban low-NSES (97% urban, n=3162), urban middle-low-NSES (91% urban, n=5078), urban middle-high-NSES (98% urban, n=2127), urban high-NSES (96% urban, n=5510), rural low-NSES (8% urban, n=2705), rural middle-NSES (13% urban, n=8258), and suburban high-NSES (85% urban, n=3220, referent). Compared to the referent suburban high-NSES cluster, hazards of mortality for HF patients were elevated in the urban middle-high-NSES (HR 1.14, 95% Confidence Interval [CI] 1.03-1.22), rural middle-NSES (HR 1.13, 95% CI 1.05-1.19), and rural low-NSES (HR 1.11, 95% CI 1.01-1.20) clusters. Hazard ratios were less elevated among urban middle-low-NSES (HR 1.08, 95% CI 0.99-1.15), urban low-NSES (HR 1.06, 95% CI 0.96, 1.14), and urban high-NSES (HR 1.06, 95% CI 0.97-1.13) clusters.Conclusions Among HF patients, hazards of mortality were generally more elevated for residents of traditionally understudied rural neighborhood clusters, compared to more urban clusters. Residents of the urban middle-high-NSES cluster had a more elevated hazard than other urban clusters, suggesting that additional factors in this cluster may contribute to mortality. This abstract does not necessarily reflect EPA policies.

Are the negative effects of air pollution modified among those with a more active lifestyle? A review of the literature

BackgroundLong-term exposure to air pollution is associated with a significant increased risk of morbidity and mortality, while regular physical activity is associated with decreased risk of morbidity and mortality. Air pollution concentrations are often high in major cities worldwide. As such, millions of people engage in regular physical activity in highly polluted outdoor environments. It is unclear if the adverse effects of long-term exposure to air pollutants are modified by regular physical activity.MethodsTo help understand this complex issue, we reviewed the peer-reviewed literature for studies that examined whether the impacts of air pollution exposure are modified by routine physical activity. Articles were identified through PubMed, Science Direct, ProQuest Agricultural & Environmental Science Database searches on terms encompassing air pollution and exercise/physical activity (n=334). After initial screening, 16 papers were initially included in this review. After full review, three studies did not meet the criteria for review and were excluded.ResultsMajority of studies occurred in Asia (n=5), North America (n=4), and Europe (n=3). The remaining study occurred in several countries (China, Ghana, India, Mexico, Russia, and South Africa). The ongoing review of these papers has yielded mixed results. Eight studies concluded the risks of exposure to air pollution outweigh the benefits of physical activity especially among children (n=5 studies). However, five studies concluded that regular physical activity can negate the negative impacts of long-term air pollution exposure, particularly among healthy adults (n=4 studies). ConclusionsInitial results of this review suggest sensitive groups, such as children, who are routinely physically active in areas with high air pollution levels incur more risk than benefit. Yet, regular physical activity among healthy adults may decrease the negative effects of long-term exposure to air pollution. This abstract does not necessarily reflect EPA or CDC policy.

Meet the Millionaires Helping to Pay for Climate Protests

Three philanthropists started the Climate Emergency Fund earlier this year, grants from which help climate change protestors spread their message. 

Balancing Distribution System Corrosion Control and Treatment for Simultaneous Compliance

This presentation will first cover the basic principles governing corrosion and degradation of common distribution system and premise plumbing materials. Then it will cover water chemistry governing metal resease and treatment options. However, in order to accomplish treatment that will effectively control lead, copper and iron release control, other treatment processes in place for other regulations may be undermined. The presentation will discuss principles to simultaneously address treatment choices, plant process modifications, and some source water/water distribution system management practices that will need to be interrelated to accomplish both regulatory compliance, but also meet public health goals.

Creating the Super Avocado

Scientists in the U.S. and Mexico have mapped the DNA of several varieties, which could result in fruit that resist disease or survive in drier conditions.

Use of cellular ethanol metabolism for screening the effects of volatile agents

BackgroundMany agents with insufficient toxicity data are gas phase and cannot be examined using standard cell culture, with media impeding the delivery of the agent to cells. We are developing a system using cells that can tolerate a lack of fluid medium on the apical side for potential screening of gaseous agents. Changes in the conversion of an exogenously added substrate to a gaseous metabolite in vitro can be utilized to monitor and screen biological responses induced by an agent of interest (i.e., "probe molecule approach" to toxicity testing).MethodsBEAS-2B human airway epithelial cell line cultures were incubated with or without ethanol (1-2 %) in a flow-through system and the production of acetaldehyde (C2) and other gaseous carbonyls were collected on the outflow line with dinitrophenylhydrazine packed cartridges. Samples were analyzed by HPLC-UV.ResultsResults showed increased amounts of C2 with ethanol exposure (1 and 2% for 2 and 6 hr, respectively) compared to vehicle controls. Control blanks showed negligible C2 background. Cell viability was >95% by trypan blue exclusion. In separate studies where the cells were allowed to desiccate, carbonyls in the C4-C6 range were observed, suggesting these carbonyls are possible gaseous biomarkers of cell death. ConclusionsThe use of BEAS-2B cells and this flow-through gas system shows promise for 1) being able to expose cells to a volatile substance (ethanol) and preserve cell viability for several hours, and 2) capture a gas phase metabolite for use in probe molecule approaches for screening the induction of toxicity by a gas phase agent. Further optimization of the system is underway. The use of in vitro metabolism for chemical screening may reflect in vivo metabolism responses that can be captured in exhaled breath. [This abstract may not reflect official US EPA policy.]

A Blood-Red Sky: Fires Leave a Million Indonesians Gasping

Wildfires burning across Indonesia have created respiratory problems for nearly a million people.

The World’s Oceans Are in Danger, Major Climate Change Report Warns

Climate change is severely straining the world's oceans, creating profound risks for coastal cities and food supplies, a U.N. report finds.

Earth911 Quiz #26: The Art of Land Restoration

We have the opportunity to bring several billion acres of ...

The post Earth911 Quiz #26: The Art of Land Restoration appeared first on Earth911.com.

Looking For a New Way to Live

James Ehrlich, the founder of ReGen Villages, wants to create neighborhoods that will generate their own power and grow their own food.

Landscaping Techniques To Cut Home Energy Use

Nearly half of all home energy use is for heating ...

The post Landscaping Techniques To Cut Home Energy Use appeared first on Earth911.com.

Scientists to Drift With Arctic Ice to Study Climate Change

The Mosaic expedition, a $155 million undertaking five years in the making, aims for a better understanding of how global warming will affect the Arctic. 

Developmental toxicity of disinfection byproducts in F344 rats

Drinking water disinfection by-products (DBPs) form when oxidizing disinfectants (e.g., chlorine) react with organic material in source waters. Previously, we have shown that two of the regulated trihalomethanes (THMs), bromoform and bromodichloromethane, cause pregnancy loss (i.e., full-litter resorption; FLR) when administered to pregnant F344 rats. We have also shown that mixtures of THMs, haloacetic acids (HAAs), and THMs+HAAs all caused pregnancy loss in F344 rats. The HAA-containing mixtures also caused eye malformations in pups of dams exposed during gestation. The F344 rat is an inbred strain that is particularly susceptible to toxicant-induced pregnancy loss, apparently due to disruption of luteinizing hormone (LH) during the LH-dependent period of pregnancy. This strain is also susceptible to eye malformations (anophthalmia, microphthalmia). Here, we used the F344 rat model to compare the developmental toxicity of several THMs (chloroform, iodoform, chlorodibromomethane), HAAs (bromoacetic acid, dibromoacetic acid, diiodoacetic acid, trichloroacetic acid), and other DBPs (dibromonitromethane, iodoacetonitrile). DBPs were administered by gavage to timed-pregnant F344 rats on gestation days 6-10, encompassing the maternal LH-dependent period of pregnancy as well as the critical period of embryonic eye development. Dams were allowed to deliver and litters were examined on postnatal days (PD) 1 and 6. Uteri of nongravid rats were stained with 2% ammonium sulfide to confirm cases of FLR. All three THMs tested caused pregnancy loss; on a molar basis, iodoform was more potent than chloroform. None of the THMs caused eye malformations. For the HAAs, only trichloroacetic acid caused pregnancy loss. Except for bromoacetic acid, all of the HAAs tested caused eye malformations. Preliminary studies with dibromonitromethane and iodoacetonitrile showed no significant effects on the incidences of pregnancy loss or eye malformations. Thus, consistent with previous work, the THMs caused pregnancy loss but had no effect on eye development in surviving litters. Also consistent with previous work, most of the HAAs were teratogenic and caused eye malformations. Trichloroacetic acid, however, was unique among the HAAs in that it caused pregnancy loss as well as eye malformations in F344 rats.

Caltech Gets a Windfall for Climate Research: $750 Million

The gift from Stewart and Lynda Resnick, the billionaire owners of bottled water and agriculture companies, comes amid growing urgency over climate change.

How to Develop an Appetite for Insects

Scientists who study bugs are thinking harder about how to turn them into good food.

Canada’s Green Party Doctors a Photo. Opponents Cry Hypocrisy

A photoshopped image of Canada's Green Party leader that shows her holding a reusable cup has raised charges of hypocrisy.

Quartz disrupts iron homeostasis in alveolar macrophages to impact a pro-inflammatory effect

The biological response of bronchial epithelial cells to particles is associated with a sequestration of cell metal by the particle surface and a subsequent disruption in host iron homeostasis. The macrophage is that cell type resident in the respiratory tract which inhaled particles are most likely to initially contact. We tested the postulates that 1) silica, a prototypical particle, disrupts iron homeostasis in alveolar macrophages (AMs) and 2) the altered iron homeostasis results in both an oxidative stress and pro-inflammatory effects. Human AMs (1.0x106/mL) demonstrated an increased import of iron following particle exposure with non-heme iron concentrations of 0.57±0.03, 1.72±0.09, 0.88±0.09, and 3.21±0.11 ppm in cells exposed for 4 hr to media, 500 µM ferric ammonium citrate (FAC), 100 µg/mL silica, and both silica and FAC respectively. Intracellular ferritin concentrations and iron release were similarly increased after AM exposure to FAC and silica. Silica increased oxidant generation by AMs measured using both dichlorofluorescein diacetate fluorescence and reduction of nitroblue tetrazolium salt. Concentrations of interleukin (IL)-1β, IL-6, IL-8, and tumor necrosis factor-α in macrophage supernatant increased following 100 µg/mL silica exposure for 24 hr. Treatment of AMs with 500 µM FAC decreased both oxidant generation and cytokine release associated with silica exposure supporting a dependence of these effects on sequestration of cell metal by the particle surface. We conclude that 1) silica exposure disrupts iron homeostasis resulting in increased import, accumulation, and release of the metal and 2) the altered iron homeostasis following silica exposure impacts oxidant generation and pro-inflammatory effects.

E.P.A. to Accuse California of ‘Significant’ Air and Water Problems

In the Trump administration's latest jab at California, the Environmental Protection Agency is saying the state is not protecting its water quality.

Integrated Science Assessment (ISA) for Ozone and Related Photochemical Oxidants (External Review Draft)

The Integrated Science Assessment for Ozone and Related Photochemical Oxidants document is a concise synthesis and evaluation of the most policy-relevant science, and has been prepared as part of the review of the primary (health-based) and secondary (welfare-based) National Ambient Air Quality Standards (NAAQS) for Ozone under the Clean Air Act. When final, the Ozone ISA, in conjunction with additional technical and policy assessments, will provide the scientific basis for EPA's decision on whether the current primary and secondary air quality standards for Ozone sufficiently protects public health and welfare.

Field demonstration of the VOC Emissions Tracker (VET) to detect fugitive air toxic emissions in Dallas, TX

Volatile organic compound (VOC) emissions lead to negative air quality impacts by contributing to ozone and particle formation. Furthermore, many VOCs are also air toxics that are detrimental to human health. Fugitive and area source VOC emissions are highly variable both spatially and temporally, and thus pose a serious challenge in emissions detection, measurement and mitigation activities by industry and air quality regulators. Emerging cost-effective technological solutions are currently being developed and applied by regulatory agencies to address this challenge for more effective fugitive VOC emissions detection and for fenceline monitoring. Improved fugitive VOC emissions detection using these next generation emissions measurement (NGEM) tools can lead to significant benefits including improvements in local air quality, reduced negative health burden on affected communities, cost savings to industry, and safer industrial work environments. This presentation will discuss the development and field demonstration of the first prototype VOC Emissions Tracker (VET) as part of EPA's Dallas NGEM Demonstration study to detect and identify fugitive VOC emissions in Dallas, TX. The VET system represents a novel combination of several NGEM approaches, including a low-cost VOC fenceline sensor, wind measurements, an automated field gas chromatograph (autoGC), and automated whole air canister sampling in an integrated field package. The autoGC component is a prototype instrument customized to measure xylene to aid in the identification of xylene emission sources contributing to a concerning trend of elevated levels of this air toxic in the Dallas area. This work will discuss the development of the first prototype VET and will present preliminary results from its field deployment that started in August 2018 in Dallas, TX.

Kathryn Murdoch Steps Out of the Family Shadow to Fight Climate Change

You know her last name, and her father-in-law, Rupert, the conservative media mogul. Now, she hopes to remove partisan obstacles to climate progress that her family's empire helped build.

Major Cruise Line to Abandon Plastic Water Bottles

Norwegian Cruise Line, the world's third-biggest cruise company, aims to switch its fleet to paper-based water cartons by 2020.

What Happened at the U.N. General Assembly

Presidents and prime ministers converged at the world's most prominent diplomatic stage, amid crises ranging from climate change to possible armed conflict between Iran and the United States.

Fiat Chrysler Manager Faces U.S. Fraud Charges on Diesel Emissions

An indictment followed the company's costly settlement of lawsuits over rigging pollution test results.

Trump Administration Threatens to Cut U.S. Highway Funds From California

Saying California has the worst air quality in the country, the E.P.A. chief fires the latest salvo in an escalating battle over clean air and states' rights.

So, You’ve Audited Your Waste, Now What?

In part one, Conducting A Home Waste Audit, you learned ...

The post So, You've Audited Your Waste, Now What? appeared first on Earth911.com.

Maven Moment: Greeting Cards

My Aunt Connie loved to send greeting cards through the ...

The post Maven Moment: Greeting Cards appeared first on Earth911.com.

Healthier Tips for Baby Food Your Baby Will Love

If you're a new parent or a been-there-done-that parent, it's ...

The post Healthier Tips for Baby Food Your Baby Will Love appeared first on Earth911.com.

Ensuring the Best from Our Work Despite Challenges

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's (i.e., EPA's or the Agency's) Air and Energy Management Division (AEMD) in the Office of Research and Development's, National Risk Management Research Laboratory (NRMRL) performs advanced methods development, provides solution-oriented mitigation of air pollutants, develops robust decision-making models and tools, and assesses environmental implications for air pollutant sources and energy systems in order to provide the Agency with a basis of knowledge for informed decisions on agency-issued guidance, standards, and regulations. AEMD accomplishes its mission through diverse stakeholder partnerships from industry to government to everyday citizens. The landscape of science is constantly evolving. Today, pollutants are being measured at previously unseen levels of detection. Novel, innovative technology is being unveiled at a rapid pace and evaluated for relevance in measurement and monitoring priority areas. Emerging environmental issues and contaminants of concern are being investigated to answer the immediate questions of uncertainty with regards to public health and exposure. With reductions in federal research dollars and staff, the development or application of an innovative approach; improvement in problem solving capacity; and formation of successful alliances with stakeholders are strategic means for advancing our knowledge to the rapidly changing surroundings. This must be done without any sacrifice to the quality of the data which must be known, documented, and provided to our clients in a timely manner. AEMD has been successful leveraging resources and advancing research in these challenging times. For example, AEMD is intimately engaged with communities and citizen scientists to use low-cost, novel sensors to determine where an environmental issue might exist, and further monitoring be required. Further, agricultural sources contribute to over 80% of the U.S. ammonia and other nitrogen connections, which impact human health and air quality attainment. AEMD developed the Global Change Assessment Model with state-level resolution (GCAM-USA) which is being used in one application to evaluate the net energy environmental impacts of battery electric vehicles (BEVs). In addition, there are thousands of per- and polyfluorinated substances (PFAS) in the environment and AEMD is aggressively researching and developing sampling techniques and mitigation solutions to determine sources of this emerging area of concern. This presentation will focus on some of the environmental challenges AEMD is tackling, solutions we are developing, best management practices we are instilling to ensure data quality and timeliness, plus more.

Energy and Emissions Implications of Automated Vehicles in the U.S. Energy System

Vehicle automation has the potential to drastically transform the transportation system, which would in turn have energy and environmental implications. There is considerable uncertainty regarding the effect of automation on travel demand and efficiency, regarding the direction, magnitude and interaction of both. We utilize the MARKAL model to examine four previously published scenarios of vehicle automation that consider different effects on vehicle efficiency and travel demands and use the model to provide additional insights on fuel switching, upstream impacts, and air emissions. Model results suggest that an increase in travel demands from automation may lead to greater fuel use and higher fuel prices, potentially increasing the market penetration of alternative-fuel vehicles. In contrast, dramatic efficiency improvements from automation could drive fuel prices lower, greatly reducing the competitiveness of alternative-fueled vehicles. Furthermore, vehicle technology shifts such as these could yield either positive or negative environmental impacts since vehicle technologies can have very different emission signatures. Some automation scenarios even resulted in counterintuitive results. For example, by driving out alternative-fuel vehicles, such as battery electric and hybrids, high levels of efficiency improvement led to a net worsening of air quality. We also found system dynamics to be very important. For example, reductions in liquid fuel prices were shown to drive an uptake in their use. The resulting increase in air pollutant emissions offset a portion of the air quality benefits of automation.

Greta Thunberg, After Pointed U.N. Speech, Faces Attacks From the Right

The young climate activist was widely celebrated after her speech at the United Nations. But critics have said she is being used, and a conservative commentator compared her likeness to Nazi imagery.

Scenes From a Day of Protests in Paris

Paris police tear-gassed protesters and arrested 163 people Saturday during a day of climate change and Yellow Vest demonstrations that turned violent when anarchists joined in.

Major Cruise Line to Abandon Plastic Water Bottles

Norwegian Cruise Line, the world's third-biggest cruise company, aims to switch its fleet to paper-based water cartons by 2020.

Giant Glacier in the Alps Is in Danger of Collapse, Experts Warn

The Italian authorities have closed two roads and evacuated mountain huts after researchers found a gaping crack in an ice mass on the Mont Blanc massif.

20190825 - High-throughput experimental and computational technologies at the National Center for Computational Toxicology (ACS Fall 2019)

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is faced with the challenge of efficiently evaluating chemical safety often with access to only sparse toxicity data. The increasing number of chemicals found in commerce and the environment, together with the time and resource requirements for traditional toxicity testing and exposure characterization, requires new approaches to be developed. In 2005, EPA embraced computational toxicology (CompTox) to deliver results and applications across a broad range of environmental health problems. This work includes 1) the Toxicity Forecaster (ToxCast) project for in vitro high-throughput screening (HTS) of environmental chemicals; 2) high-throughput toxicokinetics (HTTK) and 3) high-throughput transcriptomics (HTTr) for cost-efficient screening of thousands of chemicals. One aspect of this work has been the delivery of a number of web-based "dashboards" providing access to experimental and predicted data ensuring community access to data streams that can be of value to researchers. This presentation will provide an overview of the CompTox Chemicals Dashboard and how this freely available community resource provides access to experimental and predicted data generated within the EPA's National Center for Computational Toxicology, and is an information hub for data aggregated from public databases. This includes specific efforts to aggregate data associated with pesticides and the generation of large volumes of in vitro bioactivity data associated with 100s of assays. This abstract does not necessarily represent the views or policies of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.

20190911 - Transitioning Generalised Read-across (GenRA) towards quantitative predictions (SRA Webinar)

The initial GenRA (baseline) considered structural similarity and/or bioactivity to make binary predictions of toxicity. More recent work has transitioned towards extending the GenRA approach to make quantitative predictions of toxicity and illustrated how the GenRA baseline can be applied in practice. Here we will highlight ongoing research in extending the approach - transitioning to quantitative predictions of points of departure (PODs) with 2 case studies – acute toxicity LD50 values and LOAELs from repeated dose toxicity studies. A GenRA tool has been built in to the EPA CompTox Chemicals Dashboard. The views expressed in this presentation are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the views or policies of the U.S. EPA

A Week of Climate Action, and Inaction

Also in this edition, community solar projects and a fuzzy pledge from businesses.

20190906 - Transitioning towards objective read-across approaches: Generalised Read-across (GenRA) (EFSA Meeting)

Generalized Read-Across (GenRA) is a data driven approach which makes read-across predictions of toxicity on the basis of a similarity weighted activity of source analogues (nearest neighbors). A harmonized hybrid workflow for GenRA provides opportunities for new approach methodologies (NAM) data. This presentation will illustrate how a GenRA baseline can be applied in practice, and highlight ongoing research in extending the approach and current applications. The views expressed in this presentation are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views or policies of the US EPA.

The World’s Oceans Are in Danger, Major Climate Change Report Warns

Climate change is severely straining the world's oceans, creating profound risks for coastal cities and food supplies, a U.N. report finds.

Fires Rage in Indonesia, Turning the Sky Red

Wildfires burning across Indonesia have created respiratory problems for nearly a million people.

How to Cool a Planet With Extraterrestrial Dust

A study of fossil meteorites suggests that a distant asteroid collision once sent Earth into an ice age.

Solving Systemic Water Problems

As Americans, we are conditioned to believe that our individual ...

The post Solving Systemic Water Problems appeared first on Earth911.com.

We Earthlings: The Carbon Footprint of Jeans

Jeans are a staple in most people's wardrobes, something we ...

The post We Earthlings: The Carbon Footprint of Jeans appeared first on Earth911.com.

Characterization of organic nitrogen in aerosols at a forest site in the southern Appalachian Mountains May 2018

This study investigates the composition of organic particulate matter in a remote montane forest in the southeastern U.S., focusing on the role of organic nitrogen (N) in sulfur-containing secondary organic aerosol (nitrooxy-organosulfates) and aerosols associated with biomass burning (nitro-aromatics). Bulk water soluble organic N (WSON) represented  14% w/w of water soluble total N (WSTN) in PM2.5, on average, across seasonal measurement campaigns conducted in the spring, summer, and fall of 2015. Largest contributions of WSON to WSTN were observed in spring (~ 18% w/w) and lowest in the fall (~10% w/w). On average, identified nitro-aromatic and nitrooxy-organosulfate compounds accounted for a small fraction of WSON, ranging from  1% in spring to  4% in fall, though were observed to contribute as much as 28% w/w of WSON in individual samples. Highest concentrations of oxidized organic N species occurred during summer (average of 0.65ngN/m3) along with a greater relative abundance of higher generation oxygenated terpenoic acids, indicating an association with more aged aerosol. Highest concentrations of nitro-aromatics (eg. nitrocatechol and methyl-nitrocatechol), levoglucosan, and aged SOA tracers were observed during fall, associated with aged biomass burning plumes. Nighttime nitrate radical chemistry is the most likely formation pathway for nitrooxy-organosulfates observed at this low NOx site (generally <1ppb). Isoprene derived organosulfate (MW216, 2-methyltetrol derived), which is formed from isoprene epoxydiols (IEPOX) under low NOx conditions, was the most abundant individual organosulfate. Concentration weighted average N/C ratios for nitro-aromatics + organosulfates + terpenoic acids were one order of magnitude lower than the overall aerosol N/C ratio, indicating the presence of other uncharacterized higher N content species. Although nitrooxy organosulfates and nitroaromatics contributed a small fraction of WSON, our results provide new insight into the atmospheric formation processes and sources of these largely uncharacterized components of atmospheric organic N.

New Approach Methodologies for Exposure from EPA&rsquo;s ExpoCast Project (SACATM Meeting invited talk)

Exposure is a key component of evaluating the risks posed by anthropogenic chemicals. Exposure is the degree or contact between a chemical and human and ecological target populations. EPA's Exposure Forecaster (ExpoCast) project is charged with the development of new datasets and predictive models that provide exposure information for thousands of chemicals to support agency decision-making. ExpoCast datasets enable the development of cheminformatic machine learning models that fill critical gaps for data-poor chemicals and parameterize new mechanistic models for human, ecological, and occupational exposure pathways. These pathway models can be statistically integrated with available monitoring data to produce consensus exposure predictions and estimates of uncertainty. New high-throughput analytical approaches are also being developed that will expand the chemical space monitored in human and ecological media. Finally, new high-throughput toxicokinetic data and models are used to link ExpoCast exposure predictions to in vitro hazard data. These ExpoCast tools, which can be considered New Approach Methodologies for exposure, are suitable for dealing with the thousands of chemicals in commerce with limited sources of chemical exposure information.

Analysis of Seasonality and Trends in WRF-CMAQ Modeled PM2.5 using Empirical Mode Decomposition

Regional air quality models have been widely used in studying sources, composition, transport and transformation of PM2.5 as well as their adverse environmental and health impacts. The emergence of decadal air quality simulations allows more sophisticated model evaluation other than the traditional operational evaluation. We propose a new framework of process-based model evaluation of speciated PM2.5 using Empirical Mode Decomposition (EMD) to assess how well regional-scale air quality models simulate the time-dependent long-term trend and cyclic variations in daily average PM2.5 and its species, including SO4, NO3, NH4, Cl, OC and EC. Amplitudes of the annual cycles of total PM2.5, SO4 and OC are well reproduced. However, the time-dependent phase difference in the annual cycles for total PM2.5, OC and EC reveal a shift of up to half year, indicating a potential challenge in the allocation of emissions during the study period and the urgent need for the recently completed model updates in the treatment of organic aerosols compared to the version employed for this set of simulations. Evaluation of several intra-annual and interannual variations indicates that model has larger potential in replicating the intra-annual cycles. In addition, we investigate the role of species other than those in the available dataset in driving agreements or discrepancies between model simulations and observations.

Systematic review and meta-analyses of lead (Pb) concentrations in environmental media (soil, dust, water, food, and air) reported in the United States from 1996 to 2016

Environmental lead (Pb) contamination is a persistent public health issue that prominently impacts communities across the United States. Multimedia Pb exposure assessments are utilized to provide a holistic evaluation of Pb exposure and inform the development of programs and regulations that are protective of human health. To conduct multimedia exposure assessments, robust, media-specific environmental Pb concentration data are necessary. To support this effort, systematic review and meta-analysis methods were used to conduct a comprehensive synthesis of research measuring Pb in multiple environmental media (soil, dust, water, food, and air) over a 20-year period within the United States. The breadth of the resulting database allowed for the evaluation of sample characteristics that can serve as indicators of environmental Pb contamination. Random effects models run on literature and national survey datasets generated overall mean estimates of Pb concentrations that can be used for multimedia Pb exposure modeling for general and high-exposure-risk populations. Results from our study highlighted several important trends: 1) The mean estimate of Pb in residential soils is three times higher for urbanized areas than non-urbanized areas; 2) The mean estimate of Pb in produce reported in the literature is approximately three orders of magnitude greater than commercially-sourced raw produce monitored in national surveys; 3) The mean estimate of Pb in soils from shooting ranges is two times greater than non-residential Pb contaminated Superfund sites reported in the literature; 4) Research reporting environmental Pb concentrations for school and daycare sites is very limited; 5) Inconsistent sample collection and reporting of results limited synthesis efforts; and 6) The U.S. EPA's Air Quality System was the most robust, publicly available national survey resource. Results from these analyses will inform future multimedia Pb exposure assessments and be useful in prioritizing future research and program development.

Derivation of the equivalent qPCR value for Escherichia coli to existing culture-based water quality standards for monitoring beaches in Michigan

A quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qPCR) method (Draft Method C) has been developed for Escherichia coli (E. coli) by the United States Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA). However, a beach notification threshold value is needed for this method and has not been determined. To implement Draft Method C for monitoring beaches in Michigan, the Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) led a 3-year effort with fourteen labs to share 6,669 water samples from 108 beaches with the USEPA National Exposure Research Laboratory (NERL). Selected beaches were representative of both the upper and lower peninsulas of Michigan with urban and rural locations on inland lakes and the Great Lakes. Samples were analyzed by local labs using a state and USEPA-approved culture method (Colilert) and by both NERL and the local labs using Draft Method C. Linear relationships between culture and Draft Method C results were determined. Final analysis was based on results from a combined total of 2,092 samples from 39 beaches with at least one exceedance of the Michigan water quality standard by culture, at least 10 paired samples with quantitative estimates for both methods, and a minimum R2 of 0.6 between the methods per beach. From this analysis, a Draft Method C qPCR value of 1.863 log10 copies per reaction was determined to be equivalent to the Michigan culture standard of 300 E. coli per 100 milliliters (ml). The new beach notification value for Draft Method C will be implemented for monitoring Michigan beaches and will improve the protection of public health by providing results in hours instead of the next day.

U.S. Federal Research Action Plan (FRAP) on Recycled Tire Crumb Rubber Used on Synthetic Turf Playing Fields and Playgrounds

This presentation provides information about the status of the Federal Research Action Plan on Recycled Tire Crumb Rubber Used on Synthetic Turf Playing Fields and Playgrounds. Key results, findings, and messages from the tire crumb rubber characterization portion of the research, as described in the Final Report Part 1, will also be described in this presentation.

At U.N. Climate Summit, Few Commitments and U.S. Silence

China made no new commitments at United Nations climate talks to take stronger action. The United States said nothing at all, and a host of other countries made incremental promises at best.

When the Choreographer Won’t Fly, the Dancers Rehearse by Skype

Jérôme Bel has decided, for ecological reasons, not to work in any way that involves a plane ride. That can make things difficult.

Development of TracMyAir Smartphone Application for Modeling Exposures to Ambient PM2.5 and Ozone

Air pollution epidemiology studies of ambient fine particulate matter (PM2.5) and ozone (O3) often use outdoor concentrations as exposure surrogates. Failure to account for the variability of the indoor infiltration of ambient PM2.5 and O3, and time indoors, can induce exposure errors. We developed an exposure model called TracMyAir, which is an iPhone application ("app") that determines seven tiers of individual-level exposure metrics in real-time for ambient PM2.5 and O3 using outdoor concentrations, weather, home building characteristics, time-locations, and time-activities. We linked a mechanistic air exchange rate (AER) model, a mass-balance PM2.5 and O3 building infiltration model, and an inhaled ventilation model to determine outdoor concentrations (Tier 1), residential AER (Tier 2), infiltration factors (Tier 3), indoor concentrations (Tier 4), personal exposure factors (Tier 5), personal exposures (Tier 6), and inhaled doses (Tier 7). Using the application in central North Carolina, we demonstrated its ability to automatically obtain real-time input data from the nearest air monitors and weather stations, and predict the exposure metrics. A sensitivity analysis showed that the modeled exposure metrics can vary substantially with changes in seasonal indoor-outdoor temperature differences, daily home operating conditions (i.e., opening windows and operating air cleaners), and time spent outdoors. The capability of TracMyAir could help reduce uncertainty of ambient PM2.5 and O3 exposure metrics used in epidemiology studies.

Effects of carbonaceous nanomaterials on soil-grown soybeans under combined heat and insect stresses

Because carbonaceous nanomaterials (CNMs) are expected to enter soils via agricultural CNM applications and disposal of biosolids or wastewater, the exposure implications to crop plants should be understood. Most prior investigations have been under ideal growth conditions, yet crops commonly experience abiotic and biotic stresses. Here, we investigated the effects of 1000 mg kg-1 multi-walled carbon nanotubes (CNTs), graphene nanoplatelets (GNPs), and industrial carbon black (CB) on soybeans grown to the bean production stage in soil. Following seed sowing, plants experienced high temperatures and became infested with an insect (thrips). Consequently, all plants had similarly stunted stem and leaf growth, greater leaf damage, reduced final biomasses, and fewer root nodules, compared with healthy control soybeans previously grown without heat and thrips stresses. Thus, CNMs did not significantly influence the growth and yield of stressed soybeans, and the previously reported nodulation inhibition by CNMs was not specifically observed here. However, CNMs significantly altered two leaf health indicators: the leaf chlorophyll a/b ratio which was higher in the GNP treatment than in either the control (by 15%) or the CB treatment (by 14%), and leaf lipid peroxidation which was elevated in the CNT treatment compared with either the control (by 47%) or the GNP treatment (by 66%). Overall, these results show that, while severe environmental stresses may strongly impair plant production, CNMs (including CNTs and GNPs) in soil could additionally impact foliar health of an agriculturally important legume.

Trump Administration Threatens to Cut U.S. Highway Funds From California

Saying California has the worst air quality in the country, the E.P.A. chief fires the latest salvo in an escalating battle over clean air and states' rights.

One Thing You Can Do: Switch to a Green Energy Provider

Also, reporters, activists and world leaders get set for climate week.

Eat Like a Fall Locavore

While the word locavore is new to many of our ...

The post Eat Like a Fall Locavore appeared first on Earth911.com.

Is My Water Safe to Drink?

There was a time when Americans took clean drinking water ...

The post Is My Water Safe to Drink? appeared first on Earth911.com.

Earth911 Podcast, Sept. 23, 2019: CBD Sustainability, Solar Installation Contracts, & Indoor Vertical Gardens

Following the rapid rise of CBD-based products, Earth911 looks at ...

The post Earth911 Podcast, Sept. 23, 2019: CBD Sustainability, Solar Installation Contracts, & Indoor Vertical Gardens appeared first on Earth911.com.

Climate Week in New York Is Just Getting Started

Monday: Every day this week, people are gathering throughout the city to discuss climate change and what they can do about it.

Scientists Set Out to Drift With Arctic Ice for a Year to Study Climate Change

The Mosaic expedition, a $155 million undertaking five years in the making, aims for a better understanding of how global warming will affect the Arctic. 

When the Choreographer Won’t Fly, the Dancers Rehearse by Skype

Jérôme Bel has decided, for ecological reasons, not to work in any way that involves a plane ride. That can make things difficult.

FDTool: a Python application to mine for functional dependencies and candidate keys in tabular data

Functional dependencies (FDs} and candidate keys are essential for table decomposition, database normalization, and data cleansing. In this paper, we present FDTool , a command line Python application to discover minimal FDs in tabular datasets and infer equivalent attribute sets and candidate keys from them. The runtime and memory costs associated with seven published FD discovery algorithms are given with an overview of their theoretical foundations. Previous research establishes that FD_Mine is the most efficient FD discovery algorithm when applied to datasets with many rows (> 100,000 rows} and few columns(< 14 columns}. This puts it in a special position to rule mine clinical and demographic datasets, which often consist of long and narrow sets of participant records. The structure of FD_Mine is describedand supplemented with a formal proof of the equivalence pruning method used. FDTool is a re-implementaiton of FD_Mine with additional features added to improve performance and automate typical processes in database architecture. The experimental results of applying FDTool to 13 datasets of different dimensions are summarized in terms of the number of FDs checked, the number of FDs found, and the time it takes for the code to terminate. We find that the number of attributes in a dataset has a much greater effect on the runtime and memory costs of FDTool than does row count. The last section explains in detail how the FDTool application can be accessed, executed, and further developed.

Climate Protesters and World Leaders: Same Planet, Different Worlds

Friday's global climate protests put the gap between activists and many of the world leaders preparing to meet in New York City next week into stark focus.

Blood leukocyte DNA methylation predicts risk of future myocardial infarction and coronary heart disease: A longitudinal study of 11,461 participants from population-based cohorts

BACKGROUND: DNA methylation is implicated in coronary heart disease (CHD), but current evidence is based on small, cross-sectional studies. We examined blood DNA methylation in relation' to incident CHD across multiple prospective cohorts.METHODS: Nine population-based cohorts from the United States and Europe profiled epigenome-wide blood leukocyte DNA methylation using the Illumina Infinium 450k microarray, and prospectively ascertained CHD events including coronary insufficiency/unstable angina, recognized myocardial infarction, coronary revascularization, and coronary death. Cohorts conducted race-specific analyses adjusted for age, sex, smoking, education, body mass index, blood cell type proportions, and technical variables. We conducted fixed-effect meta-analyses across cohorts.RESULTS: Among 11461 individuals (mean age 64 years, 67% women, 35% African American) free of CHD at baseline, 1895 developed CHD during a mean follow-up of 11.2 years. Methylation levels at 52 CpG (cytosine-phosphate-guanine) sites were associated with incident CHD or myocardial infarction (false discovery rate<0.05). These CpGs map to genes with key roles in calcium regulation (ATP2B2, CASR, GUCA1B,HPCAL1), and genes identified in genome- and epigenome-wide studies of serum calcium (CASR), serum calcium-related risk of CHD (CASR), coronary artery calcified plaque (PTPRN2), and kidney function (CDH23, HPCAL1), among others. Mendelian randomization analyses supported a causal effect of DNA methylation on incident CHD; these CpGs map to active regulatory regions proximal to long non-coding RNA transcripts.CONCLUSION: Methylation of blood-derived DNA is associated with risk of future CHD across diverse populations and may serve as an informative tool for gaining further insight on the development of CHD.

On Assessing Risks to Fish Habitats and Populations Associated with a Transportation Corridor for Proposed Mine Operations in a Salmon-Rich Watershed

Natural resource extraction in large undeveloped areas – such as the Bristol Bay watershed in Southwest Alaska – often necessitates construction of roads that contribute substantial environmental risks. Herein, we attempt to address risks from a proposed mine transportation corridor in a virtually roadless watershed that crosses important salmon streams and rivers.

The Bristol Bay watershed supports the largest sockeye salmon fishery in the world. A proposed 138 km permanent access road would connect a porphyry copper/gold deposit to a deep-water port. Of 64 potential stream crossings, salmonid spawning migrations may be impeded by culverts at 36 crossings, 32 of which contain restricted upstream habitat. After cessation of mine operations, assuming typical maintenance practices, 10 or more of the 32 streams with restricted upstream habitat would likely be entirely or partly blocked at any time. Consequently, salmon passage – and ultimately production – would be reduced in these streams, and they would likely not be able to support long-term populations of resident species.

Additional long-term risks associated with operation of the road include filling or alteration of National Wetland Inventory aquatic habitats; spills of highly toxic xan¬thate or cyanide due to truck accidents; and reduced habitat quality due to dust production from traffic. We discuss our methodology, and information needs, in the context of Environmental Impact Statements that set the stage for decisions regarding future mining projects.

20190908 - Chemical risk assessment: How well do in vitro and in silico data predict the in vivo situation? (EuroTox)

Modern high-throughput screening technologies (HTS) (Houck et al., 2013) are enabling the use of use of new approach methodologies (NAMs) that can provide information about chemical hazard and risk assessment without using whole animals (ICCVAM, 2018). Gaining broader acceptance of NAMs in risk assessment will require comparisons between the point of departure (POD) from HTS and from traditional animal testing studies (Kavlock et al., 2018; Thomas et al., 2019). High-content imaging (HCI), a type of HTS technology, is widely used to evaluate drug safety (O'Brien et al., 2006) and to screen chemicals for toxicity (O'Brien and Edvardsson, 2017). By using single-cell data, "sublethal" cellular alterations identified by HCI such as, mitochondrial activity, lysosomal mass, oxidative stress and apoptosis are found to be important for translating in vitro effects to in vivo safety (O'Brien, 2014). Here we describe a case study in which HCI was used to estimate in vitro potency values in rat hepatocytes and that were quantitatively extrapolated to in vivo oral administered equivalent doses (AEDs) using high-throughput toxicokinetic (HTTK) modeling (Pearce et al., 2017) . The AEDs were then compared with in vivo rat liver POD values from repeat-dose subchronic (90d) and chronic (3y) exposures. We first selected 51 chemicals from ToxRefDB v2.0 that produced hepatic effects following repeat-dose subchronic (90d) and chronic (3y) exposures. Second, we treated rat primary hepatocytes with 10 concentrations (0.2 to 100µM) of these chemicals. Third, we used high-content imaging (HCI) to measure endoplasmic reticulum stress, mitochondrial function, lysosomal mass, steatosis, apoptosis, DNA texture, nuclear size and cell number at three time points (24, 48 and 72 h). Fourth, we used the HCI data to estimate AC50 values for all in vitro endpoints and time points using curve-fitting (Filer et al., 2016). Finally, we extrapolated the AC50 values to administered equivalent doses (AED) by toxicokinetic modeling with multiple dose metrics and compared them with hepatic lowest observed adverse effect levels (LOAELs). On average, AED derived from HCI in rat primary hepatocytes were 7 folds lower than rat liver chronic and subchronic LOAELs. While the ratio between the LOAEL and AED values varied by the HCI endpoint, in vitro exposure duration and choice of dose metric in toxicokinetic modeling, 60% of the ratios were within 10 folds. In contrast, AED based on diverse in vitro assays from ToxCast were 58 folds lower than LOAELs. Our findings demonstrate the feasibility of NAMs using HTS and HTTK for screening level assessments and provide a systematic appraisal of multiple in vitro factors on the predicted margin of safety. We believe that more sophisticated computational approaches will further improve the performance of NAMs for predicting health effects. This abstract does not reflect US EPA policy.

An Economic-Energetic Evaluation of Mobile Carbon Capture

An analysis of mobile carbon capture methods

Who’s Speaking at the U.N. Climate Summit? Several Champions of Coal

Countries that continue to push coal will take the podium Monday at the United Nations Climate Action Summit.

20190825 - Non-targeted analysis supported by data and cheminformatics delivered via the US EPA CompTox Chemicals Dashboard (ACS Fall 2019)

Non-targeted analysis (NTA) uses high-resolution mass spectrometry to better understand the identity of a wide variety of chemicals present in environmental samples (and other matrices). However, data processing remains challenging due to the vast number of chemicals detected in samples, software and computational requirements of data processing, and inherent uncertainty in confidently identifying chemicals from candidate lists. Analysis of the resultant mass spectrometry information relies on cheminformatics to identify and rank chemicals and the US EPA has developed functionality within the CompTox Chemicals Dashboard (https://comptox.epa.gov/dashboard) to address challenges related to this analysis. These tools include the generation of "MS-Ready" structures to optimize database searching, retention time prediction for candidate reduction, consensus ranking using chemical metadata, and in silico MS/MS fragmentation prediction for spectral matching. Combining these tools into a comprehensive workflow improves certainty in candidate identification. This presentation will review how the CompTox Chemicals Dashboard via its flexible search capabilities, rich data for ~900,000 chemical substances, and visualization approaches within this open chemistry resource provides a freely available software tool to support structure identification and NTA. This abstract does not necessarily represent the views or policies of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.

Climate Protesters and World Leaders: Same Planet, Different Worlds

Friday's global climate protests put the gap between activists and many of the world leaders preparing to meet in New York City next week into stark focus.

Climate Protesters and World Leaders: Same Planet, Different Worlds

Friday's global climate protests put the gap between activists and many of the world leaders preparing to meet in New York City next week into stark focus.

Who’s Speaking at the U.N. Climate Summit? Several Champions of Coal.

Countries that continue to push coal will take the podium Monday at the United Nations Climate Action Summit.

Who’s Speaking at the U.N. Climate Summit? Several Champions of Coal.

Countries that continue to push coal will take the podium Monday at the United Nations Climate Action Summit.

Scientists Set Out to Drift With Arctic Ice for a Year to Study Climate Change

The Mosaic expedition, a $155 million undertaking five years in the making, aims for a better understanding of how global warming will affect the Arctic. 

Climate Strike N.Y.C.: Young Crowds Demand Action, Welcome Greta Thunberg

"I feel hopeful seeing the power of all these people here today," one teenager said of the protest, which drew tens of thousands of demonstrators.

Meet 8 Youth Protest Leaders

Around the globe, young people are demanding action on climate change in a day of protest. Meet eight of the local leaders.

California Sues the Trump Administration in Its Escalating War Over Auto Emissions

California, joined by 23 other states, sued to block the administration's unprecedented reversal of the state's authority to set its own rules on climate-warming car emissions.

Protesting Climate Change, Young People Take to Streets in a Global Strike

Anxious about the future and angry about the failure to curb the crisis, millions joined an urgent call for action against climate change.

Bezos and Zuckerberg Take Their Pitches to Washington

The Amazon and Facebook leaders were there for different reasons, but the appearances highlighted their companies' need to reshape the public debate about their practices.

A Festival in the Bronx Will Explore Climate Change and Culture

The free event this Saturday will be a "happening" of sorts, at the intersection of art and activism.

Scientists Prepare to Drift With Arctic Ice for a Year to Study Climate Change

The Mosaic expedition, a $155 million undertaking five years in the making, aims for a better understanding of how global warming will affect the Arctic. 

Earth911 Inspiration: Tatiana Schlossberg — Make it Happen

This week's quote is from Tatiana Schlossberg, author of Inconspicuous ...

The post Earth911 Inspiration: Tatiana Schlossberg — Make it Happen appeared first on Earth911.com.

Finding Ways to Recycle Composite Packaging

Today's manufacturers are challenged to package their products both cheaply ...

The post Finding Ways to Recycle Composite Packaging appeared first on Earth911.com.

Earth911 Podcast: Global Thermostat’s Graciela Chichilnisky on Distributed Carbon Capture Economies

Dr. Graciela Chichilnisky, co-founder and CEO of Global Thermostat, pioneered ...

The post Earth911 Podcast: Global Thermostat's Graciela Chichilnisky on Distributed Carbon Capture Economies appeared first on Earth911.com.

One Thing You Can Do: Switch to a Green Energy Provider

Also, reporters, activists and world leaders get set for climate week.

Climate Strike N.Y.C.: Teachers Barred From Attending Protest

The decision underlines the difficulties in separating the politics of climate change from teaching about the science of it.

Greta Thunberg, on Tour in America, Offers an Unvarnished View

With her typically blunt, often biting remarks, the Swedish teenager has offered Americans an outsider's view of themselves.

1.1 Million Can Skip School for Climate Protest

New York City will not penalize those who attend global youth climate strikes on Friday, Sept. 20.

Trump Defends Plan to Kill California’s Auto-Emissions Authority

The administration's plan has been assailed by California officials and environmental advocates as an attack on states' rights and on a major policy to fight climate change.

How Do You Fix … All of It?

A group of leaders in business, politics and academia gathered to try to solve problems from student debt to carbon emissions. Here are their recommendations.

Greta Thunberg, on Tour in America, Offers an Unvarnished View

With her typically blunt, often biting remarks, the Swedish teenager has offered Americans an outsider's view of themselves.

Trump to Revoke California’s Authority to Set Stricter Auto Emissions Rules

The move, expected Wednesday, would strip California of its special authority to set tougher rules on car emissions. 

Inside Conservative Groups’ Effort to ‘Make Dishwashers Great Again’

Of all the efforts to persuade the Trump administration to weaken environmental rules, the Make Dishwashers Great Again lobby might be the most peculiar.

Maven Moment: the Old Coffee Pot

A good cup of coffee to start your day … ...

The post Maven Moment: the Old Coffee Pot appeared first on Earth911.com.

Pitch in on National Public Lands Day, September 28

Volunteers will gather rakes, shovels, and trash bags to help ...

The post Pitch in on National Public Lands Day, September 28 appeared first on Earth911.com.

Mulch 101: Mulching Your Soil for a Healthy Garden

Mulch is any material you use to cover bare soil ...

The post Mulch 101: Mulching Your Soil for a Healthy Garden appeared first on Earth911.com.

How Long Before These Salmon Are Gone? ‘Maybe 20 Years’

Warming waters and a series of dams are making the grueling migration of the Chinook salmon even more deadly — and threatening dozens of other species.

We Earthlings: The CO2 Impact of Streaming Video

Video streaming has become a part of many peoples everyday ...

The post We Earthlings: The CO2 Impact of Streaming Video appeared first on Earth911.com.

Which Countries Require Venues To Offer Free Drinking Water?

Offering safe, accessible, and free drinking water in venues means ...

The post Which Countries Require Venues To Offer Free Drinking Water? appeared first on Earth911.com.

Hydroflourocarbons: Super Greenhouse Gas in Your Kitchen & Bathroom

Making changes to heal the hole in the ozone layer ...

The post Hydroflourocarbons: Super Greenhouse Gas in Your Kitchen & Bathroom appeared first on Earth911.com.

Life Cycle Assessment and Cost Analysis of Distributed Mixed Wastewater and Graywater Treatment for Water Recycling in the Context of an Urban Case Study

Communities such as San Francisco, California are promoting decentralized wastewater treatment coupled with on-site, non-potable reuse (NPR) as a strategy for alleviating water scarcity. This research uses life cycle assessment (LCA) and life cycle cost assessment (LCCA) to evaluate several urban building and district scale treatment technologies based on a suite of environmental and cost indicators. The project evaluates aerobic membrane bioreactors (AeMBRs), anaerobic membrane bioreactors (AnMBRs), and recirculating vertical flow wetlands (RVFWs) treating both mixed wastewater and source separated graywater. Life cycle inventory (LCI) data were compiled from published, peer reviewed literature and generated using GPS-X™ wastewater modeling software. Several sensitivity analyses were conducted to quantify the effects of system scale, reuse quantity, AnMBR sparging rate, and the addition of thermal recovery on environmental and cost results. Results indicate that the volume of treated graywater is sufficient to provide for on-site urban NPR applications, and that net impact is lowest when the quantity of treated wastewater provides but does not considerably exceed NPR demand. Of the treatment options analyzed, the AeMBR and RVFW both demonstrated similarly low global warming potential (GWP) impact results, while the AeMBR had the lowest estimated system net present value (NPV) over a 30-year operational period. The addition of thermal recovery considerably reduced GWP impact for the AeMBR treatment process it was applied to, and similar benefits should be available if thermal recovery were applied to other treatment processes. The AnMBR treatment system demonstrated substantially higher GWP and cumulative energy demand (CED) results compared to the other treatment systems, due primarily to the need for several post-treatment processes required to prepare the effluent for disinfection. When the quantity of treated wastewater closely matches NPR demand, the environmental benefit of avoiding potable water production and distribution (for non-potable applications) leads to net environmental benefits for the AeMBR and RVFW treatment systems. The same benefit is possible for the AnMBR if intermittent membrane sparging can successfully prevent membrane fouling.

Life Cycle Assessment and Cost Analysis of Distributed Mixed Wastewater and Graywater Treatment for Water Recycling in the Context of an Urban Case Study

Communities such as San Francisco, California are promoting decentralized wastewater treatment coupled with on-site, non-potable reuse (NPR) as a strategy for alleviating water scarcity. This research uses life cycle assessment (LCA) and life cycle cost assessment (LCCA) to evaluate several urban building and district scale treatment technologies based on a suite of environmental and cost indicators. The project evaluates aerobic membrane bioreactors (AeMBRs), anaerobic membrane bioreactors (AnMBRs), and recirculating vertical flow wetlands (RVFWs) treating both mixed wastewater and source separated graywater. Life cycle inventory (LCI) data were compiled from published, peer reviewed literature and generated using GPS-X™ wastewater modeling software. Several sensitivity analyses were conducted to quantify the effects of system scale, reuse quantity, AnMBR sparging rate, and the addition of thermal recovery on environmental and cost results. Results indicate that the volume of treated graywater is sufficient to provide for on-site urban NPR applications, and that net impact is lowest when the quantity of treated wastewater provides but does not considerably exceed NPR demand. Of the treatment options analyzed, the AeMBR and RVFW both demonstrated similarly low global warming potential (GWP) impact results, while the AeMBR had the lowest estimated system net present value (NPV) over a 30-year operational period. The addition of thermal recovery considerably reduced GWP impact for the AeMBR treatment process it was applied to, and similar benefits should be available if thermal recovery were applied to other treatment processes. The AnMBR treatment system demonstrated substantially higher GWP and cumulative energy demand (CED) results compared to the other treatment systems, due primarily to the need for several post-treatment processes required to prepare the effluent for disinfection. When the quantity of treated wastewater closely matches NPR demand, the environmental benefit of avoiding potable water production and distribution (for non-potable applications) leads to net environmental benefits for the AeMBR and RVFW treatment systems. The same benefit is possible for the AnMBR if intermittent membrane sparging can successfully prevent membrane fouling.

Meat Is Murder. But You Know That Already.

In his new essay collection, "We Are the Weather," Jonathan Safran Foer turns his attention to the climate crisis. Mark Bittman weighs in.

Climate Strike N.Y.C.: 1.1 Million Can Skip School for Protest

The city will not penalize those who attend global youth climate strikes on Friday. "This completely changes things," one student said.

Yum! Whip Up Scrumptious & Easy Vegan Desserts in a Snap

If you're shifting to healthy, planet-friendly, plant-forward foods, desserts are ...

The post Yum! Whip Up Scrumptious & Easy Vegan Desserts in a Snap appeared first on Earth911.com.

Innovator Interview: Dr. Paul Zeitz on Waging Justice & the UN Climate Restoration Forum

Meet Dr. Paul Zeitz, an organizer of the UN Global ...

The post Innovator Interview: Dr. Paul Zeitz on Waging Justice & the UN Climate Restoration Forum appeared first on Earth911.com.

Call for Climate Restoration Emergency Action

Join Forces To Ensure the Survival & Flourishing of Humanity ...

The post Call for Climate Restoration Emergency Action appeared first on Earth911.com.

HEAVY-DUTY GREENHOUSE GAS EMISSIONS MODEL (GEM)

Class 2b-8 vocational truck manufacturers and Class 7/8 tractor manufacturers would be subject to vehicle-based fuel economy and emission standards that would use a truck simulation model to evaluate the impact of the truck tires and/or tractor cab design on vehicle compliance with any new standards. The EPA has created a model called "GHG Emissions Model (GEM)", which is specifically tailored to predict truck GHG emissions. As the model is designed for the express purpose of vehicle compliance demonstration, it is less configurable than similar commercial products and its only outputs are GHG emissions and fuel consumption. This approach gives a simple and compact tool for vehicle compliance without the overhead and costs of a more sophisticated model.

Inhalation of Simulated Smog Atmospheres Affects Cardiac Function in Mice

The health effects of individual criteria air pollutants have been well investigated. However, little is known about the health effects of air pollutant mixtures that more realistically represent environmental exposures. The present study was designed to evaluate the cardiac effects of inhaled simulated smog atmospheres (SA) generated from the photochemistry of either gasoline and isoprene (SA-G) or isoprene (SA-Is) in mice. Four-month-old female mice were exposed for 4 h to filtered air (FA), SA-G, or SA-Is. Immediately and 20 h after exposure, cardiac responses were assessed with a Langendorff preparation using a protocol consisting of 20 min of global ischemia followed by 2 h of reperfusion. Cardiac function was measured by index of left-ventricular developed pressure (LVDP) and cardiac contractility (dP/dt) before ischemia. Pre-ischemic LVDP was lower in mice immediately after SA-Is exposure (52.2±5.7 cm H2O compared to 83.9±7.4 cm H2O after FA exposure; p=0.008) and 20 h after SA-G exposure (54.0±12.7 cm H2O compared to 79.3±7.4 cm H2O after FA exposure; p=0.047). Pre-ischemic left ventricular contraction dP/dtmax was lower in mice immediately after SA-Is exposure (2025±169 cm H2O/sec compared to 3044±219 cm H2O/sec after FA exposure; p

Sources of Oxidant Inefficiency in Chemical Oxidation Processes

Fenton and other oxidative systems frequently deployed for contaminant removal in water face two main sources of treatment inefficiency, nonproductive reactions and radical scavenging. Nonproductive reactions involve reactions that deplete the source of oxidant (e.g. hydrogen peroxide, H2O2) which in turn diminishes radical production (species responsible for contaminant removal). Radical scavenging involves the reaction of free radicals formed in the oxidative mechanism with non-target chemical species. Laboratory methods were developed to quantify the role of scavengers in H2O2-based oxidative treatment systems, and involved H2O2 catalysis by either iron or UV light. A non-volatile probe compound was used to limit volatile losses and to simplify the kinetic analysis. Degradation loss of the probe compound was used in conjunction with a new method of kinetic analysis to quantify the reaction rate constants of different radical species. Reaction rate constants were estimated for inorganic species commonly present in groundwater systems. The reaction rate constants for specific scavenging species, derived using both the Fe- and UV-catalyzed testing systems, were in agreement. Results indicated that reaction rate constants are species dependent, and can vary by orders of magnitude.Overall, the methods developed and the results derived from this study were used to identify and quantify the relative role of radical scavengers. Results indicate that these scavengers play a major role in limiting oxidative treatment efficiency. This information can be used to prioritize the elimination of specific scavenger species, and to develop methods to suppress radical scavenging. Through these steps, improvements in oxidative treatment efficiency can be achieved in either Fenton-like H2O2 activation (Fe2+/Fe3+/H2O2), or photolytic activation of H2O2 (H2O2/UV) treatment systems.

How Long Before These Salmon Are Gone? ‘Maybe 20 Years’

Warming waters and a series of dams are making the grueling migration of the Chinook salmon even more deadly — and threatening dozens of other species.

Challenges in electronic waste management practices

The safe and sustainable management of electronic waste (e-waste) generated from devices (e.g., consumer electronics, solar panels) reaching their end-of-use life has become a critical global environmental health challenge. Electronic plastics pose particular challenges. There is minimal domestic demand due to the low market value of mixed plastic content and the presence of brominated (BFR), organophosphorus flame retardants (OPFRs), and heavy metals that have associated health concerns. Recyclers in the West rely on the export market, which is facing an uncertain future and limited disposal options that could result in unsafe human exposure and release into the environment. While improved separation technologies are needed to process waste plastics in closed-loop systems, large piles of plastics waste are accumulating in many regions challenging electronics laws that restrict landfill disposals. Waste-to-energy technologies offer a more environmentally friendly option than relying on fossil fuels–while also addressing the challenge of ever-growing plastic pollution, gas emissions and leaching of hazardous chemicals from informal recycling. However, these technologies could release a mixture of contaminants, causing exposure to multiple substances.  To provide updated information about the scope of the issues and the presence of known and suspected pollutants released from e-waste recycling, we have conducted toxic release studies. In this presentation, the release of hazardous substances through inappropriate and unsafe management practices related to disposal and recycling of end-of-life electrical and electronic equipment will be demonstrated. 

Environmental Degradation of Polymer Nanocomposite: release, detection, and toxicity of nano-fragments

Polymeric materials, such as epoxy and polypropylene, that are filled with multiwalled carbon nanotube (MWCNT) are used for a wide applications. To determine their lifecycle impacts sample plates were aged in an accelerated weathering chamber that simulates cycles of solar irradiation and rainfall were evaluated during for release of pollutants and potential risks. The changes in physicochemical properties modulated by sample thicknesses and the added MWCNTs during the weathering process were investigated. The results revealed that surface oxidation increased in crystallinity causing the surface to become brittle during the weathering process. This loss of elasticity resulted in crack formation and further degradation of the thinner samples. Oxidation penetrated selectively into the polymer structure forming surface cracks and chemical changes. When the aged composites were placed in sonication water-bath fragments of polymer, CNT and metals were released. The release of nanomaterials from the composites was investigated with high-resolution transmission microscopy (HR-TEM), dynamic light scattering (DLS), and single particle-inductively coupled plasma (SP-ICP) analysis. The metal ions in released MWCNTs were quantified with a single particle-ICP analysis. The toxicity of released particles was investigated. Combined toxicity assessment using cell viability and activity (MTS assay), oxidative stress measuement via detection of reactive oxygen species. The results demonstrated the toxicity of the released MWCNT-embedded polymer to A594 adenocarcinomic human alveolar basal epithelial cells. Epoxy composite show a significant amount of nickel in the wash water that has toxicity. The results of this study will be useful for human exposure and health risk assesment of to engineered nanoparticles that arer released from consumer products.

Trump’s Dorian Tweet Whips Up a Fight Over a Science Powerhouse

The controversy has dragged one of the country's preeminent research agencies, famous for being anonymous, into the spotlight it long avoided. 

Trump Administration Rolls Back Clean Water Protections

The administration is expected to complete the repeal of a major Obama-era regulation that put limits on chemicals that could be used near streams, wetlands and water bodies.

Why NOAA Matters

Also this week, how to get a tax break for installing solar panels

Mobility as a Service: Sustainable City Transportation

Navigating a city to get from point A to point ...

The post Mobility as a Service: Sustainable City Transportation appeared first on Earth911.com.

Earth911 Inspiration: Margaret Mead Reminds Us to Cherish this Earth

Margaret Mead spoke at the first Earth Day: "We have ...

The post Earth911 Inspiration: Margaret Mead Reminds Us to Cherish this Earth appeared first on Earth911.com.

Applying the Index of Watershed Integrity to the Western Balkan Region (ISRS 2019)

In 2014, the western Balkans' heaviest recorded rains triggered extensive flooding affecting approximately 29,600 km2, or the equivalent of 75% of thestudy area. Rapid urbanization and the increasing regularity of late-summer droughts in the region likely exacerbated these floods.Study AreaIn response, the Regional Environmental Center (REC) for Central and Eastern Europe and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (US EPA) adaptedthe US EPA's Index for Watershed Integrity (U.S. IWI; Flotemersch et al. 2016) for application to the Drin River, Drina River, Skadar Lake and PrespaLake watersheds (Figure 1).The U.S. IWI evaluates six watershed functions (hydrologic regulation, regulation of water chemistry, sediment regulation, hydrologic connectivity,temperature regulation, habitat provision) based on a suite of 19 stressor variables (e.g., road-stream intersections, atmospheric deposition, impervioussurfaces, fertilizer application) (Thornbrugh et al., 2018). For the western Balkan IWI (W.B. IWI), individual stressors required adaptation to account for theregion's topography, land use trends, and data availability.Stressor AccumulationA key feature of the Index of Watershed Integrity is that scores at any location in a watershed are a product of all cumulative upstream activities. Oncemapped, results can be used to visualize the connections between upstream and downstream stressors and thereby support cooperative managementacross these transboundary watersheds. W.B. IWI scores calculated for the 1084 catchments of the study area indicate high integrity in the Alpine region(central to the study area), and intermediate and low integrity within the Mediterranean and Continental regions (SW and NE of the study area). Further,the W.B. IWI accounts for 64% of the variation in the nitrogen and phosphorus model- "Modelling Nutrient Emissions in River Systems".Management ApplicationsRegulation services, such as river flood mitigation, are most often managed at the international scale while cultural services, such as recreation, are oftenmanaged at the regional or local scale. We present the W.B. IWI values at the Watershed (International or the Index of Watershed Integrity), Catchment(Regional or Functional Component), and Stream (Local or Stressor) scales (Figure 2).Such information provides local, regional and international entities with the ability to deconstruct the W.B. IWI to identify driving stressors and increasetheir effectiveness managing transboundary watersheds.

Highlights from the Coordinating Research Council's 2018 Southern California Ozone Research Symposium

The Coordinating Research Council (CRC) and the Truck and Engine Manufacturers Association (EMA) co-sponsored the Southern California Ozone Research Symposium (SCORES) on June 6 and 7, 2018 at the University of California, Riverside. The symposium brought together leading experts from academia, government, and industry to review and discuss the capabilities and limitations of air quality models to simulate air quality trends as observed in the past years and to predict future concentrations. After several background presentations and research updates, participants brainstormed and prioritized a list of five high-priority research-needs to address the knowledge gaps identified in the discussions. The discussions also acknowledged that the identified research needs from SCORES are applicable to other locations and pollutant species.

Trump Pressed Top Aide to Have Weather Service ‘Clarify’ Forecast That Contradicted Trump

At the president's request, Mick Mulvaney, the acting White House chief of staff, told Wilbur Ross, the commerce secretary, to have the Weather Service say it was wrong to refute the president so categorically.

Gucci Vies to Be Even Greener

Amid growing scrutiny, the luxury house aims to have a fully carbon-neutral supply chain before the end of September.

Extreme Weather Displaced a Record 7 Million in First Half of 2019

A new report puts 2019 on pace to be one of the most disastrous years in almost two decades even before the effects of Hurricane Dorian on the Bahamas are tallied. But there was also good news. 

Environmental Education: Park Programs Inspire New Leaders

In the fight against climate change, the creative minds of ...

The post Environmental Education: Park Programs Inspire New Leaders appeared first on Earth911.com.

Earth911 Quiz #71: Know Your Carbon Impact Every Day

Everything you do, from driving to the store to buying ...

The post Earth911 Quiz #71: Know Your Carbon Impact Every Day appeared first on Earth911.com.

Identifying organic compounds in exhaled breath aerosol: Non-invasive sampling from respirator surfaces and disposable hospital masks

Exhaled breath aerosol (EBA) is becoming an important non-invasive biological medium for detecting exogenous environmental contaminants and endogenous metabolites present in the pulmonary tract. Currently, EBA is captured as a constituent of the mainstream clinical tool referred to as exhaled breath condensate (EBC). This article describes a simpler, completely non-invasive method for collecting EBA directly from different forms of respirator surfaces, filters, and disposable breathing masks without first collecting EBC. The new EBA methodology bypasses the complex EBC procedures that require specialized collection gear, dry ice or other coolant, 10-20 minutes of the subject's time, in-field sample processing, and refrigerated transport to the laboratory. For hard respirator surfaces, EBA samples are collected by swiping interior surfaces with pre-moistened wipes; these are placed into vials onsite. For "porous" materials from disposable masks or filters, the whole sample is sealed into a larger vial or bag, transferred to the laboratory, and patches of similar size to the wipes are cut and transferred into vials. Sealed vials can be transported at ambient temperature. At the laboratory, samples are extracted with an appropriate liquid (depending on analytical needs) and analyzed. Herein, we compare different types of masks and respirators, and present qualitative non-targeted results from high resolution liquid chromatography - mass spectrometry (HR-LC-MS) and immunochemistry analyses. Results demonstrate that EBA is a viable medium for assessing inhalation exposures to larger exogenous molecules such as plasticizers, pesticides, and consumer product chemicals, and for interpreting health-state based on endogenous biochemicals including cytokines, fatty acids and proteins.

Village Blue- Lake Pontchatrain Real-time Water Quality Monitoring

This presentation provides an overview of the Village Blue project beginning with a description of the Village Blue - Baltimore study. Study objectives, design and findings are summarized with emphasis on scientific findings as well as outreach activities. The presentation then proceeds to a description of the Village Blue - Lake Pontchartrain study. Study objectives, design, research and outreach opportunities. This is followed by a discussion by the stakeholders on research and outreach and potential interest in collaboration.

Impact of Halogen Chemistry on Ground-LEvel Ozone Levels in Europe

Oceans are the main emission source of halogens (Cl, Br and I). These species modify the oxidation capacity of the atmosphere and have an impact on the formation of secondary species, including organic aerosols and tropospheric ozone (O3). However, chemical-transport models used for regulatory purposes have not considered halogens until very recently. In this study, we apply the multi-scale WRF-SMOKE-CMAQ (v5.2) modelling system to understand the role of halogens on O3 levels in Europe. We perform a one-month simulation for July 2006 that reflects the typical summer conditions using 12-km horizontal grids and 35 vertical layers. We compare two versions of the Carbon Bond 2015 (CB05) chemical mechanism. One version includes a full description of the halogen gas-phase chemistry through 26, 39 and 53 reactions involving chlorine, bromine and iodine, respectively. The second version, used as a reference, does not include any of these reactions. Both simulations used boundary conditions generated from the corresponding hemispheric CMAQ model results. We compare O3 predictions from both model simulations to identify the impacts of including halogens into regulatory simulations. In addition, we compare our modelling results with the observations from more than 450 air quality monitoring stations all over Europe, both inland and in coastal areas. The combined halogen chemistry reduced the concentration of O3 by as much as 15 µg/m3 and improved model performance, especially at those monitoring stations close to the seashore (<24 km). Our results indicate that the index of agreement increases from 0.690 to 0.705 and the average bias decreases from 2.8 to -1.4 µg/m3 in these locations. Our results suggest that the inclusion of marine halogens into regional chemical-transport models for regulatory purposes is important, at least in coastal areas since they may play a relevant role in the formation and destruction of O3 and thus, should be considered when designing air quality plans and measures.

Impact of Halogen Chemistry on Ground-LEvel Ozone Levels in Europe

Oceans are the main emission source of halogens (Cl, Br and I). These species modify the oxidation capacity of the atmosphere and have an impact on the formation of secondary species, including organic aerosols and tropospheric ozone (O3). However, chemical-transport models used for regulatory purposes have not considered halogens until very recently. In this study, we apply the multi-scale WRF-SMOKE-CMAQ (v5.2) modelling system to understand the role of halogens on O3 levels in Europe. We perform a one-month simulation for July 2006 that reflects the typical summer conditions using 12-km horizontal grids and 35 vertical layers. We compare two versions of the Carbon Bond 2015 (CB05) chemical mechanism. One version includes a full description of the halogen gas-phase chemistry through 26, 39 and 53 reactions involving chlorine, bromine and iodine, respectively. The second version, used as a reference, does not include any of these reactions. Both simulations used boundary conditions generated from the corresponding hemispheric CMAQ model results. We compare O3 predictions from both model simulations to identify the impacts of including halogens into regulatory simulations. In addition, we compare our modelling results with the observations from more than 450 air quality monitoring stations all over Europe, both inland and in coastal areas. The combined halogen chemistry reduced the concentration of O3 by as much as 15 µg/m3 and improved model performance, especially at those monitoring stations close to the seashore (<24 km). Our results indicate that the index of agreement increases from 0.690 to 0.705 and the average bias decreases from 2.8 to -1.4 µg/m3 in these locations. Our results suggest that the inclusion of marine halogens into regional chemical-transport models for regulatory purposes is important, at least in coastal areas since they may play a relevant role in the formation and destruction of O3 and thus, should be considered when designing air quality plans and measures.

Synthetic Turf Field Recycled Tire Crumb Rubber Research Under the Federal Research Action Plan: Final Report Part 1 - Tire Crumb Rubber Characterization Volume 1

Under a Federal Action Research Plan, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention/Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry (CDC/ATSDR) and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), in collaboration with the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC), launched a multi-agency research effort. This effort focused on understanding potential human exposure to chemicals in recycled tire crumb rubber used in synthetic fields, which included characterizing the chemicals in recycled tire crumb rubber and identifying the ways in which people may be exposed to these chemicals based on their activities on synthetic turf fields. Specific objectives for research conducted by EPA and CDC/ATSDR under the Federal Research Action Plan were: • Determine key knowledge gaps. • Identify and characterize chemical compounds found in tire crumb used in artificial turf fields and playgrounds. • Characterize exposures, or how people are exposed to these chemical compounds based on their activities on the fields. • Identify follow-up activities that could be conducted to provide additional insights about potential risks.As part of the tire crumb rubber characterization research, tire crumb rubber samples were collected from nine tire recycling facilities, and tire crumb rubber infill material was collected from 40 synthetic turf fields located across the United States. The fields included indoor and outdoor fields that represent a range of field types (indoor vs. outdoor), field ages, and geographic locations. Different laboratory analyses were conducted to measure the physical, chemical, and microbiological characteristics of the tire crumb rubber material. Results of these analyses provide insights into the number and types of chemicals associated with recycled tire crumb rubber, the amount of chemicals released into the air and simulated biological fluids, and the range and variability of these parameters. As part of the exposure characterization research, a pilot study to better understand the ways in which people may be exposed to chemicals associated with recycled tire crumb rubber based on their activities on synthetic turf fields was conducted. As part of the pilot study, human activity data using video and questionnaires, and personal air, surface wipe and dermal wipe samples were collected from up to 32 youth and adults participating in soccer or football practices at synthetic turf fields. Surface wipe, ambient air, and dust samples were also collected from fields. Urine and blood samples were collected from a subset of participants before and after sport activity. The analyses of these samples provided additional data for assessing inhalation exposures and new data for better understanding exposures through dermal and ingestion pathways. In general, a range of chemicals was found in recycled tire crumb rubber, including metals and organic chemicals, with potentially higher for people using indoor

Opportunities and challenges for filling the air quality data gap in low- and middle-income countries

This perspectives article assesses the current state of air monitoring in low and middle income countries (LMICs) and concludes with the following specific recommendations: 1) Provide clear, informed guidance to LMICs on purchasing and deploying low-cost sensor devices, alongside a smaller number of higher quality, higher cost devices. Together, these could provide a wealth of data for decisionmakers in LMICs. For example, where can LMICs find trusted, transparent information related to device data ownership, device data quality over time in different environments, device replacement frequency, device calibration, siting, equipment costs, data management and analysis, and expenses for operations and maintenance? 2) Develop siting protocols relevant to sensor networks that support greater spatial density and more frequent calibration needs. 3) Conduct field testing in settings representative of LMIC conditions. What is the range of performance for emerging sensor technologies under the diversity of environmental and pollution conditions representative of low- and middle-income countries? 4) Design instruments that could continue to operate during times of intermittent power and data connectivity. 5) Develop and share best practices in sensor data management, considering issues that have been described in greater depth elsewhere (Hagler et al., 2018) such as defensible approaches to post-process data, data integrity and transparency. Develop open source software tools for archiving, interpreting, and communicating data from sensor networks. 6) Invest in the responsible air quality staff within LMICs to develop and maintain sustained air monitoring infrastructure. This includes staff training, professional regional networks for sharing best practices, shared data platforms, and supply chain viability for equipment and consumables. 7) Support the development of lasting institutions for creating and dispersing air quality information, including building public support for sustained, credible monitoring. Foster the participation of LMIC stakeholders in these institutions. 8) Strongly encourage the public availability of air quality information (Hasenkopf et al., 2016). As articulated in the mission of OpenAQ, "air pollution is one of the greatest environmental health issues of our time and opening up these data is a powerful step forward in our collective progress to defeat it. "

Synthetic Turf Field Recycled Tire Crumb Rubber Research Under the Federal Research Action Plan: Final Report Part 1 - Tire Crumb Rubber Characterization Appendices Volume 2

Under a Federal Action Research Plan, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention/Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry (CDC/ATSDR) and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), in collaboration with the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC), launched a multi-agency research effort. This effort focused on understanding potential human exposure to chemicals in recycled tire crumb rubber used in synthetic fields, which included characterizing the chemicals in recycled tire crumb rubber and identifying the ways in which people may be exposed to these chemicals based on their activities on synthetic turf fields. Specific objectives for research conducted by EPA and CDC/ATSDR under the Federal Research Action Plan were: • Determine key knowledge gaps. • Identify and characterize chemical compounds found in tire crumb used in artificial turf fields and playgrounds. • Characterize exposures, or how people are exposed to these chemical compounds based on their activities on the fields. • Identify follow-up activities that could be conducted to provide additional insights about potential risks.As part of the tire crumb rubber characterization research, tire crumb rubber samples were collected from nine tire recycling facilities, and tire crumb rubber infill material was collected from 40 synthetic turf fields located across the United States. The fields included indoor and outdoor fields that represent a range of field types (indoor vs. outdoor), field ages, and geographic locations. Different laboratory analyses were conducted to measure the physical, chemical, and microbiological characteristics of the tire crumb rubber material. Results of these analyses provide insights into the number and types of chemicals associated with recycled tire crumb rubber, the amount of chemicals released into the air and simulated biological fluids, and the range and variability of these parameters. As part of the exposure characterization research, a pilot study to better understand the ways in which people may be exposed to chemicals associated with recycled tire crumb rubber based on their activities on synthetic turf fields was conducted. As part of the pilot study, human activity data using video and questionnaires, and personal air, surface wipe and dermal wipe samples were collected from up to 32 youth and adults participating in soccer or football practices at synthetic turf fields. Surface wipe, ambient air, and dust samples were also collected from fields. Urine and blood samples were collected from a subset of participants before and after sport activity. The analyses of these samples provided additional data for assessing inhalation exposures and new data for better understanding exposures through dermal and ingestion pathways. In general, a range of chemicals was found in recycled tire crumb rubber, including metals and organic chemicals, with potentially higher for people using indoor synthetic turf fields tha