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While all links worked when entries were posted to the database, different publishers
have different policies about retaining articles and providing access to archived material.
Thus some of the links, particularly older ones, may no longer be functional.
For links no longer working, you may be able to gain paid access to text via the publisher's site.
A new technology for removing toxic sulfur compounds from diesel fuel could provide a cheaper and more environmentally friendly alternative to the currently used method, according to research published in the journal Green Chemistry.
Finding an innovative way to remove the sulfer is important because clean, low-sulfur diesel is becoming more widely used in Europe and the United States. Diesel cars have 20 - 40 percent better fuel economy and also produce 10 - 20 percent less greenhouse emissions per mile than their gasoline rivals. 13 August 2010. More...
Leftover residues of a compound made from bisphenol A (BPA) for use in food can linings reacts with sugars, proteins and other parts of food to form new molecules, researchers report.
The findings show how critical it is to understand the extent of chemical migration from resin linings into the can's contents and what happens to the compounds once they interact with the food and beverage. 19 July 2010. More...
Infants with higher exposures to three contaminants – perchlorate, nitrate or thiocyanate – found in water, food and tobacco smoke had increased levels of thyroid stimulating hormone (TSH), a sign that the thyroid gland may not be working properly.
The results are important because infants with poor thyroid function are at risk for stunted growth and mental impairment. 13 July 2010. More...
Intellectual delays in kindergarten-aged kids may result from prebirth exposures to common air pollutants called polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, according to a study of Polish children.
The researchers report that 5-year-old children whose mothers had higher exposures to polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons when they were pregnant performed worse on tests that measured cognitive abilities, lowering their IQ by more than three points. 14 June 2010. More...
Men who are exposed to benzene at levels close to the U.S. permissible limit are more likely to have an abnormal number of chromosomes in their sperm, according to new research.
Having the wrong number of chromosomes in sperm or eggs is the largest known source of miscarriage in people. 16 February 2010. More...
People who ate enough contaminated fish to raise methyl mercury levels in their bodies to levels still considered "safe" had subtle changes to their heart rhythm that may affect their long-term health.
The fish also contain high levels of fish oils – including omega 3 fatty acids – that are generally considered to be protective for the heart. But, in this study, eating more fish oil in tandem with the methylmercury did not prevent the heart anomalies. 24 December 2009. More...
Living for decades near busy urban or rural roads may affect brain health and could contribute to cognitive decline as women age, conclude German scientists in a study published in the journal Environmental Research.
This is the first study to find an association between cognitive impairment and long-term exposure to air pollution due to traffic. It is also one of a handful of recent studies to report a link between air pollution and brain function in people. 22 December 2009. More...
Ice core samples from Mount Everest that represent 800 years of atmospheric history contain much higher levels of certain metals in the last three decades than in the previous seven centuries.
Data from a recent study that examined the cores from the Himalayan Mountains are the first to show that levels of arsenic, molybdenum, tin and antimony in the ice samples have sharply increased during the last 30 years. Until recently, the levels had been relatively stable for centuries. 21 December 2009. More...
Common air pollutants can react with one another to form highly reactive and toxic chlorine gasses, reports a study published online in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.
In areas where both NOx and HCl concentrations are generally high, these chemical reactions can also increase ozone pollution. 7 October 2009. More...
New research in Virginia reports that levels of hormones key for growth and controlling stress were skewed in tree swallow nestlings contaminated with mercury.
The study finds some of the highest mercury levels ever measured in wild songbird nestlings. The researchers point to the birds' insect food as the source of contamination. 10 September 2009. More...
Sperm counts are lower in mice whose mothers were exposed during pregnancy to a mixture of particles found in diesel exhaust.
The results add to a small but growing series of studies that suggest exposure to diesel exhaust can disrupt the proper development of the testis in rats and mice and perhaps affect reproduction. 14 August 2009. More...
A new study conducted in New York City concludes that prenatal exposure to the common air pollutants – polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) – can lower children’s IQ at kindergarten age.
While this is the first study to show that prenatal exposure to PAH can lower children’s IQ, PAHs are known to affect neurodevelopment, reproduction and growth, and to cause cancer. 13 August 2009. More...
A study of young children in India has found that higher blood lead levels are associated with a suite of behavioral and thinking problems that can alter attention, abstract thinking and appropriate behavior.
This study is one of the first to pinpoint specific childhood behaviors and cognitive skills affected by lead exposure, most notably anxiety, social problems and overall executive function (planning, problem solving, behavior control). The study found no "safe" level. 4 August 2009. More...
Developmental exposure to PCBs can permanently damage hearing but co-exposure with methyl mercury reduces the effects.
The mercury doses were selected to achieve a ratio of PCBs to methyl mercury similar to that found in walleye caught by fisherman in Wisconsin, but the doses were higher than those typically encountered by people. 25 June 2009. More...
Air pollution in a remote Arctic community in Norway approaches levels seen in larger European towns due to the springtime use of snowmobiles.
The pollution is 100 times higher during the spring snowmobile season than during the summer when only cars and large coal trucks are used in the remote area. Older snowmobiles with outdated, 2-stroke engines contribute the most to the excessive levels in the spring. 24 June 2009. More...
Nine years after China banned lead in gasoline, lead levels in children's blood is decreasing.
A new study reports that by 2007, boys' blood lead levels had dropped to 79.3 µg/L from 96.4 µg/L in 2004. 4 June 2009. More...
A new study adds to the growing literature suggesting that chemical exposure may affect male fertility.
Men exposed to higher levels of contaminants produced by burning a range of substances, including coal, oil, gas and wood had an increased risk of infertility, according to results from a study conducted in China. 29 May 2009. More...
Preschoolers who lived in homes using gas appliances scored lower on cognitive tests and had a higher likelihood of exhibiting inattention behaviors than those in homes without gas appliances, finds a recent study.
The effects on memory, verbal skills and the coordination of complex behaviors were greater when more gas appliances were used in the homes. They were also more pronounced in children with a certain gene type involved with the detoxification of toxic exposures. 22 May 2009. More...
Both long and short summer ice thaws in Arctic waters are associated with higher mercury levels in seals.
As global climate change progresses, and the sea ice melts for longer periods each year, the seals' mercury levels could consistently increase over time. Mercury levels are predicted to increase in fish as coal power plants continue to spew the metal. Mercury is a neurotoxin that has known effects on reproduction, behavior and immune responses. 5 May 2009. More...
A genetic trigger in the cell, long studied for its role in responding to some of the most toxic compounds known, appears to have newly discovered important functions in directing development.
The findings show that a receptor long-known to be responsive to dioxins can trigger different genes in the presence of pollutants than it does when no pollutants are around. The results point toward mechanisms that could help explain dioxin's impacts on fetal development. 29 April 2009. More...
Atlantic salmon exposed to short springtime bursts of acidic runoff water are less able to migrate to the ocean because of important changes in their ability to balance salt.
This is the first study to show that health effects occur in streams with only brief periods of acidification. The decline in water quality occurs when the salmon are at a critical period in their development and may contribute to the continued decline of this endangered species. 6 April 2009. More...
Weather changes due to global climate change could substantially increase people's exposure to many pathogens and toxic agricultural contaminants, predicts a study from the United Kingdom.
The full health implications are uncertain. Managing the risks will require research as well as policy changes. 26 February 2009. More...
Memory and concentration ability were lower in adults living near an abandoned Taiwanese factory where mercury was used many years ago.
This is one of the first studies to document methylmercury's effects on human brain function in Taiwan. Other studies find similar outcomes in people from Japan, the US, New Zealand and Canada. 24 February 2009. More...
Parking lots treated with coal-tar-based sealcoats are a major source of cancer-causing contaminants that can pollute air, soil, water and wildlife, posing a significant health risk to humans who may breathe, drink or eat them in fish and other food.
Levels in eastern and central parking lots were as much as a thousand-fold higher than western lots, reflecting differences in the types of sealants used. 22 January 2009. More...
Crude oil disrupts the first heart beats of a developing fish, say scientists, who note that the heart may be the most sensitive target of harmful chemicals from oil spills.
In this laboratory study, government scientists exposed fish (Pacific herring) embryos to various levels of weathered crude oils. They found that as the dose of the crude oil increased, the fish's heart function decreased. The changes in heart rate and heart rhythm started as soon as the fish established a regular heart beat, about 5 days after fertilization. 23 December 2008. More...
A modern day 'canary in a coal mine' unfolds as thousands of birds “dropping from the sky” alert authorities to lead-tainted drinking water and people.
Residents of a seaside community in Australia had unusually high concentrations of a unique and toxic form of lead that was discovered after thousands of local birds died. 1 December 2008. More...
A new study from China indicates that reducing air pollution from coal-burning power plants may improve children's ability to learn.
Children living near a recently closed coal-burning power plant performed better in a neurological development test compared to children living in the area three years prior when the plant was still in operation. 25 September 2008. More...
In a new study, scientists report that ground level mercury levels are increased by more than 30% in environments where the greenhouse gas carbon dioxide is also increased.
The cause is unexpected: Higher CO2 levels change soil chemistry in ways that increase its ability to retain or store mercury. 12 September 2008. More...
Exposure to lead at concentrations below the US safe standard level decreases childhood intelligence, according to a study of children living in Rochester, New York.
The findings show a significant decline of 5 intelligence quotient (IQ) points in children with blood lead levels between 5 and 9.9 micrograms per deciliter (mcg/dL), which is lower than the Centers for Disease Control's safe limit of 10 mcg/dL. 27 February 2008. More...
Three years after a year-long education effort to promote a healthy diet and discourage consumption of carbonated drinks, researchers found no effect on how many children were overweight.
The number of overweight children had increased in both the control and experimental groups. British Medical Journal. 10 October 2007. More...
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