Climate tipping points — too risky to bet against. The growing threat of abrupt and irreversible climate changes must compel political and economic action on emissions. Timothy M. Lenton, Johan Rockström, Owen Gaffney, Stefan Rahmstorf, Katherine Richardson, Will Steffen & Hans Joachim Schellnhuber. nature.com. November 27, 2019. Politicians, economists and even some natural scientists have […]

The hidden cost of gold: Birth defects and brain damage. By Richard C. Paddock. nytimes.com. November 09, 2019. Thousands of children with crippling birth defects. Half a million people poisoned. A toxic chemical found in the food supply. Accusations of a government cover-up and police officers on the take. La balsa en el Museo del […]

E-cigarettes: Smoking Cessation Aid or Dangerous Addiction? By Anna Sayburn. medscape.com. September 10, 2019. Recent reports of a death in the US linked to vaping, and of almost 200 cases of lung disease, have caused alarm about the widespread use of e-cigarettes. Cigarrillo electrónico en uso (elmundo.es) Director of the US Centers for Disease Control […]

Soft drinks, including sugar-free, linked to increased risk of early death. By Nicola Davis. theguardian.com.  September 03, 2019. Drink more water, say experts as they argue study proves need for curbs on consumption. People who regularly consume soft drinks have a higher risk of an early death, researchers have found, with the trend seen for […]

Air pollution can accelerate lung disease as much as a pack a day of cigarettes. sciencedaily.com. August 13, 2019. Summary: Air pollution — especially ozone air pollution which is increasing with climate change — accelerates the progression of emphysema of the lung, according to a new study. Pulmones (SerTox) Air pollution — especially ozone air […]

How the pill changes your body shape. By Zaria Gorvett. bbcnews. October 04, 2018 Many women believe that the pill can cause weight gain. Research hasn’t found this – but it has found that it can change body shape (and fat storage) in other surprising ways. It’s been blamed for polluting our rivers, destroying our […]

Hundreds of sharks and rays tangled in plastic. eurekalert.org. July 04, 2019. Hundreds of sharks and rays have become tangled in plastic waste in the world’s oceans, new research shows. University of Exeter scientists scoured existing published studies and Twitter for shark and ray entanglements, and found reports of more than 1,000 entangled individuals. And […]

Origins of cannabis smoking. Evidence from ancient burials at high elevations. sciencedaily.com. June 12, 2019. Summary: A chemical residue study of incense burners from ancient burials at high elevations in western China has revealed psychoactive cannabinoids. The finding provides some of the earliest evidence for the use of cannabis for its psychoactive compounds. Cannabis, tan […]

Energy drinks may increase risk of heart function abnormalities and blood pressure changes. sciencedaily.com. May 29, 2019.Summary: Three to four hours after drinking 32 ounces of energy drinks, the heart’s electrical activity was abnormal compared to drinking a placebo drink. Two different commercially available energy drinks produced the same results, suggesting that energy drinks as […]

Growing up high: Neurobiological consequences of adolescent cannabis use. eurekalert.org. May 25, 2019. Canadian neuroscientists offer insights into the long-term effects of adolescent cannabis use. About one in five Canadian adolescents uses cannabis (19% of Canadians aged 15-19), and its recent legalization across the country warrants investigation into the consequence of this use on the […]

Australian islands home to 414 million pieces of plastic pollution. sciencedaily.com. May 16, 2019. Summary: A survey of plastic pollution on Australia’s Cocos (Keeling) Islands has revealed the territory’s beaches are littered with an estimated 414 million pieces of plastic debris. The study estimated beaches on the Indian Ocean islands are littered with 238 tons […]

Arsenic in Some Bottled Water Brands at Unsafe Levels, Consumer Reports Says. By Ryan Felton*. consumerreports.org. April 18, 2019. Keurig Dr Pepper suspends production of its Peñafiel brand, as CR urges a full recall and tougher federal standards. What you need to know. Natural foods grocery chain Whole Foods introduced its new brand of bottled […]

Toxic byproducts of Agent Orange continue to pollute Vietnam environment, study says. eurekalert.org. February 27, 2019. During the Vietnam War, United States aircraft sprayed more than 20 million gallons of herbicides, including dioxin-contaminated Agent Orange, on the country’s rain forests, wetlands, and croplands. Agent Orange defoliated the thick jungle vegetation concealing Viet Cong fighters and destroyed […]

Cannabis use in teens raises risk of depression in young adults. eurekalert.org. February 13, 2019. Cannabis use among adolescents is found to be associated with increased risk of depression and anxiety in adulthood.  While there has been a lot of focus on the role of cannabis use in psychosis, there has been less attention on […]

Half a million tests and many mosquitoes later, new buzz about a malaria prevention drug. eurekalert.org. December 06, 2018. Researchers tested chemical compounds for their ability to inhibit the malaria parasite at an earlier lifecycle stage than most current drugs, revealing chemical starting points for new malaria preventatives.  Plasmodium falciparum en la sangre (WP) Extracting […]

Clams and cockles, sentinels of the environmental status of Nicaraguan coasts. eurekalert.org. Novemver 15, 2018. Researchers from the UPV/EHU-University of the Basque Country are seeking the best bivalves in the Nicaraguan mangroves for the purpose of monitoring pollution.  Manglares en Galápagos (SerTox) Collecting samples of bivalves in the Nicaraguan mangroves.CREDITIonan Marigómez / UPV/EHUThe Cell Biology […]

Leading researchers call for a ban on widely used insecticides. eurekalert.org. November 09, 2018. Use of organophosphates has lessened, but risks to early brain development still too high.Public health experts have found there is sufficient evidence that prenatal exposure to widely used insecticides known as organophosphates puts children at risk for neurodevelopmental disorders. Exposición prenatal […]

Interior northwest Nez Perce used tobacco long before European contact. sciencedaily.com. October 29, 2018. Molecular analysis of pipes uncovers longest record of use. Summary: Researchers have determined that the Nez Perce grew and smoked tobacco at least 1,200 years ago, long before the arrival of traders and settlers from the eastern United States. Their finding […]

Air pollution leads to millions of ER visits for asthma attacks worldwide. eurekalert.org. Octuber 24, 2018. First study to quantify global burden of asthma linked to dirty air. Nine to 33 million visits to the emergency room (ER) for asthma worldwide may be triggered by breathing in air polluted by ozone or fine particulate matter–pollutants […]

Mystery of how black widow spiders create steel-strength silk webs further unravelled. sciencedaily.com. October 22, 2018. ‘Modified micelle theory’ may allow scientists to create equally strong synthetic materials. Summary: Researchers have better unraveled the complex process of how black widow spiders transform proteins into steel-strength fibers. This knowledge promises to aid scientists in creating equally […]