The presence and accumulation of micropollutants1 (anthropogenic trace contaminants) in aquatic environments is an area of policy concern for the EU. In order to better understand how these chemicals enter and are transported within water systems, this study investigated the occurrence and concentration of a broad spectrum of micropollutants across Austria’s water system. Municipal waste-water effluents were found to be the emission pathway with the highest concentrations of some micropollutants. The study also demonstrated that levels of other micropollutants are higher in rivers, atmospheric deposition and groundwater than in waste-water effluents and that these sometimes exceeded environmental quality standards for surface waters.

A new study has raised safety concerns over PFO4DA, a substance increasingly used as a substitute for PFOA, a harmful persistent organic pollutant (POP), in plastic production. PFO4DA was found to cause liver damage to mice in lab tests, and is also an environmental pollutant. The researchers caution that it may not be a suitable alternative to PFOA.

Large benefits can be achieved for society by reducing global emissions of mercury. Global savings of US$1.8-2.2 billion (€1.3-1.6 billion) can be made by reducing damage to IQ alone, according to recent research.

Measures to reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions have the additional benefit of reducing air pollutants. However, these benefits are rarely included in the design and evaluation of climate change policies. A new study suggests that considering these benefits in climate change policy could reduce the cost of such policies, and engage stakeholders who are otherwise unmotivated to tackle climate change.

Overall concentrations of some persistent organic pollutants (POPs) in soil have declined, according to research conducted in Norway and the UK. The researchers suggest that there has been a reduced influence of primary sources of some POPs on soils for these two countries in recent years.

Implementation of technology to clean the flue gases of coal-fired power plants has significantly reduced sulphur and fine particle emissions that cause environmental damage. However, recent research suggests that plants applying this technology would emit more ultrafine particles (1-10 nanometer (nm) diameter) that affect the formation of clouds, with the unintended consequence of changing the amount and intensity of rainfall downwind of fossil fuel power installations.

Residents living within half a mile of unconventional natural gas wells may have an increased risk of illness from exposure to air pollution from the wells, according to a recent study. The peer-reviewed study recommends that risk prevention efforts to minimise impacts on human health should concentrate on communities living and working close to wells during well completions and that further studies on health effects of exposures to air emissions from such projects should be carried out.

City dwellers who grow their own fruit and vegetables may be consuming high levels of pollutants. In a recent study, researchers found that vegetables grown on plots in Berlin, Germany, often contained higher concentrations of some heavy metals than shop-bought vegetables, with those grown close to busy roads containing the greatest quantities.

Measures to control methane and black carbon (soot) emissions could improve air quality and public health, in addition to slowing the rate of climate change, according to recent research. By 2030, the reduced pollution could prevent between 700,000 and 4.7 million premature deaths each year, with 80% of the benefits occurring in Asia.

A study on the transport of radioactive isotopes from Fukushima in the two months after the nuclear incident suggests that they were at official levels of contamination for 34,000 km2 of Japan, and that 2.8% of iodine radionuclides from the event were calculated to have reached the EU.

A recent global study has estimated that, each year, 1.5 million people die early from cardiopulmonary diseases and 0.1 million people die early from lung cancer caused by exposure to PM2.5 pollution. A further 0.4 million people are estimated to die early from respiratory diseases caused by exposure to surface ozone (O3) pollution. Although short-lived air pollutants have the largest influence on air quality and premature deaths, controlling methane emissions as well would improve air quality and reduce the number of people dying prematurely each year, the study suggests.

Cutting mercury pollution could save Europe €8-9 billion per year by protecting children’s brain development, suggests a recent study. A third of babies in Europe are estimated to be exposed to unsafe levels of mercury before they are born, when in the womb, which may reduce their IQ and, in turn, restrict their educational and working achievements over their lifetime. This has long-term implications for society and the economy.

Some progress has been made towards improving air quality in Europe with levels of sulphur dioxide, carbon monoxide and benzene all falling substantially in recent years, a new report from the European Environment Agency (EEA) concludes. However, threats to human health and ecosystems remain, and urban citizens’ exposure to high levels of particulate matter (PM) and ozone are a particular concern.

Air quality in the Greek city of Thessaloniki has worsened during the recent economic crisis, as residents burn more wood and other types of biomass to keep warm. A recent study has found a 30% increase in the concentration of fine particle (PM_2.5) emissions associated with wood smoke from residential heating in 2012 and 2013, with implications for the health of local residents.

Pregnant women living within 16 km of unconventional gas wells in Colorado, US, are up to 30% more likely to give birth to a baby with a heart defect, new research has found. These findings suggest that more research is needed to understand the potential health impact of natural gas developments, say the researchers.

Air pollution policy does not undermine the long-term goals of climate change policy, a new study concludes. Although reductions in the pollutant sulphur dioxide could have some warming effects on the Earth’s temperature, the impacts are only short term and will never outweigh climate policy’s cooling effects.

Emissions of the greenhouse gases (GHGs) tetrafluoromethane (TFM) and hexafluoroethane (HFE) reported by industry accounted for only around half actual levels measured in the atmosphere between 2002 and 2010, new research reveals. The semiconductor and aluminium production industries, the two main sources of these gases, have reported success in their voluntary efforts to control these emissions. However, this does not match ‘top-down’ atmospheric monitoring, the researchers say.

A test currently under development for certifying levels of vehicle emissions may not adequately represent real world driving conditions, a new study suggests. The authors measured emissions during the new Worldwide Light-Duty Test Cycle (WLTC) compared with those in existing driving cycles and highlighted areas where the test could be potentially improved.

Switching to the best available emission control technologies could eliminate 99% of particulate matter pollution 'hotspots', a new study suggests. The researchers reached this conclusion by expanding the local-scale capabilities of an existing computer model that estimates the effects of air pollution policies and control measures.

Under the United Nations Minamata Convention on mercury, China and India could avoid a combined 242 tonnes of mercury emissions in 2050 from coal-fired power plants, a new study predicts. This amount is equal to approximately 12% of total emissions in 2010. While the benefits will be mostly regional, lower mercury deposition in surrounding oceans is good news for Europeans who eat fish sourced from those waters.

Congestion charges are an effective means of reducing road traffic, but are often strongly opposed by the public. This study combined quantitative and qualitative methods to explore attitudes towards congestion charging in Spain, finding that opposition is reduced when revenues are spent on environmental improvements.

Ships that reduce their speed use less fuel, which lowers costs for shipping companies. The slow steaming practice also cuts nitrogen oxides (NOx) emissions. A study found that ships travelling on four European routes lowered their NOx emissions by 12% during the economic crisis of 2008/2009. Shipping continues to be a major way of transporting goods, however, and as the global economy recovers the researchers and civil society call for additional measures to reduce NOx emissions from shipping and improve air quality in Europe.

Measurements of individual vehicle emissions are usually made in laboratory tests. In this study, researchers followed cars driving in real conditions to measure emissions of air pollutants, including black carbon and nitrogen oxides. The study shows that diesel cars contribute disproportionately to air pollution, and highlights the value of on-road measurements.

European buildings built in the 1950s, 60s and 70s may contribute towards levels of toxins in the body, a new study suggests. Polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) were found at elevated levels in children that lived in houses and studied in schools built during this period, before PCBs were more thoroughly regulated in the construction industry. Although food is generally a more concentrated source of these toxins, the authors say exposure through these environments should be minimised wherever possible.

Lower socioeconomic status is generally associated with poorer health, and both air and noise pollution contribute to a wide range of other factors influencing human health. But do these health inequalities arise because of increased exposure to pollution, increased sensitivity to exposure, increased vulnerabilities, or some combination? This In-depth Report presents evidence on whether people in deprived areas are more affected by air and noise pollution — and suffer greater consequences — than wealthier populations.

Researchers have assessed the phyto-toxic effects of copper nanoparticles on vegetables grown within urban gardens, comparing increasing doses of these nanoparticles to simulate potential aerial deposition to extreme pollution of CuO-NP in a range of increasing exposure periods. Lettuce and cabbage absorbed high amounts of copper nanoparticles, after 15 days of exposure, which interfered with photosynthesis, respiration and also reduced growth. Under the specific exposure conditions of the study the researchers indicate that metal nanoparticles could lead to potential health risks to humans from the contamination of crops from pollution.

Pollution is the world’s largest environmental cause of disease and premature death. The Lancet Commission on pollution and health brought together leaders, researchers and practitioners from the fields of pollution management, environmental health and sustainable development to elucidate the full health and economic costs of air, water, chemical and soil pollution worldwide. By analysing existing and emerging data, the Commission reveals that pollution makes a significant and underreported contribution to the global burden of disease, particularly in low- and middle-income countries. The Commission also provides six recommendations to policymakers and other stakeholders looking for efficient, cost-effective and actionable approaches to pollution mitigation and prevention.

Subjective perception of air pollution can have important implications in terms of health-protective behaviours and citizen and stakeholder engagement in cleaner-air policies. A recent study, conducted under the EU-funded PASTA¹ project, has analysed the link between level of concern over health effects of air pollution and personal and environmental factors in seven European cities. Overall, 58% of participants were worried over health effects of air pollution, with large differences between cities. On a city scale, average levels of concern over health effects of air pollution had a good correlation with average NO₂ levels and a lower correlation with average PM_2.5 levels. Individual level of concern was found to be linked to gender, having children in the household, levels of physical activity, and NO₂ levels at the home address. These findings can be used to inform future policymaking.

Fuel spillages and leaks from petroleum storage facilities can lead to serious pollution of soils and underground water. In a recent study, two strains of Rhodococcus bacteria were found to be effective at degrading a number of petroleum hydrocarbons and thus helping clean up contaminated sites.

Some types of bacteria show the potential to act as self-healing agents in concrete, according to a recent study. This could make the construction material more durable and therefore more sustainable.

Populations of the European corn borer, a major pest of maize plants, fell significantly in areas where Bt maize (genetically modified maize) was planted alongside non-Bt maize, in a recent US study. This means that farmers who plant conventional maize crops could reap this benefit from farmers who plant Bt maize in the same landscape.

Research from the UK and the Netherlands suggests that applying a new risk analysis approach for GM food products could improve the chances of the products being accepted by the public. The approach considers benefits as well as risks.

New research suggests that fungi could be used to control insect-borne diseases common in livestock. The study shows for the first time that a fungus can effectively kill adult midges in the family of insects that carry bluetongue virus (BTV). Bluetongue outbreaks have caused significant losses on European farms in recent years, and the study indicates that using the fungus as a means of biological control could help reduce reliance on chemical insecticides, in the absence of effective vaccines.

People are more willing to buy genetically modified (GM) foods than they may admit to, according to a new study. The study found a substantial difference between the number of people who said they would buy GM foods when surveyed and the number who actually bought GM labelled products at fruit stalls.

Major controversy surrounding synthetic biology is possible but unlikely in the near future, according to the results of a new study. The researchers assessed the potential for social and political conflicts by drawing comparisons with the controversy surrounding genetic modification (GM) in the 1990s. They argue that controversy over new technologies is influenced by how they are implemented, and healthy debate surrounding synthetic biology is likely to limit conflict.

Crane fly larvae cause considerable damage to agricultural crops and young trees throughout Europe. New research has demonstrated that certain strains of fungi have significant potential to control crane fly infestations, thus reducing the use of chemical insecticides and enabling more environmentally-friendly strategies for pest control.

Pests that cause millions of euros in damage to Europe’s forests every year could be controlled using fungi. A new study finds that certain strains and formulations of fungi are extremely effective in killing large pine weevils. Control of the weevils using fungi may provide forest managers with an alternative to chemical pesticides.

Applying a low voltage to polluted river sediment can boost microbes’ natural ability to degrade harmful polychlorinated biphenyl (PCB) contaminants, according to a new study. The approach could be a cost-effective, sustainable strategy to bioremediate polluted sites.

Transforming public spaces with plants that decontaminate soils can add functional, ecological, economic and social value to derelict areas. A new study calls for consideration of social and environmental factors, as well as remediation needs, to produce effective and innovative landscape design.

New low cost methods using bacteria to remove toxic metals from groundwater have been investigated using both actual contaminated groundwater and artificially controlled systems. Environmental conditions, such as changing levels of acidity or alkalinity, can have a significant effect on the removal of toxins, results show.

A new study from Poland has confirmed the potential of fungal Trichoderma species to control diseases of oilseed rape crops. The use of Trichoderma can reduce the growth of disease-causing oilseed rape pathogens, which may allow a decrease in the use of harmful pesticides.

Microbes and biocatalytic enzymes could offer useful tools for cleaning soils polluted with polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), suggests a new review of remediation approaches. However, risk assessments and further work are needed before their use can be extended beyond the lab to realworld situations. This comprehensive overview of available and novel methods indicates their constraints and potential for future development and research.

Researchers have analysed the ability of two organic nanomaterials to remove the heavy metal chromium from water. In the laboratory, the nanomaterials successfully took up around 95% of the chromium. Further work is needed to confirm the feasibility of using these nanomaterials to purify water in real-world conditions.

The chemical 1,4-dioxane, a solvent suspected of causing cancer, is very difficult to clean up once it enters the environment. However, hope is offered by recent scientific developments that use plants, bacteria and fungi to decontaminate water resources. Scientists provided a round-up of these 1,4-dioxane bioremediation techniques in a recent analysis.

Biodegradable waste, or bio-waste, from urban areas is being used to produce a bio-based material to replace plastic — this is relevant to the sustainable development of a circular economy (CE), which requires the innovative use of waste materials. Understanding public attitudes to such materials, and the drivers influencing their uptake, is key to their viability. This study explores how consumers respond to products made from regenerated bio-waste.

Contact centres may have poor reputations but they should be seen as a strategic resource, says Nicola Millard, BT’s in-house futurist

The real-time economy requires instant processes in an increasing number of business functions.

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Tesco, one of the world’s largest retailers, is using the BT Cloud Contact solution to give its UK customers an enhanced, more flexible and more responsive contact centre service.

Myke makes judgments about Grey's musical choices, Grey explains how he is working with his personal assistant to manage email, and they both lament the current state of email apps.