UV treatment does not always turn hazardous water pollutants into harmless substances. Recent lab tests suggest that the toxicity of the antibiotic linezolid to microorganisms appeared to increase post-treatment. This research did find, however, that UV treatment successfully reduced the antimicrobial activity of four other antibiotics tested, plus four artificial sweeteners.

Advances in nanotechnology mean that a rapidly increasing number of products are being produced using engineered nanomaterials, for example, nano-enabled thermoplastics. Many of these nano-enabled products are destined to reach their end-of-life through waste incineration or accidental fire. Now, an original study has revealed that the presence of nanofiller in thermoplastics significantly enhances both the concentration and toxicity of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) produced during thermal decomposition at the product’s end- of-life, resulting in concentrations of total PAHs and more toxic PAHs that are up to eight times higher than those found in pure (non nano-enabled) thermoplastics. This finding has significant environmental health implications.

Evidence from modelling studies suggests that climate change is likely to increase concentrations of ozone, one of the most important urban air pollutants responsible for respiratory problems. Under this assumption, rapid reductions of emissions from fossil fuel burning are needed to protect the health of both current and future generations.

A study in the Czech Republic has found a link between exposure to certain air pollutants and an increase in DNA damage for people exposed to high levels of the pollution. They found that breathing small quantities of a polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon (PAH), called benzo[a]pyrene (B[a]P), caused an increase in the number of certain ‘biomarkers’ in DNA associated with a higher risk of diseases, including cancer.

Danish researchers have recently revealed that crop harvesting can release high levels of Alternaria fungal spores, affecting air quality locally and, occasionally, over long distances. The fungus is known to trigger human allergic reactions, and the study calls for improved monitoring and forecasting of airborne fungal spores.

Levels of air pollution significantly increase on the island of Svalbard in the Norwegian Arctic when tourist cruise ships are present, according to a recent study. With shipping levels rising in the region, the researchers recommend that stricter emissions regulations are introduced in order to limit the impact of pollution on the Arctic environment.

A strong link between long-term exposure to vehicle pollution and deaths from heart disease and lung cancer has been found in a study of over a million individuals. The researchers say their results are relevant to European policymaking relating to air quality.

Inhaling volcanic ash could weaken the body’s natural defences against infection, a recent study concludes. A team of researchers collected samples of ash from the 2010 Eyjafjallajökull volcano eruption in Iceland and, in laboratory tests, found that they reduced the ability of immune cells in lungs to fight off bacterial infections.

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.

Long-term exposure to particulate matter pollution is strongly linked with heart attacks and angina, a new European study of over 100 000 people has shown. The results indicate that this association exists at levels below current European limits, and that the burden of disease due to particulate matter may have been largely underestimated.

Airborne particulate matter pollution leads to increases in death rates among people with underlying health conditions such as heart disease, according to a new study. The study suggests the effects are mainly related to the air pollution known as PM_{2.5 - particles smaller than 2.5 micrometres (μm). The study is the first to assess the health effects of this type of pollution across several European countries at once.}

Long-term exposure to air pollution may increase the risk of developing type-2 diabetes, a Swiss study has found. The results also suggest that the association between type-2 diabetes and air pollution occurs at concentrations below World Health Organization (WHO) air quality guidelines.

Fires in forests contaminated by the Chernobyl nuclear accident could lead to areas of Europe and Russia being exposed to further radioactive fallout, new research has found. The study examined the spread of the fallout and the health effects on people and animals under three different scenarios: 10, 50 and 100% of the forests being burnt.

The chances of a child developing Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) are higher if the mother is exposed to high levels of fine particulate air pollution during pregnancy, a recent study suggests. This increased risk was associated specifically with exposure in the last three months of pregnancy, the researchers found.

Exposure to gaseous and particulate matter pollution have been found to increase the immediate risk of stroke, a review of medical studies has shown. The increased risk is most pronounced the same day as the exposure, and for fine particles the increased risk persists over several days. The authors hope information from this study will help policymakers to develop suitable controls to limit the risks posed by these harmful air pollutants.

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.

Research using the Environmental Quality Index (EQI) linked increased risk of preterm birth with poor air quality, but not with overall low environmental quality. The study is one of the first to explore the relationship between preterm birth and environmental quality across a range of different environmental domains (including water, air, land, built environment and sociodemographic aspects).

Researchers have shown that emissions from vehicles can react with emissions from urban trees and other plants, resulting in a decrease in air quality in cities in summer; this reduces the otherwise positive impacts of urban vegetation. The study, conducted in Berlin, showed that during a July heatwave, 20% of ozone concentrations were due to emissions of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) from vegetation interacting with other pollutants. To reduce this effect, lowering emissions of these other pollutants is crucial.

A new study has, for the first time, estimated total anthropogenic releases of mercury over the last 4 000 years, up to 2010. Overall, the study estimates that a total of 1 540 000 tonnes of mercury have been released; three-quarters of this since 1850, and 78 times more than was released through natural causes over this period. Therefore, human activity has been responsible for a significant level of contamination, and this inventory can be used to inform and assess mitigation measures. The publication coincides with the ratification of the Minamata Convention on Mercury, and the new EU Mercury Regulation1, which prohibits the export, import and manufacturing of mercury-added products, among other measures.

New pest management strategies may be needed in landscapes where certain types of GM crop are grown, according to recent research. The study found that GM cotton grown in China, designed to resist insect attack, has had an unintended consequence: reduced insecticide use has allowed outbreaks of non-target organisms to infest crops across the agricultural landscape and emerge as new pests.

A new study by Swiss researchers suggests that certain types of fungi could be bred that increase the growth of the crops. Rice plants injected with a specially bred mycorrhizal fungus grew two to five times larger than normal in the study's experiments, which may have important implications in the future for food security.

Do you find the Science for Environment Policy RSS feeds useful? Could they be improved? We would be grateful if you could spare a few moments to provide some feedback on the feeds with our short online survey for subscribers:http://www.surveymonkey.com/s/VMHTCLQ. Thank you for your time.

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.

Preserving biodiversity seems to reduce the emergence and spread of human diseases in many cases, according to an investigation into the links between biodiversity and human health. It concludes that there is mounting evidence indicating that preserving ecosystems in their natural state generally decreases the occurrence of infectious diseases.

It is increasingly evident that human health is closely linked to the environment, and to biodiversity. A study commissioned by the European Commission summarises the many and varied ways in which disturbances to biodiversity affect the spread of human diseases.

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.

SUFFOLK– As Hurricane Florence approaches the coast, the Virginia Department of Transportation (VDOT) Hampton Roads District continues to monitor...

 
 000
 WTNT84 KNHC 140307
 TCVAT4
 
 HUMBERTO WATCH/WARNING ADVISORY NUMBER 6
 NWS NATIONAL HURRICANE CENTER MIAMI FL     AL092019
 1107 PM EDT FRI SEP 13 2019
 
 .TROPICAL STORM HUMBERTO
 
 CAUTION...THIS PRODUCT ONLY APPROXIMATELY CONVEYS THE EXTENT OF
 TROPICAL CYCLONE WIND AND SURGE WATCHES AND WARNINGS. PLEASE SEE
 THE LATEST PUBLIC ADVISORY FROM THE NATIONAL HURRICANE CENTER FOR
 THE PRECISE LATERAL EXTENT OF WIND WATCHES AND WARNINGS ALONG THE
 COAST...AS WELL AS THE APPROXIMATE LATERAL EXTENT OF SURGE WATCHES
 AND WARNINGS. THE PRECISE EXTENT OF SURGE WATCHES AND WARNINGS
 CAN BE FOUND IN THE NWS NATIONAL DIGITAL FORECAST DATABASE HAZARD
 GRIDS.
 
 FLZ047-054-059-064-141-147-140415-
 /O.CAN.KNHC.TR.A.1009.000000T0000Z-000000T0000Z/
 1107 PM EDT FRI SEP 13 2019
 
 $$
 
 ATTN...WFO...MLB...
 

 
 000
 WTNT82 KNHC 250947
 TCVAT2
 
 KAREN WATCH/WARNING ADVISORY NUMBER 13
 NWS NATIONAL HURRICANE CENTER MIAMI FL     AL122019
 547 AM EDT WED SEP 25 2019
 
 .TROPICAL STORM KAREN
 
 CAUTION...THIS PRODUCT ONLY APPROXIMATELY CONVEYS THE EXTENT OF
 TROPICAL CYCLONE WIND AND SURGE WATCHES AND WARNINGS. PLEASE SEE
 THE LATEST PUBLIC ADVISORY FROM THE NATIONAL HURRICANE CENTER FOR
 THE PRECISE LATERAL EXTENT OF WIND WATCHES AND WARNINGS ALONG THE
 COAST...AS WELL AS THE APPROXIMATE LATERAL EXTENT OF SURGE WATCHES
 AND WARNINGS. THE PRECISE EXTENT OF SURGE WATCHES AND WARNINGS
 CAN BE FOUND IN THE NWS NATIONAL DIGITAL FORECAST DATABASE HAZARD
 GRIDS.
 
 PRZ001>013-VIZ001-002-251100-
 /O.CAN.KNHC.TR.W.1012.000000T0000Z-000000T0000Z/
 547 AM AST WED SEP 25 2019
 
 $$
 
 ATTN...WFO...SJU...
 

Infectious Disease Advisor editor Natasha Priya Dyal, M.D., joins The PR Week to discuss the one topic on everyone's mind: COVID-19.

 
 000
 WTNT81 KNHC 192045
 TCVAT1
 
 NESTOR WATCH/WARNING ADVISORY NUMBER 10
 NWS NATIONAL HURRICANE CENTER MIAMI FL     AL162019
 445 PM EDT SAT OCT 19 2019
 
 .POST-TROPICAL CYCLONE NESTOR
 
 CAUTION...THIS PRODUCT ONLY APPROXIMATELY CONVEYS THE EXTENT OF
 TROPICAL CYCLONE WIND AND SURGE WATCHES AND WARNINGS. PLEASE SEE
 THE LATEST PUBLIC ADVISORY FROM THE NATIONAL HURRICANE CENTER FOR
 THE PRECISE LATERAL EXTENT OF WIND WATCHES AND WARNINGS ALONG THE
 COAST...AS WELL AS THE APPROXIMATE LATERAL EXTENT OF SURGE WATCHES
 AND WARNINGS. THE PRECISE EXTENT OF SURGE WATCHES AND WARNINGS
 CAN BE FOUND IN THE NWS NATIONAL DIGITAL FORECAST DATABASE HAZARD
 GRIDS.
 
 FLZ027-028-034-118-127-128-134-192145-
 /O.CAN.KNHC.TR.W.1016.000000T0000Z-000000T0000Z/
 445 PM EDT SAT OCT 19 2019
 
 $$
 
 ATTN...WFO...TAE...
 

 
 000
 WTNT85 KNHC 072352
 TCVAT5
 
 DORIAN WATCH/WARNING INTERMEDIATE ADVISORY NUMBER 59A
 NWS NATIONAL HURRICANE CENTER MIAMI FL     AL052019
 752 PM EDT SAT SEP 7 2019
 
 .POST-TROPICAL CYCLONE DORIAN
 
 CAUTION...THIS PRODUCT ONLY APPROXIMATELY CONVEYS THE EXTENT OF
 TROPICAL CYCLONE WIND AND SURGE WATCHES AND WARNINGS. PLEASE SEE
 THE LATEST PUBLIC ADVISORY FROM THE NATIONAL HURRICANE CENTER FOR
 THE PRECISE LATERAL EXTENT OF WIND WATCHES AND WARNINGS ALONG THE
 COAST...AS WELL AS THE APPROXIMATE LATERAL EXTENT OF SURGE WATCHES
 AND WARNINGS. THE PRECISE EXTENT OF SURGE WATCHES AND WARNINGS
 CAN BE FOUND IN THE NWS NATIONAL DIGITAL FORECAST DATABASE HAZARD
 GRIDS.
 
 MEZ017-029-030-080100-
 /O.CAN.KNHC.TR.W.1005.000000T0000Z-000000T0000Z/
 752 PM EDT SAT SEP 7 2019
 
 $$
 
 ATTN...WFO...CAR...
 

000
WTNT22 KNHC 260250
TCMAT2

POST-TROPICAL CYCLONE OLGA FORECAST/ADVISORY NUMBER 3
NWS NATIONAL HURRICANE CENTER MIAMI FL AL172019
0300 UTC SAT OCT 26 2019

THERE ARE NO COASTAL TROPICAL CYCLONE WATCHES OR WARNINGS IN
EFFECT.

PLEASE SEE HIGH SEAS FORECASTS ISSUED BY THE NATIONAL WEATHER
SERVICE AND PRODUCTS FROM LOCAL NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE FORECAST
OFFICES FOR INFORMATION ON THE NON-TROPICAL WATCHES AND WARNINGS
ASSOCIATED WITH THIS SYSTEM.

POST-TROPICAL CYCLONE CENTER LOCATED NEAR 27.8N 92.2W AT 26/0300Z
POSITION ACCURATE WITHIN 30 NM

PRESENT MOVEMENT TOWARD THE NORTHEAST OR 40 DEGREES AT 15 KT

ESTIMATED MINIMUM CENTRAL PRESSURE 999 MB
MAX SUSTAINED WINDS 45 KT WITH GUSTS TO 55 KT.
34 KT....... 20NE 20SE 120SW 120NW.
12 FT SEAS.. 90NE 90SE 450SW 90NW.
WINDS AND SEAS VARY GREATLY IN EACH QUADRANT. RADII IN NAUTICAL
MILES ARE THE LARGEST RADII EXPECTED ANYWHERE IN THAT QUADRANT.

REPEAT...CENTER LOCATED NEAR 27.8N 92.2W AT 26/0300Z
AT 26/0000Z CENTER WAS LOCATED NEAR 27.0N 92.5W

FORECAST VALID 26/1200Z 31.8N 90.4W...POST-TROP/EXTRATROP
MAX WIND 35 KT...GUSTS 45 KT.
34 KT... 0NE 100SE 0SW 0NW.

FORECAST VALID 27/0000Z 38.0N 88.5W...POST-TROP/EXTRATROP
MAX WIND 30 KT...GUSTS 40 KT.

FORECAST VALID 27/1200Z 43.5N 83.5W...POST-TROP/EXTRATROP
MAX WIND 30 KT...GUSTS 40 KT.

FORECAST VALID 28/0000Z...DISSIPATED

REQUEST FOR 3 HOURLY SHIP REPORTS WITHIN 300 MILES OF 27.8N 92.2W

THIS IS THE LAST FORECAST/ADVISORY ISSUED BY THE NATIONAL HURRICANE
CENTER ON THIS SYSTEM. ADDITIONAL INFORMATION ON THIS SYSTEM CAN BE
FOUND IN HIGH SEAS FORECASTS ISSUED BY THE NATIONAL WEATHER
SERVICE...UNDER AWIPS HEADER NFDHSFAT1 AND WMO HEADER FZNT01 KWBC.

$$
FORECASTER ZELINSKY

Oil was headed for the longest run of daily gains in more than nine months.

Oil's recovery from last month's epic plunge accelerated as production cuts start to whittle down a supply glut.

Treating the country's 110 million STDs comes with a price tag of $16.7 billion a year.

America does not grow enough fruits and vegetables to satisfy USDA recommendations for all citizens. This infograhic makes the argument easy to understand.

On the heels of the government's dietary guidelines, Environmental Working Group releases its own version, free from food industry interference.

Columbia researcher examines how ultrasound could become part of a comprehensive treatment for various degenerative brain diseases.

Honda hybrid sales increased during September 2010 including a 338 percent increase for the Civic.

Tesla Motors announces a new lease option for its electric supercar -- only $1,658 per month.

Elon Musk went open-source at his other company, SpaceX, years ago. The aim here is to increase the appeal of electric cars in the marketplace.

HD TVs serve as a sort of visual bridge between a British reserve and the tropical rain forest.

Urn-believable you say? Columbia University's DeathLAB will soon find out.

Even though some people practice yoga to treat their asthma, the exercise does not appear to alleviate asthma symptoms in adults.

Plus: Video hoax targets Alberta's tar sands as the filming location for the wastelands of Mordor.

Researchers have created a laser powerful enough to detect minute concentrations of gases in the atmosphere or in your mouth.

The Southern Hemisphere will experience more devastating wind and waves as the world warms, according to new research.