Ecotox Environmental News

Fine Air Pollution Particles Linked to Early Immune Changes That Precede Autoimmune Disease A new study by McGill University researchers has found that fine particulate air pollution — tiny airborne particles small enough to enter the bloodstream — is associated with early changes in the immune system that often occur before the onset of autoimmune…

Wildfires Reshape Forest Soils for Decades, Göttingen Research Reveals

Wildfires Reshape Forest Soils for Decades, Göttingen Research Reveals An international research team led by the University of Göttingen has found that wildfires don’t just burn vegetation — they fundamentally alter soil structure, chemistry, and nutrient cycles in forest ecosystems for more than a decade after the flames have gone. This long-term imprint on soil…

Most U.S. Rivers Lack Adequate Protection From Human Impacts, New Study Shows

Most U.S. Rivers Lack Adequate Protection From Human Impacts, New Study Shows A first-of-its-kind assessment of river protections across the United States reveals a startling conservation gap: the vast majority of U.S. rivers — including waterways that provide drinking water, habitat, and recreation — have little to no formal protections against human activities such as…

Global Aviation Emissions Could Be Halved by Maximising Efficiency, Oxford Study Shows

Global Aviation Emissions Could Be Halved by Maximising Efficiency, Oxford Study Shows A new study co-led by the University of Oxford suggests that global aviation emissions could be reduced by 50–75% by focusing on operational efficiency — without cutting flights or waiting for future fuels. Published in Nature Communications Earth & Environment, the research analysed…

Wildfires and Prescribed Burns May Emit 21% More Air Pollution Than Previously Estimated

Wildfires and Prescribed Burns May Emit 21% More Air Pollution Than Previously Estimated New research published in Environmental Science & Technology (American Chemical Society) shows that wildfires and prescribed burns emit significantly more air-polluting organic compounds than earlier estimates suggested — especially intermediate- and semi-volatile organic compounds that readily form harmful fine particles in the…

After Years of Plastic Cleanup, Coastal Marine Ecosystems Show Signs of Recovery

After Years of Plastic Cleanup, Coastal Marine Ecosystems Show Signs of Recovery Decades of persistent coastal cleanup efforts — from removing trash by hand to implementing plastic bans and improving waste management — are now yielding signs of ecological recovery in shorelines and nearshore waters. Recent observations from multiple regions show that when the flow…

What’s Happening to Our Food: Seafood Safety, Contaminants, and Human Health

What’s Happening to Our Food: Seafood Safety, Contaminants, and Human Health A UC San Diego magazine feature explores how ocean pollutants and biological threats are affecting marine food webs and human health. Scientists at the Scripps Institution of Oceanography are studying how toxic contaminants like mercury and pervasive parasites move through ecosystems, end up in…

Deepwater Horizon Monitoring Reveals Slow Recovery of Deep-Sea Coral Communities

Deepwater Horizon Monitoring Reveals Slow Recovery of Deep-Sea Coral Communities Fifteen years after the catastrophic Deepwater Horizon oil spill, researchers from the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa are continuing long-term monitoring of deep-sea coral communities off the Gulf of Mexico. Their observations highlight both the resilience and lingering vulnerability of these fragile ecosystems. ([turn0news0] Long-Term…

Rutgers Scientists Engineer Programmable Plastics That Break Down Naturally

Rutgers Scientists Engineer Programmable Plastics That Break Down Naturally. Rutgers University researchers have developed a new class of synthetic plastics that can break down naturally under everyday conditions without heat or harsh chemicals — a chemistry-based advance that could help tackle global plastic pollution. Their approach draws inspiration from how nature builds polymers that serve…

Hawaiʻi Researcher Tracks Microplastics Across Island Waterways

Hawaiʻi Researcher Tracks Microplastics Across Island Waterways Hope Kanoa, now a graduate student at the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa, is expanding an ambitious research project to map microplastic contamination throughout Hawaiʻi’s coastal, riverine, and ocean environments. Her work was launched while she completed an undergraduate degree in Environmental Earth Science and has evolved into…