Health
Study: Better desalination tech would help solve water shortage
August 4, 2011 1:23 pm | News | CommentsA new Yale University study argues that seawater desalination should play an important role in helping combat worldwide fresh water shortages once conservation, reuse and other methods have been exhausted. The study also provides insights into how desalination technology can be made more affordable and energy efficient.
Lab-quality assays delivered by credit card-sized chip
August 2, 2011 9:37 am | News | CommentsA biomedical engineering professor at Columbia University has spent that last four years testing his mobile microfluidic chip, or mChip, on hundreds of patients. The inexpensive chip requires a tiny finger prick of blood, and in less than 15 minutes delivers quantitative assays.
CANARY in the computer protects water from terrorism, contaminants
July 25, 2011 6:29 am | News | CommentsAfter earning an R&D 100 Award in 2010 for its continuous water quality analysis software system, aptly dubbed CANARY, Sandia National Laboratories reports that a number of cities from Cincinnati to Singapore are now using it, and they believe the free software could benefit a great many more utilities.
Cadmium selenide quantum dots degrade in soil, release toxic guts
July 19, 2011 5:03 am | News | CommentsQuantum dots made from cadmium and selenium degrade in soil, unleashing toxic cadmium and selenium ions into their surroundings, a University at Buffalo study has found. The research demonstrates the importance of learning more about how quantum dots interact with the environment after disposal.
Scientists: Stinky sock smell helps fight malaria
July 13, 2011 9:37 am | by Katharine Houreld, Associated Press | News | CommentsDutch scientist Dr. Bart Knols first discovered mosquitoes were attracted to foot odor by standing in a dark room naked and examining where he was bitten. For the last 15 years, researchers have struggled to put the knowledge to use. But now an affordable, inexpensive trap that employs foot odor may soon reach market.
UF-led team awarded more than $6.5 million for oil spill projects
July 8, 2011 6:18 am | News | CommentsThe National Institutes of Health (NIH) has awarded a University of Florida (UF)-led team more than $6.5 million to study the environmental and psychological effects of the Deepwater Horizon oil spill on communities along the Gulf coasts of Florida and Alabama.
Bioluminescent tester finds ground pollution fast
July 7, 2011 7:27 am | News | CommentsIn Europe, where there are an estimated 300,000 contaminated sites that require testing and treating before further development, a new portable tester that uses live bioluminescent bacteria to assess toxicity has proven popular. With tests taking only 12 to 15 minutes per sample, the device could be used to find out, in less than a day, whether a field contains carcinogenic toxins, and map precisely where the hot spots of the pollution are.
Towns near NM fire, nuclear lab wary of smoke
June 29, 2011 9:12 am | by P. Solomon Banda and Susan Montoya Bryan, Associated Press | News | CommentsLos Alamos, both the town and the laboratory of the same name, remains evacuated as a major wildfire spreads has reached the roadway just outside some of the laboratory’s property. Top lab officials and fire managers said they're confident the flames won't reach key buildings or areas where radioactive waste is stored, but some residents remained concerned for the safety of their families and nearby communities.
Scientists crack histamine code in effort to reduce side effects
June 28, 2011 5:48 am | News | CommentsAn international team of scientists using Diamond Light Source, the UK’s national synchrotron facility, has successfully solved the complex 3D structure of the human Histamine H1 receptor protein. The breakthrough, which involved Scripps Institute researchers, lets scientists begin work on third-generation anti-histamine drugs that reduce side effects.
3D liver may shed light on effects of chemicals in the environment
June 21, 2011 9:48 am | News | CommentsThe liver is the primary organ in the human body that metabolizes foreign compounds such as drugs, alcohol, cigarette smoke, and environmental chemicals. Using the liver as an alarm system, researchers are starting to better understand the different levels of toxicity from these compounds and their effects on the human body.
U.S. nuke regulators weaken safety rules
June 20, 2011 8:26 am | by Jeff Donn, AP National Writer | News | CommentsAccording to an extensive investigation by the Associated Press, federal regulators have been working closely with the nuclear power industry to keep the nation's aging reactors operating within safety standards by repeatedly weakening those standards. The report claims that nuclear regulatory officials have often decided original regulations are too strict and has argued that safety margins could be eased without peril.
The EPA improves access to information on chemicals
June 16, 2011 8:11 am | News | CommentsThe U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is making it easier to find data about chemicals. EPA is releasing two databases—the Toxicity Forecaster database (ToxCastDB) and a database of chemical exposure studies (ExpoCastDB)—that scientists and the public can use to access chemical toxicity and exposure data.
Carbon nanotubes could pose health risk to production staff
June 14, 2011 2:21 pm | News | CommentsCertain types of carbon nanotubes could cause cancer in the lining of the lung, University of Edinburgh research recently shows. The study in mice found short carbon nanotubes appear relatively harmless if they entered lung cavities, but longer nanotubes could get stuck and cause mesothelioma. The study suggests production line workers might be at risk.
‘Catch and release’ could improve nanoparticle safety assessment
June 10, 2011 9:14 am | News | CommentsNanoparticles are, potentially, either one of the most promising or the most perilous creations of science. Or perhaps both. The jury is still out on the safety side of things, but NIST has come up with a new electric method attracting and capturing metal-based nanoparticles on a surface and releasing them at the desired moment. The technique could speed assessments of their effect on tissues.
EPA proposes policy on nanoscale materials in pesticide products
June 9, 2011 9:14 am | News | CommentsThe U.S. Environmental Protection Agency announced it plans to obtain information on nanoscale materials in pesticide products. Under the requirements of the law, EPA will gather information on what nanoscale materials are present in pesticide products to determine whether the registration of a pesticide may cause unreasonable adverse effects on the environment and human health.
Japanese astronaut plans to grow space cucumbers
June 7, 2011 11:54 am | by Peter Leonard, Associated Press | News | CommentsCucumbers may be out of favor on earth, but a Japanese astronaut said this week that he plans to harvest the vegetable on board the International Space Station. Satoshi Furukawa said he would be growing cucumbers as part of ongoing studies on how future space explorers will be able to harvest their own food. Unfortunately, like most Europeans right now, Furukawa will not be eating them.
A new way to analyze epidemics
May 24, 2011 11:01 am | by John Pastor | News | CommentsAn international team of researchers led by the Univ. of Florida has created a new way to analyze the spread of dangerous viruses. The method uses sets of mathematical rules to do something software cannot easily accomplish—analyze subtle DNA difference to more fully understand health threats such as HIV, hepatitis, or even influenza.
How much radioactivity is in the oceans?
May 24, 2011 6:25 am | News | CommentsSome scientists have debated the actual severity of the nuclear power plant incident at Fukushima Dai-ichi, but its impact on the ocean is no question much greater than that of Chernobyl. Now, researchers at Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution are starting to build a global database of baseline levels of marine radionuclides so they can be more accurately tracked in the future.
Liquid smoke from rice shows potential health benefits
May 18, 2011 7:05 am | News | CommentsWood from trees is typically used to produce liquid smoke, which is added to meat and other foods for a smoky taste. But other types of plants can also be burned to make the popular seasoning, and rice is a prime candidate. Researchers in Korea have discovered that antioxidants and anti-inflammatory properties carried over to the liquid smoke.
Environmental impacts force changes in fracking
May 10, 2011 6:38 am | by Dina Cappiello, Associated Press, and David B. Caruso, Associated Press | News | CommentsNatural gas drillers have been under intense scrutiny since reports of fouled drinking water emerged several years ago. Now, research is resolving some of the questions surrounding hydraulic fracking, including the actual risk of methane contamination of water wells and the effect of highly-saline wastewater on watersheds.
Smartphones target leftover land mines
May 9, 2011 7:12 am | News | CommentsWhile mine-clearing protocols have improved substantially since World War II, the technology used to locate buried landmines has changed little. Harvard Univ. computer scientists have designed a new system that ties in smartphones to assist humanitarian de-miners by augmenting the information supplied by their metal detectors.
Nanotube cigarette filter could be safer
May 4, 2011 7:55 am | News | CommentsChemists in China have built titanate nanosheets and nanotubes into cigarette filters, claiming that they are more efficient at blocking a great range of harmful compounds including tar, nicotine, ammonia, hydrogen cyanide, selected carbonyls and phenolic compounds.
Asia nuclear reactors face tsunami risk
April 19, 2011 6:21 am | by Margie Mason and Robin McDowell, Associated Press | News | CommentsThe world's most seismically charged region is undergoing a nuclear renaissance as it struggles to harness enough power for its huge populations and booming economies. But China, Taiwan, India and several other countries have made little use of new science to determine whether these areas are safe. At least 32 plants in operation or under construction in Asia are at risk of one day being hit by a tsunami, nuclear experts and geologists warn.
Experts: Store blood cells from Japan nuke workers
April 15, 2011 7:16 am | by Malcolm Ritter, AP Science Writer | News | CommentsRadiation experts in Japan are now recommending that blood cells from workers at the Fukushima Dai-ichi complex should be stored immediately in case later treatments for radiation overdosing are needed. Blood cell transplants are a common treatment for leukemia, although some experts said such transfusions might not be as helpful for radiation.
Bacterial genome may hold answers to mercury mystery
April 11, 2011 8:32 am | News | CommentsA newly sequenced bacterial genome, unlocked at the Joint Genome Institute by a team led by Oak Ridge National Lab, could contain clues as to how microorganisms produce a highly toxic form of mercury. Until now, methylation of mercury by certain anaerobic bacteria was a topic of debate for decades.
