News by Subject Atmospheric Science

For the first time, researchers have developed a data set quantifying what the social cost of carbon -- the measure of the economic harm from carbon dioxide emissions -- will be for the globe's nearly 200 countries. Although much previous research has focused on how rich countries benefit from the fossil fuel economy, while damages accrue primarily to the developing world, the top three counties with the most to lose from climate change are the United States, India and Saudi Arabia -- three major world powers.

A new MIT study reports that Volkswagen is not the only auto manufacturer to make diesel cars that produce vastly more emissions on the road than in laboratory tests. The study, published this month in Atmospheric Environment, finds that in Europe, 10 major auto manufacturers produced diesel cars, sold between 2000 and 2015, that generate up to 16 times more emissions on the road than in regulatory tests.

New research uncovers Sunoco's decade-long effort to cleanup legacy contamination at the East Coast's oldest and largest petroleum refinery site did not include legally required public Involvement. Data indicate Philadelphia Energy Solutions, current owner of the refinery, may be poised for another bankruptcy by 2022, opening industrial redevelopment opportunities. This report recommends steps to correct Sunoco's oversight, as well as the need to explore cleanup standards more stringent than those appropriate for ongoing refinery operations.

Air pollution may be linked to a heightened risk of developing dementia, finds a London-based observational study, published in the online journal BMJ Open. The associations found couldn't be explained by factors known to influence the risks of developing the condition, say the researchers.

Babies exposed to higher levels of organochlorine compounds in the womb go on to have worse lung function in childhood, according to new research presented today (Tuesday) at the European Respiratory Society International Congress. These compounds, which include the pesticide DDT, as well as electrical insulators and other industrial products, are now banned in most parts of the world. However, because they degrade very slowly, they are still present in the environment and in foods.