News by Subject Biology

The functions of water-dominated ecosystems can be considerably influenced and changed by hydrological fluctuation. The varying states of redox-active substances are of crucial importance here. Researchers at the University of Bayreuth have discovered this, in cooperation with partners from the Universities of Tübingen and Bristol and the Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research, Halle-Leipzig.

A new study finds that the indoor aerosol species are primarily from outdoor air exchange.

Scientists make recommendations for a more accurate assessment of controllable biogenic secondary organic aerosols (SOA) formation and its contribution to the total SOA budget.

A new study from McGill University suggests that some Icelandic killer whales have very high concentrations of PCBs (polychlorinated biphenyls) in their blubber. But it seems that other orcas from the same population have levels of PCBs that are much lower. It mainly depends on what they eat.

Ice core data from Greenland shows why air pollution is reducing slower than sulfur emissions reductions. As cloud droplets become less acidic, the chemical reaction that turns sulfur dioxide into sulfate aerosol gets more efficient. These results can improve the models that project air quality and climate change.

A study by the UPV/EHU's CBET research group and the University of Bordeaux has shown that graphene oxide nanomaterials, alone and combined with polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, pose a potential source of toxicity to fish, but at concentrations that are above the currently expected environmental levels. Under the conditions used in the research, high toxicity has not been detected, although the alteration of certain biomarkers has been observed.

When investigators in the UK recorded the calls of migratory birds called thrushes at night, they found that call rates were up to five times higher over the brightest urban areas compared with darker villages.

Many miles of streams and rivers are polluted by toxic metals in acidic runoff draining from abandoned mining sites, and major investments have been made to clean up acid mine drainage at some sites. A new study based on long-term monitoring data from four sites in the western United States shows that cleanup efforts can allow affected streams to recover to near natural conditions within 10 to 15 years after the start of abatement work.

Swansea University scientists have uncovered potentially dangerous chemical pollutants that are released from disposable face masks when submerged in water. The research reveals high levels of pollutants, including lead, antimony, and copper, within the silicon-based and plastic fibres of common disposable face masks.