Spore circumspection
A new study led by Imperial College London appears to find that drug-resistant mould is spreading from the environment and infecting susceptible people's lungs.
PM risk for autoimmunity
Long-term exposure to air pollution is linked to a heightened risk of autoimmune disease, particularly rheumatoid arthritis, connective tissue and inflammatory bowel diseases, finds research published online in the open access journal RMD Open.
Smart, affordable monitor
Instrument firm Oizom has launched an industrial-grade, single-parameter air quality monitor - AQBot - capable of measuring a range of gases in addition to particulate matter.
Smoking out the dangers
Increasingly large and intense wildfires in the Pacific Northwest of the US are altering the seasonal pattern of air pollution and causing a spike in unhealthy pollutants in August, new research appears to find. The smoke seems to be undermining clean air gains, posing potential risks to the health of millions.
An open field?
What exactly causes the characteristic "skunky" odour emitted by cannabis production facilities, and what do these emissions mean for air quality professionals and the general public? A recent study attempts such an appraisal.
Tiny traps for toxic gases
Seemingly at the leading edge of innovation in the field of air pollution and climate change mitigation are efforts to develop materials that can detect and trap pollutant gases. In some cases, captured molecules might also be stored and reused.
Silly numbers: The hopes and fears of climate intervention (book review)
"It would be very difficult, but it could be done" is maybe the most exuberant appraisal to derive from Wake Smith's detailed analysis of the climate intervention landscape as it currently appears. Pandora's Toolbox: The Hopes and Hazards of Climate Intervention explores geoengineering and carbon removal options varying across a spectrum of feasibility and cost.
Aligning digital and physical sustainability
How can firms appraise and improve their digital carbon footprint, including their internet presence, asks Amy Czuba of Nexer Digital, a firm that supports...
Global warming is projected to exceed 1.8°C, according to McKinsey report
The energy transition continues to gain steam, with oil demand projected to peak in this decade, perhaps as soon as 2025, according to new...
AI and Blockchain start-up brought into major Scottish infrastructure framework
A six-year Framework with Morrison Construction and Scottish Water has been awarded to Hypervine, a cleantech construction startup that uses artificial intelligence (AI) and...
Tropical megacities enter new phase of declining air
A new study appears to reveal rapid degradation in air quality in megacities in Africa, Asia and the Middle East - as well as...
2020 SEPA data shows impact of COVID-19 on Scottish emissions
The Scottish Environment Protection Agency (SEPA) has published its Scottish Pollutant Release Inventory (SPRI) data for 2020 following a cyber-attack in December 2020. ...
$650 million investment is the biggest so far in direct air capture
Swiss direct air capture (DAC) start-up firm Climeworks announced on 5 April that it has signed an equity round of $650 million (CHF...
Camera-based study reveals methane leaks far worse than expected in New Mexico region
The amount of methane leaking from a huge US oil- and gas-producing region is several times greater than federal government estimates, according to...
Rush to clean energy prompts demand for ammonia analysers
The global stampede to develop clean energy sources has prompted a demand for ammonia analysers from the developers of engines that will be capable...
Government awards £30m to cutting-edge highway decarbonisation projects
Cutting-edge, innovative ideas to decarbonise the UK’s highways are to benefit from tens of millions of pounds in Government funding.
The £30...
Thousands of tonnes of microfibre air pollution could be reduced by changing laundry drying...
A new study appears to reveal that tumble drying a load of laundry releases almost the same amount of potentially harmful microfibres into the...
Common houseplants can improve air quality indoors
Ordinary potted house plants can potentially make a significant contribution to reducing air pollution in homes and offices, according to new research led by...
New analysis to measure carbon emissions of transporting district heating and plumbing pipework
With decarbonisation legislation continuing to tighten in the UK, a polymer specialist has carried out a CO2 emissions analysis for contractors to measure emissions...
The secret life of clouds
Even the finest particles of pollution influence the process of cloud formation and the rainfall regime, it seems. A study conducted in Manaus, in the Brazilian state of Amazonas, appears to show that oxidation leads small aerosols expelled by factories and car exhausts, for example, to grow very rapidly, reaching up to 400 times their original size, and that this affects raindrop formation.
