Human Exposure and Public Health

Do you feel overwhelmed by the apocalyptic scenarios presented in news related to climate change? You’re not alone! The fact that so many people feel hopeless about the prospects of halting climate change can put a spoke in the wheel of any efforts to inspire broad, public involvement in climate action. But by factoring in human psychology, climate change communicators can strike an optimally motivating balance between hope and fear.

Human Exposure and Public Health

The Price of Pollution: How Air Pollution Impacts Premature Birth and the Economy

January 31, 2019February 4, 2019 Kristina Blank 0 Comments Air pollution, Economics, exposure science, PM2.5, premature birth, risk assessment

Does man-made outdoor air pollution increase the risk of premature births? Research suggests that it does, and new analyses out of New York University have tried to estimate the burden of premature births and their economic costs that can be attributed to air pollution.

Case Studies Environmental Science Human Exposure and Public Health

Chagas Disease Eradication in Guatemala: An Example of Successful Cooperative Vector Control

January 30, 2019 Munim Deen 0 Comments Chagas Disease, human health, infectious diseases, public health, vectors

Large-scale cooperation from anyone for anything often seems out of reach. Large-scale cooperation from multiple government entities to control a disease vector and actually bring about a decline in the disease in one of the poorest countries in the Western Hemisphere is a truly difficult goal. That is what’s happening in Guatemala in an attempt to control Chagas disease. Has any real progress been made?

Case Studies Environmental Science Human Exposure and Public Health

Certified coffee farmers are environmentally friendly and compensated for their efforts: Imagination or reality?

January 8, 2019January 12, 2019 Lindsay Green-Gavrielidis 0 Comments agriculture, certification, coffee, organic, socio-economic, Sustainability

Do you go to the grocery store and look for the Fair Trade™ or Rainforest Alliance™ certified coffee? Many consumers prefer to buy certified coffee because they believe there is an economic benefit to the farmer, environmental benefits, or both. However, do these certifications actually improve farmer income and/or protect important environmental services? A recent study conducted in Uganda suggests that farms that are double or triple certified for coffee production suffer trade-offs between economic and environmental benefits.

Climate Environmental Science Human Exposure and Public Health Toxicology

How climate change can alter the toxicity of chemicals

January 7, 2019January 27, 2019 Niranjana Krishnan 0 Comments Chemicals, Climate Change, human health, toxicity, wildlife health

Climate change can alter harmful chemicals, which may impact humans and wildlife in several different ways. Read on to learn more!

Environmental Science Human Exposure and Public Health

The Fight Over Waters of the US

December 28, 2018January 7, 2019 Whitney Kroschel 0 Comments EPA, legal, water

On December 11, 2018 the Trump Administration’s Environmental Protection Agency and US Army Corps of Engineers issued a proposal defining waters of the United States. The new proposal could eliminate protections for 18% of streams and 51% of wetlands nationwide.

A flooded city following landfall of a major hurricane.

Climate Environmental Science Human Exposure and Public Health

Sea Level Rise and Coastal Wetlands: Predicting the Future

December 10, 2018December 11, 2018 Ashley Riane Booth 2 Comments Climate Change, ecosystems, modeling, sea level rise, Sustainability, wetland loss, wetlands

Source Articles: Blum, M.D. and H.H. Roberts. 2009. Drowning of the Mississippi Delta due to insufficient sediment supply and global

Environmental Science Human Exposure and Public Health Toxicology

Can your pet’s pest control product harm you?

December 1, 2018December 3, 2018 Niranjana Krishnan 0 Comments Chemicals, Pets

Are you and your kids at risk from your pet’s flea powder/collar? If it contains a chemical called Tetrachlorvinphos (TCVP), maybe! Read more to find out and learn how to avoid any potential risk.

Environmental Science Human Exposure and Public Health

How can we help salt marshes recover after an oil spill?

November 27, 2018December 3, 2018 Kari St. Laurent 0 Comments benthic infauna, Deepwater Horizon, fertilizer, oil spill, salt marsh

Salt marshes impacted by oil spills (like Deepwater Horizon) often experience vegetation diebacks and a loss of ecosystem function. Researchers recently found that re-establishing the dominant salt marsh vegetation, Spartina alterniflora, is critical to ensure and enhance the presence of other marsh animals. Unexpectedly, the addition of fertilizer had little to no effect on the recolonization of salt marsh critters.

Cities Environmental Science Human Exposure and Public Health Toxicology

Air Pollution Can Affect Your Mind and How You Think

November 12, 2018November 13, 2018 Munim Deen 0 Comments aging, air quality, cognition, human health, Pollution

Pollution has long been known to negatively affect humans physically. Recent research has shown that exposure to pollution can also lower the brain’s thinking and problem-solving abilities.

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