Monday, June 22, 2026

Human Exposure and Public Health

Environmental ScienceHuman Exposure and Public Health
Andrea Valcarcel

Disease Vectors and Pests: How Genetically Modified Insects Could Affect the World

Genetic modification is a reality, now more than ever. Yearly, there are more than 2.8 million deaths due to diseases spread by insects. So, what if we genetically modified insects so they don’t pose such a big threat towards human and agricultural health? And what would the long-term outcome be of such modifications? Will the mutations spread uncontrollably through wild populations? Well, that is for us to see and scientists to consider.

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EcosystemsEnvironmental ScienceHuman Exposure and Public Health
Etienne Herrick

Freshwater ecosystems need our help, and citizen science could be part of the solution

Freshwater resources around the globe are becoming increasingly degraded. Although humans are a major cause of this problem, they can also be part of the solution, especially when we all work together to tackle environmental issues. One way we can do this is through citizen science, where scientists and members of the public work together to perform research and advance scientific knowledge. Read on to learn more about freshwater citizen science, its benefits and challenges, and how you can get involved!

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An image of a small glass dish held between a person's thumb and index finger, containing various small plastic debris collected from house dust.
EcosystemsEnvironmental ScienceHuman Exposure and Public HealthToxicology
Cypress Novick

Here, There, and Everywhere: the Plastic Particles Around Us All

Source: Yujia Xiang, Li Jiang, Yaoyu Zhou, Zirui Luo, Dan Zhi, Jian Yang, Su Shiung Lam, Microplastics and environmental pollutants:

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Environmental ScienceHuman Exposure and Public Health
Lauren Otolski

Going Blue: The Environmental Impacts of Aquatic Foods

Food production puts a major strain on our planet, and many people are exploring ways to reduce its impacts. Aquatic foods — including fish, shellfish, and water plants — may be one option! Which of these “blue foods” are more sustainable than others, and in what ways? What can we do to make catching and farming aquatic food even more environmentally-friendly?

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A row of atlantic horseshoe crabs strapped to a table while needles siphon blood into glass containers below each individual crab.
Environmental ScienceHuman Exposure and Public Health
Cypress Novick

The Horseshoe Crab Has Saved Our Lives. Can We Return the Favor?

While threats continue to harm the historic population of Atlantic Horseshoe Crabs, new research into the health stressors they face may help mitigate human contribution to their decline.

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CitiesClimateEcosystemsEnvironmental ScienceHuman Exposure and Public Health
Jessica Espinosa

How Air Pollution Regulation Can Affect Bird Populations

Although we have strong evidence that air pollution poses significant health risks to humans, how air pollutants affect plants and animals is not well studied. Birds are especially susceptible to air pollution because they have a unique way of breathing and interacting with air. Therefore, a group of scientists conducted a study on how air pollution affects North American birds and how air quality regulations, which were initially created to benefit humans, can also benefit these bird species.

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CitiesClimateEnvironmental ScienceHuman Exposure and Public Health
Jessica Wright

Hot take – we need diverse and rich tree species, not just more trees to reduce the urban heat island effect

Wang, X., M. Dallimer, C.E. Scott, W. Shi, J. Gao. (2020). Tree species richness and diversity predicts the magnitude of

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CitiesClimateEnvironmental ScienceHuman Exposure and Public Health
Jessica Wright

The Urban Heat Island Challenge – How to quantify this pressing concern for cities facing a changing climate

Sangiorgio, V., Fiorito, F., & Santamouris, M. (2020). Development of a holistic urban heat island evaluation methodology. Scientific Reports, 10(1),

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Environmental ScienceHuman Exposure and Public Health
Elisabeth Lang

Metal Accumulation in Sharks of the Caribbean

Pollution threatens marine life worldwide. Some of this pollution includes metals that build up in the tissues of marine life, including sharks. People around the world consume shark meat as a part of their diets. Caribbean reef sharks are commonly consumed by people throughout the Caribbean and South America, but a study on metal levels in their tissues had never been done. A team of researchers undertook this study to assess the danger to people and to better identify sources of pollution so that marine pollution can be better managed.

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