Excerpt: The effects of air pollution on the respiratory system have been widely studied. However, its impact on newborn health through in utero exposure has received far less attention. This article reports a possible association between PM2.5 exposure during pregnancy and cortisol levels in cord blood, a hormone directly linked to stress.
Read MoreEqual treatment under the law is an American ideal, though a multitude of historic and recent examples indicate that it’s
Read MoreWildfire smoke contains harmful compounds known to negatively impact human health. New research suggests wildfire smoke exposure could contribute to an increased number of deaths in Washington State, and raises interesting questions about public health as climate change threatens to increase the size, frequency, intensity, and duration of wildfires in the state.
Read MoreAir quality affects how healthy our lungs are going into a pandemic, and that can change your outcome if you’re infected by the virus.
Read MorePersonal fitness trackers are all the rage, and their ease of use enables people to keep an eye on not only their physical activity, but their general fitness and wellness. What if you could use the same convenient method as a Fitbit to measure a type of environmental fitness like air quality?
Read MoreWant to fly without the carbon guilt? Offsetting programs let you pay to plant trees to take that carbon from the air, and researchers are studying how social factors and global policies might influence these environmentally-minded behaviors.
Read MoreNo one doubts that breathing is essential for human life. But when the air you inhale is tainted with pollutants, that life-giving breath could have unintended, negative consequences for your health later in life. A new study explores whether there might be an association between long-term exposure to air pollution and the development of dementia.
Read MoreReplacing fossil fuel electricity generation with renewable technologies has measurable benefits to human health and the climate. Researchers recently developed a simulation tool that reveals benefits are higher in certain regions of the US than others. Read more to see where deploying renewables would have the biggest impact!
Read MoreScent pollution from exhaust fumes could disrupt the relationship between honey bees and the flowers they feed from and pollinate. The smell of flowers invites pollinators to come and feast on their nectar. But exhaust masks those smells, making it harder for bees to learn and remember the floral scents that cue them in to flowers.
Read More