Pollution

Air pollution has long been associated with health problems such as respiratory diseases, and has more recently even been linked to psychotic experiences. New research now reinforces the theory that it may also cause osteoporosis.

Although we've seen several materials that are designed to remove oil from water, many of these become saturated, and have to be discarded. A new reusable membrane gets around this problem, however, by repelling oil instead of just soaking it up.

The world's oceans are under threat not only from plastic trash, but also from "microplastics" – many of which take the form of fibers shed by synthetic fabrics as they're being washed. A new system uses sound to capture those fibers at their source.

A new solar-powered catalyst made of graphene and titanium dioxide nanoparticles can pluck pollutants out of the air, much more efficiently than others. The catalyst could be coated onto building or street surfaces to improve air quality in cities.

Take a walk along the canal in Amsterdam’s Westerdok district, and you may see an unsightly mess of waste gathered at the edge of the canal. What you’re seeing is the work of a new bubble barrier, designed to stop plastic waste flowing out to sea.

A new sensor system is designed to catch polluters, by sampling and analyzing water within the sewer line.

​​One disconcerting consequence of our huge plastic pollution problem is that we really have no idea where the stuff can end up. The latest locale to surprise scientists looking into such matters is the Arctic, who say that snowfall there is bringing tiny fragments of plastic along for the ride.​

We already have devices which detect vehicles that are exceeding the speed limit, or that are too noisy. Now, scientists are working on an unmanned sensor that could be used to sniff out automobiles that are emitting overly-dirty exhaust.

​Although many smokers apparently don't realize it (or just don't care), cigarette butts are very much a form of litter – in fact, they're the world's most common type of litter. And they're not just an eyesore, as new research now indicates that they also dramatically reduce plant growth.

Scientists at the University of Exeter have turned to Twitter for a better picture of the effect ocean plastics are having on sharks and rays. Summing these reports, they identified more than 1,000 individual sharks and rays seen entangled in ocean waste.

New research has found that each of us is regularly producing our own personal cloud of pollutants, affecting indoor air quality. But not the way you think. The team found that oils on our skin and clothes are reacting with ozone in the air, producing a range of volatile and semi-volatile substances

Given that the WHO estimates that seven million premature deaths annually around the world are caused by air pollution, monitoring air quality is vital. Researchers at Chalmers University of Technology have developed an optical nano-sensor that can be mounted to most streetlamps.