Latest news with #environmentalPollution
Yahoo
6 days ago
- Health
- Yahoo
This airborne toxin was discovered in the US for the first time
If you purchase an independently reviewed product or service through a link on our website, BGR may receive an affiliate commission. A new study from researchers at the University of Colorado Boulder included a shocking revelation. According to this new paper, published in ACS Environmental Au, researchers detected an unexpected airborne toxin in US air for the first time. The toxins in question are known as Medium Chain Chlorinated Paraffins (MCCPs). These toxins are considered toxic organic pollutants, and this is the first time they've been discovered in the air in the Western Hemisphere. The reason these toxins are considered organic is because they tend to be found around wastewater. Today's Top Deals Best deals: Tech, laptops, TVs, and more sales Best Ring Video Doorbell deals Memorial Day security camera deals: Reolink's unbeatable sale has prices from $29.98 As a result, these airborne toxins can end up being released when wastewater is removed from liquid in a treatment plant. It can also end up in biosolid fertilizer, which is likely the reason that the researchers detected it, as they were set up near fields that utilize the fertilizer to help grow its crops. The researchers say they can't guarantee that is where the toxins came from. However, they believe that it is a reasonable explanation for why the MCCPs are ending up in the air. Because as the 'sewage sludges,' which is how the researchers referred to the biosolid fertilizers, are spread across the fields, the toxins could very easily be released into the air. The smaller cousins of these airborne toxins, known as Short Chain Chlorinated Paraffins (SCCPs), are currently policed by the Stockholm Convention, and the EPA in the United States since 2009, though it's unclear how much longer the EPA will continue to police these types of toxins following massive changes under the Trump administration. The toxins are known to travel long distances and remain in the atmosphere for long periods of time, making them harmful to human health. The researchers believe that by regulating the SCCPs, though, we may have inadvertently increased the amount of MCCPs in the environment. It is currently just a hypothesis, but the researchers note that regulating one thing often ends up with another product filling that space, as the item is still needed in products where it was useful. The researchers detailed their findings in the new study, highlighting that they measured the air near the fields 24 hours a day for one month. They found that there were new patterns that looked different from the standard chemical compounds found in the fertilizer. With some additional research, they discovered they were airborne toxins known as chlorinated paraffins. MCCPs are similar in makeup to PFAS, which are often known as 'forever chemicals' because of how long they take to break down. Now that researchers have measured MCCPs in the wild, it's time to dig deeper and see just how widespread the toxins have spread, and whether or not the concentration within the air changes each season. The researchers say that despite identifying them and knowing they exist, we still don't know much about what MCCPs do when in the atmosphere, or even how they might affect human health long-term. More research will be needed to figure out just how dangerous these airborne toxins are. More Top Deals Amazon gift card deals, offers & coupons 2025: Get $2,000+ free See the
Zawya
15-06-2025
- General
- Zawya
Eritrea: Workshop on Reducing Environmental Pollution
A workshop aimed at addressing health problems affecting humans and livestock, as well as environmental pollution caused by unsafe waste management and plastic use, was conducted on 13 June in Barentu, Gash Barka Region. Mr. Abubeker Osman, Director General of Agriculture and Land in the region, stated that although directives have been issued at the national level to mitigate the impact of plastic use on the environment, plastic products are still widely used by the public. He noted that the workshop aimed to review the measures taken so far and to discuss further actions needed to ensure environmental safety. Mr. Abraha Gebreamlak, head of the Agriculture branch, provided an extensive briefing on environmental resources, their benefits, and the challenges related to solid and liquid waste management. He highlighted the coordinated efforts in areas such as Teseney and Akordet, where administrations and communities are working together to eliminate hazardous wastes, including plastic. He stressed the need to implement the existing national guidelines. Ambassador Mahmud Ali Hirui, Governor of the region, emphasized that environmental pollution caused by plastic is becoming increasingly alarming. He called for the establishment of a committee involving all administrations and relevant institutions to assess current waste management practices and plastic use, and to propose concrete measures for improvement. Participants conducted extensive discussions on the issues raised during the workshop and adopted various recommendations. Distributed by APO Group on behalf of Ministry of Information, Eritrea.
Zawya
26-05-2025
- Business
- Zawya
Libya says oil leak occurs in pipeline south of Zawiya city
An oil leak forced the shutdown of a pipeline south of Libya's city of Zawiya, the National Oil Corporation (NOC) said on Saturday. Zawiya, 40 km (25 miles) west of the capital Tripoli, is home to Libya's biggest functioning refinery, with a capacity of 120,000 barrels per day. The refinery is connected to the country's 300,000-barrels-per-day Sharara oilfield. The NOC posted a picture showing a stream of leaked oil in the desert. Flow from the Hamada oilfields through the affected pipeline was immediately halted, the company said in a statement. "In parallel with the maintenance work, a team of specialists is conducting an investigation to determine the causes of the leak. Arrangements and coordination are also underway to recover the leaked oil and address any resulting environmental pollution," the company added. (Reporting by Ayman Al-Warfali and Ahmed Elumami; Editing by Cynthia Osterman and David Gregorio)
Arab News
24-05-2025
- Business
- Arab News
Libya says oil leak occurs in pipeline south of Zawiya city
An oil leak forced the shutdown of a pipeline south of Libya's city of Zawiya, the National Oil Corporation (NOC) said on Saturday. Zawiya, 40 km (25 miles) west of the capital Tripoli, is home to Libya's biggest functioning refinery, with a capacity of 120,000 barrels per day. The refinery is connected to the country's 300,000-barrels-per-day Sharara oilfield. The NOC posted a picture showing a stream of leaked oil in the desert. Flow from the Hamada oilfields through the affected pipeline was immediately halted, the company said in a statement. "In parallel with the maintenance work, a team of specialists is conducting an investigation to determine the causes of the leak. Arrangements and coordination are also underway to recover the leaked oil and address any resulting environmental pollution," the company added.
CBS News
23-05-2025
- Health
- CBS News
How does Ann Arbor clean PFAS from its drinking water? City officials explain.
PFAS, or "forever chemicals," were first detected in Ann Arbor's drinking water in 2014. Two years later, the city performed a follow-up investigation and detected PFAS in the Huron River. The river supplies the city with 85% of its drinking water. "We traced it up to upstream manufacturing facilities and wastewater treatment plant discharges," said Ann Arbor Water Treatment Services manager Molly Maciejewski. "So, it was really industrial discharges that caused it, but we also know that there could be other sources of PFAS in the Huron River." PFAS are highly stable, man-made chemicals used in many items. They're typically used to repel water, oil and grease from surfaces. PFAS spread easily and do not biodegrade naturally, making cleanup a challenge. "Michigan was one of the first in the country to actually sample all of the drinking water supplies," said Abigail Hendershott, the executive director of the Michigan PFAS Action Response Team. Hendershott said PFAS are all around us. They're found in clothing, furniture, cleaning products, outdoor gear, cosmetics and more. "Most everybody in the country is going to have some concentrations of PFAS already in our blood because of the widespread use of PFAS in our everyday society," she said. After extensive testing, officials at the Ann Arbor Water Treatment found an effective solution. "We use granular-activated carbon filtration," said drinking water quality manager Becky Lahr. "So, you can see here the media inside the filter. The water travels from the top down through the filter, and the PFAS gets stuck within the media." Lahr told CBS News Detroit the method filters out PFAS to below detectable levels in the drinking water. "We are constantly monitoring the water quality before and after this process to make sure it's working right," Lahr said. "Ann Arbor has been very aggressive in their actions, and we, of course, applaud them for that because they're being very proactive in protecting their residents," said Hendershott. "We want to make sure that the residents who are drinking this water are protected long term, that we're not just protecting for one or two chemicals, but we're protecting for the whole suite of PFAS chemicals."
