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Air pollution during pregnancy may affect growth of newborn babies

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Exposure of pregnant mothers to air pollution is often associated with adverse health effects on newborns. However, there is little research on this subject. The research conducted at UPV / EHU ended with a paper published in the journal. Environmental research The most sensitive stages to air pollution are early and late pregnancy.

According to recent research Air pollution Affects the thyroid gland. Thyroid hormone is essential for regulating fetal growth and metabolism and plays an important role in neurological development. Thyroxine (T4) is the main thyroid gland hormone it is circulating and the thyroid stimulating hormone is TSH.

In 48 hours, the newborn will undergo a heel prick test. Thyroxine TSH levels in the blood are measured.In fact, these balances Thyroid hormone If not correct, there is an increased risk of developing a serious illness. Therefore, “This study aims to analyze the relationship between air pollution during pregnancy and thyroxine levels in newborns,” said Amaia Irizar-Loibide, a researcher in the Department of Preventive Medicine and Public Health at UPV / EHU. Explained.

Nitrogen dioxide (NO2)and Particulate matter Less than 2.5 Minecraft in diameter (PM2.5) Are two major pollutants related to air pollution and vehicle traffic.afternoon2.5 For example, the particles are very fine and easy to enter the airways.

“This study specifically analyzed the effects of maternal exposure to these microparticles. Nitrogen dioxide Association with thyroxine levels during pregnancy and in newborns. We monitor weekly because fetal development varies greatly from week to week. So we tried to do as much detail as possible to find the most sensitive week of pregnancy, “added UPV / EHU researchers. [Read more…] about Air pollution during pregnancy may affect growth of newborn babies

Separating natural and man-made pollutants in the air

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COVID-19 has changed the world in unimaginable ways. Some have even been positive, with new vaccines developed in record time. Even the extraordinary lockdowns, which have had severe effects on movement and commerce, have had beneficial effects on the environment and therefore, ironically, on health.

Studies from all around the world, including China, Europe and India, have found major drops in the level of air pollution. However, to fully understand the impact of anthropogenic causes, it is important to separate them from natural events in the atmosphere like wind flow.

To demonstrate this point, a new study by researchers at the Research Institute for Humanity and Nature, Japan, uses satellite data and mathematical modeling to explain just how great the lockdown effect on nitrogen oxides has been in Delhi, India, one of the world’s most polluted cities, and its surrounding area. This study was carried out under the activity named “Mission DELHIS (Detection of Emission Change of air pollutants: Human Impact Studies)” as a part of RIHN project, Aakash (meaning “Sky” in Hindi, originated from Sanskrit). [Read more…] about Separating natural and man-made pollutants in the air

Meringue-like material could make aircraft as quiet as a hairdryer

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An incredibly light new material that can reduce aircraft engine noise and improve passenger comfort has been developed at the University of Bath.

The graphene oxide-polyvinyl alcohol aerogel weighs just 2.1kg per cubic metre, making it the lightest sound insulation ever manufactured. It could be used as insulation within aircraft engines to reduce noise by up to 16 decibels – reducing the 105-decibel roar of a jet engine taking off to a sound closer to that of a hair-dryer.

The aerogel’s meringue-like structure makes it extremely light, meaning it could act as an insulator within aircraft engine nacelles, with almost no increase in overall weight. The material is currently being further optimised by the research team to offer improved heat dissipation, offering benefits to fuel efficiency and safety. [Read more…] about Meringue-like material could make aircraft as quiet as a hairdryer

How an elephant’s trunk manipulates air to eat and drink

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New research from the Georgia Institute of Technology finds that elephants dilate their nostrils in order to create more space in their trunks, allowing them to store up to nine liters of water.

They can also suck up three liters per second – a speed 50 times faster than a human sneeze (150 meters per second/330 mph).

The Georgia Tech College of Engineering study sought to better understand the physics of how elephants use their trunks to move and manipulate air, water, food and other objects. They also sought to learn if the mechanics could inspire the creation of more efficient robots that use air motion to hold and move things. [Read more…] about How an elephant’s trunk manipulates air to eat and drink

‘Scuba-diving’ lizards use bubble attached to snout to breathe underwater

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A team of evolutionary biologists including faculty at Binghamton University, State University of New York have shown that some Anolis lizards, or anoles, have adapted to rebreathe exhaled air underwater using a bubble clinging to their snouts. 

Semi-aquatic anoles live along neotropical streams and frequently dive for refuge, remaining underwater for up to 16 minutes. Lindsey Swierk, assistant research professor of biological sciences at Binghamton University, documented this behavior in a Costa Rican anole species in 2019.

She had been shocked to see an anole submerge itself for such long periods and used a GoPro underwater to document the behavior. [Read more…] about ‘Scuba-diving’ lizards use bubble attached to snout to breathe underwater

Animal production responsible for vast majority of air quality-related health impacts from US food

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Poor air quality caused by food production in the United States is estimated to result in 16,000 deaths annually, 80 percent of which are related to animal production, according to a new study led by researchers at the University of Minnesota.

The research also found there are measures farmers and consumers alike can take to reduce the air quality-related health impacts of the food we eat.

In a paper published in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, researchers measured how the production of various foods affects air quality, discovering that animal production is overwhelmingly responsible for agriculture’s air quality-related health impacts. [Read more…] about Animal production responsible for vast majority of air quality-related health impacts from US food

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Study helps to better understand the link between indoor and outdoor air quality

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People spend about 80-90% of their time indoors. Compared to outdoor air quality, the indoor air quality is more relevant to people’s health. Therefore, understanding the levels, sources and evolution of particulate matter (PM) indoors is important for the accurate evaluation of people’s health risks to aerosol exposure.

A research team led by Prof. Yele Sun from the Institute of Atmospheric Physics (IAP) of the Chinese Academy of Sciences deployed a time-of-flight aerosol chemical speciation monitor (ToF-ACSM) to measure time series and mass spectra of non-refractory species in a typical academic office in IAP. The study was published in Indoor Air.

The researchers measured the concentration and chemical composition of indoor PM2.5 for one month along with simultaneous measurements outdoors. They also performed the open-close window and the dampness experiments in order to figure out the mechanism of indoor/outdoor air exchange, and the influence of increased humidity on the indoor PM2.5. [Read more…] about Study helps to better understand the link between indoor and outdoor air quality

AI pinpoints local pollution hotspots using satellite images

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Researchers at Duke University have developed a method that uses machine learning, satellite imagery and weather data to autonomously find hotspots of heavy air pollution, city block by city block. 

The technique could be a boon for finding and mitigating sources of hazardous aerosols, studying the effects of air pollution on human health, and making better informed, socially just public policy decisions.

“Before now, researchers trying to measure the distribution of air pollutants throughout a city would either try to use the limited number of existing monitors or drive sensors around a city in vehicles,” said Mike Bergin, professor of civil and environmental engineering at Duke. [Read more…] about AI pinpoints local pollution hotspots using satellite images

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CO2 mitigation on Earth and magnesium civilization on Mars

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Excessive CO2 emissions are a major cause of climate change, and hence reducing the CO2 levels in the Earth’s atmosphere is key to limit adverse environmental effects.

Rather than just capture and store CO2, it would be desirable to use it as carbon feedstock for fuel production to achieve the target of “net-zero-emissions energy systems”.

The capture and conversion of CO2 (from fuel gas or directly from the air) to methane and methanol simply using water as a hydrogen source under ambient conditions would provide an optimal solution to reduce excessive CO2 levels and would be highly sustainable. [Read more…] about CO2 mitigation on Earth and magnesium civilization on Mars

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Study details how Middle East dust intensifies summer monsoons on Indian subcontinent

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New research from the University of Kansas published in Earth-Science Reviews offers insight into one of the world’s most powerful monsoon systems: the Indian summer monsoon.

The study details how the monsoon, of vital social and economic importance to the people of the region, is supercharged by atmospheric dust particles swept up by winds from deserts in the Middle East.

“We know that dust coming from the desert, when lifted by strong winds into the atmosphere, can absorb solar radiation,” said lead author Qinjian Jin, lecturer and academic program associate with KU’s Department of Geography & Atmospheric Science. [Read more…] about Study details how Middle East dust intensifies summer monsoons on Indian subcontinent