Some regions that did need systems to treat carcinogens such as arsenic went without.
health & safety
A New Approach Can Better Predict Debris Flow Hazards Years After Fires
USGS hazard maps don’t always reflect real landslide risk in the years after wildfires. Fine-tuning assessments of vegetation recovery could help.
Cleanup of Battery Recycling Sites May Lower Childhood Lead Exposure
Unsound recycling of lead-acid batteries pollutes the soil around houses and agriculture fields in developing countries. Soil remediation might help in lowering the blood lead levels of children.
Gold Mines Expose South African Children to Uranium
A new study found that children living near mine tailings in Johannesburg had nearly twice as much uranium in their hair as children not living near tailings—and the younger the children, the higher the uranium concentrations.
Partial Shutdown Over DHS Funding Ensnares Education, Health
The U.S. government entered a partial shutdown Saturday at 12:01 Eastern after the Senate failed to resolve a showdown over funding for DHS and restrictions on ICE.
Wildfire Smoke Linked to 17,000 Strokes Annually in the United States
A study of 25 million Medicare participants adds to a body of evidence suggesting that prolonged exposure to wildfire smoke is more harmful to human health than other forms of air pollution.
The mental health impact of landslide disasters
A new study (Akhila et al. 2025) in the the journal Development in Practice examines the mental health impacts of the 30 July 2024 Wayanad landslides in India. In this blog, I generally provide a commentary on recent landslide events and a review of subsequent studies of landslides. I regularly discuss the impacts on the […]
The State of the Science 1 Year On: Health and Safety
The Trump administration has holistically reevaluated the government’s relationship—and how it responds to threats— to the health and welfare of its citizens.
