These flame retardants replaced earlier chemicals known to degrade into environmentally harmful by-products. The newer compounds may do the same thing.
public health
Posted inNews
Detecting Fugitive Methane Leaks for Public Safety
A holistic approach to tracking leaks from natural gas pipelines could prevent explosions and also help reduce greenhouse gases in the atmosphere.
Posted inNews
Invisible Wildfire Smoke Has Visible Health Impacts
Wildfires in the Pacific Northwest were linked to upticks in respiratory problems in Colorado, a new study shows.
Posted inNews
Communities of Color Are More Vulnerable to Wildfires
Affluent white people are more likely to live in fire-prone areas, but race and socioeconomic vulnerability can put minority communities at greater risk, a new study finds.
Posted inEditors' Highlights
Dolphins in Florida Show Exposure to Phthalate Contaminants
Scientists have detected exposure to phthalates among a majority of bottlenose dolphins sampled in Sarasota Bay, Florida (2016–2017), including some with levels comparable to those observed in humans.
Posted inNews
Microplastics Found in Human Stool
Tiny slivers of plastic are making it all the way into humans’ guts and into their feces, a new study shows.
Posted inResearch Spotlights
Improving Air Quality Could Prevent Thousands of Deaths in India
More stringent emission controls are key to the country’s future health.
Posted inEditors' Vox
Microbes Meet Geoscientists
A new collaboration brings together the two worlds of microbiology and geoscience with the common goal of improving public health outcomes.
Posted inEditors' Vox
Aspiring Toward Healthy Cities in China
One of the authors of a new report on efforts to create healthy cities in China describes challenges and opportunities for urban health and healthcare.
Posted inScience Updates
Satellites and Cell Phones Form a Cholera Early-Warning System
A new initiative combines satellite data with ground observations to assess and predict the risk of cholera outbreaks in Bangladesh’s vulnerable populations.