At AGU’s Annual Meeting 2024, activist Sharon Lavigne spoke about living in Louisiana, in what is commonly known as “Cancer Alley.” The 85-mile stretch along the Mississippi River is home to more than 200 industrial facilities, including the Denka Performance Elastomer plant, which uses chloroprene to manufacture synthetic rubber for products such as automotive parts, adhesives, and construction materials.
public health
Posted inResearch & Developments
404: Air Quality Data from U.S. Embassies Removed
On 4 March, AirNow, the home of the U.S. Air Quality Index, shut down its webpage that reported data from air quality monitors at U.S. embassies and consulates around the world. Eos learned of the removal of these data from Dan Westervelt, a climate change and pollution scientist at Columbia University’s Lamont Doherty Earth Observatory in Palisades, New York.
Posted inNews
Europe Faces Increased Heat Mortality in Coming Decades
Extreme temperature caused by unchecked climate change could claim 2.3 million lives in Europe by 2100, a new study warns.
Posted inNews
The Deleterious Dust of the Salton Sea
Coarse particulate matter deriving from California’s largest lake is linked to an increased risk of respiratory-related hospitalizations.
Posted inNews
Access to Air-Conditioning May Affect Wildfire-Related Health Outcomes
A new study found that access to air-conditioning is a stronger predictor of emergency department visits related to PM2.5 exposure from smoke than factors such as race, age, and socioeconomic status.
Posted inEditors' Vox
Steering Geophysical Research Letters Forward: A Focus on Excellence and Global Inclusivity
Meet the new Editor-in-Chief of Geophysical Research Letters and discover his plans to shape the journal’s role in advancing the Earth and space sciences.
Posted inNews
Flint, 10 Years Later
In the decade since the start of the Flint water crisis, policymakers and communities have made improvements to the lives of residents, but opportunities for progress remain.
Posted inNews
Water Testing Builds Trust in Science as Maui Communities Recover
Following fires that ravaged the island in 2023, researchers educated residents about how wildfires affect water quality, and gathered data to determine how wildfire impacts change over time.
Posted inNews
Burning Cow Dung Emits an Inordinate Amount of Air Pollution in India
Dried cow dung, a main source of household cooking fuel for many in rural India, releases more particulate matter across the country than wood and other biofuels.
Posted inResearch Spotlights
Oil, Gas, and COVID-19
Early in the pandemic, people living near oil and gas wells experienced higher rates of COVID-19 and related mortality compared with those with no exposure to well pollution.