Research


Alabama University Gets Grant to Find Bacteria to Degrade Gulf Oil

Two professors will try to find ways to accelerate the chemical breakdown of hydrocarbons using naturally occurring marine organic matter.

EPA Sets Meetings on Hydraulic Fracturing Research Study

The public is invited to various meetings in Texas, Colorado, Pennsylvania and New York during the month of July.

Scientists Put Compost Filter Socks to the Test on Croplands

USDA-ARS study finds that filter socks lowered sediment concentration 49 percent in runoff from a tilled field.

Low Levels of Urban Development Disturb Aquatic Life, USGS Says

Covering 10 percent of a watershed with impervious cover can cause as much as one-third of a decline in pollution-sensitive aquatic insects.

CFC Replacements Act as Super Greenhouse Gases, Study Says

University of Arkansas research suggests hydrochlorofluorocarbons, which were meant to protect the ozone, may contribute to climate and acid rain problems.

Taiwan Study Finds Higher Levels of Dioxins in Free-range Chicken Eggs

Researchers note that Taiwan is heavily industrialized with many municipal incinerators that release PCDDs and PCDFs.

Oil Estimates Rise; Navy, Private Companies Stay on the Job

Between 35,000 and 60,000 barrels of oil per day may be leaking from the BP oil well in the Gulf of Mexico.



EPA Checks Science on 4 Chemical Assessments

National Toxicology Program reviews Ramazzini Institute studies and suggests further pathology reviews are needed to resolve differences of opinion.

USGS Measures High Water Marks of Flash Flood in Arkansas

Data from the study will be fed into hydraulic models and ultimately will help authorities make informed decisions about water uses.

WERF Study Uses Dogs to Find Fecal Contamination in Storm Drains

Low-cost canine method could replace DNA-based technique.

Reflecting Light Wavelengths Reveal Oil in Contaminated Soils

Researchers from several organizations tested visible near infrared light with diffuse reflectance spectroscopy to determine the presence and amount of oil in Louisiana soils.

ORNL: Fish Exposed to TVA Fly Ash in 2008 Seem to be Healthy

Working for TVA, the lab is continuing its research to determine if selenium and other contaminants will have a long-term effect on fish populations.

10-Minute Lead Paint Test Less Expensive, RTI Says

Lead paint rule spurred RTI International to develop a method that uses a simple, portable turbidity meter that measures the amount of light blocked by suspended particles in solution.

EPA to End Endosulfan Use to Protect Farmworkers and Wildlife

Agency is in discussions with Makhteshim Agan of North America, the insecticide's manufacturer.

Team Offers Solutions to Arsenic-contaminated Water in Southern Asia

Deeper wells will be useful for safer drinking water, but not for irrigation water that relies on mechanized pumps that speed arsenic migration.

Study: Pharmaceutical Manufacturing Facilities Add to Water Issues

Scientists collected outflow samples periodically from 2004 to 2009 from three New York wastewater treatment plants, two of which receive more than 20 percent of their wastewater from pharmaceutical manufacturing facilities.

ORNL Carbon Accounting Tool Links Farm Ground-to-Air Measurements

The method uses land cover data derived from NASA satellites to refine geospatial cropland carbon fluxes nationwide.

CalNex Project Uses $20 M to Examine Air Pollution, Climate Change

California Air Resources Board and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration will be using airplanes, ships and researchers to find the nexus of air pollution and climate change.

BPA Exposure Affects Male Sexual Function, Kaiser Permanente Says

The researchers observed a dose-response association between increasing urine BPA level and declining male sexual function of 427 factory workers in China.

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