IT is a neurotoxin that accumulates in marine organisms and can have serious implications on human health. The toxin, monomethylmercury, is of particular concern to people whose traditional diet consists of seafood. But the source of monomethylmercury in oceans has remained uncertain. It was till now suspected that industries were …
Many factors such as poverty, ineffective institutions and environmental regulations may prevent developing countries from managing how natural resources are extracted to meet a strong market demand. Extraction for some resources has reached such proportions that evidence is measurable from space. We present recent evidence of the global demand for …
MERCURY levels in the flora and fauna can be linked to the amount of ice cover present. Mercury levels in Alaska have been recorded for 20 years. A new study tracks the amounts of the metal by analysing mercury isotopes. The researchers studied eggs of a sea-bird murre. They found …
Sifting through Delhi’s municipal rubbish every day, Anwarul Shaikh and Rupa Begum often find broken CFL bulbs mixed in kitchen and other domestic waste. The compact fluorescent lamps have replaced incandescent bulbs in garbage mounds in the past couple of years, Rupa said, picking a few up. The glass tube …
MERCURY contamination in Florida’s rivers is turning a bird species homosexual. A study by the University of Florida in the US claimed that exposure to the toxic chemical made male American white ibises mate with other males—a phenomenon unknown in the species. Previous scientific studies focussed on how methylmercury—the most …
Age-related cataracts (ARCs) are an important cause of blindness in developing countries. Although antioxidants may be part of the body's defense to prevent ARC, environmental contaminants may contribute to their pathogenesis. Elevated exposure to mercury (Hg) and selenium (Se) has been reported in fish-eating populations of the lower Tapaj
FOR the past five years Hyderabad has been trying to clean the Hussain Sagar Lake, separating the twin cities of Hyderabad and Secunderabad in Andhra Pradesh. The efforts suffered yet another blow on June 20 when the Andhra Pradesh Pollution Control Board (APPCB) denied permission to dredge the mouths of …
Some of the paints may contain formaldehyde and benzene, which are carcinogenic while others have heavy metals like lead, mercury and phthalates, which are human and ecosystem toxins, writes Deepti Adlakha Make right choice: There is more to paint, especially harmful ingredients that one must take note of. There's nothing …
Melburnians tossed and turned through the warmest March night on record with the mercury dipping to a balmy minimum of 26.9 degrees just before 7.30am today. Weather bureau senior forecaster Peter Blake said it was the city's warmest March night, beating the previous record on March 3 1988, when Melbourne …
Static renewal bioassay renewing 50% estuarine water in 24 hours was conducted following guidelines given in APHA (1980). Acute toxic effects of heavy metals such as Hg, Cd, Zn and Cu were studied on juveniles of Metapenaeus dobsoni. (2007)
More than 100 dental clinics in Colombo will participate in a "Go Green' project aiming for zero environmental effect from dental dangerous waste containing mercury. Amalgam separators will soon be installed at the clinics collecting 99 per cent of the amalgam which contains mercury. Sweden Recycling AB, a Swedish environmental …
Solar cells generate electricity from sunlight without producing' pollution, but some environmentalists have been concerned about the potential negative impact of this photovoltaic technology. This is because the manufacture of solar cells involves toxic metals such as lead, mercury and cadmium and produces carbon dioxide, which contributes to global warming. …
Across the world, consumers are being urged to stop buying dated incandescent light bulbs and switch to new spiral fluorescent bulbs, which use about 25 percent of the energy and last 10 times longer. In Britain, there is a Ban the Bulb movement. China is encouraging the change. And the …
THE US Environmental Protection Agency is in trouble again. Already under fire for failing to get tough on carbon dioxide emissions, the agency has now had its scheme for dealing with mercury pollution ruled illegal.
