#pollutants — Public Fediverse posts
Live and recent posts from across the Fediverse tagged #pollutants, aggregated by home.social.
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#SpaceDatacenters proposed by #Musk and #Bezos ‘catastrophic’ for planet, experts warn
New US petition demands review of plans from #TechCompanies amid fears of #EnvironmentalDestruction
Tom Perkins
Thu 23 Jul 2026Excerpt: "The number of active #satellites in orbit has grown exponentially from about 1,400 in 2015 to about 15,000 currently. As many as 100,000 are expected to be in orbit within the decade, not including the #datacenter networks. As of now, the bulk of the satellites’ pollution is thought to come from #Starlink and Amazon’s '#MegaConstellations' that provide broadband internet made up of about 10,000 satellites.
"Spacecraft can cause problems on their way up and down. Launches emit a range of emissions like #BlackCarbon, #NitrogenOxides, #CarbonMonoxide, #AluminumOxide, #ChlorineGases and, once in orbit, #mercury. When satellites are decommissioned five to 15 years later, they release metals as they vaporize. That’s injecting #pollutants into previously pristine parts of the #stratosphere, a highly sensitive system, and there’s very little understanding of the consequences."
Read more:
https://www.theguardian.com/science/2026/jul/23/space-datacenters-bezos-blue-originArchived version:
https://archive.ph/A9F07#ElonSucks #TechBros #BezosSucks #BigData #Datacenters #WorldPol #USPol #LEO #LowEarthOrbit #KesslerSyndrome #LightPollution
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The scale, which runs from 0 to 500, was designed by the #EPA & measures the density of five different #pollutants in the #air: ground-level #ozone, #particulates, #CarbonMonoxide, #NitrogenDioxide & #SulfurDioxide.
Several spots in northeastern Minnesota, closest to the fires recorded had AQI readings well into the “hazardous” range on Wednesday.
#wildfires #PublicHealth #AirQuality #pollution #air #ExtremeWeather #ClimateChange #ClimateCrisis
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" U.S. Bureau of Land Management leaves Monterey County open to potential oil and #gas leases.
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"There are almost 500 idle wells in #MontereyCounty – wells that are no longer productive but can still leak #oil and #pollutants – 97 percent of which are located above #groundwater sources.”
—Katie Rodriguez, #MontereyCountyNow
https://www.montereycountynow.com/news/local_news/blm-leaves-monterey-county-open-to-potential-oil-and-gas-leases/article_d188455e-dd9d-4133-9e29-928a8bf82052.html#tncms-source=mosaic -
None of the reports include all the data from DC's 500-times-the-explosions event.
This one points out that particulate matter PM2.5 jumped by 9,600%
Another says the air quality index AQI jumped from 70 to 197 to 288 for one station; another station still read 278 at sunrise!
If not for the rain partially during and after, many would have been sickened.
#lucky #fascists #USA #fireworks #dangerous #pollutants #public #health #GuinessWorldRecord #attempt #WhiteHouse #grift
https://www.clarity.io/blog/new-report-finds-july-4-fireworks-contributed-to-elevated-air-pollution-across-washington-d-c -
Zinc Isotopes Reveal Cross‐Border Transport of Coal Combustion #Pollutants Across the #Himalayas During the Summer #Monsoon - Jiao - 2026 - Geophysical Research Letters - Wiley Online Library
https://agupubs.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1029/2026GL122536
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Datacenter boom keeps dirty coal #powerplants alive in the US
#Datacenter growth in the #US is helping keep aging #fossilfuel plants online longer, slowing the shift to a cleaner grid and worsening air #pollution, according to new research from a group of environmental nonprofits.
The reports point to a sharp slowdown in coal-plant retirements and detail the #toxic #pollutants still emitted by older #coal-fired generators that remain in service.
https://www.theregister.com/2026/04/22/us_nonprofits_datacenter_power_plants/ -
#Webinar - #Marsh and #Stream Explorers: A Treasure Hunt to Find Healthy Freshwater #Habitats in #Maine
Apr 22 2026
7:00 pm - 8:00 pm"Curious about what critters live in your local streams and freshwater marshes? Come learn about Maine Marsh and Stream Explorers, a collaborative #CommunityScience project between #MaineAudubon and the Maine Department of Environmental Protection (#MEDEP). This program trains volunteers to survey for #macroinvertebrates, or large #AquaticInsects, in streams and freshwater #marshes statewide. With many macroinvertebrates sensitive to temperature, #pollutants, and other environmental stressors, their presence or absence serve as an important indicator of overall wetland health. This data then becomes an invaluable screening tool for #MaineDEP to prioritize where more-indepth water quality assessments should be conducted.
"In this webinar you’ll learn about what the Marsh and Stream Explorers project has accomplished and its impact on water quality monitoring statewide. We’ll look at our overall results, share our successes, and talk about future goals of the project. If you’re interested in getting outdoors, learning something new, and protecting your local watershed, this community science project is for you! Come learn more about how you can get involved. In-person field training for survey techniques to follow."
FMI and to register:
https://maineaudubon.org/events/marsh-and-stream-explorers-a-treasure-hunt-to-find-healthy-freshwater-habitats-in-maine/#SolarPunkSunday #MaineAudubon #OnlineEvents #CitizenScience #NatureBasedLearning #MarshExplorers #StreamExplorers #WaterIsLife #ClimateChange #CitizenScientists #ObservingNature
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https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2026/apr/17/air-pollution-making-people-in-uk-get-long-term-illnesses-earlier-study-finds; https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s11357-025-01806-3 (abstract & refs. only). "'The most striking finding was the sheer breadth & severity of the impact from #airpollution exposure. We found that #air #pollutants were significantly associated with the accelerated onset of different chronic #diseases, spanning almost every major organ system. We were particularly surprised by the high sensitivity of #neurological & #psychiatric disorders.'"
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Why #Seawater Isn’t the Answer to #Wildfires : Medium
Listen to #Earth’s #Rumbling, #Secret #Soundtrack : Tech Review
#Chemical #Pollutants are #Rife across the #World’s #Oceans : Nature
Latest #KnowledgeLinks
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Why is #BlackRain Falling on #Tehran and What Does It Mean for Health?
Written by Nadine
Medically Reviewed by Colleen Fleiss, M.Sc on Mar 23 2026 3:39 PMExcerpt: "Toxic Emissions From Damaged #Oil Facilities
A spokesperson for the World Health Organization, Christian Lindmeier, stated on 17 March that the destruction of #Iran's oil infrastructure released hazardous #hydrocarbons, #SulfurOxides, and #NitrogenCompounds into the atmosphere.
When rain combines with these #pollutants, it can lead to #ChemicalBurns and #LungInjury. He emphasized the seriousness of the situation and noted that authorities in Iran have urged residents to remain indoors.
"#BlackRain refers broadly to rainfall contaminated with atmospheric pollutants, explains Farzana Kastury, an environmental scientist at Adelaide University in Australia. Such rain often results from bushfire smoke or the burning of heavy fuels, which are by-products of crude #OilRefining.
In Iran's case, the black rain likely contains pollutants generated from the combustion of these fuels during fires triggered by missile attacks, including substances such as #acetone, #toluene, and #carcinogenic compounds like #benzene and #methylenechloride ."
#NoWar #WarIsToxic #USWarOnIran #WorldWar3 #IsraeliWarCrimes #USWarCrimes #WorldPol #ToxicRain #ToxicRainInTehran
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#Colorado’s #OilAndGas industry is vastly underestimating #methane emissions
Jennifer Oldham
Thu, February 26, 2026 at 6:00 AM ESTExcerpt: "A unique aerial measurement campaign found that emission inventories compiled by energy companies to account for planet-warming methane leaking from equipment on Colorado oil and gas production sites undercount such #pollutants by at least two times.
"Results from the $3.25 million project, led by a team of university researchers and the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment, provided officials for the first time with a more complete picture of the invisible pollutant emitted from well pads. #FossilFuel extraction is the state’s second-largest source of methane pollution, which has a global warming potential roughly 80 times that of carbon dioxide during a 20-year period."
https://www.yahoo.com/news/articles/colorado-oil-gas-industry-vastly-110014181.html
#BigOilAndGas #Oiligarchy #BigOilLies #BigGasLies #MethaneEmissions #MethaneLeaks #USPol #TrumpSucks #TrumpsEPA #EPAFail #ClimateChange #GlobalWarming
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Albertans continue to wait for the decisions: on the remaining litigation for the uncertainty created by the Government of #Alberta due to the lack of #consultation; on the new #coal policy; and on the approval process for Northback’s Grassy Mountain project.
The Grassy Mountain project, given the assessment of the Joint Review Panel, remains ‘not in the public interest.’ The reasons are simple: coal #mines produce waste from which #pollutants leach into surface and #groundwater.
8/14
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What is the ‘ #acid #rain ’ in the wake of #US #bombings in #Iran? An atmospheric scientist explains https://theconversation.com/what-is-the-acid-rain-in-the-wake-of-us-bombings-in-iran-an-atmospheric-scientist-explains-277849
''... To me, this black rain indicates toxic #pollutants such as #hydrocarbons, ultrafine particles known as #PM2.5, and #carcinogenic compounds called polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) have made their way into the rain.''
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#GoldExtraction from #EWaste gets 10 times more efficient with new sponge material
Researchers developed a nanoscale cross-dimensional composite material via self-assembly of two-dimensional graphene oxide and one-dimensional chitosan macromolecules.
By Prabhat Ranjan Mishra, Oct 27, 2024
"Researchers have developed a new type of material that’s 10 times more efficient at extracting gold from e-waste than previous adsorbents. Developed by chemists and materials scientists at the National University of Singapore, the material is a type of sponge made of #GrapheneOxide and #chitosan [shrimp shells].
"The material can reportedly transform the way gold is extracted from electronic wastes, which has been described so far as a dirty business with low yields and results in toxic #pollutants.
"The cheaper, cleaner and efficient method was tested by researchers using real e-waste provided by a recycling company."
[...]
"While the present work focused on gold, the team say the technique could be adapted to recover other valuable metals such as #silver, #platinum or #palladium from #ElectronicWaste or even #mining residues. And that is not all: as well as e-waste, the technology might be applied to a wider range of environmental cleaning efforts, such as filtering out #HeavyMetals from #PollutedWater sources or industrial effluents, reported Physics World."
Read more:
https://interestingengineering.com/innovation/gold-extraction-from-e-waste-sponge
Article in Physics World - Eco-friendly graphene composite recovers gold from e-waste24 Oct 2024
https://physicsworld.com/a/eco-friendly-graphene-composite-recovers-gold-from-e-waste/
#SolarPunkSunday #NoGoldMining
#EWasteRecycling #MetalsExtraction #Electronics #RareEarthMinerals #Recycling #NewTechnology #ShrimpShells -
Long-term exposure to both #pollutants is linked to #asthma, #heart & #lung #disease, & premature #death. Even moderate exposure to PM2.5 can damage the lungs about as much as smoking.
#Trump #EPA #law #EnvironmentalLaw #PublicHealth #pollution #health
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It’s a seismic shift that runs counter to the #EPA’s mission statement, which says the agency’s core responsibility is to protect human #health & the #environment, #EnvironmentalLaw experts said.
The change could make it easier to repeal limits on these #pollutants from #coal burning power plants, #oil refineries, #steel mills & other industrial facilities across the country, emails & documents show. That would most likely lower costs for companies while resulting in dirtier #air.
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#Fashion: Recycled polyester releases both the highest number of fibres and the finest particles, worsening the microplastic pollution problem.
98% of recycled polyester comes from plastic bottles, not textile waste.
https://changingmarkets.org/report/spinning-greenwash/
#pollutants #waste #pollution #consuming #regulation #plastics #microplastics #pollutants #polyester #textiles
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#Critical level of #pollutants in the #Air of Northern #Italy Region, no intervention by Ministry of Health or local #governments. People are dying for the sake of private cars', corporate profit. Image credit: Copernicus, https://atmosphere.copernicus.eu/charts/packages/cams_air_quality/products/europe-air-quality-forecast-regulated?base_time=202512300000&layer_name=composition_europe_co_forecast_surface&level=key_0&originating_centre=85_2&projection=opencharts_europe&valid_time=202512300000
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The accumulated waste of mass consumption are decaying in landfills.
The chemicals those goods were drenched in – lead, mercury, cadmium, PFAS, PCBs – are seeping slowly out into water, soil and air.
Read a report by Juliet Ferguson and Leana Hosea: https://euobserver.com/eu-political/ar2a63dd82
#trash #waste #civilization #pollution #consuming #responsibility #history #regulation #plastic #landfill #pollutants #goods
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Postdoctoral Scholar
Colorado State UniversityThe Laboratory for Air Quality Research (LAQR) in the Department of Mechanical Engineering at Colorado State University (CSU) in Fort Collins, Colorad
See the full job description on jobRxiv: https://jobrxiv.org/job/colorado-state-university-27778-postdoctoral-scholar/
#atmosphericscience #EnvironmentalEngineering #modeling #pollutants #wildlandfire #Sc...
https://jobrxiv.org/job/colorado-state-university-27778-postdoctoral-scholar/?fsp_sid=6255 -
The researchers found that if heat-trapping #pollution grows unchecked, rising #sea levels will #flood a wide range of sites, including facilities that handle #sewage , #toxic waste, #oil and gas, and other #industrial #pollutants , posing serious threats to public health and neighboring communities.
#Environmental #ClimateChange #sflorg
https://www.sflorg.com/2025/11/env11202502.html -
It was a victory for a range of business interests that have lobbied to scale back the #CleanWaterAct of 1972, including farmers, home builders, real estate developers, #oil drillers & #petrochemical manufacturers.
…Under the #CleanWater Act, companies & individuals must obtain a permit from the #EPA before releasing #pollutants into the nation’s #waterways. They must receive a permit from the US Army Corps of Engineers.…
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30-Oct-2025
Tricky treats: Why #pumpkins accumulate #pollutants#seasonalScience for #halloween
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Postdoctoral Scholar
Colorado State UniversityThe Laboratory for Air Quality Research (LAQR) in the Department of Mechanical Engineering at Colorado State University (CSU) in Fort Collins, Colorad
See the full job description on jobRxiv: https://jobrxiv.org/job/colorado-state-university-27778-postdoctoral-scholar/
#atmosphericscience #EnvironmentalEngineering #modeling #pollutants #wildlandfire #Sc...
https://jobrxiv.org/job/colorado-state-university-27778-postdoctoral-scholar/?fsp_sid=4708 -
Complex changes in #gene regulation driven by #epigenetic mechanisms. The results demonstrate how environmental #pollutants contribute to the development of #insulin resistance and metabolic #diseases.
#Ecology #Environmental #Biomedical #sflorg
https://www.sflorg.com/2025/10/eco10092501.html -
https://phys.org/news/2025-09-energy-efficient-catalyst-pollutants-ammonia.html - "When the current method for producing something is estimated to consume a staggering 1–2% of the annual global energy supply, ...we need to make a change. The Haber-Bosch process produces ample amounts of #ammonia (NH3)—a valuable chemical compound that has a wide array of uses in fields such as agriculture, technology, and pharmaceuticals—while consuming a lot of #energy. ... A research team at #Tohoku University has made a significant contribution to an alternate method for converting harmful #nitrate #pollutants in #water into ammonia, addressing both environmental and energy challenges.... By utilizing NiCuFe-layered double hydroxide (LDH) #catalysts, the study provides an efficient method for cleaning contaminated water. This means cleaner water, reduced pollution, and more sustainable fertilizer and energy resources, which are directly beneficial to public #health, #food security, and #climate protection."
