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DURHAM, N.C. - Decades after federal bans ended widespread use of lead in paint and gasoline, some urban soils still contain levels of the highly toxic metal that exceed federal safety guidelines for children, a Duke University study finds.
To conduct their study, the researchers analyzed and mapped soil lead concentrations along 25 miles of streets in Durham, N.C., a city of about 270,000 people. They found that while soil lead levels have generally decreased since the 1970s, they have decreased much less near residential foundations than along streets.
The researchers collected soil samples near foundations of houses built before 1978. Samples within a meter of the older homes averaged 649 milligrams (mg) of lead per kilogram (kg) of soil, more than three times the average level detected near streets, which was 150 mg/kg.
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IMAGE: UT is helping the Texas General Land Office locate sand for projects to restore beaches along the Texas coast, which is under threat from rising sea levels and tropical storms.. view more
Credit: Texas General Land Office
Scientists from The University of Texas at Austin will embark from Galveston on April 14 in search of sunken treasure that holds the key to protecting Texas from storms and rising seas: sand.
About 80% of Texas Gulf shoreline is critically eroded, and the state is running out of easily accessible sand to rebuild and protect the shore, as the Texas General Land Office (GLO) has done for decades through its Coastal Erosion Planning and Response Act (CEPRA) Program.
Credit: Sujay Kaushal
When winter storms threaten to make travel dangerous, people often turn to salt, spreading it liberally over highways, streets and sidewalks to melt snow and ice. Road salt is an important tool for safety, because many thousands of people die or are injured every year due to weather related accidents. But a new study led by Sujay Kaushal of the University of Maryland warns that introducing salt into the environment whether it s for de-icing roads, fertilizing farmland or other purposes releases toxic chemical cocktails that create a serious and growing global threat to our freshwater supply and human health.
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IMAGE: University of Maryland Center for Environmental Science Professor Eric A. Davidson, an international leader in global nitrogen cycle research, has been named a Jefferson Science Fellow. He will spend a. view more
Credit: University of Maryland Center for Environmental Science
CAMBRIDGE, MD (April 12, 2021) University of Maryland Center for Environmental Science Professor and Appalachian Laboratory Director Eric A. Davidson, an international leader in global nitrogen cycle research, has been named a Jefferson Science Fellow. Beginning August 2021, he will spend a year as a science advisor to the Bureau of Oceans and International Environmental and Scientific Affairs, Office of Environmental Quality in Washington, D.C.
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IMAGE: Research team leader sprays water on drill cores to see sedimentary rocks and select samples for this study. view more
Credit: Andrey Bekker/UCR
New research shows the permanent rise of oxygen in our atmosphere, which set the stage for life as we know it, happened 100 million years later than previously thought.
A significant rise in oxygen occurred about 2.43 billion years ago, marking the start of the Great Oxidation Episode a pivotal moment in Earth s history.
An international research team including a UC Riverside scientist analyzed rocks from South Africa formed during this event. Findings, published this week in the journal