DG Environment News Alert Service

Air pollution's impact on health: a European and N. American analysis
A team of investigators has examined the effects of air pollution on human health using the databases of earlier studies from Europe, the United States and Canada. They concluded that PM₁₀ and ozone are associated with an increase in mortality. Different modelling approaches do not significantly affect the results.(more...)

How fast do species have to move to keep pace with climate change?
Species will have to shift their range much faster in some areas of the world than others to keep pace with climate change, according to new research. Those that live in certain areas, such as mangroves, tropical basins and deserts, may not be able to move fast enough over the next 100 years to survive. (more...)

Precious metal recovery from WEEE
Precious metals, such as gold and silver, constitute a small but valuable part of waste electrical and electronic equipment (WEEE). New research suggests that significant amounts of these precious metals are lost in the initial stage of the waste recovery process and makes recommendations for improvements in the recycling chain.(more...)

Combining brine management with carbon capture
Water shortages are an urgent issue in many areas of the world and it is likely that the construction of desalination plants will increase to meet the rising demand for fresh water. A new study has evaluated a combined process to manage both the brine by-product from desalination plants and capture carbon dioxide. (more...)

Asian air emissions increases ozone over western North America
Increases in tropospheric ozone levels above western North America during springtime are due to eastward air flows across the Pacific Ocean, with the largest increases associated with air that comes from south and east Asia, according to a recent study.(more...)

Impact of one-off dredging deposits important for licensing
New insights into the impact of dredging on the environment highlight the distinction between small, frequent deposits of sediments arising from maintenance dredging, and larger one-off capital deposits. Understanding this distinction is crucial for effective licensing and monitoring of dredging.(more...)