There is currently a great deal of controversy about how much of a role liquid droplets in the air – or aerosols – play in spreading the novel coronavirus. But a new study from the University of Florida has confirmed that these droplets don’t just contain bits of genetic material, but are actually infectious. Air … Read more
There is currently a great deal of controversy about how much of a role liquid droplets in the air – or aerosols – play in spreading the novel coronavirus. But a new study from the University of Florida has confirmed that these droplets don’t just contain bits of genetic material, but are actually infectious. Air … Read more
We’ve all been told to wear face masks to reduce the spread of coronavirus, but it turns out the material your mask is made of may affect your risk, a new study suggests. An N95 mask, which filters out nearly all particles both large and small, reduced the odds of contracting COVID-19, the disease caused … Read more
Even with good ventilation, only a small fraction of the novel coronavirus may be filtered out from a room, a new study suggests. Researchers have been looking at how the virus spreads indoors and how aerosol particles, which are expelled though breathing and talking, flow through three settings: classrooms, elevators and supermarkets. In one classroom, ventilation … Read more
Tiny microplastic particles can be absorbed through plant roots and end up in the wheat and vegetables we eat, study shows Researchers studied ways microplastics are able to enter the human food chain They found that some particles were entering the roots of human edible food Plastic pieces reached the plants after accumulating in soil … Read more
Tiny pieces of plastic, known as microplastics, are filling the Earth’s atmosphere and have been discovered raining down on US national parks like the Grand Canyon. Researchers from Utah State University used high-resolution equipment to discover samples of this plastic pollution that had rained down from the atmosphere. More than 1,000 tons of microplastics were … Read more
A new antibody, that spots the toxic particles that destroy healthy brain cells in dementia patients, could be used to diagnose and monitor the disease. Researchers from Cambridge University designed a way to recognise these particles – called amyloid-beta oligomers – which are a hallmark of Alzheimer’s. The creation of the antibody could lead to … Read more
Professor Lucy Yardley, from the University of Bristol, sounded the alarm today, saying evidence shows ‘viral load’ plays a big role in how sick someone will become People exposed to a higher dose of coronavirus are more likely to fall critically ill, a scientist part of Number 10‘s SAGE panel has warned. Professor Lucy Yardley, … Read more
Children face around three times more air pollution during the morning drop-off than throughout the rest of the day, due to cars idling outside the school gates. Levels of ultra-fine particulate matter, known as PM2.5, which are emitted from the exhaust pipes of vehicles lined up to drop off children in the morning, were found to … Read more