— Climate sensitivity to CO2 more limited than extreme projections — A new study suggests that the rate of global warming from doubling of atmospheric carbon dioxide may be less than the most dire estimates of some previous studies - and, in fact, may…
— Saving Da Vinci's Last Supper from air pollution — Having survived long centuries, political upheaval, and even bombings during World War II, Leonardo Da Vinci's masterpiece Last Supper now faces the risk of damage from air pollution…
— After 25 years, sustainability is a growing science that's here to stay — Sustainability has not only become a science in the past 25 years, but it is one that continues to be fast-growing with widespread international collaboration, broad disciplinary composition…
— Markets drive conservation in Central Africa — Certification has shown that commercial forestry can co-exist with conservation objectives in the Congo Basin, according to conclusions reached at an international seminar 'Forest management…
— Great Plains river basins threatened by pumping of aquifers — Suitable habitat for native fishes in many Great Plains streams has been significantly reduced by the pumping of groundwater from the High Plains aquifer - and scientists analysing…
— Rivers may aid climate control in cities — Speaking at the URSULA (Urban River Corridors and Sustainable Living Agendas) Conference, in Sheffield, Dr Abigail Hathway, of the University of Sheffield, will demonstrate how rivers…
— Vultures dying at alarming rate — Vultures in South Asia were on the brink of extinction until Lindsay Oaks and Richard Watson, from The Peregrine Fund in the US, undertook observational and forensic studies to find…
— Predicting future threats for global amphibian biodiversity — Amphibian populations are declining worldwide, and their declines far exceed those of other animal groups: more than 30% of all species are listed as threatened according to the Red…
— Study shows deforestation causes cooling — Deforestation, considered by scientists to contribute significantly to global warming, has been shown by a Yale-led team to actually cool the local climate in northern latitudes, according…
The dark side of spring? Pollution in our melting snow
With birds chirping and temperatures warming, spring is finally in the air. But for University of Toronto Scarborough (UTSC) environmental chemist Torsten Meyer, springtime has a dark side.
'During the winter months, contaminants accumulate in the snow,' says Meyer, an expert on snow-bound organic contaminants and a post-doctoral fellow at UTSC. 'When the snow melts, these chemicals are released into the environment at high concentrations.'
In a specially designed, temperature-controlled laboratory at UTSC - which includes a homemade snow-gun and a chemical pump - Meyer creates large baths of fresh snow already tainted with organic contaminants. This one-of-a-kind set-up enables the researcher to slowly melt his 'dirty' snow, collect the melt-water and track which chemicals emerge from the snowpack and when.
Meyer's research reveals a worrying surprise. 'One of the main findings is that there is a peak contaminant flush at the very beginning of the melt,' he says. With the advent of spring, according to Meyer, comes a deluge of pollution.
By the time snow has turned black with muck and grime, many harmful chemicals - including those from pesticides, car exhaust, telecommunications wiring insulation, water repellent clothing, paints or coatings - may have already seeped out of the snow and into the surrounding ground water or surface water.
Although Meyer views his work as fundamental research, his findings have obvious real-world implications, such as how municipalities choose their snow dump sites. According to Meyer, cities and towns should be very careful to select well-contained sites to protect against that early flush of pollutants.
Meyer's research is unique because previous studies on snowmelt contaminants have all used either natural snow or very low volumes of artificially produced snow. He is also one of only a handful of researchers in the world who study snow and organic contaminants.
'Getting quantitative information on the flush of contaminants from a melting snowpack is particularly important,' says Professor Frank Wania, head of Meyer's research cluster at UTSC. 'The melt often coincides with time periods when many aquatic organisms are at a vulnerable stage of their life cycle.'
Or subscribe for our Newsletter, a free e-mail publication. It is published practically every day.
Ocean currents are surprisingly resistant to intensifying winds
Introducing Tassie's underwater robot - 'Searise'
Extreme weather postpones the flowering time of plants
Similarity of urban flora