The climate crisis, invasive species, overexploitation of resources and pollution could break down crucial ecosystems. We asked experts to lay out the risks and offer some solutions.
From The Guardian
Many people are familiar with the haunting images of wildlife — including sea turtles, dolphins and seals — tangled in abandoned fishing nets.
The main issue behind Nylon-6, the plastic inside these nets, carpet and clothing, is that it’s too strong and durable to break down on its own. So, once it’s in the environment, it lingers for thousands of years, littering waterways, breaking corals and strangling birds and sea life.
Now, Northwestern University chemists have developed a new catalyst that quickly, cleanly and completely breaks down Nylon-6 in a matter of minutes — without generating harmful byproducts. […]
A Duke Health analysis of breast cancer in North Carolina has shown that the state’s urban counties had higher overall incidences of disease than rural counties, especially at early stages upon diagnosis.
From Medical Xpress
https://medicalxpress.com/news/2023-11-urban-environmental-exposures-breast-cancer.html