Navigation Links
The dark side of spring? Pollution in our melting snow
Date:3/28/2011

TORONTO, ON 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 UTSCwhich includes a homemade snow-gun and a chemical pumpMeyer 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.


'/>"/>
Contact: Karen Ho
karenho@utsc.utoronto.ca
416-208-5149
University of Toronto
Source:Eurekalert

0

GOOD

Page: 1 2

Related biology news :

1. Pinpointing air pollutions effects on the heart
2. Hold your breath: Air pollution plays role in cardiac, metabolic diseases
3. Protecting ecosystems, pollution remediation goals of research at UH
4. Pollution with antibiotics leads to resistant bacteria
5. Pollution tax rebates little help for low-income workers
6. University of Miami scientists find new way to estimate global rainfall and track ocean pollution
7. Morning-after spike in ozone air pollution from Super Bowl XLV?
8. Findings on pollution damage to human airways could yield new therapies
9. Dodds contributes to new national study on nitrogen water pollution
10. Virginia Tech engineer identifies new concerns for antibiotic resistance, pollution
11. Plants play larger role than thought in cleaning up air pollution
Post Your Comments:
*Name:
*Comment:
*Email:
(Date:6/19/2013)... June 19, 2013 AT&T * ... upcoming launch of the ultimate workhorse among ruggedized ... As one of the most ruggedized phones equipped ... Terrain embodies toughened versatility and business-ready features.  Its ... keep workforces moving forward, while also keeping up ...
(Date:6/19/2013)... Insulin is the most potent physiological anabolic agent ... and synthesis of lipids, protein and carbohydrates, and ... system. It also plays a major role in ... glucose is metabolized and removed from the blood ... precise molecular mechanisms by which insulin regulates glucose ...
(Date:6/19/2013)... 19, 2013  New York College of Health Professions ... Patent and Trademark Office for detecting biometric changes through ... guards have been injured, attacked or killed. ... the Intellectual Properties Agreements of New York College of ... of New York College says, ...
Breaking Biology News(10 mins):AT&T and NEC Introduce Ultra-Rugged Smartphone Designed for Hard Work, Real Life 2AT&T and NEC Introduce Ultra-Rugged Smartphone Designed for Hard Work, Real Life 3AT&T and NEC Introduce Ultra-Rugged Smartphone Designed for Hard Work, Real Life 4AT&T and NEC Introduce Ultra-Rugged Smartphone Designed for Hard Work, Real Life 5Breakthrough research of essential molecule reveals important targets in diabetes and obesity 2New Technology Using Biometrics Detects If Security Guards Are Attacked, Injured Or Killed 2New Technology Using Biometrics Detects If Security Guards Are Attacked, Injured Or Killed 3New Technology Using Biometrics Detects If Security Guards Are Attacked, Injured Or Killed 4
... thought to lie outside the reach of science, researchers ... Center have captured and sequenced tiny pieces of collagen ... fragments—seven in all—appear to most closely match amino acid ... support to a recent and still controversial proposal that ...
... About 1000 Australian males and females of all ages were ... of different odours at different concentrations, and then given an ... , The results showed that olfactory function deteriorates ... take medications or have a history of nasal problems such ...
... may help people regain strength and normal use of ... University of California, Irvine study. , Stroke ... grasp and release objects after therapy sessions using the ... least moderate residual weakness and reduced function of the ...
Cached Biology News:Protein fragments sequenced in 68 million-year-old Tyrannosaurus rex 2Protein fragments sequenced in 68 million-year-old Tyrannosaurus rex 3Protein fragments sequenced in 68 million-year-old Tyrannosaurus rex 4Robotic therapy helps restore hand use after stroke 2Robotic therapy helps restore hand use after stroke 3
(Date:6/19/2013)... --  NineSigma , Inc., of Cleveland ... NineSights.com is now the innovation engine for ... community of innovators. From technology developers, to ... stands out for its large community of innovators in ... all vetted by NineSigma. The community is free to ...
(Date:6/19/2013)... BioConvergence team members Curtis Strother and ... BioLogistics Summit in San Francisco earlier this month. ... IQ and IQPC, addressed the increasingly complex logistical ... attributed to current trends of globalization, outsourcing, and ... is an increase in movement, which is often ...
(Date:6/19/2013)... San Diego, CA (PRWEB) June 19, 2013 ... quality pipettes, Pipette.com is now stocked with Simport’s Dropette® ... , all aimed at the customer doing basic biology, ... blood work, and serology). , For over 35 years, ... and disposable plastic labware - products like the Simport ...
(Date:6/18/2013)... Los Angeles, CA (PRWEB) June 18, 2013 (PRWEB) ... of construction’s #1 time and attendance system in ... transfer software that shares employee data and payroll ... , AccountLinx Plus automates ExakTime software ... applications. The software imports employee data from a ...
Breaking Biology Technology:NineSigma Evolves Global Open Innovation through Social Media Platform, NineSights 2NineSigma Evolves Global Open Innovation through Social Media Platform, NineSights 3BioConvergence® Presents at BioLogistics Summit on Risk Matrix for Biosamples during Shipment 2Leading Pipette Distributor Pipette.com Now Stocks Transfer Pipettes: Simport’s Dropette and Heathrow Scientific Disposable Plastic Transfer Pipettes 2ExakTime Introduces AccountLinx Plus 2
... A high-tech device that expands the visual field of patients ... walking simulator, according to scientists at Schepens Eye Research Institute, ... Ophthalmology and Visual Science. The study found that patients ... computer and a transparent computer display on a pair of ...
... , NOVATO, Calif., Aug. 31 Raptor Pharmaceuticals ... that it will hold its 2009 Annual Meeting of Stockholders on ... corporate offices at 9 Commercial Blvd., Suite 200, Novato, California. All ... to vote at such annual meeting and all stockholders of Raptor ...
... CHENGDU, China, Aug. 31 /PRNewswire-Asia-FirstCall/ -- Tianyin,Pharmaceutical Co. Inc. (NYSE ... modernized traditional Chinese medicine ("TCM") and generic,pharmaceuticals in China, today ... Global Investment Conference, to be held September 9-11, 2009,at the ... Mr. Stewart Lor, Director, is scheduled to ...
Cached Biology Technology:New Vision Device Passes Virtual Collision Test for People with Tunnel Vision 2New Vision Device Passes Virtual Collision Test for People with Tunnel Vision 3Raptor Pharmaceuticals Schedules 2009 Annual Meeting of Stockholders 2Raptor Pharmaceuticals Schedules 2009 Annual Meeting of Stockholders 3Tianyin Pharmaceutical, Co. to Present at the Rodman & Renshaw Annual Global Investment Conference on September 11 at 10:50 am ET 2Tianyin Pharmaceutical, Co. to Present at the Rodman & Renshaw Annual Global Investment Conference on September 11 at 10:50 am ET 3
... is a fully automated microplate luminescence ... widest possible range of applications based ... assays luciferase, -galactosidase, gene activities with ... Luminescent Immunoassays Cell-based assays ...
... These handy dispensers save space and ... and other garb. They are the ... parts used in labs, processing and ... charges and the particles they attract. ...
... Double staining is a technique used to ... tissue.(1-6) PicTure™-Double Staining Kit is a Zymed ... two antigens simultaneously in the same human ... The antigens can be identified using two ...
... exciting product for cell-based kinetic assays and ... use of expensive HTS equipment, which lead ... assay development stage. The NOVOstar offers the ... well as any other assay suitable for ...
Biology Products: