Esegui ricerca
Toxicology
Is your home healthy? Ask the DNA
Is your home healthy? Ask the DNA
Usually associated with humid and sordid slums, mould is a frequent finding in wealthy homes too. Even the fanciest buildings may harbour hot spots where fungi and other microorganisms subtly proliferate , triggering problems that range from unpleasant smells to severe sickness.
Early warning system for fish farmers
Early warning system for fish farmers
The marine aquaculture sector has grown continuously over the past years, according to the FAO’s world review of fisheries and aquaculture.
Good risk communication, safer food
Good risk communication, safer food
Food scare make authorities uneasy. In previous cases, national food safety agencies have not always known how to react , making the public wary. For example, in 2011, the German health authorities incorrectly linked the deadly E.
Air quality models: new health prevention tools
Air quality models: new health prevention tools
We are all exposed to polluted air. Among main air pollutants are nitrogen oxides —the so-called ‘NOx ‘— and ozone , which cause irritation of respiratory tract and eyes, favouring cough, lung infections in children and asthma.
Forecasting air pollution
Forecasting air pollution
Air quality is not a local problem. Like clouds moving through the sky, pollution is transported from one location to another by wind patterns in the atmosphere .
Quick ID for water pathogens
Quick ID for water pathogens
Drinking water flowing from your tap can contain harmful bacteria, viruses and single-cell animals. And most countries do not routinely test for all these bugs.
Søren Balling Engelsen: how molecules pinpoint deficient diets
Søren Balling Engelsen: how molecules pinpoint deficient diets
Until now, we have had very little understanding of the extent of malnutrition in Europe, especially in populations at risk of poverty. Now, an EU-funded project called CHANCE , aims to address the dietary habits in people with inadequate nutrition.
No biomarkers identified to assess potential health effects of GMOs
No biomarkers identified to assess potential health effects of GMOs
Many people in Europe are critical of genetically modified (GM) food, due to safety concerns. A Eurobarometer survey, published in 2010, revealed that the European public tends to be worried on a “mediate level” about GM food , with people in Austria being particularly concerned.
Can enamels’ environmental impact truly be reduced?
Can enamels’ environmental impact truly be reduced?
Enamel cookware is ubiquitous. The trouble is that enamels —like other vitreous substances, or frits, used in making porcelain or ceramic glazes— are produced through a process generating highly toxic chemicals .
Nanosilver in textiles – friend or foe?
Nanosilver in textiles – friend or foe?
Silver has been used as biocide for medical purposes since the 1930s. Today nanometric size silver particles are used to prevent unpleasant odour caused by bacteria in sport shirts or socks .
Chemicals pollutants threaten health in the Arctic
Chemicals pollutants threaten health in the Arctic
People living in Arctic areas can be more sensitive to pollutants due to their genetics , says researcher Arja Rautio at the Centre for Arctic Medicine in the University of Oulu , Finland.
A sticky solution against beef bacteria
A sticky solution against beef bacteria
If you can't kill them, trap them. Such is the fate that scientists are reserving to pathogenic bacteria, such as the infamous E. coli .
Consumers confidence crashes, EU-wide food fraud iceberg emerges.
These were introduced in the wake of the mad cow disease scandal in the 90s'. Now, horse meat sold as beef in minced meat products and ready-made meals has revealed that traceability can only do so much for consumer reassurance.
Clare Hall – who are the trusted sources of food safety information?
Clare Hall – who are the trusted sources of food safety information?
youris.com talks to Clare Hall, social science researcher at the Scottish Agricultural College in Edinburgh, UK, about the best ways to effectively inform the public about food safety in relation to pathogens responsible for foodborne diseases.
From the horse's mouth: experts views from across Europe
From the horse's mouth: experts views from across Europe
It all started when the  Irish Food Standard Authority  realised, mid-January, that some of the burgers sold in the country (and in the UK) contained about 29% of equine DNA, upon testing.
Slow headway for food safety
Slow headway for food safety
Several hundred thousands of Europeans are affected by food borne diseases every year . Only a shift in perception of how food safety should be achieved could help avoid these illnesses.
Ticking diseases time bomb linked to pollution
Ticking diseases time bomb linked to pollution
In 2009, Czech and Slovak scientists involved in EU funded Envirisk project, completed their analysis of the impact of air impurity on population health, based on 15 years of past data available from their respective countries.
How have NGOs responded to nanomaterials’ potential toxic effects?
How have NGOs responded to nanomaterials’ potential toxic effects?
Non-governmental organizations around the world share concern for finding nanomaterials with potential harmful effects in stores. Research shows different nanomaterials cause injures to animal models and it is unclear what the effects would be on humans.
Dr. Ndeke Musee: “To protect our environment we need to understand nanotechnology risks because today’s nanoproducts will be tomorrow’s waste streams”
Dr. Ndeke Musee: “To protect our environment we need to understand nanotechnology risks because today’s nanoproducts will be tomorrow’s waste streams”
What are the potential new types of challenges nanowastes may pose to current legislative and waste management systems? The current legislative frameworks for any country worldwide do not take into account nanowastes.
Could nanoparticles in cosmetics be toxic?
Could nanoparticles in cosmetics be toxic?
NPs in cosmetics are especially used as UV filters in sunscreens. Nano-sized titanium dioxide (TiO2) and zinc oxide (ZnO) have been widely used for years.