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Researchers in Australia believe singing, especially in a choir, could spread coronavirus via airborne droplets. The findings come from a slow-motion video with special LED lighting which shows how otherwise invisible particles shoot from the mouth of a singer. During an experiment, a person was asked to sing a popular scale and some sounds, such … Read more
Interstellar visitor Oumuamua may be a ‘dust bunny,’ according to experts who say it formed from particles inside an Oort cloud comet and broke off due to hydrodynamic stress Oumuamua, spotted in 2017, is Earth’s first interstellar visitor The discovery has raised many questions, primarily focused on its origins Experts now say it formed similar to … Read more
The significant reduction in vehicle journeys at the start of the Covid-19 lockdown – which saw traffic levels fall by as much as 80 per cent – did not reduce the level of toxic ‘fine’ particles in Scotland’s air, according to experts at the University of Stirling. A new report published today shows that harmful particulate matter … Read more
Wear a mask when using public toilets! Flushing a urinal sends an invisible spray of coronavirus-laden particles ‘climbing violently’ into the air Researchers modelled how urinals issue sprays of tiny particles when flushed They found that 57 per cent of particles are ejected away from the urinal itself These potentially virus-bearing particles hit one’s thigh … 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
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