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Upcoming Science Cafe
BAR HARBOR—Join us for a fascinating Science Cafe with environmental toxicologist Nishad Jayasundara, Ph.D., as he explores how everyday contaminants and other stressors such as heat exposure may be quietly influencing kidney health. Chronic kidney disease (CKD) affects nearly 1 in 7 adults in the United States—and more than 840 million people worldwide. While factors like diet and genetics are well known, scientists are increasingly uncovering another important piece of the puzzle: environmental exposure. Drawing on his team’s research, Dr. Jayasundara, Maine INBRE alum as a College of the Atlantic undergraduate student and past MDI Bio Lab Visiting Scientist, will share how early-life exposure to environmental toxins can disrupt kidney development, and may affect kidney structure and function in adults. Blending cutting-edge research with real-world relevance, this Science Cafe will shed light on an important and often overlooked contributor to human health—and what it could mean for communities around the world. Monday, August 17, 2026 at 5 p.m.Hybrid event at Maren Auditorium and via Zoom Register Now What Are Science Cafes? MDI Bio Lab’s Science Cafes provide an informal introduction to ground-breaking biomedical research by its scientists, scholars from near and far and from local experts in other fields as well. Each Cafe lasts about one hour; the floor is open for questions and discussion. It can get lively and it’s always engaging. MDI Science Cafes are open to the public and free of charge. For more information, or to watch past events, visit our website. The MDI Science Cafe Series is brought to you by Cross Insurance. Subscribe Share Leave a comment
Ten times worse than benzene — California updates its science on two air contaminants
California health officials have released new scientific findings about health risks from exposure to two air toxics present in California's ambient air, acrolein and ethylene oxide.
New study finds cancer-linked compounds in common foods
Scientists have found that common foods can contain hidden contaminants formed during cooking or through environmental exposure. A new testing method called QuEChERS helps identify these chemicals more quickly and with greater ease. The research showed strong accuracy and high sensitivity across multiple food samples. This streamlined approach could improve food safety checks while reducing chemical waste.
Emory gets $15M to establish first center to research toxic Superfund sites' health effects
Emory University has received a five-year, $15 million grant from the National Institutes of Environmental Health to establish a center to research how contaminants from Georgia Superfund sites affect human health.
RFK Jr.’s vaccine advisers drop proposal to revisit covid-19 shot
Some members of the CDC’s vaccine advisory panel have publicly questioned the safety and manufacturing of the shots, including raising a debunked theory that DNA contaminants in the vaccines are harmful.
Virginia Health Officials Issue Fish Consumption Advisory for Chickahominy River
April 14, 2026 Media Contact: Brookie Crawford, brookie.crawford@vdh.virginia.gov Virginia Health Officials Issue Fish Consumption Advisory for Chickahominy River Contaminants Identified in Black Crappie RICHMOND, Va. – Effective immediately, the Virginia Department of Health (VDH) is issuing a fish consumption advisory for the Chickahominy River due to elevated perfluorooctane sulfonate (PFOS) levels in black crappie. Fish […]
UH gets $3.6M grant to study health risks from state’s plantation-era contamination
A University of Hawaii at Manoa-led research team has received a five-year, $3.6 million National Institutes of Health grant to investigate whether pollutants left behind by Hawaii’s plantation era still could be affecting residents’ health — and whether wildfires and other natural disasters can bring those contaminants back into the environment.
Health: The Fight For The Health Of 9/11 First Responders
A quarter century after 9/11, the health of those who responded to the attacks continues to be affected.Some 3,000 people died across three locations that day. An estimated 400,000 people were exposed to toxic contaminants and risked physical injury in the hours and days that followed. That’s according to data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Since the dust and debris have settled, more than 96,000 have been diagnosed with physical and mental health conditions related to 9/11.In 2010, President Barack Obama signed the James Zadroga 9/11 Health and Compensation Act, establishing the World Trade Center Health Program and reopening the 9/11 Victims Compensation Fund. Today, more than 150,000 people are enrolled in the program.But that program wouldn’t exist without the advocacy of survivors and first responders who put their bodies and lives on the line following the attacks. How did that fight for care unfold?For more information about the Rutgers WTC Health Program, click here. And to learn more about applying, click here.Find more of our programs online. Listen to 1A sponsor-free by signing up for 1A+ at plus.npr.org/the1a.
Microscopic contaminants found on Ryugu asteroid samples - Futura-Sciences
The high stakes of asteroid analysis Finding genuine traces of life or organic compounds on an asteroid would transform our understanding of how life began in the universe. But before claiming a discovery of that scale, researchers must be entirely certain they are not looking at Earthly hitchhikers. Mistaking a...
Why scientists still cannot say how much plastic infants are actually consuming
A systematic review of 22 primary studies and four reviews found plastic-derived contaminants across infant foods and feeding equipment, but major differences in sampling, analytical methods, and quality control made exposure estimates difficult to compare. The authors found substantial evidence gaps for nanoplastics and oligomers and concluded that better-standardized exposure assessment is needed before infant health risks can be reliably evaluated.
How Brazilian Scientists Are Revealing The Hidden Threats Facing Sharks
Along Brazil’s coast, the EcoShark project is studying sharks from multiple angles, from satellite tracking and genetics to contaminants, diet and health.
Dog food contains ‘alarming’ levels of lead, mercury and other contaminants
Commercial dog foods contain high levels of lead, arsenic, mercury, cadmium and plastic toxins, according to laboratory tests by a nonprofit organization.
Health Alert: Organic beef and pork sold nationwide could be safety, health risk
The products could contain undeclared allergens, harmful bacteria, or other contaminants that put consumer health and safety at risk.
Column: Learn more about Iowa’s environmental health risks
Iowa has the second-highest cancer incidence rate in the nation. No single factor can be blamed. But scientists increasingly recognize that environmental exposures, including contaminants in our water, deserve serious scrutiny.
New screening system flags food-packaging chemicals linked to serious health risks
Packaged food usually sits in plastic-lined bags designed to keep air, moisture and contaminants out. That same protection can also increase the chances of chemicals from the packaging seeping into the ...
National Institutes of Health awards $3.6 million grant to study health threats from Hawaiʻi’s plantation history
Investigating a hidden environmental health threat across Hawaiʻi—pollutants left behind by decades of agricultural and industrial activity, and whether wildfires and other disasters can bring those contaminants back into the environment and into people’s bodies—is the focus of a new University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa and Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai-led research project that received a five-year, $3.6 million grant from the National Institutes of Health.
FDA Releases Results from Largest-Ever Testing of Infant Formula in the U.S.
FDA announced results from the largest and most rigorous examination ever conducted focused on chemical contaminants in infant formula available on the U.S. market.
Health risk fears for storks in Europe over ‘junk food’ from landfill
Rubbish dumps can expose birds to contaminants, raising questions over whether landfill foraging helps or harms
UH gets $3.6M grant to study health risks from state’s plantation-era contamination
A University of Hawaii at Manoa-led research team has received a five-year, $3.6 million National Institutes of Health grant to investigate whether pollutants left behind by Hawaii’s plantation era still could be affecting residents’ health — and whether wildfires and other natural disasters can bring those contaminants back into the environment.
Emory University lands $15 million grant to study health risks linked to Brunswick Superfund sites
Emory University has received a five-year, $15 million grant from the National Institutes of Environmental Health to establish a center to research how contaminants from Georgia Superfund sites affect human health.
After Venezuela's quakes, experts say environmental and health risks have just begun
More than a month after Venezuela's devastating earthquakes, public health experts tell The Associated Press the coming weeks are critical to prevent secondary crises from contaminants
RFK Jr, EPA chief 'declare war' on microplastics amid growing evidence of health risks
RFK Jr. and the EPA head "declare war" on microplastics, adding them to the drinking water contaminants list and launching new health studies.
Virginia Health Officials Issue Fish Consumption Advisory for Occoquan Watershed
April 14, 2026 Media Contact: Brookie Crawford, brookie.crawford@vdh.virginia.gov Virginia Health Officials Issue Fish Consumption Advisory for Occoquan Watershed Contaminants Identified in Bluegill Sunfish, Largemouth Bass RICHMOND, Va. – Effective immediately, the Virginia Department of Health (VDH) is issuing a fish consumption advisory for the Occoquan watershed due to elevated perfluorooctane sulfonate (PFOS) levels in specific […]
UH-Mānoa awarded $3.6M to study hidden health risks from plantation era that surface after Hawaiʻi disasters
The five-year study will follow 1,000 residents to determine whether contaminants can resurface in humans and the environment following wildfires and other disasters.
Building a One Health workforce to protect people from zoonotic disease and foodborne illness
From zoonotic pathogens that move between animals, humans and their shared environment to antimicrobial resistance (AMR), driven by antimicrobial use across sectors, to chemical contaminants, food safety is at the centre of the One Health approach. On World Food Safety Day, we highlight those using the approach to address risks to human, animal and environmental health. WHO, together with partners, is committed to strengthening the One Health workforce, including professions such as veterinarians, epidemiologists and food safety officers. However, the approach is only as strong as the systems behind it and the people who implement it – across sectors, services and borders.
Virginia Health Officials Issue Fish Consumption Advisory for John W. Flannagan Reservoir
April 15, 2026 Media Contact: Brookie Crawford, brookie.crawford@vdh.virginia.gov Virginia Health Officials Issue Fish Consumption Advisory for John W. Flannagan Reservoir Contaminants Identified in Walleye, Channel Catfish, Largemouth Bass RICHMOND, Va. – Effective immediately, the Virginia Department of Health (VDH) is issuing a fish consumption advisory for the Flannagan Reservoir due to elevated polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) […]
In 1996, NOAA scientists pumped 2 dyes beneath Key Largo to learn where groundwater went; 18 days later, 2 bay-side wells showed it flowed toward the Atlantic
By the mid-1990s, seagrass die-offs and deteriorating water quality had caused coral reefs throughout the Florida Keys to show signs of decline for years, leading scientists to search for explanations other than the apparent ones like boat traffic and coastal development. One notion that kept coming up among academics investigating the region was that contaminants and nutrients could be carried directly into the reef tract by groundwater seeping silently beneath the islands, where no one could witness it.
Emory gets $15M NIH grant to research Superfund sites’ health effects
Emory University has been awarded a five-year, $15 million grant from the NIH to study the link between environmental contaminants and human health in Brunswick, Georgia, which is home to four of the state's 23 Superfund sites.
Michigan Health Department releases findings about project on contaminants in firefighters’ blood
The Michigan Department of Health and Human Services (MDHHS) has released findings from a project to determine concentrations of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) in blood of Michigan firefighters.
After Venezuela’s quakes, experts say environmental and health risks have just begun
More than a month after Venezuela's devastating earthquakes, public health experts tell The Associated Press the coming weeks are critical to prevent secondary crises from contaminants.