Environmental Toxicology Content

Disposable E-Cigarettes More Toxic Than Traditional Cigarettes

Katherine E Kerlin — June 25, 2025 - 5:00am

They may look like travel shampoo bottles and smell like bubblegum, but after a few hundred puffs, some disposable, electronic cigarettes and vape pods release higher amounts of toxic metals than older e-cigarettes and traditional cigarettes, according to a study from the University of California, Davis. For example, one of the disposable e-cigarettes studied released more lead during a day’s use than nearly 20 packs of traditional cigarettes.

Sulfur Runoff Amplifies Mercury Concentrations in Florida Everglades

Katherine E Kerlin — May 08, 2025 - 10:26am

Sulfur from sugarcane crops is flowing into wetlands in the Florida Everglades, creating toxic methylmercury, which accumulates in fish, a �鶹��ý study finds.

Alaska’s Rusting Waters: Pristine Rivers and Streams Turning Orange

Emily C Dooley — May 20, 2024 - 11:54am

Thawing permafrost in Alaska could be exposing minerals to weathering, which is staining rivers orange. �鶹��ý and partners are investigating.

Older Wildfire Smoke Plumes Can Affect Climate

Katherine E Kerlin — March 23, 2022 - 11:45am

Aerosols carried in wildfire smoke plumes that are hundreds of hours old can still affect climate, according to a study out of the University of California, Davis.

The research, published in the journal Environmental Science and Technology, suggests that wildfire emissions even 10 days old can affect the properties of aerosols — suspended liquid or particles that are key to cloud formation.