PFAS Testing Network releases final report, shares scientific recommendations for NC

August 10, 2021
PFAS — short for per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances — are found in many common products and have been linked to negative health effects in animals, but their health effects in humans are largely unknown. In an effort to shed light on this concerning scientific question, researchers with the PFAS Testing (PFAST) Network have submitted a comprehensive report and accompanying recommendations to the North Carolina General Assembly.

What is sanitation’s role in prevention of intestinal disease in children?

July 19, 2021
A team of environmental health experts proposed a radical improvement in sanitation for informal communities in Maputo, Mozambique, in an effort to reduce intestinal infections in young children. They found, however, that the risk of infection is so high that sanitation improvements alone may not be enough to significantly improve health.

Well-researched investment in renewable energy can improve global equity

July 6, 2021
In many low- and lower middle-income countries, great natural wealth contrasts with a desire for economic development. In two recent publications, Dr. Noah Kittner explores the ideal balance of wind, solar and hydropower in Myanmar and discusses financial compensation for solar energy generation in the Philippines, Thailand and Vietnam.

Predicting potential pitfalls of battery-driven power systems

May 14, 2021
Batteries could be critical in the transition to clean energy, but the same characteristics that make them attractive could enable users to exploit the electric power system for private profit while increasing overall costs and making grid management more difficult.

Manga and team upending understanding of safe sanitation

April 8, 2021
Dr. Musa Manga is working with the Water Institute to investigate how human waste is returned to the environment in Tamil Nadu, India. Early results are upending much of what we thought we knew about safe sanitation practices.

Brown investigates link between sanitation infrastructure and health in rural U.S.

April 8, 2021
Gillings School alumnus and faculty member Dr. Joe Brown is investigating the prevalence of sanitation-related pathogens in low-income communities in rural Alabama.

New ozone air pollution maps support Global Burden of Disease study

March 8, 2021
New research led by UNC Gillings School students and faculty has mapped global ground-level ozone concentrations by year using a data fusion. This is the first time this method has been applied to ozone observations globally. The findings were used by the Global Burden of Disease 2019 study, which estimated that about 365,000 people around the world died in 2019 from exposure to ozone pollution.

Courtney Woods and the case of the contaminated current

February 25, 2021
Leaders from the Sampson County community in North Carolina welcomed Assistant Professor Dr. Courtney Woods into their local environmental justice efforts.

Virtual Water and Health Conference gives new platform to necessary WaSH conversations

November 24, 2020
For the first time since it was established in 2009, the UNC Water Institute held the 2020 Water and Health Conference online. The conference saw record attendance as it brought together experts and policymakers from around the world to examine the latest trends and evidence to inform policy and practice in water, sanitation and hygiene (WaSH).

Does air pollution increase women’s risk of dementia?

November 18, 2020
New study finds high levels of fine particle pollution in the air are associated with brain shrinkage patterns that are common in Alzheimer’s.