• Matter and energy

    Activated Carbon and Air Filters

    Activated carbon is carbon that has been treated with oxygen. After the treatment, millions of tiny pores are activated on the carbon’s surface. Amazingly, these pores are so numerous that a single pound of activated carbon may provide 60 to 150 acres of surface area to trap pollutants. Once carbon has been activated, it can remove a bunch of airborne chemicals, for example, alcohols, organic acids, aldehydes, sulfur dioxide, sulfuric acid, and phosgene. It also removes odours, whether they are from humans or animals. It also removes perfumes, other household cleaning chemicals, and is especially good at removing volatile organic compounds (VOCs). Activated Carbon and Filters The trick lies on…

  • Human interrelationship

    Moms-to-be, be aware of air pollution

    When you’re pregnant, there are many things you’ll pay extra caution. The food you eat or the quality of your sleep. However, there’s something important but is also inconspicuous that many pregnant women may well neglect. That’s the quality of the air you breathe for you and your baby. Air quality is important for us, and it’s particularly critical for those who are pregnant. Studies done by School of Public Health in Columbia University, New York, have shown that kids who are exposed to the highest levels of air pollution before birth have a greater risk of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) symptoms than their less exposed peers. Those harmful…

  • Ecosystems

    Airport and Air Pollution

    Smoke Solution> I am a frequent traveller and have been to many airports. Airport is the first impression of foreigners to a country. A clean and fresh airport can always give a nice start of the journey. For years, I could find myself enjoying different airports and sometimes found it even nicer to have an overnight sleep there than a local hostel. However, in recent years I witnessed some unpleasant changes. Demand for air travel is now higher than ever, thanks to cheaper tickets and easier technology. Anyway, the growing demand has mainly led to two consequences: more flights (including those of delayed) and more passengers staying in the airports.…

  • Life

    Air Pollution in China: Breathing a hazardous cocktail of chemicals every day

    Millions of people in China are breathing a cocktail of chemicals every day. These chemicals are mostly caused by man-made sources: coal-fired power plants, factories and vehicles. They are highly hazardous and responsible for heart disease, stroke, respiratory illnesses, birth defects and cancer in the country. I’m a Chinese, and I’ve been living there for several decades. Air pollution in China is absolutely not an exaggerating problem. The pollution-made haze or smog covers the land almost each day. Without a mask, it’s basically impossible to step out from your door. With a booming economy and increasing demand for energy, China has built new coal-fired power plants at an astonishing rate.…

  • Plants and Animals

    Illegal wildlife trade

    Each year, hundreds of millions of plants and animals are caught or harvested from the wild and then sold as food, pets, ornamental plants, leather, tourist curios, and medicine. While a great deal of this trade is legal and is not harming wild populations, a worryingly large proportion is illegal — and threatens the survival of many endangered species. Why do people trade wildlife? Obviously, people trade wildlife for cash or exchange it for other useful objects. Simply put, all for their own benefits. Driving the trade is the end-consumer who has a need or desire for wildlife products, whether for food, construction or clothing. Why is wildlife trade a…

  • Ecosystems

    Water: Our Suffering Best Friend

    I live along a lakeshore. For years, water has been my best companion. Its face changes moment to moment. Water is just a lady with a thousand faces. This spring, I saw a new face. In March, our neighbourhood experienced a very unpleasant smell and taste in the lake water. For days, its surface stayed still. Volvox algae was soon found out to be the source of problems. It is non-toxic, but meanwhile depletes lake oxygen as it dies off. The algae bloom tells us that our lake is processing a load of nutrients, which typically flow from human settlements. Our lake is a rural lake with forested park on…

  • Ecosystems

    Activated Carbon & Water Filters

    Carbon is a substance that has a long history of being used to adsorb impurities and is perhaps the most powerful adsorbent known to man. One pound of carbon contains a surface area of roughly 125 acres and can adsorb literally thousands of different chemicals. Activated carbon is carbon that is electro-positively charge, making it even more attractive to chemicals and impurities. As the water passes over the positively charged carbon surface, the negative ions of the contaminants are drawn to the surface of the carbon granules. Activated carbon filters used for home water treatment typically contain either granular activated carbon (GAC) or powdered block carbon. Although both are effective,…

  • Atmosphere, climate, and weather

    Beware of Bottled Water – Little thought for your health

    In a hot summer day, I was in a supermarket trying to find some sparkling water to kill my thirst. Stopped in front of different brands of bottled water, I was confused. There were so many labels of pure springs and ice water that almost convinced me the liquid inside these bottles is the purest drink around. But then, a thought hit my mind: labels could be misleading, or sometimes deceptive. I remember in one case, water coming from a well located near a hazardous waste site was sold and labelled as “spring water.” I withdrew my hand from these bottles and decided to find out the best water solution.…

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