Science Daily

1. Rocky Mountain snow is contaminated, study shows

   Mountain snowpacks accumulate snow throughout the winter, building up stores of water that will supply communities across the American West throughout the long dry season. Now, a new study shows that as storms carry snow to the Rocky Mountains, they are also bringing mercury and other contaminants from mines in the region. The research helps scientists understand how contaminants are spread by atmospheric circulation and has implications for snowpack preservation and illuminating the lasting environmental impact of mining activities.

2. New insight into factors associated with a common disease among dogs and humans

   For dogs housed at Texas kennels, age and fecal score are important factors for screening for subclinical Giardia infections.

3. Surprising number of environmental pollutants in hedgehogs

   Lead, pesticides, brominated flame retardants, plastic additives, polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), and heavy metals. This is what researchers found when they collected dead hedgehogs to investigate the environmental pollutants found in urban environments.

4. We know nanoplastics are a threat -- this new tool can help us figure out just how bad they are

   While the threat that microplastics pose to human and ecological health has been richly documented and is well known, nanoplastics, which are smaller than one micrometer (1/50th the thickness of an average human hair), are far more reactive, far more mobile and vastly more capable of crossing biological membranes. Yet, because they are so tiny and so mobile, researchers don't yet have an accurate understanding of just how toxic these particles are.

5. Mpox could become a serious global threat, scientists warn

   Mpox has the potential to become a significant global health threat if taken too lightly, according to scientists.