SCIENCE
NEWS
Of the year
Nonstick releases Nonstick coatings on
fry pans and microwave-popcorn bags can,
when heated, release traces of potentially
toxic perfluorinated chemicals (171: 61).
Mercury magnets Certain areas of North
America proved particularly susceptible to
environmental accumulation of mercury
(171: 45).
Sooty triggers Nanoparticles in diesel
exhaust activated genes that worsen cholesterol’s damaging effects (172: 93). Small
blood vessels in rodents lost the ability to
precisely regulate blood flow after exposure to an oily constituent of diesel soot, but
effects varied greatly by age and gender
(171: 381).
Ethanol conundrums Strong expansion
of the U.S. corn-to-ethanol industry
could soon divert more than half of U.S.
corn yields from food into transportation fuel (171: 78). An alternative cellu-lose-based ethanol could help lower
greenhouse-gas emissions, some
research showed, but the technologies
required are far from straightforward
(172: 120).
Suffocating impacts Seasonal oxygen
shortages in coastal waters, increasing in
severity because of pollution, were shown
to impair fish reproduction (172: 158).
Asbestos, really Federal mineralogists corroborated earlier evidence that foothill com-
SLIME DWELLERS
Microbes that corals recruit into their
surface blankets of slime influence the
reef builders’ health and adaptability in
the face of adversity, studies showed
(171: 346*).
HAMMERED SAWS
Shark relatives that almost went extinct
several decades ago gained global
protection under an international treaty
(172: 90*).
munities around Sacramento, Calif., lay
atop soils laced with asbestos (171: 29).
Rocky fallout New research explained why
a carcinogenic form of chromium has been
turning up in ground and surface waters
far from industrial sources (171: 254).
Belittling pollution Pregnant women
exposed even to moderate amounts of several common air pollutants tend to have
babies with low birthweights (171: 261).
E-hazards The dismantling and recycling
of electronic devices was linked with high
concentrations of flame retardants in the
blood of Chinese residents—even those living 50 kilometers away (172: 20*).
Polluted cats An epidemic of hyperthyroidism in house cats was linked with environmental exposures to certain flame retardants (172: 125).
Toxic similarities At concentrations found
in the environment, three dissimilar toxic
agents each seized control of a signaling
pathway that regulates developing brain
cells (171: 134).
Dirty printers Some laser printers emitted
substantial amounts of potentially hazardous
nanoscale indoor-air pollution (172: 158).
Nanorisks Making carbon nanotubes also
produced lots of airborne carcinogens
(172: 142).
Supersized livers A diet of sweet and
high-fat foods rapidly and dangerously fattened the livers of rodents (science
news.org/articles/20070609/food.asp).
Another rodent study narrowed this link
to overconsumption of the rapidly digesting carbohydrates typical of breads, fries,
and sweets ( sciencenews.org/articles/
20070929/ food.asp). But tricking the
body into storing excess calories in fat
cells—not the liver—disconnected the
link between overeating and fatty liver
disease ( sciencenews.org/articles/2007
1006/ food.asp).
Redefining nutritious Among children
prone to diabetes, those who consumed
the most omega-3 fatty acids showed the
lowest incidence of disease (172: 237).
Moderate consumption of beer, wine, or
gin lowered blood glucose, suggesting
alcohol may help stave off type 2 diabetes
(171: 405).
D benefits and risk To prevent rickets, a
Canadian medical society recommended
pregnant women and nursing moms dramatically boost their intake of vitamin D
( sciencenews.org/articles/20071117/food
.asp). Two new studies offered evidence of
an additional benefit: a diminished risk
of asthma when babies get ample vitamin D
( sciencenews.org/articles/20070519/food
.asp). However, plenty of this vitamin will
increase a child’s uptake of any lead in the
environment ( sciencenews.org/articles/
20070512/ food.asp).
Cocoa flow A chocolate drink that retains
natural ingredients, ones normally removed
to improve cocoa’s flavor, boosted blood
flow to the brain (171: 142).
Weighty matters Among mice, being
either over- or undernourished before birth
altered gene activity that fosters obesity in
adulthood (171: 115).
Meaty hormone Overcooked meat
forms chemicals that mimic a female sex
hormone, which offered a “biologically
plausible” explanation for why breast
cancer risk has been linked to red-meat intake ( sciencenews.org/articles/
20071020/ food.asp).
Java fiber Coffee was identified as a significant source of dietary fiber (171: 125).
Wrong formula Low-birthweight babies
fed catch-up formulas rich in calories
had significantly higher blood pressure
by age 8 than did kids given regular
formula ( sciencenews.org/articles/
20070217/food. asp).
