By Steven Yang, Master of Environmental Management candidate, Nicholas School of the Environment (CEC/RTC Student Assistant) It has been more than a month since Hurricane Florence arrived in the Carolinas, resulting in flooding, wind damage, and various environmental hazards, only to be followed by more rain and wind from Hurricane […]

After the Storm: New Hurricane Response Resources & Mapping Tool

Last week, California governor Jerry Brown signed Assembly Bill 2998 (AB 2998) into law, the latest in a series of California laws mandating flammability standards for residential upholstered furniture. In order to fully grasp the significance of this environmental health regulatory milestone, let’s first review the series of preceding laws […]

California AB 2998 – what it means for you & ...

Scientists from across North Carolina are coming together to study the issue of PFAS contamination in the state. A State-funded $5 million grant will seek answers on the nature of these chemicals, where they can be found in the environment and the routes they take to get there, and any […]

Researchers Tackle Emerging Contaminants in North Carolina

  On September 19th, Principal Investigator Lee Ferguson and Analytical Chemistry Core Manager Abigail Joyce, collected floodwater samples along the Neuse River and some of its tributaries. The Analytical Chemistry Core will conduct a ‘non-target analysis’ on the samples, allowing them to test for the presence of multiple chemicals and quantify […]

Duke Superfund Begins Floodwater Testing in Wake of Hurricane Florence

Hurricane Florence caused widespread flooding and destruction throughout the Carolinas and parts of Virginia. Officials are still in the early stages of evaluating the full impact of the storm, but it’s clear from reports of coal ash spills, flooded hog waste lagoons, and the inundation of hazardous waste sites that […]

Hurricane Florence Presents Environmental Health Challenges for the Carolinas

By Eva Greengrove, Summer Intern in Dr. Edward Levin’s lab   This summer, I worked with the Levin lab at the Duke University Superfund Research Center to investigate the behavioral effects of the organophosphate insecticide called diazinon. Although some animal studies have shown demonstrated health effects, neurodevelopment and behavior impacts […]

Can A Pesticide Change The Way We Behave?