Environmental health

News and Updates

A large turtle lies on a rocky beach with surf in the background.

Scientists Identify Potential Bioindicators for Monitoring Plastic Pollution in the North Pacific Ocean

August 15, 2022

Key marine species can serve as bioindicators to measure how much plastic exists in different ocean regions.

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‘Exceptional’ Research: Unexpected Light Behavior May Be Harnessed to Improve Optical Communications and Sensors

April 21, 2022

Shine a flashlight into murky pond water and the beam won’t penetrate very far. Absorption and scattering rapidly diminishes the intensity of the light beam

Illustration shows coffee cup with magnified section showing plastic particles.

NIST Study Shows Everyday Plastic Products Release Trillions of Microscopic Particles Into Water

April 20, 2022

Researchers analyzed widely used consumer products to better understand these microscopic plastics.

Projects and Programs

NCNR DAC and CCUS efforts

Ongoing

Overview Capture of carbon dioxide from the air (direct air capture; DAC) combined with energy efficiency and carbon capture, utilization and storage (CCUS)

Per- and Polyfluoroalkyl Substances (PFAS)

Ongoing

NIST works to improve confidence in measurements and conducts research on PFAS for better human health and the environment.

Electron Ionization Library Component of the NIST/EPA/NIH Mass Spectral Library and NIST GC Retention Index Database

Ongoing

The National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) has developed and maintains evaluated libraries of reference data for the identification of chemicals

Bioimaging

Ongoing

Our goal is to develop methods and materials for imaging-based characterization of molecular signatures that occur during cellular proliferation

Publications

Occupational exposure and indoor environmental quality evaluation from operating multiple desktop 3D printers in an office environment within a library.

August 12, 2022

Author(s)

Jay L. Peterson, Kevin S. Dyrdahl, Stacy Bruss

Based on previous air quality studies focused on environmental test chambers or the characterization of filament emissions, desktop 3D printers have been shown

Models for an Ultraviolet-C Research and Development Consortium

March 25, 2022

Author(s)

Dianne L. Poster, C Cameron Miller, Yaw S. Obeng, John J. Kasianowicz, Michael T. Postek, Norman Horn, Troy Cowan, Richard Martinello

The development of an international, precompetitive, collaborative, ultraviolet (UV) research consortium is discussed as an opportunity to lay the groundwork

The Albatross About Our Neck: The State of our Oceans Revealed through the Family Diomedeidae

January 26, 2022

Author(s)

Stacy Schuur

Albatross (Family Diomedeidae) are long-lived seabirds that inhabit most of the world's oceans coming ashore only to breed. Most of the species are listed as at

Understanding the dynamics of physiological changes, protein expression, and PFAS in wildlife

January 15, 2022

Author(s)

Jacqueline Bangma, T.C. Guillette, Paige Bommarito, Carla Ng, Jessica L. Reiner, Andrew Lindstrom, Mark Strynar

Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) accumulation and elimination in both wildlife and humans is largely attributed to PFAS interactions with proteins

Software

Quick Indoor CO2 (QICO2) Tool

April 8, 2022

This tool is used for implementing the CO2 concentration calculations. After providing the relevant inputs, or selecting from a number of predefined cases, the

ViPER - Virus Particle Exposure in Residences

November 22, 2021

The web-based tool Virus Particle Exposure in Residences (ViPER) allows users to compare an individual scenario against multiple “what-if” scenarios related to

Environmental health

News and Updates

Scientists Identify Potential Bioindicators for Monitoring Plastic Pollution in the North Pacific Ocean

‘Exceptional’ Research: Unexpected Light Behavior May Be Harnessed to Improve Optical Communications and Sensors

NIST Study Shows Everyday Plastic Products Release Trillions of Microscopic Particles Into Water

Projects and Programs

NCNR DAC and CCUS efforts

Per- and Polyfluoroalkyl Substances (PFAS)

Electron Ionization Library Component of the NIST/EPA/NIH Mass Spectral Library and NIST GC Retention Index Database

Bioimaging

Publications

Occupational exposure and indoor environmental quality evaluation from operating multiple desktop 3D printers in an office environment within a library.

Models for an Ultraviolet-C Research and Development Consortium

The Albatross About Our Neck: The State of our Oceans Revealed through the Family Diomedeidae

Understanding the dynamics of physiological changes, protein expression, and PFAS in wildlife

Software

Quick Indoor CO2 (QICO2) Tool

ViPER - Virus Particle Exposure in Residences

Awards

Amanda Moors Recognized for NIST Biorepository Work

David Long Honored with PECASE

Elijah Petersen Honored with PECASE