In the Amazon, gold mining is a thriving business, pushing deep into the rainforest and indigenous lands. Small-scale operations set up primarily illicitly and operated in the shadows use mercury, a substance with neurotoxic properties, for gold extraction. Now, a team of researchers examined if trees native to the Peruvian Amazon could be used as biomonitors for gold mining activities. By examining mercury concentrations in tree rings, they concluded that some species could bear witness to illegal mining activities.

Researchers explored the long-term effects of preschool expansion in Japan in the 1960s, revealing significant reductions in risky behaviors amongst teenagers. By analyzing regional differences in the rollout of the program, the study identified links between early childhood education and lower rates of juvenile violent arrests and teenage pregnancy. The findings suggest that improved noncognitive skills played a key role in mitigating risky behaviors, highlighting the lasting benefits of early-education policies.

The COVID-19 pandemic exposed critical deficiencies in the global health system and provides important lessons to improve preparedness for future emergencies. A case in point is Latin America, where access to testing was constrained by affordability and poor infrastructure. In recent months, three pivotal studies have converged to highlight critical vulnerabilities and lessons for global health resilience and equity. From diagnostic limitations in resource-limited settings to socioeconomic disparities in testing capacity, these findings underscore the need for collaborative and globally equitable health strategies.

Based on data in the European Pollutant Release and Transfer Register and the life cycle approach, the Amalur EIS environmental information system, created by the Ekopol group of the University of the Basque Country (UPV/EHU), enables environmental impacts at national, regional and/or municipal level to be analysed. The researchers also analysed the results of data collected at industrial plants in the Basque Country between 2007-2022.