Rising carbon dioxide levels affect more than just the climate; they also affect the chemistry of the oceans. When saltwater absorbs carbon dioxide, it becomes acidic, which alters the aquatic animal ecosystem. But how exactly does ocean acidification impact animals whose genetic makeup can shift depending on environmental cues? A study published in ACS’ Environmental Science & Technology addresses this question through the “eyes” of oysters.

Despite significant therapeutic advances, breast cancer remains a leading cause of cancer-related death in women. Treatment typically involves surgery and follow-up hormone therapy, but late effects of these treatments include osteoporosis, sexual dysfunction and blood clots. Now, researchers reporting in ACS Central Science have created a novel treatment that eliminated small breast tumors and significantly shrank large tumors in mice in a single dose, without problematic side effects.

Wildfires that burn homes and vehicles could expose people to dangerous airborne compounds through ash and smoke. Research published in ACS ES&T Air has shown that people returning to their unburned homes may also experience health symptoms months after a nearby fire is extinguished. Through a survey of people affected by the 2021 Marshall Fire in Boulder, Colorado, researchers found that headaches, sore throats and coughs were frequently self-reported by residents living near burned structures.