One common abatement: Dig up old lead lines and replace a portion of them with another metal, such as copper. However, this technique can dislodge lead particulates and release them into the water supply. Furthermore, partially replacing the lead pipe connection instead of entirely exchanging it is problematic. A team of engineers at Washington University in St. Louis has developed a new way to model and track where lead particles might be transported during the partial-replacement process, in an effort to keep the water supply safer. “We all know lead is not safe, it needs to go,” said Assistant Vice Chancellor of International Programs Pratim Biswas, the Lucy and Stanley Lopata Professor and the chair of Energy, Environmental and Chemical Engineering at the School of Engineering & Applied Science. “This is the first comprehensive model that…

Drought-busting winter storms have another upside: cleaner air.
The epic rainfall that has pummeled Southern California this winter has lifted the area out of extreme drought – and it’s also been great for air quality.
Strong winds blow smoke, soot and particulates out of the L.A. basin, while rain rinses the air clean.
Air pollution has exceeded federal standards for particulate matter on just 7 days since November 2016.
Compare that to 35 days in the same period in 2014-2015, the worst winter of the drought.
During the drought, pollutants built up in stagnant, dry air.
Summer in Southern California is smog or “ozone” season.
Winter, meanwhile, is particulate-matter season because of the added pollution from wood-burning stoves.
Seasonal fog and cloud help particulates form in the air.
The SCAQMD issues burn bans throughout the winter when the agency thinks particulate matter is going to reach unhealthy levels.