Science Media Centre

Asbestos exposure during the post-earthquake Canterbury rebuild is unlikely to cause significant health problems for house occupants, according to a new report published this week by the Royal Society of New Zealand and Office of the Prime Minister’s Chief Science Advisor. The report, titled Asbestos Exposure in New Zealand: Review of the Scientific Evidence of […]

A new analysis of e-cigarettes has detected formaldehyde-containing compounds in the vapour the devices produce, raising questions about their potential health effects. The study, published in the New England Journal of Medicine, analysed the aerosol drawn from a typical e-cigarette at different temperatures and found that at the highest temperatures formaldehyde was detected at levels several times […]

UPDATED: Independent experts have responded to accusations that lax regulations are allowing potentially unsafe genetically modified products into  New Zealand and Australia. A recent analysis by Professor Jack Heinemann, director of the University of Canterbury’s Centre for Integrated Research in Biosafety, and colleagues, critically examined several regulatory bodies and how they assess genetically modified organisms […]

Volcanic ash originating from the ongoing eruption of a Chilean volcano is causing disruptions to air traffic across New Zealand. The Civil Aviation Authority has said that local airspace may continue to be affected for up to a week. Access Metservice’s latest volcanic ash advisory here. Last year, during the eruption of Eyjafjallajökull, our colleagues at […]

Concerns raised about nanoparticles Creating materials on the nanoscale is an area of science tipped to hold huge potential for everything from energy production to personalised healthcare. But some observers argue that industry is jumping the gun on releasing products containing nanoparticles before adequate research has been done into their safety. The New Zealand Herald […]

In response to concerns over the safety and effectiveness of some drugs aimed at children, the Ministry of Health has said that cough and cold medicines for children are only to be sold in pharmacies. If available in supermarkets, the drugs will carry warnings that they are for adults only. An excerpt: (read in full […]

Medsafe is calling for 70 cough and cold remedies to be banned from the shelves of supermarkets and dairies, citing concerns over their safety for children. An excerpt: (read in full here) “Food and Grocery Council chief executive Katherine Rich says it would mean that New Zealanders pay up to 45% more for the same […]