news 2025

First comprehensive pan-Arctic study of social impacts of thawing permafrost soils In an interdisciplinary and transdisciplinary study, an international team led by the University of Vienna and the Danish Technical University/Umea University examined the social risks for Arctic regions associated with thawing permafrost.

Ice cores from the Arctic made it possible to reconstruct lead pollution in ancient Rome An international team of scientists with the participation of the University of Vienna examined three ice cores to determine lead pollution between 500 BCE and 600 CE in the Roman Empire. Lead has many negative effects on human health, one of which is a reduction in the intelligence quotient - the scientists focused on this in this study and were able to determine that lead pollution led to a reduction in IQ of 2 to 3 points among people in ancient Rome.