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Categories: Environmental: Water, Geoscience: Geochemistry
Published Photosynthesis 'hack' could lead to new ways of generating renewable energy
(via sciencedaily.com) Researchers have 'hacked' the earliest stages of photosynthesis, the natural machine that powers the vast majority of life on Earth, and discovered new ways to extract energy from the process, a finding that could lead to new ways of generating clean fuel and renewable energy.
Published Next epidemic could be spotted early in wastewater
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Researchers behind the UK's first pilot public health surveillance system based on analysis of wastewater say that routine monitoring at sewage treatment works could provide a powerful early warning system for the next flu or norovirus epidemic, alerting hospitals to prepare and providing public health agencies with vital health information.
Published Researchers get to the 'bottom' of how beetles use their butts to stay hydrated
(via sciencedaily.com) Beetles are champions at surviving in extremely dry environments. In part, this property is due to their ability to suck water from the air with their rear ends. A new study explains just how. Beyond helping to explain how beetles thrive in environments where few other animals can survive, the knowledge could eventually be used for more targeted and delicate control of global pests such as the grain weevil and red flour beetle.
Published New animal welfare scoring system could enable better-informed food and farming choices
(via sciencedaily.com) Scientists have come up with a system of measuring animal welfare that enables reliable comparison across different types of pig farming.
Published The devil is in the details: Re-imagining fertilizer precursor synthesis
(via sciencedaily.com) Researchers have improved the Faradaic efficiency of the nitrogen reduction reaction into ammonia by straightforward optimization of chemical process parameters. They found that trace water was the probable source of the high selectivity by facilitating incorporation of lithium oxide into the solid electrolyte interphase. These findings will also aid optimization of other analogous reactions, and thus help the chemicals industry optimize the sustainability of one of the most carbon-intensive reactions globally.
Published Synthesis gas and battery power from sunlight energy
(via sciencedaily.com) Plants use photosynthesis to harvest energy from sunlight. Now researchers have applied this principle as the basis for developing new sustainable processes which in the future may produce syngas (synthetic gas) for the large-scale chemical industry and be able to charge batteries.
Published Human and ocean health impacts of ocean plastics
(via sciencedaily.com) Researchers from the fields of healthcare, ocean science, and social science have collaborated to quantify plastic's considerable risks to all life on Earth. The Minderoo-Monaco Commission on Plastics and Human Health report presents a comprehensive analysis showing plastics as a hazard at every stage of their life cycle.
Published 3000+ billion tons of ice lost from Antarctic Ice Sheet over 25 years
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Scientists have calculated that the fastest changing Antarctic region?-?the Amundsen Sea Embayment?-?has lost more than 3,000 billion tonnes of ice over a 25-year?period.??
Published Nitrate can release uranium into groundwater
(via sciencedaily.com) A team has experimentally confirmed that nitrate, a compound common in fertilizers and animal waste, can help transport naturally occurring uranium from the underground to groundwater. The new research backs a previous study showing that aquifers contaminated with high levels of nitrate -- including the High Plains Aquifer residing beneath Nebraska -- also contain uranium concentrations far exceeding a threshold set by the Environmental Protection Agency. Uranium concentrations above that EPA threshold have been shown to cause kidney damage in humans, especially when regularly consumed via drinking water.
Published Douglas-fir in Klamath Mountains are in 'decline spiral'
(via sciencedaily.com) Increases in mortality among Douglas-fir in the Klamath Mountains are the result of multiple factors that have the iconic tree in a 'decline spiral' in parts of the region.
Published Biodiversity amid climate change
(via sciencedaily.com) Fewer parasites in U.S. waters might be seen by many as a good thing, but a biologist says the trend signals potential danger for fish and other wildlife.
Published Scientists use tardigrade proteins for human health breakthrough
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Natural and engineered versions of tardigrade proteins can be used to stabilize an important pharmaceutical used to treat people with hemophilia and other conditions without the need for refrigeration -- even amid high temperatures and other difficult conditions.
Published Recycling: Researchers separate cotton from polyester in blended fabric
(via sciencedaily.com) Researchers found they could separate blended cotton and polyester fabric using enzymes -- nature's tools for speeding chemical reactions. Ultimately, they hope their findings will lead to a more efficient way to recycle the fabric's component materials, thereby reducing textile waste.
Published Jellyfish size might influence their nutritional value
(via sciencedaily.com) Researchers confirmed what was already known: jellyfish eat bigger prey as they grow, which means they also occupy a higher position in the food web as they grow. They also found that some of the concentrations of 'healthy fats,' increase as jellyfish grow. These changes might be influenced by their diet, and as they feed on bigger prey with higher levels of fatty acids, the jellyfish accumulate more of these fatty acids.
Published 'Green' hydrogen: How photoelectrochemical water splitting may become competitive
(via sciencedaily.com) Sunlight can be used to produce green hydrogen directly from water in photoelectrochemical (PEC) cells. So far, most systems based on this 'direct approach' have not been energetically competitive. However, the balance changes as soon as some of the hydrogen in such PEC cells is used in-situ for a catalytic hydrogenation reaction, resulting in the co-production of chemicals used in the chemical and pharmaceutical industries. The energy payback time of photoelectrochemical 'green' hydrogen production can be reduced dramatically, the study shows.
Published Coffee plantations limit birds' diets
(via sciencedaily.com) A new study explores a record of birds' diets preserved in their feathers and radio tracking of their movements to find that birds eat far fewer invertebrates in coffee plantations than in forests, suggesting that the disturbance of their ecosystem significantly impacts the birds' dietary options.
Published 3D radar scan provides clues about threats to iconic Alaskan glacier
(via sciencedaily.com) Mapping a large coastal glacier in Alaska revealed that its bulk sits below sea level and is undercut by channels, making it vulnerable to accelerated melting in an already deteriorating coastal habitat.
Published Noise harming ocean invertebrates and ecosystems
(via sciencedaily.com) Noise from human activities is harming ocean invertebrates and ecosystems, new research shows.
Published Rivers and streams in the Andean Cordillera are hot spots for greenhouse gases emissions
(via sciencedaily.com) Researchers show that rivers in the Andean mountains contribute 35% and 72% of riverine emissions of carbon dioxide (CO2 ) and methane (CH4 ) in the Amazon basin, the world's largest river.
Published New study counts the environmental cost of managing Japanese knotweed
(via sciencedaily.com) New research has looked at the long-term environmental impact of different methods to control Japanese knotweed. Different ways of trying to control the invasive species have developed over the years but now, as sustainability becomes increasingly important, understanding the effect of these management methods is vital.This new study examines at the entire life cycle and long-term impacts of different management approaches.