Showing 20 articles starting at article 1041
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Categories: Chemistry: General, Environmental: Ecosystems
Published Surveilling wetlands for infectious bird flu -- and finding it
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Recently, morning omelets and holiday dinners have gotten more expensive. One likely cause is bird flu, outbreaks of which led to the deaths of millions of chickens and turkeys from infection or culling in 2022, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture, and which still demands rigorous monitoring of wild populations. Now, researchers have developed a method that detected infectious bird flu virus in wetlands frequented by waterfowl.
Published Climate engineering could slow Antarctic ice loss, study suggests
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source A study reports that scattering sunlight-reflecting particles in the atmosphere -- a theoretical form of climate engineering known as 'stratospheric aerosol injection' -- has potential to slow rapid ice melt in Western Antarctica.
Published New process for screening old urine samples reveals previously undetected 'designer drugs'
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Researchers have developed a more efficient way to find out which new 'designer drugs' are circulating in the community. In a new study, they showed how high-resolution mass spectrometry can be used to analyze urine samples at scale and uncover molecules from emerging designer drugs that have been missed by conventional testing. The approach can support public health and safety by enabling swift identification of new substances, potentially saving lives and guiding timely clinical responses to drug-related emergencies.
Published Previously unknown luminescence revealed in ten deep sea species and an order of sea cucumbers
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Researchers present evidence of previously unknown luminosity in 10 deep-sea species, suggesting underestimated diversity. These new discoveries include a member of the order Molpadia, which was previously thought not to be luminescent. The authors stress the importance of considering the ecological role of bioluminesence and the need for conservation.
Published Using cosmetic ingredient for battery protection
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source A research team has devised a battery electrode protective film using biopolymers sourced from cosmetic ingredients.
Published Converting PFAS 'forever chemicals' into valuable compounds
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Researchers have successfully synthesized ligands called fluorinated N-heterocyclic carbenes (NHCs) from environmentally harmful perfluoroalkenes, a type of synthetic chemicals also referred to as PFAS. These NHCs are valuable for stabilizing unstable molecules and enhancing catalytic efficiency. Through further structural modification, these NHCs are expected to find applications in a wide range of substances, including catalysts and light-emitting materials.
Published Non-native species likely to continue spreading in North America, Australia and Europe
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Naturalized species, which are not native but have established themselves in new locations, have the potential to spread even further to suitable habitats in many parts of the world, reports a new study.
Published New water treatment method can generate green energy
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Researchers have designed micromotors that move around on their own to purify wastewater. The process creates ammonia, which can serve as a green energy source. Now, an AI method will be used to tune the motors to achieve the best possible results.
Published Forecasting microbiomes for sustainability and health
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Microbial communities, or microbiomes, are essential for safeguarding human and environmental health through the most widely used biotechnological process on our planet: biological wastewater treatment. However, the process itself is subject to constant changes, difficult to sustain over long periods of time and emits significant amounts of greenhouse gases.
Published Europe was not covered by dense forest before the arrival of modern humans
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source For decades, we believed that outside ice ages Europe was mostly covered by dense forest before the arrival of modern humans. Now, a new study shows that there was far more open and semi-open vegetation than conventionally expected.
Published Faster Arctic warming hastens 2C rise by eight years
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source The Arctic is currently warming nearly four times faster than the global average rate. The new study aimed to estimate the impact of this faster warming on how quickly the global temperature thresholds of 1.5C and 2C, set down in the Paris Agreement, are likely to be breached.
Published 'Cooling glass' blasts building heat into space
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Researchers aiming to combat rising global temperatures have developed a new 'cooling glass' that can turn down the heat indoors without electricity by drawing on the cold depths of space. The new technology, a microporous glass coating, can lower the temperature of the material beneath it by 3.5 degrees Celsius at noon, and has the potential to reduce a mid-rise apartment building's yearly carbon emissions by 10 percent.
Published North Atlantic's marine productivity may not be declining, according to new study of older ice cores
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source To paraphrase Mark Twain, reports of declining phytoplankton in the North Atlantic may have been greatly exaggerated. Analysis of a Greenland ice core going back 800 years shows that atmospheric chemistry, not dwindling phytoplankton populations, explains the industrial-era ice core trends.
Published Ammonia fuel offers great benefits but demands careful action
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Researchers have identified the potential environmental risks of using ammonia as a zero-carbon fuel in order to develop an engineering roadmap to a sustainable ammonia economy.
Published AI programs spat out known data and hardly learned specific chemical interactions when predicting drug potency
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Artificial intelligence (AI) is on the rise. Until now, AI applications generally have 'black box' character: How AI arrives at its results remains hidden. A cheminformatics scientist has now developed a method that reveals how certain AI applications work in pharmaceutical research. The results are unexpected: the AI programs largely remembered known data and hardly learned specific chemical interactions when predicting drug potency.
Published Wildfire, drought cause $11.2 billion in damage to private timberland in three Pacific states, study finds
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Wildfires and drought have led to $11.2 billion in damages to privately held timberland in California, Oregon and Washington over the past two decades, a new Oregon State University study found.
Published No scientific evidence for cognitively advanced behaviors and symbolism by Homo naledi
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source A new study casts doubt on claims that Homo naledi, a small-brained hominin dating to between 335-241,000 years ago, deliberately buried their dead and produced rock art in Rising Star Cave, South Africa. Recent articles suggested the recent excavations at the Rising Star Cave system provided evidence of at least three burial features, two in the Dinaledi Chamber and a third in the Hill Antechamber cavity. The group of experts have now called for a deeper dig into the science behind the findings.
Published Capture or reuse CO2 as a chemical source for the production of sustainable plastics
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Chemists have developed a new polyurethane production technique using CO2 to create new types of easily recyclable plastics that uses more sustainable materials to produce plastics with properties similar to conventional petro-sourced plastics. This new technology is emerging as a potential solution for the development of sustainable plastics with a wide range of properties that can easily meet the needs of most of our everyday applications.
Published Template for success: Shaping hard carbon electrodes for next-generation batteries
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Sodium- and potassium-ion batteries are promising next-generation alternatives to the ubiquitous lithium-ion batteries (LIBs). However, their energy density still lags behind that of LIBs. To tackle this issue, researchers explored an innovative strategy to turn hard carbon into an excellent negative electrode material. Using inorganic zinc-based compounds as a template during synthesis, they prepared nanostructured hard carbon, which exhibits excellent performance in both alternative batteries.
Published Endangered turtle population under threat as pollution may lead to excess of females being born
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Researchers find exposure to heavy metals cadmium and antimony and certain organic contaminants, accumulated by the mother and transferred to her eggs, may cause embryos to be feminized in green sea turtles (Chelonia mydas), a species already at risk of extinction from a current lack of male hatchlings.