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Categories: Chemistry: General, Environmental: Ecosystems
Published Increasing risk of invasive species colonization on marine debris
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source A groundbreaking scientific study conducted along the Southeast coast of India has unearthed a pressing environmental concern -- the increasing risk of invasive species colonization on marine debris. The research delves into the critical interplay between plastic pollution and the introduction of non-indigenous organisms into Indian waters.
Published The race of water droplets
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source How fast does a droplet flow along a fiber? It depends on the diameter of the fiber... and also on its substructure! These are the findings of a study conducted by researchers who are interested in microfluidics, especially water harvesting in arid/semi-arid regions of our planet.
Published A superatomic semiconductor sets a speed record
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source The search is on for better semiconductors. A team of chemists describes the fastest and most efficient semiconductor yet: a superatomic material called Re6Se8Cl2.
Published Discovery of three novel minorisa species, the smallest predatory marine picoplankton
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Researchers have made a significant discovery by identifying and characterizing three novel species within the Minorisa genus of marine picoplankton. Before this study, only one species of Minorisa was recognized. This finding reveals previously unseen diversity of Minorisa, thereby enhancing species identification and our understanding of its ecological functions in marine ecosystems.
Published 75% of exclusive hardwood may be illegally harvested
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source The tropical wood type ipe is popular for building exclusive wooden decks, and in North America and Europe, the demand for the material has increased sharply. Now, a study shows that more than three-quarters of all ipe from the top producing region in Brazil could have been harvested illegally.
Published A potentially cheaper and 'cooler' way for hydrogen transport
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Researchers have developed a new hydrogen energy carrier material capable storing hydrogen energy efficiently and potentially more cheaply. Each molecule can store one electron from hydrogen at room temperature, store it for up the three months, and can be its own catalyst to extract said electron. Moreover, as the compound is made primarily of nickel, its cost is relatively low.
Published Do or dye: Synthetic colors in wastewater pose a threat to food chains worldwide
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Dyes widely used in the textile, food and pharmaceutical industries pose a pressing threat to plant, animal and human health, as well as natural environments around the world, a new study has found. Billions of tons of dye-containing wastewater enter water systems every year, and a group of researchers say that new sustainable technologies including new membrane-based nano-scale filtration are needed to solve the issue, adding that legislation is needed to compel industrial producers to eliminate colorants before they reach public sewage systems or waterways.
Published Analysis finds diversity on the smallest scales in sulfur-cycling salt marsh microbes
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Scientists have discovered that even among the sulfur-cycling microbes that are responsible for the 'rotten egg gas' smell in salt marsh air, diversity extends all the way to genomes and even to individual nucleotides.
Published Marine protected areas and climate change
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source New research offers a way to build climate resilience into the designs of ocean and coastal areas intended to protect marine species. The researchers recommend establishing numerous marine protected areas across political borders, starting with the Southern California Bight.
Published UK air pollution regulations will reduce deaths, but do little to protect ecosystems
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Existing air pollution regulations will reduce thousands of premature adult deaths in the UK, but even the most effective technically feasible actions, which will save thousands more lives, will do little to protect the country's sensitive ecosystems, find researchers.
Published Single model predicts trends in employment, microbiomes, forests
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Researchers report that a single, simplified model can predict population fluctuations in three unrelated realms: urban employment, human gut microbiomes and tropical forests. The model will help economists, ecologists, public health authorities and others predict and respond to variability in multiple domains.
Published Sediment core analysis supports new epoch characterized by human impact on planet
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Scientists analyzed open-source data to track vegetation changes across North America since the end of the Pleistocene Epoch, and conclude that humans have had as much of an impact on the landscape as the retreat of the glaciers at the end of the Ice Age.
Published Report warns about risk tipping points with irreversible impacts on people and planet
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source A new report finds that drastic changes are approaching if risks to our fundamental socioecological systems are not addressed. The Interconnected Disaster Risks Report 2023 warns of six risk tipping points ahead of us: Accelerating extinctions; Groundwater depletion; Mountain glaciers melting; Space debris; Unbearable heat; and an Uninsurable future.
Published Diapers can be recycled 200 times faster with light
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source More than 100,000 tons of diapers are disposed of annually in Germany. Vast amounts of valuable resources, such as diaper liners, end up in the trash. The liners consist of special polymers, so-called superabsorbers. Researchers have now succeeded in considerably improving their complex recycling process. They use UV radiation to degrade the chemical chains that keep the polymers together. No chemicals are needed. Recycling at room temperature is 200 times faster than conventional recycling. The recycled polymers can then be processed to new adhesives and dyes.
Published New study finds hidden trees across Europe: A billion tons of biomass is overlooked today
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Through satellite imaging a new AI driven mapping of biomass and CO2 storage shows that a huge number of trees are overlooked in Europe's urban, rural, and agricultural areas. Across Europe, researchers have discovered a billion tons of hidden biomass.
Published Sunflower extract fights fungi to keep blueberries fresh
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Opening a clamshell of berries and seeing them coated in fuzzy mold is a downer. And it's no small problem. Gray mold and other fungi, which cause fruit to rot, lead to significant economic losses and food waste. Now, researchers report that compounds from sunflower crop waste prevented rotting in blueberries. They suggest the food industry could use these natural compounds to protect against post-harvest diseases.
Published Research reveals three new marsupial species -- though all likely extinct
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source The exciting discovery of three new species of a small Australian marsupial has been tempered by the sad fact that each of the newly identified species of mulgara is likely already extinct.
Published Scalable production technique for low-calorie sugar substitute
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Scientists have discovered a new route to produce the low-calorie sugar allulose (D-psicose) at lower cost with high yield.
Published Bitcoin mining has 'very worrying' impacts on land and water, not only carbon
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source As bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies have grown in market share, they've been criticized for their heavy carbon footprint: Cryptocurrency mining is an energy-intensive endeavor. Mining has massive water and land footprints as well, according to a new study that is the first to detail country-by-country environmental impacts of bitcoin mining.
Published Biological fingerprints in soil show where diamond-containing ore is buried
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Researchers have identified buried kimberlite, the rocky home of diamonds, by testing the DNA of microbes in the surface soil. These 'biological fingerprints' can reveal what minerals are buried tens of meters below the earth's surface without having to drill. The researchers believe it is the first use of modern DNA sequencing of microbial communities in the search for buried minerals. The research represents a new tool for mineral exploration, where a full toolbox could save prospectors time and a lot of money,