Showing 20 articles starting at article 281
< Previous 20 articles Next 20 articles >
Categories: Chemistry: Organic Chemistry, Environmental: Ecosystems
Published Scientists want to know how the smells of nature benefit our health
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Spending time in nature is good for us. And knowing more about nature's effects on our bodies could not only help our well-being, but could also improve how we care for land, preserve ecosystems and design cities, homes and parks. Many studies have focused on how seeing nature affects us. A team of scientists from around the world wants to understand what the nose knows. They are calling for more research into how odors and scents from natural settings impact our health and well-being.
Published A novel multifunctional catalyst turns methane into valuable hydrocarbons
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source The optimal design of a novel zeolite catalyst enables tandem reaction that turns greenhouse gases into value-added chemicals, report scientists. By tuning the separation between different active sites on the catalyst, they achieved the stepwise conversion of methane into methanol and then to hydrocarbons at mild conditions. These findings will help reduce energy costs and greenhouse gas emissions across various industrial fields.
Published Climate change is most prominent threat to pollinators
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source A new article has found that climate change is the most prominent threat to pollinators -- such as bumblebees, wasps, and butterflies -- who are essential for biodiversity conservation, crop yields and food security. The research suggests that many of the threats to pollinators result from human activities.
Published Next-generation sustainable electronics are doped with air
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Semiconductors are the foundation of all modern electronics. Now, researchers have developed a new method where organic semiconductors can become more conductive with the help of air as a dopant. The study is a significant step towards future cheap and sustainable organic semiconductors.
Published Penalties for dropping out of ecosystem services incentive programs should equal lost environmental benefits
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source PES programs are currently structured in ways that could limit their participation or create incentives to drop out before the full environmental benefits are realized.
Published Promising new development in solar cell technology
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Researchers who contributed to the development of record-breaking solar cells a few years ago, expanded their invention. The self-assembled monolayers can now be applied not only in inverted but also in regular structure perovskite solar cells.
Published Genetics provide key to fight crown-of-thorns starfish
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Scientists are one step closer to combating coral-destroying crown-of-thorns starfish, following a study into the pest's genetics.
Published Meet the new insect killing Utah's fir trees
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source The balsam woolly adelgid, a tiny nonnative flightless insect, is spreading across the American West killing subalpine fir in northern Utah's recreation-heavy mountain ranges and canyons. Rsearchers document a close association between the pest's spread and warming temperatures.
Published Eco-friendly and affordable battery for low-income countries
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source A battery made from zinc and lignin that can be used over 8000 times. This has been developed with a vision to provide a cheap and sustainable battery solution for countries where access to electricity is limited.
Published Mosaic grassland landscapes are the most beneficial
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Grassland provides many services for humans, animals and nature, such as feed production, carbon storage and recreation. Researchers spent two years investigating permanent grassland, its utilization, soils and plant communities in order to quantify the resulting ecosystem services. Grassland performs best when different types of use such as meadows, pastures and unfertilized extensive grassland exist together in a mosaic landscape.
Published How wildfires change soil chemistry
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Severe wildfires can drive chemical changes in soil that affect ecosystem recovery and risks to human health. A new study finds broader surveillance and modeling of these changes could inform strategies for protecting lives, property and natural resources, and managing wildlife.
Published How to make ubiquitous plastics biodegradable
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Polystyrene is made from styrene building blocks and is the most widely used plastic in terms of volume, for example in packaging. Unlike PET, which can now be produced and recycled using biotechnological methods, the production of polystyrene has so far been a purely chemical process. The plastic can't be broken down by biotechnological means, either. Researchers are looking for ways to rectify this: An international team decoded a bacterial enzyme that plays a key role in styrene degradation. This paves the way for biotechnological application.
Published Century of statistical ecology reviewed
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source A special review examines highly-cited papers in statistical ecology. The review, which covers a century of research, details how models and concepts have evolved alongside increasing computational power.
Published Island birds more adaptable than previously thought
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source The researchers found that birds were more evolutionarily similar on smaller, more isolated islands than on larger, less remote places. The team had expected to find that forested areas had more numerous and more varied species of birds compared to farmland areas. But they were surprised to find that the opposite was true: Areas with farms and human settlements had more species of birds and greater diversity than forested areas.
Published Research explores ways to mitigate the environmental toxicity of ubiquitous silver nanoparticles
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Researchers have taken a key step toward closing the silver nanoparticles knowledge gap with a study that indicates the particles' shape and surface chemistry play key roles in how they affect aquatic ecosystems.
Published New 'forever chemical' cleanup strategy discovered
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source A method has been discovered to treat water heavily contaminated with unhealthful forever chemicals, known by chemists as PFAS or poly- and per-fluoroalkyl substances. It involves treating heavily contaminated water with ultraviolet (UV) light, sulfite, and a process called electrochemical oxidation. It breaks up strong fluorine-to-carbon bonds in the PFAS compounds and other concentrated organic compounds in heavily polluted water. The reaction also occurs at room temperature without a need for additional heat or high pressure. This method is expected to be useful in cleanups of PFAS pollution from decades of fire suppressant foam use at military facilities.
Published Transformation of ocean management is underway
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Despite its benefits and recognition as a keystone practice of ocean stewardship and conservation, adoption of ecosystem-based management has been slow to take hold. To support this change in ocean management, a group of researchers and practitioners investigated the global progress of marine EBM initiatives.
Published Ocean biodiversity work needs improvement
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source An international collaboration says the world's largest marine protected areas aren't collectively delivering the biodiversity benefits they could be because of slow implementation of management strategies and a failure to restrict the most impactful human activities.
Published 2D all-organic perovskites: potential use in 2D electronics
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Perovskites are among the most researched topics in materials science. Recently, a research team has solved an age-old challenge to synthesize all-organic two-dimensional perovskites, extending the field into the exciting realm of 2D materials. This breakthrough opens up a new field of 2D all-organic perovskites, which holds promise for both fundamental science and potential applications.
Published Rapid oyster reef restoration gives hope for repairing the sea
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source After a century of functional extinction on the Australian mainland, a Flat oyster reef has been successfully restored along a metropolitan Adelaide coastline.