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Categories: Chemistry: Organic Chemistry, Geoscience: Environmental Issues
Published New route to recyclable polymers from plants
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Cellulose, abundantly available from plant biomass, can be converted into molecules used to make a new class of recyclable polymers, to sustainably replace some plastics.
Published Cleaning up environmental contaminants with quantum dot technology
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source The 2023 Nobel Prize in Chemistry was focused on quantum dots -- objects so tiny, they're controlled by the strange rules of quantum physics. Quantum dots used in electronics are often toxic, but their nontoxic counterparts are being explored for uses in medicine and in the environment, including water decontamination. One team of researchers has specially designed carbon- and sulfur-based dots for these environmental applications.
Published Deep Earth electrical grid mystery solved
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source To 'breathe' in an environment without oxygen, bacteria in the ground beneath our feet depend upon a single family of proteins to transfer excess electrons, produced during the 'burning' of nutrients, to electric hairs called nanowires projecting from their surface.
Published Recyclable reagent and sunlight convert carbon monoxide into methanol
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Scientists have demonstrated the selective conversion of carbon dioxide (CO2) into methanol using a cascade reaction strategy. The two-part process is powered by sunlight, occurs at room temperature and at ambient pressure, and employs a recyclable organic reagent that's similar to a catalyst found in natural photosynthesis.
Published Heat exposure may increase inflammation and impair the immune system
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Exposure to high heat may impair the cells of the immune system that remember specific viruses and germs and over-produce signaling molecules that can lead to inflammation.
Published Crawfish could transfer ionic lithium from their environment into food chain
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Lithium-ion rechargeable batteries are showing up in ever more devices, and the increasing use of this technology means more lithium is expected to find its way into the environment as a contaminant. In new research, a team has explored how this ion accumulates in a common Southern crustacean, the crawfish, with implications for the environment and public health.
Published The heat index -- how hot it really feels -- is rising faster than temperature
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Researchers showed in 2022 that heat index calculations by NOAA based on analyses from the 1970s don't adequately reflect the heat stress humans feel during the extremes of heat and humidity accompanying climate change. Using their revised heat index, the researchers looked at Texas's summer 2023 heat wave and found that the 3 degree F rise in global temperatures has increased the state's heat index as much as 11 degrees F on the hottest days.
Published Sea surface temperature research provides clear evidence of human-caused climate change
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Claims that climate change is natural are inconsistent with new oceanic temperature trends.
Published Greenhouse gas emissions in Global South countries linked with IMF lending policies, study finds
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source A study of 130 Global South nations has found that their greenhouse gas emissions were linked with IMF lending policies. The constraints of IMF's structural loans imposed coercive lending conditions that prompted borrowers to focus on increasing their exports, indirectly raising their greenhouse gas emissions through greater agricultural or manufacturing activities. GHG emissions increased within several years of countries' first structural loan, and increased almost immediately with subsequent loans, regardless of the lending conditions, the study found.
Published Monitoring and measuring biodiversity require more than just numbers; scientists advocate for change
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Scientists advocate for change to promote standardized practices in the field -- a practice that has been missing from the science.
Published Researchers investigate how freshwater diatoms stay in the light
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Researchers sought to understand how diatoms -- microscopic, photosynthetic algae that make up an estimated 20 percent of global carbon sequestration and oxygen production -- are able to bloom in an ice-covered Lake Erie and how ice decline across the Great Lakes is impacting the algae.
Published Fish fed to farmed salmon should be part of our diet, too, study suggests
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Scientists found that farmed salmon production leads to an overall loss of essential dietary nutrients. They say that eating more wild 'feed' species directly could benefit our health while reducing aquaculture demand for finite marine resources.
Published Toxic metal particles can be present in cannabis vapes even before the first use, study finds
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Though vapes have been heralded as a 'safer' way to consume either nicotine or cannabis, they present their own suite of risks that are being revealed through increasing regulation. Now, scientists have discovered that nano-sized toxic metal particles can be present in cannabis vaping liquids even before any heating occurs, and the effect is worse in illicit products.
Published Is food waste the key to sustainable, plastic-free diapers and sanitary pads?
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Once thrown away, disposable diapers and sanitary pads can take hundreds of years to decompose, because they contain plastics and other synthetic polymers. But now, researchers are replacing these materials with components made from protein biomass that is often discarded. They are sustainable and biodegradable, and they could potentially allow future diapers and pads to be flushed down a toilet or used as fertilizer.
Published Molecular crystal motors move like microbes when exposed to light
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source At first glance, Rabih Al-Kaysi's molecular motors look like the microscopic worms you'd see in a drop of pond water. But these wriggling ribbons are not alive; they're made from crystallized molecules that perform coordinated movements when exposed to light. With continued development, these tiny machines could be used as drug-delivery robots or engineered into arrays that direct the flow of water around submarines.
Published Sustainable solution for wastewater polluted by dyes used in many industries
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Water pollution from dyes used in textile, food, cosmetic and other manufacturing is a major ecological concern with industry and scientists seeking biocompatible and more sustainable alternatives to protect the environment. A new study has discovered a novel way to degrade and potentially remove toxic organic chemicals including azo dyes from wastewater, using a chemical photocatalysis process powered by ultraviolet light.
Published There are large accumulations of plastics in the ocean, even outside so-called garbage patch
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source When plastic ends up in the ocean, it gradually weathers and disintegrates into small particles. If marine animals ingest these particles, their health can be severely affected. Large accumulations of plastic can therefore disrupt the biological balance of marine ecosystems. But which areas are particularly affected?
Published Dehydration is rampant among Florida farm workers, new study shows
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Nearly all farm workers who participated in a recent study in Florida were dehydrated at the end of their shifts, and more than half were still dehydrated the following morning.
Published Spectroscopy and theory shed light on excitons in semiconductors
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Researchers have made very fast and very precise images of excitons -- in fact, accurate to one quadrillionth of a second and one billionth of a meter. This understanding is essential for developing more efficient materials with organic semiconductors.
Published Fairy circles: Plant water stress causes Namibia's gaps in grass
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Namibia's legendary fairy circles are mysterious, circular, bald patches in the dry grasslands on the edge of the Namib Desert. Their formation has been researched for decades and has recently been the subject of much debate. With extensive fieldwork, researchers investigated how freshly germinated grass dies inside the fairy circle. Their results show that the grass withers due to a lack of water inside the fairy circle. The topsoil, comprised of the top 10 to 12 centimeters of the soil, acts as a kind of 'death zone' in which fresh grass cannot survive for long.