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Categories: Energy: Batteries, Environmental: Water
Published How pollution may remain in water after oil spill cleanups
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source The way oil drops break up at the water's surface means some oil may not get cleaned up after a spill.
Published Solar farms with stormwater controls mitigate runoff, erosion, study finds
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source As the number of major utility-scale ground solar panel installations grows, concerns about their impacts on natural hydrologic processes also have grown. However, a new study by Penn State researchers suggests that excess runoff or increased erosion can be easily mitigated -- if these 'solar farms' are properly built.
Published Rural belts around cities can reduce urban summer temperatures by up to 0.5°C
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source The key to cooling 'urban heat islands' may lie in the countryside, according to a new study.
Published Novel electrode for improving flowless zinc-bromine battery
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source The flowless zinc-bromine battery (FLZBB) is a promising alternative to flammable lithium-ion batteries due to its use of non-flammable electrolytes. However, it suffers from self-discharge due to the crossover of active materials, generated at the positive graphite felt (GF) electrode, to the negative electrode, significantly affecting performance. Now, researchers have developed a novel nitrogen-doped mesoporous carbon-coated GF electrode that effectively suppresses self-discharge. This breakthrough can lead to practical applications of FLZBB in energy storage systems.
Published Microbes found to destroy certain 'forever chemicals'
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source An environmental engineering team has discovered that specific bacterial species can cleave the strong fluorine-to-carbon bond certain kinds of 'forever chemical' water pollutants, offering promise for low-cost treatments of contaminated drinking water.
Published Diatom surprise could rewrite the global carbon cycle
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source When it comes to diatoms that live in the ocean, new research suggests that photosynthesis is not the only strategy for accumulating carbon. Instead, these single-celled plankton are also building biomass by feeding directly on organic carbon in wide swaths of the ocean. These new findings could lead to reduced estimates regarding how much carbon dioxide diatoms pull out of the air via photosynthesis, which in turn, could alter our understanding of the global carbon cycle, which is especially relevant given the changing climate.
Published Aussie innovation spearheads cheaper seafloor test for offshore wind farms
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Australian engineers have unveiled a clever new device -- based on a modified speargun -- as a cheap and efficient way to test seabed soil when designing offshore wind farms.
Published Completely stretchy lithium-ion battery for flexible electronics
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source When you think of a battery, you probably don't think stretchy. But batteries will need this shape-shifting quality to be incorporated into flexible electronics, which are gaining traction for wearable health monitors. Now, researchers report a lithium-ion battery with entirely stretchable components, including an electrolyte layer that can expand by 5000%, and it retains its charge storage capacity after nearly 70 charge/discharge cycles.
Published Smart soil can water and feed itself
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source A newly engineered type of soil can capture water out of thin air to keep plants hydrated and manage controlled release of fertilizer for a constant supply of nutrients.
Published Microplastic pollution increases sea foam height and stability
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Researchers examine the specific impacts of microplastics on the geophysics of sea foam formation in the critical zone where water meets air in the top layer of the ocean. They devised two simulations for their work -- a column filled with sea water injected with air and a laboratory-scale breaking wave channel to test the impacts of wave height on sea foam in the surface microlayer -- and tested their effects on sea foam formation, stability, and duration.
Published Weather experts discover new effect of storm -- in a teacup
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source A new study reveals that Storm Ciaran cut an invisible path of mayhem across southern Britain last autumn, destroying any possibility that 20 million people could have a proper cup of tea at breakfast. The storm's record-breaking low pressure meant the boiling point of water was below the crucial 100 degrees Celsius required for a decent cuppa.
Published Additional taxes vs. water quotas: Study compares the most effective system to manage water consumption in agriculture
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source A new study finds that the proportional allocation of water, and not additional taxes on the resource, is more effective from the point of view of those engaged in agriculture.
Published Making rechargeable batteries more sustainable with fully recyclable components
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Rechargeable solid-state lithium batteries are an emerging technology that could someday power cell phones and laptops for days with a single charge. Offering significantly enhanced energy density, they are a safer alternative to the flammable lithium-ion batteries currently used in consumer electronics -- but they are not environmentally friendly. Current recycling methods focus on the limited recovery of metals contained within the cathodes, while everything else goes to waste.
Published Producing hydrogen and fertilizer at the same time
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source This new concept could allow the needs of previously separate industries to be combined: the production of hydrogen and the production of fertilizer.
Published Loss of oxygen in lakes and oceans a major threat to ecosystems, society, and planet
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Oxygen is a fundamental requirement of life, and the loss of oxygen in water, referred to as aquatic deoxygenation, is a threat to life at all levels. In fact, researchers describe how ongoing deoxygenation presents a major threat to the stability of the planet as a whole.
Published Study examines urban forests across the United States
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Tree-planting campaigns have been underway in the United States, especially in cities, as part of climate mitigation efforts given the many environmental benefits of urban forests. But a new study finds that some areas within urban forests in the U.S., may be more capable than trees growing around city home lawns in adapting to a warmer climate.
Published High and low tide cause low and high methane fluxes
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Methane, a strong greenhouse gas that naturally escapes from the bottom of the North Sea, is affected by the pressure of high or low tide. Methane emissions from the seafloor can be just easily three times as much or as little, depending on the tide, according to a new study.
Published Scientists call for 'major initiative' to study whether geoengineering should be used on glaciers
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Scientists have released a landmark report on glacial geoengineering -- an emerging field studying whether technology could halt the melting of glaciers and ice sheets as climate change progresses.
Published New solutions to keep drinking water safe as pesticide use skyrockets worldwide
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Water scientists have proposed a more effective method of removing organic pesticides from drinking water, reducing the risk of contamination and potential health problems.
Published Targeted home systems to remove PFAS more cost-effective than system-wide solutions
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source PFAS, the potentially cancer-causing chemicals known as 'forever chemicals', have become an increasing concern in home drinking water. Solutions to reduce the risk of exposure range from mandated municipal-level water treatment to under-the-sink home treatment systems. But are consumers willing to foot the bill for an additional treatment system to help municipalities meet new federal drinking water regulations? Researchers found that they are, if it helps reduce the risk and fits their budget.