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Categories: Energy: Batteries, Geoscience: Geochemistry
Published Much more than a world first image of radioactive cesium atoms
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Thirteen years after the nuclear disaster at the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant (FDNPP), a breakthrough in analysis has permitted a world first: direct imaging of radioactive cesium (Cs) atoms in environmental samples.
Published Green concrete recycling twice the coal ash is built to last
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source New modelling reveals that low-carbon concrete can recycle double the amount of coal ash compared to current standards, halve the amount of cement required and perform exceptionally well over time.
Published Polyglycerol coating: A breakthrough in safer nanoparticle environmental remediation
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Engineered nanoparticles (NPs), commonly utilized in environmental remediation, can pose significant toxicity risks upon ingestion by organisms. Researchers have now devised a solution to this challenge by creating a hydrophilic coating, utilizing polyglycerol (PG) functionalization, for NPs. This coating effectively prevents NP aggregation inside organisms' bodies and facilitates easier passage, thereby reducing accumulation. Applicable to various NPs, the novel surface functionalization approach holds promise for addressing concerns about NP toxicity in environmental remediation.
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 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 Scientists develop an affordable sensor for lead contamination
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source A new system could enable simple, low-cost detectors for monitoring water for lead contamination, and potentially other heavy metals as well.
Published Transforming waste carbon dioxide into high-value chemicals with a cost reduction of about 30%
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source A team of scientists has developed a novel technique to convert carbon dioxide (CO2) from treated flue gas directly into high-value chemicals and fuels. This innovation sidesteps the conventional approach of using high-purity CO2 for electrochemical reduction processes, achieving significant cost savings of about 30%.
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 Avocado pruning residues used to produce more sustainable food packaging
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source A prototype of a more durable material increases the biodegradability of food packaging, partially replacing its bioplastic with cellulose fibers extracted from the branches and leaves of the avocado tree.
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 Today's world: Fastest rate of carbon dioxide rise over the last 50,000 years
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Today's rate of atmospheric carbon dioxide increase is 10 times faster than at any other point in the past 50,000 years, researchers have found through a detailed chemical analysis of ancient Antarctic ice.
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 Clues from deep magma reservoirs could improve volcanic eruption forecasts
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source New research into molten rock 20km below the Earth's surface could help save lives by improving the prediction of volcanic activity.
Published Scientists unlock key to breeding 'carbon gobbling' plants with a major appetite
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source The discovery of how a critical enzyme 'hidden in nature's blueprint' works sheds new light on how cells control key processes in carbon fixation, a process fundamental for life on Earth. The discovery could help engineer climate resilient crops capable of sucking carbon dioxide from the atmosphere more efficiently, helping to produce more food in the process.
Published New light shed on carboxysomes in key discovery that could boost photosynthesis
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source A research team has discovered how carboxysomes, carbon-fixing structures found in some bacteria and algae, work. The breakthrough could help scientists redesign and repurpose the structures to enable plants to convert sunlight into more energy, paving the way for improved photosynthesis efficiency, potentially increasing the global food supply and mitigating global warming.
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 Improved wildfire smoke model identifies areas for public health intervention
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source The Canadian wildfires of June 2023 exposed a large portion of the Northeastern United States to unprecedented levels of smoke. A new model that combines wildfire smoke forecasts and data from ground-based sensors may help public health officials plan targeted interventions in areas most at risk for the negative health effects of unexpected smoke events and air pollution, according to scientists.
Published New Rhizobia-diatom symbiosis solves long-standing marine mystery
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Scientists have discovered a new partnership between a marine diatom and a bacterium that can account for a large share of nitrogen fixation in vast regions of the ocean. The newly-discovered bacterial symbiont is closely related to the nitrogen-fixing Rhizobia which live in partnership with many crop plants and may open up new avenues to engineer nitrogen-fixing plants.