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Categories: Environmental: Water, Physics: General
Published US Clean Water Act leaves about 55% of water flowing out of rivers vulnerable to pollution



The Supreme Court ruled last year that rivers that only flow in response to weather events -- called ephemeral streams -- do not fall under the protection of the Clean Water Act. New research suggests that this now leaves many U.S. waterways vulnerable to pollution.
Published Climate change and sea level rise pose an acute challenge for cities with combined sewer systems



Older coastal cities, like Philadelphia, New York and Boston are at risk of being inundated by untreated sewage during floods. Due in part to the design of their combined sewer systems and in part due to sea level rise, these cities could be facing a growing public health crisis as climate change also drives more extreme precipitation. The group recently published research that modeled the potential extent of the problem in a section of the coastal city of Camden, New Jersey, and the effectiveness of one proposed intervention to help protect these communities.
Published Simple new process stores CO2 in concrete without compromising strength



By using carbonated -- rather than still -- water during the concrete manufacturing process, a team of engineers has discovered a new way to store carbon dioxide (CO2) in the ubiquitous construction material.
Published Understanding quantum states: New research shows importance of precise topography in solid neon qubits



A new study shows new insight into the quantum state that describes the condition of electrons on an electron-on-solid-neon quantum bit, information that can help engineers build this innovative technology.
Published Solar technology: Innovative light-harvesting system works very efficiently



Researchers are reporting progress on the road to more efficient utilization of solar energy: They have developed an innovative light-harvesting system.
Published Researchers address ocean paradox with 55 gallons of fluorescent dye



Researchers have directly measured cold, deep water upwelling via turbulent mixing along the slope of a submarine canyon in the Atlantic Ocean.
Published A chip-scale Titanium-sapphire laser



With a single leap from tabletop to the microscale, engineers have produced the world's first practical Titanium-sapphire laser on a chip, democratizing a once-exclusive technology.
Published Precision instrument bolsters efforts to find elusive dark energy



Dark energy -- a mysterious force pushing the universe apart at an ever-increasing rate -- was discovered 26 years ago, and ever since, scientists have been searching for a new and exotic particle causing the expansion. Physicists combined an optical lattice with an atom interferometer to hold atoms in place for up to 70 seconds -- a record for an atom interferometer -- allowing them to more precisely test for deviations from the accepted theory of gravity that could be caused by dark energy particles such as chameleons or symmetrons. Though they detected no anomalies, they're improving the experiment to perform more sensitive tests of gravity, including whether gravity is quantized.
Published A new study highlights potential of ultrafast laser processing for next-gen devices



A new study uncovers the remarkable potential of ultrafast lasers that could provide innovative solutions in 2D materials processing for many technology developers such as high-speed photodetectors, flexible electronics, biohybrids, and next-generation solar cells.
Published Some landfill 'burps' contain airborne PFAS



Many municipal landfills 'burp' gas from decomposing organic matter rather than letting it build up. And burps from buried waste containing per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) can release these 'forever chemicals' into the air, say researchers. Their study reports unexpectedly high levels of airborne PFAS at three landfills and demonstrates that vented gases and liquid by-products called leachates could transport similar amounts of these contaminants to the environment.
Published Small, adsorbent 'fins' collect humidity rather than swim through water



Clean, safe water is a limited resource and access to it depends on local bodies of water. But even dry regions have some water vapor in the air. To harvest small amounts of humidity, researchers developed a compact device with absorbent-coated fins that first trap moisture and then generate potable water when heated. They say the prototype could help meet growing demands for water, especially in arid locations.
Published Underwater mountains have a big impact on ocean circulation



Colossal undersea mountains, towering up to thousands of metres high, stir up deep sea currents: impacting how our ocean stores heat and carbon. An international team used numerical modelling to quantify how underwater turbulence around these mountains, called seamounts, influences ocean circulation; finding it is an important mechanism in ocean mixing and one that is missing from climate models used in policymaking.
Published Researchers discover new flat electronic bands, paving way for advanced quantum materials



Scientists predict the existence of flat electronic bands at the Fermi level, a finding that could enable new forms of quantum computing and electronic devices.
Published Novel application of optical tweezers: Colorfully showing molecular energy transfer



Using a novel non-contact approach, a research team has successfully controlled the speed and efficiency of Forster resonance energy transfer between fluorescent molecules by varying the intensity of a laser beam.
Published New study confirms forever chemicals are absorbed through human skin



A study of 17 commonly used synthetic 'forever chemicals' has shown that these toxic substances can readily be absorbed through human skin.
Published Carbon dioxide's heavy stamp on temperature: Doubling CO2 may mean 7 to 14 degree increase



A doubling of the amount of CO2 in the atmosphere could cause an increase in the average temperature on earth from 7 to even a maximum of 14 degrees. That is shown in the analysis of sediments from the Pacific Ocean off the coast of California.
Published Promise green hydrogen may not always be fulfilled



Green hydrogen often, but certainly not always, leads to CO2 gains.
Published Up to 30 percent more time: Climate change makes it harder for women to collect water, study finds



By 2050, climate change could increase the amount of time women in households without running water spend collecting water by up to 30 percent on global average, according to a new study. In regions of South America and Southeast Asia, the time spent collecting water could double due to higher temperatures. Scientists estimate the large welfare losses that could result from climate impacts and highlights how women are particularly vulnerable to changing future climate conditions.
Published Controlling electronics with light: The magnetite breakthrough



Researchers have discovered that by shining different wavelengths (colors) of light on a material called magnetite, they can change its state, e.g. making it more or less conducive to electricity. The discovery could lead to new ways of designing new materials for electronics such as memory storage, sensors, and other devices that rely on fast and efficient material responses.
Published Restoring the Great Salt Lake would have environmental justice as well as ecological benefits



Inland seas around the world are drying up due to increasing human water use and accelerating climate change, and their desiccation is releasing harmful dust that pollutes the surrounding areas during acute dust storms. Using the Great Salt Lake in Utah as a case study, researchers show that dust exposure was highest among Pacific Islanders and Hispanic people and lower in white people compared to all other racial/ethnic groups, and higher for individuals without a high school diploma. Restoring the lake would benefit everyone in the vicinity by reducing dust exposure, and it would also decrease the disparities in exposure between different racial/ethnic and socioeconomic groups.