Imagine living near a chemical plant. You might think the biggest worry is the main chemical being made, but what about the hidden byproducts? Scientists found something surprising near a plant that makes tetrabromobisphenol A, or TBBPA for short. They discovered new pollutants that aren't usually looked for. These pollutants are created when TBBPA breaks down or cha...
So, you might be thinking, "What's the big deal with soil and dust? " Well, it turns out that these everyday substances can harbor some serious health risks. We're talking about emerging organic contaminants, which are increasingly popping up in our environment. These contaminants come from various sources, and they can make their way into our homes and backyards. Y...
Lead, a notorious heavy metal, is a major troublemaker. It can wreak havoc on both our environment and our health. So, how do we catch this sneaky metal? Scientists have come up with a clever way to detect lead ions (Pb2+) using something called a DNA aptamer and a dye called crystal violet. This method is like a super-sleuth detective, able to spot lead eve...
Imagine this: a world where filters for cleaning our air and water are not just effective, but also eco-friendly. Sounds like a dream, right? Well, scientists have been working on making this dream a reality. They've discovered a way to use silk nanofibrils (SNFs) to create filters that can tackle both water and air pollution. These filters are not only good at their...
In the quiet town of Avellaneda, Argentina, the Sarandi Canal painted the sleepy street into a dramatic red canvas on a recent Thursday morning. Locals woke up to the foul smell. Some say the canal looked stained, as if "covered in blood". Maria Ducomls, a local resident, said it was shocking to witness a river "all red. " The red canal caused an uproar in Avellan...
Microplastics are everywhere. In the water we drink, the food we eat, and even in our bodies. A 14-year-old discovered something alarming related to these tiny particles during a science project. She wondered what microplastics might do to our immune cells, so she did an experiment. It was discovered that her hypothesis was correct. This young scientist, with the he...
Water treatment is a big deal. It's even more challenging when dealing with waste from burning trash and sewage. These wastes produce a nasty mix of chemicals and pollutants. We are talking about stuff like chlorine and organic pollutants. This stuff is hard to get rid of. Researchers have found a clever way to clean up this mess. They use something cal...
Hematite, a common mineral, isn't perfect. It has defects that can be created by using a chemical called sodium borohydride. These defects are like tiny holes in the mineral's structure. Scientists have found these defects can be very helpful in trapping harmful arsenic. Arsenic is a nasty poison that can sneak into water and soil. It's a big problem in some parts of...
Coral reefs, the underwater cities of the ocean, are facing a sneaky threat: microplastics. These tiny plastic particles, less than 5 millimeters in size, are becoming increasingly common in our seas. Scientists wanted to figure out how different amounts of these microplastics affect reef-building corals. They chose two coral species, Stylophora pistillata and Pocill...
In the bustling world of the G7 nations, a complex dance is happening between inflation, government spending, energy use, and pollution. This study, spanning from 1975 to 2022, looked into how these factors influence each other using a model called PLSTRVAR. The results? Inflation and government spending are indeed affecting pollution levels. But here's a twist: unli...