STEW

May 01 2026SCIENCE

Wastewater Reveals What People Eat and Drink

Scientists have found a new way to learn about the habits of city residents by looking at their sewage. The technique, called wastewater‑based epidemiology, usually tracks drug use but now also measures food and drink markers. A fresh laboratory test can spot more than 40 different substances in raw

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Apr 28 2026SCIENCE

Balancing the Wastewater Equation: A Smarter Way to Treat Water

Cleaning wastewater efficiently is tricky, especially when dealing with low levels of ammonia. Traditional methods struggle because harmful bacteria called nitrite-oxidizing bacteria (NOB) keep growing and messing up the process. This new approach flips the script by using a smarter loading strategy

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Apr 27 2026SCIENCE

Micelles Turn the Tables on Tough Copper‑Phosphate Waste

A big problem in factories is that copper mixed with phosphate chemicals sticks together so tightly it resists usual cleaning methods. The new trick uses a soap‑like molecule called CTAB that forms tiny bubbles in water. Inside these bubbles the copper‑phosphate is pulled close to iron and a powerfu

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Apr 16 2026ENVIRONMENT

How Clean is Clean Enough? Bacteria and Our Rivers

Nothing we flush ever really disappears. Most of it ends up in a treatment plant where armies of bacteria quietly get to work, breaking down what we send down the pipes. In cities with advanced systems like the A2O process, wastewater passes through three stages—first without oxygen, then with limit

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Apr 15 2026POLITICS

Chapin Limits New Homes to Protect Its Sewage System

The mayor of Chapin, South Carolina, announced that the town will no longer grant wastewater permits for residential projects with more than nine houses. This decision is part of a plan to pause rapid growth until the local treatment plant can be enlarged. The town’s sewage facility is already clos

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Apr 03 2026ENVIRONMENT

Gardening: A Journey Through Time, Science and Community

When people step into a garden, they often see only flowers and vegetables. Yet behind every sprout lies a story of discovery that stretches back to ancient times. Early humans experimented with plants, learning which could feed them or heal wounds. This trial‑and‑error period was not painless; man

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Mar 07 2026HEALTH

Hidden Virus Hits West Coast, Experts Sound Alarm

A new virus that many people are unaware of is spreading fast along the West Coast. Scientists use wastewater samples to track how common it is in communities, and recent data show that the human metapneumovirus (HMPV) is present in cities such as San Francisco, Sacramento and Davis. The virus reach

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Mar 03 2026SCIENCE

Clean Water with Tiny Carbon Balls

Carbon quantum dots, or CQDs, are like tiny solar panels that can clean polluted water. They work because their surfaces can be tweaked, and they separate electric charges very well. Scientists have shown that these dots can break down nasty chemicals such as antibiotics, dyes, and phenols with high

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Feb 08 2026ENVIRONMENT

Volunteer Clean‑Up Turns Forest Fresh

Paragraph 1. A big group of local people came together to tidy up a huge national forest, showing how community effort can protect nature for the future. Paragraph 2. The event was organized with help from a local environmental club and the U. S. Forest Service, bringing together volunteers

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Feb 07 2026CELEBRITIES

Martha Stewart Looks for Love While Covering the 2026 Winter Games

Martha Stewart will travel to Italy for the 2026 Winter Olympics. She is going with her friend Snoop Dogg, who will be a reporter there too. While she is in Milan, she told a magazine that she hopes to meet someone special. Milan is described as “a very sexy city. ” She said, “I’m waitin

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