Scientists turn oily soil into fertile ground
Rice University scientists are cleaning soil contaminated by oil spills in a way that saves energy and reclaims the soil's fertility.
Examining the fate of Fukushima contaminants
An international research team reports results of a three-year study of sediment samples collected offshore from the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant in a new paper published August 18, 2015, in the American Chemical ...
Two major US aquifers contaminated by natural uranium
Nearly 2 million people throughout the Great Plains and California live above aquifer sites contaminated with natural uranium that is mobilized by human-contributed nitrate, according to a study from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln.
Zooplankton filmed eating bits of plastic trash
Making the biofuels process safer for microbes
A team of investigators at the University of Wisconsin-Madison and Michigan State University have created a process for making the work environment less toxic—literally—for the organisms that do the heavy lifting in the ...
Analysis shows elements not acting in nature as previously modeled
Knowing how a chemical in soil reacts and transforms over time in response to neighboring elements, weather and heat is essential in determining whether that chemical is hazardous. This is especially important when that chemical ...
Nanomaterials in sunscreens and boats leave marine life vulnerable
Nanomaterials commonly used in sunscreens and boat-bottom paints are making sea urchin embryos more vulnerable to toxins, according to a study from the University of California, Davis. The authors said this could pose a risk ...
Scientists question rush to build Nicaragua canal
A consortium of environmental scientists has expressed strong concern about the impact of a controversial Central American canal across Nicaragua.
Satellite images reveal ocean acidification from space
Pioneering techniques that use satellites to monitor ocean acidification are set to revolutionise the way that marine biologists and climate scientists study the ocean. This new approach, that will be published on the 17 ...