A new study by researchers at the Department of Environmental Science, Stockholm University, published in Science Advances, reveals that PFAS re-emit into the air from crashing ocean waves at levels comparable to or greater than other sources, establishing a cyclical transport process for these “forever chemicals” between land and sea. “The common belief is that per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances, PFAS, drain from the land into the oceans where they stay to be diluted into the deep oceans over the timescale…
The recycling industry is increasingly relying on laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy (LIBS) to identify reusable raw materials in waste streams. The Fraunhofer Institute for Laser Technology ILT in Aachen is playing a leading role in developing this highly precise technology for element analysis and is continuously expanding its range of applications. The transformation to a circular economy is in full swing. Recycling rates for raw materials such as paper or aluminum from packaging are already above 90 percent. In order to…
Organophosphorus flame retardants are a possible alternative to brominated flame retardants. However, comparative life cycle studies on this type of flame retardant are still lacking. The Fraunhofer Institute for Environmental, Energy and Safety Technology UMSICHT has now investigated the environmental impact of organophosphorus flame retardants compared to brominated flame retardants in plastic components such as charging plugs for electric cars or USB-C connectors for the first time in a comparative life cycle assessment commissioned by Clariant. Brominated flame retardants are…
A breakthrough in catalysis research leads to a new wall paint that cleans itself when exposed to sunlight and chemically breaks down air pollutants. Typically, beautiful white wall paint does not stay beautiful and white forever. Often, various substances from the air accumulate on its surface. This can be a desired effect because it makes the air cleaner for a while – but over time, the colour changes and needs to be renewed. Qaisar Maqbool and Günther Rupprechter. Credit: TU…
Biodiversity loss may accelerate ecosystem destabilization. What maintains stability within an ecosystem and prevents a single best competitor from displacing other species from a community? Does ecosystem stability depend upon the presence of a wide variety of species, as early ecologists believed, or does diversity do the exact opposite, and lead to instability, as modern theory predicts? Resolving a long-standing debate among ecologists A new study from McGill University and the Max Planck Institute and published recently in Science suggests…
There are large accumulations of plastics in the ocean, even outside so-called garbage patch. A UFZ study reveals microplastics in remote marine protected area. “Plastics in the ocean are a serious problem. Every year, millions of tonnes of plastics end up in the ocean via rivers and wind as well as from shipping and fishing – and it remains there. It is still difficult to assess the consequences for the ocean ecosystem”, says UFZ environmental chemist Prof Annika Jahnke, coordinator…
Research project “Integrated material, process and product development methodology for product life-cycle optimized mycelium-based packaging products as part of circular economy” (MycelCycle) launches | 1.3 Million Euro Funding from VolkswagenStiftung. Mycelium can help us avoid packaging waste It is easy to spot in mould with the naked eye: the fine mycelial network, which mostly grows hidden in the ground or in biomass. Mycelium possesses properties that can be very useful in avoiding environmentally harmful packaging waste. Scientists from the Universities…
Planting new coral in degraded reefs can lead to rapid recovery – with restored reefs growing as fast as healthy reefs after just four years, new research shows. Reefs worldwide are severely threatened by local and global pressures. In Indonesia, where the study was carried out, destructive blast fishing destroyed large reef areas 30-40 years ago – with no signs of recovery until now. The Mars Coral Reef Restoration Programme attempts to restore degraded reefs by transplanting coral fragments onto…
An international team of researchers has investigated the question of whether the chemical defenses of plants changes when they have established themselves in new geographical regions. Greenhouse experiments with populations of ribwort plantain from different countries and continents showed that introduced ribwort plantain populations exhibited higher chemical defenses when climatic factors of their habitat were taken into account, while their growth was not affected. The results refute common theories and demonstrate how difficult it is to formulate generally valid assumptions…
Innovative Monitoring Concept for the Eckernförde Bay Receives State Funding. Artificial intelligence will help improve the monitoring of the ecological condition of the Eckernförde Bay in the future. The linking and analysis of large data sets enable more precise forecasts and warnings, for example, of impending fish kills. A digital representation of the bay could also make it possible to test hypothetical scenarios and measures to improve the environmental condition in advance. For this innovative project, jointly developed by GEOMAR…
Process transforms glass fiber-reinforced plastic into silicon carbide. Glass fiber-reinforced plastic (GFRP), a strong and durable composite material, is widely used in everything from aircraft parts to windmill blades. Yet the very qualities that make it robust enough to be used in so many different applications make it difficult to dispose of ⎯ consequently, most GFRP waste is buried in a landfill once it reaches its end of life. According to a study published in Nature Sustainability, Rice University researchers and…
The Bayreuth plant ecologists Prof Dr Steven Higgins and Dr Timo Conradi argue in favour of interpreting the coming climatic changes from the perspective of plants in order to better assess the risks of climate change for ecosystems. If information on the physiological reactions of plant species to changing temperatures, soil water content and atmospheric CO2 concentrations is taken into account, the consequences of climate change for ecosystems can be better predicted. They report this in a recent article in…
More extreme rainfall in tropics with increased temperatures. Understanding cloud patterns in our changing climate is essential to making accurate predictions about their impact on society and nature. Scientists at the Institute of Science and Technology Austria (ISTA) and the Max Planck Institute for Meteorology published a new study in the journal Science Advances that uses a high-resolution global climate model to understand how the clustering of clouds and storms impacts rainfall extremes in the tropics. They show that with…
How does ocean alkalinity enhancement affect marine life? In a multi-week experiment starting today, scientists led by GEOMAR Helmholtz Centre for Ocean Research Kiel investigate if the addition of rock powder is able to help the ocean absorb carbon dioxide from the atmosphere and mitigate climate change. For this purpose, twelve enclosed test tanks are set up in the water in front of the Kiel Aquarium. With the help of controlled experiments, the researchers want to better assess what effects…
…increase significantly over high latitudes. Berkeley Lab scientists show decadal increases in wetland methane emissions in Arctic and Boreal ecosystems. Wetlands are Earth’s largest natural source of methane, a potent greenhouse gas that is about 30 times more powerful than carbon dioxide at warming the atmosphere. A research team from the Department of Energy’s Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (Berkeley Lab) analyzed wetland methane emissions data across the entire Boreal-Arctic region and found that these emissions have increased approximately nine percent…
Bacteria in the Arctic seabed are active all year round. Despite the pronounced seasonality in their habitat, the bacterial community in Arctic sediments is taxonomically and functionally very stable. The Arctic is cold and hostile to life, yet it is home to a large number of microorganisms whose activity has a significant impact on life on our planet. For example, bacteria in the seabed play a central role in processing the biomass of dead organisms, thereby transforming the contained carbon…
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