Analysis indicates ingested microplastics migrate into whales’ fat and organs. Microscopic plastic particles have been found in the fats and lungs of two-thirds of the marine mammals in a graduate student’s study of ocean microplastics. The presence of polymer particles and fibers in these animals suggests that microplastics can travel out of the digestive tract and lodge in the tissues. The study, slated for the Oct. 15 edition of Environmental Pollution, appeared online this week. Harms that embedded microplastics might…
…under threat from climate change. Novel approach to measuring microbe activity in wetted soil leads to better understanding of vulnerability, researchers report. Using a novel method to detect microbial activity in biological soil crusts, or biocrusts, after they are wetted, a Penn State-led research team in a new study uncovered clues that will lead to a better understanding of the role microbes play in forming a living skin over many semi-arid ecosystems around the world. The tiny organisms — and…
In the 1980s, the Elbe estuary had largely lost its function as an estuarine filter due to heavy metal pollution. After decades, the estuary was able to recover from this, as a team led by doctoral student Louise Rewrie from the Helmholtz-Zentrum Hereon has discovered by measuring carbon and other parameters. Only in the last few years have biogeochemical processes in the Elbe River Estuary resumed naturally. The results recently appeared in the journal Limnology and Oceanography. River estuaries can…
Nitrous oxide has a much stronger effect on the climate than carbon dioxide. Soils, peatlands and rivers are potential nitrous oxide sources. However, when, where and how much nitrous oxide is emitted into the air has not yet been sufficiently researched. A team led by Gesa Schulz, a doctoral student at the Helmholtz-Zentrum Hereon, has now studied nitrous oxide production in the Elbe estuary in greater detail and discovered real hotspots. The results, which were recently published in the journal…
…could increase the resilience of Southern California’s urban beaches to sea level rise. Over the last several years, the residents of Santa Monica, a coastal city on the edge of Los Angeles, saw something neither they, their parents, or perhaps even their grandparents had ever seen before: a three-foot-tall dune system rising gently from the flat, groomed expanse of one of the world’s most famous urban beaches. It’s a six year alliance between sand, wind and vegetation, and, according to…
Can biosurfactants increase microbiological oil degradation in North Sea seawater? An international research team from the universities of Stuttgart und Tübingen, together with the China West Normal University and the University of Georgia, have been exploring this question and the results have revealed the potential for a more effective and environmentally friendly oil spill response. Oil leaks into the oceans are estimated at approximately 1500 million liters annually worldwide. This leads to globally significant environmental pollution, as oil contains hazardous…
German-Indonesian research team identifies new rock-like compounds from plastic waste and coral rubble for the first time. Plastic waste is a problem on our beaches. Hence, it is largely removed in a coordinated manner within a few weeks. However, it can litter other coasts of the world for many months to years due to unregulated waste disposal. Often the garbage on the beach is simply burned and a special form of plastic waste is created: so-called plastiglomerate. This “rock” is…
How can this be done? Rare-earth elements (REEs) are found in smartphones, plasma screens and even artificial joints. As components of wind turbines or electric motors, they play an important role in the production of clean energy. The battle for these valuable resources is already in full swing. In the scientific journal Nature, researchers from Germany, China and the USA show new ways to get a circular economy for REEs off the ground. Raimund Bleischwitz, an expert in circular economy…
Researchers at Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia – IIT and University of Milan-Bicocca have demonstrated the efficacy of a natural substance in protecting coral from the damage caused by climate change. Researchers at Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia (Italian Institute of Technology – IIT) and Università degli Studi di Milano-Bicocca (University of Milan-Bicocca), in cooperation with Acquario di Genova (Genoa Aquarium) in Italy, have recently published a study in ACS Applied Materials and Interfaces, which demonstrates the efficacy of curcumin, a natural…
Research team led by Göttingen University compares form and function of island and mainland plants. Oceanic islands provide useful models for ecology, biogeography and evolutionary research. Many ground-breaking findings – including Darwin’s theory of evolution – have emerged from the study of species on islands and their interplay with their living and non-living environment. Now, an international research team led by the University of Göttingen has investigated the flora of the Canary Island of Tenerife. The results were surprising: the…
Seasonal temperature fluctuations only have an indirect influence on the bacterial community in wastewater / study published in ‘Water Research’. The community of microbial predators influences the composition of the bacterial community in wastewater. This explains seasonal variations in the microbial community that affect the efficiency of water treatment. This is the result of a study conducted by Nils Heck and PD Dr Kenneth Dumack from the University of Cologne’s Institute of Zoology. The study has been published under the…
Researchers at the Paul Scherrer Institute PSI and ETH Zurich have performed calculations to work out how air traffic could become climate-neutral by 2050. They conclude that simply replacing fossil aviation fuel with sustainable synthetic fuels will not be enough. Air traffic would also have to be reduced. The researchers are publishing their results today in the journal Nature Communications. The European Union aims to be climate neutral by 2050, a target that was set by the European Parliament in…
Sulphuric acid is the world’s most used chemical. It is an important reagent used in many industries and it is used in the manufacture of everything from paper, pharmaceuticals and cosmetics to batteries, detergents and fertilisers. It is therefore a worldwide challenge that sulphuric acid often contains one of the most toxic substances – mercury. Researchers at Chalmers University of Technology, Sweden, have now developed a method that can reduce the levels of mercury in sulphuric acid by more than…
Prof. Dr. Christoph Helbig, Chair of Ecological Resource Technology at the University of Bayreuth, is investigating framework conditions and measures for the circular economy on an international level in his latest project, using the example of electronics and electric vehicle batteries. The goal is to come up with concrete proposals for a more efficient and environmentally friendly circular economy. Together with the Fraunhofer Institute for Systems and Innovation Research and partner universities in Turkey, Taiwan, Japan and Thailand, Prof. Dr….
In a new study, marine biologist Carolin Müller of the Leibniz Centre for Tropical Marine Research (ZMT) demonstrates the ingestion of microplastic particles by juvenile sea bream. She also investigated which environmental factors determine whether the young stages of the fish ingest the plastic. Nearshore ecosystems, such as lagoons and river estuaries, are important nurseries for a variety of commercially important fish species. In the seagrass beds of the lagoons, the fish find shelter and food and thus ideal conditions…
Syracuse University and Texas A&M researchers use computer modeling to find out the sources of salinization and alkalinization in U.S. watersheds. From protecting biodiversity to ensuring the safety of drinking water, the biochemical makeup of rivers and streams around the United States is critical for human and environmental welfare. Studies have found that human activity and urbanization are driving salinization (increased salt content) of freshwater sources across the country. In excess, salinity can make water undrinkable, increase the cost of…
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