Forgotten oil and gas wells linger, leaking toxic chemicals
Rusted pipes litter the sandy fields of Ashley Williams Watt's cattle ranch in windswept West Texas. The corroded skeletons are all that remain of hundreds of abandoned oil wells that were drilled long before her family owned the land. The wells, una.....»»
Superfund plan for Columbia River sparks debate in Northwest
It would create one of the largest Superfund sites in America and the first in which most of the toxic pollution comes from another country. But those are not the only unique aspects of an EPA proposal to add the upper reaches of the Columbia River i.....»»
Searching for "Forever Chemicals" From an Endless Landfill Fire
Alabama residents are considering blood or urine tests to see if “forever chemicals” have resulted from a nearby landfill fire that has burned since 2022......»»
New study suggests we"re likely underestimating the future impact of PFAS in the environment
Per-and poly-fluoroalkyl substances—commonly known as PFAS—are a group of over 14,000 human-made chemicals that have been popular since the 1950s for their diverse skills in resisting heat, water, grease and stains......»»
Tiny cracks in rocks may have concentrated chemicals needed for life
The gentle flow of warm fluids could have given pre-life chemistry a boost. Enlarge / Active geology could have helped purify key chemicals needed for life. (credit: Christof B. Mast) In some ways, the origin of life is.....»»
Textiles and food packaging biggest source of PFAS in Yangtze River
The first study of toxic "forever chemicals" along the full length of Asia's longest river, the Yangtze, has found 13 different types of PFAS, nearly half of them coming from textile treatments and food packaging......»»
The omnipresence of PFAS—and what we can do about them
Per- and poly-fluoroalkyl substances (PFAS)—also known as "forever chemicals"—are everywhere. Created in the 1940s, these synthetic compounds are an unseen ingredient in many items that we use in our daily lives, like cleaning products, food pack.....»»
Water-based paints: Less stinky, but some still contain potentially hazardous chemicals
Choosing paint for your home brings a lot of options: What kind of paint, what type of finish and what color? Water-based paints have emerged as "greener" and less smelly than solvent-based options. And they are often advertised as containing little-.....»»
Researchers discover corn reduces arsenic toxicity in soil
When crops grow in arsenic-contaminated soil, this toxic element accumulates in the food chain. A study involving the University of Basel has now discovered a mechanism used by corn plants to reduce arsenic uptake: the key factor is a special substan.....»»
Engineers "symphonize" cleaner ammonia production
Among the many chemicals we use every day, ammonia is one of the worst for the atmosphere. The nitrogen-based chemical used in fertilizer, dyes, explosives and many other products ranks second only to cement in terms of carbon emissions, due to the h.....»»
Easily observing environmental pollution-causing harmful substances through a mobile phone camera
DGIST's Physics and Chemistry Professor Park Jin-hee and her research team have developed a technology that allows easy detection of hazardous chemicals. Allowing one to detect harmful substances by analyzing color changes using a mobile phone camera.....»»
Constructing "on-gel" alveolar organoids as a new screening platform
A study led by Professor Shimpei Gotoh (Department of Clinical Application), introduces a new culturing method to generate alveolar organoids suitable for medium- and high-throughput screening and identified several chemicals with synergistic effects.....»»
Apple sues former iOS engineer for leaking Journal app, Vision Pro details, and more
Apple has filed a lawsuit against Andrew Aude, a former iOS Software Engineer, accusing him of leaking “information about more than a half-dozen different Apple policies and products.” The leaks included details about Apple’s then-unreleased Jo.....»»
Apple sues ex employee over iOS Journal app leaks
Apple has filed a lawsuit against a former employee, accusing the ex-iOS software engineer of breaching confidentiality agreements by leaking details of the Journal app before its launch.Gavel in a courtroomThe lawsuit, filed in the Superior Court of.....»»
Researchers discover key gene for toxic alkaloid in barley
All plants mediate their environmental interactions via chemical signals. An example is the alkaloid gramine produced by barley, one of the world's most widely-grown cereals. Gramine provides protection against herbivorous insects and grazing animals.....»»
Europe"s forgotten forests could be 21st century "biodiversity hot spots"
An overlooked and long-neglected type of forest has vast capacity to rebound, enhancing species diversity and resilience to climate change, according to an international team of forest scientists......»»
Yet another sealed 4GB original iPhone brings in over $100,000 at auction
It's time to rummage through your closets and desk drawers for forgotten tech as another iPhone with 4GB of storage sold at an auction for over $130,000.Image Credit: LCG AuctionsIn mid-March, a 4GB original-release iPhone hit the auction block at LC.....»»
Scientists develop catalyst designed to make ammonia production more sustainable
Ammonia is one of the most widely produced chemicals in the world, and is used in a great many manufacturing and service industries. The conventional production technology is the Haber-Bosch process, which combines nitrogen gas (N2) and hydrogen gas.....»»
Yeast uses plastic waste oils to make high-value chemicals
Polyolefins are a type of plastic that is resistant to breaking down. This makes this plastic—a kind found in everything from grocery bags to car bumpers—hard to recycle. In a new study, scientists have discovered a potential solution, the yeast.....»»
Researchers find evidence of 68 "forever chemicals" in food packaging around the world
A team of environmental scientists with the Food Packaging Forum Foundation, based in Zürich, has found evidence of 68 "forever chemicals" in food packaging used around the world. For their study, published in the journal Environmental Science & Tec.....»»
Cleaning up environmental contaminants with quantum dot technology
The 2023 Nobel Prize in Chemistry was focused on quantum dots—objects so tiny, they're controlled by the strange and complex rules of quantum physics. Many quantum dots used in electronics are made from toxic substances, but their nontoxic counterp.....»»