How simulations could help get PFAS out of soil
Michigan State University chemists are discovering new information to help remediate "forever chemicals" by showing for the first time how they interact with soil at the molecular level......»»
"Forever chemicals" blood tests in Belgium over polluted water
Belgium's southern Wallonia region pledged Tuesday to offer free blood tests for residents to measure their possible exposure to PFAS "forever chemicals" amid a scandal over polluted drinking water......»»
Using dust to bust crime scene DNA forensics
An airborne fraction of soil, or dust, contains biological and chemical "signatures" that act as a fingerprint to a specific location. Australian forensic science experts, led by Flinders University, have highlighted the usefulness of the latest tech.....»»
Earthworms are our friends—but they could make the climate crisis worse if we"re not careful
Earthworms are revered for the way they nourish healthy soils, and scientific evidence validates the affection gardeners feel for these industrious invertebrates. Nevertheless, research has shown that our soil-dwelling friends may be less benevolent.....»»
Converting PFAS "forever chemicals" into valuable compounds
Commonly known as "forever chemicals," PFAS are notorious for persisting in the environment and in our bodies. Osaka Metropolitan University chemists may put an end to the "forever" life of PFAS with their simple yet innovative technique that convert.....»»
Using bacteria to make lunar soil more fertile
A team of agronomists and biotechnicians at China Agricultural University has found that adding bacteria to simulated lunar regolith increased the amount of phosphate in the soil for use by plants. In their study, published in the journal Communicati.....»»
Forests with multiple tree species are 70% more effective as carbon sinks than monoculture forests, study finds
To slow the effects of climate change, conserve biodiversity, and meet the sustainable development goals, replanting trees is vital. Restored forests store carbon within the forest's soil, shrubs, and trees. Mixed forests are especially effective at.....»»
Single gene controls Corn Belt weed"s resistance to soil-applied herbicide, study finds
Waterhemp, the aggressive weed threatening Corn Belt crop production, is throwing curveballs once again, according to researchers at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign. The weed has famously developed resistance to not one or two, but seven.....»»
Study finds almost the same amount of carbon is sequestered in mineral soil and stems in heath forests
A recent study from the Natural Resources Institute Finland (Luke) examined the size of carbon stocks in heath forests and their distribution into different compartments of the forest ecosystem both above and below the ground level. The carbon flux m.....»»
New water-fertilizer strategy to achieve high yield of maize and resource use efficiency simultaneously
Water scarcity and low soil fertility are the main factors limiting crop production in semi-arid regions. One the other hand, excessive water resource input and large amount of fertilizer application not only lead to low water productivity and nitrog.....»»
Global analysis finds too much phosphorus in lakes, too little in the soil
Over-fertilized waterways, impoverished soils: the use of phosphorous in agriculture is creating a dilemma, and it all began thousands of years ago. This has been verified by an analysis published in Global and Planetary Change......»»
Detection of environmental PFAS by interrupted energy transfer
PFAS, a family of highly fluorinated substances, represent a danger for humans and the environment. Particularly problematic members of this family, such as perfluorooctane sulfonate (PFOS) and perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) appear to cause organ dama.....»»
Effects of integrated rice-crayfish farming on soil biodiversity and functions
Global food security is currently challenged by global changes, population expansion, and resource constrains. Integrated farming has been proposed as a sustainable approach to boost food production by taking advantage of the synergies between contra.....»»
Agronomists find green way to mitigate the effects of soil salinity
Most crops are sensitive to soil salinity. Excess salts cause salt stress—plants lack water, photosynthesis is suppressed, respiration worsens, chlorophyll breaks down, and potassium ions leak. Water-soluble toxic salts stimulate the synthesis of r.....»»
Analysis finds diversity on the smallest scales in sulfur-cycling salt marsh microbes
At the surface, salt marshes and their windswept grasses can look deceptively simple. But those marshes are teeming with biodiversity, from the insects and migrating birds in the air all the way down to the microbes that live in the soil. Scientists.....»»
Firsthand fieldwork: Getting mangroves into coastal models for better climate prediction
To better understand important dynamics at play in flood-prone coastal areas, Oak Ridge National Laboratory scientists working on simulations of Earth's carbon and nutrient cycles paid a visit to scientists gathering data in a Texas wetland. There, t.....»»
Biological fingerprints in soil show where diamond-containing ore is buried
Researchers have identified buried kimberlite, the rocky home of diamonds, by testing the DNA of microbes in the surface soil......»»
Adding crushed rock to farmland pulls carbon out of the air, field test shows
Adding crushed volcanic rock to cropland could play a key role in removing carbon from the air. In a field study, scientists at the University of California, Davis, and Cornell University found the technology stored carbon in the soil even during an.....»»
Using DNA metabarcoding to analyze soil organism composition change in crop rotation farmland
A research team led by Professor Toshihiko Eki of the Department of Applied Chemistry and Life Science, Toyohashi University of Technology and others used DNA metabarcoding to analyze changes in the composition of soil organisms associated with crop.....»»
Soil carried on sea freight loaded with dangerous pests and diseases: Study
Often introduced unintentionally by human activities, invasive alien species can outcompete and overwhelm native flora and fauna, driving species to the brink of extinction and disrupting the balance of ecosystems. Understanding why exactly they esta.....»»
Loss of plant biodiversity can reduce soil carbon sequestration in grasslands, suggests global study
One third of the global terrestrial carbon stock is stored in grasslands. A new global study implies that this stock may decrease as plant biodiversity is reduced, especially in warm and arid areas. The reason is that a species-poor vegetation seems.....»»