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......»»
Computer simulations suggest more than half of people on Earth have limited access to safe drinking water
A multi-institutional team of environmental scientists has built a computer simulation showing that more than half of all people globally have limited access to safe drinking water. The findings are published in the journal Science......»»
New research shows agricultural impacts on soil microbiome and fungal communities
New research from Smithsonian's Bird Friendly Coffee program highlights a type of biodiversity that often gets overlooked: soil bacteria and fungal communities. For over twenty years, Smithsonian research has shown that coffee farms with shade trees.....»»
Massachusetts governor signs law phasing out toxic PFAS in firefighters" gear
Massachusetts Gov. Maura Healey signed into law Thursday a bill that would phase out the use of PFAS, a group of toxic industrial compounds, in firefighters' protective gear......»»
Soundscape study shows how underground acoustics can amplify soil health
Barely audible to human ears, healthy soils produce a cacophony of sounds in many forms—a bit like an underground rave concert of bubble pops and clicks......»»
Surprise finding in study of environmental bacteria could advance search for better antibiotics
In what they labeled a "surprising" finding, Johns Hopkins Medicine researchers studying bacteria from freshwater lakes and soil say they have determined a protein's essential role in maintaining the germ's shape. Because the integrity of a bacterial.....»»
Rising mercury pollution in soil could be related to climate change, study suggests
In 2017, the Minamata Convention on Mercury went into effect, designed to help curb mercury emissions and limit exposure across the globe. However, a new study of mercury levels in soil suggests that the treaty's provisions might not be enough. A stu.....»»
A water tracer tool to understand the role of lateral flow in hydrologic simulations
Lateral water movement from ridges to valleys plays a key role in organizing water and energy at the watershed scale. But it has long been neglected in traditional land models......»»
New model framework aims to predict postfire debris flow behavior before a fire occurs
New research from a team at Los Alamos National Laboratory is improving landslide prediction capabilities, making simulations faster and more accurate, which in turn will improve safety for communities that are at risk of their infrastructure being w.....»»
High nitrogen input promotes the redistribution of new organic carbon to deeper soil layers
Exogenous reactive nitrogen input has a profound effect on the carbon cycle of terrestrial ecosystems. Most current research on soil organic carbon (SOC) dynamics in relation to nitrogen input has focused predominantly on the surface soil layers. How.....»»
The link between fuzzy images and quantum fields
Mathematical solutions to thorny quantum problems can be found more quickly by exploiting the correspondence between the statistical methods used in deep learning and techniques for implementing quantum simulations, a team led by a RIKEN researcher h.....»»
Unlocking the secrets of salt stress tolerance in wild tomatoes
As our climate changes and soil salinity increases in many agricultural areas, finding crops that can thrive in these challenging conditions is crucial. Cultivated tomatoes, while delicious, often struggle in salty soils. Their wild cousins, however,.....»»
Chang"e 6 brought rocks from the far side of the moon back to Earth—what this sample could hold
China achieved a historic feat by bringing back the first-ever sample from the lunar far side in June 2024. It's moon lander, Chang'e 6, used a robotic scoop and drill to collect approximately 5 pounds (2 kilograms) of rocks and soil. These samples c.....»»
Nanomaterials may enhance plant tolerance to high soil salt levels
Soil salt concentrations above the optimal threshold for plant growth can threaten global food security by compromising agricultural productivity and crop quality. An analysis published in Physiologia Plantarum has examined the potential of nanomater.....»»
Ancient poppy seeds and willow wood offer clues to the Greenland ice sheet"s last meltdown
As we focused our microscope on the soil sample for the first time, bits of organic material came into view: a tiny poppy seed, the compound eye of an insect, broken willow twigs and spikemoss spores. Dark-colored spheres produced by soil fungi domin.....»»
Researchers use vibrations from traffic to measure underground soil moisture
Caltech researchers have developed a new method to measure soil moisture in the shallow subterranean region between the surface and underground aquifers. This region, called the vadose zone, is crucial for plants and crops to obtain water through the.....»»
More microbes found that break down the carbon-fluorine bonds found in some unsaturated PFAS
A team of chemical and environmental engineers at the University of California Riverside, working with colleagues from the University of California Los Angeles, has found a class of microbes that consume PFAS in the environment and sever some of the.....»»
Predicting soil liquefaction risk using artificial intelligence
Soil liquefaction that results in infrastructure damage has long been a point of contention for urban planners and engineers. Accurately predicting the soil liquefaction risk of a region could help overcome this challenge......»»
Researchers discover graphene flakes in lunar soil sample
A study, published in National Science Review, reveals the existence of naturally formed few-layer graphene, a substance consisting of carbon atoms in a special, thin-layered structure......»»
A nose for earthy notes: Human odorant receptor for geosmin identified for the first time
Geosmin is a volatile compound of microbial origin with a distinct "earthy" to "musty" odor that can affect the quality of water and food. It is responsible for the typical odor that occurs when rain falls on dry soil. This odorant is produced by mic.....»»
PFAS found in nearly all fish tested from four northern Illinois rivers
Scientists tested nine fish species from four northern Illinois rivers for contamination with per- or polyfluoroalkyl substances, synthetic chemicals found in numerous industrial and commercial products and known to be harmful to human health. They f.....»»