New Zealand to ban "forever chemicals" in make-up
New Zealand is set to become one of the first countries to ban harmful "forever chemicals" from cosmetic products, environment watchdogs said Wednesday......»»
Room-temperature defluorination method uses light to clean up forever chemicals
Perfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), nicknamed "forever chemicals," pose a growing environmental and health threat. Since the invention of Teflon in 1938, PFAS and perfluorinated polymers or PFs have been widely used for their exceptional stability and.....»»
Electrothermal mineralization process offers more environmentally friendly, cost-effective method for soil remediation
Rice University chemist James Tour has led a research team to develop a rapid electrothermal mineralization (REM) process, which in seconds can remediate the accumulation of synthetic chemicals that can contaminate soil and the environment. The study.....»»
"New El Niño" discovered south of the equator
A small area of the southwestern Pacific Ocean, near New Zealand and Australia, can trigger temperature changes that affect the entire Southern Hemisphere, a new study has found......»»
Elevated levels of antibiotic resistance genes should be considered a new factor of global change, researchers say
Human-caused global change is a complex phenomenon comprising many factors such as climate change, environmental contamination with chemicals, microplastics, light pollution, and invasive plants. One of the main tasks of global change biology is to i.....»»
Gold co-catalyst improves photocatalytic degradation of micropollutants, finds study
To remove micropollutants such as pesticides and trace chemicals from the environment, you need something equally small and cunning. One potential method is photocatalysis, which uses semiconducting nanomaterials powered by sunlight to adsorb toxic c.....»»
Microbes found to destroy certain "forever chemicals" by cleaving stubborn fluorine-to-carbon bonds
A UC Riverside environmental engineering team has discovered specific bacterial species that can destroy certain kinds of "forever chemicals," a step further toward low-cost treatments of contaminated drinking water sources......»»
Chemists develop modular approach for creating important class of pharmaceutical compounds
Chemists at the National University of Singapore (NUS) have developed a modular approach to create 1,2-arylheteroaryl ethanes, a class of compounds important for drug discovery and pharmaceutical development, using fundamental feedstock chemicals suc.....»»
World"s rarest whale may have washed up on New Zealand beach, possibly shedding clues on species
Spade-toothed whales are the world's rarest, with no live sightings ever recorded. No one knows how many there are, what they eat, or even where they live in the vast expanse of the southern Pacific Ocean. However, scientists in New Zealand may have.....»»
Some artificial sweeteners are forever chemicals that could be harming aquatic life
With so much health advice to avoid excessive sugar in our diets to reduce risks obesity and tooth decay, some people choose to use artificial sweeteners as an alternative in hot drinks and recipes......»»
Q&A: What past environmental success can teach us about solving the climate crisis
Susan Solomon, MIT professor of Earth, atmospheric, and planetary sciences (EAPS) and of chemistry, played a critical role in understanding how a class of chemicals known as chlorofluorocarbons were creating a hole in the ozone layer......»»
New study models NZ habitats most vulnerable to gold clam invasion
A new study published in the New Zealand Journal of Marine and Freshwater Research has modeled which habitats in Aotearoa New Zealand might be most vulnerable to gold clam invasion in the hope that management efforts can be targeted effectively......»»
It Will Soon Be Easier for Americans to Recycle Batteries
Improperly discarded batteries leak toxic chemicals and are prone to exploding. A new program funded by the Department of Energy will prop up battery drop-off sites across the US......»»
Study: Targeted home systems to remove PFAS more cost-effective than system-wide solutions
PFAS, the potentially cancer-causing chemicals known as "forever chemicals," have become an increasing concern in home drinking water. Solutions to reduce the risk of exposure range from mandated municipal-level water treatment to under-the-sink home.....»»
Certain bacteria or fungi could combat a plant pathogen that attacks common vetch
Anthracnose, a severe disease caused by the Colletotrichum spinaciae plant pathogen, often occurs in common vetch, a widely grown legume. Chemicals are not recommended for disease management because the plants are used as livestock feed. A new study.....»»
Researchers identify multiple "forever chemical" contamination hot spots in US
Harmful chemicals that don't break down are present in public water systems nationwide, and West Virginia University economists have found that densely populated, higher-income areas and those that use groundwater tend to have the highest contaminati.....»»
Skip the fancy perks—better staff well-being could be as simple as the view from the office window
Four years after the pandemic forced workers home, companies in New Zealand and elsewhere are summoning staff back to the office......»»
Catalysts with single non-noble metal component for efficient conversion of biomass-based chemicals
Utilization of biomass as the basic feedstock for the production and chemicals and energy storage has been demonstrated to be an important alternative to achieve sustainable society, which has attracted increasing interests in both academic and indus.....»»
New Zealand"s wettest and driest spells to become more extreme, says study
A new study shows how a warming climate will impact New Zealand's wet and dry weather extremes, giving decision-makers the power to plan for the future......»»
Opinion: Banning social media for under-16s won"t help—teaching digital media literacy will
The astounding rise in social media use in the past few years is seeing policy responses come to a head, both internationally and in Aotearoa New Zealand......»»
Lawsuit claims Irmo plant polluted Saluda River with toxic chemicals
A hulking manufacturing plant in Irmo is being accused of contaminating the lower Saluda River and drinking water supplies after dumping toxic forever chemicals into the scenic waterway and its floodplain for years......»»