Quantifying microplastics in Swiss rivers and lakes
Every year, 14,000 tons of plastic end up in Swiss soils and waters, in part in the form of microplastics, which are particles in the micro to millimeter range. Microplastics come from many sources, such as cosmetics or synthetic fiber clothing. The.....»»
Each glacier has a unique organic matter composition, study reveals
Melting glaciers release more than just water. Organic matter once trapped in ice can run into streams and rivers, where it becomes food for microbes. These organisms respire the organic matter back to the atmosphere in the form of carbon dioxide, wi.....»»
Fossil pollen reveals history of Southern Hemisphere Westerlies
In Bergen, Maaike Zwier analyzed pollen in sediment cores from lakes on Kerguelen Islands and South Georgia. In this way, she can say something about the local climate going back almost 12,000 years. The study is published in the journal Quaternary S.....»»
Atmospheric rivers are shifting poleward, reshaping global weather patterns
Atmospheric rivers—those long, narrow bands of water vapor in the sky that bring heavy rain and storms to the U.S. West Coast and many other regions—are shifting toward higher latitudes, and that's changing weather patterns around the world......»»
New tool provides knowledge on heat stress vulnerability in cities for more targeted adaptation
Heat-related deaths and diseases are a major concern in Europe amid increasing extended periods of extreme heat. A recent study proposes a novel way of quantifying and projecting future vulnerability to heat stress in different areas of a city, provi.....»»
Environmental factors influence Southeast Brazil"s coastal biodiversity more than ecological processes, study finds
Sea surface temperature, wave energy and freshwater discharge from rivers influence the abundance and size of the marine organisms that inhabit rocky shores along the coast of Southeast Brazil more than ecological processes such as competition and pr.....»»
Meet the microbes that transform toxic carbon monoxide into valuable biofuel
Microbes are hungry, all the time. They live everywhere, in enormous numbers. We might not see them with the naked eye, but they are in soils, lakes, oceans, hydrothermal vents, our homes, and even in and on our own bodies. And they don't just hang o.....»»
Scientists develop novel method for strengthening PVC products
Researchers have developed a way to make one type of plastic material more durable and less likely to shed dangerous microplastics. Their study has identified a secure way to attach chemical additives to polyvinyl chloride (PVC). The work is publishe.....»»
Wastewater bacteria can break down plastic for food, yielding new possibilities for cleaning up plastic waste
Researchers have long observed that a common family of environmental bacteria, Comamonadacae, grow on plastics littered throughout urban rivers and wastewater systems. But exactly what these Comamonas bacteria are doing has remained a mystery......»»
Why PFAS-enriched foam is forming on some of the cleanest lakes in the country
A curious phenomenon springs up occasionally on New York's Finger Lakes: white foam, sometimes in miles-long swathes, almost as if a massive washing machine emptied out into the water......»»
Push to map Great Lakes bottom gains momentum amid promises effort will help fishing and shipping
Jennifer Boehme grew up scouting beaches around her home in St. Petersburg, Florida, for whatever she could find. Rocks, sand dollars, coquina mollusks—anything the ocean gave up......»»
Swiss glaciers are receding again after 2 punishing years and despite a good start to 2024
The volume of Switzerland's glaciers shrank again this summer, compounding the negative impact of climate change after a devastating two-year run that depleted the ice by more than 10%, scientific experts reported Tuesday......»»
How emissions from Brazilian Pantanal"s soda lakes contribute to climate change
Seasonal variations with alternating dry and rainy seasons and fluctuating levels of nutrients are factors that significantly influence greenhouse gas emissions from soda lakes in the Pantanal, considered less common than emissions from freshwater la.....»»
Farm waste can filter microplastics in surface runoff, prevent pollution
Using treated plant waste as a filter reduced the presence of harmful microplastics in agricultural runoff by more than 92%, according to a new study authored by a University of Mississippi research team......»»
The evolutionary history of rats has more holes than Swiss cheese, but researchers are trying to close them
Rats and humans have lived together for thousands of years. However, written historical records of rats migrating alongside people are sparse and some are entangled with myth and folklore......»»
Microplastic hotspots forming in offshore UK North Sea, researchers find
Microplastic pollution in the world's oceans is often illustrated through evocative images of wildlife caught within large items floating on the surface, or microplastics blending in among the sand on otherwise pristine beaches......»»
Breathing may introduce microplastics to the brain—new study
Small plastic particles are everywhere: in the soil where our food is grown, in the water we drink and in the air we breathe. They got there from the plastic we throw away, which ends up in landfill sites, rivers and seas. There the plastic waste slo.....»»
Bulrush once kept NZ"s wetlands and lakes thriving—now it could help restore them
With about 90% of New Zealand's natural wetlands drained or severely damaged during the past decades, we need to understand the role of native plants in the restoration of these important habitats......»»
Key negotiator Norway sees "positive signals" ahead of plastic talks
In the single week that world leaders convened for high-level UN talks in New York, nearly 100,000 water bottles' worth of microplastics swirled through the city's air, posing known and still unknown risks to human health......»»
Study defines a safe operating space for major rivers in the Ganges Delta, India
An international study led by the University of Glasgow is the first to define a safe operating space (SOS) for major rivers in the Ganges Delta, which will enhance resilience in one of the world's most vulnerable deltas to global climate change......»»
Citizen scientists help discover microplastics along the entire German coastline
The global production of plastics and the resulting plastic waste has increased to such an extent that plastics have become ubiquitous in our environment. Plastics of various sizes are also found along the German North Sea and Baltic coasts......»»