In a study published in the journal Environmental Science & Technology, WashU researchers discovered that a common mineral called goethite — an iron-rich mineral that is abundant in soils that cover the Earth — tends to incorporate trace metals into its structure over time, binding the metals in such a way that it locks them out of circulation.
Tag: Environmental Science
Device ‘smells’ seawater to discover, detect novel molecules
Researchers in ACS Central Science report a proof-of-concept device that “sniffs” seawater, trapping dissolved compounds for analyses. The team showed that the system could easily concentrate molecules that are present in underwater caves and holds promise for drug discovery in fragile ecosystems, including coral reefs.
Argonne researchers to present cutting-edge work at SC23 conference
Argonne scientists recognized for use of exascale computing tools to achieve high-fidelity simulations of advanced nuclear reactor systems and high-resolution simulations that reduce uncertainty in climate model predictions.
‘Ultrashort’ PFAS compounds detected in people and their homes, study shows
Smaller, fluorinated compounds are becoming replacements for PFAS, though research suggests these versions could also be harmful. A study in ACS’ Environmental Science & Technology reports that levels of these substances indoor and human samples are similar to or higher than those of legacy PFAS.
Enhancing the efficiency of plant regeneration
Crop modification can be traced to the beginning of agriculture and human civilization. Native Americans, for example, developed corn from a wild grass called teosinte more than 7,000 years ago. Methods to increase crop resiliency and sustainability have evolved, and improved, over time.
Can a roof’s material cool the outside air and lower energy demand?
To help understand how climate is affecting urban communities, researchers at Argonne examined different types of roofing materials and their impact on near-surface temperature and cooling energy demand through regional modeling in the Chicago area.
DOE User Facility Awards Research Funding to 32 Projects
The Department of Energy’s Environmental Molecular Sciences Laboratory has awarded research funding to 32 projects in environmental and biological science.
Urban climate research project helps shape minority students’ science identity
An Urban Integrated Field Laboratory led by Argonne is focusing on creating a diverse next generation workforce and involving students in tackling future urban climate challenges.
$3M grant funds training to harness power of AI for social, environmental challenges
The National Science Foundation (NSF) is investing $3 million over the next five years in the Artificial Intelligence (AI) Advancements and Convergence in Computational, Environmental and Social Sciences (AI-ACCESS) program at Washington University in St. Louis.
Case Western Reserve University faculty available to discuss Hurricane Idalia, its impact and what to expect in its wake
https://thedaily.case.edu/what-can-we-expect-in-the-wake-of-hurricane-idalia-cwru-faculty-share-their-expertise/?utm_source=sfmc&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=thedaily_expertinsights Tali Babila, assistant professor in the Department of Earth, Environmental and Planetary Sciences Peter Shulman, the Elizabeth and Raymond Armington Professor and associate professor in the Department of History Thomas King, professor and chair of the Department of Accountancy …
EMSL User Project Using AI to Advance Discoveries in Protein Folding
EMSL user Pernilla Wittung-Stafshede discusses how artificial intelligence is helping her understand the process of protein folding within cells.
Department of Energy User Facility Launches Platform for Analyzing Biological and Environmental Research Data
The Department of Energy’s Environmental Molecular Sciences Laboratory (EMSL) has launched the Data Transformations Integrated Research Platform to help researchers transform their scientific data into more manageable sets of information, improve data accessibility and reproducibility, and facilitate the creation of models and visualization tools that help tell a larger story from the data.
Harnessing the power of water: Argonne and NREL study shows the potential of pumped storage hydropower in Alaska
Scientists study the role of pumped storage hydropower in Alaska’s clean energy future.
What motivates family forest landowners to manage invasive species?
Over half of forests in the United States are privately owned, especially in the Eastern part of the country. A new study from the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign looks at how family forest landowners in Maine and New Hampshire approach invasive species management and what factors influence their decisions.
Worsening wildfires have EMSL researchers looking for impact on soil, climate
Steven Allison, Professor of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology and Earth System Science, is using EMSL capabilities to uncover mysteries from the Earth beneath our feet. Allison explains how his research could help us understand severe events, like wildfire patterns, and how they affect soil microbiomes.
Submit proposal for research funding opportunity at EMSL, a Department of Energy scientific facility
The Environmental Molecular Sciences Laboratory (EMSL) is seeking biological and environmental science project proposals for the Fiscal Year 2024 Exploratory Research Call through 5 p.m. on Thursday, July 6.
New tools to combat Chicago’s changing climate
Argonne and Northeastern Illinois University launched instruments to measure Chicago’s changing climate. These sensors are the first for the Argonne-led Urban Integrated Field Laboratory called Community Research on Climate and Urban Science (CROCUS).
Water for the World: University of Rhode Island researchers available for interview
Access to safe water, proper sanitation and hygiene are essential for human survival. As the United Nations convenes its first major conference on water quality since 1977, researchers at the University of Rhode Island are seeking better ways to provide potable water and stop pollution from contaminating water supplies.
The Great Outdoor Classroom
Whitewater rafting down a river, trekking through the jungle, spotting wildlife in its natural habitat. While field studies courses offer students these kinds of adventurous experiences, they also give students a taste of life working in the field and hands-on learning that ensures they are job-ready for a career in research.
Argonne announces 2022 Postdoctoral Performance Awards
Nine postdoctoral appointees were recognized with Postdoctoral Performance Awards.
ComEd report shows how science and supercomputers help utilities adapt to climate change
Shifting climates are causing utility companies to take a closer look at the current and future power needs of their customers. Northern Illinois’ ComEd and Argonne National Laboratory used science to glimpse the future.
New Safety Assessment Assays Explored in Latest Issue of Toxicological Sciences
The December 2022 issue features 10 articles on the latest research in toxicology.
Can solar power provide more than clean energy?
Scientists from Argonne will study the soil around ground-mounted solar panels and develop a national soil database to better understand ecosystem impacts at renewable energy sites.
Lecture to discuss wetlands’ ability to alleviate some pressures of climate change
Christopher Craft will cover wetland restoration during ASA, CSSA, SSSA International Annual Meeting
From the playroom to the landfill: DePaul University researchers examine environmental impact of children’s toys
New research from two DePaul University alumnae delves into the environmental impact of popular children’s toys. The experience working on the research helped both graduates launch careers in sustainability.
Kawasaki Disease Rates Dropped During COVID-19 Pandemic
UC San Diego researchers report significant decrease in national cases of Kawasaki disease during COVID-19 pandemic; findings hint at origins of disease.
Scavengers can be picky eaters
A recent study conducted by researchers at the University of Georgia found that when presented with a smorgasbord of options, vertebrate scavengers were selective about what or whom they ate—providing insight into how nutrients can cycle through food webs.
Children’s products labeled water- or stain-resistant may contain PFAS, study says
Researchers reporting in ACS’ Environmental Science & Technology show that some children’s products advertised as water- or stain-resistant contain potentially harmful per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), even items labeled “green” or “nontoxic.”
Wullschleger receives Commitment to Human Diversity in Ecology Award
Stan Wullschleger, associate laboratory director for biological and environmental systems science at the Department of Energy’s Oak Ridge National Laboratory, is the recipient of the 2022 Commitment to Human Diversity in Ecology Award from the Ecological Society of America, or ESA.
Improving Georgia land conservation through algorithms
A team of University of Georgia researchers has created a model to help land developers and public officials identify the land that is best suited for conservation. Led by Fabio Jose Benez-Secanho, a former UGA graduate student, and Puneet Dwivedi, associate professor in the Warnell School of Forestry and Natural Resources, this first-of-its-kind algorithm considers a variety of factors not included in other models when calculating the value of land for conservation.
A midge fly can be a source of currently used pesticides for birds, bats
Researchers reporting in ACS’ Environmental Science & Technology have observed that non-biting midge larvae accumulate contemporary pesticides from polluted water and retain the substances into adulthood. As a result, animals that eat the adult flies could consume small amounts of pesticides daily.
‘I’m melting, melting’ — environmentally hazardous coal waste diminished by harmless citric acid
In one of nature’s unexpected bounties, a harmless food-grade solvent has been used to extract highly sought rare-earth metals from coal ash, reducing the amount of ash without damaging the environment and at the same time increasing an important national resource.
Living laboratory, biodiversity hub: The Oak Ridge National Environmental Research Park
Nestled at the intersection of eastern Tennessee’s Anderson and Roane Counties, the Oak Ridge National Environmental Research Park is a living laboratory and a major resource for conducting ecological studies.
Climate experts share insights in new report from Argonne’s America Resilient Conference
America Resilient proposed key ways to mitigate the degree of likely human suffering, loss of biodiversity, and disruptions to critical societal systems by building resilience and mitigating the effects of climate change in the United States.
Key to Carbon-Free Cars? Look to the Stars
In a decade-long quest, scientists at Berkeley Lab, the University of Hawaii, and Florida International University uncover new clues to the origins of the universe – and land new chemistry for cleaner combustion engines
Free K-12 resources developed for teaching soil science
Through a contribution agreement with USDA-NRCS, the Soil Science Society of America has developed materials to enhance the teaching of soils in both formal and informal classrooms.
Study: Scant evidence that ‘wood overuse’ at Cahokia caused local flooding, subsequent collapse
Whatever ultimately caused inhabitants to abandon Cahokia, it was not because they cut down too many trees, according to new research from Washington University in St. Louis.
To intervene or not to intervene? That is the future climate question
Nine of the hottest years in human history have occurred in the past decade. Without a major shift in this climate trajectory, the future of life on Earth is in question, which poses a new question: Should humans, whose fossil fueled society is driving climate change, use technology to put the brakes on global warming?
Michigan State University community ecologist Phoebe Zarnetske is co-lead of the Climate Intervention Biology Working Group, a team of internationally recognized experts in climate science and ecology that is bringing science to bear on the question and consequences of geoengineering a cooler Earth.
Under climate stress, human innovation set stage for population surge
Instead of a collapse amid dry conditions, development of agriculture and increasingly complex human social structures set the stage for a dramatic increase in human population in central plains of China around 3,900 to 3,500 years ago.
Timothy Bertram: Then and Now / 2011 Early Career Award Winner
Timothy Bertram of the Department of Chemistry and the Department of Atmospheric and Oceanic Sciences at the University of Wisconsin – Madison is studying the role atmospheric chemistry plays in regulating concentrations of air pollutants, greenhouse gases, and aerosol particles.
Agronomic Science Foundation launches diversity initiative to advance underrepresented groups
As society grapples with deep concerns over racial inequities and other social justice issues, members of the Agronomic Science Foundation (ASF) have embarked on a mission to foster change from within.
Humans’ construction ‘footprint’ on ocean quantified for first time
In a world-first, the extent of human development in oceans has been mapped. An area totalling approximately 30,000 square kilometres – the equivalent of 0.008 percent of the ocean – has been modified by human construction, a study led by Dr Ana Bugnot from the University of Sydney School of Life and Environmental Sciences and the Sydney Institute of Marine Science has found.
OU Receives $20 Million Grant to Lead Inaugural National Science Foundation Artificial Intelligence Institute
NSF recently announced an investment of more than $100 million to establish five AI Institutes to support research and education hubs nationwide. Amy McGovern, an OU professor with dual appointments in the School of Computer Science in the Gallogly College of Engineering and in the School of Meteorology in the College of Atmospheric and Geographic Sciences, will lead the NSF AI Institute for Research on Trustworthy AI in Weather, Climate, and Coastal Oceanography, which received $20 million of the NSF funding.
FAU Awarded $2.2 Million to Monitor Harmful Algal Blooms in Lake Okeechobee
Researchers are developing a comprehensive sensing and information visualization package that will augment Florida’s existing monitoring programs for Lake Okeechobee, the second largest lake within the contiguous U.S. It will expand water, sediment, and biological measurements using innovative harmful algal bloom detection and environmental characterization technologies to allow pinpointing problem areas prior to or early on when harmful algal blooms are emerging in Lake Okeechobee. These harmful blooms are annual occurrences due to favorable environmental conditions.
Supercomputers Simulate Environmental Changes in Chesapeake Bay
Virginia Institute of Marine Science (VIMS) researchers used supercomputer simulations to examine impacts of both regional and global changes affecting the Chesapeake Bay. They discovered that historical increases in fertilizers and atmospheric carbon dioxide concentrations have forced the bay to behave increasingly like a small sea on a continental shelf rather than a traditional estuary.
Symbiotic underground fungi disperse by wind, new study finds
A new study published in the journal New Phytologist from a research team led by environmental scientist Bala Chaudhary at DePaul University uncovered previously undiscovered patterns in the dispersal of mycorrhizal fungi that could help ecologists understand how these beneficial fungi travel.
Harmful Microbes Found on Sewer Pipe Walls
Can antibiotic-resistant bacteria escape from sewers into waterways and cause a disease outbreak? A new Rutgers study, published in the journal Environmental Science: Water Research & Technology, examined the microbe-laden “biofilms” that cling to sewer walls, and even built a simulated sewer to study the germs that survive within.
Closing the gap: Citizen science for monitoring sustainable development
Citizen science could help track progress towards all 17 UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). An IIASA-led study, for the first time, comprehensively analyzed the current and potential contribution of citizen science data to monitor the SDGs at the indicator level.
RIGS TO REEFS
Oil platforms along the coast of California are being taken offline. Research conducted by CSU faculty and students brings to light the value of these artificial reefs.
Argonne makes everyday Earth Day
As April 22 marks the 50th anniversary of Earth Day, the U.S. Department of Energy’s Argonne National Laboratory lists its Top 10 green projects, setting itself as an example of honoring every day as Earth Day.