Study links changes in global water cycle to higher temperatures

A new study takes an important step toward reconstructing a global history of water over the past 2,000 years. Using geologic and biologic evidence preserved in natural archives — including globally distributed corals, trees, ice, cave formations and sediments — the researchers showed that the global water cycle has changed during periods of higher and lower temperatures in the recent past.

Technology-enabled water surveillance and control project earns grant

Peter Vikesland believes high-tech tools could help increase the flow of quality water in an equitable manner. Atop a new wave of support from the Fralin Life Sciences Institute, Vikesland, the Nick Prillaman Professor of Civil and Environmental Engineering, is leading a research team in creating wireless sensor networks to survey microbial threats to water quality and to enable operational control and provide real-world feedback for public transparency.

It’s Hot Outside, Stay Hydrated

This week, Carol Nwelue, MD, at Baylor Scott & White Health, answers common patient questions and reacts to the latest medical research. With temperatures increasing in the summer, what are some symptoms of dehydration? (SOT@ :14, TRT :19) What should…

UGA Law professor discusses environmental implications of Sackett decision

On May 25, the Supreme Court issued its decision on Sackett v. EPA, No. 24-454 (2022). University of Georgia School of Law Assistant Professor Adam D. Orford, whose interdisciplinary research investigates legal and policy approaches to environmental protection, has shared…

UC Irvine PFAS Expert available to comment on Supreme Court’s ruling about EPA’s power to regulate water pollution

For an expert source on this breaking news, Scott Bartell, MS, PhD, UC Irvine professor of environmental and occupational health, is available for interviews. For the past 25 years, Bartell has dedicated his research to quantifying human exposures and health effects caused…

UC Irvine’s Scott Bartell, PFAS expert, available to comment on new federal regulations on chemicals on waterways

The Biden Administration announced today that they are prepared to finally set federal standards on the amount of PFAS chemicals in the country’s waterways. This is long overdue oversight into regulating chemicals, specifically perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances, which when exposed…

UC Irvine researchers create E. coli-based water monitoring technology

Irvine, Calif., Feb. 23, 2023 – People often associate Escherichia coli with contaminated food, but E. coli has long been a workhorse in biotechnology. Scientists at the University of California, Irvine have demonstrated that the bacterium has further value as part of a system to detect heavy metal contamination in water. E.

Is Living Close to Parks, Water Better for Your Brain?

Living closer to outdoor spaces and water sources may reduce older people’s risk of having serious psychological distress, which can lead to mild cognitive impairment and dementia, according to a preliminary study released today, February 22, 2023, that will be presented at the American Academy of Neurology’s 75th Annual Meeting being held in person in Boston and live online from April 22-27, 2023.

This loofah-inspired, sun-driven gel could purify all the water you’ll need in a day

Devices currently in development that clean up dirty water using sunlight can only produce a few gallons of water each day. But now, researchers in ACS Central Science report how a sunlight-powered porous hydrogel could potentially purify enough water to meet daily needs — even when it’s cloudy.

Seawater split to produce green hydrogen

Researchers have successfully split seawater without pre-treatment to produce green hydrogen. The international team was led by the University of Adelaide’s Professor Shizhang Qiao and Associate Professor Yao Zheng from the School of Chemical Engineering. “We have split natural seawater into oxygen and hydrogen with nearly 100 per cent efficiency, to produce green hydrogen by electrolysis, using a non-precious and cheap catalyst in a commercial electrolyser,” said Professor Qiao.

Using Machine Learning to Better Understand How Water Behaves

New research from the Georgia Institute of Technology uses machine learning models to better understand water’s phase changes, opening more avenues for a better theoretical understanding of various substances. With this technique, the researchers found strong computational evidence in support of water’s liquid-liquid transition that can be applied to real-world systems that use water to operate.

Thirsty wheat needed new water management strategy in ancient China

Research from Washington University in St. Louis shows that a practice of purposeful water management, or irrigation, was adopted in northern China about 4,000 years ago as part of an effort to grow new grains that had been introduced from southwest Asia. But the story gets more complex from there. Wheat and barley arrived on the scene at about the same time, but early farmers only used water management techniques for wheat.

WashU Expert: Jackson water issues result of environmental racism

The increasing demand for electric vehicles and cell phones has accelerated the need for safer energy storage after numerous instances of commercial lithium-ion batteries overheating and catching fire. Peng Bai, assistant professor of energy, environmental & chemical engineering in the McKelvey School of Engineering at Washington University in St.

Water Policy, Agriculture, Climate and Hydrology Experts Available for Insight

Arizona State University has an extensive roster of water policy, agriculture, climate and hydrology experts who can provide insight on the forthcoming Colorado River water cuts to be announced by the Federal Bureau of Reclamation around August 15.  Expert profiles,…

Catching a Glimpse of the Reactive Intermediates in Water in a Trillionth of a Second

The proton-transfer and ionization process in water leads to the formation of a hydroxyl-hydronium complex, a type of hydroxyl radical. The formation process causes ultrafast structural changes and the redistribution of energy among neighboring water molecules. Thanks to recent developments in liquid phase ultrafast electron diffraction techniques, scientists can capture these processes in real time.