Manganese in the soil of boreal forests has been found to work against the carbon storage capacity of these crucial northern habitats. Located predominantly in cold regions at high latitude, boreal forests are estimated to store nearly 30 percent of the world’s soil carbon, making them the world’s largest reservoir of land-based carbon. This stored … Read more
A group of international experts led by QUT Professor Lidia Morawska has presented a blueprint for national indoor quality standards for public buildings, in an article in the journal Science. The experts addressed setting standards for three key indoor pollutants — carbon dioxide (CO2), carbon monoxide (CO), PM2.5 which are particles so small they can … Read more
The source of pollutants in rivers and freshwater lakes can now be identified using a comprehensive new water quality analysis, according to scientists at the University of Cambridge and Trent University, Canada. Microparticles from car tyres, pesticides from farmers’ fields, and toxins from harmful algal blooms are just some of the organic chemicals that can … Read more
Autism and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) may be preventable if parents avoid toxic exposures and adopt interventions such as environmental house calls, according to a published study led by researchers from The University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio (UT Health San Antonio). Using a validated, self-administered questionnaire now used worldwide to … Read more
A case study on the effects of open waste burning on air quality in Northwestern Greenland calls attention to the importance of no-one-left-behind sustainable air quality monitoring in the Arctic region. To better understand the air quality risks faced by remote Arctic communities, an international team monitored aerial pollutants at a community in Northwestern Greenland. … Read more
The interaction between the oceans and the atmosphere plays a vital role in shaping the Earth’s climate. Changing sea surface temperatures can heat or cool the atmosphere, and changes in the atmosphere can do the same to the ocean surface. This exchange in energy is known as “ocean-atmosphere coupling.” Now, researchers from Kyushu University have … Read more
Half of Americans consider their car to be “part of the family,” according to new research. The survey of 2,000 American car owners revealed that 51% think of their car as part of the family — and 53% would keep their current car forever if given the option. For some, this is due to an emotional … Read more
Researchers from the RIKEN Center for Emergent Matter Science and collaborators have developed an organic photovoltaic film that is both waterproof and flexible, allowing a solar cell to be put onto clothes and still function correctly after being rained on or even washed. One of the potential uses of organic photovoltaics is to create wearable … Read more
Conditions that usually accompany the kind of intense hot and cold weather that strains power grids may also provide greater opportunities to capture solar and wind energy. A Washington State University-led study found that widespread, extreme temperature events are often accompanied by greater solar radiation and higher wind speeds that could be captured by solar … Read more
New Curtin University research has shown the warming climate will turn Australia’s soil into a net emitter of carbon dioxide (CO2), unless action is taken. Soil helps to keep the planet cool by absorbing carbon, however as the climate gets warmer its ability to retain carbon decreases — and in some instances can start to … Read more