Scientists solved longstanding mystery of origin of PFAS “forever chemicals” contaminating water in North Carolina to a local textile manufacturing plant. 🧪💧 Precursors were being released into sewer system at concentrations approximately 3 million times greater than EPA’s drinking water limit. 🚰⚠️

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#PFAS #WaterContamination #NorthCarolina #EnvironmentalScience #Sustainability

Rare earth elements found forming in a plant – the fern Blechnum orientale 🌿🔍 - for the first time. The findings could lead to a more sustainable way of gathering these mineral resources that we are increasingly reliant upon. 🌍✨

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#RareEarthElements #SustainableMining #FernResearch #EnvironmentalScience #InnovationInNature

New study reveals Canadian ice sheet was major driver of sea-level rise during final stages of the last ice age, not Antarctica 🌊🧊📉

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#SeaLevelRise #ClimateChange #IceAge #CanadianIceSheet #EnvironmentalScience

Unveiling the global urban virome 🌍🏙️ through wastewater metagenomics 💧🔬 - Nature Communications

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#UrbanVirome #WastewaterMetagenomics #NatureCommunications #PublicHealth #EnvironmentalScience

In a new study, a 553-day incubation experiment was conducted to examine temporal changes in CO2 emissions 🌍, extracellular enzyme activities 🧪, microbial biomass 🦠, and microbial community composition in soils from both enclosed and grazed grasslands 🌾.

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#SoilHealth #MicrobialEcology #CO2Emissions #GrasslandManagement #EnvironmentalScience

Researchers leveraged AI to determine what environmental conditions predict higher concentrations of vibrio bacteria in oysters 🦪🌊. They found that not only water temperature 🌡️ but also the amount of solar radiation ☀️, water level 🌊, wind speed 💨, and water salinity 🧂 affect bacteria numbers.

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#VibrioResearch #AIBacteria #OysterSafety #EnvironmentalScience #MarineEcosystems

New map based on direct measurements estimates groundwater depth across the continental United States at a resolution of around 30 meters, as opposed to more common physics-based models with resolutions of around 1km 🌎💧📏 [Communications Earth & Environment]

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#GroundwaterDepth #MappingInnovation #WaterResources #SustainableDevelopment #EnvironmentalScience

A 10-year study reveals that cigarette butts never truly disappear from the environment. Researchers found that while they lose some mass, the plastic filters transform into microscopic residues that persist in the soil for over a decade, contributing to long-term microplastic pollution.

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#Microplastics #Pollution #EnvironmentalScience

📊 A study near a pig farm in China found that N2O emissions increased with NH3 deposition, with total emissions estimated at 69.7 kg N yr−1 within a 500 m radius. This accounts for about 1.3% of the total NH3 deposited from the farm.

🔬 N2O emissions were linked to higher levels of soil ammonium and the presence of ammonia-oxidizing archaea (AOA), suggesting that NH3 deposition boosts N2O release by enhancing AOA-driven nitrification.

🧪 Laboratory tests confirmed that ammonium (NH4+-N) produced greater N2O emissions than nitrate (NO3−-N) under specific soil moisture conditions.

#AgriTech #ClimateChange #EnvironmentalScience

- 🌬️ Large molecular methylsiloxanes are now confirmed as a widespread pollutant in atmospheric particles across diverse environments including urban, coastal, rural, and forest sites in the Netherlands, Lithuania, and Brazil.

- 💨 These synthetic compounds make up approximately 2.0%–4.3% of the measured organic aerosol mass. Over half originate from the breakdown of large methylsiloxanes, largely linked to traffic emissions, with the remainder from volatile methylsiloxanes forming particles.

- 🚗 Methylsiloxanes show a strong link with long-chain hydrocarbons found in engine lubricants, suggesting a shared source from traffic. They are also chemically stable, persisting longer in the atmosphere than co-emitted lubricant hydrocarbons.

- 📈 Inhalation of methylsiloxanes via aerosols can be significantly higher than for other synthetic pollutants like PFAS and micro-/nanoplastics, highlighting a potential, yet poorly understood, human health concern.

#AirPollution #SyntheticChemicals #EnvironmentalScience

Fish living downstream of wastewater treatment plants are accumulating antidepressants, opioids and other drugs of abuse in their bodies. Fentanyl, methadone and venlafaxine were detected in small fish living in rivers that receive urban wastewater.

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#EnvironmentalScience #PharmaceuticalPollution #WaterPollution

🐾 New study reveals wildlife reacts to human presence, not just habitat changes. Even minor shifts in human movement significantly impact animal behavior and conservation.

🔬 Global research reveals animals are affected by both human presence and environmental changes. For the first time, this study scaled how both factors influence wildlife habitat use.

📱 Innovative tech like GPS & mobile data helped track 37 species across the U.S. Researchers analyzed 11.8 million location points, uncovering surprising animal responses to human activity.

📊 Over 65% of species altered behavior due to humans, especially in natural areas. Responses varied: some species reduced space, while wolves and ravens expanded their ranges.

#WildlifeConservation #EnvironmentalScience #Biodiversity

Electrical pulses reverse aging in sea squirts: « Findings point toward new strategies for protecting species from environmental shifts and could also have implications for mitigating age-related decline in humans. »

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#Biology #AgingResearch #EnvironmentalScience

☢️ Research shows crushed concrete from nuclear sites can effectively trap radioactive strontium-90 for the long term, especially when exposed to air or treated with phosphate.

💨 In air-exposed conditions, concrete removed about 82% of strontium within three months by forming calcite, a mineral that locks strontium into its structure.

💧 Phosphate treatments boosted strontium removal even in air-limited environments, with up to 98% captured in air-exposed phosphate systems within 48 hours.

🌍 These findings could help improve strategies for managing radioactively contaminated land and inform on-site disposal decisions.

#NuclearWaste #EnvironmentalScience #RadioactiveContamination

📊 New study in Psychological Reports identifies state socioeconomic status (SES) and microscopic air pollution as the top two predictors for Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) prevalence in the U.S.

🔬 Higher average wealth, education levels, and increased microscopic particle pollution correlate with higher ASD diagnosis rates across states.

🌐 The research, by Stewart J. H. McCann, analyzed data from all 50 U.S. states using 2017 information and found SES and air pollution independently accounted for 55.7% of the variance in state ASD rates.

#AutismResearch #PublicHealth #EnvironmentalScience

🔬 New Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam study reveals certain micro- and nanoplastics can cross a human placental model and potentially affect steroid hormone production during pregnancy.

🔬 Researchers utilized a unique 3-layer human cell model mimicking the placental barrier and hormone-producing organ, observing particle translocation and hormonal shifts within 72 hours.

🔬 Polystyrene exposure notably affected estrogen levels, while multiple plastic types decreased etiocholanolone, highlighting potential impacts on crucial pregnancy hormones.

#Microplastics #PregnancyHealth #EnvironmentalScience

🌊 84% of U.S. coastal wetlands are being overtaken by rising seas, with many at risk of full submersion if action isn't taken, according to a new study in Earth's Future.

📈 While 89% of these wetlands are gaining elevation from sediment, 73% aren't rising fast enough to keep pace with sea-level rise without human intervention.

🌴 Gulf Coast wetlands are more vulnerable than Atlantic and Pacific regions due to historical shipping and fossil fuel extraction.

🌱 About 70% of wetlands could survive by moving inland, but this requires conservationists to manage sediment, remove manmade barriers, and protect inland development areas.

#ClimateChange #CoastalWetlands #EnvironmentalScience

Study finds 'forever chemical' PFOA disrupts proteins involved in placental cells use energy and fats, as well as immune responses

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#PFAS #PlacentalHealth #EnvironmentalScience

🔥 New study reveals global forests, wetlands, and tundra, warmed by fossil fuel emissions, could release up to 30% more planet-heating gases.

🌡️ Thawing permafrost, wildfires, and warming lakes are releasing stored methane and carbon dioxide, amplifying the climate crisis by an estimated 20-30% by century's end, potentially adding 0.2C to 0.4C to global temperatures.

🚨 These "feedback loops" are largely missing from current climate models, potentially leading to underestimations of future warming and overestimations of permissible carbon emissions.

🌍 Scientists stress the urgency of including these natural emission sources in future climate policies to improve the accuracy of warming projections and the likelihood of meeting global climate goals.

#ClimateChange #GlobalWarming #EnvironmentalScience

Plastic isn't as inert as we'd thought: Scientists found that tiny everyday microplastics sitting in plain water spontaneously make reactive oxygen, a damaging chemical that made proteins clump and burst red blood cells in lab tests. The more water-repelling the plastic, the stronger it was.

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#Microplastics #EnvironmentalScience #OxidativeStress