Environmental science
The latest chemistry news and research on environmental science, including atmosphere, climate, water and space, from the Royal Society of Chemistry's magazine, Chemistry World
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NewsWhy I’m leading an expedition in search of ‘dark oxygen’
Chemistry World spoke to Andrew Sweetman, the biogeochemist leading the upcoming excursion to the Clarion Clipperton Zone in the Pacific
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NewsHow will repealing the ‘endangerment finding’ hit US action on climate?
Without 2009 ruling emissions regulations on everything from cars and power stations to blast furnaces could collapse
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ResearchRising carbon dioxide levels leave conifer forests struggling to get enough nitrogen
Discovery implies boreal forests will grow slower and sequester less carbon
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NewsPFAS waxes found on skis and snowboards lead to three Olympic disqualifications
Athletes excluded for first time for materials doping with ‘forever chemicals’ since the prohibition took effect three years ago
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ResearchHeat waves that push up atmospheric nanoparticle levels might explain higher death tolls
Counter-intuitive finding suggests particle formation from natural and anthropogenic organic compounds might increase during extreme heat events
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NewsEPA moves to eliminate basis of greenhouse gas regulations
Legal challenges predicted as US environmental protection agency rescinds long-standing ‘endangerment finding’
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OpinionWhen we ate whales for breakfast
A reminder that technological developments aren’t sufficient to solve environmental problems
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OpinionWhy everyone wants to ramp up rare earths production
Rare earth elements have become instruments of geopolitical power
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PodcastAlphaGenome & the RNA world hypothesis
In this episode, we discuss Google DeepMind’s latest deep learning model AlphaGenome, dissect the origins of life from chemicals to complex lifeforms, and hear the latest headlines.
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BusinessControversial weedkiller dicamba reapproved in the US
Regulator says new label restrictions will prevent damage of nearby crops
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OpinionProbing PFAS policies in the UK and EU
The UK has set out its approach to regulating fluorochemicals, and the EU has projected the savings from a proposed ban
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NewsUK government sets out plan to tackle PFAS threat
Report accepts that regulation is needed, but warns transition away from PFAS will take time
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ResearchCovid pandemic’s disruption of industrial activity drove surge in methane in early 2020s
Levels of methane-degrading radicals decreased as a knock-on effect of the pandemic
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ResearchEmbodying polymer chemistry with a purpose by upcycling plastics and trapping PFAS
For Frank Leibfarth, focussing on reactivity and selectivity helps him bridge the gap between fundamental and applied research
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NewsHow air pollution is rewiring gut chemistry and fuelling chronic disease
The impact of air pollution on our bodies’ microbiomes is only just beginning to be uncovered
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WebinarTextiles in the age of sustainability: alternative methods for fabric dyeing and treatment
Learn about advances in sustainability of textile production – join us on 31 March
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FeatureHow RNA reveals clues to life’s origins on Earth
The discovery of catalytic RNA transformed our understanding of life’s beginnings. Clare Sansom explores how the RNA world hypothesis bridges the gap between non-living chemistry and the first cells
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ResearchThree nitrile molecules identified as fresh targets for life-hunting astronomers
Experiments at interstellar temperatures yield new chemical clues to the molecules that seed biology
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PodcastBench-stable butyllithium & secrets of Pompeii’s limescale
In this episode, we discuss the latest formulations designed to make a set of fiery reagents safer, explore what limescale can tell us about ancient civilizations and hear the latest headlines.
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OpinionThree centuries of Roman limescale reveals a dirty secret about Pompeii’s public baths
Carbon isotope ratios suggest that pre-aqueduct, the water was often contaminated with human waste