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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BusinessNew York state sues chemical companies over PFAS pollution
Lawsuit alleges 3M, Chemours, DuPont and others knowingly sold polluting products, and seeks damages and cleanup cost payments
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ResearchFirst sugar detected in the interstellar medium
Erythrulose – a chiral four-carbon sugar – may have formed from simpler molecules on interstellar dust grains, computational studies suggest
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FeatureExtremophiles are rewriting the rules of life on Earth
Creatures that survive extreme conditions like mind-boggling temperatures and toxicity challenge how we define life. Bárbara Pinho finds out how it will impact how we search for life beyond Earth
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ResearchRemediating PFAS pollution in Europe could cost €100 billion a year
Analysis highlights the enormous financial burden of remediating long- and short-chain PFAS contamination
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NewsPaint in buildings a huge reservoir of PFAS waiting to enter the environment
Decades worth of chemicals stored in paints that have been applied to homes and businesses
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ResearchMetabolised antibiotics can drive antimicrobial resistance just as much as their parent compounds
Studies on wastewater show that antibiotic transformation products may play an underappreciated role in driving antimicrobial resistance
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FeatureSeveso disaster at 50: how Italy’s dioxin catastrophe transformed chemical safety
On 10 July 1976, a chemical reactor near Milan released a cloud containing dioxin over residential areas. The Seveso disaster traumatised a community, sparked pan-European environmental campaigns and transformed industrial safety regulation across the continent.
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NewsScientists fear that microplastics may be helping bacteria outsmart antibiotics
Emerging evidence reveals that plastics particles can induce stress and boost exchange of resistance genes
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BusinessMaking South Africa’s mines more sustainable
Tighter environmental regulations are stimulating a move to greener extraction technology
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NewsBreakdown product of pesticides and refrigerants may be classed as reproductive toxicant by EU
Development might lead to phaseout of chemicals that release trifluoroacetic acid and puts substantial commercial interests at risk
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ResearchExtreme weather likely to increase methane emissions from landfills
Observations and models reveal precipitation and temperature linked to 13% of emissions from these sites
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ResearchWarming seas impact cell structures that deliver oxygen to coral
Oxygen-sensitive nanoparticles reveal a new mechanism of coral stress
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WebinarOne small step for microorganisms: what extremophiles on Earth can teach us about life on other planets
Learn how some of the tiniest organisms thrive in the harshest environments – join us on 30 July
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BusinessAustralia sues 3M over firefighting foam PFAS contamination
Government claims 3M withheld and misrepresented information about environmental risks
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Business11 presumed dead in US paper mill implosion
Two deaths confirmed, nine missing and nine others injured after chemical tank ruptured
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ResearchClimate change driving extreme acidification of North American streams that threatens life in them
Oxidation of sulfides in melting permafrost acidifies stream and leaches toxic metals from minerals
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PodcastQuantum computing & a mysterious microplastic contaminant
How close are we to using quantum computers in our own labs? Plus, an unexpected source of contamination affecting microplastics research results.
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ResearchLondon’s tap water contains PFAS, but at surprisingly low levels
Data from homes and public fountains across the UK’s capital show that treatment and dilution keep PFAS levels below current safety limits
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ResearchLab glove deposits drive false microplastic signatures in atmospheric pollution samples
Researchers uncover contamination pathway that’s complicating efforts to understand how much plastic is in the air
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BusinessUS officially moves to dismantle drinking water PFAS regulations
If finalised, the new rules will remove limits on four substances and give utilities longer to comply with remaining limits