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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Business
Shell appeal overturns ruling enforcing faster emissions cuts
Dutch court underlines firm’s climate responsibility but rejects legally binding reduction requirement
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Research
Failings in response to East Palestine train derailment compounded human and environmental impact
Study makes recommendations to better protect humans and the environment in the event of a future chemical incident
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Feature
Clearing up the compostable plastic mess
Rather than a potential triumph, the compostable plastics we use look increasingly like a tragedy. Andy Extance looks at the problems and seeks solutions
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News
New polymers to be tested in extreme conditions aboard the International Space Station
The materials might one day make it into spacecraft components
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News
Water regulator applies stricter PFAS limits to drinking water in England and Wales
New guidance, expected to go into effect in January, would cumulatively restrict 48 different PFAS
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Research
Carbon capture COF shows impressive ability to survive hundreds of cycles
Fast take-up and low regeneration temperatures make direct air capture promising
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Research
New database highlights gaps in plastic monitoring efforts
Certain types of plastic products are rarely studied in detail, while many monitoring campaigns focus on a small number of well-known hazardous chemicals
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News
Nobel prize-winning scientists mobilise for Kamala Harris
82 Nobel laureates warn of the threat Donald Trump poses to science, climate and living standards
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Business
Carbon capture making slow progress in UK and Europe
Government funding welcomed, but issues over strategy and CO2 purity persist
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Research
Meteorite 200 times larger than one that killed dinosaurs reset early life
Counterintuitively, impact brought benefits too by providing microorganisms with iron and phosphorus
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Opinion
A high-pressure insight into the structure of water
The hydrogen-bonded network in liquid water resists compression; density increases instead arise from molecules moving into voids
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News
Perseverance rover’s discovery of organics on Mars could be illusory
Hopes that compounds were sign of prebiotic chemistry or even ancient life may be result of instrument limitations
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Feature
The problem of plastic in our soils
Not just a marine issue, new research shows microplastics are also changing agricultural land. Bárbara Pinho finds out how and what we can do to prevent it affecting our food
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Business
Fatal hydrogen sulfide leak at US Pemex refinery under investigation
Mexican oil company faces multiple lawsuits after gas leak killed two and injured dozens more
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Research
Sunlight-powered device harvests lithium from salty water
Low-energy device is a ‘step forward’ for sustainable lithium mining
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News
The scale of the problem of replacing ‘forever chemicals’ PFAS
From clothes and cookware to cosmetics and healthcare we look at eight major classes of consumer goods PFAS are in
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Business
Fire at US pool chemical plant releases huge chlorine plume
Thousands of residents evacuated and kept indoors as as smoke and gas cloud persists for days
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Business
California sues ExxonMobil over misleading plastic recycling claims
Suit claims firm used false claims to justify producing vast amounts of single-use plastics
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Feature
How satellite remote sensing is enhancing our understanding of Earth
Instruments in space have studied the planet’s atmosphere and surface, and are now being joined by powerful new ones, finds Andy Extance
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Research
Earthquake-induced electricity offers answer to mystery of gold nugget formation
Under pressure quartz veins donate electrons to grow larger nuggets