Natural environment – Page 13
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Research
Castable polymers made from castor beans
Super-tough materials derived from inedible plants are lightweight, renewable and strong enough to use in vehicles
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Research
Fresh water and electricity out of the blue
Hybrid system produces steam and electricity from saltwater
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Subsea oil dispersants a success at Deepwater disaster
Dispersant injection near well head at Gulf of Mexico disaster site cut volatile organic chemical emissions significantly
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Carbon nanotube filters surpass nature's best water movers
Nanotube pores hold promise of cutting the cost of desalination substantially
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Research
Scientists spend a decade perfecting BPA removal method
Portable catalytic system to remove oestrogen mimic from wastewater
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Research
Coffee-ring patterns offer clues to tap water quality
Unique pattern of an evaporating droplet can be used as a fingerprint for water samples
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Research
Magnetic beads mop up sunblock in the sea
Clean up method for sunblock-derived pollutants could stop them damaging coral reefs
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Ancient ocean oxygen tracked using thallium
Cretaceous oceans gradually lost oxygen before the dramatic anoxic event that led to mass extinction
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Research
Lithium could hold key to sustainable ammonia synthesis
Cycling strategy leads to massive efficiency boost
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Research
Nanosized ice crystals might be the most cubic possible
Ultrafast freezing at supersonic speed produces ice with 80% cubic crystal structure
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Research
Duller sea spray may mean climate models need a rethink
Underestimation of aerosols’ water absorption means reflectivity is lower than expected
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Research
Computer plastics recycled into toys
Brominated flame retardants found in toys and cup lids
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Research
Stratospheric dichloromethane could delay ozone recovery by decades
Rising levels of the industrial solvent could offset benefits of the Montreal Protocol
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Research
Record-breaking laser technique detects gas at parts per quadrillion
Three different resonances enable photoacoustic gas detection with unprecedented accuracy
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Research
Ocean chemistry was responsible for 2015 Monterey Bay disaster
Unusual balance of nutrients allowed algae to build up high concentrations of neurotoxin
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Research
Floating graphene cooks up clean water
Graphene aerogel converts sunlight into heat to produce water vapour at room temperature
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Research
Changing climate to wreak havoc on Mediterranean soils
Soil organic carbon predicted to plummet over next 60 years lowering agricultural productivity
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Research
Watery atmosphere discovered on Neptune-sized exoplanet
Data from Hubble and Spitzer telescopes gives clues to planet’s formation
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Research
Sweet scent of roses allows unsafe water to be sniffed out
Sensor allows olfactory detection of bacteria in drinking water
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Research
Humans influence soil chemistry from beyond the grave
Chemical elements can reveal where bodies decomposed even after flesh and bones are long gone