https://phys.org/ en-us Phys.org internet news portal provides the latest news on science including: Physics, Nanotechnology, Life Sciences, Space Science, Earth Science, Environment, Health and Medicine. Amid the scorching heat at the Albanian port of Durres, 102 containers set sail for Thailand in early July, sparking a high-seas drama that highlighted the perils of the global waste trade. https://phys.org/news/2024-09-sender-stranded-sea-toxic-dispute.html Environment Fri, 27 Sep 2024 04:30:01 EDT news646630099 In an advance for agricultural waste management, scientists from the Chinese Academy of Sciences have devised a method to convert Caragana korshinskii Kom. waste, a common forestry byproduct in China, into a potential ruminant feed. The research, published in the Journal of Bioresources and Bioproducts, details a two-stage bioaugmentation process that significantly improves the nutritional value and safety of CKK waste. https://phys.org/news/2024-09-caragana-nutritious-ruminant.html Cell & Microbiology Agriculture Thu, 26 Sep 2024 16:09:40 EDT news646585777 The citrus industry generates a substantial amount of waste, primarily peels and seeds, which are often underutilized despite their rich cellulose and pectin content. Conventional pectin and cellulose extraction methods are energy-intensive and generate harmful by-products. However, a recent study introduces a novel, green approach using cavitation, a process that uses sound waves to create bubbles in liquid, offering a sustainable and efficient alternative. https://phys.org/news/2024-09-citrus-biopolymers-cavitation.html Biochemistry Polymers Thu, 26 Sep 2024 14:46:26 EDT news646580782 The most comprehensive scientific review of the global nitrogen cycle has outlined 150 "win-win" measures to significantly reduce nitrogen pollution while saving billions in costs across a range of industries. https://phys.org/news/2024-09-scientists-solutions-global-nitrogen-crisis.html Environment Wed, 25 Sep 2024 15:40:27 EDT news646497622 A research team led by Rice University's James Tour has developed a method to recycle valuable metals from electronic waste more efficiently while significantly reducing the environmental impact typically associated with metal recycling. https://phys.org/news/2024-09-sustainable-metal-recycling-method-greenhouse.html Materials Science Wed, 25 Sep 2024 15:25:53 EDT news646496749 The huge and growing toll bottled water is taking on human and planetary health warrants an urgent rethink of its use as 1 million bottles are bought every minute around the globe, with that figure set to rise further still amid escalating demand, warn population health experts in a commentary published in the open access journal BMJ Global Health. https://phys.org/news/2024-09-bottled-huge-toll-human-planetary.html Environment Tue, 24 Sep 2024 18:30:01 EDT news646388571 Large amounts of the food we produce do not end up in our stomachs, but in landfills, sewers, or elsewhere. According to the UN, in 2022, this was the fate of 1.05 billion tons of food, which ended up as food waste—corresponding to approximately 132 kg per capita in the world. https://phys.org/news/2024-09-microchip-millions-liters.html Biotechnology Agriculture Tue, 24 Sep 2024 17:07:04 EDT news646416421 In a report published in Marine Pollution Bulletin, researchers from Kyushu University have for the first time, provided a clear numerical target for global efforts to tackle marine plastic pollution. By mapping the flow and fate of plastic waste in the oceans, the team found that at a minimum there must be a 32% reduction in plastic littering by 2035 to prevent further marine damage. https://phys.org/news/2024-09-reveals-countdown-oceans-plastic-pollution.html Environment Tue, 24 Sep 2024 15:12:03 EDT news646409521 Seafood is a major industry in New England. It generates a lot of revenue for coastal communities, but with that productivity can come a lot of waste. https://phys.org/news/2024-09-commercializing-technology-plastic-free-biodegradable.html Biotechnology Mon, 23 Sep 2024 16:22:48 EDT news646327356 Workers in solid waste management and remediation face a variety of dangers—excessive noise, poor ergonomics, pollution and extreme weather, among others—in addition to regular exposure to a broad range of biohazards and chemicals. As a result, they experience higher rates of injuries and illnesses compared to workers across all private industries. https://phys.org/news/2024-09-solid-industry-focuses-traditional-occupational.html Social Sciences Economics & Business Mon, 23 Sep 2024 16:01:56 EDT news646326110 The UN environment chief said Sunday she was beginning to see convergence on the world's first binding treaty on plastic pollution despite differences on production caps and a tax-like plastic fee. https://phys.org/news/2024-09-convergence-global-plastics-treaty-environment.html Environment Mon, 23 Sep 2024 04:33:16 EDT news646284791 The Pacific Islands may evoke images of sprawling coastlines and picturesque scenery. But while this part of the world might look like paradise, many local residents are grappling with a serious public health issue. https://phys.org/news/2024-09-people-pacific-lack-access-adequate.html Environment Sat, 21 Sep 2024 10:50:01 EDT news646048246 Old tires, discarded cups, and cigarette butts litter the magnificent Saguenay Fjord, a marine protected area in eastern Canada that attracts belugas and other whales seeking respite. https://phys.org/news/2024-09-scientists-track-plastic-pristine-canada.html Environment Fri, 20 Sep 2024 04:48:49 EDT news646026523 PFAS, often called "forever chemicals," present in municipal solid waste can survive the high temperatures of waste incineration and continue to spread into the environment via residues from waste-to-energy plants. https://phys.org/news/2024-09-chemicals-persist-incineration.html Environment Thu, 19 Sep 2024 15:14:03 EDT news645977641 In the form of bottles, tires, packaging and piping, millions of tons of plastic waste are dumped every year in the world's waterways, often ending up in the oceans. https://phys.org/news/2024-09-oceans-plastic.html Environment Wed, 18 Sep 2024 12:40:01 EDT news645881465 A new study has revealed Australians are wasting food because of unclear date labels and storage advice. The report was published by RMIT University and End Food Waste Cooperative Research Centre. https://phys.org/news/2024-09-australians-food-date-storage-advice.html Social Sciences Wed, 18 Sep 2024 11:45:37 EDT news645878733 Small marine crustaceans are as valuable as key coastal habitats for storing carbon and should be similarly protected, according to new research. https://phys.org/news/2024-09-antarctic-krill-similar-carbon-seagrass.html Ecology Tue, 17 Sep 2024 12:19:04 EDT news645794341 As climate change intensifies, rising public awareness and incremental behavioral changes will hopefully evolve into transformative action. We investigate how lifestyles and systems of governance need to change to bring about a sustainable, low-carbon future in the UK. https://phys.org/news/2024-09-uk-carbon-capable.html Environment Tue, 17 Sep 2024 12:00:17 EDT news645793205 How do you turn nuclear waste into a $30,000-per-gram commodity? Tritium, once discarded as a by-product of Canadian nuclear reactors, is now one of the most expensive materials on Earth. This rare isotope of hydrogen powers glow-in-the-dark keychains, exit signs that can stay bright for two decades without power and cutting-edge fusion energy research. https://phys.org/news/2024-09-video-canadian-trash-gram.html Other Mon, 16 Sep 2024 10:55:52 EDT news645702947 Of the first five U.S. states to implement food waste bans, only Massachusetts was successful at diverting waste away from landfills and incinerators, according to a new study from the University of California Rady School of Management. https://phys.org/news/2024-09-reveals-food-ineffective-landfill-massachusetts.html Environment Thu, 12 Sep 2024 14:00:02 EDT news645349681 The intensifying great power competition between the People's Republic of China and the United States has meant the possibility of future war in the Indo-Pacific region has become a regular feature of Australia's national discourse. https://phys.org/news/2024-09-fuel-shortages-pharmacies-war-china.html Economics & Business Political science Wed, 11 Sep 2024 12:40:04 EDT news645277201 Lake Okeechobee is the largest lake in Florida and the second largest in the Southeastern United States. Over the past two decades, blooms of blue-green algae (Microcystis) have emerged in the lake and have been flushed into nearby urban estuaries, causing serious environmental and public health issues. https://phys.org/news/2024-09-fueling-algae-florida-lake-okeechobee.html Ecology Tue, 10 Sep 2024 11:25:05 EDT news645186302 The world creates 57 million tons of plastic pollution every year and spreads it from the deepest oceans to the highest mountaintop to the inside of people's bodies, according to a new study that also said more than two-thirds of it comes from the Global South. https://phys.org/news/2024-09-world-million-tons-plastic-pollution.html Environment Sun, 08 Sep 2024 14:50:01 EDT news644679995 We have used machine learning to identify the biggest plastic pollution hotspots across more than 50,000 towns, cities and rural areas worldwide. Our new global model reveals the most detailed picture of plastic pollution ever created with the highest environmental concentrations in India, predominantly because so much of its waste isn't collected. https://phys.org/news/2024-09-plastic-pollution-hotspots-india-due.html Environment Sat, 07 Sep 2024 19:20:01 EDT news644840359 It's becoming increasingly crowded in the orbits around Earth that are popular for space travel. And that's not just due to satellites—there's also more waste material, which is compromising safety. Ph.D. candidate Zhuang Tian is conducting research into the legal aspects of discarded space equipment. Whoever leaves debris behind should take responsibility and clean it up. https://phys.org/news/2024-09-space-debris-law.html Space Exploration Thu, 05 Sep 2024 16:41:45 EDT news644773300 As the climate changes, large parts of southern Australia are projected to get drier. Extreme rains are also becoming more common. https://phys.org/news/2024-09-biochar-doesnt-carbon-boosts-farmers.html Environment Wed, 04 Sep 2024 16:29:07 EDT news644686144 For the sake of the environment and our quality of life, effective treatment of wastewater plays a vital role. A biological method to treat sewage using moving, biofilm-covered plastic items known as carriers has been gaining prominence, and an Osaka Metropolitan University-led team has found ways to make the process more efficient. https://phys.org/news/2024-09-foamed-plastic-carriers-boost-biofilm.html Cell & Microbiology Biotechnology Wed, 04 Sep 2024 12:44:02 EDT news644672641 A new study from the University shines a light on the enormous scale of uncollected rubbish and open burning of plastic waste in the first ever global plastics pollution inventory. https://phys.org/news/2024-09-uncollected-major-sources-plastic-pollution.html Environment Wed, 04 Sep 2024 11:00:01 EDT news644658241 The goals outlined in the Paris Agreement on climate include limiting climate warming to below 2°C and reaching a global peak of greenhouse gas emissions as soon as possible. To meet these targets, scientists need comprehensive accounting of the greenhouse gases entering and leaving the atmosphere over different landscapes. https://phys.org/news/2024-09-scientists-europe-greenhouse-gas.html Earth Sciences Environment Wed, 04 Sep 2024 08:21:26 EDT news644656882 A research team led by Professor Kotohiro Nomura from Tokyo Metropolitan University has developed a method for the depolymerization of PET (polyethylene terephthalate) using alcohols and an inexpensive, readily available iron trichloride catalyst. This method can be applied to the selective chemical recycling of both textile and plastic waste mixtures. https://phys.org/news/2024-09-depolymerization-method-exclusive-chemical-recycling.html Polymers Materials Science Mon, 02 Sep 2024 09:36:02 EDT news644488561