Environmental
Researchers have discovered a new strain of bacteria that can produce non-toxic, comparatively inexpensive rhamnolipids, and effectively help degrade polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, or PAHs environmental pollutants that are one of the most harmful aspects of oil spills.
| 3 min read
As part of the effort to reduce childhood lead poisoning, scientists at RTI International, under contract with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), have developed a new field method for measuring the amount of lead in paint that is faster and less expensive than current methods.
| 2 min read
Carbon dioxide emissions from agricultural activity in the United States can now be tracked with unprecedented resolution because of a method developed at Oak Ridge National Laboratory.
| 2 min read
Long-term continuous monitoring of groundwater where contaminants are present or suspected could be streamlined with a technology developed at the Department of Energy's Oak Ridge National Laboratory.
| 2 min read
Algae--already being eyed for biofuel production--could be put to use right away to remove nitrogen and phosphorus in livestock manure runoff, according to an Agricultural Research Service (ARS) scientist. That could give resource managers a new eco-friendly option for reducing the level of agricultural pollutants that contaminate water quality in the Chesapeake Bay.
| 2 min read
Researchers have found evidence that "marine snow"--aggregates of organic material floating in water bodies--may act as microscopic, island-like refuges for pathogens, or disease-causing organisms. This detritus may skew water sampling procedures and mathematical models used to predict the transmission of waterborne diseases to humans.
| 2 min read
Most laboratory water purification systems contain a resistivity or conductivity meter and cell to monitor the purity level of the water. Resistivity is the reciprocal of conductivity and either may be used to inexpensively monitor the ionic purity of water.
| 3 min read
The National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences has awarded the University of Iowa Superfund Research Program (isrp) a five-year, $16 million grant to study the health effects of environmental pollutants, especially polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) found in water, former industrial sites and the atmosphere.
| 2 min read
Agricultural Research Service (ARS) scientists are helping U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) experts model the movement of radioactive materials in the soil. Their findings can be used to fine-tune the risk assessment studies that are an essential component in the development of commercial nuclear facilities.
| 2 min read
If your laboratory has its own dedicated power plant or is part of an industrial facility, you may be able to drastically reduce the amount of energy you purchase while reducing your labs carbon footprint.
| 5+ min read
Scientists at Battelle and Fluid Imaging Technologies (Yarmouth, ME) have designed a sensor that can not only better measure changes in the levels of toxic red tide in oceans and algae blooms in the Great Lakes, but also monitor close-to-home problems such as the increase of odor-causing organisms in the public water supply.
| 3 min read
