A new global database has been developed to map pathogens and antibiotic resistance risks in coastal waters, providing a practical tool for assessing biological risks. The Coastal Water Pathogen Database integrates shotgun metagenomic sequencing data from six coastal regions across three continents.
Biochar's performance in soil depends on its feedstock, production conditions, interactions with microorganisms, and aging processes. Practical measurements are needed to assess its functionality.
A field and laboratory study in Yunnan, China, shows that substituting 15% of mineral nitrogen fertilizer with organic manure can accelerate soil nitrogen cycling while reducing emissions of a powerful greenhouse gas. Organic manure substitution does more than simply reduce the amount of mineral fertilizer applied.
Lithium–sulfur batteries have a theoretical specific capacity of 1,672 milliampere-hours per gram. Molecular catalysts can accelerate sulfur conversion and guide the design of next-generation energy storage systems.
A new study has developed a high-resolution inventory of veterinary antibiotic emissions across China, tracking emissions from livestock and aquaculture into soil, freshwater, and seawater. The inventory estimated that approximately 23,110 tonnes of veterinary antibiotics were released into China's environment in 2020.
A new study introduces a standardized method for measuring greenhouse gas and air pollutant emissions generated across the entire retail journey. The protocol covers online and traditional in-store shopping and provides nationwide parameters for China from 1990 to 2023, identifying opportunities for meaningful reductions.
Researchers developed an AI framework for detecting and managing microplastics in wastewater treatment systems. The system uses computer vision and machine learning to predict removal efficiency and identify pollution sources. While AI can complement chemical analysis, major challenges remain before these tools can be widely deployed.
Researchers developed an AI framework that extracts and organizes large amounts of information about plastic chemicals from text and images. The system achieved high accuracy and completeness in extracted data, identifying 2,144 chemicals with persistence, bioaccumulation, and toxicity characteristics.
NEW Community facilitated international outreach and scholarly exchange during Goldschmidt 2026, focusing on artificial intelligence, environmental science, and sustainability. The platform presented its potential role in interdisciplinary collaboration and open scholarly communication.
Evo 2 analyzes and generates DNA sequences across various forms of life, marking a major step toward unified AI for biology. The model can predict harmful genetic variants and generate biologically realistic DNA.
A new approach combines AI with high-resolution mass spectrometry and toxicology databases to predict biological effects of environmental chemicals. This framework helps researchers prioritize candidates for laboratory testing and health risk assessment.
Researchers found that combining biochar with selected components from organic fertilizer can convert cadmium into less mobile forms. Larger organic molecules provide stronger protection against cadmium uptake by crops.
A greenhouse study suggests that converting rice straw into biochar could provide greater environmental and food safety benefits than directly incorporating untreated straw. Biochar treatment reduced copper and lead accumulation, improved soil properties, and produced high grain biomass, while avoiding air pollution from open burning.
A new study reveals that forest-dominated rivers in China regulate nitrogen removal through a combination of microbial activity, water and sediment conditions, altitude, and land use. Denitrification was the dominant nitrogen-removal pathway, accounting for up to 95% of total measured nitrogen removal in winter.
Combined exposure to copper and glyphosate causes stronger stress responses in earthworms than individual contaminants. Biochar reduces these effects, improving soil habitability and reducing earthworm response to contamination.
A global study analyzed 16.5 million DNA sequences from 23 cities across five continents, revealing a clear distance-decay pattern for bacterial communities. The findings show that port size, wastewater discharge, geography, and maritime activity closely associate with the structure of bacterial communities worldwide.
Researchers are engineering biochar-based composites to overcome limitations, such as insufficient adsorption capacity and limited selectivity for certain emerging pollutants. The new review highlights the importance of balancing treatment performance with environmental safety throughout the material's life cycle.
A new study uses machine learning to predict chemical toxicity in rare and endangered species, reducing the need for direct biological testing. The model achieved strong performance predicting acute and chronic toxicity, with life stage being a key factor.
A new study reveals that carefully designed power cycles can convert more of LNG's overlooked resource into useful electricity. Researchers found that a two-stage Rankine cycle with reheating produces the most effective design, generating up to 9.2 megawatts of net power.
Researchers developed a high-resolution monitoring approach combining drone-based multispectral imaging with ensemble machine learning models. The method revealed how surrounding industrial, agricultural, residential, and green areas influence water quality in urban rivers.
A new review suggests that China's carbon reduction commitments can influence the environmental performance of the global palm oil industry by promoting sustainable production, traceability, and climate-responsible technologies. This could help reduce palm oil's climate footprint while protecting livelihoods.
A new study reveals that a small group of highly connected microorganisms helps maintain essential ecosystem functions, such as carbon and nitrogen cycling, despite major shifts in the wider microbial community. The research found functional redundancy, where different microorganisms can perform similar ecological roles.
Bacteriophages, viruses that naturally infect bacteria, can be engineered into rapid and highly specific biosensors for clinical diagnosis, food safety, and environmental monitoring. These phage-based systems offer a compelling alternative to conventional methods, which often involve tradeoffs between speed, sensitivity, and cost.
A new study found that soil acidity, nutrient conditions, and microbial function significantly impact nitrous oxide emissions. Fluvo-aquic soil consistently produced the lowest proportion of nitrous oxide, while red soil displayed limited denitrification potential due to its acidic conditions.
Researchers found that mulberry branch biochar improved digestive enzyme activity, strengthened intestinal barrier function, and reduced harmful bacteria in largemouth bass. The study also showed that dietary biochar can lower ammonia nitrogen and nitrite nitrogen levels in aquaculture water without negatively affecting fish growth.
A new study reveals that melanoidins, dark-colored compounds formed during hydrothermal treatment, can severely damage the microbial system responsible for methane production in anaerobic digestion. High doses of melanoidins can cause methane generation to nearly stop, leading to system collapse and energy loss.
Researchers developed a sawdust-based adsorbent that can remove methylene blue dye and real potato processing wastewater. The material achieved high adsorption capacities and was effective in both batch and continuous column tests.
A new Nigerian study has found widespread microplastic contamination in borehole water near the Sokoto Cement Factory, contaminating communities that rely on groundwater. The research identified common plastic polymers and health risks associated with microplastic exposure.
A new study published in Environmental and Biogeochemical Processes shows that changing soil water levels can disrupt the balance between two key steps of nitrification, a central process in the soil nitrogen cycle. Soil moisture and nitrogen availability jointly control the microbial 'handoff' in agricultural soil nitrogen cycling.
A new editorial highlights AI's role in scientific discovery, proposing a framework to evaluate AI-enabled scholarship. The authors emphasize the need for transparency, reproducibility, and real-world value in AI-driven research.
A new study found that bacteria in contaminated brick kiln soils reorganize their communities, strengthen stress-response functions, and activate detoxification genes. This understanding can help design more effective microbial restoration strategies for industrial sites.
Researchers propose a three-part evolutionary framework for using bacteriophages to control antimicrobial resistance. The phage-host evolutionary triad suggests that phages can sometimes stabilize resistant bacteria instead of eliminating them, depending on environmental factors.
Researchers developed an optimized energy management strategy for hybrid residential microgrids using Particle Swarm Optimization, reducing Net Present Cost by 12.01%, cost of energy by 16.09% and CO2 emissions by 17.65%. The study also found that battery storage had a strong impact on diesel fuel consumption and CO2 emissions
Researchers found that overlapping yak urine and dung patches produce far less nitrous oxide than expected, contradicting the assumption of additive emissions. The study suggests a balance between two competing processes, preventing emissions from rising as much as expected.
A new study suggests that several COVID-19 drugs can be toxic to marine organisms, even at low concentrations. The research found that ivermectin and other pharmaceuticals caused significant mortality in brine shrimp, highlighting an environmental concern.
Biochar improves soil physical and chemical properties by increasing water retention, enhancing soil aggregation, raising organic matter content, and regulating pH and nutrient availability. Biochar also reduces allelopathic autotoxicity and supports healthier plant development by adsorbing or degrading harmful compounds.
Researchers developed a one-pot synthesis strategy for hierarchical ZSM-5 catalysts that can improve catalyst lifetime during microwave-assisted catalytic pyrolysis of plastic waste. The study found that crystallization temperature strongly controlled the catalyst's pore structure, acidity, morphology, and lifetime.