Biochar's ability to retain carbon in soil is strengthened by cadmium contamination, with mechanisms including cation bridging and microbial inhibition. This unexpected interaction has implications for using biochar in contaminated agricultural soils.
Blending moderate amounts of organic cleaning wastewater with coal lowers ignition temperature and reduces combustion activation energy, but excessive addition weakens overall combustion. The study suggests a practical balance between easier ignition and stable combustion can be achieved.
A new review reveals that microplastics can change the mobility, bioavailability, ecological toxicity, and food-chain transfer of heavy metals, but the direction and magnitude of these changes differ substantially among metals. Biodegradable plastics are not automatically environmentally safer in metal-contaminated soils.
A field study in northeastern China shows that combining no-tillage management with microbial organic fertilizer can significantly increase soil organic carbon across both surface and deeper soil layers. The treatment increased soil organic carbon by up to 93.2% and maintained larger macroaggregates, which can physically enclose organi...
Researchers developed a simple visual method for tracking vapor movement inside a fixed-bed reactor, finding that internal structures can redirect vapors and improve tar production and gas quality. The design increased total tar yield and raised the light tar fraction to as much as 74.42 percent.
A new study warns that ambitious climate pledges may lead to a 12.8% reduction in global cropland by 2100, compromising food security. The impact could be unevenly distributed, with countries in the Global South and South America facing significant losses.
A three-year field experiment found that warming accelerates nitrogen cycling while promoting retention in protected soil pools. This changes where nitrogen goes and how securely it is stored, potentially helping develop climate-resilient nitrogen management strategies for rice production.
A new study reports that loading biochar with oxygen nanobubbles can help overcome the problem of rapid oxygen depletion in flooded rice soils, creating a more oxidizing environment around rice roots. This leads to reduced cadmium accumulation in rice plants and improved plant growth.
A China-wide study reveals that hospital characteristics do not significantly shape nearby water resistomes, with geography and broader urban pollution being the main factors influencing antibiotic resistance gene patterns. Proper wastewater treatment can substantially reduce the environmental release of resistance genes from hospitals.
A computational study reveals that zirconia supports nickel-based catalysts in producing cleaner syngas by balancing methane conversion activity and resisting carbon buildup. Zirconium oxide provides a balanced performance, enhancing interaction with reforming reactants while maintaining moderate carbon binding and strong oxygen affinity.
A global meta-analysis of over 4,200 studies found that microplastics can alter cadmium uptake and movement in plants, reducing oxidative stress and nutrient imbalance. However, the effects vary greatly depending on particle size, polymer type, concentration, and environmental conditions.
A comparative review identifies how EU and US surface water monitoring architectures can strengthen surface water protection in China. The analysis suggests combining routine assessment with rapid diagnosis and long-term ecological observation to support precise and adaptive water governance.
Researchers found that adding fine biochar to natural hydraulic lime boosts its compressive strength by 35.7% and increases CO2 uptake by 14.6%. The optimized material can support carbonation through biochar's porous structure, promoting calcium carbonate formation.
Researchers found that reconstructed coal gangue can activate powerful oxidation reactions to break down persistent organic pollutants. The material's intrinsic reactivity and surface chemistry are key factors in its ability to degrade pollutants.
A new study reveals that tree felling mainly damages the crowns of remaining mature trees, while timber extraction threatens young seedlings. The research highlights practical opportunities to reduce ecological damage during logging by better planning and operator training.
Researchers introduce a new metric W² to complement traditional measures of predictive accuracy, revealing hidden patterns of systematic bias in AI models. By combining Q² with a penalty for angular difference from the ideal line, W² provides a more comprehensive evaluation of model reliability.
Researchers propose using AI to track nitrogen flows, improve scientific models, and provide practical recommendations for farmers. This approach aims to rebuild the disrupted nutrient cycle and reduce nitrogen losses while increasing food productivity.
Researchers developed a physics-based framework to predict temperature-driven VOC emissions from automotive paint sludge. Higher temperatures increase the release rate of VOCs, with moderate changes leading to substantial increases in quantity and speed of diffusion.
New research suggests that tire microplastics can create environmental hotspots that facilitate the persistence, transfer, and spread of antibiotic resistance genes through cities. The microplastics can develop dense microbial biofilms, release chemicals that select for resistant bacteria, and contribute to oxidative stress.
Researchers develop synthetic microbial communities to degrade persistent herbicides, improving degradation rates by 1.5-3 times compared to individual strains or natural attenuation. The approach promotes more complete mineralization of pollutants and resilience in complex soil environments.
A new study reveals that forest structure, tree species evenness, and terrain slope jointly influence how carbon is divided among living vegetation, forest litter, and soil. The research found that soil contained the largest share of total carbon in most locations, while vegetation stored more carbon than soil in several plots.
Researchers found that plants absorb more elements with longer hydrated metal ion distances, suggesting a basic chemical influence on mobility. The metric may help estimate poorly studied contaminants and reduce reliance on complex variables.
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.