Articles tagged with Environmental Engineering
Hanbat National University researchers have developed a new method for enhancing the performance of solid oxide fuel cells by inducing cobalt exsolution in high-temperature oxidizing atmospheres. This process results in improved electrochemical properties and higher oxygen reduction reaction activity, making it a promising direction fo...
A Peking University study maps the hidden life of river carbon along the upper Yangtze River, revealing how landscape, fire, and sunlight shape the global carbon cycle. The research found that organic carbon changes as it travels from the river's high-altitude headwaters to its densely populated downstream reaches.
Researchers found that pairing biochar with biogas slurry reduces CO2 emissions and alters soil microbial communities, enhancing carbon sequestration. However, the combination also increases CH4 emissions, highlighting a tradeoff.
Polar geoengineering proposals, such as aerosol injection and sea walls, may harm fragile ecosystems and divert resources from deep decarbonization efforts. The Frontiers Forum Deep Dive series explores the limitations of these initiatives and their potential to exacerbate climate change.
Researchers found that highly conductive biochar produces up to 69% more methane in rice soils due to faster electron transfer. The study highlights the importance of biochar's physical properties in determining its impact on greenhouse gas emissions.
The Circular Economy journal has been officially included in ESCI, with all published articles since 2022 eligible for indexing. The journal has attracted significant citation counts, with an average of over 10 citations per article and a CiteScore of 10.0.
Five well-publicized polar geoengineering ideas are highly unlikely to benefit the polar regions and could harm ecosystems, communities, and international relations. Researchers found that these proposals would likely cost billions in setup and maintenance while introducing ecological, environmental, legal, and political challenges.
Experts say well-publicized polar geoengineering ideas would harm ecosystems and international relations. Researchers analyze proposals like aerosol injection and ocean fertilization, finding they fail to meet scientific criteria.
Researchers at Harvard SEAS have developed a gentler, more sustainable way to break down keratins and turn leftover wool and feathers into useful products. The process uses concentrated lithium bromide to create an environment favorable for spontaneous protein unfolding.
A new study led by Professor Jonghun Kam predicts that Pakistan will experience major floods and severe droughts on a periodic basis, exacerbated by accelerating global warming. The AI model forecasts these extreme weather events every 15 years for the upper Indus River, and roughly every 11 years for surrounding rivers.
The book provides a roadmap for sustainable and ethical leadership in engineering management, focusing on ESG reporting, CSR integration, and industry-specific insights. It offers practical tools and strategies for professionals to make informed decisions that reduce ecological impact and improve resource efficiency.
A new study found that most air cleaning technologies have not been tested on humans and their potential risks are not yet fully understood. Researchers recommend choosing technologies independently tested in real-world environments to reduce illness in homes, schools, or workplaces.
Researchers from the Institute of Physics of the Czech Academy of Sciences studied the biological effects of permanent magnetic fields and found that their distribution in space plays a critical role in healing. The study's detailed field maps offer practical guidance for optimizing magnet use in medicine and magnetobiology.
The study developed a three-dimensional heat transfer model to analyze energy pile performance in soft clay soils. The results revealed thermal interference and crowding effects, but also introduced practical multiplier factors to simplify predictions and reduce computational resources.
Scientists have developed high-performance textile fibers from invasive paper-mulberry bark using a simple, scalable route. The coated fibers exhibit excellent tensile strength and antimicrobial properties, outperforming traditional materials like cotton.
A team of researchers from Chung-Ang University has developed an innovative air filter that mimics the way mucus-coated nasal hairs trap particles, achieving remarkable filtration efficiency. The particle-removing oil-coated (PRO) filter is a significant leap forward in air purification, offering improved performance and sustainability.
Drexel engineers create vascular network within cement-based building materials that can help passively regulate surface temperature, reducing energy loss in buildings. The approach is inspired by nature's circulatory system and uses phase-change material to maintain a desired indoor temperature.
A new study revisits forecasts made in 2002 about the world's rocky shorelines, finding some threats have materialized while others have not. The researchers highlight the importance of addressing issues like ocean acidification and plastic pollution to protect coastlines.
Restoration efforts have shown promising results, with satellite data indicating that restored peatlands' temperature and albedo improve over time. However, the return of vegetation is slower, emphasizing the need for additional measures.
A new palladium-loaded a-IGZO catalyst achieved over 91% selectivity when converting CO2 to methanol, leveraging electronic properties of semiconductors. The study demonstrates novel design principles for sustainable catalysis based on electronic structure engineering.
New research claims adding lime to agricultural soils can remove CO2 from the atmosphere, rather than cause emissions. The study, based on over 100 years of data, shows that the addition of acidity is the main driver for CO2 emissions from soils.
A University of Houston engineer has developed a method to create strong and eco-friendly materials from bacterial cellulose, which could replace plastic in various industries. The new material has high tensile strength flexibility, foldability, optical transparency, and long-term mechanical stability.
Researchers from MIT found that a single nanoscale dose of lanthanides can make crops more resilient to UV stress and increase seedling growth. The study also uncovered the chemical processes by which lanthanides interact with chlorophyll pigments, strengthening them and helping plants recover from damage.
A team of researchers at Harvard University has demonstrated the growth of green algae inside shelters made from bioplastics in Mars-like conditions. The experiments show a closed-loop system that can sustain itself and grow over time, offering a potential solution for sustainable habitats in space.
A new study by NERC finds that long-term funding has driven the UK's offshore wind industry, providing 17% of total UK electricity and supporting 32,000 jobs. The investment is expected to grow to 100,000 by 2030.
Researchers seek to harness protein cage encapsulation to combine and regulate multiple enzymes, creating a 'nano-reactor' that breaks down toxic substances more efficiently. The goal is to expedite the biodegradation process and reduce harmful intermediates.
Researchers developed an electrochemical conversion technology that achieves unprecedented performance in CO2-to-alcohol conversion, achieving a Faraday efficiency of 66.9%. The technology selectively produces allyl alcohol, a multi-carbon high-value-added compound, with potential applications in various industries.
A new study from Tulane University reveals that parts of New Orleans are sinking at an alarming rate, with some areas experiencing up to 2 inches of elevation loss annually. The findings highlight the need for ongoing monitoring and maintenance to ensure the city's flood defenses remain effective.
Researchers have developed single-atom nanozymes to monitor and control environmental pollutants. These nanozymes show great potential in addressing environmental challenges due to their innovative design and mechanisms.
Researchers developed a model to detect early signs of marsh decline using satellite observations, identifying vulnerable areas along Georgia's coast. The study found belowground biomass has declined across 72% of Georgia's coastal marsh since 2014.
In a groundbreaking pilot project, South Sioux City has constructed a 4,000-foot stretch of Foundry Road using two million recycled plastic bags. This innovative asphalt blend aims to reduce plastic waste while improving road durability under varied weather conditions.
Researchers develop annotation-free avian population estimation approach using multimodal perception model, achieving high accuracy without explicit object localization. The method is tested on the Wetland-Bird-Count dataset, outperforming existing weakly supervised and unsupervised methods.
The NIMS Award 2025 honors Prof. Tsutomu Miyasaka, Prof. Henry J. Snaith, and Prof. Nam-Gyu Park for their pioneering work on perovskite solar cells and the incorporation of a critical element that improved stability and efficiency. The award ceremony will take place at the Tsukuba International Congress Center on November 11.
Quaise Energy has successfully demonstrated its novel drilling technique on a full-scale oil rig, aiming to prove that clean, renewable geothermal energy can power the world. The company's three-tier approach involves replacing conventional drill bits with millimeter-wave energy to create deeper holes and access supercritical water.
Scientists develop sustainable alternative to cement, using recycled glass and construction waste to create durable and green construction material. The breakthrough innovation offers practical applications in urban infrastructure development and disaster-prone regions.
A new study published in Science finds that strong climate policy can preserve twice as much ice as current warming trajectories, even if temperatures stabilized today. At a 1.5°C temperature increase, 53% of global glacier mass could be preserved, alleviating hazards like flooding and freshwater deficiency.
A new IIASA-led study uses satellite imagery and machine learning to monitor street-level greenery in cities worldwide. The results show a global decline of 0.3-0.5% per year, with sharper declines in Asia and Oceania. Uneven distribution raises concerns about fairness and access to green space.
Triboelectric and piezoelectric nanogenerators convert mechanical energy into electrical energy, enhancing robotic autonomy and efficiency. The technology has the potential to reshape future robotic capabilities, particularly in industrial automation, healthcare, and smart home applications.
A NTU Singapore study found that robust air pollution control measures can prevent 36,000 ozone-related premature deaths annually in Southeast Asia by 2050. Implementing stringent emission reduction measures could drop annual deaths by 22,000 under a business-as-usual scenario.
A landmark study by Prof. Yong Sik Ok charts biochar's global market potential as a carbon-negative technology aligned with ESG goals, UN SDGs, and Net Zero pathways. The study provides actionable guidance for governments, industry leaders, and research institutions to integrate biochar into their climate portfolios.
A recent study from POSTECH University evaluated ground-level NO2 concentrations using satellite remote sensing data, revealing significant socioeconomic disparities in air pollution exposure. The research found that areas with higher socioeconomic levels had higher NO2 concentrations, contradicting previous findings in other countries.
Researchers at Texas A&M University are developing a new method to recover rare earth elements from old electronics, such as tablets and phones, using solid-phase extraction technology. This method aims to reduce energy use, cut down on solvents, and streamline the process, making it more environmentally friendly and commercially viable.
Researchers at the University of Tokyo developed a framework to enable decentralized artificial intelligence-based building automation, allowing devices to cooperate directly without central servers. The system learns user preferences over time, adjusting automatically, and provides fine-grained control without programming.
MIT researchers have developed a way to produce large amounts of silk microneedles to deliver agrochemicals and nutrients to plants, showing promising results in treating chlorosis and adding vitamin B12 to tomato plants. The technology has the potential to serve as a new kind of plant interface for real-time health monitoring and biof...
A team of researchers at POSTECH has identified a hidden mechanism in Electrochemical Random-Access Memory (ECRAM) technology, enabling faster and more efficient AI computations. This breakthrough could lead to significant improvements in data processing and reduced energy consumption.
Researchers developed a self-adaptive core-shell dry adhesive with remarkable performance under non-parallel contact. The 'live core' adapts to macroscopic interfacial angle errors, enabling stress equalization and high adhesion strength.
The Extant Life Volumetric Imaging System (ELVIS) will test a new holographic microscope on the International Space Station to analyze the adaptability and resilience of microorganisms. The system aims to reveal how life might persist on distant moons and planets, significantly enhancing our search for life outside Earth.
Researchers at Osaka Metropolitan University developed an autonomous driving algorithm for robots to navigate raised cultivation beds, utilizing lidar point cloud data. The system enables precise movement and accuracy in both virtual and actual environments, promising to expand tasks beyond harvesting to monitoring and pruning.
Researchers at POSTECH developed a nickel-based high-entropy alloy that maintains strength and ductility across a wide temperature range from -196°C to 600°C. This stability is attributed to the presence of nanoscale precipitates, which inhibit deformation and accommodate stress through consistent slip behavior.
Researchers found that introducing moderate natural light into the bedroom before waking improves wakefulness and reduces sleepiness. The study suggests controlling natural light in the sleep environment may help promote a more comfortable awakening.
A new numerical computer model tracks how pollution travels through Galveston Bay, helping scientists understand water movement in estuaries. The model is critical for evaluating climate variability and sea level fluctuation impacts on coastal communities, guiding better decisions to keep water clean and prevent flooding.
Researchers from Tsinghua University sent 2D materials and field-effect transistors into orbit aboard China's reusable recoverable satellite, Shijian-19. The materials maintained their structural integrity, exhibiting stable switching characteristics after a 14-day space flight.
A recent study by an international team reveals that the Arabian Peninsula's desert was once home to a vast lake and river system, which fostered grasslands and savannahs, enabling human migration. The findings highlight the impact of climate cycles on landscapes and human societies.
A new CFD model has been proposed to optimize the green production of high-purity dimethyl carbonate (DMC) for critical industrial applications. The model reveals the dynamics of DMC crystallization and provides a balance between rapid crystal growth and higher yield.
The ECOMOME project optimizes energy consumption in mobile networks, reducing emissions and operational costs. By combining experimental research with forward-looking projections, the project achieves results that will remain relevant for upcoming generations of mobile networks.
A study by North Carolina State University detected high levels of PFAS, including GenX and other toxic compounds, in the dust of homes near a fluorochemical plant. The findings suggest that household dust can be an additional source of PFAS exposure, particularly for those living closer to the facility.
A team of researchers has developed a groundbreaking high-temperature copper alloy with exceptional thermal stability and mechanical strength. The novel bulk Cu-3Ta-0.5Li nanocrystalline alloy exhibits remarkable resistance to coarsening and creep deformation, even at temperatures near its melting point.
The grant aims to develop an electrochemical system capable of recovering uranium from wastewater, improving ecosystem health and addressing uranium security. The project will focus on designing electrode materials for efficient uranium extraction and minimizing toxic waste.
Researchers propose darkening cities to improve biodiversity, human health, and reduce energy waste by embracing nocturnal living. Professor Nick Dunn's 'Dark Futures: When the Lights Go Down' presents a vision for an alternative future that reconnects humans with nature's rhythms.
A Rice University researcher is working to fortify buildings in Haiti against future earthquakes with cost-effective retrofitting solutions. The study, recently published in Earthquake Spectra, explores five techniques to improve seismic performance, including steel braces and reinforced concrete jacketing.