Articles tagged with Environmental Management
A new study reveals that biochar increases soil organic carbon more efficiently than straw by guiding microbes towards stable carbon formation. Biochar promotes a slower but more stable carbon pathway, reducing native soil carbon mineralization.
Colorado State University researchers propose strategies to immobilize toxic metals and prevent plant uptake in rice grains, protecting food security and public health. The approach aims to reduce arsenic, cadmium, and mercury contamination in rice paddies using nanomaterials and chemical reactions.
A new review compares conventional and microwave-assisted pyrolysis, showing how microwave heating can tailor biochar for removing metals, dyes, pharmaceuticals, and microplastics. Microwave-derived biochars often show higher surface area, stronger mesoporosity, and greater retention of oxygen-containing functional groups.
A new process-based model predicts how biochar affects crop yields, soil carbon, and greenhouse gas emissions. The DLEM-Ag-Biochar model performed well against field observations, capturing patterns in agricultural systems across different environmental and management conditions.
A new study reveals that thiol-modified biochar can maintain long-term mercury immobilization in contaminated soils even when subjected to repeated drying and rewetting. The research found that TMB strongly reduced mercury mobility, lowered bioavailable mercury, and redistributed mercury into less available forms.
A new study published in Biochar reports a promising approach to address food safety and climate challenges at the same time. A titanium dioxide-loaded biochar material reduces arsenic mobilization and methane emissions in flooded paddy soil, offering a two-in-one strategy for safer rice and lower greenhouse gas emissions.
A new study reveals that biochar can regulate antibiotic movement in structured soils, helping reduce contamination risks. By shifting transport into the slower soil matrix, biochar reduces pollutant export and increases retention.
A new review highlights the potential of biochar's intrinsic redox properties to enhance pollutant degradation, microbial processes, and energy recovery. Biochar can act like an electron shuttle or buffer, transferring electrons more efficiently than highly conductive materials in stressed environments.
A five-year field study reveals that biochar reshapes soil chemistry, microbes, viruses, and metabolites to support healthier agricultural ecosystems. Biochar improves soil organic matter, cation exchange capacity, and nutrient availability while reducing metal bioavailability.
A new global analysis suggests that biochar's ability to store carbon in agricultural soils may be overestimated due to increased carbon dioxide emissions from warming. The study found that warming significantly increased CO2 emissions from biochar-amended soils by an average of 77%, with effects strongest in croplands.
Researchers found that acid-modified and alkaline biochars helped reduce stress from saline-alkali soil, improving soil conditions and supporting alfalfa performance. Alkaline biochar promoted biomass growth, while acid-modified biochar improved soil chemistry and root defense in highly alkaline soils.
A study by Royal Netherlands Institute for Sea Research found that Lesser Black-backed Gulls rarely visit wind farms off the Zeeland coast, except for some male birds. Despite being attracted to fishing boats outside the wind farm, the gulls' behavior suggests they avoid entering the wind farm due to unknown reasons.
Researchers developed a mathematical formula to estimate microplastic mass and size concentrations from limited data, enabling more efficient surveys. The new approach allows for the estimation of small microplastics often overlooked in field surveys, which can help track pollution sources and trends.
A new study found that biochar can lower the temperature sensitivity of nitrous oxide emissions in agricultural soil but increase it in forest soil. Researchers tested different soils and biochar treatments and found that temperature was the dominant driver of nitrous oxide emissions, while biochar acted as a secondary modulator.
Researchers will measure particulate matter, ozone, wind, humidity, and temperature to understand environmental response to large-scale human activity. The study aims to find a balance between development and clean air, supporting sustainable growth in the Dallas-Fort Worth area.
Long-term biochar study reveals that topsoil benefits from biochar's effect on microbial necromass carbon, with significant increase in fungal necromass carbon. In contrast, subsoil shows reduced microbial necromass carbon due to lower nitrogen availability and increased microbial nutrient mining.
A new UN report details the environmental costs of artificial intelligence, including its burgeoning electricity use, carbon emissions, water footprint, and land occupation. The investigation finds that AI's expansion involves significant energy consumption, leading to substantial CO2, water, and land footprints.
Researchers from Virginia Tech found that airborne particles have an outer alkaline shell, contradicting the traditional view of uniform droplets. This discovery has significant implications for understanding air quality and climate change.
A new study published in Biochar shows that the temperature used to produce biochar plays a decisive role in controlling nitrogen losses during food waste digestate composting. Hardwood biochar made at 400 °C reduced total nitrogen loss by 46.3% compared with composting without biochar, outperforming biochars made at 300 °C and 800 °C.
Biochar can restore acidic tea soils, reduce toxic metal uptake, and support climate-smart cultivation. It also improves fertilizer use efficiency, supports biochemical pathways linked to tea quality, and reduces heavy metal exposure risks for consumers.
Researchers found that higher soil salinity can slow biochar's aging process, preserving its carbon content and reducing microbial activity. This study provides new insights for sustainable management of saline farmland and highlights the importance of microorganisms in shaping biochar's environmental functions.
Researchers argue that biochar's long-term carbon storage potential and its soil improvement benefits should not be conflated. The authors call for a 'designer biochar' approach, tailoring products to specific end uses rather than marketing them as universally beneficial.
Researchers used game theory to identify promising porous carbon materials made from agricultural and industrial waste. The study found that certain samples, such as rice straw-KOH-level 2, performed well in terms of surface area and pore volume, making them suitable for applications in soil amendment, water conservation, and pollutant...
The project aims to shape future international engineering guidance for coastal infrastructure as climate change increases storm surge risk. Researchers will gather environmental data on saltmarsh systems and work with international partners to develop practical hybrid green-grey infrastructure solutions.
A study finds that US forests are at risk of releasing stored carbon due to droughts, pests, and fires exacerbated by climate change. The researchers recommend increasing buffer pools in carbon-credit systems to account for these risks.
Southwest Research Institute (SwRI) has expanded its ISO 14001:2015 environmental management certification to include multiple research areas. The internationally recognized standard supports proactive systems to reduce emissions and protect the environment, giving clients peace of mind about SwRI's commitment to stewardship.
A new report by University of Cambridge researchers highlights the human context of conservation efforts, finding that protecting 30% of the world's land and seas by 2030 will impact nearly half of the global population. The team suggests substantial investment and local involvement are crucial for successful implementation.
FAU engineering researcher Masoud Jahandar Lashaki has been awarded a prestigious NSF CAREER award to study the oxidative degradation of amine-functionalized sorbents. The project aims to design longer-lasting technologies for capturing pollutants from air and water, improving indoor and outdoor air quality.
Emerging microwave-based techniques significantly enhance biochar's ability to remove contaminants from water and soil while improving energy efficiency. Biochar has gained attention as a sustainable solution for managing agricultural residues, food waste, and other organic by-products.
The UFZ research team has developed a two-stage electrochemical purification process to efficiently degrade short-chain PFAS in water. This process uses electro-adsorption and electro-oxidation to concentrate and break down PFBA, resulting in easy separation of the fluoride by-product.
A study by University of California, Davis found that California's conifer forests have lost between 6% and 11% of their area over the past three decades due to wildfires. Reforestation efforts are not keeping pace with the losses, with only about 1% of deforested Forest Service lands being replanted between 2016 and 2023.
Emerging AI technologies are enabling faster, smarter, and more integrated solutions to global challenges. AI-powered systems can track pollution levels, detect anomalies, and predict future risks in water, soil, air, and waste systems.
A study by Brazilian researchers found that moringa oleifera's saline extract can effectively remove microplastics from water, similar to aluminum sulfate. The treatment method uses in-line filtration and coagulation to destabilize particles and filter out pollutants.
Researchers found that thiol-modified biochar reduces mercury mobility by up to 80% in soils exposed to dry-wet cycles. The material promotes natural weathering processes, traps mercury in stable forms, and alters the soil microbial community, creating a resilient ecosystem.
Researchers propose using terrain to deter conflict while delivering environmental benefits through restored forests, wetlands, and peatlands. These interventions support carbon storage, flood mitigation, and biodiversity recovery, acting as a form of deterrence by denial.
A new study reports a promising solution to address both arsenic contamination and greenhouse gas emissions in rice paddies using an engineered biochar material enhanced with titanium dioxide. The findings highlight a new strategy to improve food safety while lowering agriculture’s climate footprint.
Researchers highlight biochar's ability to outperform conventional materials in driving chemical reactions that break down pollutants and support energy-producing microbial processes. Biochar's intrinsic redox properties enable it to act as an electron shuttle, accelerating reactions.
Researchers found that biochar can actively regulate the movement of antibiotics in soil, reducing cumulative fluxes by up to 15%. Biochar creates a concentration gradient at the interface between macropores and surrounding soil, pulling contaminants into the soil matrix for retention.
A five-year field study reveals that biochar can reorganize entire soil ecosystems, creating lasting benefits for agriculture and environmental sustainability. Biochar triggers a coordinated transformation across the entire soil system, improving soil acidity and reducing metal toxicity.
A new study reveals that carefully designed biochar amendments can improve plant growth and soil health in saline-alkali soils by reshaping plant metabolism and microbial communities. Alkaline biochar was found to stimulate key metabolic pathways, while acid-modified biochar enhanced root development and activated plant defense systems.
Researchers found that biochar can either dampen or amplify temperature sensitivity of nitrous oxide emissions in soils. Biochar's effects depend on soil properties and environmental conditions.
A new field study reveals that biochar significantly increases microbial necromass carbon in topsoil by up to 39%, linked to improved nutrient availability and microbial efficiency. However, in subsoil layers, biochar reduces microbial necromass carbon by as much as 30% due to nutrient limitations.
A new study reveals how an advanced iron-modified biochar can harness the natural chemistry of soils to break down persistent antibiotic contaminants. The biochar activates naturally occurring oxygen in soils to generate highly reactive hydroxyl radicals, enabling the in situ degradation of contaminants without external chemical inputs.
Researchers discovered that carefully selecting the temperature used to produce biochar can optimize both environmental performance and compost quality. Biochar produced at a moderate temperature achieved the optimal balance between ammonium adsorption and microbial nitrification, resulting in a 46.3% reduction in total nitrogen loss.
Researchers found that increasing soil salinity slows biochar aging and limits microbial colonization. Biochar retains more carbon and shows greater structural stability in saline environments compared to low-salinity conditions.
A new study predicts that nearly one in three Americans will experience poor air quality daily by 2100 due to climate change. This could lead to widespread health issues, particularly among sensitive populations like the elderly and those with asthma.
A new study presents a framework combining biochar engineering with artificial intelligence to design next-generation materials tailored for specific pollutants. The work highlights how advanced data-driven approaches can accelerate the development of sustainable water treatment technologies.
Researchers have developed a new class of carbon materials called 'viciazites' that contain carefully controlled configurations of nitrogen groups, enabling low-temperature operation and efficient CO2 capture. The materials outperform untreated carbon fibers in CO2 uptake and desorption at temperatures below 60°C.
A 50-year study in Kerala, India found that expanding tree plantations can result in zero net carbon gains underground. The research highlights the importance of considering the type of plantation and historical soil profile when designing climate mitigation strategies.
Researchers combine biochar with naturally occurring minerals to create more durable and effective materials for improving soil fertility, capturing contaminants, and delivering nutrients. Engineered composites show promising potential for agricultural and pollution control applications.
Researchers developed a specially engineered biochar made from sewage sludge that significantly enhances plant growth when combined with beneficial bacteria. The biochar-bacteria combination improved nitrogen cycling and increased the abundance of beneficial soil microbes, leading to greater plant nutrition and growth.
Researchers develop oxychar, a highly efficient, budget-friendly alternative to traditional charred organic materials for toxic cadmium removal. The new material soaks up both agricultural ammonia and cadmium, promising a practical win for sustainable farming.
The integration of artificial intelligence is changing environmental research, enabling scientists to connect massive datasets, uncover patterns, and generate predictive insights. AI-powered approaches can help better understand environmental processes across different spatial and temporal scales, leading to more accurate forecasting a...
Research in the Amazon forest shows that reduced-impact logging techniques can increase above-ground biomass and contribute to mitigating climate change. The study found that RIL-FM increased biomass stock by 70.68 megagrams per hectare, while conventional logging resulted in a biomass loss.
A new study challenges the assumption that only small pores in biochar capture carbon dioxide, finding that larger pores significantly increase carbon capture at higher temperatures. The research suggests optimizing the full pore hierarchy of biochar could improve its performance as a carbon capture material.
Research shows glacial lakes in Alaska expanding 50% faster than previously recorded, posing significant hazards and altering ecosystems. The study identifies areas where lakes may form and grow, helping with infrastructure planning and predicting changes to ecosystems, hazards, and recreation.
Two studies have found that trust in landowners and experience with feral hogs significantly influence their willingness to manage the animals. Trust in neighbors and community was found to be associated with the likelihood of landowners taking actions to manage feral hogs, while experience with the animals was also a crucial factor.
The interim update to the State of the World's Migratory Species report warns that 49% of migratory species populations are declining, with 24% facing extinction, due to habitat loss and overexploitation. The report highlights the need for coordinated international action to address these threats and protect migratory species.