Environment

Scientists have developed a new method to detect trace amounts of plastic in edible tissues, and tried it out on a range of seafood such as oysters, prawns, squid, crabs and sardines to find plastic particles in all samples tested.

Clean drinking water is a need that’s going unmet for many people. A new study has used a metal-organic framework (MOF) to filter pollutants out of seawater, generating large amounts of fresh water per day while using less energy than other methods.

It's no secret that the world's coral reefs are dying off at an alarming rate. In order to encourage the growth of the coral that remains, scientists from the University of Hong Kong have developed what are known as "reef tiles."

A team of scientists has been working on more environmentally friendly forms of footwear, and is now showing off a pair of algae-based flip flops that make the grade for commercial footwear, but degrade in the environment in just 16 weeks.

A new study has cast doubt over one method of cleaning up ocean plastics in floating trash-collection barriers, finding that these devices are unlikely to put a dent in the overall problem, even if left to run well into next century.

Scientists have begun to uncover evidence of how the digestive systems of certain animals can play a part in plastic fragmentation, with the latest concerning a small crustacean that can turn microplastics into “nanoplastics” in just four days.

Electronic waste can be difficult to repurpose, as it often consists of two or more mixed materials. Now, however, Australian scientists have developed a method of converting so-called e-waste into a protective coating for steel.

A new study mapping the movement of plastic waste has projected that 1.3 billion tonnes of it will be dumped on land and in the oceans by 2040, unless some significant steps are taken to address the trend.

Researchers have delved into what the coronavirus lockdowns have meant for human-caused Earth vibrations, leading to the discovery of what say is the "longest and most pronounced quiet period of seismic noise in recorded history.

For some time now, there have been concerns that microplastic particles eaten by fish could be passed along to human seafood consumers. According to a new study, though, such may not be the case with sea bass, and possibly not with many other fish.

The dramatic changes taking place in the Arctic as a result of climate change have long been known to spell trouble for polar bears, but a new study mapping out their future has provided a particularly grim outlook.

New analysis has revealed that emissions of methane, a particularly potent greenhouse gas, have now hit record highs, with the surge being driven in large part by increases in the burning of fossil fuels and increasing agricultural activity.