Pollution

Carbon dioxide in the atmosphere attracts most of the attention in environmental concerns, but much of that ends up in oceans, making them more acidic. Now scientists have created nanojars that can easily capture this and other pollutants from water.

While wearable sensors can detect airborne toxins in the user's environment, any one device can usually only identify a few such substances. A potentially much more useful new sensor, however, can reportedly detect over 100 at once.

MIT researchers have found yet another use for the over-achieving wonder material graphene, by making a reusable filter out of graphene oxide foam that acts like a magnet for uranium, effectively pulling the radioactive element out of drinking water.

Municipalities regularly have to check for pollution in local waterways, often utilizing crews of workers in boats. The new Nixie system is intended to make things much quicker, simpler and ultimately cheaper, using a water-sampling drone instead.

New research led by the University of California Riverside has identified a relatively simple catalyst that can remove common pollutants called perchlorates, helping reduce water and soil pollution not just on Earth but potentially on Mars one day.

A new sponge-like material likened to a Swiss Army knife could help scientists tackle the problem of phosphate pollution and algae blooms, with the ability to not just capture phosphate from water sources but allow it to be collected for reuse.

The problem of microplastics pollution is getting worse, so it's important to monitor the amount of such plastic waste currently present in the world's oceans. According to a new study, a simple sea creature may better allow scientists to do so.

A team of researchers has found that aerosol particles can contain up to three liquid phases at once. The strange discovery has implications for air quality and climate models, since they could change the level of sunlight reflected or absorbed.

When you see plastic trash washed up on the shore, don't you wish there was something you could do? Besides just picking it up, that is? Well, a new app may soon be able to determine where that garbage came from, so action can be taken.

When toxins are present in a waterway, freshwater mussels are one of the first creatures to react. A new mussel-mounted sensor has been designed with this in mind, as a means of catching water pollution early.

Microplastics are increasingly found polluting waterways and causing unknown damage to the health of animals and humans. Now, a new study provides evidence there's cross over with another looming public health threat – antibiotic-resistant superbugs.

There are currently many projects aimed at reducing the air pollution emitted in automobile exhaust, but in the meantime couldn't we just … redirect that exhaust? A new study suggests a possible means of doing so.