How do microplastics interact with forever chemicals? Microplastics — small plastic particles measuring <5 mm — and highly stable polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), are coming to public attention for their potential environmental and health risks. With these contaminants occurring more frequently…
Hematite is an iron oxide that occurs naturally around the world. Because of its abundance, it has been used by humans since prehistory, first as the pigment red ochre, then as an ore for smelting iron, and now in emerging…
Instead of sugar doughnuts this January, why not use a lanthanide doughnut to reduce carbon dioxide? Converting carbon dioxide into useful chemicals with light can lower greenhouse gas emissions through a type of artificial photosynthesis. To accelerate this reaction, a…
Whenever you raise a toast, your glass of wine tells the story of how forever chemicals spread throughout the environment. During growth, winemaking grapes absorb polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) through their roots. These chemicals bioaccumulate during processing into wine, with some…
Should we mix sewage and food? If the goal is to create a fuel source, then a new paper in Biomass and Bioenergy shows that the answer is yes. The authors combined sewage sludge, a solid-liquid mixture left over from…
As the countdown to Christmas begins, what will you do if three wise men gift you myrrh this year? Traditionally, myrrh is used in rituals, cosmetics and medicines, however, a new paper published in RSC Advances shows that it can…
Beauty sleep is widely considered to be essential for glowing, healthy skin. Throughout the day, our bodies cycle through sleep and wakefulness based on circadian rhythms. But how the skin changes based on this master clock is not clear. A…
How do you know if tattoo ink is safe? When getting a tattoo, ink is injected and trapped in the middle layer of skin. If there are any harmful substances or allergens in the ink, it can cause a skin…
After trick or treating tonight, you may find yourself overflowing with sweets. Instead of throwing this waste food away, what if you could convert it into aeroplane fuel? This idea is explored in a new paper in Nature Communications, where…
Bubbles are everywhere: in fizzy drinks, baths and the stock market. Although bubbles may seem delicate and ready to pop at the slightest disturbance, a new paper in Science Advances shows that they can be a powerful force to remove…
