Tag: water
-
Carbon Nanotubes Found Toxic to Aquatic Animals
Engineers at University of Missouri and U.S. Geological Survey in Columbia found carbon nanotubes — sub-microscopic structures increasingly used for their strength and conductivity to create innovative new materials — to be toxic to several species of aquatic animals. The research led by Baolin Deng, professor and chair of chemical engineering at Missouri, appears in…
-
Oregon State Opens Wave Energy Test Facility
Oregon State University began operations this week of one of the first public wave energy testing systems in the U.S. The Ocean Sentinel, as the system is called, is a $1.5 million mooring platform located two miles off Yaquina Head on the central Oregon coast, and available to academic and industry researchers working in wave…
-
Chemical in Hand Soap Found to Impair Muscle Functions
Research at University of California at Davis and University of Colorado in Aurora indicates triclosan, an antibacterial chemical used in soap and other personal-care products, hinders muscle contractions in animals, causing weakness in mice and slower swimming ability in fish. The team led by UC Davis veterinary medical professor Isaac Pessah published its findings online…
-
New Fuel Cell Generates More Power from Wastewater
Ecological engineers at Oregon State University in Corvallis developed techniques that advance the use of wastewater from cities or factories to generate electricity. The findings of the team led by Hong Liu (pictured right), professor of biologicial and ecological engineering, appear in the journal Energy and Environmental Science; paid subscription required. Earlier microbial fuel cells…
-
Grant to Fund New Drought-Resistant Biofuel Grasses
The Donald Danforth Plant Science Center in St. Louis has received a $12.1 million grant from the U.S. Department of Energy to develop a more drought-resistant type of grass that can be processed into biofuels. The five-year award will be shared by collaborators at Carnegie Institution for Science, University of Illinois in Urbana-Champaign, University of…
-
Israeli Consortium to Study Mediterranean Resources
A consortium of universities and research institutes, headed by University of Haifa, will establish the Israel Center for Mediterranean Sea Research. A committee of Israel’s Council for Higher Education adopted the recommendation of Israel Academy of Sciences to establish the center, whose work will include research of Israel’s off-shore economic potential. In addition to University…
-
Smart Headlights Help Drivers See Better in the Rain
Researchers at Carnegie Mellon University’s Robotics Institute in Pittsburgh have devised a new type of car headlight that is better able to illuminate the road ahead in rain or snow. The team led by computer scientist Srinivasa Narasimhan (pictured left) says lab tests have demonstrated the feasiblity of the new headlight. The system works by…
-
UN Body Releases New Food Safety Standards
The UN’s Codex Alimentarius Commission issued new safety standards for infant formula, fruit, and seafood, as well as recommendations for nutritional labeling. The commission, a joint standards body of the UN’s Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) and the World Health Organization (WHO), released the standards at its 2-7 July meeting in Rome. Codex standards can…
-
Nanotech Coatings Found to Protect Ships from Barnacles
Chemists and molecular biologists in Germany and the Netherlands have tested coatings with vanadium pentoxide nanoparticles as an alternative to tin- and copper-based substances that prevent the build-up of marine organisms on ships’ hulls. The team led by Wolfgang Tremel of Johannes Gutenberg University in Mainz, Germany reported their findings online this week in the…
-
Bacteria Linked to Indoor Building Water Damage Identified
Environmental health researchers at University of Cincinnati in Ohio have identified two specific bacteria associated with contamination in water-damaged buildings, a potential cause of health problems. The team that includes a colleague from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, presented its findings yesterday at an American Society for Microbiology meeting in San Francisco. Bacterial contamination in…