Energy & Climate
- Household sewage: Not waste, but a vast new energy resource
Jan 5, 2011 - In a finding that gives new meaning to the adage, “waste not, want not,” scientists are reporting that household sewage has far more potential as an alternative energy source than previously thought. They say the discovery, which increases the estimated potential energy in wastewater by almost 20 percent, could spur efforts to extract methane, hydrogen and other fuels from this vast and, as yet, untapped resource…
- "Smart grid" would save energy, cut costs for US consumers
Jan 5, 2011 – Momentum is building for a new energy “smart grid” that would overhaul the U.S.’s 100-year-old electrical power network. The impact would be huge — from installation of a new web of electrical transmission lines to smart meters to control home appliances. The meters would offer consumers discounted rates if they use electricity at off-peak hours…
- Travelling by car increases global temperatures more than travelling by plane but only in the long term
Oct 20, 2010 – Driving a car increases global temperatures in the long run more than making the same long-distance journey by air according to a new study. However, in the short run travelling by air has a larger adverse climate impact because airplanes strongly affect short-lived warming processes at high altitudes…
- Battling the force that wastes 1 out of every 10 gallons of gasoline in cars
Oct 13, 2010 – Engine friction — the force that wastes almost 1.4 million barrels of oil per day in cars and trucks in the United States alone — could become less of a problem for fuel-conscious consumers thanks to promising new oils and other materials that scientists are developing…
- Fungus among us could become non-food source for biodiesel production
June 9, 2010 – In the quest for alternatives to soybeans, palm, and other edible oilseed plants as sources for biodiesel production, enter an unlikely new candidate: A fungus, or mold, that produces and socks away large amounts of oils that are suitable for low-cost, eco-friendly biodiesel…
- Air traffic poised to become a major factor in global warming
May 26, 2010 – The first new projections of future aircraft emissions in 10 years predicts that carbon dioxide and other gases from air traffic will become a significant source of global warming as they double or triple by 2050…
- Chemicals that eased one environmental problem may worsen another
March 3, 2010 – Chemicals that helped solve a global environmental crisis in the 1990s — the hole in Earth’s protective ozone layer — may be making another problem — acid rain — worse, scientists are reporting. Their study on the chemicals that replaced the ozone-destroying chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs) once used in aerosol spray cans, air conditioners, refrigerators, and other products, appears in ACS’ Journal of Physical Chemistry A, a weekly publication…
- Enlisting a drug discovery technique in the battle against global warming
Feb 3, 2010 – Scientists in Texas are reporting that a technique used in the search for new drugs could also be used in the quest to discover new, environmentally friendly materials for fighting global warming. Such materials could be used to capture the greenhouse gas carbon dioxide from industrial smokestacks and other fixed sources before it enters the biosphere…
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Environment & Sustainability
Agriculture
- Guardian angels for seeds
Nov 10, 2010 – The seeds that you plant in your backyard garden next spring — and farmers sow in their fields — may have a guardian angel that helps them sprout, stay healthy, and grow to yield bountiful harvests. It’s a thin coating of chemicals termed a “seed treatment” that can encourage seeds to germinate earlier in the season, resist insects and diseases, and convey other advantages…
- Tobacco and its evil cousin nicotine are good as a pesticide
Oct 27, 2010 – Tobacco, used on a small scale as a natural organic pesticide for hundreds of years, is getting new scientific attention as a potential mass-produced alternative to traditional commercial pesticides…
Green Products
- Tobacco and its evil cousin nicotine are good as a pesticide
Oct 27, 2010 – Tobacco, used on a small scale as a natural organic pesticide for hundreds of years, is getting new scientific attention as a potential mass-produced alternative to traditional commercial pesticides…
- Biodegradable foam plastic substitute made from milk protein and clay
Oct 20, 2010 – Amid ongoing concern about plastic waste accumulating in municipal landfills, and reliance on imported oil to make plastics, scientists are reporting development of a new ultra-light biodegradable foam plastic material made from two unlikely ingredients…
- New guidelines may make it easier to share information on “going green”
May 12, 2010 – Choosing “greener” household cleaners, computers, and other consumer products could become as easy as reading a product’s label thanks to a movement under way to develop universal guidelines for determining whether chemical products and chemical processes are environmentally friendly…
- Military develops multi-purpose “green” decontaminants for terrorist attack sites
May 2, 2010 – Chemists with the United States military have developed a set of ultra-strength cleaners that could be used in the aftermath of a terrorist attack. The new formulas are tough enough to get rid of nerve gas, mustard gas, radioactive isotopes, and anthrax. But they are also non-toxic, based on ingredients found in foods, cosmetics, and other consumer products…
Pollution
- Discovery of the secrets that enable plants near Chernobyl to shrug off radiation
Dec 8, 2010 – Scientists are reporting discovery of the biological secrets that enable plants growing near the Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant to adapt and flourish in highly radioactive soil — legacy of the 1986 nuclear disaster in the Ukraine…
- Dont blame The Pill for estrogen in drinking water
Dec 8, 2010 – Contrary to popular belief, birth control pills account for less than 1 percent of the estrogens found in the nation’s drinking water supplies, scientists have concluded in an analysis of studies published on the topic. Their report suggests that most of the sex hormone — source of concern as an endocrine disrupter with possible adverse effects on people and wildlife — enters drinking water supplies from other sources…
- Simple approach could clean up oil remaining from Exxon Valdez spill
Sept 29, 2010 – Traces of crude oil that linger on the shores of Alaska’s Prince William Sound after the Exxon Valdez oil spill remain highly biodegradable, despite almost 20 years of weathering and decomposition, scientists are reporting in a new study…
- Oil-eating bacteria may determine environmental impact of Gulf oil
Aug. 11, 2010 – The environmental impact of millions of gallons of oil still in the Gulf of Mexico from the Deepwater Horizon incident may depend on microscopic helpers: Bacteria that consume oil and other hydrocarbons and could break down the spilled crude, making it disappear…
- Mercury levels are increasing in popular species of game fish in Lake Erie
July 14, 2010 – Mercury levels in a popular species of game fish in Lake Erie are increasing after two decades of steady decline, scientists are reporting…
- The fungus among us A new way of decomposing BPA containing plastic
June 28, 2010 – Just as cooking helps people digest food, pretreating polycarbonate plastic — source of a huge environmental headache because of its bisphenol A (BPA) content — may be the key to disposing of the waste in an eco-friendly way, scientists have found…
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Health & Medicine
Food Safety & Nutrition
- Study supports gluten-free diet in potential celiac disease patients
Dec 15, 2010 – Findings from a new study of 141 adults add to an ongoing medical debate over which patients with symptoms of celiac disease should go on a gluten-free diet. Published in ACS’ Journal of Proteome Research, the study concludes that people currently diagnosed as “potential” celiac disease patients and not advised to follow a gluten-free diet may not be “potential” patients at all. Rather, the scientists found that these patients have the same distinctive metabolic fingerprint as patients with full-blown disease who do benefit from gluten-free diets…
- Black rice bran may help fight disease-related inflammation
Oct 20, 2010 – Scientists are reporting evidence that black rice — a little-known variety of the grain that is the staple food for one-third of the world population — may help soothe the inflammation involved in allergies, asthma, and other diseases…
- Questioning the safety of certain “healthful” plant-based antioxidants
Sept 8, 2010 – Scientists are calling for more research on the possibility that some supposedly healthful plant-based antioxidants — including those renowned for their apparent ability to prevent cancer — may actually aggravate or even cause cancer in some individuals…
- How safe and effective are herbal dietary supplements?
July 21, 2010 – Millions of people are taking herbs and other plant-based dietary supplements to improve their health, but they have precious little information on the actual effectiveness or potential ill effects of these products…
- Little melamine appears in eggs from chickens on highly contaminated feed
April 14, 2010 – Study concludes that eggs from chickens that consumed extremely high levels of melamine in their feed did not contain levels of the potentially toxic contaminant that exceeded FDA limits…
Technology Advances
- Scientific evidence supports effectiveness of Chinese drug for cataracts
Jan 12, 2011 – Scientists are reporting a scientific basis for the long-standing belief that a widely used non-prescription drug in China and certain other countries can prevent and treat cataracts, a clouding of the lens of the eye that is a leading cause of vision loss worldwide…
- Does fluoride really fight cavities by “the skin of the teeth"?
Dec 15, 2010 – In a study that the authors describe as lending credence to the idiom, “by the skin of your teeth,” scientists are reporting that the protective shield fluoride forms on teeth is up to 100 times thinner than previously believed. It raises questions about how this renowned cavity-fighter really works and could lead to better ways of protecting teeth from decay, the scientists suggest…
- Firefly protein lights pathway to improved detection of blood clots
Dec 8, 2010 – The enzyme that makes fireflies glow is lighting up the scientific path toward a long-sought new medical imaging agent to better monitor treatment with heparin, the blood thinner that millions of people take to prevent or treat blood clots, scientists are reporting…
- Scientists propose new international cancer effort akin to Human Genome Project
Dec 1, 2010 – Scientists are proposing an international effort, on the scale of the Human Genome Project (HGP), to identify all the proteins present in cancer cells. HGP was the international scientific research project that identified and mapped all the genes in humans. Within a decade, they believe, results of the new effort could provide cancer patients with more effective treatments customized to their own biology…
- Soft drink could enhance effects of an anticancer drug
Nov 10, 2010 – Experiments with an artificial stomach suggest that a popular lemon-lime soft drink could play an unexpected role in improving the effectiveness of an oral anticancer drug. The experiments produced evidence that patients will absorb more of the unnamed drug, tested in Phase I in clinical trials, when taken with “flat” or degassed Sprite…
- Trojan Horse ploy to sneak protective drug into brains of stroke patients
Nov 10, 2010 – Scientists are reporting development of a long-sought method with the potential for getting medication through a biological barrier that surrounds the brain, where it may limit the brain damage caused by stroke. Their approach for sneaking the nerve-protective drug erythropoietin into the brain is medicine’s version of the Trojan Horse ploy straight out of ancient Greek legend…
- Built in timer for improving accuracy of cost saving paper strip medical test
Nov 3, 2010 – Scientists are reporting the development of a simple, built-in timer intended to improve the accuracy of paper tests and test strips for diagnosing diseases inexpensively at-home and elsewhere.
- Video game technology may speed development of new drugs
Nov 3, 2010 – Parents may frown upon video games, but the technology used in the wildly popular games is quietly fostering a revolution in speeding the development of new products and potentially life-saving drugs…
- Progress toward treating infections by silencing microbes smart phones
Oct 20, 2010 – So disease-causing bacteria in the body finally have multiplied to the point where their numbers are large enough to cause illness. What’s next? They get out their “smart phones” and whisper “Let’s roll!” That’s how an article in ACS’ monthly Chemical Reviews describes the substances — “smart phones of the microbial world” — that bacteria use to transmit chemical signals that launch infections and monitor their environment…
- Electrified nano filter promises to cut costs for clean drinking water
Oct 13, 2010 – With almost one billion people lacking access to clean, safe drinking water, scientists are reporting development and successful initial tests of an inexpensive new filtering technology that kills up to 98 percent of disease-causing bacteria in water in seconds without clogging…
- Toward making “extended blood group typing” more widely available
July 14, 2010 – Scientists are reporting an advance toward enabling more blood banks to adopt so-called “extended blood group typing,” which increases transfusion safety by better matching donors and recipients…
- Plastic antibody works in first tests in living animals
June 9, 2010 – Scientists are reporting the first evidence that a plastic antibody — an artificial version of the proteins produced by the body's immune system to recognize and fight infections and foreign substances — works in the bloodstream of a living animal…
- Nanotech breath sensor detects diabetes and potentially serious complication
May 19, 2010 – Scientists are reporting development and successful testing of a sensor that can instantly tell whether someone has Type I diabetes. It could also be used by emergency room doctors to determine whether a patient has developed diabetic ketoacidosis, a potentially serious complication that happens when diabetics do not take enough insulin…
Public Health & Prevention
- “Thirdhand smoke” may be bigger health hazard than previously believed
Jan 12, 2011 – Scientists are reporting that so-called “thirdhand smoke” — the invisible remains of cigarette smoke that deposits on carpeting, clothing, furniture and other surfaces — may be even more of a health hazard than previously believed…
- New method for making large quantities of deuterium depleted drinking water
Jan 5, 2011 – Scientists in China are reporting development of a less expensive, more eco-friendly method for making deuterium-depleted drinking water, citing studies suggesting that it may be a more healthful form of water…
- "Toxic toy crisis” requires fresh solutions
Nov 10, 2010 – Manufacturer recalls of toys, promotional drinking glasses, and other children’s products constitute an ongoing “toxic toys crisis” that requires banning potentially harmful ingredients in these products and other changes in policy and practices…
- Advance toward earlier detection of melanoma
Aug 11, 2010 – Scientists are reporting development of a substance to enhance the visibility of skin cancer cells during scans with an advanced medical imaging system that combines ultrasound and light. The hybrid scanner could enable doctors to detect melanoma, the most serious form of skin cancer, in its earliest and most curable stages…
- Evidence that nanoparticles in sunscreens could be toxic if accidentally eaten
June 23, 2010 – Scientists are reporting that particle size affects the toxicity of zinc oxide, a material widely used in sunscreens. Particles smaller than 100 nanometers are slightly more toxic to colon cells than conventional zinc oxide. Solid zinc oxide was more toxic than equivalent amounts of soluble zinc, and direct particle to cell contact was required to cause cell death…
- Prescription drug could boost effects of vaccines for HIV and other diseases
May 5, 2010 – A prescription drug already approved to treat genital warts and skin cancer may have a new use in boosting the effectiveness of future vaccines for bacterial and viral diseases, such as hepatitis C and HIV (the AIDS virus)…
Addictive Substances
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Research & Innovation
- New “frozen smoke” material: One ounce could carpet three football field
Jan 12, 2011 – Scientists are reporting the development of a new, ultra-light form of “frozen smoke” — renowned as the world’s lightest solid material — with amazing strength and an incredibly large surface area. The new so-called “multiwalled carbon nanotube (MCNT) aerogel” could be used in sensors to detect pollutants and toxic substances, chemical reactors, and electronics components...
- Seeing the invisible: New CSI tool visualizes bloodstains and other substances
Nov 10, 2010 – Snap an image of friends in front of a window curtain and the camera captures the people - and invisible blood stains splattered on the curtain during a murder. Sound unlikely? Chemists from the University of South Carolina are reporting development of a camera with that ability to see the invisible, and more. Called multimode imaging in the thermal infrared, the new technology could find uses in crime scene investigations and elsewhere…
- Small materials poised for big impact in construction
Nov 3, 2010 – Bricks, blocks, and steel I-beams — step aside. A new genre of construction materials, made from stuff barely 1/50,000th the width of a human hair, is about to debut in the building of homes, offices, bridges, and other structures. And a new report is highlighting both the potential benefits of these nanomaterials in improving construction materials and the need for guidelines to regulate their use and disposal…
- Behind the scenes advances underpin new super-strong plastics
Oct 20, 2010 – Long-awaited advances in reducing the cost of certain catalysts — substances that kick-start chemical reactions — have quietly led to production of super-strong forms of the world’s most widely used plastics. These upgraded forms of polyethylene have led to availability of stronger, more durable consumer products ranging from garbage bags to camping cookware…
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