Quantifying integrated hydrological processes, biogeochemical reactions, and mineralogical characteristics can help predict water quality and quantity for mine-waste rock piles.
pollution
Posted inNews
Extracting Rare Earth Elements from Waste with a Flash of Heat
A method called flash Joule heating could offer a more sustainable way to source essential components of electronics from coal fly ash.
Posted inResearch Spotlights
A Simple Model Predicts Household Lead Exposure Risk
Using both sample data and crowdsourced science, a new model effectively identified houses at risk for higher concentrations of lead.
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Lake Michigan’s Salinity Is on the Rise
Road salt is primarily to blame for the shift, though the water remains within safe levels for now.
Posted inResearch Spotlights
The Far-Reaching Consequences of Wildfire Smoke Plumes
Smoke from wildfires burning in the western United States carries harmful pollutants across the country.
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New Sensor Aids Rare Earth Extraction from Acid Mine Drainage
Rare earth elements appear in more than 200 consumer products. The race is on to source these elements from abundant and environmentally damaging mining waste.
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Index Suggests That Half of Nitrogen Applied to Crops Is Lost
Food production is becoming less efficient at using nitrogen fertilizer, according to a review of global values. Excess nitrogen damages the environment and the climate.
Posted inResearch Spotlights
Satellite Sensor EPIC Detects Aerosols in Earth’s Atmosphere
Aerosol observations from EPIC—a sensor aboard a satellite—align well with ground- and aircraft-based data, including measurements of smoke plumes produced by recent megafires.
Posted inResearch Spotlights
Roadside Ditches Are Effective at Nitrogen Removal
Researchers compared the nitrogen removal potential by microbes in ditches that drained forested, urban, and agricultural lands and discovered that roadside ditches are important areas for removing nutrients.