by Kushani Mendis Plastics are the most common marine waste, coming from both land and ocean sources. They enter water in various ways and never fully break down. Once in the ocean or Great Lakes, …
environment
Thus Spake Paracelsus*
by Joel Pedersen The Swiss Renaissance physician, alchemist and founder of toxicology Philippus Aureolus Theophrastus Bombastus (!) von Hohenheim, better known as Paracelsus (Figure 1), said it well: “All substances are poisons; there is none …
Using Nano/Micromachines to Help Clean Up Oil Spills
by Sunipa Pramanik edited by Juli Troiano One of the largest oil spills in recent history happened in April 2010 in the Gulf of Mexico when the Deepwater Horizon oil rig exploded and sank, resulting …
Is triclosan safe? What you should know about this antibacterial chemical
by Eric Melby Back in January, I wrote a post about the potential hazards of traditional cleaning chemicals. Based on questions and comments from friends and family, I am going to continue on that path, …
Nano-Sensors: Small size, big impact
by Laurel Hamers If you took high school chemistry, you might remember using pH indicator strips. You’d take a piece of the specially treated paper, dip it in your solution, and watch it change color …
Our Hidden Bacterial Friends Keep Us All Alive – Shewanella oneidensis
by Lyle Nyberg While the word “bacteria” conjures images of human illness and death for many people, the vast majority of bacteria in the world allow for the healthy functioning of humans and ecosystems. The …
Invisible Remnants of Dead Stuff Hiding in Water
by Arielle Mensch Ready for a little test? Try to list all of the things you can think of that are found in a river or lake… I’m sure you came up with things like …
The Chemical Story Behind Non-Petroleum-Based Plastics
by Joe Buchman Every year, millions of tons of plastic are discarded into landfills, where they will take hundreds of years to break down. New biodegradable plastics offer a potential solution to this problem. Let’s …
Dumping Nanoparticles into a Fjord: How to Think About the Potential Environmental Impacts
by Ian Gunsolus Nanoparticles and the Environment Series, Part II (click here for Part I) Let’s dive in to a real-world nanotechnology problem raised by one of our readers: should waste composed of nanoparticles, let’s …
Nano Contaminants: How Nanoparticles Get Into the Environment
by Sam Lohse Nanoparticles and the Environment Series, Part I (click here for part II) More than a year ago on this site, I talked to you about how nanoparticles were already all around us, …