A global imperative exists to mitigate carbon emissions and foster sustainable environmental practices. Traditional methods for forming humic acids, vital for soil health, are time-intensive and geographically limited. Meanwhile, vast quantities of agricultural and algal waste biomass contribute to atmospheric carbon dioxide when left to decompose naturally. Scientists at Jiangnan University, Suzhou University of Science and Technology, and the University of Massachusetts Amherst have explored an innovative solution: converting these waste materials into artificial humic acids (AHA) through an environmentally conscious hydrothermal humification process, demonstrating their profound potential to enhance plant photosynthesis and facilitate a closed-loop carbon cycle.

A team of researchers from the University of Jinan has investigated a pressing environmental issue: the accumulation of copper oxide nanoparticles (CuO NPs) in agricultural soils. With the global production of these nanoparticles projected to reach 1600 tons by 2025, their release into the environment poses a significant risk to crop health. The scientific team explored a sustainable solution by evaluating whether common agricultural waste, specifically corn straw and its pyrolytic biochar, could serve as effective soil amendments to reduce the toxicity of these nanoparticles for wheat seedlings. Their work provides critical insights into how the success of such remediation strategies is profoundly influenced by soil type.

A team of researchers from China University of Mining and Technology and Hohai University has engineered a highly effective material to combat the growing environmental threat of antibiotic pollution. The excessive use of antibiotics has led to their accumulation in the water environment, posing risks to ecosystems and human health. To address this challenge, the scientists developed a magnetic composite adsorbent, NiFe2O4/biochar (NFO/BC), designed to efficiently capture and remove antibiotics from water. This new material combines the natural porosity of biochar with the magnetic properties of nickel ferrite, creating a potent and easily recoverable water purification agent.

Isotopes are atoms of the same element with identical proton numbers but different neutron counts. Stable isotopes, with half-lives longer than 10¹⁵ years, undergo negligible radioactive decay. For elements of the third Period and beyond, their isotopes usually show minor differences in physical properties and are considered chemically identical in many previous studies.

The assumption does not always hold.

A research team led by Prof. Sen Xin from the Institute of Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences have recently revealed that two stable sulfur isotopes (³⁴S and ³²S) exhibit significant differences in both kinetics and thermodynamics of participating the electrode reactions in a rechargeable Li-S battery. The (dis)charge process of Li-S batteries usually involves generation and dissolution of high-order lithium polysulfide intermediates (Li₂S_n, 4≤n≤8) at the cathode-electrolyte interface, and diffusion of Li₂S_n through the liquid electrolyte to reach the Li-metal anode. The above process forms the main reason for rapid capacity decline of the S cathode and exothermic parasitic reactions on the surface of Li anode. By employing the time-of-flight secondary ion mass spectrometry and inductively coupled plasma-mass spectrometry, the team has proven that the ³⁴S-based polysulfides (Li₂³⁴S_n) migrate slower than the ³²S-based polysulfides, which accounts for improved battery performance and isotope fractionation at both electrodes.

Large and complex construction projects (LCCPs) require substantial investments and often encounter significant challenges, such as cost overruns, time delays, and conflicting stakeholder interests. A new study reviews 165 peer-reviewed publications to propose a modernized value management framework tailored for LCCPs, paving the way for improved stakeholder collaboration and technological integration.

Psittacosaurus was a genus of herbivorous dinosaurs that lived in the Early Cretaceous. Since the first report of Psittacosaurus discoveries in Mongolia a century ago, at least 12 valid species have been recognized to date. The unearthed fossils cover a complete developmental sequence from newly hatched juveniles to adult individuals. Recently, a joint research team from the Dinosaur Evolution Research Center of Jilin University and the University of Toronto Mississauga analyzed 13 juvenile Psittacosaurus fossils from the same nest, all containing gastroliths. The findings have significantly reshaped the traditional understanding of their feeding behavior—even individuals under one year of age ingested gastroliths to aid in digesting tough, fibrous plants. Lithological analysis of these gastroliths indicates that the juveniles likely obtained the stones locally, with their activity confined to the western Liaoning region and showing no evidence of long-distance migration. This study highlights a relatively stable feeding strategy throughout the life cycle of  Psittacosaurus, providing key insights into reconstructing the paleoecological evolution of early ceratopsians. The research has been published in SCIENCE CHINA Earth Sciences.