An international team of scientists has developed a new analysis of how sound waves behave, revealing surprising effects that have largely been overlooked for decades.

Researchers at the University of East London are launching a new River Thames monitoring project to investigate how microplastic pollution is changing across the river system and help inform future environmental policy. Led by Dr Ria Devereux, the study will combine new sampling data from locations between Teddington and Southend with more than three years of existing monitoring research. The project will examine how environmental and climate-related pressures may influence pollution levels and aims to support discussions around wastewater management, river protection and plastic pollution regulation. The research team will also work with stakeholders including the Environment Agency, DEFRA, the Port of London Authority, water companies and environmental organisations, with findings contributing to future policy briefings and a dedicated sustainability workshop hosted at UEL.

As a new research and deployment project in the EuroQCI initiative, TransEuroOGS aims to establish a network of interoperable optical ground stations for satellite-based quantum-secure communication across four EU Member States: Germany, Greece, Ireland and Luxembourg. With a budget of approximately €18 million, co-funded by the European Union and national governments, the project has now officially been kicked off with a consortium meeting in Berlin and Jena.

Most carbon capture research focuses on the chemistry. A new study from CU Boulder takes a big-picture look and asks hard questions about the whole system: what does it cost, at scale, and under real-world conditions?