A detailed atmospheric study in the Yangtze River Estuary has successfully distinguished the sources of harmful polychlorinated biphenyls, or PCBs, in the air. Researchers led by Tian Lin from Shanghai Ocean University, in collaboration with scientists from the Chinese Academy of Sciences and Fudan University, found that nearly one-third of these persistent pollutants originate from active combustion, while the majority comes from non-combustion sources, including historical industrial materials.

The Persistent Problem of Chromium Pollution

Hexavalent chromium, or CrVI, is a highly toxic and mobile pollutant frequently found in water sources due to industrial activities like metallurgy and leather tanning. A common remediation technique uses microscale zerovalent iron mZVI to reduce the toxic CrVI to the far less harmful CrIII. However, this method is often inefficient because the iron particles quickly form a passive oxide layer on their surface, which blocks the chemical reaction and halts the cleanup process. Overcoming this passivation issue is a major goal in environmental remediation science.

A new study from Bangladesh presents an effective strategy for making groundnut farming more productive and environmentally friendly. Researchers from the Bangladesh Agricultural Research Institute and the Bangladesh Sugarcrop Research Institute examined how soil amendments can improve crop outcomes while supporting climate-smart agriculture. The findings show that using biochar in concert with a biofertilizer can enhance yields, build healthier soil, and increase carbon storage.

The investigation was conducted over two years at a research station in Jamalpur, Bangladesh, located in the country's Charland agroecosystems. Scientists set up a field experiment with seven different soil treatments for growing groundnuts, a major oilseed crop. The treatments included a control group, standard fertilizers, and various combinations of biochar—a charcoal-like substance made from rice husks—and a biofertilizer containing nitrogen-fixing rhizobium bacteria.

A meta-analysis identifies the optimal temperature range to produce biochar with the best nutritional properties for restoring barren coal mine lands

Surface coal mining leaves behind a desolate landscape of rock fragments and impoverished soil known as spoil. This material is often acidic, lacks organic matter and nutrients, and struggles to hold water, making it extremely difficult for plant life to return. A promising soil amendment called biochar has shown potential for reviving these degraded lands, but its effectiveness depends entirely on how it's made.

Biochar is a charcoal-like substance created by heating organic biomass, such as wood or agricultural waste, in a low-oxygen environment through a process called pyrolysis. When added to soil, it can improve its structure, increase water retention, and supply essential nutrients for plants. However, the temperature of the pyrolysis process directly alters the chemical and physical properties of the final biochar product.

A three-decade study in southern China reveals that the physical arrangement of soil particles has a greater influence on the biochemical nature of stored carbon than the type of fertilizer applied.

A long-term agricultural experiment has revealed that the physical structure of soil is more important than the type of fertilizer used in determining the chemical makeup of stored organic carbon. After 32 years of consistent fertilization treatments, researchers from Tianjin Normal University and partner institutions discovered that the size of soil particles where organic matter is stored has the primary influence on its biochemical properties, a finding with significant implications for soil management and carbon sequestration strategies.

A new study published in Big Earth Data applies the INFORM Climate Change model to project future risks of humanitarian crises and disasters by integrating climate hazards, population dynamics, conflict, and socioeconomic development pathways. Incorporating forward-looking projections of vulnerability and coping capacity under different Shared Socioeconomic Pathways, the analysis shows that global risk may decline under moderate and rapid development scenarios but could rise sharply in the high-emission, fragmented SSP3 pathway. The findings provide evidence for prioritizing vulnerable regions and guiding targeted risk reduction and climate adaptation strategies.

Researchers from the School of Materials Science and Engineering at Harbin Institute of Technology, led by Professor Jiao's team, report a photoelectrochemical photodetector that integrates α-Ga₂O₃ nanorod arrays with CdS quantum dots. By exploiting the pyro-phototronic effect, the device operates at zero-bias, and exhibits a broadband spectral response from 220 to 700 nm with responsivities of 0.99 mA W⁻¹ at 254 nm and 1.48 mA W⁻¹ at 450 nm. The rise and fall times are 30 ms and 24 ms, respectively. Furthermore, the detector executes “AND”, “OR”, and “NOT” logic functions and successfully transmits the optical message “HIT”. These results provide a route toward broadband, fast-response, and low-power optoelectronic modules for optical communication and sensing.