Microplastic pollution is growing: What's the impact?
Microplastics pollution is growing, with some studies estimating we each ingest 5g of microplastic particles each week on average[1]. So, what are the consequences? Maria Burke reports
Food waste is bad – and it will probably get worse
More than a third of fruit and vegetables, equivalent to 2.4 Mt of produce, is lost or wasted between production and sale in the UK, with just four crops - apples, onions, carrots and potatoes – accounting for much of that waste. And it could get worse yet.
Researchers boost CO2 catalyst efficiency
Researchers have developed a sustainable catalyst that increases its activity during use while converting carbon dioxide (CO2) into valuable products. This discovery offers a potential blueprint for designing next generation electrocatalysts.
Mitochondrial transplants to help hearts
Medical researchers reported on mito-chondria transfer in seriously ill children, at the AAAS meeting in Boston. Everyone is familiar with organ transplantations, but physician scientists created a buzz when they talked about how mitochondria transfer can repair the hearts of babies.
Airbus delays hydrogen take-off
Airbus has pushed back plans to fly a hydrogen-powered commercial aircraft by the middle of the next decade. The company has not offered a revised timeline. Airbus blamed slower than expected developments in technology for its decision.
Mushroom buildings on Mars: How fungi could create homes for future explorers
Buildings made using mushroom-based materials promise to help reduce emissions from the energy-guzzling construction sector. They have also attracted the interest of NASA – and could form some of the first dwellings on Mars. Anthony King reports
Using activated carbon from orange peel to reduce formaldehyde emissions
Researchers have used orange peel waste to produce activated carbon, which can then be used to reduce harmful formaldehyde emissions from particleboard production.