Search Results for: contamination
Could acesulfame potassium be leaving the bittersweet taste of a toxic environment?
Our modern sewage is defined by many potential toxic threats from new chemical compounds we use in our daily lives. One potentially unexpected entrant for this phenomenon is acesulfame potassium […]
Twinkle, twinkle: How astronomers investigate alien planets
The NASA Kepler Space Telescope revolutionised our understanding of the universe. By continuously observing over half a million stars during its four-year mission, Kepler discovered thousands of exoplanets. Many hundreds […]
Using thermal imaging to prevent and forecast particulate emissions from mine tailings
Fugitive dust emissions from dry mine tailings surfaces is an environmental concern that undermines the mining industry’s social acceptability. Aluminium refining waste material management involves intensive mud farming activities intended […]
When is a stepped-wedge cluster randomised trial a good design choice?
Prof Karla Hemming and Prof Monica Taljaard examine a new type of study design, the stepped-wedge cluster randomised trial, that offers the chance to improve the evidence base on which […]
Weighing weightless photons for laser-based manufacturing
It may be hard to believe that a beam of light can melt steel, but that is exactly what happens during laser beam machining. Using lasers for processing has become […]
Spectroscopic standard could help revolutionise the analysis of plastics
Plastic pollution is an environmental catastrophe in progress. 32 percent of the plastic we use escapes into the environment and only nine percent currently gets recycled. Fugitive plastic products often undergo […]
Planetary Protection Policy: For sustainable space exploration and to safeguard our biosphere
The search for the origin of life amongst the planetary bodies in our solar system is a driving factor in space research. However, the simple act of sending a spacecraft […]
That’s disgusting! How primates decide what not to eat
All animals need to find a way to avoid contact with pathogens when they are eating. For primates, Dr Cécile Sarabian, based at Kyoto University Primate Research Institute in Japan, […]
Bacterial biofilms: A persisting public health challenge
Foodborne and waterborne diseases are major global health threats, exacerbated by the ability of bacteria to gain new characteristics, constantly evolve towards increased fitness in their environment, and by developing […]
Integrated pest management: Advances in sustainable food production and food security
Integrated pest management (IPM) is an old concept that is based on environmentally safe pest management practices. This is set to change with the development of a revised model of […]