Tag: Water

Illuminated nets are helping to reduce bycatch. On land, in countries like Peru, Bolivia or Oman, nets are hung to catch water droplets from fog. But what if the air itself is polluted? Cue a Swiss research team, which has coated the metal wiring of its nets with a mix of polymers and titanium oxide. The polymers ensure the...

Sawdust can be 3D printed into kitchen utensils or cars parts. Now, a Canada-based research team has found a new use for the waste wood, combining it with a layer of tannins. These natural plant compounds, found in berries, tea and coffee, have anti-inflammatory properties and can even filter out UV rays. Aware that tannins also trigger multiple reactions...

Peat fires can be quickly extinguished using natural surfactants. A magnetic sponge, meanwhile, could help clean oil slicks in the ocean. Recycled hair, it transpires, could do the job too. That’s thanks to the work of a female founder from Kiel, who knows how good hair is at absorbing oil and pollutants. Once her startup has collected hair waste...

With the right light, plants grow better. But too much light can have a negative impact on the health and daily rhythms of both people and animals. To say nothing of the bulb waste. Ever since observing bioluminescent marine bacteria, a female founder from France has been working to produce more environmentally-friendly city lamps. Talk about a bright idea… Her startup’s...

Fires can be extinguished in an environment-friendly way. Water- and grease-proof coatings, meanwhile, often contain substances which are hard to break down. They are already found in drinking water: so-called ‘forever chemicals’ belonging to the PFAS group. Among others, a research team from the University of British Columbia is after them and has developed a new material that can...

Filters can rid water of pollutants directly at the source. Now, an LA-based startup is aiming to remove CO2 from seawater. Why? The world’s oceans store around 30% of annual CO2 emissions and can absorb 150 times more of the gas than air. But as coral death shows, the situation is far from ideal. The new process sees carbon...

Mini-robots can collect microplastics in the sea. And, according to a Munich-based startup, in future small hydrokinetic underwater power plants will generate electricity using a river’s flow rate to drive their internal turbine. The devices are anchored to the river floor by rope, and are designed to present no threat to fish or divers. A connected system continuously monitors...

We’ve seen seaweed make lemonade, and AI harnessed in the quest for the perfect beer. Now a San Francisco-based startup is looking to pull pints from treated wastewater. Buildings use only 14% of drinkable water, but generally don’t re-use it. The team used the recycled greywater - water with no faecal contamination - from a high-rise apartment building. The...