Tag: Water

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...

Balancing cloud usage can keep emissions and energy costs at bay. Meanwhile, an English startup is aiming to reduce both in public swimming pools by building data centres near the baths and using their thermal discharge to heat the water. All that’s required is a digital boiler. The startup bears the costs for the electricity as well as the...

Sporting activities reduce cancer cells in our bodies and power our fitness trackers. Purifying wastewater, however, requires a lot of energy - or does it? Not according to a South Korean research team. Their multi-layered, printable membrane, which is not subject to size restrictions, could be used to generate electricity during the treatment process. Because the top polymer layer...

New machines can filter miniscule smog particles from the air; an attachment catches lead in tap water. Now a Bristol-based startup is aiming to remove microplastics from washing machines before the artificial fibres wind up in the ocean. All that’s required is an easy-to-use attachment which can be placed on top of the washing machine, connected to the waste...

Cycling into the wind can be illuminating. A collection of small wind turbines in the ocean may generate electricity for entire towns. Using the patented technology developed by an American research team, renewable energy could soon be produced from the movement of water in the sea. Unlike mechanical systems like these, the water’s power doesn't actuate a single generator...

Old plastic bottles can be made into tiny houses, but it's better to dispense with single-use plastic altogether. A schoolgirl from the UAE encouraged 314 pupils from 7th grade to do just that. Her method? Individual barcodes for those with returnable bottles. These were scanned at the start of the school day, creating data sets about pupils’ habits. Leaderboards...

Documenting fish stocks makes commercial fishing more sustainable. But certain organisms such as fast-growing algae create havoc for aquatic ecosystems. They deprive fish of their basis for life. Water fleas feed on algae, however, and thus have a positive impact on the natural order of things. Selecting four different genotypes of water flea, a female student from Canada examined...