Catching up with quicksilver: MXene material can counter mercury contamination

Researchers show carboxylated MXene can efficiently treat mercury contaminated water

17-Aug-2022 - Researchers estimate that mercury emissions in the atmosphere have quadrupled since the Industrial Revolution. The heavy metal, generated by burning fossil fuels and the disposal of industrial and medical waste, has become so persistent in aquatic environments that the U.S. Food and Drug ...

Evidence for a new property of quantum matter revealed

13-Jun-2018 - A theorized but never-before detected property of quantum matter has now been spotted in the lab, a team of scientists reports. The team proved that a particular quantum material can demonstrate electrical dipole fluctuations - irregular oscillations of tiny charged poles on the material - even ...

Newly identified microbial process could reduce toxic methylmercury levels

01-Jun-2017 - A team led by the Department of Energy's Oak Ridge National Laboratory has identified a novel microbial process that can break down toxic methylmercury in the environment, a fundamental scientific discovery that could potentially reduce mercury toxicity levels and support health and risk ...

Glowing crystals can detect, cleanse contaminated drinking water

30-Nov-2016 - Tiny, glowing crystals designed to detect and capture heavy-metal toxins such as lead and mercury could prove to be a powerful new tool in locating and cleaning up contaminated water sources. Motivated by publicized cases in which high levels of heavy metals were found in drinking water in Flint, ...

Mercury in fish affected by both prey type and quality

10-May-2016 - Whether fish hunt nearshore or in the open water and what prey they eat affect the amount of mercury that accumulates in them, a Dartmouth College study shows. Mercury accumulation in fish poses well-known health risks to humans and wildlife, but fish mercury levels are highly variable and key ...

Researcher finds gold - and other metals

Gold sensor is latest in a series of metal-detecting biosensors

22-Feb-2016 - Instead of a pan and a pick ax, prospectors of the future might seek gold with a hand-held biosensor that uses a component of DNA to detect traces of the element in water. The gold sensor is the latest in a series of metal-detecting biosensors under development by Rebecca Lai, an associate ...

Nuclear detector: New materials hold promise for better detection of nuclear weapons

19-Sep-2011 - Northwestern University scientists have developed new materials that can detect hard radiation, a very difficult thing to do. The method could lead to a handheld device for detecting nuclear weapons and materials, such as a "nuclear bomb in a suitcase" scenario. "The terrorist attacks of 9/11 ...

Why mercury is more dangerous in oceans

01-Jul-2010 - Even though freshwater concentrations of mercury are far greater than those found in seawater, it's the saltwater fish like tuna, mackerel and shark that end up posing a more serious health threat to humans who eat them. The answer, according to Duke University researchers, is in the seawater ...

EPA awards UH lead role to study toxin effects on embryonic development

$3.2M grant to explore how chemicals affect human health, which ones may cause serious diseases

13-Aug-2009 - Most people would agree that arsenic, lead, mercury, benzene and carbon monoxide pose dangers to humans. Not many, though, realize that the average person is exposed to about 10,000 different chemicals per day. Thanks to a $3.2 million grant from the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and its ...

ASTM International Declarable Substances Committee Approves First Test Method

29-Sep-2008 - ASTM International Committee F40 on Declarable Substances in Materials has approved its first test method, F2617, Test Method for Identification and Quantification of Chromium, Bromine, Cadmium, Mercury and Lead in Polymeric Material Using Energy Dispersive X-ray Spectrometry. The new standard is ...