Toilet paper is an unexpected source of PFAS in wastewater

03-Mar-2023 - Wastewater can provide clues about a community’s infectious disease status, and even its prescription and illicit drug use. But looking at sewage also provides information on persistent and potentially harmful compounds, such as per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), that get released into ...

Setting the gold standard

11-Jul-2016 - A team of University of Florida researchers has figured out how gold can be used in crystals grown by light to create nanoparticles, a discovery that has major implications for industry and cancer treatment and could improve the function of pharmaceuticals, medical equipment and solar ...

Quick clean-up: New process turns decades into hours for mining-water purification

14-Dec-2015 - Cleaning up the water left over from mining operations can literally take generations - 25 to 50 years on average - leaving billions of gallons of the precious resource locked up and useless. Now, a University of Florida researcher has figured out how to trim that time dramatically - to just two ...

Writing graphene circuitry with ion 'pens'

29-Mar-2012 - The unique electrical properties of graphene have enticed researchers to envision a future of fast integrated circuits made with the one-carbon-atom-thick sheets, but many challenges remain on the path to commercialization. Scientists from the University of Florida have recently tackled one of ...

Engineers: Weak laser can ignite nanoparticles, with exciting possibilities

23-Mar-2010 - University of Florida engineering researchers have found they can ignite certain nanoparticles using a low-power laser, a development they say opens the door to a wave of new technologies in health care, computing and automotive design. A paper about the research appeared in Nature ...

Toward better solar cells: Chemists gain control of light-harvesting paths

12-Oct-2009 - University of Florida chemists have pioneered a method to tease out promising molecular structures for capturing energy, a step that could speed the development of more efficient, cheaper solar cells. "This gives us a new way of studying light-matter interactions," said Valeria Kleiman, a UF ...

Super-size deposits of frozen carbon threat to climate change

02-Jul-2009 - The vast amount of carbon stored in the arctic and boreal regions of the world is more than double that previously estimated, according to a study published this week. The amount of carbon in frozen soils, sediments and river deltas (permafrost) raises new concerns over the role of the northern ...

Artificial Nanopores Take Analyte Pulse

Reliable nanopores by two-step etching

31-Jul-2007 - Resistive pulse sensing represents a very attractive method for identifying and quantifying biomedical species such as drugs, DNA, proteins, and viruses in solution. This method involves measuring changes in the ionic current across a membrane containing a single nanometer-sized pore that ...

On the horizon: a "rinse" for washing machines that dries clothes

Think of it as a kind of chemical clothes wringer

11-Aug-2005 - University of Florida engineers have developed a compound that forces clothes in the washer to shed 20 percent more water during the spin cycle than in normal conditions. The result: A load of clothes dries faster in the dryer, saving energy - and reducing homeowners' electricity bills and time ...