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Study provides insight into mechanism of atmospheric new particle formation in polluted cities

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de novo rather than as direct emissions—via nucleation and growth is a major source of aerosol pollution in terms of number concentration. In spite of a great deal of research, it is still a puzzle why and how such new particule formation (NPF) occurs in a highly polluted urban atmosphere.

Pollution 186
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EPA announces 2016 Presidential Green Chemistry Challenge Award winners

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is being recognized for developing and commercializing Instinct, an additive that reduces fertilizer nitrate leaching ground and surface waters. Nutrient pollution is one of America’s most widespread, costly and challenging environmental problems. Dow AgroSciences, LLC of Indianapolis, Ind.

2016 150
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JILA team identifies missing piece in how fossil fuel combustion contributes to air pollution

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JILA physicists and colleagues have identified a long-missing piece in the puzzle of exactly how fossil fuel combustion contributes to air pollution and a warming climate. By finally understanding the reaction in full, we can model the atmospheric chemical processes much more accurately, including how air pollution forms. Bjork, T.Q.

Pollution 150
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ARPA-E to award up to $5M to investigate extracting rare earth and other critical minerals from macroalgae

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Seaweeds accumulate trace metals in such an efficient way that this process is sometimes used to clean up polluted harbors. Factors including but not limited to cultivation region, cultivation mechanism, the effects of water quality and proximity of natural mineral sources, and harvest strategy are of interest.

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Ensuring Underwater Robots Survive in Hot Tropical Waters

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In 2016, Olsen took a job at AIMS as an engineering team leader in technology development. We’re only just starting to get a feel for what marine autonomous systems can do—not just for our tropical marine waters but in general,” she says. I’m very passionate about new technologies and seeing them integrated in the field,” she says.

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Univ. Houston, Caltech team develops new earth-abundant, cost-effective catalyst for water-splitting

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A team of researchers from the University of Houston and the California Institute of Technology has developed an active and durable earth-abundant transition metal dichalcogenide-based hybrid catalyst for water-splitting that exhibits high hydrogen evolution activity approaching the state-of-the-art platinum catalysts. —Zhou et al.

Houston 150
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Declining atmospheric sulfur levels due to pollution controls may lead to need for sulfur fertilizers for crops

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Air pollution legislation to control fossil fuel emissions and the associated acid rain has worked—perhaps leading to the need for sulfur fertilizers for crop production. We don’t think there are actual sulfur deficiencies yet, but clearly more sulfur is coming out of the soil and water than what is going in. David, Lowell E.

Pollution 150