A new study shows that dead zones in the lower Chesapeake Bay are beginning to break up earlier in the fall, which may be an indication that efforts to reduce nutrient pollution to the Bay are beginning to make an impact. Scientists from the University of Maryland Center for Environmental Science examined 30 years of data on dead zones and nutrient levels in the Chesapeake Bay. They found that dead zones in the lower part of the Chesapeake Bay, the saltier part from the Potomac River south, are getting smaller in the late summer thanks to a late-season replenishment of oxygen, a natural response to decreasing nutrient pollution.
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New ‘promiscuous’ enzyme helps turn plant waste into sustainable products
A new family of enzymes has been discovered which paves the way to convert plant waste into sustainable and high-value products such as nylon, plastics, chemicals, and fuels.
Solar Activities Can Affect the East Asian Winter Monsoon at the Multidecadal Time Scale
Solar irradiation provides light, heat and energy for driving atmospheric motion on Earth, and is directly affected by solar activities. The Fifth Assessment Report of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) indicated that solar activities have significant effects on the climate system, but large uncertainties also exist. The related mechanisms, especially how solar activities affect East Asian climate, are still unclear and need further investigation.
Don’t Let Depression Keep You From Exercising
Exercise may be just as crucial to a depression patient’s good health as finding an effective antidepressant.
New Nerve Gas Detector Built with Legos and a Smartphone
Researchers at The University of Texas at Austin have designed a way to sense dangerous chemicals using, in part, a simple rig consisting of a smartphone and a box made from Lego bricks, which could help first responders and scientists in the field identify deadly and difficult-to-detect nerve agents such as VX and sarin. The new methodology described in a paper published Wednesday in the open-access journal ACS Central Science combines a chemical sensor with photography to detect and identify different nerve agents — odorless, tasteless chemical weapons that can cause severe illness and death, sometimes within minutes.
Adhering to Paris Agreement Climate Goal Could Significantly Decrease Heat-Related Summer Deaths
As much of the UK and Europe swelters under heatwave conditions, new research led by scientists from the University of Bristol has produced compelling evidence that loss of life through increased heat stress during heatwaves can be limited if we stabilise climate at the lower of the Paris Agreement climate goals.
