The desalination industry, a critical source of potable water in many arid regions, generated more than $13 billion last year and is expected to double within a decade. Most desalination plants today use a process called reverse osmosis (RO), which forces water through huge rolls of membranes, leaving the salt behind. One of the most expensive operational challenges for such plants is the fouling of these membranes by microorganisms.
articles
Paris to Ban Fossil Fuel Cars by 2030
Paris announced it will ban all gas- and diesel-fueled cars within city limits by 2030, allowing only electric vehicles onto its streets, according to Reuters.
Uncovering the Sound of 'Motherese,' Baby Talk Across Languages
Around the world, mothers speak differently to their children than they do to other adults — and Princeton researchers have found a new way to quantify that vocal shift.
Harvey runoff menaces Texas' coral reefs
Saline levels dropped 10 percent in one day over parts of Flower Garden Banks
Cause of Cancer Form in the Liver Identified
In a new study, researchers from the University of Copenhagen have identified the two genes whose mutation cause a serious cancer form found in the liver. The result sets concrete goals for future treatment of the otherwise incurable disease.
Baltic clams and worms release as much greenhouse gas as 20 000 dairy cows
Baltic clams and worms release as much greenhouse gas as 20 000 dairy cows. Worms and clams enhance the release of methane up to eight times more compared to sea bottoms without animals, shows a study by scientists at Stockholm University and Cardiff University.
While greenhouse gas emissions are increasing to unprecedented levels, the source and sink mechanisms for these emissions are still not yet fully understood. Sea bottoms have been shown to be important contributors of the two strong greenhouse gases methane and nitrous oxide. Firstly to the water and finally to the atmosphere, where they cause global warming.