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15 Sep

Climate change is affecting drinking water quality

by TMR Desk
Climate Change, Water
The disappearance of forests will have consequences for water quality in reservoirs The water stored in reservoirs ensures our supply of drinking water. Good water quality is therefore important -- but is at significant risk due to climate change. In a model study of the Rappbode reservoir in the Harz region, a research team from the Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research (UFZ) demonstrated how the climate-related disappearance of forests in the catchment area for Germany's largest drinking water reservoir can affect water quality. The problem of such indirect consequences of climate change is seriously underestimated, the scientists warn in Water Research. Water quality is of critical importance, especially for drinking water reservoirs, as subsequent treatment in the waterworks must continually meet...
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14 Sep

Discovery of microplastics from water trapped on plant leaves

by TMR Desk
Education
Although they have not been around for long, microplastics have found their way to almost every ecosystem on the planet. They have been discovered in the soil, in rivers, in our food and bottled water, and even in the human body. Recently, a team of researchers found, for the first time, microplastics in water trapped in plant leaf axils. Katarína Fogašová, Peter Manko, and Jozef Obona of the University of Prešov, Slovakia, initially set out to Eastern Slovakia to study the organisms living in the little water puddles forming in teasel leaf axils. Teasels of the genus Dipsacus have characteristic opposite leaves that grow on the stem above each other in several levels. As they clasp the stem, they form cup-like structures that collect...
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14 Sep

Investing in new water filtration membranes is worth it

by TMR Desk
Engineering
New analysis shows antifouling membranes reduce costs, energy over their lifetimes High-performing water filtration systems -- necessary for reducing water scarcity -- can also reduce cost and energy consumption, a new Northwestern University-led analysis finds. In the new study, researchers performed a high-level analysis of membrane filtration systems to evaluate cost, energy consumption and greenhouse gas emissions associated with desalination and wastewater treatment. The researchers specifically examined antifouling membranes, a high-performance filtration system that resists the accumulation of contaminants. Although foul-resistant membranes may cost more money when purchased, they cost less over their lifetimes than cheaper, non-foul-resistant membranes, which require frequent cleaning and need to be replaced more often. In fact, the researchers found that municipal wastewater facilities could spend 43% more on...
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13 Sep

Surprise finding suggests ‘water worlds’ are more common than we thought

by TMR Desk
Education
Analysis finds evidence for many exoplanets made of water and rock around small stars Water is the one thing all life on Earth needs, and the cycle of rain to river to ocean to rain is an essential part of what keeps our planet's climate stable and hospitable. When scientists talk about where to search for signs of life throughout the galaxy, planets with water are always at the top of the list. A new study suggests that many more planets may have large amounts of water than previously thought -- as much as half water and half rock. The catch? All that water is probably embedded in the rock, rather than flowing as oceans or rivers on the surface. "It was a...
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10 Sep

Botany: From the soil to the sky

by TMR Desk
Education, Water
Researchers put a number on the amount of energy that plants use to lift water Every day, about one quadrillion gallons of water are silently pumped from the ground to the treetops. Earth's plant life accomplishes this staggering feat using only sunlight. It takes energy to lift all this liquid, but just how much was an open question until this year. Researchers at UC Santa Barbara have calculated the tremendous amount of power used by plants to move water through their xylem from the soil to their leaves. They found that, on average, it was an additional 14% of the energy the plants harvested through photosynthesis. On a global scale, this is comparable to the production of all of humanity's hydropower. Their...
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