Water – Page 3 – PossibleThreat Articles

Antibiotic resistant genes prevalent in groundwater

October 4, 2019 0 Comments Bacteria, Drought, Drought Research, Environmental Issues, Insects (including Butterflies), Microbes and More, Recycling and Waste, Water

The spread of antibiotic resistant genes (ARGs) through the water system could put public safety at-risk. Researchers studied and compared samples from an advanced groundwater treatment facility in California and groundwater aquifers to detect differences in ARG concentrations. They found that the advanced groundwater treatment facility reduced nearly all targeted ARGs to below detection limits, but groundwater samples had a ubiquitous presence of ARGs in both control locations and locations recharged with water from the advanced water treatment facility.

News Science

Sinking groundwater levels threaten the vitality of riverine ecosystems

October 4, 2019 0 Comments Drought Research, Ecosystems, Environmental Awareness, Environmental Policies, Land Management, Resource Shortage, Water, World Development

Groundwater is the world's largest source of freshwater and it is of vital importance for food production. Increasing extraction of groundwater in recent decades has resulted in sinking water tables worldwide. A study by a hydrologist shows that almost 20 percent of the catchments areas where groundwater is pumped suffer from a flow that is too low to sustain freshwater ecosystems. This number is expected to increase to 50 percent by 2050.

News Science

Were hot, humid summers the key to life's origins?

October 4, 2019 0 Comments Biochemistry, Biology, Cell Biology, Charles Darwin, Drought, Environmental Issues, Evolution, Nature of Water, Organic Chemistry, Origin of Life, Pollution, Water

Chemists have found that deliquescent minerals, which dissolve in water they absorb from humid air, can assist the construction of proteins from simpler building blocks during cycles timed to mimic day and night on the early Earth.

News Science

Managing stormwater and stream restoration projects together

October 2, 2019 0 Comments Drought Research, Ecology, Ecosystems, Environmental Issues, Floods, Pollution, Sustainability, Water

A unified approach may benefit water quality, environment more than piecemeal.

News Science

Glowing bacteria in anglerfish 'lamp' come from the water

October 1, 2019 0 Comments Bacteria, Exotic Species, Extreme Survival, Fish, Geochemistry, Microbes and More, Pollution, Water

New research shows that female deep-sea anglerfish's bioluminescent bacteria — which illuminate their 'headlamp' — most likely come from the water.

News Science

Collapse of desert bird populations likely due to heat stress from climate change

October 1, 2019 0 Comments Bird Flu Research, Birds, Climate, Environmental Awareness, Environmental Issues, Nature, Water, Zoology

Last year, biologists discovered that bird populations in the Mojave Desert had crashed over the past 100 years. The biologists now have evidence that heat stress is a key cause. Simulations with a computerized 'virtual bird' suggest that with higher temperatures, birds need more water to keep cool. Larger insectivores or carnivores should be most affected, and small seed-eaters less so if drinking water is available: just as the biologists reported last year.

News Science

New tool provides critical information for addressing the global water crisis

September 30, 2019 0 Comments Drought Research, Ecosystems, Energy Policy, Environmental Issues, Nature of Water, Nuclear Energy, Sports Science, Water

There has been a critical gap in the ability to identify which households experience issues with reliably accessing safe water in sufficient quantities for all household uses, from drinking and cooking to bathing and cleaning — until now.

News Science

A new, natural wax coating that makes garments water-resistant and breathable

September 30, 2019 0 Comments Atmosphere, Drought, Environmental Issues, Marine Biology, Nature, Nature of Water, Textiles and Clothing, Water, Wearable Technology

Researchers have made a non-toxic coating solution with wax obtained from Brazilian palm tree leaves.

News Science

Urban beaches are environmental hotspots for antibiotic resistance after rainfall

September 30, 2019 0 Comments Bacteria, Civil Engineering, Environmental Issues, Microbes and More, Nature, Nature of Water, Recycling and Waste, Sports Science, Water

New research provide clear links between storm-water discharge, which sometimes includes wet-weather sewer overflow (WWSO) events, and the presence of AbR in microorganisms living in urban beach habitats.

News Science

Ditch the delicate wash cycle to help save our seas

September 28, 2019 0 Comments Drought Research, Environmental Issues, Materials Science, Nature of Water, Pollution, Textiles and Clothing, Water, Wearable Technology

The volume of water used during a wash cycle, rather than the spinning action of the washing machine, is the key factor in the release of plastic microfibres from clothes.