Chemistry
Reusable plastic bottles release hundreds of pollutants into water
Data show the plastic ends up tainting drinking water. For now, scientists don’t know what health risks downing these pollutants might pose.
Materials Science
More Stories in Materials Science
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Materials ScienceLet’s learn about the future of smart clothing
Researchers are fashioning new materials to make clothes more comfortable and convenient.
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Materials ScienceNew cloth cools you when you’re hot, warms you when you’re cold
Scientists 3-D printed the new fabric, which has even more tricks up its sleeve — such as conducting electricity and resisting radio waves.
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Materials ScienceEngineers borrow a tree’s cellulose to toughen new materials
Cellulose gives plants their strength. Engineers are turning this renewable, environmentally friendly resource into brand new materials.
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Materials ScienceA disinfectant made from sawdust knocks out deadly microbes
It’s made by pressure-cooking sawdust and water, is cheap and easy to make — and could lead to greener cleaning products than chemicals used today.
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ChemistryNew process can transform urban CO2 pollution into a resource
Researchers have developed a liquid metal that breaks down carbon dioxide in the air, converting it from a climate threat into a valuable raw material.
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Environment‘Mining’ cryptocurrencies pollutes the real world
Bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies exist only online. Yet the environmental impacts of their networks affect the real world.
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EnvironmentHow we choose to pay has hidden costs for the planet
Whether cash or credit, phone apps or digital currencies — all forms of payment have behind-the-scenes costs. And these can vary dramatically.
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EnvironmentClothes dryers may be a major source of airborne microplastics
Scientists thought washing machines were a leading contributor of microplastics. Now it appears dryers may be an even bigger problem.
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Materials ScienceLet’s learn about glass
Unlike the atoms in other solids, the atoms in glass don’t exist in an orderly crystal structure. They’re more jumbled up, like the atoms inside liquids.