Things Worth Noting
Bivalve molluscs like clams, mussels, and oysters are being used as living biosensors to monitor water quality. These filter feeders are highly sensitive to pollutants and close their shells when exposed to toxins, triggering alarms that can shut off water flow to prevent contamination. Equipped with sensors, bivalves provide real-time alerts, offering a low-cost, efficient […]
Most home water filters struggle to remove tough contaminants like PFAS (forever chemicals), heavy metals (lead, mercury, arsenic), and pharmaceuticals from tap water. These pollutants, from industrial runoff, aging pipes, or wastewater, pose health risks like cancer, developmental issues, and hormonal imbalances. Basic pitcher or faucet filters handle chlorine and sediments but fail against PFAS […]
Tap water often contains chemicals like chlorine, fluoride, lead, arsenic, nitrates, and PFAS, which come from agricultural runoff, industrial discharge, and aging pipes. These contaminants can cause health issues, including cancer, neurological damage, and hormonal disruption, especially in children and pregnant women. The EPA regulates water quality under the Safe Drinking Water Act, but outdated […]
Pharmaceuticals pollute oceans, harming marine life and ecosystems. Drug residues, like antibiotics and hormones, enter through wastewater, sewage, and runoff, contaminating water and accumulating in fish and shellfish. These chemicals disrupt hormones, alter fish behavior, and damage coral reefs. Microplastics worsen the issue by carrying drugs, increasing bioaccumulation. To reduce harm, we need better wastewater […]
Nebraska faces a high rate of pediatric cancers like leukemia, lymphoma, and brain tumors, especially in rural areas with heavy farming. Studies link these cancers to nitrate and atrazine, a weed killer, in groundwater and surface water. Nitrate from fertilizers and atrazine from corn fields contaminate wells and rivers, raising cancer risks in children. These […]