Pollution Science X - Solutions (Florida)
(Pollution Science 101 - Solutions (Florida)
Ross vs Florida
Author: Michael James Ross
Published: April 4th, 2024
Updated: December 14th, 2025
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Section 1: Michael James Ross vs Collier County, Florida
Section 2: Corruption in Florida & Human Trafficking Rings (Collier County, Florida)
Section 3: Solutions
Section 4:
Section 5: Ocean and Atmospheric Circulation
Section 6: The Bermuda Triangle
Section 7: Coral Reefs
Section 8: Red Tide & Algal Blooms
Section 9: Water Pollution & Problems
Section 10: Soil Erosion, Landfills & Karst
Section 11: Sinkholes, Karst, Caves & Groundwater
Section 12: Fracking
Section 13: Everglades
Section 14: Mangroves
Section 15: Endangered Animals & Invasive Animals
Section 16: Deforestation & Endangered Plants
Section 17: Pesticides, Insecticides & Agriculture
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The following article will document the current environmental issues in the State of Florida.
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Section 1: Michael James Ross vs Collier County, Florida
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Author: Michael James Ross
Published: February 25th, 2025
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Section 2: Corruption in Florida & Human Trafficking Rings (Collier County, Florida)
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We now would like to file a complaint under the 28 U.S.
Code § 144 - Bias or prejudice of a judge against Judge Kyle Cohen,
Judge Elizabeth Krier and Judge John Mcgowan of the Twentieth District
Court in Collier County, Florida. We no longer think that these judges
are competent. We want these judges to no longer have authority in any
further court cases to harm others as well. We accuse these judges of
being no better than the Judges in the "Kids for Cash Scandal," we are now
requesting that these Judges either should be fired, or these judges need to step down. We request that these following judges now face prison time, just as Judges Michael Conahan and Mark Ciavarella in the "Kids for Cash Scandal" received prison time. We wish to prosecute Judge Elizabeth Krier, Judge Kyle Cohen
and Judge John Mcgowan similar to Michel Conahan and Mark Ciavarella in the
"Kids for Cash Scandal," We
want to know who else the 20th District Court in Collier County,
Florida has illegally jailed, we want these citizens released. We are
going to request that the 20th District Court be closed down on charges
of
mass corruption if these illegal arrests of citizens and journalists continue. We consider this a form of mass corruption from the 20th District Court if these charges are not dropped at once. We are going to start asking that the 20th District Court now face daily fines for keeping this illegal trial of Michael Ross still going. We are calling for the Florida National Guard and military to now arrest Judges Krier, Cohen and Mcgowan for tampering with evidence. We have disowned these judges, we will now disown the 20th District Court if the 20th District Court continues to harm scientific researchers and continues with the illegal arrest of Michael Ross. These judges are no longer to work in the legal system. These Judges are guilty of tampering with evidence, we want these Judges from the 20th District Court stopped right now. We want all of these Courtroom officials tried for treason and given the fullest possible punishment for treason. We no longer want the 20th District Court to have any authority in this case, the 20th District Court has broken too many laws. These Judges are a nuisance to the scientific community and medical community. These Judges are a nuisance to the scientific community. These authorities have had their chance to arrest Delia C. Luna for the wrongful arrest of Michael Ross. We consider this an obstruction of justice. The law requires that if a police officer wrongfully arrests a citizen for any reason, that this officer behind the wrongful arrest is now to be detained by law. Michael Ross was wrongfully arrested in January of 2024, it is now past August and the judges attempt to continue an illegal trial. We consider this a form of inhumane torture of a journalist. We are calling the Florida National Guard to arrest Collier County Police Officer Delia C. Luna and Collier County Police Chief Officer Rambosk.
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Ethics complaint filed against Naples Mayor Teresa Heitmann
2021
https://winknews.com/2021/05/19/ethics-complaint-filed-against-naples-mayor-teresa-heitmann/
An
ethics complaint filed against the mayor of Naples is alleging
corruption at City Hall, including a child prostitution ring, involving
high-ranking leaders in Naples and Collier County.
The complaint
was written by Brian Dye, the director of technology services for the
City of Naples, to the Florida Commission on Ethics with a date of
Monday, May 17.
The 7-page complaint alleges that Mayor Teresa
Heitmann abused her position and office, directed Dye to break Sunshine
Laws and destroy public records and used her position for personal
gain...
The Collier County Sheriff’s Office referred it to the
Florida Department of Law Enforcement because through the complaint
Sheriff Kevin Rambosk learned Heitmann had accused Rambosk of running a
child prostitution ring at the Naples Municipal Airport with former
Naples Mayor Bill Barnett.
According to the complaint, the
Florida Department of Law Enforcement said Heitmann’s actions “were not
criminal enough to warrant their attention as the most they could
prosecute her for was a second-degree misdemeanor.”
They told Dye to take his concerns to the Florida Commission on Ethics.
As
for the allegations made against Rambosk, the sheriff said: “The
allegations made by Mayor Heitmann against me are untrue, irresponsible,
unethical and defamatory. These allegations made by a sitting elected
leader are outrageous...”
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$100 million lawsuit: Over 20 Collier County hotels, motels accountable for sex trafficking
February 6, 2020
A
new lawsuit seeking $100 million in damages for two victims claims the
owners of nearly two dozen Collier County hotels and motels are
responsible for sex trafficking on their premises.
Along some of
the busiest and public roads in Collier County, a new 87-page lawsuit
claims there is a dark side we need to shine a light on.
https://winknews.com/2020/02/06/100-million-lawsuit-over-20-collier-county-hotels-motels-accountable-for-sex-trafficking/
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Lawsuit claims sex trafficking took place in more than 20 Collier County hotels
2023
COLLIER COUNTY — A new lawsuit, just filed in Collier County, shows a sex trafficking ring was operating in more than 20 different hotels for years.
Now, the victims are suing the hotel chains for $100 million in damages for not doing something about it. The brands named in the lawsuit include Best Western, La Quinta, Fairfield Inn, and Gulf Coast Inn.
“Our position is, basically, the hotels turned a blind eye. They knew, or they should have known, but it was an economic factor for them. These hotel rooms were being rented out,” said attorney Sharon Hanlon, who is representing the victims.
She said the hotels are at fault because the signs were unmistakable.
“Male traffickers were paying for the room with cash, and they would do it day by day, because they never knew when they were going to be raided on by the cops or anything,” said Hanlon.
And the lawsuit shows, in some cases, staff at the hotels didn’t just allow abuse, they joined in.
https://naplesshelter.org/lawsuit-claims-sex-trafficking-took-place-in-more-than-20-collier-county-hotels/
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See the list of hotels and motels named in a Collier County sex trafficking lawsuit
Feb 6, 2020
https://www.naplesnews.com/story/news/crime/2020/02/06/list-collier-hotels-and-motels-named-sex-trafficking-lawsuit/4669494002/
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Lawsuit: Jeffrey Epstein raped woman in Naples hotel room and threatened to feed her to gators
March 31, 2021
https://winknews.com/2021/03/31/lawsuit-jeffrey-epstein-raped-woman-in-naples-hotel-room-and-threatened-to-feed-her-to-gators/
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Lawsuit alleges woman was raped at Naples hotel by Jeffrey Epstein and Ghislaine Maxwell in 2008
March 31, 2021
https://www.naplesnews.com/story/news/crime/2021/03/31/lawsuit-florida-woman-raped-naples-hotel-epstein-ghislaine-maxwell/4826267001/
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Judge Tossed Right To Sue Rape Victim – Florida Attorneys Still Pursue Her, Threaten Arrest
March 23, 2019
https://thewashingtonstandard.com/judge-tossed-right-to-sue-rape-victim-florida-attorneys-still-pursue-her-threaten-arrest/
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Innocence Sold: Florida Hotels Have Stacked Up Thousands of Violations of a 2019 sex-trafficking law. But no one has been fined.
11/20/2022
https://www.sun-sentinel.com/2022/11/20/innocence-sold-florida-hotels-have-stacked-up-thousands-of-violations-of-a-2019-sex-trafficking-law-but-not-one-has-been-fined/
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Human traffickers profit off Southwest Florida hotel rooms
July 4, 2023
https://winknews.com/2023/07/04/swfl-hotel-rooms-human-trafficking/
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Florida prosecutors knew Epstein raped teenage girls 2 years before cutting deal, transcript shows
July 1, 2024
https://apnews.com/article/jeffrey-epstein-grand-jury-transcript-florida-b5dce49bdd9bcbce2969107919ddc2d0
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Ghislaine Maxwell transferred to low security federal prison in Florida
July 25, 2022
https://www.cnn.com/2022/07/25/us/ghislaine-maxwell-prison-transfer/index.html
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‘Rampant’ sexual abuse epidemic at Florida prison holding Ghislaine Maxwell, report says
25 April 2023
US Senate report found abuse at federal prisons and lack of accountability
https://www.the-independent.com/news/world/americas/crime/ghislaine-maxwell-florida-prison-abuse-b2326698.html
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Florida's public list of sex buyers removed from state website after 3 years
Jan 10, 2024
https://www.abcactionnews.com/news/local-news/i-team-investigates/floridas-public-list-of-sex-buyers-removed-from-state-website-after-3-years
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The New York Times, Bill Gates Met With Jeffrey Epstein Many Times, Despite His Past, Oct. 12, 2019
January 4, 2024
The Guardian, Prince Andrew, Clinton, Hawking: what do the Epstein documents say about key people?, Jan. 5, 2024
CNN, Jeffrey Epstein documents unsealed, naming Prince Andrew and former President Clinton, Jan. 3, 2024
https://www.politifact.com/factchecks/2024/feb/01/instagram-posts/we-fact-checked-a-years-old-epstein-list-with-166/
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Innocence Sold: Florida's Foster System Provides dangerous Sex Traffickers With Easy Access to Vulnerable Children
11-27-2022
https://www.sun-sentinel.com/2022/11/27/innocence-sold-floridas-foster-system-provides-dangerous-sex-traffickers-with-easy-access-to-vulnerable-children/
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Human trafficking bust: Teacher, coaches among 228 arrested in Polk County
March 5, 2024
https://www.fox13news.com/news/human-trafficking-bust-teacher-coaches-among-228-arrested-in-polk-county
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Human traffickers, smugglers use this Florida highway the most, according to FHP (I-75)
February 10, 2022
https://www.clickorlando.com/news/local/2022/02/10/which-florida-highways-are-human-traffickers-smugglers-caught-using-the-most/
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Human trafficking in Florida continues to be a problem (includes multimedia content)
October 28, 2022
https://caplinnews.fiu.edu/human-trafficking-in-florida-continues-to-be-a-problem/
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Human Trafficking and Smuggling in Tampa Bay, Florida: Processes, Policies and Procedures
2015
https://commons.erau.edu/mcnair/vol2/iss1/5/
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SWFL group ran human trafficking ring up, authorities say
March 06, 2015
A routine traffic stop by a Collier County sheriff’s deputy unraveled one of the largest human trafficking rings in Southwest Florida, leading to the arrests of 15 men and women Friday.
During a 2013 traffic stop, a deputy identified a woman as a potential victim. Detectives began an investigation and eventually identified a half-dozen women who’d been trafficked across the state and pimped out to as many as 45 people per day.
Each of the six victims had been illegally smuggled into the country after being promised legal jobs and reunions with their families. Once in the U.S., however, the women — who were in their 20s and 30s — were forced to work as commercial sex slaves, according to officials.
https://archive.naplesnews.com/news/crime/swfl-group-ran-human-trafficking-ring-up-authorities-say-ep-974148610-335578971.html/
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WINK News: Collier County human trafficking victim tells her story to help others
https://naplesshelter.org/wink-news-collier-county-human-trafficking-victim-tells-her-story-to-help-others/
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Engaging the community, Collier Sheriff fights to end human trafficking
2019
https://winknews.com/2019/05/29/engaging-the-community-collier-sheriff-fights-to-end-human-trafficking/
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Lawsuit against Collier County Sheriff's Office alleges wrongful arrest, battery, retaliation
Aug 2020
https://www.naplesnews.com/story/news/crime/2020/08/05/wrongful-arrest-lawsuit-filed-against-collier-county-sheriffs-office/3298736001/
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25 arrested by task force for human trafficking involving 37 victims
September 21, 2023
The Southwest Florida Intercept Task Force arrested 25 people for children and human trafficking.
According
to Collier County Sheriff Kevin Rambosk, there were 37 victims
connected to the arrests and the youngest was only 2 years old.
“The
most horrific was a 2-year-old toddler who was placed on a dating site,
a dating app, advertising the toddler for sex,” said Rambosk. “There’s
no real words to explain that. We just need to look. We rescued the
victim, and we arrested the perpetrator. That’s what this whole program
is about.”
https://winknews.com/2023/09/21/children-human-trafficking-25-arrests-37-victims/
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2 men arrested in Collier County human trafficking operation
2016
https://winknews.com/2016/01/11/2-men-arrested-in-collier-county-human-trafficking-operation/
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Human trafficking data has a home in St. Pete
June 6, 2023
She added that discerning those links would aid local and state law enforcement interventions. It would also provide a better understanding of trafficking rates, when people are most likely to become victims and how often they move to other locations or remain trapped in one spot.
Wagers noted that numerous state agencies work to combat human and sex trafficking and support victims. Those collect data alongside police departments and the state tip line.
She said the hotline is currently a primary information source. However, there are no follow-up investigations to ensure that someone is a trafficking victim or if multiple people reported the same person.
“So now, someone who wasn’t even a human trafficking victim gets counted twice,” Wagers explained. “Then there are other ones where no one ever calls, but they do come into the system and are appropriately labeled as a human trafficking survivor victim.”
She elaborated that the anonymous, national tip line information that places Florida as the third-worst state for trafficking is not “awful.” Wagers said it is just one data point and difficult to verify.
While there is no state ranking for the region, officials consider Tampa Bay a “hotbed.” Wagers said that is due to the area’s unique characteristics making it favorable for successful criminal or legitimate enterprises.
“If you had to quickly and efficiently move goods, you need access to certain things,” she added. “One is a port, and an international airport and freeways. Where you see these concentrations of human trafficking tips, they are in states – and then cities within the states – that have a couple of those features.
https://stpetecatalyst.com/human-trafficking-data-has-a-home-in-st-pete/
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Miami Is a Hot Spot for Human Trafficking
March 07, 2024
Florida ranks third in the country in human trafficking cases according to the National Human Trafficking Hotline, with Miami-Dade County having the most reported cases in the state. As a result, local law enforcement authorities, including the state attorney's office, are focusing their efforts on addressing the crisis. Statistics are currently showing that Miami is the number 5 city for human trafficking in the United States. Miami International Airport is claimed to be a hub for human trafficking cases because of the heavy domestic and international travel.
https://www.dmtlaw.com/blog/miami-is-a-hot-spot-for-human-trafficking/
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Naples mayor says complaint against her meant to sabotage reputation
May 26, 2021
An ethics complaint by City IT Director Brian Dye against the mayor in the City of Naples has brought forward serious accusations. It brought up allegations of corruption and child prostitution involving high-ranking leaders in Naples and Collier County.
We sat down with Mayor Teresa Heitmann who told us the complaint doesn’t look like something the IT director would write.
Heitmann believes the IT director was put up to it and she says a seven-page complaint is meant to sabotage her reputation.
“It’s shocking and impurely accusations that have potentially now harmed important relationships with the city,” Heitmann said.
The complaint claims Heitmann accused the former mayor and Sheriff Kevin Rambosk of running a child sex ring out of Naples Airport.
https://winknews.com/2021/05/26/naples-mayor-says-complaint-against-her-meant-to-sabotage-reputation/
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Slavery in our midst: Luncheon at yacht club spotlights human trafficking
January 24, 2018
The amazing thing is, slavery is happening today, in 2018, and all around us in our own community.
We tend to think of slavery or human trafficking as something from long ago or taking place in faraway lands. But as a group at the Naples Sailing & Yacht Club found out on Jan. 19, though, it is happening in this century, right here in Collier County.
Naples Community Church hosted the presentation to boost awareness of human trafficking, in recognition that January is National Slavery and Human Trafficking Prevention Month. The approximately 110 attending the luncheon heard from two people who are intimately involved in dealing with the problem, Collier County Sheriff Kevin Rambosk and Linda Oberhaus, CEO of the Shelter for Abused Women and Children.
Human trafficking can involve forced labor, often agricultural; domestic
servitude in the trafficker’s or another home; and sex trafficking,
Rambosk and Oberhaus told the gathering, taking turns and “tag-teaming”
the presentation. Because such a high percentage of the human
trafficking, especially that which ordinary citizens are likely to come
across in our area, is sex trafficking, that was the focus of most of
the discussion.
https://www.naplesnews.com/story/news/local/communities/collier-citizen/2018/01/24/slavery-our-midst-luncheon-yacht-club-spotlights-human-trafficking/1061985001/
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Former Naples customs officer admits to stealing almost $19,000 cash from passengers
June 19, 2024
A former U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) officer who worked out of the Naples Airport admitted to stealing cash from passengers.
According to the plea agreement, 43-year-old William Timothy said he stole from at least 17 people totaling nearly $19,000.
https://winknews.com/2024/06/19/customs-officer-stealing/
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Police: Former Collier cop asked teenage girls for nude pictures
Dec. 11, 2019
https://triblive.com/local/pittsburgh-allegheny/police-former-collier-cop-asked-teenage-girls-for-nude-pictures/
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Collier County KEVIN RAMBOSK Declares It's Good To Be KING!
2014
https://aquakiki.wordpress.com/2014/09/25/collier-county-kevin-rambosk-declares-its-good-to-be-king/
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Sheriff candidate files ethics complaint against Rambosk
June 27, 2008
For the second time in three months, a candidate for Collier County sheriff filed a complaint with a state commission accusing fellow candidate Kevin Rambosk of violating state statutes.
Collier County businessman Vinny Angiolillo, the owner of Class Act Limousine in North Naples, filed a complaint this week, this time with the Florida Elections Commission.
In the complaint, Angiolillo, who once compared the Sheriff's Office to a criminal gang, alleges that both Rambosk and the Sheriff's Office "wantonly disrupted" his political campaign and caused "irreversible damage" to his campaign and reputation.
Sheriff Don Hunter called the complaint "enormously misleading." Rambosk, an executive officer with the Sheriff's Office, called it "politically motivated, irresponsible and malicious."
Angiolillo said he mailed the complaint on Thursday and confirmed its receipt on Friday. However, Kevin Smith, an investigator with the commission, said he could neither confirm nor deny receipt of the document due to commission policies...
https://archive.naplesnews.com/news/politics/elections/sheriff-candidate-files-ethics-complaint-against-rambosk-ep-401493839-344468672.html
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Crash leads to human smuggling arrest in Naples
Apr 07, 2022
https://www.fox4now.com/collier-county/crash-leads-to-human-trafficking-arrest-in-naples
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Serenity Walk Park filled with sex offenders
February 23, 2024
A family-friendly place is filled with sex offenders, drugs and vandalism.
That’s the picture painted by public complaints, according to the Collier County Sheriff’s Office.
In a single two-day time period, CCSO has made five different indecent exposure arrests at Serenity Walk Park in Naples.
In one case, an undercover deputy said he was groped...
https://winknews.com/2024/02/23/serenity-walk-park-sex-offenders/
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Inside Miracle Village, Florida's Isolated Community of Sex Offenders
2015
In
January of 2013, photographer Sofia Valiente took residency at Miracle
Village, an isolated community that houses convicted sex offenders in
Florida.
https://www.vice.com/en/article/jmbzz7/inside-miracle-village-379
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The village where half the population are sex offenders
July 2013
https://www.bbc.com/news/magazine-23063492
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By the numbers: Florida had third-highest human trafficking rate in 2019
Sep 22, 2020
https://www.wfla.com/news/by-the-numbers/by-the-numbers-human-trafficking-in-florida/
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The Jeffrey Epstein case shows the problem with Florida’s grand jury secrecy
3-20-2024
Florida
and other states should stop relying so heavily on grand jury secrecy
in general — as secrecy is never good for public trust.
https://www.tampabay.com/opinion/2024/03/20/jeffrey-epstein-case-shows-problem-with-floridas-grand-jury-secrecy/
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A timeline of the Jeffrey Epstein, Ghislaine Maxwell scandal
June 28, 2022
https://apnews.com/article/epstein-maxwell-timeline-b9f15710fabb72e8581c71e94acf513e
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Feds’ raid on Diddy’s Miami Beach mansions goes into the night in sex-trafficking probe
March 26, 2024
The
raid came weeks after a lawsuit alleged that Diddy was the leader of a
“widespread and dangerous criminal sex trafficking organization.”
https://www.miamiherald.com/news/local/crime/article287081310.html
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Rays’ Wander Franco faces additional charge of human trafficking
July 10th, 2024
The star shortstop could face up to 20 years in prison if convicted of the latest charge. Wednesday, he was shifted to MLB’s restricted list and is no longer getting paid.
https://www.tampabay.com/sports/rays/2024/07/10/wander-franco-human-trafficking-sexual-abuse-exploitation-charges-dominican-prosecutors/
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Average human trafficking victims in SWFL, 15-year-old girls
February 1, 2024
https://winknews.com/2024/02/01/human-trafficking-victims-swfl-girls/
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Florida Sex Money Murder Gang Dismantled
Apr 13, 2022
https://www.myfloridalegal.com/newsrelease/florida-sex-money-murder-gang-dismantled
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WINK News: Human trafficking in Southwest Florida
https://naplesshelter.org/wink-trafficking/
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Human trafficking continues to be a growing problem in Florida
2020
https://www.wfla.com/news/human-trafficking-continues-to-be-a-growing-problem-in-florida/
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U.S. Marshals Find 200 Missing Children Across the Nation During Operation We Will Find You 2
Jul 08, 2024
https://www.redlakenationnews.com/story/2024/07/08/news/us-marshals-find-200-missing-children-across-the-nation-during-operation-we-will-find-you-2/123618.html
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Global Government Kidnapping Rings Investigated (Humboldt County, CA)
January 2nd, 2017
Governmentkidnappingrings.blogspot.com
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{It is my job to inform the public if an organisation ever tried to bribe or intimidate my media agency in order to stop my news reports, we have stated that our media would tell the public if this ever happened. It is our duty to inform the people that the government officials in Naples, Florida (Collier County, Florida) are trying to silence our scientific reports. These officials in Collier County, Florida are behind one of the biggest human trafficking rings in the nation. The District Attorneys of the 20th District Court in Naples, Florida (Collier County, Florida) were behind covering up these human smuggling rings. We want Judge Elizabeth Krier, Judge Kyle Cohen Judge John Mcgowan, Amira D. Fox, Nicole Santini and Rhiannon Gomes of the 20th District Court to be arrested for tampering with evidence}.
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Feds bust ‘modern-day slavery’ ring amid new immigration enforcement effort
Dec. 9, 2021
At
least 100 immigrant workers were freed from conditions in which at
least two died, another was repeatedly raped, and others were kidnapped
and threatened with death.
https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/feds-bust-modern-day-slavery-ring-new-effort-immigration-enforcement-rcna8273
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Florida sheriff to Congress after illegal immigrants nabbed in human trafficking probe: 'Shame on all of them'
March 5, 2024
Polk County Sheriff Grady Judd said: 'The politicians are politicking while the victims are being victimized'
https://www.foxnews.com/us/florida-sheriff-congress-illegal-immigrants-nabbed-human-trafficking-probe-shame-all-them
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Indicted head of Haitian kidnapping ring freed
2015
https://www.miamiherald.com/news/nation-world/world/americas/haiti/article18827622.html
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Increase in sextortion cases causes FBI to issue major warning
January 18, 2024
The problem with sextortion is getting so bad that the FBI has issued a major warning.
Sextortion
is a form of exploitation where victims, including children and teens,
are coerced into sharing explicit photos or videos of themselves. The
predator will use the images to blackmail the target with threats to
publicly expose the material.
“Sextortion is something that we’ve
seen blow up and double and triple in the last couple of years,” said
Lt. Wade Williams with the Collier County Sheriff’s Office...
https://winknews.com/2024/01/18/increase-sextortion-cases-causes-fbi-issue-major-warning/
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DANGER – SEXtortion Scandal Rocks Florida
https://aquakiki.wordpress.com/tag/collier-county/
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John Ring Jr., a Tampa politico with ties to the mayor and members of city council, pleads not guilty in sex offender case
Apr 11, 2023
The
State Attorney filed a 'request to seal' Ring's warrant because of
'potential evidence suggesting public corruption within the City of
Tampa...'
https://www.cltampa.com/news/john-ring-jr-a-tampa-politico-with-ties-to-the-mayor-and-members-of-city-council-pleads-not-guilty-in-sex-offender-case-15447849
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Opa-locka Police accused of massive corruption
2011
State
authorities are probing what could be the most significant police
corruption case in years in perpetually troubled Opa-locka.
According
to city memos obtained by Miami New Times and confirmed by City Manager
Clarance Patterson, officers have told internal investigators that city
cops:
• had sex with arrested offenders "in lieu of moving
forward to prosecution, eventually unarresting the individuals and
discarding the police report";
• stole property from the station;
• ordered lower-ranking officers to release arrested suspects and discard the reports, which would violate state law;
• improperly transported liquor in police vehicles for private parties;
• horsed around with Tasers on the job;
• slept on duty.
https://www.miaminewtimes.com/news/opa-locka-police-accused-of-massive-corruption-6381216
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Florida police officers entangled in widespread sex scandal
2013
LAKELAND,
Fla. – Authorities are investigating a widespread sex scandal involving
nearly a dozen police officers in one Florida city after a civilian
crime analyst detailed trysts with the men in police and fire stations,
patrol cars, motels and even in a parking lot after a memorial service
for a slain officer.
Sue Eberle, 37, has told officials that she
had consensual and sometimes coerced sex with the officers and a
firefighter, and that she once was propositioned by a city worker in
Lakeland.
Eberle's accounts of the liaisons were largely
corroborated by her sexual partners and others within the police
department, and published in a graphic, 59-page report written in an
incredulous tone by the county's top prosecutor. It said the
department's problems investigating crimes might be caused by some
high-ranking officers being more interested in having sex with Eberle
than doing their jobs.
https://www.foxnews.com/us/florida-police-officers-entangled-in-widespread-sex-scandal
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Top 10 Worst Prisons in Florida State
April 8, 2023
4. Lowell Correctional Institution (Ocala)
Lowell
Correctional Institution is Florida’s largest women’s prison and has
been the subject of numerous lawsuits and investigations. In 2015, an
investigation found that guards were sexually abusing inmates and
trading favors for sex. The prison has also been criticized for its
overcrowding, poor medical care, and lack of educational programs.
https://theprisondirect.com/top-10-worst-prisons-in-florida-state/
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DOJ Launches Investigation into Abuse at Florida Women’s Prison
Loaded on Jan. 8, 2019
https://www.prisonlegalnews.org/news/2019/jan/8/doj-launches-investigation-abuse-florida-womens-prison/
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Florida's unsafe prisons
2-3-2015
https://www.heraldtribune.com/story/opinion/2015/02/04/floridas-unsafe-prisons/29296705007/
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Rothstein Exposé Details Sex, Murder, and Corruption Behind Florida's Largest Ponzi Scheme
2013
https://www.forbes.com/sites/jordanmaglich/2013/01/21/rothstein-expose-details-sex-murder-and-corruption-behind-floridas-largest-ponzi-scheme/?sh=499e5f4f683e
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Seminole County judge absent from work amid misconduct allegations, chief judge says
2015
https://www.wesh.com/article/seminole-county-judge-absent-from-work-amid-misconduct-allegations-chief-judge-says-1/4442237
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Tallahassee corruption probe turns attention to judges: sources
2021
The
public corruption investigation that has gripped Tallahassee for the
last three years has expanded, according to law enforcement sources
close to the investigation.
Now, it has wrapped its tendrils around state courts in North Central and Northwest Florida.
It
isn’t clear which judges have caught investigators’ eyes, but there is
certainly some overlap with the investigation that snared Scott Maddox, a
former Tallahassee City Commissioner.
While judicial misconduct
is typically investigated by Florida’s Judicial Qualifications
Committee, the fact that federal investigators are now looking into
cases in Tallahassee means the fallout from the ongoing public
corruption investigation is far from over.
A hint on who may be
in the crosshairs: one of the Leon County judges who was supposed to
oversee Maddox’s disbarment was pulled from the case with no real
explanation.
https://floridapolitics.com/archives/451536-tallahassee-corruption-probe-turns-attention-to-judges-sources-say/
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WESH 2 investigates 'bad judges' in Central Florida
2015
The misconduct allegations are of everything from election law violations to bad behavior on and off the bench
WESH 2 examined the best ways to weed out the “bad judges” in Florida.
Click here to watch this report
There are 62 disciplinary cases against Florida judges since 2001; 18 of those cases stem from Central Florida.
"I
think I tried almost every kind of case that you can imagine." said
retired judge OH "Bill" Eaton, who has 42 years of experience in law,
including 24 years as a local circuit judge and two years as chief
judge.
"There are some people on that list that I would have
predicted would be on that list at one time or another… simply because
of qualifications," Eaton said.
"I think Central Florida's
relatively high numbers right now are an anomaly. I don't think that's
the norm,” Gray Robinson attorney Mayanne Downs said.
Downs is
also a former Florida Bar president and is currently on Florida’s
Judicial Qualifications Commission, which investigates misconduct by
state judges.
https://www.wesh.com/article/wesh-2-investigates-bad-judges-in-central-florida-1/4442238
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Indictments Shock Florida Town, Inured to Vice Reports
March 20, 1978
LAKE
CITY, Fla.—Corruption was way of life for so long in Lake City that the
community began to lose sight of the difference between fixing a
speeding ticket and letting criminals escape justice for a once.
That
is one view offered to explain why a Federal investigation of local
racketeering has led to the indictment of several prominent citizens,
including two of the four circuit judges in Florida's Third Judicial
District, on charges that a conspiracy existed to operate gambling,
prostitution and a drug ring, in addition to putting a price tag on
justice in the courtroom.
This small city 25 miles south of the
Georgia border was shocked by the indictments, but at least some of the
surprise seemed to be not so much that vice and corruption flourished in
Lake City but that the powerful had been brought to justice.
In fact, there was very little moral out. rage expressed.
https://www.nytimes.com/1978/03/20/archives/indictments-shock-florida-town-inured-to-vice-reports-judge-invited.html
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Southern District Florida Courts; A Haven for Bribery, Corruption and Impeachment Proceedings against Sitting Federal Judges
November 19, 2020
It’s
no surprise, Texas and Florida lead the way when it comes to the
handful of impeachments against Federal Judges, as archived in the
history of the United States of America.
https://lawsintexas.com/southern-district-florida-courts-a-haven-for-bribery-corruption-and-impeachment-proceedings-against-sitting-federal-judges/
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Corrupt Florida Justice and Judges
March 26, 2009
ATTENTION: COURT/POLITICAL EDITORS
COURT REFORMER ANDY MARTIN HAS LONG RECORD OF FILING SUCCESSFUL COMPLAINTS AGAINST FLORIDA JUDGES
(FORT
LAUDERDALE)(March 25, 2007) Chicago-based Internet journalist,
broadcaster and media critic Andy Martin has a long history of
successfully filing judicial complaints and legal proceedings against
Florida judges. Martin founded the Campaign Court Reform (CCR) in 1989
and has served as Founding Executive Director since then.
The CCR
receives reports nationally and attempts to point the spotlight on
judicial arrogance, corruption and abuse of power. Martin began his
career as a judicial reformer while a law student at the University of
Illinois, as a small part of a team that exposed bank stock bribes on
the Illinois Supreme Court and led to the removal of two judges, Roy
Solfisburg and Ray Klingbiel, see Illinois Supreme Court Docket No.
39798.
This week Martin filed judicial misconduct complaints
against Broward County Chief Judge Dale Ross and Circuit Judge Larry
Korda.
"We have been asked for a list of Florida judges against
whom I successfully filed judicial misconduct complaints or legal
proceedings," Martin noted. "We had to dig into our morgue because our
computerized records do not go back that far. Nevertheless, we have
assembled a pretty complete list. It may not be complete but it is
awesome...
https://corruptfloridajusticeandjudges.blogspot.com/
_____________
Book Release: People v Money- Corruption Scandal Rocks the Florida Court System
2019
https://www.kjnewswire.com/4536/book-release-people-v-money-corruption-scandal-rocks-florida-court-system
_____________
Corrupt justice: what happens when judges' bias taints a case?
2015
https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2015/oct/18/judge-bias-corrupts-court-cases
_____________
Fraud on the Court as a Basis for Dismissal with Prejudice or Default: An Old Remedy Has New Teeth
February 2004
https://www.floridabar.org/the-florida-bar-journal/fraud-on-the-court-as-a-basis-for-dismissal-with-prejudice-or-default-an-old-remedy-has-new-teeth/
_____________
FLORIDA JUDGES THAT CORRUPTLY UNDERMINE THE JUDICIAL SYSTEM AND THE RULE OF LAW
SADLY,
FLORIDA JUDGES have been exempt from the same level of scrutiny as our
politicians and the Media, but there are increasingly more pervasive
attacks on judicial integrity. Abuses of power, corruption, lack of
accountability, secrecy, and impunity from prosecution are eroding
public trust and confidence in the judicial system.
As judges and
public servants, the above individuals took an Oath of Office to uphold
and protect the U.S. and Florida Constitutions; to honor the Code of
Judicial Conduct, to uphold the Separation of Powers Doctrine, and to
respect the constitutional rights and civil liberties of all Floridians.
By ruling unconstitutional the Constitution and laws that are the
source of their authority, these corrupt judges automatically deprived
themselves of their own authority to rule.
For their corrupt,
racist, unconstitutional misconduct, Broward Circuit Court Judge Dale
Cohen, Monroe Circuit Court Judge Luis Garcia, Palm Beach Circuit Court
Judge Diana Lewis, and Miami-Dade Circuit Court Judge Sarah I. Zabel,
need to be removed from the bench by the Florida Judicial Qualifications
Commission (JQC) and disbarred by the Florida Bar. They have forever
disgraced their office and will live in this ignominious Wall of Shame.
Don’t be afraid. PREPARE YOUR COMPLAINT AGAINST THESE CORRUPT JUDGES USING THIS OFFICIAL JQC COMPLAINT FORM here:
http://floridajqc.com/images/JQCComplaintForm.pdf
https://floridademocraticleague.com/wall-of-shame/unethical-judges/
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5 Florida Judges Reprimanded in $500 Million Child Welfare Agency Conflict
September 6, 2019
https://www.coreysdigs.com/law-order/5-florida-judges-reprimanded-in-500-million-child-welfare-agency-conflict/
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Florida court consolidation idea rejected by committee amid criticism move was power grab
Nov 2023
https://www.tallahassee.com/story/news/2023/11/03/idea-to-consolidate-floridas-judicial-circuits-is-rejected/71441977007/
_____________
Florida Corruption Investigation...
2009
https://disgustedwiththesystem.blogspot.com/2009/10/florida-corruption-investigation.html
_____________
2 Judges Guilty in Florida Corruption Inquiry
1993
https://www.nytimes.com/1993/04/28/us/2-judges-guilty-in-florida-corruption-inquiry.html
_____________
CORRUPT FLORIDA JUDGES
CORRUPT HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY
Corrupt Judge Art E. McNeil
Corrupt Judge Catherine M. Catlin
Corrupt Judge Cheryl K. Thomas
Corrupt Judge Jennifer X. Gabbard
Corrupt Judge Richard A. Weis
Corrupt Judge William F. Jung
CORRUPT PALM BEACH COUNTY
Corrupt Judge Martin Colin
CORRUPT TAMPA JUDGES
Corrupt Judge Daryl M. Manning
Corrupt Judge Jack St. Arnold
https://courtvictim.com/abusers/judges/florida/
_____________
4 Florida Judges Are Indicted In Federal Corruption Inquiry
1991
https://www.nytimes.com/1991/09/25/us/4-florida-judges-are-indicted-in-federal-corruption-inquiry.html
_____________
Fight for Fair and Impartial Courts in Florida and the Right to Speak Out About Corruption
July 9, 2023
https://www.change.org/p/fight-for-fair-and-impartial-courts-in-florida-and-the-right-to-speak-out-about-corruption
______________
Corruption probe becomes issue in Osceola Clerk of Court race
2020
https://floridapolitics.com/archives/355583-corruption-probe-becomes-issue-in-osceola-clerk-of-court-race/
_____________
Investigation Finds That Florida’s Court-Appointed Guardianship System Is Corrupt
2019
https://www.gierachlaw.com/investigation-finds-that-floridas-court-appointed-guardianship-system-is-corrupt/
_____________
Florida Grand Jury - Stop the Corruption in the Florida Courts
https://floridagrandjury.blogspot.com/
_____________
'A startling situation': Public Defender's Office struggling to keep attorneys
2023
LEE
COUNTY, Fla. — Southwest Florida is feeling the impact of a nationwide
issue: an attorney shortage. The Public Defender's Office for the 20th
Judicial District spoke with Fox 4 about the retention problems, and how
this could impact you.
Every day, someone accused of a crime
sits inside of a courtroom. If they cannot afford a lawyer, they can be
appointed a public defender. However, finding the lawyers to do that is a
problem in some areas.
The 20th Judicial District represents
Lee, Collier, Hendry, Charlotte and Glades counties with 60% of the
cases starting in Lee County. The office is run by Kathy Smith, the
public defender.
She manages 141 employees; 80 are attorneys. She
says it's not hard to convince people to work in Florida, but there are
still some roadblocks.
"My big issue is retention of those people," Smith said. "This is a tough job."
The
retention issue is something we're seeing across the country. Smith
says the reason behind the problem in her office comes back to money...
https://www.fox4now.com/news/local-news/lee-county/a-startling-situation-public-defenders-office-struggling-to-keep-attorneys
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Under the gun of a new discipline rule, Florida lawyers had better keep judges happy…or else
2021
Judges
who want to punish lawyers for any reason now have a superpower that
can derail careers, courtesy of the Florida Bar and the Florida Supreme
Court.
A new rule effective in December grants judges far greater
authority over lawyer discipline. The high court signed off on the
recommendation from Bar leaders in an Oct. 21 opinion.
Florida lawyers who oppose the judicial oversight rule — privately, fearing retaliation — call it a power grab...
https://www.floridabulldog.org/2021/10/under-new-discipline-rule-florida-lawyers-better-keep-judges-happy-or-else/
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‘It’s really a mess’: Bexar County DA hampered by SAPD, BCSO mishandling of evidence and communication issues
December 15, 2021
DA blames volume of video evidence, technology and process issues for lapses
https://www.ksat.com/news/local/2021/12/15/its-really-a-mess-bexar-county-da-hampered-by-sapd-bcso-mishandling-of-evidence-and-communication-issues/
_____________
Trials for former Lynn Haven mayor, city attorney pushed to May
2021
Anderson
and Albritton were indicted in August 2020 on more than 60 criminal
counts linked to a scandal involving the theft of $5 million in
Hurricane Michael debris removal funds. The counts include "conspiring
to commit wire fraud and honest service fraud, substantive counts of
wire fraud, honest service fraud and theft concerning federal programs,"
a press release from the U.S. Department of Justice said.
https://www.newsherald.com/story/news/2021/02/04/former-bay-county-florida-mayor-corruption-trial-moved-may/4392301001/
_____________
Federal corruption trial of North Florida lawyer underway in Jacksonville
Jun. 6, 2022
JACKSONVILLE,
Fla. (WCTV) - The federal corruption trial of North Florida lawyer
Marion Michael O’Steen is now underway in Jacksonville.
O’Steen was arrested and accused of a bribery and extortion scheme with former Third Circuit State Attorney Jeff Siegmeister.
Siegmeister
plead guilty in February and is listed as a witness in O’Steen’s trial
by both the prosecution and defense, according to federal court records.
O’Steen
is accused of making deals with Siegmeister to reduce the charges or
sentences of his clients. The February 2021 indictment says in one case,
O’Steen bought one of Siegmeister’s Braford bulls and in another case
asked a client to pay tens of thousands of dollars to make a gambling
charge “go away completely.”
https://www.wctv.tv/2022/06/06/federal-corruption-trial-north-florida-lawyer-underway-jacksonville/
_____________
Miami attorneys bankrolled DEA bribery scheme, federal prosecutors say
Jan 23, 2024
https://www.pbs.org/newshour/politics/miami-attorneys-bankrolled-dea-bribery-scheme-federal-prosecutors-say
_____________
Jury Convicts Federal Agent of Witness Tampering and Obstructing Justice
August 29, 2023
https://www.justice.gov/usao-sdfl/pr/jury-convicts-federal-agent-witness-tampering-and-obstructing-justice
_____________
Sheriff's office did not investigate deputy whose statements did not match surveillance
Sep 2019
Public records show the Collier County Sheriff's Office failed to conduct a formal investigation into the actions and statements of a deputy at the heart of a federal lawsuit alleging unlawful arrest and excessive use of force...
https://www.naplesnews.com/story/news/crime/2019/09/20/collier-county-sheriffs-office-never-investigated-deputy-whose-statements-did-not-match-surveillance/2338818001/
_____________
ALLEGATIONS OF SELECTIVE PROSECUTION: THE EROSION OF PUBLIC CONFIDENCE IN OUR FEDERAL JUSTICE SYSTEM
2007
https://archive.org/details/gov.gpo.fdsys.CHRG-110hhrg38507
______________
Judge had ties to mob drug dealer
Jan. 28, 1992
https://www.tampabay.com/archive/1992/01/28/judge-had-ties-to-mob-drug-dealer/
______________
Former City of Miami Police Officer Sentenced to
Over 11 Years in Prison for Attempted Cocaine Trafficking and Attempted
Hobbs Act Extortion
July 2, 2024
MIAMI – Frenel Cenat, a former police officer with the City of Miami
Police Department (MPD) was sentenced today to 135 months in prison, to
be followed by 5 years of supervised release, by Senior U.S. District
Judge James I. Cohn in Fort Lauderdale. Cenat previously pled guilty to
attempted Hobbs Act extortion under color of official right and
attempted possession with intent to distribute cocaine. The charges
arose from the use of his police position and authority, and his
unmarked MPD-issued vehicle and equipment to conduct two illegal traffic
stops to steal what he believed were drug proceeds and seven kilograms
of cocaine from the drivers.
https://www.justice.gov/usao-sdfl/pr/former-city-miami-police-officer-sentenced-over-11-years-prison-attempted-cocaine
______________
Ex-deputy suspected in disappearances of two Collier men responds to lawsuit
Oct 3, 2018
The former deputy suspected in the disappearances of two Collier County men has responded to a wrongful-death lawsuit filed against him.
Steven Calkins, a former Collier County Sheriff's Office corporal, is thought to be the last person to see Felipe Santos and Terrance Williams alive before they disappeared in October 2003 and January 2004, respectively.
https://www.naplesnews.com/story/news/local/2018/10/03/former-deputy-suspected-disappearances-two-collier-men-responds-lawsuit/1507942002/
______________
Immokalee community wants Collier County Deputies held responsible for death of Nicolas Morales
February 21, 2021
https://winknews.com/2021/02/21/immokalee-community-wants-collier-county-deputies-held-responsible-for-death-of-nicolas-morales/
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Former LCSO deputies discuss corruption allegations with FBI
December 22, 2017
Former Lee County Sheriff’s Office deputies are communicating with the FBI about corruption allegations.
Documents from the Freeh report titled “Appendix A” and “Appendix B” were first released to the News-Press in October.
The documents showed that members of the Fort Myers Police Department and at least one LCSO deputy were implicated with corruption, foul internal affairs investigations, and assisting alleged dealers in a drug trafficking ring, which was known to kill witnesses, all with near impunity.
https://winknews.com/2017/12/22/former-lcso-deputies-discuss-corruption-allegations-fbi/
______________
Caught on bodycam: FBI agent chasing Florida corruption complaint ends up locked in patrol car
May 13, 2022
https://news.yahoo.com/caught-bodycam-fbi-agent-chasing-194814636.html
______________
FBI informant talks of his role in cracking Palm Bay corruption case
2019
https://www.floridatoday.com/story/news/2019/07/26/fbi-informant-talks-his-role-cracking-palm-bay-corruption-case/1616077001/
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Report: Moonlighting ex-Collier official lobbied for county vendor in 'apparent' conflict of interest
July 17, 2023
Sean
Callahan was quietly fired in January of 2022 after county staff
discovered he was secretly working as a lobbyist for a powerful
Washington D.C. lobbying firm — a moonlighting job that violated county
policies, ethical guidelines, and anti-fraud measures.
Now a new
report by the county’s Office of the Inspector General reveals that one
of Callahan's undisclosed lobbyist clients, Jacobs Solutions, is a
long-time vendor for Collier County.
The OIG report, which was
exclusively obtained by the Florida Center for Government Accountability
(FLCGA), found that Callahan was in “apparent” violation of the
county's conflict of interest policy when Jacobs Engineering and
CH2MHill, both subsidiaries of Jacob Solutions, became his clients.
Notably, these companies were appearing before the Board of Collier
County at the time with county purchase orders totaling $4.5 million.
https://news.wgcu.org/government-politics/2023-07-17/report-moonlighting-ex-collier-official-lobbied-for-county-vendor-in-apparent-conflict-of-interest
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Ethics, public corruption conference slated in Naples
2023
Forum of interest to attorneys, elected officials, journalists and the public
The motto of the City of Naples is “Ethics above all else.”
In
August 2020, voters in the City of Naples approved a referendum
establishing a Commission on Ethics and Governmental Integrity. This
independent commission is charged with, among other things, providing
ethics education and training for city employees, elected officials and
lobbyists and enforcing the city’s ethics code which includes “lobbyist
registration, reporting and regulation.” The code extends to elected
officials and employees and, in some instances, to third parties who
transact business with the city.
Ethics in government? Who could
possibly be against ethics in government? It may surprise you to learn
that the road leading to the creation of the Naples Commission on Ethics
and Governmental Integrity was a rocky one. Way back in 2016, a
then-City Council member voted on a proposed development in the city.
Subsequently,
it was discovered that this particular council person might have
engaged in a conflict of interest. Because there was no local agency to
enforce the then-existing ethics code in the city, a complaint was filed
in Tallahassee with the State Ethics Commission. (Ultimately, no
probable cause was found in the complaint). It was then that former City
Councilwoman Linda Penniman proposed the formation of a local
government ethics commission. The majority of the City Council at the
time rejected the idea.
A group of concerned citizens formed a
political action committee called Ethics Naples and began collecting
signatures to place a charter amendment on the ballot. The city fought
their efforts to get the referendum on the ballot. Who could be against
ethics in government? The city lost in court at the trial level,
appealed that decision and lost the appeal as well. By that time, it was
2020 and the composition of the Council had changed. Ray Christman, who
was a member of Ethics Naples, was elected to Council and the four
incumbents who opposed the ethics commission were swept out of office.
This led to the August referendum where 62% of the citizens of Naples voted to approve the creation of the ethics commission.
In November 2020, the first five volunteer members of the commission were appointed...
https://www.news-press.com/story/opinion/2023/03/12/ethics-public-corruption-conference-slated-in-naples/69987379007/
______________
Florida’s Path to Ethics Reform
2020
https://www.integrityflorida.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/Floridas-Path-to-Ethics-Reform-final.pdf
______________
Naples leaders reject Collier ethics commission
2017
Naples
leaders rejected a proposal Tuesday for an independent ethics watchdog
to oversee conduct from city and county government officials.
“I’d
say it’s dead in the water,” Collier County Commissioner Penny Taylor
said about her suggested countywide commission on ethics.
https://www.naplesnews.com/story/news/local/2017/03/07/naples-council-rejects-ethics-collier-county-commission/98851246/
______________
Naples ethics commission to self-start investigations based on informal complaints
2021
https://www.naplesnews.com/story/news/government/2021/07/12/naples-ethics-commission-votes-self-start-investigations/7617285002/
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Naples officials: PAC declined way to resolve dispute over ethics panel
2018
A
referendum aiming to establish a Naples ethics commission will not
appear on the August ballot due to a legal battle between the city and
the PAC behind the referendum, but court documents show city officials
offered to expedite the process in May and the PAC declined.
The
city's dispute with the PAC, called Ethics Naples, could cost taxpayers
$40,000 if a special election is called for the referendum, a county
official said.
“We've been bending over backwards to try to
expedite the process,” Assistant City Manager Roger Reinke said. "Ethics
Naples has refused the city's offer to mutually expedite the hearing on
the matter."
In fact, Ethics Naples leaders "have done
everything they can to avoid having the courts examine whether the
petition is legal before having it placed on the ballot,” City Attorney
Jim Fox wrote in a June 15 email to the City Council.
Councilors
voted May 2 to let a judge decide whether the referendum, which would
establish an ethics commission if approved, would appear before voters.
The
next day, Fox recommended both parties agree to waive discovery and
expedite the summary-judgment briefing, which would have put the case
before a judge by the end of the month.
However, Ethics Naples
did not agree and instead filed an emergency petition in the Florida 2nd
District Court of Appeal, which transferred the case back to the 20th
Judicial Circuit.
Ethics Naples then filed another emergency
petition with Collier Circuit Judge James Shenko, even though the city's
original case already was pending in front of Collier Circuit Judge
Hugh Hayes. When Shenko realized that, he dismissed the emergency
petition.
"This clear attempt to forum shop ... was frivolous
and merely delayed resolving the dispute," the city wrote in response
to the PAC's emergency motion.
"If Ethics Naples truly
believed that this dispute was an emergency, then it should have ...
agreed to the expedited litigation.
"Instead, Ethics Naples
has spent almost a month shopping for a judge other than Judge Hayes and
doing everything it can to delay and avoid the constitutional
question."
Ray Christman, executive director of Ethics Naples,
said the PAC thought the emergency petitions were the most appropriate
action, given the city's approach to the case.
"The core issue as
far as we're concerned is the ministerial duty of the council to put
the issue on the ballot," Christman said.
"Had their (request for
declaratory judgment) been focused on that issue and only that issue,
we would have responded quickly and it's possible it would have been
done in time for the August election," he said.
Instead, the city's complaint focuses on more than a dozen alleged flaws with the referendum's language.
Ethics Naples has described that as a "piecemeal attack," and the PAC filed a request Tuesday to dismiss the city's complaint.
"The
city took an 'everything but the kitchen sink' approach in their
filing, which we thought was simply trying to distract the court from
what the issue really is," Christman said. "Those are matters to be
dealt with after the referendum is on the ballot."
More:Naples Council votes to have judge decide legality of ethics referendum
More:Commentary: Let Naples residents vote on ethics reform
But
that wouldn't be fair to voters, Reinke said. He compared the situation
to someone trying to push a referendum to segregate the city's drinking
fountains.
“Just because they got enough petition signatures,
does that mean we should put it on the ballot, even though it’s patently
illegal? Of course not,” he said. “This is the same idea, and if the
voters pass an illegal law, they’ll have the expectation that it’ll
somehow become legal.”
Although the council has until June 29 to
submit the referendum question to the county to place it on the Aug. 28
primary election ballot, a judge won't hear the case in time to meet
that deadline.
That means that if a judge decides the referendum
is legal, the city would have to host a special election, costing
$35,000 to $40,000, according to Trish Robertson, a spokeswoman for the
Collier County supervisor of elections.
More:Proposal for Naples ethics panel draws enough signatures for ballot spot
More:PAC aims at August ballot for referendum on creating Naples ethics panel
According
to City Attorney Bob Pritt, one of the more questionable aspects of the
referendum is a requirement that any proposed amendment to the city's
ethics code by the ethics commission would become law unless five or
more City Council members vote against it.
The proposed
referendum states two of the five ethics commission members would be
appointed by the state attorney and the public defender for the 20th
Judicial Circuit, which includes Collier County. Pritt has said they
might have conflicts of interest if an ethics violation becomes a
criminal case.
Either party has the right to appeal the judge's
decision, Pritt said, so the case could end up back in the Florida 2nd
District Court of Appeal. It also could end up going before the Florida
Supreme Court or even the U.S. Supreme Court, although that's unlikely,
Pritt said.
Judge Hayes is scheduled to hear the case Aug. 21.
https://www.naplesnews.com/story/news/government/2018/06/21/ethics-naples-pac-declined-expedite-ethics-referendum-naples/709720002/
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Judge won't look at Naples ethics panel question in time for ballot spot
2018
https://www.naplesnews.com/story/news/government/2018/06/15/naples-ethics-referendum-not-august-ballot/693868002/
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Ethics PAC fights back against Naples Council to get referendum on August ballot
2018
https://www.naplesnews.com/story/news/government/2018/05/18/ethics-pac-fights-naples-city-council-get-referendum-august-ballot/622440002/
______________
Commentary: Let Naples residents vote on ethics reform
2018
https://www.naplesnews.com/story/opinion/2018/05/13/naples-city-council-lawsuit-ethics-reform-petition-voters-ballot/599232002/
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Corrosive” Florida Senate bill will hide public corruption rather than expose it, ethics expert says
February 2, 2024
https://news.wgcu.org/government-politics/2024-02-02/corrosive-florida-senate-bill-will-hide-public-corruption-rather-than-expose-it-ethics-expert-says
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Florida ethics overhaul will leave corruption unchecked, watchdog groups warn
3-19-2024
https://www.orlandosentinel.com/2024/03/19/florida-ethics-overhaul-will-leave-corruption-unchecked-watchdog-groups-warn/
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Florida Senate bill restricts ethics probes, opening the door to more public corruption
Feb 7, 2024
Bill
moving through the Florida Legislature removes the reins on corruption
and fraud. Reliable public information, including news media
investigations, would now fall in the category of "hearsay."
https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/politics/florida-senate-bill-restricts-ethics-probes-opening-the-door-to-more-public-corruption/ar-BB1hWcf6
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Collier growth had seamy side
2001
https://www.tampabay.com/archive/2001/11/04/collier-growth-had-seamy-side/
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Collier County employee resigns amid fraud investigation
June 19, 2015
COLLIER
COUNTY, Fla.- WINK News has learned the Florida Department of Law
Enforcement is investigating allegations of fraud in Collier County
Government.
New documents show supervisor, JR Gorentz admits to
county leaders he modified back up documentation for the invoices. This
has to do with a job involving the company, BQ Concrete...
https://winknews.com/2015/06/19/collier-county-employee-resigns-amid-fraud-investigation/
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Naples Vice Mayor Mike McCabe set to resign over new Florida financial disclosure rules
2023
https://www.naplesnews.com/story/news/local/2023/12/20/naples-vice-mayor-resigning-after-new-state-financial-disclosure-rules/71987002007/
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What is Form 6? Here's why so many elected city officials are abruptly resigning across Florida
2023
You
might be excused for wondering if a strange disease that only affects
local government officials is suddenly sweeping across the state.
Most of the North Palm Beach Village Council have resigned, including
the mayor, and Eagle Lake barely avoided losing a quorum.
The Naples vice mayor announced his resignation on Dec. 31.
Dunnellon’s mayor and a council member stepped down.
Four out of the five St. Pete Beach city council members resigned.
The mayors in Cedar Key and Williston announced their departures.
At least eight elected officials in Pinellas County have left office or plan to, according to the Tampa Bay Times.
Two Daytona Beach Shores city commissioners bailed, as have one in Fort
Myers Beach. one in Jacksonville Beach, one in Bradenton Beach and two
in Bartow.
Four of the five McIntosh Town Council members, two
city council members in Orange City, one in Sanibel and a town
commissioner in Longboat Key are gone.
The Town of Reddick lost the entire town council and the mayor.
Why are so many small-town elected officials across Florida abruptly resigning?
Among
the other new laws that took effect on Jan. 1, they had to reveal their
finances in detail for the first time. A change to the Ethics
Commission laws requires city and municipal elected officials to fill
out something called Form 6, the same disclosure form that state and
county elected officials have had to fill out for years. So would new
candidates for office, which could frighten some people away from
representing their communities.
https://www.naplesnews.com/story/news/politics/2023/12/21/florida-elected-mayors-council-members-resigning-before-form-6-financial-disclosures/71982196007/
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We’re #1 {In Public Corruption}
June 21, 2012
https://naples.floridaweekly.com/articles/were-1-in-public-corruption/
NUMBER ONE.
In sports, it’s usually cause for celebration. In sales, in earnings, in awards or accolades, ditto.
But
in public corruption, the number-one ranking serves both as cause for
despair and as a wake-up call to people who elect or appoint public
servants. Their question should become, “Why, and how can we fix it?”
Now
Florida, once the pioneer and preeminent champion of open government,
has taken the number-one ranking for government corruption in the United
States, ahead of California, Texas and New York, each of which contains
a larger population.
Florida’s middle district, which includes
Collier, Lee and Charlotte counties and stretches from south of Naples
northward to the Georgia line, has played a significant role in spawning
government corruption. Here, Florida Weekly offers a glimpse of that
history in Southwest Florida, and the men and women who shaped it,
dating back about three decades.
Ironically, that’s roughly the
lifespan of the Sunshine State’s pioneering openrecords laws — laws
making public the actions of elected and appointed government officials.
“It’s
been (45 years) since Florida put in place government in the sunshine,
and we once held the leading position in the country and maybe the world
for giving the public the tools to hold government accountable,” says
Dan Krassner, executive director of the nonprofit watchdog group
Integrity Florida. “But that’s changed. Since that law was enacted, the
legislature has weakened it with more than 1,000 exemptions, which shows
Florida is moving in the wrong direction.”
Convictions of corrupt public officials show the same thing, perhaps.
Using
numbers from a U.S. Department of Justice report detailing a decade of
wrongdoing from 2001 to 2010, mostly in local government, Integrity
Florida reported that federal prosecutors convicted 781 men and women
for corruption and fraud, most of them working in local government.
In the Middle District, according to the report, there were 220 federal convictions alone.
That’s
not all. The Florida Commission on Ethics, a relatively toothless arm
of state government that cannot undertake investigations of officials
unless complaints are filed formally first, and can only levy fines of
up to $10,000, has done business in the region as well, says Cary
Stillman, a spokeswoman.
In the last five years, 30 complaints of
ethics violations by government officials were filed in Lee, 13 in
Collier and six in Charlotte County. Of those, there were four total
violations and three probable cause rulings, in which the Ethics
Commission took no further action.
Neither officials for the U.S.
Attorney’s office in the middle district or the state’s Ethics
Commission were able to provide names and descriptions of the federal
convictions or ethics violations by press time. But a glimpse at the
past and the present suggests that even if history doesn’t repeat
itself, its patterns and the tendencies of men and women who create it
anew, do.
Among other things, the numbers of convictions and
violations likely demonstrate that the more things change, the more they
remain the same.
Which is why history may prove the best teacher.
When corruption meant death, drugs
Within
the lifetimes of the oldest men and women who live in the region,
corruption could mean blood and an early 20th century version of
slavery, not just financial misbehavior. Across the South, including in
Southwest Florida, conscript labor camps created a widely accepted form
of official corruption unequaled since.
In an era before
open-government laws, black males and some poor whites were regularly
arrested on trumped up charges and used as conscript labor in turpentine
camps — lumber camps where pines were cut and processed for turpentine.
They led brutal lives, too frequently dying in the camps and being
buried in nameless graves from El Jobean to Babcock Ranch in Charlotte
County, and points south, historians report.
The perpetrators were never charged with any crimes, and authorities were well paid to provide the conscripts.
Almost everything official was done differently in those days.
Travelers
found dead along roads or trails, for example, were sometimes simply
disposed of in unmarked roadside holes, a solution that required no
inquests, no paperwork, and almost no trouble or public expense.
“It
was a fairly common custom,” recalled Vernon Peeples, the Charlotte
County historian and former state legislator, in a conversation with
Florida Weekly last year.
“If somebody was found dead, they’d
have a coroner’s jury, and men from the coroner’s jury would go out and
find the body and ask themselves if anybody recognized it. If no one
recognized the body, it was buried on the spot by the side of the road.”
For
decades, officials also used the poll tax to control votes, effectively
preventing many blacks and some poor whites who couldn’t afford to pay
it from entering the voting booth.
But Bartow native and United
States Sen. Spessard L. Holland brought that corrupt exercise to a halt
by sponsoring the 24th Amendment to the Constitution in 1964, which
prohibited the poll tax. By 1966 it had become law in all 50 states.
As
Florida grew and the population of the region began to swell beginning
in the 1960s, people began to pay more attention to official corruption.
Still,
it wasn’t always white-collar crime. During the famous drug busts in
Everglades City in 1983, for example, about 80 percent of the town’s
male population found itself behind bars for helping transport “square
grouper” — bales of marijuana. Nobody, including local officials, seemed
to care that since the 1970s many residents had been illegally taking
in hundreds of thousands or even millions of dollars in drug money until
the arrests, which were part of President Ronald Reagan’s war on drugs.
Then everything changed except white-collar corruption in local government.
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Florida most corrupt? Not necessarily so, study says
6/17/2012
https://archive.naplesnews.com/news/state/florida-most-corrupt-not-necessarily-so-study-says-ep-388651567-342496342.html
Known
more for its sunny beaches and magical theme parks, Florida is getting
attention this month for a less flattering reason: corruption.
Florida
leads the nation in federal corruption convictions, according to a
report released in early June by the non-profit watchdog group Integrity
Florida.
From 2000 to 2010, Florida had 781 such convictions,
which include violations like misuse of public money, vote buying and
conflict of interest crimes. But that number, which comes from
Department of Justice data analyzed by Integrity Florida, doesn't tell
the full story, some say.
When considering population, Florida
ranked 19th in the country for corruption convictions, according to a
University of Illinois in Chicago study released this year that crunched
data from 1976 to 2010. And some say the high number of convictions
could be the result of the state's Sunshine Law — one of the most
expansive open records laws in the nation — or prosecutors who are
aggressive in ethics violation cases.
The University of Illinois
study found Florida had 0.94 public corruption convictions per 10,000
population between 1976 and 2010, good for 19th in the country. The
District of Columbia led the nation with 16.70 convictions per 10,000
population, followed by Louisiana with 2.00 and Mississippi with 1.89.
Jim
Nowlan, who co-authored the University of Illinois study, said there
are limitations to any data set measuring corruption. For instance, his
data accounts for factors like population and growth, but can't measure
qualitative factors like the amount of resources the U.S. Attorney's
Office had in pursuing the corruption cases.
"In one period of
time, the U.S. Attorney for several districts in Florida might be very
aggressive, or non-aggressive, for public corruption convictions,"
Nowlan said. "What I'm getting at is, you don't want to read too much
into this or parse it too finely. ... None of it is perfect."
Sen.
Garrett Richter, R-Naples, said Florida's large population — it's the
country's fourth most populous state — means it often is at the top of
national statistics. And the state's open records laws could help expose
corruption, thereby bumping up the ranking, he said.
"Florida's
Sunshine Laws are leading the nation for transparency and public
access," Richter said. "For example, I don't know of any other state
that has a program like Sunburst where any citizen can read every email
from their governor and his top staff."
Although public
corruption cases typically are expensive and time-intensive, they remain
"paramount as one of the priorities in a democratic society," said
Robert O'Neill, U.S. Attorney for the Middle District of Florida.
"Prosecutors
here tend to be pretty vigilant," he said. "Law enforcement tends to
work these types of cases, and I think the courts are tough on them when
they're brought before them."
Dan Krassner, an author of
Integrity Florida's analysis, said his organization accepts those
factors as possible explanations for Florida's high ranking but he
remains concerned about the gross number of convictions.
Imagine
if Florida led the country in murder convictions, he said. Although that
could indicate good sleuthing by law enforcement, "that would still be a
problem for our state's reputation, and an issue policy makers would
want to address."
The Middle District of Florida, which includes
Collier and Lee counties, had 248 federal corruption convictions in the
11-year period analyzed by Integrity Florida. But getting numbers
specific to Southwest Florida is difficult, in part because the Middle
District includes large cities like Jacksonville, Orlando and Tampa.
The
most notable corruption scandal in recent Collier County history was
the Stadium Naples case, in which 10 local public officials and
businessmen were found guilty of swapping bribes to help get a proposed
$100 million golf stadium built in the late 1990s and early 2000s.
Since
then, Collier amended its ethics code, which now requires officials to
report all gifts, even though Florida law doesn't require disclosures
for gifts less than $100. Collier County Judge Mike Carr, who helped
draft the changes as a state ethics committeeman, said he believes
corruption is cyclical and is far less rampant today than it has been
historically.
"Ten years ago, Collier County was at the sipping
cup of corruption; now, I think it's as honest as any place on earth,"
he said.
Around the same as the Stadium Naples scandal came to
light, a two-year internal investigation by the Collier County Sheriff's
Office found two deputies in the Immokalee district were abusing their
badge. Jim Sanders pleaded guilty in 2001 to taking money from gambling
tables at illegal Immokalee gaming houses in exchange for not making
arrests or shutting the gambling businesses down.
A federal judge
found his colleague, Glendell Edison, guilty of distributing $500,000
worth of cocaine and taking payouts from drug dealers in exchange for
protecting them from arrest. Edison later pleaded guilty to state
charges saying he once saw three children tied up behind a meat slicer
at an Immokalee store, but took more than $4,000 from the boys' parents
in exchange for not reporting the abuse.
The case built by
internal affairs investigators helped secure the indictments against the
men. Sheriff Kevin Rambosk said the role of the internal affairs bureau
remains important today.
"Any complaint, no matter the level or
severity, is intaken by the agency," he said. "We want people to know
that we are open to both compliments and complaints, and that we'll
follow it through to a resolution."
Carr, the Collier County
judge, said new countywide regulations have birthed a "different
climate" where officials are more aware of habits that could become
corrupt.
"There's a saying that 'All that is necessary for evil
to triumph is for good men to do nothing.' That saying is as true now as
it was then," Carr said. "Corruption doesn't say, 'I'm corruption, and
welcome me.' It sneaks up on you with good ol' boys,
we're-just-trying-to-be-nice, we're friends.
"If people know that you've got someone looking over your shoulder, it makes it easier to stay honest."
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Collier commissioners rush deeply flawed ordinance
2023
https://www.news-press.com/story/opinion/2023/04/23/collier-commissioners-rush-deeply-flawed-ordinance/70131637007/
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Neil Clark, lobbyist named in $60 million Ohio bribery probe, found dead in Florida
March 16, 2021
COLLIER COUNTY, Fla. — Editor's Note: The above video aired on February 22, 2021
A prominent Ohio lobbyist who had been charged in a federal corruption case has been found dead in Florida.
Authorities
in Collier County, Florida confirmed to 3News' Columbus sister station
10TV News Tuesday that they are investigating the death of prominent
Ohio lobbyist, Neil Clark.
https://www.wkyc.com/article/news/local/ohio/neil-clark-lobbyist-named-60-million-ohio-bribery-probe-found-dead-florida/95-58fc40d3-6e4d-4049-8ee5-2bc72629c31e
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Lighthouse Project - History: Stadium Naples was biggest public corruption scandal in local history
4/2/2012
https://archive.naplesnews.com/special/lighthouse/lighthouse-project---history-stadium-naples-was-biggest-public-corruption-scandal-in-local-history-e-342577612.html
ESPN
founder Bill Rasmussen unveiled plans for a first-of-its-kind golf
stadium in 1996, an ambitious, $100 million project to be located
northeast of the city of Naples. The facility, to include luxury
skyboxes and 12,000 seats surrounding the course's 18th hole, would be
called Stadium Naples. But the stadium was never built. Plans fell apart
under controversy and public outrage when a Naples Daily News
investigation revealed in 1997 that an elected official, then Collier
County Commissioner John Norris, had negotiated for a stake in Stadium
Naples estimated at $7.5 million before casting votes to benefit his
developer partners and the stadium.
The controversy would only
grow from there. Following the urging of residents and the local
Republican Party, then Gov. Jeb Bush ordered a detailed investigation
into the matter, as well as the assignment of a special prosecutor.
What
resulted was the largest corruption case in Collier's history, netting
charges against 10 people: four public officials, five business leaders
and an attorney. For more than six years, investigations into the
project, which was attempted a second time with now defunct Naples-based
brokerage company A.S. Goldmen & Co., continued.
The case
was sprawling and complicated. Eventually, the public would learn that
A.S. Goldmen & Co. had manipulated a number of small company stocks,
including Stadium Naples partner Millennium Sports Management, in what
state and federal securities regulators dubbed one of the nation's most
notorious boiler rooms. It would learn that David Mobley, the financier
whose Maricopa Investments backed Stadium Naples and The Strand, was
cheating investors of millions, pumping their money into his posh
lifestyle and failed businesses and charities.
'People were
closing their eyes; the whole society was rupturing with corruption,'
Mike Carr, a Collier County judge who was then a Republican state
committeeman and leading voice in calls for an outside investigation,
said of the time.
'Roads weren't being built. Developments that
shouldn't have been built were being built. Zoning decisions were not
based on merit but who was being paid off; taxes weren't being collected
on fancy golf clubs. The saying around here was, 'To get along, you go
along.' It was a cesspool.'
'We've been amazed at the
institutionalized corruption we've been seeing,' special prosecutor
Michael Von Zamft said in October 2001, when prosecutors unveiled
sweeping new corruption charges and the last five arrests.
Prosecutors
charged the 10 Stadium Naples co-defendants with conspiring to deprive
the citizens of Collier County of the honest services of public
officials by swapping financial incentives for votes and influence
favorable to their projects.
Although initially only Norris was
in the spotlight for wrongful dealings with developers, it was later
revealed that other county officials had also accepted gifts and favors
from them.
'Crooks are like cockroaches and the sunlight makes
them run,' Carr said. Once the first hints of corruption began coming
out, he said, the rest followed.
Then Commissioner Tim
Constantine, the public learned in 2000, received a discount on his
wedding reception at a country club and a $100,000 business loan from
the Stadium Naples developer. The loan wasn't repaid.
It learned
Neil Dorrill handed out pay raises to key county employees days before
leaving his job as county manager in 1997 to become president of the
first Stadium Naples development partnership.
Tim Hancock,
another county commissioner at the time, admitted to taking more than 40
free golf games from lobbyists while in office.
Several years
would pass before the case ended in January 2004 with the last remaining
defendant, Norris, striking a deal with prosecutors.
The defendants were dealt varying sentences, ranging from community service to house arrest and thousands of dollars in fines.
The
case led to changes at the state and local level. Ethics ordinances
were passed by both city and county government. And the Florida
Legislature amended state law, stiffening penalties for public
corruption.
Commissioner Fred Coyle, who was a city council
member when the city's ordinance was adopted, said the new rules help
sensitize elected officials to how the public perceives their
interaction with developers. The ordinances closed the loopholes and
prohibit officials from engaging in activities that could even be viewed
as unethical.
'We probably overreact in some cases,' Coyle said. 'We are probably overly cautious and that's not bad.'
Carr
said although 'there's more money here (and) you're going to get more
crooks gravitating toward money,' he believes the area's elected
officials to be honest and he is proud of that. The county, Carr said,
has to continue to maintain integrity and take the stance that
corruption is unacceptable.
'If we keep in mind what's happened before, we can make new mistakes,' he said. 'We don't have to make the old ones.'
______________
The History of the Florida Everglades Is a History of Crime and Mystery
2022
https://crimereads.com/the-history-of-the-florida-everglades-is-a-history-of-crime-and-mystery/
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Governor's call to investigate public corruption includes Lee, Collier counties
2009
The
government corruption probe Gov. Charlie Crist asked the Florida
Supreme Court for this week could pry into courthouses in Lee County and
Collier counties.
Southwest Florida is familiar with public
corruption. Investigations, indictments and prison terms have taken down
county commissioners in both counties, though it's believed recent
high-profile arrests in Broward and Palm Beach counties more likely
spurred the governor's request.
Stadium Naples was the largest
public corruption case in Collier history. It was rooted in ESPN founder
Bill Rasmussen's plans for a $100 million golf stadium in North Naples,
a scheme that involved three county commissioners, a former county
manager, three developers, a convicted hedge fund manager and a real
estate attorney.
https://archive.naplesnews.com/news/crime/governors-call-to-investigate-public-corruption-includes-lee-collier-counties-ep-396719078-343629412.html
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Ex-Collier commissioner gets probation
2003
https://www.heraldtribune.com/story/news/2003/06/22/ex-collier-commissioner-gets-probation/28754169007/
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Police chief among 160 people arrested in Florida sex sting
Polk County sheriff’s office say they dismantled a major human trafficking organisation
10 September 2022
https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/americas/crime/florida-sex-sting-human-trafficking-b2164395.html
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More than 150 people arrested in Florida sex sting, Georgia cop resigns
Among
those arrested in the sex sting were two Disney employees, a state
corrections officer, several teachers and a deputy police chief from
Georgia
September 10, 2022
https://www.foxnews.com/us/more-than-150-people-arrested-florida-sex-sting-georgia-cop-resigns
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3 Disney workers, school athletic director among 219 arrested in Florida human trafficking sting
Sep. 28, 2023
https://nypost.com/2023/09/28/disney-workers-among-200-arrested-in-fl-human-trafficking-sting/
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Disney Employees, Judge Among 108 Arrested in Fla. Sting Operation Aiming to Catch Traffickers, Predators
March 16, 2022
https://people.com/crime/disney-employees-judge-among-108-arrested-in-florida-sting-operation-aiming-to-catch-traffickers-predators/
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How Bohemian Grove changed Disney History
https://www.reddit.com/r/bohemiangrove/comments/rnuner/how_bohemian_grove_changed_disney_history/
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Massive human trafficking operation busted in Florida with more than 120 arrests
2024
Undercover
stings in Florida resulted in the arrest of more than 120 people -
including a teacher, nurse, basketball coach, and even a person employed
by a spiritual organization - as part of a sweeping operation targeting
human trafficking.
Fox13 reported the investigations were part
of Operation Renewed Hope, a 90-day human trafficking operation under
which 123 individuals were arrested, and 28 victims were saved.
In
a press conference aired on Fox13, Hillsborough County Sheriff Chad
Chronister said investigators targeted this crime through a
"multipronged approach" by conducting several undercover prostitution
stings and hotel/motel operations.
The sheriff added that
undercover investigators posed as minors available for sex via online
chats, as well as posing as guardians selling children for sex.
https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/crime/massive-human-trafficking-operation-busted-in-florida-with-more-than-120-arrests/ar-AA1mPbjY
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WATCH LIVE: Sheriff Grady Judd speaks about human-trafficking bust that netted 228 arrests
2024
Polk
County Sheriff Grady Judd is giving an update after hundreds of people
were arrested during a human trafficking investigation.
Officials said “Operations March Sadness 2024″ led to the arrest of 228 people, including 21 who are in the country illegally.
Deputies said the eight-day-long multi-agency undercover investigation was focused on human trafficking.
https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/us/watch-live-sheriff-grady-judd-speaks-about-human-trafficking-bust-that-netted-228-arrests/ar-BB1jmRjT
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Florida sting targeting child sex exploitation finds nearly 40% of arrestees in US illegally
August 2, 2023
Operation Cross County XIII was a nationwide operation and located 59 missing minors
https://www.foxnews.com/politics/florida-child-sex-trafficking-operation-finds-40-percent-arrestees-us-illegally
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Leader of Sex Trafficking Ring Sentenced to 60 Years in Federal Prison, Ordered to Pay Over $14 Million in Restitution
September 27, 2022
https://www.justice.gov/usao-sdfl/pr/leader-sex-trafficking-ring-sentenced-60-years-federal-prison-ordered-pay-over-14
______________
2 Alachua County men among 9 accused of paying for sex with girl
2019
https://www.gainesville.com/story/news/crime/2019/05/17/2-alachua-county-men-accused-of-paying-for-sex-with-girl/5131062007/
______________
What's Going On with Child Trafficking and Why Doesn't It Get News Coverage?
Oct 15, 2020
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KnFnyC3v0zU
______________
FBI charges Franklin County Sheriff's Office official in Florida child sexual abuse case
Jun 2, 2023
https://roanoke.com/news/local/crime-courts/fbi-charges-franklin-county-sheriffs-office-official-in-florida-child-sexual-abuse-case/article_9bb01d2c-01a1-11ee-8777-3356cf15bac1.html
______________
10/08
Rambosk's Deputy Forced ORAL SEX On YOUNG BOY in NAPLES MALL Restroom!
Collier Malls NOTSO Safe For KIDS! Deputy Goes Unpunished In CORRUPT
COLLIER COUNTY System
2014
https://aquakiki.wordpress.com/2014/10/08/new-1008-rambosks-deputy-forced-oral-sex-on-young-boy-in-naples-mall-restroom-collier-malls-notso-safe-for-kids-deputy-goes-unpunished-in-corrupt-collier-county-system/
______________
Charges filed after union corruption investigation at Port Tampa Bay
2018
https://www.wfla.com/8-on-your-side/charges-filed-after-union-corruption-investigation-at-port-tampa-bay/
______________
Court documents hint at ‘public corruption’ within city of Tampa
2023
The documents relate to the arrest of John Ring, aka Gio Fucarino, friend to many.
https://www.tampabay.com/news/tampa/2023/05/06/court-documents-hint-public-corruption-within-city-tampa/
______________
Tampa Indicts Six in Classic Waterfront Corruption Case
2021
https://maritime-executive.com/article/tampa-indicts-six-in-classic-waterfront-corruption-case
______________
North Florida U.S. attorney reports 19 corruption cases over past year
Sep. 16, 2020
https://www.wctv.tv/2020/09/16/north-florida-us-attorney-reports-19-corruption-cases-over-past-year/
______________
Northern Florida District Public Corruption Cases 2019 - 2020
https://www.scribd.com/document/476294986/Northern-Florida-District-Public-Corruption-Cases-2019-2020
______________
Public corruption dominates conversation among Miami commission candidates
2023
https://www.wlrn.org/government-politics/2023-10-04/miami-commission-election-corruption-candidates
______________
Miami-Dade advocates want legislators to pass laws going after corrupt associations
2023
https://www.local10.com/news/local/2023/03/03/miami-dade-state-attorney-wants-legislators-to-pass-laws-going-after-corrupt-associations/
______________
Federal Corruption Probe Leads To 29 Indicted In Panhandle
November 17, 2019
A
federal grand jury has indicted more than two dozen people in the
Panhandle accused of illegally pocketing drought assistance money.
The alleged co-conspirators listed in the indictment include:
• Jeremiah Joe Rolling, 43, of Westville, Florida; Investigator – Office of the State Public Defender
• Jordan Ryan Hicks, 36, of Ponce De Leon, Florida; Former Florida Department of Corrections Officer
• James Stacey Paul, 46, of Bonifay, Florida; Public Works - City of Bonifay, Florida
• Kyle Martin Hudson, 39, of Westville, Florida; Former Holmes County Clerk of Court
• Danyel Michelle Witt, 44, of Bonifay, Florida; Clerk – United States Postal Service
• Sheryl Day Gillman, 52, of Bonifay, Florida; Secretary - Florida Farm Bureau
• Shyloe Rose Sachse, 40, of Bonifay, Florida; Former Corrections Officer
• Tillman Douglas Mears, 30, of Bonifay, Florida; Public Works - City of Bonifay, Florida
• Dwayne Frazier White, 49, of Bonifay, Florida Former City of Bonifay Police Officer
https://news.wgcu.org/2019-11-17/federal-corruption-probe-leads-to-29-indicted-in-panhandle
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Ongoing corruption investigation in Bay County continues
Aug 5, 2021
https://www.mypanhandle.com/news/local-news/bay-county/ongoing-corruption-investigation-in-bay-county-continues/
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Florida's Worst Corruption Scandals, Ranked
10/28/2015
Nobody
does corruption quite like Florida. Sure, places like Illinois and
Detroit have had high-profile cases, but no state has public corruption
to quite the extent that we do (seriously, Integrity Florida found that
between 1976-2012 over 1,760 public officials in this state had been
convicted of corruption), so narrowing it down to a top 12 is almost
impossible. Almost. From a US attorney biting a stripper to dead people
casting votes, here are the dozen weirdest, most egregious, and just
flat-out only-in-Florida political scandals in our history.
5. Operation Court Broom
Ah,
the 1980s in Miami. A time when a judge could sell his decisions,
freebase cocaine, and dime out drug informants to cartels for a measly
50 grand. Or at least they could before Operation Court Broom. That’s
the name of an FBI sting of Dade County judges, where fake cases were
created and Manuel Noriega’s lawyer wore a wire to catch five judges,
who took up to $50,000 to fix cases. Two of the most upstanding among
them: Harvey Shenberg, who gave up the name of a confidential drug
informant to a cartel for $50,000. And Phillip Davis, who when federal
agents raided his home looking for marked cash used in the bribery
sting, found Amanda Bynes-levels of cocaine along with all the tools
used for freebasing.
2. Miami River Cops
The 1980s were
not exactly a glorious time for the Miami Police Department, and
bottomed out with the Miami River Cops. In summer 1985, a boat full of
$12 million worth of cocaine docked on the Miami River, and somewhere
along the line the offload went bad. A nearby night watchman called the
police claiming gunfire during a “police raid," but somehow the raid
mysteriously had no police report. Nor were the 400 kilos of cocaine on
the boat ever heard from again. Though they may have been floating in
the Miami River next to the three dead bodies that resulted from the
“raid.” The missing drugs prompted an investigation that unearthed a
network of crooked Little Havana cops who shook down drug dealers, stole
their money and drugs, and profited from it all. In the end, 24 cops
were convicted and 17 went to prison as a result of the investigation.
1. Miami mayoral recall
Why
the world was even slightly surprised South Florida botched the 2000
presidential election is a mystery to anyone who was here in 1997. That
was the year that, despite capturing nearly half the vote in the general
election, Joe Carollo lost the mayoral runoff to Xavier Suarez. The big
difference during the runoff? Some very important voting blocs turned
out to pull the lever for Suarez, including the dead, convicted felons,
non-residents of Miami, and homeless people Suarez staffers paid $10
apiece. Also credited for his win: a flood of absentee ballots coming in
from City Commission District 3 represented by... Humberto Hernandez,
who at the time was on suspension pending federal indictment. While the
FDLE investigated and Suarez encouraged Miamians to keep their mouths
shut, a federal trial began in February, and a month later the election
was declared invalid. Joe Carollo ultimately took over as mayor, several
Suarez staffers were indicted, and Humberto Hernandez still went to
prison.
https://www.thrillist.com/lifestyle/miami/floridas-worst-corruption-scandals-including-xavier-suarez-hialeah-mayor-and-bob-allen
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‘Totes Legit’ tipster found 282 possible voter fraud cases in Florida; few prosecuted outside The Villages
2022
News 6 investigates how Florida officials handled double voting cases uncovered by a prolific tipster
https://www.clickorlando.com/news/politics/2022/09/06/totes-legit-tipster-alerted-florida-to-282-possible-voter-fraud-cases-few-have-been-prosecuted/
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Collier County tests voting machines amid widespread concerns of election fraud
2022
https://news.wgcu.org/news/2022-01-21/collier-county-tests-voting-machines-amid-widespread-concerns-of-election-fraud
______________
Collier voters concerned mysterious WiFi connection granted access to county election machines
Nov 10, 2022
https://www.wguf989.com/2022/11/10/collier-voters-concerned-mysterious-wifi-connection-granted-access-to-county-election-machines/
______________
Collier County voters seek answers to mysterious text about mail ballots
Feb 14, 2024
https://www.nbc-2.com/article/collier-county-voters-seek-answers-to-mysterious-text-about-mail-ballots/46792435
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Florida's election police investigating alleged election crime in Collier County
Feb 22, 2024
COLLIER COUNTY, Fla. —
NBC2 has confirmed that Florida's election police are investigating whether an election crime was committed in Collier County.
The
investigation comes after Collier County voters last week reported
receiving misleading text messages claiming they requested a mail ballot
when in fact they did not.
The matter has now caught the
attention of Tallahassee. All of this is happening right in the middle
of the presidential preference primary as voters are going out and
already casting a vote. Collier County Supervisor of Elections Melissa
Blazier reports she has turned all of the information she gathered over
to the governor's election police.
Shortly after the misleading texts went out, Blazier posted on social media that the political PAC Win America was behind it.
The
text made it seem like it came from Naples candidate for Mayor Gary
Price, who said DC politics was showing its ugly face in Naples.
“Quite frankly this seems like election fraud,” Blazier told NBC2.
Today she confirmed she's asked the Office of Election Crimes and Security to investigate.
“I
ended up packaging up the information and I spoke with the Office of
Election Crimes and Security in Tallahassee who advised 'Yes, they would
like to investigate,'" Blazier said.
She said the Win America PAC continues sending out misleading text messages about the Price campaign.
She’s
concerned that if a local municipal race is creating this much
controversy, a national presidential race could become even more
contentious.
“I think that's why in the end I decided we should
get involved because yes if you look at what is happening now in small
municipal election I can only imagine what's going to happen in
November,” Blazier said.
Price said the state’s election police have not contacted him but that he would cooperate if they reach out to him.
“I
think voters have lost a lot of confidence and that is one of the
things I think we need to preserve is that people feel comfortable with
their election regardless of the outcome,” Price said.
https://www.nbc-2.com/article/floridas-election-police-investigating-alleged-election-crime-in-collier-county/46913330
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Collier County commissioner Hall caught in election deception -- cites Bible verse as defense
August 10, 2023
https://news.wgcu.org/government-politics/2023-08-10/collier-county-commissioner-hall-caught-in-election-deception-cites-bible-verse-as-defense
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Florida's effort to charge 20 people with voter fraud has hit some roadblocks
December 21, 2022
https://www.npr.org/2022/12/21/1144265521/florida-voter-fraud-cases-prosecution-update
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What Is Florida's 'Big Corruption Scandal'? Trump Tweets About 'Election Fraud' as Governor Rick Scott Files Suit
Nov 09, 2018
https://www.newsweek.com/what-floridas-big-corruption-scandal-trump-tweets-about-election-fraud-1208407
______________
2000 United States presidential election recount in Florida
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2000_United_States_presidential_election_recount_in_Florida
______________
Global Voter Fraud Investigated - (Author: Michael James Ross)
December 10th, 2016
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Florida Passes Sweeping Bill to Keep Young People Off Social Media
February 23rd, 2024
https://www.allsides.com/news/2024-02-23-1650/business-florida-passes-sweeping-bill-keep-young-people-social-media
______________
Former Hillsborough school official files lawsuit alleging high-level corruption
2017
https://www.tampabay.com/news/education/k12/Former-Hillsborough-school-official-files-lawsuit-alleging-high-level-corruption_161814026/
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Corruption in Florida Public Schools: A Perverse Disparity of Justice
2014
https://drrichswier.com/2014/04/20/corruption-in-florida-public-schools-a-perverse-disparity-of-justice/
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Deputies
today arrested a former Collier County Public Schools employee after a
CCSO investigation found she stole thousands of dollars from an
elementary school.
Apr 14, 2023
https://twitter.com/CollierSheriff/status/1646975378202738690
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Congresswoman Corrine Brown And Chief Of Staff Charged With Fraud Scheme Involving Bogus Non-Profit Scholarship Entity
July 8, 2016
Jacksonville,
FL – Congresswoman Corrine Brown and her chief of staff were indicted
today for their roles in a conspiracy and fraud scheme involving a
fraudulent education charity.
https://www.justice.gov/usao-mdfl/pr/congresswoman-corrine-brown-and-chief-staff-charged-fraud-scheme-involving-bogus-non
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Ethics complaint against Collier superintendent involves Mercedes and $18,000. How did it end?
2023
In
May, a Naples citizen filed an ethics complaint against Collier County
Public Schools Superintendent Leslie Ricciardelli. The complaint claimed
Ricciardelli violated Florida law by not declaring part of her personal
finances. A hearing took place on Oct. 20.
https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/us/ethics-complaint-against-collier-superintendent-involves-mercedes-and-18-000-how-did-it-end/ar-AA1iLSu8
______________
Detective testifies about evidence against Miami-Dade school board member’s son accused of shooting cop
September 13, 2023
Detective: Evidence includes videos, phone records, and a police officer who recognized the suspect
https://www.local10.com/news/local/2023/09/13/hearing-to-be-held-for-man-accused-of-shooting-miami-dade-detective/
______________
NBC Airs Two-Part Series on Corrupt Family Courts Putting Kids in Danger
May 14, 2021
https://pjmedia.com/megan-fox/2021/05/14/nbc-airs-two-part-series-on-family-court-corruption-that-puts-kids-in-danger-n1447007
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Separating Fact from Fiction on Florida’s Defamation Bills
February 27, 2024
https://www.nationalreview.com/2024/02/separating-fact-from-fiction-on-floridas-defamation-bills/
______________
Ron
DeSantis Embodies the Republican Surrender to Antisemitism Once again,
the “mainstream” Republican refuses to condemn Jew hatred.
Nov 2023
https://nymag.com/intelligencer/2023/11/ron-desantis-elon-musk-antisemitism-white-nationalism-trump.html
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A Florida bill attacking ‘critical theory’ in higher education has the state’s Jewish academics worried
March 22, 2023
https://www.jta.org/2023/03/22/united-states/a-florida-bill-attacking-critical-theory-in-higher-education-has-the-states-jewish-academics-worried
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Florida budget framework increases Jewish day school security funding 25%
February 8, 2023
Gov. Ron DeSantis has long been a ‘steadfast friend of the Jewish people’ and Israel defender, a spokesman told JNS.
https://www.jns.org/florida-budget-framework-increases-jewish-day-school-security-funding-25/
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DeSantis approves $25M for Florida Jewish day school security
January 30, 2024
https://floridapolitics.com/archives/656115-desantis-approves-25m-for-florida-jewish-day-school-security/
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$45M Appropriated By Legislature To Protect Jewish Institutions In FL
2023
https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/us/dollar45m-appropriated-by-legislature-to-protect-jewish-institutions-in-fl/ar-AA1jCltD
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Florida Jewish leaders push local officials for approval to build Holocaust museum: 'This is your legacy'
January 27, 2024
Advocates demand answers, stress need to educate young people about antisemitism after Oct. 7 terror
https://www.foxnews.com/media/florida-jewish-leaders-push-local-officials-approval-build-holocaust-museum-legacy
______________
State, Cities Fight Back Against Growing Antisemitism In Florida
May 11, 2023
Florida now ranks fourth in the country for incidences of antisemitism, with 269 incidents in 2022.
https://patch.com/florida/southtampa/state-cities-fight-back-against-growing-antisemitism-florida
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Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis signs legislation against antisemitism into law
JUNE 4, 2019
The
legislation defines as antisemitism calls for violence against Jews,
advancing conspiracy theories about Jewish control and Holocaust denial.
https://www.jpost.com/American-Politics/Florida-Gov-Ron-DeSantis-signs-legislation-against-antisemitism-into-law-591517
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Florida rejects Holocaust education textbooks in clampdown on ‘woke’ instruction
May 11, 2023
https://www.jta.org/2023/05/11/united-states/florida-rejects-holocaust-education-textbooks-in-clampdown-on-woke-instruction
______________
David Irving jailed for Holocaust denial
20 Feb 2006
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2006/feb/20/austria.thefarright
______________
British historian sentenced to 3 years for denying Holocaust
Feb 20, 2006
https://www.cbc.ca/news/world/british-historian-sentenced-to-3-years-for-denying-holocaust-1.601100
______________
Holocaust Deniers Sent to Prison
July 01, 2007
https://www.splcenter.org/fighting-hate/intelligence-report/2007/holocaust-deniers-sent-prison
______________
Holocaust Investigation Marathon 1 - Michael Ross speaks
2019
https://archive.org/details/HolocaustInvestigationMarathon1
______________
Antisemitism in the Soviet Union
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Antisemitism_in_the_Soviet_Union
______________
Category: Jewish communists
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Category:Jewish_communists
______________
Jewish Bolshevism
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jewish_Bolshevism
Jewish
Bolshevism, also Judeo–Bolshevism, is an antisemitic conspiracy theory
that claims that the Russian Revolution of 1917 was a Jewish plot and
that Jews controlled the Soviet Union and international communist
movements, often in furtherance of a plan to destroy Western
civilization. It was one of the main Nazi beliefs that served as an
ideological justification for the German invasion of the Soviet Union
and the Holocaust.
After the Russian Revolution, the
antisemitic canard was the title of the pamphlet The Jewish Bolshevism,
which featured in the racist propaganda of the anti-communist White
movement forces during the Russian Civil War (1918–1922). During the
1930s, the Nazi Party in Germany and the German American Bund in the
United States propagated the antisemitic theory to their followers,
sympathisers, and fellow travellers.
______________
DeSantis invites Jewish students fearing antisemitism to Florida universities
1-09-2024
The governor proposes waiving application deadlines and credit requirements and an emergency order is issued.
https://www.tampabay.com/news/education/2024/01/09/desantis-invites-jewish-students-florida-universities/
______________
Antisemitism in Florida
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Antisemitism_in_Florida
______________
Major Jewish population centers worldwide saw hate crimes skyrocket in 2021
May 6, 2022
https://www.heritagefl.com/story/2022/05/06/news/major-jewish-population-centers-worldwide-saw-hate-crimes-skyrocket-in-2021/16597.html
______________
Florida Jewish leaders react to budget funding to combat antisemitism
Dec 5, 2023
https://www.wpbf.com/article/florida-jewish-leaders-budget-funding-antisemitism/46045117
______________
Antisemitism rises among Hispanic Miami’s right wing
April 27, 2021
https://forward.com/news/468551/antisemitism-rises-among-hispanic-miamis-right-wing/
______________
Miami Is America's Second Most Jewish City, in Case You Needed Proof
December 2, 2010
https://www.miaminewtimes.com/news/miami-is-americas-second-most-jewish-city-in-case-you-needed-proof-6539777
______________
JEWISH POPULATION GROWING STUDY FINDS 38% RISE IN PAST SEVEN YEARS
1987
https://www.sun-sentinel.com/1987/10/08/jewish-population-growing-study-finds-38-rise-in-past-seven-years/
______________
The Florida-Israel connection: How the state cultivates its Jewish ties
Oct. 20, 2023
With booming trade and staunch political support, Gov. Ron DeSantis calls Florida “the most pro-Israel state.”
https://www.tampabay.com/news/2023/10/20/florida-israel-connection-how-state-cultivates-its-jewish-ties/
______________
This map shows the 20 congressional districts with the most Jews
September 10, 2020
https://www.jta.org/2020/09/10/united-states/this-map-shows-the-20-congressional-districts-with-the-most-jews
______________
History of the Jews in South Florida
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/History_of_the_Jews_in_South_Florida
______________
Florida: It’s not just for old Jews anymore
By Uriel Heilman February 11, 2014
https://www.jta.org/2014/02/11/united-states/florida-its-not-just-for-old-jews-anymore
______________
From 'highly offensive' to 'he's not wrong,' GOP senators respond to Trump's remarks about Jewish voters
March 19, 2024
Trump
invoked a dual loyalty trope this week when he said that "any Jewish
person that votes for Democrats hates their religion" and "hates"
Israel.
https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/congress/senate-republicans-respond-trumps-remarks-jewish-voters-rcna144181
______________
For Biden, Jewish voter turnout is key in Florida as race with Trump tightens
October 23, 2020
https://www.mcclatchydc.com/news/politics-government/election/article246648813.html
______________
A Florida Dem engaging with Cuba is a ‘communist,’ but a Republican doing same becomes Speaker | Opinion
September 19, 2023
https://news.yahoo.com/florida-dem-engaging-cuba-communist-195329020.html
______________
History of the Jews in Cuba
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/History_of_the_Jews_in_Cuba
Jewish
Cubans, Cuban Jews, or Cubans of Jewish heritage, have lived in the
nation of Cuba for centuries. Some Cubans trace Jewish ancestry to
Marranos (forced converts to Christianity) who came as colonists, though
few of these practice Judaism today. The majority of Cuban Jews are
descended from European Jews who immigrated in the early 20th century.
More than 24,000 Jews lived in Cuba in 1924, and still more immigrated
to the country in the 1930s. Following the 1959 communist revolution,
94% of the country's Jews emigrated, most of them to the United
States. In 2007 an estimated 1,500 known Jewish Cubans remained in
the country, overwhelmingly located in Havana. Several hundred have
since immigrated to Israel. Considered one of the most important Latin
American Jewish sites, Beth Shalom Temple is the epicenter for current
Jewish life in Cuba and still conducts weekly Shabbat services.
In
addition to the descendants of Cuban Jews living in the United States,
there is also a significant population which claims descent from
non-Cuban Jews and from Cuban gentiles.
______________
Fury as Miami reveal Africa themed police car for Black History Month
03 February 2023
The
mayor said the cruiser was a ‘beautiful collaboration’ between the
department and Black History Month, but others were not as receptive
https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/americas/miami-police-car-black-history-month-b2275551.html
______________
A Black History Month-themed police car in Miami draws criticism
February 4, 2023
https://www.npr.org/2023/02/04/1154266889/a-black-history-month-themed-police-car-in-miami-draws-criticism
______________
Collier County Sheriff’s Office claims undocumented felons are moving to the area
2021
https://www.nbc-2.com/article/collier-county-sheriffs-office-claims-undocumented-felons-are-moving-to-the-area/46739655
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4,100 immigrants in Lee & Collier counties have ICE court cases
2017
https://www.news-press.com/story/news/investigations/melanie-payne/2017/08/08/more-than-4-000-southwest-florida-immigrants-face-deportation/548823001/
______________
Profile of the Unauthorized Population: Collier County, FL
https://www.migrationpolicy.org/data/unauthorized-immigrant-population/county/12021
______________
Profile of the Unauthorized Population: Florida
Unauthorized Population: 772,000
https://www.migrationpolicy.org/data/unauthorized-immigrant-population/state/FL
______________
Florida's new immigration law creates 'panic' in agriculture community
May 12, 2023
Law could have wide-ranging impact on industries vital to state's economy
https://www.wptv.com/news/palm-beach-county/floridas-new-immigration-law-creates-panic-in-agriculture-community
______________
DeSantis signs bills that he says will keep immigrants living in the US illegally from Florida
March 15, 2024
https://wtop.com/national/2024/03/desantis-signs-bills-that-he-says-will-keep-immigrants-living-in-the-us-illegally-from-florida/
______________
Sales are way down at a Florida flea market. A new immigration law could be to blame.
AUGUST 2, 2023
https://www.npr.org/2023/08/02/1191297764/florida-immigration-law-desantis-economy-politics-civil-rights
______________
'Immigrants leaving Florida in fear': New immigration law sparks exodus of workers
Jun 30, 2023
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6dfDioh9UFY
______________
Race and crime in the United States
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Race_and_crime_in_the_United_States
Hispanics
According to a 2009 report by the Pew Hispanic Center, in 2007 Latinos "accounted for 40% of all sentenced federal offenders ‒ more than triple their share (13%) of the total U.S. adult population". This was an increase from 24% in 1991. Between 1991 and 2007, enforcement of federal immigration laws became a growing priority in response to undocumented immigration. By 2007, among Hispanic offenders sentenced in federal courts, 48% were immigration offenses, 37% drug offenses, and 15% for other offenses. One reason for the large increase in immigration offenses is that they exclusively fall under federal jurisdiction.
______________
Hispanics and Latinos in Florida
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hispanics_and_Latinos_in_Florida
_______________
Historic wave of Cuban migrants will have a lasting impact on Florida
Dec. 16, 2022
An exodus of over 220,000 Cubans have come through the U.S.-Mexico border in the last fiscal year. Over 6,000 more were interdicted at sea in 2021.
https://www.nbcnews.com/news/latino/historic-wave-cuban-migrants-florida-impact-lasting-rcna61989
_______________
Cuban migrants flow into Florida Keys, overwhelm officials
January 4, 2023
https://apnews.com/article/united-states-government-cuba-florida-875b5ffd18563c479543ed77fffe77dd
_______________
Cuban Migration to Florida at Its Highest Since Obama Administration
Jun 21, 2021
https://www.newsweek.com/cuban-migration-florida-its-highest-since-obama-administration-1602788
_______________
Communist regime in Cuba is not ‘accidentally’ authoritarian; it is ‘intentionally totalitarian’ | Opinion
July 27, 2023
https://news.yahoo.com/communist-regime-cuba-not-accidentally-163153712.html
_______________
The Cuban Missile Crisis at 50: America and Cuba Still Frozen in 1962
Oct. 17, 2012
Raúl Castro's decision this week to let Cubans travel freely outside their communist island is a reminder of the jaded cold-war policies Washington and Havana adopted after the 1962 U.S.-Soviet standoff
https://world.time.com/2012/10/17/the-cuban-missile-crisis-at-50-america-and-cuba-still-frozen-in-1962/
_______________
Cuban missile crisis
international incident [1962]
https://www.britannica.com/event/Cuban-missile-crisis
_______________
Kennedy and Cuba: Operation Mongoose
https://nsarchive.gwu.edu/briefing-book/cuba/2019-10-03/kennedy-cuba-operation-mongoose
_______________
White House says it will not tolerate Cuba's efforts to influence US elections
2023
https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/politics/white-house-says-it-will-not-tolerate-cuba-s-efforts-to-influence-us-elections/ar-AA1lOCjk
_______________
How Fidel Castro’s revolution remade South Florida
2016
https://www.latimes.com/nation/la-na-castro-florida-20161127-story.html
______________
Chinese Communism is Alive and Well in Our Government
March 26, 2024
https://www.citizensjournal.net/chinese-communism-is-alive-and-well-in-our-government/
______________
How Cubans Transformed Florida Politics and Gained National Influence
December 2014
https://academic.oup.com/florida-scholarship-online/book/19578/chapter-abstract/178313632?redirectedFrom=fulltext&login=false
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Florida bill that would require schools to teach history of communism spurs debate
Feb 2024
https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/us/florida-bill-that-would-require-schools-to-teach-history-of-communism-spurs-debate/ar-BB1iicMg
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Florida bill to teach kindergarteners about threats of communism gets Senate approval
Feb 21 2024
Bill sponsor Jay Collins, R-Tampa, and other supporters have warned that young people are increasingly viewing communism in a positive light
https://www.cltampa.com/news/florida-bill-to-teach-kindergarteners-about-threats-of-communism-gets-senate-approval-17304373
_______________
DeSantis Kicking China, Cuba and Others Out of Florida Universities
March 1, 2024
https://anticommunist.zone/desantis-kicking-china-cuba-and-others-out-of-florida-universities/
_______________
DeSantis' latest anti-communist campaign targets Florida schools linked to Chinese firms
2023
https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/politics/2023/09/25/desantis-suspends-school-funds-chinese-communist-party-allegations/70960346007/
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DeSantis bans ‘Chinese agents’, citizens of other ‘countries of concern’ from buying real estate in Florida
2023
https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/world/desantis-bans-chinese-agents-citizens-of-other-countries-of-concern-from-buying-real-estate-in-florida/ar-AA1aUOvb
_______________
Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis Blames COVID on Chinese Communist Party, Signs Bills Thwarting Chinese Influence in Schools
Jun 07, 2021
https://www.newsweek.com/florida-gov-ron-desantis-blames-covid-chinese-communist-party-signs-bills-thwarting-chinese-1598214
_______________
Governor Ron DeSantis Declares First Annual Victims of Communism Day
November 7, 2022
https://www.flgov.com/2022/11/07/governor-ron-desantis-declares-first-annual-victims-of-communism-day/
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The United States' concerns over China's activities in Cuba
June 21, 2023
https://www.npr.org/2023/06/21/1183578300/the-united-states-concerns-over-chinas-activities-in-cuba
_______________
Chinese spies in Cuba? The problem runs deeper than that.
June 16, 2023
https://news.harvard.edu/gazette/story/2023/06/chinese-spies-in-cuba-problem-runs-deeper-than-that/
_______________
China, Russia, Iran and Cuba all tried to meddle in 2022 US congressional elections, intelligence assessment finds
December 18, 2023
https://www.cnn.com/2023/12/18/politics/china-russia-iran-cuba-2022-midterm-election-meddling/index.html
_______________
Russian mob eclipses Italian Mafia in South Florida, FBI says
June 1, 2011
https://boulderweekly.com/news/russian-mob-eclipses-italian-mafia-in-south-florida-fbi-says/
______________
Russian mob influence growing in South Florida, FBI says
2011
https://www.palmbeachpost.com/story/news/2011/06/01/russian-mob-influence-growing-in/7325405007/
______________
Inside Florida's 'Little Moscow,' where Russian money flows thanks to 'rich daddies' snapping up real estate
Mar 6, 2022
https://www.businessinsider.com/florida-little-moscow-sunny-isles-miami-russian-money-real-estate-2022-3?op=1
______________
Florida's worst spies: Espionage comes to the Sunshine State
June 16, 2017
https://www.tampabay.com/news/publicsafety/floridas-worst-spies-espionage-comes-to-the-sunshine-state/2327447/
______________
Local officials will no longer be able to investigate police misconduct under proposal
January 5, 2024
MIAMI
- Civilians charged with investigating police misconduct could lose
that power under a bill proposed in the Florida Legislature. If passed,
the bill also bans municipalities from passing measures to handle
officer conduct.
The proposal has critics that include Ursula
Price, Director of the Miami-Dade Independent Civilian Panel, which
oversees investigations of the Miami-Dade Police Department.
https://www.cbsnews.com/miami/news/local-officials-will-no-longer-be-able-to-investigate-police-misconduct-under-proposal/
______________
Another record year for press-freedom violations in the US
January 12, 2022
https://www.cjr.org/analysis/2021-press-freedom-prior-restraint-arrests.php
_______________
A record number of journalists are in prison right now, according to press freedom report
December 16, 2021
https://www.cnn.com/2021/12/09/media/journalists-imprisoned-cpj-census/index.html
______________
{We accuse the Biden Administration of this illegal arrest of Michael Ross from PollutionScience.com, this was in order to silence journalist Michael Ross}.
______________
July 1st, 2020 - A Joe Biden Investigation 2020 - (7-1-2020) - (Joe Biden, Barack Obama & Beto O'Rourke) - (Author: Michael Ross)
https://bidenreport.blogspot.com
______________
Hollywood officers charged in FBI sting
2007
FORT
LAUDERDALE -- A two-year FBI sting operation into corruption in the
Hollywood Police Department has resulted in federal charges against four
veteran officers who allegedly protected what they thought were mob
shipments of drugs as well as stolen art, diamonds and watches.
https://www.heraldtribune.com/story/news/2007/02/24/hollywood-officers-charged-in-fbi-sting/28531010007/
______________
The Dirtiest Cops In America; Brevard County Sheriffs Take 1st Place
Brevard Counties Sheriffs Department... Police Corruption Is Not Just Accepted, It's Mandatory.
"Brevard County come on vacation, leave on probation..."
It's
sad to say that these are police stationed in our great nation, the
Brevard County Sheriffs Office is without a doubt a disgrace, not only
to every other American police department but also to the United States
of America entirely. Which is why I've decided to bring their
unjustified, unconstitutional behavior to light. So that the rest of the
country can be made aware of the mockery that they are making of
upholding the law. Here the Sheriff is a celebrity, criminal justice is a
game show, and even the pettiest of criminals are treated like they are
enemy forces of a rival country instead of the American citizens they
truly are. This county fuels its economy by ripping apart one family
after another and destroying the lives of countless individuals. Too
many lives to count in fact, all ruined by the most pathetic
interpretation of criminal justice modern America has ever had to
witness. It's time for this Sheriffs department to finally be held
accountable for their actions, so that, maybe one day, they'll no longer
be one of the most corrupt police departments in the country...
https://vocal.media/criminal/the-dirtiest-cops-in-america-brevard-county-sheriffs-take-1st-place
______________
Operation Florida: The Insanely Corrupt Police That Were Running the Drug Trade
May 20, 2022
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qzl2bR03Nhk
______________
Drug Related Police Corruption: The Miami Experience (From Police Misconduct: A Reader for the 21st Century
Annotation
In
the late 1980's, nearly 10 percent of the entire Miami Police
Department (Florida) was suspended or fired after a drug-related
scandal; this paper explores the events that led up to this corruption
scandal, and lessons are drawn for other police agencies.
https://www.ojp.gov/ncjrs/virtual-library/abstracts/drug-related-police-corruption-miami-experience-police-misconduct
______________
Ranking Miami-Dade's Most Corrupt Cities
2018
Opa-locka
Opa-locka
is so crooked its own residents tried to wipe it off the map. Last
August, a few local activists were so tired of fighting graft that they
actually started a petition to dissolve the town. "Once you're tapped
out, you're tapped out," said Willis Howard, one of the locals who
mounted the charge. "The city revenues are tapped out, there's no
leadership, and in this case, you can't even file bankruptcy to
restructure your assets, because there's nothing for you to
restructure."
https://www.miaminewtimes.com/news/miami-dades-most-corrupt-cities-ranked-10533469
______________
Undercover sting busts Miami cop shaking down suspects for money, drugs, feds say
November 17, 2023
MIAMI
– Federal agents arrested an officer with the Miami Police Department
after he was caught in a sting trying to extort suspects for cash and
drugs, officials with the U.S. Department of Justice said Friday.
https://www.local10.com/news/local/2023/11/17/undercover-sting-busts-miami-cop-shaking-down-suspects-for-money-drugs-feds-say/
______________
Culture of corruption in Biscayne Park Police way worse than I imagined
2019
https://www.miamiherald.com/news/local/crime/article226890009.html
______________
The Mess Left Behind by Dirty Cops
https://www.biscaynetimes.com/news/the-mess-left-behind-by-dirty-cops/
______________
Florida’s new database on cops with bad records has holes, reform advocates say
2022
The
new database doesn’t include citizen complaints, only goes back a
decade, and for an officer to make the list, he or she must have a
felony criminal conviction or have been found guilty of a moral
character violation.
https://www.tampabay.com/news/florida-politics/2022/07/28/florida-new-database-on-cops-with-bad-records-has-holes-reform-advocates-say/
______________
Florida police organization offers to hire cops who were fired or resigned over police misconduct
2020
https://www.cnn.com/2020/06/08/us/brevard-county-florida-police-union-misconduct-trnd/index.html
______________
Problem police officers don't just go away, studies find. They get hired somewhere else.
2021
https://www.naplesnews.com/story/news/crime/2021/04/28/florida-disciplined-police-decertification-use-of-force-rehired/4876622001/
______________
Florida gave thousands of tarnished officers a second chance. Hundreds blew it again.
2021
https://www.naplesnews.com/in-depth/news/crime/2020/12/29/hundreds-florida-officers-given-second-chance-blew-again/3764571001/
______________
‘Florida’s Worst Cop’ Was Just Fired for Misconduct—for the Seventh Time
2021
https://news.yahoo.com/florida-worst-cop-just-fired-171631570.html
______________
Former Miami Police Chief Art Acevedo sues city, claiming he was fired for being whistleblower
January 20, 2022
https://www.cnn.com/2022/01/20/us/art-acevedo-lawsuit-miami-whistleblower/index.html
______________
‘It never stops’: killings by US police reach record high in 2022
2023
https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2023/jan/06/us-police-killings-record-number-2022
______________
Shooting of Miami-Dade detective related to probe into corruption at jails, source says
March 13, 2023
https://www.local10.com/news/local/2023/03/13/shooting-of-miami-dade-detective-related-to-probe-into-corruption-at-jails-sourc-says/
______________
How Cops Who Use Force and Even Kill Can Hide Their Names From the Public
2020
https://www.propublica.org/article/how-cops-who-use-force-and-even-kill-can-hide-their-names-from-the-public
______________
Sheriff who can’t carry a gun? Felon runs to become Florida county’s top cop
2023
https://floridapolitics.com/archives/647246-sheriff-who-cant-carry-a-gun-felon-runs-to-become-florida-countys-top-cop/
______________
Former Tampa Police Corporal Pleads Guilty To Public Corruption Charges
2015
https://www.justice.gov/usao-mdfl/pr/former-tampa-police-corporal-pleads-guilty-public-corruption-charges
______________
Editorial: Toughen Florida law to put kibosh on careers of bad cops
2021
https://www.palmbeachpost.com/story/opinion/editorials/2021/01/27/editorial-toughen-florida-law-prevent-bad-cops-being-rehired-elsewhere/4257403001/
______________
How Do Bad Cops Stay in Power? Just Look at Miami.
2021
https://www.politico.com/news/magazine/2021/10/22/javier-ortiz-florida-police-misconduct-protections-516231
______________
Rotten to the Core: Your One-Stop Shop for Hollywood Police Corruption
2009
https://www.browardpalmbeach.com/news/rotten-to-the-core-your-one-stop-shop-for-hollywood-police-corruption-6448495
______________
Report: Miami cops cleared their own
2002
https://www.chicagotribune.com/2002/03/18/report-miami-cops-cleared-their-own/
______________
Problem cops: State notes sharp rise in disciplined officers
2011
https://www.palmbeachpost.com/story/news/crime/2011/03/29/problem-cops-state-notes-sharp/7587825007/
______________
Florida Police Deputies Charged With Stealing Nearly A Half Million Dollars In Covid Funds
2023
https://www.forbes.com/sites/kellyphillipserb/2023/10/16/florida-police-deputies-charged-with-stealing-nearly-a-half-million-dollars-in-covid-funds/?sh=23180dcb251c
______________
Ex-BSO lieutenant pleads guilty to fleecing hundreds of thousands from COVID loan program
March 2024
A
former Broward Sheriff’s Office lieutenant on Wednesday joined a long
list of BSO employees who have pleaded guilty to stealing thousands of
dollars from a U.S. government-funded loan program meant to help
struggling businesses during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Ernest
Bernard Gonder Jr. admitted in Miami federal court that he fleeced more
than $167,000 from the federal Paycheck Protection Program — much more
than 17 other BSO employees who were arrested in October on charges of
stealing tens of thousands of dollars each from the same program.
https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/crime/ex-bso-lieutenant-pleads-guilty-to-fleecing-hundreds-of-thousands-from-covid-loan-program/ar-BB1jselP
______________
Former
Florida State Representative Sentenced To Federal Prison For Wire
Fraud, Money Laundering, And Making False Statements In Connection With
COVID-19 Relief Fraud
October 19, 2023
https://www.justice.gov/usao-ndfl/pr/former-florida-state-representative-sentenced-federal-prison-wire-fraud-money
______________
’50 to 70′ BSO employees accused in PPP loan fraud case, Florida Bulldog reports
October 11, 2023
https://wsvn.com/news/local/broward/50-to-70-bso-employees-accused-in-ppp-loan-fraud-case-florida-bulldog-reports/
______________
'We Hate Corrupt And Dirty Cops, Abusive Cops', Broward Police Chiefs Lay Out Action Plan
2020
https://www.cbsnews.com/miami/news/broward-police-chiefs-lay-out-action-plan/
______________
Judges side with public corruption probe into cops at tony Florida town of Golden Beach
2019
https://www.miamiherald.com/news/local/crime/article226256050.html
______________
Dozens of South Florida Officers Charged in Past 5 Years Following Use of Force Allegations
September 12, 2022
https://www.nbcmiami.com/news/local/dozens-of-south-florida-officers-charged-in-past-5-years-following-use-of-force-allegations/2856383/
______________
POLICE BRUTALITY. BLUELINE OF CORRUPTION IN FLORIDA
https://www.facebook.com/groups/586656768547265/
______________
Veterans, police officers fighting City of Naples for benefits they say they’re owed
December 6, 2021
https://winknews.com/2021/12/06/veterans-police-officers-suing-city-of-naples-for-benefits-they-say-theyre-owe/
______________
Former
MDPD Police Officer, Former Public Service Aide, and Two Tow Truck
Drivers Arrested in Illegal Bribery and Kickback Scheme
2015
https://www.fbi.gov/contact-us/field-offices/miami/news/press-releases/former-mdpd-police-officer-former-public-service-aide-and-two-tow-truck-drivers-arrested-in-illegal-bribery-and-kickback-scheme
______________
Police officer Karl Waldon and a band of thugs terrorized, stole and killed for money; then they were brought to justice
2021
https://www.jacksonville.com/story/news/2021/03/18/terror-blue-police-officer-karl-waldon-and-band-thugs-terrorized-stole-and-killed-money-then-they-we/4732730001/
______________
The authors of an ugly story about cops-turned-robbers discuss why police seem to be at war with citizens
‘I Got a Monster: The Rise and Fall of America's Most Corrupt Police Squad.’
2020
https://www.orlandoweekly.com/news/how-americas-most-corrupt-police-squad-27912687
______________
Local Police in Florida Acting Like They’re the CIA (But They’re Not)
2014
https://www.aclufl.org/en/news/local-police-florida-acting-theyre-cia-theyre-not
______________
BSO Employee Faces Fraud Charges, Including Buying Miami-Dade County Resident SSN For $200
2022
https://www.cbsnews.com/miami/news/bso-tech-accused-of-fraud/
______________
Florida city manager charged in $3.4M corruption scheme
2021
TAMARAC,
Fla. (AP) — The manager of a South Florida city has been charged in a
corruption scheme involving the attempted extortion of $3.4 million from
an investment company.
Tamarac City Manager Michael Cernech was
charged with conspiracy to commit racketeering with two developers by
allegedly trying to extort the money from 13th Floor Investments.
https://apnews.com/article/business-florida-f8734f0442d4b89c3a1ae9b51727ce7b
______________
Miami city commissioner charged with bribery and money laundering
2023
MIAMI
(AP) — A city of Miami commissioner accused of bribery and money
laundering was arrested Thursday on multiple corruption charges,
officials said.
https://apnews.com/article/miami-commissioner-money-laundering-florida-04dc202faede26bf85fb8a4ac17544d0
______________
Florida official sentence to 5 years in corruption case
2021
TALLAHASSEE,
Fla. (AP) — A former city commissioner who once ran the Florida
Democratic Party was sentenced to five years in federal prison for
taking money from Uber and undercover FBI agents in exchange for his
influence.
Former Tallahassee Commissioner Scott Maddox pleaded
guilty in 2019 to wire fraud, mail fraud and conspiracy to commit tax
fraud. The sentencing was delayed while Maddox and co-defendant Paige
Carter-Smith cooperated with investigators in the prosecution of a local
developer.
https://www.cbs17.com/news/florida-official-sentence-to-5-years-in-corruption-case/
______________
New indictment alleges Lynn Haven corruption began years before Hurricane Michael
2021
LYNN
HAVEN, Fla. (WJHG/WECP) - An indictment handed down this week by
federal investigators is alleging years of fraud by the former Lynn
Haven mayor and a local businessman. Past indictments detailed
corruption charges that started after Hurricane Michael, but this week’s
indictment shows a pattern of corruption that began in 2015.
https://www.wjhg.com/2021/11/19/new-indictment-alleges-lynn-haven-corruption-began-years-before-hurricane-michael/
______________
Longtime Florida Congresswoman Sentenced to 5-Year Prison Term for Corruption
December 4, 2017
In
1992, Corrine Brown of Jacksonville, Fla., was the first African
American from that state to be elected to Congress since Reconstruction.
She served 12 terms until this January, when she lost the 2016
Democratic primary because of both corruption charges and gerrymandering
of her 5th Congressional District.
On Monday, a federal judge
sentenced Brown to five years in federal prison after she was convicted
in May on 18 corruption charges ranging from mail fraud to filing a
false federal tax return in relation to her One Door for Education
charity, which prosecutors allege she used as a personal “slush fund”
for herself and her associates.
https://www.theroot.com/longtime-florida-congresswoman-sentenced-to-5-year-pris-1820990592
______________
Documents detailing FBI Investigation in alleged public corruption resealed
2022
https://www.wjhg.com/2022/08/17/documents-detailing-fbi-investigation-alleged-public-corruption-resealed/
______________
Arrests of 3 Mayors Reinforce Florida’s Notoriety as a Hothouse for Corruption
2013
https://www.nytimes.com/2013/09/02/us/arrests-of-3-mayors-reinforce-floridas-notoriety-as-a-hothouse-for-corruption.html
______________
Critics question proposed ban on Florida Bar investigating sitting constitutional officers
2021
https://www.orlandosentinel.com/2021/10/16/critics-question-proposed-ban-on-florida-bar-investigating-sitting-constitutional-officers/
______________
Is the city of Tallahassee the most corrupt in Florida as President Trump said?
2018
https://www.politifact.com/article/2018/oct/31/city-tallahassee-most-corrupt-florida-president-tr/
______________
Prosecutor vows to go after corruption in Tallahassee and north Florida
2019
TALLAHASSEE
— A federal prosecutor warned a long-running probe that resulted in
criminal charges against the former head of the state Democratic Party
and hung over the campaign of Andrew Gillum is just the start of a
sustained effort to go after corruption in north Florida...
https://www.politico.com/states/florida/story/2019/08/06/prosecutor-vows-to-go-after-corruption-in-tallahassee-and-north-florida-1132144
______________
Florida Democrat removed from office, faces corruption charges following FBI sting
January 27, 2018
A Florida mayor was removed from office Friday after she was arrested and charged with three felony corruption charges.
Gov.
Rick Scott issued an executive order suspending Joy Cooper, the
57-year-old mayor of Hallandale Beach, a city just north of Miami, after
she was accused of accepting illegal campaign contributions through
former attorney Alan Koslow.
Cooper surrender to authorities on
Thursday following an undercover FBI investigation. She was charged with
money laundering, official misconduct and exceeding campaign
contribution limits, the Sun Sentinel reported.
https://www.foxnews.com/us/florida-democrat-removed-from-office-faces-corruption-charges-following-fbi-sting
______________
Florida’s former Democratic leader sentenced to 5 years in corruption case
2021
Former
Tallahassee Mayor Scott Maddox, who once ran the Florida Democratic
Party, pleaded guilty in 2019 to wire fraud, mail fraud and conspiracy
to commit tax fraud.
https://www.tampabay.com/news/florida-politics/2021/09/09/floridas-former-democratic-leader-sentenced-to-5-years-in-corruption-case/
______________
Ghost candidates, dark money and a 'winning formula': Florida corruption case linked to Republican insiders
2021
https://www.news-journalonline.com/story/news/state/2021/07/30/florida-ghost-candidate-election-corruption-frank-artiles-republican-lawmakers-third-party/5391308001/
_____________
Public corruption investigation links prominent Republicans across Florida
2021
https://www.rawstory.com/florida-republican-corruption-spreads/
______________
Legacy of Corruption: GEO Buys Off the Florida Political Establishment
March 15, 2011
U.S.
Senator Marco Rubio’s unsettling history of extremely close ties to
private prison operator GEO Group and the possible federal investigation
into Florida’s private prison giveaway of more than $120 million
Newly minted U.S. Senator Marco Rubio (R-FL) was sworn in on January 5, 2011 with unfinished business back home.
https://www.prisonlegalnews.org/news/2011/mar/15/legacy-of-corruption-geo-buys-off-the-florida-political-establishment/
______________
Florida prisons riddled with corruption, staffers tell senators – Miami Herald
Mar 17, 2024
https://corruptionbuzz.com/2024/03/17/florida-prisons-riddled-with-corruption-staffers-tell-senators-miami-herald/
______________
Justice Department watchdog finds alarming conditions inside Florida federal prison
November 9, 2023
https://www.npr.org/2023/11/09/1211823240/justice-department-watchdog-finds-alarming-conditions-inside-florida-federal-pri
______________
Florida prisons didn’t like ‘demanding’ watchdog. Now he’s gone.
Sept. 30, 2020
Inspector
General Lester Fernandez, on the job since June 6, 2016, had rubbed
people in high-ranking positions, like the head of Florida’s Department
of Corrections, the wrong way. He was replaced Tuesday.
https://www.tampabay.com/news/florida-politics/2020/09/30/florida-prisons-didnt-like-demanding-watchdog-now-hes-gone/
______________
Whistleblower correctional officer paid the price for reporting abuse
CO: “I knew once I did the right thing, and I stepped forward...my career would be over”
July 19, 2015
https://www.corrections1.com/corrections/articles/whistleblower-correctional-officer-paid-the-price-for-reporting-abuse-IPvbKfHs0ZnSAeXn/
______________
Prison death renews scrutiny on warden demoted after guard's slaying
2014
https://www.tampabay.com/news/publicsafety/crime/prison-death-renews-scrutiny-on-warden-demoted-after-guards-slaying/2184581/
______________
Violence, Abuse, and Death at For-Profit Prisons: A GEO Group Rap Sheet
September 26, 2013
https://prwatch.org/news/2013/09/12255/violence-abuse-and-death-profit-prisons-geo-group-rap-sheet
______________
Florida prison chief disagrees with feds on abuse report
1-14-2021
For
at least a decade, women at the prison have complained that officers
tramp through their dorms and showers and grope, rape and threaten to
beat and even kill them if they don’t comply with their sexual demands.
https://www.tampabay.com/news/florida-politics/2021/01/14/florida-prison-chief-disagrees-with-feds-on-abuse-report/
______________
Ex-Florida prison boss: Drunken orgies tainted system
2008
TALLAHASSEE,
Florida (CNN) -- Softball, drunken orgies and a prison system run like
the mafia. That's what Florida's former prison secretary says he
inherited when he took over one of the nation's largest prison systems
two years ago.
https://www.cnn.com/2008/CRIME/02/11/prison.boss/index.html
______________
Florida lawmakers didn’t fix prisons. They may wish they had | Opinion
March 2024
It’s
not easy to muster public sympathy or political support for a purpose
linked to a group that includes murderers, rapists and child molesters.
So the 2024 Legislature’s refusal to adequately address festering
problems within the state’s massive prison system was not a total
surprise.
https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/crime/florida-lawmakers-didn-t-fix-prisons-they-may-wish-they-had-opinion/ar-BB1k00sw
______________
At Least 35 Florida DOC Employees and Contractors Arrested in Just Over a Year
April 28, 2022
An
examination of Florida Department of Corrections (DOC) employee and
contractor arrests from March 2021 to April 2022 revealed that 18 were
charged with introducing contraband, and another 10 were charged with
assaulting prisoners. Six more were charged with having illicit
relationships with prisoners under their...
https://www.prisonlegalnews.org/news/2022/apr/28/least-35-florida-doc-employees-and-contractors-arrested-just-over-year/
______________
Bartered sex, corruption and cover-ups behind bars in nation’s largest women’s prison
2015
Read more at: https://www.miamiherald.com/news/special-reports/florida-prisons/article49175685.html#storylink=cpy
______________
Corruption, abuse and more inside the nation's largest women's prison (w/video)
Dec. 14, 2015
https://www.tampabay.com/news/publicsafety/crime/corruption-abuse-and-more-inside-the-nations-largest-womens-prison-wvideo/2257644/
______________
Paging Ron DeSantis: Journalist Faces 20 Years in Prison for Investigating Corruption at Fla. Women's Shelter
May 05, 2021
https://pjmedia.com/megan-fox/2021/05/05/paging-ron-desantis-journalist-faces-20-years-in-prison-for-investigating-corruption-at-fla-womens-shelter-n1444723
______________
From retaliation to torture in a Florida prison unfit for habitation
February 28, 2018
https://sfbayview.com/2018/02/from-retaliation-to-torture-in-a-florida-prison-unfit-for-habitation/
______________
Florida's unsafe prisons
Adequate funding would protect inmates, officers and the public
2015
https://www.heraldtribune.com/story/opinion/2015/02/04/floridas-unsafe-prisons/29296705007/
______________
Misconduct in Federal Prisons Is Tolerated or Ignored, Congressional Report Says
Jan. 4, 2019
https://www.nytimes.com/2019/01/04/us/prison-misconduct-congressional-study.html
______________
Senate launches group to examine reports of corruption and abuse in federal prisons
Feb 17, 2022
https://www.pbs.org/newshour/politics/senate-launches-group-to-examine-reports-of-corruption-and-abuse-in-federal-prisons
______________
After report outlines private prison problems, lawmakers demand fixes
Feb 17, 2023
https://www.tallahassee.com/story/news/politics/2023/02/17/florida-private-prisons-report-shows-pattern-of-failed-oversight-and-compliance/69910767007/
______________
A report spells out dire conditions in Florida's prison system
November 16, 2023
https://www.wlrn.org/law-justice/2023-11-16/a-report-spells-out-dire-conditions-in-floridas-prison-system
______________
The Florida prison system is a corrupt dysfunctional mess
November 20, 2014
https://www.sfltimes.com/opinion/the-florida-prison-system-is-a-corrupt-dysfunctional-mess
______________
Prison inspectors: Corruption rampant in Florida system
March 10, 2015
https://www.tampabay.com/news/politics/stateroundup/prison-inspectors-corruption-rampant-in-florida-system/2220754/
______________
The 8 Worst Prisons in Florida
https://journeyz.co/worst-prisons-in-florida/
______________
What's Wrong With Florida's Prisons?
Oct. 17, 2007
https://content.time.com/time/nation/article/0,8599,1672366,00.html
______________
Banned behind bars: 20,000 books can't be read by Florida inmates; the list may surprise you
2019
https://www.tallahassee.com/story/news/politics/2019/08/09/banned-behind-bars-20-000-books-cant-read-florida-inmates/1934468001/
______________
Statement on Florida DOC's banned books list and prison censorship
July 16, 2019.
https://www.prisonlegalnews.org/in-the-news/2019/statement-florida-banned-books-list-and-prison-censorship/
______________
Lawsuit alleges Florida Department of Corrections impounded publications that inform inmates of their rights
Aug. 18, 2021
https://www.prisonlegalnews.org/in-the-news/2021/lawsuit-alleges-florida-department-corrections-impounded-publications-inform-inmates-their-rights/
______________
Class
Action Lawsuit Filed Against Florida Department of Corrections For
Unlawfully Confiscating Millions of Dollars of Digital Music and Books
February 19, 2019
https://fji.law/our-work/class-action-lawsuit-filed-against-florida-department-of-corrections-for-unlawfully-confiscating-millions-of-dollars-of-digital-music-and-books/
______________
Will Lawsuits and Exposés Lead to Reform of Florida’s Brutal Prisons?
Feb. 2, 2016
https://www.prisonlegalnews.org/news/2016/feb/2/will-lawsuits-and-exposes-lead-reform-floridas-brutal-prisons/
______________
Hundreds of Inmates Riot at Florida Prison
September 28, 2016
A
nationwide prison strike planned Friday has Florida’s jails and state
prisons on high alert through the weekend, bracing for possible
upheavals by inmates protesting what they say is inhumane and violent
treatment.
https://incarceratedworkers.org/news/hundreds-inmates-riot-florida-prison
______________
Frorida Prisons — all of them — on lockdown
2017
https://www.miamiherald.com/news/local/community/miami-dade/article167756842.html
______________
Protestors Block Access to Private Prison Company's South Florida Headquarters
2019
https://www.miamiherald.com/news/local/immigration/article237995029.html
______________
Senators told about corruption in Florida prison system
March 10, 2015
https://winknews.com/2015/03/10/senators-told-about-corruption-in-florida-prison-system/
______________
Florida lawmakers won't hear bills to improve state prison conditions this session
'What's really sad is that I follow these (bills) every year – and they always die,' one advocate said.
March 1, 2024
https://www.tallahassee.com/story/news/politics/2024/03/01/bills-to-improve-florida-prison-conditions-likely-dead-this-session/72595958007/
______________
How for-profit prisons have become the biggest lobby no one is talking about
April 28, 2015
https://www.washingtonpost.com/posteverything/wp/2015/04/28/how-for-profit-prisons-have-become-the-biggest-lobby-no-one-is-talking-about/
______________
As other states ban unpaid 'slave' prison labor, lawmakers drop plans to tackle issue in Florida
March 8, 2023
https://www.wuwf.org/florida-news/2023-03-08/as-other-states-ban-unpaid-slave-prison-labor-lawmakers-drop-plans-to-tackle-issue-in-florida
______________
Florida Provides Lesson in How Not to Privatize State Prisons
Feb. 15, 2012
When
Florida lawmakers used a backdoor approach to try to privatize almost
30 state detention facilities in 2011, they likely did not anticipate
the outcome. By the time the political dust had settled, the union
representing prison employees had successfully sued to stop the
privatization plan...
https://www.prisonlegalnews.org/news/2012/feb/15/florida-provides-lesson-in-how-not-to-privatize-state-prisons/
______________
Florida's Bloated Prison System Will Cost Billions To Maintain
11.17.2023
Florida's mandatory minimum sentences created a large, elderly prison population. Now the bill is coming due.
https://reason.com/2023/11/17/floridas-bloated-prison-system-will-cost-billions-to-maintain/
______________
Lawmakers hear report that says path of Florida’s prison system is ‘unsustainable’
November 15, 2023
Urges $582 million for air-conditioning, a provision questioned by one GOP senator
https://floridaphoenix.com/2023/11/15/lawmakers-hear-report-that-says-path-of-floridas-prison-system-is-unsustainable/
______________
The private prison industry in FL is now changing; the state is taking more control
October 18, 2023
https://floridaphoenix.com/2023/10/18/the-private-prison-industry-in-fl-is-now-changing-the-state-is-taking-more-control/
______________
Director of Florida's Private Prison Commisssion Resigns, Fined $10,000 for Ethics Violations
Oct. 15, 2003
https://www.prisonlegalnews.org/news/2003/oct/15/director-of-floridas-private-prison-commisssion-resigns-fined-10000-for-ethics-violations/
_____________
Private prisons aren’t the villain. The entire system needs reform | Opinion
2021
https://www.sun-sentinel.com/2021/02/24/private-prisons-arent-the-villain-the-entire-system-needs-reform-opinion/
_____________
Florida prison privatization stalls in legislature
February 7, 2012
https://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-prisons-florida-idUKTRE8162A220120207/
______________
Private Prison Companies Bilk Florida Taxpayers Out of Millions
June 15, 2007
https://www.prisonlegalnews.org/news/2007/jun/15/private-prison-companies-bilk-florida-taxpayers-out-of-millions/
______________
Prison Privatization: Bad for Florida, Bad for Taxpayers
https://www.inthepublicinterest.org/wp-content/uploads/floridaprivateprisonsfactsheet42111.pdf
______________
Florida Prisons and Jails Retaliate Against Prisoners Who File Lawsuits by Countersuing for Costs of Incarceration
July 2, 2019
https://www.prisonlegalnews.org/news/2019/jul/2/florida-prisons-and-jails-retaliate-against-prisoners-who-file-lawsuits-countersuing-costs-incarceration/
______________
Arrests of Federal Prison Guards Soar 90% Over Past Decade; Misconduct Cases Double
Sept. 15, 2012
https://www.prisonlegalnews.org/news/2012/sep/15/arrests-of-federal-prison-guards-soar-90-over-past-decade-misconduct-cases-double/
______________
Florida Prison Boss Fires 32 Over Inmate Deaths
2014
https://www.miamiherald.com/news/local/crime/article2176191.html
______________
Florida Prisons Face Ongoing Staff Shortages Due to Low Pay And Long Hours
Aug. 1, 2021
https://www.prisonlegalnews.org/news/2021/aug/1/florida-prisons-face-ongoing-staff-shortages-due-low-pay-and-long-hours/
______________
‘System in crisis’: Florida struggles to retain prison guards
Feb. 22, 2021
Last
year, 42 percent of new employees left the state corrections department
in their first year, and 57 percent left by the end of the second year.
That turnover is worse now.
https://www.tampabay.com/news/florida-politics/2021/02/22/system-in-crisis-florida-struggles-to-retain-prison-guards/
______________
Facility closures continue as Florida prisons face ‘unprecedented’ staff shortage
2021
https://www.orlandosentinel.com/2021/09/13/facility-closures-continue-as-florida-prisons-face-unprecedented-staff-shortage/
______________
Florida Prisons Fire Guards: Reports Of Abuse, Corruption Lead To Massive Clean-Up Effort
Sep 22, 2014
https://www.inquisitr.com/1491789/florida-prisons-fire-guards-reports-of-abuse-corruption-lead-to-massive-clean-up-effort
______________
Florida: Private Prison Company Allowed to Overcharge State, Mistreat Prisoners
Jan. 8, 2018
https://www.prisonlegalnews.org/news/2018/jan/8/florida-private-prison-company-allowed-overcharge-state-mistreat-prisoners/
______________
Price Hikes at Florida Prisons Leave Residents Furious
October 8, 2023
There’s a new canteen supplier in town — and now the cost of regular staples are 16% to 400% higher than before.
https://prisonjournalismproject.org/2023/10/08/canteen-prices-soar-florida-prisons/
______________
Opinion: Florida jails serving as debtors' prison
Sep 2017
https://www.tallahassee.com/story/opinion/2017/09/04/opinion-florida-jails-serving-debtors-prison/624478001/
______________
Private Prisons Lock Up Thousands Of Americans With Almost No Oversight
2017
America’s
for-profit prison industry controls 126,000 Americans’ lives. It’s a $5
billion sector — one that encompasses the operation of 65% of the
nation’s immigration detention beds. And at the same time, it is largely
opaque, often unaccountable to the public or the government.
https://time.com/5013760/american-private-prisons-donald-trump/
______________
{We need to deport unlawful immigrants out of the country}.
______________
A Federal Judge Put Hundreds of Immigrants Behind Bars While Her Husband Invested in Private Prisons
August 24, 2017
https://www.motherjones.com/criminal-justice/2017/08/a-federal-judge-put-hundreds-of-immigrants-behind-bars-while-her-husband-invested-in-private-prisons/
______________
Investigators accuse Florida Department of Corrections of corruption
July 8, 2014
https://www.tampabay.com/investigators-accuse-florida-department-of-corrections-of-corruption/2187616/
______________
Florida's Private-Prison Population Spiked 211 Percent Since 2000
August 3, 2018
https://www.miaminewtimes.com/news/florida-private-prison-inmates-spiked-from-2000-to-2016-sentencing-report-says-10589872
______________
Study: Private prisons result in more inmates, longer sentences
September 18, 2020
The Labour Economics study suggests two potential reasons for the increase: corruption and increased capacity.
https://bigthink.com/the-present/private-prisons/
______________
Study Shows Private Prison Companies Use Influence to Increase Incarceration
Aug. 22, 2016
https://www.prisonlegalnews.org/news/2016/aug/22/study-shows-private-prison-companies-use-influence-increase-incarceration/
______________
Hidden corporate profits in the U.S. prison system: the unorthodox policy-making of the American Legislative Exchange Council
2015
https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/10282580.2016.1185949
______________
New contracts give private prison giant nearly 80 percent of Florida's private prison market
2013
https://www.jacksonville.com/story/news/2013/12/16/new-contracts-give-private-prison-giant-nearly-80-percent-floridas-private/15805432007/
______________
Five Reasons South Florida's Pro-Trump Private-Prison Company Is Evil
January 7, 2018
You
shouldn't be able to turn a profit from imprisoning people. That seems
obvious. The basic goal of the American criminal-justice system should
be to eradicate crime — but multibillion-dollar private-prison systems
can't earn big profits if there's no crime.
https://www.miaminewtimes.com/news/five-reasons-boca-private-prison-company-geo-group-is-evil-9967258
______________
Former Florida prisons chief who took kickbacks released from federal prison
April 2013
https://www.jacksonville.com/story/news/crime/2013/04/16/former-florida-prisons-chief-who-took-kickbacks-released-federal-prison/15831804007/
______________
Seven Former GEO Employees Plead Guilty in Federal Texas Private Jail Bribery Scheme
Oct. 1, 2021
https://www.prisonlegalnews.org/news/2021/oct/1/seven-former-geo-employees-plead-guilty-federal-texas-private-jail-bribery-scheme/
______________
Private prison investors love the Florida Senate's budget
Feb 24, 2022
Senate
leaders, who got $200,000 from private-prison contractor GEO Group just
before session, want to build two big new prisons – one of which may be
privatized.
https://jasongarcia.substack.com/p/private-prison-investors-love-the
______________
Marco Rubio, Geo Group, and a Legacy of Corruption
August 29, 2012
https://www.prwatch.org/news/2012/08/11591/marco-rubio-geo-group-and-legacy-corruption
______________
Ron DeSantis just accepted $100K from the GEO Group, a controversial Florida-based private prison giant
Aug 17, 2018
A
political action committee supporting Florida Republican gubernatorial
candidate Ron DeSantis just got a $100,000 from the GEO Group, a
Florida-based private prison giant known for numerous human rights
investigations.
According to public records, on Aug. 15 the
Friends of Ron DeSantis PAC accepted $50,000 from GEO Group, Inc. and
another $50,000 from the company's CEO, George C. Zoley.
The GEO
Group, which is headquartered in Boca Raton and is the second largest
private prison group in the country, was an early supporter of the
DeSantis campaign. Records show they also gave the congressman another
$50,000 back in March of 2017.
DeSantis isn't alone. The GEO
Group has sprinkled cash all over Florida politicians, including Sens.
Marco Rubio and Bill Nelson, according to the National Institute on
Money in State Politics. In fact, it's hard to find someone who hasn't
taken money from the group.
But it makes sense the GEO Group is
heavily backing DeSantis, considering the congressman parrots everything
the president says, and they directly profit from Trump's abysmal
immigration policies.
According to the investigative website
Sludge, the GEO Group currently holds almost a half billion dollars in
ICE contracts. For some perspective, last year the Trump Administration
spent a record $1.7 billion on private contracts, which means the GEO
Group gets more direct cash from ICE than any other company. Plus, it
doesn't hurt that former aides to Attorney General Jeff Sessions are now
lobbyists for the GEO Group.
The company is a private prison
behemoth and has immigration detention centers all over the country,
including Colorado, Arizona, New Mexico, Washington, California, and of
course, Florida.
https://www.orlandoweekly.com/news/ron-desantis-just-accepted-100k-from-the-geo-group-a-controversial-florida-based-private-prison-giant-17272961
______________
Kyle Cohen appointed as 20th Judicial Circuit Court Judge
May 29, 2020
He replaces retiring Judge Keith Cary.
Gov. Ron DeSantis appointed Estero prosecutor Kyle Cohen as a 20th Judicial Circuit Court Judge.
Cohen previously served as assistant U.S. attorney for the Middle District of Florida where he’s worked since 2008.
Florida’s 20th Judicial Circuit includes Charlotte, Collier, Glades, Hendry and Lee counties.
Cohen
has worked on a range of issues in federal court including tort,
bankruptcy, employment discrimination, Administrative Procedures Act,
Bivens, civil rights, contractual disputes, medical malpractice, summons
enforcement, immigration, Touhy, eminent domain, FIRREA, qui tam, and
False Claims Act litigation.
______________
Broward Judge to Stand Trial on Ethics Charge
May 13, 2010
FORT LAUDERDALE | A Broward County judge has lost his bid to dismiss a misconduct charge against him.
Circuit Judge Dale Cohen is set to stand trial Sept. 13 for allegedly exploiting his position to further the interests of himself and his wife, who is running for election to the county bench.
The Judicial Qualifications Commission denied dismissing the ethics complaint today.
Cohen’s attorney says the allegations against the judge don’t correlate with the specifications of the Code of Judicial Conduct...
https://www.theledger.com/story/news/2010/05/13/broward-judge-to-stand-trial-on-ethics-charge/26270264007/
______________
Trial set for Philadelphia County Judge Cohen’s discipline over irresponsible Facebook posts
May 31, 2023
On Tuesday, May 23, 2023, the Court of Judicial Discipline of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania issued an order setting the trial of the disciplinary matter concerning Philadelphia County Court of Common Pleas Judge Mark B. Cohen of the 1st Judicial District.
The case is entitled “In the Matter of Judge Mark B. Cohen,” with case no. 1 JD 2023.
The Judicial Conduct Board filed formal charges against Cohen on February 23, 2023, accusing Cohen to have authored and made improper posts to his personal Facebook page. In summary, Judge Cohen’s Facebook posting consisted of the following: (1) his sympathetic, supportive, or positive views of political figures, living and dead, of the Democratic Party and, generally, of the political “left”; (2) his support for legislation instituted and embraced by the Democratic Party and, generally, the political “left”; (3) his support for policy initiatives or issues embraced by the Democratic Party and, generally, the political “left”; (4) his criticism of political figures of the Republican Party and the political “right”; and (5) his criticism of policy initiatives and legislation instituted and embraced by the Republican Party or the political “right”.
https://abusivediscretion.com/trial-set-for-philadelphia-county-judge-cohens-discipline-over-irresponsible-facebook-posts/
______________
{We see that we have three corrupt judges with the last name Cohen}.
______________
DeSantis Installs Corrupt Crony As Elections Supervisor In Orange Co.
March 2024
DeSantis
seems to have dropped off the national radar screen since his
humiliating performance in the Republican presidential primary. But at
least in Orange County, Florida, DeSantis looks busy setting up what
could well be a rigged election.
Orlando Sentinel columnist Scott
Maxwell did a deep dive into the dark facts behind the appointment of
Glen Gilzean as Orange County elections supervisor. For starters,
Maxwell reports that Gilzean brazenly flouted ethics rules when he
failed to resign as chair of the state’s ethics commission when he got
his $400,000-a-year gig running DeSantis’ anti-Disney government
district...
https://crooksandliars.com/2024/03/desantis-installs-corrupt-crony-elections#google_vignette
______________
Ron DeSantis Accused of 'Public Corruption' by Former GOP Lawmaker
Apr 22, 2023
https://www.newsweek.com/ron-desantis-accused-public-corruption-former-gop-lawmaker-1796077
______________
Possible Corruption at the Florida GOP Could Threaten DeSantis in 2022
August 17, 2021
https://floridianpress.com/2021/08/possible-corruption-at-the-florida-gop-could-threaten-desantis-in-2022/
______________
{Many assume that Desantis
wants to stop illegal aliens and sanctuary cities. These unlawful
immigrants go against the wishes of the scientific community with illegal immigration. Desantis
wants to kick illegal immigrants out of Florida, but that these
illegal immigrants might end up in other states and sent to private
prisons in America. The problem is that these unlawful immigrants are
released and set free in America still. It is good that Desantis has
sent the Florida National Guard to the Texas border to stop illegal
immigrants. The problem is that unlawful immigrants are being put in prison work camps for a few years to make profit for the private prison industries. These unlawful immigrants are then released back into America after their prison term in these prison work camps for unlawful immigrants. The Biden Administration wants to make these unlawful immigrants citizens of America.
Desantis
was critical about the COVID vaccine which is also good. We support Ron
Desantis and sending the National Guard to the border to protect
America. We however were not in favor of how Desantis would just put unlawful immigrants in prison work camps, then these unlawful immigrants are released back into America once their prison sentence is up. Desantis was associated
with a group that took money from the GEO Group private prison company.
We think that we should not assimilate these illegal Third World
immigrants to become American citizens. The country is already full and that we should not waste more natural resources on unlawful immigrants who refuse to cooperate with the scientific community and the population census. We can see the direct harm that these illegal immigrants have caused the environment. A lot of the groundwater in America is drying up, these unlawful immigrants just add more to the problem}.
_____________
DeSantis recruiters eyed Catholic church for migrant flights that bishop calls ‘reprehensible’
June 8, 2023
SAN
FRANCISCO (AP) — Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis’ recruiters set their sights
on Sacred Heart Catholic Church in the Texas border city of El Paso in
search of asylum-seekers they could take from its bustling migrant
shelter to California’s capital on taxpayer-funded private jets.
Intentionally
or not, envoys for Florida’s Catholic governor and Republican
presidential candidate infused an element of his own religion into his
latest move on immigration, which has drawn sharp criticism from El
Paso’s Catholic bishop.
“Without going into the details of the
politics of it, it does seem clear that they were being used not out of
concern for the migrants but in an effort to make a political point,”
Bishop Mark Seitz told The Associated Press on Wednesday.
Seitz
said many migrants arriving in the U.S. don’t know the geography,
including how far cities and states are from one another, and are just
anxious to move on.
DeSantis has acknowledged that Florida paid
to transport 36 mostly Venezuelan migrants from Republican-led Texas to
Sacramento on charter flights last Friday and on Monday. The first group
was dropped off in front of the Roman Catholic Diocese in Sacramento,
also the headquarters of Catholic Charities, apparently without warning.
Local advocates and officials met the second group at the airport after
learning of their arrival.
The governor says they made the trip
voluntarily — a claim that some migrant advocates challenge. He also
says they signed waivers to that effect and that California effectively
invited them with its welcoming policies.
“I think the border
should be closed. I don’t think we should have any of this. But if
there’s a policy to have an open border, then I think the sanctuary
jurisdictions should be the ones that have to bear that,” DeSantis said
Wednesday at an event for law enforcement officials in Sierra Vista,
Arizona.
Asked about the bishop’s criticism, DeSantis spokesman
Jeremy Redfern said the governor’s previous comments “stand on their
own.”
In May, DeSantis signed a law allocating up to $12 million
for migrant flights, like two that Florida funded last year from San
Antonio to the pricey Massachusetts island of Martha’s Vineyard.
References
to the Martha’s Vineyard flights have become a staple in DeSantis’
presidential stump speech and often draw hearty applause from Republican
primary voters. The Sacramento flights are part of a broader effort by
certain Republican-led states to send migrants to Democratic-leaning
parts of the country, including New York, Washington, D.C., and Chicago.
https://apnews.com/article/desantis-migrants-flights-border-california-catholic-aa274a39b65712ea2d70bd480a62928e
______________
Biden admin parole program sparks 550% increase of undocumented migrants pouring into Florida from just last year: data
Dec. 27, 2023
https://nypost.com/2023/12/27/news/more-undocumented-migrants-heading-to-florida-than-ever-with-550-increase-this-year/
______________
Florida Struggles to Accommodate Immigration-Fueled Population Growth as its Environmental Impacts Worsen
November 2021
https://www.fairus.org/sites/default/files/2021-11/fl-environ-case-study.pdf
_______________
‘Been there before’: Haitian community leaders urge caution as Florida deploys troops to halt potential migrant surge
March 17, 2024
https://www.cnn.com/2024/03/17/us/haiti-migrants-florida/index.html
______________
Marine Corps Sends Special Response Unit to Haiti After Partial US Embassy Evacuation
3-13-2024
https://www.military.com/daily-news/2024/03/13/marine-corps-sends-special-response-unit-haiti-after-partial-us-embassy-evacuation.html
______________
Challenge to Florida's 'sanctuary cities' law gets rejected
April 17, 2023
https://www.wlrn.org/immigration/2023-04-17/challenge-to-floridas-sanctuary-cities-law-gets-rejected
______________
Florida officers break up sex trafficking ring run by illegal migrants
October 24, 2022
Sheriff's Officers in Florida rescued eight women who were forced into sex trafficking by smugglers who illegally brought them into the U.S.
Officers with the Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office rescued eight women who were forced into sex trafficking in Florida by smugglers who illegally brought them into the U.S. through the southern border. They also arrested their alleged smuggler and trafficker, Rosalia Leonard Garcia, 29, and Amet Maqueira, 35.
Arrestees of Human Trafficking Case pic.twitter.com/o8vNUJB2Nn— HCSO (@HCSOSheriff) October 24, 2022
Sheriff Chad Chronister made the announcement on Monday with Attorney General Ashley Moody and other officials. Moody’s Office of Statewide Prosecution charged Garcia and Maqueira with 47 counts of human trafficking and will be prosecuting them.
“These horrific acts of sex trafficking are among the most depraved crimes we have seen in a long time and highlight how criminals are taking advantage of [President Joe] Biden’s open border to advance their illicit trade,” Moody said. “I applaud the swift, courageous actions of Sheriff Chronister’s deputies and ensure my Statewide Prosecutors will hold the traffickers accountable in court for what they did to these eight women.”
https://justthenews.com/nation/states/center-square/florida-officers-break-sex-trafficking-ring-stemming-illegal-border
______________
Venezuelan sex trafficking gang that brands young girls operating in US, linked to ex-cop’s murder: reports
Jan. 20, 2024
https://nypost.com/2024/01/20/news/venezuelan-sex-trafficking-gang-that-brands-young-girls-operating-in-us-linked-to-ex-cops-murder-reports/
______________
Local pharmacist charged with attempted sex trafficking of a minor and child sex tourism
April 23, 2024
MIAMI – On April 19, a local pharmacist was charged by criminal complaint with attempted sex trafficking of a minor and attempted travel to engage in illicit sexual conduct.
According to the criminal complaint and the underlying affidavit, law enforcement officers stopped Stefan Andres Correa, 42, of Miami, Florida, attempting to board a flight from Miami to Bogota, Colombia. It is alleged that, law enforcement officers discovered nine cellular phones in Correa’s possession containing videos of Correa engaging in intercourse with purported minor children, as well as a chat exchange with a suspected sex trafficker, where Correa allegedly paid for commercial sex with children aged between 10 to 12 years old in Colombia. According to the allegations, during the chat exchange, Correa agreed with the suspected sex trafficker to meet with the minor victims once he arrived in Colombia.
https://www.justice.gov/usao-sdfl/pr/local-pharmacist-charged-attempted-sex-trafficking-minor-and-child-sex-tourism
______________
A
long corruption probe in Tallahassee whimpers to a close — The return
of Rod Smith? — Gruters talks about allegations on internal GOP call
2021
https://www.politico.com/newsletters/florida-playbook/2021/07/28/a-long-corruption-probe-in-tallahassee-whimpers-to-a-close-the-return-of-rod-smith-gruters-talks-about-allegations-on-internal-gop-call-493753
______________
U.S. Attorney Larry Keefe to release details of 'massive' corruption probe in Panama City
2019
U.S. Attorney Larry Keefe will announce details of "a massive public corruption scheme" on Friday in Panama City.
The
investigation, which seems to have flown beneath the radar, is not
believed to be connected to Tallahassee's long-running public corruption
probe, which led to guilty pleas from former City Commissioner Scott
Maddox and former Downtown Improvement Authority Executive Director
Paige Carter-Smith.
In a news release, the U.S. Attorney's Office
said it would announce the outcome of what's being described as a
"major long-term investigation into widespread public corruption" by its
Public Trust Unit.
https://www.tallahassee.com/story/news/local/2019/11/13/u-s-attorney-larry-keefe-to-release-details-of-major-corruption-probe-in-panama-city-florida/4178651002/
______________
Ex-commissioner in Florida city convicted of corruption
2019
FORT
LAUDERDALE, Fla. (AP) — A former city commissioner in Florida is facing
prison time after he was convicted of corruption charges arising from a
tiki bar he operated in a strip mall.
Court records show a jury
late Monday found 56-year-old David McLean guilty of bribery, official
misconduct and theft charges. McLean was a commissioner in the South
Florida city of Margate.
Trial evidence showed McLean used his
influence to do city favors for the tiki bar’s landlord. In return, the
landlord forgave about $8,000 in rent and made another $6,000 in cash
payments.
https://apnews.com/general-news-7eda58207c5345718dba91b426f5e258
______________
Gainesville’s city audit controversy, explained
2022
https://www.alligator.org/article/2022/11/gainesvilles-city-audit-controversy-explained
After
delayed financial reports to the state, the Gainesville city auditor’s
resignation and planned international commission trips, some local
residents are worried about their tax dollars.
Four successive
issues led to local concern: a formal letter from the state about late
city financial reports, three city commissioners traveling to Israel off
public funds, the city auditor’s resignation and budget changes made
Nov. 17.
Gainesville’s upcoming fiscal budget is around $445
million, with about $14 million of general fund debt made up of bonds
and other obligations.
Juli Aitch, Gainesville resident, said
recent decisions were irresponsible given the situation.“They are
robbing the citizens of Gainesville,” Aitch said.
However, Gainesville city officials say the series of financial controversies were both expected and planned for.
Commissioners’ trip to Israel
City
Commissioners David Arreola and Adrian Hayes-Santos, as well as Mayor
Lauren Poe will travel to Israel for MuniWorld, an international city
government conference. The three will leave Dec. 2, just over a month
before they all exit office after reaching their term limit.
MuniWorld
is a three-day convention for cities across the globe. Participants
will see Jerusalem’s tech startup projects, connect with other
municipalities and watch lectures on local government practices.
The attendance fee is $200 per person and accommodations are $600, according to its website.
City
Commissioner Cynthia Chestnut first expressed concern over the trip,
calling it a waste of money given the city’s financial circumstances.
“This
international trip taken by commissioners with expenses paid by public
funds is disingenuous to all our constituents,” Chestnut wrote in an
email to them.
For each fiscal year, commissioners receive a
$5,000 stipend for travel. The 2023 fiscal year began Oct. 1. Chestnut
also said the trip would take travel funding away from oncoming
commissioners, though Arreola and Hayes-Santos said that was
inaccurate.“When the new commission is sworn in, they will have their
own budgets,” Arreola said.
______________
Joel Greenberg alleged far-reaching public corruption in Florida jailhouse interview
2022
https://floridapolitics.com/archives/554553-joel-greenberg-alleged-far-reaching-public-corruption-in-florida-jailhouse-interview/
______________
As Gaetz investigation ramps up, feds mount sweeping probe into Central Florida political scene: Sources
June 18, 2021
Since
federal prosecutors obtained the cooperation of GOP Rep. Matt Gaetz's
once close-ally in May, sources tell ABC News the ongoing investigation,
which includes sex trafficking allegations involving Gaetz, has
engulfed the tight-knit Central Florida political scene as prosecutors
continue their investigation of the Florida congressman.
Former
Seminole County tax collector Joel Greenberg, who reached a plea deal
last month, has been assisting federal agents in the sprawling probe
that has recently revved up its focus on alleged corruption and fraud
stemming from Greenberg's time in office and beyond, multiple sources
familiar with the matter told ABC News.
The former tax collector
pleaded guilty in May to a host of crimes including charges of stalking,
identity theft, wire fraud and conspiracy to bribe a public official,
as well as a sex trafficking charge. Greenberg is prepared to hand over
evidence and testimony that could implicate Gaetz and others, sources
told ABC News.
https://abcnews.go.com/Politics/gaetz-investigation-ramps-feds-mount-sweeping-probe-central/story?id=78321551
______________
Fmr. Opa-Locka City Manager Turns Himself In
2016
OPA-LOCKA
(CBSMiami) -- The former city manager of Opa-locka who is facing
federal corruption charges turned himself into police Monday morning.
Former Opa-locka City Manager David Chiverton appeared before a Judge in federal court Monday afternoon...
https://www.cbsnews.com/miami/news/fmr-opa-locka-city-manager-turns-himself-in-on-corruption-charges/
______________
Marco Island city manager responds to latest police scandal
March 23, 2023
https://winknews.com/2023/03/23/marco-island-city-manager-responds-to-latest-police-scandal/
______________
Corrupt politicians have free rein in Florida
2014
https://www.orlandoweekly.com/news/corrupt-politicians-have-free-rein-in-florida-2242139
______________
The most corrupt state(s) in America
2014
Florida:
Between 1998 and 2007, 824 public officials in Florida were convicted
on public corruption charges at the local, state and federal level.
According to a tally compiled by the New York Times, that was more than
any other state. New York came in second place, with 704 public
officials locked up, while Texas, Pennsylvania, California, Ohio and
Illinois all saw more than 500 officials convicted.
https://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/govbeat/wp/2014/01/22/the-most-corrupt-states-in-america/
______________
Florida Is the Most Corrupt State in the Union, According to a Federal Tally of Convictions
June 6, 2012
In
2010, a statewide grand jury slammed Florida laws for being too lax on
corruption, and made a number of suggestions, most of which were never
implemented. Then-Gov. Charlie Crist called for that grand jury
investigation in 2009 following a string of high profile arrests of
public officials and political figures. He noted at the time that he had
been forced to remove 33 public officials from office in less than
three years as governor because of varying instances of wrongdoing.
https://flaglerlive.com/florida-most-corrupt/#gsc.tab=0
______________
Harvard finds Florida among most politically corrupt states in U.S.
2015
https://floridapolitics.com/archives/191150-harvard-says-florida-one-of-americas-most-politically-corrupt-states/
______________
LIST: Florida among America's most corrupt states
Jun 11, 2014
https://www.wesh.com/article/list-florida-among-america-s-most-corrupt-states/4330300
______________
City too corrupt for Florida is spared
2014
Hampton, Florida CNN —
This
worn-down, one stoplight town found redemption Friday night in a
Baptist church named Victory. Cheers broke out in the pews as two
Florida lawmakers abandoned their quest to strip Hampton of its
cityhood.
The battle for the 89-year-old city’s survival began in
February with the release of a scathing audit that read like a textbook
of municipal malfeasance – finding 31 violations of local, state and
federal codes, along with allegations of nepotism, double-dipping and
personal use of city property.
Surviving was a sweet win for this
city of just 477 residents – 476 if you don’t count the former mayor,
who’s sitting up the road in jail on a drug charge.
Already a
notorious speed trap, the place gained even more infamy as a symbol of
small-town corruption when the legislators threatened last month to yank
its city charter. Late-night comedians mocked Hampton as “too Florida,
even for Florida.”
https://www.cnn.com/2014/03/29/us/hampton-florida-corruption-survival/index.html
______________
Florida Is The Most Corrupt State In The Country, According To Integrity Florida Study
2012
https://www.huffpost.com/entry/florida-most-corrupt-in-country_n_1577571
______________
Florida Corruption News Monitoring
https://uspolitics.einnews.com/news/florida-corruption
______________
A most disorderly court : scandal and reform in the Florida judiciary
2008
https://archive.org/details/mostdisorderlyco0000dyck/page/n9/mode/2up
______________
POLICE CORRUPTION PLAGUING FLORIDA
1986
https://www.nytimes.com/1986/08/03/us/police-corruption-plaguing-florida.html
______________
Police Corruption is becoming a pandemic too
2020
https://www.transparency.org/en/news/police-corruption-is-becoming-a-pandemic-too
______________
Aquakiki News Investigative News Videos & Reports
6/18 Vid-CROOKED Top Florida Cop RIC BRADSHAW-Owns MILLION$ In Real Estate-Ties To MAFIA In Palm Beach Mansions
https://aquakiki.wordpress.com/
______________
Lee County Florida Corruption
https://www.facebook.com/groups/LeeCountyFloridaCorruption/
______________
'Corruption in the Courts' Comment Brings New Troubles for South Florida Attorney | Daily Business Review
https://www.reddit.com/r/conspiracywhatever/comments/v7xbdc/corruption_in_the_courts_comment_brings_new/
______________
Widespread
CORRUPTION In Entire FLORIDA Collier County Judicial System - CORRUPT
and INCOMPETENT Judges and Deputies Go Unchecked By FEDS & Local
Media
2014
https://aquakiki.wordpress.com/category/koh-chang-island/
______________
Miami Mafia
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Miami_Mafia
______________
Trafficante crime family
The
Trafficante crime family, also known as the Tampa Mafia, is an
Italian-American Mafia crime family based in Tampa, Florida. The most
notable boss was Santo Trafficante, Jr. who ruled Tampa and the crime
family with an iron fist. Author Scott Deitche reported that Santo
Jr. was involved with the CIA to plot assassination attempts on Fidel
Castro. After the death of Santo Jr. in 1987, the Tampa Mafia family
has been controlled by Vincent LoScalzo.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Trafficante_crime_family
______________
DeCavalcante crime family
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/DeCavalcante_crime_family
______________
Bufalino crime family
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bufalino_crime_family
The
Bufalino crime family, also known as the Pittston crime family, the
Scranton Wilkes-Barre crime family, the Northeastern Pennsylvania crime
family, the Northeastern Pennsylvania Mafia, or the Scranton Mafia, was
an Italian-American Mafia crime family active in Northeastern
Pennsylvania, primarily in the cities of Scranton, Wilkes-Barre, and
Pittston.
D'Elia the last boss
William "Big Billy" D'Elia
became the new boss of the Bufalino crime family after the death of boss
Russell Bufalino in 1994. He started his criminal career in the
Bufalino family in the late 1960s as Bufalino's driver, after his late
sister married the only son of capo James David Osticco. According to
the Pennsylvania Crime Commission, D'Elia was placed in the crew of
Caporegime Phillip Medico. D'Elia advanced through the ranks of the
organization rather quickly, due to the natural attrition of members and
indictments in the 1980s and 1990s. He took over the crime family's
solid waste rackets and oversaw the traditional Mafia rackets run by the
members and associates of the family. D'Elia also attempted to
replenish the aging ranks of the family, with limited success. As boss,
D'Elia worked with the other crime families in New York City,
Pittsburgh, Philadelphia, Southern Florida, and Los Angeles. In the
1990s, D'Elia was linked to a money laundering scheme involving numerous
Northeastern Pennsylvania bookmakers, escort services, corrupt
politicians, and associates of Russian organized crime. D'Elia was
closely aligned with the Philadelphia crime family.[19] When
Philadelphia crime family boss John Stanfa was imprisoned, D'Elia was
one of Stanfa's choices as interim caretaker of the family.
______________
MAFIA LINK SEEN IN TRASH CARTING IN WEST FLORIDA
July 3, 1983
Florida
has begun to crack down hard on racketeers from New York who, according
to Federal and state prosecutors, are invading the garbage collection
and disposal industry here on the state's west coast.
On Tuesday,
the Florida Attorney General, Jim Smith, and the Pinellas County State
Attorney, James T. Russell, jointly filed a civil antitrust suit against
20 individuals and 12 west Florida refuse hauling companies. At a news
conference, the officials described the defendants as practitioners of
''mob-style control'' of the trash hauling industry in this booming
retirement area. Threats and Beatings Cited
In January, the
United States Justice Department's Organized Crime Strike Force in the
Tampa area is to begin trying a major criminal racketeering case against
11 people, including five of those named in the state's civil antitrust
suit. The five, identified by the Federal Bureau of Investigation as
Mafia members or associates from New York, are accused of conspiring to
seize control of garbage disposal here by ''getting tough.''
The
indictment cites threats, extortion, beatings, pistol whippings and the
burning of garbage trucks belonging to local trash haulers who resisted
the mob takeover. One defendant is quoted in the indictment as saying
these actions are ''operating as in New York.''
https://www.nytimes.com/1983/07/03/us/mafia-link-seen-in-trash-carting-in-west-florida.html
______________
Illegal waste disposal in the time of the mafia: a tale of enforcement and social well being (Italian Mafia)
2012
https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/09640568.2011.620324
______________
West Palm Beach Task Force Tackles Illegal Dumping, Over 255K lbs. of Waste Cleared and 14 Arrests Made
June 07, 2024
https://hoodline.com/2024/06/west-palm-beach-task-force-tackles-illegal-dumping-over-255k-lbs-of-waste-cleared-and-14-arrests-made/
______________
10 Businesses Supposedly Controlled by the Mafia
Dec 1, 2021
Garbage Hauling/Waste Management
Gambling
Carpentry and Construction
Wind Energy
Real Estate
Restaurants and Pizzerias
Bars
Pornography
Music Recording
Drugs
https://people.howstuffworks.com/10-businesses-supposedly-controlled-by-the-mafia.htm
______________
The Reason The Mob And The Garbage Industry Are So Connected
2021
https://www.grunge.com/632158/the-reason-the-mob-and-the-garbage-industry-are-so-connected/
______________
The Garbage Wars: Cracking the Cartel
1995
https://www.nytimes.com/1995/07/30/business/the-garbage-wars-cracking-the-cartel.html
______________
Bergeron vs Waste Management trial nears; focus on legitimacy of $525-million recycling deal
2021
https://www.floridabulldog.org/2021/03/bergeron-vs-waste-management-trial-nears/
______________
Judge: Waste Management has rebutted crime-fraud allegations for now
January 2020
https://www.floridabulldog.org/2020/01/judge-waste-management-has-rebutted-crime-fraud-allegations-for-now/
______________
Tampa and the mob: From bolita to Trafficante
Nov. 16, 2022
TAMPA,
Fla. - From the gangland days of the early 20th century to the 1960s
and 70s gangsters, the mafia and Tampa have always been intertwined.
During
its mid-century peak, organized crime controlled or had a hand in
everything from gambling and prostitution to political corruption,
election rigging, unions and more.
And Tampa was right in the middle of it.
On
this episode of To The Point Already, anchors Rick Elmhorst and Roy De
Jesus talk with organized crime writer Scott M. Deitche about Tampa's
vivid mob backstory.
"The history of the mafia in Tampa is part
of the history of Tampa," said Deitche, a Bay area-based writer who has
written extensively about mafia history in Tampa. "(Mafia bosses)
controlled politicians, elections and had hands in legitimate
businesses."
The fabric of the Tampa's history is richly woven
with stories of ruthless gangsters who first grabbed control of illegal
bolita gambling and liquor distribution during Prohibition, executed
rivals, controlled the narcotics trade and eventually broadened their
influence across Florida and into pre-Castro Cuba.
Infamous in
the city's lore is the "Era of Blood," when 25 gangsters were gunned
down on the streets as Italian, Cuban and Anglo underworld factions
battled for power from the 1920s to the '50s.
And a
Godfather-like legend surrounds Tampa-born crime boss Santo Trafficante
Jr., who took over the Sicilian Mafia in Florida from his father in 1954
and built a criminal empire that was the envy of mob families across
the country.
Trafficante famously never spent a night in an
American jail. Trafficante died in 1987 following a heart operation and
the Tampa mob's heydey died with him.
Deitche's book "Cigar City
Mafia" is a who's who of Tampa gangland activity. He followed that up
with a book on Trafficante and also operates Mafia Tours in Ybor City.
He says it's the mafia characters that fascinate people to this day.
"It's
part of the history of Tampa," he said. "I try to tell it as
even-handed as I can. When I do the tour, when I talk to people and show
them where this guy got whacked, they're eyes light up. People respond
to that.
"I can talk about the minutiae of the political corruption but (people) are more interested in the big crime."
https://baynews9.com/fl/tampa/news/2022/11/15/tampa-and-the-mob-from-bolita-to-trafficante
______________
Mafia has long history in South Florida but new ways and new rivals
March 21, 2010
Ever since the ruthless Chicago mobster Al Capone bought a mansion on Miami's Palm Island in 1928, South Florida has been a destination for organized crime figures who want to relax and do a little business.
The rackets have evolved over the years — loan-sharking, extortion and gambling have largely given way to stock scams, money laundering and white-collar fraud — and the Italians and Jews of yore have been joined by rival contingents from Russia, Israel and South America.
But the culture of greed and violence has remained a constant.
Mobsters generally prefer to keep a low profile here, but La Costa Nostra — "this thing of ours" — is once more in the headlines, this time connected with Ponzi schemer Scott Rothstein.
Upon his return from Morocco last November, Rothstein reportedly went to work for the FBI, even as agents were dismantling his $1.2 billion investment fraud.
Roberto Settineri, the alleged Sicilian mobster whom Rothstein is credited with bringing down this month, appears to have the same short fuse and propensity for violence, according to a Miami Beach police report, that has marked mob behavior for a century...
https://www.palmbeachpost.com/story/news/crime/2010/03/21/mafia-has-long-history-in/7152830007/
______________
New insight into the mob connections in Southwest Florida
November 1, 2018
Here
in North Naples, the intersection of Orange Blossom Dr. and Bridgewater
Bay Blvd. seems completely calm and quiet. But in April of 2017, the
intersection is where law enforcement nabbed one of the men now accused
of killing notorious gangster Whitey Bulger.
“He was protected by the FBI,” John Pollok said.
Pollok
was the attorney for many of the mobs’ biggest names. These include
Angelo the “Duck,” Johnny Dio Guardi and John Gotti. Pollok now lives in
North Naples. He said, Whitey Bulger’s years as an informant made him
vulnerable.
“His position apparently to inform on the mob,” Pollok said, “they didn’t appreciate it.”
“They,”
as in organized crime. Freddy Geas, the man picked up by the Collier
County Sheriff’s Office years ago and reputed Mafia hit man.
Pollok
said the vicious attack on Bulger only a day after his transfer to the
West Virginia prison is all part of the mob mentality.
“For may
years the FBI protected him despite the fact — he was one bad dude,”
Pollok said. “They don’t forget, but neither does the mob.”
But the mob did seem to remember Southwest Florida as a hiding ground, Pollok said.
“Oh yes!” he said. “They would. They like the weather like anyone else.”
But Pollok believes Bulger’s death signals a change.
“The Godfather,” Pollok said. “Those days we think of are over”
https://winknews.com/2018/11/01/new-insight-into-the-mob-connections-in-southwest-florida/
______________
Arrest of Gotti recalls Florida mob history
Sep 28, 2008
The ghosts of Tampa's old-time wiseguys awakened this summer when Mafia scion John "Junior" Gotti came to town in handcuffs.
https://www.nbcnews.com/id/wbna26928518
______________
The Bum Farto Files: Married to the Mob
April 30, 2020
Key
West Fire Chief Joseph “Bum” Farto disappeared on Feb. 16, 1976, while
awaiting sentencing for a drug trafficking conviction stemming from
Operation Conch – a sting operation that found Farto allegedly selling
cocaine from the city’s fire station. Bum Farto became the Jimmy Hoffa
of Key West, and the island has swirled with rumors of his fate since he
disappeared. David Sloan and Quincy Perkins have launched an
unparalleled investigation into Chief Farto’s life, legends and
disappearance in an attempt to find the truth. Each week they will share
elements of their research here in the Key West Weekly while working to
solve one of the greatest mysteries in the history of Key West.
https://keysweekly.com/42/the-bum-farto-files-married-to-the-mob/
______________
The Rise and Fall of the Tampa Mafia
November 21, 2023
https://playeatlas.com/the-rise-and-fall-of-the-tampa-mafia/
______________
Sunshine State Mafia (Book)
A History of Florida’s Mobsters, Hit Men, and Wise Guys
Pub Date: 3/5/2024
Author: Doug Kelly
https://upf.com/book.asp?id=9780813080482
______________
Mobsters in Miami: Five Crime Bosses That Made the Magic City Home
January 15, 2011
Known as the "mob's accountant," Meyer Lansky was financier who worked with golden era gangsters like Charles "Lucky" Luciano and childhood friend "Bugsy" Siegel. Though often portrayed as a secondary character in Hollywood mob hits, Lansky might have been the most influential crime boss of the entire Twentieth Century, helping...
https://www.miaminewtimes.com/arts/mobsters-in-miami-five-crime-bosses-that-made-the-magic-city-home-6506671
______________
Operation Gladio | How The Mob Financed The CIA's Secret Army
Jul 6, 2024
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2k7YTFrmt84
______________
Florida Mobsters: From Prohibition to Prosecution
February 4, 2024
https://www.floridaman.media/florida-mobsters-from-prohibition-to-prosecution/
______________
Reputed mob captain gets prison in Fla. fraud case
Dec 16, 2008
https://www.indeonline.com/story/news/2008/12/17/reputed-mob-captain-gets-prison/42863460007/
______________
Who are Tampa's new mob leaders?
Published May 5, 1991
https://www.tampabay.com/archive/1991/05/05/who-are-tampa-s-new-mob-leaders/
______________
Miami becomes 'Little Moscow': FBI says Russian mob eclipses Italian Mafia in South Florida
June 1, 2011
https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1393246/Russian-mob-eclipses-Italian-Mafia-South-Florida-FBI-says.html
______________
Florida's worst spies: Espionage comes to the Sunshine State
June 16, 2017
https://www.tampabay.com/news/publicsafety/floridas-worst-spies-espionage-comes-to-the-sunshine-state/2327447/
______________
Convicted hit man’s escape in Central Florida evokes mob’s ‘ruthless’ heyday in American city
April 9, 2022
https://wsvn.com/news/us-world/convicted-hit-mans-escape-in-central-florida-evokes-mobs-ruthless-heyday-in-american-city/
______________
Why Is the Mob Often Tied to the Garbage Industry?
May 23, 2012
https://www.mentalfloss.com/article/30738/why-mob-often-tied-garbage-industry
______________
Why the Mafia Loves Garbage
Jan 11, 2008
Hauling trash and organized crime.
https://slate.com/news-and-politics/2008/01/why-does-the-mafia-get-involved-in-hauling-garbage.html
______________
Poisoning for Profit - The Mafia and Toxic Waste in America
1985
Annotation
Information from undercover investigations, hearings, taped conversations, confessions, and suppressed official reports documents organized crime's involvement in illegal toxic waste dumping and the ineffectiveness of government agencies responsible for regulating toxic waste disposal.
Abstract
A historic review chronicles organized crime's domination of the solid waste disposal industry in the Northeast and the illegal tactics used to eliminate competition and fix prices. The expansion of organized crime into toxic waste disposal is then detailed, with particular attention to the practice of dumping such wastes in areas not legally designated as toxic waste dump sites. Case studies of the consequences of such dumping are presented. Also described are the efforts of a few law enforcement officials to counter illegal toxic waste disposal and expose the payoffs, bribes, political favors, and collusion between organized crime, industry, and the government that hindered a concerted effort to stop illegal toxic waste dumping. Although much of the book focuses on illegal toxic waste dumping in the New York-New Jersey region, evidence of the same pattern in other States is also presented. The halting and sometimes obstructionist efforts of the Environmental Protection Agency under the Carter and Reagan administrations regarding the regulation of toxic waste dumping are discussed. 56 references and a subject index.
https://www.ojp.gov/ncjrs/virtual-library/abstracts/poisoning-profit-mafia-and-toxic-waste-america
______________
Toxic waste dumping by the 'Ndrangheta
The 'Ndrangheta, a criminal organization from Calabria, Italy, has been involved in radioactive waste dumping since the 1980s. Ships with toxic and radioactive waste were sunk off the Italian coast. In addition, vessels were allegedly sent to Somalia and other developing countries with toxic waste, including radioactive waste cargoes, which were either sunk with the ship or buried on land. The introduction of more rigorous environmental legislation in the 1980s made illegal waste dumping a lucrative business for organized crime groups in Italy. The phenomenon of widespread environmental crime perpetrated by criminal syndicates like the Camorra and 'Ndrangheta has given rise to the term "ecomafia".
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Toxic_waste_dumping_by_the_%27Ndrangheta
______________
The Mob Is Secretly Dumping Nuclear Waste Across Italy and Africa
January 31, 2014
https://gizmodo.com/the-mob-is-secretly-dumping-nuclear-waste-across-italy-1513190243
______________
Mafia turncoat reveals sinking of ships with toxic waste in Med.
Malta implicated
September 16, 2009
https://timesofmalta.com/article/mafia-turncoat-reveals-sinking-of-ships-with-toxic-waste-in-med.273529
______________
Italian mafia boss says pollution turned him into a police informant
Oct 30, 2013
He knew the mafia's toxic-waste dumping would doom people to die from cancer, and he eventually felt bad enough to do something about it.
https://grist.org/living/italian-mafia-boss-says-pollution-turned-him-into-a-police-informant/
______________
The Italian Mob's Toxic Waste Dumping Is Giving People Cancer
January 4, 2016
https://www.vice.com/en/article/53dpvq/the-italian-mobs-toxic-waste-dumping-is-giving-people-cancer
______________
A Mafia Legacy Taints the Earth in Southern Italy
Jan. 29, 2014
https://www.nytimes.com/2014/01/30/world/europe/beneath-southern-italy-a-deadly-mob-legacy.html
______________
Recycling And The Mob
August 1, 2019
https://www.npr.org/2019/08/01/747170708/recycling-and-the-mob
______________
Garbage hauling cartels: the dark matter of organized crime
2022
https://mafiagenealogy.com/2022/10/01/garbage-hauling-cartels-the-dark-matter-of-organized-crime/
______________
Scientists uncover 'missing' plastics deep in the ocean
2/2/2022
FAU Scientists Uncover ‘Missing’ Plastics Deep in the Ocean
About 51 trillion microplastics are floating in the surface waters of oceans around the world. Originating from various types of plastics, these tiny fragments (less than 5 millimeters in length) pollute natural ecosystems. Hundreds of studies have surveyed plastic debris on the surface or near surface of the ocean. However, these studies only “scratch the surface,” and do not provide a complete inventory of what’s lurking beneath.
A study led by Florida Atlantic University is the first to unveil the prevalence of plastics in the entire water column of an offshore plastic accumulation zone in the southern Atlantic Ocean and implicates the ocean interior as a crucial pool of ‘missing’ plastics.
Results, published in the journal Global Change Biology , demonstrate that small microplastics are critical, underexplored and integral to the oceanic plastic inventory. In addition, findings show that weak ocean current systems contribute to the formation of small microplastics hotspots at depth, suggesting a higher encounter rate for subsurface particle feeders like zooplankton.
“Our study highlights the urgency for more quantification of the deep-ocean microplastics, especially the smaller size fraction, to better understand ecosystem exposure and to predict the fate and impacts of these microplastics,” said Tracy Mincer, Ph.D., senior author and an assistant professor of biology at FAU Harbor Branch Oceanographic Institute and FAU Harriet L. Wilkes Honors College.
To gain a better mechanistic understanding of how plastics sink from the ocean surface beyond the mixed layer and ultimately to abyssal depths of the ocean, the researchers sampled plastic particles in the South Atlantic Subtropical Gyre using in-situ high-volume filtration, Manta net and MultiNet sampling, combined with micro-Fourier-transform-infrared imaging.
They found that abundances and distribution patterns of small microplastics varied geographically and vertially due to the diverse and complex redistribution processes interacting with different plastic particles. They also observed large horizontal and vertical variations in the abundances of small microplastics, displaying inverse vertical trends in some cases. Small microplastics abundances in pump samples were more than two orders of magnitude higher than large microplastics concurrently collected in MultiNet samples.
“Small microplastics are different from large microplastics with respect to their high abundance, chemical nature, transport behavior, weathering stages, interactions with ambient environments, bioavailability and the release efficiency of plastic additives,” said Shiye Zhao, Ph.D., first author and a post-doctoral fellow at FAU Harbor Branch. “These distinct characteristics impact their environmental fate and potential impacts on marine ecosystems.”
https://www.fau.edu/newsdesk/articles/missing-microplastics-ocean.php
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Section 3: Solutions
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Toxic Cookware
According
to risk assessments by the EPA, PFOA’s present significant
developmental and reproductive risks in humans with the use of Teflon:
An increased rate of birth defects has been found in mothers working at
DuPont. The company’s response was to move female employees to other
sections of the plant in an effort to reduce their exposure to PFOA’s.
The chemical coating is also used in fire fighting foam and phone
cables. Variants of FPOA’s are used to make the coating on stain
resistant carpets and flame retardants for clothing and computers.Teflon
can also be found in nail polish removers, eyeglasses, and as lining in
pizza boxes.
PFOA’s do not break down in the
environment anytime soon, causing forever pollution. According to Tim
Kropp, a toxicologist with the Environmental Working Group, if all
future exposure is cut off, it would take the body at least 20 years to
detoxify Teflon chemicals. Finally, the EPA has recommended that PFOA be
classified as a human carcinogen.
http://whatscookingamerica.net/LindaPosch/ToxicCookware.htm
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Teflon Is Forever
http://www.motherjones.com/environment/2007/05/teflon-forever -
Teflon,
it turns out, gets its nonstick properties from a toxic, nearly
indestructible chemical called pfoa, or perfluorooctanoic acid. Used in
thousands of products from cookware to kids' pajamas to takeout coffee
cups, pfoa is a likely human carcinogen, according to a science panel
commissioned by the Environmental Protection Agency. It shows up in
dolphins off the Florida coast and polar bears in the Arctic; it is
present, according to a range of studies, in the bloodstream of almost
every American—and even in newborns (where it may be associated with
decreased birth weight and head circumference). The nonprofit watchdog
organization Environmental Working Group (ewg) calls pfoa and its close
chemical relatives "the most persistent synthetic chemicals known to
man." And although DuPont, the nation's sole Teflon manufacturer, likes
to chirp that its product makes "cleanup a breeze," it is now becoming
apparent that cleansing ourselves of pfoa is nearly impossible. DuPont
has always known more about Teflon than it let on. Two years ago the epa
fined the company $16.5 million—the largest administrative fine in the
agency's history—for covering up decades' worth of studies indicating
that pfoa could cause health problems such as cancer, birth defects, and
liver damage. The company has faced a barrage of lawsuits and
embarrassing studies as well as an ongoing criminal probe from the
Department of Justice over its failure to report health problems among
Teflon workers. One lawsuit accuses DuPont of fouling drinking water
systems and contaminating its employees with pfoa. Yet it is still
manufacturing and using pfoa, and unless the epa chooses to ban the
chemical, DuPont will keep making it, unhindered, until 2015.
The
Teflon era began in 1938, when a DuPont chemist experimenting with
refrigerants stumbled upon what would turn out to be, as the company
later boasted, "one of the world's slipperiest substances." DuPont
registered the Teflon trademark in 1944, and the coating was soon put to
work in the Manhattan Project's A-bomb effort. But like other wartime
innovations, such as nylon and pesticides, Teflon found its true calling
on the home front. By the 1960s, DuPont was producing Teflon for
cookware and advertising it as "a housewife's best friend." Today,
DuPont's annual worldwide revenues from Teflon and other products made
with pfoa as a processing agent account for a full $1 billion of the
company's total revenues of $29 billion. Teflon is not actually the
brand name of a pan; it's the name of the slippery stuff that DuPont
sells to other companies. Marketers deploy the trademark as a
near-mystic incantation, a mantra for warding off filth:
Clorox
Toilet Bowl Cleaner With Teflon® Surface Protector, Dockers Stain
Defender™ With Teflon®, Blue Dolphin Sleep 'N Play layette set
"protected with Teflon fabric protector."
Breathing in
dust from Teflon-treated rugs or upholstery as they wear down is one
way we may be ingesting pfoa. Food is another: Pizza-slice paper,
microwave-popcorn bags, ice cream cartons, and other food packages are
often lined with Zonyl, another DuPont brand. Technically, Zonyl does
not contain pfoa, but it is made with fluorotelomer chemicals that break
down into pfoa. Regardless of how it gets into our bodies, once there,
pfoa stays—quietly accumulating in our tissues, for a lifetime.
Teflon
is not the only nonstick, non-stain brand that has turned out to be
stickier than advertised. Scotchgard and Gore-Tex, to name just two, are
also made with pfoa or other perfluorochemicals (pfcs). Last year the
epa hit the 3M corporation, maker of Scotchgard, with a $1.5 million
penalty for failing to report pfoa and pfc health data.
Chemicals similar to pfoa have recently turned up in water supplies of suburban Minneapolis and St. Paul, near 3M facilities.
Unlike
DuPont, though, 3M no longer sells pfoa: In the late 1990s, when
testing blood samples for a health study, the company found pfoa even in
the "clean" samples from various U.S. blood banks that it had planned
to use as controls. "They realized they were contaminating the entire
population," says Richard Wiles, the Environmental
Working Group's executive director. In 2000, 3M announced that it was discontinuing pfoa production.
When
3M got out, DuPont, which until then had bought its pfoa from 3M,
jumped in. Now the company's bottom line depends on whether its
product's mythic reputation—Teflon's own Teflon—remains intact.
So
far, it seems to be holding. Nonstick pots and pans account for 70
percent of all cookware sold. "Amazingly enough, all the publicity has
had no impact on sales," says Hugh Rushing, executive vice president of
the Cookware Manufacturers' Association.
"People read
so much about the supposed dangers in the environment that they get a
tin ear
In
fact, nonstick pans are not a major source of exposure to pfoa, because
almost all of the chemical is burned off during manufacture. Still,
when overheated, Teflon cookware can release trace amounts of pfoa and
14 other gases and particles, including some proven toxins and
carcinogens, according to the Environmental Working Group's review of 16
research studies over some 50 years. At 500 degrees, Teflon fumes can
kill birds; at 660, they can cause the flu-like "polymer fume fever" in
humans. Even at normal cooking temperatures, two of four brands of
frying pans tested in a study cosponsored by DuPont gave off trace
amounts of gaseous pfoa and other perfluorated chemicals.
A
$5 billion multistate class-action lawsuit representing millions of
Teflon cookware owners alleges that DuPont has known for years that its
coatings could turn toxic at temperatures commonly reached on the stove,
but failed to tell consumers. DuPont's website recommends not heating
Teflon above 500 degrees (so it doesn't "discolor or lose its nonstick
quality") and advises that when overheated, "nonstick cookware can emit
fumes that may be harmful to birds, as can any type of cookware
preheated with cooking oil, fats, margarine and butter." But who knows
how hot a pan gets, and who looks out for birds before fixing dinner?
Even while researching this story, I left a nonstick skillet on the
stove. The fumes smelled like fried computer, and I vowed not to do it
again. But I also decided to go with the hazardous-waste flow, figuring,
"We're all toxic dumps anyway." (ewg studies have found a "body burden"
of 455 industrial pollutants, pesticides, and other chemicals in the
bodies of ordinary Americans.) With toxic substances unavoidable, or at
least key
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EPA charges DuPont hid Teflon's risks
http://articles.chicagotribune.com/2005-01-18/news/0501180271_1_pfoa-teflon-plant-west-virginia-courtroom
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Chemical Used in Teflon & Non-Stick Cookware Linked to Heart Disease
September 16, 2012
https://naturalsociety.com/chemical-teflon-non-stick-linked-heart-disease/
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Study Finds Teflon Chemical In Newborns' Umbilical Cords
2006
http://www.consumeraffairs.com/news04/2006/02/teflon_umbilical.html
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DuPont's Teflon Cover-up
Mar. 22, 2006
https://environmentalchemistry.com/yogi/environmental/200603tefloncoverup.html
EPA Steps In
EPA has been conducting studies on C-8 or PFOA and have found that this man-made chemical (that is not found in nature) is present in just about every living or previously living thing in the industrialized world. In August of 2005 an independent EPA scientific advisory board concluded that PFOA is a likely human carcinogen and recommended that the EPA conduct cancer risk assessments for a variety of tumors that have been observed in rats and mice that were exposed to the chemical.
In December 2005 the EPA stated that DuPont had violated both the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA) and the Toxic Substance Control Act (TSCA) for allegedly failing to file notification about the potential health and environmental risks posed by perfluorooctanoic acid, or PFOA (C-8). In the largest settlement ever made involving a civil administrative federal environmental statute in the history of EPA, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced that DuPont agreed to pay $10.25 million in fines and $6.25 million to fund environmental projects to settle allegations that the company withheld information about the dangers of the toxic chemical PFOA.
In addition, DuPont has already agreed to pay up to $343 million in settlement of a class action arising from the contamination of drinking water in Ohio and West Virginia from its plant near Parkersburg, West Virginia. DuPont will also set aside up to another $235 million for future medical monitoring if the studies find C-8 can make people sick.
Had it not been for the diligence of a "whistle blowing" employee at DuPont, the case might still have been unexposed. This makes one wonder it there are lots of other "C-8s" out there, different chemicals, created by companies other than DuPont, with dubious records, filed away in dusty research files marked "Personal and Confidential."
Compounds associated with Teflon
Major Compounds associated with Teflon Production
- APFO: Ammonium perfluorooctanoate (C8)
- PFOA: Perfluorooctanoic acid (also dubbed C8)- Associated with APFO (a synthesizing aid in synthesis of fluoropolymers) (3)
- PTFE: Polytetrafluoroethylene - Original Teflon
- FEP: Resin introduced in 1960
- ETFE: Tefzel® introduced 1970
- PFA: Resin introduced in 1972
Linked to Cancer
- PFOA: Perfluorooctanoic acid Compound resulting from offgasing of Teflon compounds (has been shown to be transferred from mother to fetus) persistent in environment and found in blood
- TFE: Compound resulting from offgasing of Teflon compounds
Linked to global warning
- PFB likely never breaks down in environment
- CF4: Carbontetrafluoride
Chemical warfare agents
- PFIB: Perfluoroisobutene
- MFA: Monofluoroacetic acid
- COF2: Chemical analog of WWII nerve gas phosgene
Probably never break down in the environment
- TFA: trifluoroacetetic acid
- PFOA: Perfluorooctanoic acid
- CF4: Carbontetrafluoride
- PFB: Perfluorobutane
- Perfluorinated particulate alkanes
Highly Toxic relative to other industrial chemicals
- PFIB: Perfluoroisobutene
- MFA: Monofluoroacetic acid
- COF2: carbonyl fluoride
- HF: Hydrogen fluoride
Found in blood
- PHOa: Perfluorooctanoic acid - used in processing Teflon
- PHOs: perfluorooctane sulfonate
- PFOS: Perfluorooctanyl sulfonate - Active ingredient in Scotch Guard
Offgasses of heated Teflon
- TFE: Tetrafluoroethylene
- HFP: Hexafluoropropene
- OFCB: Octafluorocyclobutane
- PFIB: Perfluoroisobutane
- COF2: Carbonyl fluoride
- CF4: Carbon tetrafluoride
- TFA: Trifluoroacetic acid
- CF3COF: Trifluoroacetic acid fluoride
- PFB: Perfluorobutane
- SiF4: Silicon tetrafluoride
- HF: Hydrofluoric acid
Temperature Versus Teflon offgas/breakdown and effects
- 464°F - Lowest temperature that Teflon particles have been measured
- 500°F - Searing temperature for meat
- 536°F - Birds killed in DuPont lab experiments
- 554°F - Oxidized Teflon particles released
- 680°F - Toxic gases released
- TFE - Animal carcinogen
- HFP - Worker Toxicant
- TFA - Poisonous to plants
- DFA - Animal kidney toxicant
- MFA - Lethal to humans at low doses
- PFOA - Animal carcinogen
- 700°F - Preheated grill
- 750°F - Surface Temperature of PTFE coated pan after heating for 8 minutes on conventional stove
- 800°F - Electric coil on range top
- 878°F - Silica tetrafluoride released - Highly toxic by inhalation and ingestion
- 887°F - PFIB - Chemical warfare agent
- 932°F - Carbonyl fluoride - Fluorinated version of chemical warfare agent
- 1,000°F - Drip Pans in stove top burner gas flame on top
- 1112°F - Trifluoroacetic acid fluoride - degrades to HF and TFA, OFCB Linked to Heart palpations, PFB - Global warming gas
- 1,202°F Carbon tetrafluoride - contributes to global warming and affects heart, lungs, breathing
- 1,500°F - Broiling temperature for high end ovens
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{There remains some groups that claim Teflon is non-toxic}.
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The Weinberg Group
- The Weinberg Group is a Washington, DC-based consulting group, specializing in "international scientific and regulatory consulting" and "help[ing] companies protect their product at every stage of its life." Founded in 1983, the firm assists pharmaceutical, pesticide, and chemical companies in regulatory affairs, litigation, and media work.
- In an article authored by Paul D. Thacker, Environmental Science & Technology reported that in April 2003, the Weinberg Group proposed a strategy to DuPont to help defuse the growing controversy over the health impacts of perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA), a compound used to make Teflon. Weinberg's Vice-President of Product Defense, P.Terrence Gaffney, wrote, "DuPont must shape the debate at all levels." One of his suggested strategies was to facilitate the "publication of papers and articles dispelling the alleged nexus between PFOA and teratogenicity as well as other claimed harm."
Gaffney also proposed to "develop 'blue ribbon panels' of thought leaders on issues related to PFOA" and to "coordinate the publishing of white papers on PFOA, junk science and the limits of medical monitoring." DuPont confirmed that they had hired the Weinberg Group to help with "scientific third party experts." The five-page 2003 letter also states that the Weinberg Group "has helped numerous companies manage issues allegedly related to environmental exposures. Beginning with Agent Orange in 1983, we have successfully guided clients through myriad regulatory, litigation and public relations challenges posed by those whose agenda is to grossly over regulate, extract settlements from, or otherwise damage the chemical manufacturing industry."- http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Weinberg_Group
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Cyclohexane
http://toxipedia.org/display/toxipedia/Cyclohexane
Cyclohexane (C6H12) is a naturally occurring chemical that is also produced synthetically
and used as a solvent in numerous industries. Acute exposure to large
doses can affect the nervous system, and cyclohexane is a mild eye and
skin irritant.
Uses
Cyclohexane
is a "high volume chemical" and more than 1 million pounds is produced
annually in the US. It is used to extrapolate vapor degreasing solvents
and as a solvent in certain industries including laboratory chemicals,
machinery manufacturing and repair, rubber manufacturing, nylon production, and varnish and solvents.
In the past, it was used in certain pesticides.
Environmental Effects
Cyclohexane
is released into the environment primarily as an air pollutant from
industrial sources. It breaks down easily into its component chemicals
and it does not bind well to soil, so it eventually enters the
groundwater. Cyclohexane has been observed to contribute to the
formation of photochemical smog when it reacts with certain other
chemicals (#EPA).
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Fluorotelomer alcohol
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fluorotelomer_alcohol
Fluorotelomer alcohols, or FTOHs, are fluorotelomers with an alcohol functional group. They are volatile precursors to perfluorinated carboxylic acids, such as PFOA and PFNA, and other compounds.
Environmental and health concerns
Fluorotelomer alcohols are volatile and widely detected in air. Fluorotelomer alcohols can biodegrade to perfluorinated carboxylic acids that persist in the environment and are found in the blood serum of populations and wildlife, such as the toxic PFOA and PFNA. The fluorotelomer alcohols 6:2 FTOH and 8:2 FTOH have been found to be estrogenic.
The atmospheric oxidation of fluorotelomer alcohols can also result in anthropogenic perfluorinated carboxylic acids. In addition to perfluorinated carboxylic acids, fluorotelomer alcohols can degrade to form unsaturated carboxylic acids which have been detected in bottlenose dolphins. Fluorotelomer alcohols such as 4:2 FTOH, 6:2 FTOH, 8:2 FTOH, and 10:2 FTOH, have been identified as residuals in consumer products such as stain repellents, Zonyl FSE, and windshield wash, among others. The United States Environmental Protection Agency has asked eight chemical companies to reduce the amount of residuals, including fluorotelomer alcohols, from products.
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Fluoride and Teflon, Stainmaster, Scotchgard and Gore-Tex
Two
items concerning the health concerns and scientific manipulations
surrounding fluorine-based products, Teflon, Stainmaster, Scotchgard and
Gore-Tex; "Results show Teflon chemicals found in babies' blood":
1) A good overview about PFCs, including contamination of water:
http://www.ewg.org/reports/pfcworld/
Introduction
-- Consumers instantly recognize them as household miracles of modern
chemistry, a family of substances that keeps food from sticking topots
and pans, repels stains on furniture and rugs, and makes the rain roll
off raincoats. Industry makes use of the slippery, heat-stable
properties of these same chemicals to manufacture everything from
airplanes and computers to cosmetics and household cleaners.
But in the past five years, the multi-billion dollar "perfluorochemical" (PFC)
industry,
which underpins such world-famous brands as Teflon, Stainmaster,
Scotchgard and Gore-Tex, has emerged as a regulatory priority for
scientists and officials at the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
(EPA). The PFC family is characterized by chains of carbon atoms of
varying lengths, to which fluorine atoms are strongly bonded, yielding
essentially indestructible chemicals that until recently were thought to
be biologically inert. No one thinks so now.
A flood of disturbing scientific findings since
The U.S.
EPA peremptorily forced one member of this family off the market in
2000: PFOS, the active ingredient used for decades in the original
formulation of 3M's popular Scotchgard stain and water repellent.
Shortly thereafter, 3M also stopped manufacture of a related
perfluorochemical, called PFOA, that is now under intense regulatory
pressure at EPA. 3M formerly sold PFOA to DuPont, which has used PFOA
for half a century in the manufacture of Teflon. (DuPont now now makes
the chemical itself at a new facility in North Carolina.) Alarmed by
findings from toxicity studies and by the presence of PFOA in the blood
of more than 90 percent of the U.S. population, EPA is expected to
announce initial steps to regulate the chemical in early April (2003).
This
report provides the first, comprehensive review ever published of the
pollution and health risks posed by PFCs, with special reference to
PFOA. It is based on a review of 50,000 pages of regulatory studies and
government documents obtained from EPA;
internal documents from DuPont and 3M disclosed in ongoing litigation; and an
examination of a growing body of independent studies on the toxicity and environmental occurrence of PFCs.
This
report also explains how major companies like 3M and DuPont, who
endlessly boast about their scientific prowess, could get away with
permanently contaminating the entire planet for decades amid assurance
from the chemical industry that it practices "responsible care" with
respect to public health and the environment.
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Gore-Tex: An Introduction to the Material and Treatments
( http://cool.conservation-us.org/coolaic/sg/bpg/annual/v11/bp11-33.html )
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Plastic Food and Drink Containers: Too Toxic to Reuse?
2011
One study shows that higher temperatures can cause the release of the heavy metal antimony from #1, PET.
http://sierraclub.typepad.com/mrgreen/2011/04/plastic-food-and-drink-containers-too-toxic-to-reuse.html
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Contamination of Canadian and European bottled waters with antimony from PET containers.
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/16470261
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PET plastic
( Polyethylene terephthalate )
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/PET_plastic
PET
was patented in 1941 by John Rex Whinfield, James Tennant Dickson and
their employer the Calico Printers' Association of Manchester. E. I.
DuPont de Nemours in Delaware, USA, first used the trademark Mylar
in June of 1951 and received registration of it in 1952. It is still the
most well known name used for polyester film. The current owner of the
trademark is Dupont Teijin Films US, a partnership with a Japanese
company.
Degradation
PET is subjected to various types of degradations during processing. The main
degradations that can occur are hydrolytic, thermal and, probably most important,
thermal
oxidation. When PET degrades, several things happen: discoloration,
chain scissions resulting in reduced molecular weight, formation of
acetaldehyde, and cross-links ("gel" or "fish-eye" formation).
Discoloration is due to the formation of various chromophoric systems
following prolonged thermal treatment at elevated temperatures.
This
becomes a problem when the optical requirements of the polymer are very
high, such as in packaging applications. The thermal and
thermooxidative degradation results in poor processibility
characteristics and performance of the material
Acetaldehyde
Acetaldehyde
is a colorless, volatile substance with a fruity smell. Although it
forms naturally in some fruit, it can cause an off-taste in bottled
water. Acetaldehyde forms by degradation of PET through the mishandling
of the material. High temperatures, (PET decomposes above 300 °C or 570
°F), high pressures, extruder speeds (excessive shear flow raises
temperature), and long barrel residence times all contribute to the
production of acetaldehyde. When acetaldehyde is produced, some of it
remains dissolved in the walls of a container and then diffuses into the
product stored inside, altering the taste and aroma. This is not such a
problem for non-consumables (such as shampoo), for fruit juices (which
already contain acetaldehyde), or for strong-tasting drinks like soft
drinks. For bottled water, however, low acetaldehyde content is quite
important, because, if nothing masks the aroma, even extremely low
concentrations (10–20 parts per billion in the water) of acetaldehyde
can produce an off-taste.
Safety
Commentary
published in Environmental Health Perspectives in April 2010 suggested
that PET might yield endocrine disruptors under conditions of common use
and recommended research on this topic. Proposed mechanisms include
leaching of phthalates as well as leaching of antimony. Article
published in Journal of Environmental Monitoring in April 2012 concludes
that antimony concentration in deionized water stored in PET bottles
stays within
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Losing their health and homes to spray polyurethane foam
http://www.treehugger.com/green-architecture/losing-their-health-and-homes-spray-polyurthane-foam.html
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Artificial Leather
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Artificial_leather
Poromeric imitation leather
Sometimes referred to as poromerics, poromeric imitation leathers are a group of
synthetic "breathable" leather substitutes made from a plastic coating (usually a
polyurethane) on a fibrous base layer (typically a polyester).
The
term poromeric was coined by DuPont as a derivative of the terms
microporous and polymeric. The first poromeric material was DuPont's
ill-fated Corfam introduced in 1963 at the Chicago Shoe Show.
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Top 25 Biggest Product Flops of All Time
No. 9: Corfam Fake Leather
http://www.dailyfinance.com/photos/top-25-biggest-product-flops-of-all-time/?photo=2#!slide=982936
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Many people in the military and the DMV were forced into wearing Corfam boots and shoes.
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BARBARA D. MEADOWS, Employee, Plaintiff v. N.C. DEPT. OF TRANSPORTATION,
Plantiff claims the DMV force their employees to wear synthetic leather shoes with a material called Corfam.
Some employees have complained about foot problems, including their
feet swelling up in these types of shoes. However, the DMV employees
were not permitted to wear any other shoes, except the Corfam issued
shoes by the DMV.
http://www.aoc.state.nc.us/www/public/coa/opinions/2000/990801-1.htm
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Many plastic shoes toxic - study
2009
http://www.abs-cbnnews.com/lifestyle/09/15/09/many-plastic-shoes-toxic-study
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High level of toxins detected in shoes
Sep 22, 2009
http://www.iol.co.za/business/business-news/high-level-of-toxins-detected-in-shoes-1.707500#.UeYfM23piSo
In
a study released last week, the Swedish Society for Nature Conservation
(SSNC) found high levels of a toxic chemical known as diethyl-hexyl
phthalate (DEHP) in 17 out of 27 pairs of shoes manufactured in various
countries including India, Indonesia, Tanzania, The Philippines, Sweden
and South Africa.
The chemical can cause cancer, severe damage to a developing fetus and the central nervous system.
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Toxic chemical found in school shoes
2012
http://www.smh.com.au/national/health/toxic-chemical-found-in-school-shoes-20120519-1yxik.html
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Toxins in leather shoes
http://inspirationgreen.com/toxins-in-leather-shoes.html
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Occupational cancers in leather tanning industries: A short review
http://www.ijoem.com/article.asp?issn=0019-5278;year=2007;volume=11;issue=1;spage=3;epage=5;aulast=Rastogi
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Be cautious of water resistant clothing with PFCs
What are PFCs - http://www.everydayexposures.com/toxins/pfcs
Perfluorinated
Compounds (PFCs) are organofluorine compounds that have an ability to
make products stain, grease, and water resistant, and are popular for
their non-stick and stain-repellant uses. Due to these properties, PFCs
are often used in paper food containers such as microwave popcorn bags
and fast food wrappers. PFCs are considered persistent organic
pollutants (POPs) and resist chemical, biological, and photolytic
degradation in the environment. These chemicals biomagnify in the food
chain and bioaccumulate in animal and human tissues.
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Toxic Chemicals in Pregnant Women?
http://www.nrdc.org/living/pregnancy/toxic-chemicals-pregnant-women.asp
In
January 2010, a study by the University of California San Francisco
confirmed that pregnant women carry multiple chemicals in their bodies
that can be passed onto their fetus. Published in Environmental Health
Perspectives, the study evaluated data collected by the U.S. Centers for
Disease Control and Prevention in 2003-2004. Overall, 43 banned as well
as currently used chemicals -- including PCBs, organochlorine pesticides, PFCs, phenols, PBDE flame retardants, phthalates -- were detected in 99-100% of over 250 pregnant women.
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Are your child’s clothes TOXIC?
2013
http://www.mygutsy.com/are-your-childs-clothes-toxic/
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Harmful Effects of Polyester Resin
2017
http://www.ehow.com/list_6757223_harmful-effects-polyester-resin.html
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The Clothes that Kill You Slowly but Surely
Nowadays,
clothes also contain toxins like formaldehyde, brominated flame
retardants, and perfluorinated chemicals (Teflon) to provide "non-iron"
and "non-wrinkle" qualities. Insecticides are even applied in the name
of good health!
http://cancerdefeated.com/newsletters/The-Clothes-that-Kill-You-Slowly-but-Surely.html
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Toxic chemicals in children's clothes, explained
2014
http://www.dw.de/toxic-chemicals-in-childrens-clothes-explained/a-17366181
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Clothing Dermatitis and Clothing-Related Skin Conditions
http://www.lni.wa.gov/Safety/Research/Dermatitis/files/clothing.pdf
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Synthetic Dyes: A look at Environmental & Human Risks
2008
http://greencotton.wordpress.com/2008/06/18/synthetic-dyes-a-look-at-the-good-the-bad-and-the-ugly/
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The 6+ Synthetic Fabrics You Most Want to Avoid, and Why
http://www.sixwise.com/newsletters/05/12/21/the-6-synthetic-fabrics-you-most-want-to-avoid-and-why.htm
______________
Protect kids from toxins
http://www.co.thurston.wa.us/health/ehkids/pdf/toxicbro.pdf
______________
The Advantages of Organic Clothing
http://greenliving.nationalgeographic.com/advantages-organic-clothing-2630.html
______________
SILK SCREEN PRINTING
http://www.uic.edu/sph/glakes/harts1/HARTS_library/silkscrn.txt
Silk screen printing is one of the most hazardous processes in the arts and crafts.
Dermatitis, narcosis (dizziness, light-headedness, fatigue, nausea, lack of
coordination
and headaches), eye irritation, adverse reproductive hazards including
increased risk of miscarriage, and serious neurological problems can all
result from the processes of screen printing.
Traditionally,
silk screen printing has been performed using organic solvent-based
materials. Water-based inks containing less hazardous ingredients
provide a safer and increasingly popular alternative.
Many
silk screen inks contain many hazardous chemicals and solvents. Poster
inks can contain toluene and xylene, which are highly toxic aromatic
hydrocarbons, and large amounts of mineral spirits. Other inks, e.g.
vinyl inks, can contain large amounts of other highly toxic solvents,
for example, isophorone
______________
Organic Screen Printing
http://organic.lovetoknow.com/Organic_Screen_Printing
Organic
screen printing is an important thing to consider when you are out
shopping for organic clothing. Even though you may be purchasing an
organic shirt, if it is printed with toxic inks you may not be doing as
much for the environment as you think. The good news is there are
earth-friendly screen printing methods that are a good choice over
traditional screen printing methods.
Traditional printing ink poses a serious danger to the air we breathe, the water we
drink
and the food we eat. This is because toxic chemicals that are produced
during the manufacturing and disposal processes, as well as during the
use of this ink, are released into the environment.
Plastisol, the traditionally used ink for screen printing, is manufactured by using a liquefied
form of polyvinyl chloride, or PVC. The chlorine-based chemicals that
are formed when this product is manufactured react with other chemicals
to create dioxins, PCBs and other toxic compounds. In addition, the
plasticizers used to make this ink flexible are carcinogenic and
continue to be released even after you have purchased the product. So
even if you have purchased an organic hemp or cotton shirt, your
purchase may not be as environmentally friendly as you think it is.
______________
How Green Are Your Jeans?
Some 450 million pairs of jeans are sold in the United States each year -- 1.5 pairs for every man, woman, and child. The average woman has eight pairs in her closet. Chances are that to make those jeans, cotton crops were drenched in pesticides; fibers were stained with toxic dyes; and the resulting fabric was sandblasted, chemically softened, and ripped and scrunched to create the wrinkles and tears that make new jeans look perfectly broken in.
There is another option: the eco-minded can invest in a pair of jeans woven from organic cotton, dyed with natural indigo, and faded with nontoxic ozone.
http://www.onearth.org/article/how-green-are-your-jeans
______________
The dirty secret behind jeans and bras
2010
http://www.greenpeace.org/eastasia/news/stories/toxics/2010/textile-pollution-xintang-gurao/
______________
Indigo dye
In 1897, 19,000 tons of indigo were produced from plant sources. Largely due to advances in organic chemistry,
production by natural sources dropped to 1,000 tons by 1914 and
continued to contract. These advances can be traced to 1865 when the
German chemist Adolf von Baeyer
began working on the synthesis of indigo. He described his first
synthesis of indigo in 1878 (from isatin) and a second synthesis in 1880
(from 2-nitrobenzaldehyde). The vinyl group can be oxidized in a number of different ways to yield 2-nitrobenzaldehyde.
The synthesis of indigo remained impractical, so the search for alternative starting materials at BASF and Hoechst continued. The synthesis of N-(2-carboxyphenyl)glycine from the easy to obtain aniline
provided a new and economically attractive route. BASF developed a
commercially feasible manufacturing process that was in use by 1897. In
2002, 17,000 tons of synthetic indigo were produced worldwide.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Heumann_indigo_synthesis#Chemical_synthesis
______________
2-nitrobenzaldehyde
The vinyl group can be oxidized in a
number of different ways to yield 2-nitrobenzaldehyde.
2-nitrobenzaldehyde also can also contain the chemical styrene.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2-nitrobenzaldehyde
______________
Styrene
Styrene is regarded as a "hazardous chemical",
especially in case of eye contact, but also in case of skin contact, of
ingestion and of inhalation, according to several sources. Styrene is largely metabolized into styrene oxide in humans, resulting from oxidation by cytochrome P450. Styrene oxide is considered toxic, mutagenic, and possibly carcinogenic. Styrene oxide is subsequently hydrolyzed in vivo to styrene glycol by the enzyme epoxide hydrolase. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
(EPA) has described styrene to be "a suspected toxin to the
gastrointestinal tract, kidney, and respiratory system, among others." On 10 June 2011, the U.S. National Toxicology Program has described styrene as "reasonably anticipated to be a human carcinogen". However, a STATS author describes
a review that was done on scientific literature and concluded that "The
available epidemiologic evidence does not support a causal relationship
between styrene exposure and any type of human cancer". Despite this claim, work has been done by Danish researchers to
investigate the relationship between occupational exposure to styrene
and cancer. They concluded, "The findings have to be interpreted with
caution, due to the company based exposure assessment, but the possible
association between exposures in the reinforced plastics industry,
mainly styrene, and degenerative disorders of the nervous system and
pancreatic cancer, deserves attention". The Danish EPA recently concluded that the styrene data do not support a cancer concern for styrene.
The U.S. EPA does not have a cancer classification for styrene,
but currently is evaluating styrene's cancer-causing potential through
its EPA|Integrated Risk Information System (IRIS) program. The U.S. National Toxicology Program of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services also currently is evaluating styrene's potential toxicity
To date, no regulatory body anywhere in the world has classified
styrene as a known human carcinogen, although several refer to it in
various contexts as a possible or potential human carcinogen. The International Agency for Research on Cancer considers styrene to be "possibly carcinogenic to humans". Chronic exposure to styrene leads to tiredness/lethargy, memory deficits, headaches and vertigo.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Styrene
______________
http://www.olivegreen.com.sg/pdf/Styrofoam%20Report%20-%20OliveGreen%20Marketing.pdf
______________
Are You or Your Family Eating Toxic Food Dyes?
2011
Food dyes are one of the most widely used and dangerous additives.
While the European Union has recently placed regulations on labeling
food dyes to inform consumers of the health risks, the United States has
no such requirement.
Here are some of the most common food dyes used today, according to the Food Freedom Network:
- Blue #1 (Brilliant Blue)
An unpublished study suggested the possibility that Blue 1 caused kidney tumors in mice. What it's in: Baked goods, beverages, desert powders, candies, cereal, drugs, and other products. - Blue #2 (Indigo Carmine)
Causes a statistically significant incidence of tumors, particularly brain gliomas, in male rats. What it's in: Colored beverages, candies, pet food, & other food and drugs. - Citrus Red #2
It's toxic to rodents at modest levels and caused tumors of the urinary bladder and possibly other organs. What it's in: Skins of Florida oranges. - Green #3 (Fast Green)
Caused significant increases in bladder and testes tumors in male rats. What it's in: Drugs, personal care products, cosmetic products except in eye area, candies, beverages, ice cream, sorbet, ingested drugs, lipsticks, and externally applied cosmetics. - Red #3 (Erythrosine)
Recognized in 1990 by the FDA as a thyroid carcinogen in animals and is banned in cosmetics and externally applied drugs. What it's in: Sausage casings, oral medication, maraschino cherries, baked goods, and candies. - Red #40 (Allura Red)
This is the most-widely used and consumed dye. It may accelerate the appearance of immune system tumors in mice. It also causes hypersensitivity (allergy-like) reactions in some consumers and might trigger hyperactivity in children. What it's in: Beverages, bakery goods, dessert powders, candies, cereals, foods, drugs, and cosmetics. - Yellow #5 (Tartrazine)
Yellow 5 causes sometimes-severe hypersensitivity reactions and might trigger hyperactivity and other behavioral effects in children. What it's in: Pet foods, numerous bakery goods, beverages, dessert powders, candies, cereals, gelatin desserts, and many other foods, as well as pharmaceuticals and cosmetics. - Yellow #6 (Sunset Yellow)
Caused adrenal tumors in animals and occasionally causes severe hypersensitivity reactions. What it's in: Color bakery goods, cereals, beverages, dessert powders, candies, gelatin deserts, sausage, cosmetics, and drugs.
______________
Blue Dye Is More Toxic To Our Health Than We Thought
After evaluating the health consequences of using this blue dye, they found that it could be seeping into our bloodstream and destroying our gastrointestinal system. In addition, there are concerns that it could inhibit cell respiration, which could lead to ADHD, allergies and asthma. And, when Brilliant Blue was used in feeding tubes, a 2003 study proved that it had links to blue-tinged skin, urine, and feces, as well as hypotension and even death.
Why is this dye so harmful? The researchers say it can get into our bloodstream when the skin’s barrier is vulnerable (like after shaving) or when the dyes are put onto the mucous membrane of the tongue (like from a lollypop).
So why is it still legal to put in our food and cosmetics?
It shouldn’t be, say the researchers. They concluded that it should be banned at least from things like hard candies (which sit on the tongue and expose us to more dye absorption) and certain cosmetics. Will that happen? Probably not anytime soon because, of course, the Association of Color Manufacturers disagree with this study.
______________
Carcinogenic Chemical: Disperse Blue 1
2011
Disperse
Blue 1 is reasonably anticipated to be a human carcinogen based on
evidence of malignant tumor formation in experimental animals to an
unusual degree with regard to incidence, site, and type of tumor (NTP
1986), and because it is an anthraquinone and therefore, structurally
related to other substances listed in a previous Annual Report on
Carcinogens as either known to be human carcinogens or reasonably
anticipated to be human carcinogens (NTP 1994).
"Over 3 million people in the United States use hair color preparations containing
Disperse
Blue 1 in semipermanent hair color formulations at concentrations of
less than 1%. Disperse Blue 1 has been used as a fabric dye for nylon,
cellulose acetate and triacetate, and polyester. It has also been used
for surface dyeing of thermoplastics and as a solvent dye in cellulose
acetate plastics. Disperse Blue 1 is also used to dye fur, sheepskins,
acetate, nylon, and other synthetic fibers (NTP 1986, IARC 1990, HSDB
2001)."
http://www.abloggmeration.com/2011/04/carcinogenic-chemical-disperse-blue-1.html
______________
Disperse Blue 1 - National Toxicology Program
http://ntp.niehs.nih.gov/ntp/roc/twelfth/profiles/DisperseBlue1.pdf
______________
in Critically Ill Patients
The addition of dye, particularly Food Drug and Cosmetic Blue No. 1 (FD&C Blue No. 1), to enteral feedings is commonly employed for the detection of aspiration in the critical care setting. However, evidence suggests that this dye is potentially toxic under some clinical conditions. In contrast to early investigations demonstrating limited absorption of FD&C Blue No. 1 when administered to healthy animals, significant absorption of the dye has been reported in critically ill patients, presumably due to disruption of the integrity of the intestinal
http://journal.publications.chestnet.org/pdfaccess.ashx?ResourceID=2110398&PDFSource=13
______________
http://books.google.com/books?id=FDisTRAhLRoC&pg=PA154&lpg=PA154&dq=Indigo+carmine+dupont&source=bl&ots=PmAzLSCl-c&sig=2adTmkvujCSNfRjkjvIf8_hjYmg&hl=en&sa=X&ei=TMjxUvHSEIPEyQGB7YDQAQ&ved=0CDAQ6AEwAQ#v=onepage&q=Indigo%20carmine%20dupont&f=false
CRC HANDBOOK of FOOD, DRUG, and COSMETIC EXCIPIENTS
Page 151
(FD&C Blue #2)
Available formulations
A. Drugs
Indigo
carmine is a common color additive in oral tablets and capsules and is
also used in some nylon sutures. An injectable preparation, containing
0.8% indigo carmine, is available in 5 ml ampules for diagnostic use.
TABLE OF COMMON DRUG PRODUCTS
Oral Drug Products
Trade name Manufacturer
Coumadin DuPont
Moban Tablet DuPont
Percocet demi tablet DuPont
Valpin 50 tablet DuPont
______________
Some people will debate the various
outcomes of medical experiments used with many chemicals. This would
include the toxicity of many synthetic dyes, including blue dyes such
as " Coomassie Brilliant Blue - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brilliant_Blue_G ."
Coomassie Brilliant Blue is being used for medicinal purposes for spinal injuries.
Coomassie Brilliant Blue is not to be confused with Brilliant Blue FCF (Blue 1) - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brilliant_Blue_FCF
______________
Blue food dye reduces paralysis from spinal injuries - but turns you blue
I'll admit a personal interest in this story: two years ago, a friend
of mine, Lenna, had a nasty motorcycle accident, and I was present at
the scene. It was clear she had spinal injuries - her back was twisted
fairly badly. But she was able to move her feet and wiggle her toes, so
we held out hope that the injury wouldn't be too severe.
As it turned out, she became a paraplegic, with virtually no feeling
or movement below her navel. The original injury, as it turns out, does a
certain amount of damage to the spinal cord - but the major, unfixable
damage is done over the next few hours and days.
Much of this is because of a chemical called adenosine triphosphate,
or ATP. ATP is used as a kind of cellular battery to deliver energy to
cells around the body in normal life. But in the event of spinal trauma,
the area around the injury is flooded with ATP, which causes otherwise
healthy neurons to fire like crazy until they burn themselves out and
die. It also increases the swelling around the wound. Swelling around an
injury site is a positive healing factor in most parts of the body, but
the spinal cord lives in a tightly enclosed column of bone, and the
swelling, on top of the bleeding from the trauma, can cut off oxygen
supply to the lower spinal cord.
In effect, a patient might receive a spinal injury of low or medium
severity - but the actions of ATP in the hours and days after the trauma
can completely destroy the function of the spinal cord, leaving
patients paralyzed. This is exactly what happened to Lenna.
But a study published in July 28's Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS)
seems to show that it's possible to block the actions of ATP and
greatly reduce the severity and permanence of spinal injuries - using
the same type of food dye that gives blue M&Ms their color, a food
dye called Brilliant Blue G, or BBG.
BBG can be administered intravenously - so there's no need to inject
directly into the injury site - and it has the ability to cross the
blood-brain barrier, which gives it access to the spinal cord. It
happens to bind to the same neuroreceptor (P2X7) as the ATP binds to -
but it has a stronger affinity for the receptor than ATP has - so it
effectively blocks the action of the ATP at the injury site.
http://www.gizmag.com/blue-food-dye-spinal-injury-trauma-bbm/12474/
______________
Insider Trading Trends in these Consumer Non-Cyclical Stocks
Inter Parfums, Inc. (NASDAQ:IPAR):
Over the past six months, insiders have bought 1,049,630 shares and
have sold -1,706,900 shares, for a net of -657,270 shares. The shares
recently traded at $19.89 and its market capitalization is $607,322,900.
About the company: Inter Parfums, Inc. provides prestige and mass
market perfumes and cosmetics on a worldwide basis. The Company owns or
licenses various prestige brand names, including Burberry, S.T. Dupont,
Paul Smith, Molyneux, Weil, and Christian Lacroix. Inter Parfums mass
markets its products under the Jean Philippe brand name.
http://wallstcheatsheet.com/stocks/insider-trading-trends-in-these-consumer-non-cyclical-stocks.html/
______________
Toxic Perfume Ingredients Linked to Cancer, Sperm Damage
http://www.rodale.com/perfume-ingredients
______________
Is Perfume A Brilliantly Marketed Toxin?
http://www.grownups.co.nz/read/health/health_wellbeing/is-perfume-a-brilliantly-marketed-toxin
______________
Cosmetics and Fragranced Products Pose High Risks for Breast Cancer and Other Illnesses
Makeup kits in department stores typically contain, in varying
combinations, the following products: foaming cleanser, body mist, body
lotion, eau de toilette or parfum spray, lipstick, body cream, facial
cream, body and shower gel, powder blusher, perfume spray, skin cream,
hand lotion, eyebrow pencil, moisturizers, lip gloss and brushes. The
cosmetic give-away initiative is very popular among breast cancer
survivors. I have read reports of some women driving over 100 miles
one-way to attend the classes. Glorifying articles with testimony from
the breast cancer survivors have appeared in the newspapers. On the
surface, giving free cosmetics to breast cancer survivors may appear to
the unsuspecting to be a grand and benevolent gesture.
http://www.breastcanceroptions.org/cosmetics_and_fragrances_pose_high_risks_0.aspx
______________
Tests Find Cancer-Causing Chemical In 98 Personal Care Products -
2013
http://consumerist.com/2013/08/27/tests-find-cancer-causing-chemical-in-98-personal-care-products/
______________
Beneath The Skin
http://www.iehn.org/filesalt/IEHNCosmeticsReportFin.pdf
______________
A LIST OF KNOWN
CARCINOGENS
http://www.mcnallyinstitute.com/Charts/Carcinogens.html
Known carcinogens are defined as "those substances for which the
evidence from human studies indicates that there is a casual
relationship between the exposure to the substance and human
cancer."
In the following list I have noted some commercial uses for each
of the carcinogens shown. As you would expect, this is a developing
subject.
Be sure to use dual seals any time you have to pump these
chemicals.
4-Aminobiphenyl...... No commercial
use in the United States. Was used as a rubber antioxidant and as a
reagent for detecting sulfates.
Analgesic mixtures containing
Phenacetin...... Prescription and over the counter drugs.
Arsenic and certain Arsenic
compounds...... Pesticides, wood preservatives, alloying
additive, glass and nonferrous alloys.
Asbestos...... Insulation, gasketing,
packing, coatings, plastics, textiles, friction materials.
Azathioprine...... Medical use.
Benzene ... Solvent, gasoline
additive.
Benzidine ..... Dyes in textile and
paper
Bis(chloromethyl)ether and technical grade
Chloromethyl Methyl Ether ..... Synthesis of plastic and ion
exchanger resins
1,4-Butanediol Dimethylsulfonate
(Myleran) ..... Medical use.
Chlorambucil ..... Medical
use. Chromium and certain Chromium
compounds ..... Stainless steel, pigment, medical, plating,
wood treatment, paint.
Conjugated Estrogens ..... Medical
uses.
Cyclophosphamide ..... Medical
uses.
Diethylstilbestrol ..... Medical
uses.
Melphalan ..... Medical uses.
Methoxsalen with Ultra-violet A Therapy
(PUVA) ..... Medical uses.
Mustard Gas ..... Biological studies,
weapons.
2-Naphthylamine ..... Dyes, rubber,
used only for research purposes.
Thorium Dioxide ..... Nuclear, flame
spraying, welding electrodes, high temperature ceramics.
Vinyl Chloride ..... Plastics,
wrapping film, phonograph records, credit cards, floor tiles.
In addition to the above chemicals there are substances which may
reasonably be anticipated to be carcinogens. Defined as "those for
which there is a limited evidence of carcinogenicity in humans or
sufficient evidence of carcinogenicity in experimental animals".
2-Acetylaminofluorene ..... Medical
uses.
Acrylonitrile ..... Synthetic fibers
resins, plastics, elastomers .
Adriamycin ..... Medical uses.
Aflatoxins ..... Research.
2-Aminoanthraquinone ..... Dyes,
paints plastics, rubber, printing inks.
o-Aminoazotoluene ..... Pigments,
coloring oils, wax polishes.
1-Amino-2-methyllanthraquinine .....
Dye for synthetic fibers as well as animal furs.
Amitrole ..... Herbicide, now limited
to non-crop applications.
o-Anisidine Hydrochloride .....
Dyes.
Benzotrichloride ..... Plastics, dyes
and pigments.
Beryllium and certain Beryllium
compounds ..... Alloys for aerospace applications, ceramic
additive to glass and plastic.
Bischloroethyl Nitrousourea .....
Medical uses
1,3-Butadiene ..... Synthetic rubber,
tires, nylon carpet backing, latex adhesives.
Cadmium and certain Cadmium compounds
..... Coating and plating.
Carbon Tetrachloride ..... Production
of Freon 11 & 12, degreasing, plastic and resin production.
Chlorendic Acid ... Flame retardant,
foams.
Chlorinated Parraffins (C12, 60%
Chlorine) ..... Lubricant additive, flame retardant, rubber
production
1-(2-Chloroethy)-3-cyclohexyl-1-nitrosourea
(CCNU) ... Medical uses.
Chloroform ..... Production of
fluorocarbon, refrigerant, heat transfer medium in fire
extinguishers.
3-Chloro-2-methylpropene .....
Fumigant, textile additive, plastics.
4-Chloro-o-phenylenediamine .....
Hair dye, photographic chemicals.
C.I. Basic Red 9 Monohydrochloride
..... Dye for textiles, leather printing inks, china clay.
p-Cresidine ..... Dyes.
Cupferron ..... A reagent to separate
tin from zinc and copper and iron from other metals.
Dacarbazine ... Medical uses.
DDT ..... Insecticide. In the US. it
used only under Public Health Service supervision.
2,4-Diaminoanisole Sulfate ..... Fur,
acrylic fiber, polyester, wool , cotton and hair dye.
2,4Diaminotoluene ..... Polyurethane,
dye.
1,2-Dibromo-3-ch loropropane .....
Soil fumigant.
1,2-Dibromoethane (EDB) .....
Gasoline antiknock additive, pesticide.
1,4-Dichlorobenzene ..... Space
deodorant (toilets, rooms) germicide.
3,3'-Dichlorobenzidine and
3,3'-Dichlorobenzidine Dithydrochloride ..... Pigments.
1,2-Dichlorethane ..... Component of
leaded fuel, production of vinyl chloride.
Dichloromethane (Methylene Chloride)
..... Solvent in paint removers, manufacture of vitamins, degreasing
agent.
1,3-Dichloropropene (Technical Grade)
..... Pesticides.
Diepoxybutane ..... Curing agent for
polymers.
Di(2-ethylhexyl)phthalate ..... Used
to make poly vinyl chloride.
Diethyl Sulfate ..... Surfactants,
dyes, agricultural chemicals.
Diglycidyl Resorcinol Ether .....
Liquid epoxy resin.
3,3'-Dimethoxybenzidine .....
Production of azo dyes.
4-Dimethylaminoazobenzene ..... To
color polishes and other wax products.
3,3'-Dimethylbenzidine ..... Dye,
chlorine test kits.
Dimethylcarbamoyl Chloride .....
Dyes, pesticide.
1,1-Dimethylhydrazine .....
Propellant for liquid fuel rockets.
Dimethyl Sulfate ..... Used to
manufacture other chemicals.
Dimethylvinyl Chloride ..... Organic
synthesis.
1,4-Dioxane ..... Stabilizer in
chlorinated solvents.
Direct Black 38 ..... Dye.
Direct Blue 6 ..... Dye.
Epichlorohydrin ..... Epoxy
resins.
Estrogens (Not Conjugated):
Estradiol-17ß ..... Medical uses.
Estrogens (Not Conjugated): Estrone
..... Medical uses.
Estrogens (Not Conjugated): Ethinylestradiol
..... Medical uses.
Estrogens (Not Conjugated): Mestranol
..... Medical uses.
Ethyl Acrylate ..... Paper coatings,
emulsion based polymers.
Ethylene Oxide ..... Manufacture of
ethylene glycol and polyester.
Ethylene Thiourea .... Rubber,
O-rings, electroplating.
Formaldehyde (Gas) ..... Adhesives,
chemical production, Medical uses.
Hexachlorobenzene .....
Pesticide.
Hexamethylphossphoramide .....
Solvent for polymers, de-icing additive for jet fuels.
Hydrazine and Hydrazine Sulfate .....
Agricultural chemicals, rocket fuel, oxygen scavenger in boiler feed
water.
Hydrazobenzene ..... Dye, additive to
motor oil.
Iron Dextran Complex ..... Medical
uses.
Kepone® (Chlordecone) .....
Insecticide, no longer used in the US.
Lead Acetate and Lead Phosphate .....
Drier in paints and varnish, colorant in hair dyes.
Lindane and other Hexachlorocyclohexane
Isomers ..... Insecticidal treatment for wood, grain and live
stock.
2-Methylaziridine (Proplyleneimine)
..... Paper, textile, rubber.
4,4'-Methylenebis(2-chloroaniline)
(MBOCA) ..... Curing agent.
4,4'-Methylenebis(N,N-dimethyl)benzenamine
..... Dye.
4,4'-Methylenedianiline and its
Dihydrochloride ..... Manufacture of polyisocynates and
isocyanates.
Metronidazole ..... Medical uses.
Michler's Ketone ..... Dyes and
pigments.
Mirex ..... Pesticide, fire
retardant.
Nickel and certain Nickel compounds
..... Stainless and alloy steel.
Nitrilotriacetic Acid .....
Detergent, water treatment.
5-Nitro-o-Anisidine ..... Dye.
Nitofen ..... No present commercial
use. Was a herbicide.
Nitrogen Mustard Hydrochloride .....
Medical uses.
2-Nitropropane ..... Solvent, inks,
paints polymers.
N-Nitrosodi-n-butylamine .....
Medical uses.
N-Nitrosodiethanolamine ..... No
commercial use.
N-Nitrosodiethylamine .....
Stabilizer in plastics, gasoline and lubricant additive.
N-Nitrosodimethylamine ..... Liquid
rocket fuel, solvent.
p-Nitrosodiphenylamine ..... Rubber,
dye.
N-Nitrosodi-n-propylamine ..... No
commercial use. Used in cancer research.
N-Nitroso-N-ethylurea ..... No
commercial use.
N-Nitroso-N-methylurea ..... Medical
uses
N-Nitrosomethylvinylamine .....
Research chemical.
N-Nitrosomorpholine ..... No
commercial use.
N-Nitrosonornicotine ..... Research
chemical.
N-Nitrosopiperidine ..... Epoxy
resin.
N-Nitrosopyrrolidine ..... No
commercial use.
N-Nitrososarcosine .... No commercial
use
Norethisterone ..... Medical uses
4,4'-Oxydianiline ..... Production of
polyimide and poly(ester)mide resins.
Oxymetholone ..... Medical uses.
Phenacetin ..... Medical uses.
PhenazopyridineHydrochloride .. ..
Medical uses.
Phenoxybenzamine Hydrochloride .....
Medical uses.
Phenytoin ..... Medical uses.
Polybrominated Biphenyls ..... Flame
retardant, plastics.
Polychlorinated Biphenyls .... Heat
transfer and hydraulic fluids.
Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbones, 15
listings .... Coal tar, roofing, creosote, asphalt
- Benza(a)anthracene
- Benzo(b)fluoranthene
- Benzo(j)fluoranthene
- Benzo(k)fluoranthene
- Benzo(a)pyrene
- Dibenz(a,h)acridine
- Dibenz(a,j)acridine
- Dibenz(a,h)anthracene
- 7H-Dibenzo(c,g)carbazole
- Dibenzo(a,e)pyrene
- Dibenzo(a,h)pyrene
- Dibenzo(a,l)pyrene
- Indeno(1,2,3-cd)pyrene
- 5-Methylchrysene
Procarbazine Hydrochloride .....
Medical uses.
Progesterone ..... Medical uses.
1,3-Propane Sultone ..... Detergents
lathering agents.
Propiolactone ..... Medical uses.
Propylene Oxide ..... Coatings and
adhesives.
Propylthiouracil ..... Medical
uses.
Reserpine ..... Medical uses.
Saccharin ..... Sweetening agent.
Safrole ..... Flavoring agent.
Selenium Sulfide ..... Shampoos.
Streptozotocin ..... Medical
uses.
Sulfallate ..... Herbicide.
2,3,7,8-Tetrachlorodibenzo-p-dioxin
(TCDD) ..... Research chemical.
Tetrachloroethylene
(Perchloroethylene) ..... Dry cleaning and textile
production.
Thioacetamide ..... Replacement for
hydrogen sulfide in qualitative analysis.
Thiourea ..... Animal glue.
Toluene Diisocyanate .....
Polyurethane foam.
o-Toluidine and o-Toluidine
Hydrochloride ..... Dyes and pigments.
Toxaphene ..... Insecticide.
2,4,6-Trichlorophenol ..... Wood
preservative, anti mildew.
Tris(1-aziridinyl)phosphine Sulfide
..... Medical uses.
Tris(2,3-dibromopropyl)phosphate
..... No longer used in the US. Was a flame retardant.
______________
List of IARC Group 3 carcinogens
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_IARC_Group_3_carcinogens
______________
42
Common Toxic Chemicals and Their Effects
http://www.mcsbeaconofhope.com/42_common_toxic_chemicals_and_th.htm
______________
Endocrine Disrupting Chemicals
http://e.hormone.tulane.edu/learning/endocrine-disrupting-chemicals.html
http://e.hormone.tulane.edu/learning/human-effects.html
______________
Dogs And Cats Contaminated With High Levels Of Toxic Industrial Chemicals
In
the first study of its kind, Environmental Working Group (EWG) found
that companion cats and dogs are polluted with even higher levels of
many of the same synthetic industrial chemicals that researchers have
recently found in people.
http://www.care2.com/news/member/787093533/727657
______________
Why is Toxic Propylene Glycol in Deodorants and Dog Food?
2012
http://sanfrancisco.legalexaminer.com/toxic-substances/why-is-toxic-propylene-glycol-in-deodorants-and-dog-food/
______________
http://leas.ca/userfiles/file/pdf/chem%20trespass%20teacher%20final.pdf
______________
The dirt on toxic chemicals in household cleaning products
http://www.davidsuzuki.org/issues/health/science/toxics/the-dirt-on-toxic-chemicals-in-household-cleaning-products/
______________
Be Aware of Artificial Turf Hazards
http://www.njwec.org/PDF/Factsheets/fact-artificialterf.pdf
______________
Should You Ditch Your Chemical Mattress?
2008
http://www.motherjones.com/politics/2008/03/should-you-ditch-your-chemical-mattress
______________
Chemicals in Mattresses
http://www.myessentia.com/research/glues-toxic-components
______________
Health Risks of the Serta Memory Foam
http://www.ehow.com/about_5806962_health-memory-foam-mattress-topper.html
______________
How To Buy A Non-Toxic Mattress (And An Inexpensive Alternative)
http://www.mommypotamus.com/how-to-buy-a-non-toxic-mattress/
Other
organochlorine pesticides that have been found at sheep dips sites in
New Zealand are lindane, DDT, aldrin and endrin. Long term exposure to
organochlorine pesticides can affect the central nervous system and can
cause liver damage in humans and animals.
Arsenic is a known human carcinogen and is very toxic to humans and animals” (Source:Sheep Dip Factsheet).
I haven’t yet been able to confirm this regarding antimony and phosphorous, but I
wouldn’t be surprised if excessive levels are really contaminants from industrial
practices.
______________
New fear about food dyes
The research team, out of the Slovak University of Technology, studied two blue dyes, Patent Blue and Brilliant Blue. The former is banned from food products in the United States, but Brilliant Blue (also known as FD&C Blue No. 1) is used in food, textiles, leathers, and cosmetics in several countries including the U.S.
Hojerová and her colleagues have shown that the dyes can actually enter the bloodstream via the skin or through the digestive tract. That’s a major surprise, because it was believed that the skin blocked the dye from seeping into the body, and that ingested dyes were destroyed by the gastrointestinal system.
The team reached their conclusions by studying pig tongues coated
with human saliva: Brilliant Blue and Patent Blue dye were placed on the
tongues for 20 minutes, in an effort to mimic licking a lollipop. One
day later, the team found that both dyes had actually been absorbed
through the tongue and into the bloodstream, with Patent Blue
penetrating to a greater extent.
http://www.prevention.com/health/healthy-living/blue-food-dyes-absorbed-bloodstream
______________
Food Dyes Linked to Behavioral Problems
Red 40 is used mainly in junk foods. Linked to hyperactivity. Banned in Denmark,
Belgium, France, Switzerland, and Sweden being phased out in the entire EU. Made of petroleum and 2-naphthalenesulfonic acid.
http://www.inspirationgreen.com/food-dyes-linked-to-behavior-problems.html
______________
Food Dyes Linked to Cancer, ADHD, Allergies
2010
http://www.foodsafetynews.com/2010/07/popular-food-dyes-linked-to-cancer-adhd-and-allergies/#.UmH8shDNkmx
______________
______________
http://www.cdc.gov/niosh/docs/81-106/
Health Hazard Alert-- Benzidine-, o-Tolidine-, and o-Dianisidine- Based Dyes
Recent
data from animal tests, case reports, and other sources about the
carcinogenic effects and metabolism of benzidine-, o-tolidine-, and o-
dianisidine-based dyes have come to the attention of OSHA and NIOSH.
Both agencies have reviewed the data and conclude that the findings
establish the potential of these dyes to cause cancer in humans.
OSHA
and NIOSH conclude that persons working with these dyes should be aware
of the potential health hazards that could result from excessive
exposure to them. The intent of this document is to summarize the
information available of the carcinogenic effects and metabolism of
benzidine-, o-tolidine-, and o- dianisidine-based dyes and to provide
guidance so that employers, employees, and physicians may work together
to reduce potential health hazards that could result from excessive
exposure to these dyes.
Metabolism of Benzidine-Based Dyes to Benzidine Evidence exists to indicate that
benzidine-based dyes are converted to the carcinogen benzidine in
laboratory animals and in humans. The NCI bioassay of C.I. Direct Blue
6, C.I. Direct Black 38, and C.I. Direct Brown 95 for carcinogenicity
included analyses of urine samples for benzidine from treated animals.
Urine samples from Fischer 344 rats were collected over 24-hour periods
during weeks 4 and 12. Benzidine was detected in the urine of rats given
benzidine-based dyes but not in the urine of the untreated control
rats. As the amount of the dye fed to the rats increased, so did the
amount of benzidine excreted in the urine. Analyses of the dyes prior to
mixing in feed demonstrated no residual or contaminating benzidine. The
data indicate that the benzidine in the urine resulted from the
bio-transformation of the dyes. Similar results were found by analyses
of urine from B6C3F1 mice.
Rinde and Troll studied the metabolism of the benzidine-based dyes C.I. Direct Blue 6, C.I. Direct
Black 38, C.lI. Direct Brown 95, and C.I. Direct Red 28 in Rhesus
monkeys. Each monkey was gavaged with a single dose of one dye dissolved
in dimethyl sulfoxide. Each of the dyes was administered in two
different dose levels in separate experiments, except for C.I. Direct
Red 28, which was given at only one level. Purified benzidine was
administered at two levels in the same manner. Urine was collected over a
72-hour period from all the animals and pooled for assay. Urine
collected from the monkeys before dosing was used to establish the
control values. The authors found benzidine and a metabolite, monoacetyl
benzidine, in the urine of the monkeys receiving the dyes. The control
values were negative. They concluded that the dyes were converted to
benzidine in vivo. Korosteleva et al. found benzidine in the blood
serum and tissues of rats fed Direct Red 13. This indicated that the dye
had been converted to benzidine. Lynn et al. reported on the metabolism
of the benzidine-based dyes C.I. Direct Blue 2, C.I. Direct Black 4,
C.I. Direct Brown 2, C.I. Direct Orange 1. C.I. Direct Red 28, C.I.
Direct Orange 8, and C.I. Direct Green 1 in female mongrel dogs and
rats. Each of five mongrel dogs was administered a dye orally and urine
was collected at 24 hour intervals for 3 days. No trace of benzidine was
detected in the dogs' urine 3 days after exposure. Some dogs were used
more than once with a minimum of 1 week between dye exposures. Benzidine
was recovered in the urine of each treated dog following the oral
administration of the 7 dyes. Although some residual benzidine in each
of the dyes had been detected prior to administration according to the
authors, the amount of benzidine recovered in the urine exceeded that
administered as a contaminant by at least 9 times. These finding suggest
the dye was converted to benzidine in the dog.
Dyes Derived from o- Tolidine Without Colour Index Generic Names -
Atanyl Red NJ (ATL)
Diphenyl Green BBN (CGY)
Pyrazol Dark Green 3B (S)
Direct Fast Brown BCW-NB (ATL)
Direct Fast Brown BP-NB Conc. (ATL)
Direct Brown GG-NB (ATL)
Direct Brown US-NB (ATL)
Milling Red G-NB (ATL)
Padazoic Yellow G Pdr. (ATL)
Padazoic Golden Yellow RLL Pdr. (ATL)
Padazoic Orange GR Pdr. (ATL)
Penetrating Black AM-NB (CKC)
Sandolan Red N-3B (S)
Code Letters of Manufacturers, Importers, and Distributors
Code Letters of Manufacturers, Importers, and Distributors
Code Manufacturer
AC American Color and Chemical Corporation
ACY American Cyanamid Company
ALL Alliance Chemical, Inc.
ATL Atlantic Chemical Corporation
BAS B.A.S.F. Wyandotte Corp.
BDO Benzenoid Organics, Inc.
BUC Blackman-Uhler, Chemical Division of Synalloy Corp.
CGY Ciba-Geigy Corporation
CKC Crompton and Knowles Corporation
DUP E. I. DuPont De Nemours and Co., Inc.
FAB Fabricolor Inc.
Fran Francolor--subsidiary of Ugine Kuhlmann Co. (Importer/Distributor)
HSH Harshaw Chemical Company
ICI ICI United States
JC John Campbell and Company (Importer/Distributor)
L&R L&R International Dyestuffs Corp. (Importer/Distributor) [Formerly L&R Dyestuffs Corp.]
ORC Organic Chemical Corporation (Importer/Distributor)
PCW Pfister Chemical Ind.
PDC Berncolors-Poughkeepsie, Inc.
S Sandoz Colors and Chemicals
SSS Sidney Springer Company (Importer/Distributor)
V Verona Dyestuff Division, Mobay Chemical Corp.
______________
In the Ink: Do All Tattoo Pigments Use Mercury and Other Toxic Heavy Metals?
http://www.scientificamerican.com/article.cfm?id=tattoo-ink-mercury-and-other-toxins
______________
Tattoos, Red Ink, and Sensitivity Reactions
2006
http://chemistry.about.com/b/2006/05/07/tattoos-red-ink-and-sensitivity-reactions.htm
______________
Is colored tattoo ink dangerous to your health?
http://www.americanownews.com/story/16500057/colorful-tattoo-inks-could-be-dangerous-to-your-health
______________
Toxic Tattoo Ink Could Increase Risk Of Cancer, Experts Warn
2013
http://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/2013/09/23/toxic-tattoo-ink-cancer-risk_n_3974893.html
______________
Tattoo ink - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tattoo_ink
Manufacturers are not required to reveal their ingredients or conduct trials, and recipes may be proprietary. Professional inks may be made from iron oxides (rust), metal salts, plastics. Homemade or traditional tattoo inks may be made from pen ink, soot, dirt, blood, or other ingredients.
Heavy metals used for colors include mercury (red); lead (yellow, green, white); cadmium (red, orange, yellow); nickel (black); zinc (yellow, white); chromium (green); cobalt (blue); aluminium (green, violet); titanium (white); copper (blue, green); iron (brown, red, black); and barium (white). Metal oxides used include ferrocyanide and ferricyanide (yellow, red, green, blue). Organic chemicals used include azo-chemicals (orange, brown, yellow, green, violet) and naptha-derived chemicals (red). Carbon (soot or ash) is also used for black. Other compounds used as pigments include antimony, arsenic, beryllium, calcium, lithium, selenium, and sulphur.
Tattoo ink manufacturers typically blend the heavy metal pigments
and/or use lightening agents (such as lead or titanium) to reduce
production costs.
______________
Tattoo medical issues - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tattoo_medical_issues
______________
Many hair dyes contain carcinogen, report finds
2004
http://www.seattlepi.com/national/article/Many-hair-dyes-contain-carcinogen-report-finds-1146660.php
______________
Carcinogenicity of hair dye components.
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/6993608
______________
If you dye your hair, it might be good to use natural and organic dyes. People have
been using organic dyes for thousands of years.
______________
How toxic is Halloween face paint on your child’s face?
2011
http://www.berkeleyside.com/2011/10/28/toxicity-of-halloween-face-paint-concerns-some-parents/
The
other thing that surprised me is how few Berkeleyans seem to know about
this. Even Berkeley independent kids’ stores are selling these toxic
brands, which include Alex Face Paint, which had the highest lead
quantity of the ten face paints in the study.
Just
this weekend my daughter was painted by “Snazaroo” face paint at a
family fair down the street from our home. I assumed that the face paint
used would be a safe brand given that it was a local Berkeley event,
but when I got home I looked up Snazaroo. The CSC report said it
contained lead, nickel and cobalt. Lead can lead to a low blood count
(anemia). Small amounts of lead in the body can make it hard for
children to learn, pay attention, and succeed in school.
Higher amounts of lead exposure can damage the nervous system, kidneys,
and other major organs. Very high exposure can lead to seizures or
death.
______________
Cosmetics and Personal Care Products Can be Cancer Risks
http://www.preventcancer.com/consumers/cosmetics/cosmetics_personal_care.htm
______________
The Price of Red Lips
2013
http://www.emagazine.com/blog/the-price-of-red-lips
______________
Safety Assessment of Nylon as Used in Cosmetics
http://www.cir-safety.org/sites/default/files/nylon122012tent_faa_final%20for%
20posting.pdf
______________
The dangerous toxins in your shampoo
http://www.examiner.com/article/the-dangerous-toxins-your-shampoo
______________
Toxic Shampoo: Read before Applying
2012
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/maria-rodale/toxic-shampoo-read-before_b_1932049.html
______________
Are You Using This Popular But Cancer-Causing Shampoo?
2011
http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2011/11/14/johnson-johnson-baby-products-toxic.aspx
______________
Sunscreen Ingredient May Increase Skin Cancer Risk
2012
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/05/120507131951.htm
______________
The Campaign for Safe Cosmetics
http://safecosmetics.org/article.php?id=222
______________
12 Dangerous And Hidden Food Ingredients In Seemingly Healthy Foods
http://saveourbones.com/12-dangerous-ingredients/
______________
The Shocking Truth About Freshly Squeezed Orange Juice
2011
http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2011/08/16/dirty-little-secret-orange-juice-is-artificially-flavored-to-taste-like-oranges.aspx
______________
Plastic and Cancerous Compounds in Tea Bags—A Surprising Source of Potential Toxins
2013
http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2013/04/24/tea-bags.aspx
______________
When a Blueberry Isn’t Even a Berry
According to the video report, many popular products, which
show pictures of fresh blueberries on the package, contain not a single drop of
the actual fruit. Take Kellogg's Blueberry Muffin Frosted Mini-Wheats. They
contain "Blueberry Flavored Crunchlets," made of "sugar, corn cereal, soybean
oil, modified corn starch, water, natural and artificial flavor, glycerin, corn
syrup, red #40 lake, and blue #2 lake."
http://www.delish.com/food/recalls-reviews/fake-blueberries-in-cereal
______________
What's in Fast Food Chicken? (Hint: It’s NOT Chicken)
2018
Frying chicken is fairly simple, if a little messy. You dip pieces of
chicken into a mix of egg and milk, roll them around in flour and
spices, then cook the chicken in sizzling hot oil until the pieces are
brown, crispy and delicious.
But wait! Don’t forget to add a dash of dimethylpolysiloxane, an anti-foaming agent made of silicone that is also used in Silly Putty and cosmetics.
Now add a heaping spoonful of tertiary butylhydroquinone
(TBHQ), which is a chemical preservative and a form of butane (AKA
lighter fluid). One gram of TBHQ can cause “nausea, vomiting, ringing in
the ears, delirium, a sense of suffocation, and collapse,” according to
A Consumer’s Dictionary of Food Additives. Five grams of TBHQ can kill you. Sprinkle on thirteen other corn-derived ingredients, and you’re only
about twenty shy as many ingredients as a single chicken nugget from
McDonald’s. And you were using pulverized chicken skin and mechanically reclaimed meat for your chicken, right?
http://www.organicauthority.com/foodie-buzz/what-is-in-fast-food-chicken-hint-its-not-chicken.html
______________
Dangerous food preservatives and additives
2011
http://www.anotherway.org/2011/08/dangerous-food-preservatives-and-additives/
______________
Subway sandwich chain to remove chemical found in yoga mats from bread
February 6, 2014
Subway confirmed on Thursday that they were
removing a chemical used to make yoga mats and rubber soles on shoes from their sandwich bread.
“We are already in the process of removing azodicarbonamide as part of
our bread improvement efforts despite the fact that it is a USDA and FDA
approved ingredient,” Subway told CBS News via e-mail. “The complete conversion
to have this product out of the bread will be done soon.”
The fact that azodicarbonamide was used as an ingredient in
U.S. and Canadian Subway products was brought to light by FoodBabe.com blogger Vani Hari. Hari claims the chemical can be found in 9-grain wheat, Italian white,
honey oat, Italian herbs & cheese, parmesan/oregano, roasted garlic, sourdough
and Monterrey cheddar breads.
She launched a petition asking the sandwich chain to remove azodicarbonamide
from their menu items, pointing out that Australia and Europe have banned the
chemical over health concerns. Subway does not use azodicarbonamide in their bread recipes in those countries.
http://www.cbsnews.com/news/subway-sandwich-chain-to-remove-chemical-found-in-yoga-mats-from-bread/
______________
Porofor® is the trademark name of the chemical Azodicarbonamide.
______________
Azodicarbonamide
Chemical Name: Azodicarbonamide
Trademark: Porofor®
http://polymerchem.en.made-in-china.com/product-list-20.html
______________
Lanxess industries is a manufacturer of Porofor®.
______________
Porofor®
______________
Lanxess
Lanxess AG is a specialty chemicals group based in Germany, with headquarters and major operations in Cologne. It was founded in 2004 when Bayer AG spun
off its chemicals operations and parts of its polymer activities. As
measured by sales, Lanxess is the fourth-largest chemicals group in
Germany. The company's principal product areas are in chemicals, rubber and plastics.
Lanxess traces its roots to 1863, the year in which Friedrich Bayer & Co. was founded as a manufacturer of synthetic dyestuffs.
In 2004, Bayer, seeking to focus its business on healthcare and
nutrition, spun off most of its chemicals business and roughly one-third
of its polymers business into an independent subsidiary named Lanxess.
Shares in Lanxess AG began to trade on the Frankfurt Stock Exchange on
January 31, 2005, at which time each shareholder of Bayer was issued one
share of stock in Lanxess.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lanxess
______________
Azodicarbonamide
Azodicarbonamide, or azobisformamide, is a chemical compound with the molecular formula C2H4O2N4. It is a yellow to orange red, odorless, crystalline powder. As a food additive, it is known by the E number E927.
Azodicarbonamide as a blowing agent in plastics has been banned in
Europe since August 2005 for the manufacture of plastic articles that
are intended to come into direct contact with food.
In the United States, azodicarbonamide has generally recognized as safe (GRAS) status and is allowed to be added to flour at levels up to 45 ppm.
In the UK, the Health and Safety Executive
has identified azodicarbonamide as a respiratory sensitizer (a possible
cause of asthma) and determined that products should be labeled with
"May cause sensitisation by inhalation." The World Health Organization
has linked azodicarbonamide to "respiratory issues, allergies and
asthma" for individuals at workplaces where azodicarbonamide is
manufactured. The available data are restricted to these occupational
environments. Exposure of the general public to azodicarbonamide could
not be evaluated because of the lack of available data.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Azodicarbonamide
______________
How Food Companies Fool Consumers with Food Coloring Ingredients Made From Petrochemicals
http://www.organicconsumers.org/articles/article_11042.cfm
______________
Pesticides and Children’s Health
http://www.emagazine.com/earth-talk/pesticides-and-childrens-health
______________
Argentines Say Agrochemicals Causing Birth Defects, Cancer
Posted Oct 20, 2013
http://www.newser.com/story/176195/argentines-say-agrochemicals-causing-birth-defects-cancer.html?utm_source=part&utm_medium=inbox&utm_campaign=newser
______________
Global cancer rates could increase by 50% to 15 million by 2020
Geneva, 3 April 2003 - Cancer rates could further increase by 50% to 15 million new cases in the year 2020.
http://www.who.int/mediacentre/news/releases/2003/pr27/en/
______________
Worldwide cancer cases expected to soar by 70% over next 20 years
http://www.theguardian.com/society/2014/feb/03/worldwide-cancer-cases-soar-next-20-years
______________
Half of Britons will get cancer during their life by 2020
June, 2013
Half of all people in Britain will contract cancer at some point in their life by the 2020s but four in ten of them will survive, according to a new report by McMillan Cancer Support.
______________
Environmental Toxins Cost Billions in Childhood Disease
______________
How to Raise Chemical Free Kids
http://www.thedailygreen.com/living-green/chemical-free-kids/non-toxic-hand-sanitizer-47081806
______________
Ageing population more at risk from environmental threats
2013
http://theconversation.com/ageing-population-more-at-risk-from-environmental-threats-19574
______________
'New Nasty Nine' Toxic Chemicals Added to the 'Dirty Dozen'
The United Nations expands toxic chemical ban by 75%. Lindane (for head lice) and PFOS (widely used in industry) are now on the list.
______________
PFOS:
Perfluorooctane sulfonate and PFOA: Perfluorooctanoic acid Perfluorinated chemicals
http://www.fluoridealert.org/wp-content/pesticides/pfos.pfoas-page.htm
______________
Perfluorooctanesulfonic acid (PFOS)
Perfluorooctanesulfonic acid or perfluorooctane sulfonate (PFOS), is a man-made fluorosurfactant and global pollutant. PFOS was the key ingredient in Scotchgard, a fabric protector made by 3M, and numerous stain repellents. It was added to Annex B of the Stockholm Convention on Persistent Organic Pollutants in May 2009. PFOS can form from the degradation of precursors in addition to industrial production. The PFOS levels that have been detected in wildlife are considered high enough to affect health parameters, and recently higher serum levels of PFOS were found to be associated with increased risk of chronic kidney disease in the general US population, consistent with earlier animal studies. "This association was independent of confounders such as age, sex, race/ethnicity, body mass index, diabetes, hypertension, and serum cholesterol level."
Threat to people and wildlife
According to a study by the Environmental Directorate of the OECD "PFOS is persistent, bioaccumulative and toxic to mammalian species."
Species Geography Year Sample PFOS (ppb)
| Bald Eagle | Midwestern USA | 1990–93 | plasma | 2,200 |
| Brandt's Cormorant | California, USA | 1997 | liver | 970 |
| Guillemot | Baltic Sea | 1997 | egg | 614 |
| Carrion Crow | Tokyo Bay, Japan | 2000 | liver | 464 |
| Red-throated Loon | North Carolina, USA | 1998 | liver | 861 |
| Polar Bear | Sanikiluaq, Nunavut | 2002 | liver | 3,100 |
| Harbor Seal | Dutch Wadden Sea, Denmark | 2002 | muscle | 2,725 |
| Bottlenose Dolphin | Charleston, South Carolina, USA | 2003 | plasma | 1,315 |
| Common Dolphin | Mediterranean Sea, Italy | 1998 | liver | 940 |
| Mink | Michigan, USA | 2000–01 | liver | 59,500 |
PFOS compounds can also be found in some impregnation agents for
textiles, paper, and leather; in wax, polishes, paints, varnishes, and
cleaning products for general use; in metal surfaces, and carpets.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Perfluorooctanesulfonic_acid
______________
Thermal plasma technology for radioactive waste treatment: a review
08 July 2020
Abstract
In
this paper, a review of radioactive wastes treatment using thermal
plasma technology is presented as a treatment method for radioactive
waste management. Virtually all waste streams can be treated by the
thermal plasma technologies, resulting in a conditioned product, free
from organics and liquids, definitely meeting the acceptance criteria
for safe storage and disposal. The application of the thermal plasma
system in the nuclear area is still one of the current research topics
due to the theoretical and practical complexity of the treatment. This
paper discusses the performance of the thermal plasma systems,
addressing the advantages and limitations of the method.
https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s10967-020-07269-4
______________
IAEA Symposium Examines Uranium Production Cycle for Sustainable Nuclear Power
May 12, 2023
https://www.iaea.org/newscenter/news/iaea-symposium-examines-uranium-production-cycle-for-sustainable-nuclear-power
______________
The Future of Uranium as a Sustainable Source of Energy
June 29, 2018
https://www.iaea.org/newscenter/news/uram-2018-wraps-up-the-future-of-uranium-as-a-sustainable-source-of-energy
______________
Inside China's Nuclear Battery Breakthrough
Feb 8, 2024
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9VHVJnGmRdw
______________
Measuring neutrons to reduce nuclear waste: New technique paves the way for improved nuclear waste treatment facilities
February 16, 2024
https://phys.org/news/2024-02-neutrons-nuclear-technique-paves-treatment.html
______________
Is Nuclear Power A Renewable Or A Sustainable Energy Source?
Mar 24, 2016
https://www.forbes.com/sites/jamesconca/2016/03/24/is-nuclear-power-a-renewable-or-a-sustainable-energy-source/?sh=2c90f462656e
______________
Extracting uranium from seawater as another source of nuclear fuel
December 13, 2023
https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2023/12/231213112545.htm
______________
The Effects of Graphite Particles on arc Plasma Characteristics
28 April 2021
https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s11090-021-10177-4
______________
Graphite electrode DC arc furnace. Innovative technology summary report
1995
Abstract
The
Graphite Electrode DC Arc Furnace (DC Arc) is a high-temperature
thermal process, which has been adapted from a commercial technology,
for the treatment of mixed waste. A DC Arc Furnace heats waste to a
temperature such that the waste is converted into a molten form that
cools into a stable glassy and/or crystalline waste form. Hazardous
organics are destroyed through combustion or pyrolysis during the
process and the majority of the hazardous metals and radioactive
components are incorporated in the molten phase. The DC Arc Furnace
chamber temperature is approximately 593--704 C and melt temperatures
are as high as 1,500 C. The DC Arc system has an air pollution control
system (APCS) to remove particulate and volatiles from the offgas. The
advantage of the DC Arc is that it is a single, high-temperature thermal
process that minimizes the need for multiple treatment systems and for
extensive sorting/segregating of large volumes of waste. The DC Arc has
the potential to treat a wide range of wastes, minimize the need for
sorting, reduce the final waste volumes, produce a leach resistant waste
form, and destroy organic contaminants. Although the DC arc plasma
furnace exhibits great promise for treating the types of mixed waste
that are commonly present at many DOE sites, several data and technology
deficiencies were identified by the Mixed Waste Focus Area (MWFA)
regarding this thermal waste processing technique. The technology
deficiencies that have been addressed by the current studies include:
establishing the partitioning behavior of radionuclides, surrogates, and
hazardous metals among the product streams (metal, slag, and offgas) as
a function of operating parameters, including melt temperature, plenum
atmosphere, organic loading, chloride concentration, and particle size;
demonstrating the efficacy of waste product removal systems for slag and
metal phases; determining component durability through test runs of
extended duration, evaluating the effect of feed composition variations
on process operating conditions and slag product performance; and
collecting mass balance and operating data to support equipment and
instrument design.
https://www.osti.gov/biblio/354881
______________
Plasma arc recycling
June 19, 2023
Humans are machines for turning the world into waste—at least that's how it seems. On average, every single person in the United States produces about 2kg (5lb) of trash per day, which adds to up three quarters of a ton, per person, each year! What are we to do with all this junk? Recycling is one option, but not everyone does it and there are lots of things (such as electronic circuit boards) made from multiple materials that cannot be easily broken down and turned into new things. That's why much of our waste goes where it's always gone, buried beneath the ground. But we're running out of landfill space too—and that problem is bound to get worse. Another possibility is to incincerate waste, as though it were a fuel, and use it to produce energy, but incinerators are deeply unpopular with local communities because of the air pollution they can produce.
A relatively new type of waste treatment called plasma arc recycling (sometimes referred to as "plasma recycling," "plasma gasification," "gas plasma waste treatment," "plasma waste recycling," and various other permutations of the words plasma, gas, arc, waste, and recycling) aims to change all this. It involves heating waste to super-high temperatures to produce gas that can be burned for energy and rocky solid waste that can be used for building. Supporters claim it's a cleaner, greener form of waste treatment, but opponents argue it's simply old-fashioned incineration dressed up in new clothes. What exactly does plasma recycling involve? Let's take a closer look!
https://www.explainthatstuff.com/plasma-arc-recycling.html
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Plasma arc gasification
https://www.britannica.com/technology/plasma-arc-gasification
plasma
arc gasification (PAG), waste-treatment technology that uses a
combination of electricity and high temperatures to turn municipal waste
(garbage or trash) into usable by-products without combustion
(burning). Although the technology is sometimes confused with
incinerating or burning trash, plasma gasification does not combust the
waste as incinerators do. Instead, it converts the organic waste into a
gas that still contains all its chemical and heat energy and converts
the inorganic waste into an inert vitrified glass called slag. The
process can reduce the volume of waste sent to landfills and generate
electricity.
Process
In the PAG process an electrical arc
gasifier passes a very high voltage electrical current through two
electrodes, creating an arc between them. Inert gas, which is under high
pressure, then passes through the electrical arc into a sealed
container (called a plasma converter) of waste materials. Temperatures
in the arc column can reach more than 14,000 °C (25,000 °F), which is
hotter than the surface of the Sun. Exposed to such temperatures, most
waste is transformed into gas consisting of basic elements, while
complex molecules are torn apart into individual atoms.
The by-products of plasma arc gasification consist of the following:
Syngas, which is a mixture of hydrogen and carbon monoxide. Waste
materials, including plastics, contain high amounts of hydrogen and
carbon monoxide, and the conversion rate of those materials into syngas
can exceed 99 percent. Before the syngas can be used for power, it must
be cleansed of harmful materials such as hydrogen chloride. Once
cleaned, the syngas can be burned like natural gas, with a portion going
to power the plasma arc gasification plant and the remainder being sold
to utility companies, which also use it primarily for producing
electricity.
Slag, which is a solid residue resembling obsidian,
can be cleaned of contaminants, including heavy metals such as mercury
and cadmium, and processed into bricks and synthetic gravel.
Residual heat, which emanates from the process and can be used to produce steam for electrical generation.
The
composition of the waste stream can affect the effectiveness of the
gasification procedure. Garbage that is high in inorganic materials,
such as metals and construction waste, will yield less syngas, which is
the most-valuable by-product, and more slag. For that reason, it may be
worthwhile in certain settings to presort the waste stream. If waste can
be shredded before it enters the gasification chamber, the efficiency
of the PAG is improved.
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InEnTec: Turning trash into valuable chemical products and clean fuels
January 6, 2021
Climate goals expand impact of MIT waste-processing spinoff that capitalizes on a process called plasma gasification.
https://news.mit.edu/2021/inentec-turning-trash-into-valuable-chemical-products-clean-fuels-0106
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Plasma gasification as an alternative energy-from-waste (EFW) technology for the circular economy: An environmental review
2022
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0921344922005626
______________
Plasma Arc Technology: A Potential Solution Toward Waste to Energy Conversion and of GHGs Mitigation
2019
https://www.semanticscholar.org/paper/Plasma-Arc-Technology%3A-A-Potential-Solution-Toward-Hazra-Das/b6cc4a56564fc96081918bd1bafe144eae39949e
______________
Plasma Venture to Turn Medical Waste into Energy
June 3, 2009
High-temperature technology vaporizes troublesome garbage into synthetic gas
https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/medical-waste-gas-energy/
______________
High-Power Plasma Torches and Transferred Arcs
21 February 2023
https://link.springer.com/referenceworkentry/10.1007/978-3-030-84936-8_16
______________
Numerical and Experimental Analysis of a Solid Shroud in Multi-arc Plasma Spraying
12 February 2024
https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s11666-024-01715-5
______________
Enhancing plasma arc penetration ability with radial gas flow
05 January 2024
https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s00170-023-12935-4
______________
Destruction of hazardous wastes using Plasma Arc Technology
1996
https://www.osti.gov/biblio/469816
______________
Plasma methods for metals recovery from metal–containing waste
2018
Abstract
Metal–containing
waste, a kind of new wastes, has a great potential for recycling and is
also difficult to deal with. Many countries pay more and more attention
to develop the metal recovery process and equipment of this kind of
waste as raw material, so as to solve the environmental pollution and
comprehensively utilize the discarded metal resources. Plasma processing
is an efficient and environmentally friendly way for metal–containing
waste. This review mainly discuss various metal–containing waste types,
such as printed circuit boards (PCBs), red mud, galvanic sludge, Zircon,
aluminium dross and incinerated ash, and the corresponding plasma
methods, which include DC extended transferred arc plasma reactor, DC
non-transferred arc plasma torch, RF thermal plasma reactor and argon
and argon–hydrogen plasma jets. In addition, the plasma arc melting
technology has a better purification effect on the extraction of useful
metals from metal–containing wastes, a great capacity of volume
reduction of waste materials, and a low leaching toxicity of solid slag,
which can also be used to deal with all kinds of metal waste materials,
having a wide range of applications.
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0956053X18302472
______________
Thermal plasma technology: The prospective future in material processing
2016
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0959652616317851
______________
Enduring electric arc furnace optimization technology plays a part in steel’s sustainable future
https://new.abb.com/metals/insights/enduring-eaf-optimisation-technology-plays-a-part-in-steel-s-sustainable-future
______________
Sustainable Electric Arc Furnace Steel Production: GREENEAF
24 January 2013
https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s00501-012-0101-0
______________
Electric arc furnaces: the technology poised to make British steelmaking more sustainable
December 1, 2023
https://theconversation.com/electric-arc-furnaces-the-technology-poised-to-make-british-steelmaking-more-sustainable-214756
______________
The Future of Electric Steelmaking
09.02.2023
https://magazine.primetals.com/2023/02/09/the-future-of-electric-steelmaking/
______________
Nucor Investing in Start-Up Company Developing Zero-Carbon Iron Technology
CHARLOTTE,
N.C., Dec. 8, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Nucor Corporation (NYSE: NUE)
announced today that it has made an equity investment in Electra, a
Colorado-based start-up developing a process to produce carbon-free iron
that can be used to make steel. The company uses renewable energy to
refine low-grade iron ores into high-purity iron through electrochemical
and hydrometallurgical processes. This material will be used in the
steelmaking process to offset other high-quality metallics that come
with higher greenhouse gas emissions.
https://nucor.com/news-release/19426
______________
Global green hydrogen-based steel opportunities surrounding high quality renewable energy and iron ore deposits
04 May 2023
https://www.nature.com/articles/s41467-023-38123-2
_____________
The electrified commercial cement kiln
06 January 2023
Summary
Kiln
electrification will only form one part of the possible solutions for a
decarbonised cement industry. The electrified kiln would cut CO2
emissions which would be a huge saving for EU cement producers looking
at approximately EUR75/t of CO2 emission charges. Battery storage could
well be required to enhance the electric kiln and to optimise usage at
peak electricity tariff usage periods. It is with such methods that the
cement industry might not only achieve decarbonisation but could also
achieve the necessary six per cent rise in cement production to meet the
growing cement demand expected from larger populations by 2050.
https://www.cemnet.com/News/story/174030/the-electrified-commercial-cement-kiln.html
_____________
Plasma-Arc Technology for the Thermal Treatment of Chemical Wastes
26 Mar 2009
https://www.liebertpub.com/doi/10.1089/ees.2008.0222
______________
Thermal Plasmas
1995
RESEARCH OPPORTUNITIES
https://nap.nationalacademies.org/read/9854/chapter/7
______________
Plasma bioscience and its application to medicine
April 7, 2021
Abstract
Nonthermal
atmospheric pressure biocompatible plasma (NBP), alternatively called
bio-cold plasma, is a partially ionized gas that consists of charged
particles, neutral atoms and molecules, photons, an electric field, and
heat. Recently, nonthermal plasma-based technology has been applied to
bioscience, medicine, agriculture, food processing, and safety. Various
plasma device configurations and electrode layouts has fast-tracked
plasma applications in the treatment of biological and material
surfaces. The NBP action mechanism may be related to the synergy of
plasma constituents, such as ultraviolet radiation or a reactive
species. Recently, plasma has been used in the inactivation of viruses
and resistant microbes, such as fungal cells, bacteria, spores, and
biofilms made by microbes. It has also been used to heal wounds,
coagulate blood, degrade pollutants, functionalize material surfaces,
kill cancers, and for dental applications. This review provides an
outline of NBP devices and their applications in bioscience and
medicine. We also discuss the role of plasma-activated liquids in
biological applications, such as cancer treatments and agriculture. The
individual adaptation of plasma to meet specific medical requirements
necessitates real-time monitoring of both the plasma performance and the
target that is treated and will provide a new paradigm of plasma-based
therapeutic clinical systems.
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC8024039/
______________
Observation of magnet-induced star-like radiation of a plasma created from cancer cells in a laser trap
2024 Mar 7
Abstract
We
present a new phenomenon resulting from the interaction of magnetic
beads with cancer cells in a laser trap formed on a slide containing a
depression 16.5 mm in diameter and 0.78 mm of maximum depth. This
phenomenon includes the apparent formation and expansion of a dark
bubble that attracts and incinerates surrounding matter when it
explodes, which leads to a plasma emitting intense radiation that has
the appearance of a star on a microscopic scale. We have observed the
star-like phenomenon for more than 4 years, and the intensity depends on
the laser's power. Measuring the laser power of the dark bubble shows
the entrapment of electromagnetic energy as it expands.
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/38451329/
______________
SLAC technology designed to detect dark matter could lead to a better understanding of galaxy evolution
3-20-2024
Sensors
designed and created at SLAC could help a proposed satellite mission
map the X-ray emissions of galaxies with unprecedented precision.
https://www6.slac.stanford.edu/news/2024-03-20-slac-technology-designed-detect-dark-matter-could-lead-better-understanding-galaxy
_____________
Magnetizing laser-driven inertial fusion implosions
June 10, 2022
Nuclear
fusion is a widely studied process through which atomic nuclei of a low
atomic number fuse together to form a heavier nucleus, while releasing a
large amount of energy. Nuclear fusion reactions can be produced using a
method known as inertial confinement fusion, which entails the use of
powerful lasers to implode a fuel capsule and produce plasma.
https://phys.org/news/2022-06-magnetizing-laser-driven-inertial-fusion-implosions.html
_____________
Generation of megatesla magnetic fields by intense-laser-driven microtube implosions
06 October 2020
https://www.nature.com/articles/s41598-020-73581-4
_____________
Confinement of laser plasma expansion with strong external magnetic field
19 March 2018
https://iopscience.iop.org/article/10.1088/1361-6587/aab2e6/pdf
_____________
Magnetic-confinement fusion
03 May 2016
https://www.nature.com/articles/nphys3745
_____________
Revise the textbooks: New type of magnetism confirmed
Feb 2024
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D0st_6sE7Bk
_____________
Magnetic energy
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Magnetic_energy
Magnetic energy and electric energy are related by Maxwell's equations. The potential energy of a magnet of magnetic moment m in a magnetic field B is defined as the mechanical work of magnetic force (actually of magnetic torque) on re-alignment of the vector of the magnetic dipole moment
_____________
New class of "non-Joulian magnets" have potential to revolutionize electronics
May 21, 2015
Magnets are at the heart of much of our technology, and their properties
are exploited in a myriad ways across a vast range of devices, from
simple relays to enormously complex particle accelerators. A new class
of magnets discovered by scientists at the University of
Maryland (UMD) and Temple University may lead to other types of magnets
that expand in different ways, with multiple, cellular magnetic fields,
and possibly give rise to a host of new devices. The team also believes
that these new magnets could replace expensive, rare-earth magnets with
ones made of abundant metal alloys.
http://www.gizmag.com/expanding-alloy-magnets/37621/
_____________
Electromagnetic fields as cutting tools
Dec 01, 2009
http://phys.org/news178914974.html
_____________
Melt metal with magnets
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8i2OVqWo9s0
_____________
Molecular trick alters rules of attraction for non-magnetic metals
August 5, 2015
Scientists
have demonstrated for the first time how to generate magnetism in
metals that aren't naturally magnetic, which could end our reliance on
some rare and toxic elements currently used...
-
Magnets are used in many industrial and technological applications,
including power generation in wind turbines, memory storage in hard
disks and in medical imaging.
"Future technologies,
such as quantum computers, will require a new breed of magnets with
additional properties to increase storage and processing capabilities.
Our research is a step towards creating such 'magnetic metamaterials'
that can fulfil this need," said Al Ma'Mari.
http://phys.org/news/2015-08-molecular-non-magnetic-metals.html#jCp
_____________
MERS Device Harnesses Residual Magnetic Power Produced by Electrical Current
September 27, 2010
Researchers at the Tokyo Institute of Technology in collaboration with
the Office of Naval Research Global plan to develop a new device for
capturing residual magnetic energy from electrical current.
http://www.greenoptimistic.com/mers-device-magnetic-power-recovery-20100927/
_____________
Magnetic Pendulum: A Free Energy Device Running for Three Years Now
January 19, 2010
http://www.greenoptimistic.com/magnetic-pendulum-a-free-energy-device-running-for-three-years-now-20100119/#.VSFjmuG-2zk
_____________
World's first magnetic "wormhole" produces magnetic monopole
September 4, 2015
It may not instantly whisk you to far-flung reaches of the universe like the gravitational wormholes of Stargate, Star Trek and Interstellar, but researchers at Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona (UAB) claim to have created the first experimental wormhole that links two regions of space magnetically.
http://www.gizmag.com/magnetic-wormhole/39257/
_____________
Scientists At NASA Announce That Space Portals Actually Do Exist
Is science finally catching up with spirituality?
A few years ago now it was announced that NASA funded plasma physicist Jack Scudder at the University of Iowa had discovered what science fiction
lovers have dreamt about since day one: a wormhole, the portal that
links the Earth to far away galaxies that would otherwise be impossible
to reach.
Well, that’s what we hoped they meant. It turns out these so
called “X-points”, or electronic diffusion regions, is a connection
linking the Earth’s magnetic field to the sun’s magnetic field.
Alas it is not the galaxy hopping wormhole we were hoping
for, but it could be potentially be a start into finding something along
those lines.
http://www.neonnettle.com/news/1432-scientists-at-nasa-announce-that-space-portals-actually-do-exist
_____________
Converting Magnetic Energy Into Electric Voltage Using Power Spintronics
January 4, 2013
The American Institute of Physics’ (AIP) journal Applied Physics Letters, published a report, which shows a new application of spintronics.
According to the study, it is now possible to convert magnetic energy
into electric voltage by changing the dynamics of magnetization using
magnetic nanostructures.
http://www.greenoptimistic.com/converting-magnetic-energy-into-electric-voltage-using-power-spintronics-20130104/
_____________
New Technology 2014 Floating Magnetic Cars
Dec 15, 2013
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mmMbyAGlnI4
----------------------------------
Tiny magnets mimic steam, water and ice
September 21, 2015
Researchers
at the Paul Scherrer Institute (PSI) created a synthetic material out
of 1 billion tiny magnets. Astonishingly, it now appears that the
magnetic properties of this so-called metamaterial change with the
temperature, so that it can take on different states; just like water
has a gaseous, liquid and a solid state. This material made of
nanomagnets might well be refined for electronic applications of the
future – such as for more efficient information transfer.
http://phys.org/news/2015-09-tiny-magnets-mimic-steam-ice.html#jCp
---------------------------------------------
New tool for studying magnetic, self-propelled bacteria that resemble compass needles
September 15, 2015
In
the Marvel Comics universe, Professor Xavier and the X-Men are only
able to fend off their archrival Magneto, the magnetic mutant with the
ability to control metals, once they truly understand the scope of the
villain's powers. To better understand the behavior of the microbial
world's Magnetos—the magnetically influenced water-dwellers known as
magnetotactic bacteria—three researchers from Europe and Russia have
developed a new tool that allows these unique microscopic species to be
studied more easily, especially in their natural environment.
http://phys.org/news/2015-09-tool-magnetic-self-propelled-bacteria-resemble.html#jCp
_____________
Giant enhancement of magnetic effect will benefit spintronics
December 21, 2015
Researchers have demonstrated that coating a cobalt film in graphene doubles the film's perpendicular magnetic anisotropy (PMA), so that it reaches a value 20 times higher than that of traditional metallic cobalt/platinum multilayers that are being researched for this property. In a material with a high PMA, the magnetization is oriented perpendicular to the interface of the material's layers. High-PMA materials are being researched for their applications in next-generation spintronic devices, such as high-density memories and heat-tolerant logic gates.
The researchers, Hongxin Yang, et al., have published a paper on the giant PMA enhancement in a recent issue of Nano Letters.
http://phys.org/news/2015-12-giant-magnetic-effect-benefit-spintronics.html#jCp
--------------------------
Cooled down and charged up, a giant magnet is ready for its new mission
September 24, 2015
The Fermi National Accelerator Laboratory—or Fermilab—announced that a 680-ton superconducting magnet is secure in its new home and nearly ready for a new era of discovery in particle physics. This achievement follows the delicate, 3,200-mile transport of the magnet's 17-ton, 50-foot-wide housing ring to the U.S. Department of Energy facility outside Chicago two years ago. The fully assembled magnet will drive high-energy particle experiments as part of an international partnership among 34 institutions, of which the University of Washington is a leading contributor.
http://phys.org/news/2015-09-cooled-giant-magnet-ready-mission.html#jCp
_____________
‘Twisted’ Laser Light Experiments Offer New Insights into Plasma Physics
October 26, 2022
https://lasers.llnl.gov/news/twisted-laser-light-experiments-offer-new-insights-into-plasma-physics
_____________
High Powered Lasers Deliver Fusion Energy Breakthrough
2014
https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/high-powered-lasers-deliver-fusion-energy-breakthrough/
_____________
Laser propulsion
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Laser_propulsion
_____________
Laser Travel by Photonic Thruster
October 21, 2013
http://www.centauri-dreams.org/?p=29341
_____________
Blue Light and Sunshine May be the Next Gen Weapons Against Antibiotic-Resistant Infections
March 14, 2013
http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2013/03/14/blue-light-therapy.aspx
Skin and soft tissue infections are among the most common bacterial infections encountered in clinical practice.
Such infections can be caused by a number of bacteria that gain entrance into your body via cuts, scrapes, bites or open wounds. Even bacteria that normally live on your skin can cause an infection when introduced into your body this way.
Skin and soft tissue infections account for more than 14 million hospital visits each year, costing the health care system an estimated $24 billion.
Unfortunately, many infections are becoming increasingly difficult to treat. Antibiotic overuse has led to the emergence of antibiotic-resistant bacteria, such as methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus, also known as MRSA.
Finding effective countermeasures to this growing public health threat has turned out few options, but the remedy may be as simple as colored light.
According to a new proof-of-principle study,1 blue light can selectively eliminate infections caused by Pseudomonas aeruginosa. According to lead researcher Michael R. Hamblin of the Massachusetts General Hospital:
"Microbes replicate very rapidly, and a mutation that helps a microbe survive in the presence of an antibiotic drug will quickly predominate throughout the microbial population. Recently, a dangerous new enzyme, NDM-1, that makes some bacteria resistant to almost all antibiotics available has been found in the United States. Many physicians are concerned that several infections soon may be untreatable.Blue light is a potential non-toxic, non-antibiotic approach for treating skin and soft tissue infections, especially those caused by antibiotic resistant pathogens."
Could Blue Light Replace Antibiotics?
In the study, lab animals were infected with P. aeruginosa. Incredibly, ALL of the animals treated with blue light survived, while 82 percent of the controls died. Could this possibly be the beginning of a whole new treatment paradigm for infections? Clearly, we’re nearing the end of the road of the antibiotic era, as antibiotic-resistance spreads.
Blue light therapy has also been shown to be effective against MRSA and other resistant bugs, offering new hope for effective treatments.
In a previous study published in 2009,3 over 90 percent of community acquired and hospital acquired strains of MRSA were successfully eradicated within mere minutes of exposure to blue light. According to the authors:
_____________
In plasmonics, 'optical losses' could bring practical gain
January 26, 2016
What
researchers had thought of as a barrier to developing advanced
technologies based on the emerging field of plasmonics is now seen as a
potential pathway to practical applications in areas from cancer therapy
to nanomanufacturing.
Plasmonic materials contain
features, patterns or elements that enable unprecedented control of
light by harnessing clouds of electrons called surface plasmons. It
could allow the miniaturization of optical technologies, bringing
advances such as nano-resolution imaging and computer chips that process
and transmit data using light instead of electrons, representing a
potential leap in performance.
However, the development
of advanced optical technologies using plasmonics has been hampered
because components under development cause too much light to be lost and
converted into heat. But now researchers are finding that this
"loss-induced plasmonic heating" could be key to development of various
advanced technologies, said Vladimir M. Shalaev, co-director of the new
Purdue Quantum Center, scientific director of nanophotonics at the Birck
Nanotechnology Center in the university's Discovery Park and a
distinguished professor of electrical and computer engineering.
http://phys.org/news/2016-01-plasmonics-optical-losses-gain.html
_____________
ESA's Proba-V infrared sensor has a future in medicine and industry
March 12, 2015
http://www.gizmag.com/esa-proba-v-infrared-sensor-terrestrial-uses/36518/
_____________
Low level laser therapy
Low-level laser therapy (LLLT) is a form of laser medicine used in physical therapy and veterinary treatment that uses low-level (low-power) lasers or light-emitting diodes
to alter cellular function. Other names for the therapy include
low-power laser, soft laser, cold laser, biostimulation laser,
therapeutic laser, and laser acupuncture.[1] Whereas high-power lasers ablate tissue, low-power lasers are claimed to stimulate it and to encourage the cells to function.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Low_level_laser_therapy
_____________
Veterinary Use of Laser Therapy Expands
April 05, 2011
http://healthypets.mercola.com/sites/healthypets/archive/2011/04/05/veterinary-use-of-laser-therapy-for-pets-expands.aspx
Laser therapy works in a number of ways to heal injuries and manage pain. Among them:
- It increases the release of endorphins (natural painkillers).
- Laser therapy decreases inflammation, which helps return tissue to a normal state.
- It restores metabolic function.
---------------------
History of Cold Laser Therapy
http://www.spine-health.com/treatment/pain-management/history-cold-laser-therapy
Cold Laser Therapy has been used in clinical practice all around the
world for over four decades. In 1916, Albert Einstein conceived the
theory of Light Amplification through Stimulated Emission of Radiation
or LASER. In 1967, Professor Andre Mester began using low power lasers
in medicine. Dr. Mester is recognized by many as the grandfather of
laser therapy.
The first experimental FDA clearance of Class 3B Lasers occurred in February of 2002, after a successful study for carpal tunnel syndrome on workers at General Motors. The laser that was used had a power of 90mw at 830nm.
Certain low level laser devices are also FDA approved for relief of the following conditions3,4:
- Muscle and joint pain
- Stiffness associated with arthritis
- Pain associated with muscle spasms
- Hand pain and wrist pain associated with Carpal Tunnel Syndrome
- Neck pain
- Lower back pain
- Wound healing
_____________
Cold Laser Therapy Advantages and Disadvantages
http://www.spine-health.com/treatment/pain-management/cold-laser-therapy-advantages-and-disadvantages
_____________
Laser Light Could Make Flu Vaccine 7 Times More Effective
http://www.popsci.com/article/science/laser-light-could-make-flu-vaccine-7-times-more-effective
_____________
_____________
Near-Infrared Laser Adjuvant for Influenza Vaccine
http://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0082899_____________
Laser vaccine adjuvants
- Received: 14 Feb 2014
- Accepted: 9 Apr 2014
- Published online: 29 Apr 2014
Immunologic adjuvants are essential for current vaccines to maximize
their efficacy. Unfortunately, few have been found to be sufficiently
effective and safe for regulatory authorities to permit their use in
vaccines for humans and none have been approved for use with intradermal
vaccines. The development of new adjuvants with the potential to be
both efficacious and safe constitutes a significant need in modern
vaccine practice. The use of non-damaging laser light represents a
markedly different approach to enhancing immune responses to a vaccine
antigen, particularly with intradermal vaccination. This approach, which
was initially explored in Russia and further developed in the US,
appears to significantly improve responses to both prophylactic and
therapeutic vaccines administered to the laser-exposed tissue,
particularly the skin. Although different types of lasers have been used
for this purpose and the precise molecular mechanism(s) of action
remain unknown, several approaches appear to modulate dendritic cell
trafficking and/or activation at the irradiation site via the release of
specific signaling molecules from epithelial cells. The most recent
study, performed by the authors of this review, utilized a continuous
wave near-infrared laser that may open the path for the development of a
safe, effective, low-cost, simple-to-use laser vaccine adjuvant that
could be used in lieu of conventional adjuvants, particularly with
intradermal vaccines. In this review, we summarize the initial Russian
studies that have given rise to this approach and comment upon recent
advances in the use of non-tissue damaging lasers as novel physical
adjuvants for vaccines.
http://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.4161/hv.28840?journalCode=khvi20#preview
_____________
ESA's Proba-V infrared sensor has a future in medicine and industry
http://www.gizmag.com/esa-proba-v-infrared-sensor-terrestrial-uses/36518/
_____________
Discover the Benefits of K-Laser Class 4 Laser Therapy Treatments
July 28, 2013
What You Need to Know About Lasers
Lasers are classified according to their power output:
- Class 3a—maximum of 5 milliwatts of power (standard laser pointer)
- Class 3b—maximum of 500 milliwatts/0.5 watts
- Class 4—anything over 500 milliwatts/0.5 watts
The most significant issue with the clinical use of lasers is the depth of penetration. Some practitioners make the mistake of using low-power Class 3 lasers, which basically amounts to a standard laser pointer.
Most class 3a lasers only use a red wavelength – 635 nanometers in the visible red. When you look at the depth of penetration with laser, red laser light only penetrates about one to two millimeters (far less than 1/8 inch) into the human body.
Granted, red laser is highly useful for treating superficial wounds, cuts, abrasions, and perhaps even for the treatment of vitiligo, but they will not penetrate far enough for deep seated pain reduction. However, infrared lasers (around 800 nanometers) penetrate far deeper and able to go several centimeters, into your body which will reach most tissue injuries.
Power is also another crucial factor when it comes to laser therapy. Power is measured in watts, and you can think of it as the brightness of the light. A higher-powered laser is a brighter light, and it can produce more energy per unit of time. When it comes to doing laser therapy treatment, a higher-powered laser (Class 4) provides two benefits:
- A therapeutic dose of laser light can be applied to a much larger volume of tissue
- By shining that brighter light at the surface, photons of light are able to penetrate deeper into the tissues, which allows you to treat deep-seated pain conditions
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The Effect of Low-Level Laser in Knee Osteoarthritis: A Double-Blind, Randomized, Placebo-Controlled Trial
Aug, 2009
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/19530911
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Researchers demonstrate the world's first white lasers
July 29, 2015
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NASA Beams Mona Lisa to Moon with Laser
January 17, 2013
Call it the ultimate in high art: Using a well-timed laser, NASA
scientists have beamed a picture of Leonardo da Vinci's masterpiece, the
Mona Lisa, to a powerful spacecraft orbiting the moon, marking a first
in laser communication.
http://www.space.com/19323-mona-lisa-moon-laser-photo.html
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Paintballs to deflect killer-asteroids
Mar 07, 2013
Having reviewed these traditional asteroid deflection techniques, Sung
Wook Paek, a graduate from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology,
suggests an unusual alternative: Mr Paek proposes using paintballs to
pull an asteroid off course.
The argument behind Mr Paek's idea is reasonably simple; after measuring the velocity and rotation of an incoming asteroid,
two unmanned spacecraft would approach the celestial body close enough
to be able to shoot large clouds of white paintballs at it! Two probes
would be needed because, as the asteroid rotates, a shot from only one
spacecraft would not cover the entire asteroid with white paint and so
the first probe strikes one side of the asteroid, the second probe
covers the other.
The white paint would reflect light and other electromagnetic radiation
from the asteroid's surface, and, over time, the cumulative effect of
billions of photons would result in the asteroid changing course. The
white paint would effectively act as a 'solar sail', increasing the
balance of solar radiation absorbed and emitted by the asteroid, gently
easing it away from its original destination.
Another deflection technique, also based on light reflectivity or laser
sublimation was proposed by a team of American researchers who suggested
launching a swarm of 'mirror bees' towards the potential killer.
Tiny probes, equipped with mirrors, would position themselves in such a
way as to reflect a concentration of sunlight on one specific point of
the asteroid. This 'beam of light' would then generate enough heat for
it to start to vaporise, creating propulsive gas jets. In essence,
vapour emitted from the asteroid would push it off-course.
Alternatively, the asteroid might 'simply' be wrapped in reflective
'foil'.
http://www.spacedaily.com/reports/Paintballs_to_deflect_killer_asteroids_999.html
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Laser Bees
What do we do if an asteroid is found to be on a collision course with Earth? At
this point, the answer is not clear, so The Planetary Society has
partnered with researchers to discover ways to protect Earth when we
one-day find a dangerous space rock.
We've been working with a team at the University of Strathclyde and
the University of Glasgow in Scotland to study a new technique which
uses concentrated light to gently move an asteroid -- a project we
called "Mirror Bees" -- using mirrors on several
spacecraft swarming around an asteroid to focus sunlight onto a spot on
the asteroid. As part of the initial Mirror Bees project, researchers
found that lasers are more effective than mirrors and can be used from
greater distances. So, now the project is called "Laser Bees."
http://www.planetary.org/explore/projects/laser-bees/
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Physicist unveils plan for entangling massive objects
August 5, 2015
Schnabel's plan is to
place two of the mirrors in a Michelson-type interferometer in such a
way as to have both sides of both mirrors hit by light that is sent in.
The mirrors would also be placed in the interferometer in a way that
would allow them to oscillate when struck by the light. This would allow
for momentum to be transferred between the mirrors and the light. The
mirror oscillations would then have an impact on the phase of the
reflected light, causing the momentum and the light to become entangled.
At that point, the entanglement could be "swapped" to the mirrors,
causing them to be entangled, by measuring the light beams as they exit.
http://phys.org/news/2015-08-physicist-unveils-entangling-massive.html#jCp
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July 2013
DE-STAR
is designed to vaporize or divert asteroids that threaten Earth. This
isn't science fiction—I build things that have to work in practice.
DE-STAR stands for Directed Energy Solar Targeting of Asteroids and
exploRation. It looks like an open matchbook with lasers on one flap and
a photovoltaic panel for power from sunlight on the other. By
synchronizing the laser beams, we can create a phased array, which
produces a steerable 70-gigawatt beam. An onboard system receives orders
on what to target. Our laser beam would then produce a spot about 100
feet in diameter on an asteroid that's as far away from the satellite as
we are from the sun. The laser would raise an asteroid's surface
temperature to thousands of degrees Celsius—hot enough that all known
substances evaporate. In less than an hour, DE-STAR could have
completely vaporized the asteroid that broke up over Russia this winter,
if we had seen it coming. Plus, as the material evaporates, it creates a
thrust in the opposite direction, comparable to the space shuttle's
rocket booster. That means you could divert the asteroid by changing its
orbit with a shorter laser blast.
DE-STAR could also power things on Earth or in space. You could send
the electrical power it produces—not via laser beam but via microwaves.
Or you could use the laser to directly propel spacecraft. But here's the
thing: For full-blown asteroid vaporization, each flap of the matchbook
would have to be six miles long. We've never built a structure this
size in space, but if there were the worldwide will, I could see
building this within 30 to 50 years. But since it's completely modular,
we propose starting smaller. We could begin with a version that's three
feet per side right now. With that, you could cook your dinner from 600
miles away.
—Philip Lubin is a physicist at UC Santa Barbara and
co-inventor of DE-STAR with statistician Gary Hughes, of California
Polytechnic State University.
This article originally appeared in the July 2013 issue of Popular Science.
http://www.popsci.com/science/article/2013-06/death-star
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Researchers use laser to levitate, glowing nanodiamonds in vacuum
September 7, 2015
Researchers
have, for the first time, levitated individual nanodiamonds in vacuum.
The research team is led by Nick Vamivakas at the University of
Rochester who thinks their work will make extremely sensitive
instruments for sensing tiny forces and torques possible, as well as a
way to physically create larger-scale quantum systems known as macroscopic Schrödinger Cat states.
Read more at: http://phys.org/news/2015-09-laser-levitate-nanodiamonds-vacuum.html#jCp
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Scientists Produce Unprecedented 1 Megajoule Laser Shot, Step Towards Fusion Ignition
January 28, 2010
US
scientists have produced a laser shot with an unprecedented energy
level that could be a key step towards nuclear fusion, the US National
Nuclear Security Administration said Wednesday.
http://phys.org/news/2010-01-scientists-unprecedented-megajoule-laser-shot.html#nRlv
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Physicists demonstrate conditions for laser-driven fusion
March 15, 2011
Currently, commercial nuclear power plants generate electricity using nuclear fission, in which an atom’s nucleus is split into lighter nuclei. But scientists are also researching the reverse reaction, nuclear fusion, in which two light atomic nuclei fuse to form a single heavier nucleus. Compared with fission, fusion has the potential to produce less radioactive waste while still generating large amounts of energy.
http://phys.org/news/2011-03-physicists-conditions-laser-driven-fusion.html#nRlv
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First atomic X-ray laser created
January 25, 2012
Scientists working at the U.S. Department of Energy's (DOE) SLAC
National Accelerator Laboratory have created the shortest, purest X-ray
laser pulses ever achieved, fulfilling a 45-year-old prediction and
opening the door to a new range of scientific discovery.
The
researchers, reporting today in Nature, aimed SLAC's Linac Coherent
Light Source (LCLS) at a capsule of neon gas, setting off an avalanche
of X-ray emissions to create the world's first "atomic X-ray laser."
http://phys.org/news/2012-01-atomic-x-ray-laser.html#nRlv
_____________
Indium phosphide, Diode Lazers & Dupont
Lazers & Dupont
Diode lazer
DuPont originally began the
research into building a blue diode laser for CD read/write devices,
however they were unable to make the lasers suitable for commercial use.
AdvR licensed the patents from DuPont and received BMDO funding to
create a solid-state replacement for the Argon-ion laser.
http://www.mdatechnology.net/techprofile.aspx?id=555
_____________
DuPont - LASER WELDING
http://www2.dupont.com/Hyundai_Kia/en_US/assets/downloads/presentations/Laser%20Welding_Korea_Fujita.pdf
_____________
DuPont Introduces Water Resistant Somos(R) 7110 Epoxy Resin for Helium Cadmium Laser Systems
http://www.thefreelibrary.com/DuPont+Introduces+Water+Resistant+Somos%28R%29+7110+Epoxy+Resin+for...-a019781521
_____________
A. Felix du Pont, Jr.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/A._Felix_du_Pont,_Jr.
Known for being a philanthropist
For
five years, Felix du Pont worked for the family owned DuPont and for a
short time became involved in the investment business. With a lifelong
interest in aviation, he partnered with brother Richard to found All
American Aviation Company which became Allegheny Airlines and eventually
US Airways. He later was a vice president of the Piasecki Helicopter
Corp. of which he and Laurence Rockefeller were early investors on its
founding in 1946.
Piasecki
Helicopter Corporation was a designer and manufacturer of helicopters
located in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania and nearby Morton, Pennsylvania in
the late 1940s and the 1950s. Its founder, Frank Piasecki, was ousted
from the company in 1956 and started a new company, Piasecki Aircraft. Piasecki Helicopter was renamed Vertol Corporation in early 1956.
Vertol was acquired by Boeing in 1960 and renamed Boeing Vertol.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Piasecki_Helicopter
_____________
Electric Laser Race Heats Up
2012
http://sites.psu.edu/thebigbangtheory/2012/10/29/the-holographic-excitation/
Not wanting to be left out of the race to field compact battlefield lasers, Boeing announced yesterday
that it’s tested its own solid-state laser technology. "In each laser
firing at Boeing’s facility in West Hills, Calif., the high-energy laser
achieved power levels of over 25 kilowatts for multi-second durations,
with a measured beam quality suitable for a tactical weapon system,"
says Boeing.
What’s interesting about this announcement is that Boeing is not part of the Defense Department’s Joint High-Powered Solid State Laser,
a program that has funded Northrop Grumman and Textron to build a
deployable laser weapon. Boeing at one point teamed with the Livermore
lab on a solid-state work, but that laser, which was powerful but large,
was not selected by the program for funding. Similarly, Raytheon also
has a solid state laser that was passed over for funding. Both Livermore
and Raytheon have continued their solid-state laser work on their own
dime, however. Boeing, until this point, did not appear to be that
active on solid-state lasers, and it appears this new effort is
self-funded.
ALSO:
- Russian ‘Expert’: Soviets Had Laser Cannons First
- Laser Gunship Blasts Beams, Preps for ’08 Flight Test
- Marines Request ‘Long-Range Blow Torch’ for Iraq
- Lasers-Only on "Gunless" Gunship
- Air Force Eyes Energy Shields, Microwave Bombs
- Navy Pushing Laser ‘Holy Grail’ to Weapons Grade
- Laser Jet Zaps Animated Missiles, Spouts Jargon
- Israel’s Military Shoots Down Laser Cannon
- Israelis Sue Government for Laser Cannon
- Laser Weapons Better Against Rockets?
- Second life for Laser Defense?
- Ray Gun "Holy Grail" Aims for Battlefield Strength
- Monster Truck Gets a Laser
- Laser Death Star
- Laser Weapons Closing in on Reality
- Real-Life Laser Rifle: Army Goal
- Flipper Fires Lasers in Air Force Brief
- Laser Relays Live!
- Vice vs. the Flying Lightsaber
- Laser Jet Over Oklahoma
- Congress Slashes Flying Lightsaber
- Pentagon Report: No More ‘Death Rays’
- Spooky Math for "Flying Lightsaber"
_____________
Boeing Laser Systems Destroy Unmanned Aerial Vehicles in Tests
Boeing's Matrix laser
http://news.cnet.com/2300-11386_3-10012168-17.html
_____________
Neither rain, nor fog, nor wind stops Boeing's laser weapon destroying targets
September 8, 2014
http://www.gizmag.com/boeing-laser-directed-energy-weapon-fog/33672/
_____________
Lockheed Martin begins manufacturing vehicle-mounted laser weapon
October 8, 2015
Lockheed Martin announced this week that production of a new laser
weapon system has begun at the company's Bothell, Washington facility.
The high-powered laser weapon modules will be used as the heart of a
60-kilowatt system designed to be fitted to a US Army vehicle.
The laser can be operated by a single person and is
made up of multiple fiber laser modules, which not only allows for
greater flexibility, but also lessens the chance of the weapon being
knocked out by a minor malfunction, so frequent repairs aren't required.
Lockheed Martin also says that the modular design means that the laser
power can be varied across an extremely wide range to suit specific
mission needs. Using off-the-shelf commercial fiber laser components to
keep down costs, the modules can be linked together to produce lasers of
up to 120 kW.
http://www.gizmag.com/lockheed-martin-athena-laser-weapon-manufacture/39753/?li_source=LI&li_medium=default-widget
_____________
MIRACL
MIRACL, or Mid-Infrared Advanced Chemical Laser, is a directed energy weapon developed by the US Navy. It is a deuterium fluoride laser, a type of chemical laser.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/MIRACL
_____________
Tactical High Energy Laser
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tactical_High_Energy_Laser
_____________
Electrolaser
An electrolaser is a type of electroshock weapon which is also a directed-energy weapon. It uses lasers to form an electrically conductive laser-induced plasma channel (LIPC). A fraction of a second later, a powerful electric current is sent down this plasma channel and delivered to the target, thus functioning overall as a large-scale, high energy, long-distance version of the Taser electroshock gun.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Electrolaser
_____________
Laser Weapons
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZxcwlJ30uAw
_____________
Sonic weapon
Sonic and ultrasonic weapons (USW) are weapons of various types
that use sound to injure, incapacitate, or kill an opponent. Some sonic
weapons are currently in limited use or in research and development by military and police forces. Others exist only in the realm of science fiction. Some of these weapons have been described as sonic bullets, sonic grenades, sonic mines, or sonic cannons. Some make a focused beam of sound or ultrasound; some make an area field of sound.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sonic_weapon
_____________
Protocol on Blinding Laser Weapons
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Protocol_on_Blinding_Laser_Weapons
_____________
Solid-state laser
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Solid-state_laser
A solid-state laser is a laser that uses a gain medium that is a solid, rather than a liquid such as in dye lasers or a gas as in gas lasers. Semiconductor-based lasers are also in the solid state, but are generally considered as a separate class from solid-state lasers (see Laser diode).
Solid-state lasers are being developed as optional weapons for the F-35 Lightning II, and are reaching near-operational status, as well as the introduction of Northrop Grumman's FIRESTRIKE laser weapon system. In April 2011 the United States Navy tested a high energy solid state laser. The exact range is classified, but they said it fired "miles not yards".
_____________
Lockheed Martin Weapon Prototype Immobilizes Truck Over A Mile Away 'In Matter Of Seconds': Here's How
March 7th, 2015http://www.techtimes.com/articles/38044/20150307/lockheed-martin-weapon-prototype-immobilizes-truck-over-a-mile-away-in-matter-of-seconds-heres-how.htm
ATHENA was designed based on Lockheed Martin's Area Defense Anti-Munitions (ADAM) laser weapon system used in demonstrations against small airborne and sea-based targets. Lockheed Martin developed a technique called spectral beam combining together three 10-kilowatt fiber laser modules into a single, powerful, high-quality 30-kilowatt beam that is more powerful than its 10-kilowatt components.
_____________
Shooting lightning out of the sky
New methods to make longer streams of plasma with greater longevity could lead to laser-powered lightning rods
September 24, 2015
A team of researchers has demonstrated new techniques that bring lasers
as lighting rods closer to reality. When a powerful laser beam shoots
through the air, it ionizes the molecules, leaving a thin trail of hot,
ionized particles in its wake. Because this stream of plasma conducts
electricity, it could be used to channel away a potentially damaging
lightning bolt. The researchers found ways to make the length of such a
plasma channel reach more than 10 times longer -- a necessary advance
for using the channel to redirect a lightning strike.
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2015/09/150924124045.htm
_____________
Boeing says laser weapon a success in Pentagon testing
2013
Boeing Co.'s Directed Energy Systems division says it has achieved a sufficient level of power and beam quality to allow a solid-state laser system to be deployed to battlefields. The system - which could eventually bring down rockets and drones and destroy IEDs with a blast of light- is part of a major effort towards the development of directed energy weapons.
Boeing announced last week its Thin Disk Laser System, which
uses a series of high-powered industrial lasers to generate a single concentrated,
high-energy beam, has achieved the required thresholds for power and beam
quality during demonstrations for the Department of Defense's Robust Electric
Laser Initiative, or RELI, effort.
http://blog.al.com/breaking/2013/08/one_step_closer_to_star_wars_b.html
_____________
Boeing to be awarded contract for Laser SDB
The US Air Force intends to award Boeing a contract to develop and test a new laser-guided version of its 250lb (113kg) small diameter bomb (SDB).
The company says that the weapons can carry out many of the functions of Raytheon’s SDB II, which has a tri-modal seeker with millimeter wave radar, infrared, and semi-active laser guidance capabilities, at far lower cost. The new weapon is based on Boeing’s laser joint direct attack munition (JDAM) technology.
http://www.flightglobal.com/blogs/the-dewline/2013/06/boeing-to-be-awarded-contract/#sthash.wOJQCrub.dpuf
_____________
Raytheon Government Agencies and Companies to Come to Consensus on Weather Modification
Weather Modification Association Annual Meeting, 2005
PDF: Raytheon says more WEATHER MODIFICATION!
http://r3zn8d.files.wordpress.com/2012/11/raytheon-says-moar-weather-modification.pdf
_____________
Connecting the Raytheon, AMS, Lockheed, HAARP, NOAA, General Dynamics and DARPA dots….
Defense Advanced Research Program Association, or DARPA, has contracted co-operation command of the Highly Active Auroral Research Program (HAARP)
electromagnetic microwave ionospheric heater in Gakona, Alaska, for
military communication and weapon “defense” purposes. They also take
part in biological warfare “testing” over land, water, and city, whereby
defense contractor jets, such as those crafted especially for war or
weather programs by BAE Systems (owner of the HAARP facility) or Raytheon (owner of the HAARP
patent), for the Navy and Air Force and NATO, disperse hazardous toxins
into the air and then attempt to eradicate them with chemicals or
jet-mounted microwave radiation weapons (like AESA). In addition, the
Lockheed Martin and Boeing corporations joined up in a B2B contract with
BAE and Raytheon, hardware and software hosted by none other than
Microsoft, so that their defense contractor industry market could remain
consistently and wirelessly networked, and would never be halted by
distance, time, or situational awareness. The NOAA, a
member of the Weather Modification Operations and Research Board,
(partnered on that board with the American Meteorological Society and
the National Science Foundation) sold its weather reporting functionality to Raytheon,
who operates it now under the name Advanced Weather Information
Processing System. Raytheon happens to contract many of its services and
industrial airliners to the tune of global weather modification
programs, such as those ever popular “global warming mitigation” or
“global dimming” programs, (whereby jets utilizing liquid propane,
liquid nitrogen, silver iodide, potassium chlorate, barium oxide,
acrylamides, and trimethyl aluminum, spray these chemicals to replace
cloud cover over entire countries) and, they’ve even managed to create,
through their sub-company General Dynamics Robotics, Unmanned Autonomous
Vehicles such as the Global Hawk that can fly for 72 hours, with a
payload of 20,000 lbs or more, running entirely on programming and
artificial intelligence microwave signal networking, without landing or
refueling. It’s not just local chemical “cloud seeding” or “storm
prevention” anymore, as is still practiced by the state-and-regional
program member companies of the Weather Modification Association.
http://geoengineeringwatch.org/html/weatherreportedbyraytheon.html
_____________
Free Electron Laser (FEL)
http://www.popularmechanics.com/technology/military/research/8-laser-weapon-systems-to-zap-planes-boats-and-people#slide-6
Power: 100-kw class
In 1989 Boeing was awarded a contract to build a unique laser weapon made from a Free Electron Laser—essentially a laser made out of a particle accelerator.
After all these years, though, Boeing
still has plenty of work to do to actually build serious FEL weapons.
At minimum, the laser would need to reach 100 kilowatts, and so far the
free electron laser power record is only 14. Pogue hopes to reach 100
kilowatts in the lab by 2015—and then figure out how the heck to get a
particle accelerator on a ship
_____________
World's most powerful laser to tear apart the vacuum of space
_____________
How we recreated the early universe in the laboratory
May 12, 2015
- Instead of focusing our attention on
immense particle accelerators, we turned to the ultra-intense lasers
available at the Central Laser Facility at the Rutherford Appleton
Laboratory in Oxfordshire, UK. We used an ultra-high vacuum chamber with
an air pressure corresponding to a hundredth of a millionth of our
atmosphere to shoot an ultra-short and intense laser pulse (hundred
billions of billions more intense that sunlight on the Earth surface)
onto a nitrogen gas. This stripped off the gas' electrons and
accelerated them to a speed extremely close to that of light.
The
beam then collided with a block of lead, which slowed them down again.
As they slowed down they emitted particles of light, photons, which
created pairs of electrons and their anti-particle, the positron, when
they collided with nuclei of the lead sample. A chain-reaction of this
process gave rise to the plasma.
However, this
experimental achievement was not without effort. The laser beam had to
be guided and controlled with micrometer precision, and the detectors
had to be finely calibrated and shielded – resulting in frequent long
nights in the laboratory.
But it was well worth it as
the development means an exciting branch of physics is opening up. Apart
from investigating the important matter-antimatter asymmetry, by
looking at how these plasmas interact with ultra powerful laser beams,
we can also study how this plasma propagates in vacuum and in a
low-density medium. This would be effectively recreating conditions
similar to the generation of gamma-ray bursts, some of the most luminous
events ever recorded in our universe.
http://phys.org/news/2015-05-recreated-early-universe-laboratory.html#jCp
_____________
Holometer rules out first theory of space-time correlations
December 4, 2015
http://phys.org/news/2015-12-holometer-theory-space-time.html
The Holometer is a deceptively simple device. It uses a pair of laser interferometers placed close to one another, each sending a one-kilowatt beam of light through a beam splitter and down two perpendicular arms, 40 meters each. The light is then reflected back into the beam splitter where the two beams recombine. If no motion has occurred, then the recombined beam will be the same as the original beam. But if fluctuations in brightness are observed, researchers will then analyze these fluctuations to see if the splitter is moving in a certain way, being carried along on a jitter of space itself.
According to Fermilab's Aaron Chou, project manager of the Holometer experiment, the collaboration looked to the work done to design other, similar instruments, such as the one used in the Laser Interferometer Gravitational-Wave Observatory (LIGO) experiment. Chou said that once the Holometer team realized that this technology could be used to study the quantum fluctuation they were after, the work of other collaborations using laser interferometers (including LIGO) was invaluable.
"No one has ever applied this technology in this way before," Chou said. "A small team, mostly students, built an instrument nearly as sensitive as LIGO's to look for something completely different."
The challenge for researchers using the Holometer is to eliminate all other sources of movement until they are left with a fluctuation they cannot explain. According to Fermilab's Chris Stoughton, scientist on the Holometer experiment, the process of taking data was one of constantly adjusting the machine to remove more noise.
"You would run the machine for a while, take data, and then try to get rid of all the fluctuation you could see before running it again," he said. "The origin of the phenomenon we're looking for is a billion billion times smaller than a proton, and the Holometer is extremely sensitive, so it picks up a lot of outside sources, such as wind and traffic."
If the Holometer were to see holographic noise that researchers could not eliminate, it might be detecting noise that is intrinsic to space-time, which may mean that information in our universe could actually be encoded in tiny packets in two dimensions.
The fact that the Holometer ruled out his theory to a high level of significance proves that it can probe time and space at previously unimagined scales, Hogan said. It also proves that if this quantum jitter exists, it is either much smaller than the Holometer can detect, or is moving in directions the current instrument is not configured to observe.
So what's next? Hogan said the Holometer team will continue to take and analyze data, and will publish more general and more sensitive studies of holographic noise. The collaboration already released a result related to the study of gravitational waves.
And Hogan is already putting forth a new model of holographic structure that would require similar instruments of the same sensitivity, but different configurations sensitive to the rotation of space. The Holometer, he said, will serve as a template for an entirely new field of experimental science.
"It's new technology, and the Holometer is just the first example of a new way of studying exotic correlations," Hogan said. "It is just the first glimpse through a newly invented microscope."
_____________
Nanoparticles found to violate second law of thermodynamics
April 3, 2014
It may be a little late for April Fool's, but some skepticism is nonetheless warranted when reading that researchers have shown nanoparticles to disobey a fundamental law of physics which dictates the flow of entropy and heat in, it was believed, any situation. Specifically, researchers from three universities theoretically proposed then demonstrated that a nanoparticle in a state of thermal non-equilibrium does not always behave as larger particles might under the same conditions, with implications for various fields of research.
The second law of thermodynamics is the one that makes perpetual motion machines impossible. It states that the entropy – the measure for the disorder of a system – of any isolated system cannot decrease spontaneously, with the system evolving towards the state of maximum entropy (favoring disorder). The team has shown that a nanoparticle trapped with laser light temporarily violates this law. This seeming violation of universal law is transient, something that the researchers first derived as a mathematical model of fluctuations expected at the nanoscale.
http://www.gizmag.com/nanoparticles-violate-law-thermodynamics/31491/?li_source=LI&li_medium=default-widget
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Scientists announce breakthrough in quest for fusion power
February 13, 2014
http://www.gizmag.com/fusion-breakthrough/30814/?li_source=LI&li_medium=default-widget
In a perfect example of beating swords into plowshares, a team of
scientists at the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory's (LLNL)
National Ignition Facility (NIF) in California reached a milestone in
the quest for practical fusion power using a process designed for the
development and testing of nuclear weapons. The announcement in the
February 12 issue of Nature claims that the team used the
world’s most powerful laser barrage to produce a controlled fusion
reaction where more energy was extracted from the fuel than was put into
it.
If there is an ultimate engineering dream, then
nuclear fusion is about as close as close as one can get. By literally
harnessing the power of the stars, it holds the promise of what is, for
all practical purposes, unlimited clean energy. Since man-made fusion
was first demonstrated in 1951 with a boosted fission weapon, scientists and engineers have worked on some way to produce a practical fusion reactor instead of a hydrogen bomb.
The story of the fusion reactor is one of both great
progress, but also constant frustration. When work began, the first
reactor was predicted to be 25 years away. Since then and up until
today, it’s still 25 years away. That’s because although nuclear fusion
is relatively simple in theory, getting a controlled reaction started
outside of the heart of a star is extremely difficult. The trick is to
reach the “ignition” point, where the energy released by the reactor is
greater than what’s put into it and the reaction becomes
self-sustaining.
A fusion reactor works by simulating the conditions
inside the Sun. Put simply, hydrogen atoms fuse in the Sun because its
huge mass squashes the atoms together to form helium, releasing huge
amounts of energy as the strong nuclear force that keeps them apart is
overcome. A hydrogen bomb does the same thing, only with a fission bomb
creating the necessary conditions for a millionth of a second.
_____________
Apparent breakthrough in nuclear fusion silenced by shutdown
Scientists have come one step closer to harnessing the power of the sun. Researchers at the National Ignition Facility (NIF) have passed a milestone in achieving self-sustaining nuclear fusion -- but you won't hear about it from the researchers. The NIF team has been furloughed as a result of the U.S. government shutdown, which began on Oct. 1, and is not releasing updates to the press.
According to the BBC,
a research experiment conducted in late September succeeded in
releasing more energy through a fusion reaction than it absorbed by the
fuel going in. NIF is the first research facility in the world to
achieve this goal. A spokesperson for the NIF could not give CBSNews.com
a comment on the results of the experiment.
NIF's method for achieving fusion involves sending 192 laser beams
through a 1,500-meter journey that increases its energy output by a
factor of more than a quadrillion. The laser beams' energy grows from
one-billionth of a joule to 4 million joules in 5 millionths of a
second.
A breakthrough in nuclear fusion is widely considered the holy grail of achieving an unlimited clean energy source.
Scientists
believe that fusion can fuel our future without threat of nuclear
proliferation or environmental damage because the process of creating
fusion requires very few resources. One of the biggest challenges in
producing energy derived from fusion has been to pass the break-even
point -- a goal that has eluded scientists for nearly 50 years.
Nuclear
fusion is not to be confused with nuclear fission. Instead of splitting
an atom's nucleus, like in fission, nuclear fusion is the process of
bringing together two atomic nuclei to form a new nucleus.
While
the NIF has passed the break-even point, it is just shy of reaching
"ignition" -- when nuclear fusion produces as much energy as is supplied
to the lasers.
http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-205_162-57606588/apparent-breakthrough-in-nuclear-fusion-silenced-by-shutdown/
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Weather could be controlled using lasers
Scientists are attempting to control the weather by using lasers to create clouds, induce rain and even trigger lightning.
Experts from around the world are to gather at the World Meteorological Organisation next month to discuss how powerful laser pulses can be used to generate changes in the atmosphere that influence the weather.
There is a long history of attempts by scientists to control the weather,
including using techniques such as cloud seeding.
This involves spraying small particles and chemicals into the air to induce
water vapour to condense into clouds.
In the 1960s the United States experimented with using silver iodide in an
attempt to weaken hurricanes before they made landfall.
The USSR was also claimed to have flown
cloud seeding missions in an attempt to create rain clouds to protect
Moscow from radioactive fallout from the Chernobyl nuclear disaster.
More recently the Russian Air force has also been reported to have used bags
of cement to seed clouds.
Before the 2008 Olympic Games in Beijing, the Chinese authorities used
aircraft and rockets to release chemicals into the atmosphere.
Other countries have been reported to be experimenting with cloud seeding to
prevent flooding or smog.
However, Professor Wolf, Dr Kasparian and their colleagues believe that lasers
could provide an easier and more controllable method of changing the
weather.
They began studying lasers for their use as a way of monitoring changes in the
air and detecting aerosols high in the atmosphere.
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/topics/weather/10268455/Weather-could-be-controlled-using-lasers.html
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Laser-induced condensation shows promise for cloud seeding
2012
Over the past decade,
commercially-available lasers have increased in power by two orders
of magnitude, reaching the petawatt level, with exawatts firmly
within sight. The 2011 experiment used a 100 terawatt laser, and a
"mobile" (actually the size of a shipping container) laser of five
terawatts.
Further understanding of how lasers spur condensation will also
help. The process, known as photodissociation,
involves the laser's photons breaking down atmospheric compounds to
produce ozone and nitrogen molecules. Those in turn form nitric
acid particles, which bind water molecules together into
droplets.
http://www.wired.co.uk/news/archive/2012-07/17/laser-coud-seeding
http://www.livescience.com/15834-laser-cloud-seed-rain.html
Laser Beams May Be Next Rainmakers
2011
http://www.livescience.com/15834-laser-cloud-seed-rain.html
_____________
Second Conference on Laser, Weather and Climate (LWC 2013)
http://www.laserweatherandclimate.com/
Welcome
As
highlighted by the success of the first Conference on Laser-based
Weather Control in 2011, ultra-short lasers launched into the atmosphere
have emerged as a promising prospective tool for weather modulation and
climate studies. Such prospects include lightning control and
laser-assisted condensation, as well as the striking similarities
between the non-linear optical propagation and natural phenomena like
rogue waves or climate bifurcations.
Filaments
generated by ultra-short laser pulses launched into the atmosphere have
emerged as an unexpected prospective tool for weather modulation. In
particular, lightning control and laser-assisted water condensation
recently appeared as spectacular prospects in this direction.
Although
these new perspectives triggered an increasing interest and activity in
many groups worldwide, the highly interdisciplinary nature of the
subject limited its development, due to the need for enhanced contacts
between laser and atmospheric physicists, chemists, electrical
engineers, and meteorologists.
_____________
Climate control: United States weather modification in the cold war and beyond.
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/18313754
_____________
Weather modification
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Weather_modification
Proposed US Legislation
2005 U.S. Senate Bill 517 and U.S. House Bill 2995 U.S. Senate Bill 517 and U.S. House Bill 2995 were two bills proposed in 2005 that would have expanded experimental weather modification, to establish a Weather Modification Operations and Research Board, and implemented a national weather modification policy. Neither were made into law. Former Texas State Senator John N. Leedom was the key lobbyist on behalf of the weather modification bills.
2007 U.S. Senate Bill 1807 & U.S. House Bill 3445 Senate Bill 1807 and House Bill 3445, identical bills introduced July 17, 2007, proposed to establish a Weather Mitigation Advisory and Research Board to fund weather modification research.
_____________
Physicists observe attosecond real-time restructuring of electron cloud in molecule
May 14, 2015
http://phys.org/news/2015-05-physicists-attosecond-real-time-electron-cloud.html?utm_source=menu&utm_medium=link&utm_campaign=item-menu
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Physicist finds mysterious anti-electron clouds inside thunderstorm
May 13, 2015
In August 2009, Dwyer and colleagues were aboard a National Center for
Atmospheric Research Gulfstream V when it inadvertently flew into the
extremely violent thunderstorm—and, it turned out, through a large cloud
of positrons, the antimatter opposite of electrons, that should not
have been there.
To encounter a cloud of positrons without other
associated physical phenomena such as energetic gamma-ray emissions was
completely unexpected, thoroughly perplexing and contrary to currently
understood physics.
"The fact that, apparently out of nowhere,
the number of positrons around us suddenly increased by more than a
factor of 10 and formed a cloud around the aircraft is very hard to
understand. We really have no good explanation for it," says Dwyer, a
lightning expert and the UNH Peter T. Paul Chair in Space Sciences at
the Institute for the Study of Earth, Oceans, and Space.
It is
known that thunderstorms can sometimes make flashes of energetic gamma
rays, which may produce pairs of electrons and positrons when they
interact with air. But the appearance of positrons should then coincide
with a large increase in the number of gamma rays.
"We should
have seen bright gamma-ray emissions along with the positrons," Dwyer
says. "But in our observations, we first saw a positron cloud, then
another positron cloud about seven kilometers away and then we saw a
bright gamma-ray glow afterwards. So it's all not making a whole lot of
sense."
http://phys.org/news/2015-05-physicist-mysterious-anti-electron-clouds-thunderstorm.html?utm_source=menu&utm_medium=link&utm_campaign=item-menu
_____________
Researchers show presence of charge-density waves in superconductive material
December 10, 2015
Ultrafast laser techniques helped MIT physics graduate student Fahad Mahmood and colleagues establish that electrons form charge-density waves in the thin-film superconductive material LSCO cuprate.
"The question is how does this fluctuating charge-density wave compete
or not interfere with superconductivity, and what we found is that it
actually competes with superconductivity," Mahmood explains. "Electrons
for a very short amount of time are in this charge-density wave state,
and in another time scale, if you take another snapshot, they'll be in
the superconductivity state."
Charge-density waves occur when
electron density in a conductor is distributed in a sinusoidal pattern,
like ripples on water, instead of the common uniform density.
"It's
a fluctuating order that lasts for a very short amount of time and
equilibrium probes won't be able to detect it," he says. Using ultrafast
spectroscopy, Mahmood and co-authors of a 2013 Nature Materials paper
were able to show that for extremely short periods of time—up to about 2
picoseconds—electrons clustered in a density wave that could be
measured by its amplitude and phase.
http://phys.org/news/2015-12-presence-charge-density-superconductive-material.html
_____________
Atmospheric Vortex Engine creates tornadoes to generate electricity
December 20, 2012
Tornadoes generally evoke the destructive force of nature at its most awesome. However, what if all that power could be harnessed to produce cheaper and more efficient electricity? This is just what Canadian engineer Louis Michaud proposes to achieve, with an invention dubbed the “Atmospheric Vortex Engine” (or AVE).
AVE works by introducing warm air into a circular station, whereupon the difference in temperature between this heated air and the atmosphere above creates a vortex – or controlled tornado, which in turn drives multiple wind turbines in order to create electricity. The vortex could be shut down by simply turning off the source of warm air.
http://www.gizmag.com/vortex-engine-tornadoes-electricity/25508/?li_source=LI&li_medium=default-widget
_____________
Volcanic ash proves inefficient cloud ice maker
May 28th, 2015
When tons of ash spewed into the atmosphere from a 2010 Icelandic volcano it caused havoc for vacationers across Europe. But did it also dramatically change clouds? Researchers at Pacific Northwest National Laboratory found that volcanic ash is not as efficient as common dust in birthing clouds' ice particles. Using a novel laboratory testing chamber they formed cloud ice, a process called ice nucleation, around particles of dust and volcanic ash. Their results revealed the importance of optimal particle structure to efficiently attract super cold water vapor to nucleate ice.
http://phys.org/news/2015-05-volcanic-ash-inefficient-cloud-ice.html#jCp
_____________
Silicon Nanoparticles Allow Production of Hydrogen from Water Without Heat, Light or Electricity
January 26, 2013
http://www.bangscience.org/2013/01/silicon-nanoparticles-allow-production-of-hydrogen-from-water-without-heat-light-or-electricity/
_____________
Enhancement of electron energy during vacuum laser acceleration in an inhomogeneous magnetic field
In this paper, the effect of a stationary inhomogeneous magnetic field on the electron acceleration by a high intensity Gaussian laser pulse is investigated. A focused TEM (0,0) laser mode with linear polarization in the transverse x-direction that propagates along the z-axis is considered. The magnetic field is assumed to be stationary in time, but varies longitudinally in space. A linear spatial profile for the magnetic field is adopted. In other words, the axial magnetic field increases linearly in the z-direction up to an optimum point
http://scitation.aip.org/content/aip/journal/pop/22/3/10.1063/1.4916130
_____________
Jellyfish proteins used to create polariton laser
August 22, 2016
A combined team of researchers from Scotland and Germany has developed a way to create a polariton laser by using jellyfish proteins cultivated in E. coli cells. In their paper published in the journal Science Advances, the team describes their technique and possible uses for the result.
As most people know, at a basic level, conventional lasers work by bouncing light around inside of a cavity and then emitting identical photons as a beam. There is another type of laser that is less well known, the polariton laser—it works by tossing photons back and forth between excited molecules. But the reason it has not made its way into commercial use is because it must be cooled to an extremely low temperature to work properly. In this new approach, the researchers report the development of such a laser that works at room temperatures.
http://phys.org/news/2016-08-jellyfish-proteins-polariton-laser.html#jCp
_____________
Plasma electron acceleration driven by a long-wave-infrared laser
13 May 2024
https://www.nature.com/articles/s41467-024-48413-y
_____________
The Particle Accelerator Reinvented: Compact, Powerful, and Ready to Transform Science
December 3, 2023
https://scitechdaily.com/the-particle-accelerator-reinvented-compact-powerful-and-ready-to-transform-science/
_____________
Milestone in plasma acceleration
May 13, 2024
New energy record for next generation proton accelerators
https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2024/05/240513193037.htm
_____________
Plasma-based technologies
https://www.psfc.mit.edu/research/topics/plasma-based-technologies
_____________
Types of Plasma Arc Welding and Their Uses
October 24, 2023
https://blog.thepipingmart.com/other/types-of-plasma-arc-welding-and-their-uses/
______________
Induction plasma
Induction
plasma, also called inductively coupled plasma, is a type of high
temperature plasma generated by electromagnetic induction, usually
coupled with argon gas. The magnetic field induces an electric current
within the gas which creates the plasma. The plasma can reach
temperatures up to 10,000 Kelvin. Inductive plasma technology is used in
fields such as powder spheroidization and nano-material synthesis. The
technology is applied via an Induction plasma torch, which consists of
three basic elements: the induction coil, a confinement chamber, and a
torch head, or gas distributor. The main benefit of this technology is
the elimination of electrodes, which can deteriorate and introduce
contamination.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Induction_plasma
______________
Nonthermal plasma
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nonthermal_plasma
A
nonthermal plasma, cold plasma or non-equilibrium plasma is a plasma
which is not in thermodynamic equilibrium, because the electron
temperature is much hotter than the temperature of heavy species (ions
and neutrals). As only electrons are thermalized, their
Maxwell-Boltzmann velocity distribution is very different from the ion
velocity distribution.[1] When one of the velocities of a species does
not follow a Maxwell-Boltzmann distribution, the plasma is said to be
non-Maxwellian.
A kind of common nonthermal plasma is the
mercury-vapor gas within a fluorescent lamp, where the "electron gas"
reaches a temperature of 20,000 K (19,700 °C; 35,500 °F) while the rest
of the gas, ions and neutral atoms, stays barely above room temperature,
so the bulb can even be touched with hands while operating.
Food industry
In
the context of food processing, a nonthermal plasma (NTP) or cold
plasma is specifically an antimicrobial treatment being investigated for
application to fruits, vegetables and meat products with fragile
surfaces. These foods are either not adequately sanitized or are
otherwise unsuitable for treatment with chemicals, heat or other
conventional food processing tools. While the applications of nonthermal
plasma were initially focused on microbiological disinfection, newer
applications such as enzyme inactivation, biomolecule oxidation, protein
modification, prodrug activation, and pesticide dissipation are being
actively researched. Nonthermal plasma also sees increasing use in the
sterilization of teeth[8][9] and hands, in hand dryers as well as in
self-decontaminating filters.
The term cold plasma has been
recently used as a convenient descriptor to distinguish the
one-atmosphere, near room temperature plasma discharges from other
plasmas, operating at hundreds or thousands of degrees above ambient
(see Plasma (physics) § Temperature. Within the context of food
processing the term "cold" can potentially engender misleading images of
refrigeration requirements as a part of the plasma treatment. However,
in practice this confusion has not been an issue. "Cold plasmas" may
also loosely refer to weakly ionized gases (degree of ionization <
0.01%).
Nomenclature
The nomenclature for nonthermal plasma found
in the scientific literature is varied. In some cases, the plasma is
referred to by the specific technology used to generate it ("gliding
arc", "plasma pencil", "plasma needle", "plasma jet", "dielectric
barrier discharge", "piezoelectric direct discharge plasma", etc.),
while other names are more generally descriptive, based on the
characteristics of the plasma generated ("one atmosphere uniform glow
discharge plasma", "atmospheric plasma", "ambient pressure nonthermal
discharges", "non-equilibrium atmospheric pressure plasmas", etc.). The
two features which distinguish NTP from other mature, industrially
applied plasma technologies, is that they are 1) nonthermal and 2)
operate at or near atmospheric pressure.
______________
Pyrolysis of Polyolefins Using Rotating Arc Plasma Technology for Production of Acetylene
2017
Abstract
Polyolefin, as one of the most widely used macromolecule materials, has
been one of the most serious threats to the environment. Current
treatment methods of waste polyolefin including landfill, incineration,
and thermal degradation have suffered from severe problems such as
secondary pollution and the generation of other toxic substances. In
this article, we report for the first time a high-efficiency method to
produce high-value C2H2 from polyolefins using a
rotating direct current arc plasma reactor, using polyethylene and
polypropylene as feedstocks. The essence of this method is that a
reductive atmosphere of pyrolysis enables a thermodynamic preference to C2H2
over other carbon-containing gas and the rotating direct current arc
plasma reactor allows for a uniform distribution of high temperature to
ensure high conversion of polymers. Thermodynamic simulation of product
composition was performed, and the effect of plasma input power,
polyolefin feed rate, and working gas flow rate on the pyrolysis results
was experimentally investigated. It was found that, with proper
parameter control, approximately complete conversion of carbon in
polyolefin could be obtained, with a C2H2 selectivity higher than 80% and a C2H2
yield higher than 70%. These results not only create new opportunities
for the reuse of polymer waste, but are also instructive for the green
production of C2H2.
https://www.mdpi.com/1996-1073/10/4/513
______________
Microstructure and Corrosion Resistance of Ni-Al Coating Prepared by Plasma Transferred Arc Technology
22 March 2023
https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s11665-023-08084-0
______________
A stable atmospheric-pressure plasma for extreme-temperature synthesis
29 November 2023
https://www.nature.com/articles/s41586-023-06694-1
______________
Taking Out the Trash, NASA-Style
04/05/2021
Plasma arc technology for testing heat shields transforms garbage into reusable chemicals
https://spinoff.nasa.gov/plasma-heating-recycles-waste
______________
A Review of Magnetic Shielding Technology for Space Radiation
March 1, 2023
Simple Summary
Successful
human exploration beyond Earth orbit relies on solving the issue of
high radiation doses received in space. Many passive and active
radiation mitigation strategies have been proposed over the past several
decades, but the problem remains to be solved. A promising concept
exists to use superconducting magnets to effectively recreate the
benefit of Earth’s magnetic field and deflect incoming space radiation
before it ever reaches the spacecraft. This type of radiation shielding
technology has been studied since the dawn of human space exploration in
the 1960s but has experienced highs and lows in its development since.
This paper summarizes the findings of research on this topic and
suggests that a linkage exists between studies of cutting-edge space
technologies such as magnetic shielding and the overall budget for human
spaceflight endeavors.
https://www.mdpi.com/2673-592X/3/1/5
______________
Mind-boggling magnets could unlock plentiful power
10 May 2021
https://www.bbc.com/news/business-56843149
_____________
Smart Magnets Are Weird
2023
https://www.youtube.com/shorts/USs72GR0hLY
_______________
Quantum Locking Will Blow Your Mind
2021
https://www.youtube.com/shorts/n4r_Dz_lJS4
_______________
Boeing Has Patented a Plasma 'Force Field' to Protect Against Shock Waves
30 March 2015
https://www.sciencealert.com/boeing-has-patented-a-plasma-force-field-to-protect-against-shock-waves
_______________
Students prove real-life Star Wars deflector shield is possible
May 3, 2014
Star
Wars is science fiction, but deflector shields like the ones in the
films might be possible with today's technology. There are still a few
kinks to work out, but a group of physics students have figured out the
basics.
https://www.extremetech.com/extreme/181773-physics-students-figure-out-how-to-make-star-wars-deflector-shields-in-real-life
______________
The Genius Behind The First Force Field
Apr 7, 2024
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ApYGMzPgzuo
______________
Scientists announce breakthrough in hypersonic heat shield
January 24, 2024
https://techxplore.com/news/2024-01-scientists-breakthrough-hypersonic-shield.html
______________
Squid-inspired soft material is a switchable shield for light, heat, microwaves
June 28, 2023
https://scienceblog.com/538480/squid-inspired-soft-material-is-a-switchable-shield-for-light-heat-microwaves/
______________
Laser-focused look at spinning electrons shatters world record for precision
February 26, 2024
Jefferson Lab's Compton polarimeter laser system, used to measure the
parallel spin of electrons, is aligned during the Calcium Radius
Experiment at Jefferson Lab.
https://phys.org/news/2024-02-laser-focused-electrons-shatters-world.html
______________
Turning Sound Into a Laser
Aug 20, 2018
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aBdVfUnS-pM
______________
Real Hoverboard Using Ground Effect! - Floats On Anything!!
Oct 28, 2023
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5UXL6oPP8sA
______________
The experiment that revealed the atomic world: Brownian Motion
Feb 29, 2024
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZNzoTGv_XiQ
______________
Future opportunities in solar system plasma science through ESA’s exploration programme
14 March 2024
https://www.nature.com/articles/s41526-024-00373-9
______________
Interstellar Travel: Magnetic Fusion Plasma Engines Could Carry Us Across the Solar System and Beyond
October 22, 2023
https://scitechdaily.com/interstellar-travel-magnetic-fusion-plasma-engines-could-carry-us-across-the-solar-system-and-beyond/
______________
Wild new NASA plasma tech reduces drag during hypersonic flight
December 8, 2023
NASA's
Technology Transfer Program is licensing its rights to a radical new
form of propulsion that uses electromagnets to control the flow of
plasma over aircraft and spacecraft flying at hypersonic speeds.
https://www.space.com/nasa-hypersonic-magnetohydrodynamic-control
_____________
Laser-plasma interactions in magnetized environment
2018
https://pubs.aip.org/aip/pop/article/25/5/055706/1061011/Laser-plasma-interactions-in-magnetized
______________
New methods to make longer streams of plasma with greater longevity could lead to laser-powered lightning rods
September 24, 2015
(
A picture of a femtosecond laser. The laser beam itself is invisible
(800nm), but due to the formation of a plasma channel, the beam emits
(visible) white light. )
Benjamin
Franklin invented the lightning rod 250 years ago to protect people and
buildings from lightning strikes. Someday, those metal poles may be
replaced with lasers.
A team of researchers
from The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Israel, have demonstrated new
techniques that bring lasers as lighting rods closer to reality.
When
a powerful laser beam shoots through the air, it ionizes the molecules,
leaving a thin trail of hot, ionized particles in its wake. Because
this stream of plasma conducts electricity, it could be used to channel
away a potentially damaging lightning bolt.
The
researchers found ways to make the length of such a plasma channel reach
more than 10 times longer—a necessary advance for using the channel to
redirect a lightning strike.
http://phys.org/news/2015-09-methods-longer-streams-plasma-greater.html#jCp
_____________
Researchers build real-time tunable plasmon laser
4/24/2015
Traditionally,
light can only ever be focused down to a point half the size of its
frequency—aka the diffraction limit. Scientists have found a way around
that limit, however, by building what are known as plasmon lasers, which
are lasers that couple their beam with plasmons (oscillating surface
electrons) on the surface of metals—gold for example, arranged in an
array. But that approach has had its limitations as well, because it has
had to rely on a solid bit of material called the gain—such lasers
could not be tuned very easily, and not in real-time at all. In this new
effort, the researchers report that they have found a way to use a
liquid material as the gain, and because of that, are able to tune their
laser in real time.
http://phys.org/news/2015-04-real-time-tunable-plasmon-laser.html#jCp
_____________
Michio Kaku - Can you build a real Lightsaber?
Mar 5, 2014
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1lr5OUjFDkg
_____________
X marks the spot: Researchers confirm novel method for controlling plasma rotation
June 23rd, 2015
http://phys.org/news/2015-06-method-plasma-rotation.html?utm_source=menu&utm_medium=link&utm_campaign=item-menu
Rotation
is key to the performance of salad spinners, toy tops, and centrifuges,
but recent research suggests a way to harness rotation for the future
of mankind's energy supply. In papers published in Physics of Plasmas in
May and Physical Review Letters this month, Timothy Stoltzfus-Dueck, a
physicist at the U.S. Department of Energy's (DOE) Princeton Plasma
Physics Laboratory (PPPL), demonstrated a novel method that scientists
can use to manipulate the intrinsic - or self-generated - rotation of
hot, charged plasma gas within fusion facilities called tokamaks.
Such
a method could prove important for future facilities like ITER, the
huge international tokamak under construction in France that will
demonstrate the feasibility of fusion as a source of energy for
generating electricity. ITER's massive size will make it difficult for
the facility to provide sufficient rotation through external means.
_____________
Extending life of plasma channels could allow lasers to be used as lightning rods
September 25, 2015
http://www.gizmag.com/plasma-channels-laser-lightning-rods/39588/
______________
The Air Force Exploration of Pulse-Train Plasmoid Guns
http://www.topsecretwriters.com/2012/07/the-air-force-exploration-of-pulse-train-plasmoid-guns/
In 1956, Winston Bostick discovered an entity consisting of plasma and magnetic field, which he named the Plasmoid(1).
Plasmoids
have a series of cosmic implications and is used to explain various
phenomenon, such as the magnetic plasma structures found in comet tails,
solar wind, and solar atmosphere.
However, barely four years
after the discovery of the Plasmoid, the U.S. government conducted
research into the possibility of using Plasmoids as a weapon.
TheBlackVault.com acquired a Defense Technical Information Center report
through an FOIA request on the matter.
_____________
Kilotesla Magnetic Field due to a Capacitor-Coil Target Driven by High Power Laser
- Published
Laboratory generation of strong magnetic fields opens new frontiers in
plasma and beam physics, astro- and solar-physics, materials science,
and atomic and molecular physics. Although kilotesla magnetic fields
have already been produced by magnetic flux compression using an
imploding metal tube or plasma shell, accessibility at multiple points
and better controlled shapes of the field are desirable. Here we have
generated kilotesla magnetic fields using a capacitor-coil target, in
which two nickel disks are connected by a U-turn coil. A magnetic flux
density of 1.5 kT was measured using the Faraday effect 650 μm away from the coil, when the capacitor was driven by two beams from the GEKKO-XII laser (at 1 kJ (total), 1.3 ns, 0.53 or 1 μm, and 5 × 1016 W/cm2).
http://www.nature.com/srep/2013/130130/srep01170/full/srep01170.html
______________
U.S. Army develops Tesla-style lightning bolt to destroy enemy vehicles
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-2165966/U-S-Army-develops-Tesla-style-lightning-bolt-destroy-enemy-vehicles-adds-Sci-fi-fans-youre-welcome.html
______________
Tesla coil
A Tesla coil is an electrical resonant transformer circuit invented by Nikola Tesla around 1891. It is used to produce high-voltage, low-current, high frequency alternating-current electricity. Tesla experimented with a number of different configurations consisting of two, or sometimes three, coupled resonant electric circuits.
Tesla used these coils to conduct innovative experiments in electrical lighting, phosphorescence, X-ray generation, high frequency alternating current phenomena, electrotherapy, and the transmission of electrical energy without wires. Tesla coil circuits were used commercially in sparkgap radio transmitters for wireless telegraphy until the 1920s, and in medical equipment such as electrotherapy and violet ray
devices. Today their main use is for entertainment and educational
displays, although small coils are still used today as leak detectors
for high vacuum systems.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tesla_coil
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Teleforce
Teleforce is a charged particle beam projector that Nikola Tesla claimed to have conceived of after studying the Van de Graaff generator. Tesla described the weapon as being able to be used against ground-based infantry or for anti-aircraft purposes.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Teleforce
______________
NIKOLA TESLA - THE MASTER OF LIGHTNING - Discovery History Science (documentary)
May 4, 2014
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Mb5LMWpL3io
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Scalar Waves: Nicola Tesla's Forgotten Discovery Of A Source Of Clean, Cost Free Energy
Scalar wavelengths are finer than gamma rays or X rays and only one hundred millionth of a square centimeter in width. They belong to the subtle gravitational field and are also known as gravitic waves. Uniquely, they flow in multiple directions at right angles off electromagnetic waves, as an untapped energy source called 'potentials'. Potentials are particles which are unorganized in hyperspace - pure etheric energy not manifest in the physical world. In comparison, electromagnetic waves (measured by so many hertz or pulses per second, with which we are familiar with as radio other waves in the electro-magnetic spectrum) exist normally in the physical world, but can only be measured up to levels determined by the sensitivity of the equipment being used as to how many cycles per second they operate.
http://www.greenteethmm.com/science-scalar-waves.shtml
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How the Physics of Electromagnetism can Generate Electricity
http://syzygyastro.hubpages.com/hub/How-the-Physics-of-Electromagnetism-can-Generate-Electricity
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Getting a charge from changes in humidity
Jan 27, 2014
New type of generator built with bacterial spores could one day provide a steady source of green electricity
BOSTON — A new type of electrical generator uses bacterial spores to harness the untapped power of evaporating water, according to research conducted at the Wyss Institute of Biologically Inspired Engineering at Harvard University. Its developers foresee electrical generators driven by changes in humidity from sun-warmed ponds and harbors.
The prototype generators work by harnessing the movement of a sheet of rubber coated on one side with spores. The sheet bends when it dries out, much as a pine cone opens as it dries or a freshly fallen leaf curls, and then straightens when humidity rises. Such bending back and forth means that spore-coated sheets or tiny planks can act as actuators that drive movement, and that movement can be harvested to generate electricity.
http://wyss.harvard.edu/viewpressrelease/137/getting-a-charge-from-changes-in-humidity
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A new clean nuclear fusion reactor has been designed
January 14, 2013
http://phys.org/news/2013-01-nuclear-fusion-reactor.html#nRlv
A
researcher at the Universidad politécnica de Madrid (UPM, Spain) has
patented a nuclear fusion reactor by inertial confinement that, apart
from be used to generate electric power in plants, can be applied to
propel ships.
This invention is the result of a work
carried out by the Professor José Luis González Díez from the Higher
Technical School of Naval Engineering of the UPM, who has contributed to
solve the problem of contamination risk associated with the generation
of nuclear fission power. It is a design of a fusion nuclear reactor by
laser ignition of 1000 MWe that uses as fuel hydrogen isotopes that can
be extracted from water allowing us a significant saving in fuel.
The
nuclear fission is generally considered as a dangerous energy due to
its contaminant risks of radioactive waste resulting from the
electricity generation process. The past events occurred in Japan after
the tsunami of 2011 increased the risk perception of this type of energy
generation what has provoked that research on alternative ways to
obtain energy have gained more importance than ever.
For
years, nuclear fusion was studied as an alternative to nuclear fission
because of its remarkable advantages for security and financial issues.
However, today, there is not working any fusion reactor to produce
continuous electrical energy of high voltage.
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Electrostatic nuclear accelerator
An electrostatic nuclear accelerator is one of the two main types of particle accelerators, where charged particles can be accelerated by subjection to a static high voltage potential. The static high voltage method is contrasted with the dynamic fields used in oscillating field particle accelerators. Owing to their simpler design, historically these accelerators were developed earlier. These machines are operated at lower energy than some larger oscillating field accelerators, and to the extent that the energy regime scales with the cost of these machines, in broad terms these machines are less expensive than higher energy machines, and as such they are much more common. Many universities world wide have electrostatic accelerators for research purposes.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Electrostatic_nuclear_accelerator
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TESLA project goes public
http://cerncourier.com/cws/article/cern/28450
At a major event held at the DESY laboratory in March (see News May 2000), the international TESLA collaboration, together with the members of various study groups, released the TESLA Technical Design Report. This five-volume opus presented the final facts and figures concerning a grand plan for the future: the "TeV-Energy Superconducting Linear Accelerator", a 33 km electron-positron linear collider with an integrated X-ray laser laboratory.
To be built near the DESY laboratory in Hamburg, the facility would not only provide particle collision energies of 500 GeV - which could be increased to 800 GeV - but also include powerful X-ray lasers that would open up new research opportunities in a variety of fields, ranging from condensed matter physics through chemistry and material science to structural biology.
It is widely acknowledged among particle physicists that a linear accelerator colliding electrons and positrons is the ideal machine to complement CERN's Large Hadron Collider, which is due to start operation in 2006. As well as the TESLA collaboration, plans for similar next-generation linear electron-positron colliders are being worked on by other teams.
SLAC in the US and KEK in Japan are jointly developing two similar designs - known respectively as the Next Linear Collider and the Japan Linear Collider - which could be ready for construction at around the same time as TESLA. CERN is also working on a next-generation collider, CLIC. However, the TESLA proposal is the first to be fully costed and made public. It is also the only project to include an X-ray laser laboratory and thus to address a large interdisciplinary research community.
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CERN researchers confirm existence of the Force
April, 2015
Researchers at the
Large Hadron Collider just recently started testing the accelerator for
running at the higher energy of 13 TeV, and already they have found new
insights into the fundamental structure of the universe. Though four
fundamental forces – the strong force, the weak force, the
electromagnetic force and gravity – have been well documented and
confirmed in experiments over the years, CERN announced today the first
unequivocal evidence for the Force. "Very impressive, this result is,"
said a diminutive green spokesperson for the laboratory.
http://phys.org/news/2015-04-cern.html#jCp
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Meson f0(1710) could be so-called “glueball” particle made purely of nuclear force
Terms to describe the strange world of quantum physics have come to
be quite common in our lexicon. Who, for instance, hasn't at least heard
of a quark, or a gluon or even Schrodinger's cat? Now there's a new
name to remember: "Glueball." A long sought-after exotic particle, and
recently claimed to have been detected by researchers at TU Wien, the
glueball's strangest characteristic is that it is composed entirely of
gluons. In other words, it is a particle created from pure force.
First mooted as a particle in 1972 when physicists
Murray Gell-Mann and Harald Fritsch wondered about possible bound states
of recently-discovered gluons, scientists have sought the particle in
the intervening decades. Originally dubbed "gluonium," but now called
glueballs, these strange particles of pure force are exceptionally
unstable and can only be indirectly detected by monitoring their decay
as they disassemble into lesser particles.
More recently, physics Professor Anton
Rebhan and his PhD student Frederic Brünner from TU Wien have theorized
that a strong nuclear decay resonance, called f0(1710), observed in the
data from a number of particle accelerator experiments is strong
evidence for the elusive glueball particle...
http://www.gizmag.com/meson-f01710-glueball-particle/39866/?li_source=LI&li_medium=default-widget
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CERN Document Server - Micro energy harvesting
2015
https://cds.cern.ch/record/2019306
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CERN Document Server - Piezoelectric energy harvesting
2015
http://cds.cern.ch/record/1613190?ln=en
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CAST explores the dark side of the universe
September 21, 2015
Over
the next 10 days, CERN's Axion Solar Telescope (CAST) will receive the
Sun's rays. The Sun's course is visible from the window in the CAST
experimental hall just twice a year, in March and September. The
scientists will take advantage of these few days to improve the
alignment of the detector with respect to the position of the Sun to
within a thousandth of a radian.
Read more at: http://phys.org/news/2015-09-explores-dark-side-universe.html#jCp
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Big Chill Sets in as RHIC Physics Heats Up
Run 14 promises highest collision rates enabling exploration of detailed properties of early-universe matter
UPTON, NY—If you think it's been cold outside this winter, that's nothing compared to the deep freeze setting in at the Relativistic Heavy Ion Collider
(RHIC), the early-universe-recreating "atom smasher" at the U.S.
Department of Energy's Brookhaven National Laboratory. Brookhaven's
accelerator physicists have begun pumping liquid helium into RHIC's
1,740 superconducting magnets to chill them to near absolute zero (-273
degrees Celsius—the coldest anything can get) in preparation for the
collider's next physics run.
Once that extreme subzero temperature is reached, enabling the
magnets to operate with zero energy loss, the physicists will begin
injecting beams of gold ions and steering them into head-on collisions
at nearly the speed of light. Those collisions create temperatures at
the opposite extreme of the temperature scale—4 trillion degrees
Celsius, or 250,000 times hotter than the center of the sun—to produce
RHIC's signature "perfect" liquid
quark-gluon plasma, a stand in for what the universe was like an
instant after the Big Bang. During this experimental run, the 14th at
this nuclear physics scientific user facility, scientists will conduct
detailed studies of the primordial plasma's properties and fill in some
missing data points to plot its transition to the matter we see in the
universe today
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The puzzle of the origin of elements in the universe
December 17, 2015
A rare nuclear reaction that occurs in red giants has been
observed for the first time at the Gran Sasso National Laboratory in
Italy. This result was achieved by the LUNA experiment, the world's only
accelerator facility running deep underground.
The
LUNA experiment at the INFN Gran Sasso National Laboratory in Italy has
observed a rare nuclear reaction that occurs in giant red stars, a type
of star in which our sun will also evolve. This is the first direct
observation of sodium production in these stars, one of the nuclear
reactions that is fundamental for the formation of the elements that
make up the universe. The study has been published in Physical Review
Letters.
LUNA (Laboratory for Underground Nuclear
Astrophysics) is a compact linear accelerator. It is the only one in the
world installed in an underground facility, shielded against cosmic
rays. The experiment aims to study the nuclear reactions that take place
inside stars where, like in an intriguing and amazing cosmic kitchen,
the elements that make up matter are formed and then driven out by
gigantic explosions and scattered as cosmic dust.
http://phys.org/news/2015-12-puzzle-elements-universe.html
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RHIC particle smashups find that shape matters
December 7, 2015
Peering into the seething soup of
primordial matter created in particle collisions at the Relativistic
Heavy Ion Collider (RHIC)-an "atom smasher" dedicated to nuclear physics
research at the U.S. Department of Energy's Brookhaven National
Laboratory-scientists have come to a new understanding of how particles
are produced in these collisions. This understanding represents a
paradigm shift consistent with the presence of a saturated state of
gluons, super-dense fields of the glue-like particles that bind the
building blocks of ordinary matter.
http://phys.org/news/2015-12-rhic-particle-smashups.html
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Physicists search for signs of supersymmetry
December 17, 2015
The
first results from direct searches for new physics were announced today
from CERN's energy-upgraded Large Hadron Collider (LHC). Among these
results was a search for signs of a new theory called supersymmetry in
which members of the University of Bristol particle physics group have
played a leading role.
The LHC is the
world's highest energy particle accelerator. After an almost two year
shutdown and several months' re-commissioning, the LHC delivered physics
data to its experiments from June to November this year at the
unprecedented energy of 13 TeV, almost double the collision energy of
its first run. The energy of the colliding protons is such that new
particles much heavier than the proton can be created including the
famous Higgs boson, and possibly even heavier and more exotic particles
hypothesised in new physics theories. One such theory is called
supersymmetry, which predicts an exotic partner for each currently known
particle type.
http://phys.org/news/2015-12-physicists-supersymmetry.html
______________
Four new elements confirmed
January 4, 2016
http://www.gizmag.com/new-periodic-table-elements-confirmed/41139/
Chemistry textbooks are in need of a rewrite with the addition of
four new elements to the Periodic Table. The International Union of Pure
and Applied Chemistry (IUPAC) has confirmed the existence of four new
elements with the atomic numbers 113, 115, 117, and 118, which were
discovered by laboratories in Japan, the United States, and Russia. This
bumper group of new elements completes the 7th row of the Periodic
Table and clears the way for the discoverers to start thinking up names
for them.
Until now, elements 113, 115, 117, and 118 have only
been known from their gaps in the table and the temporary names
ununtrium (Uut), ununpentium (Uup), ununseptium (Uus), and ununoctium
(Uuo). Now, thanks to RIKEN in Japan; the Joint Institute for Nuclear Research in Dubna, Russia; Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory
(LLNL), California; and Oak Ridge National Laboratory, (ORNL),
Tennessee, these elements that do not exist in nature have been
confirmed to have been created for the first time.
The fourth IUPAC and the International Union of Pure
and Applied Physics (IUPAP) Joint Working Party (JWP) reviewed the
findings of the discoverers and, based on a criteria set out in 1991,
have confirmed them. Elements 115 and 117 were found by the Joint
Institute for Nuclear Research, LLNL, and ORNL. Element 118 was found by
the Joint Institute and LLNL, and 113 was found by RIKEN.
The periodic table in its modern form was invented by Russian
chemistry professor Dmitri Mendeleev in 1869 and lists elements
according to their atomic numbers based on the number of protons in
their nuclei. Its odd shape, which is familiar to anyone trying to stay
awake in chemistry class, is due to the discovery that by arranging the
elements to group them by their chemical properties and electron
configurations, it becomes a graphic representation of objective
reality.
In other words, chemists could not only use the table
to describe known elements, but also predict the existence and
properties of unknown elements that were yet to be discovered. This
makes the IUPAC announcement particularly important because it means
that an entire row or period of the table has now been filled in thanks,
in part, to this predictability.
Though many of the new elements were discovered as
far back as 2004, the tricky bit has been proving that they exist. In
the 19th century, any competent chemist could determine if a substance
was a pure element, but the new elements reside in a part of the table
where the atoms are super heavy and so unstable that they exist for less
than a thousandth of a second.
Element 113, for example, was created by using a
linear accelerator to bombard a thin layer of bismuth with zinc ions
travelling at about ten percent of the speed of light in hope that, in
rare instances, the bismuth and zinc atoms would fuse to form a element.
The resulting super-heavy atom of 113 would then decay and turn into
other unstable radioactive isotopes, which would decay nearly as fast.
The result was that the scientists who created the
new element had to spend years tracing back the event through a
labyrinth of isotopic breakdowns to prove that they descended from the
new element. Then, the JWP of the IUPAC had to review the literature to
make sure no mistakes were made.
Now that the elements are confirmed, the discoverers
can officially apply permanent names and symbols to them. The proposed
names and two-letter symbols will be checked by the Inorganic Chemistry
Division of IUPAC and then be subjected to a public review for five
months to make sure they conform to the standards of consistency,
translatability into other languages, and historic use. Typically, names
have been derived from mythology, minerals, geography, or the name of a
scientist.
One other interesting point about the new elements is
that it opens the way to the search for an "island of stability." That
is, a region beyond the current Periodic Table where new superheavy
elements will become stable and exist long enough to allow for
conventional chemistry experiments.
______________
The perfect liquid -- now even more perfect
January 17, 2012
Ultra
hot quark-gluon-plasma, generated by heavy-ion collisions in particle
accelerators, is supposed to be the "most perfect fluid" in the world.
Previous theories imposed a limit on how "liquid" fluids can be. Recent
results at the Vienna University of Technology suggest that this limit
can be broken -- making the world's "most perfect fluid" even more
perfect.
How liquid can a fluid be? This is a question
particle physicists at the Vienna University of Technology have been
working on. The "most perfect liquid" is nothing like water, but the
extremely hot quark-gluon-plasma which is produced in heavy-ion
collisions at the Large Hadron Collider at CERN. New theoretical results
at Vienna UT show that this quark-gluon plasma could be even less
viscous than was deemed possible by previous theories. The results were
published in Physical Review Letters and highlighted as an "editors'
selection".
Highly viscous liquids (such as honey) are
thick and have strong internal friction, quantum liquids, such as super
fluid helium can exhibit extremely low viscosity. In 2004, theorists
claimed that quantum theory provided a lower bound for viscosity of
fluids. Applying methods from string theory, the lowest possible ratio
of viscosity to the entropy density was predicted to be ħ/4π (with the
Planck-constant ħ). Even super fluid helium is far above this threshold.
In 2005, measurements showed that quark-gluon-plasma exhibits a
viscosity just barely above this limit. However, this record for low
viscosity can still be broken, claims Dominik Steineder from the
Institute for Theoretical Physics at Vienna UT. He obtained this
remarkable result working as a PhD-student with Professor Anton Rebhan.
http://phys.org/news/2012-01-liquid-.html#nRlv
______________
Linear particle accelerator
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Linear_particle_accelerator
A linear particle accelerator (often shortened to linac) is a type of particle accelerator that greatly increases the kinetic energy of charged subatomic particles or ions by subjecting the charged particles to a series of oscillating electric potentials along a linear beamline; this method of particle acceleration was invented by Leó Szilárd. It was patented in 1928 by Rolf Widerøe, who also built the first operational device at the RWTH Aachen University in 1928, influenced by a publication of Gustav Ising.
Linacs have many applications: they generate X-rays and high energy electrons for medicinal purposes in radiation therapy,
serve as particle injectors for higher-energy accelerators, and are
used directly to achieve the highest kinetic energy for light particles
(electrons and positrons) for particle physics.
The design of a linac depends on the type of particle that is being accelerated: electrons, protons or ions. Linacs range in size from a cathode ray tube (which is a type of linac) to the 3.2-kilometre-long (2.0 mi) linac at the SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory in Menlo Park, California.
______________
China to build a particle collider twice the size of the Large Hadron Collider
November 27, 2015
China is planning to enter the Europe- and US-dominated world of
experimental physics with (wait for it …) a bang. It has formally
announced that it will begin the first phase of construction of an
enormous particle accelerator around 2020, which will be twice the size
and seven times more powerful than CERN's Large Hadron Collider (LHC).
http://www.gizmag.com/china-worlds-biggest-particle-collider/40526/?li_source=LI&li_medium=default-widget
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Antimatter Propulsion Engine Redesigned Using CERN's Particle Physics Simulation Toolkit
Latest
simulation shows that the magnetic nozzles required for antimatter
propulsion could be vastly more efficient than previously thought–and
built with today’s technologies
http://www.technologyreview.com/view/427923/antimatter-propulsion-engine-redesigned-using-cerns-particle-physics-simulation-toolkit/
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Seeding magnetic fields for laser-driven flux compression in high-energy-density plasmas.
2009 Apr
A compact, self-contained magnetic-seed-field generator (5 to 16 T) is
the enabling technology for a novel laser-driven flux-compression scheme
in laser-driven targets. A magnetized target is directly irradiated by a
kilojoule or megajoule laser to compress the preseeded magnetic field
to thousands of teslas. A fast (300 ns), 80 kA current pulse delivered
by a portable pulsed-power system is discharged into a low-mass coil
that surrounds the laser target. A >15 T target field has been
demonstrated using a <100 J capacitor bank, a laser-triggered switch,
and a low-impedance (<1 Omega) strip line. The device has been
integrated into a series of magnetic-flux-compression experiments on the
60 beam, 30 kJ OMEGA laser [T. R. Boehly et al., Opt. Commun. 133, 495
(1997)]. The initial application is a novel magneto-inertial fusion
approach [O. V. Gotchev et al., J. Fusion Energy 27, 25 (2008)] to
inertial confinement fusion (ICF), where the amplified magnetic field
can inhibit thermal conduction losses from the hot spot of a compressed
target. This can lead to the ignition of massive shells imploded with
low velocity-a way of reaching higher gains than is possible with
conventional ICF.
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/19405657
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Amplifying Magnetic Fields in High Energy Density Plasmas
Ultra high intensity magnetic fields open new opportunities in high energy density plasma science.
October 2012
(A double coil is assembled on the transmission line of the magnetic field generator (MIFEDS) by Mr. PY Chang, PhD student at the University of Rochester. The MIFEDS device discharges 50 kA of current through the coil generating a ~10 Tesla magnetic field used to magnetize laser-driven targets.)
http://science.energy.gov/fes/highlights/2012/fes-2012-10-c/
_____________
Scientists in Germany switch on nuclear fusion experiment (Update)
February 3, 2016
http://phys.org/news/2016-02-scientists-germany-nuclear-fusion.html
Scientists
in Germany flipped the switch Wednesday on an experiment they hope will
advance the quest for nuclear fusion, considered a clean and safe form
of nuclear power.
Following nine years of construction
and testing, researchers at the Max Planck Institute for Plasma Physics
in Greifswald injected a tiny amount of hydrogen into a doughnut-shaped
device—then zapped it with the equivalent of 6,000 microwave ovens.
The
resulting super-hot gas, known as plasma, lasted just a fraction of a
second before cooling down again, long enough for scientists to
confidently declare the start of their experiment a success.
"Everything
went well today," said Robert Wolf, a senior scientist involved with
the project. "With a system as complex as this you have to make sure
everything works perfectly and there's always a risk."
Among
the difficulties is how to cool the complex arrangement of magnets
required to keep the plasma floating inside the device, Wolf said.
Scientists looked closely at the hiccups experienced during the start-up
of the Large Hadron Collider in Switzerland more than five years ago to
avoid similar mistakes, he said.
The experiment in
Greifswald is part of a world-wide effort to harness nuclear fusion, a
process in which atoms join at extremely high temperatures and release
large amounts of energy that's similar to what occurs inside the sun.
Advocates
acknowledge that the technology is probably many decades away, but
argue that—once achieved—it could replace fossil fuels and conventional
nuclear fission reactors.
Construction has already
begun in southern France on ITER, a huge international research reactor
that uses a strong electric current to trap plasma inside a
doughnut-shaped device long enough for fusion to take place. The device,
known as a tokamak, was conceived by Soviet physicists in the 1950s and
is considered fairly easy to build, but extremely difficult to operate.
The
team in Greifswald, a port city on Germany's Baltic coast, is focused
on a rival technology invented by the American physicist Lyman Spitzer
in 1950. Called a stellarator, the device has the same doughnut shape as
a tokamak but uses a complicated system of magnetic coils instead of a
current to achieve the same result.
_____________
GPS Moonshots: Creating a star on earth
December 22, 2014
http://www.cnn.com/videos/bestoftv/2014/12/22/exp-gps-moonshots-iter-sot.cnn
_____________
ITER
ITER (International Thermonuclear Experimental Reactor and Latin for "the way") is an international nuclear fusion research and engineering megaproject, which is currently building the world's largest experimental tokamak nuclear fusion reactor adjacent to the Cadarache facility in the south of France. The ITER project aims to make the long-awaited transition from experimental studies of plasma physics to full-scale electricity-producing fusion power plants.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ITER
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Hydrogen-Boron vs. Deuterium-Tritium
Nuclear fusion has the potential to generate power without the
radioactive waste of nuclear fission, but that depends on which atoms
you decide to fuse. Conventional fusion approaches work with deuterium
and tritium (DT), while focus fusion works with hydrogen and boron
eleven (pB11).
http://focusfusion.org/index.php/site/article/deuterium_tritium_vs_hydrogen_boron/
_____________
HOW IT WORKS: Fusion Power
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LJZvFlo0iNs
_____________
Small-scale nuclear fusion may be a new energy source
- September 25, 2015
Fusion energy may soon be used in small-scale power stations. This means
producing environmentally friendly heating and electricity at a low
cost from fuel found in water. Both heating generators and generators
for electricity could be developed within a few years, according to new
research.
Nuclear fusion is a process whereby atomic nuclei melt together and
release energy. Because of the low binding energy of the tiny atomic
nuclei, energy can be released by combining two small nuclei with a
heavier one. A collaboration between researchers at the University of
Gothenburg and the University of Iceland has been to study a new type of
nuclear fusion process. This produces almost no neutrons but instead
fast, heavy electrons (muons), since it is based on nuclear reactions in
ultra-dense heavy hydrogen (deuterium).
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2015/09/150925085550.htm
_____________
Nuclear fusion, the ultimate clean energy
20th March, 2015
http://theforeigner.no/pages/columns/nuclear-fusion-the-ultimate-clean-energy/
_____________
Magnetic fields and lasers elicit graphene secret
Nov 24, 2014
Read more at: http://phys.org/news/2014-11-magnetic-fields-lasers-elicit-graphene.html#jCp
http://phys.org/news/2014-11-magnetic-fields-lasers-elicit-graphene.html
Graphene
is considered a "wonder material": its breaking strength is higher than
steel and it conducts electricity and heat more effectively than
copper. As a two-dimensional structure consisting of only a single layer
of carbon atoms, it is also flexible, nearly transparent and
approximately one million times thinner than a sheet of paper.
Furthermore, shortly after its discovery ten years ago, scientists
recognized that the energy states of graphene in a magnetic field -
known as Landau levels - behave differently than those of
semiconductors. "Many fascinating effects have been discovered with
graphene in magnetic fields, but the dynamics of electrons have never
been studied in such a system until now," explains physicist Dr. Stephan
Winnerl from HZDR.
The HZDR researchers exposed the
graphene to a four-Tesla magnetic field - forty times stronger than a
horseshoe magnet. As a result, the electrons in graphene occupy only
certain energy states. The negatively charged particles were virtually
forced on tracks. These energy levels were then examined with
free-electron laser light pulses at the HZDR. "The laser pulse excites
the electrons into a certain Landau level. A temporally delayed pulse
then probes how the system evolves," explains Martin Mittendorff,
doctoral candidate at the HZDR and first author of the paper.
Electron redistribution surprises scientists
The
result of the experiments has astonished the researchers. This
particular energy level, into which new electrons were pumped using the
laser, gradually emptied. Winnerl illustrates this paradoxical effect
using an everyday example: "Imagine a librarian sorting books on a
bookshelf with three shelves. She places one book at a time from the
lower shelf onto the middle shelf. Her son is simultaneously 'helping'
by taking two books from the middle shelf, placing one of them on the
top shelf, the other on the bottom. The son is very eager and now the
number of books on the middle shelf decreases even though this is
precisely the shelf his mother wishes to fill."
Because
there were neither experiments nor theories regarding such dynamics
before, the Dresden physicists initially had difficulty interpreting the
signals correctly. After a number of attempts, however, they found an
explanation: collisions between electrons cause this unusual
rearrangement. "This effect has long been known as Auger scattering, but
no one expected it would be so strong and would cause an energy level
to become depleted," explains Winnerl.
This new
discovery could be used in the future for developing a laser that can
produce light with arbitrarily adjustable wavelengths in the infrared
and terahertz ranges. "Such a Landau-level laser was long considered
impossible, but now with graphene this semiconductor physicists' dream
could become a reality," says Winnerl enthusiastically.
_____________
Magnetized target fusion
Magnetized target fusion (MTF) is a relatively new approach to producing fusion power that combines features of magnetic confinement fusion (MCF) and inertial confinement fusion (ICF) approaches. Like the magnetic approach, the fusion fuel is confined at lower density by magnetic fields while it is heated into a plasma.
Like the inertial approach, fusion is initiated by rapidly squeezing
the target to greatly increase fuel density and temperature. Although
the resulting density is far lower than in traditional ICF, it is
thought that the combination of longer confinement times and better heat
retention will let MTF yield the same efficiencies, yet be far easier
to build. The term magneto-inertial fusion (MIF) is similar, but
encompasses a wider variety of arrangements. The two terms are often
applied interchangeably to experiments.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Magnetized_target_fusion
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Levitated dipole
A levitated dipole is a nuclear fusion experiment using a solid superconducting torus which is magnetically levitated inside the reactor chamber. It is believed that such an apparatus could contain plasma more efficiently than other fusion reactor designs. The superconductor forms an axisymmetric magnetic field of a nature similar to Earth's or Jupiter's magnetospheres. The machine was run in a collaboration between MIT and Columbia University.
The Levitated Dipole Experiment was funded by the US Department of Energy's Office of Fusion Energy, but funding for the LDX was ended in November 2011 to concentrate resources on Tokamak designs
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Levitated_dipole
_____________
Plasma propulsion engine
A plasma propulsion engine is a type of electric propulsion that generates thrust from a quasi-neutral plasma. This is in contrast to ion thruster engines, which generates thrust through extracting an ion current from plasma source, which is then accelerated to high velocities using grids/anodes.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Plasma_propulsion_engine
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Plasma research shows promise for future compact accelerators
December 22, 2015
A transformative breakthrough in controlling ion beams allows
small-scale laser-plasma accelerators to deliver unprecedented power
densities. That development offers benefits in a wide range of
applications, including nuclear fusion experiments, cancer treatments,
and security scans to detect smuggled nuclear materials.
"In
our research, plasma uses the energy stored in its electromagnetic
fields to self-organize itself in such a way to reduce the energy-spread
of the laser-plasma ion accelerator," said Sasikumar Palaniyappan of
Los Alamos National Laboratory's Plasma Physics group. "In the past,
most of the attempts to solve this problem required active plasma
control, which is difficult."
Laser-plasma
accelerators shoot a high-energy laser into a cloud of plasma, releasing
a beam of ions, or electrically charged particles, in a fraction of the
distance required by conventional accelerators. The laser generates
electromagnetic fields in the plasma.
Using a computer
simulation called Vector-Particle-In-Cell (VPIC), the Laboratory's team
of physicists and computational scientists developed a scheme that
enlists the electromagnetic fields so the beam essentially contains
itself, reducing the energy spread, making the beam more efficient, and
concentrating more energy on its target.
http://phys.org/news/2015-12-plasma-future-compact.html
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Researchers identify zebra-like stripes of plasma in a patch of space
July 14, 2015
Since the early 1970s,
orbiting satellites have picked up on noise-like plasma waves very close
to the Earth's magnetic field equator. This "equatorial noise," as it
was then named, seemed to be an unruly mess of electric and magnetic
fields oscillating at different frequencies in the form of plasma waves.
Now
a team from MIT, the University of California at Los Angeles, the
University of Sheffield, and elsewhere has detected a remarkably orderly
pattern amid the noise.
http://phys.org/news/2015-07-zebra-like-stripes-plasma-patch-space.html
_____________
In plasmonics, 'optical losses' could bring practical gain
January 26, 2016
What
researchers had thought of as a barrier to developing advanced
technologies based on the emerging field of plasmonics is now seen as a
potential pathway to practical applications in areas from cancer therapy
to nanomanufacturing.
Plasmonic materials contain
features, patterns or elements that enable unprecedented control of
light by harnessing clouds of electrons called surface plasmons. It
could allow the miniaturization of optical technologies, bringing
advances such as nano-resolution imaging and computer chips that process
and transmit data using light instead of electrons, representing a
potential leap in performance.
However, the development
of advanced optical technologies using plasmonics has been hampered
because components under development cause too much light to be lost and
converted into heat. But now researchers are finding that this
"loss-induced plasmonic heating" could be key to development of various
advanced technologies, said Vladimir M. Shalaev, co-director of the new
Purdue Quantum Center, scientific director of nanophotonics at the Birck
Nanotechnology Center in the university's Discovery Park and a
distinguished professor of electrical and computer engineering.
http://phys.org/news/2016-01-plasmonics-optical-losses-gain.html
______________
The Science of Lightsabers
4 May 2022
No Earthly material can withstand plasma at these temperatures, and it must be held away from the walls of the reactor by extraordinarily powerful magnetic fields.
The resulting ‘magnetic bottle’ used to confine the plasma in ITER, and many other fusion reactors is called a tokamak, a doughnut-shaped vacuum chamber surrounded by magnetic coils.
Magnetic fields are the key to containing the plasma in a lightsaber too, speculates Felici, though he adds that a plasma capable of cutting through steel would not have to be anything like as hot as that required for nuclear fusion, merely a few thousand degrees...
https://blog.sciencemuseum.org.uk/the-science-of-lightsabers/
______________
Magnetic control of tokamak plasmas through deep reinforcement learning
16 February 2022
Abstract
Nuclear fusion using magnetic confinement, in particular in the tokamak configuration, is a promising path towards sustainable energy. A core challenge is to shape and maintain a high-temperature plasma within the tokamak vessel. This requires high-dimensional, high-frequency, closed-loop control using magnetic actuator coils, further complicated by the diverse requirements across a wide range of plasma configurations. In this work, we introduce a previously undescribed architecture for tokamak magnetic controller design that autonomously learns to command the full set of control coils. This architecture meets control objectives specified at a high level, at the same time satisfying physical and operational constraints. This approach has unprecedented flexibility and generality in problem specification and yields a notable reduction in design effort to produce new plasma configurations. We successfully produce and control a diverse set of plasma configurations on the Tokamak à Configuration Variable1,2, including elongated, conventional shapes, as well as advanced configurations, such as negative triangularity and ‘snowflake’ configurations. Our approach achieves accurate tracking of the location, current and shape for these configurations. We also demonstrate sustained ‘droplets’ on TCV, in which two separate plasmas are maintained simultaneously within the vessel. This represents a notable advance for tokamak feedback control, showing the potential of reinforcement learning to accelerate research in the fusion domain, and is one of the most challenging real-world systems to which reinforcement learning has been applied.
https://www.nature.com/articles/s41586-021-04301-9
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MIT-designed project achieves major advance toward fusion energy
September 8, 2021
New superconducting magnet breaks magnetic field strength records, paving the way for practical, commercial, carbon-free power.
https://news.mit.edu/2021/MIT-CFS-major-advance-toward-fusion-energy-0908
_______________
Can This Technology Beam Energy From Space?
Apr 28, 2024
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YX1bcNqhhi8
______________
The Forbidden Energy Source.
Mar 21, 2024
How this new energy source, the Microbial Fuel Cell, will turn our waste into something amazing.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fJ4vUJbsKhw
______________
Nuclear 4.0 | The Small Modular Reactor Revolution
Mar 24, 2024
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ydeMrFcwA1o
_______________
Thermal
properties of novel phase change materials based on protic ionic
liquids containing ethanolamines and stearic acid for efficient thermal
energy storage
24 Apr 2024
https://pubs.rsc.org/en/content/articlelanding/2024/cp/d4cp00976b
______________
New carbon material sets energy-storage record, likely to advance supercapacitors
November 21, 2023
https://www.ornl.gov/news/new-carbon-material-sets-energy-storage-record-likely-advance-supercapacitors
______________
Is Spherical Solar Really The Future of Energy?
Jul 4, 2023
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=alpAB1n4U7w
______________
Researchers say neutron stars are key to understanding elusive dark matter
April 5, 2024
https://phys.org/news/2024-04-neutron-stars-key-elusive-dark.html
______________
15 ENERGY EFFICIENT INVENTIONS FOR YOUR HOME
Oct 15, 2023
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-l-UYwfx3a0
______________
The Mushroom Motherboard: The Crazy Fungal Computers that Might Change Everything
Mar 4, 2024
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5mIWo6dgTmI
______________
New superconducting material discovered in transition-metal dichalcogenides materials
January 19, 2024
https://phys.org/news/2024-01-superconducting-material-transition-metal-dichalcogenides.html
______________
New quantum material promises up to 190% quantum efficiency in solar cells
April 10, 2024
https://techxplore.com/news/2024-04-quantum-material-efficiency-solar-cells.html
______________
Genius Bladeless Hydro Turbine is Cheaper Than Solar
Aug 18, 2023
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ArQE3SB0kyM
______________
Researchers build selenium–silicon tandem solar cell that could improve efficiency to 40%
April 2, 2024
https://techxplore.com/news/2024-04-seleniumsilicon-tandem-solar-cell-efficiency.html
______________
A solar cell you can bend and soak in water
March 27, 2024
https://techxplore.com/news/2024-03-solar-cell.html
______________
Chemistry researchers modify solar technology to produce a less harmful greenhouse gas
April 2, 2024
https://techxplore.com/news/2024-04-chemistry-solar-technology-greenhouse-gas.html
______________
Non-toxic, Eco-friendly Solar Panels
MAY 18, 2022
https://www.labroots.com/trending/technology/22775/non-toxic-eco-friendly-solar-panels
______________
New way to charge batteries harnesses the power of 'indefinite causal order'
December 14, 2023
https://phys.org/news/2023-12-batteries-harnesses-power-indefinite-causal.html#google_vignette
______________
Drawing inspiration from plants: A metal–air paper battery for wearable devices
April 3, 2024
https://techxplore.com/news/2024-04-metalair-paper-battery-wearable-devices.html
______________
New 'papertronics' offer biodegradable alternative to traditional circuits
March 13, 2024
https://techxplore.com/news/2024-03-papertronics-biodegradable-alternative-traditional-circuits.html
______________
Cobalt-free batteries could power cars of the future
January 20, 2024
https://phys.org/news/2024-01-cobalt-free-batteries-power-cars.html
______________
Next-generation batteries could go organic, cobalt-free for long-lasting power
January 18, 2024
https://techxplore.com/news/2024-01-generation-batteries-cobalt-free-power.html
______________
We rely heavily on lithium batteries – but there's a growing array of alternatives
20 March 2024
https://www.bbc.com/future/article/20240319-the-most-sustainable-alternatives-to-lithium-batteries
______________
New materials discovered for safe, high-performance solid-state lithium-ion batteries
April 2, 2024
https://techxplore.com/news/2024-04-materials-safe-high-solid-state.html#google_vignette
______________
New 'water batteries' stay cool under pressure
February 21, 2024
A global team of researchers and industry collaborators led by RMIT University has invented recyclable 'water batteries' that won't catch fire or explode.
Lithium-ion energy storage dominates the market due to its technological maturity, but its suitability for large-scale grid energy storage is limited by safety concerns with the volatile materials inside.
Lead researcher Distinguished Professor Tianyi Ma said their batteries were at the cutting edge of an emerging field of aqueous energy storage devices, with breakthroughs that significantly improve the technology's performance and lifespan.
"What we design and manufacture are called aqueous metal-ion batteries—or we can call them water batteries," said Ma, from RMIT's School of Science.
The team uses water to replace organic electrolytes—which enable the flow of electric current between the positive and negative terminals—meaning their batteries can't start a fire or blow up—unlike their lithium-ion counterparts.
"Addressing end-of-life disposal challenges that consumers, industry, and governments globally face with current energy storage technology, our batteries can be safely disassembled, and the materials can be reused or recycled," Ma said.
The simplicity of manufacturing processes for their water batteries helped make mass production feasible, he said.
"We use materials such as magnesium and zinc that are abundant in nature, inexpensive, and less toxic than alternatives used in other kinds of batteries, which helps to lower manufacturing costs and reduces risks to human health and the environment."
https://techxplore.com/news/2024-02-batteries-stay-cool-pressure.html#google_vignette
______________
Researchers develop high-energy-density aqueous battery based on halogen multi-electron transfer
April 23, 2024
https://techxplore.com/news/2024-04-high-energy-density-aqueous-battery.html
______________
How a Sand Battery Could Revolutionize Home Energy Storage
Mar 26, 2024
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KVqHYNE2QwE
______________
Mitigating electrode-level heterogeneity using phosphorus nanolayers on graphite for fast-charging batteries
October 5, 2023
https://techxplore.com/news/2023-10-mitigating-electrode-level-heterogeneity-phosphorus-nanolayers.html
______________
Enovix Has The Silicon Battery Of The Future
Mar. 24, 2023
https://seekingalpha.com/article/4589703-enovix-silicon-battery-of-future
______________
Sila introduces Titan nano-composite silicon anode material; 20% increase in vehicle range and reduced charge time
05 April 2023
https://www.greencarcongress.com/2023/04/20230405-sila.html
______________
Strong coupling between a photon and a hole spin in silicon
06 March 2023
https://www.nature.com/articles/s41565-023-01332-3
______________
Engineers 'grow' atomically thin transistors on top of computer chips
April 28, 2023
A
new low-temperature growth and fabrication technology allows the
integration of 2D materials directly onto a silicon circuit, which could
lead to denser and more powerful chips.
https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2023/04/230428130757.htm
______________
Graphene and two-dimensional materials for silicon technology
25 September 2019
https://www.nature.com/articles/s41586-019-1573-9
______________
Research progress of nano-silicon-based materials and silicon-carbon composite anode materials for lithium-ion batteries
16 March 2022
https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s10008-022-05141-x
______________
Enhancing
zinc–air battery performance by constructing three-dimensional N-doped
carbon coating multiple valence Co and MnO heterostructures
13 January 2024
https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s12274-023-6404-5
______________
Enhanced
Electron Delocalization within Coherent Nano-Heterocrystal Ensembles
for Optimizing Polysulfide Conversion in High-Energy-Density Li-S
Batteries
25 December 2023
https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/adma.202310052
______________
Why This NASA Battery May Be The Future of Energy Storage
Jul 18, 2023
What
do you do if a satellite runs out of batteries? It’s prohibitively
expensive to send a team into orbit and pop in some new AAs, and as a
result many satellites use very efficient, reliable and long-lived
nickel-hydrogen batteries. We’re talking about batteries that last
decades. That sounds like the sort of battery that could revolutionize
grid-scale energy storage and really help out renewables back here on
Earth, which is why EnerVenue is backing nickel hydrogen batteries as
the next step forward! But if batteries rugged and powerful enough for
spacecraft already exist, then why haven’t we used it back here on Earth
until now?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2zG-ZrC4BO0
______________
Why NASA is Building a Solid State Battery
Oct 21, 2023
Batteries
are one of the hottest areas of research and development around the
world. It's critical fo everything from grid storage, home backup,
electric vehicles, and even short haul flight. But as the popularity of
all these fields increase, certain questions are raised. The holy grail
is supposed to be Solid state batteries, with no liquid electrolyte, and
NASA thinks they might have made a breakthrough with their SABERS
battery technology. So how does it work, is it legit, or just another
pipedream? Let's figure this out together!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tOcoGNZaUAM
_______________
Solid State Batteries - FINALLY powering electric vehicles in 2024!
Jan 28, 2024
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=suNUPGC2pwM
_______________
This Is Why Companies Are Hiding The Truth About Batteries
Dec 18, 2023
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m5aHAZhuwyc
_______________
Wood nanobattery could be green option for large-scale energy storage
July 6, 2013
(A closeup of the wood fibers used by the researchers in their sodium-ion battery (Image: University of Maryland)
Li-ion batteries may be ok for your smartphone, but when it comes to large-scale energy storage, the priorities suddenly shift from compactness and cycling performance (at which Li-ion batteries excel) to low cost and environmental feasibility (in which Li-ion batteries still have much room for improvement). A new "wood battery" could allow the emerging sodium-ion battery technology to fit the bill as a long-lasting, efficient and environmentally friendly battery for large-scale energy storage.
http://www.gizmag.com/wood-battery-energy-storage/28032/
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Trees are source for high-capacity, soft batteries
Jun 01, 2015
( A closeup of the soft battery, created with wood pulp nanocellulose.)
A method for making elastic high-capacity batteries from wood pulp was unveiled by researchers in Sweden and the US. Using nanocellulose broken down from tree fibres, a team from KTH Royal Institute of Technology and Stanford University produced an elastic, foam-like battery material that can withstand shock and stress.
"It is possible to make incredible materials from trees and cellulose," says Max Hamedi, who is a researcher at KTH and Harvard University. One benefit of the new wood-based aerogel material is that it can be used for three-dimensional structures.
"There are limits to how thin a battery can be, but that becomes less relevant in 3D, " Hamedi says. "We are no longer restricted to two dimensions. We can build in three dimensions, enabling us to fit more electronics in a smaller space."
-------------------------
Biodegradable computer chips made almost entirely from wood
May 28, 2015
http://www.gizmag.com/biodegradable-wooden-computer-chips/37755/
_______________
You'll never be-leaf what makes up this battery
January 28, 2016
Scientists at the University of Maryland have a new recipe for batteries: Bake a leaf, and add sodium. They used a carbonized oak leaf, pumped full of sodium, as a demonstration battery's negative terminal, or anode, according to a paper published yesterday in the journal ACS Applied Materials Interfaces.
http://phys.org/news/2016-01-youll-be-leaf-battery.html
_______________
Making batteries with portabella mushrooms
Porous structure of portabella mushrooms is key to making efficient batteries that could power cell phones, electric vehicles
Can portabella mushrooms stop cell phone batteries from degrading over time? Researchers think so. They have created a new type of lithium-ion battery anode using portabella mushrooms, which are inexpensive, environmentally friendly and easy to produce.
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2015/09/150929142522.htm
_______________
MIT’s photonic crystals lead towards nuclear batteries everywhere
February 3, 2012
Researchers at MIT have
developed photonic crystals that, in as little as two years, could
enable the use of hydrocarbon reactors in portable electronic devices,
and nuclear power sources everywhere else.
Photonic crystals are
optical nanostructures that are tuned to specific wavelengths of light.
If you understand how semiconductors affect the motion of electrons
(i.e. the bandgap only allows electrons with a certain energy level to
pass through), photonic crystals are the optical equivalent. In this
case, MIT has created infrared-absorbing photonic crystals using metals
such as tungsten and titanium. Because of their metallic roots, these
photonic crystals can operate at temperatures up to 1200C (2192F).
http://www.extremetech.com/extreme/116853-mits-photonic-crystals-lead-towards-a-nuclear-reactor-in-every-gadget
_______________
Tin nanocrystals for the battery of the future
(Monodisperse tin nanodroplets in an electron microscopic image.)
More powerful batteries could help electric cars achieve a considerably larger range and thus a breakthrough on the market. A new nanomaterial for lithium ion batteries developed in the labs of chemists at ETH Zurich and Empa could come into play here.
http://www.ethlife.ethz.ch/archive_articles/130408_li_ionen_fb/index_EN
_______________
New "Spin Battery" Storing Energy into Nano-Magnets
2009
http://www.greenoptimistic.com/2009/03/12/spin-battery-magnetic-energy-storage/#.UmNYqRDNkmw
_______________
Graphene Charges Atmosphere with Battery Running on Thin Air
December 20, 2014
http://www.greenoptimistic.com/graphene-charges-atmosphere-battery-running-thin-air-20141220/#.VSFkGeG-2zk
_______________
‘Power Paper’ – Story Of A Paper That Can Store Electricity
December 12, 2015
Power Paper, created by the researchers of Sweden’s Linköping University, is showing an outstanding ability in storing energy, which can later be used to recharge devices.
http://www.greenoptimistic.com/power-paper-store-electricity/
_______________
From allergens to anodes: Pollen derived battery electrodes
February 5, 2016
Pollens, the bane of
allergy sufferers, could represent a boon for battery makers: Recent
research has suggested their potential use as anodes in lithium-ion
batteries.
"Our findings have demonstrated that
renewable pollens could produce carbon architectures for anode
applications in energy storage devices," said Vilas Pol, an associate
professor in the School of Chemical Engineering and the School of
Materials Engineering at Purdue University.
Batteries
have two electrodes, called an anode and a cathode. The anodes in most
of today's lithium-ion batteries are made of graphite. Lithium ions are
contained in a liquid called an electrolyte, and these ions are stored
in the anode during recharging.
The researchers tested bee pollen- and cattail pollen-derived carbons as anodes.
"Both
are abundantly available," said Pol, who worked with doctoral student
Jialiang Tang. "The bottom line here is we want to learn something from
nature that could be useful in creating better batteries with renewable
feedstock."
Research findings are detailed in a paper that appeared on Feb. 5 in Nature's Scientific Reports.
Whereas bee pollen is a mixture of different pollen types collected by honey bees, the cattail pollens all have the same shape.
"I
started looking into pollens when my mom told me she had developed
pollen allergy symptoms about two years ago," Tang said. "I was
fascinated by the beauty and diversity of pollen microstructures. But
the idea of using them as battery anodes did not really kick in until I
started working on battery research and learned more about carbonization
of biomass."
The researchers processed the pollen
under high temperatures in a chamber containing argon gas using a
procedure called pyrolysis, yielding pure carbon in the original shape
of the pollen particles. They were further processed, or "activated," by
heating at lower temperature - about 300 degrees Celsius - in the
presence of oxygen, forming pores in the carbon structures to increase
their energy-storage capacity.
http://phys.org/news/2016-02-allergens-anodes-pollen-derived-battery.html?utm_source=menu&utm_medium=link&utm_campaign=item-menu
_______________
New alloy claimed to have higher strength-to-weight ratio than any other metal
December 11, 2014
When it comes to metal that's being used in the automotive or
aerospace industries, the higher its strength-to-weight ratio, the
better. With that in mind, researchers from North Carolina State
University and Qatar University have developed a new alloy that
reportedly has a low density similar to that of aluminum, but that's
stronger than titanium.
The material is a type of high-entropy alloy, meaning
that it's made up of at least five metals in more or less equal
amounts. In this case, those metals are lithium, magnesium, titanium,
aluminum and scandium.
"It has a combination of high strength and low
density that is, as far as we can tell, unmatched by any other metallic
material," said NCSU's Dr. Carl Koch, senior author of a paper on the
research. "The strength-to-weight ratio is comparable to some ceramics,
but we think it’s tougher – less brittle – than ceramics."
He additionally informed us that while carbon fiber
very likely has a higher strength-to-weight ratio than the alloy, it
also wouldn't be as tough – in other words, the alloy would be more
likely to bend under an amount of stress that would cause the carbon to
fracture.
More work still has to be done in the testing of the
alloy, along with establishing a practical production method. Koch and
his colleagues are also looking into replacing or eliminating the
scandium that makes up 20 percent of the material, as it's very
expensive.
http://www.gizmag.com/high-entropy-alloy-strength-to-weight/35170/
_______________
Graphene-Boron Compound Could Revolutionize Lithium-Ion Battery Capacity
May 28, 2013
http://www.greenoptimistic.com/graphene-boron-compound-could-revolutionize-lithium-ion-battery-capacity-20130528/#.VSFr-eG-2zk
While pure graphene didn’t seem to be a good option, researchers turned to imperfect graphene, that is, carbon mixed with other elements. Testing with boron, researchers at Rice University found the material to be about twice that of the standard graphite currently used in lithium-ion batteries. The new material is also more stable and doesn’t expand and contract as much as graphite alone.
_______________
CALMAC Stores Surplus Wind Energy in Ice Banks
November 25, 2009
http://www.greenoptimistic.com/calmac-stores-surplus-wind-energy-in-ice-banks-20091125/#.VSF_W-G-2zk
_______________
Utah-Based Company Digging Underground Compressed Air Batteries
February 9, 2010
http://www.greenoptimistic.com/utah-underground-energy-storage-20100209/#.VSHcl-G-2zk
_______________
An All-Liquid Battery For Storing Solar And Wind Energy
(This room-temperature liquid battery was made with mercury, salt water, and steel foam. High temperature liquid batteries could one day efficiently store solar and wind energy.)
_______________
Liquified Air Could Be Cheaper Energy Storage Than Batteries
May 20, 2013
The idea is a couple of hundred years old, but liquified air technology was just too inefficient to store energy.
http://www.greenoptimistic.com/liquified-air-could-be-cheaper-energy-storage-than-batteries-20130520/
_______________
Scientists convert harmful algal blooms into high-performance battery electrodes
October 9, 2015
Last August, the seasonal harmful algal blooms (HABs) in Lake Erie grew
so extreme that they poisoned the water system in Toledo, Ohio, leaving
nearly half a million residents without drinking water. But a few
researchers at the time collected some of the toxic HABs, and have now
shown that, by heating them at temperatures of 700-1000 °C in argon gas,
the HABs can be converted into a material called "hard carbon" that can
be used as high-capacity, low-cost electrodes for sodium-ion (Na-ion)
batteries.
http://techxplore.com/news/2015-10-scientists-algal-blooms-high-performance-battery.html
_______________
Semiliquid battery competitive with both Li-ion batteries and supercapacitors
May 22, 2015
http://phys.org/news/2015-05-semiliquid-battery-competitive-li-ion-batteries.html?utm_source=menu&utm_medium=link&utm_campaign=item-menu
(Phys.org)—A
new semiliquid battery developed by researchers at The University of
Texas at Austin has exhibited encouraging early results, encompassing
many of the features desired in a state-of-the-art energy-storage
device. In particular, the new battery has a working voltage similar to
that of a lithium-ion battery, a power density comparable to that of a
supercapacitor, and it can maintain its good performance even when being
charged and discharged at very high rates.
The
researchers, led by Assistant Professor Guihua Yu, along with Yu Ding
and Yu Zhao, at UT Austin, have published their paper on the new
membrane-free, semiliquid battery in a recent issue of Nano Letters. The
researchers explain that the battery is considered "semiliquid" because
it uses a liquid ferrocene electrolyte, a liquid cathode, and a solid
lithium anode.
_______________
Flexible and Safe Aluminum-Graphite Battery Charges in One Minute
April 8, 2015
http://www.greenoptimistic.com/aluminum-graphite-battery/#.VSX0dZO-2zk
_______________
"Origami battery" made from paper and dirty water for just a few cents
A foldable, inexpensive paper battery that can generate a small amount of electricity brings a new sense of power to origami, the Japanese art of paper folding. An engineer at Binghamton University in New York has developed a battery that creates power through the process of microbial respiration in a drop of dirty water on paper.
http://www.gizmag.com/origami-battery-bacteria/37970/
_______________
Nano-mechanical study offers new assessment of silicon for next-gen batteries
September 24, 2015
A detailed nano-mechanical study of mechanical degradation processes in silicon structures containing varying levels of lithium ions offers good news for researchers attempting to develop reliable next-generation rechargeable batteries using silicon-based electrodes.
http://phys.org/news/2015-09-nano-mechanical-silicon-next-gen-batteries.html#jCp
_______________
Clay sheets stack to form proton conductors
July 13, 2015
(This is a scanning electron microscopy image of stacked clay sheets. When two-dimensional sheets of the clay, called vermiculite, are exfoliated in water, they carry negative charges, attracting positively charged protons. After the sheets dry, they self-assemble into paper-like films. The near 1-nanometer spacing between the layers serves as the nanochannels that can concentrate protons for conduction. Credit: Jiaxing Huang )
http://phys.org/news/2015-07-clay-sheets-stack-proton-conductors.html?utm_source=menu&utm_medium=link&utm_campaign=item-menu
_______________
Williams demonstrates sodium-ion-powered proof-of-concept e-bike
May 15, 2015
http://www.gizmag.com/williams-demonstrates-sodium-ion-powered-proof-of-concept-e-bike/37537/
_______________
Chemists discover key reaction mechanism behind the highly touted sodium-oxygen battery
May 27, 2015
http://phys.org/news/2015-05-chemists-key-reaction-mechanism-highly.html#jCp
_______________
Candle soot could reduce lithium ion battery production costs
October 15, 2015
A new study suggests that the carbon-based waste material given off by
burning candles could be suitable for use in larger, more powerful
lithium ion batteries such as those used in electric cars. Two
researchers from the Indian Institute of Technology found that as an
anode material, candle soot compares favorably to existing commercial
options because of its low cost of production and fractal-like
nanoparticle structure.
http://www.gizmag.com/candle-soot-lithium-ion-battery/39881/?li_source=LI&li_medium=default-widget
_______________
High-voltage lithium-ion battery realized with superconcentrated electrolyte
July 26, 2016
https://techxplore.com/news/2016-07-high-voltage-lithium-ion-battery-superconcentrated-electrolyte.html
_______________
New lithium-oxygen battery greatly improves energy efficiency, longevity
July 25, 2016
http://phys.org/news/2016-07-lithium-oxygen-battery-greatly-energy-efficiency.html
---------
Sulfur-based polymers open door to a new class of battery
April 19, 2013
http://www.gizmag.com/sulfur-polymer-batteries/27117/?li_source=LI&li_medium=default-widget
Whether sulfur is a by-product or a waste product of oil refinement and
coal combustion depends on how you slice it. Certainly, much of that
sulfur can be put to use producing sulfuric acid, fertilizer and other
chemicals, but some is left to accumulate on stockpiles which are
expensive to maintain (due to the need to neutralize acidic run-off).
Researchers at the University of Arizona think more of that sulfur could
one day be put to use thanks to a new chemical process that uses sulfur
to make polymers. The new material could lead to a new generation of
lighter, more efficient lithium-sulfur batteries, the researchers claim.
_______________
CaO makes the graphene hierarchy for high-power lithium-sulfur batteries
January 26, 2016
Structural hierarchy is the cornerstone of the biological world, as well as the most important lesson that we have learned from nature to develop ingenious hierarchical porous materials for various applications in energy conversion and storage. Recently, a research group from China, led by Prof. Qiang Zhang in Tsinghua University, has developed a novel kind of hierarchical porous graphene (HPG) via a versatile chemical vapor deposition (CVD) on CaO templates for high-power lithium-sulfur (Li-S) batteries. This work is published in the journal Advanced Functional Materials.
http://phys.org/news/2016-01-cao-graphene-hierarchy-high-power-lithium-sulfur.html
_______________
New battery made of molten metals may offer low-cost, long-lasting storage for the grid
January 13, 2016
As
their first combination, Sadoway and Bradwell chose magnesium for the
top electrode, antimony for the bottom electrode, and a salt mixture
containing magnesium chloride for the electrolyte. They then built
prototypes of their cell—and they worked. The three liquid components
self-segregated, and the battery performed as they had predicted.
Spurred by their success, in 2010 they, along with Luis Ortiz SB '96,
PhD '00, also a former member of Sadoway's research group, founded a
company—called initially the Liquid Metal Battery Corporation and later
Ambri—to continue developing and scaling up the novel technology.
http://phys.org/news/2016-01-battery-molten-metals-low-cost-long-lasting.html
_______________
Zinc–air battery
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zinc%E2%80%93air_battery
_______________
New Battery Boasts 7 Times More Energy Density
July 30th, 2014
http://cleantechnica.com/2014/07/30/new-battery-boasts-7-times-energy-density/
_______________
High-Energy Batteries Coming to Market
http://www.technologyreview.com/news/416020/high-energy-batteries-coming-to-market/
_______________
Ein-Eli's New Battery Could Power a Laptop for Hundreds of Hours
December 1, 2009
An Israeli research team conducted by Prof. Yair Ein-Eli
at the Technion – Israel Institute of Science, has recently developed a
new battery that is able to produce thousands of hours of charge from
an abundant and non-polluting fuel source.
This new portable battery could
replace the batteries used in hearing aids, due to its reduced
dimensions (measuring about less than a third of an inch). According to
the researchers, in the near future it can replace laptop batteries
as we known them, allowing them to run for hundreds of hours on a
single charge. The small devices could benefit of this technology within
a couple of years. “This would take about 10 years more and be
revolutionary,” said Ein-Eli.
The current prototypes of the battery have a silicon power source that reverts back to their original form as sand. “In the paper, we showed that at 600 hours it had used only 10 percent of the energy. So we are talking about 6,000 hours,” says the professor.
http://www.greenoptimistic.com/ein-elis-new-battery-could-power-a-laptop-for-hundreds-of-hours-20091201/#.VSF4ceG-2zk
_______________
Commercially-available NanoTritium battery can power microelectronics for 20+ years
August 15, 2012
When installing micro-electronic devices in locations that are expensive or hard to reach, or just downright dangerous, you don't want to have to keep returning to swap out a battery cell. City Labs has announced the commercial launch of its NanoTritium betavoltaic power source, a thumb-sized battery that draws on the energy released from its radioactive element to provide continuous nanoWatt power for over 20 years.
http://www.gizmag.com/city-labs-nanotritium-betavoltaic-battery/23720/?li_source=LI&li_medium=default-widget
_______________
New X-Ray microscopy technique reveals nanoscale secrets of rechargeable batteries
August 4, 2016
http://phys.org/news/2016-08-team-reveals-nanoscale-secrets-rechargeable.html
_______________
New design points a path to the 'ultimate' battery
October 29, 2015
Scientists have developed a working laboratory demonstrator of a lithium-oxygen battery which has very high energy density, is more than 90% efficient, and, to date, can be recharged more than 2000 times, showing how several of the problems holding back the development of these devices could be solved.
http://phys.org/news/2015-10-path-ultimate-battery.html
_______________
Silicon Nanowire Battery Has Three Times More Capacity, Charges Faster
2013
http://www.greenoptimistic.com/silicon-nanowire-battery-capacity-20130216/#.VSFr9OG-2zk
_______________
Newly Discovered TiO2-Coated Nanotubes Could Build Better Li-Ion Battery Electrodes
February 2, 2010
http://www.greenoptimistic.com/titanium-dioxide-coated-nanotube-electrode-20100202/#.VSFcYuG-2zk
_______________
Lithium-ion batteries inspired by snail shells could prove longer-lasting
February 11, 2015
In an ongoing effort to improve the performance of lithium-ion batteries, scientists have looked to the techniques that snails use to control the growth of their shells. This biological inspiration, combined with a peptide found to bind very effectively with materials used to make cathodes, has potential for making lighter and longer-lasting batteries.
http://www.gizmag.com/lithium-ion-batteries-snail-shells/36045/
_______________
Newly Discovered Property of Graphene to Boost Fuel Cells Efficiency
November 28, 2014
The founder of graphene discovered one more incredible property of the material that can give the ever-so-needed to boost fuel cells and hydrogen-based technologies. The strongest, thinnest, and initially known as impermeable material, in fact allows hydrogen protons to pass through.
No wonder graphene is labelled as the “miracle material”. Every property or use of it that is discovered, opens up a great deal of new and super exciting opportunities and applications. Of course, there is no one, who better understands graphene than its discoverer- the Nobel prize winner Andre Geim of University of Manchester, and therefore it is no surprise that exactly his team has found yet another super exciting property of the thin super-strong material.
In the study published this week in the journal Nature, the team describes how at high temperatures, above 250 degrees Celsius, graphene allows hydrogen protons to pass through. In addition, this process of proton transport can be enhanced by adding an extra layer of catalytic metal nanoparticles, such as platinum. This great discovery has a potential in improving the performance of fuel cells. Here, it could act as a proton-conducting membrane, which could potentially eliminate the pressing problem of fuel leaks, associated with reduction of cell efficiency. This property also opens up new horizons for development of exciting hydrogen-based technologies.
http://www.greenoptimistic.com/newly-discovered-property-graphene-boost-fuel-cells-efficiency-20141128/#.VSFr4OG-2zk
_______________
New electrolyte promises to rid lithium batteries of short-circuiting dendrites
March 2, 2015
(Scanning electron microscope images that show how normal electrolyte
promotes dendrite growth (a, left), while PNNL’s new electrolyte
produces smooth nodules that don’t short-circuit cells (b, right).
Dendrites – thin conductive filaments that form inside lithium batteries
– reduce the life of these cells and are often responsible for them
catching fire. Scientists working at the Pacific Northwest National
Laboratory (PNNL) of the US Department of Energy claim to have produced a
new electrolyte for lithium batteries that not only completely
eliminates dendrites, but also promises to increase battery efficiency
and vastly improve current carrying capacity.
http://www.gizmag.com/dendrite-electrolyte-lithium-batteries/36274/
_______________
Erupting electrodes: How recharging leaves behind microscopic debris inside batteries (w/ Video)
Apr 10, 2015
http://phys.org/news/2015-04-erupting-electrodes-recharging-microscopic-debris.html#jCp
_______________
Researchers develop safer electrolytes and use novel technique to assess them
Apr 03, 2015
Most of us have seen dramatic photographs of laptops and even cars
that have burst into flames due to failures in lithium-ion batteries. On
a much larger scale, battery fires grounded Boeing's 787 Dreamliner
jets for several months in 2013 while the company implemented new
features to reduce the risk of overheating and combustion.
http://phys.org/news/2015-04-safer-electrolytes-technique.html#nRlv
_______________
Newly Invented Energy-Storing Organic Membrane Better and Cheaper Than Batteries and Capacitors
October 27, 2011
An organic membrane may be the world’s next best battery and may revolutionize energy storage as we know it – it can bear far more energy than capacitors can, and can charge quicker than ever. Not to mention that it’s also dead-cheap.
http://www.greenoptimistic.com/xie-energy-storing-organic-membrane-20111027/
_______________
Technique matters: A different way to make cathodes may mean better batteries
January 11, 2016
Lithium nickel manganese cobalt oxide, or NMC, is one of the most promising chemistries for better lithium batteries, especially for electric vehicle applications, but scientists have been struggling to get higher capacity out of them. Now researchers at Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (Berkeley Lab) have found that using a different method to make the material can offer substantial improvements.
http://phys.org/news/2016-01-technique-cathodes-batteries.html
_______________
A Married Couple’s Sweet Music – A Graphene Battery Printing
October 25, 2014
http://www.greenoptimistic.com/married-couples-sweet-music-graphene-battery-printing-20141025/#.VSFr_eG-2zk
This couple is making beautiful music together – they’ve printed a battery made of graphene.
Dr. Elena Polyakova and Dr. Daniel Stolyarov, originally from Russia,
founded Graphene 3D Lab and have since moved the company to Calverton,
New York. They spent more than five years researching raw materials
that can be used to make a graphene battery using a 3D printer.
Graphene is a special form of carbon in which the atoms are arranged
in a hexagonal lattice along a single layer. In this configuration, the
carbon is 200 times stronger than steel and it conducts electricity 30
times faster than silicon. It is the latter feature that makes it ideal
for making tough composites, computer chips and well, batteries. Already batteries with lives 25 percent longer than lithium-ion batteries have already been made by other researchers.
Graphene 3D Lab’s design has one up on the competition, however,
because it can be made anywhere and practically in any shape.
Although
the prototype is able to produce the same amount of power as a common
AA battery, it has already produced considerable interest from the
military, as well as from the aerospace and car industries, according to
Dr. Polyakova, Graphene 3D Lab’s CoO. The company’s technology allows
one to print batteries to fit crooks and nannies where space is tight.
It can be used to print other graphene parts. As such, this technology
is very useful for space missions. Dr. Polyakova says, “That is an
exotic example, but a good one. A mission of that kind requires
thousands of spare parts and dozens of different battery types. Our
technology could remove the need to carry replacement batteries.”
_______________
Looking at graphene and other 2d crystals in energy conversion and storage
3 February 2015
http://graphene-flagship.eu/?news=looking-at-graphene-and-other-2d-crystals-in-energy-conversion-and-storage
_______________
Scientists see the light on microsupercapacitors: Laser-induced graphene makes simple, powerful energy storage possible
December 3, 2015
Rice
University researchers who pioneered the development of laser-induced
graphene have configured their discovery into flexible, solid-state
microsupercapacitors that rival the best available for energy storage
and delivery.
http://phys.org/news/2015-12-scientists-microsupercapacitors.html
_______________
Long-sought chiral anomaly detected in crystalline material
September 3, 2015
http://phys.org/news/2015-09-long-sought-chiral-anomaly-crystalline-material.html#jCp
_______________
Scientists copy structure of cork to produce 3D blocks of graphene
December 6, 2012
(A scanning electron microscope image of the cork-like 3D graphene (Image: Ling Qiu, Monash University).
Imagine how limiting it would be if steel, wood or plastic only existed
in the form of thin sheets. Well, that’s been the case so far when it
comes to graphene. While its incredible strength and high conductivity
make it very useful in things like semiconductors, batteries and solar cells,
there’s no doubt that it would be even more useful if it could be
produced in three-dimensional blocks. Scientists at Australia’s Monash
University have now managed to do just that – by copying the structure
of cork.
http://www.gizmag.com/3d-graphene-cork-blocks/25342/
_______________
A new wrinkle for cell culture
Apr 23, 2015
Researchers from Brown University have developed new graphene surfaces, engineered with tiny wrinkles, as environments for cell culture. The surfaces could provide a way to culture cells in the lab that better approximates the complex environments in which cells grow in the body.
http://phys.org/news/2015-04-wrinkle-cell-culture.html?utm_source=menu&utm_medium=link&utm_campaign=item-menu
_______________
Renewable energy from evaporating water (w/ Video)
June 16, 2015
(The "moisture mill" is a new kind of turbine engine that turns
continuously as water evaporates from the wet paper lining the walls of
the engine.)
An immensely powerful yet invisible force pulls water from the
earth to the top of the tallest redwood and delivers snow to the tops of
the Himalayas. Yet despite the power of evaporating water, its
potential to propel self-sufficient devices or produce electricity has
remained largely untapped—until now.
In the June 16
online issue of Nature Communications, Columbia University scientists
report the development of two novel devices that derive power directly
from evaporation - a floating, piston-driven engine that generates
electricity causing a light to flash, and a rotary engine that drives a
miniature car.
http://phys.org/news/2015-06-renewable-energy-evaporating-video.html
_______________
World's first "aqueous solar flow battery" outperforms traditional lithium-iodine batteries
August 3, 2015
The scientists that revealed the "world's first solar battery"
last year are now, following some modifications, reporting its first
significant performance milestone. The device essentially fits a battery
and solar cell into the one package, and has now been tested against
traditional lithium-iodine batteries, over which the researchers are
claiming energy savings of 20 percent.
It was last October that researchers at Ohio State University (OSU)
first detailed their patent-pending design for a dye-sensitized solar
cell also capable of storing its own power. With three electrodes rather
than the typical four, it featured a lithium plate base, two layers of
electrode separated by a thin sheet of porous carbon, and a titanium
gauze mesh that played host to a dye-sensitive titanium dioxide
photoelectrode.
The reasoning behind the porous nature of the
materials was to allow the battery's ions to oxidize into lithium
peroxide, which was in turn chemically decomposed into lithium ions and
stored as lithium metal. But the team has redesigned the battery so that
air no longer needs to pass through it in order to function.
http://www.gizmag.com/aqueous-solar-flow-battery-osu/38748/?li_source=LI&li_medium=default-widget
_______________
Plasma pyrolysis for a sustainable hydrogen economy
April 2022
https://www.nature.com/articles/s41578-022-00439-8
______________
Plasma technology for hydrogen production and gas conversion applications
2022
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/B9780323899307000091
______________
Plasma-assisted hydrogen generation: A mechanistic review
2023
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0378382023001091
______________
Hydrogen cars are trying to be the next big sustainable vehicle
March 2024
https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/technology/hydrogen-cars-are-trying-to-be-the-next-big-sustainable-vehicle/ar-BB1jK664
______________
Will hydrogen overtake batteries in the race for zero-emission cars?
Feb 2024
https://www.theguardian.com/business/2024/feb/13/will-hydrogen-overtake-batteries-in-the-race-for-zero-emission-cars
______________
Is Red Hydrogen the Breakthrough Technology We've Been Waiting For?
Dec 2022
https://www.greencars.com/news/is-red-hydrogen-the-breakthrough-technology-weve-been-waiting-for
______________
Blue hydrogen – what is it, and should it replace natural gas?
August 13, 2021
https://theconversation.com/blue-hydrogen-what-is-it-and-should-it-replace-natural-gas-166053
______________
Water into Hydrogen - Making a Simple Hydrogen Generator from old battery - hho
Oct 12, 2023
In
this video, I will show you how to use old batteries to decompose water
into hydrogen and oxygen or generate HHO gas. In this video, I separate
the water molecules, which are hydrogen and oxygen, by electrolyzing
water, and use the produced gas.
Note that you can also use
potassium hydroxide powder or drain cleaner or salt to conduct water.
But if you use salt, the color of the water will turn green or brown due
to the production of hydroxide ions. Also, the efficiency of the drain
cleaner solution is higher.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=08XGs7pZSlE
______________
Storing electrons from hydrogen for clean chemical reactions
March 28, 2024
https://phys.org/news/2024-03-electrons-hydrogen-chemical-reactions.html
______________
Photon-like electrons in a four-dimensional world discovered in a real material
March 14, 2024
Dirac
electrons were predicted by P. Dirac and discovered by A. Geim, both of
whom were awarded the Nobel Prize in Physics in 1933 and in 2010,
respectively. Dirac electrons behave like photons rather than electrons,
for they are considered to have no mass, and in materials they move
with light velocity.
https://phys.org/news/2024-03-photon-electrons-dimensional-world-real.html#google_vignette
______________
Researchers discover new yttrium-hydrogen compounds with implications for high-pressure superconductivity
March 14, 2024
https://phys.org/news/2024-03-yttrium-hydrogen-compounds-implications-high.html
______________
Brazilian scientists obtain a material that could be useful for hydrogen production
March 13, 2024
https://phys.org/news/2024-03-brazilian-scientists-material-hydrogen-production.html
______________
Graphene discovery could help generate cheaper and more sustainable hydrogen
23 August 2023
https://www.manchester.ac.uk/discover/news/graphene-more-magic-starts-when-flatness-ends/
______________
Research team develops catalyst that can purify municipal sewage while enhancing hydrogen generation efficiency
March 13, 2024
Researchers
have devised a novel catalyst aimed at enhancing the efficiency of
reactions using contaminated municipal sewage to produce hydrogen—a
green energy source...
https://phys.org/news/2024-03-team-catalyst-purify-municipal-sewage.html
______________
Chemical etching method opens pores for fuel cells and more
March 1, 2024
A
chemical etching method for widening the pores of metal-organic
frameworks (MOFs) could improve various applications of MOFs, including
in fuel cells and as catalysts. Researchers at Nagoya University in
Japan and East China Normal University in China developed the new method
with collaborators elsewhere in Japan, Australia, and China, and their
work was published in the Journal of the American Chemical Society.
MOFs
are porous materials composed of metal clusters or ions interconnected
by carbon-based (organic) linker groups. Varying the metallic and
organic components generates a variety of MOFs suitable for a wide range
of applications, including catalysis, chemical separation, and gas
storage.
Some MOFs have clear potential for catalyzing the
chemical reactions inside fuel cells, which are being explored as the
basis of renewable energy systems. Because they don't use fossil fuels,
fuel cells could play a key role in the transition to a low- or
zero-emissions economy to combat climate change.
https://phys.org/news/2024-03-chemical-etching-method-pores-fuel.html
______________
Microbial fuel cells: a comprehensive review for beginners
2021 May 1
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC8088421/
______________
Cold fusion reactor verified by third-party researchers, seems to have 1 million times the energy density of gasoline
October 9, 2014
Andrea Rossi’s E-Cat — the
device that purports to use cold fusion to generate massive amounts of
cheap, green energy — has been verified by third-party researchers,
according to a new 54-page report. The researchers observed a small
E-Cat over 32 days, where it produced net energy of 1.5 megawatt-hours,
or “far more than can be obtained from any known chemical sources in the
small reactor volume.” The researchers were also allowed to analyze the
fuel before and after the 32-day run, noting that the isotopes in the
spent fuel could only have been obtained by “nuclear reactions” — a
conclusion that boggles the researchers: “… It is of course very hard to
comprehend how these fusion processes can take place in the fuel
compound at low energies.”
http://www.extremetech.com/extreme/191754-cold-fusion-reactor-verified-by-third-party-researchers-seems-to-have-1-million-times-the-energy-density-of-gasoline
______________
Focus Fusion: The Fastest Route to Cheap, Clean Energy
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yhKB-VxJWpg
8:00 - Goldman Sachs funding
______________
Nuclear Fission vs. Nuclear Fusion
http://chemwiki.ucdavis.edu/Physical_Chemistry/Nuclear_Chemistry/Fission_and_Fusion/Nuclear_Fission_vs_Nuclear_Fusion
______________
MIT Physicists Create Ultracold Molecules of 23Na40K
A team of physicists from MIT has successfully cooled molecules
in a gas of sodium potassium (NaK) to a temperature of 500 nanokelvins,
creating ultracold molecules.
The air around us is a chaotic superhighway of molecules whizzing
through space and constantly colliding with each other at speeds of
hundreds of miles per hour. Such erratic molecular behavior is normal at
ambient temperatures.
But scientists have long suspected that if temperatures were to
plunge to near absolute zero, molecules would come to a screeching halt,
ceasing their individual chaotic motion and behaving as one collective
body. This more orderly molecular behavior would begin to form very
strange, exotic states of matter — states that have never been observed
in the physical world.
Now experimental physicists at MIT have successfully cooled molecules
in a gas of sodium potassium (NaK) to a temperature of 500 nanokelvins —
just a hair above absolute zero, and over a million times colder than
interstellar space. The researchers found that the ultracold molecules
were relatively long-lived and stable, resisting reactive collisions
with other molecules. The molecules also exhibited very strong dipole
moments — strong imbalances in electric charge within molecules that
mediate magnet-like forces between molecules over large distances.
______________
Cold Atom Laboratory Chills Atoms to New Lows
September 26, 2014
(Artist's concept of an atom chip for use by NASA's Cold Atom Laboratory (CAL) aboard the International Space Station. CAL will use lasers to cool atoms to ultracold temperatures.Image Credit: NASA)
http://www.jpl.nasa.gov/news/news.php?feature=4312
Cold Atom Laboratory
researchers used lasers to optically cool rubidium atoms to temperatures
almost a million times colder than that of the depths of space. The
atoms were then magnetically trapped, and radio waves were used to cool
the atoms 100 times lower. The radiofrequency radiation acts like a
knife, slicing away the hottest atoms from the trap so that only the
coldest remain.
The research is at the point where this process can reliably create a Bose-Einstein condensate in just seconds.
"This
was a tremendous accomplishment for the CAL team. It confirms the
fidelity of the instrument system design and provides us a facility to
perform science and hardware verifications before we get to the space
station," said CAL Project Manager Anita Sengupta of JPL.
While
so far, the Cold Atom Laboratory researchers have created Bose-Einstein
condensates with rubidium atoms, eventually they will also add in
potassium. The behavior of two condensates mixing together will be
fascinating for physicists to observe, especially in space.
Besides
merely creating Bose-Einstein condensates, CAL provides a suite of
tools to manipulate and probe these quantum gases in a variety of ways.
It has a unique role as a facility for the atomic, molecular and optical
physics community to study cold atomic physics in microgravity, said
David Aveline of JPL, CAL ground testbed lead.
______________
This New Element is Lighter than Hydrogen. What?!?!
Feb 2, 2023
When
we first learn about atoms, we learn that the simplest has one electron
buzzing around one proton, aka hydrogen. But it turns out there's an
atom that's even simpler than this. It's called muonium, and it's an
atom that's partially made of antimatter!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KrabgulN1L8
______________
Scientists discover a new phase of high-density, ultra-hot ice
October 9, 2023
The
outer planets of our solar system, Uranus and Neptune, are water-rich
gas giants. These planets have extreme pressures 2 million times the
Earth's atmosphere. They also have interiors as hot as the surface of
the sun. Under these conditions, water exhibits exotic, high-density ice
phases.
Researchers recently observed one of these phases,
called Ice XIX, for the first time using high-power lasers to reproduce
the necessary extreme conditions. They measured the Ice XIX structure
using the Matter at Extreme Conditions instrument at the Linac Coherent
Light Source, a pioneering X-ray laser facility, to show that oxygen
atoms pack in a body-centered cubic structure, while the hydrogen atoms
move freely like a fluid, dramatically increasing conductivity. Their
paper was published in Scientific Reports.
https://phys.org/news/2023-10-scientists-phase-high-density-ultra-hot-ice.html
______________
Skate Anywhere Like Frozone! (Freeze and Skate)
Jul 14, 2023
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QYmKDngX7rY
______________
Experimental study of alternative refrigerants to replace R134a in a domestic refrigerator
March 2018
https://www.researchgate.net/publication/338763358_Experimental_study_of_alternative_refrigerants_to_replace_R134a_in_a_domestic_refrigerator
______________
The Ancient World’s Ingenious Ice Making Air Conditioning System
Apr 3, 2024
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ta940DX_zko
______________
Why CO2 Heat Pumps Are The Future Of Cooling
Sep 12, 2023
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=npqzHpeIvhM
______________
Super Antifreeze in Cells: The Ability to Survive in Ice and Snow Developed in Animals Far Earlier Than We Thought
2023
https://www.lifetechnology.com/blogs/life-technology-science-news/super-antifreeze-in-cells-the-ability-to-survive-in-ice-and-snow-developed-in-animals-far-earlier-than-we-thought
______________
NEWS: High field magnets
https://www.psfc.mit.edu/news/topic/high-field-magnets
______________
NEWS: Magnetic fusion energy
https://www.psfc.mit.edu/news/topic/magnetic-fusion-energy
______________
Researchers create stable superconductor enhanced by magnetism
April 4, 2024
An
international team including researchers from the University of
Würzburg has succeeded in creating a special state of superconductivity.
This discovery could advance the development of quantum computers. The
results are published in Nature Physics...
https://phys.org/news/2024-04-stable-superconductor-magnetism.html
______________
Plasma for Fusion: How magnets are paving the way for clean energy
January 25, 2022
https://sitn.hms.harvard.edu/flash/2022/plasma-for-fusion-how-magnets-are-paving-the-way-for-clean-energy/
______________
Magnetically confined plasmas articles from across Nature Portfolio
Magnetically
confined plasmas are those plasmas that are trapped using magnetic
fields. Magnetic fields can prevent high-temperature plasma coming into
contact with solid materials that it could damage or destroy.
Magnetically confined plasmas offer one possible route to sustained
nuclear fusion.
https://www.nature.com/subjects/magnetically-confined-plasmas
______________
New superconducting magnet breaks magnetic field strength records, paving the way for fusion energy
September 8, 2021
https://phys.org/news/2021-09-superconducting-magnet-magnetic-field-strength.html
______________
Tests show high-temperature superconducting magnets are ready for fusion
Date: March 4, 2024
Source: Massachusetts Institute of Technology
Summary:
A comprehensive study of high-temperature superconducting magnets
confirms they meet requirements for an economic, compact fusion power
plant.
https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2024/03/240304135732.htm
______________
New method for creating transparent magnetic materials using laser heating
Dec 14, 2023
https://phys.org/news/2023-12-method-transparent-magnetic-materials-laser.html
In
a significant advancement in optical technology, researchers from
Tohoku University and Toyohashi University of Technology have developed a
new method for creating transparent magnetic materials using laser
heating. This breakthrough, recently published in the journal Optical
Materials, presents a novel approach to integrating magneto-optical
materials with optical devices, a long-standing challenge in the field.
"The
key to this achievement lies in creating Cerium-substituted Yttrium
Iron Garnet (Ce:YIG), a transparent magnetic material, employing a
specialized laser heating technique," says Taichi Goto, associate
professor at Tohoku University's Electrical Communication Research
Institute (RIEC) and co-author of the study. "This method addresses the
key challenge of integrating magneto-optical materials with optical
circuits without damaging them—a problem that has hindered advancements
in miniaturizing optical communication devices."
Magneto-optical
isolators are vital for ensuring stable optical communication. They act
like traffic directors for light signals, allowing them to move in one
direction but not the other. Integrating these isolators into
silicon-based photonic circuits is challenging due to the
high-temperature processes typically involved.
As a result of
this conundrum, Goto and his colleagues focused their attention on laser
annealing—a technique that selectively heats specific areas of a
material by laser. This allows for precise control, influencing only the
targeted regions without affecting surrounding areas.
Previous
studies had used this to selectively heat bismuth-substituted yttrium
iron garnet (Bi: YIG) films deposited on a dielectric mirror. This
allows the Bi:YIG to crystalize without affecting the dielectric mirror.
However,
when working with Ce:YIG, an ideal material for optical devices due to
its magnetic and optical properties, problems arise because exposure to
the air results in unwanted chemical reactions.
To avoid this,
the researchers engineered a new device that heats materials in a
vacuum, i.e., without air, using a laser. This allowed for precise
heating of small areas (about 60 micrometers) without altering the
surrounding material.
"The transparent magnetic material created
through this method is expected to significantly enhance the development
of compact magneto-optical isolators, crucial for stable optical
communication," says Goto. "Additionally, it opens avenues for creating
powerful miniaturized lasers, high-resolution displays, and small
optical devices."
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Strong magnetic fields change how friction works in plasma
August 16, 2021
Rather
than just slowing down a charged particle moving through a plasma,
friction can also push from the side in a strong magnetic field.
https://news.engin.umich.edu/2021/08/strong-magnetic-fields-change-how-friction-works-in-plasma/
______________
Electron scale magnetic reconnections in laser produced plasmas
29 June 2023
https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s41614-023-00125-4
______________
Push and pull magnetic reconnection driven by intense laser interaction with double-coil capacitor target
24 February 2023
https://iopscience.iop.org/article/10.1088/1361-6587/acbb24
______________
Innovative new magnet could facilitate development of fusion and medical devices
March 4, 2022
https://phys.org/news/2022-03-magnet-fusion-medical-devices.html
______________
New Magnetic Device Makes Microelectronic Chips More Sustainable
Mar 19, 2024
An invention will allow chips to fit more data in a smaller space and operate with better energy efficiency
https://www.mccormick.northwestern.edu/news/articles/2024/03/new-magnetic-device-makes-microelectronic-chips-more-sustainable/
______________
Laser-produced plasmas articles within Nature Physics
https://www.nature.com/subjects/laser-produced-plasmas/nphys
______________
Laser produced electromagnetic pulses: generation, detection and mitigation
09 June 2020
https://www.cambridge.org/core/journals/high-power-laser-science-and-engineering/article/laser-produced-electromagnetic-pulses-generation-detection-and-mitigation/746D683F7B7CA0C05D0756EE1C62102F
______________
Research team presents a new type of particle accelerator
May 20, 2021
https://phys.org/news/2021-05-team-particle.html
______________
Laser–plasma-accelerators—A novel, versatile tool for space radiation studies
2011
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0168900211001768
______________
Demonstration of a compact plasma accelerator powered by laser-accelerated electron beams
17 May 2021
https://www.nature.com/articles/s41467-021-23000-7
______________
A trio of paths toward the discovery machine of the future
03/19/24
Proton-proton collider
Muon collider
Plasma-wakefield collider
https://www.symmetrymagazine.org/article/a-trio-of-paths-toward-the-discovery-machine-of-the-future?language_content_entity=und
______________
Laser-plasma technology: the future of particle acceleration
14 Jan 2021
https://www.thalesgroup.com/en/worldwide-market-specific-solutions-lasers/science-applications/news/laser-plasma-technology-future
______________
Plasmas could be used to make the world's most powerful laser
22 August 2022
Because
plasma can shape very intense light without being damaged, it could be
used to make components for lasers thousands of times more powerful than
the strongest ones that exist
https://www.newscientist.com/article/2334804-plasmas-could-be-used-to-make-the-worlds-most-powerful-laser/
______________
Generation of intense magnetic wakes by relativistic laser pulses in plasma
30 January 2023
https://www.nature.com/articles/s41598-023-28753-3
______________
Manipulation of polarizations for broadband terahertz waves emitted from laser plasma filaments
27 August 2018
Abstract
Polarization
control of broadband terahertz waves is essential for applications in
many areas, such as materials science, medical and biological
diagnostics, near-field communications and public securities.
Conventional methods for polarization control are limited to narrow
bandwidth and often with low efficiency. Here, based on theoretical and
experimental studies, we demonstrate that the two-colour laser scheme in
gas plasma can provide effective control of elliptically polarized
terahertz waves, including their ellipticity, azimuthal angle and
chirality. This is achieved with a circularly polarized laser at the
fundamental frequency and its linearly polarized second harmonic, a
controlled phase difference between these two laser components, as well
as a suitable length of the laser plasma filament. Flexible control of
ellipticity and azimuthal angle is demonstrated with our theoretical
model and systematic experiments. This offers a unique and flexible
technique on the polarization control of broadband terahertz radiation
suitable for a wide range of applications.
https://www.nature.com/articles/s41566-018-0238-9
______________
Scientists produce densest artificial ionospheric plasma clouds using HAARP
Date: February 25, 2013
Source: Naval Research Laboratory
Summary:
Glow discharges in the upper atmosphere were generated to explore
ionospheric phenomena and its impact on communications and space
weather.
https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/02/130225112504.htm
______________
NEWS: High field magnets
https://www.psfc.mit.edu/news/topic/high-field-magnets
______________
NEWS: Magnetic fusion energy
https://www.psfc.mit.edu/news/topic/magnetic-fusion-energy
______________
Researchers create stable superconductor enhanced by magnetism
April 4, 2024
An
international team including researchers from the University of
Würzburg has succeeded in creating a special state of superconductivity.
This discovery could advance the development of quantum computers. The
results are published in Nature Physics...
https://phys.org/news/2024-04-stable-superconductor-magnetism.html
______________
Magnetic pumping pushes plasma particles to high energies
November 5, 2018
https://phys.org/news/2018-11-magnetic-plasma-particles-high-energies.html
______________
Effect of permanent magnets on plasma confinement and ion beam properties in a double layer helicon plasma source
26 June 2019
https://www.cambridge.org/core/journals/journal-of-plasma-physics/article/effect-of-permanent-magnets-on-plasma-confinement-and-ion-beam-properties-in-a-double-layer-helicon-plasma-source/5C277CBE933FB32404A2156EC526EF9D
______________
Science Made Simple: What Is Plasma Confinement?
August 10, 2021
Image of the inside of a magnetic confinement experiment during plasma discharge. In a tokamak, plasma particles are confined and shaped by magnetic field lines that combine to act like an invisible bottle. Pictured, the spherical tokamak MAST at the Culham Centre for Fusion Energy (UK), where over 30,000 man-made ”stars” have been created.
What Is Plasma Confinement?
Plasma confinement refers to the containment of a plasma by various forces at the extreme conditions necessary for thermonuclear fusion reactions. These conditions exist naturally in stars, where they are sustained by the force of gravity. In the laboratory, researchers use strong magnetic fields to confine plasma. This magnetic confinement strategy may allow them to confine fusion grade plasmas over the long term. Another confinement strategy relies on the inertia of imploding matter. This inertial confinement strategy has been demonstrated on Earth in hydrogen bomb detonations and specialized facilities. Inertial confinement is an active research area. Laboratories use high power lasers or electrical discharges, to compress hydrogen fuel to very high densities for billionths of a second.
Plasma Confinement Facts
Magnetically confined plasmas have achieved temperatures 10 times hotter than the core of our sun.
ITER will be the first burning plasma in the world. It aims to generate 500 megawatts of fusion power–10 times more power than will be injected. NIF is the most energetic laser in the world with 2 megajoules of light energy (the energy consumed by 20,000 100-watt light bulbs in one second) delivered in 16 nanoseconds.
https://scitechdaily.com/science-made-simple-what-is-plasma-confinement/
______________
Magnetic confinement fusion
Magnetic confinement fusion (MCF) is an approach to generate thermonuclear fusion power that uses magnetic fields to confine fusion fuel in the form of a plasma. Magnetic confinement is one of two major branches of controlled fusion research, along with inertial confinement fusion.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Magnetic_confinement_fusion
______________
Liquid lithium on the walls of a fusion device helps the plasma within maintain a hot edge
January 23, 2024
https://phys.org/news/2024-01-liquid-lithium-walls-fusion-device.html
______________
Laboratory investigation of particle acceleration and magnetic field compression in collisionless colliding fast plasma flows
20 June 2019
https://www.nature.com/articles/s42005-019-0160-6
______________
World's strongest fusion magnet brings new power to nuclear pursuit
September 08, 2021
https://newatlas.com/energy/worlds-strongest-fusion-magnet-power-nuclear-pursuit/
______________
Newly discovered quantum magnet unleashes electronics potential
July 12, 2023
Three MIT scientists and their collaborators publish groundbreaking paper in Nature Communications detailing their discovery of a paradigm-shifting magnet.
https://www.psfc.mit.edu/news/2023/newly-discovered-quantum-magnet-unleashes-electronics-potential
______________
Superconductors for fusion: a roadmap
13 September 2021
https://iopscience.iop.org/article/10.1088/1361-6668/ac0992
______________
Physics of magnetized dusty plasmas
28 November 2021
https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s41614-021-00060-2
______________
Behavior of compressed plasmas in magnetic fields
26 November 2020
https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s41614-020-00048-4
______________
Is this the Force device researchers are looking for?
6 Sep 2023
Military scientists are experimenting with a prototype that uses magnetic plasma rings to manipulate distant objects in space
The new approach could be used for satellite recovery, delivery missions and deflecting space debris
In the science fiction universe of Hollywood’s Star Wars, the Jedi are able to use the Force to move objects around without physical contact, a manoeuvre referred to as “Force push” or “Force pull”.
The ability allows the Jedi to levitate themselves or others, and to manipulate objects in more complex ways, such as constructing structures or repairing machinery...
https://www.scmp.com/news/china/science/article/3233110/force-device-chinese-researchers-are-looking
______________
Electromagnetic Waves in Plasmas
https://ocw.mit.edu/courses/22-611j-introduction-to-plasma-physics-i-fall-2003/75c75c5df51f8fba1b2a903fde937ddc_chap5.pdf
______________
Superior Ionic Plasma Thruster Inspired By Nature
Apr 27, 2024
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WC92SStn7vY
______________
Powerful Magnetic Accelerator, the Brick Breaker | Magnetic Games
Sep 30, 2023
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7rn5Y4keMJU
______________
The Plasma Magnet for Sailing the Solar Wind
February 06 2005
https://pubs.aip.org/aip/acp/article-abstract/746/1/1171/605806/The-Plasma-Magnet-for-Sailing-the-Solar-Wind?redirectedFrom=fulltext
______________
Conductive Metal–Organic Frameworks with Tunable Dielectric Properties for Boosting Electromagnetic Wave Absorption
June 23, 2023
https://pubs.acs.org/doi/10.1021/acsnano.3c02170
______________
Researchers measure and control interactions between magnetic ripples using lasers
February 7, 2024
Fundamental step toward ultrafast magnetism-based computers comes from multi-institution team involving UCLA
https://newsroom.ucla.edu/releases/magnetic-ripple-interaction-step-toward-ultrafast-computers
______________
Plasma magnet
A
plasma magnet is a proposed spacecraft propulsion device that uses a
dipole magnetic field to capture energy from the solar wind. The field
acts as a sail, using the captured energy to propel the spacecraft
analogously to how the wind propels a sailing vessel. It could
accelerate a vessel moving away from the sun and decelerate it when
approaching a distant star at the end of an interstellar journey. Thrust
vectoring and steering could be achieved by manipulating the dipole
tilt for any type of magnetic sail.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Plasma_magnet
______________
Magnetic Fusion Plasma Engines Could Carry us Across the Solar System and Into Interstellar Space
https://www.universetoday.com/163348/magnetic-fusion-plasma-engines-could-carry-us-across-the-solar-system-and-into-interstellar-space/
______________
Magnetohydrodynamic drive
A
magnetohydrodynamic drive or MHD accelerator is a method for propelling
vehicles using only electric and magnetic fields with no moving parts,
accelerating an electrically conductive propellant (liquid or gas) with
magnetohydrodynamics. The fluid is directed to the rear and as a
reaction, the vehicle accelerates forward.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Magnetohydrodynamic_drive
______________
Magnets at the LIMITS of Scientific Knowledge
Jan 26, 2024
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WPfcpHVlYZA
______________
Designing a Futuristic Magnetic Turbine (MHD drive)
Nov 30, 2023
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WgAIPOSc4TA
______________
Researchers make a quantum computing leap with a magnetic twist
June 28, 2023
https://phys.washington.edu/news/2023/06/28/researchers-make-quantum-computing-leap-magnetic-twist
______________
Making Anti-gravity tubes - Copper & Silver! - Lenz's law - Metal casting Experiment
Dec 22, 2023
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VIV3NqSDjAg
______________
Defying Gravity - HUGE Neodymium Magnet vs Copper Tube Experiment - The Power of Lenz's Law!
Feb 4, 2024
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TRihrPnLt78
______________
Fred Rash's electric circle plane
Sep 19, 2022
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r3BNV9p36uE
______________
Designing A Self Propelling Ionic Thrust Wing
Oct 28, 2023
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5lDSSgHG4q0
______________
Super Capacitor Plane
Dec 21, 2023
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zEahoJZgfys
______________
A Plane Without Wings: The Story of The C.450 Coléoptère
Dec 21, 2020
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=unz6mfjS4ws
______________
JET ENGINE with NO MOVING PARTS
Sep 30, 2023
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I7hsUvZmZ2k
______________
RC Solar Plane Flight Duration Test
Aug 22, 2020
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1OGrDvInUAY
______________
DARPA Launches Falcon HTV-2 Glider, the World's Fastest Plane
August 11, 2011
At 7:45 a.m. PDT, an unmanned glider was launched from Vandenberg Air Force Base in California aboard a Minotaur 4 rocket. Overseen by DARPA, the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency, the glider, named HTV-4, is expected to reach suborbital space before reentering Earth's atmosphere at Mach 20 with the help of rocket thrusters to stay on course. If the hypersonic glider is able to reach Mach 20, or about 13,000 mph, it will become the fastest plane ever. At that speed, the HTV-2 could travel from New York City to Los Angeles in about 12 minutes...
https://www.theatlantic.com/technology/archive/2011/08/darpa-launches-falcon-htv-2-glider-the-worlds-fastest-plane/243467/
______________
Someone actually made a REAL Flying car!
Nov 17, 2023
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P75s6M7kCrA
______________
Optimal elastic wing for flapping-wing robots through passive morphing
Nov 7, 2022
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kwuW8cfy-MI
______________
How Bionic Wings Are Reinventing Drones
Nov 3, 2023
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vr0z2huKaCI
______________
Building a rocket bird (ornithopter)
Nov 11, 2023
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=angnUj0-yhQ
______________
Ornithopter with morphing-coupled wingbeat pattern
Aug 6, 2022
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TXg-qoRN0co
______________
Are Drones That Flap Their Wings Better?
Feb 2, 2024
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sCpTIY6gJVE
______________
How insects evolved to ultrafast flight
October 4, 2023
https://phys.org/news/2023-10-insects-evolved-ultrafast-flight.html
______________
Forbidden Technologies and The Silencing of Their Inventors
Mar 1, 2024
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lpFgvGeEQlA
______________
The Real Life Dune Ornithopter... it was French!
Mar 15, 2024
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kz5GcOEcjyk
______________
A review on piezoelectric energy harvesting
23 June 2022
https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s00542-022-05334-4
______________
Nature-inspired interfacial engineering for energy harvesting
18 March 2024
https://www.nature.com/articles/s44287-024-00029-6
______________
Energy harvesting
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Energy_harvesting
______________
Is This Accidental Discovery The Future Of Energy?
Oct 10, 2023
Imagine
getting the energy needed to power our phones, light up our homes, or
drive our cars, from thin air. And no, we’re not talking about Nikola
Tesla’s dream of wireless power a century ago, but a new and accidental
discovery along those lines from the University of Massachusetts
Amherst. Researchers have found a way to turn humidity into electricity.
It’s called hygroelectrical power, and believe it or not, a company
named CascataChuva is already trying to commercialize a variant of the
technology. So, what is it and how does it work?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZyY1PLTlmT0
______________
Gravity Energy Storage. Who's right and who's wrong?
Jul 10, 2022
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lz6ZB23tfg0
______________
This Is Not a Crane, It's an Insane New Gravity Battery
Nov 26, 2021
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WCawtiU4o1o
______________
Mechanical circuits: electronics without electricity
Oct 27, 2022
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QrkiJZKJfpY
______________
What If Swings Had Springs Instead Of Ropes: Autoparametric Resonance
Feb 18, 2022
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MUJmKl7QfDU
______________
The Mystery of Spinors
Mar 20, 2024
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b7OIbMCIfs4
______________
Major Evidence of a New Particle Called Glueball: Here's Why It Matters
May 14, 2024
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sVS2sVBQYO8
______________
How Levers, Pulleys and Gears Work
Jul 26, 2022
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JnYVz1TSmBQ
______________
Why Snatch Blocks are AWESOME (How Pulleys Work) - Smarter Every Day 228
Dec 5, 2019
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M2w3NZzPwOM
______________
Leonardo da Vinci inventions tested
Dec 23, 2019
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IxOagUqdibw
______________
Leonardo Davinci Design
https://www.pinterest.com/pin/560205641128538001/
______________
The Mechanical Battery Explained - A Flywheel Comeback?
Jan 5, 2021
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8X2U7bDNcPM
______________
Flywheel Battery
Jul 21, 2021
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yhu3s1ut3wM
______________
7 Types of Wheels - 4 Hard Trials - Experiments with Lego Technic #lego #experiment #vehicles
Apr 13, 2024
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jaadwO6QzUA
______________
Gear Types, Design Basics, Applications and More - Basics of Gears
Aug 17, 2022
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZhDO16FDmxA
______________
We should use this amazing mechanism that's inside a grasshopper leg
Apr 30, 2024
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xUUW6SYl_ak
______________
This bug produces a g-force of 500 g!
July 7, 2024
https://www.youtube.com/shorts/XvSZYDsM_T4
______________
What makes planetary gearboxes so amazing?
Jan 5, 2022
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TzJkD87eQNI
______________
I Built Real ODM Gear! - Attack On Titan
Aug 19, 2023
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8ouS7G6k04A
______________
The Most Incredible Attempts at Perpetual Motion Machines
Sep 11, 2022
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JPw58clq9EQ
______________
Adam Savage vs The "Perpetual Motion" Machine!
Jan 3, 2023
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QdEdYfxMx-0
______________
Turn a ceiling fan into a wind turbine generator?!
Dec 7, 2018
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ApKFeaJ6xYE
______________
NEW French Jetpack SHOCKED Chinese and US Engineers
May 25, 2023
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LnD6AUikRkQ
______________
VBSS with JPEM & Stiletto
Apr 7, 2023
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DkZPI5m9SIE
______________
This Car Travels Farther Than You Push It
Mar 15, 2024
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eoVUdwOgjiA
______________
20 INVENTIONS RESHAPING REALITY
Apr 23, 2024
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SKoKse7qiI4
______________
Transforming Sailing and Power Generation with The Ocean Kite Engine
Mar 8, 2024
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aolYqwVBScs
______________
Incredible Inventions That Generate Free Energy
Jan 25, 2024
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v8WfAeuHOcE
______________
Kite Risers on a Paraglider
These
Kite risers are a different way to change the angle of attack of your
glider, just as you do with trimmers or speedbar, but the difference is
that you adjust it instantly with your arms and without being able to
pull the brakes-only when the angle of attack is low.
https://www.littlecloud.fr/en/kiterisers-en/
______________
Kite Risers on a Paraglider - Vertical Takeoff
2023
______________
THIS WING IS INSANE - Flare Moustache First Impressions
Jun 8, 2022
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Wf_msigfgsQ
______________
Flap your wings #flare #moustache #parakite
2023
https://www.youtube.com/shorts/vRPj6wd32sY
______________
Flirting with the stall point
2023
- Be aware: The MOUSTACHE is NOT built for thermal flying, nor being used in strong turbulences since a reflex profile is powerful and behaves completely different in collapses!
- With great power comes great responsibility. So make sure to watch all the FLARE Nation Academy tutorials!
https://www.youtube.com/shorts/m1nb1Gk2jEA
______________
Top landing on a handrail
2023
https://www.youtube.com/shorts/PwzMwrPoqCM
______________
Flare MOUSTACHE. Full Power
2023
https://www.youtube.com/shorts/ut90XVDln3c
______________
6 minutes with the REVOLUTIONARY FLARE MUSTACHE.
Oct 8, 2022
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6uqiJpBA_eY
______________
WE FINALLY MOTORED THE MOUSTACHE... and Its INSANE.
Oct 25, 2022
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5L-N7VBei-o
______________
FLARE Moustache - The sand stair
April 2024
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NDalT6u5SsE
______________
Faster than a car? 🚗 - FLARE Moustache at Kronplatz
Feb 27, 2022
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MN-iUp_lOKE
______________
Kite Riser Types (Review)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Nw--2G1hjFw
______________
Launching A Paramotor With A Bike!!!
Aug 3, 2023
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yLi1VKE3Btc
______________
Paragliding Accuracy World Cup
https://pgawc.org/
______________
When Your Carabiner Fails...
Aug 24, 2023
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E9eqsiKPpFg
______________
Flying with 50 drone motors (homemade flying machine)
Nov 2, 2021
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pXcVTsuXxOA
______________
Flying with four giant drone motors (ducted propeller paramotor)
2022
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NkJ9LF_8hIQ
______________
Paraglider Thrusters
2012
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zFHzWofHrwo
______________
The Unexpected Genius of Bionic Propellers
Dec 7, 2023
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WezeLNC32sA
______________
Uncovering The Genius of Fibonnaci Turbines
Jan 31, 2024
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i4TEMZ5dyPo
______________
The Genius of Cycloidal Propellers: Future of Flight?
Mar 20, 2024
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Lqy_7lr6wuE
______________
Why This 17-Year Old's Electric Motor Is Important
Jan 17, 2023
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=35JuW3bcp04
______________
How can gliders fly without propulsion | The most complete explanation
Aug 22, 2019
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b4YrpmhgNGs
______________
Egyptian Hieroglyphics Reveal Ancient Flying Machine? Ancient Discoveries (S1, E2) | Full Episode
Apr 11, 2023
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lPR9o2YRxc8
______________
1 March 2024
The French Army flew an airship named La France in 1884, and the first hot air balloon flew in 1783. But a series of high profile crashes like the Hindenburg and R101, and the considerably faster evolution of aircraft saw airships fall out of favour (except for a subsection of the marketing industry).
Hot air balloons aren’t known for their ease of navigation or speed, and airships, whilst easier to control and faster, are still too slow to have a meaningful impact on the markets they have been targeting up to now.
All that being said, UK-based startup SkyLifter thinks it has a found a new use case. Deciding there was no aerospace use case that could be improved versus what is currently available today for passengers, cargo and earth observation, the firm identified a niche in the construction industry it thinks can only be exploited by the capabilities of airship technology.
The startup is building a “commercial hook-in-the-sky system” made up of a gas-filled omni-directional lenticular-shaped aerostat (aka lighter-than-air aircraft) with an underslung pod housing the propulsion system, winch and hook. The pod, which also serves to aid the craft’s stability by increasing the vertical distance between the centre of buoyancy and the centre of gravity, houses the main aircraft systems for power, control and communication.
SkyLifter’s omni-directional propellers enable thrust in all directions and allow it to achieve an airspeed of about 45 knots (51mph). There is also the option to float “endlessly” without power, according to founder and CEO Jeremy Fitton, “at least in theory”.
https://www.revolution.aero/deep_dive/floating-cranes-skylifters-plans-for-the-construction-industry/
February 18, 2021
Were the stone blocks carved from natural limestone or cast with an early version of concrete? A materials science research team provides evidence to answer this age-old mystery.
May 18, 2007
https://new.nsf.gov/news/surprising-truth-behind-construction-great
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What Materials Were Used To Build The Pyramids Of Giza?
2018
Limestone
Limestone was one of the materials used to build the Pyramids of Giza. It formed the bulk of the materials used in the construction of the pyramids and rough limestone was utilized in the core of the pyramid. White limestone, which is finer, was used to coat the interior walls and as the main material for the outer casing. The low-grade limestone that was used in the core of the pyramids is found huge quantities in Egypt, and it was found near the building sites during the pyramid construction era. Workers extracted the stone in blocks by marking out crevices with just enough room for them to be cut into blocks and transported to the sites. Tools used in this case included chisels, pickaxes, and hammers made from granite.
The fine white limestone for the interior décor and the mortuary temples was slightly hard to extract and had to be sourced further away from the building sites. This type of limestone was found deeper beneath the soil surface in regions including the West bank of the Nile in the hills of Muqattam in the present day regions of Maasara and Tura. The workmen would excavate the soil and dig tunnels to reach the deposits which would be as deep as 160 feet below the surface. Huge pieces of stone were then dug up to be divided into blocks which were then transported on wooden sledges towed by oxen on a path paved with mud from the Nile to make movement easier to the construction site.
Pink Granite
The granite was used in conjunction with limestone to cover the interior walls of the pyramids though much more sparingly since it was distributed in several parts of South of Egypt and was not as close as the limestone quarries were to the building sites. Pink granite is thought to have been mined in Aswan which had some quarries.
Basalt
Basalt is also known as alabaster and it was often used to cover the floor of the pyramid. It was extracted from open pits or underground deposits, particularly from an Oligocene flow where there was once a lake that connected to the Nile. During this time the basalt was transported on the lake and into the Nile to its shores where it was moved to the construction site of the pyramids.
Mud Bricks
Mud bricks were perhaps the most common building material in all of Egypt. In the pyramids it was used to build the walls, these were fired in an oven as a measure to make them last longer.
Significance
Like the Eiffel Tower of France and the Colosseum in Rome, the Pyramids of Giza are a defining landmark in Egypt and an important part of the culture of the people of Egypt. The impressive architecture that began years ago is proof of the heights of human achievement of the past.
https://www.worldatlas.com/articles/what-materials-were-used-to-build-the-pyramids-of-giza.html
King Solomon's Temple Investigation Marathon - Legend (Author: Michael Ross)
7/21/2019
https://solomonstempleinvestigation.blogspot.com
Impossible Ancient Stone Work In Peru That Proves They Melted, Shaped and Fitted Huge Blocks Perfect - Solomon's Temple Investigation Marathon 184
https://archive.org/details/solomonstemple184
_________________________________________
Molten Granite outside the Second Pyramid! - Solomon's Temple Investigation Marathon 185
https://archive.org/details/solomonstemple185
_________________________________________
1970s SECRET-CHAMBER SEARCH TECHNIQUE IN KHAFRE PYRAMID! - Solomon's Temple investigation Marathon 186
https://archive.org/details/solomonstemple186
_________________________________________
Did Ancient People Use Acid to Shape Stone? - Solomon's Temple Investigation Marathon 187
https://archive.org/details/solomonstemple187
_________________________________________
The Story of the Enigmatic and Mysterious Tube Drills of Ancient Egypt - Solomon's Temple Investigation Marathon 188
https://archive.org/details/solomonstemple188
_________________________________________
Mysterious Tube Drills of Ancient Egypt - Solomon's Temple Investigation Marathon 189
https://archive.org/details/solomonstemple189
_________________________________________
Advanced Ancient Machining That Is Absurdly Difficult To Replicate Even With Today's Technology - Solomon's Temple Investigation Marathon 190
https://archive.org/details/solomonstemple190
_________________________________________
Ancient Tube Drills & Cores (Even Some Examples from Peru) - Solomon's Temple Investigation Marathon 202
https://archive.org/details/solomonstemple202
_________________________________________
Megalithic Softening of Stone? - Solomon's Temple Investigation Marathon 203
https://archive.org/details/solomonstemple203
_________________________________________
Ancient Engineering at the Temple of Bastet - Solomon's Temple Investigation Marathon 204
https://archive.org/details/solomonstemple204
_________________________________________
Advanced Ancient Stone Cutting - Solomon's Temple Investigation Marathon 205
https://archive.org/details/solomonstemple205
_________________________________________
Melted Stonework in Peru, Sulfur Balls, Metallurgy, Alchemy & Meteorites - Solomon's Temple Investigation Marathon 206
https://archive.org/details/solomonstemple206
_________________________________________
They cut rocks like butter. Inca 'Quarry' is mindblowing! - Solomon's Temple Investigation Marathon 209
https://archive.org/details/solomonstemple209
_________________________________________
The Magnetic River - The Strongest Magnet - Magnets & Copper Tubes - Solomon's Temple Investigation Marathon 210
https://archive.org/details/solomonstemple210
_________________________________________
Ancient High Tech/ Melt Stone With Light And Sound - Solomon's Temple Investigation Marathon 211
https://archive.org/details/solomonstemple211
_________________________________________
Melting Rocks Into Molten Lava & Turning Dirt Into Iron - Solomon's Temple Investigation Marathon 212
https://archive.org/details/solomonstemple212
_________________________________________
The Coral Castle Mystery Solved, Melting Stone, Magnets, Electricity, Dissolving Rocks, Liquid Mercury & The Pyramids - Solomon's Temple Investigation 213
https://archive.org/details/solomonstemple213_201911
_________________________________________
The Coral Castle Mystery Solved Continued, Melted Limestone, Cutting Stone, Melting Granite & Glass - Solomon's Temple Investigation Marathon 214
https://archive.org/details/solomonstemple214
_________________________________________
Blaze of Steel: Explosive Chemistry - Sulfur, Iron Oxide, Nitrates, Cyanide, Hydroxide & the Oxidation State - Solomon's Temple Investigation Marathon 215
https://archive.org/details/solomonstemple215
_________________________________________
Blaze of Steel: Explosive Chemistry Continued: Alchemical Arts, Medicine, Life & Death (Transmutating agents for Stones, Noble Metals and Gold) - Solomon's Temple Investigation 216
https://archive.org/details/solomonstemple216
Evidence of Advanced Ancient Machining Technology from Around the World - Solomon's Temple 118
https://archive.org/details/solomonstemple118
_________________________________________
The First Pyramid? - Solomon's Temple Investigation Marathon 119
https://archive.org/details/solomonstemple119
_________________________________________
Electricity, Stone & the Pyramids - Solomon's Temple Investigation 120
https://archive.org/details/solomonstemple120
_________________________________________
Pyramids & Electricity? - Solomon's Temple Investigation 121
https://archive.org/details/solomonstemple121
_________________________________________
Manna, Gold, Alchemy & The Pyramids? - Solomon's Temple 122
https://archive.org/details/solomonstemple122
_________________________________________
Ancient Egyptian Pyramid Technolgy, Ramps & Tunnels - Solomon's Temple Investigation 123
https://archive.org/details/solomonstemple123
_________________________________________
16 May 2024
https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c99zwkzzrxvo
The First Flying Machines - Failures and Mishaps
Feb 9, 2018
The Saqqara bird (popularly known as the Saqqara glider) is an object carved from sycamore wood and was found in the tomb of Pa-di-Amun in the ancient Egyptian necropolis of Saqqara in 1891. It resembles a streamlined miniature airplane.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M9Yww9LG3gw
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How to Fall : An Early History of the Parachute
2021
A sketch by Leonardo da Vinci, circa 1485, from his Codex Atlanticus showing a rough design for a parachute.
Illustration of André-Jacques Garnerin’s frameless parachute design. The design was made of silk, and it made the world’s first frameless parachute descent on 22 October 1797 in Paris.
https://www.onverticality.com/blog/early-history-of-the-parachute
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Flying Failures | Stock Footage
Sep 24, 2019
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Je8wxnoEkug
______________
African Airplane Compilation | African Aviation
May 4, 2018
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0h_cqTCT5g0
______________
Bike Powered Airplanes
2022
https://www.youtube.com/shorts/gnNSOho2Eeg
______________
Could You Power Your Home With A Bike?
December 8, 2016
https://www.npr.org/sections/13.7/2016/12/08/504790589/could-you-power-your-home-with-a-bike
______________
How Much Electricity Can a Bike Generate?
https://paylesspower.com/blog/how-much-electricity-can-a-bike-generate/
______________
Let’s Generate Electricity by Walking!
2008
https://ourworld.unu.edu/en/lets_generate_electricity_by_walking
______________
I Built Shoes To Make Me Run Fast! (World Record)
Jul 27, 2022
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k2wwIIFxYfc
______________
History of Parachuting: From da Vinci to Ram-air Parachutes
Oct 11, 2022
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wLikKdK8uDo
______________
Can You Use Umbrellas Instead of a Parachute?
Sep 3, 2019
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zm_7txMrG5U
______________
Amazing Gadgets That Have Reached a Next Level 5
May 6, 2023
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GWlCwnJuqoI
______________
What are the disadvantages of parachute+airbag for atmospheric landing, versus rocket-based?
2013
https://space.stackexchange.com/questions/705/what-are-the-disadvantages-of-parachuteairbag-for-atmospheric-landing-versus-r
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Parachutes in Space: A Crucial Technology for Space Exploration
Dec 4, 2023
https://agnirva.medium.com/parachutes-in-space-a-crucial-technology-for-space-exploration-8e315f4860d8
______________
How Parachutes Went Square
Jul 15, 2022
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QLuNXVfHtPQ
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My LOWEST Base Jump Ever!!! - SKETCHY
Nov 8, 2022
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6p8IXyDTjgk
______________
{Some
people question why Rogallo Reserve steerable parachutes are not as
reliable as a standard square Reserve Canopy. Could there be a way to
improve steerable reserve parachutes}.
______________
Why aren't Rogallo wings or parafoils used in aircraft with fuselages?
2016
Ultralights and paragliders: Only categories with Rogallo wings
The
advantages provided by flexible wings (easy storage, light weight, low
cost) is a significant choice criteria for use in ultralights and
paragliders, and of course for parachutes. These advantages overcome
their limited aerodynamic performances, which is of lesser consideration
for vehicles that are not specially aerodynamically designed.
To
summarize: The flexible wings are more appropriate for smaller and
slower aircraft, in particular those not requiring wing tanks, wing
control surfaces, or wing landing gears. Namely ultralights.
Controls-
The wings house the controls, which would not be possible in case of
flexible wings (future combat aircraft are expected to have wing
morphing, but is still a bit far away). The control of flexible wings
are by using cables, which are suitable only for small aircraft. Another
issue is redundancy, which would be quite difficult with these exposed
cables.
Safety- The flexible wings do not offer the same level of
safety as the rigid (elastic) ones. What if they fail to deploy
properly or start to retract in flight? NASA carried out research on the
usage of flexible wings for the spacecraft landing programs which
brought out a number of issues related to structural safety and
deployment:
The wing’s structural problems persisted. Further drop tests saw more sails fall apart ...
Wing deployment tests were also proving problematic. The sail wasn’t
deploying consistently, at times not opening fully and failing to
inflate with enough time...
Even though most of these problems
were fixed, it would have been difficult to convince regulatory
authorities and paying public for their use.
It should be noted
that most of the advantages of the flexible wings are precisely because
of their limitations- it is collapsible for reduced storage and weigh
less because it doesn't carry fuel or have control surfaces and doesn't
have mountings for various things (like navigation lights etc).
It
should noted that the people involved were quite conscious of the
restrictions of this type of wing- For example, Francis M. Rogallo, the
inventor of rogallo wing was quite cautious when he noted,
... if we could discover how to make flexible wings that could be
packaged and deployed somewhat like a parachute, such wings would have
many new applications as well as replacing some parachutes and rigid
wings.
https://aviation.stackexchange.com/questions/32622/why-arent-rogallo-wings-or-parafoils-used-in-aircraft-with-fuselages
______________
Why NASA Abandoned the Gemini Rogallo Wing
Oct 7, 2020
https://medium.com/the-vintage-space/why-nasa-abandoned-the-gemini-rogallo-wing-84537fc3f825
______________
Rogallo wing
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rogallo_wing
The
Rogallo wing is a flexible type of wing. In 1948, Francis Rogallo, a
NASA engineer, and his wife Gertrude Rogallo, invented a self-inflating
flexible wing they called the Parawing, also known after them as the
"Rogallo Wing" and flexible wing. NASA considered Rogallo's flexible
wing as an alternative recovery system for the Mercury and Gemini space
capsules, and for possible use in other spacecraft landings, but the
idea was dropped from Gemini in 1964 in favor of conventional
parachutes.
______________
NASA Para Wing (NPW9b) Construction
2011
https://www.pointsunknown.com/blog/2011/02/nasa-para-wing-npw9b-construction/
______________
How could laser-driven lightsails remain stable?
February 5, 2024
https://phys.org/news/2024-02-laser-driven-lightsails-stable.html
______________
From Paper to Bionics: Origami's Incredible Impact on Science | FD Engineering
Aug 13, 2023
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uFyJykl1O0k
______________
STRANDBEEST EVOLUTION 2021
Apr 3, 2022
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C97kMKwZ2-g
______________
______________
September 20, 2023
https://www.cell.com/matter/abstract/S2590-2385(23)00421-6
NASA’s New Material Built to Withstand Extreme Conditions
2022
This turbine engine combustor (fuel-air mixer) was 3D-printed at NASA Glenn and is one example of a challenging component that can benefit from applying the new GRX-810 alloys.
https://www.nasa.gov/aeronautics/nasas-new-material-built-to-withstand-extreme-conditions/
______________
Aluminium alloy could boost spacecraft radiation shielding 100-fold
20 October 2022
A new metal alloy keeps its flexibility and strength after high doses of radiation, making it potentially useful for building spacecraft or Mars colonies
https://www.newscientist.com/article/2343246-aluminium-alloy-could-boost-spacecraft-radiation-shielding-100-fold/
______________
UF Engineers Develop Lightweight Metal for NASA
2017
https://mse.ufl.edu/lightweight_metal_reduce_radiation/
______________
New high precision foil resistors for space projects, with zero temperature coefficient very low power coefficient and high reliability
2002
https://ui.adsabs.harvard.edu/abs/2002ESASP.507...49F/abstract
Solar sail
Solar Sail: Materials and Space Environmental Effects
______________
Textile Material Lessons Learned During the Design and Qualification of the NASA Orion Capsule Parachute Assembly System
______________
______________
MIT and NASA engineers demonstrate a new kind of airplane wing
How the Pentagon Could Make Magnet-Powered Subs Like ‘Red October’ a Reality
______________
Propellers make a comeback on a new type of aircraft engine
______________
______________
______________
Twisted physics: Magic angle graphene produces switchable patterns of superconductivity
June 19, 2023
https://sciligent.com/2023/06/new-research-on-self-locking-light-sources-presents-opportunities-for-quantum-technologies/
______________
Asynchronous locking in metamaterials of fluids of light and sound
19 June 2023
Abstract
Lattices of exciton-polariton condensates represent an attractive platform for the study and implementation of non-Hermitian bosonic quantum systems with strong non-linear interactions. The possibility to actuate on them with a time dependent drive could provide for example the means to induce resonant inter-level transitions, or to perform Floquet engineering or Landau-Zener-Stückelberg state preparation. Here, we introduce polaromechanical metamaterials, two-dimensional arrays of μm-sized traps confining zero-dimensional light-matter polariton fluids and GHz phonons. A strong exciton-mediated polariton-phonon interaction induces a time-dependent inter-site polariton coupling J(t) with remarkable consequences for the dynamics. When locally perturbed by continuous wave optical excitation, a mechanical self-oscillation sets-in and polaritons respond by locking the energy detuning between neighbor sites at integer multiples of the phonon energy, evidencing asynchronous locking involving the polariton and phonon fields. These results open the path for the coherent control of dissipative quantum light fluids with hypersound in a scalable platform.
https://www.nature.com/articles/s41467-023-38788-9
ultrasound shaking will lower the friction between two objects and can induce sudden, large jerky motions
Feb 21, 2023
https://www.labmanager.com/shear-ultrasound-shaking-lowers-friction-between-solids-29826
Ion Propulsion: Farther, Faster, Cheaper
______________
21 November 2018
Aeroplanes use propellers and turbines, and are typically powered by fossil-fuel combustion. An alternative method of propelling planes has been demonstrated that does not require moving parts or combustion.
Small, lightweight devices called lifters can propel themselves into the air without combustion or moving parts, and have become a popular topic of discussion with technology buffs on social media in the past few years. And yet the physical mechanism behind lifters has been known for more than a century. When charged molecules in the air are subjected to an electric field, they are accelerated.
https://www.nature.com/articles/d41586-018-07411-z
REVOLUTIONARY PROPELLER TECHNOLOGY: A Game-Changer for TRANSPORTATION!
New sodium, aluminum battery aims to integrate renewables for grid resiliency
New high-volume joining process expands use of aluminum in autos
May 12, 2015
Researchers have demonstrated a new process for the expanded use of lightweight aluminum in cars and trucks at the speed, scale, quality and consistency required by the auto industry. The process reduces production time and costs while yielding strong and lightweight parts, for example delivering a car door that is 62 percent lighter and 25 percent cheaper than that produced with today's manufacturing methods.
http://phys.org/news/2015-05-high-volume-aluminum-autos.html#jCp
Scientists spin naturalistic silk from artificial spider gland
January 22, 2024
https://phys.org/news/2024-01-scientists-naturalistic-silk-artificial-spider.html
______________
New ways to strengthen biomimetic spider-silk
March 4, 2024
https://phys.org/news/2024-03-ways-biomimetic-spider-silk.html
______________
Smart Material: Spider Silk
Mar 5, 2011
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nYlkJyG1Oik&list=PLQoTHqAEU9OSjWhEvxWS5PIka1lSQrEZ8&index=8
______________
Spiders sprayed with carbon nanotubes spin superstrong webs
http://phys.org/news/2015-05-spiders-carbon-nanotubes-superstrong-webs.html?utm_source=menu&utm_medium=link&utm_campaign=item-menu
______________
Add Graphene To Spider Silk To Create The Strongest Fiber Yet
http://www.popsci.com/spiders-add-graphene-silk-creating-strongest-fiber-yet
______________
Researchers explore mechanics of silk to design materials with high strength and low density
May 15, 2015
Scientists at MIT have developed a systematic approach to research the structure of spider silk, blending computational modeling and mechanical analysis to 3D-print synthetic spider webs.
http://phys.org/news/2015-05-explore-mechanics-silk-materials-high.html#jCp
----------------
Spider signal threads reveal remote sensing design secrets
December 16, 2015
When you look
at a spider web in the garden, one thing is often noticeably absent:
the spider. This may be because it is lurking away from the web in a
'retreat', where it can monitor web vibrations through a proxy known as a
signal thread.
A new Oxford study published in Journal
of the Royal Society Interface looks in more detail at the composition
and structure of these signal threads, which spiders can use to tell
whether they've caught new prey.
Dr Beth Mortimer from the Oxford Silk Group, based in the Department of Zoology, spoke to Science Blog about the research.
http://phys.org/news/2015-12-spider-threads-reveal-remote-secrets.html
______________
Lithium-ion batteries inspired by snail shells could prove longer-lasting
February 11, 2015
In an ongoing effort to improve the performance of lithium-ion
batteries, scientists have looked to the techniques that snails use to
control the growth of their shells. This biological inspiration,
combined with a peptide found to bind very effectively with materials
used to make cathodes, has potential for making lighter and
longer-lasting batteries.
http://www.gizmag.com/lithium-ion-batteries-snail-shells/36045/
______________
Advanced composites may borrow designs from deep-sea shrimp
July 14, 2015
New research is revealing details about how the exoskeleton of a certain type of deep-sea shrimp allows the animal to survive scalding hot waters in hydrothermal vents thousands of feet under water.
http://phys.org/news/2015-07-advanced-composites-deep-sea-shrimp.html?utm_source=menu&utm_medium=link&utm_campaign=item-menu
______________
NASA tests foldable cloth heat shield in Mars entry simulation
October 6, 2015
As spacecraft for manned and planetary missions get larger, so do their heat shields – which are becoming very big indeed.
To avoid the day when the shield becomes too large for any existing or
planned launcher, NASA’s Ames Research Center in California is
developing the Adaptive Deployable Entry and Placement Technology
(ADEPT) heat shield, which uses carbon-fiber cloth and can be folded up
like an umbrella. The cloth heat shield recently completed tests that
simulated entering the Martian atmosphere.
http://www.gizmag.com/nasa-cloth-heat-shield-adept/39729/?li_source=LI&li_medium=default-widget
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Unique three-layered snail shell could lead to tougher body armor
February 1, 2010
They say life imitates art, but any scientist knows that the best designs imitate life. Researchers from the MIT Institute for Soldier Nanotechnologies (ISN) are drawing new biomimicry
inspiration for body armor design from a hardy ocean snail that boasts a
shell structure unlike anything else seen in nature... or in material
research labs.
http://www.gizmag.com/snail-shell-military-armor-car-panels/13989/?li_source=LI&li_medium=default-widget
______________
Limpets sink their teeth into world's strongest natural material crown
February 18, 2015
Spider's silk has long been the strongest natural material known to man, prompting researchers to attempt to uncover its secrets so they can replicate its remarkable properties in man-made materials.
But scientists now have a new source of inspiration in the form of
limpet teeth, which are made of a material researchers say is
potentially stronger than spider silk, is comparable in strength to the
strongest commercial carbon fibers, and could one day be copied for use
in cars, boats and planes.
http://www.gizmag.com/limpet-teeth-strongest-natural-material/36162/
______________
Tiny diatoms boast enormous strength
Diatoms
are single-celled algae organisms, around 30 to 100 millionths of a
meter in diameter, that are ubiquitous throughout the oceans. These
creatures are encased within a hard shell shaped like a wide, flattened
cylinder—like a tambourine—that is made of silica. Researchers in the
lab of Julia Greer, professor of materials science and mechanics in
Caltech's Division of Engineering and Applied Science, have recently
found that these shells have the highest specific strength—the strength
at which a structure breaks with respect to its density—of any known
biological material, including bone, antlers, and teeth.
http://phys.org/news/2016-02-tiny-diatoms-enormous-strength.html
____________________________
Researchers look to the boxfish for new body armor materials
July 29th, 2015
Researchers from the University of California, San Diego (UCSD) are taking inspiration from nature in the search for new materials that could one day be used to create more effective body armor. The study, which was supported by the US Air Force, focuses on the unique structure and strength of the hexagonally-scaled shell of the boxfish.
The idea of looking to nature for inspiration when it comes to next-gen armor isn't anything new. We've seen numerous studies over the last few years that focus on that same idea, including efforts to copy the structure of overlapping fish scales and even the properties of sea sponges to develop strong yet flexible armor.
http://www.gizmag.com/boxfish-body-armor/38681/?li_source=LI&li_medium=default-widget
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Tiny sea creatures could provide inspiration for armor with built-in optical systems
November 25, 2015
http://www.gizmag.com/mit-chiton-optical-armor/40590/?li_source=LI&li_medium=default-widget
A team of MIT researchers has looked
closer than ever before at the unique shells of chitons, using X-rays
to discover their secrets. The results reveal a no-compromise setup
that provides the tiny sea creatures with both protection and optical
visibility. The findings could one day inspire man-made armor with
similar abilities.
Turning to nature for ideas for new
materials is nothing new. In the past, researchers have looked to
fish scales, boxfish shells and even sea sponges for better body
armor, and we've even seen species of chiton inspiring higher-performing batteries and solar cells.
For the new MIT study, the researchers
worked with a fascinating species of chiton known as Acanthopleura granulata. They have an appearance similar to the rocks amongst which
they're usually found, and are small at only a few inches in diameter.
The creatures have developed a ceramic
shell system that's not only flexible, being comprised of eight
overlapping plates, but also provides high levels of visibility, by
incorporating tiny eyes throughout. Unlike the vast majority of other
living creatures, the chiton's eyes aren't made from portein, but are
instead made up of the mineral aragonite – the same ceramic that
makes up the rest of its shell.
______________
Next-generation body armor could be based on ... sponges?
March 18, 2013
http://www.gizmag.com/sponge-spicule-armor/26700/
Sponges’ “skeletons” – their internal structural elements – are made
up of tiny interlinked needle-like structures known as spicules. These
are hard, prickly, flexible and lightweight. As a result, they offer
enough strength to provide structural support, while they bend to such
an extent that they’re difficult to cut. A team of researchers from
Germany’s Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz and the Max Planck
Institute for Polymer Research set out to develop a material with those
same qualities.
The nanoscale spicules they created incorporate a
mixture of the mineral calcite, and a protein found in siliceous sponges
known as silicatein-α. Each synthetic spicule is composed of a
multitude of calcite “nanobricks” stacked together brick chimney-style,
with a matrix of the stretchy protein holding them together.
______________
Next generation armor inspired by animal scales
February 12, 2015
http://www.gizmag.com/next-generation-armor-animal-scales/36050/?li_source=LI&li_medium=default-widget
We've seen scientists examine everything from the structure of sea sponges to the clubbing ability of mantis shrimps in the search for next generation lightweight armor systems. Researchers at Northeastern University’s College of Engineering believe that fish scales could hold the key to creating armor that's both impervious and lightweight. They eventually aim to combine the properties of fish, snake and butterfly scales into a single protective armor system.
______________
Future soldiers may be wearing fish-inspired body armor
March 16, 2015
On most fish, their hard, overlapping scales provide considerable protection against pokes and cuts. Because those independently-moving scales are each attached to a flexible underlying skin, however, the fish are still able to easily twist and turn their bodies. Scientists from the Technion-Israel Institute of Technology and MIT are now attempting to copy that structure, to develop flexible-yet-effective armor for humans.
http://www.gizmag.com/fish-inspired-armor/36563/?li_source=LI&li_medium=default-widget
______________
Fish's piranha-proof scales could lead to tough, flexible body armor
February 10, 2012
http://www.gizmag.com/arapaima-piranha-proof-scales/21419/?li_source=LI&li_medium=default-widget
The Arapaima's "hard on the outside but pliable underneath"
strategy is employed by a number of organisms, that need to be agile
while remaining protected. Meyers believes the principle could find use
in flexible ceramics, that could in turn be applied not only to
soldiers' body armor, but also fuel cells, insulation or aerospace
technology.
Here's a question - if piranhas are so ferocious and will attack
anything, why aren't they the only fish in the Amazon? Well, in some
cases, it's because other fish possess bite-proof armor. The 300-pound
(136-kg) Arapaima is just such a fish. In the dry season, when water levels get low, Arapaima
are forced to share relatively small bodies of water with piranhas.
Their tough-but-flexible scales, however, allow them to remain unharmed.
A scientist from the University of California, San Diego is now taking a
closer look at those scales, with an eye towards applying their secrets
to human technology such as body armor.
MIT Breakthrough could lead to paper-thin bullet-proof armor
Scientists have theorized that paper-thin composite nanomaterials could stop bullets just as effectively as heavy weight body armor, but progress has been hampered by their inability to reliably test such materials against projectile impacts. Researchers at MIT and Rice University have developed a breakthrough stress-test that fires microscopic glass beads at impact-absorbing material. Although the projectiles are much smaller than a bullet, the experimental results could be scaled up to predict how the material would stand up to larger impacts.
http://www.gizmag.com/mit-breakthrough-paper-thin-bullet-proof-armor/24971/?li_source=LI&li_medium=default-widget
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Engineers create new nano-fiber tougher than Kevlar
December 7, 2010
A new high performance fiber that is better at absorbing energy without breaking than Kevlar has been created by the U.S Department of Defence. While still under development, the material could be used in bulletproof vests, parachutes, or in composite materials for vehicles, airplanes and satellites in the future. The fiber has been engineered from carbon nanotubes spun into a yarn and held together using a polymer. The resultant material is tough and strong while still remaining flexible.
http://www.gizmag.com/new-nano-fiber-tougher-than-kevlar/17203/?li_source=LI&li_medium=default-widget
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Wood pulp extract stronger than carbon fiber or Kevlar
September 3, 2012
http://www.gizmag.com/cellulose-nanocrystals-stronger-carbon-fiber-kevlar/23959/?li_source=LI&li_medium=default-widget
The Forest Products Laboratory of the US Forest Service has opened a US$1.7 million pilot plant for the production of cellulose nanocrystals (CNC) from wood by-products materials such as wood chips and sawdust. Prepared properly, CNCs are stronger and stiffer than Kevlar or carbon fibers, so that putting CNC into composite materials results in high strength, low weight products. In addition, the cost of CNCs is less than ten percent of the cost of Kevlar fiber or carbon fiber. These qualities have attracted the interest of the military for use in lightweight armor and ballistic glass (CNCs are transparent), as well as companies in the automotive, aerospace, electronics, consumer products, and medical industries.
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Graphene could find use in lightweight ballistic body armor
December 1st, 2014
While graphene
is already known for being the world's strongest material, most studies
have focused on its tensile strength – that's the maximum stress that
it can withstand while being pulled or stretched, before failing.
According to studies conducted at Houston's Rice University, however,
its ability to absorb sudden impacts hadn't previously been thoroughly
explored. As it turns out, the material is 10 times better than steel at
dissipating kinetic energy. That could make it an excellent choice for
lightweight ballistic body armor.
http://www.gizmag.com/graphene-bulletproof-armor/35004/?li_source=LI&li_medium=default-widget
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Carbyne is stronger than any known material
August 20, 2013
A paper on Arxiv presents a detailed look at the properties of carbyne, stronger than graphene and diamond, a true supermaterial. The paper is titled, "Carbyne from first principles: Chain of C atoms, a nanorod or a nanorope?" Authors are Mingjie Liu, Vasilii I. Artyukhov, Hoonkyung Lee, Fangbo Xu, and Boris I. Yakobson, from Rice University, in Houston, from the departments of mechanical engineering and materials science, chemistry, and the Smalley Institute for Nanoscale Science and Technology. They have calculated the properties of carbyne. Described as a chain of carbon atoms that are linked by alternate triple and single bonds or by consecutive double bonds, carbyne is of special interest, chemists find, because it is stronger, and stiffer than anything that they have seen before. The discovery of carbyne is not entirely new. Explorations of carbyne have their own history.
http://phys.org/news/2013-08-carbyne-stronger-material.html
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DARPA seeks high-tech alternatives to armor
August 20, 2014
As a quick visit to any armored division will make obvious, tanks are
big ... really big. A Challenger 2 main battle tank, for example, weighs
62.5 tonnes (68.9 tons) and costs about £4.2 million (US$7 million).
And as anti-tank weapons get better, tanks can only get bigger. To avoid
armies of tomorrow having to pay for land-going battleships, DARPA’s
Ground X-Vehicle Technology (GXV-T) program aims at developing lighter,
more agile successors to the tank that protect themselves with more than
ever-thicker walls of steel.
http://www.gizmag.com/darpa-gxv-t-tank-armor/33404/
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Liquid metal could be used to create morphing electronics
September 21, 2014
http://www.gizmag.com/liquid-metal-morphing-electronics/33836/
Who could forget the scene in Terminator 2: Judgement Day
where the shape-shifting T-1000 reassembles itself from thousands of
blobs of molten metal? Researchers from North Carolina State University
(NCSU) have taken the first steps to such science fiction becoming
reality by developing a way to control the surface tension of liquid
metals with the application of very low voltages. This may offer
opportunities in a new field of morphing electronic circuits, self-healing electronics, or – one day – maybe even self-assembling terminator-style robots.
The liquid metal used by the researchers was an alloy
of gallium and indium. Gallium is liquid just above room temperature at
about 29° C (84° F), while Indium has a much higher melting point at
around 156° C (312° F), yet when mixed together, they form an alloy that
is liquid at room temperature. In other words, a eutectic
alloy – one that is composed of metals with disparate melting points
that, when combined, melt as a whole at a specific temperature.
Another important aspect of this eutectic alloy, and
one that the researchers sought to exploit in their experiments, is its
exceptionally high surface tension of approximately 500 millinewtons per
meter (mN/m). The consequence of this is that a blob of this alloy
resting on a surface will tend to form an almost spherical ball and hold
its shape if undisturbed...
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Squid inspires camouflaging smart materials
June 15, 2015
http://phys.org/news/2015-06-squid-camouflaging-smart-materials.html
Three
prototype artificial cephalopod chromatophores are shown in unactuated
states. The chromatophores are made from dielectric elastomer using tape
coated with black carbon grease electrodes.
- The
researchers have shown the artificial skin, made from electroactive
dielectric elastomer, a soft, compliant smart material, can effectively
copy the action of biological chromatophores. Chromatophores are small
pigmented cells embedded on cephalopods skin which can expand and
contract and that work together to change skin colour and texture.
The
system achieves the dynamic pattern generation by using simple local
rules in the artificial chromatophore cells, so that they can sense
their surroundings and manipulate their change. By modelling sets of
artificial chromatophores in linear arrays of cells, the researchers
explored whether the system was capable of producing a variety of
patterns...
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Bacterial Armor Holds Clues for Self-Assembling Nanostructures
February 11, 2015
Imagine thousands of copies of a single protein organizing into a coat of
chainmail armor that protects the wearer from harsh and ever-changing
environmental conditions. That is the case for many microorganisms. In a
new study, researchers with the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE)’s
Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (Berkeley Lab) have uncovered key
details in this natural process that can be used for the self-assembly
of nanomaterials into complex two- and three-dimensional structures.
Caroline Ajo-Franklin, a chemist and synthetic biologist at Berkeley Lab’s Molecular Foundry,
led this study in which high-throughput light scattering measurements
were used to investigate the self-assembly of 2D nanosheets from a
common bacterial surface layer (S-layer) protein. This protein, called
“SbpA,” forms the protective armor for Lysinibacillus sphaericus, a
soil bacterium used as a toxin to control mosquitoes. Their
investigation revealed that calcium ions play a key role in how this
armor assembles. Two key roles actually.
“Calcium ions not only trigger the folding of the protein into the
correct shape for nanosheet formation, but also serve to bind the
nanosheets together,” Ajo-Franklin says. “By establishing and using
light scattering as a proxy for SbpA nanosheet formation, we were able
to determine how varying the concentrations of calcium ions and SbpA
affects the size and shape of the S-layer armor.”
http://newscenter.lbl.gov/2015/02/11/bacterial-armor/
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Mesospheres in nano-armor:
Copyright © 2009
http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S002197970901090X
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Lightweight metal foam turns armor-piercing bullets into dust
April 10, 2016
http://newatlas.com/metal-foam-bullets/42731/
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Sweden Invents a Revolutionary Anti Bullet Wall, Saab Barracuda Soft Armour
Oct 23, 2014
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OuQOmOBayBA
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Hypersonic Vibrations of Ag@SiO2 (Cubic Core)−Shell Nanospheres
Copyright © 2010
http://pubs.acs.org/doi/abs/10.1021/nn102581g
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Liquid Armor
2009
______________
Liquid Armor
2012
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6md1wgyo3Ik
______________
How Liquid Body Armor Works
http://science.howstuffworks.com/liquid-body-armor1.htm
The fluid used in body armor is made of silica particles suspended in polyethylene glycol. Silica is a component of sand and quartz, and polyethylene glycol is a polymer commonly used in laxatives and lubricants. The silica particles are only a few nanometers in diameter, so many reports describe this fluid as a form of nanotechnology.
To make liquid body armor using shear-thickening fluid, researchers first dilute the fluid in ethanol. They saturate the Kevlar with the diluted fluid and place it in an oven to evaporate the ethanol. The STF then permeates the Kevlar, and the Kevlar strands hold the particle-filled fluid in place. When an object strikes or stabs the Kevlar, the fluid immediately hardens, making the Kevlar stronger.
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Smart Materials (4 of 5): Magneto Rheological (MR) Fluid
May 30, 2011
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SBXQ-6uI8GY&list=PLQoTHqAEU9OSjWhEvxWS5PIka1lSQrEZ8&index=4
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Smart materials (2 of 5): Battle Jacket, Self-healing protective coating
May 30, 2011
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R6qHY1H6piE&index=2&list=PLQoTHqAEU9OSjWhEvxWS5PIka1lSQrEZ8
Quantum Stealth material designed to make target invisible
December 16, 2012
Scientists are exploring better methods of camouflage, a so-called scientific invisibility cloak, and news has spread fast about a Canadian company with substantial claims on how far they have come with camouflage technology. The company, HyperStealth Biotechnology, has developed Quantum Stealth camouflage material, which renders its wearers invisible by bending light waves around them. Their work has obvious implications for the defense industry. How can the enemy hit targets they cannot see or defend themselves from attackers who are invisible? Theoretically, any soldier could put on the material and get it working with no power source required.
http://phys.org/news/2012-12-quantum-stealth-material-invisible.html
---------------------
Chobham armour
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chobham_armour
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Spider-silk inspired electrode offers new possibilities for the next generation of biomedical devices
January 30, 2024
https://medicalxpress.com/news/2024-01-spider-silk-electrode-possibilities-generation.html
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New Silkworm Dye Method Could Help Build Silks With Medicinal Properties
Mar 17, 2011
We
pay close attention to the modifications scientists are making to
goats, moths and worms so they can harvest their silk. Now researchers
in Singapore are reporting a new advancement: dyed-in-the-worm silks,
which look pretty and could have interesting medical applications.
Researchers
led by Natalia C. Tansil at the Institute of Materials Research and
Engineering in Singapore fed silkworms a special diet, leading the worms
to produce fluorescent silks of a particular color.
The direct
uptake of dyes produced “intrinsically colored” silks, the researchers
explain — the material comes out already colored. New Scientist says the
worm pictured here ate a diet of mulberries and fluorescent dye, and
produced a lovely rose-colored fiber.
Silkworms, which are pretty
efficient little textile factories, are also being genetically modified
to produce other materials like spider silk, nature’s toughest fiber.
The coloring process doesn’t modify the worms’ genes — it just gives
them a chemical cocktail that makes them produce colorful silk. It could
be a more environmentally friendly way to produce various colors,
rather than using chemicals to dye silk.
The method could also be
used to dope silks with other materials, like antibacterial properties
so they could be used as wound dressings, according to New Scientist.
https://www.popsci.com/science/article/2011-03/new-silkworm-dye-method-could-help-build-silks-special-properties/
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Beetles living in the dark teach us how to make sustainable colors
March 13, 2024
https://phys.org/news/2024-03-beetles-dark-sustainable.html
______________
Engineers invent octopus-inspired technology that can deceive and signal
January 5, 2024
https://phys.org/news/2024-01-octopus-technology.html
______________
Mimicking the masters: Octopus-inspired systems for deception and signaling
January 8, 2024
https://techxplore.com/news/2024-01-mimicking-masters-octopus-deception.html
______________
Introducing multi-component liquid-infused surfaces for adaptive and functional coatings
March 6, 2024
https://phys.org/news/2024-03-multi-component-liquid-infused-surfaces.html
______________
Precision coating boosts nanomedicine
January 9, 2024
https://phys.org/news/2024-01-precision-coating-boosts-nanomedicine.html
______________
Water-based paints: Less stinky, but some still contain potentially hazardous chemicals
April 3, 2024
https://phys.org/news/2024-04-based-stinky-potentially-hazardous-chemicals.html
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Tattoo inks found to not match the ingredients listed on the bottle
Feb 2024
The
researchers analyzed tattoo inks from nine manufacturers in the United
States and compared their actual contents with the label. The
manufacturers ran the gamut from major, global companies to smaller
producers; the inks in question came in six colors.
Of the 54
inks, 45 of them—90%—had major discrepancies with the labeled contents,
such as different pigments than the ones listed or unlisted additives.
More
than half contained unlisted polyethylene glycol, which can cause organ
damage through repeated exposure, while 15 contained propylene glycol, a
potential allergen. Other contaminants included an antibiotic commonly
used to treat urinary tract infections and 2-phenoxyethanol, which poses
potential health risks to nursing infants.
Their research cannot
identify whether unlisted ingredients were added intentionally or if
the manufacturer was provided with incorrectly labeled or contaminated
materials.
"We're hoping the manufacturers take this as an
opportunity to reevaluate their processes and that artists and clients
take this as an opportunity to push for better labeling and
manufacturing," Swierk said.
https://phys.org/news/2024-02-tattoo-inks-ingredients-bottle.html
______________
Patina
Patina is a thin layer that variously forms on the surface of stone; on copper, bronze and similar metals (tarnish produced by oxidation or other chemical processes); on wooden furniture
(sheen produced by age, wear, and polishing); or any such acquired
change of a surface through age and exposure. Patinas can provide a
protective covering to materials that would otherwise be damaged by
corrosion or weathering. They may also be aesthetically appealing.
On metal, patina is a coating of various chemical compounds such as oxides, carbonates, sulfides, or sulfates formed on the surface during exposure to atmospheric elements (oxygen, rain, acid rain, carbon dioxide, sulfur-bearing
compounds), a common example of which is rust which forms on iron or
steel when exposed to oxygen. Patina also refers to accumulated changes
in surface texture and colour that result from normal use of an object
such as a coin or a piece of furniture over time.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Patina
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Copper in architecture
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Copper_in_architecture#Finishes
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Graphene layer could quadruple rate of condensation heat transfer in generating plants
Jun 01, 2015
Most
of the world's electricity-producing power plants—whether powered by
coal, natural gas, or nuclear fission—make electricity by generating
steam that turns a turbine. That steam then is condensed back to water,
and the cycle begins again.
But the condensers that
collect the steam are quite inefficient, and improving them could make a
big difference in overall power plant efficiency.
Now,
a team of researchers at MIT has developed a way of coating these
condenser surfaces with a layer of graphene, just one atom thick, and
found that this can improve the rate of heat transfer by a factor of
four—and potentially even more than that, with further work. And unlike
polymer coatings, the graphene coatings have proven to be highly durable
in laboratory tests.
http://phys.org/news/2015-06-graphene-layer-quadruple-condensation.html#jCp
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Graphene used to rust-proof steel
May 29, 2012
Hexavalent chromium compounds are a key ingredient in coatings used to rust-proof steel. They also happen to be carcinogenic. Researchers, therefore, have been looking for non-toxic alternatives that could be used to keep steel items from corroding. Recently, scientists from the University at Buffalo announced that they have developed such a substance. It’s a varnish that incorporates graphene, the one-atom-thick carbon sheeting material that is the thinnest and strongest substance known to exist.
http://www.gizmag.com/graphene-anti-rust-coating/22731/?li_source=LI&li_medium=default-widget
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Slick coating keeps steel clean and tough
October 21, 2015
When liquids stick to steel for long enough, the steel corrodes or
becomes contaminated. Unfortunately, however, porous surface coatings
that repel liquids also tend to make steel weaker … until now, that is.
Scientists at Harvard University have recently discovered that their
existing SLIPS (Slippery Liquid Porous Surfaces) technology not only causes liquids to roll right off, but it actually makes steel stronger.
Led by Prof. Joanna Aizenberg, the Harvard team
utilized electrochemical deposition to apply a a surface coating of
rough nanoporous tungsten oxide to small sheets of steel. This coating
took the form of an utra-thin film, actually made up of hundreds of
thousands of separate microscopic tungsten oxide "islands." The
resulting surace roughness keeps liquid from sticking to the steel.
Additionally, because they're not connected to one
another, if any of the islands are damaged by abrasion to the film, that
damage stays localized instead of affecting the whole coating.
http://www.gizmag.com/slips-steel-coating/39982/?li_source=LI&li_medium=default-widget
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Tin-based stanene could conduct electricity with 100 percent efficiency
December 1, 2013
A team of theoretical physicists from the US Department of Energy’s
(DOE) SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory and Stanford University is
predicting that stanene, a single layer of tin atoms laid out in a
two-dimensional structure, could conduct electricity with one hundred
percent efficiency at room temperature. If the findings are confirmed
they could pave the way for building computer chips that are faster,
consume less power, and won't heat up nearly as much.
Stanene is an example of a topological insulator,
a class of materials that conduct electricity only on their outside
edges or surfaces. When topological insulators are just one atom thick,
their edges conduct electricity with 100 percent efficiency, forcing
electrons to move in defined lanes, without resistance.
http://www.gizmag.com/stanene-topological-insulator/29976/
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Nano
Coatings
http://www.voyle.net/Nano%20Coatings/%20Nano%20Coating1.htm
______________
Physical vapor deposition
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Physical_vapor_deposition
______________
Titanium nitride
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Titanium_nitride
______________
Ion plating
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ion_plating
______________
Ion implantation
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ion_implantation
______________
Indium tin oxide
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Indium_tin_oxide
______________
Cathodic arc deposition
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cathodic_arc_deposition
______________
Plasma-immersion ion implantation
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Plasma-immersion_ion_implantation
______________
Thin film
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thin_film
______________
Thermal spraying
Several variations of thermal spraying are distinguished:
- Plasma spraying
- Detonation spraying
- Wire arc spraying
- Flame spraying
- High velocity oxy-fuel coating spraying (HVOF)
- Warm spraying
- Cold spraying
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thermal_spraying
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Transparent ceramics
Nanomaterials
It has been shown fairly recently that laser elements (amplifiers,
switches, ion hosts, etc.) made from fine-grained ceramic
nanomaterials—produced by the low temperature sintering of high purity
nanoparticles and powders—can be produced at a relatively low cost.
These components are free of internal stress or intrinsic birefringence,
and allow relatively large doping levels or optimized custom-designed
doping profiles. This highlights the use of ceramic nanomaterials as
being particularly important for high-energy laser elements and
applications.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Transparent_ceramics
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New nanowire structure absorbs light efficiently
Feb 25, 2015
Researchers
at Aalto University have developed a new method to implement different
types of nanowires side-by-side into a single array on a single
substrate. The new technique makes it possible to use different
semiconductor materials for the different types of nanowires.
'We
have succeeded in combining nanowires grown by the VLS
(vapor-liquid-solid) and SAE (selective-area epitaxy) techniques onto
the same platform. The difference compared with studies conducted
previously on the same topic is that in the dual-type array the
different materials do not grow in the same nanowire, but rather as
separate wires on the same substrate', says Docent Teppo Huhtio.
The research results were published in the Nano Letters journal on 5 February 2015.
The
new fabrication process has many phases. First, gold nanoparticles are
spread on a substrate. Next, the substrate is coated with silicon oxide,
into which small holes are then patterned using electron beam
lithography. In the first step of growth, (SAE), nanowires grow from
where the holes are located, after which the silicon oxide is removed.
In the second phase different types of nanowires are grown with the help
of the gold nanoparticles (VLS). The researchers used metalorganic
vapor phase epitaxy reactor in which the starting materials decompose at
a high temperature, forming semiconductor compounds on the substrate.
'In this way we managed to combine two growth methods into the same process', says doctoral candidate Joona-Pekko Kakko.
'We
noticed in optical reflection measurements that light couples better to
this kind of combination structure. For instance, a solar cell has less
reflection and better absorption of light', Huhtio adds.
In
addition to solar cells and LEDs, the researchers also see good
applications in thermoelectric generators. Further processing for
component applications has already begun.
Nanowires are
being intensely researched, because semiconductor components that are
currently in use need to be made smaller and more cost-effective. The
nanowires made out of semiconductor materials are typically 1-10
micrometres in length, with diameters of 5-100 nanometres.
Read more at: http://phys.org/news/2015-02-nanowire-absorbs-efficiently.html#jCp
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Calculations reveal how mixtures of different elements can control the thermal properties of nanowires
Apr 2015
A
mathematical model of heat flow through miniature wires could help
develop thermoelectric devices that efficiently convert heat—even their
own waste heat—into electricity.
Read more at: http://phys.org/news/2015-04-reveal-mixtures-elements-thermal-properties.html#jCp
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Stretchable ceramics made by flame technology
June 8th, 2015
Synthesizing nanoscale materials takes place within high-tech laboratories, where scientists in full-body suits keep every grain of dust away from their sensitive innovations. However, scientists at Kiel University proved that this is not always necessary. They have successfully been able to transfer the experience from furnace to laboratory while synthesizing nanoscale materials using simple and highly efficient flame technology. This "baking" of nanostructures has already been a great success using zinc oxide. The recent findings concentrate on tin oxide, which opens up a wide field of possible new applications. The material scientists published their latest research data in today's issue (Friday, 5 June) of the renowned scientific journal Advanced Electronic Materials.
http://phys.org/news/2015-06-stretchable-ceramics-flame-technology.html#jCp
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New Iron-Based Material Could Be The Best High Temperature Superconductor
______________
Iron-Coated 'Sand' Made to Flow Up Hill in Strange New Experiment
22 September 2023
https://www.sciencealert.com/iron-coated-sand-made-to-flow-up-hill-in-strange-new-experiment
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Team announces breakthrough observation of Mott transition in a superconductor
September 11, 2015
An international team of researchers, including the MESA+ Institute for Nanotechnology at the University of Twente in The Netherlands and the U.S. Department of Energy's Argonne National Laboratory, announced today in Science the observation of a dynamic Mott transition in a superconductor.
The discovery experimentally connects the worlds of classical and quantum mechanics and illuminates the mysterious nature of the Mott transition. It also could shed light on non-equilibrium physics, which is poorly understood but governs most of what occurs in our world. The finding may also represent a step towards more efficient electronics based on the Mott transition.
http://phys.org/news/2015-09-team-breakthrough-mott-transition-superconductor.html#jCp
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Quantum scientists break aluminium 'monopoly' (Update)
May 25, 2015
A Majorana fermion, or a Majorana particle, is a fermion that is its own antiparticle. Discovering the Majorana was the first step, but utilizing it as a quantum bit (qubit) still remains a major challenge. An important step towards this goal has just been taken by researchers from TU Delft in today's issue of Nature Physics. It is a nearly thirty-year-old scientific problem that has just been resolved: demonstrating the difference between the even and odd occupation of a superconductor in high magnetic fields. Thus far, this was only possible in aluminium, which is incompatible with Majoranas. This result enables the read out and manipulation of quantum states encoded in prospective Majorana qubits.
http://phys.org/news/2015-05-monopoly-aluminium-broken.html#ajTabs
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Superconductor breaks high-temperature record
22 February 2012
http://www.nature.com/news/superconductor-breaks-high-temperature-record-1.10081
______________
New microfiber emitters boost production of versatile fibers fourfold, cut energy consumption by 92 percent
Jun 05, 2015
http://phys.org/news/2015-06-microfiber-emitters-boost-production-versatile.html?utm_source=menu&utm_medium=link&utm_campaign=item-menu
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Biodegradable 3D Printer Filaments – A Guide to Going Green with 3D Printing
February 20, 2024
https://www.3dsourced.com/guides/biodegradable-3d-printer-filaments/
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Magnetohydrodynamics
Magnetohydrodynamics
(MHD; also called magneto-fluid dynamics or hydromagnetics) is a model
of electrically conducting fluids that treats all interpenetrating
particle species together as a single continuous medium. It is primarily
concerned with the low-frequency, large-scale, magnetic behavior in
plasmas and liquid metals and has applications in numerous fields
including geophysics, astrophysics, and engineering.
The word
magnetohydrodynamics is derived from magneto- meaning magnetic field,
hydro- meaning water, and dynamics meaning movement. The field of MHD
was initiated by Hannes Alfvén, for which he received the Nobel Prize in
Physics in 1970.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Magnetohydrodynamics
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Liquid metal for high-entropy alloy nanoparticles synthesis
14 June 2023
https://www.nature.com/articles/s41586-023-06082-9
______________
New family of wheel-like metallic clusters exhibit unique properties
April 14th, 2023
https://www.nanotech-now.com/news.cgi?story_id=57335
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3D metal printing breakthrough: Researchers create metallic gel for use at room temperature
July 6, 2023
https://wraltechwire.com/2023/07/06/3d-metal-printing-breakthrough-researchers-create-metallic-gel-for-use-at-room-temperature/
______________
December 23, 2015
http://phys.org/news/2015-12-exceptionally-strong-lightweight-metal.html#jCp
May 12, 2015
http://phys.org/news/2015-05-metal-composite-literally-boat.html#jCp
_______________
Weird metal that's also glass is insanely bouncy
Oct 17, 2022
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QpuCtzdvix4
______________
Unveiling oxidation-induced super-elasticity in metallic glass nanotubes
February 2, 2024
Oxidation
can degrade the properties and functionality of metals. However, a
research team co-led by scientists from City University of Hong Kong
(CityU) recently discovered that severely oxidized metallic glass
nanotubes can attain an ultrahigh recoverable elastic strain,
outperforming most conventional super-elastic metals. They also
discovered the physical mechanisms underpinning this super-elasticity.
https://phys.org/news/2024-02-unveiling-oxidation-super-elasticity-metallic.html
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First nanoscale direct observation of how glass transforms into liquid at increasing temperature
Jul 13, 2023
https://www.nanowerk.com/nanotechnology-news2/newsid=63330.php
______________
Discovery of structural regularity hidden in silica glass
From Tohoku University 30/11/23
https://superinnovators.com/2023/12/discovery-of-structural-regularity-hidden-in-silica-glass/
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Aerosol jet printing could revolutionize microfluidic device fabrication
February 1, 2024
https://phys.org/news/2024-02-aerosol-jet-revolutionize-microfluidic-device.html
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Carnival Glass 101
http://carnivalglass101.carnivalheaven.com/id136.ht
If
you look at the recipe that remains from E. A. Dugan's notebook (page
26 of the Dugan/Diamond book by Heacock, Measell & Wiggins), for a
turquoise blue opal glass, you have 300 parts sand (silica), 81 parts
soda (calcium carbonate), 50 parts lead (most likely lead oxide), 24
parts pearls (potassium phosphate), 54 parts feldspar (most likely
potassium aluminum silicate), 50 parts fluorspar (calcium fluoride), 5
parts kryolite (sodium fluoraluminate),-actually used as a stomach
insecticide as the crystals punch holes in insect gut cells!), 5 parts
arsenic, and 7 oz. of copper scales (for the blue color). As you can
tell from this formula, there's a lot more lead and fluoride than
arsenic in the batch and the dust during the mixing of the batch would
be quite dangerous. However, once fused in the melting process, none of
these chemicals would be chemically active. If they were, all of our
lead crystal glass would be highly dangerous to use! (That rumor goes
around occasionally).
I hear all the time that cobalt
(blue), selenium (pink to red) and uranium (yellow) compounds that are
used as colorants in glass are highly toxic or are no longer available.
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Atomic fractals in metallic glasses
September 21, 2015
Metallic glasses are very strong and elastic materials that appear with the naked eye to be identical to stainless steel. But metallic glasses differ from ordinary metals in that they are amorphous, lacking an orderly, crystalline atomic arrangement. This random distribution of atoms, which is the primary characteristic of all glass materials (such as windowpanes and tableware), gives metallic glasses unique mechanical properties but unpredictable internal structure. Researchers in the Caltech lab of Julia Greer, professor of materials science and mechanics in the Division of Engineering and Applied Science, have shown that metallic glasses do have an atomic-level structure—if you zoom in closely enough—although it differs from the periodic lattices that characterize crystalline metals.
http://phys.org/news/2015-09-atomic-fractals-metallic-glasses.html#jCp
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Improving bulk metallic glass by maximizing surface
December 22, 2015
Yale University researchers have figured out a way to refine bulk metallic glasses to improve their electrochemical performance.
Results of the research, based in the lab of chemical and environmental engineering professor André D. Taylor, are published in the Dec. 21 issue of Advanced Materials.
Bulk metallic glass (BMG), also known as amorphous metal alloy, exhibits superior mechanical properties and great formability under low temperature compared with general alloys. Numerous efforts have been applied to develop these materials for biomedical devices, high efficiency transformers, and for products that require high-strength materials, such as golf clubs.
Working with the lab of Yale professor Jan Schroers, Taylor pioneered the use of BMGs as catalysts in fuel cells. BMGs have the strength of metal, but can be shaped like a plastic, so they can be used to form nanowires and achieve high-surface areas. Increasing surface area leads to an increased performance in current density, because all of the electrochemical reactions are on the surface.
http://phys.org/news/2015-12-bulk-metallic-glass-maximizing-surface.html#jCp
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Microscopic animals inspire innovative glass research
September 3, 2015
Prof.
Juan de Pablo's 20-year exploration of the unusual properties of glass
began, oddly enough, with the microscopic animals known as water bears.
The
creatures, which go by the more formal name of tardigrades, have a
remarkable ability to withstand extreme environments of hot and cold,
and even the vacuum of space. When de Pablo read about what happens when
scientists dry out tardigrades, then revive them with water years
later, his interest was piqued.
"When you remove the
water, they very quickly coat themselves in large amounts of glassy
molecules," says de Pablo, the Liew Family Professor in Molecular
Engineering at the University of Chicago. "That's how they stay in this
state of suspended animation."
His passion to
understand how glass forms in such exotic settings helped lead de Pablo
and his fellow researchers to the unexpected discovery of a new type of
glass.
http://phys.org/news/2015-09-microscopic-animals-glass.html#jCp
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Scientists open new window on the physics of glass formation
January 2023
https://phys.org/news/2023-01-scientists-window-physics-glass-formation.html
______________
Modern computational studies of the glass transition
January 2023
https://www.nature.com/articles/s42254-022-00548-x
______________
Unraveling the Mysteries of Glassy Liquids – Scientists Propose New Theory
November 22, 2023
https://scitechdaily.com/unraveling-the-mysteries-of-glassy-liquids-scientists-propose-new-theory/
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Glass fibers in lunar regolith could help build structures on the moon (Controversial)
May 15, 2023
https://phys.org/news/2023-05-glass-fibers-lunar-regolith-moon.html
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Super-tough glass based on mollusk shells
January 29, 2014
In the future, if you drop a glass on the floor and it doesn't break, thank a mollusk. Inspired by shellfish, scientists at Montreal's McGill University have devised a new process that drastically increases the toughness of glass. When dropped, items made using the technology would be more likely to deform than to shatter.
http://www.gizmag.com/mollusk-nacre-tougher-glass/30654/?li_source=LI&li_medium=default-widget
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Tough-as-nails ceramic inspired by mother-of-pearl
March 25, 2014
http://www.gizmag.com/mother-of-pearl-nacre-ceramic/31367/?li_source=LI&li_medium=default-widget
Although you may know it simply as the shiny iridescent stuff on the inside of mollusk shells, mother-of-pearl (or nacre)
is a remarkable material. It allows those shells, which otherwise
consist almost entirely of brittle calcium carbonate, to stand up to the
abuses of life in the sea. Now, a team led by the Laboratoire de
Synthèse et Fonctionnalisation des Céramiques (CNRS) in Paris, has
copied the structure of nacre to create a ceramic material that's almost
10 times stronger than conventional ceramics.
Natural nacre consists of layers of microscopic
tablet-like blocks, that have wavy edges not unlike jig-saw puzzle
pieces. This means that when the material is subjected to mechanical
stress, any cracks that start to form in the boundary lines between the
tablets have to follow a very circuitous route. As a result, all but the
largest cracks simply just peter out.
Scientists at Montreal's McGill University recently created super-strong glass,
by etching nacre boundary line-like cracks in glass microscope slides.
The CNRS team, however, took a different approach with the ceramic.
They started with a ceramic powder, made up of
microscopic alumina platelets. That powder was suspended in water, and
the resulting solution was then frozen. The ice crystallization process
caused the platelets to self-assemble into stacks, the boundaries
between which were similar to the wavy boundaries between nacre tablets.
A high-temperature process was then used to increase the density of the
material, thus removing the water.
In lab tests of the resulting ceramic, it was found
that cracks had great difficulty spreading through it – as is the case
with real nacre.
Additionally, the scientists state that the process
should work with any type of ceramic powder (not just alumina), and it
should be easy to scale up to industrial production levels. Besides
simply making existing types of ceramic items stronger, the technology
could also allow them to stay at the same strength, but be made much
smaller.
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Study shows how calcium carbonate forms composites to make strong materials such as in shells and pearls
January 8, 2016
Seashells
and lobster claws are hard to break, but chalk is soft enough to draw
on sidewalks. Though all three are made of calcium carbonate crystals,
the hard materials include clumps of soft biological matter that make
them much stronger. A study today in Nature Communications reveals how
soft clumps get into crystals and endow them with remarkable strength.
http://phys.org/news/2016-01-calcium-carbonate-composites-strong-materials.html#nRlv
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Mantis shrimp may hold the secret to lighter, tougher body armors
June 9, 2012
The mantis shrimp is a fascinating creature that has the ability to punch its prey into submission with a club that accelerates underwater at around 10,400 g (102,000 m/s2). By studying the secrets behind this formidable weapon, a Californian researcher hopes to develop an innovative, hi-tech material that is one third the weight and thickness of existing body armor.
http://www.gizmag.com/mantis-shrimp-body-armor/22873/
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A better board: Glassing with a Bio-Based Epoxy Resin
July 19 2012
http://www.surfrider.org/jims-blog/entry/a-better-board-non-toxic-glassing
______________
How to Make Orgonite
http://www.orgonite.info/how-to-make-orgonite.html
Basic orgonite is simply fiberglass resin, metal shavings and a quartz crystal, cured in any mold you like. There's no one "right" shape or size for orgonite, and its range of effect seems to scale linearly with volume, but there are specific, time-tested, widely-used and repeatedly-confirmed effective designs for both personal and field devices which have grown and continue to grow out of the steadfast work of talented and dedicated gifters from around the world.
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New kind of smart-glass changes color and produces electricity
April 9, 2015
Many types of smart-glass
have been created, some that display a tint when it gets sunny out,
others that change to prevent heat from coming in, etc. In this new
effort, the researchers sought to add something new—production of
electricity. Realizing that many types of glass are subjected to rain
and wind, they sought to find a way to coat a window that would take
advantage of triboelectrics—capturing the energy in static electricity
that occurs when two materials meet.
http://phys.org/news/2015-04-kind-smart-glass-electricity.html
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Vanadium dioxide 'smart glass' can be activated to block infrared light while remaining transparent to visible light
Nov 29, 2013
'Smart
glass' can switch from transparent to opaque at the flick of a switch
and is increasingly used in cars, aircraft and homes to reduce the Sun's
glare and filter out infrared light and heat. Masaki Nakano and
colleagues from the RIKEN Center for Emergent Matter Science have now
used vanadium dioxide to make a transparent material that can be
activated to block infrared light without affecting its transparency for
visible light.
Vanadium dioxide is a
well-known thermochromic material that is transparent below about 30 °C
and reflects infrared light above 60 °C. This transition is related to a
change in crystal structure that also results in a shift from
electrically insulating properties at lower temperatures to conductive
properties at higher temperatures.
http://phys.org/news/2013-11-vanadium-dioxide-smart-glass-block.html#jCp
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Ultrathin metasurface lenses do things conventional optics can't
September 8, 2015
http://www.gizmag.com/ultrathin-metamaterial-lens-jpl-caltech/39298/?li_source=LI&li_medium=default-widget
Once, the only way to manipulate light was with the use of a transparent
glass or plastic lens whose shape and makeup determined such things as
focus,
magnification, and polarity. However, to incorporate all of these properties in
the one optical system required a large and complex collection of multiple
lenses to achieve. Now researchers working at NASA's Jet
Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) and the California Institute of Technology
(Caltech) have created a flat silicon metamaterial lens
that manages all of these thing in a microminiaure device that
electromagnetically controls the properties of any light passing it.
Using an arrangement of silicon nanopillars organized into a honeycomb pattern to form a
"metasurface" able to control the direction and attributes of light
waves, the new device may one day be mass-produced using much the same methods employed to create computer chips today.
As such, the researchers believe that applications
for their creation may include cutting-edge microscopes, displays,
sensors, and cameras that could all take advantage of the superior
characteristics of high-quality lenses at a fraction of the price.
______________
Processing technology to improve the electrical properties of glass ceramic circuit boards
July 8, 2015
As
you ease your foot off the accelerator, a radar sensor detects how far
away you are from the other cars and intelligently adjusts your speed
appropriately. Technology like this is already helping to improve road
safety and is set to become even more commonplace. From an electrical
engineering perspective, manufacturing sensors of this kind is an
extremely tricky process: the sensors have to be able to operate at very
high frequencies but still need to be precise and efficient. TU Wien
has now managed to develop a new processing technology for the
high-precision nanostructuring of glass ceramic circuit boards. This
means that the material properties can be adjusted, thereby
significantly improving the electromagnetic behaviour of the sensor.
http://phys.org/news/2015-07-technology-electrical-properties-glass-ceramic.html#nRlv
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Stretchable, transparent heater made from metallic glass
January 7, 2016
Researchers have fabricated a stretchable and transparent electrode that can be used for applications such as heating parts of the body and defrosting the side view mirrors on cars. It is the first stretchable electronics device made from metallic glass, which is a metal that has an amorphous (disordered) structure like that of a glass, instead of the highly ordered crystalline structure that metals normally have.
http://phys.org/news/2016-01-stretchable-transparent-heater-metallic-glass.html
______________
The Glass Age, Part 1: Flexible, Bendable Glass
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=12OSBJwogFc
______________
The Glass Age, Part 2: Strong, Durable Glass
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=13B5K_lAabw
______________
World's Strongest Materials - New Full History HD Documentary
Nov 12, 2014
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rwVlOLnqNaQ
______________
Space-Age Materials, One Atomic Layer at a Time
08.10.12
http://www.nasa.gov/topics/technology/features/atomic-layer_prt.htm
A
technologist at NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Md.,
however, is experimenting with an emerging technology that might provide
another, perhaps more effective, technique for defending sensitive
spacecraft components from the high-velocity bombardments.
Vivek
Dwivedi and his collaborator, chemical engineering professor Raymond
Adomaitis from the University of Maryland, College Park, are using
atomic layer deposition (ALD) — a rapidly evolving technology for
coating plastics, semiconductors, glass, Teflon, and a plethora of other
materials — to create a new super-strong, ultra-thin coating made of
tiny tubes of boron nitride, similar in appearance to the bristles on a
toothbrush.
''Crystalline boron nitride is one of the
hardest materials in the world,'' Dwivedi said, making it ideal as a
coating to make sensitive spacecraft component less susceptible to
damage when struck by space dust, tiny rocks, and high-energy solar
particles.
Atomic Layer Deposition
The
ALD technique, which the semiconductor industry has adopted in its
manufacturing of computer chips, involves placing a substrate material
inside a reactor chamber and sequentially pulsing different types of
precursor gases to create an ultrathin film whose layers are literally
no thicker than a single atom.
ALD differs from other
techniques for applying thin films because the process is split into two
half reactions, is run in sequence, and is repeated for each layer. As a
result, technicians can accurately control the thickness and
composition of the deposited films, even deep inside pores and cavities.
This gives ALD a unique ability to coat in and around 3-D objects. This
advantage — coupled with the fact that technologists can create films
at much lower temperatures than with the other techniques — has led many
in the optics, electronics, energy, textile, and biomedical-device
fields to replace older deposition techniques with ALD.
According
to Dwivedi, if technicians use ALD to coat glass with aluminum oxide,
for example, they can strengthen glass by more than 80 percent. The
resulting thin films act like ''nano putty,'' filling the
nanometer-scale defects found in glass — the very same tiny cracks that
cause glass to break when struck by an object. ''This ALD application
has profound possibilities for the next-generation crew modules,''
Dwivedi said. ''We could decrease the thickness of the glass windows
without sacrificing strength.''
______________
9-Ton Slab of Glass Found in the Cave of Beit Shearim
Sep 17, 2017
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N_eDWi46h7o
______________
MYSTERY OF THE GREEN GLASS
Dec 26, 2016
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vLINtOTAoWI
______________
LionGlass: New Type of Glass That’s Greener and 10x More Damage Resistant
August 14, 2023
A sample of LionGlass, a new type of glass engineered by researchers at
Penn State that requires significantly less energy to produce and is
much more damage resistant than standard soda lime silicate glass.
https://scitechdaily.com/lionglass-new-type-of-glass-thats-greener-and-10x-more-damage-resistant/
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Laser-induced hydrothermal growth for electrocatalytic applications
November 29, 2023
In
the new study published in the journal International Journal of Extreme
Manufacturing on 1 November 2023, researchers from the UK and China
reported a novel technique based on a laser-induced hydrothermal
reaction (LIHR) mechanism for the growth of binary metal oxide
nanoarchitecture and layered-double hydroxides on nickel foams for
electrocatalytic applications...
https://phys.org/news/2023-11-laser-induced-hydrothermal-growth-electrocatalytic-applications.html
______________
Organic fabric dyes: Safe eco-friendly alternatives for synthetic dyes
2023
Turmeric
Turmeric
is one of the oldest natural dyes used on fabric and it yields a bright
golden-yellow color. The coloring ingredient present in turmeric is
called curcumin and it is the root of the turmeric plant that is used
for dying. The roots are crushed and reduced to a powdery form before
they are boiled in hot water to form the dye. Fabrics like cotton, silk,
and wool can be dyed using this organic plant-based dye but it requires
to be combined with a mordant for a lasting effect.
Henna
Henna
is a natural dye with varied applications. The earliest usage of henna
can be traced back to Egypt about 9000 years ago. Not only is henna used
to dye clothes but it is also popularly used as a dye for human hair
and skin, which goes to show it is highly safe for dyeing clothes for
people of all ages. The dye is derived by drying and crushing the leaves
of the henna plant, and the resultant colors might range from mustard
yellow to brown. Henna can be a good alternative to synthetic disperse
dyes because it works great on polyester and nylon. It can also be used
on silk or wool when aiming for a light shade of brown.
Indigo
For
centuries, indigo has been commercially produced for dyeing fabrics in
different parts of the world and especially in Asia. The dye is
extracted from the seeds of indigo plants and the color that it produces
is royal blue. The plants are first soaked into water for fermentation
and once the hydrolysis of glucoside is over, the plant residues are
removed from the liquid. The solution is then aerated to convert the
indoxyl to indigotin, which eventually become the precipitate. Indigo
works well with natural cellulose fibers present in cotton, viscose, and
linen but can also be used to dye wool or synthetic fibers.
Cochineal
Cochineal
is a dye derived from a scaled insect bearing the same name which
contains a natural colorant called carmine in its body. It can be used
as an organic dye for fibers such as silk, cotton, and wool to obtain
colors like crimson or shades of pink. When iron, copper, or chromium
are used as mordants, more shades in the range of purple to gray can be
derived using the dye.
Malachite
Malachite is an organic
compound used to dye silk, wool, and leather. Even though it is named
after the mineral malachite owing to its color, it is not derived from
it. It is an organic chloride salt and the color it produces it a dark
shade of blue-green. This, like all the others mentioned above, is a
safer alternative for the chemical dyes which pollute water bodies and
cause harmful impact on people who work with them.
https://fashinza.com/sustainability/eco-friendly/organic-fabric-dyes-safe-eco-friendly-alternatives-for-synthetic-dyes/
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New dyeing method could help jeans shrink toxic problem
February 27, 2024
Can
the multi-billion-dollar denim industry keep producing blue jeans in
every shape, size and silhouette, while shrinking oversized levels of
hazardous pollution? Research published Tuesday suggests a new dye could
be a step in the right direction.
Scientists have been searching
for ways to make a more sustainable form of indigo, used for centuries
to color textiles, but which in its modern synthetic form needs toxic
chemicals, large quantities of water and is linked to substantial carbon
dioxide emissions.
But a study published in the journal Nature Communications suggests ditching the classic dye altogether.
Using
Indican—a colorless compound also derived form indigo-producing
plants—could reduce the environmental and societal impacts associated
with dying jeans by around 90 percent because it does not need toxic
chemicals, researchers said.
https://phys.org/news/2024-02-dyeing-method-jeans-toxic-problem.html
______________
Scientists create plastic-free vegan leather that dyes itself, grown from bacteria
April 3, 2024
https://phys.org/news/2024-04-scientists-plastic-free-vegan-leather.html
______________
How dope dyeing is making your outdoor gear more sustainable
October 15, 2023
https://www.advnture.com/features/dope-dyeing
______________
DOPE DYED – the Future of Textile Industry
2018
https://www.fashionhometex.com/articles/2018/08/dope-dyed-future-of-textile-industry
______________
Recent advances in fungal xenobiotic metabolism: enzymes and applications
2023 Sep 2
Abstract
Fungi
have been extensively studied for their capacity to biotransform a wide
range of natural and xenobiotic compounds. This versatility is a
reflection of the broad substrate specificity of fungal enzymes such as
laccases, peroxidases and cytochromes P450, which are involved in these
reactions. This review gives an account of recent advances in the
understanding of fungal metabolism of drugs and pollutants such as dyes,
agrochemicals and per- and poly-fluorinated alkyl substances (PFAS),
and describes the key enzymes involved in xenobiotic biotransformation.
The potential of fungi and their enzymes in the bioremediation of
polluted environments and in the biocatalytic production of important
compounds is also discussed.
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC10474215/
______________
Scientists come up with technology to recycle used clothes rather than simply burning them
January 12, 2024
https://phys.org/news/2024-01-scientists-technology-recycle-simply.html
______________
New Developments In Fibers, Yarns & Fabrics
May 27, 2020
https://www.textileworld.com/textile-world/features/2020/05/new-developments-in-fibers-yarns-fabrics/
______________
Replacing plastics with alternatives is worse for greenhouse gas emissions in most cases, study finds
April 8, 2024
https://phys.org/news/2024-04-plastics-alternatives-worse-greenhouse-gas.html
______________
Plastic Bottle Alternatives: Sustainable Choices for Environmentally Conscious Consumers
November 13, 2023
Glass Bottles
Stainless Steel Bottles
Reusable Aluminum Bottles
Silicone Water Bottles
Biodegradable Bottles
Bamboo Water Bottles
Upcycled Beverage Containers
Collapsible Water Bottles
Ceramic Bottles
Cardboard Water Containers
Beverage Pouches
Plant-based Bottles
https://homeisd.com/plastic-bottle-alternatives/
______________
Eco-Friendly Bubble Wrap Alternatives: Guide to Sustainable Packaging
September 5, 2023
https://homeisd.com/eco-friendly-bubble-wrap-alternatives-guide-to-sustainable-packaging/
______________
Looking for an Alternative to Bubble Wrap? These 7 Materials Will Do the Trick
23 November, 2020
1. Compostable mailers
2. Corrugated packaging
3. Biodegradable packing peanuts
4. Mushroom packaging
5. Seaweed packaging
6. GreenWrap
7. Air pillows
https://noissue.co.uk/blog/looking-for-an-alternative-to-bubble-wrap-these-7-materials-will-do-the-trick/
______________
Eco-Friendly Alternatives to Pool Noodles – 2024 Guide
https://ubuntumanual.org/alternatives-pool-noodles/
_______________
13 Cellophane Alternatives for Your Next Event
Cellophane Alternatives
1. Plant-Based Plastics
2. Mushroom Root
3. Bagasse
4. Seaweed Water Bubbles
5. Shower-Friendly Paper
6. Stone Paper and Plastic
7. Palm Leaves
8. Corn Starch and Sorghum Loose Fill
9. Edible Six-Pack Ring
10. Silberboard – Metallised Paper
11. Wood Pulp Cellophane
12. Prawn Shell Plastic Bags
13. Milk Plastic
https://www.ecomasteryproject.com/cellophane-alternatives/
_______________
FINDING AN ALTERNATIVE TO CLEAR POLY BAGS
October 4, 2022
https://www.ecoenclose.com/finding-an-alternative-to-clear-poly-bags
_______________
A tough, biodegradable and water-resistant plastic alternative from coconut husk
June 2022
https://www.researchgate.net/publication/361112423_A_tough_biodegradable_and_water-resistant_plastic_alternative_from_coconut_husk
_______________
Sustainable packaging
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sustainable_packaging
_______________
Silicone Alternatives: Top Eco-friendly Options & Benefits
November 13, 2023
Why Silicone Alternatives Matter
What Are Silicones?
Plant-Based Silicone Alternatives
Synthetic Silicone Alternatives
Green Chemistry Designed Silicone Alternatives
Pros and Cons of Silicone Alternatives
Cost Comparison of Silicone Alternatives
Safety and Performance of Silicone Alternatives
FDA Regulations On Silicone Alternatives
Silicone Alternatives in Medical Industry
Silicone Alternatives in Cosmetics
Silicone Alternatives in Beauty Products
Textile Industry Silicone Alternatives
Silicone Alternatives in Food and Beverage Industry
Food-Grade Silicone Alternatives
Silicone Alternatives in Industrial Applications
Silicone Alternatives in Automotive Industry
Environmental Benefits of Silicone Alternatives
https://homeisd.com/silicone-alternatives/
_______________
Eco-friendly
bamboo pulp foam enabled by chitosan and phytic acid interfacial
assembly of halloysite nanotubes: Toward flame retardancy, thermal
insulation, and sound absorption
2024
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S014181302400196X
_______________
Scientists create method to bond hydrogels and other polymeric materials using chitosan
February 19, 2024
Hydrogels are versatile biomaterials conquering an increasing number of biomedical areas. Consisting of water-swollen molecular networks that can be tailored to mimic the mechanical and chemical features of various organs and tissues, they can interface within the body and on its outer surfaces without causing any damage to even the most delicate parts of the human anatomy.
Hydrogels are already used in clinical practice for the therapeutic delivery of drugs to fight pathogens; as intraocular and contact lenses, and corneal prostheses in ophthalmology; bone cement, wound dressings, blood-coagulating bandages, and 3D scaffolds in tissue engineering and regeneration...
https://phys.org/news/2024-02-scientists-method-bond-hydrogels-polymeric.html
______________
Wound treatment hydrogel infused with amino acid kills bacteria naturally and promotes cell growth
April 2, 2024
https://phys.org/news/2024-04-wound-treatment-hydrogel-infused-amino.html
______________
Say hello to biodegradable microplastics: Plant-based polymers that can disappear within seven months
March 21, 2024
https://phys.org/news/2024-03-biodegradable-microplastics-based-polymers-months.html#google_vignette
______________
Chapter 13 - In silico approaches for xenobiotic polymers and their degradation mechanism
2023
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/B9780323909952000035
______________
11 - Microbial degradation of xenobiotics like aromatic pollutants from the terrestrial environments
2019
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/B9780128161890000111
______________
New biodegradable hydrogel offers eco-friendly alternative to synthetics
November 27, 2017
https://ece.engin.umich.edu/stories/new-biodegradable-hydrogel-offers-eco-friendly-alternative-to-synthetics/
______________
These Substances 'Defy the Laws' of Physics
Aug 27, 2023
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iSV3lee-JOc
______________
Silicon nanowire/ionic hydrogel-based hybrid moist-electric generators with enhanced voltage output and operational stability
2024
https://pubs.rsc.org/en/content/articlelanding/2024/ee/d4ee00171k
______________
New hydrogel can stretch to 15 times its original size
March 29, 2024
https://phys.org/news/2024-03-hydrogel-size.html
______________
Implantable batteries can run on the body's own oxygen
March 27, 2024
https://phys.org/news/2024-03-implantable-batteries-body-oxygen.html
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Wearable stretchable electronics: A new design and fabrication process for skin-like integrated circuits
March 13, 2024
Small wearable or implantable electronics could help monitor our health, diagnose diseases, and provide opportunities for improved, autonomous treatments. But to do this without aggravating or damaging the cells around them, these electronics will need to not only bend and stretch with our tissues as they move, but also be soft enough that they will not scratch and damage tissues.
https://techxplore.com/news/2024-03-wearable-stretchable-electronics-fabrication-skin.html
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Innovative silicon nanochip can reprogram biological tissue in living body
November 29, 2021
https://phys.org/news/2021-11-silicon-nanochip-reprogram-biological-tissue.html
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Combining novel biomaterial and microsurgery might enable faster tissue recovery
March 7, 2024
https://medicalxpress.com/news/2024-03-combining-biomaterial-microsurgery-enable-faster.html
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Scientists develop new multicellular scaffold strategy for treating tendon-bone injuries
March 14, 2024
https://phys.org/news/2024-03-scientists-multicellular-scaffold-strategy-tendon.html
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Bone homeostasis discovery could lead to new obesity and osteoporosis treatments
March 13, 2024
https://medicalxpress.com/news/2024-03-bone-homeostasis-discovery-obesity-osteoporosis.html
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Growth cone in migrating neurons involved in promoting neuronal migration and regeneration in brain injury, study shows
March 11, 2024
The structure and functions of the tip of migrating neurons remain elusive. A research group has found that the PTPσ-expressing growth cone senses the extracellular matrix and drives neuronal migration in the injured brain, leading to functional recovery.
https://medicalxpress.com/news/2024-03-growth-cone-migrating-neurons-involved.html
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Neuroscientists find integrity of white brain matter in superagers does not deteriorate, explains sharp memory
April 30, 2024
https://medicalxpress.com/news/2024-04-neuroscientists-white-brain-superagers-deteriorate.html
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Robust and Multifunctional Nanoparticles Assembled from Natural Polyphenols and Metformin for Efficient Spinal Cord Regeneration
September 14, 2023
https://pubs.acs.org/doi/10.1021/acsnano.3c06991
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Mutant newts can regenerate previously defective limbs
March 6, 2024
https://www.caltech.edu/about/news/mutant-newts-can-regenerate-previously-defective-limbs
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Research demonstrates that killer T cells can support tissue regeneration
January 16, 2024
https://medicalxpress.com/news/2024-01-killer-cells-tissue-regeneration.html
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French bulldog puppy spontaneously regrows jaw
February 1, 2024
https://phys.org/news/2024-02-french-bulldog-puppy-spontaneously-regrows.html
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A new approach to producing artificial cartilage with the help of 3D printing
Feb 2024
https://phys.org/news/2024-02-approach-artificial-cartilage-3d.html
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Stem cells 'migrate' to repair damaged lung cells, study shows
February 22, 2024
https://phys.org/news/2024-02-stem-cells-migrate-lung.html
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How a new drug prototype regenerates lung tissue
April 10, 2024
https://medicalxpress.com/news/2024-04-drug-prototype-regenerates-lung-tissue.html
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Serious flu damage prevented by compound that blocks unnecessary cell death
April 10, 2024
As lung cells are killed by the influenza virus, they burst open, releasing molecular signals that trigger the immune cells that can combat the infection. This strategy can be an important red flag that something is wrong; however, if one cell death response, called necroptosis, continues unchecked, it can cause life-threatening injury to lung tissue...
https://medicalxpress.com/news/2024-04-flu-compound-blocks-unnecessary-cell.html
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Cockayne syndrome: New insights into cellular DNA repair mechanism
April 10, 2024
Cockayne syndrome is a severe autosomal recessive disorder caused by defective DNA repair mechanisms. People with the disease have much reduced life expectancy and suffer from facial deformities; growth failure; neurological, cognitive, and sensory impairments; bone, joint, and muscle deformities; kidney problems; and premature aging...
https://medicalxpress.com/news/2024-04-cockayne-syndrome-insights-cellular-dna.html
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Chitosan
Chitosan /ˈkaɪtəsæn/ is a linear polysaccharide composed of randomly distributed β-(1→4)-linked D-glucosamine (deacetylated unit) and N-acetyl-D-glucosamine (acetylated unit). It is made by treating the chitin shells of shrimp and other crustaceans with an alkaline substance, such as sodium hydroxide.
Chitosan has a number of commercial and possible biomedical uses. It can be used in agriculture as a seed treatment and biopesticide, helping plants to fight off fungal infections. In winemaking, it can be used as a fining agent, also helping to prevent spoilage. In industry, it can be used in a self-healing polyurethane paint coating. In medicine, it is useful in bandages to reduce bleeding and as an antibacterial agent; it can also be used to help deliver drugs through the skin.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chitosan
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Research team discovers new way to generate human cartilage
April 10, 2024
https://medicalxpress.com/news/2024-04-team-generate-human-cartilage.html
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Engineered MgO nanoparticles: A promising path to synergistic cartilage and bone therapy
March 14, 2024
https://phys.org/news/2024-03-mgo-nanoparticles-path-synergistic-cartilage.html
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Scientists develop new multicellular scaffold strategy for treating tendon-bone injuries
March 14, 2024
https://phys.org/news/2024-03-scientists-multicellular-scaffold-strategy-tendon.html
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Nanomedicine paves the way for new treatments for spinal cord injury
Feb 2024
https://www.spinalsurgerynews.com/2024/03/nanomedicine-paves-the-way-for-new-treatments-for-spinal-cord-injury/152517
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Outsmarting chemo-resistant ovarian cancer with nanoparticle treatment
February 21, 2024
https://medicalxpress.com/news/2024-02-outsmarting-chemo-resistant-ovarian-cancer.html
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We FINALLY Understand Why Bats Live So Long
Jan 15, 2024
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UYFRLEQBDpc
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A fruit fly's wing offers clues into how wounds heal
February 23, 2024
https://phys.org/news/2024-02-fruit-fly-wing-clues-wounds.html
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The Role of Extracellular Matrix in Skin Wound Healing
2021 Dec 18
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC8706213/
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How plants heal wounds: Mechanical forces guide direction of cell division
April 4, 2024
https://phys.org/news/2024-04-wounds-mechanical-cell-division.html
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Researchers develop better way to make painkiller from trees
April 8, 2024
Scientists at the University of Wisconsin–Madison have developed a cost-effective and environmentally sustainable way to make a popular pain reliever and other valuable products from plants instead of petroleum.
Building on a previously patented method for producing paracetamol—the active ingredient in Tylenol—the discovery promises a greener path to one of the world's most widely used medicines and other chemicals. More importantly, it could provide new revenue streams to make cellulosic biofuels—derived from non-food plant fibers—cost competitive with fossil fuels, the primary driver of climate change.
https://phys.org/news/2024-04-painkiller-trees.html
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Nanofiber-coated cotton bandages fight infection and speed healing
February 8, 2024
https://phys.org/news/2024-02-nanofiber-coated-cotton-bandages-infection.html
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Transposable elements study reveals potential methods to stop aging
September 25, 2023
Researchers Dr. Ádám Sturm and Dr. Tibor Vellai from Eötvös Loránd University, Hungary have made an exciting breakthrough in understanding how we age. They focused on "transposable elements" (TEs), which are parts of DNA that can move around in our genetic code. When these TEs move too much, they destabilize the genetic code and that can be the reason of aging.
https://phys.org/news/2023-09-transposable-elements-reveals-potential-methods.html
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How jellyfish regenerate functional tentacles in days
December 22, 2023
https://phys.org/news/2023-12-jellyfish-regenerate-functional-tentacles-days.html
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How polyps of the moon jellyfish repel viral attacks on their microbiome
April 30, 2024
https://phys.org/news/2024-04-polyps-moon-jellyfish-repel-viral.html
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Bio-composites: Eco-friendly Substitute of Glass Fiber Composites
12 May 2020
https://link.springer.com/referenceworkentry/10.1007/978-3-030-11155-7_108-1
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Sustainable Surfboards: Everything You Ever Wanted to Know
Jan 16th, 2019
Eco-friendly materials are making our surfboards weirder, but in the best way possible.
Envirofoam
Made
by California company Marko Foam, Envirofoam is 100% recycled EPS. They
take the scraps from standard EPS blanks, as well as styrofoam and
other recyclable foams, reprocess and mix it with virgin EPS foam.
Currently, the recycled foam is mixed in with standard EPS at a ratio of
1:4 to create Marko’s Envirofoam blanks. Channel Islands currently
offers many custom shapes with the option of using a Marko Foam blank,
for an additional $125, which is the same price increase as getting a CI
board made with standard EPS. Other shapers using Envirofoam blanks
include E-Tech and Aquatic Oddities.
Myco Foam
Mushroom-based
foam made by Green Island, NY-based biomaterials company, Evocative.
Myco Foam utilizes Mycelium (the vegetative growth phase of a mushroom)
and agricultural waste. Mycelium, the root-like structure of mushrooms,
bonds the moldable material together and gets its strength from Chitin,
the same thing found in crabs’ exoskeletons. The mold hardens in about
four days. A few blanks and hand-planes have been made using Myco Foam
by Evocative, but there’s no word on how it holds up over time — or the
level of performance or durability of the mushroom-based surfboards. It
is extremely difficult to shape, so the molds have to be as close to a
finished surfboard as possible.
Algae-Based Bio-Foam
A
PU-style expandable foam made with oil converted from natural plant
materials like algae. Arctic Foam, the largest polyurethane blank
manufacturer in North America, teamed up with a group of biologists and
chemists at UCSD to find a way to turn algae oil into an expandable foam
that looks, shapes and rides like a standard PU foam surfboard.
Numerous pros like Rob Machado and Ryan Burch are riding these boards,
and by all reports, they work really well.
Super-Sap Resin
A
thermoset epoxy resin made by Entropy, a California-based chemical
company. Created by replacing petroleum-based carbon in traditional
epoxy resins with plant-based carbon. While it’s not 100% plant-based
(the highest bio content resin contains around 30% plant-based
materials), it’s suitable for all types of epoxy surfboards and releases
50% less greenhouse gases during production compared to conventional
epoxies.
Wood Veneers and Plank Overlays
Bamboo,
paulownia, albiza and balsa woods are used in a variety of different
ways during the surfboard construction process. Thin veneers are
vacuum-formed to create the board’s protective skin. Perimeter stringer
systems surround the blanks and thin planks are laid over the foam
cores. Shapers like Danny Hess in San Francisco, Gary Young in Hawaii
and Timberline Surfboards out of Santa Barbara all use some variation of
these processes. Which equates to using less fiberglass and resin and a
longer-lasting, more durable surfboard. They also look beautiful. And
while generally quite a bit heavier than standard foam and fiberglass
boards, they ride well, especially in solid, powerful surf. The downside
is their expense. They cost anywhere from silly expensive to stupid
expensive.
Hemp Cloth Skins
There are a couple emerging
alternatives to fiberglass cloth. The most promising is a woven hemp
cloth: 100% biodegradable and non-toxic with similar properties and flex
patters to fiberglass. The yellowish tint can be an issue, and the jury
is still out on how a hemp-glassed board holds up over time — and in
heavy, board-breaking surf.
Alternative Cores
Agave Cactus
Recently
bursting onto the scene with a highly publicized board shaped by Gary
Linden and sponsored by tequila giant Jose Cuervo. Agave cactus blooms
at the end of its life cycle, and a tall, treelike stalk sprouts from
the center of the plant. These agave stalks are harvested, dried, glued
together and finally shaped in a similar fashion to a balsa wood board.
Appealing, because even the fins can be made using the agave plant, so a
100% plant-based surfboard that’s lighter than traditional wood is
indeed a possibility. Agave is extremely difficult to shape with, so
only a few master shapers even take the challenge on. It also takes a
long time to dry, so each board takes around three months start to
finish.
Wood
The original Hawaiian surfboards were all
made of wood and a few board manufacturers still use wood for their
cores. Some, like Driftwood Surfboards, utilize hollow wood cores to
keep the weight down, while Grain Surfboards uses a variety of local
sustainable softwoods. Both companies offer surfers a chance to build
their own board through numerous workshop classes. Sustainable and
beautiful, the wood boards are also pretty expensive (a custom board
from Grain will run you around 2K), and the extra weight can inhibit
performance at the highest levels of surfing.
https://www.surfline.com/surf-news/sustainable-surfboards-everything-you-ever-wanted-to-know/43115
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5 Eco-Friendly Ceiling Materials for Sustainable Living
July 8, 2023
1. Recycled Metal Ceiling Panels
2. Natural Fiber Acoustic Ceiling Tiles
3. Bamboo Ceiling Planks
4. Recycled Plastic Ceiling Tiles
5. Sustainable Wood Ceiling Panels
https://www.satinandslateinteriors.com/5-eco-friendly-ceiling-materials-for-sustainable-living/
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12 Ideas for Creating an Eco-Friendly Roof
Contents
Eco-Friendly Roof vs. Sustainable Roofing: What’s the Difference?
Are Metal Roofs Eco-Friendly or Sustainable?
Are Clay Tiles Eco-Friendly or Sustainable?
What Counts as an Eco-Friendly Roof?
What Is a Cool Roof?
What Is a Green or Living Roof?
Do Solar Panels Make an Eco-Friendly Roof?
What Is the Eco-friendliest Roofing Material?
1. Factory-applied or Field-applied Additional Coating
2. Coated Metal Roofing
3. Clay or Terracotta Tiles
4. Slate or Stone Roofing
5. Roof Pavers or Paving Tiles
6. Concrete or Fiber-Cement Shingles
7. Recycled Synthetic or Composite Shingles
8. Wood Shingles and Shakes
9. Single-Ply Thermoset or Synthetic Rubber Roofs
10. Single-ply Thermoplastic Roofs
11. Modified Bitumen Roofing
12. Rooftop Gardens
https://citizensustainable.com/eco-friendly-roof/
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20 Sustainable Building Materials for an Eco-Friendly Home
March 18, 2024
1. Bamboo
2. Recycled Steel
3. Reclaimed Wood
4. Cork
5. Straw Bales
6. Rammed Earth
7. Recycled Plastic
8. Ferrock
9. Sheep's Wool
10. Hempcrete
11. Mycelium
12. Recycled Glass
13. Plant-Based Polyurethane Rigid Foam
14. Mud Brick (Adobe)
15. Green (Living) Roofs
16. Low-VOC Paints
17. Solar Tiles
18. Papercrete
19. Timbercrete
20. Earth Bags
https://greencitizen.com/blog/sustainable-building-materials/
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Eco-friendly green roof solutions: Investigating volcanic ash as a viable alternative to traditional substrates
2023
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0950061823041612
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New HFO blowing agents for spray foam will make it over 1,000 times less harmful to the climate
Jan. 23, 2020
https://www.ecohome.net/guides/1074/new-hfo-blowing-agents-for-spray-foam-will-make-it-over-1000-times-less-harmful-to-the-climate/
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Sustainable Solutions: Epoxy Resin Alternatives for a Greener Tomorrow
February 8, 2023
https://resinaffairs.com/sustainable-solutions-epoxy-resin-alternatives-for-a-greener-tomorrow/
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Eco-Friendly Thermoplastic Alternatives to Epoxy Resin for Support Insulators
2023
https://ieeexplore.ieee.org/document/10013734
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7 Green Leaf Alternatives for Food Packaging as Lagos State Bans Styrofoam
January 24, 2024
A Case for green leaf packaging
Leaves
are an age-long alternative for packaging food, but most restaurants
restrict leaf packaging to local recipes such as ofada rice and moi-moi,
when there’s nothing stopping them from extending it to other meals on
the menu.
Why are they better than plastics?
Leaves degrade quickly after use
They are organic, so they contain no artificial chemicals that can pollute the environment
Leaves are raw materials that do not need production processes that pollute the environment, unlike synthetic packaging
Also, the leaf packaging options for food service providers are endless. We checked and found seven.
Moi-moi leaves
Banana leaves
Plantain leaves
Coco yam leaves
Teak leaves
Cabbage leaves
Lettuce leaves
https://www.zikoko.com/chopist/7-green-leaf-alternatives-for-food-packaging-as-lagos-state-bans-styrofoam/
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The Full List Of Reusable Dryer Sheet Alternatives
March 10, 2023
Wool Dryer Balls
Eco Nuts
Vinegar
Baking Soda
Aluminum Foil Balls
Hang Dry
Ice Cubes
https://www.sustainablejungle.com/sustainable-living/dryer-sheet-alternatives/
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21 Fabric Softener Alternatives That Will Save You Money
February 24, 2022
People
looking for ways to save more money on their monthly bills often look
at alternative options for some of the products they use regularly. One
product that many people spend a lot of money on is fabric softener,
which is bad for the environment and can be harmful to your clothing.
Here are some eco-friendly alternatives to fabric softener that will
help you save money and ensure your clothes are looking their best.
Table of Contents
Washing Soda
Baking Soda
Borax
Liquid Drainer
Baking Soda and Vinegar
White Vinegar
Salt
Scented Vinegar
Tea Bags
Apple Cider Vinegar
Club Soda
Lemon Juice
Vodka
Citrus Peels
Epsom Salt
Milk
Apple Juice
Mineral Water
Coffee Grounds
Oatmeal
Cotton Balls
Conclusion
https://www.ecomasteryproject.com/fabric-softener-alternatives/
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Helping the Planet: 17 Eco-Friendly Kitchen Sponges You Didn't Know Existed
https://www.greenhive.io/blog/helping-the-planet-17-eco-friendly-kitchen-sponges-you-didnt-know-existed
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Is Silicone Eco-Friendly? - Environmental Impact Of Silicone
https://www.trvst.world/environment/is-silicone-eco-friendly/
_______________
The Pros and Cons of Silicone Cookware
Oct 10, 2019
https://ceh.org/yourhealth/pros-cons-silicone/
Five Reasons to Love Silicone
Heat stable: Silicone can usually be used up to temperatures of 400(F)
and can withstand going from extreme heat to extreme cold (2). This
makes it a kid-friendly option, but is also great for busy adults who
love to cook and leftovers freeze easily in silicone dishware. And when
you’re done, the silicone dishware can just be tossed into the
dishwasher without any fear of it coming out melted after a high heat
wash (2).
Flexible: Smash it, drop it, squeeze it, silicone will survive basically anything (except maybe an apocalypse) (2).
Degrades into large pieces: Believe it or not, this is actually a good
thing! Because silicone products degrade into larger pieces, they are
not as readily ingested by marine life, animal life and consequently, by
humans as well (4)!
Durable: Compared to plastic that can crack,
or glass that can shatter, silicone products are a great alternative
that last basically forever (hurrah for our budgets!) (2).
Healthier than Traditional Non-stick: Non-stick baking pans contain
perfluorinated chemicals (PFAS) which although great at being nonstick,
are not great for the planet or for humans health.
Five Reasons to be Wary of Silicone
Unknown long-term safety: Silicone products are fairly new to the
market. Therefore, there have been very few studies conducted on the
safety of silicone products and even fewer on the long-term health
effects of using silicone products (6).
Chemical fillers:
Depending on the quality of the silicone product, it may or may not
contain chemical fillers (2,4). Generally, the higher the quality of
silicone, the less likely it will contain chemical fillers (4).
Migration of chemicals into food: Studies have found chemicals in
silicone products passing from storage containers, cookware and nursing
teats (3,5).
Migration of chemicals into air: When silicone
products are exposed to high temperatures (think baking), the chemicals
in the product can be released into the air (2). The released particles
tend to persist in the air and pose a health hazard to the lungs (2).
Special recycling process: In order for silicone to be down-cycled, you
will need to bring products to special recycling centers (4).
_______________
What Is the Cause of Toxicity of Silicone Oil?
2021 Dec 30
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC8745808/
_______________
Technology for the Production of Environment Friendly Tableware
September 2020
https://www.researchgate.net/publication/345212062_Technology_for_the_Production_of_Environment_Friendly_Tableware
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Sustainable Paper-Based Packaging: A Consumer’s Perspective
2021 May 10
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC8151435/
_______________
Technology for the Production of Environment Friendly Tableware
September 2020
https://www.researchgate.net/publication/345212062_Technology_for_the_Production_of_Environment_Friendly_Tableware
_______________
Starch modification through environmentally friendly alternatives: a review
17 Jun 2020
https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/10408398.2020.1778633
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Eco-friendly replacements for 50 plastic items in your life
January 26, 2019
https://stacker.com/environment/eco-friendly-replacements-50-plastic-items-your-life
_______________
Top 9 green alternatives of plastic
June 24, 2019
1. Glass
2. PHB Biocomposites
3. Liquid Wood
4. ECM BioFilm
5. Corn
6. Reusable Shopping Bags
7. Milk Protein
8. Chicken Feathers
9. Liquid Wool
https://ecofriend.com/top-5-green-alternatives-plastic.html
______________
Biodegradable and compostable alternatives to conventional plastics
2009
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2873018/
______________
There is now a 100% biodegradable alternative to plastic
Ecovative
has developed a material with the same properties as plastic, but made
from the mycelium – the white filaments – of mushrooms. An innovation
that could replace polystyrene in packaging.
https://www.up-to-us.veolia.com/en/stop-pollution/new-material-100-biodegradable-alternative-plastic
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Molded fiber and pulp products as green and sustainable alternatives to plastics: A mini review
2019
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2369969821000803
______________
A tough, biodegradable and water-resistant plastic alternative from coconut husk
2022
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S1359836822004085
______________
The Eco-Friendly Nutshell Cooler Performs Better Than Styrofoam-Filled Coolers
August 19, 2021
The magic ingredient: Coconut husk waste, an excellent insulator
https://www.core77.com/posts/109768/
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Technology Uses Banana Leaves as a Biodegradable Alternative to Single-use Plastic
September 21, 2019
https://bioplasticsnews.com/2019/09/21/banana-leaves-packaging/
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Processed banana leaves, an eco-friendly packaging solution
2019
https://www.biobasedpress.eu/2019/09/processed-banana-leaves-an-eco-friendly-packaging-solution/
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AN ALTERNATIVE OF ECO-FRIENDLY MATERIAL FROM BANANA PEDUNCLE WASTE
March 2019
https://www.researchgate.net/publication/331772789_AN_ALTERNATIVE_OF_ECO-FRIENDLY_MATERIAL_FROM_BANANA_PEDUNCLE_WASTE
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Rice waste–based polymer composites for packaging applications: A review
October 14, 2021
https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/full/10.1177/09673911211046775
______________
Don’t Throw Away Those Tamale Husks – They Make The Perfect Eco-Friendly Plate Or Service Dish
January 17, 2020
https://wearemitu.com/wearemitu/news/corn-husks-have-become-the-eco-alternative-to-styrofoam-that-was-always-right-there-in-front-of-us/
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Sugarcane bagasse—The future composite material: A literature review
2013
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S092134491300058X
______________
This tableware made from sugarcane and bamboo breaks down in 60 days
12-Nov-2020
https://www.eurekalert.org/news-releases/814758
______________
Attention Sneaker Designers: Here's an Eco-Friendly, Bio-Based EVA Alternative
August 6, 2020
TOMS Footwear is switching to sugarcane-based EVA
https://www.core77.com/posts/101180/Attention-Sneaker-Designers-Heres-an-Eco-Friendly-Bio-Based-EVA-Alternative
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Utilization of potato peel as eco‐friendly products: A review
2018 Jul 12
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6145310/
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EcoServe Plates | Replacing Styrofoam plates for plastic Reduction
Oct 19, 2023
https://medium.com/@imarif012/eco-serve-plates-replacing-styrofoam-plates-for-plastic-reduction-ff362f55b7fb
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Scientists Discover New Rock Made From Human Plastic Waste and Ocean Debris
Just in time for World Environment Day, Canadian scientists have announced the discovery of a new type of rock made from the scraps of melted plastic waste and ocean debris. According to researchers at the University of Western Ontario, this new material, known as plastiglomerate, is formed when melted plastic waste on beaches mixes with sediment, lava fragments and organic debris. These virtually indestructible plastiglomerates may become part of the Earth’s geologic record forever and could one day act as a sad geological marker for humanity’s impact on the planet.
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Eight Million Tons of Plastic Dumped in Ocean Every Year
http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2015/02/150212-ocean-debris-plastic-garbage-patches-science/
_______________
Plastic Water Bottles: Harmful to the Ocean, Air, and You
http://www.algalita.org/plastic-water-bottles-harmful-to-the-ocean-air-and-you/
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Plastic Pollution in the World's Oceans: More than 5 Trillion Plastic Pieces Weighing over 250,000 Tons Afloat at Sea
December 10, 2014
http://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0111913
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The Great Plastic Tide
http://coastalcare.org/2009/11/plastic-pollution/
---------------------
This solar water wheel could be the solution to plastic ocean debris
July 30, 2014
As much as we love highlighting new and interesting technologies,
sometimes old technologies prove to be the best. This is definitely the
case in Baltimore where a giant water wheel is removing tons of trash
every day from the water, keeping it from ending up in the ocean. This
centuries-old technology is quickly becoming the best solution yet for
keeping plastic out of the oceans.
http://www.treehugger.com/clean-technology/solar-water-wheel-could-be-solution-plastic-ocean-debris.html
_______________
Japanese Scientists Create World’s First Renewable, Bio-Based Polyester
http://www.ecouterre.com/japanese-scientists-create-worlds-first-renewable-bio-based-polyester/
_______________
New developments and investments foreseen in bio-based polymer production by 2020 in Europe
http://www.plastemart.com/Plastic-Technical-Article.asp?LiteratureID=1999&Paper=new-developments-investments-in-bio-based-polymer-production-by-2020-in-europe
Europe’s current position in producing bio-based polymers is limited to a
few polymers. However, new developments and investments are foreseen:
the first European industrial-scale PLA plant by 2014, the introduction
of PET production facilities by 2015, recent developments in the
commercialization of bio-based PBT and further advancements in the field
of high-value fine chemicals for PA, PUR and thermosets production.
Although Europe shows a strong demand for bio-based polymers, production
tends to take place elsewhere-largely the consequence of an
unfavourable political framework for the industrial material use of
biomass.
_______________
Cellulose-Based Bio- and Nanocomposites: A Review
http://www.hindawi.com/journals/ijps/2011/837875/
Cellulose macro- and nanofibers have gained increasing attention due to the high
strength and stiffness, biodegradability and renewability, and their production and
application
in development of composites. Application of cellulose nanofibers for
the development of composites is a relatively new research area.
Cellulose macro- and nanofibers can be used as reinforcement in
composite materials because of enhanced mechanical, thermal, and
biodegradation properties of composites. Cellulose fibers are
hydrophilic in nature, so it becomes necessary to increase their surface
roughness for the development of composites with enhanced properties.
In the present paper, we have reviewed the surface modification of
cellulose fibers by various methods. Processing methods, properties, and
various applications of nanocellulose and cellulosic composites are
also discussed in this paper.
_______________
Improvement of plant based natural fibers for toughening green composites
http://www.deepdyve.com/lp/elsevier/improvement-of-plant-based-natural-fibers-for-toughening-green-1WjKrnx3tZ
_______________
ARCHIVED - Lighter, Stronger, "Greener" Plastics
For
several years, the NRC-IMI team has been perfecting techniques
involving the use of clay nanoparticles to create new nanocomposite
plastics. Nanocomposites have been proven to dramatically increase the
strength of polymer materials. Just last year, NRC-IMI launched a joint
industry partnership group focused on nanocomposites to further explore
the use of such materials. It is hoped that nanoclays will add critical
strength to already lightweight foamed materials. As well, nanoparticles
have been shown to enhance the growth of foam cells, a process known as
nucleation. In the past year, a NRC-ICPET research team, in
collaboration with University of Ottawa, became the second group in the
world to publish results on the fundamental interaction of CO2 with
nanocomposites - an emerging area of study.
http://www.nrc-cnrc.gc.ca/eng/achievements/highlights/2005/polymer_foams.html
_______________
Cellulose Nanopaper – Strong, Light and Green Alternative to Metals
August 3, 2015
New paper-like material made of cellulose is much stronger than metal, and could one day replace it.
Alternative eco-friendly materials
that can replace metals are of high demand. The reasons behind this are
many, including polluting mining processes, expensive manufacturing of
products made of metals, and of course, the need of making everything
lighter yet still tough and strong.
http://www.greenoptimistic.com/cellulose-nanopaper/#.Ve-vFJe-2zk
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A green and efficient method for preparing acetylated cassava stillage residue and the production of all-plant fibre composites
2014
Cassava stillage residue (CSR), a kind of agro-industrial plant fibres,
was directly acetylated and converted into thermoplastic material by
mechanical activation-assisted solid phase reaction (MASPR) in a
stirring ball mill without the use of organic solvent and additives. As
combining mechanical activation and chemical modification in the same
equipment, the destruction of hydrogen bonds and crystalline structure
of CSR induced by intense milling improved the reactivity of CSR,
leading to the effective acetylation of CSR. After acetylation by MASPR,
the modified CSRs possessed thermoplasticity, ascribing to the
introduction of acetyl groups and the destruction of high crystallinity
structure of cellulose. The self-reinforced all-plant fibre composites
(APFC) were successfully produced with the modified CSRs as both matrix
and reinforcement by hot pressing technology. The direct acetylation of
CSR and successful production of APFC suggested that MASPR was a simple,
efficient and environmentally friendly method for chemical modification
of agro-industrial lignocellulose biomass.
http://www.researchgate.net/publication/264981183_A_green_and_efficient_method_for_preparing_acetylated_cassava_stillage_residue_and_the_production_of_all-plant_fibre_composites
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Progress in bio-based plastics and plasticizing modifications
2013
Over the coming few decades bioplastic materials are expected to
complement and gradually replace some of the fossil oil based materials.
Multidisciplinary research efforts have generated a significant level
of technical and commercial success towards these bio-based materials.
However, extensive application of these bio-based plastics is still
challenged by one or more of their possible inherent limitations, such
as poor processability, brittleness, hydrophilicity, poor moisture and
gas barrier, inferior compatibility, poor electrical, thermal and
physical properties. The incorporation of additives such as plasticizers
into the biopolymers is a common practice to improve these inherent
limitations. Generally, plasticizers are added to both synthetic and
bio-based polymeric materials to impart flexibility, improve toughness,
and lower the glass transition temperature. This review introduces the
most common bio-based plastics and provides an overview of recent
advances in the selection and use of plasticizers, and their effect on
the performance of these materials. In addition to plasticizers, we also
present a perspective of other emerging techniques of improving the
overall performance of bio-based plastics. Although a wide variety of
bio-based plastics are under development, this review focuses on
plasticizers utilized for the most extensively studied bioplastics
including poly(lactic acid), polyhydroxyalkanoates, thermoplastic
starch, proteinaceous plastics and cellulose acetates. The ongoing
challenge and future potentials of plasticizers for bio-based plastics
are also discussed.
http://www.researchgate.net/publication/264614759_Progress_in_bio-based_plastics_and_plasticizing_modifications
_______________
Effect of biodegradable plasticizers on thermal and mechanical properties of poly(3-hydroxybutyrate)
2004
The effects of biodegradable plasticizers on the thermal and mechanical
properties of poly (3-hydroxybutyrate-co-3-hydroxyvalerate) (PHBV) were
studied using thermal and mechanical analyses. Soybean oil (SO),
epoxidized soybean oil (ESO), dibutyl phthalate (DBP) and triethyl
citrate (TEC) were used as plasticizing additives. PHBV/plasticizer
blends were prepared by evaporating solvent from blend solutions. The
content of plasticizer in the blends was kept at 20wt%. Compatibility of
plasticizer with PHBV was examined with differential scanning
calorimetry (DSC) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). DPB and TEC
were more effective than soybean oils (SO and ESO) in depression of the
glass transition temperatures as well as in increasing the elongation at
break and the impact strength of the films. From the thermal and
mechanical properties of the plasticized PHBV, it could be concluded
that TEC or DBP are better plasticizers than SO and ESO for PHBV.
http://www.researchgate.net/publication/232382906_Effect_of_biodegradable_plasticizers_on_thermal_and_mechanical_properties_of_poly%283-hydroxybutyrate%29
_______________
IBM discovers first new class of polymers in decades
May 15, 2014
http://www.gizmag.com/ibm-polymer-discovery-plastic/32088/?li_source=LI&li_medium=default-widget
The IBM polymers consist of two related classes of plastic materials. They’re formed by combining paraformaldehyde and 4,4ʹ-oxydianiline in what’s called a condensation reaction. When heated to 250⁰ C (482⁰ F) the material becomes very strong as covalent bonds form and the solvent is forced out, forming the first of two versions of the polymer. Both versions are highly elastic, resistant to solvents, and are recyclable. One version can even self-heal.
These polymers also show new physical properties. The first version is lightweight, stiff, resistant to cracking, shows more strength than bone, and can also turned into new polymer structures with half again as much strength. However, it is very brittle, like glass. When mixed with carbon nanofibers and heated, it forms an extremely strong, lightweight composite material that is similar to metal, yet has a degree of self-healing when cracked.
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Characteristics of biodegradable polylactide/gelatinized starch films: Effects of starch, plasticizer, and compatibilizer
2012
Polylactide (PLA) blends with 0–40 wt % gelatinized starches (GSs) in
the presence of plasticizers and compatibilizer for improving
interfacial bonding between two phases were prepared. The effects of
compatibilizer, type and amount of starch, including type and
concentration of plasticizer on the physical, morphological, thermal,
and mechanical properties of these films were investigated. Two types of
starch (corn and tapioca) were added as fillers, whereas the glycerol
amount was varied from 0 to 35 wt % based on starch content.
Polyethylene glycol (PEG400) and propylene glycol (PG) were added as
plasticizers at four different amounts (5–20 wt %) based on PLA content,
while methylenediphenyl diisocyanate was used as a compatibilizer at
1.25 wt % of GS. The results indicated that the presence of glycerol had
no effect on the thermal degradation of GS. For PLA plasticization, the
plasticized PLA with PEG400 had better properties than that with PG.
Water absorption isotherm of the blend films increased as the amount of
starches increased; in contrast, the tensile properties decreased
progressively with the addition of the GS content. The blend films with
gelatinized corn starch had higher tensile properties than those with
gelatinized tapioca starch.
http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/app.36736/abstract
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Porous Biodegradable Starch-Based Polymer: Effects of Plasticizers on the Physical Properties
2014
The effect of the plasticizer content (mixture of water and glycerol) on
the cellular structure of the considered material and its influence on
the resulting properties, such as mechanical stiffness, are investigated
by means of optical microscopy, X-ray diffraction, thermogravimetry and
standard mechanical testing. Adding glycerol leads to larger cell walls
and smaller pores but it does not significantly affect the elastic
tangent modulus and strength under compression for deformations up to
50%; only a tendency to promote elastic recovery is observed.
http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/masy.201300134/abstract
_______________
Handbook of Plasticizers
By George Wypych
This
book talks about many different types of plasticizers. This includes
the simulation of different plasticizers that could be used, in the
colonization of space.
Chapter 10.14 Biodegradation in the presence of plasticizers
Chapter 10.15 Crystallization, structure, and orientation of Macromolecules
Chapter 10.17 Plasticizer effect on contact with other materials
https://books.google.com/books/about/Handbook_of_Plasticizers.html?id=EHhoakl6cyoC
_______________
( We should be cautious of certain plasticizers, mentioned in chapter 6, of the following report.)
_______________
The Complete Book on Biodegradable Plastics and Polymers (Recent Developments, Properties, Analysis, Materials & Processes)
By NIIR Board of Consultants & Engineers
2. RECENT DEVELOPMENTS IN THE BIOPOLYMER INDUSTRY
3. RECENT ADVANCES IN SYNTHESIS OF BIOPOLYMERS BY "TRADITIONAL" METHODS
4. POLYMERS, ENVIRONMENTALLY DEGRADABLE
5. SYNTHETIC BIODEGRADABLE POLYMERS AS MEDICAL DEVICES
6. BIOBASED PACKAGING MATERIALS FOR THE FOOD INDUSTRY
https://books.google.com/books?id=BS-hAgAAQBAJ&pg=PA159&lpg=PA159&dq=biodegradable+plasticizers&source=bl&ots=bSdeUdExnq&sig=zp4tjgZOQ0lgHLNMvXuQzLtYue8&hl=en&sa=X&ei=tUnYVICRPM39yQSKk4KABQ&ved=0CDkQ6AEwBjgU#v=onepage&q=biodegradable%20plasticizers&f=false
-------------------------------------------------
AN INTRODUCTION TO THE APPLICATIONS OF INDUSTRIAL (WHITE) BIOTECHNOLOGY EUROPA BIO's BIOTECHNOLOGY INFORMATION KIT
http://www.scribd.com/doc/243514826/Intro-to-the-Applications-of-White-Biotechnology#scribd
------------------------------------------------
Bio-Based PEF Bottles to Hit Market by 2016
http://www.foodproductdesign.com/news/2013/06/bio-based-pef-bottles-to-hit-market-by-2016.aspx
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ITKE Constructs New ArboSkin Pavilion with 388 Recyclable Bioplastic Pyramids
http://inhabitat.com/itke-constructs-new-arboskin-pavilion-with-388-recyclable-bioplastic-pyramids/
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Good plastics, bioplastics and greenwashing
2013
Plastic is not inert
Conventional plastic contains a large number, and sometimes a large
proportion, of chemical additives which can be endocrine disruptors,
carcinogenic or provoke other toxic reactions and can, in principle,
migrate into the environment, though in small quantities. Persistent
organic pollutants (POPs), such as pesticides like DDT and
polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), can attach themselves from the
surrounding water to plastic fragments which can be harmful and enter
the food chain via marine fauna.
http://www.zerowasteeurope.eu/2013/06/good-plastics-bioplastics-and-greenwashing/
_______________
Will Bioplastics Contaminate Conventional Plastics Recycling?
http://www.sustainableplastics.org/bioplastics/issues-with-recycling
_______________
Producing plastic from seaweed
August 28th, 2014
http://phys.org/wire-news/170671262/producing-plastic-from-seaweed.html
_______________
The Bioplastic Concept Car: Seaweed
http://www.conceptcarseries.com/car-news/the-bioplastic-concept-car-seaweed-by-toyota/
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'Mutarium' prototype is the perfect farm for edible plastic-eating fungi
Biodegradable
plastics exist because traditional ones take between 20 and 1,000 years
to break down in the wild, often blocking waterways and killing animals
as that all happens. That's why two industrial designers and a group of
microbiologists have designed a way to break down plastic -- and create
edible mushrooms in the process.
http://www.engadget.com/2014/12/15/fungi-mutarium-plastic/
_______________
Can mushrooms replace plastic?
As it turns out, they are equally versatile outside of the food world.
They can produce packaging, home insulation, fiberboard for furniture,
even a surfboard.
http://www.theguardian.com/sustainable-business/mushrooms-new-plastic-ecovative
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Diaper-grown mushrooms to cut down waste
September 3, 2014
While their contents might be considered an environmental hazard by
many, disposable diapers themselves pose a more significant problem for
the environment. According to the EPA,
the average baby will work their way through 8,000 of them before they
end up in landfill where they'll take centuries to break down. In an
effort to reduce the problem, scientists at Mexico's Autonomous
Metropolitan University, Azcapotzalco (UAM-A), have turned used diapers
to the task of growing mushrooms.
http://www.gizmag.com/diaper-grown-mushrooms/33633/?li_source=LI&li_medium=default-widget
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Tequila waste combined with recycled plastic to form wood substitute
January 21, 2015
When the sap from plants such as sugar cane is extracted for commercial use, what's left over is a fibrous material known as bagasse. This is commonly used as biofuel, or is compressed into a wood substitute. Now, Mexican startup Plastinova is using agave bagasse from the tequila industry to make a wood-like material of its own, although it's also incorporating recycled plastic.
http://www.gizmag.com/agave-bagasse-plastic-wood/35710/?li_source=LI&li_medium=default-widget
_______________
Learn how PLA Bioplastic can be recycled
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S_C4x-jjZBc
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Sensor detects toxins leaching from plastic
December 10, 2015
Dr Asif Zia, together with Professor Subhas Mukhopadhyay, both from the School Engineering and Advanced Technology developed an electrochemical sensing system that is able to rapidly quantify a synthetic compound – di(2-ethylhexyl)phthalate or DEHP for short.
DEHP is used to induce flexibility in the plastic products but, because of its molecular structure, it does not attach itself covalently to the plastic's lattice structure and may leach into the surrounding environment. It is classed as a teratogenic, or malformation causing, compound as well as an endocrine-disrupter, which interferes with the body's natural hormonal system. The World Health Organization refers concentrations of DEHP greater than six parts per billion as hazardous for human health.
http://phys.org/news/2015-12-sensor-toxins-leaching-plastic.html
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Self-healing bioplastic – just add water
September 2, 2015
Imagine if things like undersea cables or medical implants could
simply heal themselves back together if severed – it would certainly be
easier than having to go in and fix them. Well, scientists at
Pennsylvania State University are bringing such a possibility closer to
reality. They've created a moldable polymer that heals itself when
exposed to water – and it's based on squid sucker ring teeth.
Led by Prof. Melik Demirel, the researchers started
by studying sucker ring teeth collected from squid in various locations
around the world. Although the exact composition of the teeth varied
between species, it was found that the same proteins which allow them to
self-heal were always present
http://www.gizmag.com/self-healing-bioplastic-squid/39220/?li_source=LI&li_medium=default-widget
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This edible water blob could replace plastic bottles
Designers Rodrigo García González, Guillaume Couche and Pierre Paslier call their creation "Ooho," a gelatinous blob that is actually a membrane that encapsulates water like a bladder. When you're thirsty, just puncture the membrane and drink. Or, if you also have an appetite, just pop a bite-sized Ooho in your mouth and chomp down for a burst of hydration. The gooey membrane, made from brown algae and calcium chloride, is edible, hygienic and biodegradable.
http://www.mnn.com/food/beverages/stories/this-edible-water-blob-could-replace-plastic-bottles
_______________
Brazilian Lab Turns Fruits, Veggies Into Edible Plastic
January 14, 2015
BRASILIA, Brazil, January 14, 2015 (ENS) – Imagine
putting a pizza in the oven without having to remove the plastic casing
that protects the pizza from contamination. The plastic film consists of
tomatoes and, when heated, it will become part of the pizza.
This edible plastic has been developed by researchers at the
Brazilian Agricultural Research Corporation, Embrapa Instrumentation, a
state-owned company affiliated with the Brazilian Ministry of
Agriculture.
In fact, the researchers have made edible plastic films from foods such as spinach, papaya and guava as well as tomatoes.
http://ens-newswire.com/2015/01/14/brazilian-lab-turns-fruits-veggies-into-edible-plastic/
_______________
Open for Discussion: Goodbye Plastic, Hello Edible Wrappers—or Nothing at all!
WikiCell Designs produces ultra-thin flavored
membranes, called WikiCells, that surround liquids or solids shielding
them from oxygen, oils, and moisture to extend their shelf life. Unlike
Monosol pouches, WikiCells are washable, so the outer container can act
like the skin of a fruit. You just wash and eat them.
A WikiCell is made of two sustainable layers. Eat the inner wrapping, compost the shell; no plastic is involved. The inner edible
membrane, like a grape skin, is held together by intermolecular
electrostatic forces. Positively charged calcium ions bind with
alginate, an anionic (negatively charged) polysaccharide from brown
algae (Fig. 1). The outer compostable shell is made of the residue from
sugarcane crushing.
http://www.acs.org/content/acs/en/education/resources/highschool/chemmatters/past-issues/archive-2012-2013/edible-wrappers.html
_______________
Medical Device Components 2.0: The Trend Towards a Healthier, PVC-Free Alternative
- 01 January 2014
System Health
If you aren’t convinced of PVC’s harmful effects in medical devices
up until this point, there remains one last detriment to using this
insulation powerhouse. A recent study released by Teknor Apex material
science company in October 2013 determined that PVC and plasticizers
alongside non-PVC components in devices can migrate when they come into
contact with each other, resulting in softening, cracks, and other
defects in the system. Their study tested ten different types of
plasticizers, including DEHP, and determined it may have adverse effects
on non-PVC plastics.
http://www.medicaldesignbriefs.com/component/content/article/1105-mdb/features/18924
_______________
The 20-Year-Old With a Plan to Rid the Sea of Plastic
Sep 24, 2014
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hmPHBhYaCR4
_______________
Company unlocks secret to making plastic out of air
July 30, 2014
"We're not the first people to have the idea of turning greenhouse
gas into plastic," Herrera said. "The thing that was missing was that no
one had figured out how to do it cost-effectively."
Here's how
it works: Carbon emissions are captured from farms, landfills, and
energy facilities and are fed into a 50-foot-tall reactor at Newlight's
plant. A bundle of enzymes strips out the carbon and oxygen and
rearranges them into a substance they call air carbon.
The product is then melted down and cooled inside tubes and sliced into little plastic pellets that can be molded into anything.
Herrema calls it "a disruptive technology that's gonna change the world."
http://www.cbsnews.com/news/company-unlocks-secret-to-making-plastic-out-of-air/
_______________
New catalyst paves way for bio-based plastics, chemicals
December 11, 2015
http://phys.org/news/2015-12-catalyst-paves-bio-based-plastics-chemicals.html
Washington
State University researchers have developed a catalyst that easily
converts bio-based ethanol to a widely used industrial chemical, paving
the way for more environmentally friendly, bio-based plastics and
products.
The researchers have published a paper online
describing the catalyst in the Journal of the American Chemical Society
and have been granted a U.S. patent.
The chemical
industry is interested in moving away from fossil fuels to bio-based
products to reduce environmental impacts and to meet new regulations for
sustainability, said Yong Wang, Voiland Distinguished Professor in the
Gene and Linda Voiland School of Chemical Engineering and
Bioengineering.
The catalyst works on bio-based ethanol to create isobutene used in plastics and other products.
The
industry has traditionally made a widely used chemical called isobutene
- used in everything from plastic soda bottles to rubber tires - by
superheating crude oil. But in collaboration with the Archer Daniels
Midland (ADM) Company, Wang and his colleagues developed a catalyst to
convert bio-based ethanol, which is made from corn or other biomass, to
isobutene in one easy production step.
_______________
Cheap, biodegradable, biocompatible "Shrilk" is a potential plastic replacement
December 14, 2011
Web-slinging arachnids already have researchers toiling away looking to replicate the remarkable properties of spider silk.
Now spiders, along with their insect and crustacean arthropod cousins,
have provided inspiration for a new material that is cheap to produce,
biodegradable, and biocompatible. Its creators say the material, dubbed
"Shrilk," has the potential to replace plastics in consumer products and
could also be used safely in a variety of medical applications, such as
suturing wounds or serving as scaffolding for tissue regeneration.
Arthropods have an outer skeleton made up of a
composite material called cuticle that consists of layers of a
polysaccharide polymer called chitin and protein organized in a laminar,
plywood-like structure. In its unmodified form, which can be seen in
the body wall of a caterpillar, chitin is translucent, pliable,
resilient and quite tough, but arthropods are able to modify its
properties to make it tough and rigid, as seen in the body wall of a
beetle, or to make it elastic, as seen in arthropod limb joints. Not
only does cuticle protect the arthropod's internal components and
provide structure for muscles and wings, it does so without adding
weight or bulk.
http://www.gizmag.com/shrilk-bioinspired-material/20858/?li_source=LI&li_medium=default-widget
_______________
Plastic Roadways BUSTED!
Feb 14, 2017
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Sj_FZduqblo
_______________
Rubber meets the road with new ORNL carbon, battery technologies
August 27, 2014
Recycled tires could see new life in lithium-ion batteries that
provide power to plug-in electric vehicles and store energy produced by
wind and solar, say researchers at the Department of Energy's Oak Ridge
National Laboratory.
By modifying the
microstructural characteristics of carbon black, a substance recovered
from discarded tires, a team led by Parans Paranthaman and Amit Naskar
is developing a better anode for lithium-ion batteries. An anode is a
negatively charged electrode used as a host for storing lithium during
charging.
http://phys.org/news/2014-08-rubber-road-ornl-carbon-battery.html#nRlv
_______________
Study reveals how liquid protein droplets age into rubber ball-like elastic solids
July 12, 2024
The University at Buffalo research lab of Priya Banerjee is conducting research on liquid droplets of proteins and their role in human diseases. Their new study sheds light on why these droplets have viscoelastic properties.
Droplets of proteins, tied to an increasing number of cellular processes and human diseases, are known for their liquid-like ability to flow, exchange material and dissolve as needed.
Yet these droplets, known as biomolecular condensates, are something akin to childhood staple Silly Putty in that they can also transform into more solid-like structures.
Now, a collaborative effort between the University at Buffalo, St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital and Washington University in St. Louis has found that condensates’ unique viscoelastic properties are determined by the amino acid sequence of the proteins that form them.
The team’s study, published July 2 in Nature Physics, found that whether the condensates behave more like a viscous liquid or an elastic solid depends on the strength and duration of the amino acids’ interactions. This can explain why condensates act like molecular putty and how they can even age into a solid similar to a rubber ball.
"Shedding light on the intricate behavior of condensates at the molecular level is crucial for advancing our knowledge of cellular biology and understanding their association with many neurodegenerative diseases,” says the study’s lead corresponding author, Priya R. Banerjee, PhD, associate professor of physics in the UB College of Arts and Sciences. “This work reveals the mechanisms behind cellular processes that have long been observed but never fully understood.”
https://www.buffalo.edu/news/releases/2024/07/study-reveals-how-liquid-protein-droplets-age-into-rubber-ball-like-elastic-solids.html
________
Scientists discover unexpected rubbery state in liquid glycerol
June 28, 2023
https://www.thedailyscience.org/scientists-discover-unexpected-rubbery-state-in-liquid-glycerol.html
________
New production process makes PLA bioplastic cheaper and greener
July 21, 2015
Polylactic acid (PLA) is a biodegradable bioplastic that is already
used to produce a variety of everyday items, such as cups, trays, bowls
and vegetable wrapping foil. Unfortunately, the current PLA production
process is expensive and produces waste. Researchers at the KU Leuven
Centre for Surface Chemistry and Catalysis in Belgium have now developed
a new production technique that is cheaper and greener and makes PLA a
more attractive alternative to petroleum-based plastics.
PLA boasts a number of advantages over
petroleum-based plastic. It is one of the few plastics suitable for use
in 3D printers, it is biocompatible, making it suitable for medical use,
and it biodegrades in a few years in certain environments, and is
industrially compostable and recyclable. But when it comes to cost, PLA
can't compete with petroleum-based plastics due to the intermediary
steps required to produce it.
As its name suggests, lactic acid is a main building
block of PLA. This can be obtained by the fermentation of sugar that can
be sourced from renewable resources such as corn starch, tapioca and
sugarcane.
http://www.gizmag.com/bioplastic-pla-cheaper-production-process/38498/?li_source=LI&li_medium=default-widget
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Solving mysteries of conductivity in polymers
July 15, 2015
Materials known as conjugated polymers have been seen as very promising candidates for electronics applications, including capacitors, photodiodes, sensors, organic light-emitting diodes, and thermoelectric devices. But they've faced one major obstacle: Nobody has been able to explain just how electrical conduction worked in these materials, or to predict how they would behave when used in such devices.
Now researchers at MIT and Brookhaven National Laboratory have explained how electrical charge carriers move in these compounds, potentially opening up further research on such applications. A paper presenting the new findings is being published in the journal Advanced Materials.
http://phys.org/news/2015-07-mysteries-polymers.html#jCp
-----------------
Researchers discover new fundamental quantum mechanical property
January 6, 2016
Nanotechnologists
at the University of Twente research institute MESA+ have discovered a
new fundamental property of electrical currents in very small metal
circuits. They show how electrons can spread out over the circuit like
waves and cause interference effects at places where no electrical
current is driven. The geometry of the circuit plays a key role in this
so called nonlocal effect. The interference is a direct consequence of
the quantum mechanical wave character of electrons and the specific
geometry of the circuit. For designers of quantum computers it is an
effect to take account of. The results are published in the British
journal Scientific Reports.
http://phys.org/news/2016-01-fundamental-quantum-mechanical-property.html#jCp
_______________
Routes of Exposure
Industrial Toxicants
Chloroprene, used in production of synthetic rubber.
http://ehs.unl.edu/documents/tox_exposure_guidelines.pdf
_______________
Ricoh develops energy-generating rubber
May 22, 2015
http://www.gizmag.com/ricoh-energy-generating-rubber/37590/
_______________
Road to supercapacitors for scrap tires
- Date:
- September 25, 2015
- Source:
- DOE/Oak Ridge National Laboratory
- Summary:
- Some of the 300 million tires discarded each year in the United States alone could be used in supercapacitors for vehicles and the electric grid using a technology.
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2015/09/150925112114.htm
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Simple Leonardo da Vinci experiments combined with advanced theory reveal new atomic-level insights into rubber
May 15, 2015
Read more at: http://phys.org/news/2015-05-simple-leonardo-da-vinci-combined.html#jCp
_______________
These Futuristic Car Tires Never Go Flat
14.07.15
http://www.wired.com/2015/07/futuristic-car-tires-never-go-flat/
_______________
Researchers discover importance of using right rubber for the job
May 28th, 2015
http://phys.org/news/2015-05-importance-rubber-job.html#jCp
The types of surface that scientists and engineers make copies of include skin, teeth, superconductor components in particle accelerators, and various tools, including forensic and archaeological investigations. Surfaces are carefully measured to quantify their roughness and texture, but this can be surprisingly tricky.
The importance of a surface's roughness can be seen in car engines, where if the walls of the engine's cylinders are too smooth they will seize, meaning that the surface needs to be just rough enough to carry a film of lubricant to maintain a smooth piston action.
Techniques have now been developed that can make measurements of ridges, bumps and dimples, down to the nanometre scale - less than 1/100 the thickness of a human hair...
_______________
Natural nanocrystals shown to strengthen concrete
Mar 31, 2015
http://phys.org/news/2015-03-natural-nanocrystals-shown-concrete.html?utm_source=menu&utm_medium=link&utm_campaign=item-menu
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3D-printed composite is lighter than wood and stiffer than concrete
June 27, 2014
Reseachers at Harvard University have developed a way to 3D-print a
cellular composite with record lightness and stiffness using an epoxy
resin. This marks the first time that epoxy is used for 3D-printing, and
the advance could lead to the development of new lightweight
architectures for more efficient wind turbines, faster cars, and lighter
airplanes...
http://www.gizmag.com/3d-printed-strong-composite/32738/?li_source=LI&li_medium=default-widget
_______________
Engineering The Strongest Foam in the World
Mar 13, 2015
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HfAovWHbO88
---------------------------
Superplasticizer
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Superplasticizer
_______________
Plasticizer
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Plasticizer
Plasticizers (UK: plasticisers) or dispersants are additives that increase the plasticity or fluidity of a material. The dominant applications are for plastics, especially polyvinyl chloride (PVC). The properties of other materials are also improved when blended with plasticizers including concrete, clays, and related products.
Effect on health
Substantial concerns have been expressed over the safety of some plasticizers, especially because several ortho-phthalates have been classified as potential endocrine disruptors with some developmental toxicity reported.
Appendix: various specific plasticizers
Dicarboxylic/tricarboxylic ester-based plasticizers
- Phthalate-based
plasticizers are used in situations where good resistance to water and
oils is required. Some common phthalate plasticizers are:
- Bis(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate (DEHP), used in construction materials and medical devices
- Diisononyl phthalate (DINP), used in flooring materials, found in garden hoses, shoes, toys, and building materials
- Di-n-butyl phthalate (DnBP, DBP), used for cellulose plastics, food wraps, adhesives, perfumes, and cosmetics - about a third of nail polishes, glosses, enamels, and hardeners contain it, together with some shampoos, sunscreens, skin emollients, and insect repellents
- Butyl benzyl phthalate (BBzP) is found in vinyl tiles, traffic cones, food conveyor belts, artificial leather, and plastic foams
- Diisodecyl phthalate (DIDP), used for insulation of wires and cables, car undercoating, shoes, carpets, pool liners
- Dioctyl phthalate (DOP or DnOP), used in flooring materials, carpets, notebook covers, and high explosives, such as Semtex. Together with DEHP it was the most common plasticizers
- Diisooctyl phthalate (DIOP), all-purpose plasticizer for polyvinyl chloride, polyvinyl acetate, rubbers, cellulose plastics, and polyurethane.
- Diethyl phthalate (DEP)
- Diisobutyl phthalate (DIBP)
- Di-n-hexyl phthalate, used in flooring materials, tool handles, and automobile parts
Trimellitates
- Trimellitates
are used in automobile interiors and other applications where
resistance to high temperature is required. They have extremely low
volatility.
- Trimethyl trimellitate (TMTM)
- Tri-(2-ethylhexyl) trimellitate (TEHTM-MG)
- Tri-(n-octyl,n-decyl) trimellitate (ATM)
- Tri-(heptyl,nonyl) trimellitate (LTM)
- n-octyl trimellitate (OTM)
Adipates, sebacates, maleates
- Adipate-based plasticizers are used for low-temperature or resistance to ultraviolet light. Some examples are:
- Bis(2-ethylhexyl)adipate (DEHA)
- Dimethyl adipate (DMAD)
- Monomethyl adipate (MMAD)
- Dioctyl adipate (DOA)
- Dibutyl sebacate (DBS)
- Dibutyl maleate (DBM)
- Diisobutyl maleate (DIBM)
Other plasticizers
- Benzoates
- Terephthalates such as Dioctyl terephthalate/DEHT (Eastman Chemical Company Trademark: Eastman 168).
- 1,2-Cyclohexane dicarboxylic acid diisononyl ester (BASF trademark: DINCH).
- Epoxidized vegetable oils
- alkyl sulphonic acid phenyl ester (ASE).
- Sulfonamides
- N-ethyl toluene sulfonamide (o/p ETSA), ortho and para isomers
- N-(2-hydroxypropyl) benzene sulfonamide (HP BSA)
- N-(n-butyl) benzene sulfonamide (BBSA-NBBS)
- Polymeric plasticizers
- Polybutene
Bio-based plasticizers
Safer plasticizers with better biodegradability and fewer biochemical effects are being developed. Some such plasticizers are:- Acetylated monoglycerides; these can be used as food additives
- Alkyl citrates, used in food packagings, medical products, cosmetics and children toys
- Triethyl citrate (TEC)
- Acetyl triethyl citrate (ATEC), higher boiling point and lower volatility than TEC
- Tributyl citrate (TBC)
- Acetyl tributyl citrate (ATBC), compatible with PVC and vinyl chloride copolymers
- Trioctyl citrate (TOC), also used for gums and controlled release medicines
- Acetyl trioctyl citrate (ATOC), also used for printing ink
- Trihexyl citrate (THC), compatible with PVC, also used for controlled release medicines
- Acetyl trihexyl citrate (ATHC), compatible with PVC
- Butyryl trihexyl citrate (BTHC, trihexyl o-butyryl citrate), compatible with PVC
- Trimethyl citrate (TMC), compatible with PVC
Plasticizers for energetic materials
_______________
A Promising Approach for Rapid Stabilization of Plastics
April 26, 2023
In a new study, scientists from the University of Cambridge have developed a novel approach to rapid stabilization of plastics, offering a potential solution to the global plastic pollution crisis. The new approach, published in the journal Nature Communications, makes use of a process called “rapid polymerization”, which allows plastic materials to be stabilized in just minutes, as opposed to the current method of stabilization, which can take several days to complete. The process also uses fewer chemicals than current methods, resulting in a greener approach to plastic stabilization. The scientists behind the new approach hope that it will help reduce the amount of plastic pollution in our oceans and environment.
https://www.letstalkmaterials.com/in-the-news/new-approach-for-rapid-process-stabilization-of-plastics/
_______________
How products are made: Rope
http://www.madehow.com/Volume-2/Rope.html#ixzz3guBY88YM
Although the origin of rope is unknown, the Egyptians were the first
people to develop special tools to make rope. Egyptian rope dates back to
4000 to 3500
B.C.
and was generally made of water reed fibers. Other Egyptian rope was made
from the fibers of date palms, flax, grass, papyrus, leather, or camel
hair. The use of such ropes pulled by thousands of slaves allowed the
Egyptians to move the heavy stones required to build the pyramids. By
about 2800
B.C.
, rope made of hemp fibers was in use in China.
Raw Materials
Rope may be made either from natural fibers, which have been processed to allow them to be easily formed into yarn, or from synthetic materials, which have been spun into fibers or extruded into long filaments.
Natural fibers include hemp, sisal, cotton, flax, and jute. Another
natural material is called manila hemp, but it is actually the fibers from
a banana plant. Sisal was used extensively to make twine, but synthetic
materials are replacing it. Manila rope is still used by traditionalists,
but it can rot from the inside, thus losing its strength without giving
any outward indication.
Synthetic fibers include nylon,
polyester,
polypropylene and aramid. Polypropylene costs the least, floats on water,
and does not stretch appreciably. For these reasons it makes a good water
ski tow rope. Nylon is moderately expensive, fairly strong, and has quite
a bit of stretch. It makes a good mooring and docking line for boats
because of its ability to give slightly, yet hold. Aramid is the
strongest, but is also very expensive. Nylon and polyester may be spun
into fibers about 4-10 inches (10-25 cm) long. Ropes made from spun
synthetic fibers feel fuzzy and are not as strong as ropes made from long,
continuous filaments. Some ropes use two different synthetic materials to
achieve a combination of high strength and low cost or high strength and
smooth surface finish.
Wire rope may be made from iron or steel wires. This is commonly referred
to as cable and is used in bridges,
elevators,
and cranes. It is made by a different process than fiber or filament
ropes.
_______________
Difference Between Synthetic & Natural Fiber Rope
Environmental Effects
Synthetic rope is created using plastics with dangerous chemical
byproducts, while natural fiber ropes are woven from jute, sisal, and,
hemp--all renewable and biodegradable resources with no chemical
byproduct.
http://www.ehow.com/facts_5669626_difference-synthetic-natural-fiber-rope.html#ixzz2cL95eMcQ
_______________
The 'living concrete' that can heal itself
May 14, 2015
The bioconcrete is mixed just like regular concrete, but with an extra ingredient -- the "healing agent." It remains intact during mixing, only dissolving and becoming active if the concrete cracks and water gets in.
_______________
New Water-Based Adhesive Can Be Recycled by Changing pH
November 14, 2023
Research team has developed a reversible, water-based glue.
https://www.technologynetworks.com/applied-sciences/news/new-water-based-adhesive-can-be-recycled-by-changing-ph-380993
_______________
Silver-Nanowire-Based Elastic Conductors: Preparation Processes and Substrate Adhesion
2023 Mar 21
Abstract
The production of flexible electronic systems includes stretchable electrical interconnections and flexible electronic components, promoting the research and development of flexible conductors and stretchable conductive materials with large bending deformation or torsion resistance. Silver nanowires have the advantages of high conductivity, good transparency and flexibility in the development of flexible electronic products. In order to further prepare system-level flexible systems (such as autonomous full-software robots, etc.), it is necessary to focus on the conductivity of the system’s composite conductor and the robustness of the system at the physical level. In terms of conductor preparation processes and substrate adhesion strategies, the more commonly used solutions are selected. Four kinds of elastic preparation processes (pretensioned/geometrically topological matrix, conductive fiber, aerogel composite, mixed percolation dopant) and five kinds of processes (coating, embedding, changing surface energy, chemical bond and force, adjusting tension and diffusion) to enhance the adhesion of composite conductors using silver nanowires as current-carrying channel substrates were reviewed. It is recommended to use the preparation process of mixed percolation doping and the adhesion mode of embedding/chemical bonding under non-special conditions. Developments in 3D printing and soft robots are also discussed.
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC10058989/
______________
Self-healing single-ion-conductive artificial polymeric solid electrolyte interphases for stable lithium metal anodes
2021
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S2211285521011204
______________
3D-printable tissue adhesive sets a new standard in biomedical technology
Feb 2024
https://medicalxpress.com/news/2024-02-3d-printable-tissue-adhesive-standard.html
______________
Studies on development of adhesive material from post-consumer (waste) expanded polystyrene: a two-edged sword approach
2020
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0957582020316955
______________
NEANDERTHAL Glue Works So Well
Apr 17, 2024
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t-Gcbr1g7AM
_______________
This Fish Can Stick to Anything!
2021
https://www.youtube.com/shorts/_vagMdsvWUA
______________
Bioadhesives and environmentally friendly glue
March 14, 2010
https://www.greenlivingtips.com/articles/Green-glue.html
______________
The Stickiest *Non-Sticky* Substance
Jan 23, 2023
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vS0TuIPoeBs
_______________
Ultimate tensile strength
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tensile_strength
Ultimate tensile strength (UTS), often shortened to tensile strength (TS) or ultimate strength, is the maximum stress that a material can withstand while being stretched or pulled before failing or breaking. Tensile strength is distinct from compressive strength.
Typical tensile strengths
Ultimate strength (MPa)
| Epoxy adhesive | - | 12 - 30 |
| Human hair | 380 |
| Bone (limb) | 130 |
| Wood, pine (parallel to grain) | 40 |
| Steel, structural ASTM A36 steel | - | 400-550 |
| Steel, Micro-Melt 10 Tough Treated Tool (AISI A11) | 5205 |
Carbon nanotube - 11000-63000
Carbon fiber 1600 for Laminate, 4137 for fiber alone
Boron Nitride Nanotube - 33000
Silicon, monocrystalline (m-Si) - 7000
Basalt fiber 4840
| Diamond | 2800 |
| Graphene | 130000 |
| Boron nitride nanotube | 33000 |
Aramid (Kevlar or Twaron) - 3757
Polypropylene 19.7-80
Polyester resin (unreinforced) 55
Nylon, type 6/6 - 75
_______________
7 ‘facts’ you learned in school that are no longer true
- 17/3/2017
THEN: Diamond is the hardest substance
NOW: Ultrahard nanotwinned cubic boron nitride is the hardest substance
https://it.businessinsider.com/facts-no-longer-true-2017-3/
_______________
This is the world's densest element (Osmium)
2021
https://www.youtube.com/shorts/xij-O0etaJ8
_______________
Artificial graphene could outperform the real thing
February 14, 2014
Graphene
is truly a 21st-century wonder material, finding use in everything from
solar cells to batteries to tiny antennas. Now, however, a group of
European research institutes have joined forces to create a graphene
knock-off, that could prove to be even more versatile.
Conventional
graphene takes the form of a one-atom-thick sheet of carbon atoms,
linked together in a honeycomb pattern. Along with being transparent and
conductive, it is also both the world's thinnest material, and the
strongest.
The artificial graphene has the same
honeycomb structure, but is made from nanometer-thick semiconductor
crystals instead of carbon atoms. The chemical makeup, size and shape of
those crystals can be tweaked, essentially custom-tuning the properties
of the material to the desired application.
It could
conceivably be used in many of the same places in which graphene is
currently utilized, but with even better performance. According to
project partner the University of Luxembourg, “'Artificial graphene'
should lead to faster, smaller and lighter electronic and optical
devices of all kinds, including higher performance photovoltaic cells,
lasers or LED lighting."
http://www.gizmag.com/artificial-graphene/30845/?li_source=LI&li_medium=default-widget
_______________
MIT has a new method for producing large quantities of graphene
May 21, 2015
(The new technique involves wrapping a substrate around an inner tube and passing gas through an outer tube).
http://www.gizmag.com/mit-graphene-large-quantities/37635/
_______________
For faster, larger graphene add a liquid layer
July 15, 2015
Graphene promises to be a 'wonder material' for building new technologies because of its combination of strength, flexibility, electrical properties, and chemical resistance. But this promise will only be realised if it can be produced cost-effectively on a commercial scale.
http://phys.org/news/2015-07-faster-larger-graphene-liquid-layer.html#jCp
_______________
High-efficiency, semi-transparent perovskite/graphene solar cells created at low cost
September 11, 2015
With
the continued rise in the uptake of solar cells, consumers are now
looking at less obtrusive ways to incorporate these in buildings and
vehicles. Transparent or semi-transparent cells provide greater
flexibility and visual appeal than standard, opaque silicon solar cells,
however their relatively high-cost and poor efficiencies have meant
that their adoption has been slow. To help remedy this, researchers
working at the Hong Kong Polytechnic University (PolyU) have created
semi-transparent, efficient, low-cost perovskite solar cells with
graphene electrodes.
http://www.gizmag.com/transparent-perovskite-solar-cells-graphene-electrodes/39349/?li_source=LI&li_medium=default-widget
_______________
Conductive graphene yarn is lighter and stretchier than copper wire
June 23, 2014
The researchers started by chemically exfoliating flakes of graphene
from a block of graphite. Those flakes were then mixed with water, and
that mixture was concentrated into a slurry using a centrifuge. That
slurry was then spread across a plate and allowed to dry, forming into a
thin transparent film of graphene oxide.
The film was subsequently peeled off the plate and
cut into narrow strips, those strips in turn getting wound together
using an automatic fiber scroller.
The resulting yarn can be knotted and stretched
without fracturing, and is said to be much stronger than other types of
carbon fibers – this quality could be due to the presence of tiny air
pockets within it.
Removing oxygen from the material boosts its
electrical conductivity, and adding silver nanorods to it in the
film-fabricating stage could reportedly boost that conductivity further,
to the point of matching that of copper. Its stretchability and lighter
weight, however, could make it a better alternative in many
applications.
http://www.gizmag.com/stretchable-graphene-yarn/32657/?li_source=LI&li_medium=default-widget
_______________
Graphene could find use in lightweight ballistic body armor
December 1st, 2014
While graphene is already known for being the world's strongest material, most studies have focused on its tensile strength – that's the maximum stress that it can withstand while being pulled or stretched, before failing. According to studies conducted at Houston's Rice University, however, its ability to absorb sudden impacts hadn't previously been thoroughly explored. As it turns out, the material is 10 times better than steel at dissipating kinetic energy. That could make it an excellent choice for lightweight ballistic body armor.
http://www.gizmag.com/graphene-bulletproof-armor/35004/?li_source=LI&li_medium=default-widget
_______________
Graphene used to rust-proof steel
May 29, 2012
Hexavalent chromium compounds are a key ingredient in coatings used to rust-proof steel. They also happen to be carcinogenic. Researchers, therefore, have been looking for non-toxic alternatives that could be used to keep steel items from corroding. Recently, scientists from the University at Buffalo announced that they have developed such a substance. It’s a varnish that incorporates graphene, the one-atom-thick carbon sheeting material that is the thinnest and strongest substance known to exist.
http://www.gizmag.com/graphene-anti-rust-coating/22731/?li_source=LI&li_medium=default-widget
_______________
Graphene shown to safely interact with neurons in the brain
January 29, 2016
Researchers have successfully demonstrated how it is possible to interface graphene - a two-dimensional form of carbon - with neurons, or nerve cells, while maintaining the integrity of these vital cells. The work may be used to build graphene-based electrodes that can safely be implanted in the brain, offering promise for the restoration of sensory functions for amputee or paralysed patients, or for individuals with motor disorders such as epilepsy or Parkinson's disease.
http://phys.org/news/2016-01-graphene-shown-safely-interact-neurons.html
_______________
A new way to make higher quality bilayer graphene
February 8, 2016
A team of researchers with members from institutions in the U.S., Korea and China has developed a new way to make bilayer graphene that is higher in quality than that produced through any other known process. In their paper published in Nature Nanotechnology, the team describes the technique they developed and the possible uses for the bilayer graphene that is produced.
Graphene is, of course, a flat material made from just single carbon atoms; it forms in a honeycomb pattern and has been found to have excellent electrical properties—one hindrance to using graphene in many applications has been the lack of a bandgap. That hindrance was partially overcome back in 2009 when a team working in the U.S. found that creating two layers of graphene bonded together and then applying electricity could cause a bandgap to occur. Since that time, researchers have been looking for ways to create such bilayer graphene in a way that could be commercialized. In this latest effort, the researchers report on a new technique they have developed that they claim produces the highest quality bilayer graphene yet.
http://phys.org/news/2016-02-higher-quality-bilayer-graphene.html
_______________
2D self-assembling semiconductor could beat out graphene
May 2, 2014
Graphene may be talked about as the future wonder material (and for
that matter, the present one), but it has one critical deficiency. It
lacks a natural bandgap, the physical trait that puts the “semi” in
“semiconductor," so it has to be doped to become effective. Enter
Ni3(2,3,6,7,10,11-hexaiminotriphenylene)2 ... well, you can refer to it
as a metal-organic graphene analogue for now. In addition to having a
natural band gap, it’s able to self-assemble and represents a whole
family of compounds that’s exciting to researchers for its novel
properties.
Nickel (the metal) and HITP (the organic compound)
are represented in the diagram at the top of the page, with nickel
colored in green, amino groups in purple, and carbon rings in grey. The
amino groups in the carbon rings are attracted to the nickel, and
because of the symmetry and geometry in HITP, the overall organometallic
complex almost has a fractal nature that allows this new semiconductor
to self-organize perfectly. A band gap is created in the “hole” where
electrons aren’t, a space that's just about 2 nm across.
http://www.gizmag.com/2d-self-assembling-semiconductor-graphene/31879/?li_source=LI&li_medium=default-widget
_______________
New alloy claimed to have higher strength-to-weight ratio than any other metal
December 11, 2014
When it comes to metal that's being used in the automotive or aerospace industries, the higher its strength-to-weight ratio, the better. With that in mind, researchers from North Carolina State University and Qatar University have developed a new alloy that reportedly has a low density similar to that of aluminum, but that's stronger than titanium.
http://www.gizmag.com/high-entropy-alloy-strength-to-weight/35170/
_______________
6 of the lightest and strongest materials on Earth
Mar 18, 2017
https://inhabitat.com/6-of-the-lightest-and-strongest-materials-on-earth/
3D Graphene
Carbyne
Aerographite
Aerographene
Metallic microlattice
Limpet teeth
---------------
World's lightest solid material, known as 'frozen smoke', gets even lighter
January 13, 2011
Researchers have created a new aerogel that boasts amazing strength
and an incredibly large surface area. Nicknamed ‘frozen smoke’ due to
its translucent appearance, aerogels are manufactured materials derived
from a gel in which the liquid component of the gel has been replaced
with a gas, resulting in a material renowned as the world’s lightest
solid material. The new so-called “multiwalled carbon nanotube (MCNT)
aerogel” could be used in sensors to detect pollutants and toxic
substances, chemical reactors, and electronics components.
Although aerogels have been fabricated from silica,
metal oxides, polymers, and carbon-based materials and are already used
in thermal insulation in windows and buildings, tennis racquets, sponges
to clean up oil spills, and other products, few scientists have
succeeded in making aerogels from carbon nanotubes.
The researchers were able to succeed where so many
before them had failed using a wet gel of well-dispersed pristine
MWCNTs. After removing the liquid component from the MWCNT wet gel, they
were able to create the lightest ever free-standing MWCNT aerogel
monolith with a density of 4 mg/cm3.
MWCNT aerogels infused with a plastic material are
flexible, like a spring that can be stretched thousands of times, and if
the nanotubes in a one-ounce cube were unraveled and placed
side-to-side and end-to-end, they would carpet three football fields.
The MWCNT aerogels are also excellent conductors of electricity, which
is what makes them ideal for sensing applications and offers great
potential for their use in electronics components.
http://www.gizmag.com/worlds-lightest-solid-material-gets-even-lighter/17588/?li_source=LI&li_medium=default-widget
_______________
Aerographite claims title of World's Lightest Solid Material
July 12, 2012
http://www.gizmag.com/aerographite-worlds-lightest-material/23295/?li_source=LI&li_medium=default-widget
While they were each once hailed as the lightest solid material ever made, metallic microlattice and aerogel have now been moved back to second and third place (respectively), with aerographite taking the crown. Developed by a team from the Technical University of Hamburg and Germany’s University of Kiel, the material is composed of 99.99 percent air, along with a three-dimensional network of porous carbon nanotubes that were grown into each other.
Aerographite has a density of less than 0.2 milligrams per cubic centimeter, which allows it be compressed by a factor of 1,000, then subsequently spring back to its original state. Despite its extremely low density, it is black and optically-opaque in appearance. By contrast, the density of metallic microlattice sits at 0.9 mg per cubic centimeter.
The scientists discovered the sponge-like material when they were researching three-dimensionally cross-linked carbon structures. It is reportedly much more robust than the relatively fragile aerogel, being able to withstand at least 35 times as much mechanical force for its density. It is grown in a one-step process using zinc oxide templates, which allow blocks of the material to be created in various shapes, in sizes as large as several cubic centimeters.
_______________
Graphene aerogel takes world’s lightest material crown
March 24, 2013
Not even a year after it claimed the title of the world’s lightest material, aerographite has been knocked off its crown by a new aerogel made from graphene. Created by a research team from China’s Zhejiang University in the Department of Polymer Science and Engineering lab headed by Professor Gao Chao, the ultra-light aerogel has a density lower than that of helium and just twice that of hydrogen.
Although first created in 1931 by American scientist and chemical engineer, Samuel Stephens Kistler, aerogels have recently become a hotly contested area of scientific research. A “multiwalled carbon nanotube (MCNT) aerogel” dubbed “frozen smoke” with a density of 4 mg/cm3 lost its world’s lightest material title in 2011 to a micro-lattice material with a density of 0.9 mg/cm3. Less than a year later, aerographite claimed the crown with its density of 0.18 mg/cm3.
Now a new title-holder has been crowned, with the graphene aerogel created by Gao and his team boasting a density of just 0.16 mg/cm3. To create the record-setting material, Gao and his team turned to the wonder material du jour – graphene. Building on experience in developing macroscopic graphene materials, including one-dimensional graphene fibers and two-dimensional graphene films, the team decided to add another dimension and make a three-dimensional porous material out of graphene in an attempt to claim the record.
Instead of the sol-gel method and template-oriented methods generally used to create aerogels, Gao and his team used a new freeze-drying method that involved freeze-drying solutions of carbon nanotubes and graphene to create a carbon sponge that can be arbitrarily adjusted to any shape.
http://www.gizmag.com/graphene-aerogel-worlds-lightest/26784/?li_source=LI&li_medium=default-widget
_______________
Newly developed metallic "micro-lattice" material is world's lightest
November 17, 2011
The 0.01 percent of the material that isn't air consists of a micro-lattice of interconnected hollow nickel-phosphorous tubes with a wall thickness of 100 nanometers - or 1,000 times thinner than a human hair. These tubes are angled to connect at nodes to form repeating, three-dimensional asterisk-like cells.
http://www.gizmag.com/ultralight-micro-lattice-material/20537/?li_source=LI&li_medium=default-widget
_______________
Microstructured materials as strong as steel yet less dense than water
April 14, 2014
Researchers in Germany have developed a lightweight, high-strength
material inspired by the framework structure of bones and wood and the
shell structure of bees' honeycombs. Created using 3D laser polymer
printing combined with a ceramic coating, the material is less dense
than water but, relative to its size, boasts strength comparable to
high-performance steel or aluminum.
Although inspired by nature, the polymer
microarchitecture produced by a team at the Karlsruhe Institute of
Technology (KIT) outperforms its natural counterparts in terms of
strength/density ratio. The underlying structure was produced using a
process of 3D laser lithography or polymer printing and hardening.
A number of structures were tested, including
triangular, hexagonal and honeycomb. These were then coated by gas
deposition to provide extra strength, with coatings of a ceramic
material and alumina both tested. The polymer structure measured roughly
50 µm long, wide, and high, while various coating thicknesses were
tested ranging from 10 nm to 200 nm.
It was found that a honeycomb polymer structure with
an alumina coating of 50 nm yielded the highest stability to density
ratio. This microarchitecture outperformed the triangular and hexagonal
counterparts produced and tested, while no additional strength was
achieved after a coating thickness of 50 nm of alumina was exceeded.
This optimized honeycomb structure failed at a pressure of 28 kg/mm2, yet only had a density of 810 kg/m3, which the team says exceeds the stability/density ratio of bones, massive steel or aluminum.
"The novel lightweight construction materials
resemble the framework structure of a half-timbered house with
horizontal, vertical, and diagonal struts,” said study co-author Jens
Bauer. "Our beams, however, are only 10 µm in size.”
The team says microstructured materials are often
used for insulation or as shock absorbers, and that such open-pore
materials can be used as filters in the chemical industry.
http://www.gizmag.com/microstructured-lightweight-construction-material/31339/?li_source=LI&li_medium=default-widget
_______________
New materials developed that are as light as aerogel, yet 10,000 times stronger
June 22, 2014
http://www.gizmag.com/llnl-ultralight-metamaterial/32589/?li_source=LI&li_medium=default-widget
Imagine materials strong enough to use in building airplanes or motor cars, yet are literally lighter than air. Soon, that may not be so hard to do because a team of researchers from MIT and Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL) have developed new ultra-lightweight materials that are as light as aerogel, but 10,000 times stiffer, and may one day revolutionize aerospace and automotive designs.
Aerogels are incredibly light, so light that the record holder, aerographene, boasts a density of just 0.16 mg/cm3. Currently, aerogels are used for insulation, tennis racquets, as a means of controlling oil spills, and were used on the NASA Stardust mission to collect samples from a comet’s tail. Unfortunately, despite its seemingly ephemeral nature, its very much a solid and will shatter if pressed hard enough, so its use is limited.
The new materials developed by the MIT/LLNL team aren't aerogels, but are metamaterials. That is, artificial materials with properties that aren't found in nature. The idea is to structure it, so that it has the lightness of aerogel, but is much stronger. The strength of the new materials comes from their geometric structure, not their chemical composition.
The new materials were made using projection micro-stereolithography, a form of desktop 3D printing that works on a microscopic level and can create highly complex, three-dimensional microstructures layer by layer very quickly for easy prototyping. It involves projecting a beam of ultraviolet light into a tank of polymers, responsive hydrogels, shape memory polymers, or bio-materials using the digital stereolithography technique in the form of masks, similar to those used to create microchips, to shape the layers.
Projection micro-stereolithography operates on a very small scale that allows the formation of "microlattices," which are much like trusses and girders. Materials can even be switched during fabrication. According to the team, it can be applied to many different materials, including polymers, metals and ceramics, which is exactly what the team did using a variety of constituent materials.
Firstly, the LLNL/MIT team made a polymer template coated with a metal film 200 to 500 nanometers thick, then the polymer base was melted away, leaving behind the metal in the form of thin-film tubes.
The team then used the same technique but replaced the metal with ceramic to create ceramic tubes about 50 nanometers thick, which produced a material with the properties of an extremely stiff aerogel, four orders of magnitude stiffer than conventional aerogel, but with the same density...
--------------
Flexible, high-strength polymer aerogels deliver "super-insulation" properties
September 27, 2012
Often called "frozen smoke", aerogels
are among the amazing materials of our time, with fifteen Guinness Book
of World Records entries to their name. However, despite their list of
extreme properties, traditional aerogels are brittle, crumbling and
fracturing easily enough to keep them out of many practical
applications. A new class of mechanically robust polymer aerogels
discovered at NASA's Glenn Research Center in Ohio may soon enable
engineering applications such as super-insulated clothing, unique
filters, refrigerators with thinner walls, and super-insulation for
buildings...
http://www.gizmag.com/polymer-aerogel-stronger-flexible-nasa/23955/?li_source=LI&li_medium=default-widget
_______________
New technique leads to creation of elastic high-strength carbon nanotube film
http://phys.org/news/2016-02-technique-creation-elastic-high-strength-carbon.html
_______________
New experimental research exposes the strength of beryllium at extreme conditions
August 5, 2015
http://phys.org/news/2015-08-experimental-exposes-strength-beryllium-extreme.html#jCp
The technique involves setting off a piece of high explosives (HE) near the Be. On the side of the Be facing the HE, the team imposed a sinusoidal ripple pattern designed by co-author Jon Belof. When the expanding HE products load up against the target, the target accelerates. Since there is a low density gas pushing against a higher density metal, the interface is Rayleigh-Taylor unstable and the ripples grow in amplitude as the target accelerates.
If the target has no strength, the ripples will grow indefinitely and become turbulent at some point. However, since the Be does have strength, the ripple growth is limited by the strength of the material itself. The main diagnostic for the experiments is an X-ray image from the side of the target showing the height of the ripples at some time after the HE loading has occurred. The other diagnostic is velocimetry of the target showing its acceleration profile.
_______________
Bamboo inspires new process for making metals tougher
July 3, 2014
Steel is a common benchmark against which the strength of materials
is measured, with "stronger than steel" a familiar catch cry for those
touting the properties of some new space-age material. But now
researchers at North Carolina State University have created steel that
is stronger than steel using a process that increases the toughness of various metals by altering the microstructures within them.
Inspired by the internal structure of bones and
bamboo, which both boast impressive strength-to-weight ratios, the
researchers were able to increase the strength and toughness of metals
by giving them what the researchers refer to as a "gradient structure."
This is a structure where the size of the millions of tightly-packed
grains that make up the metal are gradually increased further down into
the material...
http://www.gizmag.com/gradient-structure-increase-metal-toughness/32819/
_______________
Comparison of composites made from fungal defibrated hemp with composites of traditional hemp yarn [2007]
Abstract:
Aligned epoxy-matrix composites were made from hemp fibres defibrated
with the fungi Phlebia radiata Cel 26 and Ceriporiopsis subvermispora
previously used for biopulping of wood. The fibres produced by
cultivation of P. radiata Cel 26 were more cellulose rich (78%, w/w)
than water-retted hemp due to more degradation of pectin and lignin. The
defibrated hemp fibres had higher fibre stiffness (88-94 GPa) than the
hemp yarn (60 GPa), which the fibre twisting in hemp yarn might explain.
Even though mild processing was applied, the obtained fibre strength
(643 MPa) was similar to the strength of traditionally produced hemp
yarn (677 MPa). The fibre strength and stiffness properties are derived
from composite data using the rule of mixtures model. The fibre tensile
strength increased linearly with cellulose content to 850 MPa for pure
cellulose. The fibre stiffness increased also versus the cellulose
content and cellulose crystallinity and reached a value of 125 GPa for
pure crystalline cellulose.
http://agris.fao.org/agris-search/search.do?recordID=US201300749080
_______________
Hemp
and cannabis also have nutritional value, this is why you can buy hemp
seeds at the health food store. Hemp and cannaabis can also help treat
people with medical conditions, including cancer.
_______________
Cannabis Compound Destroyed Incurable Brain Tumors
(Modern uses for the hemp plant)
http://www.cureyourowncancer.org/cannabis-compound-destroyed-incurable-brain-tumors.html
_______________
What is Hemp?
http://azmarijuana.com/marijuana-info/what-is-hemp/
_______________
Pollution: Petrol vs Hemp
http://www.hempcar.org/petvshemp.shtml
_______________
Wood foam may be a new form of green home insulation
Insulating your home may help the environment by lowering your energy
usage, but unfortunately the petroleum-based foam that's typically used
as insulation isn't all that eco-friendly itself. Researchers
at Germany's Fraunhofer Institute for Wood Research, however, have
developed a reportedly greener alternative that they claim works just as
well – it's foam made from wood.
To produce the foam, wood particles are first ground
so small that they form into a slimy solution. A gas is then added to
that slime, causing it to take on a frothy consistency. Once that froth
hardens – a process that is "aided by natural substances contained in
the wood" – a dry, porous foam is the result. The finished product can
take the form of either rigid foam boards, or flexible mats.
The slime can also be converted into foam via induced chemical reactions.
http://www.gizmag.com/wood-foam-insulation/31133/?li_source=LI&li_medium=default-widget
_______________
Rice husks may find use in cheaper, greener, longer-lasting particleboard
May 27, 2015
http://www.gizmag.com/rice-husk-particleboard/37730/
_______________
Secrets of the Samurai Sword - Documentary
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XoqVhlFe_EU
_______________
STUPID things people say about medieval SWORDS
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=--qfjf8SSuU
_______________
MYSTERIOUS Discoveries Science STILL Can't Explain!
{The Ulfberht Swords}
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d8fiXaBm0_k
_______________
The Secrets of Wootz Damascus Steel
2017
A 50-minute documentary about the legendary Al Pendray, together with
two swordsmiths from Jordan, and their quest to produce authentic wootz
Damascus steel with ores mined from a historical mine in Jordan - a mine
that is known to have produced weapons for Saladin himself.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OP8PCkcBZU4
_______________
Traditional Crafts of Finland - Episode 1 - Puukko Knife Making
2018
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BLnqr6IGVgs
_______________
Tetragrammaton - The Most Sacred Knowledge On Our Planet - Nassim Haremin
Aug 29, 2015
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=peYrSP8cke8
28:30 - Copper scrolls found near the Dead Sea contained
the purest copper ever found on Earth.
_______________
The Mystery Of Tutankhamun's Dagger | What On Earth?
{A blade made of iron that has not rusted for over 3,000 years}
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=98n-DTIwW18
_______________
Impossible Ancient OOPArts Academia Can't Explain
Oct 15, 2019
{The Sword of Goujian}
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DzQRjn7Z7fQ
_______________
Researchers find new phase of carbon, make diamond at room temperature
November 30, 2015
Researchers from North
Carolina State University have discovered a new phase of solid carbon,
called Q-carbon, which is distinct from the known phases of graphite and
diamond. They have also developed a technique for using Q-carbon to
make diamond-related structures at room temperature and at ambient
atmospheric pressure in air.
http://phys.org/news/2015-11-phase-carbon-diamond-room-temperature.html
_______________
Diamonds may be the key to future NMR/MRI technologies
December 16, 2015
Researchers
with the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE)'s Lawrence Berkeley National
Laboratory (Berkeley Lab) and the University of California (UC) Berkeley
have demonstrated that diamonds may hold the key to the future for
nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI)
technologies.
http://phys.org/news/2015-12-diamonds-key-future-nmrmri-technologies.html
_______________
Wood pulp extract stronger than carbon fiber or Kevlar
September 3, 2012
http://www.gizmag.com/cellulose-nanocrystals-stronger-carbon-fiber-kevlar/23959/?li_source=LI&li_medium=default-widget
The Forest Products Laboratory of the US Forest Service has opened a US$1.7 million pilot plant for the production of cellulose nanocrystals (CNC) from wood by-products materials such as wood chips and sawdust. Prepared properly, CNCs are stronger and stiffer than Kevlar or carbon fibers, so that putting CNC into composite materials results in high strength, low weight products. In addition, the cost of CNCs is less than ten percent of the cost of Kevlar fiber or carbon fiber. These qualities have attracted the interest of the military for use in lightweight armor and ballistic glass (CNCs are transparent), as well as companies in the automotive, aerospace, electronics, consumer products, and medical industries.
_______________
Biodegradable fibers as strong as steel made from wood cellulose
June 9, 2014
A team of researchers working at Stockholm's KTH Royal Institute of
Technology claim to have developed a way to make cellulose fibers
stronger than steel on a strength-to-weight basis. In what is touted as a
world first, the team from the institute's Wallenberg Wood Science
Center claim that the new fiber could be used as a biodegradable
replacement for many filament materials made today from imperishable
substances such as fiberglass, plastic, and metal. And all this from a
substance that requires only water, wood cellulose, and common table
salt to create it.
http://www.gizmag.com/steel-strong-fibers-wood-cellulose/32432/?li_source=LI&li_medium=default-widget
_______________
Nanotubes with two walls have singular qualities
April 15, 2015
Rice University researchers have determined that two walls are better than one when turning carbon nanotubes into materials like strong, conductive fibers or transistors.
Rice materials scientist Enrique Barrera and his colleagues used atomic-level models of double-walled nanotubes to see how they might be tuned for applications that require particular properties. They knew from others' work that double-walled nanotubes are stronger and stiffer than their single-walled cousins. But they found it may someday be possible to tune double-walled tubes for specific electronic properties by controlling their configuration, chiral angles and the distance between the walls.
http://phys.org/news/2015-04-nanotubes-walls-singular-qualities.html?utm_source=menu&utm_medium=link&utm_campaign=item-menu
_______________
Two-dimensional materials 'as revolutionary as graphene'
July 29, 2016
http://phys.org/news/2016-07-two-dimensional-materials-revolutionary-graphene.html
_______________
Move aside carbon: Boron nitride-reinforced materials are even stronger
December 22, 2015
While such carbon nanotube-polymer nanocomposites have attracted enormous interest from the materials research community, a group of scientists now has evidence that a different nanotube—made from boron nitride—could offer even more strength per unit of weight. They publish their results in the journal Applied Physics Letters.
http://phys.org/news/2015-12-carbon-boron-nitride-reinforced-materials-stronger.html#jCp
_______________
Delicately opening a band gap in graphene enables high-performance transistors
September 21, 2015
Electrons can move through graphene with almost no resistance, a property that gives graphene great potential for replacing silicon in next-generation, highly efficient electronic devices. But currently it's very difficult to control the electrons moving through graphene because graphene has no band gap, which means the electrons don't need to cross any energy barrier in order to conduct electricity. As a result, the electrons are always conducting, all the time, which means that this form of graphene can't be used to build transistors because it has no "off" state. In order to control the electron movement in graphene and enable "off" states in future graphene transistors, graphene needs a non-zero band gap—an energy barrier that can prevent electrons from conducting electricity when desired, making graphene a semiconductor instead of a full conductor.http://phys.org/news/2015-09-delicately-band-gap-graphene-enables.html#jCp
---------------
The waste coffee grounds (The remainder of regular coffee powder after being
boiled,
UCC) was dried at 100 degrees Celsius for 6 hours without other
treatments. Graphene-sheet fibers (GSFs) were fabricated from dried
coffee
grounds loaded in a nickel case using 2.45 GHz microwave plasma system at
the power of 900 W, which was equipped with a rectangular waveguide to couple
the microwave through quartz tube for generating the plasma. In the system, no
additional
heater was installed for substrate heating. The substrate temperature
was controlled by microwave power and plasma exposure time, and was
measured by a thermocouple placed in direct contact with the substrate
holder.
After the deposition chamber was pumped down to a base pressure of 1 Torr
by
a rotary pump with the pumping gas rate of 300L/s, the hydrogen and
argon gases were introduced into the chamber and produced the plasma to
irradiate the coffee grounds for 15 min. The maximal temperature was 650
degrees Celsius during the process of microwave plasma irradiation.
After deposition, the plasma was shut down and the equipment was
naturally cooled to room temperature. The yield of GSFs was found to be
10-20% in all produced nanocarbons.
http://www.rsc.org/suppdata/c5/ta/c5ta03833b/c5ta03833b1.pdf
_______________
Scientists grow high-quality graphene from tea tree extract
August 21, 2015
Graphene
has been grown from materials as diverse as plastic, cockroaches, Girl
Scout cookies, and dog feces, and can theoretically be grown from any
carbon source. However, scientists are still looking for a graphene
precursor and growth method that is sustainable, scalable, and
economically feasible, since these are all requirements for realizing
widespread commercialization of graphene-based devices.
http://phys.org/news/2015-08-scientists-high-quality-graphene-tea-tree.html
_______________
Synthesis and characterization of organic-inorganic hybrid materials and nanostructures
Posted: June 24, 2015
http://www.scientificamerican.com/naturejobs/?method=job&id=533011
The project supported by the Swedish Research Council is aimed at the
development of new approaches to building up complex structures of metal
oxide nanoparticles to be used as nano reactors and as drug delivery
vehicles. The produced particles will be decorated with functional
biomolecules, proteins and enzymes, to provide them with ability to act
as biocatalysts. It will involve the synthesis of new organic-inorganic
hybrid materials, their characterization by a variety of techniques such
as electron microscopy, X-ray diffraction and NMR, Atomic Force
Microscopy etc., and verification of their functional characteristics.
The project will be carried out in an inspiring international
environment and will involve active participation in international
project meetings.
_______________
15 Most Dense Materials on Earth | Volumetric Mass Density
May 15, 2019
15. Molybdenum
14. Silver
13. Lead
12. Thorium
11. Rhodium
10. Mercury
9. Tantalum
8. Uranium
7. Tungsten
6. Gold
5. Plutonium
4. Rhenium
3. Platinum
2. Iridium
1. Osmium
https://www.rankred.com/densest-materials-on-earth/
_______________
National Lab Teams Create Densest Object on Earth
Jan 10, 2020
Applying
30 million atmospheres of pressure lets researchers compress copper
into the densest material on the planet, for a brief moment.
Scientists
used the National Ignition Facility at Lawrence Livermore National Lab
to squeeze a microscopic sample of copper samples under 30 million
atmospheres in less than a billionth of a second. This tripled the
sample’s density, creating the densest object on the planet for a brief
moment in time.
https://www.machinedesign.com/materials/article/21120262/national-lab-teams-create-densest-object-on-earth
______________
Bioplastic: an eco-friendly alternative to non-biodegradable plastic
15 June 2023
https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/pi.6555
______________
Eco-Friendly Alternatives to Styrofoam Takeout Containers
Wooden Takeout Food Containers
Sugarcane Takeout Food Containers
Miscanthus Takeout Food Containers
https://www.getserveware.com/eco-friendly-alternatives-to-styrofoam-disposable-food-containers/
______________
13 Cellophane Alternatives for Your Next Event
April 20, 2022
Table of Contents
Cellophane alternatives
13 Cellophane Alternatives
1. Plant-Based Plastics
2. Mushroom Root
3. Bagasse
4. Seaweed Water Bubbles
5. Shower-Friendly Paper
6. Stone Paper and Plastic
7. Palm Leaves
8. Corn Starch and Sorghum Loose Fill
9. Edible Six-Pack Ring
10. Silberboard – Metallised Paper
11. Wood Pulp Cellophane
12. Prawn Shell Plastic Bags
13. Milk Plastic
https://www.ecomasteryproject.com/cellophane-alternatives/
______________
It's a wrap: clingfilm alternatives to help you ditch the plastic
Dec 2020
Four ways to store food while cutting out the plastic, from beeswax to vegan-friendly leaf wrap
1. Lakeland compostable perforated clingfilm, £3.99 for a 30-metre x 28.5cm-wide roll, perforated every 30cm
Produced
by an Italian supplier, the polyester film is designed to break down
under home and industrial home composting conditions, and it is claimed
that it will disappear within 12 months without leaving any harmful
residue in the compost.
Instructions on the packaging make clear
that it should not be used in ovens, grills or the microwave. The
perforations are handy, as it is difficult to cut the film with
scissors.
When we wrapped a slightly soggy cheese and tomato
sandwich, the clingfilm did not stick together or “cling” very well, so
we would not be confident about its durability if carried around. That
said, it is strong and did its job perfectly when used to cover food in
containers in the fridge, with no whiff evident from an open pot of
tuna. It can also be used in the freezer, although it was hard to tell
whether it would survive long-term.
Overall verdict: An
affordable guilt-free film that is useful for many kitchen jobs but
cannot be used for cooking and does not have the “clingability” of the
standard version.
2. Essential Waitrose non-PVC clingfilm
3. The Beeswax Wrap Co’s pack of five beeswax wraps
4. Leaf wrap, brightly coloured and printed plant-based wax food wraps
https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2020/dec/24/its-a-wrap-clingfilm-alternatives-to-help-you-ditch-the-plastic
______________
20 Best Tin Foil Alternatives: Eco-friendly & Cost-effective Options
November 13, 2023
https://homeisd.com/tin-foil-alternatives/
______________
Top Eco-Friendly Alternatives to Plastic Utensils: A Comprehensive Guide
February 4, 2024
https://homeisd.com/alternatives-to-plastic-utensils/
______________
Development of environmental-friendly biofoam cup made from sugarcane bagasse and coconut fiber
March 2021
https://www.researchgate.net/publication/350332552_Development_of_environmental-friendly_biofoam_cup_made_from_sugarcane_bagasse_and_coconut_fiber
______________
Thermal degradation of eco-friendly alternative plastics: kinetics and thermodynamics analysis
17 February 2020
https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s11356-020-07919-w
______________
Styrofoam Facts: Why Styrofoam is Bad For the Environment
https://www.ecofriendlyhabits.com/styrofoam-facts/
______________
Researchers develop viable, environmentally-friendly alternative to Styrofoam
May 9, 2019
Washington
State University researchers have developed an
environmentally-friendly, plant-based material that for the first time
works better than Styrofoam for insulation.
The foam is mostly
made from nanocrystals of cellulose, the most abundant plant material on
earth. The researchers also developed an environmentally friendly and
simple manufacturing process to make the foam, using water as a solvent
instead of other harmful solvents.
The work, led by Amir Ameli,
assistant professor in the School of Mechanical and Materials
Engineering, and Xiao Zhang, associate professor in the Gene and Linda
School of Chemical Engineering and Bioengineering, is published in the
journal Carbohydrate Polymers.
Researchers have been working to
develop an environmentally friendly replacement for polystyrene foam, or
Styrofoam. The popular material, made from petroleum, is used in
everything from coffee cups to materials for building and construction,
transportation, and packaging industries. But, it is made from toxic
ingredients, depends on petroleum, doesn't degrade naturally, and
creates pollution when it burns.
While other researchers have
created other cellulose-based foams, the plant-based versions haven't
performed as well as Styrofoam. They are not as strong, don't insulate
as well, and degraded at higher temperatures and in humidity. To make
cellulose nanocrystals, researchers use acid hydrolysis, in which acid
is used to cleave chemical bonds.
https://phys.org/news/2019-05-viable-environmentally-friendly-alternative-styrofoam.html#google_vignette
______________
Styrofoam eco-friendly alternative Cruz Foam now being adopted by local companies
June 28, 2023
https://www.cbsnews.com/sanfrancisco/news/styrofoam-eco-friendly-alternative-cruz-foam/
______________
Could ‘Nanowood’ Replace Styrofoam?
March 26, 2018
Scientists at the University of Maryland have developed a biodegradable material that is both strong and a good insulator
Researchers
at the University of Maryland have developed a super-lightweight
insulating material they say could prove to be a better, more
eco-friendly alternative. The material, made from tiny wood fibers, is
called nanowood. It blocks heat at least 10 degrees better than
Styrofoam or silica aerogel, a common insulator, and it can take at
least 30 times more pressure than Styrofoam or silica aerogel before
being crushed.
Working in the lab of materials scientist
Liangbing Hu, postdoctoral researcher Tian Li is the lead author on the
study, published this month in the journal Science Advances.
“To
the best of our knowledge, the strength of our nanowood represents the
highest value among available super insulating materials,” wrote the
study authors.
https://www.smithsonianmag.com/innovation/could-nanowood-replace-styrofoam-180968575/
______________
Nanotechnology approaches for creating biodeterioration-resistant wood
December 21, 2023
https://phys.org/news/2023-12-nanotechnology-approaches-biodeterioration-resistant-wood.html
______________
Green alternatives to styrofoam insulation
April 8, 2019
1. Greensulate
Greensulate
is a good alternative to Styrofoam insulation. The material is
biodegradable and renewable in nature. Besides being a good insulator,
the material is also resistive to fire. You must have seen mushroom
being served at your favorite restaurant, but have you ever thought of
the idea of mushrooms inside your walls, protecting it from moisture and
other environmental hazards. Mushrooms form the basic element in making
Greensulate. A mixture of agricultural bio-waste grows mushrooms into
shapes to make insulation. One has to add Fungal cells in addition with
hydrogen peroxide, to prevent unwanted fungal growth. It is cheaper than
polystyrene and more Eco-friendly. This should serve as enough
incentives to try this material.
Greensulate is a reality because
of the research done by two mechanical engineers – Eben Bayer and Gavin
McIntyre. They, along with other members, are now corporate under the
name Ecovative Designs that provide Eco-friendly Greensulate materials
for a myriad of purposes.
2. Aerogel
Aerogel is a
translucent gel-like material that has a higher R-value than Styrofoam.
The material has low density and thermal conductivity, and porous in
nature. The translucent nature of the material has given it odd names
like frozen smoke, liquid smoke, etc. The low thermal conductivity is
due to the fact that it negates four ways of heat transfer – convection,
conduction, and radiation. Besides insulation, NASA has used Aerogel to
collect space dust. Through the process of supercritical drying, the
liquid component of the gel is taken out to make the material. The
nature of the gel depends on the material from. One can easily extract
it. Most common Aerogel materials have silica, carbon and alumina as
their constituents. Commercially, Aerogel comes in granular form for
insulation and absorption of infrared radiation.
The toxicity of the gel depends on its material. Silica-based Aerogel is not toxic and one can safely use it in homes.
3. Durisol’s green insulated concrete
Durisol,
a Canada based company, is the leading manufacturer of cement-bonded
wood fiber products. Since 1945, they have been making Durisol products
in their 14 manufacturing units located throughout the world. Durisol is
the name of the concrete, which constitutes a mixture of wood fiber and
Portland cement. It requires 100% recycled wood in the manufacturing
process. The origin of the material goes back to Switzerland, where it
was invented to provide a cheap building material to rebuild post world
war Europe. Currently, the company has a host of Durisol products that
include Flat Durisol Sheets, Concrete Wall Accessories, ICF Wall forms
and many more.
Durisol concrete forms are cheap, good insulators, Eco-friendly and strong as conventional concrete blocks.
4. Cellulose insulation
People
had been using Cellulose insulation in the ancient world, long before
the discovery of petroleum. We have now rediscovered the use of such
insulation in the wake of environmental crisis. The traditional
Cellulose material is purely organic and made from plant fibers, but the
modern variant uses recycled newspaper, saw dust, cotton, corncob, hemp
and cardboard. Commercially, Cellulose is available in dry loose fill,
wet-spray Cellulose, stabilized Cellulose and low-dust Cellulose. The
R-value of the material is 3.8 per square inch, little lower than
Styrofoam. It is a good insulator for walls, electrical wiring and
pipes. A wall filled with Cellulose insulation may have little or no air
pockets, thus increasing the efficiency of the insulation. The material
is resistive to vapors and molds, and is non-combustible.
The major disadvantage of Cellulose insulation is that it can increase the inflow of dust inside the house.
5. Denim insulation
When
talking about Denim, the first thing that comes in our mind is Jeans.
Denim insulation is nothing but recycled industrial cotton. Makers of
such materials are not going after throw away jeans; rather they are
taking the scraps that the textile industry is producing. 85% of the raw
material comes from scraps.
The insulation is cheap, 100%
recycled, treated with fire-resistant chemicals, and free from VOC and
formaldehyde. Furthermore, it’s installation does not require a
specialist to meddle in the process.
6. Icynene
Icynene
is a liquid insulation material that is mixed with water and sprayed
through a blower on to the wall. It is made from castor oil. The liquid
turns into foam when it hits the wall. The R-value of the material is
3.6 per square inch. It forms an effective air tight layer on the wall,
and traps air in bubbles moment it settles down. The air tight feature
makes it compulsory to built effective ventilation to assist air flow.
Moreover, it allows water vapor to escape hence prevents accumulation of
water.
Icynene may not be a viable option for people who are
looking for a cost-effective solution to insulation as Icynene is
expensive.
7. Straw bale insulation
Straw-bale as an
insulator has long been known to us. Straw being an agricultural
byproduct is clean and green. The material is fire-resistant and retards
sound. In addition, according to popular belief, Bale insulation can
reduce 75% of the heating cost. Commonly used bales of straw in
construction are derived from rice, wheat, oat and rye. The R-value of
the material varies from 0.94 to 2.38 per square inch. Besides being
clean, it is also cost-effective.
Straw-bale insulation may not be suitable in extreme cold climates, because of the low R-value.
8. Sheep wool insulation
https://ecofriend.com/green-alternatives-styrofoam-insulation.html
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4 Mineral Wool Insulation Alternatives to Consider When Insulating a Home or Building
September 18, 2022
1. Sheep’s Wool
2. Cotton
3. Aerogel
4. HempWool®
https://www.hempitecture.com/post/mineral-wool-insulation-alternatives/
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Non-toxic natural building insulation made of grass
July 28, 2021
https://www.ecohome.net/guides/3483/non-toxic-and-eco-friendly-natural-building-insulation-made-of-grass/
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20 Best Eco-Friendly and Efficient Alternatives to Fiberglass Insulation
November 12, 2023
Cellulose Insulation
Mineral Wool Insulation*
Cotton Insulation
Expanded Polystyrene (EPS) Insulation
Extruded Polystyrene (XPS) Insulation
Polyisocyanurate (PIR) Insulation
Spray Foam Insulation
Radiant Barrier Insulation
Aerogel Insulation
Sheep Wool Insulation
Hemp Insulation
Insulated Concrete Forms (ICFs)
https://homeisd.com/fiberglass-insulation-alternatives/
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An Overview of Eco-Friendly Alternatives as the Replacement of Cement in Concrete
November 2021
https://www.researchgate.net/publication/356546878_An_Overview_of_Eco-Friendly_Alternatives_as_the_Replacement_of_Cement_in_Concrete
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Sustainable Wall Solutions Using Foam Concrete and
Hemp Composites
2021
https://intapi.sciendo.com/pdf/10.2478/rtuect-2021-0069
______________
Advances and development trends in eco-friendly pavements
2021
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2097049821000044
______________
Eco-friendly foam can insulate buildings without warming the globe
March 23, 2023
https://phys.org/news/2023-03-eco-friendly-foam-insulate-globe.html
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Engineering Sustainable Solutions: Mycelium Insulation, an Environmentally-Friendly Alternative to Polystyrene
https://www.engineergirl.org/147080/Engineering-Sustainable-Solutions-Mycelium-Insulation-an-EnvironmentallyFriendly-Alternative-to-Polystyrene
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10 Eco-Friendly Alternatives to Styrofoam
Jun 3, 2019
1. Mushroom Material
2. Plantable Packaging
3. Edible Packing Peanuts
4.
InCycle® Cups - MicroGREEN uses their unique technology to add carbon
dioxide to recycled plastics, creating a lightweight, durable plastic
that’s easier to recycle and reuse.
5. Bamboo Fiber Eco Bowl
6.
EarthAware™ Biodegradeable Packing Materials - It looks like a regular
plastic air pouch, but EarthAware™’s packing materials are made with a
special type of plastic that can biodegrade in just 5 years. That’s a
lot quicker than Styrofoam’s biodegradation date, which is never.
7.
EarthShell “Paper” Plates - There’s no paper at all in these disposable
plates. Instead, rice, potatoes, and limestone could be the future of
Central Park picnics.
8. Peat Plastic
9. ecotainer® Cups
10.
Loliware Edible Cups - These may not replace your standard “to-go” cup,
but we can totally see New Yorkers loving this edible glassware. Made
from plant gelatin, these vegan-friendly cups come in flavors that
compliment your beverage. They’re also super eco-friendly—whether they
break down in a landfill or in your belly.
https://www.ecoaid.net.au/post/10-eco-friendly-alternatives-to-styrofoam
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Effective and Eco-Friendly Alternatives to Styrofoam
November 14, 2023
Biodegradable Materials
Biodegradable Peanuts Starch
Plant-based Packaging
Paper-based Products
Wheat Straw Products
Recyclable Aluminum
Bamboo Containers
Cornstarch Solutions
Eco-friendly Plastics
Seaweed-based Foam
Mushroom Packaging
Alternatives to Styrofoam Foodservice Products
Palm Leaf Plates
Recycled Cardboard
Glass Alternatives
Ceramic Replacements
Natural Fiber Packaging
This
type of packaging is made from renewable resources such as bamboo,
hemp, and cotton. Natural fibers are biodegradable and compostable,
making them an excellent choice for sustainable living.
One
example of natural fiber packaging is molded pulp trays that can be used
for food or electronics. These trays are made from recycled paper waste
and can be easily composted after use.
Another option is using
jute bags instead of plastic bags when shopping for groceries or
carrying items around town. Jute bags are durable, reusable, and
biodegradable.
Using natural fiber packaging not only helps
reduce waste but also supports the growth of sustainable industries that
prioritize environmental responsibility in their production processes.
Bagasse Containers
Bagasse
is a byproduct of sugarcane processing, and it’s often discarded as
waste. However, this material can be repurposed into eco-friendly
packaging products such as plates, bowls, and takeout containers.
Bagasse
containers are sturdy and durable enough to hold hot or cold food items
without leaking or breaking down quickly. They’re also microwave-safe
and freezer-safe for added convenience.
Using bagasse products
instead of Styrofoam not only helps reduce waste but also supports
sustainable agriculture practices by utilizing sugarcane residue that
would otherwise go unused.
https://homeisd.com/alternatives-to-styrofoam/
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This biodegradable alternative to Styrofoam is made from discarded paper
2021
https://www.optimistdaily.com/2021/01/this-biodegradable-alternative-to-styrofoam-is-made-from-discarded-paper/
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Popcorn used to create an eco-friendly alternative to polystyrene foam
November 18, 2021
https://newatlas.com/environment/popcorn-expanded-polystyrene-foam/
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Sustainable and Affordable Alternatives to Ethyl Vinyl Acetate Foam for Suppliers
April 14, 2024
https://www.evaforsale.com/2024/04/14/sustainable-and-affordable-alternatives-to-ethyl-vinyl-acetate-foam-for-suppliers/
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Sawdust-based material could be an eco-friendly alternative to EPS foam
March 23, 2022
https://newatlas.com/environment/sawdust-based-material-eps-foam/
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Made of fungi, mycelium hits market as green substitute for leather, plastic
Designer Stella McCartney unveils mycelium-based clothing
Mar 22, 2021
https://www.cbc.ca/news/science/mycelium-fungi-green-materials-1.5954664
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This fungus-based material is being used to imitate Styrofoam, leather, and even bacon
2020
https://www.businessinsider.com/mycelium-fungus-material-packing-leather-bacon-2020-3?op=1
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Engineered mycelium-based composite materials: Comprehensive study of various properties and applications
2023
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0950061823015544
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Quest for an eco-friendly alternative surfactant: Surface and foam characteristics of natural surfactants
2017
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S095965261730447X
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Biodegradable Foam: Delving Into The Potential Of Eco Materials
https://ecomaniac.org/biodegradable-foam/
______________
17+ Sustainable and Green Building Construction Materials
1. Bamboo
2. Precast Concrete Slabs
3. Cork
4. Straw Bales
5. Recycled Plastic
6. Reclaimed Wood
7. Reclaimed or Recycled Steel
8. Plant-based Polyurethane Rigid Foam
9. Sheep’s Wool
10. Rammed earth
11. HempCrete
12. Mycelium
13. Ferrock
14. Timbercrete
15. Terrazzo
16. Composite Roofing Shingles*
17. Smart Glass Windows
18. Solar Panels
https://www.conserve-energy-future.com/sustainable-construction-materials.php
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Mushroom Material Targets the Beauty Industry With a Styrofoam Alternative
November 12, 2021
https://thedieline.com/mushroom-material-targets-the-beauty-industry-with-a-styrofoam-alternative/
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Sustainable shoe soles are made from plant-based material
https://springwise.com/sustainable-shoe-soles-are-made-from-plant-based-material/
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A SUSTAINABLE MATERIALS FOR FOOTWEAR INDUSTRY: DESIGNING BIODEGRADABLE SHOES
February 2020
https://www.researchgate.net/publication/340830961_A_SUSTAINABLE_MATERIALS_FOR_FOOTWEAR_INDUSTRY_DESIGNING_BIODEGRADABLE_SHOES
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Dutch Students Make Leather from Fruit Waste
September 1, 2015
http://www.greenoptimistic.com/leather-fruit-waste/#.Ve-t05e-2zk
They developed a method to produce a new material from the fruit and vegetable left-overs. As the name of the initiative suggests, the new material is called “fruit leather“, and it is created by processing spoiled biological plant waste. This new type of vegan leather can be used to make all sorts of products, from handbags to furniture, and it can potentially have the same quality as its animal ancestor after a few more improvements are made.
The young designers have not yet released their precise method, I am guessing because of a patent or a possibility for commercializing the product, but in general it involves cleaning, mashing, boiling and then drying of the waste.
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Green leather: Innovative Plant-Based Substitute Developed from Pineapple Leaf Fiber and Natural Rubber
27 June 2024
https://renewable-carbon.eu/news/green-leather-innovative-plant-based-substitute-developed-from-pineapple-leaf-fiber-and-natural-rubber/
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Making clothes out of gelatin could reduce agricultural waste
June 24, 2015
From gummy bears to silky mousses, gelatin is essential for making some of our favorite sweets. Now scientists are exploring another use for the common food ingredient: spinning it into yarn so it can be made into clothing. And because gelatin comes from livestock by-products, the new technique would provide an additional use for agricultural leftovers. The report appears in the ACS journal Biomacromolecules.
More than a century ago, the textile industry started using protein fibers from animals and vegetables such as casein from milk and zein from corn to make new kinds of fabrics. But synthetic fibers derived from petroleum products boomed and quickly eclipsed those efforts. Now, as consumers search for "greener" products, scientists have revived the idea of making fabrics from animal and plant proteins. Wendelin J. Stark and colleagues decided to try spinning yarn out of gelatin, which comes from collagen, an abundant protein in livestock by-products.
The researchers spun filaments of gelatin, twisted them into a yarn and then treated it with gaseous formaldehyde and lanolin (wool grease) to make it water-resistant. The resulting yarn was about as strong as a strand of merino wool. It was also just as warm when knitted into a glove.
http://phys.org/news/2015-06-gelatin-agricultural.html#jCp
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MIT group explores bacteria use for comfort wear
October 30, 2015
Now they are using the bacteria in a new way—it becomes a nanoactuator that expands and shrinks based on atmospheric moisture or the sweat of the skin. As Gizmodo wrote, the team was interested in the possibilities: "if natto's expansion and contraction could be carefully calibrated, perhaps it could act more like a machine than an unpredictable organism. Perhaps it could act more like an actuator."
The team said, "We introduce a specific type of living cells as nanoactuators that react to body temperature and humidity change. The living nanoactuator can be controlled by electrical signal and communicate with the virtual world as well." A digital printing system and design simulation software were developed too.
http://techxplore.com/news/2015-10-mit-group-explores-bacteria-comfort.html
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Towards a Sustainable Circular Economy: Algae-Based Bioplastics and the Role of Internet-of-Things and Machine Learning
06 November 2023
https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1002/cben.202300028
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Bioplastic: An Eco‐friendly Alternative of Non‐Biodegradable Plastic
June 2023
https://www.researchgate.net/publication/371613118_Bioplastic_An_Eco-friendly_Alternative_of_Non-Biodegradable_Plastic
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Holly Grounds develops dissolvable ramen packaging that turns into sauce
13 July 2020
https://www.dezeen.com/2020/07/13/holly-grounds-dissolvable-noodle-packaging-design/
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The eco-friendly alternative to formaldehyde-based resins
April 24, 2023
https://insights.basf.com/construction/article/read/the-eco-friendly-alternative-to-formaldehyde-based-resins
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Zero Waste Floss: 9 Eco-Friendly Flossers For A Sustainable Smile
April 5, 2023
https://www.sustainablejungle.com/zero-waste/zero-waste-floss/
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18 Eco Friendly Alternatives to Plastic in Your Life
07 Aug 2022
1. Bamboo
2. Upcycled Tyre**
3. Coconut
4. Glass
5. Biomass
6. Paper Made Without Trees
7. Repurposed Cloth or Fabric
8. Jute
9. Cork
10. Wheatstraw
11. Natural Fiber
12. Recycled Paper
13. Organic Cotton
14. Stainless steel
15. Products Made From Beeswax and Soywax*
16. Wood
17. Coir
18. Cardboard
https://greenfeels.in/blogs/sustainability-basics/eco-friendly-alternatives-to-plastic
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What to know about PHA biodegradable plastic and how it could help Southeast Asia
July 24, 2021
https://abcnews.go.com/Business/pha-biodegradable-plastic-southeast-asia/story?id=78859058
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Section 4:
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Scientists can now remove nanoplastics from our water with 94% efficiency
March 14, 2024
University of Waterloo researchers have created a new technology that can remove harmful nanoplastics from contaminated water with 94% efficiency. The study, "Utilization of epoxy thermoset waste to produce activated carbon for the remediation of nano-plastic contaminated wastewater," was published in the journal Separation and Purification Technology...
https://techxplore.com/news/2024-03-scientists-nanoplastics-efficiency.html
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Harmful 'forever chemicals' removed from water with new electrocatalysis method
March 5, 2024
https://phys.org/news/2024-03-chemicals-electrocatalysis-method.html
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Scientists are using bacteria to remove harmful contaminants from our water. Here's how.
January 10, 2019
https://www.ehn.org/scientists-are-using-bacteria-to-remove-harmful-contaminants-from-our-water-heres-how-2625517276.html
John
Coates' laboratory at the University of California, Berkeley, hums with
activity. Negative 80-degree freezers whirr, liquid nitrogen bubbles,
grad students meticulously measure and mix complicated concoctions. But
all of this is nothing compared with the commotion going on at a
microscopic level.
The Coates lab is growing many different kinds
of bacteria, multiplying in petri dishes at mind-boggling rates. But
these bacteria aren't out to harm people or animals. In fact, quite the
opposite — they're hard at work breaking down a dangerous chemical that
pollutes waterways across the United States.
The chemical, called
perchlorate, comes from rocket fuel, munitions and fireworks. It's
dangerous to humans because it can impair thyroid function. It can also
affect the thyroid in freshwater animals like fish and amphibians, even
altering gonad development in some animals. But certain bacteria,
including several species of Dechloromonasand Azospira, have evolved to
use perchlorate to make energy-storing molecules. In the process, they
turn it into harmless chloride and oxygen.
Coates is just one of
many scientists across the globe who are working to harness the ability
of various bacteria to remove harmful pollutants from water. This is no
easy task. There are thousands of different pollutants — industrial
chemicals, pesticides, herbicides, fertilizers, metals and more — and no
one microbe can break down all. Also, because bacteria need special
conditions to survive, it can be difficult to incorporate them into
water treatment systems.
In spite of these challenges, Coates
sees a future full of possibility. "It's really just a question of
sitting down and spinning your brain around all the cool, novel aspects
of these organisms and then asking where can we apply this?" he says.
Perchlorate decon
Perchlorate
is mostly used in rocket fuels and munitions. Improper storage or
disposal of rockets or debris may contaminate the environment. Through
leaks or explosions, perchlorate can also pollute waterways near
manufacturing plants. It's water soluble and chemically stable, so it
can persist in ground and surface water for decades.
And that's
bad news for people whose drinking water comes from contaminated
sources, especially pregnant women and children. Perchlorate has been
shown to impair thyroid function; proper thyroid function is essential
for normal brain development during the prenatal period and during
childhood.
When Coates submitted his first academic paper on
perchlorate-degrading bacteria in 1998 (it was published in 1999), there
were only a few bacterial species known to be capable of performing
this feat. Coates wanted to see if there were more.
"It turns out
that the microorganisms that use perchlorate are essentially ubiquitous
— they're not difficult to find. And you can culture them fairly
readily. To remediate perchlorate, you just needed to create specific
conditions," he says.
The way to do this is to use something
called a bioreactor — a home for bacteria that provides all the
nutrients and minerals they need to thrive. It's similar to a fermenting
tank for beer, except instead of yeast converting sugars into alcohol
and carbon dioxide, perchlorate-destroying bacteria turn dangerous
perchlorate into harmless chloride and oxygen. Contaminated ground or
surface water gets pumped into the bioreactors, which are full of these
bacteria. Once the bacteria have broken down the perchlorate, the water
is filtered and sterilized to remove bacteria. The decontaminated water
can then be sent to consumers or pumped back into the ground.
Thanks
to discoveries made by Coates and a legion of other scientists,
perchlorate-decontaminating bioreactors have been applied in the real
world with great success. Large-scale perchlorate bioreactors are now at
work cleaning contaminated water at several sites in California,
Kansas, Texas and Utah. These bioreactors are astonishingly efficient:
The bioreactor-based groundwater treatment plant in Rialto, California,
for example, is capable or decontaminating 2,000 gallons (over 7,500
liters) of perchlorate-polluted water per minute — that's more than a
billion gallons (over 3.7 billion liters) a year. In fact, Coates says
that the bacterial removal of perchlorate represents one of the
largest-scale bioremediation projects in the world.
Converting uranium
Implementing
bioreactor technologies isn't always so straightforward, even when the
bioreactor performs well in the lab. A bioreactor designed by Bruce
Rittmann, the director of the Swette Center for Environmental
Biotechnology at Arizona State University's Biodesign Institute, was
initially used to remove water contaminants like perchlorate and
trichloroethene, but can also be used to remove uranium and other metals
from water. This kind of contamination can occur around uranium mines
and mills, especially older abandoned ones. In people, drinking water
contaminated with uranium can cause kidney damage; uranium is also toxic
to fish, decreasing their reproductive success.
The bacteria in
the bioreactor can't destroy the uranium, but they can convert it to a
form that separates from water. Once the uranium comes out of the
solution, it's much easier to remove —think about the difference between
taking a sugar cube out of a glass of water and trying to remove the
sugar once it's dissolved. In tests, Rittmann's bioreactor removed about
95 percent of the uranium from a contaminated water supply.
Rittmann
says it would be relatively straightforward to construct a bioreactor
system in currently operational mines that already have some sort of
water treatment system in place. However, cleaning up abandoned mines
would be more difficult, since they have no such infrastructure. There
are about 4,000 abandoned uranium mines in America's western states.
This
technology, Rittmann says, can be applied not just to water
contaminated by uranium mines but also to wastewater from precious metal
mines, including silver, gold and palladium. "In these cases, the
materials that we produce — the solids these microbes remove from the
water — are really valuable. We're working on the development of this
technology not only to remove pollutants but to generate high value.
It's a good deal," he says.
Beyond the bioreactor
What if
we want to break down pollutants in places where building bioreactors
isn't feasible, like in runoff from agricultural fields contaminated
with pesticides? Colin Scott, head of the Biocatalysis & SynBio Team
at Australia's Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research
Organization (CSIRO), may have an answer.
Bacteria make enzymes,
and it's these enzymes that do the dirty work of actually breaking down
pollutants. So, Scott and his team are experimenting with bacterial
enzymes to decontaminate water systems polluted with pesticides and
herbicides. Enzymes aren't alive, so they don't need nutrients, which
means they can be used in places that bacteria won't survive. They can't
reproduce or adapt, so won't multiply and disturb delicate ecosystems.
"Enzymes
themselves are terrific because they're really specific for the thing
that you want them to do, so they don't have any other effects. And
they're also biodegradable, so they don't persist in the environment,"
says Scott.
Such enzymes are not yet used on a large scale, but
they've been successful in field tests. For example, a bacterial enzyme
called OP-A is capable of breaking down organophosphate insecticides,
which have been linked to deficits in attention, coordination and
memory, especially in agricultural workers. In field trials, the OP-A
enzyme reduced levels of the controversial pesticide chlorpyrifos —
linked to impaired brain development in children — in contaminated field
runoff by 99 percent in just eight hours. (Since these tests, the
researchers say they have developed an improved version of OP-A, known
as A900.)
The specificity of enzymes is both their brilliance and
their downfall. On one hand, high specificity means that enzymes aren't
likely to produce unwanted side effects, like harming plants or
animals. On the other hand, there are thousands of different pollutants,
which means we'll need a lot of different enzymes.
After an
appropriate enzyme has been identified, scientists have to figure out
how to cost-effectively mass produce it. Since enzymes usually
biodegrade quickly, scientists have to make sure the enzyme stays intact
long enough to do its job. They also have to run safety studies to make
sure that whatever components the enzymes break the pollutant down into
aren't also toxic.
A long way to go
There's still a lot
of work to be done. At the science level, we need to identify and
characterize bacteria that can break down specific pollutants. Although
bacteria for degrading or removing contaminants like perchlorate,
uranium and certain pesticides are well understood, as-yet undiscovered
bacteria may be important in dealing with emerging water pollutants such
as PFAS, which can cause immune system dysfunction and cancer, as well
as pharmaceuticals, the effects of which are not yet fully understood.
Other
hurdles are policy based. It's often not a question of whether to use
bioremediation or alternative techniques, but whether to do anything at
all. Many contaminants — including several pesticides, cyanotoxins and
solvents — are monitored by the EPA, but not regulated. Without set
limits for acceptable amounts of these chemicals in drinking water,
there's no incentive for anyone to spend money to get rid of them. Even
though bioremediation may be cheaper than the alternatives, in the short
term, it's still more expensive than doing nothing. And for many
pollutants — including many pesticides — there's currently a whole lot
of nothing being done.
But with the continued work of scientists and stricter water quality standards, bacteria could be a public health game-changer.
"These bugs are amazing," says Coates. "What limits us is our imagination rather than the organisms' abilities."
______________
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Optimized
carbonization of coffee shell via response surface methodology: A
circular economy approach for environmental remediation
2023
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0269749123020201
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Coffee grounds modified zero-valent iron for efficient heavy metal removal
December 2023
https://www.researchgate.net/publication/376121030_Coffee_grounds_modified_zero-valent_iron_for_efficient_heavy_metal_removal
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Jack Bean Development in Multimetal Contaminated Soil Amended with Coffee Waste-Derived Biochars
2022
https://www.mdpi.com/2227-9717/10/10/2157
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From fungi to furniture: the future of sustainable design?
https://from.ncl.ac.uk/from-fungi-to-furniture-future-of-sustainable-design?utm_source=research-gate&utm_medium=display&utm_campaign=reputation-ranking&utm_term=image&utm_content=bioknit-project
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Could spent coffee grounds provide an alternative to plastic packaging?
September 21, 2023
https://www.sdstate.edu/news/2023/09/could-spent-coffee-grounds-provide-alternative-plastic-packaging
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How to Compost With Coffee Grounds to Benefit Your Garden
05/16/23
Using Coffee Grounds Directly in Soil vs. Composting Them
https://www.thespruce.com/coffee-grounds-compost-7495511
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The use of spent coffee grounds and spent green tea leaves for the removal of cationic dyes from aqueous solutions
May 2021
https://www.researchgate.net/publication/351356680_The_use_of_spent_coffee_grounds_and_spent_green_tea_leaves_for_the_removal_of_cationic_dyes_from_aqueous_solutions
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Environmental remediation by tea waste and its derivative products: A review on present status and technological advancements
2022 Apr 5
Abstract
The
rising consumption of the popular non-alcoholic beverage tea and its
derivative products caused massive growth in worldwide tea production in
the last decade, leading to the generation of huge quantities of waste
tea residues every year. Most of these wastes are usually burnt or
disposed in landfills without proper treatment which results in serious
environmental issues by polluting water, air and soil. In the recent
times, 'waste to wealth' is a fast-growing concept for environment
friendly sustainable development. Utilization of the large amount of tea
wastes for the production of low-cost adsorbents to reduce the expenses
of water and wastewater treatment can be a sustainable way of
management of these wastes which at the same time will improve circular
economy also. This review endeavours to evaluate the potential of both
raw and modified tea wastes towards the adsorption of pollutants from
wastewater. The production of various adsorptive materials such as
biochar, activated carbon, nanocomposites, hydrogels, nanoparticles from
tea wastes are summarized. The advancements in their applications for
the removal of different emerging contaminants from wastewater as well
as potable water, air and soil are exhaustively reviewed. The outcome of
the present review reveals that tea waste and its derivatives are
appropriate candidates to be used as adsorbents that show tremendous
effectiveness in cleaning the environment. This article will provide the
readers with an in-depth knowledge on the sustainable utilization of
tea waste as adsorbent materials and will assist them to explore this
abundant cheap waste biomass for environmental remediation.
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/35395270/
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Analysis of Nicotine in Mushrooms
https://eurl-pesticides.eu/library/docs/srm/meth_NicotineMushrooms_CrlFvCrlSrm.pdf
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Food
wastes clean water wastes: melon peel peroxidase isolation and
immobilization onto magnetite nanoparticles for phenol removal
30 October 2023
Abstract
In this study, melon peel waste was utilized to isolate peroxidase
enzyme through three-phase portioning (TPP) and subsequently immobilized
onto magnetite nanoparticles for effective bioremediation of phenol
pollutants from water. The optimization of TPP parameters ensured
maximum activity recovery and enzyme purity. Magnetite nanoparticles
were synthesized and used as a substrate for immobilizing the isolated
peroxidase, achieving an activity recovery of 157% and a purification
fold of 5.2. Protein homogeneity testing confirmed the purity of the
peroxidase enzyme. The magnetite nanoparticles had an average diameter
of 62 nm, and the immobilization efficiency reached 93% at pH 8 with an
enzyme/nanoparticles v/v ratio of 1:9. The immobilized peroxidase
demonstrated the ability to degrade 57% of phenol within 3 h and
retained 30% relative activity even after five catalytic cycles. This
immobilized melon peel peroxidase on magnetite nanoparticles proves to
be a robust, enduring, and reusable biocatalyst with potential for
various applications, especially in bioremediation processes.
https://chembioagro.springeropen.com/articles/10.1186/s40538-023-00494-5
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Evaluation
of orange peel for biosurfactant production by Bacillus licheniformis
and their ability to degrade naphthalene and crude oil
2016 Feb 4
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4742421/
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Activated
carbon derived from waste orange and lemon peels for the adsorption of
methyl orange and methylene blue dyes from wastewater
2022 Jul 10
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC9363969/
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Orange Peels as a Sustainable Material for Treating Water Polluted with Antimony
Feb 2021
https://www.researchgate.net/publication/348938610_Orange_Peels_as_a_Sustainable_Material_for_Treating_Water_Polluted_with_Antimony
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7 Easy Ways To Use Orange Citrus Peels For Cleaning
7 Easy Ways to Harness the Power of Orange Citrus Peels for Cleaning
1. All-Purpose Cleaner
2. Garbage Disposal Freshener
3. Microwave Cleaner
4. Stovetop Cleaner
5. Air Freshener
6. Refrigerator Deodorizer
7. Chrome and Metal Polish
https://alisonsnotebook.com/orange-citrus-peels-for-cleaning/
______________
Modification of Poly(lactic acid) with Orange Peel Powder as Biodegradable Composite
2022
https://www.mdpi.com/2073-4360/14/19/4126
______________
Modified Orange Peel Waste as a Sustainable Material for Adsorption of Contaminants
2023 Jan 27
https://ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC9922011/
______________
A critical review with emphasis on recent pieces of evidence of Moringa oleifera biosorption in water and wastewater treatment
2022 May 18.
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC9252946/
______________
Bioremediation of Waters Contaminated with Heavy Metals Using Moringa oleifera Seeds as Biosorbent
2013
https://www.intechopen.com/chapters/45214
______________
Bioremediation of Turbid Surface Water Using Seed Extract from Moringa oleifera Lam. (Drumstick) Tree
15 February 2010
https://currentprotocols.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/9780471729259.mc01g02s16
______________
Assessing the Usefulness of Moringa oleifera Leaf Extract as a Biostimulant to Supplement Synthetic Fertilizers: A Review
2022 Aug 26
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC9459878/
______________
A
comprehensive review on Moringa oleifera nanoparticles: importance of
polyphenols in nanoparticle synthesis, nanoparticle efficacy and their
applications
19 February 2024
https://jnanobiotechnology.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s12951-024-02332-8
______________
A novel approach for removing microplastics from water
September 12, 2023
Texas A&M AgriLife study shows fungal isolates can remediate potentially harmful microplastics in aqueous environment
https://agrilifetoday.tamu.edu/2023/09/12/a-novel-approach-for-removing-microplastics-from-water/
______________
Pollution Solution: New Device Can Capture 99.9% of Microplastics in Water Using Wood Dust
August 21, 2023
https://scitechdaily.com/pollution-solution-new-device-can-capture-99-9-of-microplastics-in-water-using-wood-dust/
______________
NUS physicists utilise hair fluorescence to repurpose human hair waste
30 June 2023
Activating
the fluorescent properties of our hair using heat could convert human
hair waste into a functional material for steganography and pollution
detection
https://news.nus.edu.sg/utilising-fluorescence-to-repurpose-hair-waste/
______________
Researchers gain ground on turning chicken feathers into water filters
Technology boosts potential for low-cost, sustainable solution to contaminated water.
July 10, 2023
https://www.feedstuffs.com/nutrition-and-health/researchers-gain-ground-on-turning-chicken-feathers-into-water-filters
______________
Scientists Use Chicken Feathers To Generate Clean Energy
October 20, 2023
Researchers are using chicken feathers to make fuel cells more cost-effective and sustainable.
https://www.technologynetworks.com/applied-sciences/news/scientists-use-chicken-feathers-to-generate-clean-energy-380131
______________
Adding crushed rock to farmland pulls carbon out of the air, field test shows
25 October 2023
https://techandsciencepost.com/news/earth/adding-crushed-rock-to-farmland-pulls-carbon-out-of-the-air-field-test-shows/
______________
Korean Nanomaterial Could Enable Eco-Friendly Fine Dust Reduction
November 20, 2023
https://www.letstalkmaterials.com/in-the-news/korean-researchers-develop-nanomaterial-to-enable-eco-friendly-removal-of-fine-dust-precursors/
______________
Soil Xenobiotics and Their Phyto-chemical Remediation
16 February 2017
https://link.springer.com/chapter/10.1007/978-3-319-47744-2_18
______________
Overview of Soil Xenobiotics and their Biological Remediation Strategies
January 2024
https://www.researchgate.net/publication/377547029_Overview_of_Soil_Xenobiotics_and_their_Biological_Remediation_Strategies
______________
Rhizoremediation of Heavy Metal- and Xenobiotic-Contaminated Soil: An Eco-Friendly Approach
2020
https://link.springer.com/chapter/10.1007/978-981-15-5901-3_5
______________
Recent Strategies for Bioremediation of Emerging Pollutants: A Review for a Green and Sustainable Environment
2022 Aug 19
Abstract
Environmental
pollution brought on by xenobiotics and other related recalcitrant
compounds have recently been identified as a major risk to both human
health and the natural environment. Due to their toxicity and
non-biodegradability, a wide range of pollutants, such as heavy metals,
polychlorinated biphenyls, plastics, and various agrochemicals are
present in the environment. Bioremediation is an effective cleaning
technique for removing toxic waste from polluted environments that is
gaining popularity. Various microorganisms, including aerobes and
anaerobes, are used in bioremediation to treat contaminated sites.
Microorganisms play a major role in bioremediation, given that it is a
process in which hazardous wastes and pollutants are eliminated,
degraded, detoxified, and immobilized. Pollutants are degraded and
converted to less toxic forms, which is a primary goal of
bioremediation. Ex situ or in situ bioremediation can be used, depending
on a variety of factors, such as cost, pollutant types, and
concentration. As a result, a suitable bioremediation method has been
chosen. This review focuses on the most recent developments in
bioremediation techniques, how microorganisms break down different
pollutants, and what the future holds for bioremediation in order to
reduce the amount of pollution in the world.
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC9413587/
______________
Green Remediation Best Management Practices: Bioremediation
2021
https://www.epa.gov/system/files/documents/2022-04/gr_factsheet_bioremediation.pdf
______________
Chapter 1 - Bioremediation: A green technology for environmental cleanup
2023
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/B9780323961134000044
______________
Bioremediation: a tool for cleaning polluted environments
2008
https://www.academia.edu/31189522/Bioremediation_a_tool_for_cleaning_polluted_environments
______________
Bioremediation techniques–classification based on site of application: principles, advantages, limitations and prospects
2016 Sep 16
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5026719/
______________
Phytoremediation, Bioaugmentation, and the Plant Microbiome
November 18, 2022
https://pubs.acs.org/doi/10.1021/acs.est.2c05970
______________
Bioremediation of contaminated soils
2021
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/B9780128202029000228
______________
Cleaning up with genomics: applying molecular biology to bioremediation
01 October 2003
https://www.nature.com/articles/nrmicro731
______________
Genetically Modified Organisms for Bioremediation: Current Research and Advancements
12 December 2021
https://link.springer.com/chapter/10.1007/978-3-030-86169-8_7
______________
Biological remediation of acid mine drainage: Review of past trends and current outlook
2020
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC9488087/
______________
Bioremediation: an emerging effective approach towards environment restoration
28 February 2020
https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s42398-020-00099-w
______________
Bioremediation – Definition, Types, Application
July 8, 2023
https://microbiologynote.com/bioremediation/
______________
BOX 2-1 KEY TERMS FOR UNDERSTANDING BIOREMEDIATION
Microorganism:
An organism of microscopic size that is capable of growth and
reproduction through biodegradation of "food sources," which can include
hazardous contaminants.
Microbe: The shortened term for microorganism.
Oxidize:
The transfer of electrons away from a compound, such as an organic
contaminant. The coupling of oxidation to reduction (see below) usually
supplies energy that microorganisms use for growth and reproduction.
Often (but not always), oxidation results in the addition of an oxygen
atom and/or the loss of a hydrogen atom.
Reduce: The transfer of electrons to a compound, such as oxygen, that occurs when another compound is oxidized.
Electron
acceptor: The compound that receives electrons (and therefore is
reduced) in the energy-producing oxidation-reduction reactions that are
essential for the growth of microorganisms and bioremediation. Common
electron acceptors in bioremediation are oxygen, nitrate, sulfate, and
iron.
Electron donor: The compound that donates electrons (and
therefore is oxidized). In bioremediation the organic contaminant often
serves as an electron donor.
Primary substrates: The electron
donor and electron acceptor that are essential to ensure the growth of
microorganisms. These compounds can be viewed as analogous to the food
and oxygen that are required for human growth and reproduction.
Aerobic respiration: The process whereby microorganisms use oxygen as an electron acceptor.
Anaerobic
respiration: The process whereby microorganisms use a chemical other
than oxygen as an electron acceptor. Common "substitutes" for oxygen are
nitrate, sulfate, and iron.
Fermentation: The process whereby
microorganisms use an organic compound as both electron donor and
electron acceptor, converting the compound to fermentation products such
as organic acids, alcohols, hydrogen, and carbon dioxide.
Cometabolism:
A variation on biodegradation in which microbes transform a contaminant
even though the contaminant cannot serve as the primary energy source
for the organisms. To degrade the contaminant, the microbes require the
presence of other compounds (primary substrates) that can support their
growth.
Reductive dehalogenation: A variation on biodegradation
in which microbially catalyzed reactions cause the replacement of a
halogen atom on an organic compound with a hydrogen atom. The reactions
result in the net addition of two electrons to the organic compound.
Intrinsic
bioremediation: A type of bioremediation that manages the innate
capabilities of naturally occurring microbes to degrade contaminants
without taking any engineering steps to enhance the process.
Engineered
bioremediation: A type of remediation that increases the growth and
degradative activity of microorganisms by using engineered systems that
supply nutrients, electron acceptors, and/or other growth-stimulating
materials.
Variations on Basic Metabolism
In addition
to microbes that transform contaminants through aerobic respiration,
organisms that use variations on this basic process have evolved over
time. These variations allow the organisms to thrive in unusual
environments, such as the underground, and to degrade compounds that are
toxic or not beneficial to other organisms.
Anaerobic
Respiration. Many microorganisms can exist without oxygen, using a
process called anaerobic respiration. In anaerobic respiration, nitrate
(NO3-), sulfate (SO42-), metals such as iron (Fe3+) and manganese
(Mn4+), or even CO2 can play the role of oxygen, accepting electrons
from the degraded contaminant. Thus, anaerobic respiration uses
inorganic chemicals as electron acceptors. In addition to new cell
matter, the byproducts of anaerobic respiration may include nitrogen gas
(N2), hydrogen sulfide (H2S), reduced forms of metals, and methane
(CH4), depending on the electron acceptor.
National Academies of
Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. 1993. In Situ Bioremediation: When
Does it Work?. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press.
https://doi.org/10.17226/2131.
https://nap.nationalacademies.org/read/2131/chapter/4#20
______________
Current and Future Bioremediation Applications : Bioremediation from a Practical and Regulatory Perspective
04 August 2016
References
https://link.springer.com/chapter/10.1007/978-3-662-49875-0_22
______________
Principles of Phytoremediation
20 March 2020
Abstract
Phytoremediation,
a form of bioremediation, is one viable option for removing pollution
from contaminated soil and water. Bioremediation was developed as an
inexpensive, environmentally friendly, and sustainable alternative to
traditional chemical and physical pollution remediation methods.
Bioremediation began with the use of bacteria and later other
microorganisms, to extract or degrade inorganic and organic contaminants
in soil and water in situ. It then evolved to other applications in
combination with traditional chemical and physical remediation methods.
Phytoremediation was came about from basic research studies on the
physiology of halophytic and hyperaccumulating plants. At first, plants
provided successful for extracting salts, metals, and radionuclides from
soil and water. Further, studies discovered that plant roots and the
rhizosphere were capable of extracting or degrading organic pollutants
such as pesticides and petrochemicals. The in situ case studies
showcased in this book demonstrate how phytoremediation is a sustainable
means of pollution remediation in economically emerging countries and
is consistent with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals.
https://link.springer.com/chapter/10.1007/978-3-030-00099-8_1
______________
Soil and Groundwater Remediation Technologies: A Practical Guide
April 2020
https://www.researchgate.net/publication/339938808_Soil_and_Groundwater_Remediation_Technologies_A_Practical_Guide
______________
Five ways scientists can make soil less dirty
May 23, 2016
https://www.anl.gov/article/five-ways-scientists-can-make-soil-less-dirty
It
may be hard to imagine, but soil gets dirty. Soil can become
contaminated with oil, grease, heavy metals or pesticides through urban
and agricultural runoff as well as industrial spills or precipitation.
The
clean-up process involves more than a broom and a dust pan. Soil must
undergo remediation — the process of removing pollutants and
contaminants from the ground.
Several different remediation
processes are available, varying in efficiency, cost and sustainability
for specific site conditions. When officials suspect a site is
contaminated, they conduct an assessment to determine the pollutant, the
extent of contamination and the appropriate method to remediate the
soil.
The Applied Geosciences and Environment Management Program
at the U.S. Department of Energy’s Argonne National Laboratory evaluates
potentially contaminated sites and applies remediation methods, such as
those described below, that are both efficient and environmentally
friendly by reducing secondary impacts — such as emissions from trucks
that transport soil to a treatment facility.
Air Sparging
Air
sparging, also referred to as soil venting, involves injecting air into
the soil or groundwater. The air moves horizontally and vertically
through the soil, causing the contaminants to evaporate into a gas. This
method works best for contaminants that easily evaporate, such as crude
oil.
Air sparging is an example of an in-situ remediation
method, in which the contaminated soil does not need to be removed. In
situ methods tend to be more environmentally friendly than those that
are ex situ, where the soil is first removed and then treated at the
surface, said Lorraine LaFreniere, an Argonne geological engineer who
leads Argonne’s Applied Geosciences and Environment Management program.
“In
in situ methods, you’re not bringing any of the contaminants to the
surface,” LaFreniere said. “You have the advantage of not exposing
anybody to the contamination or the remediation process itself.”
Air Stripping
Air
stripping is an ex situ method specifically for water, in which
contaminated groundwater is collected and filtered through a machine
called an air stripper.
The groundwater goes into the top of the
machine and cascades to the bottom as fine droplets, while air enters
from the bottom and is forced upward. The air strips away the
contaminants as it rises through the droplets and exits through an
opening at the top.
Determining whether to use an in situ or ex
situ process depends on how the contamination is distributed throughout
the soil and to what depth, researchers said. For example, if the
contaminated soil is buried under clean soil, the clean soil would have
to first be removed.
Enhanced Biodegradation
Nature itself
tries to help eliminate soil contaminants through a naturally occurring
process called biodegradation. Certain microorganisms in the soil feed
on contaminants, such as tar deposits.
Argonne researchers, in
collaboration with other scientists, found that injecting zero-valent
iron — iron in its elemental form — into the soil accelerates natural
biodegradation.
“We injected slurry mixtures of zero-valent iron
and organic matter into soils and observed that it speeds up the process
considerably,” LaFreniere said.
Phytoremediation
Trees offer
shade on a sunny day, but they can also remove contaminants from soil
through phytoremediation. Trees and other deep-rooted plants absorb
contaminants in soil and incorporate the contaminants into their
tissues; plants also “breathe” volatile contaminants to the atmosphere,
where they dissipate.
“Plants process a lot of water during
photosynthesis to get the nutrients they need,” said Cristina Negri, an
Argonne agronomist and environmental engineer in the Energy Systems
Division. “What we’re doing is exploiting this natural process and
using plants as pumps to remove contaminants.”
Plant-based
remediation is good for contaminants, such as carbon tetrachloride, a
chemical that was primarily used as a fumigant and dry cleaning agent
until it was banned in the 1970s as harmful to human health.
Argonne
researchers are also using trees to monitor their progress when using
phytoremediation. The scientists measure the amount of contaminants in
samples of branches and tree cores to assess how much has been removed.
Soil Vapor Extraction
Sometimes, all you need is a really big vacuum.
The
soil vapor extraction method applies a vacuum to the soil to induce air
flow and get soil vapors moving. Researchers collect the contaminated
vapors in extraction wells and treat them above ground.
This is a
useful remediation method when the contaminants are already in a
vaporous state or are liquids that readily evaporate, such as methane
and propane. These vapors can make their way into homes and businesses
and may cause people to become ill.
“We’re trying to develop new
testing and treatment techniques to best remove contaminants and keep
people safe,” LaFreniere said. “As we’re remediating, we’re also
assessing the methods and technologies that we’re using.”
Funding
for LaFreniere and Negri’s research comes from the U.S. Department of
Energy’s Office of Environmental Management, the Commodity Credit
Corporation and the U.S. Department of Agriculture.
______________
Recent Developments in Microbe–Plant-Based Bioremediation for Tackling Heavy Metal-Polluted Soils
2021 Dec 23
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC8733405/
Plant-Based Bioremediation
Plants
are used for bioremediation either alone or in combination with
microbes (Ramos et al., 2005) instead of depending on microbes and their
efficacy in achieving bioremediation of any contaminated medium. The
application of green plants to clean up any contaminated medium or
surface is not a novel concept. Plants were proposed for treating the
wastewater around 300 years ago (Hartman, 1975). Presently a number of
plant species such as Amaranthus spinosus, A. hypochondriacus
Chrysopogon zizanioides, Brassica juncea, Ricinus communis, Chromolaena
odorata, Ageratum conyzoides, Ipomoea carnea, Prosopis juliflora,
Lantana camara, Parthenium hysterophorus, Fagopyrum esculentum,
Odontarrhena chalcidica, Tagetes patula, T. erecta, and Odontarrhena
chalcidica, have been identified which helpremediate HM contaminated
soil (Bauddh and Singh, 2012; Bauddh and Singh, 2015; Huang et al.,
2019; Chen et al., 2020a; Raza et al., 2020; Biswal et al., 2021; Cui et
al., 2021; Gonzaga et al., 2021; Nugroho et al., 2021; Singh et al.,
2021). In addition, plants like Nicotiana tabacum, Arabidopsis thaliana,
Beta vulgaris and Sedum alfredii have been genetically modified with
suitable bacterial genes from Caenorhabditis elegans, Saccharomyces
cerevisiae, Streptococcus thermophilus, Pseudomonas fuorescens and
employed for remediating the targeted contaminants (Daghan et al., 2013;
Liu et al., 2015a; Wang et al., 2019; Nedjimi, 2021). For instance,
mercury (Hg) reductase bacterial genes, e.g., merA and merB have been
applied in plants for the detoxification of methyl-Hg (Li et al.,
2020a). In addition, various biostimulators, such as manure and organic
amendments (e.g., various plant biochar, biosolids, and litter) are used
in this plant-based bioremediation. Use of different chelators such as
citric acid, ethylene diamine tetraacetic acid (EDTA),
[S,S]-ethylenediaminedisuccinic acid (EDDS),
ethylenediamine-di-o-hydroxyphenylacetic acid (EDDHA),
diethylenetriaminepentaacetic acid (DTPA), ethylene glycol tetraeacitic
acid (AGTA), nhydroxyethylenediaminetriacetic acid (HEDTA), fulvic
acids, salicyclic acid, and tartaric acid control metal sorption, and
precipitation through the formation of metal chelate complexes, which
consequently enhance the bioavailability of these metals and also
improve phytoextraction efficiency (Caporale and Violante, 2016; Acuña
et al., 2020; Saleem et al., 2020). The addition of chelates in soils
can move more metals into soil solution via the suspension of
precipitated compounds and desorption of sorbed species. Plants can also
naturally produce various phytosiderophores, organic acids, and
carboxylates, which can enhance metal mobility, solubility, and
bioavailability in soils, thus increasing the phytoremediation potential
of plants (Vithanage et al., 2012; Gupta and Singh, 2017). For
instance, Miscanthus sinensis can detoxify Al by producing various
phytosiderophores such as citric acid, malic acid, and chlorogenic acid
and stored the metal in cell walls (Haruma et al., 2019).
Plant-based
bioremediation is considered a potential tool for the accumulation,
transformation, and immobilization of a low level of contaminants (Rayu
et al., 2012). The mechanisms behind plants facilitate the reclamation
of the polluted soils and groundwater are presented in Table 1. The
approach of plant-based bioremediation has several merits such as
cost-effectiveness, public acceptance, and the ability to remove
inorganic and organic contaminants simultaneously. In a study, mixed
mercury-trichloroethylene (Hg-TCE) pollutants are removed by transgenic
alfalfa plants pKHCG co-expressing human P450 2E1 (CYP2E1) genes and
glutathione S-transferase (GST; Zhang et al., 2013). A major synergistic
effect caused by simultaneous expression of CYP2E1 and GST leads to
increased accumulation and resistance of heavy metal–organic complex
pollutants. Another study by Tammam et al. (2021) found that the plant
Glebionis coronaria can eliminate Pb from the contaminated soil. It is
also recorded that the foliar spray of Indole-3-acetic acid (IAA) and
gibberellic acid (GA3) enhanced the growth significantly and increase
the phytostabilization capacity of the studied plant. The application of
bamboo biochar with the Salix psammophila to remediate the multi-metal
contaminated soil, enhance the translocation factor (TF) and
bioconcentration factors (BCF) of Cd, Cu and Zn (Li et al., 2021a). The
higher TF for Zn (TF > 1) and BCF for Cd (BCF > 1) makes S.
psammophila a potential candidate for the phytoremediation in BBC
amendment soil. Recently several studies found that the application of
nanoparticles such as Ag nanoparticles (AgNPs), nano-TiO2 particles,
nanoscale zero-valent iron (nZVI), salicylic acid nanoparticles (SANPs)
and magnesium oxide (MgO) nanoparticles along with plants Zea mays,
Glycine max, Isatis cappadocica, Lolium perenne, Boehmeria nivea and
Raphanus sativus enhance the growth and phytoextraction of HMs Cd and Pb
(Khan and Bano, 2016; Singh and Lee, 2016; Gong et al., 2017; Souri et
al., 2017; Huang et al., 2018; Hussain et al., 2019).
______________
Soil washing for the remediation of dioxin-contaminated soil: A review
2021
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0304389421017325
Introduction
Sites
contaminated with polychlorinated aromatic compounds are a worldwide
problem. One of the most noticeable group of soil contaminants is
polychlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxins and dibenzofurans (or PCDD/Fs or
dioxins) (Kulkarni et al., 2008, Haglund, 2007). In fact, PCDD/Fs, which
are compounds of similar physico-chemical properties and molecular
structures, are one of the most toxic human-made chemicals (Alaee,
2016). Their stability, easy accumulation, and persistence in the
environment along with their ability to cause adverse health effects,
such as wasting syndrome (Seefeld et al., 1984), immunotoxicity (Rhile
et al., 1996), teratogenicity (Mimura et al., 1997), dysfunctional
immune and reproductive systems, and various types of cancers (Steenland
et al., 2004), make them a potential threat to human wellbeing.
PCDD/Fs’
biodegradation is slow, and their half-life in soil is estimated to be
ten years (Habe et al., 2002, Lin et al., 2018). They also have very low
vapor pressure, making them hardly evaporate into the air (Eitzer and
Hites, 1988). The water solubility of PCDD/Fs is very low (e.g. 1.93 ×
10−3 and 0.75 × 10−7 mg/L for 2,3,7,8-tetrachlorodibenzo-p-dioxin
(2,3,7,8-TCDD) and octachlorodibenzodioxin (OCDD) at 25 ℃, respectively)
since they are non-polar and hydrophobic compounds with high
octanol-water partitioning coefficients; therefore, mostly PCDD/Fs
accumulate in soil particles (Atsushi and Yoshihisa, 2008). The
hydrophobicity of dioxins is proportional to the number of chlorine
atoms present on the molecule.
Currently, available remediation
technologies for dioxin-contaminated soil can be classified as thermal
(Lee et al., 2008), physical/chemical (Rathna et al., 2018), and
biological remediation (Huang et al., 2018, Tran et al., 2020). The
selection of a treatment for a specific site mostly depends on PCDD/F
removal efficiency, soil detoxification, and cost. Soil
washing/extraction is a physicochemical remediation process that has
been widely studied in recent years due to its high removal efficiency,
ease in operation, and cost-effectiveness. Soil washing uses physical
forces (e.g., generated by propellers/impellers) and liquid solvents
(chemical extraction) to remove contaminants from soil (Cheng et al.,
2017). Physical separation in soil washing can help separate fine
particles (clay and silt), which often have a larger surface area and
thus higher PCDD/F concentrations, from coarse particles (sand and
gravel) (Jonsson et al., 2010). When in contact with soil particles,
physical forces can break them down, facilitating contaminant removal.
Rotating mixer, ultrasonic basin, mechanical stirrer, and flotation
machine are usually employed for physical separation. Physical
separation can also be combined with chemical extraction to enhance the
remediation efficiency for dioxin-contaminated soil.
Being
hydrophobic makes PCDD/Fs more soluble in organic solvents than in water
(Guemiza et al., 2017a), making organic solvents such as ethanol,
2-propanol, acetone were the earliest reagents used for extracting
dioxins from the soil. The dioxin removal efficiencies range from 75% to
90% for ethanol (Jonsson et al., 2010, Meguro et al., 2008). For
example, Jonsson et al. (2010) indicated that at high initial PCDD/F
concentrations of 2300–8100 pg-Toxicity Equivalent (TEQ)/kg, the
treatment efficiencies were 81–85% after 10 wash cycles with 75%
ethanol. Recently, the use of surfactants or organic matters such as
humic acid, compost, edible oils has shown to be feasible to extract
hydrophobic compounds from soil (Guemiza et al., 2017a). These additives
help increase the solubility of dioxins in the washing liquid.
Surfactants such as Brij 35, Tween 80, Triton X100, and Sodium dodecyl
sulfate (SDS) have been studied for PCDD/F soil washing (Reynier et al.,
2014, Binh et al., 2016). At an initial PCDD/F concentration of 6289
ng-TEQ/kg, the obtained removal efficiencies were 25%, 72%, 70%, and 74%
for Brij 35, SDS, Tween 80, and Triton X100, respectively. Also, Vu et
al. (2017) reported 80–95% removal of dioxins from highly contaminated
soil when it was washed by fish oil and compost tea.
Recently,
two prominent review articles have been published on soil washing
treatment of hydrophobic organic pollutants (Trellu et al., 2016,
Mousset et al., 2014). Trellu et al. (2016) summarized soil
washing/flushing technologies for soil contaminated with
polychlorobiphenyls (PCB), polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAH), and
petroleum hydrocarbons, as well as the treatment of the washed solution.
This study, unlike many others, described the treatment of the washed
solution in detail. Yet, soil washing was only briefly described.
Mousset et al. (2014) reviewed the use of cyclodextrins in comparison
with other surfactants, cosolvents and agents for the removal of
hydrophobic pollutants from contaminated soil. This study mostly focused
on cyclodextrins and its properties, advantages and uses in soil
washing. Other solvents and surfactants were also involved but only for
the comparison with the efficiency and outstanding properties of
cyclodextrins. These studies, however, have indicated that soil washing
technology is a robust and environmentally friendly treatment with ease
in operation and maintenance. A review on PCDD/F soil washing has not
existed. Also, a detailed summary of physical washing techniques has not
been available in the literature. Further, the cost feasibility of soil
washing has rarely been summarized. Our review article aimed at
bridging these gaps.
In this review, a description of physical
washing devices and chemical extraction processes (using solvents,
surfactants and edible oils) for PCDD/F soil washing was provided. The
advantages and limitations of each technology for PCDD/F soil washing
were presented. Particularly, cost feasibility, one of the most crucial
factors for upscaling a treatment technology, was given.
______________
Metal contamination and bioremediation of agricultural soils for food safety and sustainability
23 June 2020
https://www.nature.com/articles/s43017-020-0061-y
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The Environmental Remediation Site-Cleanup Process For Hazardous Waste Disposal
Jun 22, 2021
https://mcfenvironmental.com/the-environmental-remediation-site-cleanup-process-for-hazardous-waste-disposal/
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The Rundown: So you want to clean up a brownfield. Here's how.
Feb. 1, 2017
https://www.oregonmetro.gov/news/rundown-so-you-want-clean-brownfield-heres-what-do
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Soil and brownfield bioremediation
2017 Aug 22
Bioaugmentation
Introducing
specific microorganisms to decontaminate the soils when indigenous
microbes are not efficient is considered a more acceptable approach to
remediate the contaminated soils. However, the strains for
bioaugmentation should ideally have (i) superior ability to degrade the
target contaminants, (ii) easy to cultivate, (iii) fast growth, (iv)
tolerance to the high concentration of contaminant and (v) ability to
survive in a wide range of environmental conditions/stressors.
Bioaugmentation has been proven to be successful for a wide range of
pollutants including pesticides such DDT, lindane, endosulfan,
pentachlorophenol (PCP), polyaromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) and total
petroleum hydrocarbons (Abhilash et al., 2011; Saez et al., 2014; Wang
et al., 2014; Chen et al., 2015; Kuppusamy et al., 2016a,b). However,
predation, competition and toxins in soils can negatively affect the
survival of introduced microbes. In such cases, bioaugmentation using
immobilized cells in carrier materials or preadapted strains to the
problem soil conditions may prove to be advantageous regarding enhancing
their survival in soils.
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5609233/
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Sustainable remediation and redevelopment of brownfield sites
28 March 2023
https://www.nature.com/articles/s43017-023-00404-1
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Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons: Sources, Toxicity, and Remediation Approaches
2020 Nov 5
Abstract
Polycyclic
aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) are widespread across the globe mainly due
to long-term anthropogenic sources of pollution. The inherent
properties of PAHs such as heterocyclic aromatic ring structures,
hydrophobicity, and thermostability have made them recalcitrant and
highly persistent in the environment. PAH pollutants have been
determined to be highly toxic, mutagenic, carcinogenic, teratogenic, and
immunotoxicogenic to various life forms. Therefore, this review
discusses the primary sources of PAH emissions, exposure routes, and
toxic effects on humans, in particular. This review briefly summarizes
the physical and chemical PAH remediation approaches such as membrane
filtration, soil washing, adsorption, electrokinetic, thermal,
oxidation, and photocatalytic treatments. This review provides a
detailed systematic compilation of the eco-friendly biological treatment
solutions for remediation of PAHs such as microbial remediation
approaches using bacteria, archaea, fungi, algae, and co-cultures. In
situ and ex situ biological treatments such as land farming,
biostimulation, bioaugmentation, phytoremediation, bioreactor, and
vermiremediation approaches are discussed in detail, and a summary of
the factors affecting and limiting PAH bioremediation is also discussed.
An overview of emerging technologies employing multi-process
combinatorial treatment approaches is given, and newer concepts on
generation of value-added by-products during PAH remediation are
highlighted in this review.
Microbial Remediation of Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbon Pollution
As
per Kuppusamy et al. (2017), biological methods have gained wide
attentions for PAH remediation, followed by integrated methods, chemical
oxidation, and physical methods. Among all biological methods for PAH
remediation, usage frequency of natural attenuation, bioaugmentation,
and biostimulation is highest (∼33%), followed by bioreactors (22%),
phytoremediation/rhizoremediation (22%), composting (13%), biopiles
(4%), enzyme-mediated bioremediation (2%), vermiremediation (2%), and
others (2%) (Kuppusamy et al., 2017). Moreover, the second most
attractive integrated methods are applied in the subsequent order, i.e.,
biological–biological (42%), chemical–biological (27%),
physical–chemical (21%), physical–chemical–biological (5%), and
thermal–chemical methods (5%) (Kuppusamy et al., 2017). Microbial PAH
remediation (bioaugmentation and biostimulation) deals with separate or
combined application of specific microbes such as bacteria, archaea,
fungi, and algae. However, bacteria- and fungi-assisted degradation has
been widely studied.
Bacteria
Bacteria have unique
metabolic versatility for degradation of PAH pollutants (Ma and Zhai,
2012). During bacterial aerobic PAH degradation, the oxygen works as the
final electron acceptor and also as a co-substrate for the
hydroxylation and oxygen-mediated cleavage of the aromatic ring (Chen et
al., 2016), whereas bacterial anaerobic PAH degradation utilizes an
entirely diverse approach to break and open the aromatic ring depending
on the reductive reaction type and alternative final electron acceptors
(Ghosal et al., 2016; Dhar et al., 2020). Chiefly, the bacteria perform
aerobic PAH degradation using oxygenase-facilitated metabolism
(comprising monooxygenase and dioxygenase enzymes). The first step in
the aerobic PAH degradation is the hydroxylation of the aromatic ring
through dioxygenase enzymes and formation of the cis-dihydrodiol, which
ultimately oxidized to diol intermediates with the help of dehydrogenase
enzymes.
These diol intermediates finally break open through the
action of intra diol or extra diol ring-breaking dioxygenases via
either ortho-cleavage or meta-cleavage pathway, able to form
intermediates such as catechol, gentisic acids, and protocatechuic acid,
which finally transform to tricarboxylic acid (TCA) cycle intermediates
(Mallick et al., 2011). Dioxygenase is the multi-enzyme complex usually
comprising of reductase, ferredoxin, and terminal oxygenase subunits
(Mallick et al., 2011; Ghosal et al., 2016; Wu et al., 2020). Bacteria
also strategize PAH degradation by the cytochrome P450-assisted pathway
with the formation of trans-dihydrodiols or anaerobically under nitrate-
and sulfate-reducing conditions (Lu et al., 2011; Mallick et al., 2011;
Yang et al., 2020). Although aerobic PAH degradation is conventional
and preferable, anaerobic PAH degradation is gaining more attentions
nowadays due to the presence of anoxic conditions in diverse
environmental niches such as phreatic zone, deep aquatic sediment, and
water-flooded soil (Ghosal et al., 2016; Dhar et al., 2020).
The
aerobic and anaerobic bacterial species have been reported extensively
in the literature for the degradation of LMW and HWM PAHs through pure
cultures, consortia, and mixed bacterial culture approaches (Table 2).
The enhanced or complete PAH degradation can be achieved by mixed
bacterial cultures and bacterial consortia as results of collaborative
catabolic activities of participants and possibly presence of diverse
degradation pathways. Therefore, most of the recent studies emphasized
on mixed bacterial culture- and consortia-assisted PAH degradation
(Vaidya et al., 2018; Haleyur et al., 2019; Patel et al., 2019).
Degradation by immobilized bacteria and genetically modified bacteria is
also a considerable approach (Peng X. et al., 2018). One of the major
difficulties for degradation in soil/sediment is a dispersion of
inoculum; it is easy for surface soil, however, challenging for
subsurface soil due to limited microbial transport as cells adhere
strongly to soil organic matter.
TABLE 2
Polycyclic
aromatic hydrocarbon biodegradation under aerobic and anaerobic
conditions using bacteria, archaea, fungi, algae, and co-cultures.
Inoculum PAHs used in the study Degradation condition Degradation (%) References
Bacteria
Mixed
bacterial cultures DAK11: Pseudomonas aeruginosa DAK11.1, Pseudomonas
stutzeri DAK11.2, Achromobacter sp. DAK11.3, and Chelatococcus sp.
DAK11.4 Naphthalene, Phenanthrene, Fluoranthene, and Pyrene Liquid
medium Aerobic 75, 86, 76, and 76 Patel et al., 2018
Immobilized
Pseudomonas taiwanensis PYR1 and Acinetobacter baumannii INP1 on cinder
beads Pyrene and Indeno[1,2,3-cd]pyrene Petroleum-contaminated
soil Aerobic 71 and 81% Huang et al., 2016
Bacterial
community 16 Priority PAHs In situ Windrows of 5,000 tons polluted
soil Aerobic 85% total PAHs Lors et al., 2012
Microbial
community associated with anaerobic sediment 16 Priority PAHs (with
nitrate and sulfate) Sediment Anaerobic 37, 21, and 28% Yang et
al., 2020
Extremophiles
Halophilic consortia
Qphe-SubIV Halomonas strain and unculturable strain belonging to the
genus Marinobacter Phenanthrene Liquid medium (5% NaCl) Aerobic
>90% Dastgheib et al., 2012
Acidophilic Stenotrophomonas
maltophilia AJH1 Anthracene, Phenanthrene, Naphthalene, Fluorene,
Pyrene, Benzo(e)pyrene, and Benzo(k)fluoranthene Liquid medium (pH 2)
Aerobic 91, 90, 96, 95, 86, 82, and 79% Arulazhagan et al., 2017
Thermophilic
Mix culture: Aeribacillus pallidus U2, Bacillus axarquiensis UCPD1,
Bacillus siamensis GHP76, and Bacillus subtilis subsp. inaquosorum
U277 Anthracene, Fluorene, Phenanthrene, and Pyrene Liquid medium
At 50°C Aerobic 96, 86, 54, and 71% Mehetre et al., 2019
Archaea
Indigenous
halophilic archaean Haloferax elongans, Halobacterium noricense,
Haloferax larsenii, Halobacterium salinarum, and Halobacterium sp.
Phenanthrene Soil and liquid medium Aerobic 28, 29, 28, 37, and
22% Al-Mailem et al., 2017
Haloarchaea strains: Ten strains of
Haloferax sp. Naphthalene, Anthracene, Phenanthrene, Pyrene, and
Benzo(a)anthracene Hypersaline petroleum produced water (20% NaCl)
Aerobic 20–80% Bonfá et al., 2011
Ligninolytic fungi
Candida tropicalis NN4 Indeno[1,2,3-cd] pyrene Liquid medium Aerobic 91% Ojha et al., 2019
Fungal
mycelia: Armillaria mellea, Pleurotus ostreatus, Pleurotus eryngii, and
Stropharia ferii Anthracene and Benzo(a)pyrene Contaminated soil
Aerobic 95 and 50% Baldantoni et al., 2017
Non-ligninolytic fungi
Cladosporium
sp. CBMAI 1237 Anthracene, Acenaphthene, Fluorene, Phenanthrene,
Fluoranthene, and Pyrene Liquid medium Aerobic 71, 78, 70, 47, 52,
and 62% Birolli et al., 2018
Lasiodiplodia theobromae Benzo(a)pyrene Garden soil Aerobic 92% Wang et al., 2014
Algae
Selenastrum
capricornutum and Scenedesmus acutus Benzo(a)pyrene Liquid medium
Aerobic 99 and 95% De Llasera et al., 2016
Rhodomonas baltica Phenanthrene, Fluoranthene, and Pyrene Liquid medium Aerobic 70% Arias et al., 2017
Co-cultures
Bacterial–fungal
consortium: Serratia marcescens L-11, Streptomyces rochei PAH-13, and
Phanerochaete chrysosporium VV-18 Fluorene, Anthracene, Phenanthrene,
and Pyrene 100 g soil in pot, Aerobic 98, 66, 90, and 55%
Sharma et al., 2016
Bacterial–algal synergy: Chlorella sp. MM3 and
Rhodococcus wratislaviensis 9 Phenanthrene, Pyrene, and
Benzo(a)pyrene Soil slurry Aerobic 100% Subashchandrabose et
al., 2019
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The immobilization of
delivering inoculum microbes can serve the solution by increasing shelf
life and activities of microbes in the soil system (Mrozik and
Piotrowska-Seget, 2010). Huang et al. (2016) reported enhanced pyrene
and indeno[1,2,3-cd]pyrene degradation (71 and 81%) in
petroleum-contaminated soil using immobilized Pseudomonas taiwanensis
PYR1 and Acinetobacter baumannii INP1 on cinder beads. Immobilization
provides biological stability to inoculum microbes, protection from
suboptimum substandard environmental conditions, and reduced competition
with indigenous microbes (Mrozik and Piotrowska-Seget, 2010). Apart
from mesophilic bacteria, bacterial extremophiles such as halophilic,
acidophilic, and thermophilic have also been reported for PAH
degradation (Table 2). Application of thermotolerant and thermophilic
bacteria for PAH degradation is beneficial, as elevated temperature
causes increased diffusion of PAHs by decreasing viscosity, ultimately
increasing the bioavailability of PAHs (Mehetre et al., 2019). Over the
last decade, bacterial community analysis (Muangchinda et al., 2018;
Yang et al., 2020), biochemical pathways in bacteria for PAH degradation
(Chen et al., 2016; Vaidya et al., 2017), degradation-associated
bacterial genes (Peng T. et al., 2018; Sangkharak et al., 2020), enzyme
systems (Chen et al., 2016; Wu et al., 2020), and gene regulation of PAH
degradation processes (Kan et al., 2020; Wu et al., 2020) have been
researched enormously.
Archaea
Extreme environmental
habitats, particularly saline regions, are most vulnerable to petroleum
pollution due to their close connection with oil industries, which
mostly release many pollutants, including PAHs, and demand extremophiles
rather than conventional microorganisms for bioremediation (Dastgheib
et al., 2012). Over the past few years, archaea have drawn the attention
of researchers for PAH bioremediation, although few research studies
have been reported (Table 2). The degradation pathways and mechanisms
behind bioremediation via archaea have not been extensively studied like
bacteria (Khemili-Talbi et al., 2015). Khemili-Talbi et al. (2015)
isolated biosurfactant-producing halophilic arhaeon Natrialba sp. C21
from oil-polluted saline water for degradation of phenol, naphthalene,
and pyrene at very high salinity conditions (25% NaCl). They also
attempted to find the degradation pattern via enzyme assays such as
catechol 1,2-dioxygenase, catechol 2,3-dioxygenase, protocatechol
3,4-dioxygenase, and protocatechol 4,5-dioxygenase. The maximum activity
of catechol 1,2-dioxygenase indicated that degradation occurred via the
ortho-cleavage pathway.
Fungi
Mycoremediation of PAHs has
been widely reported in the past several years with numerous fungal
species. Unlike bacteria, all fungi do not utilize PAHs as a sole source
of carbon; rather, they co-metabolize the PAHs and generate a range of
oxidized products including CO2. The fungi execute monooxygenase
enzyme-mediated PAH degradation (Gupta and Pathak, 2020). Mainly two
types, i.e., ligninolytic fungi (white-rot fungi) and non-ligninolytic
fungi, have been reported in the literature for LMW and HMW PAH
bioremediation (Table 2). Ligninolytic fungi produce enzymes such as
lignin peroxidase, manganese peroxidase, and laccases for degradation of
lignin present in the wood and simultaneously oxidize the PAHs and
convert into diphenol intermediates that eventually oxidize into
quinones (Aydin et al., 2017). Ligninolytic enzymes generate
water-soluble polar products after catalytic cleavage of aromatic
compounds, which are eventually available for fungal metabolism and soil
microflora present in the vicinity (Gupta and Pathak, 2020).
On
the other hand, non-ligninolytic fungi produce cytochrome P450
monooxygenase-like enzymes, which oxidize the PAHs and lead to form
arene oxide and water; further, arene oxides through non-enzymatic
rearrangement form phenols, which conjugate with xylose, gluconeric
acid, and glucose (Cerniglia and Sutherland, 2010; Ghosal et al., 2016).
Some fungal species are also capable of producing biosurfactants in
order to overcome the hindrance of less soluble HMW PAHs, which resulted
in better degradation (Ojha et al., 2019). Limited studies have been
reported on the mechanisms and pathways involved in the breakdown of
PAHs through mycoremediation (Aydin et al., 2017; Agrawal et al., 2018).
Direct fungi application in the field has many limitations including
inadequate biomass growth, huge biomass handling difficulties, lack of
application methodologies, and bulk degrading enzyme production, which
can be overcome by oxidative fungal enzyme-mediated PAH bioremediation
(Harms et al., 2011).
Algae
Algae, the primary producers
in coastline and estuarine ecosystems, may have a significant role in
PAH bioremediation within aquatic ecosystems. Alga-mediated effective
PAH removal occurs through cellular biodegradation and/or
bioaccumulation (Ke et al., 2010). PAH biodegradation employs both
monooxygenase and dioxygenase enzymatic pathways and produces
hydroxylated and dihydroxylated intermediates, respectively, depending
on the algal type (Chan et al., 2006). Microalgae (Cyanobacteria) are
freshwater unicellular green alga, have gained huge attention for its
ubiquitous occurrence, easy to propagate, and most prominent efficiency
of degrading HMW PAHs (Ke et al., 2010; De Llasera et al., 2016). Few
reports on alga-based PAH bioremediation are listed in Table 2. Many
alga-based PAH removal studies at the laboratory or microcosm scale have
been reported in the literature, although large- or field-scale
alga-mediated PAH remediation remains to be uncovered and requires
scientific attention to develop successful strategies.
Co-cultures
Co-culturing
approaches such as bacterial–fungal co-cultures, fungal–algal synergy,
and bacterial–algal synergy are proven as the most efficient bioremedial
approaches at the laboratory as well as large-scale applications
(Sharma et al., 2016; Subashchandrabose et al., 2019; Table 2). During
aerobic degradation, algae supply oxygen to enhance degradation. The
bacterial–algal synergy is more advantageous over bacterial consortia
and bacterial–fungal co-cultures because algae provide various extra
polymeric and lightweighted compounds (consist of lipids, proteins,
nucleic acids, fermentation products, etc.), which promote bacterial
and/or fungal growth and thus enhance PAH degradation (Kuppusamy et al.,
2017).
Microbial Enzyme-Mediated Bioremediation
Microbial
enzyme-mediated bioremediation involves the use of isolated enzymes
from bacteria, fungi, and other living organisms for PAH removal. The
enzymatic action is extremely efficient and selective due to higher
reaction rates and the capability to catalyze reactions at a wide range
of temperature and pH. Oxygenase, dehydrogenase, lignin peroxidase,
manganese peroxidase, laccases, and phenoloxidases are enzymes
responsible for PAH oxidation as mentioned in above subsections (Mohan
et al., 2006). The oxidative enzymes from fungi are more efficient
because they are less substrate-specific enzymes (Harms et al., 2011;
Gupta and Pathak, 2020). Zhang et al. (2020) isolated novel manganese
peroxidase gene from Cerrena unicolor BBP6 and cloned into Pichia
pastoris, which had various dye-decolorizing ability along with 80 and
91% of fluorene and phenanthrene degradation activity within 24 h, and
the highest recombinant enzyme expression was 154.5 Unit.L–1. The only
drawback of this method is cost related to production, extraction, and
purification of enzymes (Kuppusamy et al., 2017).
Strategies for Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbon Bioremediation
Land
farming is a cost-effective and safe treatment for polluted land, in
which the native microbiome at a polluted site is stimulated for PAH
degradation via improving aeration, moisture, and nutrient levels so
that the connection of microbes is improved with pollutants and
nutrients (Agnello et al., 2016; Kuppusamy et al., 2017). The reduction
rate is much higher for LMW PAHs (2–3 rings) than HMW PAHs (4–6 rings),
and this method is applied usually for a thin layer of land surface (Das
and Das, 2015; Silva-Castro et al., 2015; García-Sánchez et al., 2018).
This simple method requires less maintenance, nearly no cleanup
obligations, and slight monitoring efforts. Limitations are slow
degradation rate after initial rapid degradation rate due to the
concentration gradient of pollutants, affected only superficial 10–35-cm
accessible soil layer, and largely influenced by surrounding
uncontrollable and unintentional conditions like heavy rainfall (Gan et
al., 2009).
Natural attenuation method enhances the degradation
capacities of innate microbiome by improving aeration, moisture, and
nutrient levels. If natural attenuation is performed on polluted land,
then it is a good example of land farming method. Chikere et al. (2017)
reported 98% total petroleum hydrocarbon and 85% poly aromatic
hydrocarbon degradation by enhanced natural attenuation in crude
oil-polluted field-scale bioremediation after. The enhanced natural
attenuation was processed by nutrient addition (N:P:K ratio 2:1:1),
tilling, periodic water irrigation, and intermittent turning of soil to
make sure there was uniform aeration (Chikere et al., 2017).
Biostimulation
is a remediation method in which the activities of indigenous microbes
can be encouraged by the addition of nutrients (N,P,S, and K), slow/fast
releasing fertilizers, organic wastes, humic acid, and/or terminal
electron acceptor. It is basically used to overcome limitations of
microbial growth and activities. Different combinations of macro- and
micro- nutrients are used to enhance PAH degradation (Das and Das,
2015). Patel et al. (2019) tested NPK fertilizer, urea fertilizer, and
AS fertilizer as biostimulating agents to enhance phenanthrene and
fluoranthene degradation by mixed bacterial cultures. Biostimulation can
also be performed through an adaptation approach in which high
pre-exposure of target pollutants are applied for adaptation of
selective organisms having the capacity to survive and utilize target
pollutants (Mohan et al., 2006).
A new era of nanobiotechnology
leads to the development of a more competitive biostimulation approach
for rapid PAH remediation based on the use of nanofertilizers and
nanominerals, which enable broader distribution of nutrients in deeper
soil (Kuppusamy et al., 2017). A time interval study conducted by Bianco
et al. (2020) on the effects of anaerobic biostimulation such as
digestate, fresh organic fraction of solid municipal waste, and
combination of micro-/macronutrients (ratio of soil and biostimulants
was 10:1) on the degradation of the four PAH mixture (200 mg.kg–1 of
anthracene, phenanthrene, pyrene, and fluoranthene) in marine sediment
at 37°C and 130 rpm confirmed biostimulation efficiency for PAH
degradation (55%) compared to control without any supplementation (12%).
The application of digestate and organic waste as biostimulants during
degradation signifies the economic perspective as well as encourages the
renewable remediation strategy (Bianco et al., 2020). Blood meal is a
dark-colored complex non-toxic liquid of animal origin, which acts as a
slow releasing fertilizer and is rich with lysine, valine, leucine,
tryptophan, and histidine. Recently, biostimulation using blood meal
along with weekly soil plowing was studied for in situ bioremediation of
dichlorodiphenyltrichloroethane (DDT)- and PAH-polluted farmland soil
(Wang et al., 2017).
Composting is one of the most preferable and
cost-effective remediation methods for pollutant degradation in soil,
which improves soil organic content and soil fertility, and it is one
type of biostimulation in which organic content is added (Chen et al.,
2015). Composting remediation is more successful for 3- and 4-ring PAHs
than 5- and 6-ring PAHs, as higher ring PAHs may negatively affect the
microbial activities of compost and their natural bioavailability was
low (Gan et al., 2009; Guo et al., 2020). The compost bulking agents
such as spent mushroom, soot waste, agricultural wastes, maple leaves,
cow manure, pig manure, activated sludge, etc., can be used in PAH
degradation that support the enhancement of microbial population and
raise the required temperature for degradation (Mohan et al., 2006;
Shah, 2014; Das and Das, 2015). Guo et al. (2020) studied biodegradation
of PAHs in polluted sewage sludge by a co-composting method using green
forest waste. The experiments were performed with three different
rations of sewage sludge and green forest waste. PAH degradation (75.2%)
was highest in ratio 3:2, followed by ratio 3:1 (70.7%) and ratio 3:3
(62.4%) after 50 days of composting in compost windrows (1.5 m width ×
1.2 m height × 10 m length).
Bioaugmentation is the introduction
of inoculum of pollutant-degrading single microorganisms or group of
microorganisms to achieve optimum degradation and sometimes to improve
the catabolic capacities of indigenous microbes (Das and Das, 2015). It
is effective, rapid, easily publicly adaptable, easily applicable, and
versatile alternative for PAH degradation; nevertheless, unpredictable
(Kong et al., 2018). Application of the bioaugmentation strategy for PAH
degradation may include bacteria, archaea, fungi, and algae as pure
cultures as well as mixed cultures; detailed description is presented in
the section Microbial Remediation of Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbon
Pollution (Ghosal et al., 2016). The degradation of PAHs by
microorganisms occurs in the presence of oxygen and in the absence of
oxygen, which are called aerobic degradation and anaerobic degradation,
respectively. In anaerobic biodegradation, microbes use other substances
such as nitrate, sulfate, iron, manganese, and carbon dioxide as
electron exchanger during degradation and produce carbon dioxide and
methane as the final products. Anaerobic biodegradation is helpful to
remediate the deep underground soil where oxygen is absent or very low
(Gan et al., 2009).
Bioreactor is an ex situ controlled system
for efficient PAH degradation; addition of non-ionic surfactants,
bioaugmentation with useful microbes, and/or biostimulation with
additional nutrients enhance PAH bioremediation process in bioreactors
(Mohan et al., 2006). Soil column and soil slurry bioreactors degrade
effectively the soil-bound contaminants under controlled and optimized
conditions. The continuous fed batch reactors (anaerobic-anoxic-aerobic,
5 L each) were proved to be potential for 300 mg.L–1 of naphthalene
degradation (99%) in influent wastewater from coke oven industry along
with sulfate and ammonical nitrogen as biostimulants and cow dung slurry
as inoculum by Yadu et al. (2019). Forján et al. (2020) designed a
pilot- scale soil slurry bioreactor for PAH-polluted factory soil in
which dissolved oxygen (8 mg/L), pH (∼8), and temperature (28°C) probes
were constantly controlled. Soil slurry bioreactor was prepared by
combined approach of biostimulation (C:N:P ratio of 100:10:1) and
bioaugmentation using Rhodococcus erythropolis, which reported 89.3,
79.7, 72.0, and 82.1% degradation of 2-ring, 3-ring, 4–6-ring, and total
PAHs, respectively, after 15 days of bioreactor process (Forján et al.,
2020).
Phytoremediation is an in situ method in which the plants
are used to remove PAHs or to convert them into less harmful components
in soil, sediment, surface water, and groundwater (Das and Das, 2015).
Plants remediate the organic pollutants by different mechanisms such as
phytoextraction (withdrawal of pollutants from soil),
phytovolatilization (atmospheric release of volatile pollutants from
soil via plant organs), and phytodegradation (degradation of pollutants
by enzymes released from plant and/or plant-associated microbes)
(García-Sánchez et al., 2018). Plants help in soil aeration by
increasing permeability and by cracking soil masses, which favor PAH
aerobic biodegradation (Gitipour et al., 2018).
During
phytoremediation, plants resist easily a range of environmental assaults
due to their sessile characteristic. Plants are selected ideally based
on their quality to grow at a polluted site and growth time, biomass
productivity, ability to support active soil microbial population,
capability to degrade pollutants, and capability to adapt to
environmental conditions (Cook and Hesterberg, 2013). Economic viewpoint
suggests phytoremediation with grass is preferable due to less
maintenance, low nutrient requirements, robust growth, tolerance for
sought, acidic and, cold conditions, and their very fibrous root system,
which may help enhance soil microbial activities (Gan et al., 2009;
Cook and Hesterberg, 2013).
He and Chi (2019) investigated
phytoremediation capabilities of two submerged aquatic plants,
Vallisneria spiralis and Hydrilla verticillata, in PAH-polluted
sediments at pilot scale. The experiment was conducted for 108 days, and
results indicated that dissipation of phenanthrene and pyrene was
highest in sediment planted with V. spiralis (85.9 and 79.1%), followed
by sediment planted with H. verticillata (76.3 and 64.6%) and unplanted
sediment (76.3 and 64.6%). Higher dissipation of phenanthrene and pyrene
in planted sediments was due to plant-supported biodegradation and
plant uptake (He and Chi, 2019). Phytoremediation of soil polluted by
fly ash PAHs using willows of Salix × smithiana Willd (checked) was used
to remove 50.9% PAHs after 3 years of treatment (checked), which was
higher as compared to 9.9% ash PAH removal by natural attenuation in
soil (Košnáø et al., 2020).
Rhizoremediation is one specific
subset of phytoremediation, in which plant-associated rhizosphere
microorganisms are used for treatment of polluted soils (Das and Das,
2015). Rhizoremediation is more intensive for PAH degradation and a key
of successful rhizoremediation is dependent on the appropriate
partnership of plant and microbes that have degradation capabilities
(Agnello et al., 2016; Eskandary et al., 2017). Plants provide the huge
root surface area for microbial growth and remediate pollutants
approximately 10–15 m deep in the soil (Bisht et al., 2015). In
rhizoremediation, plant roots supply the nutrients for growth and
activities of PAH-degrading microbes in the form of carbohydrates, amino
acids, flavonoids, and organic acids, whereas microbes compensate by
supporting the plants to conquer against stress generated due to
pollutants and reduce the phytotoxicity (Bisht et al., 2015; Eskandary
et al., 2017). Kong et al. (2018) conducted field-scale PAH degradation
study (3 m × 1.2 m, 0.4 m depth, and 5 tons soil) for 175 days in aged
polluted soil of 50-year-old coking plants.
Comparison of four
different methods indicated that microbe-associated phytoremediation
(Rhodococcus ruber Em1 associated with Orychophragmus violaceus) was
superlative among natural attenuation, bioaugmentation (Rhodococcus
ruber Em1), and phytoremediation (Orychophragmus violaceus). R. ruber
Em1 combined with O. violaceus significantly enhanced the removal of 16
PAHs, 54% as compared to 18, 30, and 36% in other methods. The removal
of HMW PAHs with 4–6 rings were much greater by microbe-associated
phytoremediation methods (55%) as compared to natural attenuation (10%)
and phytoremediation (20%) (Kong et al., 2018). García-Sánchez et al.
(2018) also compared four different PAH bioremediation approaches via
pot experiments with 5 kg of aged polluted soil for 180 days. They found
a microbe-associated phytoremediation approach using maize plants along
with white rod fungi and indigenous microorganisms as the most
beneficial for removal of LMW, HMW, and total 16 PAHs as compared to
other approaches, i.e., natural attenuation, myco-augmentation using
white rod fungi Crucibulum leave, and phytoremediation using maize
plants (García-Sánchez et al., 2018).
The advantages of
phytoremediation and rhizoremediation as compared with other approaches
are that they preserve the natural conditions of the soil, energy is
derived primarily from sunlight, high level of microbial biomass in the
soil can be achieved, and both are cost-effective and
environment-friendly methods. The major drawbacks of both methods are
the site where plants cannot grow, large land requirement, limited
remediation depth, only applicable for low-level polluted site (plant
tolerance level), highly dependent on climate and seasonal conditions,
disposal of accumulated PAHs from plant parts, unknown effects of
biodegradation products, risk for pollutants to enter the food chain,
and uncertainty in treatment duration prediction (Gan et al., 2009;
Bisht et al., 2015; Gitipour et al., 2018).
Vermiremediation is
used as individual and combined with microbes or plants for PAH removal
from fine soil (pores size < 0.1 μm). PAHs in pores of fine soil are
not bioavailable and bioaccessible for degrading bacteria (size 1–10 μm)
and plant root hairs (size 15–17 μm). During vermiremediation,
burrowing actions of earthworms enlarge the soil pore size; therefore,
degrading microbes and plant root can penetrate into the soil, able to
grow and finally able to degrade hidden PAHs (Kuppusamy et al., 2017).
Earthworms also remove PAHs from the soil by either dermal absorption or
intestinal digestion that biotransform or biodegrade into harmless
compounds (Sinha et al., 2008). Benefits of vermiremediation include
improvement of physical/biological soil quality, excretion of nutritive
constituents as vermicasts, and proliferation of beneficial soil
microorganisms (Rorat et al., 2017). Earthworms reproduce speedily using
less or no energy, which possibly enhance PAH removal in a short time
duration, proving vermiremediation to be very cost-effective,
eco-friendly, and sustainable (Sinha et al., 2008). The addition of
earthworms Eisenia andrei in sewage sludge bioreactor after
precomposting had led to higher PAH removal (86, 58, and 62% under three
different pre-composting processes) after 5 weeks (Rorat et al., 2017).
The only drawback of vermiremediation is that it is applicable for low
and medium polluted sites, where earthworms are able to survive and grow
(Kuppusamy et al., 2017).
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7674206/
______________
A strategy to realize the efficient resonant absorption of guided water waves
2023
https://phys.org/news/2023-12-strategy-efficient-resonant-absorption.html
______________
Harnessing the oceans to 'bury' carbon has huge potential—and risk—so NZ needs to move with caution
2023
https://phys.org/news/2023-12-harnessing-oceans-carbon-huge-potentialand.html
______________
Chapter 6 - Potential of microbes for degradation of xenobiotics: With special focus on petroleum hydrocarbons
2022
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/B9780323899376000152
______________
Amphiphilic Magnetic Particles Dispersed in Water and Oil for the Removal of Hydrophilic and Hydrophobic Microplastics
April 10, 2024
https://pubs.acs.org/doi/10.1021/acsami.3c19398
______________
3° Oil Recovery: Fundamental Approaches and Principles of Microbially Enhanced Oil Recovery
https://link.springer.com/referenceworkentry/10.1007/978-3-540-77587-4_202
______________
Magnetic permanently confined micelle arrays for treating hydrophobic organic compound contamination
2008
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/19055347/
______________
Controllable hydrophobicity of magnetoactive elastomer coatings
2017
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0304885317321546
______________
Making a Frictionless Torpedo
2022
https://www.youtube.com/shorts/jcdzl8bXu_g
______________
Hydrophobic
and magnetic fabrication of hydroxyethyl cellulose-lignin aerogel
through ultrasound enhancement for efficient oil/water separation
2023
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S221471442300020X
______________
Biodegradable aerogel: Airy cellulose from a 3D printer
April 4, 2024
https://phys.org/news/2024-04-biodegradable-aerogel-airy-cellulose-3d.html
______________
Controllable
pore size of super-hydrophobic magnetic core-shell nanospheres with
dendritic architecture and their pore-dependent performances in
oil/water separation
2023
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S1383586623013424
______________
Superhydrophobic magnetic sorbent via surface modification of banded iron formation for oily water treatment
30 June 2022
https://www.nature.com/articles/s41598-022-15187-6
______________
High-performance hydrophobic magnetic hydrotalcite for selective treatment of oily wastewater
2021 Nov 29
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/34738879/
______________
High-speed magnetic control of water transport in superhydrophobic tubular actuators
21 October 2022
https://www.nature.com/articles/s41427-022-00431-2
______________
Droplet-based nanogenerators for energy harvesting and self-powered sensing
17th August 2021
https://pubs.rsc.org/en/content/articlehtml/2021/nr/d1nr05386h
______________
Magnetoswitchable
Controlled Hydrophilicity/Hydrophobicity of Electrode Surfaces Using
Alkyl-Chain-Functionalized Magnetic Particles: Application for
Switchable Electrochemistry
September 29, 2004
https://pubs.acs.org/doi/10.1021/la048476%2B
______________
Facile Surface Functionalization of Hydrophobic Magnetic Nanoparticles
August 20, 2014
https://pubs.acs.org/doi/10.1021/ja5060324
______________
Magnetic
nanofluid based on hydrophobic deep eutectic solvent for efficient and
rapid enrichment and subsequent determination of cinnamic acid in juice
samples: Vortex-assisted liquid-phase microextraction
2023
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0039914023003326
______________
Bifunctional hydrophobic deep eutectic solvents for selective recovery of Sm and Co from waste SmCo permanent magnets
2023
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S1226086X23005919
______________
Magnetic
hydrophobic deep eutectic solvents for orbital shaker-assisted
dispersive liquid-liquid microextraction (MAGDES-OS-DLLME) -
Determination of nickel and copper in food and water samples by FAAS
2023
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0889157523007172
______________
Aptamer functionalized magnetic hydrophobic polymer with synergetic effect for enhanced adsorption of alternariol from wheat
2023
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S030881462302174X
______________
Fundamentals of magnet-actuated droplet manipulation on an open hydrophobic surface
2009 Mar 9
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2932710/
______________
Water droplets become hydrobots by adding magnetic beads
June 3, 2021
https://phys.org/news/2021-06-droplets-hydrobots-adding-magnetic-beads.html
______________
Hydrophobic Drug-Loaded PEGylated Magnetic Liposomes for Drug-Controlled Release
18 May 2017
https://link.springer.com/article/10.1186/s11671-017-2119-4
______________
Magnetically responsive hydrophobic pockets for on–off drug release
2021
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2468519421002822
______________
Hydrophobic
magnetic nanoparticle assisted catanionic surfactant supramolecular
solvent microextraction of multiresidue antibiotics in water samples
July 2021
https://www.researchgate.net/publication/352352082_Hydrophobic_magnetic_nanoparticle_assisted_catanionic_surfactant_supramolecular_solvent_microextraction_of_multiresidue_antibiotics_in_water_samples
______________
Liquid-liquid
microextraction with hydrophobic deep eutectic solvent followed by
magnetic phase separation for preconcentration of antibiotics
2022
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0039914022006646
______________
An
air-assisted dispersive liquid phase microextraction method based on a
hydrophobic magnetic deep eutectic solvent for the extraction and
preconcentration of melamine from milk and milk-based products
2023
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0308814623011913
______________
Fabrication of hydrophobic and magnetic cellulose aerogel with high oil absorption capacity
2013
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0167577X1301450X
______________
Non-expensive hydrophobic and magnetic melamine sponges for the removal of hydrocarbons and oils from water
2019
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S1383586618338693
______________
Rapid Magnetic Catch-and-Release Purification by Hydrophobic Interactions
July 2, 2009
https://pubs.acs.org/doi/10.1021/la901351s
______________
Recovery
of rare earth metal oxides from NdFeB magnet leachate by hydrophobic
deep eutectic solvent extraction, oxalate stripping and calcination
2023
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0304386X23001925
______________
Silica
Removal Using Magnetic Iron-Aluminum Hybrid Nanomaterials:
Measurements, Adsorption Mechanisms, and Implications for Silica Scaling
in Reverse Osmosis
2019 Oct 29
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/31621307/
______________
Magnetic nanoparticles draw solution for forward osmosis: Current status and future challenges in wastewater treatment
2022
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2213343722018280
______________
Effectiveness
and mechanisms of electromagnetic field on reverse osmosis membrane
scaling control during brackish groundwater desalination
2021
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S1383586621015306
______________
Desalination
of saline water via forward osmosis using magnetic nanoparticles
covalently functionalized with citrate ions as osmotic agent
2020 Dec 22
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/33332242/
______________
Thermoresponsive Magnetic Nanoparticles for Seawater Desalination
October 17, 2013
https://pubs.acs.org/doi/10.1021/am403719s
______________
Removal of microplastics from water by magnetic nano-Fe3O4
2021
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0048969721049135
______________
World's Strongest Magnet!
Mar 14, 2023
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g0amdIcZt5I
______________
Energy harvesting
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Energy_harvestingEnergy harvesting (also known as power harvesting or energy scavenging) is the process by which energy is derived from external sources (e.g. solar power, thermal energy, wind energy, salinity gradients, and kinetic energy), captured, and stored for small, wireless autonomous devices, like those used in wearable electronics and wireless sensor networks.
Energy harvesters provide a very small amount of power for low-energy electronics. While the input fuel to some large-scale generation costs money (oil, coal, etc.), the energy source for energy harvesters is present as ambient background and is free. For example, temperature gradients exist from the operation of a combustion engine and in urban areas, there is a large amount of electromagnetic energy in the environment because of radio and television broadcasting.
Piezoelectric
The piezoelectric effect converts mechanical strain
into electric current or voltage. This strain can come from many
different sources. Human motion, low-frequency seismic vibrations, and
acoustic noise are everyday examples. Except in rare instances the
piezoelectric effect operates in AC requiring time-varying inputs at
mechanical resonance to be efficient.
Most piezoelectric electricity sources produce power on the order of
milliwatts, too small for system application, but enough for hand-held
devices such as some commercially available self-winding wristwatches.
One proposal is that they are used for micro-scale devices, such as in a
device harvesting micro-hydraulic energy. In this device, the flow of
pressurized hydraulic fluid drives a reciprocating piston supported by
three piezoelectric elements which convert the pressure fluctuations
into an alternating current.
______________
Preparation on transparent flexible piezoelectric energy harvester based on PZT films by laser lift-off process
http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0924424712006516
The piezoelectric energy generation properties of transparent flexible devices (TFD) based on PbZr0.52Ti0.48O3
(PZT) films, which were fabricated by laser lift-off (LLO) process,
were studied for a piezoelectric energy harvester. Through the
introduction of indium-tin-oxide (ITO) and polyethylene terephthalate
(PET) substrates, TFDs were implemented, respectively. The TFDs based on
PZT films generated an AC-type output signal and output power of
8.4 nW/cm2, at periodically bending and releasing motion. In
addition, inverted output signals were observed when the manufactured
TFDs were connected to the measuring equipment in reverse and were
bended to the reverse direction, demonstrating that the generating
signals originated from the piezoelectric effect of TFDs. The
experimental results clearly showed that the TFDs based PZT film have
potential for use in next generation of electronic devices applications
such as flexible devices, transparent electronics, and energy harvester.
______________
Scientists use shape-fixing nanoreactor to make a better fuel cell catalyst
May 11, 2015
______________
Laser-machined piezoelectric cantilevers for mechanical energy harvesting
In this study, we report results on a piezoelectric- material-based
mechanical energy-harvesting device that was fabricated by combining
laser machining with microelectronics packaging technology. It was found
that the laser-machining process did not have significant effect on the
electrical properties of piezoelectric material. The fabricated device
was tested in the low-frequency regime of 50 to 1000 Hz at constant
force of 8 g (where g = 9.8 m/s2). The device was found to
generate continuous power of 1.13 muW at 870 Hz across a 288.5 kOmega
load with a power density of 301.3 muW/cm3.
http://ieeexplore.ieee.org/xpl/login.jsp?tp=&arnumber=4626918&url=http%3A%2F%2Fieeexplore.ieee.org%2Fiel5%2F58%2F4626908%2F04626918.pdf%3Farnumber%3D4626918
______________
Bismuth-Ferrite Piezoelectric Material Opens New Roads for Energy Generation
November 15, 2009
http://www.greenoptimistic.com/bismuth-ferrite-piezoelectric-material-opens-new-roads-for-energy-generation-20091115/#.VSIYCeG-2zk
______________
Chinese Scientists Find Alternative to Lead-Containing Mainstream Piezoelectric Material
April 2, 2012
http://www.greenoptimistic.com/zinc-oxide-vanadium-piezoelectric-20120402/#.VSIYEOG-2zk
______________
Energy-Saving Thermoelectric Material Made From Dirt
November 29, 2012
A team of researchers at Michigan State University have developed a new type of thermoelectric
material by using common materials found in dirt. The researchers
developed this material using what they know about tetrahedrites, one of
the most abundant minerals on Earth.
MSU Professor of Chemical
Engineering, Donald Morelli, and his team figured out how to synthesize
compounds that have the same chemical composition as natural minerals
and closely mimic tetrahedrites. By modifying the composition,
researchers have been able produce even more efficient thermoelectric
material.
Why is this important? Themoelectric energy needs to be
more efficient to be a viable energy source. For example, if
thermoelectric was more efficient, the heat generated by a car engine
that travels through the tail pipe could then be converted into actual
electricity. By tweaking the composition, researchers are coming closer
to making this a reality.
http://www.greenoptimistic.com/thermoelectric-material-dirt-20121129/
______________
Proof-of-Concept Piezoelectric Generators Used to Recover Energy from Wind
November 24, 2009
http://www.greenoptimistic.com/andreopoulos-piezoelectric-wind-power-20091124/#.VSIbWOG-2zk
______________
Scientists harvest energy from beam's self-induced, self-sustaining vibrations in airflow
July 27, 2015
http://phys.org/news/2015-07-scientists-harvest-energy-self-induced-self-sustaining.html#jCp
______________
New Piezo Crystals Harness Sound Waves to Generate Hydrogen Fuel
03/17/10
http://inhabitat.com/new-piezo-crystals-harness-sound-waves-to-generate-hydrogen-fuel/
______________
Fuel-free nanomotor is powered by ultrasound and magnetic fields
Jun 26, 2015
Nanoscale motors, like their macroscale
counterparts, can be built to run on a variety of chemical fuels, such
as hydrogen peroxide and others. But unlike macroscale motors, some
nanomotors can also run without fuel, instead being powered by either
magnetic or acoustic fields. In a new paper, researchers for the first
time have demonstrated a nanomotor that can run on both magnetic and
acoustic fields, making it the first magneto-acoustic hybrid fuel-free
nanomotor.
http://phys.org/news/2015-06-fuel-free-nanomotor-powered-ultrasound-magnetic.html?utm_source=menu&utm_medium=link&utm_campaign=item-menu
______________
Ear-Piercing Sounds Harvested for Energy
Dec 6, 2013
http://news.discovery.com/tech/alternative-power-sources/ear-piercing-sounds-harvested-for-energy-131206.htm
______________
Engineering students use sound waves to put out fires
Mar 26, 2015
http://phys.org/news/2015-03-students.html
______________
German student creates electromagnetic harvester that gathers free electricity from thin air
February 12, 2013
A German student has built an electromagnetic harvester that recharges an AA battery by soaking up ambient, environmental radiation. These harvesters can gather free electricity from just about anything, including overhead power lines, coffee machines, refrigerators, or even the emissions from your WiFi router or smartphone.
http://www.extremetech.com/extreme/148247-german-student-creates-electromagnetic-harvester-that-gathers-free-electricity-from-thin-air
______________
New technique for generating electricity from mechanical vibrations
Nov 12, 2014
http://www.gizmag.com/mechanical-vibration-generate-electricity/34701/
______________
New Cell Phone Charging System Harvests Energy from Vibrations
02/28/14
http://inhabitat.com/university-of-wisconsin-develops-cell-phone-charging-system-that-harvests-energy-from-vibrations/
______________
Pavegen looking to harness energy from pedestrian footsteps
May 28th, 2015
http://phys.org/news/2015-05-pavegen-harness-energy-pedestrian-footsteps.html#nRlv
______________
Portland to generate electricity within its own water pipes
February 17, 2015
http://www.gizmag.com/portland-lucidpipe-power-system/36130/
______________
Shape-shifting nanoprobes report on internal body conditions using magnetic fields
April 5, 2015
Scientists at the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) and the National Institutes of Health (NIH) have developed a new type of shape-shifting nanoprobe that can perform high-resolution remote biological sensing not possible with current technology. Around one-tenth the size of a single red blood cell, the nanoprobes are designed to provide feedback on internal body conditions by altering their magnetic fields in response to their environment. The researchers predict wide-spread applications for the nanoprobes in the fields of chemistry, biology, engineering and, one day, to aid physicians in high-accuracy clinical diagnostics.
http://www.gizmag.com/nanoprobes-nist-gem-biosensing-magnetic-fields/36803/
----------------
Study Confirms Magnetic Properties of Silicon Nano-Ribbons
October 24, 2012
http://www.bangscience.org/2012/10/study-confirms-magnetic-properties-of-silicon-nano-ribbons/
______________
Heat makes electrons spin in magnetic superconductors
4/24/2015
http://article.wn.com/view/2015/04/24/Heat_makes_electrons_spin_in_magnetic_superconductors_Univer/
----------------
Scientists fabricate hexagonal silicon, potentially leading to light-emitting semiconductors
August 18, 2015
Virtually
all semiconductors used in today's electronic devices are made of
silicon having a cubic crystal structure, as silicon naturally
crystallizes in the cubic form. In a new study, researchers have
fabricated silicon in a hexagonal crystal structure, which is expected
to exhibit novel optical, electrical, superconducting, and mechanical
properties compared with cubic silicon.
http://phys.org/news/2015-08-scientists-fabricate-hexagonal-silicon-potentially.html#jCp
______________
Researchers prove magnetism can control heat, sound
May 28th, 2015
http://phys.org/news/2015-05-magnetism.html
______________
Ultrafast heat conduction can manipulate nanoscale magnets
June/8/2015
Researchers
at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign have uncovered
physical mechanisms allowing the manipulation of magnetic information
with heat. These new phenomena rely on the transport of thermal energy,
in contrast to the conventional application of magnetic fields,
providing a new, and highly desirable way to manipulate magnetization at
the nanoscale.
http://phys.org/news/2015-06-ultrafast-nanoscale-magnets.html#jCp
______________
Magnetostrictive resonators as sensors and actuators
http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0924424712007509
Two types of magnetostrictive resonators – magnetostrictive
microcantilever (MSMC) and magnetostrictive particle (MSP) – have been
introduced as sensor platforms. Their principles and advantages as
sensor platforms are discussed along with the materials selection. A
detailed and complete comparison between the MSMC and MSP is given. It
is concluded that for the resonators with the same size, an MSP exhibits
a higher sensitivity and has a much higher resonant frequency. For the
resonators with the same resonant frequency, MSMCs exhibit a much higher
sensitivity and have a much smaller size than MSPs. Using antibody as
the sensing element, MSP biosensors for in situ detection of Escherichia coli and Listeria monocytogenes
are developed and characterized. These biosensors exhibit a high
performance. For example, the MSP-antibody biosensors of
1 mm × 0.3 mm × 15 μm exhibit a detection limit less than 100 cfu/ml for
in situ detection of bacterial cell in water. A new type actuator is
introduced using MSPs. The MSP actuator is operated using AC magnetic
field with a frequency close to, but different than, its resonant
frequency. The MSP actuator exhibits an unlimited displacement, and its
moving direction is controlled by the operating frequency used.
______________
Levitating Magnet May Yield New Approach to Clean Energy
http://engineering.columbia.edu/levitating-magnet-may-yield-new-approach-clean-energy
Achieving nuclear fusion in the laboratory has been a cherished goal of physicists and energy researchers for more than 50 years. That’s because it offers the possibility of nearly endless supplies of energy with no carbon emissions and far less radioactive waste than that produced by today’s nuclear plants, which are based on fission, the splitting of atoms (the opposite of fusion, which involves fusing two atoms together). But developing a fusion reactor that produces a net output of energy has proved to be more challenging than initially thought.
______________
Cleaner Fuel Cells on the Way from Moscow
January 1, 2016
A European research team has been working on
ion-exchange membranes that convert energy created by chemical
reactions. These membranes are based on amphiphilic compounds, and are
synthetic. This has great implications for the use of clean fuel cells.
The team, comprised of Russian, French and German scientists, have
been collaborating to create this process that can be possibly used in
fuel cells. The study was conducted at the Moscow Institute of Physics
and Technology, at the Laboratory of Functional Organic and Hybrid
materials.
Batteries produce energy by utilizing the reaction of oxidizing and
reducing agents. The batteries’ lifespan is complete when both the
agents are consumed. When an accumulator is used, electric energy can be
stored in packets.
http://www.greenoptimistic.com/moscow-clean-fuel-cells/
______________
A new idea for rapid generation of strong magnetic fields using laser pulses
March 25, 2020
https://phys.org/news/2020-03-idea-rapid-strong-magnetic-fields.html
______________
Coherent ultrafast magnetism induced by femtosecond laser pulses
31 May 2009
https://www.nature.com/articles/nphys1285
______________
Space-confined fabrication of hydrophobic magnetic carbon nanofibers for lightweight and enhanced microwave absorption
2022
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0008622322004316
______________
Exploiting disorder to harvest heat energy: The potentialities of 2D magnets for thermoelectric applications
April 30, 2024
https://phys.org/news/2024-04-exploiting-disorder-harvest-energy-potentialities.html
______________
MilliMobile is a tiny, self-driving robot powered only by light and radio waves
September 27, 2023
https://techxplore.com/news/2023-09-millimobile-tiny-self-driving-robot-powered.html
______________
New compact chips can convert light into microwaves
March 6, 2024
https://techxplore.com/news/2024-03-compact-chips-microwaves.html
______________
How light can vaporize water without the need for heat
April 23, 2024
Surprising
“photomolecular effect” discovered by MIT researchers could affect
calculations of climate change and may lead to improved desalination and
drying processes.
https://news.mit.edu/2024/how-light-can-vaporize-water-without-heat-0423
______________
Singularity vs 100,000 Lumens
2022
https://www.youtube.com/shorts/AA-vYH3TqG4
______________
The Whitest Thing In The Universe
July 1, 2021
https://www.youtube.com/shorts/yoWnoWylpZI
______________
Ultrablack thin-film coating could make next-gen telescopes even better
March 12, 2024
https://phys.org/news/2024-03-ultrablack-thin-coating-gen-telescopes.html
______________
Sunrise to sunset, a new window coating blocks heat, not view
April 2, 2024
https://techxplore.com/news/2024-04-sunrise-sunset-window-coating-blocks.html
______________
Turning glass into a 'transparent' light-energy harvester
January 26, 2024
https://phys.org/news/2024-01-glass-transparent-energy-harvester.html
______________
How to make bright quantum dots even brighter
January 31, 2024
https://phys.org/news/2024-01-bright-quantum-dots-brighter.html
______________
New techniques for making qubits out of erbium
February 8, 2024
Qubits are the building block for quantum technology, and finding or building qubits that are stable and easily manipulated is one of the central goals of quantum technology research. Scientists have found that an atom of erbium—a rare-earth metal sometimes used in lasers or to color glass—can be a very effective qubit.
https://phys.org/news/2024-02-techniques-qubits-erbium.html
______________
Scientists use laser light to achieve quantum states at room temperature, a first
2024
https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/technology/scientists-use-laser-light-to-achieve-quantum-states-at-room-temperature-a-first/ar-BB1loFYH
______________
Quantum behavior at room temperature: When laser light makes materials magnetic
April 10, 2024
https://phys.org/news/2024-04-quantum-behavior-room-temperature-laser.html
______________
Quantum breakthrough when light makes materials magnetic
April 10, 2024
https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2024/04/240410112818.htm
______________
Capturing greenhouse gases with the help of light
January 12, 2024
https://phys.org/news/2024-01-capturing-greenhouse-gases.html
______________
Team develops light-powered catalyst to make hydrogen
January 10, 2024
https://phys.org/news/2024-01-team-powered-catalyst-hydrogen.html
______________
Phononic switching of magnetization by the ultrafast Barnett effect
10 April 2024
https://www.nature.com/articles/s41586-024-07200-x
______________
Magnetic diffusion
Magnetic
diffusion refers to the motion of magnetic fields, typically in the
presence of a conducting solid or fluid such as a plasma. The motion of
magnetic fields is described by the magnetic diffusion equation and is
due primarily to induction and diffusion of magnetic fields through the
material. The magnetic diffusion equation is a partial differential
equation commonly used in physics. Understanding the phenomenon is
essential to magnetohydrodynamics and has important consequences in
astrophysics, geophysics, and electrical engineering.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Magnetic_diffusion
______________
Lasers make magnets behave like fluids
April 18, 2019
https://phys.org/news/2019-04-lasers-magnets-fluids.html
______________
Laser-assisted bending by magnetic force
24 July 2017
https://ietresearch.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1049/joe.2017.0145
______________
Making a superconductor liquid–solid out of the vacuum with hundred-exatesla-strong magnetic fields
January 18, 2024
https://phys.org/news/2024-01-superconductor-liquidsolid-vacuum-exatesla-strong.html
______________
A comparison of technologies for remediation of heavy metal contaminated soils
2016
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0375674216303818
______________
Remediation of metal contaminated soil with mineral-amended composts
2007
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0269749107000772
______________
Archaea
Archaea (/ɑːrˈkiːə/ ar-KEE-ə; sg.: archaeon /ɑːrˈkiːən/ ar-KEE-ən) is a domain of single-celled organisms. These microorganisms lack cell nuclei and are therefore prokaryotic. Archaea were initially classified as bacteria, receiving the name archaebacteria (in the Archaebacteria kingdom), but this term has fallen out of use.
Archaeal cells have unique properties separating them from the other two domains, Bacteria and Eukaryota. Archaea are further divided into multiple recognized phyla. Classification is difficult because most have not been isolated in a laboratory and have been detected only by their gene sequences in environmental samples. It is unknown if these are able to produce endospores.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Archaea
______________
List of Archaea genera
Phylogeny
Phylum "Microcaldota"
Phylum "Undinarchaeota"
Phylum "Altarchaeota"
Phylum "Iainarchaeota"
Phylum "Micrarchaeota"
Phylum "Huberarchaeaota"
Phylum "Aenigmatarchaeota"
Phylum "Nanohalarchaeota"
Phylum "Nanoarchaeota"
Phylum "Asgardaeota"
Phylum "Thermoproteota"
Phylum "Hadarchaeota"
Phylum Methanobacteriota_B
Phylum "Hydrothermarchaeota"
Phylum "Methanobacteriota"
Phylum "Thermoplasmatota"
Phylum "Halobacteriota"
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Archaea_genera
______________
______________
Monera
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Monera
______________
The growing tree of Archaea: new perspectives on their diversity, evolution and ecology
04 August 2017
https://www.nature.com/articles/ismej2017122
______________
Archaea vs. Bacteria: What Are the Differences?
December 16, 2022
https://www.treehugger.com/archaea-vs-bacteria-5190902
______________
Archaea as a Model System for Molecular Biology and Biotechnology
2023 Jan 6
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC9855744/
______________
BP's Archaea Energy achieves major milestone, brings online first of its kind renewable natural gas plant
Oct 4, 2023
https://finance.yahoo.com/news/bps-archaea-energy-achieves-major-130000104.html?guccounter=1&guce_referrer=aHR0cHM6Ly9kdWNrZHVja2dvLmNvbS8&guce_referrer_sig=AQAAAKvjmMsgxCilNc9fy2mDSKDR3zJ71SJoJLxxXYl2iSVB3BuGezbJ9-EmJHjr0BveB5Nma0YIu4aUtKg-FNA0JSxu9Pqy3Pj9mPw3UFYWuRzlkxIiYgsSgWmbVWyScjL-zVkui13fO1R7XsI0mGQSHR2f9fFUKRju94v7OW2vNW1l
______________
Diversity and Niche of Archaea in Bioremediation
2018
https://downloads.hindawi.com/journals/archaea/2018/3194108.pdf
______________
Archaea in artificial environments: Their presence in global spacecraft clean rooms and impact on planetary protection
2010 Aug 12
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3105705/
______________
Archaea in biogeochemical cycles
2013 Jun 26
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/23808334/
______________
Bioaugmentation with Mixed Hydrogen-Producing Acetogen Cultures Enhances Methane Production in Molasses Wastewater Treatment
01 August 2018
https://www.hindawi.com/journals/archaea/2018/4634898/
______________
The Role of Methanogens in Waste Water Treatment
As
one of the most diverse groups of Archaea known to date, the
Methanogens represent the euryarchaeota order which gains energy via
methane production. The methanogens utilize the metabolic process of
methanogenesis, which is the methane production pathway that converts
carbon dioxide and other bacterial waste products into methane.
Methanogens have become the focus of recent literature due to their
large contribution to global methane emissions as well as their role in
wastewater treatment. Methane is a potent greenhouse gas that has a
global warming potential of 25 in a 100 year time frame and is estimated
to account for 20% of the total radiative forcing from all greenhouse
gases (Wang et al., 2011). The recent increase in methane emissions,
from natural systems such as wetlands as well as landfills and
agricultural cattle, has made understanding methanogens crucial to
global climate change. Although methane emissions have negative
environmental impacts, the use of methanogens can be use in reducing
wastewater and the pollution of water systems across the world.
Methanogens help break down organic material that would otherwise
pollute water sources and lead to environmental degradation. The
construction of wetland systems in developing countries has been adopted
as a low cost and highly effective method of reducing nutrient
concentrations and degrading organic compounds in agricultural as well
as urban wastewaters (Johansson, et al., 2004). The balance of these two
impacts is vitally important for the future.
https://microbewiki.kenyon.edu/index.php/The_Role_of_Methanogens_in_Waste_Water_Treatment
______________
ANME-1 archaea may drive methane accumulation and removal in estuarine sediments
2021 Jan 18
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/33462984/
______________
Energy Metabolism during Anaerobic Methane Oxidation in ANME Archaea
2017 Mar 17
Abstract
Anaerobic
methane oxidation in archaea is often presented to operate via a
pathway of “reverse methanogenesis”. However, if the cumulative
reactions of a methanogen are run in reverse there is no apparent way to
conserve energy. Recent findings suggest that chemiosmotic coupling
enzymes known from their use in methylotrophic and acetoclastic
methanogens—in addition to unique terminal reductases—biochemically
facilitate energy conservation during complete CH4 oxidation to CO2. The
apparent enzyme modularity of these organisms highlights how microbes
can arrange their energy metabolisms to accommodate diverse chemical
potentials in various ecological niches, even in the extreme case of
utilizing “reverse” thermodynamic potentials.
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5371075/
______________
UASB
performance and electron competition between methane-producing archaea
and sulfate-reducing bacteria in treating sulfate-rich wastewater
containing ethanol and acetate
2013
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0960852413005233
______________
Methanogenic archaea: ecologically relevant differences in energy conservation
30 June 2008
https://www.nature.com/articles/nrmicro1931
______________
Halophilic archaea and their potential to generate renewable fuels and chemicals
2020 Dec 16
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7897274/
______________
Methane emission reduction oriented extracellular electron transfer and bioremediation of sediment microbial fuel cell: A review
2023
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0048969723011245
______________
Methanotrophs: Methane Mitigation, Denitrification and Bioremediation
16 February 2017
Abstract
Methanotrophs
are bacteria capable of using methane as a carbon source. They can
lower atmospheric methane emissions, remove N in environmental and
wastewater treatment systems and even transform organic pollutants in
soils. Methanotrophic methane mitigation technologies have been
demonstrated beyond the laboratories as adaptable field-scale systems
that may be engineered to meet site-specific climatic variations and
ensure minimal atmospheric methane emission. In agricultural sediments
and soils, methanotrophs sequester methane but are affected by
fertiliser applications, while in wastewater treatment systems they can
lower the costs associated with N removal. Finally, the methanotrophs
are particularly appealing as bioremediation agents in
methane-containing environments, as their primary enzymes have a broad
substrate range that can transform various hydrocarbons, including
aromatic compounds and halogenated aliphatics. These diverse bacteria
are an important global methane sink and this importance is set to
increase as anthropogenic emissions increase over the coming decades.
https://link.springer.com/chapter/10.1007/978-3-319-49727-3_2
______________
A microbe that uses crude oil to make methane
22 December 2021
A
microorganism that dwells in an underground oil reservoir has been
found to degrade various petroleum compounds and use them to produce
methane through a previously unreported biochemical pathway.
https://www.nature.com/articles/d41586-021-03729-3
______________
Genome sequencing of rumen bacteria and archaea and its application to methane mitigation strategies
2013
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/23739466/
______________
Functions of bacteria and archaea participating in the bioconversion of organic waste for methane production
2020
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0048969720365372
______________
Diversity and Evolution of Methane-Related Pathways in Archaea
June 27, 2022
https://www.annualreviews.org/content/journals/10.1146/annurev-micro-041020-024935
______________
Wide diversity of methane and short-chain alkane metabolisms in uncultured archaea
04 March 2019
https://www.nature.com/articles/s41564-019-0363-3
______________
A mixed consortium of methanotrophic archaea and bacteria boosts methane-dependent selenate reduction
2020
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0048969720328278
______________
Role and regulation of anaerobic methane oxidation catalyzed by NC10 bacteria and ANME-2d archaea in various ecosystems
2022
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0013935122025014
______________
Diverse methylotrophic methanogenic archaea cause high methane emissions from seagrass meadows
February 14, 2022
https://www.pnas.org/doi/10.1073/pnas.2106628119
______________
Biochar decreases methanogenic archaea abundance and methane emissions in a flooded paddy soil
2020
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0048969720354875
______________
Coal
methanogenesis: a review of the need of complex microbial consortia and
culture conditions for the effective bioconversion of coal into methane
10 February 2017
https://annalsmicrobiology.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1007/s13213-017-1255-5
______________
Methanogenic Archaea Can Produce Methane in Deliquescence-Driven Mars Analog Environments
08 January 2020
https://www.nature.com/articles/s41598-019-56267-4
______________
Anaerobic Oxidation of Methane Coupled with Dissimilatory Nitrate Reduction to Ammonium Fuels Anaerobic Ammonium Oxidation
November 13, 2020
https://pubs.acs.org/doi/10.1021/acs.est.0c02664
______________
Archaea and the nitrogen cycle
08 August 2017
https://microbiologysociety.org/publication/past-issues/archaea/article/archaea-and-the-nitrogen-cycle.html
______________
Ammonia-oxidizing archaea involved in nitrogen removal
2009
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0043135409000499
______________
Study Forecasts Tile Drainage and Crop Rotation Changes for Nitrogen Loss
University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign
02 March 2023
https://www.enn.com/articles/72081-study-forecasts-tile-drainage-and-crop-rotation-changes-for-nitrogen-loss
______________
Ammonia-oxidizing archaea are integral to nitrogen cycling in a highly fertile agricultural soil
01 June 2021
https://www.nature.com/articles/s43705-021-00020-4
______________
Non-negligible roles of archaea in coastal carbon biogeochemical cycling
2022
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0966842X2200316X
______________
Catalytic combo converts CO₂ to solid carbon nanofibers while offsetting emissions
January 11, 2024
Scientists
at the U.S. Department of Energy's (DOE) Brookhaven National Laboratory
and Columbia University have developed a way to convert carbon dioxide
(CO2), a potent greenhouse gas, into carbon nanofibers, materials with a
wide range of unique properties and many potential long-term uses.
Their strategy uses tandem electrochemical and thermochemical reactions
run at relatively low temperatures and ambient pressure.
As the
scientists describe in the journal Nature Catalysis, this approach could
successfully lock carbon away in a useful solid form to offset or even
achieve negative carbon emissions.
"You can put the carbon
nanofibers into cement to strengthen the cement," said Jingguang Chen, a
professor of chemical engineering at Columbia with a joint appointment
at Brookhaven Lab who led the research. "That would lock the carbon away
in concrete for at least 50 years, potentially longer. By then, the
world should be shifted to primarily renewable energy sources that don't
emit carbon."
As a bonus, the process also produces hydrogen gas (H2), a promising alternative fuel that, when used, creates zero emissions.
https://techxplore.com/news/2024-01-catalytic-combo-solid-carbon-nanofibers.html
______________
Florida researchers are studying 'plant diamond' for carbon capture secrets
December 14, 2023
https://phys.org/news/2023-12-florida-diamond-carbon-capture-secrets.html
______________
Curved carbon nanotubes enhance electrocatalysts for carbon neutrality
February 7, 2024
https://phys.org/news/2024-02-carbon-nanotubes-electrocatalysts-neutrality.html
______________
Finding new chemistry to capture double the carbon
April 8, 2024
https://phys.org/news/2024-04-chemistry-capture-carbon.html
______________
Nuclear Fusion Breakthrough; Powering Electric Vehicles; Carbon Capture | 60 Minutes Full Episodes
Jul 22, 2023
Scott Pelley's January report on the breakthrough in nuclear fusion made by scientists at the National Ignition Facility; From May, Bill Whitaker's story on how companies are developing lithium extraction for electric car batteries in California’s Imperial Valley. And from April, Whitaker's visit to Iceland, where carbon dioxide is captured from the air and buried underground as part of groundbreaking new technology to slow climate change.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7ZejZxjvFng
______________
Research lights up process for turning CO₂ into sustainable fuel
March 25, 2024
Researchers
have successfully transformed CO2 into methanol by shining sunlight on
single atoms of copper deposited on a light-activated material, a
discovery that paves the way for creating new green fuels.
https://techxplore.com/news/2024-03-co8322-sustainable-fuel.html#google_vignette
______________
Copper-based catalysts efficiently turn carbon dioxide into methane
September 25, 2023
https://phys.org/news/2023-09-copper-based-catalysts-efficiently-carbon-dioxide.html
______________
Why Solid Carbon is the Future of Energy Storage
Feb 22, 2024
Energy storage is a huge sector, and growing at a rapid pace - largely due to the mass rollout of renewable energy. Lithium-ion batteries have a part to play in all of this, but they come with their own set of problems, including cost and the use of rare earth materials. This is why I am so interested in thermal batteries - using heat to store energy instead of chemical bonds. Antora energy have an incredible new way of doing this with solid carbon blocks and thermo-photovoltaic panels. So, I got in contact with them!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cwDly9pjSJg
______________
Enhancing the CO2 capturing ability in leaf via xenobiotic auxin uptake
2020
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0048969720345617
______________
Researchers develop minimal nanozymes with carbon dioxide capture capacity
September 26, 2023
https://phys.org/news/2023-09-minimal-nanozymes-carbon-dioxide-capture.html
______________
A catalyst for converting carbon dioxide, the main cause of global warming, into ethylene using vitamin C
March 29, 2024
https://phys.org/news/2024-03-catalyst-carbon-dioxide-main-global.html#google_vignette
______________
______________
Research highlights a dangerous overreliance on future CO₂ removal
February 1st, 2024
https://phys.org/news/2024-02-highlights-dangerous-overreliance-future.html
______________
Improved remediation of co‑contaminated soils by heavy metals and PAHs with biosurfactant‑enhanced soil washing
2022
https://www.nature.com/articles/s41598-022-07577-7.pdf
______________
Remediation techniques for elimination of heavy metal pollutants from soil: A review
2022
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0013935122012452
______________
A review of green remediation strategies for heavy metal contaminated soil
25 November 2020
Abstract
Heavy metals and metalloids can accumulate in soil, with potentially toxic effects to
human health and ecosystems, threatening the sustainable use and management of soil
resources. Although a number of remediation technologies, such as Solidification/
Stabilization (S/S), soil washing, electrokinetic remediation and chemical oxidation/
reduction can be applied for the immobilization, removal or detoxification of heavy
metals in soil, the environmental, social and economic impacts associated with these
conventional approaches hinder their overall sustainability. More attempts have been
made to maximize the ‘net environmental benefit’ in various ways, including recov-
ering resources, embracing nature-based solutions (NBS), and saving energy with
the emergence and development of the ‘green and sustainable remediation’ (GSR)
movement. This review critically discusses these green remediation strategies, and
the novel soil amendments being utilized in these sustainable approaches. Iron-
based amendments are the most promising candidates in green remediation due to
the highest stabilization performances for both oxyanions and metallic cations as
well as relatively low disturbance to soil. In comparison, waste-derived materials
suffer from risks of contaminant release in the long run, reducing the overall sustain-
ability despite their low costs. It has been found that phytoremediation and green
amendment- based S/S are typically the ‘greenest’ remediation strategies, but wise
decisions should be made on the basis of case-specific sustainability assessment re-
sults. Finally, it is proposed that integration of several green remediation techniques
may have a synergistic effect on remediation efficiency.
https://bsssjournals.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/pdf/10.1111/sum.12717
______________
Heavy Metals in Contaminated Soils: A Review of Sources, Chemistry, Risks and Best Available Strategies for Remediation
2011
https://www.hindawi.com/journals/isrn/2011/402647/
______________
Remediation of metal contaminated soil with mineral-amended composts
2007
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0269749107000772
______________
Organic Acids for the In Situ Remediation of Soils Polluted by Heavy Metals: Soil Flushing in Columns
April 2001
Abstract
To compare the soil remediation effectiveness of saltsof weak organic acids with strongchelating agents, three soils of different textures,all polluted by heavy metals, were washed in a column,at optimum pH, with salts of weak organic acids,namely, citrate, tartarate or oxalate + citrate orchelating agents (EDTA or DTPA). For the clay loam,Cr, Mn, Hg and Pb were removed by citrate andtartarate at levels of 43 to 45, 37 to 41, 91 to 92and 75%, respectively. EDTA and DTPA effectivelyleached only Pb after 20 pore volumes. For the loam,citrate leached 98 and 89% of Cd and Pb after 20 porevolumes, respectively, while tartarate leached out 91and 87% of Cd and Pb. EDTA and DTPA removed 93 to97% of these metals after 20 pore volumes. For thesandy clay loam, 84 to 91, 73 to 84, 56 to 70 and 72to 81% of Cd, Cu, Pb and Zn were removedrespectively, by citrate and tartarate. EDTA and DTPAremoved 93 to 97% of these metals after 20 porevolumes. An in situ soil remediation simulation wasalso tested using the sandy clay loam in a tub. After 12 hr of retention, the citrate solution washed 81, 82,73 and 90%, of Cd, Cu, Pb and Zn, respectively, aftersix pore volumes. EDTA and DTPA effectively removedall heavy metals, except for Hg, but also extractedlarge quantities of soil nutrients and pollute thesoil by being adsorbed on the soil particles. Thesalts of citrate and tartarate effectively removed theheavy metals from the three polluted soils whileleaching little macro-nutrients and improving soilstructure. Each soil reached C and B levels ofsoil-clean-up criteria after 10 to 20 pore volumes andwithin 10 to 15 hr of flushing.
https://link.springer.com/article/10.1023/A:1005251915165
______________
Remediation of Heavy Metal-Contaminated Soils with Soil Washing: A Review
2022
https://www.mdpi.com/2071-1050/14/20/13058
______________
A critical review on soil washing during soil remediation for heavy metals and organic pollutants
03 February 2021
Abbreviations
- 2,4-D:
-
2,4-Dichlorophenoxyacetic acid
- ADBAC:
-
Alkyl dimethyl benzyl ammonium chloride
- As:
-
Arsenic
- Brij-35:
-
Poly(oxyethylene)23 dodecyl ether
- Cd:
-
Cadmium
- CETSA:
-
Carboxyalkylthiosuccinic acid
- CMC:
-
Critical micelle concentration
- CMCD:
-
Carboxymethyl-β-cyclodextrin
- Co:
-
Cobalt
- COCs:
-
Chlorinated organic compounds
- CPC:
-
Cetylpyridinium chloride
- Cr:
-
Chromium
- Cs:
-
Cesium
- CTAB:
-
Cetyltrimethylammonium bromide
- Cu:
-
Copper
- EDDS:
-
[S,S]-ethylenediaminedisuccinic acid
- EDTA:
-
Ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid
- EDTMP:
-
Ethylenediamine tetra (methylene phosphonic acid)
- GCA:
-
Glucomonocarbonic acid
- GLDA:
-
N,N-Bis(carboxymethyl)-l-glutamic acid
- HAs:
-
Humic acids
- Hg:
-
Mercury
- HIDs:
-
3-Hydroxy-2,2′-iminodisuccinic acid
- HOCs:
-
Hydrophobic organic contaminants
- LMMOAs:
-
Low molecular mass organic acids
- ISA:
-
Iminodisuccinic acid
- MA/AA:
-
Copolymer of maleic and acylic acid
- NAPLs:
-
Nonaqueous phase liquids
- Ni:
-
Nickel
- NTA:
-
Nitilotriacetic acid
- OCPs:
-
Organochlorine pesticides
- PAA:
-
Polyacrylic acid
- PAHs:
-
Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons
- PASP:
-
Polyaspartic acid
- Pb:
-
Lead
- PCBs:
-
Polychlorinated biphenyls
- POPs:
-
Persistent organic pollutants
- SDBS:
-
Sodium dodecyl benzene sulfonate
- SDS:
-
Sodium dodecyl sulfate
- TPHs:
-
Total petroleum hydrocarbons
- Tween-80:
-
Polyoxyethylene sorbitan monooleate
- TX-100:
-
Triton X-100
- V:
-
Vanadium
- VFAs:
-
Volatile fatty acids
- Zn:
-
Zinc
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https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s13762-021-03144-1
______________
Soil remediation time to achieve clean-up goals II: Influence of natural organic matter and water contents
2006 Jan 9
Abstract
This work reports a relatively rapid procedure for the forecasting of the remediation time (RT) of sandy soils contaminated with cyclohexane using vapour extraction. The RT estimated through the mathematical fitting of experimental results was compared with that of real soils. The main objectives were: (i) to predict the RT of soils with natural organic matter (NOM) and water contents different from those used in experiments; and (ii) to analyse the time and efficiency of remediation, and the distribution of contaminants into the soil matrix after the remediation process, according to the soil contents of: (ii1) NOM; and (ii2) water. For sandy soils with negligible clay contents, artificially contaminated with cyclohexane before vapour extraction, it was concluded that: (i) if the NOM and water contents belonged to the range of the prepared soils, the RT of real soils could be predicted with relative differences not higher than 12%; (ii1) the increase of NOM content from 0% to 7.5% increased the RT (1.8-13 h) and decreased the remediation efficiency (RE) (99-90%) and (ii2) the increase of soil water content from 0% to 6% increased the RT (1.8-4.9 h) and decreased the RE (99-97%). NOM increases the monolayer capacity leading to a higher sorption into the solid phase. Increasing of soil water content reduces the mass transfer coefficient between phases. Concluding, NOM and water contents influence negatively the remediation process, turning it less efficient and more time consuming, and consequently more expensive.
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/16406487/
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Combined technologies for the remediation of soils contaminated by organic pollutants. A review
11 February 2022
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https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s10311-022-01407-y
______________
Soil Reclamation and Remediation of Disturbed Lands
https://geo.libretexts.org/Bookshelves/Soil_Science/Digging_into_Canadian_Soils%3A_An_Introduction_to_Soil_Science/03%3A_Digging_Deeper/3.03%3A_Soil_Reclamation_and_Remediation_of_Disturbed_Lands
Remediation Strategies
Remediation
strategies for contaminated soil can be broadly classified as
biological, chemical, or physical (Table 16.2). Many are a combination
of more than one type, and can be applied either ex situ or in situ. Ex
situ methods involve excavating the soil from the impacted zone and
treating the soil either on or off site. In situ methods treat the
contaminated soil in place. Contaminated sites often have contaminated
surface and ground waters that may require different or complementary
remediation strategies.
Table 16.2. Common remediation strategies for contaminated soils
Type Category Common contaminants Location
Biological Bioremediation, land farming, engineered biopiles or windrows Petroleum hydrocarbons
Bioventing Petroleum hydrocarbons In situ
Phytoremediation (rhizodegradation, phytoextraction,
phytodegradation, phytostabilization, phytoextraction) Petroleum
hydrocarbons, other organic contaminants, metals Generally in situ
Slurry phase reactors or lagoons Various organics Ex situ
Chemical Chemical oxidation / reduction Organics, inorganics Either
Neutralization Acids, bases Either
Physical Soil vapour extraction (SVE) Volatile organics (gasoline) In situ
Soil flushing, soil washing, dual phase extraction in ground water Organics, inorganics Either
Solidification, stabilization Organics, inorganics Either
Electrokinetic separation Organics, inorganics Either
Thermal desorption Organics Either
Incineration Organics Ex situ
Vitrification Organics, inorganics Either
Bioremediation
is a biological treatment that uses soil microorganisms to treat
contaminants. It can use natural biodegradation processes, or enhance
them by adding commercial or other microbial preparations
(bioaugmentation), or adding nutrients such as nitrogen or phosphorus
and/or electron acceptors such as oxygen (biostimulation).
Bioremediation strategies focus on microbial degradation of organic
contaminants, although microbial induced chemical changes of inorganic
chemicals can be considered bioremediation, such as converting more
toxic chromium to the less toxic chromium.
Bioremediation can be
applied in various technologies, such as landfarms, biopiles, or
engineered reactors. Bioventing is an in situ treatment that enhances
microbial degradation of contaminants through enhanced aeration in the
contaminated zone. Use of plants to remove (phytoextraction), stabilize
(phytostabilization), or destroy (phytodegradation) contaminants is a
biological treatment called phytoremediation. Rhizosphere bacteria can
play an important role in biodegradation of organic contaminants during
phytoremediation (rhizodegradation).
Chemical treatments can be
used to convert contaminants to non-hazardous or less toxic chemicals,
or to forms which are less mobile, more stable, or inert. Chemical
oxidation using hydrogen peroxide, ozone, or permanganate can destroy
compounds such PAHs, and is best for liquids such as ground water or
soil slurries. Chemical reduction can convert toxic chromium to less
toxic chromium and degrade some chlorinated organic solvents such as
trichlorothene. Neutralization involves adding materials to adjust the
pH of highly acidic or caustic soil.
Physical treatments use
properties of the contaminant or contaminated medium to separate or
immobilize the contaminant. Chemical additives can improve removal
efficiencies. In situ, soil vapour extraction creates a vacuum in the
vadose zone, draws vapours into an extraction well, then treats or
destroys them above ground. Soil flushing occurs in situ, where the
contaminated zone is treated with a solution, and mobilized contaminants
are brought to the surface for disposal, treatment, or re-circulation.
Treatment solutions can be water, basic, acidic, chelating or
complexing, reducing, co-solvents, or surfactants. Dual phase extraction
involves installation of piping to ground water and vacuum extraction
of water and organic contaminants such as petroleum hydrocarbons. Soil
washing is done ex situ and may involve separating soil fines (silt,
clay) from coarse material thereby reducing the total mass and volume
that needs to be treated.
Solidification and stabilization
prevent or slow release of contaminants from soil by treatment with
binding agents such as cement or asphalt. The soil may be treated with a
material that will reduce contaminant solubility and mobility. For
example, phosphate based materials often reduce mobility of lead, by
converting lead into insoluble lead phosphate compounds. Hydrogen
sulphide can convert many metals into insoluble respective pyrites.
Electrokinetic
separation sends a low intensity direct current through the soil to
separate metals, radionuclides, and organic contaminants. Positively
charged species migrate to the cathode, and negatively charged species,
such as inorganic and organic anions, migrate to the anode.
Thermal
treatments are mainly used to remediate organic contaminants. Thermal
desorption is typically ex situ, with heat applied to soil to evaporate
or vapourize contaminants which are collected, treated, or destroyed.
Temperatures of 90 to 320°C are required to treat volatile organic
contaminants such as fuel components, 320 to 540°C to treat
semi-volatile organics such as PAHs, PCBs, and lubricants. Incineration
involves heating soil ex situ to 870 to 1370°C to destroy organic
contaminants. Vitrification heats soil to 1400 to 2000°C to melt silica
and convert it to stable glass and crystalline solids. Heat may be
generated by electrodes and electrical resistance or plasma arc
technology. Organic contaminants are volatilized, trapped, and treated
or destroyed and inorganic contaminants, including radionuclides, are
encased.
______________
Soil Cleanup Criteria
https://dep.nj.gov/srp/guidance/scc/
______________
How Heat Can Enhance In-Situ Soil and Aquifer Remediation
1997
https://www.epa.gov/remedytech/how-heat-can-enhance-situ-soil-and-aquifer-remediation
______________
Bioaugmentation as a strategy for cleaning up of soils contaminated with aromatic compounds
2009
Summary
The
contamination of soil with aromatic compounds is of particular
environmental concern as they exhibit carcinogenic and mutagenic
properties. One of the methods of their removal from soil is
bioaugmentation, defined as a technique for improvement of the
degradative capacity of contaminated areas by introduction of specific
competent strains or consortia of microorganisms. The efficiency of
bioaugmentation is determined by many abiotic and biotic factors
discussed in this paper. The first include chemical structure,
concentration and availability of pollutants as well as physico-chemical
properties of soil. In turn, among biotic factors the most important is
the selection of proper microorganisms that can not only degrade
contaminants but can also successfully compete with indigenous
microflora.
Several strategies are being developed to make
augmentation a successful technology particularly in soils without
degrading indigenous microorganisms. These approaches involve the use of
genetically engineered microorganisms and gene bioaugmentation. The
enhancement of bioaugmentation may be also achieved by delivering
suitable microorganisms immobilized on various carriers or use of
activated soil.
Introduction
Industrial production of
chemicals as well as their inappropriate use, improper disposal and
accidental leakage has resulted in contamination of many areas. Among
man-made substances that cause ecotoxicological problems are a variety
of aromatic compounds such as halogenated aromatic compounds, polycyclic
aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) and BTEX compounds (benzene, ethylbenzene,
toluene and three isomers of xylene). The main sources of these toxic
substances are oil refineries, gas stations, use of wood preservatives
and agrochemicals, petrochemical and pharmaceutical industries. The
presence of these chemicals in the environment poses serious risks to
human health due to their toxicity, mutagenic and carcinogenetic
properties and ability to accumulate through the food chain. Most
aromatic compounds are recalcitrant, persistent and remain in the
environment for long periods of time (Budavari 1996).
There are
many methods for the removal of these pollutants from soils. They
involve both physico-chemical and biological approaches. Although the
first ones are more effective than biological methods they are expensive
and require high energy demand and consumption of many chemical
reagents. This is a reason why use of microorganisms capable of
degrading toxic compounds known as bioremediation has become an
attractive technology (Hamdi et al. 2007). One of the in situ
bioremediation strategies is bioaugmentation, which improves the
biodegradative capacities of contaminated sites by introduction of
single strains or consortia of microorganisms with desired catalytic
capabilities. Moreover, genetically engineered microorganisms (GEMs)
exhibiting enhanced degradative capabilities encompassing a wide range
of aromatic hydrocarbons have also potential for soil bioaugmentation.
Its place among bioremediation categories is depicted in Figure 1.
Table 3. Carriers used for delivering of microorganisms to soil for bioaugmentation purposes.
Carriers Microorganisms Pollutants degraded References
κ-Carrageenan Pseudomonas sp. UG30 Pentachlorophenol Cassidy et al. (1997)
κ-Carrageenan/gelatin gel Microbial consortium 2,4,6-Trichlorophenol Gardin and Pauss (2001)
Polyvinyl alcohol Hydrocarbon-degrading bacteria Diesel oil Cunningham et al. (2004)
Polyurethane foam Rhodococcus sp. F92 Various petroleum products Quek et al. (2006)
Chitin, chitosan Hydrocarbon-degrading strain Crude oil Gentili et al. (2006)
Chitosan Pseudomonas putida BCRc14349 Phenol, trichloroethane Chen et al. (2007)
Alginate, agar, polyacrylamide Pseudomonas fluorescens-CS2 Ethylbenzene Parameswarappa et al. (2008)
Zeolite, activated carbon Hydrocarbon-degrading microbial consortium Crude oil Liang et al. (2009)
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0944501309000585
______________
A new approach to cleaning heavy metals out of soil
June 4, 2019
https://engineering.stanford.edu/magazine/article/new-approach-cleaning-heavy-metals-out-soil
When poisonous heavy metals like lead and cadmium escape from factories or mines, they can pollute the nearby soil.
With
no easy ways to remove these contaminants, fields must be cordoned off
to prevent these toxins from entering the food chain where they threaten
human and animal health.
According to the Environmental
Protection Agency, heavy metals have been found at thousands of
locations nationwide. While some have been cleaned up through a
combination of federal, state and private efforts, the need remains for
new technologies to address heavy metal contamination
Now a research team led by Stanford materials scientist Yi Cui
has invented a way to wash heavy metals from contaminated soils using a chemical process that’s a bit like brewing coffee.
As they describe
in
Nature Communications, the researchers started by rinsing contaminated
soil with a mixture of water and a chemical that attracts heavy metals.
When that mixture percolates through the soil, the chemical pulls heavy
metals loose. The team members then collected this toxic brew and ran it
through an electrochemical filter that captured the heavy metals out of
the water. In this way they cleansed the soil of heavy metals and
recycled the water and chemical mixture to percolate through more
contaminated ground.
“This is a new approach to soil cleanup,”
said Cui, who is a professor of materials science and engineering and
photon science. “Our next step is a pilot test to make sure that what
works in the lab is practical in the field, and to figure out how much
this process will cost.”
So far, his team has cleansed soils
contaminated with lead and cadmium, two prevalent and dangerous toxins,
as well as with copper, which is only dangerous in high concentrations.
Cui believes this process of chemical cleansing and electrochemical
filtering will work with other dangerous heavy metals like mercury and
chromium, but further lab experiments are needed to demonstrate that.
______________
Remediation Technologies for Cleaning Up Contaminated Sites
2021
https://19january2021snapshot.epa.gov/remedytech/remediation-technologies-cleaning-contaminated-sites_.html
______________
Use of surfactants for the remediation of contaminated soils: A review
2014
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0304389414009911
______________
Remediation of hexavalent chromium contaminated soil by biochar-supported zero-valent iron nanoparticles
2016
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0304389416306719
______________
Review of Remediation Technologies for Cadmium in soil
2021
https://www.researchgate.net/publication/348810635_Review_of_Remediation_Technologies_for_Cadmium_in_soil
______________
Remediation Technology for Copper Contaminated Soil: A Review
2018
https://www.researchgate.net/publication/337610519_Remediation_Technology_for_Copper_Contaminated_Soil_A_Review
______________
A review on remediation technologies for nickel-contaminated soil
2019
https://www.researchgate.net/publication/330504565_A_review_on_remediation_technologies_for_nickel-contaminated_soil
______________
Remediation of cadmium-contaminated soil: GLDA-assisted extraction and sequential FeCl3–CaO-based post-stabilization
2023
Abstract
Cadmium (Cd) contamination of farmland soils is a growing concern because of its highly toxic impact on ecosystems and human health. Chelator-assisted washing and chemical immobilization are effective remediation strategies for Cd-contaminated soils. Ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid (EDTA) has traditionally been used for soil washing, but its persistence in the environment and subsequent toxicity have raised significant ecological concerns. Consequently, biodegradable chelators have gained increasing attention as eco-friendly alternatives to the persistent chelator, EDTA. Therefore, this study evaluated the performance and efficacy of three biodegradable chelators: L-glutamate-N,N′-diacetic acid (GLDA), methylglycine-diacetic acid (MGDA), and 3-hydroxy-2,2′-iminodisuccinic acid (HIDS) in comparison to EDTA for remediating a real Cd-contaminated agricultural soil. The influence of treatment parameters, including chelator variants, washing time, chelator concentration, solution pH, and liquid-to-soil ratio (L/S) on Cd extraction was studied and optimized to attain the maximum removal rate. Following chelator-assisted washing, the efficacy of a stabilization preference combining FeCl3 and CaO in reducing the leaching potential of residual Cd in chelator-washed soil residues was also investigated. GLDA demonstrated comparable Cd extraction efficiency to EDTA, and the Cd extraction efficiency was found to be positively correlated with the soil washing parameters. However, under the optimized conditions (chelator concentration: 10 mmol L−1; washing time: 3 h; solution pH: 3; L/S ratio: 10:1), GLDA exhibited a higher Cd extraction rate than EDTA or the other chelators. Furthermore, a post-treatment process incorporating FeCl3 and CaO substantially diminished the water-leachable Cd content in the resultant soil residues. The proposed remediation strategy, which combines chemically assisted washing and stabilization, could be a practical option for extracting bulk Cd from soil and reducing the leaching potential of residual Cd.
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0045653523028242
______________
Remediation of Lead Contaminated Soils by Stabilization/Solidification
January 2002
https://link.springer.com/article/10.1023/A:1012977829536
______________
Remediation of lead-contaminated soil by washing with choline chloride-based deep eutectic solvents
2022
Introduction
Lead-contaminated soil has attracted much attention as a typical heavy metal contaminated soil (Landrot and Khaokaew, 2018, Sun et al., 2019). And the formation of lead-contaminated soil was mainly attributed from natural (Zhang et al., 2020, Zhang et al., 2020) and human activities (Wu et al., 2016, Yoo et al., 2016). Lead compounds will exist in the soil for a long time, and cause serious harm to human health (Wei and Yang, 2010). Lead poisoning in particular affects the normal development of children (Mathee et al., 2018). Therefore, the research on the lead-contaminated soil remediation methods is of great significance to human and environment (Huang et al., 2021).
The main remediation methods for heavy mental-contaminated soil mainly include engineering methods (Li et al., 2020), physical and chemical methods (Zeng et al., 2020, Zhao et al., 2020), and biological methods (Gidudu and Chirwa, 2020). Engineering methods mainly refer to the application of machinery to cover up or transfer contaminated soil to achieve the purposes of soil remediation. Engineering measures mainly include soil dumping, soil replacement, top soil removal, additional soil and deep ploughing, which are characterized by being relatively simple and stable, and especially widely used in the soil remediation. However, the use of engineering measures can result in the physicochemical changes in the soil (Zhang et al., 2020, Zhang et al., 2020). The physi-chemical remediation methods refer to the soil remediation by combining physics and chemistry (Zhao et al., 2021). And the physi-chemical remediation technologies mainly include electrokinetic remediation (Nasiri et al., 2020, Xu et al., 2020), solidification/stabilization (Han et al., 2020), soil improvement (Lu et al., 2020), and washing technologies (Park et al., 2021, Peng et al., 2021, Zhu et al., 2015). Although these technologies are simple and effective, they tend to be costly and can result in secondary pollution (Bolan et al., 2014). Chemical washing is also used for remediate contaminated soil with heavy metals. The inorganic acid (Luo et al., 2018, Xing et al., 2021) chelating agents, surfactants (Mao et al., 2015), organic acid (Cheng et al., 2020) and inorganic salts were used as chemical agents. And they were usually applied to remediate contaminated soil by heavy metals (Dermont et al., 2008, Hu et al., 2021). However, there is still a need to determine an effective and environmentally friendly chemical reagents for soil remediation (Ke et al., 2020, Li et al., 2021, Wan et al., 2021). Citric acid, oxalic acid and tartaric acid were usually combined with EDTA (Gluhar et al., 2020), ethylenediamine tetra (methylene phosphonic acid) and polyacrylic acid (Feng et al., 2020) used to extract heavy metals from the contaminated soil.
Deep eutectic solvents (DESs) are a novel liquid similar with ionic liquid synthesized by two or more compounds with different melting points (Almeida et al., 2020, Hayyan et al., 2010). Usually it can be synthesized by mixing hydrogen bond donor (HBA) with hydrogen bond acceptor (HBD) (Bi et al., 2020, Hayyan et al., 2013a). The functional DESs obtained through the mixing natural plant derivatives (citric acid, glucose and fructose) with choline chloride has been investigated previously (Hayyan et al., 2012, Hayyan et al., 2013b). And DESs are also considered to be a novel and green solvents due to their excellent properties negligible volatility, non-flammability, nontoxicity, biodegradability, and thermal stability (Tome et al., 2018, Warminska et al., 2021). Hydrogen bonding is a key process for the formation of DESs and allows the creation of supramolecular structures between components identified from nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) analysis. DESs have been widely used in electrochemistry (Li et al., 2016), sewage treatment (Soylak and Koksal, 2019), dissolving metal salts (Habibi et al., 2013), and separating harmful metals from various substances (Altunay et al., 2020, Bakkar, 2014, Mukhopadhyay et al., 2016a), due to its low toxicity, biodegradability, simple preparation and low price (Abbott et al., 2007). Recent studies have found that DESs had achieved good results in remediating soil contaminated by heavy metals (Habibollahi et al., 2019, Matong et al., 2017, Mukhopadhyay et al., 2016a). DESs are easily degraded by environmental factors when they are in the natural environment (Tang et al., 2021, Warminska et al., 2021). However, DESs are with high viscosity, which results in that it is very difficult to be recycled after remediation. In our previous research, choline chloride with ethylene glycol and water to synthesize diluted DESs and combining with EDTA-2Na can remove more than 95% of lead from lead-contaminated soil (Huang et al., 2021). However, DESs are seldom directly used for the decontamination of polluted soil.
The present research synthesized DESs through the mixing of HBDs such as ethylene glycol, urea, propylene glycol, glycerin, and malonic acid with the HBA choline chloride. These DESs were used in the present research for the lead-contaminated soil remediation. The optimal HBD was determined by comparing Pb extraction rate among the different DESs used. In addition, the effects of influence factors such as temperature, liquid-solid (L/S) ratio, water-DESs volume ratio, stirring speed, and choline chloride-malonic acid (Ch-M) molar ratio on Pb extraction were investigated and response surface analysis was also conducted. Moreover, the analysis of the DESs and soil were conducted before and after remediation to characterize the reaction mechanism. Finally, in order to illustrate the practical feasibility of the proposed remediation technique, the cost and application in real contaminated soil had been analyzed.
Section snippets
Sample preparation and regents
Soil samples were taken from the top soil of cultivated in Shanghai,
China (31°12′N, 121°39′E). The soil samples were naturally dried and
passed through a 0.18 mm sieve before being stored. Determination of
lead content of soil samples was 22.87 mg·kg−1 (CHN, Ministry of Ecology and Environment, 2017). Then, 23.98 g Pb(NO3)2
was dissolved in water and mixed with 1 kg soil samples to prepare
lead-contaminated soil. After 60 days of solidification, the Pb
concentration in the simulated
DESs screening
Th Ch-M and soil reaction system was the lowest pH values among all the evaluated DESs of 1.32 (Table S2). In Fig. 2, the five DESs (Ch-U, Ch-E, Ch-P, Ch-M, and Ch-G) were diluted with water and the solutions were used as washing agents for screening. Besides for Ch-M, the other DESs have little effect on the removal of Pb from the contaminated soil. This result can be attributed to the fact that the extraction of Pb from soil is strongly dependent on the pH (Table S2) of a solution
Conclusions
The current research has confirmed that diluted DESs (Ch-M) can be used for lead-contaminated soil remediation. The viscosity and cost of Ch-M could be reduced though diluted with water, and FT-IR analysis confirmed the effectiveness of the method. According to the FT-IR and HRMS analysis indicated that the carboxyl groups and hydrogen bonds in Ch-M chelate, resulting in the dissolving of Pb(NO3)2 and the formation of [Pb‧Chcl‧COOH], [Ch‧Pb], and other complex ions. Extraction temperature, L/S
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0957582022000441
______________
Remediation of mercury contaminated soil, water, and air: A review of emerging materials and innovative technologies
2019
Abstract
Mercury
contamination in soil, water and air is associated with potential
toxicity to humans and ecosystems. Industrial activities such as coal
combustion have led to increased mercury (Hg) concentrations in
different environmental media. This review critically evaluates recent
developments in technological approaches for the remediation of Hg
contaminated soil, water and air, with a focus on emerging materials and
innovative technologies. Extensive research on various nanomaterials,
such as carbon nanotubes (CNTs), nanosheets and magnetic nanocomposites,
for mercury removal are investigated. This paper also examines other
emerging materials and their characteristics, including graphene,
biochar, metal organic frameworks (MOFs), covalent organic frameworks
(COFs), layered double hydroxides (LDHs) as well as other materials such
as clay minerals and manganese oxides. Based on approaches including
adsorption/desorption, oxidation/reduction and
stabilization/containment, the performances of innovative technologies
with the aid of these materials were examined. In addition, technologies
involving organisms, such as phytoremediation, algae-based mercury
removal, microbial reduction and constructed wetlands, were also
reviewed, and the role of organisms, especially microorganisms, in these
techniques are illustrated.
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0160412019324754
______________
Versatile Process for the Preparation of Nanocomposite Sorbents: Phosphorus and Arsenic Removal
June 2020
https://www.researchgate.net/publication/342187173_Versatile_Process_for_the_Preparation_of_Nanocomposite_Sorbents_Phosphorus_and_Arsenic_Removal
_______________
Advanced techniques to remove phosphates and nitrates from waters: a review
13 April 2021
Abstract
At
high levels, phosphates and nitrates from mineral fertilizers and
wastewaters are contaminating natural waters, leading, for example, to
eutrophication and death of many living species. This requires
remediation techniques such as physical, chemical, biological methods,
and nano-techniques. For instance, microbes such as Bacillus subtilis,
Pseudomonas, Achromobacter, Spirulina platensis and Chlorella vulgaris
allow denitrification and can remove 55% of phosphates. Removal can be
done also using adsorbents produced from wastes and bio-sorbents. Here
we compare the methods to remove phosphates and nitrates in waters.
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______________
Asymmetrical
alternating current electrochemically-mediated washing method for
sustainable remediation of Cr(VI)-contaminated soil
2022 May 6
Abstract
The
demands for genuine remediation of heavy metal contaminated soil have
triggered extensive studies in the soil washing method. However,
numerous soil washing methods show poor sustainability for target soil,
due to the tremendous cost, hidden secondary pollution and severe soil
deterioration. Here, an asymmetrical alternating current
electrochemically-mediated remediation platform (ACRP) is developed by
fabricating an amidoxime-functionalized electrode (Ami-electrode). The
real soil contaminated with 1200 mg/kg Cr(VI) is remediated efficiently
to less than safety level (30 mg/kg), meanwhile no exorbitant soil
nutrient loss is observed and no secondary pollution occurs.
Furthermore, the consumption of washing effluents for the ACRP method is
24 times lower than the traditional washing method. Ami-electrode with
asymmetrical alternating current promote the electrocatalytic efficiency
by inhibiting the Coulomb repulsion between Cr(VI) species and cathode.
With the aid of Ami-electrode and positive bias, Cr(VI) species in
effluents are adsorbed on chelating site. By subsequent negative bias,
Cr element is reduced and recycled in the less hazardous form of
amorphous Cr(III) hydroxide, and effluents are regenerate concurrently
in a cyclic system. Durability experiment and cost calculation verify
the exceptional sustainability and feasibility for remediation
practices. This work provides a sustainable remediation method for
Cr(VI)-contaminated soil, and then paves the way to develop
electrochemically soil remediation platform for practical applications.
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/35716559/
______________
Remediation of heavy metal contaminated soil by asymmetrical alternating current electrochemistry
04 June 2019
https://www.nature.com/articles/s41467-019-10472-x
______________
Remediation
of soils contaminated by hydrophobic organic compounds: How to recover
extracting agents from soil washing solutions?
2020
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0304389420321270
______________
Soil washing for the remediation of dioxin-contaminated soil: A review
2021 Jul 30
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/34396961/
_______________
Application
of biochar-based materials for remediation of arsenic contaminated soil
and water: Preparation, modification, and mechanisms
2022
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S2213343722011654
______________
Arsenic immobilization through regulated ferrolysis in paddy field amendment with bismuth impregnated biochar
2018
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0048969718331589
______________
Synthesis
and characterization of a novel magnetic calcium-rich nanocomposite and
its remediation behaviour for As(III) and Pb(II) co-contamination in
aqueous systems
2019
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0048969719351149
______________
Removal of heavy metal ions from wastewater: a comprehensive and critical review
08 July 2021
Magnetic adsorbents
Magnetic adsorbents are a specific material matrix that hosts iron particles (usually magnetic nanoparticles, such as Fe3O4). The base material could be carbon, CS, polymers, starch, or biomass. As illustrated in Fig. 2,
the adsorption process is affected by the magnetic field, surface
charge, and redox activity characteristics. They showed low-cost,
easy-synthesis, extraordinary surface charge, and reusability. Many
magnetic adsorbents were proposed in the literature, such as zero-valent
iron nanoparticles (ZVI NPs), iron oxides (hematite (α-Fe2O3), maghemite (γ-Fe2O3), magnetite (Fe3O4)),
and spinel ferrites. The mechanism and kinetics of the sorption process
rely on several parameters, such as surface morphology and adsorbent
magnetic behavior. They are also affected by experimental conditions
such as pH, irradiation time, adsorbent concentration, wastewater
temperature, and the initial dosage of pollutants. The presence of iron
particles in adsorbent is very efficient in metal ions removal from
effluent.
Some studies have focused on coating Fe3O4 particles for removing heavy metal ions. Co-precipitation, high-gravity technology, and grafting are the most commonly used methods. The grafting method was considered a preferable choice because it is flexible and straightforward. However, it strongly depends on the active hydroxyl on the surface of Fe3O4 particles and the number of active functional groups. The produced adsorbents were not adequately cyclic stable, which is a barrier facing the commercialization of this method. Additional details about different magnetic adsorbents can be found in Supplementary Table 5.
Biosorbents
The most recent research studies in using biosorption for wastewater treatment are listed in Supplementary Table 6. The presence of numerous functional groups (i.e., carboxyl, amino, hydroxyl, phosphate, thiol, etc.) on the surface expedite the biosorption process. Generally, the interaction between pollutants and the surface of biosorbent can occur through electrostatic interaction, aggregation, complexation/coordination, microprecipitation, ion exchange, reduction, or oxidation. The solution pH affects the biosorbent surface charge density and ionization of functional groups located on the biosorbent surface. When pH is low, cations are almost stable and can be bonded to the biosorbent surface. On the other hand, at higher pH values, the solubility of metal cations decreases with the possibility of a precipitation phenomenon.
The biosorbent amount is a vital factor affecting the removal efficiency due to offering more vacant biosorption sites. The biosorbent capacity could increase at higher temperatures due to decreased solution viscosity, reduction in Gibb’s free energy, and bond rupturing. These reasons increase the collision frequency (mobility and kinetic energy) between biosorbent and metal ions and enhance the biosorbent active sites, leading to a higher affinity. In turn, the bonding force between biosorbent and pollutants could decline at higher temperatures, and thus the biosorbent sorption uptake reduces. It was elucidated that the removal efficiency increases as the mixing agitation rate increases.
Metal-organic frameworks adsorbents
Metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) are generally synthesized via reticular synthesis in which metal ions are strongly bonded to organic linkers. Researchers proposed thousands of MOFs. It was noticed that most of the organic ligands used to form many MOFs are very expensive and toxic. Zirconium-MOFs family (such as UiO-66) is promising nanostructure materials for sorption applications due to the easy incorporation of functional groups and hydrolytic-thermal stability such as amine, carboxylic, hydroxyl, and oxygen or by using the cross-linking method. Composite-based MOF adsorbents could obtain further enhancement in the adsorption capacity of MOFs. Supplementary Table 7 lists the uptake of different MOFs towards several heavy metal ions in wastewater.
Despite the exciting features of MOFs and their good capability to remove heavy metal ions, they have micropores (i.e., tiny pores) inaccessible for some target metals. Also, most of them have low stability in water. Mn, Fe, and Cu have been used to form MOFs, but most of them resulted in poor chemical stability. Therefore, further research is still needed to tune the MOFs’ structure and scale up these materials to implement them into industrial wastewater applications. Moreover, different functionalization methods should be proposed and applied to enhance MOFs’ stability and sorption kinetics.
Membrane-based filtration and separation
Over
the years, technological advancement in membrane development has led to
an increase in the use of membranes for filtration and extraction of
heavy metal ions from wastewater. A simplified schematics for different
membrane-based filtration processes is illustrated in Fig. 3a–c, while
Fig. 3d demonstrates various pollutants that can be separated by
different membrane techniques.
Ultrafiltration
Ultrafiltration
(UF) is used at low transmembrane operating pressure (TMP). Because UF
membrane pores may be larger than the heavy metal ions, additives may be
bonded to metal ions to enlarge the size of the metal ions. Therefore,
micellar enhanced ultrafiltration (MEUF) and polymer enhanced
ultrafiltration (PEUF) are proposed.
MEUF is formed by bonding UF
and surfactant. MEUF has high flux and high selectivity, leading to
low-energy consumption, high removal efficiency, and less space demand.
MEUF is most suitable for wastewater whose heavy metals are in low
concentrations. In MEUF, a surfactant is mixed with wastewater in a
concentration above the critical micellar concentration (CMC). Beyond
CMC, surfactant monomers assemble and increase the creation of some
micelles in the solution. The surfactant contains a hydrophobic tail and
a hydrophilic head. The inner hydrophobic core of the micelles could
solubilize organic matters (having low molecular weight) as a
solubilizate, while the surface adsorbs counter metal ions on their
surface due to electrostatic interactions. Surfactants, whose electric
charge is the opposite of the metal ions, usually attain the highest
retentions. In this regard, polyelectrolytes (PE), cationic surfactants,
and anionic surfactants (e.g., sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS)) are used
for effective heavy metals extraction.
A summary of different
studies on the MEUF process is given in Supplementary Table 8. The
performance of MEUF depends on several factors, including the added
solutes, type of surfactant, operating conditions, and kind of membrane
used.
PEUF is formed through the integration of UF and binding
polymers. The functional groups of the bonding polymers could be
sulfonate, phosphonic, carboxylated, or amine, and they are bonded via
chelating or ionic bonds58. PEUF are also known as polymer-supported,
complexation, polymer-assisted, size enhanced, and complexation enhanced
ultra-filtrations. While permitting water and un-complexed components
to permeate the membrane pores, the PEUF process blocks and extracts
polymer-bonded metal ions.
A summary of studies conducted on PEUF
is presented in Supplementary Table 9. PEUF shows effective polymer
bonding, effective extraction, ability to recover and reuse complexation
polymer of retentate, low-energy demands, and low-cost operation.
However, the choice of appropriate water-soluble polymer macro-ligands
remains the main challenge of developing this technology.
Nanofiltration
Nanofiltration (NF) is used to concentrate constituents whose molecular
weight is >1000 Da and remove solutes whose size of 0.0005–0.007 μm
with molecular weights >200 Da. Thus, the operating range of NF is between UF and reverse osmosis (RO) processes.
The NF membranes are composed of polymer composites of multiple-layer
thin-film of negatively charged chemical groups. Anti-fouling NF
membranes containing CeO2/Ce7O12 and PES were synthesized through phase inversion and used to extract Fe3+, Al3+, Co2+, Cd2+, Cu2+,
and humic acid from wastewater and reached extraction efficiency
between 94 and 98%. Other studies are presented in Supplementary Table 10.
Microfiltration
Microfiltration (MF) employs a microporous membrane to remove micron-sized particles, bacteria, viruses, protozoa, contaminants, pollutants, etc., from a solvent/fluid/solution60. MF process is also a low pressure-driven membrane process, whose membrane pores are in the range of 0.1–10 μm60. Some of the MF membranes are made of silica, ceramics, zirconia, alumina, PVC, polysulfone, PTFE, polypropylene, PVDF, polyamides, polycarbonate, cellulose acetate, cellulose esters, or composite materials. The commercial application of MF is widely found in pharmaceutical and biological industries. However, the application of the MF system may be found in particle removal of the rinse water in the semiconductor industry, sterilization of beer and wine, other juices and cider clarification, and wastewater treatment60. The application of MF in heavy metal removal has not drawn enough attention because of its low removal ability. However, it has been used by modifying membrane or chemical pre-treatment of the feed solution. Depending on the mode of application, the MF process is available in two main configurations: crossflow and dead-end. Some studies on MF are summarized in Supplementary Table 11.
Reverse osmosis
RO is a
pressure-driven separation process that employs a semi-permeable
membrane (pore size 0.5–1.5 nm) to allow only smaller molecules to pass.
RO process reverses the normal osmosis process by applying pressure
(20–70 bar) >the osmotic pressure of the feed solution. The molecular
size of the solutes blocked is usually in the range of
0.00025–0.003 μm60. RO process could extract 95–99% of inorganic salts
and charged organics60. RO process is compact and attained high
rejection efficiency. However, membrane fouling and degrading are the
major drawback of RO systems60. The RO separation process was used to
extract heavy metal ions, including Ni2+, Cr6+, and Cu2+ from
electroplating wastewater, with a removal efficiency of >98.7562.
Recently, RO has been used to purify industrial wastewaters from
coster-field mining operations located in Victoria-Australia with mean
extraction efficiency of 10%, 48%, 82%, 66%, and 95% for Fe3+, Zn2+,
Ni2+, As3+, and Sb3+ respectively63. Other studies on RO heavy metals
removal are summarized in Supplementary Table 12.
Forward osmosis
Forward
osmosis (FO) is an osmosis process that requires a membrane to balance
selectivity and permeated water flux51. In FO, a semi-permeable membrane
separates a feed solution from the draw solution, as shown in Fig. 3b.
The draw solution is usually at a higher osmotic pressure compared to
the feed solution. Due to the osmotic pressure difference between the
feed and draw solutions, water transports from the feed solution to the
draw solution, thereby keeping the rejected solutes on the feed side and
treated water on the draw solution64. FO does not require hydraulic
pressure; thus, it is energy-saving. FO process is also environmentally
friendly, easy cleaning, and low fouling; therefore, it is widely used
in wastewater treatment64. Nevertheless, FO has limitations, such as
draw solution re-concentration, membrane selection challenges, internal
and external concentration polarization65. Supplementary Table 13
summarizes the use of FO, including thin-film membranes.
Electrodialysis
Electrodialysis
(ED) is used to separates ions at the expense of electric potential
difference. ED uses a series of cation exchange membranes (CEM) and
anion exchange membranes (AEM), alternatively arranged in parallel, to
separate ionic solutes51. In the ED process, the anions pass through
AEM, while cations pass through CEM. In such a case, the treated stream
(diluate) is produced from half of the ED stack channels, while the
concentrated stream is expelled from the other half, as shown in Fig.
3c. ED offers high water recovery, no phase change, no reaction, or
chemical involvement66, and can operate over a wide range of pH values.
However, ED also exhibits membrane fouling, high cost of membranes, and
demand for electric potential.
ED has been used to separate Ni2+, Pb2+, and K+
from synthetic solution through a novel ED heterogeneous CEM
(consisting of 2-acrylamido-2-methyl propane sulfonic acid-based
hydrogel and PVC) to attain extraction efficiency of 96.9%, 99.9%, and
99.9% for Ni2+, Pb2+, and K+, respectively. A batch ED process was employed to recover Pb2+ and reached a maximum separation efficiency of ~100%. A pilot-scale ED system has also been used to extract Cu2+, Ni2+, and traces of Cd2+, Fe3+, Cr6+, and Zn2+, and exceeded 90% removal rate. As3+ and As5+ were removed from metallurgical effluent by ED and attained a removal efficiency of 91.38%.
Other membrane-based methods
Chemical-based separation
Chemical
methods for removing heavy metals from wastewater are mature and used
early. In this section, the chemical-based methods will be discussed,
including precipitation, coagulation-flocculation, and flotation.
Membrane distillation (MD) and liquid membrane (LM) are also used for wastewater treatment. MD is a hybrid thermally driven membrane separation process that consists of cold and hot compartments separated by a microporous hydrophobic membrane. MD allows only vapor to permeate its pores while blocking other molecules. MD exists in four configurations: direct contact MD, air gap MD, sweeping gas MD, and vacuum MD. MD process has been reported to achieve over 96% removal of Ca2+, Mg2+, Fe3+, and Fe2+, and more than 99% for As3+ and As5+.
On the other side, LM is made of a liquid phase or thin-layer organic phase, which acts as a barrier between two aqueous phases. LM is immiscible to the feed solution and retentate solution, and combined stripping and extraction processes in a single stage. LM is highly selective, relatively efficient, and can achieve specific molecular recognition. However, the membrane’s long-term stability is poor. LM process exists as a supported liquid membrane (SLM), emulsion liquid membrane (ELM), bulk liquid membrane (BLM), and polymer inclusion membrane (PIM). Among these types, the SLM process is an attractive alternative to traditional solvent extraction for heavy metal removal. SLM achieved a removal efficiency of 89% for Zn2+, Cd2+, Cu2+, and Fe3+.
Precipitation
Chemical
precipitation (the so-called coagulation precipitation) is broadly used
in industries and is considered one of the most effective and mature
methods. It changes the form of dissolved metal ions into solid
particles to facilitate their sedimentation. The reagent coagulation
(coagulant) precipitates metal ions by changing pH, electro-oxidizing
potential, or co-precipitation76. It is usually followed by the removal
of sediments. A simple schematic of the chemical precipitation process
is depicted in Fig. 4.
Hydroxide precipitation is broadly used
due to its relatively inexpensive, simple, and tunable pH77. It is
implemented by adding a hydroxide to the stirred wastewater to form
insoluble metal hydroxide precipitates. For example, a metal ion could
react with calcium hydroxide (lime) to produce metal hydroxide
precipitates and calcium ions as:
It was found that pH values of 9–11 improved this process efficiency.
However, a high pH value is considered a disadvantage of this method
since it requires a large dosage of precipitates. One of the most
effective hydroxide precipitates for treating inorganic effluents of
heavy metal concentration of 1000 mg/L is lime (CaO or Ca(OH)2). A summary of some hydroxide precipitation studies is presented in Supplementary Table 14. It can be seen that the majority of metals removed by this method are Zn2+, Cu2+, Ni2+, Pb2+, and Cr3+.
In addition to the need for the high dosage to get optimal pH, there
are some drawbacks, such as relatively large volumes of sludge leading
to dewatering, disposal issues, amphoteric, and the inhabitation of
metal hydroxide precipitation with the presence of complexing agents.
The
sulfide participation method distinguishes itself by higher removal
efficiency and lesser dissolved solids increment than the hydroxide
method. This method was reported to treat toxic heavy metal ions80.
Lower sulfide results in a higher zinc concentration in the effluent,
while higher sulfide leads to a malodor problem due to high residual
sulfide. Also, it could produce hydrogen sulfide gas which is malodorous
and toxic. For these reasons, the sulfide precipitation is recommended
to be executed at a neutral pH81. The metal sulfide precipitations could
follow Eq. (2) reaction,
Supplementary Table 15 summarizes
the metal ions removal using sulfite precipitations. The toxicity of
sulfide and its high cost are the most shortcomings.
As an
alternative method to hydroxide precipitation, carbonate precipitation
shows good effectiveness and optimum precipitation at lower pH values82.
It could be achieved using sodium carbonate or calcium carbonate. The
classical carbonates can be formed based on Eq. (3 and 4):
It
could have less sludge volume, but it could release CO2 bubbles and
needs higher reagents for efficient precipitation83. Supplementary Table
16 lists some studies concerning carbonate precipitation. It can be
seen that copper and manganese are the major metals removed by this
technology. Zinc and lead could also be removed efficiently.
Fenton reaction is usually used to improve the removal efficiency of the
chemical precipitation methods. The Fenton or Fenton-like oxidation is
used for the de-complexation of heavy metal complexes. However, the pH
is adjusted by the chemical precipitation mechanism (e.g., NaOH). Fenton
chemistry is not straightforward, and it is performed through numerous
reactions, depending upon various active intermediates, such as [FeIV O]2+ and hydroxyl radicals. The classical Fenton reaction is:
Fe3+-H2O2 (Fenton-like) and Fe0-H2O2 (advanced Fenton) are also represented as an alternative for Fe2+-H2O2. Additional detailed examples of using the Fenton-integrated chemical precipitation method are summarized in Supplementary Table 17.
Some metals are represented in small volumes in bulk wastewater, such as radionuclides. The removal of radioactive metals is listed in Supplementary Table 18.
Coagulation and flocculation
Coagulation is the destabilization of colloids by neutralizing the forces that keep them parted, while flocculation is the agglomeration of destabilized particles. Traditional coagulants are aluminum, ferrous sulfate, and ferric chloride, using to neutralization of ion charges. Flocculation bonds the particles forming large agglomerates with the help of a flocculant, such as polyaluminum chloride (PAC), polyferric sulfate (PFS), polyacrylamide (PAM), and other macromolecule flocculants. The PE were reported as one of the most practical flocculations, but the produced sludge might be toxic. The flocculants are generally not natural and non-biodegradable.
The process is illustrated in Fig. 5, including the sedimentation. Some weaknesses are toxicity and health hazardousness of inorganic coagulants, a large volume of sludge, selective for some metals and inefficient in emerging contaminants, increasingly effluent color, inefficient when using natural coagulants, and complex of scaling up. Supplementary Table 19 summarizes some of the studies conducted on coagulation-flocculation for heavy metal removal from different wastewater sources. The typical heavy metals removed by this method include Cu2+, Pb2+, and Ni2+. Other metals such as As2+, Se2+, Cr2+, Sb3+, Sb5+, Ag2+ could also be efficiently removed.
Flotation
Flotation
is used to remove various metal ions. The general schematic of the
flotation process is shown in Fig. 6. Dissolved air flotation, ion
flotation, and precipitation flotation were extensively studied. In the
dissolved air flotation, air (or gas) is fed to wastewater to generate
micro-bubbles that could attach the metal ions, developing lower density
agglomerates, leading to raising the flocs through the wastewater. The
accumulated slug at the top surface can easily be removed.
Electric-based separation
In
this section, different electrochemical methods (i.e., electrochemical
reduction (ER), EC, electroflotation (EF), and electrooxidation (EO)),
and ion exchange method are discussed.
Electrochemical treatment
In
an electrochemical system, oxidation is performed at the anode
(positive side), where electrons transfer to the cathode (negative
side), at which the reduction process occurs. These two chemical
reactions are called redox (reduction-oxidation), leading to water
purification through metal removal. For example:
Ion exchange treatment
The ion exchange method is a reversible chemical reaction used to
replace the undesirable metal ion with harmless and environmentally
friendly ones.
A heavy metal ion is removed from a wastewater solution by attaching it
to an immobile solid particle as a replacement with the solid particle
cation, as shown in Fig. 8.
The material of solid ion-exchange particles could be either natural,
e.g., inorganic zeolites, or synthetically produced, e.g., organic
resins. The ion-exchange method can remove target (some or all) heavy
metal ions, such as Pb2+, Hg2+, Cd2+, Ni2+, V4+, V5+, Cr3+, Cr4+, Cu2+, and Zn2+ from wastewater.
The ion exchange mechanism for metal removals can be explained in the
following reaction as the ion exchange particle having ion exchanger of M−EC+ (M− is the fixed anion and EC+ is the exchange cation; Na+ and H+ are frequently used as exchange cations) to exchange its cation (EC+) with the wastewater cation (WC+).
Photocatalytic-based separation
The photocatalytic process was reported as a simple process for wastewater treatment that uses light and semiconductors, such as titanium dioxide (TiO2). Three key steps are taken in this process: charged carrier photogeneration, charged carrier separation and diffusion to the photocatalyst surface, and redox reaction on the photocatalyst surface. The effluents of real soil washing wastewater were treated using an outdoor dual solar photocatalytic process of flat plate collector for the removal of 93.5% Cu2+, 99.6% Fe3+, and 99.4% Zn2+. A simulated ultraviolet (UV)–solar TiO2 photocatalysis has been used for the removal of ethylenediamine-N, N′-disuccinic acid (EDDS), and Cu2+ from wastewater (0.2 mM EDDS and 0.2–1.4 mM CuSO4) to obtain 100% conversion efficiency at 24% mineralization degree. In another study, maximum removal efficiencies of 41% Cu2+, 100% Fe3+, 100% Zn2+ and 100% EDDS were obtained from synthetic soil washing solution (3.6 × 10−1 mM EDDS, 8.0 × 10−2 mM Cu+2, 1.0 × 10−1 mM Fe+3 and 8.0 × 10−2 mM Zn+2).
Using visible light irradiation, a synthesized rhodium/antimony co-doped TiO2 nano-rod and titanate nanotube (RS-TONR/TNT) was used to extracts Pb2+, Cd2+, Cu2+, Zn2+, and organic pollutant from wastewater with 70 and 80% degradation efficiency for dye and Bisphenol A, respectively. The photocatalytic process using CeO2/BiOIO3 composites with Ce4+/Ce3+ redox centers was used to attain 86.53% Hg2+ removal efficiency under visible light absorption and photocatalytic activity. In an aqueous solution containing As5+ and Cr6+ (concentration of 0.10 mg/L), a synthesized 3D-Fe2O3 was used to achieve nearly 100% removal rates using solar light irradiation and photocatalytic activity. A fabricated CH-GEL/ZSPNC hybrid nanocomposite ion exchanger achieved 90% Ni2+, 94.9% Zn2+, 95% Mg2+, 100% Pb2+, 90.3% Cd2+, 88.9% Cu2+ and 84% Rhodamine-B (dye) extraction efficiencies using solar light.
A fabricated CS/silver bio-nano-composites (CS/PVDC/Ag) was utilized in photocatalytic oxidation process for 97% Cu2+, 88% Pb2+, 89% Cd2+ and 77% dye removal. Although this technology shows the in site generation of reactive radicals, no chemicals used, no sludge production, it has some drawbacks. It is still on a laboratory scale, low throughput, dependent on pH, and inefficient when different metals are present.
https://www.nature.com/articles/s41545-021-00127-0
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Remediation
of ciprofloxacin in soil using peroxymonosulfate activated by
ball-milled seaweed kelp biochar: Performance, mechanism, and
phytotoxicity
April 2023
https://www.researchgate.net/publication/369952493_Remediation_of_ciprofloxacin_in_soil_using_peroxymonosulfate_activated_by_ball-milled_seaweed_kelp_biochar_Performance_mechanism_and_phytotoxicity
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Soilless remediation of the fine carbonate-rich gold-copper mine tailings
21 August 2023
Soil remediation with minimum amendments is a good strategy for tailings disposal. Carbonate-rich gold-copper mine tailings occurring alongside the Yangzi River, China, were employed as the objective in this study. They showed the characteristics of fine particles and alkaline pH with high density and low nutrition. The amendments including bacterial fertilizer (BF), polymer, peat, straw, and compound fertilizer (CF) were used for soilless remediation on the tailings. Soil quality index (SQI) involved in tailing properties and growth characteristics of ryegrass was used to optimize the combination of amendments. The results showed that the optimum amendment combination was 0.2% BF + 0.6% CF + 0.2% polymer + 10% peat and 2% straw. Tailing nutrients such as soil organic matter (5.56%), available nitrogen (93.6 mg kg−1), available phosphorus (51.7 mg kg−1), available potassium (711 mg kg−1), and ryegrass exhibited the highest germination rate and biomass level under the optimal improvement conditions. Additional environmental assessments revealed that soilless treatment of the tailings helped to convert Cu, Zn, and As into residual forms. These findings show a good strategy for tailings soil improvement and provide a promising perspective of the soilless remediation for fine carbonate-rich metal tailings.
https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/clen.202200337
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Soil Remediation by Agglomeration with Petroleum Coke
2004
Objective:
Contamination
of soils with crude or refined oil products is a problem often
associated with production, refining, and distribution of petroleum
hydrocarbons. Excavation and incineration of the soil is an effective,
but expensive, technology to remediate the contaminated soil.
Bioremediation
is useful as a polishing step, but conventional manual and mechanical
techniques must be used on heavy concentrations of oil. A hot water wash
is practical only for coarse soil contaminated with light oils. This
project proposes to use petroleum coke to remediate soil heavily
contaminated with crude oil or other high molecular weight hydrocarbons.
This project will treat oily soil with finely divided petroleum coke.
The bridging liquid (oil) will be supplied by the contaminated soil. The
agglomerated fine coke and contaminant oil will be floated and removed
leaving an oil-free soil. Our studies to date using fine coal have shown
this method capable of treating soils saturated with heavy hydrocarbons
(crude oil) with oil recoveries as high as 99.9%.
The coal and
oil were recovered as a high grade fuel. The Gulf Coast region, which
has a large amount of oil contaminated soil, or has the potential to
have large amounts of oil contaminated soil because of oil spills, does
not have an abundant quantity of the type of coal best suited to soil
remediation. Petroleum coke has this type surface and should be an
excellent choice as a remediation agent. Finely divided coal or, as we
hope, finely divided coke is a material that "scrubs" the oil from the
soil and lends an adsorbent surface for the oil. The benefits of this
project will be an economical and practical solution to a type of
contamination common to the Gulf Coast with a readily available
remediating agent. Because of previous work, The University of Alabama
has a fully equipped soil remediation laboratory to carry out this
investigation.
https://cfpub.epa.gov/ncer_abstracts/INDEX.cfm/fuseaction/display.abstractDetail/abstract_id/1162/report/0
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The use of zero-valent iron for groundwater remediation and wastewater treatment: A review
January 2014
https://www.researchgate.net/publication/259882215_The_use_of_zero-valent_iron_for_groundwater_remediation_and_wastewater_treatment_A_review
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Overview of chosen techniques and methods for soils remediation
2015
https://www.researchgate.net/publication/289193260_Overview_of_chosen_techniques_and_methods_for_soils_remediation
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The Use of Soil Amendments for Remediation, Revitalization, and Reuse
https://www.epa.gov/biosolids/use-soil-amendments-remediation-revitalization-and-reuse
______________
Microbial remediation of aromatics-contaminated soil
06 December 2016
https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s11783-017-0894-x
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Cleaning Up of Contaminated Soils by Using Microbial Remediation: A Review and Challenges to the Weaknesses
2019
https://biomedgrid.com/fulltext/volume2/cleaning-up-of-contaminated-soils-by-using-microbial-remediation.000589.php
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Microbial Cleaning for Removal of Surface Contamination
2013 Jun 3
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7151772/
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Soil bacteria can clean your drinking water
08. March 2013
Bacteria that occur naturally in soil can effectively reduce the amounts of the pesticide residue BAM in drinking water.
https://www.sciencenordic.com/biology-chemistry-denmark/soil-bacteria-can-clean-your-drinking-water/1383385
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Bioremediation of oil contaminated soil using agricultural wastes via microbial consortium
08 June 2020
https://www.nature.com/articles/s41598-020-66169-5
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Bioremediation of oil spills
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bioremediation_of_oil_spills
______________
Soil Remediation Through Microbes
03 November 2018
https://link.springer.com/chapter/10.1007/978-981-13-2420-8_6
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Remediation Methods of Crude Oil Contaminated Soil
March 2020
https://www.researchgate.net/publication/340061631_Remediation_Methods_of_Crude_Oil_Contaminated_Soil
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Remediation of soil contaminated with crude oil using supercritical CO2
January 2010
https://www.researchgate.net/publication/288126280_Remediation_of_soil_contaminated_with_crude_oil_using_supercritical_CO2
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Recent advancements in hydrocarbon bioremediation and future challenges: a review
23 May 2022
Abstract
Petrochemicals
are important hydrocarbons, which are one of the major concerns when
accidently escaped into the environment. On one hand, these cause soil
and fresh water pollution on land due to their seepage and leakage from
automobile and petrochemical industries. On the other hand, oil spills
occur during the transport of crude oil or refined petroleum products in
the oceans around the world. These hydrocarbon and petrochemical spills
have not only posed a hazard to the environment and marine life, but
also linked to numerous ailments like cancers and neural disorders.
Therefore, it is very important to remove or degrade these pollutants
before their hazardous effects deteriorate the environment. There are
varieties of mechanical and chemical methods for removing hydrocarbons
from polluted areas, but they are all ineffective and expensive.
Bioremediation techniques provide an economical and eco-friendly
mechanism for removing petrochemical and hydrocarbon residues from the
affected sites. Bioremediation refers to the complete mineralization or
transformation of complex organic pollutants into the simplest compounds
by biological agents such as bacteria, fungi, etc. Many indigenous
microbes present in nature are capable of detoxification of various
hydrocarbons and their contaminants. This review presents an updated
overview of recent advancements in various technologies used in the
degradation and bioremediation of petroleum hydrocarbons, providing
useful insights to manage such problems in an eco-friendly manner.
https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s13205-022-03199-y
______________
Researchers clean up petroleum spills with plants
August 2000
https://www.purdue.edu/uns/html4ever/0006.Schwab.phyto.html
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A comprehensive guide of remediation technologies for oil contaminated soil — Present works and future directions
2016
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0025326X16302247
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Bioremediation
of Total Petroleum Hydrocarbons (TPH) by Bioaugmentation and
Biostimulation in Water with Floating Oil Spill Containment Booms as
Bioreactor Basin
2021 Feb 24
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7956214/
______________
Comparative
bioremediation of heavy metals and petroleum hydrocarbons
co-contaminated soil by natural attenuation, phytoremediation,
bioaugmentation and bioaugmentation-assisted phytoremediation
2015
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0048969715308779
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The Use of Soil Amendments for Remediation, Revitalization, and Reuse
2007
https://www.epa.gov/remedytech/use-soil-amendments-remediation-revitalization-and-reuse
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Bioremediation: Factors, Types, Advantages, Disadvantages
August 3, 2023
https://microbenotes.com/bioremediation-types-factors/
Table of Contents
Factors Affecting Bioremediation
1. Concentration of the contaminant
2. Nutrient availability
3. Surfactants; enhancers of bioavailability
4. Characteristics of the contaminated soil
Types of Bioremediation
In Situ Bioremediation
In Situ Bioremediation Techniques
Bioaugmentation
Bio-stimulation
Bio-slurping
Bio-sparging
Bioventing
Phytoremediation
Percolation
Pump and Treat
Ex-Situ Bioremediation
Biofiltration
Biopile
Bioreactor
Composting
Land Farming
Advantages of Bioremediation
Disadvantages of Bioremediation
References
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CONTAMINATED SOIL REMEDIATION BY SELF-CLEANING PROCESSES ACTIVATION
September 2016
https://www.researchgate.net/publication/360320736_CONTAMINATED_SOIL_REMEDIATION_BY_SELF-CLEANING_PROCESSES_ACTIVATION
______________
Remediation of contaminated soils using supercritical fluid extraction: a review (1994-2004)
2005
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/16196410/
______________
High-temperature electrothermal remediation of multi-pollutants in soil
11 October 2023
https://www.nature.com/articles/s41467-023-41898-z
______________
Stanford develops an experimental process to rinse heavy metals from toxic soils
June 4, 2019
Poisonous
heavy metals contaminating thousands of sites nationwide threaten to
enter the food chain, and there’s been no easy way to remove them. An
experimental chemical bath and electrochemical filter could now extract
heavy metals from the soil and leave fields safe.
https://news.stanford.edu/2019/06/04/new-process-rinses-heavy-metals-toxic-soils/
______________
Sustainable soil remediation using mineral and hydrogel: field evidence for metalloid immobilization and soil health improvement
18 May 2023
https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s11368-023-03541-8
______________
Nanotechnology in soil remediation − applications vs. implications
2020
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0147651320306540
______________
Soil Remediation Applications of Nanotechnology
June 2021
https://www.researchgate.net/publication/353142928_Soil_Remediation_Applications_of_Nanotechnology
______________
Sustainable environmental remediation via biomimetic multifunctional lignocellulosic nano-framework
28 July 2022
https://www.nature.com/articles/s41467-022-31881-5
______________
Nanobioremediation: A sustainable approach for the removal of toxic pollutants from the environment
2021
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0304389421030028
______________
Role of biotechnology in phytoremediation
2022
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/B9780323898744000212
______________
How to Neutralize Cat Feces in Soil: All You Need to Know
Natural Solutions to Neutralize Cat Feces in Soil
Here's how you can naturally neutralize cat feces in soil:
Use earthworm composting bins to break down cat feces and organic
matter quickly. The worms do the work and produce nutrient-rich
castings.
Compost the cat feces with other organic matter before
applying it to the soil, but avoid fresh animal manure as it can have
harmful bacteria and parasites. Use a larger compost bin for better
breakdown.
Balance the high carbon content of cat feces by adding
extra nitrogen. This helps with efficient breakdown and prevents odors.
Keep the compost pile wet to create the right environment for decomposition. Moisture is vital for the breakdown process.
Let the composting process rest for at least two years before using it
to ensure complete breakdown and eliminate potential pathogens.
Properly composted cat feces can be excellent fertilizer for non-edible
plants because of its high levels of nitrogen, phosphorus, and
potassium.
However, don't use cat feces on food plants or crops as it can lead to illness from parasites and pathogenic bacteria.
To get rid of odor and bacteria in cat feces, mix lime, commercial
enzymes, vinegar, or baking soda with water. These methods are
effective.
Make the soil less hospitable to bacteria by adding
amendments like lime or sulfur. You can also use baking soda, coffee
grounds, leaves, or acid-loving plants to neutralize odor.
Be
cautious when handling lime as it can pose health risks. Additionally,
remember that cat feces might contain parasites that could contaminate
gardens and cause illness. It takes about a year for cat feces to
decompose, so dried feces may still attract bugs and emit unpleasant
odors.
Remember to prioritize safety measures and proper composting techniques when dealing with cat feces in soil.
Now that you know how to naturally neutralize cat feces in soil, I want to address another concern: eliminating cat urine odor.
https://icareforcats.com/how-to-neutralize-cat-feces-in-soil/
______________
How to Neutralize Cat Urine in Soil? All You Need to Know
https://icareforcats.com/how-to-neutralize-cat-urine-in-soil/
Here's what you need to do:
First things first, get rid of any visible cat urine. Grab some gloves
or a paper towel and scoop up those urine-soaked areas. Make sure you
dispose of it properly to avoid any more contamination.
Next,
flush the soil with water. This will dilute the urea and acid from the
cat urine and restore your soil's goodness. Pour plenty of water over
the affected spots, making sure it covers everything nicely.
Give
that soil a thorough rinse and let it drain and dry out. The rinsing
will help get rid of any leftover residue, while drying it out helps
with the smell. Just give it some time to air dry before moving on.
If the smell is still lingering, you might want to think about
repotting your plant or using cat deterrents you can find at the store.
Sometimes pee goes deep into the soil, so repotting can refresh things.
And those deterrents can keep those pesky cats away from that spot.
Another trick is to mix vinegar or hydrogen peroxide with water. Spray
this solution onto the stinky area and let it sit for a bit, then rinse
it off. Both vinegar and hydrogen peroxide work wonders when it comes to
neutralizing odors.
And hey, don't forget to clean up your tools properly after you're done.
We don't want any cross-contamination.
By following these steps, you'll say goodbye to that cat urine smell and make your plants happy again.
Main points I'll expand upon further down this article:
Alkaline substances like baking soda can neutralize and eliminate cat urine odor.
Baking soda can be mixed with water as a solution or spray.
Sprinkling baking soda on affected areas and brushing it away is effective.
Vinegar and hydrogen peroxide can be combined with baking soda for added odor reduction.
Activated charcoal, enzymes, citrus peels, coffee grounds, and essential oils can also help neutralize odors.
Cat urine increases soil acidity and urea content, harming plants and nutrient absorption.
Excessive urine can cause salt build-up, making soil too alkaline for some plants.
High nitrogen levels in cat urine lead to imbalances in soil nutrients.
Prevention is key in avoiding soil contamination from repeated urination.
Adding organic matter and planting deodorizing plants can help balance nutrients and absorb odors.
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Succession of biochar addition for soil amendment and contaminants remediation during co-composting: A state of art review
2023
Abstract
This
paper aimed to highlight the succession of biochar addition for soil
amendment and contaminants remediation during composting process.
Biochar incorporated into the compost mixture promotes composting
performance and enhances contaminants reduction. Co-composting with
biochar for soil biota has been demonstrated via modified soil
biological community abundance and diversity. On the other hand, adverse
alterations to soil properties were noted, which had a negative impact
on the communication of microbe-to-plant interactions within the
rhizosphere. As a result, these changes influenced the competition
between soilborne pathogens and beneficial soil microorganisms.
Co-composting with biochar promoted the heavy metals (HMs) remediation
efficiency in contaminated soils by around 66–95%. Notably, applying
biochar during composting could improve nutrient retention and mitigate
leaching. The adsorption of nutrients such as nitrogen and phosphorus
compounds by biochar can be applied to manage environmental
contamination and presents an excellent opportunity to enhance soil
quality. Additionally, the various specific functional groups and large
specific surface areas of biochar allow for excellent adsorption of
persistent pollutants (e.g., pesticides, polychlorinated biphenyls
(PCBs)) and emerging organic pollutants, such as microplastic, phthalate
acid esters (PAEs) during co-composting. Finally, future perspectives,
research gaps, and recommendations for further studies are highlighted,
and potential opportunities are discussed.
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0301479723009799
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How Hemp Can Heal Our Soil & Why It Matters To Consumers
February 24, 2024
Not
only can you use hemp to make dozens of sustainable products, from
clothing, skateboards to medicine, but it can also help heal the earth.
As
the human population grows, so do our need for more land to grow the
crops that keep us fed. But our dependence on fossil fuels and dirty
industrial processes have left a lot of land too toxic to sustain life.
That’s where the rapidly growing field of “bioremediation” can be vital.
Bioremediation essentially means using living things to heal the soil,
allowing us to clean and reclaim some of these polluted lands. While
bacteria and other microorganisms can be used, phytoremediation, from
the Greek word for plant, relies on crops like hemp.
Below, we’ll
take a look at the reasons why hemp is such a promising plant for
bioremediation. At the same time, we’ll also touch on the risks posed by
heavy metals and toxins, which can inadvertently end up in hemp-based
consumer products.
Hemp Soil Remediation VS The Chernobyl Nuclear Disaster
One
of the most dramatic demonstrations of industrial hemp‘s potential was
in Chernobyl, in the aftermath of the historic 1986 nuclear disaster
which spewed radioactive waste across Eastern Europe. Over 100,000
square kilometers of Russia, Ukraine, and Belarus were inundated with
radiation, rendering much of them unusable.
In the late 90s, a
company called Phytotech began experimenting with industrial hemp in
some polluted Ukrainian regions. The results were extremely promising.
“Phytoremediation
can be used to remove radioactive elements from soil and water at
former weapons producing facilities,” explained Elaine Charkowski for
Central Oregon Green Pages in winter of 1998. “It can also be used to
clean up metals, pesticides, solvents, explosives, crude oil,
polyaromatic hydrocarbons, and toxins leaching from landfills.”
“Hemp
is proving to be one of the best phyto-remediative plants we have been
able to find,” Slavik Dushenkov, a research scientist with Phytotech,
told Charkowski.
Beyond Radiation: From Cadmium to Oil Spills
In
a paper published in September 2012 in Applied Biochemistry and
Biotechnology, a team of five researchers in China reported on their
successful experiments with hemp to absorb cadmium from the soil. Left
untreated, cadmium in soil can enter the food chain, and consumption can
cause severe joint and spinal pain. Too much exposure is known to even
affect the kidneys and link to cancer.
The scientists
experimented with 18 different varieties of hemp that are native to
China. They identified 7 varieties which exhibited the highest
concentrations of Cadmium (Cd) when grown in polluted soil.
https://ministryofhemp.com/hemp-soil-remediation/
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Alfalfa for Use in Phytoremediation of Soil Polluted with Total Petroleum Hydrocarbons
Oct 2018
https://www.researchgate.net/publication/329991317_of_Alfalfa_for_Use_in_Phytoremediation_of_Soil_Polluted_with_Total_Petroleum_Hydrocarbons
______________
Potential
of alfalfa for use in chemically and biologically assisted
phytoremediation of soil co-contaminated with petroleum hydrocarbons and
metals
Dec 2014
https://www.researchgate.net/figure/6-Phytoremediation-experiments-with-alfalfa_tbl2_281185067
______________
PCB removal, soil enzyme activities, and microbial community structures during the phytoremediation by alfalfa in field soils
08 March 2011
https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s11368-011-0344-5
______________
Converging
alfalfa (Medicago sativa L.) and petroleum hydrocarbon acclimated
ACC-deaminase containing bacteria for phytoremediation of petroleum
hydrocarbon contaminated soil
2022 Aug 2
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/35917513/
______________
Interaction
between Azotobacter nigricans and Alfalfa Root in Systems Contaminated
with Kerosene. Proceedings of the Ninth International In Situ and
On-Site Bioremediation Symposium. In Situ and On-Site
Bioremediation-2007.
May 2007
Abstract
The interaction at a root-hair level between Medicago sativa (alfalfa) and Azotobacter through the removal of kerosene hydrocarbons process was studied. The method of Farreus was used to grow Medicago sativa (alfalfa) plants in nitrogen-free Jensen’s medium added with kerosene (1% v/v), and in the presence of Azotobacter nigricans. Under this condition, the removal of kerosene hydrocarbons was 63.1 %, but plants growth was notably shorter than the controls grown without kerosene. Nevertheless, in both systems, a high population of Azotobacter was located in the tips of the roots hair. In the kerosene feed system, the hydrocarbons were observed as oil microscopic droplets adhered to the surface of the whole radical system; that is, in both the hair of the roots and in the principal root tissue. Notably, the major number of Azotobacter cells was concentrated in the droplets located on the surface of the roots hair. These results point out a symbiotic association between Azotobacter and alfalfa at the root-hair level that should be involved in the biochemical process for effective removal of the hydrocarbons.
https://www.researchgate.net/publication/357469178_Interaction_between_Azotobacter_nigricans_and_Alfalfa_Root_in_Systems_Contaminated_with_Kerosene_Proceedings_of_the_Ninth_International_In_Situ_and_On-Site_Bioremediation_Symposium_In_Situ_and_On-Site
______________
Potential
bioremediation of lead and phenol by sunflower seed husk and rice
straw-based biochar hybridized with bacterial consortium: a kinetic
study
11 December 2023
https://www.nature.com/articles/s41598-023-49036-x
______________
Bioremediation of metribuzin-contaminated soil by corn straw biochar-immobilized Bacillus cereus N1
May 2023
https://www.semanticscholar.org/paper/Bioremediation-of-metribuzin-contaminated-soil-by-Xiao-Zheng/30729c86419fb7b38a458c34d36d41ea92b8b589#cited-papers
______________
Enrichment
of the soil microbial community in the bioremediation of a
petroleum-contaminated soil amended with rice straw or sawdust
2019
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0045653519303728
______________
Bioremediation
of the tobacco waste-contaminated soil by Pseudomonas sp. HF-1:
nicotine degradation and microbial community analysis
29 September 2012
https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s00253-012-4433-1
______________
Effect of plant waste addition as exogenous nutrients on microbial remediation of petroleum-contaminated soil
19 June 2022
https://annalsmicrobiology.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s13213-022-01679-3
______________
Effective bioremediation of tobacco wastewater by microalgae at acidic pH for synergistic biomass and lipid accumulation
November 2021
https://www.researchgate.net/publication/356399609_Effective_bioremediation_of_tobacco_wastewater_by_microalgae_at_acidic_pH_for_synergistic_biomass_and_lipid_accumulation
______________
Microalgal Bioremediation: A Clean and Sustainable Approach for Controlling Environmental Pollution
17 May 2022
Abstract
Environmental
pollution is a major global threat today, with widespread consequences.
Industrial effluents, flue gases, automobile emissions, solid waste,
agricultural runoff, amongst others, have loaded air, water, and soil
with a plethora of undesirable substances harmful for humans and their
surroundings. Common pollutants, such as exhaust gases, heavy metals,
pesticides, pharmaceuticals, and many emerging organic and inorganic
chemicals, are causing multitude of chronic illnesses. With growing
population and rapid industrialization, it is becoming increasingly
important to develop efficient, cheap, sustainable, and scalable
processes to mitigate these life-threatening pollutants.
Conventional
physiochemical methods used for the treatment of industrial, municipal,
and agricultural wastewaters and emissions are effective, but they
suffer serious drawbacks, such as sludge generation, membrane fouling,
and high energy and reagent requirements. This has attracted the use of
biological resources in development of sustainable and eco-friendly
remediation processes. Microalgae particularly have emerged as a
potential microorganism in bioremediation owing to their ability to
adsorb, accumulate, and degrade many common pollutants using different
mechanisms. Concomitant sequestration of carbon dioxide, generation of
oxygen, and accumulation of lipids and carbohydrates with growth are
however the real advantages of using microalgae in bioremediation.
Moreover, simple and cheap nutritional and cultivation requirements of
microalgae make it most suitable bioresource for mitigating pollution.
The development of microalgae-based remediation processes is therefore
an ambitious goal in environmental biotechnology. This chapter reviews
important concepts, developments, challenges, and future prospects of
microalgal bioremediation.
https://link.springer.com/chapter/10.1007/978-981-16-4445-0_13
______________
Horizontal ‘gene drives’ harness indigenous bacteria for bioremediation
15 September 2020
Engineering bacteria to clean-up oil spills is rapidly advancing but
faces regulatory hurdles and environmental concerns. Here, we develop a
new technology to harness indigenous soil microbial communities for
bioremediation by flooding local populations with catabolic genes for
petroleum hydrocarbon degradation. Overexpressing three enzymes (almA,
xylE, p450cam) in Escherichia coli led to degradation of 60–99%
of target hydrocarbon substrates. Mating experiments, fluorescence
microscopy and TEM revealed indigenous bacteria could obtain these
vectors from E. coli through several mechanisms of horizontal
gene transfer (HGT), including conjugation and cytoplasmic exchange
through nanotubes. Inoculating petroleum-polluted sediments with E. coli carrying the vector pSF-OXB15-p450camfusion showed that the E. coli
cells died after five days but a variety of bacteria received and
carried the vector for over 60 days after inoculation. Within 60 days,
the total petroleum hydrocarbon content of the polluted soil was reduced
by 46%. Pilot experiments show that vectors only persist in indigenous
populations when under selection pressure, disappearing when this carbon
source is removed. This approach to remediation could prime indigenous
bacteria for degrading pollutants while providing minimal ecosystem
disturbance.
https://www.nature.com/articles/s41598-020-72138-9
______________
Transgenic Tobacco for Phytoremediation of Metals and Metalloids
2019
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/B9780128143896000134
_____________
Pocket K No. 25: Biotech Plants for Bioremediation
Conventional Remediation Strategies
Conventional
remediation for polluted sites typically involves the physical removal
of contaminants, and their disposal in a designated site. Physical
remediation strategies therefore do not eliminate the problem, they
merely shift it. In addition, physical remediation strategies are also
very expensive, disruptive to the environment, may temporarily increase
exposure to chemicals, and often leave residual contamination.
Cadmium, Zinc, Lead, and Selenium
Toxic
metals affect crop yields, soil biomass, and fertility, and accumulate
in the food chain. Metal-tolerant species protect themselves from the
toxicity of metal ions by binding metals ions with specific proteins
that render them in a safer form. Three classes of proteins are
important for metal detoxification in plants: metallothioneins,
phytochelatins, and glutathione. The genes coding for these have been
successfully used to improve phytoremediators through genetic
engineering.
For example, shrub tobacco (Nicotiana glauca)
transformed with the phytochelatin TaPCS1 shows very high levels of
accumulation of zinc, lead, cadmium, nickel, and boron, and produces
high biomass (3). In Arabidopsis, Indian mustard, and tobacco plants,
improved metal tolerance was achieved through the over-expression of
enzymes that induce the formation of phytochelatins (4, 5, and 6).
Plants
naturally tolerant to heavy metals have also been used as a source of
genes for phytoremediation. Transgenic Arabidopsis plants expressing a
selenocysteine methyltransferase (SMTA) gene from the selenium
hyperaccumulator Astralagus bisulcatus contain eight times more selenium
in their biomass when grown on selenite compared to non-transgenic
controls. Comparison of gene expression profiles between Arabidopsis
thaliana and the closely related species A. hallerri, which is tolerant
to cadmium and hyperaccumulates zinc, is also helping identify major
genes required for metal tolerance.
Explosives
Millions of
tons of explosives have been released into the environment, with the
resulting pollution of vast expanses of land and water resources. RDX
(Research Department Explosive) was the primary explosive used during
World War II, and newer derivatives are extensively used to date.
Explosives, and their degradation products, are extremely toxic and
corrosive.
Tobacco plants engineered with the bacterial gene for a
NADPH-dependent nitroreductase tolerate and degrade high levels of TNT
(9), and Arabidopsis plants carrying the xplA gene from Rhodococcus
bacteria are highly resistant to of RDX.
Landmines
Landmines
affect millions of people, both combatants and civilians, in over 80
countries. Sixty to 70 million active landmines exist throughout the
world, and these claim the lives and limbs of 50 people every day, and
threaten the livelihood of many more by denying them access to
humanitarian aid, agricultural land, and water resources. Efforts are
underway to develop transgenic plants that can be used to warn civilians
of the presence of landmines in a field. Arabidopsis whose roots change
color when they come into contact with degradation products of
landmines have been developed. Scientists are now working to allow the
plant to transmit the signal to their leaves, to effect human-readable
changes for a practical explosives detection system.
Mercury
Mercury
is a highly toxic element found both naturally and as an introduced
contaminant in the environment, and is a very serious global
environmental problem. Organic mercury (organomercurials), the most
toxic form to living organisms, is produced when bacteria in the water
and soil convert elemental mercury into methylmercury. Methylmercury is
easily absorbed and accumulates at high levels in the food chain.
Mercury poisoning affects the immune system, damages the nervous system,
and is harmful to developing fetuses.
Detoxification of
organomercurials has been achieved in transgenic plants by transforming
Arabidopsis, tobacco, poplar trees, Indian mustard, and eastern cotton
wood with two bacterial genes, merA and merB. (5, 6, 7). The combined
actions of merA and merB transform methylmercury to the volatile
elemental form, which is 100 times less toxic, and is released by the
plant to the atmosphere at non-toxic concentrations through
transpiration.
Arsenic
Arsenic occurs naturally in
rocks and soil, and is released into underground water. Consumption of
contaminated drinking water leads to skin disorders, gangrene, and
cancer of the kidneys and bladder. In addition, high levels of arsenic
in agricultural land degrade soils, reduce crop yields, and introduce
the pollutant to the food chain (8). Arsenic contamination threatens up
to 40 million people in Bangladesh alone, a problem described by the
World Health Organization (WHO) as “the largest poisoning of a
population in history”.
Scientists have engineered Arabidopsis
plants with arsenic tolerance by introducing two bacterial genes: arsC
and y-ECS. arsC converts arsenate, the arsenic form absorbed by plants,
to arsenite. Double transgenics are not only highly tolerant of arsenic,
they also have improved cadmium tolerance, and a six-fold increase in
the level of biomass compared to wild-type controls.
https://www.isaaa.org/resources/publications/pocketk/25/default.asp
______________
How plants can generate electricity to power LED light bulbs
December 12, 2018
https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2018/12/181212093308.htm
_____________
Natural genetically modified crops: Grasses take evolutionary shortcut by borrowing genes from their neighbors
October 5, 2023
https://phys.org/news/2023-10-natural-genetically-crops-grasses-evolutionary.html
_____________
Mindblowing Video of Plants Talking to Each Other In Real Time
Jan 20, 2024
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hd-h_y1X4oA
______________
Xenobiotic sensing and signalling in higher plants
2012 Apr 6
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/22493519/
______________
Scientists Engineer Gorgeous Glowing Plants That Shine Bright Their Entire Life Cycle
27 April 2020
https://www.sciencealert.com/gorgeously-glowing-plants-shine-bright-throughout-their-life-cycle
______________
Creating a New Kind of Night Light: Glow-in-the-Dark Trees
2013
A group in California is starting to engineer plants that could one day replace streetlights
https://www.smithsonianmag.com/innovation/creating-a-new-kind-of-night-light-glow-in-the-dark-trees-9600277/
______________
Advances in development of transgenic plants for remediation of xenobiotic pollutants
2007 May 13
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/17553651/
______________
Photochemistry and a new catalyst could make fertilizer more sustainable
January 5, 2024
https://phys.org/news/2024-01-photochemistry-catalyst-fertilizer-sustainable.html
______________
Mushroom cultivation for soil amendment and bioremediation
2021
https://www.maxapress.com/article/doi/10.48130/CAS-2021-0011
______________
Application of mushrooms in the degradation of xenobiotic components and the reduction of pesticides
2022
https://www.taylorfrancis.com/chapters/edit/10.1201/9781003152583-19/application-mushrooms-degradation-xenobiotic-components-reduction-pesticides-karishma-joshi-anamika-das-gaurav-joshi-bibekananda-sarkar
______________
Enhanced
Fenton Reaction for Xenobiotic Compounds and Lignin Degradation Fueled
by Quinone Redox Cycling by Lytic Polysaccharide Monooxygenases
2021
Abstract
The
Fenton reaction is considered to be of great significance in the
initial attack of lignocellulose in wood-decaying fungi. Quinone redox
cycling is the main way to induce the Fenton reaction in fungi. We show
that lytic polysaccharide monooxygenases (LPMOs), through LPMO-catalyzed
oxidation of hydroquinone, can efficiently cooperate with glucose
dehydrogenase (GDH) to achieve quinone redox cycling. The LPMO/GDH
system can enhance Fe3+-reducing activity, H2O2 production, and hydroxyl
radical generation, resulting in a fueled Fenton reaction. The
system-generated hydroxyl radicals exhibited a strong capacity to
decolorize different synthetic dyes and degrade lignin. Our results
reveal a potentially critical connection between LPMOs and the Fenton
reaction, suggesting that LPMOs could be involved in xenobiotic compound
and lignin degradation in fungi. This new role of LPMOs may be
exploited for application in biorefineries.
https://pubs.acs.org/doi/10.1021/acs.jafc.1c01684
______________
White-Rot Fungi and their Enzymes as a Biotechnological Tool for Xenobiotic Bioremediation
19 October 2016
https://www.intechopen.com/chapters/51924
______________
A Xenobiotic Detoxification Pathway through Transcriptional Regulation in Filamentous Fungi
2018
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6050962/
______________
Enzymes and operons mediating xenobiotic degradation in bacteria
2008
https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/20014091096729
______________
Microbe
and plant assisted-remediation of organic xenobiotics and its
enhancement by genetically modified organisms and recombinant
technology: A review
2018
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S004896971830425X
______________
Recent Advanced Technologies for the Characterization of Xenobiotic-Degrading Microorganisms and Microbial Communities
Feb 2021
https://www.researchgate.net/publication/349180024_Recent_Advanced_Technologies_for_the_Characterization_of_Xenobiotic-Degrading_Microorganisms_and_Microbial_Communities
______________
Resource Recycling, Recovery, and Xenobiotic Remediation from E-wastes Through Biofilm Technology: A Review
07 July 2022
https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s12010-022-04055-8
______________
Degradation of Xenobiotic Pollutants: An Environmentally Sustainable Approach
2022
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC9505297/
______________
Incredible Discovery of an Entirely New Organelle That Fixes Nitrogen
Apr 22, 2024
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eGkV_k8IcQ0
______________
Ammonia-oxidizing archaea are integral to nitrogen cycling in a highly fertile agricultural soil
01 June 2021
https://www.nature.com/articles/s43705-021-00020-4
______________
Nitrate-dependent anaerobic methane oxidation (N-DAMO) as a bioremediation strategy for waters affected by agricultural runoff
11 May 2023
https://academic.oup.com/femsle/article/doi/10.1093/femsle/fnad041/7160451?login=false
______________
Nitrification and beyond: metabolic versatility of ammonia oxidising archaea
14 July 2023
https://www.nature.com/articles/s41396-023-01467-0
______________
How archaea toggle the nitrogen-uptake switch to avoid overeating
January 22, 2024
https://phys.org/news/2024-01-archaea-toggle-nitrogen-uptake-overeating.html
______________
Archaea, tiny helpers of land plants
2020
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7516179/
______________
How leafcutter ants cultivate a fungal garden to degrade plants could provide insights into future biofuels
February 1, 2024
https://phys.org/news/2024-02-leafcutter-ants-cultivate-fungal-garden.html
______________
Non-syntrophic methanogenic hydrocarbon degradation by an archaeal species
22 December 2021
https://www.nature.com/articles/s41586-021-04235-2
______________
Archaeas Role in Carbon Cycle
2016
https://www.the-scientist.com/archaeas-role-in-carbon-cycle-33248
______________
These climate-friendly microbes recycle carbon without producing methane
May 6, 2021
Scientists found the newly discovered single-celled archaea living in hot spring sediments
https://www.sciencenews.org/article/climate-microbes-recycle-carbon-methane-archaea-microbiology
______________
Autotrophic carbon fixation in archaea
10 May 2010
https://www.nature.com/articles/nrmicro2365
______________
CO2 removal solutions: A buyer’s perspective
February 3, 2023
https://www.mckinsey.com/capabilities/sustainability/our-insights/co2-removal-solutions-a-buyers-perspective
______________
Carbon monoxide-dependent energy metabolism in anaerobic bacteria and archaea
2008
https://www.deepdyve.com/lp/springer-journals/carbon-monoxide-dependent-energy-metabolism-in-anaerobic-bacteria-and-c7nASeiijt
______________
Carbon monoxide-dependent energy metabolism in anaerobic bacteria and archaea.
2008
https://europepmc.org/article/MED/18575848#impact
______________
Predominance
of ammonia-oxidizing archaea on granular activated carbon used in a
full-scale advanced drinking water treatment plant
2010
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0043135410004835
______________
Hydrogenogenic and sulfidogenic growth of Thermococcus archaea on carbon monoxide and formate
31 July 2016
https://link.springer.com/article/10.1134/S0026261716040135
______________
Bioconversion of CO to formate by artificially designed carbon monoxide: formate oxidoreductase in hyperthermophilic archaea
03 June 2022
https://www.nature.com/articles/s42003-022-03513-7
______________
High-Performance
Recognition, Cell-Imaging, and Efficient Removal of Carbon Monoxide
toward a Palladium-Mediated Fluorescent Sensing Platform
July 18, 2023
https://pubs.acs.org/doi/10.1021/acs.analchem.3c02050
______________
The removal of carbon monoxide by iron oxide nanoparticles
2002
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0926337302002977
______________
Removal of Carbon Monoxide from Simulated Flue Gas Using Two New Fenton Systems: Mechanism and Kinetics
2019 Aug 20
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/31389232/
______________
Complete removal of carbon monoxide in hydrogen-rich gas stream through methanation over supported metal catalysts
August 2004
https://www.semanticscholar.org/paper/Complete-removal-of-carbon-monoxide-in-gas-stream-Takenaka-Shimizu/b65a5ed98a0c664f19594cbb67566c5d2612f0ef
______________
Energy Conservation and Hydrogenase Function in Methanogenic Archaea, in Particular the Genus Methanosarcina
2019 Sep 18
Summary
The biological production of methane is vital to the global carbon cycle and accounts for ca. 74% of total methane emissions. The organisms that facilitate this process, methanogenic archaea, belong to a large and phylogenetically diverse group that thrives in a wide range of anaerobic environments. Two main subgroups exist within methanogenic archaea: those with and those without cytochromes. Although a variety of metabolisms exist within this group, the reduction of growth substrates to methane using electrons from molecular hydrogen is, in a phylogenetic sense, the most widespread methanogenic pathway. Methanogens without cytochromes typically generate methane by the reduction of CO2 with electrons derived from H2, formate, or secondary alcohols, generating a transmembrane ion gradient for ATP production via an Na+-translocating methyltransferase (Mtr). These organisms also conserve energy with a novel flavin-based electron bifurcation mechanism, wherein the endergonic reduction of ferredoxin is facilitated by the exergonic reduction of a disulfide terminal electron acceptor coupled to either H2 or formate oxidation. Methanogens that utilize cytochromes have a broader substrate range, and can convert acetate and methylated compounds to methane, in addition to the ability to reduce CO2. Cytochrome-containing methanogens are able to supplement the ion motive force generated by Mtr with an H+-translocating electron transport system. In both groups, enzymes known as hydrogenases, which reversibly interconvert protons and electrons to molecular hydrogen, play a central role in the methanogenic process. This review discusses recent insight into methanogen metabolism and energy conservation mechanisms with a particular focus on the genus Methanosarcina.
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6759668/
______________
Hydrogenotrophic methanogenesis in archaeal phylum Verstraetearchaeota reveals the shared ancestry of all methanogens
February 27, 2019
https://www.pnas.org/doi/full/10.1073/pnas.1815631116
______________
Methanogenesis
Methanogenesis
or biomethanation is the formation of methane coupled to energy
conservation by microbes known as methanogens. Organisms capable of
producing methane for energy conservation have been identified only from
the domain Archaea, a group phylogenetically distinct from both
eukaryotes and bacteria, although many live in close association with
anaerobic bacteria. The production of methane is an important and
widespread form of microbial metabolism. In anoxic environments, it is
the final step in the decomposition of biomass. Methanogenesis is
responsible for significant amounts of natural gas accumulations, the
remainder being thermogenic.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Methanogenesis
______________
The origin and evolution of methanogenesis and Archaea are intertwined
31 January 2023
Abstract
Methanogenesis has been widely accepted as an ancient metabolism, but the precise evolutionary trajectory remains hotly debated. Disparate theories exist regarding its emergence time, ancestral form, and relationship with homologous metabolisms. Here, we report the phylogenies of anabolism-involved proteins responsible for cofactor biosynthesis, providing new evidence for the antiquity of methanogenesis. Revisiting the phylogenies of key catabolism-involved proteins further suggests that the last Archaea common ancestor (LACA) was capable of versatile H2-, CO2-, and methanol-utilizing methanogenesis. Based on phylogenetic analyses of the methyl/alkyl-S-CoM reductase family, we propose that, in contrast to current paradigms, substrate-specific functions emerged through parallel evolution traced back to a nonspecific ancestor, which likely originated from protein-free reactions as predicted from autocatalytic experiments using cofactor F430. After LACA, inheritance/loss/innovation centered around methanogenic lithoautotrophy coincided with ancient lifestyle divergence, which is clearly reflected by genomically predicted physiologies of extant archaea. Thus, methanogenesis is not only a hallmark metabolism of Archaea, but the key to resolve the enigmatic lifestyle that ancestral archaea took and the transition that led to physiologies prominent today.
https://academic.oup.com/pnasnexus/article/2/2/pgad023/7010768?login=false
______________
Methanogenesis from Carbon Monoxide
13 March 2018
https://link.springer.com/referenceworkentry/10.1007/978-3-319-53114-4_4-1
______________
Evidence for nontraditional mcr-containing archaea contributing to biological methanogenesis in geothermal springs
28 Jun 2023
https://www.science.org/doi/10.1126/sciadv.adg6004
______________
Heterologous
Production of an Energy-Conserving Carbon Monoxide Dehydrogenase
Complex in the Hyperthermophile Pyrococcus furiosus
2016 Jan 29
Abstract
Carbon monoxide (CO) is an important intermediate in anaerobic carbon
fixation pathways in acetogenesis and methanogenesis. In addition, some
anaerobes can utilize CO as an energy source. In the hyperthermophilic
archaeon Thermococcus onnurineus, which grows optimally at
80°C, CO oxidation and energy conservation is accomplished by a
respiratory complex encoded by a 16-gene cluster containing a CO
dehydrogenase, a membrane-bound [NiFe]-hydrogenase and a Na+/H+ antiporter module. This complex oxidizes CO, evolves CO2 and H2, and generates a Na+ motive force that is used to conserve energy by a Na+-dependent
ATP synthase. Herein we used a bacterial artificial chromosome to
insert the 13.2 kb gene cluster encoding the CO-oxidizing respiratory
complex of T. onnurineus into the genome of the heterotrophic archaeon, Pyrococcus furiosus, which grows optimally at 100°C. P. furiosus is normally unable to utilize CO, however, the recombinant strain readily oxidized CO and generated H2 at 80°C. Moreover, CO also served as an energy source and allowed the P. furiosus strain to grow with a limiting concentration of sugar or with peptides as the carbon source. Moreover, CO oxidation by P. furiosus
was also coupled to the re-utilization, presumably for biosynthesis, of
acetate generated by fermentation. The functional transfer of CO
utilization between Thermococcus and Pyrococcus
species demonstrated herein is representative of the horizontal gene
transfer of an environmentally relevant metabolic capability. The
transfer of CO utilizing, hydrogen-producing genetic modules also has
applications for biohydrogen production and a CO-based industrial
platform for various thermophilic organisms.
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4731540/
______________
Ammonia-oxidising archaea living at low pH: Insights from comparative genomics
02 November 2017
https://enviromicro-journals.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1111/1462-2920.13971
______________
Unifying the global phylogeny and environmental distribution of ammonia-oxidising archaea based on amoA genes
2018
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/29666365/
______________
Unexpected Complexity of the Ammonia Monooxygenase in Archaea
April 06, 2022
https://www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2022.04.06.487334v1
______________
An evolving view of methane metabolism in the Archaea
21 January 2019
https://www.nature.com/articles/s41579-018-0136-7
______________
Methanogenic archaea use a bacteria-like methyltransferase system to demethoxylate aromatic compounds
18 June 2021
https://www.nature.com/articles/s41396-021-01025-6
______________
How Methanogenic Archaea Contribute to Climate Change
May 6, 2022
https://asm.org/Articles/2022/May/How-Methanogenic-Archaea-Contribute-to-Climate-Cha
______________
Rapid microbial methanogenesis during CO2 storage in hydrocarbon reservoirs
22 December 2021
https://www.nature.com/articles/s41586-021-04153-3
______________
Horizontal DNA transfer between bacteria in the environment
2003
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/14743976/
______________
Scientists use spent brewer's yeast to filter out metal from waste streams
March 2024
https://phys.org/news/2024-03-scientists-spent-brewer-yeast-filter.html
______________
Yeast uses plastic waste oils to make high-value chemicals
March 20, 2024
https://phys.org/news/2024-03-yeast-plastic-oils-high-chemicals.html
______________
Scientists use food industry byproduct to recover gold from electronic waste
February 29, 2024
https://techxplore.com/news/2024-02-scientists-food-industry-byproduct-recover.html#google_vignette
______________
Mechanistic insights into the success of xenobiotic degraders resolved from metagenomes of microbial enrichment cultures
2021 Jun 10
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/34329005/
______________
Polymer science team develops additive that can 'upcycle' a wide range of plastics
Feb 2024
https://phys.org/news/2024-02-polymer-science-team-additive-upcycle.html
_______________
Plant-based material can remediate PFAS, new research suggests
2022
Combining
plants and fungi, an NIEHS-funded technology presents an
environmentally friendly approach to clean up the 'forever chemicals.
https://factor.niehs.nih.gov/2022/9/science-highlights/pfas-remediation
______________
Is food waste the key to sustainable, plastic-free diapers and sanitary pads?
March 2024
https://phys.org/news/2024-03-food-key-sustainable-plastic-free.html
______________
Scientists develop artificial worm gut to break down plastics
February 8, 2024
https://phys.org/news/2024-02-scientists-artificial-worm-gut-plastics.html
______________
Metagenomic
analysis reveals genetic insights on biogeochemical cycling, xenobiotic
degradation, and stress resistance in mudflat microbiome
2021
Highlights
Metagenomic profiling of mudflat microbiome was carried out from a coastal wetland.
Bacterial and archaeal communities differed between mudflats and bulk sediments.
pH, AP, TOC, salinity, and vegetation were major drivers of microbiome composition.
Metagenome showed genetic potential for C, N, and S cycling, xenobiotic degradation.
Mudflat metagenome also possessed genes involved in plant growth and development.
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0301479721008008
______________
New
insights into xenobiotic tolerance of Antarctic bacteria:
transcriptomic analysis of Pseudomonas sp. TNT3 during
2,4,6-trinitrotoluene biotransformation
10 February 2024
Abstract
The
xenobiotic 2,4,6-trinitrotoluene (TNT) is a highly persistent
environmental contaminant, whose biotransformation by microorganisms has
attracted renewed attention. In previous research, we reported the
discovery of Pseudomonas sp. TNT3, the first described Antarctic
bacterium with the ability to biotransform TNT. Furthermore, through
genomic analysis, we identified distinctive features in this isolate
associated with the biotransformation of TNT and other xenobiotics.
However, the metabolic pathways and genes active during TNT exposure in
this bacterium remained unexplored. In the present transcriptomic study,
we used RNA-sequencing to investigate gene expression changes in
Pseudomonas sp. TNT3 exposed to 100 mg/L of TNT. The results showed
differential expression of 194 genes (54 upregulated and 140
downregulated), mostly encoding hypothetical proteins. The most highly
upregulated gene (> 1000-fold) encoded an azoreductase enzyme not
previously described. Other significantly upregulated genes were
associated with (nitro)aromatics detoxification, oxidative,
thiol-specific, and nitrosative stress responses, and (nitro)aromatic
xenobiotic tolerance via efflux pumps. Most of the downregulated genes
were involved in the electron transport chain, pyrroloquinoline quinone
(PQQ)-related alcohol oxidation, and motility. These findings highlight a
complex cellular response to TNT exposure, with the azoreductase enzyme
likely playing a crucial role in TNT biotransformation. Our study
provides new insights into the molecular mechanisms of TNT
biotransformation and aids in developing effective TNT bioremediation
strategies. To the best of our knowledge, this report is the first
transcriptomic response analysis of an Antarctic bacterium during TNT
biotransformation.
https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s11356-024-32298-x
______________
Basic knowledge and perspectives of bioelimination of xenobiotic compounds
1996
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0168165696016082
______________
An innovative approach of bioremediation in enzymatic degradation of xenobiotics
2022
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/35081881/
______________
Degradation of Xenobiotic Pollutants: An Environmentally Sustainable Approach
2022
https://www.researchgate.net/publication/363135453_Degradation_of_Xenobiotic_Pollutants_An_Environmentally_Sustainable_Approach
______________
Microbial Degradation of Xenobiotic Compounds
08 July 2021
https://link.springer.com/chapter/10.1007/978-981-16-0518-5_7
______________
Special Issue: Microbial Degradation of Xenobiotics
2020
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7232483/
______________
Remediation potential of mushrooms and their spent substrate against environmental contaminants: An overview
2022
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S1878818122000500
______________
Method
development and validation of ten pyrethroid insecticides in edible
mushrooms by Modified QuEChERS and gas chromatography-tandem mass
spectrometry
2020 Apr 27
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7184573/
______________
Which Mushrooms Work As Pesticides
March 11, 2023
https://mushroomheadquarters.com/which-mushrooms-work-as-pesticides/
______________
Mushroom-based biopesticides could cut environmental damage from synthetic chemicals
September 25, 2018
https://geneticliteracyproject.org/2018/09/25/mushroom-based-biopesticides-could-cut-environmental-damage-from-synthetic-chemicals/
______________
New developments in integrated pest management for mushroom culture, challenges and opportunities in quality mushroom production
January 2011
https://www.researchgate.net/publication/235763500_New_developments_in_integrated_pest_management_for_mushroom_culture_challenges_and_opportunities_in_quality_mushroom_production
______________
Mushroom Based Pesticides to Revolutionize Farming
https://www.theeducationmagazine.com/mushroom-revolutionize-farming/
______________
Mushrooms (basidiomycetes) as source of mosquito control agents
2023
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2773078623000250
______________
Mycoremediation (Bioremediation with Fungi) – Growing Mushrooms to Clean the Earth. A mini-review.
July 7, 2014
https://www.resilience.org/stories/2014-07-07/mycoremediation-bioremediation-with-fungi-growing-mushrooms-to-clean-the-earth-a-mini-review/
______________
Role of arbuscular mycorrhizal symbiosis in remediation of anthropogenic soil pollution
05 May 2021
https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s13199-021-00774-4
______________
Biological
removal of the xenobiotic trichloroethylene (TCE) through cometabolism
in nitrifying systems, Bioresource Technology, 101, Issue: 1 430-433
October 2010
https://www.researchgate.net/publication/255990915_Biological_removal_of_the_xenobiotic_trichloroethylene_TCE_through_cometabolism_in_nitrifying_systems_Bioresource_Technology_101_Issue_1_430-433
______________
Opportunistic
Pathogens of Recreational Waters with Emphasis on Antimicrobial
Resistance—A Possible Subject of Human Health Concern
2022 Jun 14
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC9224392/
______________
Novel AI-powered method detects antimicrobial resistance within 30 minutes
Nov 22 2023
https://www.news-medical.net/news/20231122/Novel-AI-powered-method-detects-antimicrobial-resistance-within-30-minutes.aspx
______________
Xenobiotic Effects on Intestinal Stem Cell Proliferation in Adult Honey Bee (Apis mellifera L) Workers
March 7, 2014
https://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0091180
______________
Stomach bug cases increasing in Central Florida as CDC warns of a drug-resistant bacteria
March 2, 2023
https://health.wusf.usf.edu/health-news-florida/2023-03-02/stomach-bug-cases-increasing-in-central-florida-as-cdc-warns-of-a-drug-resistant-bacteria
______________
Antibiotics as Major Disruptors of Gut Microbiota
2020 Nov 24
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7732679/
______________
A compound from fruit flies could lead to new antibiotics
June 6, 2023
https://today.uic.edu/a-compound-from-fruit-flies-could-lead-to-new-antibiotics/
______________
Contamination of Fresh Produce with Antibiotic-Resistant Bacteria and Associated Risks to Human Health: A Scoping Review
2021 Dec 30
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC8744955/
______________
How dirty is your public gym? Study shows there can be harmful bacteria
Jun 12, 2019
https://www.fox4now.com/lifestyle/health/how-dirty-is-your-public-gym-study-shows-there-can-be-harmful-bacteria
______________
Drug-Resistant Bacteria Outbreak In FL Linked To Eyedrops Spreads
Mar 8, 2023
Eye
infections in 13 states, including FL, have been linked to artificial
tears. One person has died and there are 8 reports of vision loss.
https://patch.com/florida/across-fl/deadly-drug-resistant-bacteria-outbreak-fl-linked-eyedrops-cdc
______________
Florida woodrat nests are laced with antibiotic-producing bacteria
15 SEP 2020
New discovery could one day lead to new antibiotics for humans
https://www.science.org/content/article/florida-woodrat-nests-are-laced-antibiotic-producing-bacteria
______________
Pseudomonas fluorescens
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pseudomonas_fluorescens
______________
Potentially deadly fungus spreading rapidly in US health care facilities
March 21, 2023
Cases of Candida auris doubled in 2021, according to a new CDC report.
https://abcnews.go.com/Health/potentially-deadly-fungus-spreading-rapidly-us-health-care/story?id=98011655
______________
Florida is swamped by disease outbreaks as quackery replaces science
2024
https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2024/mar/03/florida-measles-outbreak-preventable
______________
Are Dangerous Microbes Hiding In Your Makeup? New Study Says Yes.
Dec 2, 2019
https://www.forbes.com/sites/victoriaforster/2019/12/02/are-dangerous-microbes-hiding-in-your-makeup-new-study-says-yes/?sh=181426a37323
______________
Archaea: current and potential biotechnological applications
2023 May 15
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/37196775/
______________
Archaea in Wastewater Treatment: Current Research and Emerging Technology
2018
https://www.hindawi.com/journals/archaea/2018/6973294/
______________
The
more important role of archaea than bacteria in nitrification of
wastewater treatment plants in cold season despite their numerical
relationships
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0043135418306961
______________
Phytoremediation of Xenobiotics: Principles and Applications in Environmental Pollution Removal
2023
https://link.springer.com/chapter/10.1007/978-3-031-35775-6_13
______________
Unveiling bacterial consortium for xenobiotic biodegradation from Pichavaram mangrove forest soil: a metagenomic approach
2023
https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s00203-023-03765-9
______________
Xenobiotic pollution affects transcription of antibiotic resistance and virulence factors in aquatic microcosms
2022
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/35525510/
______________
Recent advances in microbial engineering approaches for wastewater treatment: a review
2023 Jul 27
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC10376923/
______________
Bioelectrochemical technologies for removal of xenobiotics from wastewater
2021
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S2213138821006664
______________
Diversity and Niche of Archaea in Bioremediation
2018 Sep 3
Abstract
Bioremediation
is the use of microorganisms for the degradation or removal of
contaminants. Most bioremediation research has focused on processes
performed by the domain Bacteria; however, Archaea are known to play
important roles in many situations. In extreme conditions, such as
halophilic or acidophilic environments, Archaea are well suited for
bioremediation. In other conditions, Archaea collaboratively work
alongside Bacteria during biodegradation. In this review, the various
roles that Archaea have in bioremediation is covered, including
halophilic hydrocarbon degradation, acidophilic hydrocarbon degradation,
hydrocarbon degradation in nonextreme environments such as soils and
oceans, metal remediation, acid mine drainage, and dehalogenation.
Research needs are addressed in these areas. Beyond bioremediation,
these processes are important for wastewater treatment (particularly
industrial wastewater treatment) and help in the understanding of the
natural microbial ecology of several Archaea genera.
2. Archaea in the Degradation of Organics in Hypersaline Environments
Perhaps,
the most developed research area that connects Archaea to
bioremediation lies within the degradation of organics in hypersaline
environments. Natural hypersaline environments include salterns, salt
lakes, salt marshes, salt flats (sabkhas), and oil and gas production
wastewaters. The contamination of these environments with crude oil is
common, and about 5% of the chemical, pharmaceutical, and oil industries
have highly saline wastewater effluents in need of treatment. Members
of both Bacteria and Archaea are known to inhabit such environments and
these are often referred to as “halobacteria” and “haloarchaea,”
respectively. Recent reviews have focused on hydrocarbon degradation by
halobacteria and haloarchaea, the biotechnological potential of the
hydrolytic enzyme, the biodiversity of microbial communities in
halophilic environments, the potential of haloarchaea in bioremediation
processes, and the growing rate of research of haloarchaea in
bioremediation. Recently, a new database—called HaloDom—has compiled all
isolated halophilic species into a single online resource. Many
Bacteria can degrade at salinities of up to 15% such as strains of the
genera Ralstonia, Halomonas, Dietzia, and Alcanivorax. Here, an overview
of the haloarchaeal strains isolated on the ability to degrade
hydrocarbons, such as crude oil, is provided.
The haloarchaea
cluster into a single class (the class Halobacteria) within the phylum
Euryarchaeota. They are typically cultured at neutral pH and
temperatures of 30-45°C, and they require high salinities of 1.8–5.0 M
NaCl. Many strains have been traditionally isolated on a standard
nutrient media that contains heterotrophic carbon and energy sources.
Table 1 lists the strains associated with hydrocarbon degradation and
their degradative abilities. Additionally, a phylogenetic tree of many
of these strains (where nearly full-length 16S rRNA gene sequences were
available), as well as other strains and phylogenetic groups discussed
in this manuscript, is shown in Figure 1. The metabolic capabilities of
haloarchaea for hydrocarbon degradation appear vast, and these Archaea
all inhabit a close phylogenetic association.
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6140281/
______________
New Uses of Haloarchaeal Species in Bioremediation Processes
13 October 2014
https://www.intechopen.com/chapters/48401
______________
Haloarchaea: worth exploring for their biotechnological potential
12 September 2017
Abstract
Halophilic
archaea are unique microorganisms adapted to survive under high salt
conditions and biomolecules produced by them may possess unusual
properties. Haloarchaeal metabolites are stable at high salt and
temperature conditions that are useful for industrial applications.
Proteins and enzymes of this group of archaea are functional under salt
concentrations at which bacterial counterparts fail to be active. Such
properties makes haloarchaeal enzymes suitable for salt-based
applications and their use under dehydrating conditions. For example,
bacteriorhodopsin or the purple membrane protein present in halophilic
archaea has the most recognizable applications in photoelectric devices,
artificial retinas, holograms etc. Haloarchaea are also useful for
bioremediation of polluted hypersaline areas. Polyhydroxyalkanoates and
exopolysccharides produced by these microorganisms are biodegradable and
have the potential to replace commercial non-degradable plastics and
polymers. Moreover, halophilic archaea have excellent potential to be
used as drug delivery systems and for nanobiotechnology by virtue of
their gas vesicles and S-layer glycoproteins. Despite of possible
applications of halophilic archaea, laboratory-to-industrial transition
of these potential candidates is yet to be established.
https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s10529-017-2434-y
______________
Archaea: An Agro-Ecological Perspective
2021 May 21
Abstract
Microorganisms
inhabiting bulk soil and rhizosphere play an important role in soil
biogeochemical cycles leading to enhanced plant growth and productivity.
In this context, the role of bacteria is well established, however, not
much reports are available about the role archaea plays in this regard.
Literature suggests that archaea also play a greater role in nutrient
cycling of carbon, nitrogen, sulfur, and other minerals, possess various
plant growth promoting attributes, and can impart tolerance to various
abiotic stresses (especially osmotic and oxidative) in areas of high
salinity, low and high temperatures and hydrogen ion concentrations.
Thermoacidophilic archaea have been found to potentially involve in
bioleaching of mineral ores and bioremediation of chemical pollutants
and aromatic compounds. Looking at immense potential of archaea in
promoting plant growth, alleviating abiotic stresses, and remediating
contaminated sites, detailed studies are required to establish their
role in different ecological processes, and their interactions in
rhizosphere with plant and other microflora (bacteria and fungi) in
different ecosystems. In this review, a brief discussion on archaea from
the agro-ecological point of view is presented.
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/34019119/
______________
Role of archaea in aquaculture: prospects and challenges
29 October 2023
https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s10499-023-01317-y
______________
Diversity, metabolism and cultivation of archaea in mangrove ecosystems
02 December 2020
Abstract
Mangroves
comprise a globally significant intertidal ecosystem that contains a
high diversity of microorganisms, including fungi, bacteria and archaea.
Archaea is a major domain of life that plays important roles in
biogeochemical cycles in these ecosystems. In this review, the potential
roles of archaea in mangroves are briefly highlighted. Then, the
diversity and metabolism of archaeal community of mangrove ecosystems
across the world are summarized and Bathyarchaeota, Euryarchaeota,
Thaumarchaeota, Woesearchaeota, and Lokiarchaeota are confirmed as the
most abundant and ubiquitous archaeal groups. The metabolic potential of
these archaeal groups indicates their important ecological function in
carbon, nitrogen and sulfur cycling. Finally, some cultivation
strategies that could be applied to uncultivated archaeal lineages from
mangrove wetlands are suggested, including refinements to traditional
cultivation methods based on genomic and transcriptomic information, and
numerous innovative cultivation techniques such as single-cell
isolation and high-throughput culturing (HTC). These cultivation
strategies provide more opportunities to obtain previously uncultured
archaea.
https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s42995-020-00081-9
______________
Distribution and genomic variation of ammonia-oxidizing archaea in abyssal and hadal surface sediments
22 December 2023
Abstract
Ammonia-oxidizing
archaea of the phylum Thaumarchaeota play a central role in the
biogeochemical cycling of nitrogen in benthic sediments, at the
interface between pelagic and subsurface ecosystems. However, our
understanding of their niche separation and of the processes controlling
their population structure in hadal and abyssal surface sediments is
still limited. Here, we reconstructed 47 AOA metagenome-assembled
genomes (MAGs) from surface sediments of the Atacama and Kermadec trench
systems. They formed deep-sea-specific groups within the family
Nitrosopumilaceae and were assigned to six amoA gene-based clades. MAGs
from different clades had distinct distribution patterns along
oxygen-ammonium counter gradients in surface sediments. At the species
level, MAGs thus seemed to form different ecotypes and follow
deterministic niche-based distributions. In contrast, intraspecific
population structure, defined by patterns of Single Nucleotide Variants
(SNV), seemed to reflect more complex contributions of both
deterministic and stochastic processes. Firstly, the bathymetric range
had a strong effect on population structure, with distinct populations
in abyssal plains and hadal trenches. Then, hadal populations were
clearly separated by trench system, suggesting a strong
isolation-by-topography effect, whereas abyssal populations were rather
controlled by sediment depth or geographic distances, depending on the
clade considered. Interestingly, genetic variability between samples was
lowest in sediment layers where the mean MAG coverage was highest,
highlighting the importance of selective pressure linked with each AOA
clade’s ecological niche. Overall, our results show that deep-sea AOA
genome distributions seem to follow both deterministic and stochastic
processes, depending on the genomic variability scale considered.
https://www.nature.com/articles/s43705-023-00341-6
______________
Biotechnological potentials of halophilic microorganisms and their impact on mankind
2022 May 31
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC9152817/
______________
Genes identified that allow bacteria to thrive despite toxic heavy metal in soil
March 2024
https://phys.org/news/2024-03-genes-bacteria-toxic-heavy-metal.html
______________
Genetically engineered microorganisms for environmental remediation
2022
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0045653522032441
______________
Perspectives on biotechnological applications of archaea
2002 May 31
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2685559/
______________
Biotechnological applications of archaeal enzymes from extreme environments
2018
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/30290805/
______________
Extremozymes: A Potential Source for Industrial Applications
2017
Abstract
Extremophilic
microorganisms have established a diversity of molecular strategies in
order to survive in extreme conditions. Biocatalysts isolated by these
organisms are termed extremozymes, and possess extraordinary properties
of salt allowance, thermostability, and cold adaptivity. Extremozymes
are very resistant to extreme conditions owing to their great solidity,
and they pose new opportunities for biocatalysis and biotransformations,
as well as for the development of the economy and new line of research,
through their application. Thermophilic proteins, piezophilic proteins,
acidophilic proteins, and halophilic proteins have been studied during
the last few years. Amylases, proteases, lipases, pullulanases,
cellulases, chitinases, xylanases, pectinases, isomerases, esterases,
and dehydrogenases have great potential application for biotechnology,
such as in agricultural, chemical, biomedical, and biotechnological
processes. The study of extremozymes and their main applications have
emerged during recent years.
https://www.jmb.or.kr/journal/view.html?doi=10.4014/jmb.1611.11006
______________
Radiation-resistant extremophiles and their potential in biotechnology and therapeutics
Abstract
Extremophiles
are organisms able to thrive in extreme environmental conditions.
Microorganisms with the ability to survive high doses of radiation are
known as radioresistant or radiation-resistant extremophiles. Excessive
or intense exposure to radiation (i.e., gamma rays, X-rays, and
particularly UV radiation) can induce a variety of mutagenic and
cytotoxic DNA lesions, which can lead to different forms of cancer.
However, some populations of microorganisms thrive under different types
of radiation due to defensive mechanisms provided by primary and
secondary metabolic products, i.e., extremolytes and extremozymes.
Extremolytes (including scytonemin, mycosporine-like amino acids,
shinorine, porphyra-334, palythine, biopterin, and phlorotannin, among
others) are able to absorb a wide spectrum of radiation while protecting
the organism's DNA from being damaged. The possible commercial
applications of extremolytes include anticancer drugs, antioxidants,
cell-cycle-blocking agents, and sunscreens, among others. This article
aims to review the strategies by which microorganisms thrive in extreme
radiation environments and discuss their potential uses in biotechnology
and the therapeutic industry. The major challenges that lie ahead are
also discussed.
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/23271672/
______________
Archaea: Microbial Candidates in Next-generation Probiotics Development
2018
Abstract
Pharmabiotics
and probiotics in current use or under development belong to 2 of 3
domains of life, Eukarya (eg, yeasts) and Bacteria (eg, lactobacilli).
Archaea constitute a third domain of life, and are currently not used as
probiotics, despite several interesting features. This includes the
absence of known pathogens in humans, animals, or plants and the
existence of some archaea closely associated to humans in various
microbiomes. We promote the concept that some specific archaea that
naturally thrive in the human gut are potential next-generation
probiotics that can be rationally selected on the basis of their
metabolic phenotype not being encountered in other human gut microbes,
neither Bacteria nor Eukarya. The example of the possible bioremediation
of the proatherogenic compound trimethylamine into methane by archaeal
microbes is described.
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/29668558/
______________
Major Groups of Microorganisms Employed in Bioremediation
11 December 2022
https://link.springer.com/chapter/10.1007/978-3-031-18017-0_8
______________
August 23rd, 2016 - Pollution Science 101 - Solutions - (Michael James Ross)
Pollutionscience101solutions.blogspot.com/
______________
August 23rd, 2016 - Energy Science 101 - ( Pollution Science 101 ) - (Michael James Ross)
______________
Jan/7/2015 - Pollution Science 101 - Cancer Investigated (California) - (Michael James Ross)
Pollutionscience101cancerinvestigated.blogspot.com
______________
Pollution Science 101 - Egypt (Author: Michael James Ross)
6/1/2020
https://pollutionscience101egypt.blogspot.com
____________
Pollution Science 101 - Russia (Michael James Ross)
December 2nd, 2015
Pollutionscience101Russia.blogspot.com
____________
Pollution Science 101 - China (Author: Michael James Ross)
October 6th, 2015
Pollutionscience101China.blogspot.com
____________
Pollution Science 101 - Israel (Fate of the Middle East) (Michael Ross)
8/9/2019
https://pollutionscience101israel.blogspot.com
____________
Pollution Science 101 - Cancer Investigated (California) (Michael Ross)
Jan/7/15
Pollutionscience101cancerinvestigated.blogspot.com
____________
Pollution Science 101 - Mexico - Faults of Mexico (Author: Michael Ross)
5/1/2019
https://pollutionscience101mexico.blogspot.com/
____________
Pollution Science 101 - Texas Industry Pollution Investigated ( Texas vs BP Oil)
Feb/2/15
Pollutionscience101texasvsbpoil.blogspot.com/
____________
Laguna
Beach Government corruption: Investigative report 1/16/2017. (Asbestos
contamination & our waterways in Orange County).
January 16th, 2017
Lagunabeachcorruption.blogspot.com
____________
Pollution Science 101 - India - Ecological Collapse (Author: Michael Ross)
10/9/2017
PollutionScience101india.Blogspot.com
____________
Pollution Science 101 - Cuba (Author: Michael Ross)
May 7th, 2021
https://Pollutionscience101Cuba.blogspot.com
____________
Pollution Science 101 - Brazil - Emergency Report (Michael Ross)
1/7/2020
https://pollutionscience101brazil.blogspot.com
____________
Eugenics in Brazil (Michael Ross)
1/8/2020
https://eugenicsbrazil.blogspot.com
____________
The
Cephalic Investigation - Race Eugenics & Dysgenics (Skull Evolution
& The History of the Lineage of Man) (Author: Michael Ross)
4/10/2020
https://skullevolution.blogspot.com
____________
Eugenics 101 (Dysgenics 101) - Genetics, Race, Science, Eugenics & Dysgenics (Author: Michael Ross)
October 15th, 2020
https://eugenics101.blogspot.com
____________
Race Dysgenics: Evolution, Dysgenic De-evolution, Eugenics & Genetic Modification - The History of the Lineage of Man (Author: Michael Ross)
3/5/2019
https://racedysgenics.blogspot.com
____________
The Dysgenics Investigation - Race, Science & the Human Genome Project - The Eugenics Investigation (Akoniti) (Author: Michael Ross)
04/19/2018
DysgenicsInvestigation.blogspot.com
____________
Genetically Modified Vaccines Investigated - The Eugenics Investigation (MonsantoInvestigation.com) (Author: Michael James Ross)
8/15/2017
GMOvaccinesinvestigated.blogspot.com
____________
Genetically Modified Humans & Viruses - The Eugenics Investigation (Author: Michael Ross)
July 7th, 2017
GMOhumansandviruses.blogspot.com
____________
The DuPont investigation (Author: Michael Ross)
Feb/18/14
http://dupontinvestigation.blogspot.com
____________
King Solomon's Temple Investigation Marathon - Legend (Author: Michael Ross)
7/21/2019
https://solomonstempleinvestigation.blogspot.com
______________
______________
______________
______________
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Section 5: Ocean and Atmospheric Circulation
______________
______________
______________
______________
______________
The Microplastic Crisis Is Getting Exponentially Worse
Jul 10, 2023
Plastic production is skyrocketing, pushing microplastic pollution to dangerous new levels. Now research shows even the Arctic is increasingly contaminated.
https://www.wired.com/story/the-microplastic-crisis-is-getting-exponentially-worse/
______________
Why does the Arctic have more plastic than most places on Earth?
October 30, 2019
Plastics travel on ocean currents and through the air to the far north and accumulate—sometimes inside the animals that live there.
https://www.nationalgeographic.com/science/article/remote-arctic-contains-more-plastic-than-most-places-on-earth
______________
Pervasive distribution of polyester fibres in the Arctic Ocean is driven by Atlantic inputs
12 January 2021
https://www.nature.com/articles/s41467-020-20347-1
______________
Scientists warn that a crucial ocean current could collapse, altering global weather
2-26-2024
https://www.latimes.com/environment/story/2024-02-26/researchers-warn-of-a-catastrophic-collapse-of-ocean-current
______________
Florida current is weaker now than at any point in the past century
August 7, 2020
https://phys.org/news/2020-08-florida-current-weaker-century.html
______________
Observed fingerprint of a weakening Atlantic Ocean overturning circulation
11 April 2018
Abstract
The Atlantic meridional overturning circulation (AMOC)—a system of ocean
currents in the North Atlantic—has a major impact on climate, yet its
evolution during the industrial era is poorly known owing to a lack of
direct current measurements. Here we provide evidence for a weakening of
the AMOC by about 3 ± 1 sverdrups (around 15 per cent) since the
mid-twentieth century. This weakening is revealed by a characteristic
spatial and seasonal sea-surface temperature ‘fingerprint’—consisting of
a pattern of cooling in the subpolar Atlantic Ocean and warming in the
Gulf Stream region—and is calibrated through an ensemble of model
simulations from the CMIP5 project. We find this fingerprint both in a
high-resolution climate model in response to increasing atmospheric
carbon dioxide concentrations, and in the temperature trends observed
since the late nineteenth century. The pattern can be explained by a
slowdown in the AMOC and reduced northward heat transport, as well as an
associated northward shift of the Gulf Stream. Comparisons with recent
direct measurements from the RAPID project and several other studies
provide a consistent depiction of record-low AMOC values in recent
years.
https://www.nature.com/articles/s41586-018-0006-5
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A conceptual view on inertial internal waves in relation to the subinertial flow on the central west Florida shelf
29 October 2018
Abstract
The
study reported here focuses on inertial internal wave currents on the
west Florida midshelf in 50 m depth. In situ observations showed that
the seasonal shifts in stratification change both the frequency range of
inertial internal waves and their modulation time scales. According to
the analysis, the subinertial flow evolution time scales also undergo
compatible seasonal variations, and the inertial internal wave currents
appear to be temporally and spatially related to the subinertial flow.
Specifically, the subinertial flow evolving on
frontal-/quasi-geostrophic time scales appears to be accompanied by the
near-inertial oscillations/inertia-gravity waves in corresponding
small/finite Burger number regimes, respectively. The quasi-geostrophic
subinertial currents on the west Florida shelf are probably associated
with the synoptic wind-forced flow, whereas the frontal-geostrophic
currents are related to the evolution of density fronts. Further details
of this conceptual view should, however, be elucidated in the future.
https://www.nature.com/articles/s41598-018-34346-2
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Weakening Atlantic overturning circulation causes South Atlantic salinity pile-up
14 September 2020
Abstract
The
Atlantic Meridional Overturning Circulation (AMOC) is an active
component of the Earth’s climate system1 and its response to global
warming is of critical importance to society. Climate models have shown
an AMOC slowdown under anthropogenic warming since the industrial
revolution, but this slowdown has been difficult to detect in the
short observational record because of substantial
interdecadal climate variability. This has led to the indirect detection
of the slowdown from longer-term fingerprints such as the
subpolar North Atlantic ‘warming hole’. However, these fingerprints,
which exhibit some uncertainties, are all local indicators of AMOC
slowdown around the subpolar North Atlantic. Here we show observational
and modelling evidence of a remote indicator of AMOC slowdown outside
the North Atlantic. Under global warming, the weakening AMOC reduces the
salinity divergence and then leads to a ‘salinity pile-up’ remotely in
the South Atlantic. This evidence is consistent with the AMOC slowdown
under anthropogenic warming and, furthermore, suggests that this
weakening has likely occurred all the way into the South Atlantic.
https://www.nature.com/articles/s41558-020-0897-7
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Florida Current Salinity and Salinity Transport: Mean and Decadal Changes
09 October 2017
Key Points
Regular sampling of the Florida Current since 1982 resolves spatial
patterns of salinity and velocity and decadal changes thereof
North Atlantic water contributes as much or more volume transport and salinity anomaly transport as South Atlantic water
All subsurface waters salinified between 1982–1987 and 2001–2015 and caused a 3% net increase in salinity anomaly transport
https://agupubs.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/2017GL074538
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A stable Atlantic Meridional Overturning Circulation in a changing North Atlantic Ocean since the 1990s
27 Nov 2020
Abstract
The
Atlantic Meridional Overturning Circulation (AMOC) is crucially
important to global climate. Model simulations suggest that the AMOC may
have been weakening over decades. However, existing array-based AMOC
observations are not long enough to capture multidecadal changes. Here,
we use repeated hydrographic sections in the subtropical and subpolar
North Atlantic, combined with an inverse model constrained using
satellite altimetry, to jointly analyze AMOC and hydrographic changes
over the past three decades. We show that the AMOC state in the past
decade is not distinctly different from that in the 1990s in the North
Atlantic, with a remarkably stable partition of the subpolar overturning
occurring prominently in the eastern basins rather than in the Labrador
Sea. In contrast, profound hydrographic and oxygen changes,
particularly in the subpolar North Atlantic, are observed over the same
period, suggesting a much higher decoupling between the AMOC and ocean
interior property fields than previously thought.
https://www.science.org/doi/10.1126/sciadv.abc7836
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Likely weakening of the Florida Current during the past century revealed by sea-level observations
07 August 2020
The Florida Current marks the beginning of the Gulf Stream at Florida
Straits, and plays an important role in climate. Nearly continuous
measurements of Florida Current transport are available at 27°N since
1982. These data are too short for assessing possible multidecadal or
centennial trends. Here I reconstruct Florida Current transport during
1909–2018 using probabilistic methods and principles of ocean physics
applied to the available transport data and longer coastal sea-level
records. Florida Current transport likely declined steadily during the
past century. Transport since 1982 has likely been weaker on average
than during 1909–1981. The weakest decadal-mean transport in the last
110 y likely took place in the past two decades. Results corroborate
hypotheses that the deep branch of the overturning circulation declined
over the recent past, and support relationships observed in climate
models between the overturning and surface western boundary current
transports at multidecadal and longer timescales.
https://www.nature.com/articles/s41467-020-17761-w
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The evolution of the North Atlantic Meridional Overturning Circulation since 1980
01 March 2022
Abstract
The
Atlantic Meridional Overturning Circulation (AMOC) is a key component
of the climate through its transport of heat in the North Atlantic
Ocean. Decadal changes in the AMOC, whether through internal variability
or anthropogenically forced weakening, therefore have wide-ranging
impacts. In this Review, we synthesize the understanding of contemporary
decadal variability in the AMOC, bringing together evidence from
observations, ocean reanalyses, forced models and AMOC proxies. Since
1980, there is evidence for periods of strengthening and weakening,
although the magnitudes of change (5–25%) are uncertain. In the subpolar
North Atlantic, the AMOC strengthened until the mid-1990s and then
weakened until the early 2010s, with some evidence of a strengthening
thereafter; these changes are probably linked to buoyancy forcing
related to the North Atlantic Oscillation. In the subtropics, there is
some evidence of the AMOC strengthening from 2001 to 2005 and strong
evidence of a weakening from 2005 to 2014. Such large interannual and
decadal variability complicates the detection of ongoing long-term
trends, but does not preclude a weakening associated with anthropogenic
warming. Research priorities include developing robust and sustainable
solutions for the long-term monitoring of the AMOC,
observation–modelling collaborations to improve the representation of
processes in the North Atlantic and better ways to distinguish
anthropogenic weakening from internal variability.
https://www.nature.com/articles/s43017-022-00263-2
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A Vital Ocean Current Is Apparently FUBAR
Feb 13, 2024
You may not have heard of the Atlantic Meridional Overturning Circulation, but it's about to become very relevant to your life.
https://www.esquire.com/news-politics/politics/a46758234/ocean-current-collapse-climate-change/
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Atlantic meridional overturning circulation increases flood risk along the United States southeast coast
22 August 2023
https://www.nature.com/articles/s41467-023-40848-z
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Study will examine whether a slowing Gulf Stream could bring more Florida flooding
2023
A potential consequence of a weakening Florida Current could be higher sea levels and more sunny-day flooding.
https://www.tampabay.com/news/environment/2023/08/10/florida-current-climate-change-gulf-stream-ocean-flooding/
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Scientists identify asymmetry in the pressure anomalies of the mid–high latitudes of the Southern Hemisphere
March 31, 2022
In
the Southern Hemisphere, a zonally oriented high pressure belt extends
around the globe in the subtropics and middle latitudes, while lower
pressure covers the high latitudes. The pressure in these two regions
fluctuates. The Southern Annular Mode (SAM) reflects such fluctuation,
which shows a "seesaw" phenomenon of pressure variation in the mid–high
latitudes of the Southern Hemisphere. It is called an "annular mode"
because of the belt-shaped pressure anomaly in the middle latitudes, and
its structure is zonally symmetric. However, some studies have shown
some SAM events to be characterized by zonal asymmetries, the structure
of which has been revealed in a recent study published in Atmospheric
and Oceanic Science Letters.
https://phys.org/news/2022-03-scientists-asymmetry-pressure-anomalies-midhigh.html
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Trends and variability in the Southern Annular Mode over the Common Era
22 April 2023
Abstract
The Southern Annular Mode (SAM) is the leading mode of atmospheric
variability in the extratropical Southern Hemisphere and has wide
ranging effects on ecosystems and societies. Despite the SAM’s
importance, paleoclimate reconstructions disagree on its variability and
trends over the Common Era, which may be linked to variability in SAM
teleconnections and the influence of specific proxies. Here, we use data
assimilation with a multi-model prior to reconstruct the SAM over the
last 2000 years using temperature and drought-sensitive climate proxies.
Our method does not assume a stationary relationship between the SAM
and the proxy records and allows us to identify critical paleoclimate
records and quantify reconstruction uncertainty through time. We find no
evidence for a forced response in SAM variability prior to the 20th
century. We do find the modern positive trend falls outside the 2σ
range of the prior 2000 years at multidecadal time scales, supporting
the inference that the SAM’s positive trend over the last several
decades is a response to anthropogenic climate change.
https://www.nature.com/articles/s41467-023-37643-1
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Sea surface temperature anomaly timeline: 1982-2017
Mar 6, 2019
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OMXqsJ-aojc
______________
Global changes in oceanic mesoscale currents over the satellite altimetry record
22 April 2021
Abstract
Oceanic mesoscale eddies play a profound role in mixing tracers such as
heat, carbon and nutrients, thereby regulating regional and global
climate. Yet, it remains unclear how the eddy field has varied over the
past few decades. Furthermore, climate model predictions generally do
not resolve mesoscale eddies, which could limit their accuracy in
simulating future climate change. Here we show a global statistically
significant increase of ocean eddy activity using two independent
observational datasets of surface mesoscale eddy variability (one
estimates surface currents, and the other is derived from sea surface
temperature). Maps of mesoscale variability trends show heterogeneous
patterns, with eddy-rich regions showing a significant increase in
mesoscale variability of 2–5% per decade, while the tropical oceans show
a decrease in mesoscale variability. This readjustment of the surface
mesoscale ocean circulation has important implications for the exchange
of heat and carbon between the ocean and atmosphere.
https://www.nature.com/articles/s41558-021-01006-9
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Weaker Gulf Stream in the Florida Straits during the Last Glacial Maximum
09 December 1999
Abstract
As
it passes through the Florida Straits, the Gulf Stream consists of two
main components: the western boundary flow of the wind-driven
subtropical gyre and the northward-flowing surface and intermediate
waters which are part of the ‘global conveyor belt’, compensating for
the deep water that is exported from the North Atlantic Ocean1. The mean
flow through the Straits is largely in geostrophic balance and is thus
reflected in the contrast in seawater density across the Straits. Here
we use oxygen-isotope ratios of benthic foraminifera which lived along
the ocean margins on the boundaries of the Florida Current during the
Last Glacial Maximum to determine the density structure in the water and
thereby reconstruct transport through the Straits using the geostrophic
method—a technique which has been used successfully for estimating
present-day flow. Our data suggest that during the Last Glacial
Maximum, the density contrast across the Florida Straits was reduced,
with the geostrophic flow, referenced to the bottom of the channel, at
only about two-thirds of the modern value. If the wind-driven western
boundary flow was not lower during the Last Glacial Maximum than today,
these results indicate a significantly weaker conveyor-belt component of
the Gulf Stream compared to present-day values. Whereas previous
studies based on tracers suggested that deep waters of North Atlantic
origin were not widespread during glacial times, indicating either a
relatively weak or a shallow overturning cell, our results provide
evidence that the overturning cell was indeed weaker during glacial
times.
https://www.nature.com/articles/45204
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Abrupt
Changes in Atmospheric Circulation During the Medieval Climate Anomaly
and Little Ice Age Recorded by Sr-Nd Isotopes in the Siple Dome Ice
Core, Antarctica
21 March 2023
Abstract
The Southern Hemisphere westerly winds (SWW) play a critical role in
global climate, yet their behavior on decadal to centennial timescales,
and the mechanisms driving these changes during the preindustrial era,
remain poorly understood. We present a decadally resolved record of dust
compositions using strontium and neodymium isotope ratios in mineral
dust from the Siple Dome ice core, Antarctica, to explore the potential
that abrupt changes in SWW behavior occurred over the past millennium.
The record spans portions of the Medieval Climate Anomaly (MCA) and the
Little Ice Age (LIA) intervals as defined in the Northern Hemisphere. We
find evidence of an abrupt strengthening of atmospheric circulation
during the MCA at ∼1125 CE (825 BP) that persisted for about 60 yr,
indicating increased influence of Patagonia-sourced dust. This occurs
during an extended positive phase of Southern Annular Mode (SAM+)-like
conditions, characterized by high SWW velocities and a southerly shift
of the main wind belt toward ∼60°S, suggesting that rapid changes in SWW
strength could occur under the present SAM+ pattern. A second 20 yr
long shift in dust compositions during the LIA at ∼1748 CE (200 BP) is
coincident with higher dust delivery to Siple Dome, and may indicate
increased dust emissions related to glacier activity in Patagonia. The
new Siple Dome ice core data set demonstrates that Sr-Nd isotopes can be
used to trace shifts in atmospheric circulation on decadal timescales.
https://agupubs.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1029/2022PA004543
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Mississippi mud reveals secrets of Antarctica’s ancient expansion
Study of microscopic fossils taken from Mississippi sediment cores reveals climate feedback that acted as temporary brake on an ancient cooling event
21 August 2023
https://www.birmingham.ac.uk/news/2023/mississippi-mud-reveals-secrets-of-antarcticas-ancient-expansion
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Impact
of changes in sea surface temperature due to climate change on
hurricane wind and storm surge hazards across US Atlantic and Gulf coast
regions
09 July 2023
Abstract
Communities in US
coastal regions are threatened by hurricanes more than ever, and the
effect of climate change may further aggravate the risk and
corresponding losses in the future. This paper investigates the
potential impact of changes in sea surface temperature (SST) on
hurricane wind and storm surge hazards for the Atlantic and Gulf coast
regions. An empirical track model that uses SST as an input is used to
account for the effect of temperature variations on hurricane intensity.
The storm surge hazard is modeled using Sea, Lake, and Overland Surges
from Hurricanes (SLOSH). Four projected future climate conditions based
on the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) emission
scenarios are adopted to capture the effect of changes in SST on future
hurricane intensity. The impacts of changes in hurricane frequency and
sea-level rise are also considered. The results show that the projected
increase in the average SST will lead to more intense hurricanes by the
end of the twenty-first century. An increase in wind speed for all the
studied sites with varying degrees is observed. The most significant
increase in wind speeds is observed on the northeast Atlantic coast,
with some areas showing an increase of more than 60% for high return
period winds under the most extreme future climate scenario. This is
because a higher increase in SST is observed in such areas, which will
lead to more intense hurricanes in the future. An increasing trend is
also observed for the storm surge for all the study sites in the future.
However, the largest increase in predicted surge heights is mainly seen
in the Gulf Coast locations.
https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s42452-023-05423-7
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The weakening AMOC under extreme climate change
06 October 2023
Abstract
Changes in the Atlantic Meridional Overturning Circulation (AMOC) in the quadrupled CO2 experiments conducted under the sixth Coupled Model Intercomparison Project (CMIP6) are examined. Increased CO2
triggers extensive Arctic warming, causing widespread melting of sea
ice. The resulting freshwater spreads southward, first from the Labrador
Sea and then the Nordic Seas, and proceeds along the eastern coast of
North America. The freshwater enters the subpolar gyre north of the
separated Gulf Stream, the North Atlantic Current. This decreases the
density gradient across the current and the current weakens in response,
reducing the inflow to the deepwater production regions. The AMOC cell
weakens in tandem, first near the North Atlantic Current and then
spreading to higher and lower latitudes. This contrasts with the common
perception that freshwater caps the convection regions, stifling
deepwater production; rather, it is the inflow to the subpolar gyre that
is suppressed. Changes in surface temperature have a much weaker
effect, and there are no consistent changes in local or remote wind
forcing among the models. Thus an increase in freshwater discharge,
primarily from the Labrador Sea, is the precursor to AMOC weakening in
these simulations.
https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s00382-023-06957-7
______________
Understanding the Southern Annular Mode (SAM)
Jun 12, 2019
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KrhWsXCB3u8
______________
South Atlantic Anomaly
The
South Atlantic Anomaly (SAA) is an area where Earth's inner Van Allen
radiation belt comes closest to Earth's surface, dipping down to an
altitude of 200 kilometres (120 mi). This leads to an increased flux of
energetic particles in this region and exposes orbiting satellites
(including the ISS) to higher-than-usual levels of ionizing radiation.
The
effect is caused by the non-concentricity of Earth and its magnetic
dipole and has been observed to be increasing in intensity
recently.[quantify] The SAA is the near-Earth region where Earth's
magnetic field is weakest relative to an idealized Earth-centered dipole
field.
Definition
The area of the SAA is confined by the
intensity of Earth's magnetic field at less than 32,000 nanotesla at
sea level,[1] which corresponds to the dipolar magnetic field at
ionospheric altitudes.[2] However, the field itself varies in intensity
as a gradient.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/South_Atlantic_Anomaly
______________
Non-monotonic growth and motion of the South Atlantic Anomaly
2001
https://link.springer.com/article/10.1186/s40623-021-01356-w
______________
Geomagnetic South Atlantic Anomaly and global sea level rise: A direct connection?
2011
We highlight the existence of an intriguing and to date unreported relationship between the surface area of the South Atlantic Anomaly (SAA) of the geomagnetic field and the current trend in global sea level rise. These two geophysical variables have been growing coherently during the last three centuries, thus strongly suggesting a causal relationship supported by some statistical tests. The monotonic increase of the SAA surface area since 1600 may have been associated with an increased inflow of radiation energy through the inner Van Allen belt with a consequent warming of the Earth's atmosphere and finally global sea level rise. An alternative suggestive and original explanation is also offered, in which pressure changes at the core–mantle boundary cause surface deformations and relative sea level variations. Although we cannot establish a clear connection between SAA dynamics and global warming, the strong correlation between the former and global sea level supports the idea that global warming may be at least partly controlled by deep Earth processes triggering geomagnetic phenomena, such as the South Atlantic Anomaly, on a century time scale.
Highlights
► We compare South Atlantic Anomaly (SAA) surface and sea level in the last 300 years. ► SAA and sea level show a strong correlation supported by statistical tests. ► Increasing the SAA surface may have increased the inflow of radiation energy. ► The radiation energy may have warmed the atmosphere causing the sea level change. ► Alternatively magnetic field and sea level changes may have a common internal cause.
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S1364682611002896
______________
Slowdown of Antarctic Bottom Water export driven by climatic wind and sea-ice changes
12 June 2023
Abstract
Antarctic Bottom Water (AABW) is pivotal for oceanic heat and carbon
sequestrations on multidecadal to millennial timescales. The Weddell Sea
contributes nearly a half of global AABW through Weddell Sea Deep Water
and denser underlying Weddell Sea Bottom Water that form on the
continental shelves via sea-ice production. Here we report an observed
30% reduction of Weddell Sea Bottom Water volume since 1992, with the
largest decrease in the densest classes. This is probably driven by a
multidecadal reduction in dense-water production over southern
continental shelf associated with a >40% decline in the sea-ice
formation rate. The ice production decrease is driven by northerly wind
trend, related to a phase transition of the Interdecadal Pacific
Oscillation since the early 1990s, superposed by Amundsen Sea Low
intrinsic variability. These results reveal key influences on exported
AABW to the Atlantic abyss and their sensitivity to large-scale,
multidecadal climate variability.
https://www.nature.com/articles/s41558-023-01695-4
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Influence of glacial ice sheets on the Atlantic meridional overturning circulation through surface wind change
31 July 2017
Abstract
Coupled
modeling studies have recently shown that the existence of the glacial
ice sheets intensifies the Atlantic meridional overturning circulation
(AMOC). However, most models show a strong AMOC in their simulations of
the Last Glacial Maximum (LGM), which is biased compared to
reconstructions that indicate both a weaker and stronger AMOC during the
LGM. Therefore, a detailed investigation of the mechanism behind this
intensification of the AMOC is important for a better understanding of
the glacial climate and the LGM AMOC. Here, various numerical
simulations are conducted to focus on the effect of wind changes due to
glacial ice sheets on the AMOC and the crucial region where the wind
modifies the AMOC. First, from atmospheric general circulation model
experiments, the effect of glacial ice sheets on the surface wind is
evaluated. Second, from ocean general circulation model experiments, the
influence of the wind stress change on the AMOC is evaluated by
applying wind stress anomalies regionally or at different magnitudes as a
boundary condition. These experiments demonstrate that glacial ice
sheets intensify the AMOC through an increase in the wind stress at the
North Atlantic mid-latitudes, which is induced by the North American ice
sheet. This intensification of the AMOC is caused by the increased
oceanic horizontal and vertical transport of salt, while the change in
sea ice transport has an opposite, though minor, effect. Experiments
further show that the Eurasian ice sheet intensifies the AMOC by
directly affecting the deep-water formation in the Norwegian Sea.
https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s00382-017-3780-0
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Interbasin and interhemispheric impacts of a collapsed Atlantic Overturning Circulation
06 June 2022
Climate
projections suggest a weakening or collapse of the Atlantic Meridional
Overturning Circulation (AMOC) under global warming, with evidence that a
slowdown is already underway. This could have significant ramifications
for Atlantic Ocean heat transport, Arctic sea ice extent and regional
North Atlantic climate. However, the potential for far-reaching effects,
such as teleconnections to adjacent basins and into the Southern
Hemisphere, remains unclear. Here, using a global climate model we show
that AMOC collapse can accelerate the Pacific trade winds and Walker
circulation by leaving an excess of heat in the tropical South Atlantic.
This tropical warming drives anomalous atmospheric convection,
resulting in enhanced subsidence over the east Pacific and a
strengthened Walker circulation and trade winds. Further teleconnections
include weakening of the Indian and South Atlantic subtropical highs
and deepening of the Amundsen Sea Low. These findings have important
implications for understanding the global climate response to ongoing
greenhouse gas increases.
https://www.nature.com/articles/s41558-022-01380-y
______________
Atmospheric trends explained by changes in frequency of short-term circulation patterns
19 April 2023
https://www.nature.com/articles/s43247-023-00785-7
______________
Simulated impact of altered Southern Hemisphere winds on the Atlantic Meridional Overturning Circulation
2008
https://www.researchgate.net/publication/251427761_Simulated_impact_of_altered_Southern_Hemisphere_winds_on_the_Atlantic_Meridional_Overturning_Circulation
______________
Dynamics of Southern Hemisphere Atmospheric Circulation Response to Anthropogenic Aerosol Forcing
28 September 2020
Abstract
Anthropogenic
aerosols, concentrated largely in the Northern Hemisphere, not only
affect the local climate but also induce pronounced changes in
atmospheric circulation that extend into the Southern Hemisphere (SH).
In coupled historical single-forcing simulations, aerosol forcing
induces a deceleration of both the subpolar jet (SPJ) and the
subtropical jet (STJ) in SH in austral winter. Atmospheric general
circulation model experiments indicate that the STJ is weakened by an
interhemisphere gradient in the zonal mean sea surface temperature (SST)
and an anomalous cross-equatorial Hadley circulation, while the SPJ
response shares similar feedbacks with the greenhouse gas forcing.
Specifically, atmospheric eddy adjustments are important for the SPJ
change. The atmospheric response unique to anthropogenic aerosol forcing
(e.g., cross-equatorial Hadley cell and the weakened SH STJ) can be
exploited for climate change attribution.
Key Points
The Southern Hemisphere atmospheric circulation change is identified in response to anthropogenic aerosol forcing
The aerosol forcing weakens the subtropical jet and strengthens the
subpolar jet due to the interhemisphere asymmetric SST response
The spatially uniform cooling effect of aerosols induces a subpolar and
subtropical jet change similar to the GHG effect with sign reversed
https://agupubs.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1029/2020GL089919
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Southern Hemisphere westerly wind changes during the Last Glacial Maximum: model-data comparison
2012
Abstract
The Southern Hemisphere (SH) westerly winds are thought to be critical to global ocean circulation, productivity, and carbon storage. For example, an equatorward shift in the winds, though its affect on the Southern Ocean circulation, has been suggested as the leading cause for the reduction in atmospheric CO2 during the Last Glacial period. Despite the importance of the winds, it is currently not clear, from observations or model results, how they behave during the Last Glacial. Here, an atmospheric modelling study is performed to help determine likely changes in the SH westerly winds during the Last Glacial Maximum (LGM). Using LGM boundary conditions, the maximum in SH westerlies is strengthened by ∼+1 m s−1 and moved southward by ∼2° at the 850 hPa pressure level. Boundary layer stabilisation effects over equatorward extended LGM sea-ice can lead to a small apparent equatorward shift in the wind band at the surface. Further sensitivity analysis with individual boundary condition changes indicate that changes in sea surface temperatures are the strongest factor behind the wind change. The HadAM3 atmospheric simulations, along with published PMIP2 coupled climate model simulations, are then assessed against the newly synthesised database of moisture observations for the LGM. Although the moisture data is the most commonly cited evidence in support of a large equatorward shift in the SH winds during the LGM, none of the models that produce realistic LGM precipitation changes show such a large equatorward shift. In fact, the model which best simulates the moisture proxy data is the HadAM3 LGM simulation which shows a small poleward wind shift. While we cannot prove here that a large equatorward shift would not be able to reproduce the moisture data as well, we show that the moisture proxies do not provide an observational evidence base for it.
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0277379112005215
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Weird behavior of Earth's magnetic field over South Atlantic dates back 11 million years
July 06, 2022
Strange
behavior in Earth's magnetic field over the South Atlantic region can
be traced back as far as 11 million years ago, and it's unlikely to
cause any impending reversal of Earth's magnetic field, a new study
shows.
The South Atlantic Anomaly is a weak spot in Earth's
magnetic field, which protects the planet from high doses of solar wind
and cosmic radiation. This anomaly exists because the Earth's inner Van
Allen radiation belt comes closest to the planet’s surface, causing an
increased flux of energetic particles. In turn, this anomaly also causes
technical disturbances in satellites and spacecraft orbiting Earth.
Researchers
from the University of Liverpool in England studied igneous, or
volcanic rocks from the island Saint Helena, which lies in the South
Atlantic Anomaly. Records of Earth's magnetic field are preserved in
igneous rocks, offering a detailed view of the planet's magnetic
history.
"Our study provides the first long term analysis of the
magnetic field in this region dating back millions of years," Yael
Engbers, lead author of the study, said in a statement. "It reveals that
the anomaly in the magnetic field in the South Atlantic is not a
one-off, similar anomalies existed eight to 11 million years ago."
Researchers
studied rocks from 34 volcanic eruptions that occurred at Saint Helena
between 8 and 11 million years ago. When volcanic rocks cool down, small
grains of iron-oxide in them get magnetized, preserving the direction
and strength of the Earth’s magnetic field at that time and place.
Earth's
magnetic field lines run from south to north. The geomagnetic records
from the rocks show that the magnetic field at Saint Helena has pointed
in different directions during past eruptions. This suggests that the
magnetic field in this region has been unstable for millions of years.
Earth's
magnetic field changes in strength and direction over time. It is
believed that these fluctuations may eventually trigger a reversal of
the Earth's magnetic field. However, given that the magnetic field at
the region of the South Atlantic Anomaly has been unstable for several
million years, it is not likely associated with any such impending
reversal, according to the statement.
"It also supports earlier
studies that hint towards a link between the South Atlantic Anomaly and
anomalous seismic features in the lowermost mantle and the outer core,"
Engbers said in the statement. "This brings us closer to linking
behavior of the geomagnetic field directly to features of the Earth's
interior."
https://www.space.com/south-atlantic-anomaly-11-million-years.html
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The South Atlantic Anomaly May Go Back Far Longer Than Anybody Knew
21 July 2020
For
years, scientists have been gripped by the existence of a strange
anomaly weakening Earth's magnetic field. It's located in the midst of
the South Atlantic ocean, extending all the way from South America to
the west coast of southern Africa.
This giant, puzzling expanse
of reduced magnetic intensity – which in recent times looks to be
splitting into two divided entities – means the region offers less
protection against harmful radiation from the Sun for Earth's
satellites.
That's a problem for spacecraft today. But perhaps
the greatest significance of the 'South Atlantic Anomaly' is what it
might mean for tomorrow: specifically, whether the mysterious phenomenon
foreshadows the beginnings of a complete polar reversal of Earth's
magnetic field.
Such giant magnetic flips have occurred many
times in our planet's history, and some scientists have speculated that
the South Atlantic Anomaly could be a kind of precursor to these rare
global transitions.
Not so, according to a new study from
researchers at the University of Liverpool in the UK. The alternative
explanation they have is, in some ways, even stranger: the South
Atlantic Anomaly is not so much a freak irregularity of recent history,
but a recurrent magnetic phenomenon that has affected Earth since as far
back as 11 million years ago.
"Our study provides the first
long-term analysis of the magnetic field in this region dating back
millions of years," says first author and palaeomagnetism researcher
Yael Engbers.
"It reveals that the anomaly in the magnetic field
in the South Atlantic is not a one-off, similar anomalies existed eight
to 11 million years ago."
https://www.sciencealert.com/the-mysterious-magnetic-anomaly-in-the-south-atlantic-existed-millions-of-years-ago
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Mantle convection linked to seaway closure that transformed Earth's oceanographic circulation patterns
March 4, 2024
https://phys.org/news/2024-03-mantle-convection-linked-seaway-closure.html
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The relationship between sea surface temperature anomaly and wind energy input in the Pacific Ocean
2009
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S100200710900166X
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Enhanced warming over the global subtropical western boundary currents
29 January 2012
https://www.nature.com/articles/nclimate1353
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Changes in US wind speeds since 2000 point to a dynamic landscape
13 Sep, 2022
https://www.spglobal.com/marketintelligence/en/news-insights/research/changes-in-us-wind-speeds-since-2000-point-to-a-dynamic-landscape
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Fast upper-level jet stream winds get faster under climate change
30 November 2023
Abstract
Earth’s
upper-level jet streams influence the speed and direction of travel of
weather systems and commercial aircraft, and are linked to severe
weather occurrence. Climate change is projected to accelerate the
average upper-level jet stream winds. However, little is known about how
fast (>99th percentile) upper-level jet stream winds will change.
Here we show that fast upper-level jet stream winds get faster under
climate change using daily data from climate model projections across a
hierarchy of physical complexity. Fast winds also increase ~2.5 times
more than the average wind response. We show that the multiplicative
increase underlying the fast-get-faster response follows from the
nonlinear Clausius–Clapeyron relation (moist-get-moister response). The
signal is projected to emerge in both hemispheres by 2050 when
considering scenario uncertainty. The results can be used to explain
projected changes in commercial flight times, record-breaking winds,
clear-air turbulence and a potential increase in severe weather
occurrence under climate change.
https://www.nature.com/articles/s41558-023-01884-1
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A Florida climate scientist says hurricanes are intensifying and becoming more frequent
October 19, 2022
https://www.wusf.org/environment/2022-10-19/florida-climate-scientist-hurricanes-intensifying-becoming-more-frequent
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2023 Atlantic hurricane season ranks 4th for most-named storms in a year
November 28, 2023
NOAA advances modeling and observation capabilities during the season
The
above-normal 2023 Atlantic hurricane season, which officially ends on
Nov. 30, was characterized by record-warm Atlantic sea surface
temperatures and a strong El Nino.
The Atlantic basin saw 20
named storms in 2023, which ranks fourth for the most-named storms in a
year since 1950. Seven storms were hurricanes and three intensified to
major hurricanes. An average season has 14 named storms, seven
hurricanes and three major hurricanes.
NOAA's GOES-16 satellite captured Hurricane Idalia approaching the western coast of Florida while Hurricane Franklin churned in the Atlantic Ocean at 5:01 p.m. EDT on August 29, 2023.
https://www.noaa.gov/news-release/2023-atlantic-hurricane-season-ranks-4th-for-most-named-storms-in-year
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Hurricanes are becoming so strong a new category may be needed, study says
Feb 9, 2024
https://www.weforum.org/agenda/2024/02/hurricanes-becoming-strong-new-category-6-needed/
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As Florida sees stronger hurricanes, some say we should brace for a Category 6
February 6, 2024
https://www.wusf.org/weather/2024-02-06/florida-stronger-hurricanes-climate-scientists-category-6
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Scientists explore whether to add a "Category 6" designation for hurricanes
February 6, 2024
https://www.npr.org/2024/02/06/1229440080/scientists-explore-whether-to-add-a-category-6-designation-for-hurricanes
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Satellite Observations of Imprint of Oceanic Current on Wind Stress by Air-Sea Coupling
18 December 2017
Abstract
Mesoscale eddies are present everywhere in the ocean and partly
determine the mean state of the circulation and ecosystem. The current
feedback on the surface wind stress modulates the air-sea transfer of
momentum by providing a sink of mesoscale eddy energy as an atmospheric
source. Using nine years of satellite measurements of surface stress and
geostrophic currents over the global ocean, we confirm that the
current-induced surface stress curl is linearly related to the current
vorticity. The resulting coupling coefficient between current and
surface stress (sτ [N s m−3]) is heterogeneous and can be roughly expressed as a linear function of the mean surface wind. sτ
expresses the sink of eddy energy induced by the current feedback. This
has important implications for air-sea interaction and implies that
oceanic mean and mesoscale circulations and their effects on
surface-layer ventilation and carbon uptake are better represented in
oceanic models that include this feedback.
https://www.nature.com/articles/s41598-017-17939-1
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Mysterious South Atlantic Anomaly is “Deepening,” Recent Government Report Says
March 24, 2023
An
anomalous magnetic region in the South Atlantic Ocean is growing,
according to data that appeared in a government report published earlier
this year.
The South Atlantic Anomaly is a location in the
southern Atlantic where the innermost portions of the natural zone of
energetic charged particles encircling Earth, known as the Van Allen
radiation belt, makes its closest approach to the planet. The resulting
outflow of energized particles produces a higher yield of ionizing
radiation detectable by satellites orbiting Earth.
https://thedebrief.org/mysterious-south-atlantic-anomaly-is-deepening-recent-government-report-says/
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A shift in the ocean circulation has warmed the subpolar North Atlantic Ocean since 2016
26 February 2021
Abstract
The
Subpolar North Atlantic is known for rapid reversals of decadal
temperature trends, with ramifications encompassing the large-scale
meridional overturning and gyre circulations, Arctic heat and mass
balances, or extreme continental weather. Here, we combine datasets
derived from sustained ocean observing systems (satellite and in situ),
idealized observation-based modelling (advection-diffusion of a passive
tracer), and a machine learning technique (ocean profile clustering) to
document and explain the most-recent and ongoing cooling-to-warming
transition of the Subpolar North Atlantic. Following a gradual cooling
of the region that was persisting since 2006, a surface-intensified and
large-scale warming sharply emerged in 2016 following an ocean
circulation shift that enhanced the northeastward penetration of warm
and saline waters from the western subtropics. The long ocean memory of
the Subpolar North Atlantic implies that this advection-driven warming
is likely to persist in the near-future with possible implications for
the Atlantic multidecadal variability and its global impacts.
https://www.nature.com/articles/s43247-021-00120-y
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Ocean warming and accelerating Southern Ocean zonal flow
29 November 2021
Abstract
The
Southern Ocean (>30° S) has taken up a large amount of anthropogenic
heat north of the Subantarctic Front (SAF) of the Antarctic Circumpolar
Current (ACC). Poor sampling before the 1990s and decadal variability
have heretofore masked the ocean’s dynamic response to this warming.
Here we use the lengthening satellite altimetry and Argo float records
to show robust acceleration of zonally averaged Southern Ocean zonal
flow at 48° S–58° S. This acceleration is reproduced in a hierarchy of
climate models, including an ocean-eddy-resolving model. Anthropogenic
ocean warming is the dominant driver, as large (small) heat gain in the
downwelling (upwelling) regime north (south) of the SAF causes zonal
acceleration on the northern flank of the ACC and adjacent subtropics
due to increased baroclinicity; strengthened wind stress is of secondary
importance. In Drake Passage, little warming occurs and the SAF
velocity remains largely unchanged. Continued ocean warming could
further accelerate Southern Ocean zonal flow.
https://www.nature.com/articles/s41558-021-01212-5
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Changing El Niño–Southern Oscillation in a warming climate
17 August 2021
https://www.nature.com/articles/s43017-021-00199-z
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Understanding wind and water at the equator are key to more accurate future climate projections: Study
March 6, 2024
https://phys.org/news/2024-03-equator-key-accurate-future-climate.html
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How Does El Niño–Southern Oscillation Change Under Global Warming—A First Look at CMIP6
22 October 2020
https://agupubs.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1029/2020GL090640
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Record warm ocean temperatures threaten Florida’s coral reef
El Niño, climate change fueling ocean heat
July 12, 2023
https://www.clickorlando.com/weather/2023/07/12/record-warm-ocean-temperatures-threatening-floridas-coral-reef/
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El Niño–Southern Oscillation complexity
25 July 2018
https://www.nature.com/articles/s41586-018-0252-6
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El Niño
Pacific Wind and Current Changes Bring Warm, Wild Weather
February 14, 2017
https://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/features/ElNino
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Unusual nighttime impulsive foF2 enhancement below the southern anomaly crest under geomagnetically quiet conditions
2011
Abstract
An
unusual nighttime impulsive electron density enhancement was observed
on 6 March 2010 over a wide region of South America, below the southern
crest of the equatorial anomaly, under low solar activity and quiet
geomagnetic conditions. The phenomenon was observed almost
simultaneously by the F2 layer critical frequency (foF2) recorded at
three ionospheric stations which are widely distributed in space, namely
Cachoeira Paulista (22.4°S, 44.6°W, magnetic latitude 13.4°S), São José
dos Campos (23.2°S, 45.9°W, magnetic latitude 14.1°S), Brazil, and
Tucumán (26.9°S, 65.4°W, magnetic latitude 16.8°S), Argentina. Although
in a more restricted region over Tucumán, the phenomenon was also
observed by the total electron content (TEC) maps computed by using
measurements from 12 GPS receivers. The investigated phenomenon is very
particular because besides being of brief duration, it is characterized
by a pronounced compression of the ionosphere. This compression was
clearly visible both by the virtual height of the base of the F region
(h′F) recorded at the aforementioned ionospheric stations, and by both
the vertical electron density profiles and the slab thickness computed
over Tucumán. Consequently, neither an enhanced fountain effect nor
plasma diffusion from the plasmasphere can be considered as the single
cause of this unusual event. A thorough analysis of isoheight and
isofrequency ionosonde plots suggest that traveling ionospheric
disturbances (TIDs) caused by gravity wave (GW) propagation could have
likely played a significant role in causing the phenomenon.
Key Points
Unusual nighttime impulsive foF2 enhancement at the southern anomaly crest
Evidence that MSTIDs can propagate equatorward of the equatorial anomalies
Better understanding of the day-to-day variability of the equatorial ionosphere
https://agupubs.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1029/2011JA016593
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Effects of Electric Field and Neutral Wind on the Asymmetry of Equatorial Ionization Anomaly
17 April 2018
Abstract
The
zonal electric field and the meridional neutral wind are the principal
drivers that define the geometry and characteristics of the equatorial
ionization anomaly (EIA). Here we present the response of the EIA to the
variability of the zonal electric field based on measurements of the
equatorial electrojet (EEJ) currents and trans-equatorial neutral winds
for the generation and control of the asymmetries of the EIA crests of
total electron content (TEC) in the western side of the South American
continent. The EEJ strengths are determined using a pair of
magnetometers. The 24-hr trans-equatorial neutral wind profile is
measured using the Second-Generation, Optimized, Fabry-Perot Doppler
Imager (SOFDI) located near the geomagnetic equator. The EIA is
evaluated using TEC data measured by Global Positioning System (GPS)
receivers from the Low-Latitude Ionospheric Sensor Network and several
other networks in South America. A physics-based numerical model,
Low-Latitude Ionospheric Sector, and SOFDI data are used to study the
effects of daytime meridional neutral winds on the consequent evolution
of an asymmetry in equatorial TEC anomalies during the afternoon and
onward for the first time. We find that the configuration parameters
such as strength, shape, amplitude, and latitudinal width of the EIAs
are affected by the eastward electric field associated with the EEJ
under undisturbed conditions. The asymmetries of EIA crests are observed
more frequently during solstices and the September equinox than in the
March equinox season. Importantly, this study indicates that the
meridional neutral wind plays a very significant role in the development
of the EIA asymmetry by transporting the plasma up the field lines.
This result suggests that a precise observation of the latitudinal TEC
profile at low latitudes can be used to derive the meridional wind.
https://agupubs.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1029/2017RS006428
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Cross-equatorial winds control El Niño diversity and change
06 August 2018
Abstract
Over the past two decades, El Niño events have weakened on average and
their sea surface temperature (SST) anomalies shifted westward towards
the central Pacific. Moreover, the intertropical convergence zone
(ITCZ), which typically migrates southward from its northerly position
during El Niño events, has not crossed the Equator since 1998. The
causes of these changes remain under debate.
Here, using in situ, satellite and atmospheric reanalysis data, we show
they can be related to a multidecadal strengthening of cross-equatorial
winds in the eastern Pacific. This gradual strengthening of meridional
winds is unlikely to be caused by El Niño/Southern Oscillation (ENSO)
changes, and contains signals forced both locally and from outside the
tropical Pacific, probably from the tropical North Atlantic. Coupled
model simulations in which the observed cross-equatorial wind
strengthening is superimposed successfully reproduce the key features of
the recent changes in tropical climate. In particular, the tropical
mean state experiences a ‘La Niña-like’ change, the ENSO amplitude
weakens by about 20%, the centre of the SST anomalies shifts westward
and the ITCZ now rarely crosses the Equator. Thus, cross-equatorial
winds are found to modulate tropical Pacific mean state and variability,
with implications for quantifying projected changes in ENSO under
anthropogenic warming.
https://www.nature.com/articles/s41558-018-0248-0
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Southward flow on the western flank of the Florida Current
2017
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0967063715301825
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Strengthening
Southern Hemisphere Westerlies and Amundsen Sea Low Deepening Over the
20th Century Revealed by Proxy-Data Assimilation
29 November 2021
Abstract
Winds
and pressure over the Southern Ocean are critical to many aspects of
the climate system, but the brevity of climate data in this region makes
it challenging to interpret recent changes. Here, we reconstruct 20th
century sea level pressure and zonal surface wind anomalies over the
Southern Ocean, using data assimilation with a global paleoclimate proxy
database and four climate-model priors. The reconstructions agree well
with instrumental reanalysis products, especially in the circumpolar
westerly and Pacific regions. We observe significant strengthening in
the midlatitude Pacific westerlies, associated with a deepening Amundsen
Sea Low, throughout the 20th century in all four reconstructions. When
the prior includes anthropogenic forcing, we observe poleward-shifting
circumpolar westerlies throughout the 20th century. Our results
highlight the combined roles of natural variability and anthropogenic
forcing, and the zonally asymmetric character of atmospheric circulation
changes at high southern latitudes, with implications for Antarctic ice
sheet change.
https://agupubs.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1029/2021GL095999
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Imprint of Southern Ocean eddies on winds, clouds and rainfall
07 July 2013
https://www.nature.com/articles/ngeo1863
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Study reveals origin of 'motion of the ocean' in the straits of Florida
June 17, 2021
https://phys.org/news/2021-06-reveals-motion-ocean-straits-florida.html
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Florida Current
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Florida_Current
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Stratospheric ozone depletion and tropospheric ozone increases drive Southern Ocean interior warming
31 March 2022
https://www.nature.com/articles/s41558-022-01320-w
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The 2002 ocean color anomaly in the Florida Bight: A cause of local coral reef decline?
https://www.researchgate.net/publication/228888378_The_2002_ocean_color_anomaly_in_the_Florida_Bight_A_cause_of_local_coral_reef_decline
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With Florida ocean temperatures topping 100, experts warn of damage to marine life
July 26, 2023
https://www.npr.org/2023/07/26/1190218132/florida-ocean-temperatures-101-marine-life-damage
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The Ocean Has a Fever
August 21, 2023
In
March and April 2023, some earth scientists began to point out that
average sea surface temperatures had surpassed the highest levels seen
in a key data record maintained by NOAA. Months later, they remain at
record levels, with global sea surface temperatures 0.99°C (1.78°F)
above average in July. That was the fourth consecutive month they were
at record levels.
Scientists from NASA have taken a closer look
at why. “There are a lot of things that affect the world’s sea surface
temperatures, but two main factors have pushed them to record heights,”
said Josh Willis, an oceanographer at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory
(JPL). “We have an El Niño developing in the Pacific, and that’s on top
of long-term global warming that has been pushing ocean temperatures
steadily upward almost everywhere for a century.”
The map above
shows sea surface temperature anomalies on August 21, 2023, when many
areas were more than 3°C (5.4°F) warmer than normal. On that date, much
of the central and eastern regions of the equatorial Pacific were
unusually warm, the signature of a developing El Niño. As has been the
case for weeks, large patches of warm water were also present in the
Northwest Pacific near Japan and the Northeast Pacific near California
and Oregon. Portions of the Indian, Southern, and Arctic Oceans also
showed unusual warmth.
The map is based on data from the
Multiscale Ultrahigh Resolution Sea Surface Temperature (MUR SST)
project, a JPL effort that blends measurements of sea surface
temperatures from multiple NASA, NOAA, and international satellites, as
well as ship and buoy observations. Rather than showing absolute
temperature, the anomaly reflects the difference between the sea surface
temperature on August 21, 2023, and the 2003-2014 average for that day.
The video below, also based on MUR SST data, shows global sea surface
temperatures since April 1, 2023, the period when they have been at
record-breaking levels. The warmest waters appear dark red.
“Over
the long term, we’re seeing more heat and warmer sea surface
temperatures pretty much everywhere,” said Gavin Schmidt, the director
of NASA’s Goddard Institute for Space Studies. “That long-term trend is
almost entirely attributable to human forcing—the fact that we've put
such a huge amount of greenhouse gas in the atmosphere since the start
of the industrial era.”
Schmidt noted that other factors—such as
weather and wind patterns or the distribution of dust and aerosols—have
short-term effects on sea surface temperatures in certain regions, but
they generally have a minor effect on the longer-term global mean.
Previous research shows that as much as 90 percent of the excess heat
that has occurred in recent decades due to increasing greenhouse gas
emissions is absorbed by the ocean, with much of that heat stored near
the surface.
The most important factor that helped push sea
surface temperatures into record territory in 2023 was the evolving El
Niño in the Pacific, according to Willis. He came to that conclusion by
analyzing the timing and intensity of sea surface temperature anomalies
in several regions and comparing them to the global trend.
https://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/images/151743/the-ocean-has-a-fever
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Section 6: The Bermuda Triangle
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Experts Claim They Might Have 'Solved' The Bermuda Triangle Mystery
21 October 2016
A
story has gone viral this morning claiming that experts have finally
'solved' the Bermuda Triangle mystery, with the discovery of strange,
hexagonal-shaped clouds covering the region.
According to a new
Science Channel documentary on the issue, these hexagonal clouds are
creating winds of 106 kilometres per hour (65 mph) that act as "air
bombs" to sink ships and bring down planes.
https://www.sciencealert.com/experts-claim-they-might-have-have-solved-the-bermuda-triangle-mystery
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Stunning Photos: Saturn's Weird Hexagon Vortex Storms
December 4, 2013
This collage of images taken by NASA's Cassini spacecraft on Dec. 2,
2016 shows Saturn's northern hemisphere and rings as viewed with four
different spectral filters.
https://www.space.com/18674-saturn-vortex-hexagon-storm-photos.html
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Bizarre Giant Hexagon on Saturn May Finally Be Explained
September 22, 2015
The huge, mysterious hexagon at Saturn's north pole may finally have an explanation.
The bizarre hexagonal cloud pattern was first discovered in 1988 by scientists reviewing data from NASA's Voyager flybys of Saturn in 1980 and 1981, but its existence was not confirmed until NASA's Cassini spacecraft observed the ringed planet up-close years later.
Nothing like the hexagon has ever been seen on any other world. The structure, which contains a churning storm at its center, is about 20,000 miles (32,000 kilometers) wide, and thermal images show that it reaches roughly 60 miles (100 km) down into Saturn's atmosphere...
The scientists ran computer simulations of an eastward jet flowing in a curving path near Saturn's north pole. Small perturbations in the jet — the kind one might expect from jostling with other air currents — made it meander into a hexagonal shape. Moreover, this simulated hexagon spun around its center at speeds close to that of the real one.
The scenario that best fits Saturn's hexagon involves shallow jets at the cloud level, study team members said. Winds below the cloud level apparently help keep the shape of the hexagon sharp and control the rate at which the hexagon drifts.
Different models, such as ones that involve deeper winds or do not take winds lower down into account, do not match Saturn's hexagon well. For instance, they might result in a six-pointed star, or shapes with more or less than six points, or six pairs of storms arranged in a hexagonal pattern.
Morales-Juberías would now like to compare this new research with models from other research teams to see how these findings hold up. He and his colleagues detailed their findings in June in the journal Astrophysical Journal Letters.
https://www.space.com/30608-mysterious-saturn-hexagon-explained.html
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Saturn’s Newfound Aurora Comes From Speedy Winds High In The Atmosphere
Mar 2, 2022
https://www.forbes.com/sites/elizabethhowell1/2022/03/02/saturns-newfound-aurora-comes-from-speedy-winds-high-in-the-atmosphere/?sh=411e8dcf5e80
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Scientists discover the hidden force behind Saturn’s Aurora Borealis
Feb 09, 2022
https://interestingengineering.com/saturn-aurora-borealis
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Jupiter's Pentagon Turns Hexagon
Dec. 12, 2019
In this annotated infrared image, six cyclones form a hexagonal pattern around a central cyclone at Jupiter's south pole. The image was generated from data collected on Nov. 4, 2019, by the Jovian Infrared Auroral Mapper (JIRAM) instrument aboard NASA's Juno mission during its 23rd science pass of the planet. The JIRAM instrument measures heat radiated from the planet at an infrared wavelength of around 5 microns.
https://www.jpl.nasa.gov/images/pia23559-jupiters-pentagon-turns-hexagon
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Solving the Strange Storms on Jupiter
September 23, 2020
https://www.caltech.edu/about/news/solving-strange-storms-jupiter
At the south pole of Jupiter lurks a striking sight—even for a gas giant planet covered in colorful bands that sports a red spot larger than the earth. Down near the south pole of the planet, mostly hidden from the prying eyes of humans, is a collection of swirling storms arranged in an unusually geometric pattern.
Since they were first spotted by NASA's Juno space probe in 2019, the storms have presented something of a mystery to scientists. The storms are analogous to hurricanes on Earth. However, on our planet, hurricanes do not gather themselves at the poles and twirl around each other in the shape of a pentagon or hexagon, as do Jupiter's curious storms.
Now, a research team working in the lab of Andy Ingersoll, Caltech professor of planetary science, has discovered why Jupiter's storms behave so strangely. They did so using math derived from a proof written by Lord Kelvin, a British mathematical physicist and engineer, nearly 150 years ago.
Ingersoll, who was a member of the Juno team, says Jupiter's storms are remarkably similar to the ones that lash the East Coast of the United States every summer and fall, just on a much larger scale.
"If you went below the cloud tops, you would probably find liquid water rain drops, hail, and snow," he says. "The winds would be hurricane-force winds. Hurricanes on Earth are a good analog of the individual vortices within these arrangements we see on Jupiter, but there is nothing so stunningly beautiful here."
As on Earth, Jupiter's storms tend to form closer to the equator and then drift toward the poles. However, Earth's hurricanes and typhoons dissipate before they venture too far from the equator. Jupiter's just keep going until they reach the poles.
"The difference is that on the earth hurricanes run out of warm water and they run into continents," Ingersoll says. Jupiter has no land, "so there's much less friction because there's nothing to rub against. There's just more gas under the clouds. Jupiter also has heat left over from its formation that is comparable to the heat it gets from the sun, so the temperature difference between its equator and its poles is not as great as it is on Earth."
However, Ingersoll says, this explanation still does not account for the behavior of the storms once they reach Jupiter's south pole, which is unusual even compared to other gas giants. Saturn, which is also a gas giant, has one enormous storm at each of its poles, rather than a geometrically arranged collection of storms.
The answer to the mystery of why Jupiter has these geometric formations and other planets do not, Ingersoll and his colleagues discovered, could be found in the past, specifically in work conducted in 1878 by Alfred Mayer, an American physicist, and Lord Kelvin. Mayer had placed floating circular magnets in a pool of water and observed that they would spontaneously arrange themselves into geometric configurations, similar to those seen on Jupiter, with shapes that depended on the number of magnets. Kelvin used Mayer's observations to develop a mathematical model to explain the magnets' behavior.
"Back in the 19th century, people were thinking about how spinning pieces of fluid would arrange themselves into polygons," Ingersoll says. "Although there were lots of laboratory studies of these fluid polygons, no one had thought of applying that to a planetary surface."
"We wanted to explore the combination of parameters that makes these cyclones stable," says Cheng Li (Phd '17), lead author and 51 Pegasi b postdoctoral fellow at UC Berkeley. "There are established theories that predict that cyclones tend to merge at the pole due to the rotation of the planet and that's what we found in the initial trial runs."
Eventually, however, the team found that a Jupiter-like stable geometric arrangement of storms would form if the storms were each surrounded by a ring of winds that turned in the opposite direction from the spinning storms, or a so-called anticyclonic ring. The presence of anticyclonic rings causes the storms to repel each other, rather than merge.
Ingersoll says the research could help scientists better understand how weather on Earth behaves.
"Other planets provide a much wider range of behaviors than what you see on Earth," he says, "so you study the weather on other planets in order to stress-test your theories."
The paper, titled, "Modeling the Stability of Polygonal Patterns of Vortices at the Poles of Jupiter as Revealed by the Juno Spacecraft," appears in the September 8 Issue of the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. Co-authors are Cheng Li of UC Berkeley, and Harriet Brettle (MS '19) and undergraduate student Alexandra Klipfel, both of Caltech.
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Jupiter's powerful auroras form during a 'tug of war' between the planet and nearby moon volcanoes
Feb 5, 2022
https://www.businessinsider.com/space-lava-from-moon-volcanoes-creates-jupiters-powerful-aurora-lights-2022-2?op=1
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Jupiter's moons light up aurora borealis
Sep 17, 2009
https://www.discovermagazine.com/the-sciences/jupiters-moons-light-up-aurora-borealis
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URANUS HEXAGONS & RINGS
2015
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y9viH00eaPU
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Scientists create most detailed map of Uranus' mysterious auroras to date
October 19, 2021
https://www.space.com/uranus-observation-infrared-aurora-map
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Surprises in Venus’ south pole vortex
March 24, 2013
The planet next door, Venus, has two vortices (whirlwinds) above its south pole, and two more above its north pole. Astronomers in the Planetary Science Group of the University of the Basque Country (UPV/EHU) have been closely monitoring the complicated movement of the south pole vortices of slow-rotating Venus. The south pole vortex is a huge double whirlwind the size of Europe. Double? Yes. In the south polar vortex of Venus, there are two main cloud layers separated by a distance of about 20 kilometers (about 12 miles). These scientists announced today (March 24, 2013) that they’ve confirmed the “erratic” movement of air in the double vortex at Venus’ south pole. And, surprisingly they said, each part of the vortex forms a separate “tube,” which “goes its own way.” Itziar Garate-Lopez, head researcher, said in a press release:
We knew it was a long-term vortex; we also knew that it changes shape every day. But we thought that the centers of the vortex at different altitudes formed only a single tube, but that is not so. Each center goes its own way, yet the global structure of the atmospheric vortex does not disintegrate.
The south polar vortex of Venus changes shape every day. The images at the top of the figure show the upper cloud of Venus, 65 km above the planet’s surface. The images at the bottom depict the south polar vortex of Venus 20 km further down showing the vertical extension and variability of the vortex.
Long-term vortices are a frequent phenomenon in the atmospheres of fast-rotating planets, like Jupiter, Saturn and Earth, for example. But Venus rotates very slowly. It rotates only once every 243 Earth-days, more slowly than any other planet in our solar system. Its rotational speed is in contrast to about 24 hours for Earth, 9 hours 56 minutes for Jupiter and 10 hours 39 minutes for Saturn. Still, Venus has permanent vortices in its atmosphere at both poles. One clue to the reason might be that the rotation speed of Venus’ atmosphere is much greater than that of the planet. Traveling at speeds of around 200 meters per second, the atmosphere takes only four Earth days to go all the way around the planet. Garate-Lopez said:
We’ve known for a long time that the atmosphere of Venus rotates 60 times faster than the planet itself, but we didn’t know why. The difference is huge; that is why it’s called super-rotation. And we‘ve no idea how it started or how it keeps going.
Wide-angle camera view from Cassini spacecraft of the north polar region
on Saturn. It shows the central storm clouds inside a larger structure
called the north polar hexagon. This vortex on Saturn is similar to
Earth’s polar vortex where winds blow in a circular pattern.
So the vortices above the poles of Venus appear to be ever-shifting, but permanent. Meanwhile, on Earth, the vortices for each pole are cold-core low-pressure areas that strengthen in the winter and weaken in the summer. They usually span 1,000–2,000 kilometers (620–1,240 miles) in which the air is circulating (in a counter-clockwise fashion in the Northern Hemisphere). Garate-Lopez said:
On the Earth there are seasonal effects and temperature differences between the continental zones and the oceans that create suitable conditions for the formation and dispersal of polar vortices. On Venus there are no oceans or seasons, and so the polar atmosphere behaves very differently.
Strong polar vortex over Maine on February 24, 2012. Image via NOAA.
Bottom line: Astronomers in the Planetary Science Group of the
University of the Basque Country (UPV/EHU) announced today (March 24,
2013) that they’ve confirmed the “erratic” movement of air in the double
vortex at Venus’ south pole. And, surprisingly they said, each part of
the vortex forms a separate “tube,” which “goes its own way.” Planetary
vortices are common for fast-rotating planets like Jupiter, Saturn and
Earth, but Venus rotates very slowly. However, its atmosphere rotates
around the planet 60 times faster than the planet itself!
https://earthsky.org/space/surprises-in-venus-south-polar-vortex/
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The Primer Fields (Documentary)
2012
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9EPlyiW-xGI
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Northern lights: Will beautiful aurora DISAPPEAR when Earth's poles shift?
2019
https://www.express.co.uk/news/science/1130240/northern-lights-will-aurora-disappear-earth-magnetic-north-poles-shift-space-news
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Space weather
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Space_weather
Space
weather is a branch of space physics and aeronomy, or heliophysics,
concerned with the varying conditions within the Solar System and its
heliosphere. This includes the effects of the solar wind, especially on
the Earth's magnetosphere, ionosphere, thermosphere, and exosphere. Though physically distinct, space weather is analogous to the
terrestrial weather of Earth's atmosphere (troposphere and
stratosphere). The term "space weather" was first used in the 1950s and
popularized in the 1990s. Later, it prompted research into "space
climate", the large-scale and long-term patterns of space weather.
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South Atlantic Anomaly: Have astronomers finally explained space's Bermuda Triangle?
January 30, 2022
If
we look skyward we can explore a similar phenomenon dubbed the "Bermuda
Triangle of space" – a vast region above Earth has been known to wreak
havoc on spacecraft that happen to enter the area. In this case, nobody
is claiming that craft are suddenly vanishing into thin air, but the
disruption that's being caused is nevertheless serious, and it poses
great problems for both equipment and astronauts.
The Bermuda
Triangle of space – or the South Atlantic Anomaly (SAA) as it is
formally known – lies above the South Atlantic, stretching from Chile to
Zimbabwe. It sits at the point where the inner Van Allen radiation belt
comes closest to Earth's surface. Here, Earth's magnetic field is
particularly weak.
To explain, Earth has two Van Allen belts – a
couple of doughnut-shaped rings of charged particles that surround our
planet, held in place by Earth's magnetic field. The inner part consists
mainly of high-energy protons and the outer part is mainly electrons.
Because the belts trap the particles that are shooting from the surface
of the sun, they end up protecting the surface of the planet from
harmful radiation.
At the location of the SAA, however, the
particles of solar cosmic rays are not being held back to the same
extent as they are elsewhere above the planet. As a result, solar rays
come as close as 124 miles (200 kilometers (124 miles) to the Earth's
surface and the more intense solar radiation results in an increased
flux of energetic particles in this area.
"I'm not fond of the
[Bermuda Triangle of Space] nickname, but in that region, the lower
geomagnetic field intensity eventually results in a greater
vulnerability of satellites to energetic particles, to the point that
spacecraft damage could occur as they traverse the area," said John
Tarduno, professor of geophysics at the University of Rochester.
https://www.space.com/bermuda-triangle-in-space.html
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Hexagonal clouds are not the mystery behind the Bermuda Triangle
21 Oct 2016
Hexagonal clouds were linked to the Bermuda Triangle but do not solve the mystery of the area in the Atlantic Ocean. This kind of clouds have been seen in the Bermuda Triangle, and although they are rare, they are not uncommon.
The honeycomb cloud patterns open and closed cells can create updrafts and downdrafts and are believed to be responsible for the unusual activity. Nevertheless, it does not solve the mysteries related to the Bermuda Triangle. Hexagonal clouds are usually seen in mid-North Atlantic and the North Pacific during late fall until arely spring. The phenomenon happens when cold, dry air mixes with warm water...
Hexagonal cloud cells in South Atlantic Ocean.
https://www.pulseheadlines.com/hexagonal-clouds-mystery-bermuda-triangle/53062/
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Watch as Thousands of Cloud Streets Billow over the Atlantic
Jan. 21, 2024
https://www.theweathernetwork.com/en/news/science/earth-science/watch-as-thousands-of-cloud-streets-billow-over-the-atlantic-ocean
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These Scientists Think "Hexagonal Clouds" Could Explain The Bermuda Triangle
2016
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Mysterious Iridescent 'End of Times' Cloud Phenomenon Spotted in Costa Rica
2015
https://www.goodmorningamerica.com/news/story/mysterious-iridescent-end-times-cloud-phenomenon-spotted-costa-33834206
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NASA satellite captures odd holes in clouds over Florida. What are they?
March 5, 2024
The
photo captured by the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer
(MODIS) on NASA's Terra satellite shows a cluster of circle- or
ellipse-shaped figures that look like they've been cut neatly from the
clouds. They even depict "feathery wisps" in the middle of the hole,
NASA said.
https://www.foxweather.com/earth-space/weird-holes-clouds-florida-sky-atmosphere
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Bermuda Triangle Mystery Solved? Scientists Think They've Figured It Out
Aug 2, 2018
Conditions in the area are just right for monsters... as in monster waves.
https://www.huffpost.com/entry/bermuda-triangle-waves_n_5b628966e4b0b15aba9faaa4
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The ‘Bermuda Triangle mystery’ isn’t solved, and this scientist didn’t suggest it was
October 25, 2016
“Scientists
believe the powerful winds reported by radar in the North Sea also
exist below the hexagonal clouds over the Bahamas, and meteorologist
Randy Cerveny thinks they’re connected to a terrifying atmospheric
phenomenon,” the narrator says in the “What on Earth” segment.
Cerveny
goes on to explain that the hexagonal shapes in the clouds could be
formed by “air bombs,” which sounds crazy, but he’s actually just
explaining microbursts — something we have reported on and analyzed many
times.
“If Professor Cerveny is right, and these strange
hexagons are the signature of deadly air bombs,” the segment continues,
“then this satellite image could . . . solve the riddle of the Bermuda
Triangle.”
Microbursts can do extensive damage on land and can
definitely sink ships in the ocean. Could microbursts have sunk a few
ships and downed a few planes in the Bermuda Triangle? Sure. Does this
mean the Bermuda Triangle mystery is real and that we’ve solved it? No —
Cerveny isn’t saying that.
He said he does segments for the show
and typically “either you give the actual explanation, or the straw-man
explanation,” so someone else can come in and knock it down. He said he
offered the microburst explanation as a possibility to knock down.
Instead, the segment offered it as a legitimate explanation.
Cerveny
said he didn’t have an opportunity to see the show and correct it
before it aired. “Nope. That was a surprise,” he said, laughing. “I did
not know what was going on until I saw this. I have no interest in
studying the Bermuda Triangle.”
https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/capital-weather-gang/wp/2016/10/25/the-bermuda-triangle-mystery-isnt-solved-and-this-scientist-didnt-suggest-it-was/
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What's The Real Science Behind The "Bermuda Triangle"?
07 December 2018
https://www.sciencealert.com/what-s-the-real-science-behind-the-bermuda-triangle-mystery
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Have Norwegian geologists solved the mystery of the Bermuda Triangle?
2016
What does a research abstract about craters formed by methane gas eruptions have to do with it?
“Bermuda
Triangle, don’t go too near,” Barry Manilow warns in his saccharine
1980s pop hit named for the enigmatic region in the Atlantic Ocean
legendary for the number of ships and planes that disappear in its
proximity.
Now, some media reports are suggesting that the
mystery behind Mr. Manilow’s admonition may be solved. Pointing to a
Norwegian research abstract that details the discovery of craters at the
bottom of the Barents Sea in the Arctic, British newspapers The Times
and Daily Mail were somehow able to make the leaping proposal that
similar craters caused “notorious” disappearances in the Bermuda
Triangle during the 20th century.
But this isn’t the case. For
one thing, the study, published by geologists at the University of
Norway, focuses solely on craters discovered off of Bear Island, located
above the northern tip of Scandinavia and about 4,000 miles from the
Bermuda Triangle.
Using 3-D seismic imaging, they measured the
craters to be as wide as 3,280 feet in diameter and 131 feet in depth
and suggest that they were caused by methane gas eruptions from oil
accumulated in shallow rocks dating back 250 million years ago.
“The
crater area is still likely to represent one of the largest hot-spots
for shallow marine methane release in the arctic,” they write in a
preliminary summary.
Nowhere in their research, however, is the Bermuda Triangle even mentioned.
“We
have discovered many large craters on the seabed in the central Barents
Sea,” co-author Karin Andreassen said in a statement addressing the
misinforming reports. “We have yet to publish these results, so these
are preliminary. What I can say is that we are not making any links to
the Bermuda Triangle.”
The methane blowouts detailed in their
research, he explained, point to the time period after the last Ice Age
ended – about 11,700 years ago.
And “conditions during the last ice age,” Dr. Andreassen said, “cannot be compared with what we see today.”
The researchers' statement sufficiently dismantles the any association between the craters and the Bermuda Triangle.
But
beyond the geographical irrelevance of the region stretching from Miami
to San Juan, Puerto Rico, and Bermuda, the so-called “mystery” itself
is made up.
https://www.csmonitor.com/Science/2016/0316/Have-Norwegian-geologists-solved-the-mystery-of-the-Bermuda-Triangle
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Did Science Solve the Bermuda Triangle Mystery? No. That's Not How Science Works
March 15, 2016
In which we learn a neat lesson about geoscience and that it's impossible to prove a negative.
https://www.inverse.com/article/12912-did-science-solve-the-bermuda-triangle-mystery-no-that-s-not-how-science-works
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‘Burps of Death’ in the Bermuda Triangle?
2016
Researchers
say methane bubbling to the surface of the ocean could explain the
sudden loss of ships in the western North Atlantic.
The Bermuda Triangle doesn’t officially exist. Agencies such as the U.S. Navy and the U.S. Board of Geographic Names do not recognize the region as anything other than an arbitrary area of the western North Atlantic Ocean.
Discussion Ideas
- Some scientists think bubbly gas blowouts from seafloor methane deposits could contribute to “disappearances” associated with the Bermuda Triangle. What is the Bermuda Triangle? Take a look at today’s MapMaker Interactive map for some help.
- The Bermuda Triangle is a loosely defined region of the western North Atlantic Ocean, between Miami, Florida; San Juan, Puerto Rico; and the island of Bermuda.
- Since the early 1960s, the “Bermuda Triangle”
has been a legendary site associated with supernatural disappearances
of ships and planes. This has no basis in fact; ships and planes “vanish in the Bermuda Triangle as often as they vanish from anywhere else.”
- A 1976 NOVA episode was unequivocally dismissive about the concept: “Science does not have to answer questions about the Triangle because those questions are not valid in the first place.” (Way to go, NOVA.)
- If the mystery of the Bermuda Triangle is hype, why do people think planes and ships are more likely to disappear in the area? Take a look at the third bookmark in today’s MapMaker Interactive map for some help. (Don’t be afraid to adjust the transparency levels!)
- The Bermuda Triangle is one of the most hurricane-prone areas of the Atlantic Ocean. Ships and planes are much more likely to encounter strong tropical storms in this region than many others.
- The Gulf Stream, one of the world’s most recognizable ocean currents in the world, flows right through the Bermuda Triangle. Debris from sunken ships or planes may not drift to the bottom of the ocean, but instead be transported north by this extremely powerful current.
- The myth of the Bermuda Triangle is a great story perpetuated by unsupported evidence. Many accounts of missing vessels fail to report the weather conditions at the time of the ships’ disappearance, for example. Other accounts report ships or planes as “missing”—but fail to report their return.
Methane clathrate is an unconventional form of natural gas made of an ice-like lattice of frozen water, which forms a “cage” around molecules of methane. This beautiful sample of methane clathrate was unearthed off the coast of Oregon.
Most methane deposits show up around continental shelves.
https://blog.education.nationalgeographic.org/2016/03/15/burps-of-death-in-the-bermuda-triangle/
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Impact of the South Atlantic Anomaly on radiation exposure at flight altitudes during solar minimum
08 June 2023
Abstract
The
South Atlantic Anomaly (SAA) is a geographical region over the South
Atlantic Ocean where the inner Van Allen radiation belt extends down
particularly close to Earth. This leads to highly increased levels of
ionizing radiation and related impacts on spacecraft in Low Earth
Orbits, e.g., correspondingly increased radiation exposure of astronauts
and electronic components on the International Space Station. According
to an urban legend, the SAA is also supposed to affect the radiation
field in the atmosphere even down to the altitudes of civil aviation. In
order to identify and quantify any additional contributions to the
omnipresent radiation exposure due to the Galactic Cosmic Radiation at
flight altitudes, comprehensive measurements were performed crossing the
geographical region of the SAA at an altitude of 13 km in a unique
flight mission—Atlantic Kiss. No indication of increased radiation
exposure was found.
https://www.nature.com/articles/s41598-023-36190-5
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Something Massive Left ANTARCTICA During The Solar Eclipse! Caught on RADAR!
Apr 11, 2024
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TnmvjOHeJW8
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What Is Known (and Not Known) About the Bermuda Triangle
https://www.britannica.com/story/what-is-known-and-not-known-about-the-bermuda-triangle
______________
Bermuda Triangle
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bermuda_Triangle
______________
Bermuda Triangle: Where Facts Disappear
September 25, 2012
https://www.livescience.com/23435-bermuda-triangle.html
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Why People Disappear in the Bermuda Triangle
https://www.youtube.com/shorts/4bGgVa4c4iA
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The Bermuda Triangle: A Breeding Ground for Rogue Waves or a Pit of Human Mistakes?
August 2, 2018
Gas bubbles, magnetic anomalies…humans being humans?
People
often talk about weird magnetic anomalies over the Bermuda Triangle,
Boxall said. "There aren't any," he said. There are magnetic anomalies
in the world that have to do with the Earth's mantle moving beneath the
crust, but the nearest one is about 1,000 miles [1,600 km] south, off
the coast of Brazil — a long way away from the Bermuda Triangle, he
said.
Another theory has to do with pockets of explosive methane
gas that could, due to some disturbance, float up toward the water's
surface and cause the water to be less dense than the ship, leading the
ship to sink. However, no experiment to date has been able to prove that
this is possible, Boxall said.
"Theoretically, it could be
happening, but there are lots of places in the world where this can
happen," not just in the Bermuda Triangle, Boxall said. Instead, he
thinks the most common cause for the mysterious vanishings is human
error. [The 20 Most Mysterious Shipwrecks Ever]
The famous
disappearance of Flight 19 — five U.S. Navy aircraft that vanished
during a training mission in 1945 — that led one journalist in 1964 to
give the area its current name, probably occurred because the crew got
lost and ran out of fuel, Boxall said.
About a third of all
registered and privately owned ocean craft in the U.S. are in the states
and islands of the Bermuda Triangle area, he said. And according to the
most recent 2016 figures from the Coast Guard, 82 percent of incidents
in this area that year involved people who had no formal training or
experience of being at sea, he added.
"So, you take a third of
the entire boating population of the U.S., you dump them in the Bermuda
Triangle," and what you get is mysterious vanishings, Boxall said. You
don't need any licensing or specific equipment like radios or navigation
maps to take a boat to sea, he added.
"A number of times,
working at sea, we've come across people who are navigating using a road
map, who are relying on their mobile phones as their means of
communication, discovering … you get 30 miles offshore [and] you lose
the signal," Boxall said.
In addition, "environmental
considerations could explain many, if not most, of the disappearances,"
NOAA wrote on its website. "The ocean has always been a mysterious place
to humans, and when foul weather or poor navigation is involved, it can
be a very deadly place."
NOAA also says the area could be prone
to accidents because of the Gulf Stream, a strong and fast ocean current
that can cause "rapid, sometimes violent, changes in weather," and
shallow waters around the Caribbean islands that can prove fatal for
ships.
"You can extend the Bermuda Triangle to ever bigger
areas…what you'll find is that the Bermuda Triangle covers the entire
globe," Boxall said. "Rogue waves can hit lots of different places,
methane bubbles can hit lots of different places, and wherever you get a
high concentration of amateurs without any experience you're going to
get a high concentration of mysterious disappearances."
But, you
know, maybe it is aliens capturing unsuspecting humans using vortexes
that lead straight into their laboratories that they've set up in the
lost city of Atlantis.
https://www.livescience.com/63242-bermuda-triangle-rogue-waves.html
______________
Watch Secrets Of The Bermuda Triangle
https://www.bbcselect.com/watch/secrets-of-the-bermuda-triangle/
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Once a Hotbed for Disappearances, the Bermuda Triangle Has Itself Gone Missing
7/28/2023
The turbulent swath of ocean between Miami, Puerto Rico, and Bermuda used to be a thing of nightmares—so where did it go?
https://www.thrillist.com/travel/nation/bermuda-triangle-mystery-disappearance
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7 Chilling Conspiracy Theories About the Bermuda Triangle
2022
https://www.popularmechanics.com/science/environment/a39750723/what-is-the-bermuda-triangle/
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10 Best Theories That Explain The Bermuda Triangle
January 31, 2021
The
Bermuda Triangle is among the world’s most infamous mysteries. The
Devil’s Triangle is responsible for more than a dozen high-profile
disappearances of airplanes and ships and an estimated 1,000 deaths.
Approximately 20 boats vanish in the Bermuda Triangle every year.
This
triangular area of sea between Bermuda, Puerto Rico, and Florida leaves
scientists and experts amiss and sailors and pilots with a feeling of
dread every time they have to pass through it to this day. And with all
that we know about the Bermuda Triangle, there still is no one
definitive answer to the puzzle. Here are the 10 best theories that
explain the Bermuda Triangle phenomenon.
10: The Wormhole Theory
9: The Methane Gas Theory
8: Electromagnetic Interference
7: Waterspouts
6: Aliens
5: Atlantis
4: No Mystery
3: The Human Errors Theory
2: Rogue Waves (Earthquakes)
1: Pirates
https://listverse.com/2021/01/31/10-best-theories-that-explain-the-bermuda-triangle/
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20 True Facts About The Bermuda Triangle
Jun 17, 2018
https://www.thetravel.com/20-true-facts-about-the-bermuda-triangle/
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The Bermuda Triangle (Devil’s Triangle)
04/11/2023
https://geologyscience.com/geology/the-bermuda-triangle-devils-triangle/
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25 Little-Known Facts About The Dragon's Triangle
2019
Contrary
to what you know, the Bermuda Triangle isn't the only location that's
been deemed as "dangerous" by both sailors and pilots.
Contrary
to what you know, the Bermuda Triangle isn't the only location that's
been deemed as "dangerous" by both sailors and pilots. The Dragon's
Triangle is a stretch of the sea just off the coast of Japan that has
collected a myriad of stories, myths, and seemingly many legends
throughout the years. Given the area's turbulent history when it comes
to disappearances and strange phenomena, it can often be challenging to
separate the myth from the fact. Amidst various studies done up until
the 1950s, scientists gathered plenty of information, but have no
definitive reason for why this area, in particular, sees so much action.
https://www.thetravel.com/25-little-known-facts-about-the-dragons-triangle/
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The Atlantic Ocean could soon be closed off by a ring of furious volcanoes
March 2024
The Ring of Fire is one of the most iconic geological features in the world.
Stretching
some 40,000 km along the Pacific Ocean, it is home to 75 per cent of
the Earth’s volcanoes and 90 per cent of its earthquakes, making it the
planet’s greatest hotbed of violent seismic events.
And yet, this
extraordinary area may be faced with some competition in the dramatic
tectonic stakes, with experts warning that the Atlantic could eventually
begin to close and form a Ring of Fire of its own.
For an ocean
such as the Atlantic to stop growing and shut itself off, new subduction
zones must form within it – areas where one tectonic plate pushes
another down into the mantle below.
The heat from the mantle then
melts this rock, transforming it into magma. And the abundance of magma
near to the Earth’s surface creates the perfect conditions for volcanic
activity, as National Geographic notes.
The vast quantity of
volcanoes and earthquakes along the Pacific Ring of Fire exists largely
thanks to the many subduction zones that lie along its path.
https://www.msn.com/en-us/weather/topstories/the-atlantic-ocean-could-soon-be-closed-off-by-a-ring-of-furious-volcanoes/ar-BB1k2jHb
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A New Understanding of the Mid-Atlantic Ridge and Plate Tectonics
8 March 2021
The first seismic data obtained directly from the Mid-Atlantic Ridge suggest that upwelling may contribute to seafloor
https://eos.org/articles/a-new-understanding-of-the-mid-atlantic-ridge-and-plate-tectonics
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An upwelling of rock beneath the Atlantic may drive continents apart
The Mid-Atlantic Ridge may play a more active role in plate tectonics than thought
February 4, 2021
https://www.sciencenews.org/article/upwelling-rock-beneath-atlantic-ocean-may-drive-continents-apart
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Rock rising from below the Atlantic may drive continents apart
If true, plate tectonics at mid-ocean ridges may be more push than pull
March 12, 2021
https://www.snexplores.org/article/upwelling-rock-beneath-atlantic-ocean-may-drive-continents-apart
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A thin mantle transition zone beneath the equatorial Mid-Atlantic Ridge
2020
https://www.nature.com/articles/s41586-020-03139-x.epdf?sharing_token=OGFE1aG5BxNvw4GQwMAFhtRgN0jAjWel9jnR3ZoTv0OAEXFNTbnN6XmTDTZ4_2q1qH6qqy3R3mZwctKVwLRJVas1ePqNOIIXcD5c5UAqT0D6O7TOVMya95ydIqGNjxMwMQphbgoNbRDWhU4Ep0MM-J5KNxi0yNYMLzkmq6wmBnobhdx3CGcXdk0KXn607ZQwQhjP1iNthuvie9TmFwEJEoiyL9DIP5HPg2X_qKFOx1P1Cd45VP6x-VppXjyD_T5nmGGkIj3fmwkOoqWv7Tm12TlPgjmy-C7c1zNyN_l9pg0uLSyyCCaX5vU480e_lOeT&tracking_referrer=www.sciencenews.org
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Plate tectonics: the hidden key to life on Earth
December 26, 2017
https://cosmosmagazine.com/earth/earth-sciences/plate-tectonics-the-hidden-key-to-life-on-earth/
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Does the Plate tectonics contradict the theory of continental drift?
2023
https://earthscience.stackexchange.com/questions/23911/does-the-plate-tectonics-contradict-the-theory-of-continental-drift
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Continental Drift versus Plate Tectonics
A
scientific idea that was initially ridiculed paved the way for the
theory of plate tectonics, which explains how Earth’s continents move.
https://education.nationalgeographic.org/resource/continental-drift-versus-plate-tectonics/
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Continental drift
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Continental_drift
Continental
drift is the hypothesis, originating in the early 20th century, that
Earth's continents move or drift relative to each other over geologic
time. The hypothesis of continental drift has since been validated and
incorporated into the science of plate tectonics, which studies the
movement of the continents as they ride on plates of the Earth's
lithosphere.
The speculation that continents might have "drifted"
was first put forward by Abraham Ortelius in 1596. A pioneer of the
modern view of mobilism was the Austrian geologist Otto Ampferer. The
concept was independently and more fully developed by Alfred Wegener in
his 1915 publication, "The Origin of Continents and Oceans". However, at
that time the hypothesis was rejected by many for lack of any motive
mechanism. The English geologist Arthur Holmes later proposed mantle
convection for that mechanism.
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Plume–ridge interactions: ridgeward versus plate-drag plume flow
2023
Abstract
The
analysis of mid-ocean ridges and hotspots that are sourced by
deep-rooted mantle plumes allows us to get a glimpse of mantle structure
and dynamics. Dynamical interaction between ridge and plume processes
have been widely proposed and studied, particularly in terms of
ridgeward plume flow. However, the effects of plate drag on
plume–lithosphere and plume–ridge interaction remain poorly understood.
In particular, the mechanisms that control plume flow towards vs. away
from the ridge have not yet been systematically studied. Here, we use 2D
thermomechanical numerical models of plume–ridge interaction to
systematically explore the effects of (i) ridge-spreading rate, (ii)
initial plume head radius and (iii) plume–ridge distance. Our numerical
experiments suggest two different geodynamic regimes: (1) plume flow
towards the ridge is favored by strong buoyant mantle plumes, slow
spreading rates and small plume–ridge distances; (2) plume drag away
from the ridge is in turn promoted by fast ridge spreading for
small-to-intermediate plumes and large plume–ridge distances. We find
that the pressure gradient between the buoyant plume and spreading ridge
at first drives ridgeward flow, but eventually the competition between
plate drag and the gravitational force of plume flow along the base of
the sloping lithosphere controls the fate of plume (spreading towards
vs. away from the ridge). Our results highlight that fast-spreading
ridges exert strong plate-dragging force, which sheds new light on
natural observations of largely absent plume–lithosphere interaction
along fast-spreading ridges, such as the East Pacific Rise.
https://se.copernicus.org/articles/14/353/2023/
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Scientists Report New Type of Mid-Ocean Ridge in Remote Parts of the Earth
November 26, 2002
https://www.whoi.edu/press-room/news-release/scientists-report-new-type-of-mid-ocean-ridge-in-remote-parts-of-the-earth/
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Late
Cretaceous Ridge Reorganization, Microplate Formation, and the
Evolution of the Rio Grande Rise – Walvis Ridge Hot Spot Twins, South
Atlantic Ocean
2021
https://agupubs.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1029/2020GC009390
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Divergent Plate Boundaries
Divergent
plate boundaries are locations where plates are moving away from one
another. This occurs above rising convection currents. The rising
current pushes up on the bottom of the lithosphere, lifting it and
flowing laterally beneath it. This lateral flow causes the plate
material above to be dragged along in the direction of flow. At the
crest of the uplift, the overlying plate is stretched thin, breaks and
pulls apart.
https://geology.com/nsta/divergent-plate-boundaries.shtml
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Mantle Convection and Plate Tectonics
https://www.khanacademy.org/partner-content/amnh/earthquakes-and-volcanoes/plate-tectonics/a/mantle-convection-and-plate-tectonics
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Plates moving due to convection in mantle
2011
https://www.khanacademy.org/science/cosmology-and-astronomy/earth-history-topic/plate-techtonics/v/plates-moving-due-to-convection-in-mantle
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Gravity Moved Continents on Early Earth
September 17, 2014
https://www.livescience.com/47882-how-plate-tectonics-started.html
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Evolution of Earth’s tectonic carbon conveyor belt
25 May 2022
https://www.nature.com/articles/s41586-022-04420-x
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The Phanerozoic Tectonic and Sedimentary Evolution of North America
2019
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/B9780444638953000012
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70 million years of seafloor spreading and magmatism in the South Atlantic
2021
Highlights
70 million years of crust from one spreading center are examined.
The relationships between M, RMS roughness, and spreading rate are quantified.
The coefficients of determination for all relationships are small.
The spreading center has changed from an axial high to valley twice in 70 myrs.
Abstract
A
basic tenet of seafloor spreading is the need to spatially accommodate
the magnitude of lateral spreading. As new spreading proceeds and crust
is transported away from the spreading axis, the space created is filled
by both the magmatic accretion of new oceanic crust and the brittle
stretching of that crust by extensional faults. The ratio between the
magmatism and faulting, referred to as M, is dynamically related to the
rate of spreading and the topographic roughness of the generated crust.
Here we use a multichannel seismic dataset recently collected in the
South Atlantic Ocean to examine how the relationships between spreading
rate, M, and topographic roughness have changed over 70 million years of
crustal ages all created at one spreading segment. We frequency filter
the topographic profile of the top of the igneous crust to remove long
wavelength signal and determine the best window length for analysis. We
then use a moving window to quantify how M and the root mean square of
topographic roughness vary across the age transect. Qualitatively and
quantitatively, we find spreading rate and M are positively correlated
while M and spreading rate are negatively correlated with the
topographic roughness of the crust. We are able to expand the age and
length scale of an analysis of M by an order of magnitude compared to
previous studies. Our analysis also finds that the spreading center in
the South Atlantic has likely alternated between an axial high and axial
valley twice in the past.
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0012821X21004283
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Evidence for a Global Slowdown in Seafloor Spreading Since 15 Ma
25 March 2022
Abstract
The
rate of ocean-crust production exerts control over sea level, mantle
heat loss, and climate. Different strategies to account for incomplete
seafloor preservation have led to differing conclusions about how much
production rates have changed since the Cretaceous, if at all. We
construct a new global synthesis of crust production along 18 mid-ocean
ridges for the past 19 Myr at high temporal resolution. We find that the
global production rate during 6–5 Ma was only 69%–75% of the 16–15 Ma
interval. The reduction in crust production is mostly due to slower
seafloor spreading along almost all ridge systems. While the total ridge
length has varied little since 19 Ma, some fast-spreading ridges have
grown shorter and slow-spreading ridges grown longer, amplifying the
spreading-rate changes. Our production curves represent a new data set
for investigating the forces driving plate motions and the role of
tectonic degassing on climate.
https://agupubs.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1029/2022GL097937
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Constraining South Atlantic growth with seafloor spreading data
05 September 2014
https://agupubs.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1002/2014TC003644
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Opening
of the central Atlantic Ocean: Implications for geometric rifting and
asymmetric initial seafloor spreading after continental breakup
09 June 2017
https://agupubs.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1002/2017TC004596
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Seafloor Spreading
Seafloor
spreading is a geologic process in which tectonic plates—large slabs of
Earth's lithosphere—split apart from each other.
https://education.nationalgeographic.org/resource/seafloor-spreading/
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Seafloor spreading
Seafloor
spreading, or seafloor spread, is a process that occurs at mid-ocean
ridges, where new oceanic crust is formed through volcanic activity and
then gradually moves away from the ridge.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Seafloor_spreading
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Seafloor Spreading Activity
https://oceanexplorer.noaa.gov/edu/learning/2_midocean_ridges/activities/seafloor_spreading.html
______________
Researchers propose new step in tectonic squeeze that turns seafloor into mountains
April 3, 2024
https://phys.org/news/2024-04-tectonic-seafloor-mountains.html
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Mantle Plume: Spreading Ridge Interactions
2021
https://link.springer.com/referenceworkentry/10.1007/978-3-030-58631-7_262
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Mantle spread across the sea floor
27 March 2013
https://www.nature.com/articles/ngeo1786
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Geological phenomenon widening the Atlantic Ocean
27 January 2021
https://www.southampton.ac.uk/news/2021/01/atlantic-plate-tectonics.page
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The Atlantic Ocean is getting wider every year. Researchers have finally figured out why.
Aug 24, 2023
https://www.businessinsider.com/atlantic-ocean-widening-geologic-forces-earth-crust-2021-1?op=1
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The Role of Oceanic Transform Faults in Seafloor Spreading: A Global Perspective From Seismic Anisotropy
08 February 2018
https://agupubs.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1002/2017JB015176
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Why Is The Atlantic Ocean Widening While The Pacific Ocean Is Shrinking?
19 Oct 2023
https://www.scienceabc.com/nature/why-is-the-atlantic-ocean-widening-while-the-pacific-ocean-is-shrinking.html
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The Mystery of the World’s Largest and Deepest Gravity Hole
November 3, 2023
The sea level here is hundreds of feet lower than the rest of the ocean.
Dear
Indian Ocean, please don’t take offense, but: Why is your gravity hole
so big? That question had been baffling scientists ever since the hole
was discovered back in 1948. Now a team from the Indian Institute of
Science (IISc) thinks they have found the answer: The “hole” in the
Indian Ocean is caused by fragments from the sunken floor of another,
much older ocean.
There’s nothing mysterious per se about
gravitational variation, which corresponds to differences in the density
of the subsurface (and submarine) layers of rock. What was unexplained,
was the size and amplitude of the anomaly in the Indian Ocean.
More air than water
The
gravity hole is centered about 1,200 kilometers (750 miles) southwest
of Kanyakumari (aka Cape Comorin), the southernmost tip of the Indian
subcontinent. The circular depression in the ocean has an area of about 3
million square kilometers (1.2 million square miles), which is almost
the size of India itself. Due to lower local gravity, the sea level in
the IOGL is up to 106 meters (348 feet) lower than the global average.
That adds up to a huge volume of air where there should be water. A back
of the envelope calculation suggests that, due to the anomaly, about
100 cubic kilometers (25 cubic miles) of water is being displaced.
The
anomaly was discovered by Felix Andries Vening Meinesz, a Dutch
geophysicist who had invented a device to measure gravity at sea. (It
was nicknamed the “Golden Calf,” because of its color and because
sailors on submarines carrying the instrument had to remain motionless
in their bunk during measurements, a nuisance for which they received
extra pay.)
As a pioneer of submarine gravimetry, Vening Meinesz
spent much of his career roaming the oceans in submarines and research
vessels. He discovered several anomalies in Earth’s gravitational field,
which he attributed to plate tectonics, none larger or stronger than
the one in the Indian Ocean.
The eminent Dutchman—one of his
research fellows was the geologist B.G. Escher, the brother of the
graphic artist M.C. Escher—was thinking in the right direction, but his
era lacked the computing power to pinpoint a more proximate cause. The
actual cause of the IOGL remained unknown until last May, when the
journal Geophysical Research Letters published a study by IISc
researchers.
Starting the clock 140 million years ago, the IISc
team ran various simulations through a supercomputer to explore how
tectonic and volcanic forces shaped the world as we know it. The models
that produced a gravity hole closely resembling the actual IOGL all had
one thing in common: low-density magma plumes rising up to displace
higher-density material, weakening the area’s gravity.
https://www.atlasobscura.com/articles/gravity-hole-indian-ocean
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Reverse-faulting earthquakes and the tectonics of slowly-spreading mid-ocean ridge axes
2023
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0012821X23002923
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Magnetic Reversals and Moving Continents
https://pwg.gsfc.nasa.gov/earthmag/reversal.htm
______________
Magnetic Anomalies on the Seafloor
https://geo.libretexts.org/Courses/University_of_California_Davis/GEL_056%3A_Introduction_to_Geophysics/Geophysics_is_everywhere_in_geology.../04%3A_Plate_Tectonics/4.02%3A_Magnetic_Anomalies_on_the_Seafloor
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Paleomagnetism, See Floor Spreading, Convectional Currents
December 16, 2019
https://www.pmfias.com/see-floor-spreading-paleomagnetism-convectional-current-theory-tectonics/
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Paleomagnetic constraints on plate tectonic process at south mid-Atlantic ridge
2015
http://en.dzkx.org/article/doi/10.6038/cjg20160515
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Paleomagnetism
Paleomagnetism
(occasionally palaeomagnetism) is the study of prehistoric Earth's
magnetic fields recorded in rocks, sediment, or archeological materials.
Geophysicists who specialize in paleomagnetism are called
paleomagnetists.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Paleomagnetism
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Paleomagnetism and plate tectonics
https://link.springer.com/referenceworkentry/10.1007/0-387-30752-4_111
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The Tectonic Plate Under The Pacific Ocean Is Being Torn Apart, Scientists Reveal
09 February 2024
https://www.sciencealert.com/the-tectonic-plate-under-the-pacific-ocean-is-being-torn-apart-scientists-reveal
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Rethinking Earth’s Surface: Geoscientists Discover Hidden Faults of the Pacific Plate
March 7, 2024
Research
indicates that the Pacific Plate is being torn apart at undersea
plateaus across the ocean, due to the weight of the oceanic plate
subducting along the Western Pacific Ring of Fire.
Recent
research conducted by geoscientists from the University of Toronto is
refining the long-standing model of plate tectonics, which suggests that
the oceanic plates are inflexible as they glide over the Earth’s
mantle.
Instead, the researchers found the Pacific Plate is
scored by large undersea faults pulling it apart. The newly discovered
faults, some thousands of meters deep and hundreds of kilometers long,
are the result of enormous forces within the plate tugging it westward.
The
researchers describe their findings in a paper published in the journal
Geophysical Research Letters. The authors include Erkan Gün, a
postdoctoral fellow, and Professor Russell Pysklywec in the Department
of Earth Sciences in the Faculty of Arts & Science at U of T, Phil
Heron, an assistant professor in the Department of Physical &
Environmental Sciences at University of Toronto Scarborough, as well as
researchers from the Eurasia Institute of Earth Sciences, Istanbul
Technical University.
https://scitechdaily.com/rethinking-earths-surface-geoscientists-discover-hidden-faults-of-the-pacific-plate/
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JetStream Max: Plate Tectonics and Earthquakes
https://www.noaa.gov/jetstream/tsunamis/tsunami-generation-earthquakes/jetstream-max-plate-tectonics-and-earthquakes
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Earthquakes and Plate Tectonics
https://geo.libretexts.org/Bookshelves/Geology/Physical_Geology_(Earle)/11%3A_Earthquakes/11.02%3A_Earthquakes_and_Plate_Tectonics
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Earthquake swarms on the Mid-Atlantic Ridge: Products of magmatism or extensional tectonics?
10 April 1990
https://agupubs.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1029/JB095iB04p04943
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The Atlantic Ocean Is Being Invaded
Feb 15, 2024
The
Atlantic Ocean won't last forever. When it starts to close, it will be
subduction zones that consume oceanic crust. New research suggest one is
propagating into the Atlantic today.
https://www.discovermagazine.com/planet-earth/the-atlantic-ocean-is-being-invaded
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The Mode of Trench-Parallel Subduction of the Middle Ocean Ridge
2021
https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/feart.2021.781117/full
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Ignition of the southern Atlantic seafloor spreading machine without hot-mantle booster
21 January 2023
https://www.nature.com/articles/s41598-023-28364-y
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Rare 4.0 earthquake recorded off Florida coast
Feb 8, 2024
https://www.wfla.com/news/florida/rare-4-0-earthquake-recorded-off-florida-coast/
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Shaken but not stirred: Florida takes stock as rare earthquake rattles state
24 Feb 2024
Residents more used to riding out hurricanes were rocked by a late-night 4.0 tremor off the coast of Cape Canaveral this month
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2024/feb/24/florida-earthquake-cape-canaveral
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INTRODUCTION - 500 Million Years of Florida Geology
200 Million Years of Undersea Calcium Carbonate Deposition
It is upon these very old, African-born basement rocks that the sedimentary rocks of the Florida Platform would
start to accumulate. Deep layers of carbonate rock—predominantly limestones and dolostones composed of the
mineral calcium carbonate—built up over the next 200 million years to create Florida’s flat-topped, “carbonate
platform” structure. These rock layers, two to three miles thick in some places, are a result of the near-constant
deposition of calcium carbonate (CaCO3) that occurred in the warm ocean shallows that surrounded and very
often completely submerged ancient Florida. As marine organisms lived and died in the shallow seas, their skeletal
remains became concentrated, compacted, and gradually hardened (lithified) into a complex subsurface
stratigraphy of sedimentary rock formations, whose differences in depth, location, and composition reflect
Florida’s fascinating formational history.
https://www.stetson.edu/other/gillespie-museum/media/Florida%20Formations%20EXHIBIT%20TEXT-FULL%20for%20website.pdf
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Florida: A Jurassic transform plate boundary
https://pubs.usgs.gov/publication/70195015
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Tectonic pattern of the Azores spreading centre and triple junction
1980
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/0012821X80902216
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Triple junction
A
triple junction is the point where the boundaries of three tectonic
plates meet. At the triple junction each of the three boundaries will be
one of three types – a ridge (R), trench (T) or transform fault (F) –
and triple junctions can be described according to the types of plate
margin that meet at them (e.g. Fault-Fault-Trench, Ridge-Ridge-Ridge, or
abbreviated F-F-T, R-R-R). Of the ten possible types of triple
junctions only a few are stable through time ('stable' in this context
means that the geometrical configuration of the triple junction will not
change through geologic time). The meeting of four or more plates is
also theoretically possible but junctions will only exist
instantaneously.
Main tectonic plate boundaries – ridge (red), trench (green), fault (black) – and corresponding triple junctions (yellow dots)
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Triple_junction
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Geodynamics of continental rift initiation and evolution
07 March 2023
https://www.nature.com/articles/s43017-023-00391-3
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NASA Researchers Track Slowly Splitting ‘Dent’ in Earth’s Magnetic Field
Aug 17, 2020
A small but evolving dent in Earth’s magnetic field can cause big headaches for satellites.
Earth’s
magnetic field acts like a protective shield around the planet,
repelling and trapping charged particles from the Sun. But over South
America and the southern Atlantic Ocean, an unusually weak spot in the
field – called the South Atlantic Anomaly, or SAA – allows these
particles to dip closer to the surface than normal. Particle radiation
in this region can knock out onboard computers and interfere with the
data collection of satellites that pass through it – a key reason why
NASA scientists want to track and study the anomaly.
The South
Atlantic Anomaly is also of interest to NASA’s Earth scientists who
monitor the changes in magnetic field strength there, both for how such
changes affect Earth’s atmosphere and as an indicator of what’s
happening to Earth’s magnetic fields, deep inside the globe.
Currently,
the SAA creates no visible impacts on daily life on the surface.
However, recent observations and forecasts show that the region is
expanding westward and continuing to weaken in intensity. It is also
splitting – recent data shows the anomaly’s valley, or region of minimum
field strength, has split into two lobes, creating additional
challenges for satellite missions.
A host of NASA scientists in
geomagnetic, geophysics, and heliophysics research groups observe and
model the SAA, to monitor and predict future changes – and help prepare
for future challenges to satellites and humans in space.
https://www.nasa.gov/missions/icon/nasa-researchers-track-slowly-splitting-dent-in-earths-magnetic-field/
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High Sea Level Along U.S. Atlantic Coast Due To Ocean Current And Wind Changes
August 31, 2009
Persistent
winds and a weakened current in the Mid-Atlantic contributed to higher
than normal sea levels along the Eastern Seaboard in June and July,
according to a new NOAA technical report.
After observing water
levels six inches to two feet higher than originally predicted, NOAA
scientists began analyzing data from select tide stations and buoys from
Maine to Florida and found that a weakening of the Florida Current
Transport—an oceanic current that feeds into the Gulf Stream—in addition
to steady and persistent Northeast winds, contributed to this anomaly.
“The
ocean is dynamic and it’s not uncommon to have anomalies,” said Mike
Szabados, director of NOAA’s Center for Operational Oceanographic
Products and Services.
“What made this event unique was its breadth, intensity and duration.”
The
highest atypical sea levels occurred closer to where the anomaly formed
in the Mid-Atlantic, where cities like Baltimore, Md., at times
experienced extreme high tides as much as two feet higher than normal.
Data
from NOAA’s National Water Level Observation Network tide stations,
Atlantic Oceanographic and Meteorological Laboratory, and National Data
Buoy Center, are published in the report.
Impacts of the event
were amplified by the occurrence of a perigean-spring tide, the natural
timing of the season and month when the moon is closest to the Earth and
its gravitational pull heightens the elevation of the water.
The combined effects of this tide with the sea level anomaly produced minor flooding on the coast.
“The
report is a good first assessment,” said NOAA Oceanographer William
Sweet, Ph.D. “However, NOAA, with our academic partners, should continue
to investigate the broader causes behind the event. Further analysis is
needed to fully understand what is driving the patterns we observed.”
The full report, Elevated East Coast Sea Level Anomaly: June-July 2009, is available as a PDF.
https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/08/090831132943.htm
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Possible
linkage of sea surface height anomaly, surface wind stress and sea
surface temperature with the falling ice radiative effects under a
gradual warming scenario
17 August 2023
https://iopscience.iop.org/article/10.1088/2515-7620/acee4c
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Critical Atlantic Ocean current system is showing early signs of collapse, prompting warning from scientists
February 9, 2024
A
crucial system of ocean currents may already be on course to collapse,
according to a new report, with alarming implications for sea level rise
and global weather — leading temperatures to plunge dramatically in
some regions and rise in others.
Using exceptionally complex and
expensive computing systems, scientists found a new way to detect an
early warning signal for the collapse of these currents, according to
the study published Friday in the journal Science Advances. And as the
planet warms, there are already indications it is heading in this
direction.
The Atlantic Meridional Overturning Circulation (the
AMOC) — of which the Gulf Stream is part — works like a giant global
conveyor belt, taking warm water from the tropics toward the far North
Atlantic, where the water cools, becomes saltier and sinks deep into the
ocean, before spreading southward.
The currents carry heat and
nutrients to different areas of the globe and play a vital role in
keeping the climate of large parts of the Northern Hemisphere relatively
mild.
For decades, scientists have been sounding the alarm on
the circulation’s stability as climate change warms the ocean and melts
ice, disrupting the balance of heat and salt that determines the
currents’ strength.
While many scientists believe the AMOC will
slow under climate change, and could even grind to a halt, there remains
huge uncertainty over when and how fast this could happen. The AMOC has
only been monitored continuously since 2004.
https://www.cnn.com/2024/02/09/climate/atlantic-circulation-collapse-weather-climate/index.html
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Scientists warn of current ‘tipping point’ in Atlantic Ocean; ‘significant’ effects on climate
February 10, 2024
A
critical system of Atlantic Ocean currents may be approaching collapse,
which scientists warn will have a dangerous impact on our global
climate.
The Atlantic Meridional Overturning Circulation (AMOC),
which “effectively transports heat and salt through the global ocean,”
has recently shown signs of trending toward a crucial “tipping point”
according to a study published Friday in the journal Science Advances.
Scientists
have been warning of the potential collapse for decades, as the
currents’ strength has been weakened by rising temperatures which affect
the system’s balance of heat and salt.
While the study offers no
timetable for when a collapse could occur — the AMOC has only been
closely observed since 2004 — it predicts devastating effects in
particular for Euorpe and the Amazon rainforest.
https://www.nydailynews.com/2024/02/10/atlantic-ocean-current-collapse-climate-change-amoc/
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The polar vortex is acting up
January 16, 2024
Stratospheric shenanigans
If
we had to characterize the behavior of the stratospheric polar vortex
over the last week, we’d say it’s acting…squirrely. Living up to the
celebrity status we bestowed upon it, the stratosphere seems to know
everyone is watching and has decided to do something unexpected.
For
weeks now, we’ve talked about the warming of the temperatures and
weakening of the polar vortex winds that are 19 miles above us over the
Arctic. So far, this disruption of the polar vortex has been minor,
falling short of the wind reversal (west-to-east → east-to-west) that
defines a major sudden stratospheric warming. Our post last week
explained that this major warming event has been elusive so far due to
the lack of waves propagating from the troposphere below to the main
level of the stratospheric polar vortex. Minor warmings themselves are
not unexpected. Nor are they generally expected to be felt all the way
down at the surface.
But what makes the stratosphere’s current
behavior unexpected and somewhat rare is that the polar vortex seems to
be more disrupted at the lower levels, closer to the
stratosphere-troposphere boundary. For more than a week, high pressure
has been sitting in the troposphere over Greenland [footnote #1]. It’s
possible that the recent minor stratosphere warming reinforced this
Greenland high pressure, which then drove a wedge into the stretched-out
polar vortex in the lowest part of the stratosphere, splitting it into
two lobes.
This lower stratosphere disturbance has been
affecting the winds above it and looks to become just strong enough to
fully reverse the winds of the polar vortex in the mid-stratosphere. A
major sudden stratospheric warming is forecast to likely occur tomorrow.
Normally, that’s when the excitement about whether we’ll see any
surface impacts begins, as changes in the polar vortex communicate their
way down to the lower stratosphere and sometimes the troposphere. But
since the lower stratosphere has been perturbed for a while now, we’ve
already been on the lookout for changes in the troposphere...
https://www.climate.gov/news-features/blogs/polar-vortex/polar-vortex-acting
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Is Earth's Magnetic Field on The Verge of Flipping Over? An Expert Explains.
28 November 2023
The north magnetic pole's observed locations from 1831–2007 are yellow squares. Modeled pole locations from 1590–2025 are circles progressing from blue to yellow.
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King Solomon's Temple Investigation Marathon - Legend
7/21/2019
https://solomonstempleinvestigation.blogspot.com
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Section 7: Coral Reefs
______________
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Coral Reef Decline in Florida - Why did nearly 50% of Florida’s Coral Reef Disappear?
February 14, 2018
https://www.environmentalpollutioncenters.org/news/coral-reef-decline-in-florida/
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'Dire outlook': scientists say Florida reefs have lost nearly 98% of coral
2020
While overall US coral reefs are in fair condition, along the coast of Florida as little as 2% of original coral cover remains
https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2020/nov/18/coral-reefs-florida-dire-outlook
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What’s Killing the Keys? A new report shows a way forward for Florida’s reefs and marine life
February 26, 2021
https://marine-conservation.org/on-the-tide/whats-killing-the-keys-a-new-report-shows-a-way-forward-for-floridas-reefs-and-marine-life/
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Deadly coral disease in Florida, Caribbean may be transported in ship hulls, study finds
November 16, 2022
A new study suggests that ships may be spreading a deadly coral disease across Florida and the Caribbean. The findings by scientists at the University of Miami (UM) Rosenstiel School of Marine, Atmospheric, and Earth Science could help establish testing and treatment methods to mitigate the risk of further disease spread.
Stony coral tissue loss disease, or SCTLD, was first observed near Miami in 2014 and has since spread throughout all of Florida's Coral Reef and into the Caribbean, including in waters off Jamaica, St. Maarten, U.S. Virgin Islands, and Belize.
Researchers suggest that transport through ship hulls, where the vessel take on ballast water in one region to keep it stable and release it at a different port, may have contributed to disease spread.
https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2022/11/221116150643.htm
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Florida's Coral Reef Disease Outbreak
Scientists, policy makers, and the public are responding to a disease event affecting the continental United States' only living barrier reef.
Florida's Coral Reef is experiencing a multi-year outbreak of stony coral tissue loss disease. While disease outbreaks are not uncommon, this event is unique due to its large geographic range, extended duration, rapid progression, high rates of mortality and the number of species affected. The disease is thought to be caused by bacteria and can be transmitted to other corals through direct contact and water circulation. Researchers are working to identify potential pathogens and relationships with environmental factors, strategies to treat diseased colonies, and identify genotypes of corals that are resistant to the disease.
SEAFAN report photo shows symmetrical brain coral (Pseudodiploria strigosa) with an active stony coral tissue loss disease lesion.
https://floridakeys.noaa.gov/coral-disease/
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Sickness in the Sea: A Coral Plague Hits Florida
August 2019
https://ocean.si.edu/ecosystems/coral-reefs/sickness-sea-coral-plague-hits-florida
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Stony coral tissue loss disease accelerated shifts in coral composition and declines in reef accretion potential in the Florida Keys
25 October 2023
Outbreaks of coral disease have been a dominant force shaping western
Atlantic coral-reef assemblages since the late 1970s. Stony coral tissue
loss disease (SCTLD) is nonetheless having an unprecedented impact in
the region. Whereas numerous studies over the last decade have worked to
characterize this novel pathogen and its impacts on coral populations,
few have quantified its functional effects on reef ecosystems. Of
particular importance is how SCTLD may be impacting the essential
reef-accretion process and the myriad ecosystem services it supports.
Here, we evaluated the impact of SCTLD on reef-accretion potential by
estimating carbonate budgets and taxon-level carbonate production at 43
sites throughout the Florida Keys from 2016−2022. Average regional
reef-accretion potential declined from an already low, but positive rate
of 0.30 ± 0.16 mm y-1 (mean ± standard error) in 2016 before the disease was first observed, to a state of accretionary stasis (0.08 ± 0.12 mm y-1)
by 2022. This 70% relative decline in reef-accretion potential was
driven by the loss of reef-building corals, with significant decreases
in carbonate production by massive taxa including Colpophyllia natans, Montastraea cavernosa, Pseudodiploria strigosa, Orbicella spp., and Siderastrea siderea, and increasing contributions from less susceptible, weedy taxa including Millepora spp., Agaricia spp., and Porites astreoides.
In general, changes in taxon-level carbonate production following the
SCTLD outbreak mirror long-term shifts in reef assemblages in response
to previous stressors. One striking exception, however, is S. siderea,
which had become increasingly dominant in recent decades, but declined
significantly in response to SCTLD. Overall, by further decimating the
already depauperate reef-building coral populations in the Florida Keys,
SCTLD has caused a functionally significant shift in the composition of
Florida’s coral-reef assemblages and accelerated the loss of regional
reef-building capacity. The dire impacts of the disease in south Florida
may serve as an early warning that the persistence of the invaluable
ecological and socioeconomic functions coral reefs provide will be
increasingly threatened throughout the western Atlantic in the aftermath
of SCTLD.
https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fmars.2023.1276400/full
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A meta-analysis of the stony coral tissue loss disease microbiome finds key bacteria in unaffected and lesion tissue in diseased colonies
09 March 2023
https://www.nature.com/articles/s43705-023-00220-0
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The marine heat wave is killing coral reefs. Here's how South Florida is being impacted
July 18, 2023
The high temperatures cause corals to bleach, which means they lose the symbiotic algae which give them their color
https://www.nbcmiami.com/news/local/the-marine-heat-wave-is-killing-coral-reefs-heres-how-south-florida-is-being-impacted/3073507/
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Global ocean heat has hit a new record every single day for the last year
March 18, 2024
https://www.cnn.com/2024/03/18/climate/ocean-heat-record-year-climate-intl/index.html?iid=cnn_buildContentRecirc_end_recirc
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Extreme Ocean Temperatures Are Affecting Florida’s Coral Reef
August 18, 2023
Since April 2023, NOAA has been monitoring a steady rise in ocean temperatures, which is resulting in unprecedented heat stress conditions in the Caribbean basin, including waters surrounding Florida and the Gulf of Mexico. On Thursday, August 17, 2023, NOAA scientists provided a briefing on how these record-breaking warm ocean temperatures have stressed, bleached, and in some cases, killed corals within the 3,800 square miles of the Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary.
Coral reefs are often referred to as the "rainforests of the sea," due to their incredible biodiversity and ecological importance. They provide vital benefits as part of marine ecosystems by sustaining habitats for marine life, buffering the harmful impacts of storms on coastal communities, and supporting local economies through tourism and fishing.
According to the briefing, a large-scale heat stress and coral bleaching event is underway, impacting two ocean basins and multiple countries. Five countries in the Eastern Tropical Pacific have confirmed coral bleaching, including Mexico, El Salvador, Costa Rica, Panama, and Columbia. Seven countries/territories/states in the Atlantic have confirmed bleaching as well, including Florida, Puerto Rico, the U.S. Virgin Islands, Mexico (both sides of the Yucatan), Panama, Belize, and Cuba.
Throughout the Caribbean and Atlantic, sea surface temperatures are as high or higher than ever before in satellite records, and heat stress has developed five to six weeks earlier than ever seen in the record.
Essentially, corals around Florida are experiencing extreme levels of heat stress that have never been recorded before. All of the Florida Keys are at Alert Level 2 for bleaching conditions, which means severe, widespread bleaching and significant mortality are likely. Some sites have already been exposed to two times greater the amount of heat stress than when mortality is expected to begin, and so far, the most extreme heat stress is in the lower and middle Florida Keys.
https://www.nesdis.noaa.gov/news/extreme-ocean-temperatures-are-affecting-floridas-coral-reef
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Mass coral bleaching found in Florida Keys due to ocean's unprecedented high temperatures
July 25, 2023
https://www.cbsnews.com/miami/news/ocean-temps-surge-to-100-degrees-mass-coral-bleaching-found-in-florida-keys/
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The Florida Aquarium Successfully Spawns Threatened Pillar Coral for the Second Year in a Row
August 7, 2020
https://www.flaquarium.org/press-room/the-florida-aquarium-successfully-spawns-threatened-pillar-coral-for-the-second-year-in-a-row/
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Hot seawater killed most of cultivated coral in Florida Keys in setback for restoration effort
February 16, 2024
Record hot seawater killed more than three-quarters of human-cultivated coral that scientists had placed in the Florida Keys in recent years in an effort to prop up a threatened species that’s highly vulnerable to climate change, researchers discovered.
Researchers from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration this week returned to five reefs where they planted staghorn and elkhorn coral, both classified as threatened in the endangered species list, to see how the repopulated critters had survived prolonged water temperatures in the 90s (30s Celsius) last summer and fall. Most of them didn’t. They saw widespread death in both repopulated and wild coral on five Florida Keys reefs.
https://apnews.com/article/coral-reefs-widespread-death-climate-change-2b08ae1ef9b23b4a95f57cd76ada5d3d
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"100% coral mortality" found in coral reef restoration site off Florida as ocean temperatures soar
July 24, 2023
https://www.cbsnews.com/news/coral-reef-mortality-florida-ocean-temperatures/
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Corals can bounce back after heat waves, but only if there's enough time between them
April 5, 2024
https://phys.org/news/2024-04-corals.html
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Deep parts of Great Barrier Reef 'insulated' from global warming, for now
April 8, 2024
https://phys.org/news/2024-04-deep-great-barrier-reef-insulated.html
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Florida's Corals Are Dying Off, But It's Not All Due To Climate Change, Study Says
2019
https://www.npr.org/2019/07/16/742050975/floridas-corals-are-dying-off-but-it-s-not-all-due-to-climate-change-study-says
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There's a Whole New Threat to Florida Reefs Damaged by Pollution and Overfishing
2016
Florida's coral reefs are already in big trouble. Scientists around the globe have noted serious problems for the delicate but vital ecosystems, especially from "bleaching," a process that occurs when high heat and sunshine causes devastating effects. But that's not the only threat reefs in Florida face. A Florida Keys study...
https://www.miaminewtimes.com/news/theres-a-whole-new-threat-to-florida-reefs-damaged-by-pollution-and-overfishing-8539370
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Florida’s Water Crisis Has Sport Fishing on the Brink of Collapse
Apr 20, 2021
Fecal matter, killer algae, too much water, not enough water—Florida's hydrological disaster is killing its legendary inshore fishing
https://www.outdoorlife.com/floridas-water-crisis-has-sport-fishing-on-brink-collapse/
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Global Study Finds Reef Sharks Now at a Higher Risk of Extinction
June 16, 2023
https://www.ecomagazine.com/news/research/global-study-finds-reef-sharks-now-at-a-higher-risk-of-extinction
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'Janitors' of the sea: Overharvested sea cucumbers play crucial role in protecting coral
February 26, 2024
https://phys.org/news/2024-02-janitors-sea-overharvested-cucumbers-play.html
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Scientists Will Unleash an Army of Crabs To Help Save Florida’s Dying Reef
September 27, 2023
https://pulitzercenter.org/stories/scientists-will-unleash-army-crabs-help-save-floridas-dying-reef
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Environmental issues with coral reefs
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Environmental_issues_with_coral_reefs
This image of an algae bloom off the southern coast of England, though not in a coral region, shows what a bloom can look like from a satellite remote sensing system.
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Threats facing South Florida’s coral reefs and possible solutions
2017
https://sharkresearch.earth.miami.edu/threats-facing-south-floridas-coral-reefs-and-possible-solutions/
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Probiotics May Help Corals Fight a Dangerous Disease Off Florida’s Coast
April 6, 2023
The new treatment shows promise in lab experiments
It begins as a pale spot on an otherwise colorful mass of coral that the average snorkeler might not give a second glance. But to the trained scientific eye, that spot is a lesion that can be a disturbing harbinger of swift and complete destruction, even of healthy corals. Unfortunately biologists working in Florida and Caribbean waters have seen far too much of stony coral tissue loss disease (SCTLD), a persistent and widespread pathogen that is leaving an ever-growing trail of dead, white coral in its wake.
“It’s really devastating,” says Valerie Paul, head scientist at the Smithsonian Marine Station at Fort Pierce, Florida. “It can kill coral that’s hundreds of years old in a month.”
The remaining live tissue on this great star coral (Montastraea cavernosa)
colony in Florida is being destroyed by stony coral tissue loss
disease. The bright white margin surrounding the dark-brown, living
coral tissue is where the coral is bleaching and dying due to the
disease.
https://www.smithsonianmag.com/science-nature/probiotics-may-help-corals-fight-a-dangerous-disease-off-floridas-coast-180981940/
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Newly discovered probiotic could protect Caribbean corals threatened by deadly, devastating disease
April 6, 2023
New treatment offers an alternative to antibiotic treatment, reducing risk of resistant pathogenic bacteria
https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2023/04/230406075659.htm
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The heroic effort to save Florida’s coral reef from extreme ocean heat as corals bleach across the Caribbean
August 9, 2023
https://theconversation.com/the-heroic-effort-to-save-floridas-coral-reef-from-extreme-ocean-heat-as-corals-bleach-across-the-caribbean-210974
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Condition of coral reef cnidarians from the northern Florida reef tract: Pesticides, heavy metals, and histopathological examination
1989
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/0025326X89903597
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In Florida, endangered coral finds a way to blossom
JULY 17, 2023
https://phys.org/news/2023-07-florida-endangered-coral-blossom.html
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Florida Reef
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Florida_Reef
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Deep-sea coral reef stretches 600 miles from Miami to SC, scientists find
January 18th, 2024
https://phys.org/news/2024-01-deep-sea-coral-reef-miles.html
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South Florida's nearshore reefs less vulnerable to ocean acidification, study finds
January 17, 2024
https://phys.org/news/2024-01-south-florida-nearshore-reefs-vulnerable.html
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Here is what scientists are doing to save Florida's coral reef before it's too late
November 29, 2022
https://www.npr.org/2022/11/29/1138631989/scientists-florida-coral-barrier-reef-survival-restoration
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Restoring Florida's Dying Coral Reefs | Refurbished | Insider
Feb 18, 2023
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ceAlK_Fw8ZQ
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Restoring Florida's Iconic Coral Reefs
December 07, 2023
https://www.fisheries.noaa.gov/podcast/restoring-floridas-iconic-coral-reefs
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Why 'it is absolutely not too late' for Florida's coral reefs
October 11, 2023
https://www.npr.org/2023/10/11/1198908241/noaa-florida-coral-reefs
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Florida’s Coral Reef Supports Fishing, Tourism and Beaches. Can Science Save It?
Nov. 18, 2023
With booster shots, IVF and ‘coral gyms,’ researchers are deploying new technologies to climate-proof the world’s third-longest barrier reef
https://www.wsj.com/science/florida-coral-reef-climate-change-heat-wave-6d5ee30b
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The Mission to Save Florida’s Reefs
2021
https://www.nrdc.org/stories/mission-save-floridas-reefs
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Expanding Access to Coral Reef Conservation Technology
Jul 05, 2023
https://scripps.ucsd.edu/news/expanding-access-coral-reef-conservation-technology
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Sea Urchins Keep Surviving as Marine Life Deteriorates in the Florida Keys
January 16, 2023
The creatures are essential for healthy marine ecosystems.
https://www.treehugger.com/sea-urchins-keep-surviving-as-marine-life-languishes-in-the-florida-keys-7094387
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Scripps Institution of Oceanography report shows coral reefs healing despite warm water events
August 30, 2022
With global warming events causing parts of the ocean to heat up, coral reef bleaching has made headlines since the early 2000’s.
https://www.cbs8.com/article/news/local/outreach/earth8/coral-reefs-show-signs-healing/509-312457a0-0662-4631-9221-96a772906858
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Central Pacific Coral Reef Shows Remarkable Recovery Despite Two Warm-Water Events
Jul 06, 2022
https://scripps.ucsd.edu/news/central-pacific-coral-reef-shows-remarkable-recovery-despite-two-warm-water-events
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Report Shows Pollution At Majority Of Florida's Beaches Puts Swimmers At Risk
2020
https://www.wusf.org/environment/2020-08-03/report-shows-pollution-at-majority-of-floridas-beaches-puts-swimmers-at-risk
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PATHOGENS POSE RISK AT 185 OF FLORIDA BEACHES: WATER POLLUTION PERSISTS AS CONGRESS CONSIDERS INFRASTRUCTURE FUNDING
https://www.keyscience.org/pathogens-pose-risk-at-185-of-florida-beaches-water-pollution-persists-as-congress-considers-infrastructure-funding/
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Florida Keys ecosystem threatened by multiple stressors
October 31, 2011
https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/10/111021074742.htm
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Human Effect on the Florida Keys Ecosystem
https://sciencing.com/human-effect-on-the-florida-keys-ecosystem-12731130.html
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Florida Keys
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Florida_Keys
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Environment of Florida
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Environment_of_Florida
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Florida panhandle
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Florida_panhandle
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Florida's Top 10 Toxic Pollution Problems
April 29, 2020
https://www.advocatesvoice.com/2020/04/floridas-top-10-toxic-pollution-problems.html
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State of our Seas: Panhandle waterways
2023
https://www.abcactionnews.com/news/state/state-of-our-seas-panhandle-waterways
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Section 8: Red Tide & Algal Blooms
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What Exactly Is a Red Tide?
August 2018
Drifting
throughout the ocean, invisible to the naked eye, are innumerable
microscopic algae. They come in many shapes and sizes—some geometrically
beautiful, like the diatoms, and others, like the dinoflagellates, swim
in a distinctive whirling pattern. These tiny algae are essential
components to ocean life as they fuel the food web by harnessing light
energy from the sun. But when supplied with excess nutrients, they can
multiply uncontrollably, becoming an unwanted mass commonly called a
“red tide” that smothers nearby ocean life.
This massive growth
of algae can become harmful to both the environment and humans, which is
why scientists often refer to them as harmful algal blooms or HABs.
When nutrients from inland areas flow down rivers and arrive in the
ocean they supply a nutritious feast for algae, causing them to rapidly
grow. This can happen naturally as rivers flood and bring nutrient-rich
soil from forests and grasslands, but it can also happen when fertilizer
and excrement from livestock travel down those same waterways, or when
coastal development leads to excess erosion. Some algae species, like
the dinoflagellate Karenia brevis, color the ocean surface a deep red,
inspiring the name “red tide.” But not all red tides are red and not all
of them even become dense enough to color the water. There are also
“brown tides” which can be damaging as well.
The sea of red in the waves is caused by an algae called Karenia brevis.
Not only do red tides create temporarily toxic oceans, they can also deplete the water of dissolved oxygen, causing a phenomenon known as a dead zone. When the algae die, they become a feast for microbes, like bacteria. These microbes, like animals, require oxygen, so as they feed on the dead algae they also multiply and consume much of the oxygen in the ocean. This leaves little available for fish and other creatures that breathe underwater. When the ocean becomes depleted of oxygen, fish can die en masse—leaving the ocean surface covered in floating, dead fish for as far as the eye can see.
Red tides are seasonal and often peak in the late summer when ocean conditions are the best for algae growth, however, off the coast of Florida they have been known to last for up to 18 months at a time. Although a natural occurrence (Spanish explorers remarked on the Florida red tides in the 1500s), studies suggest that harmful algal blooms are increasing in frequency, likely due to climate change and nutrient pollution from farming and landscaping.
But this does not mean the situation is hopeless—through concerted efforts in cleaning rivers and coastlines of excess nutrients, communities can curb the spread of these increasingly frequent red tides. Following a sudden population growth in the 1950s, Tampa Bay became covered in a thick mat of algae as mangroves were cleared and polluted water was dumped straight into the bay. Now, after over 40 years of restoration, the bay is cleaner than ever and the story of the community that came together to restore their waterways proves that recovery is possible.
Dinoflagellates are major producers of oxygen in the ocean (and freshwater). But some species can grow out of control, causing a red tide.
A satellite image of chlorophyll concentrations (the molecule used in photosynthesis) shows the harmful algae bloom in the southwestern part of Florida.
https://ocean.si.edu/ocean-life/plants-algae/what-exactly-red-tide
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Why Is Florida Experiencing Its Most Toxic Algae Bloom In A Decade?
Aug 10, 2018
https://www.forbes.com/sites/priyashukla/2018/08/10/why-is-florida-experiencing-its-most-toxic-algae-bloom-in-a-decade/?sh=1162fae1587e
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Harmful algal bloom
A harmful algal bloom (HAB), or excessive algae growth, is an algal bloom that causes negative impacts to other organisms by production of natural algae-produced toxins, mechanical damage to other organisms, or by other means. HABs are sometimes defined as only those algal blooms that produce toxins, and sometimes as any algal bloom that can result in severely lower oxygen levels in natural waters, killing organisms in marine or fresh waters. Blooms can last from a few days to many months. After the bloom dies, the microbes that decompose the dead algae use up more of the oxygen, generating a "dead zone" which can cause fish die-offs. When these zones cover a large area for an extended period of time, neither fish nor plants are able to survive. Harmful algal blooms in marine environments are often called "red tides".
Dead zone in the southern U.S.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Harmful_algal_bloom
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Neurological illnesses associated with Florida red tide (Karenia brevis) blooms
2019 Mar 1
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC9933543/
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Medium to high levels of red tide detected off of Florida's west coast
March 4, 2023
https://www.fox13news.com/news/medium-to-high-levels-of-red-tide-detected-off-of-floridas-west-coast
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Was Florida red tide made worse by Hurricane Ian? Here's what we know
MARCH 2, 2023
https://phys.org/news/2023-03-florida-red-tide-worse-hurricane.html
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Deadly Bacteria Cases Hit 12-Year High In Florida Following Hurricane Ian
Oct 19, 2022
https://www.huffpost.com/entry/florida-vibrio-vulnificus-cases-hurricane-ian_n_634ec0cfe4b03e8038d87a5e
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Review of Florida Red Tide and Human Health Effects
2010
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3014608/
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The human health effects of Florida Red Tide (FRT) blooms: An expanded analysis
2014
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0160412014000890
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UF study: Human activity provides nutrients for longer, stronger red tides
April 22, 2022
https://www.wusf.org/environment/2022-04-22/uf-study-human-activity-provides-nutrients-for-longer-stronger-red-tides
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Red Tide Is Devastating Florida's Sea Life. Are Humans to Blame?
https://www.nationalgeographic.com/environment/article/news-longest-red-tide-wildlife-deaths-marine-life-toxins
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Red handed: The connection between human pollution and Florida's worsening red tide outbreaks
August 1, 2022
https://www.wusf.org/environment/2022-08-01/connection-human-pollution-florida-red-tide-outbreaks
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How your lawn’s fertilizers can contribute to the red tide; counties combat their use
September 22, 2020
https://www.wftv.com/weather/how-your-lawn-s-fertilizers-can-contribute-to-the-red-tide-some-counties-combat-their-use/840788527/
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Red tide is blanketing some Florida beaches: What you need to know about the toxic algae
March 6, 2023
https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2023/03/06/red-tide-florida-beaches/11411138002/
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Red tide is concentrating on Florida's gulf coast. See the hot spots.
March 7, 2023
https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2023/03/07/red-tide-florida-map-2023/11414829002/
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Red Tide Returns to Florida Beaches Earlier and Stronger Than Normal
March 8, 2023
https://www.ecowatch.com/red-tide-florida-climate-change.html
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Fishermen and Scientists Probe Phosphate’s Connection to Florida Red Tides
2022
https://civileats.com/2022/04/26/fishermen-scientists-probe-phosphates-florida-red-tides-pollution-algal-bloom/
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What to know about the 'red tide' hitting Florida beaches
MARCH 6, 2023
https://www.npr.org/2023/03/06/1161339697/what-to-know-red-tide-florida-beaches-algae
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Harmful algal toxins of the Florida red tide (Karenia brevis): natural chemical stressors in South Florida coastal ecosystems
2008 Aug 30
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2683401/
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Overview of Aerosolized Florida Red Tide Toxins: Exposures and Effects
10 February 2005
https://ehp.niehs.nih.gov/doi/10.1289/ehp.7501
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Inland Transport of Aerosolized Florida Red Tide Toxins
2009
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2796838/
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Exposure to Aerosolized Algal Toxins in South Florida Increases Short- and Long-Term Health Risk in Drosophila Model of Aging
2020
Abstract
Harmful algal blooms (HABs) are a rising health and environmental
concern in the United States, particularly in South Florida. Skin
contact and the ingestion of contaminated water or fish and other
seafood have been proven to have severe toxicity to humans in some
cases. However, the impact of aerosolized HAB toxins is poorly
understood. In particular, knowledge regarding either the immediate or
long-term effects of exposure to aerosolized cyanotoxins produced by
freshwater blue-green algae does not exist. The aim of this study was to
probe the toxicity of aerosolized cyanobacterial blooms using Drosophila melanogaster
as an animal model. The exposure of aerosolized HABs at an early age
leads to the most severe long-term impact on health and longevity among
all age groups. Young groups and old males showed a strong acute
response to HAB exposure. In addition, brain morphological analysis
using fluorescence imaging reveals significant indications of brain
degeneration in females exposed to aerosolized HABs in early or late
stages. These results indicate that one-time exposure to aerosolized HAB
particles causes a significant health risk, both immediately and in the
long-term. Interestingly, age at the time of exposure plays an
important role in the specific nature of the impact of aerosol HABs. As
BMAA and microcystin have been found to be the significant toxins in
cyanobacteria, the concentration of both toxins in the water and
aerosols was examined. BMAA and microcystin are consistently detected in
HAB waters, although their concentrations do not always correlate with
the severity of the health impact, suggesting the potential contribution
from additional toxins present in the aerosolized HAB. This study
demonstrates, for the first time, the health risk of exposure to
aerosolized HAB, and further highlights the critical need and importance
of understanding the toxicity of aerosolized cyanobacteria HAB
particles and determining the immediate and long-term health impacts of
HAB exposure.
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/33322328/
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Florida Red Tide Brews Up Drug Lead for Cystic Fibrosis
2007
https://www.science.org/doi/10.1126/science.316.5831.1561
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Florida scientists are mapping red tide fish kills to help regulate fishing afterward
October 23, 2023
https://www.wusf.org/environment/2023-10-23/florida-scientists-mapping-red-tide-fish-kills-regulate-fishing
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Interactive Florida Red Tide Map Show Locations Of Toxic Algae
Oct 05, 2018
For months on end, beach-goers in Florida have been checking the local alerts for conditions related to the red tide event happening off the coast. The conditions are listed on different sites from different counties and towns but the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission released a new map that makes it easier for those in the area to keep up with the latest levels of the harmful algae cells.
https://www.newsweek.com/red-tide-map-interactive-use-1154953
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The complex causes of red tide make toxic blooms a challenge to predict, scientists say
March 22, 2023
https://health.wusf.usf.edu/health-news-florida/2023-03-22/the-complex-causes-of-red-tide-make-toxic-blooms-a-challenge-to-predict-scientists-say
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Red Tide Data Resources for Florida
https://secoora.org/red-tide-data-resources-for-florida/
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Gulf of Mexico/Florida: Harmful Algal Blooms
https://oceanservice.noaa.gov/hazards/hab/gulf-mexico.html
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Understanding the 2017-2018 Florida Red Tide
https://blogs.ifas.ufl.edu/extension/2018/12/04/understanding-the-florida-red-tide/
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Harmful algal toxins of the Florida red tide (Karenia brevis): natural chemical stressors in South Florida coastal ecosystems
2008
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2683401/
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Red tide is drifting north along Pinellas beaches and increasing in Manatee and Sarasota counties
March 5, 2023
https://www.wusf.org/2023-03-05/red-tide-drifting-north-along-pinellas-beaches-increasing-in-manatee-and-sarasota-counties
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Health Alert for Sarasota County
February 08, 2023
Sarasota - The Florida Department of Health in Sarasota County (DOH-Sarasota) reminds the public that elevated levels of red tide continue to be detected at all 16 Sarasota County beaches.
https://sarasota.floridahealth.gov/newsroom/2023/02/health-alert.html
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3 years ago, a massive algae bloom in Florida killed 2,000 tons of marine life. It’s threatening again
June 4, 2021
https://www.cnn.com/2021/05/24/us/algae-bloom-florida/index.html
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Gov. DeSantis announces record funding to fight red tide in Florida
May 4, 2022
https://www.wfla.com/weather/red-tide/gov-desantis-to-speak-in-clearwater-at-frenchys-rockaway-grill/
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Pollution Verified in Most of Southwest Florida Area’s Prized Water Bodies
2021
What’s been long suspected now is official: Southwest Florida’s most cherished waters are in trouble.
From
Charlotte Harbor south to San Carlos Bay, a draft state report shows
widespread pollution from the fertilizer nitrogen and the algae
byproduct, chlorophyll. Many of them also contain unhealthy levels of
fecal bacteria. Even the water in the J.N. “Ding” Darling National
Wildlife Refuge on Sanibel Island is tainted.
For years, the
Sanibel-Captiva Conservation Foundation has been sampling the water
around its islands, and the nonprofit is now sounding the alarm, joined
by other water quality advocates.
The latest report includes most
of the water bodies along the Gulf of Mexico including the barrier
islands and the coast – the places that power the region’s $3 billion
tourism industry.
It’s an industry still traumatized by 2018’s
devastating dual toxic blooms of red tide and cyanobacteria. The
microorganisms responsible for both can be fed by nutrient pollution.
https://calusawaterkeeper.org/news/pollution-verified-in-most-of-southwest-florida-areas-prized-water-bodies-9492/
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Toxic water leak threatens Tampa Bay, Gulf of Mexico
2021
Gov.
DeSantis issues state of emergency for Hillsborough, Manatee, Pinellas
counties as officials warn of potential 'catastrophic' flood
https://www.capecoralbreeze.com/news/local-news/2021/04/05/toxic-water-leak-threatens-tampa-bay-gulf-of-mexico/
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Environmental report finds water contamination in Duval, Clay counties
January 23, 2020
https://www.actionnewsjax.com/news/local/duval-county/environmental-report-finds-water-contamination-duval-clay-counties/JOPF3XBZMBAGNEFEY7YCO6KJ5M/
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'A toxic mess': former Solite employee says Clay County concrete plant caused lifetime of health problems
February 11, 2020
A
Clay County man says many medical problems resulted from his work at an
old concrete plant that property owners want to develop.
https://www.firstcoastnews.com/article/news/local/a-toxic-mess-former-solite-employee-says-clay-county-concrete-plant-caused-lifetime-of-health-problems/77-507f8fdb-86c9-40a3-8929-eaf8bdd3cd36
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Neighbors release new chemical test results from area surrounding old Clay County mining site
November 14, 2023
https://www.wuft.org/environment/2023-11-14/neighbors-release-new-chemical-test-results-from-area-surrounding-old-clay-county-mining-site
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Algae toxins in Jacksonville waterway below danger level, but trigger health alert
2021
https://www.jacksonville.com/story/news/environment/2021/08/09/duval-health-alert-tells-people-avoid-algae-after-test-finds-toxins/5542241001/
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HEALTH OFFICIALS ISSUE BLUE-GREEN ALGAE BLOOM ALERT FOR HIGHLANDS COUNTY-LAKE GLENADA AND LAKE PLACID
February 26, 2024
https://www.floridahealth.gov/environmental-health/aquatic-toxins/_documents/highlandscounty-bluegreenalgae-alert-lakeglenada-lakeplacid-02-26-24.pdf
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Health officials issue blue-green algae bloom alert for Orange Lake
2022
https://marion.floridahealth.gov/newsroom/2022/03/03_04_2.html
______________
Slow progress despite efforts to fix Orange Lake pollution
2016
https://www.news-journalonline.com/story/news/state/2016/12/03/slow-progress-despite-efforts-to-fix-orange-lake-pollution/24425064007/
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Lakeland faces state mandates to improve water quality on five lakes
2023
LAKELAND — Florida Department of Environmental Protection has identified five Lakeland lakes where water quality needs to be improved, adding to the city's lengthy list of polluted lakes.
Lake Bonnet is considered Lakeland'smost polluted Lake. There's estimated to be about 28 feet of sediment on one side of the lake.
https://www.theledger.com/story/news/local/2023/05/09/state-says-lakeland-needs-to-improve-water-quality-on-five-lakes/70187057007/
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State mandates cleanup of 9 Lakeland lakes with major water quality issues
May 02, 2023
https://www.abcactionnews.com/news/region-polk/state-mandates-cleanup-of-9-lakeland-lakes-with-major-water-quality-issues
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Cancer-Linked Contaminants Found In Lakeland Water: Report
Oct 23, 2019
A new study found drinking water is often less safe than what the federal government may deem legal.
https://patch.com/florida/lakeland/cancer-linked-contaminants-found-lakeland-water-report
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BLUE-GREEN ALGAE ALERT ISSUED FOR LAKE GEORGE
2022
https://volusia.floridahealth.gov/newsroom/2022/08/Blue-Green-Algae-Bloom.html
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Algal bloom
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Algal_bloom
An
algal bloom or algae bloom is a rapid increase or accumulation in the
population of algae in freshwater or marine water systems. It is often
recognized by the discoloration in the water from the algae's
pigments.[1] The term algae encompasses many types of aquatic
photosynthetic organisms, both macroscopic multicellular organisms like
seaweed and microscopic unicellular organisms like cyanobacteria.[2]
Algal bloom commonly refers to the rapid growth of microscopic
unicellular algae, not macroscopic algae.[3] An example of a macroscopic
algal bloom is a kelp forest.[2]
Algal blooms are the result of a
nutrient, like nitrogen or phosphorus from various sources (for example
fertilizer runoff or other forms of nutrient pollution), entering the
aquatic system and causing excessive growth of algae. An algal bloom
affects the whole ecosystem.
Consequences range from the benign
feeding of higher trophic levels to more harmful effects like blocking
sunlight from reaching other organisms, causing a depletion of oxygen
levels in the water, and, depending on the organism, secreting toxins
into the water. Blooms that can injure animals or the ecology,
especially those blooms where toxins are secreted by the algae, are
usually called "harmful algal blooms" (HAB), and can lead to fish
die-offs, cities cutting off water to residents, or states having to
close fisheries. The process of the oversupply of nutrients leading to
algae growth and oxygen depletion is called eutrophication.
Algal
and bacterial blooms have persistently contributed to mass extinctions
driven by global warming in the geologic past, such as during the
end-Permian extinction driven by Siberian Traps volcanism and the biotic
recovery following the mass extinction.
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Saltwater Algal Blooms
https://www.cdc.gov/habs/illness-symptoms-marine.html
______________
An introduction to copper and zinc pollution in macroalgae: for use in remediation and nutritional applications
2019
https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s10811-018-1580-5
______________
Zinc toxicity alters the photosynthetic response of red alga Pyropia yezoensis to ocean acidification
2020
https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s11356-019-06872-7
______________
Metal-non-tolerant ecotypes of ectomycorrhizal fungi can protect plants from cadmium pollution
2023
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/38126020/
______________
Long-term and acute effects of zinc contamination of a stream on fish mortality and physiology
2009
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/18937529/
______________
The physiology and toxicology of zinc in fish
2010
https://www.cambridge.org/core/books/abs/toxicology-of-aquatic-pollution/physiology-and-toxicology-of-zinc-in-fish/8056DD266B7C2B07A0F57454C8B7FC3A
______________
Toxicity of Zinc Compounds to Aquatic Animals, with Special Reference to Fish
https://www.journals.uchicago.edu/doi/abs/10.1086/404229?journalCode=qrb
______________
Skincare Chemicals and Coral Reefs
Common
chemicals used in thousands of products to protect against harmful
effects of ultraviolet light threaten corals and other marine life.
https://oceanservice.noaa.gov/news/sunscreen-corals.html
______________
Sunscreen Pollution
2016
http://www.marinesafe.org/blog/2016/03/18/sunscreen-pollution/
______________
Study of zinc pollution in river water: Average mass balance based on irrigation schedule
2020
https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1002/rra.3632
______________
Chapter 12 - Zinc soil pollution of global contaminated sites
2024
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/B9780323904001000161
_______________
Reducing Zinc and Total Suspended Solids in Stormwater Runoff
https://www.uscompliance.com/blog/reducing-zinc-and-total-suspended-solids-in-stormwater-runoff/
______________
Sources of Zinc in Highway Runoff
2017
https://environment.transportation.org/teri-idea/sources-of-zinc-in-highway-runoff/
______________
Is Zinc Biodegradable? A Detailed Look At The Environmental Impact Of Zinc
2023
https://www.findingasuitable.com/is-zinc-biodegradable/
______________
Perspectives on phytoremediation of zinc pollution in air, water and soil
2021
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2352554121001777
______________
Applications of ZnO and MgO Nanoparticles in Reducing Zinc Pollution Level in Rubber Manufacturing Processes: A Review
2020
https://www.researchgate.net/publication/339464559_Applications_of_ZnO_and_MgO_Nanoparticles_in_Reducing_Zinc_Pollution_Level_in_Rubber_Manufacturing_Processes_A_Review
______________
Unethical human experimentation in the United States
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Unethical_human_experimentation_in_the_United_States
1950s
In
1950, to conduct a simulation of a biological warfare attack, the U.S.
Navy sprayed large quantities of the bacteria Serratia marcescens –
considered harmless at the time – over the city of San Francisco during a
project called Operation Sea-Spray. Numerous citizens contracted
pneumonia-like illnesses, and at least one person died as a
result. The family of the person who died sued
the government for gross negligence, but a federal judge ruled in favor
of the government in 1981. Serratia tests were continued until at
least 1969.
Also in 1950, Dr. Joseph Stokes of the University
of Pennsylvania deliberately infected 200 female prisoners with viral
hepatitis.
From the 1950s to 1972, mentally disabled children
at the Willowbrook State School in Staten Island, New York, were
intentionally infected with viral hepatitis, for research whose purpose
was to help discover a vaccine. From 1963 to 1966, Saul Krugman of
New York University promised the parents of mentally disabled children
that their children would be enrolled into Willowbrook in exchange for
signing a consent form for procedures that he claimed were
"vaccinations". In reality, the procedures involved deliberately
infecting children with viral hepatitis by feeding them an extract made
from the feces of patients infected with the disease.
In
1952, Chester M. Southam, a Sloan-Kettering Institute researcher,
injected live cancer cells, known as HeLa cells, into prisoners at the
Ohio State Penitentiary and cancer patients. Also at Sloan-Kettering,
300 healthy females were injected with live cancer cells without being
told. The doctors stated that they knew at the time that it might cause
cancer.
In 1953, Dr. Frank Olson and several other colleagues
were unknowingly dosed with LSD as part of a CIA experiment, MK-ULTRA.
Olson died nine days later after falling to his death from a hotel
window under suspicious circumstances.
The San Francisco
Chronicle, December 17, 1979, p. 5 reported a claim by the Church of
Scientology that the CIA conducted an open-air biological warfare
experiment in 1955 near Tampa, Florida, and elsewhere in Florida with
whooping cough bacteria. It was alleged that the experiment tripled the
whooping cough infections in Florida to over one-thousand cases and
caused whooping cough deaths in the state to increase from one to 12
over the previous year. This claim has been cited in a number of later
sources, although these added no further supporting evidence.
During
the 1950s, the United States conducted a series of field tests using
entomological weapons (EW). Operation Big Itch, in 1954, was designed to
test munitions loaded with uninfected fleas (Xenopsylla cheopis). In
May 1955 over 300,000 uninfected mosquitoes (Aedes aegypti) were dropped
over parts of the U.S. state of Georgia to determine if the air-dropped
mosquitoes could survive to take meals from humans. The mosquito tests
were known as Operation Big Buzz. The U.S. engaged in at least two other
EW testing programs, Operation Drop Kick and Operation May Day.
1960s
In
1963, 22 elderly patients at the Jewish Chronic Disease Hospital in
Brooklyn, New York City were injected with live cancer cells by Chester
M. Southam, who in 1952 had done the same to prisoners at the Ohio State
Prison, to "discover the secret of how healthy bodies fight the
invasion of malignant cells". The administration of the hospital
attempted to cover the study up, but the New York medical licensing
board ultimately placed Southam on probation for one year. Two years
later, the American Cancer Society elected him as their vice
president.
From 1963 to 1969, as part of Project Shipboard
Hazard and Defense (SHAD), the U.S. Army performed tests which involved
spraying several U.S. ships with various biological and chemical warfare
agents, while thousands of U.S. military personnel were aboard the
ships. The personnel were not notified of the tests, and were not given
any protective clothing. Chemicals tested on the U.S. military personnel
included the nerve gases VX and Sarin, toxic chemicals such as zinc
cadmium sulfide and sulfur dioxide, and a variety of biological
agents.
In 1966, the U.S. Army released Bacillus globigii
into the tunnels of the New York City Subway system, as part of a field
experiment called A Study of the Vulnerability of Subway Passengers in
New York City to Covert Attack with Biological
Agents. The Chicago subway system was also subject
to a similar experiment by the Army.
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Section 9: Water Pollution & Problems
______________
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Florida Beachgoers Left Behind 13,000 Pounds of Trash Last Week on This Beach
May 12, 2020
https://www.ecowatch.com/florida-beaches-trash-cleanup-2645978893.html
______________
Dania Beach Has a Serious Litter Problem
April 2016
https://www.browardpalmbeach.com/news/dania-beach-has-a-serious-litter-problem-7685533
______________
Florida seawater could contain harmful, even deadly, bacteria: What to know
May 10, 2022
https://www.wtsp.com/article/news/regional/florida/florida-seawater-bacteria-vibrio-vulnificus/67-82d42aaa-8093-4af5-83fd-badfde30a8d3
______________
Deadly Bacterial Infections on the Rise in Florida: 'Serious Concern'
Oct 18, 2023
https://www.newsweek.com/deadly-bacteria-infection-rise-florida-serious-1835705
______________
31 in Florida infected by bacteria in salt water
October 11, 2013
Holm said nine people died from vibrio vulnificus in Florida in 2012, and 13 in 2011, so this year's statistics aren't alarming. What's different, she said, was that victims' families are speaking to the news media about the danger.
https://www.foxnews.com/health/31-in-florida-infected-by-bacteria-in-salt-water
______________
Harmful bacteria prompt officials to issue 'no swim' advisory for multiple Florida beaches
Jul 29, 2022
https://www.wtxl.com/news/national/harmful-bacteria-prompt-officials-to-issue-no-swim-advisory-for-multiple-florida-beaches
______________
Hurricane Idalia caused widespread pollution in Florida’s waterways
Sept 8, 2023
Wastewater, fuel and chemicals spilled in several parts of the state as the massive storm caused extensive flooding.
https://www.tampabay.com/news/environment/2023/09/08/hurricane-idalia-floodwater-sewage-leak-pollution-contamination-tampa-bay/
______________
Avoid contact with contaminated water and surrounding areas
August 30, 2023
Naples, Fla. – The Florida Department of Health in Collier County (DOH-Collier) is advising the public not to enter the water due to the possible increased risk of waterborne illness. Water quality has been affected by Hurricane Idalia. Swimming is not recommended.
Public Beaches
Heavy winds and rain can negatively impact coastal waters. Excessive amounts of rain and storm surge can increase the levels of harmful bacteria in these waters. The sources of the bacteria can vary and include failing septic systems, sewer line breaks, overflowing manholes, and wildlife.
Storm surge and floodwaters may have also brought debris on to the beaches. This debris is hazardous and has also been subjected to harmful bacteria. Under no circumstance should any person handle debris who is not wearing proper safety equipment.
Residents and visitors should avoid swimming in coastal waters until bacterial testing indicates sample results within the state and Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) standards. Testing will begin as soon as conditions are safe, and areas are accessible. Test results can be accessed at the Florida Department of Health Healthy Beaches website: https://www.floridahealth.gov/environmental-health/beach-waterquality/index.html.
https://collier.floridahealth.gov/newsroom/2023/08/20230830DOHCollierIssuesPrecautionarySwimAdvisory.pdf.html
______________
Public Health Advisory Issued for Bahia and Davis Island Beaches Due to High Bacteria Levels
September 14, 2023
https://hillsborough.floridahealth.gov/newsroom/2023/09/bahia-di-beach-advisory-09142023.html
______________
Garniers Beach and Liza Jackson parks under health advisory due to high bacteria levels
July 2021
https://www.nwfdailynews.com/story/news/local/2021/07/22/health-advisory-fort-walton-beach-parks-due-bacteria-water/8053179002/
______________
Residents say: “The Choctawhatchee Bay is Unhealthy”
Mar 13, 2019
https://www.mypanhandle.com/news/residents-say-the-choctawhatchee-bay-is-unhealthy/
______________
Okaloosa’s Sylvania Heights Seeks Environmental Justice
September 28, 2021
The Sylvania Heights community in Fort Walton Beach has been facing stormwater issues for decades. With aging infrastructure and little stormwater mitigation, the problem is spilling into other neighborhoods and residents are anxious to see some action.
A ditch off Jonquil Avenue in Fort Walton Beach feeds untreated stormwater directly into Gap Creek.
https://www.wuwf.org/local-news/2021-09-28/okaloosas-sylvania-heights-seeks-environmental-justice
______________
Red tide reported from Navarre to South Walton; bacteria reported in three Okaloosa parks
Oct 28, 2021
Red tide blooms have been reported up and down the Gulf Coast, with some blooms reportedly causing fish kills in Walton County.
The Florida Department of Health in Okaloosa County issued a public notice Tuesday reporting a red tide bloom affecting James Lee Park and the Shirah public beach access in Destin, along with Beasley Park and Fort Walton Beach Access Seven on Okaloosa Island.
Also on Tuesday, the South Walton Fire District issued a Facebook post stating, "This recent bout of red tide is no joke. Lifeguards have reported poor air quality and fish kills across South Walton. Red tide is not deadly to humans, but can lead to allergy-like symptoms of sneezing, difficulty breathing and itchy eyes/throat."
Florida Red Tide Map
https://www.nwfdailynews.com/story/news/local/2021/10/28/red-tide-reported-santa-rosa-okaloosa-and-walton-counties/8581739002/
______________
Water off Navarre Park has a pollution problem, and its source remains a mystery
August 15, 2023
The Santa Rosa County branch of the Florida Department of Health has issued a water quality advisory for Santa Rosa Sound waters in the vicinity of Navarre Park and the Navarre Beach Welcome Center.
In issuing an advisory, the Health Department warns against any water-related activities at the location cited due to the potential for high bacteria levels...
https://news.yahoo.com/water-off-navarre-park-pollution-091305301.html?guccounter=1&guce_referrer=aHR0cHM6Ly9kdWNrZHVja2dvLmNvbS8&guce_referrer_sig=AQAAAKvjmMsgxCilNc9fy2mDSKDR3zJ71SJoJLxxXYl2iSVB3BuGezbJ9-EmJHjr0BveB5Nma0YIu4aUtKg-FNA0JSxu9Pqy3Pj9mPw3UFYWuRzlkxIiYgsSgWmbVWyScjL-zVkui13fO1R7XsI0mGQSHR2f9fFUKRju94v7OW2vNW1l
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Santa Rosa County's water is at risk. Growing area while protecting wellfield no easy task
2022
With Santa Rosa County experiencing exponential growth in the East Milton area, outgoing County Commissioner Bob Cole convened a workshop last week to discuss ways to protect the wellfield that supplies the county's water.
The East Milton Area Wellfield Protection District was established between 2010 and 2013 to protect an area bounded on the south by U.S. 90 and the west by State Road 87. The Fairpoint Regional Utility System and East Milton Water System operate approximately 12 wells within the area from which they draw water from the Sand and Gravel Aquifer.
At present, the wells supply water to more than 85,000 residents.
"This is a very vulnerable aquifer," Gary Eichler, an expert hydrogeologist speaking for Fairpoint Regional, warned commissioners. The aquifer, which is fed by rainwater, is "highly susceptible to contamination from above."
The Santa Rosa County Commission is considering a proposal to allow a new borrow pit inside its East Milton Wellfield protection area
https://www.pnj.com/story/news/local/santa-rosa/2022/11/16/santa-rosa-county-florida-drinking-water-risk-area-grows-experts-say/8324245001/
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Florida officials warn of bacteria risk at three Palm Beach County parks
Feb, 2024
https://www.newsbreak.com/palm-beach-county-fl/3341924798143-florida-officials-warn-of-bacteria-risk-in-three-palm-beach-county-parks
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'Poor' water quality: Health advisories issued for three Palm Beach County Beaches
June 2023
https://www.palmbeachpost.com/story/news/local/2023/06/15/these-three-palm-beach-county-beaches-got-a-poor-water-quality-score/70323101007/
______________
High bacteria levels detected in waters near flooded areas in Fort Lauderdale
April 19, 2023
https://www.cbsnews.com/miami/news/high-bacteria-levels-detected-in-waters-near-flooded-areas-in-fort-lauderdale/
______________
Joes Creek Bacterial Pollution Control Plan for Impaired Water Restoration
2016
https://pinellas.gov/joes-creek-bacterial-pollution-control-plan-for-impaired-water-restoration/
______________
Bacteria counts high at popular Bonita Beach Park; don't swim or wade
August 17, 2023
https://www.news-press.com/story/news/environment/2023/08/17/enterococcus-poop-bacteria-found-at-popular-bonita-beach-park/70614281007/
______________
What you should know about flesh-eating bacteria on beaches
June 9, 2023
https://www.cnn.com/2023/06/09/health/sargassum-seaweed-blob-flesh-eating-bacteria-scn-wellness/index.html
______________
Clumps of 5,000-mile seaweed blob bring flesh-eating bacteria to Florida
2023
Decomposing pieces of Great Atlantic sargassum belt carry Vibrio bacteria on state’s shoreline
https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2023/jun/03/sargassum-seaweed-algae-florida-bacteria-vibrio
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Vibriosis, infection with flesh-eating bacteria linked to contaminated water, raw oysters
Sept. 11, 2023
Vibrio vulnificus can spread through contaminated seawater and raw oysters. As water temperatures increase, experts are concerned infections will, too.
https://www.today.com/health/vibrio-vulnificus-flesh-eating-bacteria-oysters-rcna102879
______________
2 Florida deaths linked to bacterial infection from eating raw oysters
August 18, 2022
The deaths are reportedly linked to oysters from Louisiana. The two separate occasions happened a week apart in Escambia and Broward counties, according to the Florida Department of Health.
https://www.foxweather.com/weather-news/florida-deaths-oysters-vibriosis
______________
Health department lists brain-eating amoeba case in Charlotte County
February 24, 2023
https://health.wusf.usf.edu/health-news-florida/2023-02-24/health-department-lists-brain-eating-amoeba-case-in-charlotte-county
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Leprosy may now be endemic in Florida, report suggests
Aug. 1, 2023
Reported cases of leprosy have more than doubled in southeastern states over the last decade, according to a new research paper.
https://www.nbcnews.com/health/health-news/leprosy-may-be-endemic-florida-cdc-rcna97567
______________
UF expert discusses leprosy and increased cases in Florida
October 5, 2023
https://epi.ufl.edu/2023/10/05/uf-expert-discusses-leprosy-and-increased-cases-in-florida/
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Leprosy cases in central Florida account for nearly 20% of national cases. What to know
7-28-2023
https://www.pnj.com/story/news/2023/07/28/florida-leprosy-hansens-disease-cases-endemic-what-to-know/70481451007/
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Central Florida is a hot spot for leprosy, report says
August 2, 2023
https://www.cnn.com/2023/08/01/health/leprosy-central-florida/index.html
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How leprosy arrived in Florida, and how it is spreading: New clues are emerging
Aug 8, 2023
https://www.unmc.edu/healthsecurity/transmission/2023/08/08/how-leprosy-arrived-in-florida-and-how-it-is-spreading-new-clues-are-emerging/
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Leprosy in Florida: medical experts monitoring unusual, new cases of Hansen’s disease
October 16, 2023
https://epi.ufl.edu/2023/10/16/leprosy-in-florida-medical-experts-monitoring-unusual-new-cases-of-hansens-disease/
______________
Leprosy cases are dramatically rising in the US
2023
https://www.indy100.com/science-tech/leprosy-cases-united-states-florida
______________
Common Florida Skin Conditions and Treatments
Aug 12, 2020
https://www.mydcsi.com/2020/08/12/common-florida-skin-conditions-treatments/
______________
Study Confirms Presence of Flesh-Eating and Illness-Causing Bacteria in Florida’s Coastal Waters Post-Hurricane Ian
January 10, 2024
https://www.aau.edu/research-scholarship/featured-research-topics/study-confirms-presence-flesh-eating-and-illness
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Researchers find high counts of flesh-eating bacteria in Florida waters after hurricanes
Nov. 19, 2023
https://www.al.com/news/2023/11/researchers-find-high-counts-of-flesh-eating-bacteria-in-florida-waters-after-hurricanes.html
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Decades-long mystery of flesh-eating, ulcer-causing bacteria solved
January 26, 2024
Mosquitoes are responsible for transmitting the flesh-eating bacterium behind "Buruli ulcer" to humans, new research suggests.
https://www.livescience.com/health/viruses-infections-disease/decades-long-mystery-of-flesh-eating-ulcer-causing-bacteria-solved
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ESCAMBIA COUNTY HEALTH OFFICIALS ENCOURAGE AWARENESS OF POTENTIAL BACTERIA IN LOCAL WATERS
May 04, 2023
https://escambia.floridahealth.gov/newsroom/2023/05/2023-05-03-vibrio-vulnificus.html
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Despite efforts to curb pollution, Escambia County still struggles with its haunted past
2019
https://www.pnj.com/story/news/2019/11/20/escambia-county-improves-pollution-controls-but-past-mistakes-linger/3998589002/
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Warm coastal waters may fuel flesh-eating bacteria
September 1, 2023
https://jaxtoday.org/2023/09/01/warm-coastal-waters-may-fuel-flesh-eating-bacteria/
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Sandy Beach Microbes: the Good, the Bad, and the Flesh-eating
Aug. 3, 2017
https://asm.org/Articles/2017/August/sandy-beach-microbes-the-good-the-bad-and-the-fles
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Mom of 6-Year-Old Has Limbs Amputated After Eating Tilapia Contaminated with Flesh-Eating Bacteria
September 22, 2023
Laura Barajas had her arms and legs amputated after contracting the aggressive bacteria Vibrio vulnificus, likely from undercooked tilapia
https://people.com/mom-amputation-flesh-eating-bacteria-eating-fish-7971076
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10 deaths, 45 cases of Vibrio vulnificus in Florida this year. What is the 'flesh-eating' bacteria?
2023
https://www.msn.com/en-us/health/other/10-deaths-43-cases-of-vibrio-vulnificus-in-florida-this-year-what-is-the-flesh-eating-bacteria/ar-AA1fzDs4
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Human-Fueled Superbugs Are Putting This Intelligent Animal in Danger
SEP. 15, 2019
Dolphins reflect the alarming trend seen in US hospitals.
https://www.inverse.com/article/59268-dolphins-antibiotic-resistant-bacteria
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Deadly fungus detected in Florida, spreading rapidly, CDC warns
Mar 21, 2023
(NEXSTAR) – A fungus that poses “an urgent antimicrobial resistance threat,” according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, has already been detected in more than half of U.S. states.
Candida auris, or C. auris, is so concerning because it is often resistant to anti-fungal drugs, making it hard to treat infections. It can also be hard to identify with standard lab tests, making it even more difficult to treat properly and early.
The fungus was first detected in the United States in 2016. The fungus “spread at an alarming rate” between 2020 and 2021 in health care facilities, the CDC wrote in a memo released Monday, and has continued to spread in 2022.
https://www.wfla.com/news/health-news/rapidly-spreading-fungus-already-in-28-states-presents-urgent-threat-cdc-warns/
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CDC report finds leprosy endemic in southeastern United States, particularly Florida
AUG. 2, 2023
https://www.upi.com/Health_News/2023/08/02/leprosy-florida-cdc-endemic/3011690988586/
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Leprosy Outbreak in Florida: What You Need to Know
August 4, 2023
https://www.health.com/leprosy-outbreak-florida-2023-7569183
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Central Florida is a hot spot for leprosy, report says
August 2, 2023
https://www.cnn.com/2023/08/01/health/leprosy-central-florida/index.html
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Risk of brain-eating amoeba, flesh-eating bacteria may increase due to climate change: Experts
May 29, 2021
Infections are rare, but pathogens and bacteria thrive in warmer waters.
https://abcnews.go.com/Health/risk-brain-eating-amoeba-flesh-eating-bacteria-increase/story?id=77918655
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7 Scary Diseases Your Dog Can Get from Water
Jun. 30, 2016
https://www.petmd.com/dog/slideshows/parasites/7-scary-diseases-your-dog-can-get-water
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A Hacker Tried to Poison a Florida City's Water Supply, Officials Say
FEB 8, 2021
The attacker upped sodium hydroxide levels in the Oldsmar, Florida, water supply to extremely dangerous levels.
https://www.wired.com/story/oldsmar-florida-water-utility-hack/
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How are Florida’s springs threatened?
Over time, the springs’ water quality and amount of water they discharge have been threatened by both human activities and natural factors.
https://www.swfwmd.state.fl.us/projects/springs/how-are-floridas-springs-threatened
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Florida Department of Health Martin County issues bacteria advisory near Sandsprit Park
Aug 18, 2023
https://www.wpbf.com/article/florida-bacteria-advisory-sandsprit-park-stuart/44852492
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Beachgoers Beware? 5 Pathogens That Lurk In Sand
June 23, 2018
https://www.livescience.com/62898-sand-beach-pathogens-germs-diseases.html
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Swimmers beware: Dangerous bacteria can lurk in freshwater lakes and rivers during summer
July 12, 2022
https://www.floridatoday.com/story/life/wellness/2022/07/12/aeromonas-hydrophilia-dangerous-bacteria-found-freshwater/10017340002/
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Pollution and overuse threaten Florida's fragile freshwater springs
SEPTEMBER 14, 2021
Declining flows, agricultural runoff, and sewage are pressuring the world’s largest network of freshwater springs.
https://www.nationalgeographic.com/environment/article/pollution-and-overuse-threaten-floridas-fragile-freshwater-springs
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Contemporary Threats of Bacterial Infections in Freshwater Fish
2018
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6295991/
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Learn More: Bacteria
https://seminole.wateratlas.usf.edu/library/learn-more/learnmore.aspx?toolsection=lm_bacteria
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Bacteria Monitoring
https://calusawaterkeeper.org/issues/bacteria-monitoring/
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Elevated fecal bacteria recorded in several Lee County waterways
Jul 20, 2022
LEE COUNTY, Fla. — Last week, Fox 4 told you about high fecal bacteria found at Bonita Beach which led to the Florida Department of Health to advise against swimming in the water.
The Calusa Waterkeepers, a local conservation group, released sampling data from July 16 showing three other locations that saw fecal bacteria indicators.
https://www.fox4now.com/news/local-news/lee-county/elevated-fecal-bacteria-recorded-in-several-lee-county-waterways
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Water Pollution in Pensacola
May 4, 2022
According to the Pensacola news journal, From 1997 to 2008, more than 400 households were permanently relocated from Pensacola. But why?
https://storymaps.arcgis.com/stories/75d38a4f7bf44d53a649d2804353bc77
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Study Finds Pensacola Has The Nation’s Worst Water
December 13, 2009
Pensacola has the worst drinking water of any American city, according to the results of a national survey released Saturday.
In the study, there were 21 chemicals found in Pensacola’s water that exceeded health guidelines, including radium, lead, bezene and carbon tetracholride.
In an unprecedented analysis of 20 million tap water quality tests performed by water utilities between 2004 and 2009, Environmental Working Group (EWG) found that water suppliers detected a total of 316 contaminants in water delivered to the public. The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has set enforceable standards for only 114 of these pollutants.
Another 202 chemicals with no mandatory safety standards were found in water supplied to approximately 132 million people in 9,454 communities across the country. These “unregulated” chemicals include the toxic rocket fuel component perchlorate, the industrial solvent acetone, the weed killer metolachlor, the refrigerant Freon and radon, a highly radioactive gas.
Pensacola’s worst water ranking was among 100 of the nation’s largest water systems in cities over 250,000 in population. In North Escambia, water systems are operated by small independent water companies such as Walnut Hill Water Works, Molino Utilities, Central Water Works, Bratt-Davisville Water System and the Town of Century. These smaller water systems were not part of the worst water results. Only the water provided by the Emerald Coast Utilities Authority (ECUA) in the Pensacola metro area was part of the water study. The smaller North Escambia water systems were not included in the study by EWG.
http://www.northescambia.com/2009/12/study-finds-pensacola-has-the-nations-worst-water
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Pensacola ranks No. 12 in U.S. for toxic releases per square mile
2019
https://www.pnj.com/story/news/2019/11/17/escambia-county-haunted-pollution-20-years-after-grand-jury-report/2125341001/
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City aims to solve problems caused by record growth at Pensacola International Airport
2024
https://www.msn.com/en-us/travel/news/city-aims-to-solve-problems-caused-by-record-growth-at-pensacola-international-airport/ar-AA1kHzHd
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Pensacola Navy base confronts environmental clean-up
2015
https://www.pnj.com/story/news/military/2015/04/20/pensacola-navy-base-confronts-environmental-clean/26077919/
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Pensacola neighborhood draws pollution inspection
2014
https://www.pnj.com/story/news/2014/07/22/troubled-pensacola-neighborhood-draws-landfill-inspection/12984433/
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ECOLOGICAL CONDITION OF THE PENSACOLA BAY SYSTEM: NORTHWEST FLORIDA
https://cfpub.epa.gov/si/si_public_record_report.cfm?Lab=NHEERL&dirEntryId=99505
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Nutrient Pollution in Pensacola Bay; the 2019 LAKEWATCH Report for Escambia County Waters
2019
https://blogs.ifas.ufl.edu/escambiaco/2019/08/22/nutrient-pollution-in-pensacola-bay-the-2019-lakewatch-report-for-escambia-county-waters/
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Fecal pollution in the Pensacola Bay watershed threatens human health, local economies
2023
https://blogs.ifas.ufl.edu/swsdept/2023/10/02/fecal-pollution-in-the-pensacola-bay-watershed-threatens-human-health-local-economies/
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Swimming advisory issued for Cocoa Beach Pier area because of fecal bacteria
2023
https://www.floridatoday.com/story/news/local/2023/04/21/swimming-advisory-issued-for-cocoa-beach-pier-area-due-to-fecal-bacteria/70139567007/
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Don’t Swallow That Ocean Water—There’s Probably Poop in It
July 12, 2023
More than half of the US beaches tested in a new report had potentially unsafe levels of fecal contamination.
https://www.self.com/story/ocean-water-bacteria-contamination-risks
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Hundreds of Florida beaches test unsafe with fecal bacterial
2023
https://www.miamiherald.com/news/local/environment/article277257058.html
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Florida Healthy Beaches Program
https://www.floridahealth.gov/environmental-health/beach-water-quality/index.html
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Panhandle Estuary Programs
TNC and our partners are working to ensure a healthy future for our estuaries, watersheds, and the Gulf of Mexico.
2018
https://www.nature.org/en-us/about-us/where-we-work/united-states/florida/stories-in-florida/restoring-floridas-gulf-coast/
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US-Mexico border: 100 billion gallons of toxic sewage creating a 'public health crisis'
February 20, 2024
https://abcnews.go.com/US/us-mexico-border-100-billion-gallons-toxic-sewage/story?id=107349716
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Widespread human waste pollution in surface waters observed throughout the urbanized, coastal communities of Lee County, Florida, USA
2023
Abstract
The coastal communities of Lee County, Florida, USA have grown rapidly since the 1970s. In this county, drainage ditches, canals, creeks, and the Caloosahatchee River Estuary often have high concentrations of nutrients and bacteria limiting their designated uses. Septic systems have previously been identified as a major pollution source in some areas of Lee County; therefore, this study sought to identify the extent of this issue throughout the county. To accomplish this, surface water samples were collected at 25 ditch, creek, or canal sites suspected of human waste contamination from septic systems in various drainage basins throughout Lee County during January 2020–January 2021. Water samples were analyzed for nutrients, dual stable nitrate isotopes (δ15N-NO3−, δ18O-NO3−), fecal indicator bacteria (enterococci, Escherichia coli), a molecular tracer of human waste (HF183), and chemical tracers of human waste (the artificial sweetener sucralose, pharmaceuticals). Particulate organic matter (POM) and macrophytes were also collected and analyzed for stable carbon (δ13C) and nitrogen (δ15N) isotopes, as well as elemental composition (C:N:P). To broaden the assessment of stable isotope values and C:N:P, archived macrophyte samples from 2019 were also included in analyses. Ammonium concentrations were high (> 4.3 μM) in 55 % of samples. Fecal bacteria were high in 66 % of samples. HF183 was detected in 50 % of samples and positively correlated with enterococci (r = 0.32). Sucralose concentrations were high (> 380 ng/L) in 54 % of samples, while carbamazepine was detected in 40 % of samples. Human waste N sources were indicated by δ15N > 3.00 ‰ at 44 % of sites by δ15N-NO3−, 68 % of sites by POM, and at 100 % of sites where macrophyte samples were collected. This large-scale study provides evidence of widespread human waste pollution throughout Lee County and can help guide infrastructure improvements to promote sustainable development. These findings should be applicable to urbanized regions globally that are experiencing declines in water quality and harmful algal blooms due to development with inadequate infrastructure.
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0048969723013323
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Miami-Dade reports fecal pollution at Crandon Park near Key Biscayne
August 24, 2023
Crandon Park’s north and south beaches test positive for bacteria able to sicken swimmers, health officials report
https://www.local10.com/news/local/2023/08/24/miami-dade-reports-fecal-pollution-at-crandon-park-near-key-biscayne/
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Florida’s Water Quality Crisis
September 11, 2020
To fix fish kills and water quality issues in Biscayne Bay and avoid a similar fate across the state, Florida leadership needs to step up
https://oceanconservancy.org/blog/2020/09/11/floridas-water-quality-crisis/
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Recommendations to Clean Up and Protect the Biscayne Aquifer in Southeast Florida
1985
https://nepis.epa.gov/Exe/ZyNET.exe/91018NGW.TXT?ZyActionD=ZyDocument&Client=EPA&Index=1981+Thru+1985&Docs=&Query=&Time=&EndTime=&SearchMethod=1&TocRestrict=n&Toc=&TocEntry=&QField=&QFieldYear=&QFieldMonth=&QFieldDay=&IntQFieldOp=0&ExtQFieldOp=0&XmlQuery=&File=D%3A%5Czyfiles%5CIndex%20Data%5C81thru85%5CTxt%5C00000023%5C91018NGW.txt&User=ANONYMOUS&Password=anonymous&SortMethod=h%7C-&MaximumDocuments=1&FuzzyDegree=0&ImageQuality=r75g8/r75g8/x150y150g16/i425&Display=hpfr&DefSeekPage=x&SearchBack=ZyActionL&Back=ZyActionS&BackDesc=Results%20page&MaximumPages=1&ZyEntry=1&SeekPage=x&ZyPURL
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Water Quality Map Overview
Protecting Florida Together Water Quality Map
https://protectingfloridatogether.gov/water-quality-status
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Current Conditions for Florida: Water Quality -- 164 site(s) found
https://waterdata.usgs.gov/fl/nwis/current/?type=quality
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USGS Current Water Data for Florida
https://waterdata.usgs.gov/fl/nwis/rt
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Small South Florida island shows scope of plastic problem as regulation bills stall
Feb 14, 2024
Plastic bills stall, but pollution persists on barrier island in Biscayne Bay
https://www.local10.com/news/local/2024/02/14/small-south-florida-island-shows-scope-of-plastic-problem-as-regulation-bills-stall/
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Scientists investigate cause of another fish kill in Biscayne Bay
October 19, 2022
https://www.local10.com/news/local/2022/10/19/biscayne-bay-suffers-another-fish-kill-scientists-suspect-pollution-from-canal/
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State finds 24 ‘possible violations’ after massive Winter Springs fish kill
May 4, 2021
Department of Environmental protection discovers wastewater plant ‘bypassed the filtration and disinfection systems’
https://www.clickorlando.com/news/local/2021/05/04/state-finds-24-possible-violations-after-massive-winter-springs-fish-kill/
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Biscayne Bay Fish Kill Symptom of Chronic Nutrient Pollution Signifying a ‘Regime Shift’
2020
https://www.floridamuseum.ufl.edu/earth-systems/blog/biscayne-bay-fish-kill-symptom-of-chronic-nutrient-pollution-signifying-a-regime-shift/
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3 years ago, a massive algae bloom in Florida killed 2,000 tons of marine life. It’s threatening again
2021
https://www.cnn.com/2021/05/24/us/algae-bloom-florida/index.html
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Our litter on land is strangling Miami’s waterways
2021
Many people don’t realize that trash on the street flows into Biscayne Bay
https://www.local10.com/news/local/2021/04/29/our-litter-on-land-is-strangling-miamis-waterways/
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USGS Finds 28 Types of Cyanobacteria in Florida Algal Bloom
May 31, 2017
A new U.S. Geological Survey study that looked at the extensive harmful algal bloom that plagued Florida last year found far more types of cyanobacteria present than previously known.
This microscope image shows Dolichospermum circinale, which was one of
the 28 species of cyanobacteria USGS scientists discovered during the
major harmful algal bloom that hit southern Florida last year. Many
varieties of the cyanobacteria found in the bloom are capable of
creating harmful toxins. This species is capable of creating saxition,
which is the second most potent natural toxin in the world. Photo by
Barry Rosen, USGS. (Public domain.)
https://www.usgs.gov/news/national-news-release/usgs-finds-28-types-cyanobacteria-florida-algal-bloom
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Effects of marine harmful algal blooms on bivalve cellular immunity and infectious diseases: A review
2020 Mar 5
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/32145294/
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Toxic cyanobacteria blooms degrade ecosystem in coastal Florida
https://ian.umces.edu/publications/toxic-cyanobacteria-blooms-degrade-ecosystem-in-coastal-florida/
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Exposure to microcystin among coastal residents during a cyanobacteria bloom in Florida
2020 Feb 5
Abstract
Florida has experienced multiple cyanobacteria blooms in recent years
the most severe of which occurred in 2016 and 2018. Several toxins are
produced by proliferating cyanobacteria, including the hepatotoxin
microcystin (MC). Harmful algal blooms (HABs) caused by cyanobacteria
have the potential to impact public health. However, to date there have
been limited attempts to quantify exposure in human populations. This
study investigated potential exposure to the cyanobacterial toxin, MC by
measuring concentrations in swabs of the nasal mucosa. In addition, the
relationships between nasal concentrations of MC, environmental
concentrations and activity patterns were assessed. Participants (n =
125) were recruited in 2018 during a cyanobacterial bloom of Microcystis
aeruginosa and completed a questionnaire which included location, type,
and duration of recreational or occupational contact with impacted
waterways within the last 10 days. Water samples were collected
concurrently. A sterile swab was used to collect a sample from the nasal
mucosa. Concentrations of MC were measured by ELISA. Of the 121
participants who provided nasal swabs, 115 (95.0 %) had concentrations
of MC above the limit of detection with a mean concentration of 0.61 +
0.75 ppb. There were significant differences (p < 0.01) in mean MC
concentration between individuals with direct contact with impacted
waters (0.77 + 0.88 ppb) compared to those with no recent contact (0.37 +
0.49 ppb). Higher concentrations were observed among occupationally
exposed individuals. Nasal concentrations of MC varied significantly
over time and location of exposure to the bloom, concordant with
concentrations in water samples. The results suggest that inhalation of
aerosols may be an important pathway for exposure to MC. Nasal MC
concentrations were generally highest during periods when concentrations
in the surrounding waters peaked. Further research is needed to
characterize the public health implications of exposure to
cyanobacterial blooms.
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/32113588/
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sxtA4+ and sxtA4- Genotypes Occur Together within Natural Pyrodinium bahamense Sub-Populations from the Western Atlantic
2021
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/34071086/
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sxtA-based quantitative molecular assay to identify saxitoxin-producing harmful algal blooms in marine waters
2011 Aug 12
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/21841034/
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Grundfos KPL Stormwater Pumps Play Instrumental Role in Florida Everglades Restoration Project
February 26, 2024
Grundfos Pumps Help Move Water From Lake Okeechobee to the Everglades Agricultural Area Stormwater Treatment Area For Cleaning, Storage; Project to Provide Clean Water to the Everglades, Coastal Communities, Aquifers
BROOKSHIRE, Texas–(BUSINESS WIRE)–#Grundfos—Grundfos, a global leader in water technology and services, announced today that the Grundfos KPL submersible axial flow propeller pumps are installed in multiple pump stations in the Everglades Agricultural Area (EAA) Stormwater Treatment Area. With the ability to pump 146,000 gallons of water per minute, Grundfos KPL pumps will move water from Lake Okeechobee into the 6,500-acre EAA stormwater treatment area and reservoir for storage and cleaning. The clean water will then move south to nourish the Everglades and replenish Florida’s aquifers and the Florida Bay.
“The EAA Reservoir and Stormwater Treatment Area is a triumph in sustainable design that will positively impact Florida’s residents, the local economy and the native wildlife for generations,” said Jack Canfield, Market Development Manager of Water Utilities at Grundfos. “Grundfos’ role in this project exemplifies the company’s belief that everyone deserves access to clean, safe water, including the local ecosystem of birds, fish and plants. We are proud to work with the South Florida Water Management District, the engineers at Brown and Caldwell, and the construction team at Phillips & Jordan to ensure the success of a hydrological restoration project of this scale and complexity.”
For decades, toxic runoff from agricultural land use entered Florida’s canal system and made its way into natural waterways, lakes and coastal communities. In 2019, Florida Governor Ron DeSantis enacted an ambitious Everglades restoration project that includes the EAA Reservoir and Stormwater Treatment Area, which will use the natural filtration systems of the Everglades to reduce harmful discharges like green algae and other bacteria and restore the natural flow of clean water to South Florida.
Grundfos KPL submersible axial flow propeller pumps are installed at two pump stations within the stormwater treatment area. One pump station is now operational, and the other is completing the testing and analysis phase while power is connected to the station.
“The entire Grundfos team feels immense pride as we see this critical phase of the Everglades restoration project come to fruition,” said HP Nanda, EVP & Divisional CEO of Water Utility at Grundfos. “As stewards of our environment and a global leader in water solutions, we recognize the critical role water plays in sustaining life and ecosystems. The installation of these Grundfos solutions marks a significant step forward in our commitment respect, protect and advance the flow of water. Through innovative technology and collaborative efforts, we aim to ensure a brighter, healthier future for generations to come.”
https://www.fuelsandlubes.com/businesswire/grundfos-kpl-stormwater-pumps-play-instrumental-role-in-florida-everglades-restoration-project/
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Protecting Fresh Water
We're working to ensure clean water for Florida’s people and nature.
July 14, 2020 | Last updated July 28, 2022
https://www.nature.org/en-us/about-us/where-we-work/united-states/florida/stories-in-florida/florida-fresh-water/
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Finding Solutions to Southwest Florida's Water-Quality Issue
September 5, 2018
- In 2016, harmful algal blooms drove away half of would-be Florida tourists, according to a Black Hills State University and University of Florida’s Tourism Crisis Management Initiative study.
- That summer and this summer, the governor declared a state of emergency for several counties, including Lee.
- Harmful algal blooms are estimated to cost the United States at least $50 million a year, with public health at about $20 million or about 42 percent of the bill, according to the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution.
- A 2015 Florida Realtors report concluded pollution in the
Caloosahatchee and St. Lucie river systems negatively impacted home
values after examining sales and water data from 2010 through 2013.
SLIME FIGHTER: John Cassani, the Calusa Waterkeeper, gathers samples to test for toxins in algae that bloomed in the Caloosahatchee River.
https://www.gulfshorebusiness.com/finding-solutions-to-southwest-floridas-water-quality-issue/
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Health Effects & Standards for Microbiological Contaminants
Surface Water Treatment Technique Microbiological Contaminants
https://floridadep.gov/water/source-drinking-water/content/microbiological-contaminants
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FLORIDA ESTUARIES IN CRISIS
https://www.floridaocean.org/florida-estuaries-crisis
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Protecting America's Estuaries: Florida:
https://books.google.com/books/about/Protecting_America_s_Estuaries_Florida.html?id=AFvsjfQ1jRoC
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Restoring Bacteria-Impaired Waters
July 2018
A Toolkit to Help Local Stakeholders Identify and Eliminate Potential Pathogen Problems
https://floridadep.gov/sites/default/files/Restoring_Bacteria-Impaired_Waters_Toolkit_082018.pdf
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How to Remove Iron Bacteria from Well Water
Feb 08, 2023
https://www.springwellwater.com/how-to-remove-iron-bacteria-from-well-water/
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Iron-oxidizing bacteria: an unusual natural phenomenon
Nov 19, 2021
https://nwdistrict.ifas.ufl.edu/nat/2021/11/19/iron-oxidizing-bacteria-an-unusual-natural-phenomenon/
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PRIVATE WELLS 101: BACTERIAL CONTAMINATION AND SHOCK CHLORINATION
https://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/publication/SS700
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Potential Well Water Contaminants and Their Impacts
https://www.epa.gov/privatewells/potential-well-water-contaminants-and-their-impacts
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Is Your Well Water Well?
https://www.floridahealth.gov/environmental-health/private-well-testing/_documents/well-water-facts-odor-staining.pdf
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5 Types of Bacteria in Well Water & How to Remove Them
October 22, 2021
https://www.pensacolavoice.com/types-of-bacteria-in-well-water/
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Scientists are using bacteria to remove harmful contaminants from our water. Here's how.
January 10, 2019
When it comes to water contamination, bacteria are often seen as the problem. In some cases, they can be part of the solution instead.
https://www.ehn.org/scientists-are-using-bacteria-to-remove-harmful-contaminants-from-our-water-heres-how-2625517276.html
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A study is performed involving two methods for removing harmful bacteria in 350 lakes in Florida. The lakes were treated randomly using one of two methods. Specifically, 150 were treated using Method A and 200 were treated using Method B. A total of 250 of the 350 lakes were bacteria-free after treatment, 95 from the Method A group and 155 from the Method B group.
2023
https://brainly.com/question/30844416
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Bioluminescent Bacteria Combat Pollution in Fragile Florida Ecosystem
12/20/2011
Bioluminescence is an ability shared by creatures around the planet that allows them to generate light – in fact, 90% of life in the world’s oceans possess this characteristic. Whereas most animals use it to help them find food, attract mates, and defend against predators, a marine biologist is harnessing bioluminescent bacteria to save one of Florida’s most precious and threatened ecosystems – the Indian River Lagoon. By mixing bioluminescent bacteria with sediment from the 156-mile estuary, renowned scientist Dr. Edith Widder is able to determine how many toxic chemicals are present in the water.
https://inhabitat.com/bioluminescent-bacteria-combat-pollution-in-fragile-florida-ecosystem/
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Bioluminescence and toxicity as driving factors in harmful algal blooms: Ecological functions and genetic variability
2020
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/33129462/
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Editorial: The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly: Multiple Roles of Bacteria in Human Life
2018 Jul 27
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6094972/
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STORMWATER POND MANAGEMENT: WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT AERATION
September 1st, 2021
https://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/publication/SS695
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Lee County health department issues contaminated stormwater warning
2022
https://www.news-press.com/story/weather/hurricane/2022/10/03/fort-myers-lee-county-florida-hurricane-ian-water-contamination-warning/8167478001/
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Keep Liberty Beautiful: Keeping pollution out of our storm drains
Feb 29, 2024
https://coastalcourier.com/opinion/keep-liberty-beautiful-keeping-pollution-out-our-storm-drains/
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How to Manage and Control Storm Water Runoff (Fact Sheet)
2001
https://extension.missouri.edu/publications/eqm102f
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Common Pollutants in Stormwater Runoff and Actions that Homeowners can Take to Reduce Stormwater Pollution
https://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/publication/SS720
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A Call to Action on Combating Nonpoint Source and Stormwater Pollution
2020
https://www.americanprogress.org/article/call-action-combating-nonpoint-source-stormwater-pollution/
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Cumene Contamination in Groundwater: Observed Concentrations, Evaluation of Remediation by Sulfate Enhanced Bioremediation (SEB), and Public Health Issues
2020
Abstract
Isopropylbenzene (cumene) is commonly encountered in groundwater at petroleum release sites due to its natural occurrence in crude oil and historical use as a fuel additive. The cumene concentrations detected at these sites often exceed regulatory guidelines or standards for states with stringent groundwater regulations. Recent laboratory analytical data collected at historical petroleum underground storage tank (UST) release sites have revealed that cumene persists at concentrations exceeding the default cleanup criterion, while other common petroleum constituents are below detection limits or low enough to allow natural attenuation as a remediation strategy. This effectively makes cumene the driver for active remediation at some sites. An insignificant amount of research has been conducted for the in-situ remediation of cumene. Sulfate Enhanced Biodegradation (SEB) is evaluated in a field case study. The results from the field case study show an approximate 92% decrease in plume area following three rounds of SEB injections. An additional objective of this research was to determine the cumene concentration in fuels currently being used to determine future impacts. A review of safety data sheets from several fuel suppliers revealed that cumene concentrations in gasoline are reported typically as wide ranges due to the proprietary formulations. Several fuels from different suppliers were analyzed to determine a baseline of cumene concentration in modern fuels. The results of the analysis indicated that cumene accounts for approximately 0.01% (diesel) to 0.13% (premium gasoline) of the overall fuel composition. Cumene generally is considered to be of low human health toxicity, with the principal concern being eye, skin, and respiratory irritation following inhalation of vapors in an occupational setting, but it has been regulated in Florida at very low concentrations based on organoleptic considerations.
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/33198342/
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Mark Woods: We're busy paying attention to gas prices in Florida, ignoring signs about groundwater
2022
Taking the aquifer for granted
Like the water that comes out of Floridian’s faucets — 90 percent of it coming from the aquifer — we tend to take the source of our groundwater for granted.
Scientists say we shouldn’t. And they’ve been saying this for a while, with increasing alarm.
A 2018 study found that between 1950 and 2010, the flow of springs dropped 32 percent.
Floridian Aquifer System
https://www.jacksonville.com/story/news/columns/mark-woods/2022/03/23/world-water-day-puts-focus-groundwater-and-floridan-aquifer/7069655001/
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Land use changes and groundwater quality in Florida
2018
https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s13201-018-0776-9
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GroundWater Pollution Problems in the Southeastern United States
1977
https://nepis.epa.gov/Exe/ZyNET.exe/9100T353.TXT?ZyActionD=ZyDocument&Client=EPA&Index=1976+Thru+1980&Docs=&Query=&Time=&EndTime=&SearchMethod=1&TocRestrict=n&Toc=&TocEntry=&QField=&QFieldYear=&QFieldMonth=&QFieldDay=&IntQFieldOp=0&ExtQFieldOp=0&XmlQuery=&File=D%3A%5Czyfiles%5CIndex%20Data%5C76thru80%5CTxt%5C00000018%5C9100T353.txt&User=ANONYMOUS&Password=anonymous&SortMethod=h%7C-&MaximumDocuments=1&FuzzyDegree=0&ImageQuality=r75g8/r75g8/x150y150g16/i425&Display=hpfr&DefSeekPage=x&SearchBack=ZyActionL&Back=ZyActionS&BackDesc=Results%20page&MaximumPages=1&ZyEntry=1&SeekPage=x&ZyPURL
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Too Much Water Use and Pollution Threaten Florida’s Springs And The Economies That Go With Them
January 3, 2014
https://news.wfsu.org/environment/2014-01-03/too-much-water-use-and-pollution-threaten-floridas-springs-and-the-economies-that-go-with-them
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Public Opinion about Surface Water and Groundwater Quality in Florida
Oct 2010
https://www.researchgate.net/publication/360118211_Public_Opinion_about_Surface_Water_and_Groundwater_Quality_in_Florida_FE844FE844_102010
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Impact of land cover on groundwater quality in the Upper Floridan Aquifer in Florida, United States
2019
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0269749119306979
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Ground Water Contamination Areas
2019
https://geodata.dep.state.fl.us/datasets/FDEP::ground-water-contamination-areas/about
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Groundwater Decline and Depletion
June 6, 2018
https://www.usgs.gov/special-topics/water-science-school/science/groundwater-decline-and-depletion
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2021 Handbook of Florida Water Regulation: State Groundwater Discharge Regulations
https://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/publication/FE601
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Florida reservoir leaking toxic wastewater demonstrates decades of regulatory failure, environmental activists say
April 5, 2021
“Whatever could go wrong has gone wrong," a longtime environmental activist said of the reservoir where the leak is occurring.
https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/florida-reservoir-leaking-toxic-wastewater-demonstrates-decades-regulatory-failure-environmental-n1263089
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Florida’s groundwater is extremely valuable and running low | Column
Sept. 7, 2022
https://www.tampabay.com/opinion/2022/09/07/floridas-groundwater-is-extremely-valuable-and-running-low-column/
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We pump too much water out of the ground—and that’s killing our rivers
By 2050, thousands of rivers and streams worldwide could pass a critical ecological threshold, new research shows.
2019
https://www.nationalgeographic.com/science/article/groundwater-pumping-killing-rivers-streams
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Is Florida's growth tapping out clean drinking water? Signs point to 'yes.' | Editorial
Dec 1, 2023
https://www.palmbeachpost.com/story/opinion/editorials/2023/12/01/florida-at-risk-of-tapping-out/70901100007/
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The Looming Water Shortage Crisis in Florida
May 13th 2022
https://earth.org/florida-water-shortage/
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The Floridan aquifer: Why one of our rainiest states is worried about water
July 29, 2020
Florida’s booming population is writing a water check its aquifers can’t cash; from lawn sprinklers to kitchen faucets, Florida needs to cut back and use less water.
https://www.nationalgeographic.com/science/article/partner-content-worried-about-water-floridan-aquifer
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Multitude of water pollution, shortage issues facing Florida and Alachua County
May 2, 2013
https://www.wuft.org/environment/2013-05-02/runoff-water-carries-pollutants
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Wildfire threat in Southwest Florida gets real as drought conditions persist
April 2, 2023
The Florida Forest Service updates the Keetch-Byram Drought Index daily, which shows Collier and Lee counties in bright red to indicate the lack of moisture in the soil. The dry conditions have caused trees, shrubs, and dead trees felled by Hurricane Ian to become drier, creating tinder-like conditions in Southwest Florida.
https://www.wusf.org/weather/2023-04-02/wildfire-threat-in-southwest-florida-gets-real-as-drought-conditions-persist
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Wildfire threat grows as Florida drought gets steadily worse
April 6, 2023
https://apnews.com/article/florida-drought-wildfires-danger-heat-9fc87b25620a7e01d8af544eaabd6aa7
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Record drought gripped much of the U.S. in 2022
January 10, 2023
https://www.noaa.gov/news/record-drought-gripped-much-of-us-in-2022
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The worst drought in three years expands over Central Florida
Apr. 08, 2023
https://mynews13.com/fl/orlando/weather/2023/04/05/the-worst-drought-in-3-years-expands-over-central-florida
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A drought is gripping Southwest Florida. Record-setting is likely in Sarasota, Venice and Bradenton
November 22, 2023
https://www.wusf.org/weather/2023-11-22/drought-gripping-southwest-florida-record-setting-likely-sarasota-venice-bradenton
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Florida's brutal drought worsens; Orlando has hottest start to year on record
April 6, 2023
https://phys.org/news/2023-04-florida-brutal-drought-worsens-orlando.html
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One side of Florida is running out of water. The other is getting bombarded with too much rain
December 7, 2023
https://apnews.com/article/florida-drought-rainfall-climate-change-a4c23d088b6059beea2b70bf3e7907a4
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Drought Vs Deluge: Florida's Unusual Rainfall Totals Either Too Little or Too Much on Each Coast
Dec. 8, 2023
In Florida, this year has been a tale of two states as far as rainfall totals, with the southeast coast deluged by sometimes-record rainfall and much of the Gulf coast facing a major precipitation deficit
https://www.usnews.com/news/best-states/florida/articles/2023-12-08/drought-vs-deluge-floridas-unusual-rainfall-totals-either-too-little-or-too-much-on-each-coast
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This city famous for its water is now at risk of running out — here’s how things changed so quickly
2024
The Florida city of Zephyrhills is known for its water — notably the bottled water company with the same name. But ironically the city, located northeast of Tampa, is setting off alarm bells for that exact reason. According to a state report, Zephyrhills is expected to run out of drinking water within the next two decades.
https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/us/this-city-famous-for-its-water-is-now-at-risk-of-running-out-here-s-how-things-changed-so-quickly/ar-AA1fiii6
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Emergency Lake pumping started Wednesday, polluted water coming to Fort Myers
2016
A state environmental agency gave a presentation in Fort Myers on Thursday on cleaning up the Caloosahatchee River while another state agency pumped polluted farm water into Lake Okeechobee, which drains into the river.
https://www.news-press.com/story/news/2016/01/28/state-declares-emergency-polluted-water-coming-fort-myers/79401690/
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Another Challenge for Hardest-Hit Parts of Florida: Finding Clean Drinking Water
The worst trouble was in Lee County, where a badly damaged water system was affecting a population of nearly 760,000 people.
2022
https://www.nytimes.com/2022/10/01/us/florida-water-hurricane-ian.html
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Lee County agrees to bail out Fort Myers water woes
2022
Lee County officials have agreed to come to the aid of Fort Myers residents who have become increasingly inpatient with low water pressure in their homes.
https://www.news-press.com/story/news/local/fort-myers/2022/01/27/lee-county-sell-fort-myers-1-5-million-gallons-water-day-fort-myers-water-crisis-lee-county-comes-re/9240207002/
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Fort Myers has a water pollution problem; state environmental agency promises penalties, protections
2020
https://www.news-press.com/story/tech/science/environment/2020/07/10/state-agency-though-florida-department-environmental-protection-has-yet-take-any-legal-action-agains/5410962002/
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Seriousness of the water shortage in Cape Coral
Nov 29, 2023
Concerns over the water levels in Southwest Florida are growing to some, but others are shrugging the information off.
Parts of both Cape Coral and unincorporated Lee County are under mandatory water restrictions due to the low levels of drinking water.
It’s becoming a concern to some because it means their well, which is the source of their home’s water, is at risk of drying up. While some aren’t too worried because they say Cape Coral always runs dry, others remember what it’s like to be without water.
https://winknews.com/2023/11/29/seriousness-water-shortage-cape-coral/
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Cape Coral's drinking water fouled by E. coli
2022
https://news.wgcu.org/2022-09-13/cape-corals-drinking-water-fouled-by-e-coli
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Study: North Cape Coral slowly sinking, likely due to over-pumping for city's water desalinization plant
2023
Nearly 40 square miles of North Cape Coral is sinking, an inch or more every year, due to over-pumping the aquifers below the city for household water.
The reason for a deepening depression in that area was detailed in a recent study in the journal Science of Remote Sensing by researchers from the Geological Survey of Norway.
At the center of the sinking soil is Cape Coral’s desalinization plant and the 22 wells scattered through the surrounding neighborhoods. Pumping brackish water from as deep as 1,250 feet into the reverse osmosis plant,the wells produce more than one million gallons of clean, drinkable water every day for the city’s burgeoning population.
But that rate of extraction comes with serious environmental costs that far exceed the price paid in dollars to run the desalinization plant, the researchers say.
The heavy pumping lowers the water table by more than three feet of water per year, and without giving the aquifers time to refill, so much underground space that held water has collapsed it could house enough water to fill eight Empire State Buildings.
Now that the aquifer has compacted it can never refill. The landscape above is sinking into the void, which has dropped the ground level surrounding the desalinization plant by as much as 1.5 feet in a process called subsidence, the Norwegian researchers report.
The oblong-shaped depression is poised to wreak havoc on anything built on the land surrounding the water plant, which includes hundreds of homes, several high schools, two middle schools, two parks, two sports complexes, and a hospital.
“Groundwater pumping for feeding the … desalination facilities is the primary factor responsible for land subsidence in the northern part of the city,” the study's authors wrote. “Such deformation likely results from overusing the aquifer system. That aggressive groundwater pumping might potentially facilitate natural sinkhole formation.”
No scientific agreement
Rachael Rotz, a hydrogeologist at The Water School at the Florida Gulf Coast University, was not involved in the study, but said the subsidence around the northern wellfield could be a mere coincidence. The real culprit, she said, could be growth...
https://news.wgcu.org/section/environment/2023-12-18/journal-north-cape-coral-slowly-sinking-due-to-over-pumping-for-citys-water-desalinization-plant
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Just how bad did the Monday night flooding get in Cape Coral?
Jan 15, 2024
https://www.fox4now.com/cape-coral/watch-flooding-in-cape-coral-submerges-intersection
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Some South Florida canals failed during no-name storm. Sea rise will make that worse
November 24, 2023
https://www.wusf.org/weather/2023-11-24/south-florida-canals-failed-no-name-storm-sea-rise-make-worse
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Cape Coral needs emergency funds to fix problems from January flooding
2024
The City of Cape Coral said the surge of rain during the January storm caused the sudden failure of many weak points in aging infrastructure across the city.
https://www.msn.com/en-us/video/weather/cape-coral-needs-emergency-funds-to-fix-problems-from-january-flooding/vi-BB1jrH88#
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Historic flooding hinders recovery efforts in rural Florida counties
October 7, 2022
https://www.wusf.org/weather/2022-10-07/historic-flooding-hinders-recovery-efforts-in-rural-florida-counties
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Cancer-causing chemicals emitted from Fort Myers plant
June 2023
The cause: ethylene oxide
The facility has been running since 2011. It uses ethylene oxide — or ETO, used to sterilize medical equipment.
According to the Environmental Protection Agency, cancers such as non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma, leukemia and breast cancer are linked to ETO. There’s also evidence linking long-term exposure to reproductive health problems.
Scientists discovered how toxic ETO is in 2016. People learned this week that they’re breathing in that toxic air.
https://winknews.com/2023/06/22/cancer-causing-chemicals-emitted-from-fort-myers-plant/
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EPA gives a face-to-face update about carcinogenic air pollution in Fort Myers
2023
https://www.news-press.com/story/news/environment/2023/11/02/carcinogenic-air-pollution-from-plant-in-fort-myers-what-to-know/71409338007/
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Acid rain hits close to home for Florida utilities // Current legislation may have greatest impact on TECO
Oct. 16, 2005
https://www.tampabay.com/archive/1990/01/06/acid-rain-hits-close-to-home-for-florida-utilities-current-legislation-may-have-greatest-impact-on-teco/
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ACID RAIN A FACTOR IN FLORIDA LEVELS LOWER THAN IN SOME REGIONS OF U.S.
1988
https://www.orlandosentinel.com/1988/08/08/acid-rain-a-factor-in-florida-levels-lower-than-in-some-regions-of-us/
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Acid rain monitoring in Florida from 1978 to the present and evaluation of trends in rainwater composition
1996
https://www.osti.gov/biblio/437336
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An overview of the direct and indirect effects of acid rain on plants: Relationships among acid rain, soil, microorganisms, and plants
2023
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0048969723010045
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The bittersweet story of how we stopped acid rain
7 August 2019
https://www.bbc.com/future/article/20190823-can-lessons-from-acid-rain-help-stop-climate-change
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Acid Precipitation and Sulfate Deposition in Florida
30 May 1980
Abstract
The acidity of rainfall in Florida has increased markedly in the past 25
years, and the average sulfate and nitrate concentrations have
increased by factors of 1.6 and 4.5, respectively, over the period.
Annual average pH values below 4.7 now occur over the northern three quarters of the state. Summer rainfall has average pH
values 0.2 to 0.3 unit lower than winter rainfall, and sulfate
concentrations at most sites are higher in summer. The annual deposition
of H+ (about 300 to 500 equivalents per hectare) in northern
Florida is a third to a half of the deposition in the heavily impacted
northeastern United States; comparable figures for excess sulfate
(derived from sulfur dioxide) are 7 to 11 kilograms of sulfur per
hectare or 50 to 90 percent of the sulfate deposition rates at Hubbard
Brook, New Hampshire.
https://www.science.org/doi/10.1126/science.208.4447.1027
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Impacts of Sulfate Contamination on the Florida Everglades Ecosystem
2004
Water quality is a key issue facing the restoration of the Florida Everglades. For example, agriculturally derived phosphorus entering the Everglades has caused eutrophication of 6 to 10 percent of the ecosystem, resulting in changes in the native plant communities. Phosphorus contamination remains an important issue facing Everglades restoration, but recent work by the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) has pointed to other water-quality issues critical to the overall health of the Everglades ecosystem.
Among the most important of these other water-quality issues in the Everglades is sulfate (SO42-) contamination. Sulfate contamination affects as much as one-third of the freshwater Everglades, and sulfate concentrations are 60 to 100 times historical levels in heavily affected areas. The effects of sulfate contamination on ecosystem health have not been fully studied, but links between sulfate contamination and high levels of methylmercury in the ecosystem have been documented. Also, sulfate contamination may be contributing to declines in native plants by altering chemical conditions in the sediments. Ongoing USGS research will further delineate these effects and explore possible options for mitigating sulfate contamination in this unique ecosystem.
https://pubs.usgs.gov/fs/fs109-03/
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Ecology of Florida
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ecology_of_Florida
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Environmental issues in Brevard County
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Environmental_issues_in_Brevard_County
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Protecting Brevard from Toxic Chemicals
https://www.fight4zero.org/ufproject
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BREVARD COUNTY POLLUTION MAP
https://www.fight4zero.org/brevardmap
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Environmental issues in Florida
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Environmental_issues_in_Florida
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Natural Radiation in the Rocks, Soils, and Groundwater of Southern Florida with a Discussion on Potential Health Impacts
2019
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6572226/
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STATEWIDE MAPPING OF FLORIDA SOIL RADON POTENTIALS VOLUME 1. TECHNICAL REPORT
1995
https://cfpub.epa.gov/si/si_public_record_report.cfm?Lab=NRMRL&dirEntryId=115674
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Radiation levels in Lakeland homes again in question
2019
Did the state use the wrong radiation detectors?
LAKELAND, Fla. (WFLA)- In Florida, phosphate mining is lucrative and controversial.
It tears up the earth, bringing radioactive minerals buried beneath to the surface.
Thousands of people live in homes in Lakeland’s Grasslands and Oakbridge communities, on what was once the Poseidon mine.
A lawsuit filed in 2017, claims the Drummond Company, which owned the mine, reclaimed it, then despite high radiation levels, built on it.
“This Gamma radiation affects the way cells change. And when you affect the way cells change, it causes cancer,” attorney Mark Lanier pointed out.
Lanier heads up the law firm suing Drummond.
https://www.wfla.com/8-on-your-side/radiation-levels-in-lakeland-homes-again-in-question/
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Radionuclide Contamination
https://floridadep.gov/water/source-drinking-water/content/radionuclide-contamination
Sources
There are two sources of radioactive contamination in drinking water. The first is naturally occurring radionuclides contained in the soil that water moves through. Some areas in Florida are susceptible to contamination from phosphate-rich soils and rock.
The second source of radioactive contamination comes from man-made sources. There is no known man-made contamination of drinking water in Florida.
Radionuclides found in drinking water are members of three radioactive series - uranium, thorium and actinium - and include the naturally occurring elements radium, uranium and the radioactive gas radon. These contaminants may cause different types of biological damage. Radium concentrates in the bones and can cause cancers. Uranium can cause cancers in the bones and can have a toxic effect on kidneys.
The standards and rules governing radionuclides is currently under revision by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. Florida will adopt the new standards and rules when issued by EPA.
Radioactive Chemicals
Radionuclides found in drinking water are members of three radioactive series - uranium, thorium and actinium - and include the naturally occurring elements radium, uranium and the radioactive gas radon.
These contaminants may cause different types of biological damage. Radium concentrates in the bones and can cause cancers. Uranium can cause cancers in the bones and can have a toxic effect on kidneys.
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Exposure to radon and heavy particulate pollution and incidence of brain tumors
2022
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC9925706/
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Florida's idea to use radioactive waste in road construction is unsafe, critics say
2023
https://www.npr.org/2023/07/17/1188181247/floridas-idea-to-use-radioactive-waste-in-road-construction-is-unsafe-critics-sa
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Nine Counties in Florida at a High Risk for Radon
https://radonresources.com/blog/nine-counties-florida-high-risk-for-radon/
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Manatee Power Plant Makes Toxic Emissions List: ProPublica
2021
A ProPublica report looked at 1,000 hot spots for toxic emissions across the country, including Florida Power & Light's Manatee Power Plant.
https://patch.com/florida/bradenton/manatee-power-plant-makes-toxic-emissions-list-propublica
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Power plants keep Florida manatees warm. What happens when they close?
3-12-2024
More than half of Florida manatees rely on power plants to survive. That’s a problem for addressing climate change.
https://www.tampabay.com/news/environment/2024/03/12/florida-manatee-climate-change-power-plant-tampa-warm-water-utility/
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Florida approves permit to pump millions of gallons of mining wastewater into a deep well. Environmentalists say it could be "disastrous."
2021
Earlier this year, more than 200 million gallons of untreated wastewater were discharged into local waters because of a leak at Piney Point, a former phosphate mining facility in Manatee County, Florida. Now, it's a race against time for state officials to prevent another potentially "catastrophic" breach, with rainy season just months away and millions of gallons of untreated wastewater remaining at the facility...
https://www.cbsnews.com/news/piney-point-wastewater-deep-well-environmentalists-controversy/
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Imminent Failure of Phosphogypsum Stack in Tampa Bay Exposes Phosphate Industry Risks
2021
Catastrophic Wastewater Release Highlights Need for Federal Action
ST. PETERSBURG, Fla.— Manatee County officials have issued evacuation orders for the area surrounding Florida’s Piney Point in anticipation of the imminent catastrophic collapse of a phosphogypsum stack retention pond holding up to 700 million gallons of wastewater.
It has been reported that 22,000 gallons a minute are being discharged from the holding pond to prevent the release of millions of gallons of wastewater and a failure of the radioactive phosphogypsum stack itself. Phosphogypsum is the radioactive waste from processing phosphate ore into phosphoric acid, which is predominantly used in fertilizer.
https://biologicaldiversity.org/w/news/press-releases/imminent-failure-of-phosphogypsum-stack-in-tampa-bay-exposes-phosphate-industry-risks-2021-04-03/
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215 Million Gallons of Radioactive Water Threaten Drinking Water in Florida
2021
Mulberry, Florida is now home to a giant sinkhole that has caused 215 million gallons of radioactive water to leak into the state’s supply of drinking water.
The contamination occurred when a sinkhole appeared at a phosphate fertilizer plant near Tampa, which damaged the stack where waste water was stored. This filtered into the state’s aquifer system, which supplies water to residents, making the water contain phosphogypsum. Phosphogypsum is classified as slightly radioactive and is a byproduct of the creation of fertilizer. This is due to the naturally-occurring uranium and radium in the phosphate ore.
https://naturalsociety.com/sinkhole-florida-creates-waste-leak-drinking-water-supply-5745/
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Salt levels in Florida’s groundwater rising at alarming rates; nuke plant is one cause
2020
Louis Fernandez walks along a flooded street in Miami Beach, Fla., during high tides caused by the lunar cycle Sept. 30, 2015. South Florida is under siege from invading saltwater above and below ground as seas rise due to climate change.
Deep beneath the Homestead-Miami Speedway, home of NASCAR’s Dixie Vodka 400, saltwater carries on a slower but more consequential race into the drinking-water supply of 3 million people in South Florida.
In 1999, the U.S. Geological Survey installed one of its first monitoring wells there using an electromagnetic technique to measure the thickness of intruding saltwater into the Biscayne aquifer. The racetrack is situated 5 miles from the Atlantic Ocean.
By 2018, a saltwater wedge at the bottom of the aquifer had expanded to a thickness of 20 feet. By last year, the chloride concentration had increased more than tenfold, to 12,000 milligrams per liter. The chloride concentration of seawater is about 35,000 milligrams per liter.
South Florida’s flooding streets get the attention, but what is happening beneath the surface presents clear — and in some cases eye-popping — evidence of another threat: saltwater intrusion.
Analysis of chloride testing in South Florida by the Howard Center for Investigative Journalism at the University of Maryland shows dozens of instances where the point at which saltwater meets freshwater — known as the interface — is moving inland.
U.S. Geological Survey testing shows saltwater has continued to migrate into South Florida’s aquifer system. Nearly one-third of 215 monitoring wells showed a five-year trend of increasing salinity with just 16 showing a downward salinity trend. (Test results at many other wells also showed increasing chloride levels, but those were not viewed by government hydrologists as a significant trend.)
The Geological Survey began special monitoring in Florida in the 1940s when wells too salty for drinking became common. Records since reflect a relentless salting of South Florida, a threat both to drinking water and to the environment.
Federal and state agencies have been monitoring sea-level rise for decades. Yet the Nuclear Regulatory Commission did not consider the impact of rising seas and increasing salt before granting a first-ever, 80-year license in December for the Turkey Point nuclear plant on Biscayne Bay. The plant is cooled by a series of canals that spewed millions of gallons of heavily saline water into the aquifer beneath it.
In a case playing out in the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia challenging the relicensing, environmental advocates contend the NRC didn’t adequately consider the plant’s pollution and future impacts of climate change.
Above ground, more extreme storm surges and high tides also deliver salt, sometimes far inland. By 2050, destructive high tides could plague the southeast Atlantic by anywhere from 25 to 85 days a year, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration predicts.
In July, the Southeast Florida Regional Climate Change Compact projected that by 2040, seas would rise between 10 to 17 inches over 2000 levels, based on predictions from NOAA and the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, the United Nations body that has studied the issue since the 1980s.
Harold Wanless, a University of Miami geographer known for sobering but accurate predictions about the changing climate, said the Atlantic Ocean in South Florida already is a foot higher than in 1930 and noted that saltwater advances inland from both the east and southwest.
“There’s major saltwater intrusion that is further diminishing our freshwater resources. And we’re probably going to lose most of (the freshwater resources) with another 2 feet of sea-level rise,” he said.
Wanless’ research at Cape Sable at the bottom of the Florida Everglades 15 years ago documented the environmental changes spreading across sensitive lands. His report to the U.S. Department of the Interior described Cape Sable as the canary in the coal mine, and recommended the government consider the safety of people using the back country there due to threats from widening creeks and higher waters.
Today, the National Park Service says of this once-pristine area: “The interior freshwater marsh has disappeared almost entirely.”
Adds Wanless: “We’ve lost almost all of the sawgrass marsh in Cape Sable because of saltwater intrusion.”
Disrupting a balance
Months after Florida became a state in 1845, the state Senate passed a resolution asking Washington to look into draining the vast, interconnected lands of freshwater that stretched from what is now Orlando to the Florida Keys.
By the start of the 20th Century, Florida politicians and their backers proceeded with fervor to reclaim the wild lands. Canals emptied Everglades water to pave the way for farming and development, part of the storied Florida land boom. The effects of upsetting the balance between freshwater and saltwater in low-lying Florida became apparent within decades as Miami-area wells grew too salty for use.
By 1940, the Geological Survey was monitoring dozens of wells to gauge saltwater movement. Government hydrologists concluded saltwater had already traveled miles into the Biscayne aquifer.
The Geological Survey has more than 100 monitoring wells from Jupiter to near the bottom of the Florida mainland, most of them 2-inch-wide PVC pipes that reach to the bottom of aquifers. Government hydrologists attempt to place the wells ahead of the saltwater to measure its pathways and speed as an aid to planners.
The movement can be dramatic, according to results examined by the Howard Center. A well in south Miami showed a modest chloride level of 24 milligrams per liter more than a half-century ago. The latest reading, in September, showed 5,650 milligrams per liter.
Last December, a Geological Survey well in southwest Miami along the Blackwater Canal suddenly showed a spike in chloride, to 600 milligrams per liter. The reading caught the eye of hydrologists because it showed how canals are enabling saltwater to flow farther inland even as it travels underground.
Scott Prinos, a hydrologist in the Geological Survey’s Caribbean-Florida Water Science Center, said most of the wells east of the saltwater front show the front continuing to move inland.
In July 2018, a newly installed well measured chloride at 302 milligrams per liter. In May, 22 months later, that saltiness had spiked to 2,100 milligrams per liter. In September, the chloride content was even greater — 2,310, well testing shows.
The well is situated 5 miles west of Florida Power & Light’s Turkey Point Nuclear Generating Station, where operations are proving to be yet another problem in South Florida’s quest to stave off a saltwater invasion.
Trouble at Turkey Point
A grand jury convened by the Miami-Dade County state’s attorney last year on the health of Biscayne raised alarms about saltwater intrusion driven by the plant. In Miami, grand juries venture beyond criminal matters into issues of public importance.
A massive plume of saltwater released by the plant’s unique method of cooling two nuclear reactors “constitutes a serious threat to the source of our freshwater,” the grand jury reported.
The nuclear plant has spewed millions of gallons of water, some of it saltier than the ocean, into the Biscayne aquifer and surrounding environment.
https://cnsmaryland.org/2020/11/23/salt-levels-in-floridas-groundwater-rising-at-alarming-rates-nuke-plant-is-one-cause/
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Miami Area Nuclear Plant In Partial Shutdown After Steam Leak
2014
https://wakeup-world.com/2014/12/04/miami-area-nuclear-plant-in-partial-shutdown-after-steam-leak/
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Contamination From Nuclear Power Plant Threatens Major South Florida Aquifer
April 24, 2016
https://savethewater.org/contamination-nuclear-power-plant-threatens-major-south-florida-aquifer/
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Crystal River nuclear plant had flaw in safety procedures for over a decade
2013
https://www.tampabay.com/news/business/energy/crystal-river-nuclear-plant-had-flaw-in-its-safety-procedures-for-more/1276841/
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FPL nuclear plant canals leaking into Biscayne Bay, study confirms By Jenny Staletovich Customers to foot $50 million bill for FPL cooling canal clean-up
2016
https://www.miamiherald.com/news/local/environment/article64667452.html
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Cooling tubes at FPL St. Lucie nuke plant show significant wear
2014
https://www.tampabay.com/news/business/energy/cooling-tubes-at-fpl-st-lucie-nuke-plant-show-significant-wear/2166886/
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Nuclear Plant's Canals Leaking Into Florida's Biscayne Bay, Study Finds
March 09, 2016
https://weather.com/science/environment/news/turkey-point-nuclear-plant-leak
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Nuclear Plant Leak Threatens Drinking Water Wells in Florida
2016
https://www.nytimes.com/2016/03/23/us/nuclear-plant-leak-threatens-drinking-water-wells-in-florida.html
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Turkey Point nuclear plant canal leaks spark more scrutiny over plans for new units
2016
https://www.utilitydive.com/news/turkey-point-nuclear-plant-canal-leaks-spark-more-scrutiny-over-plans-for-n/418500/
______________
List of power stations in Florida
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_power_stations_in_Florida
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Nuclear and radiation accidents and incidents
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nuclear_and_radiation_accidents_and_incidents
______________
Radioactive leaks found at 75% of US nuke sites
2011
https://www.cbsnews.com/news/radioactive-leaks-found-at-75-of-us-nuke-sites/
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What we know about the Monticello nuclear plant tritium leak
2023
https://www.mprnews.org/story/2023/03/22/what-we-know-about-the-monticello-nuclear-plant-radioactive-tritium-leak
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New plutonium research helps distinguish nuclear power pollution from global fall out
2021
https://phys.org/news/2021-03-plutonium-distinguish-nuclear-power-pollution.html
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Plutonium particles from nuclear testing more complex than previously thought
2021
https://phys.org/news/2021-05-plutonium-particles-nuclear-complex-previously.html
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How to Remove Radium from Drinking Water for Healthy Living
https://angelwater.com/blog/how-to-remove-radium-from-drinking-water/#
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Radium in drinking water in southwest Florida
https://inis.iaea.org/search/search.aspx?orig_q=RN:16067401
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Radium-226 and radon-222 concentrations in central Florida ground waters
1966
https://www.osti.gov/biblio/7311029
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Radium - 226 in Ground Water of West Central Florida
1978
https://www.academia.edu/24026211/Radium_226_in_Ground_Water_of_West_Central_Florida
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Source of radium in a well-water-augmented Florida lake
2006
https://www.academia.edu/12639142/Source_of_radium_in_a_well_water_augmented_Florida_lake
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Radium and radon in the environment
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Radium_and_radon_in_the_environment
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Occurrence of natural radium-226 radioactivity in ground water of Sarasota County, Florida
1985
https://dp.la/item/68d37ad00b43cd8f5a459c524d43799d
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Radium contamination in public water systems nationwide
https://www.ewg.org/interactive-maps/2018-radium/
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Map of Natural Radioactivity in the United States
https://www.thoughtco.com/map-of-natural-radioactivity-in-the-us-3961098
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Radium levels suggest Arctic Ocean chemistry is changing
2018
https://www.earthmagazine.org/article/radium-levels-suggest-arctic-ocean-chemistry-changing
______________
Investigations on the application of different synthetic zeolites for radium removal from water
2021
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/33461097/
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Removing Uranium and Radium from a Natural Water
2006
https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s11270-005-9026-5
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Environmental barium: potential exposure and health-hazards
2021
https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s00204-021-03049-5
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Thorium Concentrations in the Environment: A Review of the Global Data
2022
https://link.springer.com/article/10.1134/S1062359021110030
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PCB Coordinated Cleanup
https://floridadep.gov/waste/district-business-support/content/pcb-coordinated-cleanup
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Mt Dioxin, Pensacola's toxic site, to be buried without treatment by EPA.
2005
https://www.dailykos.com/stories/2005/10/4/154314/-
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Decades later, EPA still working on cleanup of Florida’s “Mount Dioxin”
2022
Pensacola wood treatment plant just one of 92 Superfund sites around the Sunshine State
(Creosote and “critical race theory”)
From 1942 to 1982, the Escambia Wood Treatment Company produced power poles, railroad ties, pilings and other wood products coated with creosote and PCBs to make them last. Although it was an industrial operation, the factory was in the middle of the city and surrounded by homes.
“A lot of the homes around there belonged to people who worked there,” explained Chips Kirschenfeld, the natural resource department manager for Escambia County, which now owns the site.
The residents had little choice when it came to buying homes there, explained Frances Dunham, who was a community activist at the time. That area was one of the few neighborhoods in the ‘50s and ‘60s where banks would lend money to Black people to buy houses, she explained.
If you are still wondering what “critical race theory” might be, here’s a good example. It shows how it’s not a theory but a fact.
The Black families who lived in that neighborhood felt hemmed in by factories and the railroad track. Pensacola is one of the Sunshine State’s rainiest cities, and during storms, toxic stuff from the Escambia Treatment site would wash over into people’s yards.
Escambia Treatment was no fly-by-night outfit, either. One of the owners happened to be Pensacola’s mayor from 1967 to 1971. But political influence is no guarantee of corporate responsibility – quite the opposite, in fact.
All the managers were white and all the workers Black. The employees knew they were being exposed to harmful chemicals that sometimes ate away their shoes in a matter of weeks, but their choices were limited. One later told an NPR reporter: “It was horrible for us all, but we all had to try to make a living.”
After Congress passed the Clean Water Act and other environmental regulations in the 1970s, the company’s owners saw the writing on the wall. They filed for bankruptcy and abandoned the plant.
They left behind what Dunham described as “leaking drums, a lab full of broken equipment and open containers, an overturned electrical transformer, crumbling asbestos insulation around a boiler” – and something worse in the soil and water.
The owners had stored the site’s toxic waste – not just creosote and PCB’s, but also polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons and dioxins – in unlined pits on the site. Essentially, the workers had been ordered to pour the toxic waste into a hole in the ground. As often happens with holes in porous Florida, what was put in didn’t stay there.
A few years later, during an investigation of a Superfund site next door – yes, Pensacola has two Superfund sites adjacent to each other, the second one being a phosphate processing facility – regulators made an alarming discovery. The Escambia Wood site was full of contaminants too.
At first the EPA did not declare this a Superfund site. Instead, it was classified as a site in need of emergency cleanup, not unlike the Exxon Valdez oil spill.
That meant send workers to rush in right away, instead of holding meetings with the neighbors to inform them about what was happening. When former employees offered to point out areas of extreme contamination, Dunham said, one of the EPA coordinators – who called himself a “cowboy” — told them to get lost.
Instead, the EPA had crews in special contamination suits start digging up the soil, the sludge and everything else. They planned to incinerate it, but at first they were just piling it up. Before long, they had excavated 250,000 cubic yards of toxic soil, creating what locals dubbed “Mount Dioxin.”
https://floridaphoenix.com/2022/01/06/decades-later-epa-still-working-on-cleanup-of-floridas-mount-dioxin/
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FL sacrificed a river to get paper mill jobs. The deal really stunk.
2021
https://floridaphoenix.com/2021/01/07/fl-sacrificed-a-river-to-get-paper-mill-jobs-the-deal-really-stunk/
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Formation and Control Measure of Dioxin Pollution in Papermaking Industry
2004
https://www.semanticscholar.org/paper/Formation-and-Control-Measure-of-Dioxin-Pollution-Bi-bo/3eaec737f3a9bac49b5505320f62bb6cb9c985eb
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RESEARCH ARTICLE: DDT, Dioxins, and PCBs in Sediments in a Historically Polluted Estuary along the Gulf of Mexico
2015
https://www.cambridge.org/core/journals/environmental-practice/article/abs/research-article-ddt-dioxins-and-pcbs-in-sediments-in-a-historically-polluted-estuary-along-the-gulf-of-mexico/5366D9E0EC125B881B112FADD2678D8C
_____________
Biological Implications of Dioxins/Furans Bioaccumulation in Ecosystems
2021
https://link.springer.com/chapter/10.1007/978-981-15-5499-5_14
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1,4-Dioxane: Another forever chemical plagues drinking-water utilities
2020
https://cen.acs.org/environment/pollution/14-Dioxane-Another-forever-chemical/98/i43
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Legislation for Toxic Secret chemical 1,4-dioxane dies in Florida House
March 2024
https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/us/legislation-for-toxic-secret-chemical-1-4-dioxane-dies-in-florida-house/ar-BB1jfLMV
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Dioxins and dioxin-like compounds
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dioxins_and_dioxin-like_compounds
_____________
AIR FORCE ADMITS AGENT ORANGE SPRAYING IN FLORIDA IN 1962-70
2009
In the 1960s, Ernie Rivers taught Navy flight
students at the Pensacola Naval Air Station
how to live off the land if their plane was
downed. He was the officer in charge of the
survival unit, overseeing 30 to 35
instructors, who taught more than 100 men
a week how to survive with only a compass,
map, and a hunting knife. Every week
groups of students would camp for three
days, using different sites on Eglin Air
Force Base Reservation in Florida.
When the winds and clouds were right, Rivers and his men would watch
planes pass overhead, clouds of spray coming from them. Several times he
and his men were sprayed. “I’d say, ‘At least we don’t have to use bug
repellant,’” he noted, laughing, during an interview. That was a big plus,
they thought, for them as well as Army Rangers who were also training out
in the bayous of the Florida panhandle, where mosquitoes and other bugs
could make life miserable.
Rivers and the students thought they were watching the Air Force spray
DDT to kill mosquitoes. What was actually being sprayed, he said, was
Agent Orange. Documents show that gallons of the defoliants Agent
Orange, Agent Purple, and Agent White were sprayed at Eglin. In fact,
according to officials overseeing the program, the Air Force sprayed a test
area on the base with more dioxin than any similar area in Vietnam. The
fact that Agent Orange was sprayed in Florida for eight years was not
widely known then or even today. Only in the last several years has the
documentation on the spraying been made publicly available by Alvin
Young, an Air Force scientist for more than 15 years at Eglin. Young
oversaw a huge research project evaluating how massive spraying of
Agent Orange at the Florida air force base affected its soil, water, plants,
fish, and animals.
In Vietnam during the war, a typical mission disseminated 14.8 kg of Agent
Orange per hectare, according to Young. Most of the Agent Orange in
Vietnam was intercepted by forest canopy, and some of it was destroyed
by the sunlight. But at Eglin, where the spray rate was 876 kg per hectare,
the trees and bushes already had been removed from the spray area.
Young recently wrote that each hectare at Eglin received at least 1,300
times more dioxin than a hectare sprayed in Vietnam. The spraying went on
from 1962 to 1970. The test area was three kilometers square.
Eglin was one of several key military installations involved with Operation
Ranch Hand and posters plastering its buildings made that clear. Pictures
of Smokey the Bear, the unofficial Operation Ranch Hand mascot,
proclaimed, “Only you can prevent a forest.” Eglin had responsibility for
training the aircrews, fitting aircraft with spray equipment, and testing the
spray systems and spray patterns.
Spray systems were tested in an area divided into four grids. From June
1962 through June 1970 fixed-wing airplanes, helicopters or jet aircraft
sprayed massive amounts of defoliants on the area. During that time 75,000
liters of Agent Orange, 61,200 liters of Agent Purple, 15,800 liters of Agent
White, and 16,600 liters of Agent Blue rained onto the base.
There were 155,000 kg sprayed of the active ingredients in the herbicides.
The Air Force estimated that the amount of dioxin sprayed was between 5.6
and eight pounds, an enormous amount since it is one of the more toxic
chemicals, even in minute amounts. Because of its toxicity, dioxin is
generally measured in parts per trillion.
In the late 1960s, Air Force officials became concerned about the
ramifications of spraying dioxin in massive amounts stateside. “After
repetitive applications, personnel involved with the test program expressed
concern about potential ecological and environmental hazards that might
be associated with continuance of these test programs,” Young wrote later
in an Air Force technical report.
Officials overseeing the test program knew how toxic Agent Orange was
but seemed unconcerned, so long as it was used in Vietnam. James Clary,
who worked at Eglin and helped design the spray system for herbicides,
wrote in a 1988 letter to then-Sen. Tom Daschle: “When we [military
scientists] initiated the herbicide program in the 1960s, we were aware of
the potential for damage due to dioxin contamination in the herbicide. We
were even aware that the ‘military’ formulation had a higher dioxin
concentration than the ‘civilian’ version due to the lower cost and speed of
manufacture. However, because the material was to be used on the
‘enemy,’ none of us were overly concerned.”
But when it started to be sprayed in enormous quantities on an American
base, some Air Force officials became concerned and wanted to study the
impact of the spraying. Their concern doesn’t seem to have been motivated
only by worry about ecological and public health issues...
https://westin553.net/batcatPDF/AGENT_ORANGE_Eglin_1962-70.pdf
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Pensacola ranks No. 12 in U.S. for toxic releases per square mile
2019
https://www.pnj.com/story/news/2019/11/17/escambia-county-haunted-pollution-20-years-after-grand-jury-report/2125341001/
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Paradise Squandered: Legacy of pollution haunts Escambia County
2019
Despite Escambia County's outward beauty, our community has long been plagued by pervasive pollution from industrial plants, landfills, septic tanks and the like.
Pollution was so bad that in 1999, a special grand jury was convened to assess local air and water quality. The jury found that local regulators were falling down on the job, that local elected officials were serving corporations rather than citizens, and that we needed to take immediate action to stem the tide of toxins in our community.
The grand jury issued an array of recommendations to improve pollution control, environmental monitoring, government accountability and other issues, but 20 years later, we're still seeing a lot of the same old problems.
https://www.pnj.com/story/news/2019/11/17/paradise-squandered-escambia-county-haunted-legacy-pollution/2580118001/
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Escambia County ranks among top places for toxic releases in the country
2017
ESCAMBIA COUNTY, Fla. (WEAR) — Escambia County is near the top of the list when it comes to counties in the country with the highest release of toxins into the environment. Forbes used data from the Environmental Protection Agency and found Escambia County was the 11th largest producer of toxins out of the country's nearly 3,000 counties.
"It's varied between 10 and 13th over the past 16 years in its ranking," said Dr. John Lanza, director of the Florida Health Department.
Every year the EPA puts out a Toxics Release Inventory (TRI) report. It compiles data reported by industries across the country. In 2016, industries in Escambia County reported releasing 34 million pounds of toxins either into the air, water, or ground.
Ascend Performance Materials in Cantonment was responsible for 32 million pounds of it. According to Ascend, the Cantonment facility uses deep wells to send processed wastewater into the ground into what is known as the Lower Floridian Aquifer. Lanza said it is injected so far down, it does not affect our drinking water supply.
"For our foreseeable future there's no public health threat, no threat health to the citizens of Escambia or surrounding areas because it's down 1,600 feet," Lanza said.
Ascend reports the facility only injects treated, non-hazardous wastewater into the deep wells and only one percent accounts for either nitrate or organic compounds. The company said they have not had any issues during the 54 years the wells have been in operation.
Lanza said if the deep wells were factored out of the TRI report, it would drop Escambia County's ranking to 254. International Paper Pensacola Mill was the second largest contributor to toxic releases in the county with nearly 1.5 million pounds reported. Gulf Power was third and released just over 260,000 pounds of toxic materials.
"We have always encouraged all the industries in Escambia County to try to reduce the amount of waste that they had over the years and to the greatest extent, they've done that because the numbers have significantly decreased other than the deep well injection," Lanza explained.
Lanza said the TRI list does not show the full picture of environmental issues. He pointed out Superfund sites are not included in the data, nor are airports and interstates which account for pollution into the air.
"We should encourage industry, but also ourselves to limit that pollution as much as we possibly can," Lanza said.
https://weartv.com/news/local/escambia-county-ranks-among-top-places-for-toxic-releases-in-the-country
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Fluoride-Polluted Escambia County to Begin Water Fluoridation
2002
https://fluoridealert.org/news/fluoride-polluted-escambia-county-to-begin-water-fluoridation/
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Biden-Harris Administration Announces New Cleanup Project in Florida
February 10, 2023
ATLANTA (February 10, 2023) — Today, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced the second wave of approximately $1 billion in funding from President Biden’s Bipartisan Infrastructure Law to start new cleanup projects at 22 Superfund sites, including the Southern Solvents site in Tampa, and expedite over 100 other ongoing cleanups across the country.
https://www.epa.gov/newsreleases/biden-harris-administration-announces-new-cleanup-project-florida
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Do You Live Near Toxic Waste? See 1,317 of the Most Polluted Spots in the U.S.
2017
https://time.com/4695109/superfund-sites-toxic-waste-locations/
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List of Superfund sites in Florida
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Superfund_sites_in_Florida
This is a list of Superfund sites in Florida designated under the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act (CERCLA) environmental law. The CERCLA federal law of 1980 authorized the United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to create a list of polluted locations requiring a long-term response to clean up hazardous material contaminations. These locations are known as Superfund sites, and are placed on the National Priorities List (NPL).
The NPL guides the EPA in "determining which sites warrant further investigation" for environmental remediation. As of May 3, 2010, there were 52 Superfund sites on the National Priorities List in Florida. Three more sites have been proposed for entry on the list and 23 others have been cleaned up and removed from it. There are also twelve Superfund Alternative sites in the state.
Superfund sites
- Proposed for addition to National Priorities List
- Deleted from National Priorities List
- Superfund Alternative site
| CERCLIS ID | Name | County | Reason | Proposed | Listed[4] | Construction completed[5] |
Partially deleted[6] |
Deleted[7] |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| FLD980221857 | Agrico Chemical Co. | Escambia | Soil and surface water contamination by fluoride, arsenic and lead and groundwater contamination by fluoride, arsenic, chloride, sulfate, nitrate/nitrite, radium-226 and radium-228 from former chemical and fertilizer manufacturing.[8] | 06/24/1988 | 10/04/1989 | 09/23/1999 |
| |
| FLD004145140 | Airco Plating Co. | Miami-Dade | Soil and groundwater contamination by metals, including cadmium and chromium, and VOCs, including PCE, DCE and vinyl chloride. There is a risk of contamination of the Biscayne Aquifer, the county's sole drinking water source.[9] | 06/24/1988 | 02/21/1990 | 09/15/1999 |
| |
| FLD012978862 | Alaric Area Groundwater Plume | Hillsborough | Groundwater contamination by PCE and TCE, including trace contamination of the Upper Floridan Aquifer, a major source of drinking water in the Tampa area. Contamination has also spread to the nearby Helena Chemical Superfund site.[10] | 02/04/2000 | 12/01/2000 | 09/30/2003 |
| |
| FLD041495441 | Alpha Chemical Corp. | Polk | Groundwater, soil and sediment contamination by VOCs, including xylene, styrene, ethylbenzene, benzoic acid and 1,2-dichloropropane from former industrial waste disposal practices.[11] | 12/30/1982 | 09/08/1983 | 09/21/1990 | 06/28/1995 | |
| FLD008161994 | American Creosote Works (Pensacola Plt) | Escambia | Soil, sediment and groundwater are contaminated with VOCs, PAHs, PCP and dioxins from former wood treatment operations.[12] | 12/30/1982 | 09/08/1983 |
| ||
| FLD020536538 | Anaconda Aluminum Co./Milgo Electronics | Miami-Dade | Groundwater was contaminated by cyanide and heavy metals, such as cadmium, lead, iron, zinc, selenium and copper from former on-site waste disposal practices. Sediment, soil and surface water contained heavy metals such as mercury, selenium and arsenic. Contamination reached the Biscayne Aquifer, the sole source of drinking water for south Florida.[13] | 10/26/1989 | 08/30/1990 | 11/22/1994 | 07/09/1998 | |
| FLD981014368 | Anodyne, Inc. | Miami-Dade | Groundwater contamination by metals and VOCs and soil contaminated by metals from former manufacturing operations.[14] | 06/24/1988 | 02/21/1990 |
| ||
| FLSFN0406909 | Arkla Terra Property | Hillsborough | Soil, groundwater and private drinking water wells are contaminated by PCE from tank cleaning.[15] | 06/29/2008 | 04/09/2009 |
| ||
| FLD004574190 | B&B Chemical Co., Inc. | Miami-Dade | Soil and groundwater contamination by benzene, chlorobenzene and vinyl chloride from soakage pits. The site has impacted the Biscayne Aquifer, the sole source of drinking water in southern Florida.[16] | 06/24/1988 | 08/30/1990 | 10/01/1994 |
| |
| FLD980494660 | Beulah Landfill | Escambia | Groundwater contamination by PCP and soils and sludges contaminated by PAHs, pesticides, PCP and metals, including aluminum, zinc, iron, lead, chromium and nickel.[17] | 06/26/1988 | 02/21/1990 | 09/16/1993 | 06/22/1998 | |
| FLD052172954 | BMI-Textron | Palm Beach | Soil was contaminated by cyanide and fluoride; groundwater was contaminated by arsenic, cyanide, fluoride and sodium.[18] | 06/24/1988 | 08/30/1990 | 08/11/1994 | 11/18/2002 | |
| FLD980847016 | Brown's Dump | Duval | Soil contained elevated levels of lead, arsenic, other inorganic compounds, organic compounds, pesticides, PCBs, dioxins and furans. Remedial action is expected to start in 2010.[19] |
| ||||
| FLD980728935 | Brown Wood Preserving | Suwannee | Soil and sediments were contaminated by carcinogenic PAHs from former wood treatment operations.[20] | 12/30/1982 | 09/08/1983 | 12/31/1991 | 09/22/1995 | |
| FLD980709356 | Cabot/Koppers | Alachua | The Cabot part of the site is a former charcoal production operation, which is now redeveloped; the Koppers part is a former wood treatment facility. Groundwater, soil and possibly off-site surface water are contaminated by arsenic, PAHs and creosote compounds, from poor waste-handling practices in the past.[21] | 09/08/1983 | 09/21/1984 |
| ||
| FLD094590916 | Callaway & Son Drum Service | Polk | Groundwater is contaminated by DCE, TCE, PCE, xylene and vinyl chloride from former drum cleaning operations at levels not thought to pose a risk. Contaminated drums have been removed from the site.[22] | 02/04/2000 | 05/11/2000 | 12/21/2007 | 08/04/2009 | |
| FLD981931959 | Cascade Park Gasification Plant/Landfill | Leon | Soil and groundwater contamination by light and heavy oils, coal tars, sludges, ash, ammonia, cyanide and lime wastes[23] |
| ||||
| FL5170022474 | Cecil Field Naval Air Station | Duval | Release of petroleum products, solvents, corrosives, compressed gasses, pesticides, paints and thinners from spills and poor housekeeping practices at the former base.[24] | 07/14/1989 | 11/21/1989 | 08/26/2009 | 05/21/2003 |
|
| FLD080174402 | Chemform, Inc. | Broward | Soil and groundwater were contaminated by vinyl chloride, arsenic, chromium and other substances from disposal practices at a former precision machine shop.[25] | 06/10/1988 | 10/04/1989 | 09/16/1993 | 07/28/2000 | |
| FLD004064242 | Chevron Chemical Co. (Ortho Division) | Orange | Soil and groundwater contamination by pesticides, petroleum products and VOCs, including xylene from waste disposal practices at a former pesticide formulation plant. Contaminated soil has been removed.[26] | 01/18/1994 | 05/31/1994 | 02/10/1998 |
| |
| FLD055945653 | City Industries, Inc. | Orange | Soil and groundwater contamination by poor waste handling processes and intentional dumping by a former industrial waste handling business. The site was abandoned with around 1,200 drums of hazardous waste and thousands of gallons of sludge in storage tanks. Wastes and contaminated soil were removed in 1983-1984; groundwater is being treated.[27] | 10/15/1984 | 10/04/1989 | 03/02/1994 |
| |
| FLD991279894 | Coleman-Evans Wood Preserving Co. | Duval | Soil, sediment and shallow groundwater were contaminated by PCP and dioxins from former wood treatment operations. Over 210,000 short tons (190,000 t) of soil have been treated, around 320,000 gallons of hazardous liquids have been recovered and safely disposed of, over 2,000 cubic yards of hazardous solids have been safely disposed of and over 73,000,000 gallons of groundwater have been treated and discharged.[28] | 12/30/1982 | 09/08/1983 | 09/18/2007 |
| |
| FLD001704741 | Coronet Industries | Hillsborough | Organic and inorganic contamination from former phosphate mine and processing plant is under investigation.[29] |
| ||||
| FLD980602288 | Davie Landfill | Broward | Soils, sludges and groundwater contaminated by inorganic compounds, heavy metals and VOCs. The primary contaminants of concern for groundwater are vinyl chloride and antimony. Sludges have been dewatered and stabilized and groundwater contamination has attenuated to levels not thought to pose a risk to health.[30] | 12/30/1982 | 09/08/1983 | 11/08/1995 | 08/21/2006 | |
| FLD000833368 | Dubose Oil Products Co. | Escambia | Soil was contaminated by VOCs, PAHs and PCP and groundwater by VOCs, from a former waste processing facility. After cleanup, no hazardous substances remain on site at levels considered harmful.[31] | 10/15/1984 | 06/10/1986 | 09/11/1997 | 10/01/2004 | |
| FLD008168346 | Escambia Wood | Escambia | Creosote, PCP, PAH and dioxin contamination from an abandoned wood treatment facility. Adjacent properties are contaminated by PCP and dioxins and groundwater by PCP and naphthalene. Most of an estimated 358 affected households have been permanently relocated.[32] | 08/23/1994 | 12/16/1994 |
| ||
| FLD083111005 | Flash Cleaners | Broward | Soil, sludge and groundwater contaminated by PCE, TCE and decomposition products from former on-site dry cleaning operations.[33] | 03/19/2008 | 09/03/2008 |
| ||
| FLD984184127 | Florida Petroleum Reprocessors | Broward | Extensive VOC groundwater pollution from a former waste oil processing facility has contaminated the Biscayne Aquifer. Soil is contaminated by VOCs and waste oil degradation products and there is a highly concentrated non-aqueous phase layer.[34] | 04/01/1997 | 03/06/1998 |
| ||
| FLD050432251 | Florida Steel Corp. | Martin | Soil was contaminated by lead, zinc from disposal of dust filtered from the air in the mill and by PCBs from hydraulic fluid leaks. Groundwater is contaminated by sodium from a water softening plant and radium, which may be naturally occurring but may have been concentrated by operation of the water softener. The steel mill has not operated since 1982.[35] | 12/30/1982 | 09/08/1983 | 09/11/1997 |
| |
| FLR000091322 | General Dynamics Longwood | Seminole | Soil is contaminated by TCE and breakdown products, arsenic, cadmium, lead, mercury and silver and groundwater by TCE and breakdown products, and chromium from former printed circuit board manufacture and other operations. The shallow aquifer is connected to the Upper Floridan Aquifer.[36] | 04/09/2009 |
| |||
| FLD071307680 | Gold Coast Oil Corp. | Miami-Dade | Soil was contaminated by VOCs and metals from improper waste disposal at a former oil and solvent reclamation facility. Groundwater, including the Biscayne Aquifer, which is the sole source of drinking water for southern Florida, was contaminated by VOCs.[37] | 12/30/1982 | 09/08/1983 | 06/23/1992 | 10/09/1996 | |
| FLD000602334 | Harris Corp. (Palm Bay Plant) | Brevard | Groundwater was contaminated by numerous substances, including vinyl chloride, TCE and chromium. The adjacent municipal well field was contaminated.[38] | 04/10/1985 | 07/22/1987 | 07/01/1998 |
| |
| FLD053502696 | Helena Chemical Co. (Tampa Plant) | Hillsborough | Soil is contaminated by pesticides, semi-VOCs and VOCs, including xylene, from former operations on site. Groundwater is contaminated by chlorinated pesticides, PAHs, phenols and VOCs.[39] | 02/07/1992 | 10/14/1992 |
| ||
| FLD980709802 | Hipps Road Landfill | Duval | A former landfill site was redeveloped into residential lots. Groundwater is contaminated by VOCs, including vinyl chloride and benzene.[40] | 09/08/1983 | 09/21/1984 | 09/02/1994 |
| |
| FLD004119681 | Hollingsworth Solderless Terminal | Broward | Soil and groundwater contamination by VOCs from the discharge of degreasing agents.[41] | 12/30/1982 | 09/08/1983 | 06/04/1993 |
| |
| FL7570024037 | Homestead Air Force Base | Miami-Dade | Groundwater contamination typical of air operations (such as jet fuel and metals) is of concern as it drains into Biscayne National Park.[42] | 07/14/1989 | 08/30/1990 | 09/29/2006 |
| |
| FLD043047653 | ITT Thompson Industries | Madison | Groundwater contamination by TCE, DCE and vinyl chloride and sediment contamination by lead, zinc and chromium from former auto parts manufacturing.[43] |
| ||||
| FLSFN0407002 | Jacksonville Ash | Duval | Ash disposal from three former waste incinerators led to elevated levels of lead in soil and groundwater, and elevated levels of arsenic, metals, pesticides, PCB and dioxins in soil, surface water, groundwater and sediments.[44] |
| ||||
| FL6170024412 | Jacksonville Naval Air Station | Duval | Groundwater, sediment, soil and surface water contaminated by PCBs, VOCs (including methylene chloride, methylethyl ketone, ethyl acetate and TCE), PAHs, sludges containing organic and inorganic compounds, waste solvents, battery acid, JP-5 jet fuel, chlorinated solvents and pesticides.[45] | 07/14/1989 | 11/21/1989 |
| ||
| FLN000410232 | JJ Seifert Machine | Hillsborough | Soil contamination by PCE and groundwater contamination by VOCs including PCE, TCE, DCE and vinyl chloride. Private drinking wells have been contaminated.[46] | 09/23/2009 | 03/04/2010 |
| ||
| FLD980727820 | Kassauf-Kimerling Battery Disposal | Hillsborough | On-site soil and groundwater, along with sediment and surface water in nearby marshland was contaminated by arsenic, lead and cadmium.[47] | 12/30/1982 | 09/08/1983 | 09/24/1998 | 10/02/2000 | |
| FLD039049101 | Kerr-McGee Chemical Corp Jacksonville | Duval | Soil, groundwater and sediments are contaminated by VOCs, pesticides, PCBs and metals from former pesticide and fertilizer formulation, packaging and distribution facility.[48] | 09/23/2009 | 03/04/2010 |
| ||
| FLD042110841 | Landia Chemical Company | Polk | Soil, groundwater and sediment contamination by pesticides, metals, VOCs and semi-VOCs from former pesticide and fertilizer formulation and blending operations.[49] | 02/04/2000 | 05/11/2000 |
| ||
| FLD981019235 | Madison County Sanitary Landfill | Madison | Elevated levels of dichloroethane, DCE, TCE and vinyl chloride in soil and groundwater, including the Floridan Aquifer.[50] | 04/28/1993 | 08/30/1990 |
| ||
| FLD076027820 | Miami Drum Services | Miami-Dade | Soil was contaminated by metals, pesticides and organic solvents, and groundwater by VOCs from poor waste handling practices at a drum recycling facility, which was forced to close in 1981. Groundwater contamination is mixed with contamination from the nearby Northwest 58th Street Landfill and Varsol Oil Spill Superfund sites and has reached the Biscayne Aquifer, the county's sole source of drinking water.[51] | 12/30/1982 | 09/08/1983 | 04/28/1993 |
| |
| FLD088787585 | MRI Corp (Tampa) | Hillsborough | Soil, sediment and groundwater are contaminated by lead and other metals, from a former detinning and steel recycling facility, which also operated an electroplating shop.[52] | 06/17/1996 | 12/23/1996 |
| ||
| FLD084535442 | Munisport Landfill | Miami-Dade | Groundwater was contaminated by base neutral acids, inorganic compounds, heavy metals, PAHs, pesticides and VOCs from filling of wetland areas with construction debris and solid waste to raise elevation for development.[53] | 12/30/1982 | 09/08/1983 | 09/05/1997 | 02/21/1989 | |
| FL9170024567 | Naval Air Station Pensacola | Escambia | Groundwater is contaminated by VOCs and surface water and sediments are contaminated by heavy metals.[54] | 07/14/1989 | 11/21/1989 |
| ||
| FLD980709398 | Nocatee-Hull Creosote | DeSoto | Soil, groundwater and sediment contamination by creosote-related PAHs, benzene, toluene, ethylbenzene and xylenes from railroad tie treatment operations that are believed to have ended in 1952.[55] |
| ||||
| FLD984229773 | Normandy Park Apartments | Hillsborough | Soil and groundwater contamination by lead and antimony from former battery recycling operations. Contaminated soil has been removed and groundwater treatment is ongoing.[56] | 02/13/1995 |
| |||
| FLD980602643 | Northwest 58th Street Landfill | Miami-Dade | Groundwater was contaminated by arsenic, chromium, zinc, benzene, chlorobenzene, tetrachloroethane, TCE and vinyl chloride from former landfill operations. Groundwater contamination is mixed with contamination from the nearby Miami Drum Services and Varsol Oil Spill Superfund sites and has reached the Biscayne Aquifer, the county's sole source of drinking water.[57] | 12/30/1982 | 09/08/1983 | 03/06/1995 | 10/11/1996 | |
| FLD984169235 | Orlando Former Gasification Plant | Orange | Soil and groundwater are contaminated by coal tar waste products.[58] |
| ||||
| FLD041140344 | Parramore Surplus | Gadsden | Soil and groundwater were contaminated by PCBs, solvents and cyanide leaking from drums stored on site.[59] | 08/30/1982 | 09/08/1983 | 09/15/1987 | 02/21/1989 | |
| FLD004091807 | Peak Oil Co./Bay Drum Co. | Hillsborough | The site is a former waste oil re-refining plant and drum reconditioning facility. Soil, sludges, surface water and sediments are contaminated by PCBs, VOCs, arsenic, lead and other heavy metals from process wastes and groundwater is contaminated by VOCs and heavy metals.[60] | 10/15/1984 | 06/10/1986 | 09/26/2006 |
| |
| FLD032544587 | Pepper Steel & Alloys, Inc. | Miami-Dade | Soil is contaminated by PCBs, lead and arsenic.[61] | 09/08/1983 | 09/21/1984 | 09/28/1993 |
| |
| FLD980798698 | Petroleum Products Corp. | Broward | Soil and groundwater are contaminated by chlorinated solvents, transformer oil and heavy metals including lead, aluminum, chromium, iron and manganese from former waste oil re-refining. Specific sources of contamination include former waste disposal practices and catastrophic spills. An estimated 30,000 to 125,000 gallons of contaminated waste oil is floating on top of the Biscayne Aquifer, the sole source of drinking water for the county.[62] | 04/10/1985 | 07/22/1987 |
| ||
| FLD980556351 | Pickettville Road Landfill | Duval | Metal and VOC contamination of soil and groundwater from the closed hazardous waste landfill threaten local drinking water supplies and creeks.[63] | 12/30/1982 | 09/08/1983 | 09/24/2008 |
| |
| FLD056116965 | Pioneer Sand Co. | Escambia | The site is a former sand quarry that was later used as a landfill. Soil and sludges are contaminated by PCBs.[64] | 12/30/1982 | 09/08/1983 | 12/31/1991 | 02/08/1993 | |
| FLD004054284 | Piper Aircraft/Vero Beach Water & Sewer | Indian River | Soil and groundwater were contaminated by a leak from an underground TCE storage tank.[65] | 06/10/1986 | 02/21/1990 | 09/18/1997 |
| |
| FLD984227249 | Raleigh Street Dump | Hillsborough | Soil and sediments are contaminated by the disposal of battery casings, furnace slag and other materials. Groundwater is contaminated by antimony, arsenic and lead. The groundwater has high natural salinity so is not potable but contamination may extend to local wetlands.[66] | 09/03/2008 | 04/09/2009 | 08/12/2014 |
| |
| FLD000824896 | Reeves Southeast Galvanizing Corp | Hillsborough | Groundwater, sediments and soil are contaminated by heavy metals, including zinc, chromium and lead.[67] | 12/30/1982 | 09/08/1983 |
| ||
| FLD101835528 | St. Augustine Gas | Volusia | Groundwater, soil and sediments are contaminated by VOCs, metals, inorganic compounds and PAHs from former coal gasification plant. Soil is also contaminated by dioxins, which are not associated with these operations.[68] |
| ||||
| FLD032728032 | Sanford Dry Cleaners | Seminole | Soil and groundwater are contaminated by PCE and its decomposition products TCE and DCE from a dry cleaning business that closed in 2001.[69] | 03/04/2010 |
| |||
| FLD984169193 | Sanford Gasification Plant | Seminole | The site is contaminated by metals, VOCs, PAHs, dioxins and dibenzofurans.[70] |
| ||||
| FLD980602882 | Sapp Battery Salvage | Jackson | Soil, sediments, surface water and groundwater are contaminated by sulfuric acid, lead and other heavy metals, and plasticizers.[71] | 12/30/1982 | 09/08/1983 |
| ||
| FLD062794003 | Schuylkill Metals Corp. | Hillsborough | The site is a former battery recycling facility. Soil, surface water and sediments in nearby wetlands contained highly elevated levels of lead and groundwater is contaminated by lead, chromium and sulfate beyond state drinking water standards.[72] | 12/30/1982 | 09/08/1983 | 09/18/1997 | 08/22/2001 | |
| FLD043861392 | Sherwood Medical Industries | Volusia | Groundwater is contaminated by VOCs and soil by heavy metals from former waste disposal practices.[73] | 12/30/1982 | 09/08/1983 | 09/18/1997 |
| |
| FLD980728877 | 62nd Street Dump | Hillsborough | Improper disposal of an estimated 48,000 cubic yards of waste on-side has contaminated soil and groundwater with antimony, arsenic, cadmium, chromium, copper, lead and PCBs.[74] | 12/30/1982 | 09/08/1983 | 09/29/1995 | 10/01/1999 | |
| FLD032845778 | Solitron Devices | Palm Beach | Soil and groundwater, including municipal supply wells, are contaminated by heavy metals and solvents from a former electronics manufacturing facility.[75] |
| ||||
| FLD045459526 | Solitron Microwave | Martin | Groundwater contamination by PCE, TCE, DCE and vinyl chloride from a former plating and manufacturing business had affected private drinking water wells.[76] | 03/06/1998 | 07/28/1998 | 10/04/1994 |
| |
| FL0001209840 | Southern Solvents, Inc. | Hillsborough | Soil and groundwater, including the Floridan Aquifer, are contaminated by PCE, believed to be from spills at the former dry-cleaning solvent distribution facility.[77] | 05/11/2000 | 07/27/2000 |
| ||
| FLD004072658 | Sprague Electric | Seminole | Groundwater, including the Floridan Aquifer is contaminated by TCE and TCA from a former capacitor manufacturing plant.[78] |
| ||||
| FLD004126520 | Standard Auto Bumper Corp. | Miami-Dade | Soil and groundwater are contaminated by nickel and chromium from poor waste disposal practices at a former electroplating facility. Contamination threatens the Biscayne Aquifer, the county's sole source of drinking water.[79] | 06/24/1988 | 10/04/1989 | 10/04/1994 | 10/26/2007 | |
| FLD004092532 | Stauffer Chemical Co (Tampa) | Hillsborough | Soil, surface water, sediments and groundwater are contaminated by pesticides from an inactive pesticide manufacturing and distribution facility.[80] | 06/17/1996 | 12/23/1996 | 09/26/2000 |
| |
| FLD010596013 | Stauffer Chemical Co. (Tarpon Springs) | Pinellas | Soil, groundwater and surface water are contaminated by arsenic, antimony, beryllium, phosphorus, PAHs and radium-226 from a former phosphorus refining plant.[81] | 02/07/1992 | 05/31/1994 |
| ||
| FLD000648055 | Sydney Mine Sludge Ponds | Hillsborough | Improper disposal of around 16 million gallons of liquid waste and sludges have contaminated groundwater with PAHs and VOCs. The Hawthorn Aquifer, the main local supply of drinking water, is contaminated.[82] | 06/10/1986 | 10/04/1989 | 06/28/1999 |
| |
| FLD980494959 | Taylor Road Landfill | Hillsborough | The Floridan Aquifer is contaminated by VOCs and metals, which have been detected in private wells.[83] | 12/30/1982 | 09/08/1983 | 06/18/1999 |
| |
| FLD004065546 | Tower Chemical Co. | Lake | Soil and groundwater are contaminated by DDT, chlorobenzilate and their partial breakdown compounds from an abandoned pesticide manufacturing facility. Chemicals spilled into Lake Apopka.[84] | 12/30/1982 | 09/08/1983 |
| ||
| FLD091471904 | Trans Circuits, Inc. | Palm Beach | [85] | 02/04/2000 |
| |||
| FLD070864541 | Tri-City Oil Conservationist, Inc. | Hillsborough | [86] | 09/21/1987 | 09/01/1988 | |||
| FLD091471904 | Tyndall Air Force Base | Bay | [87] | 06/17/1996 | 04/01/1997 |
| ||
| FLD098924038 | United Metals, Inc. | Jackson | [88] | 04/30/2003 |
| |||
| FLD980602346 | Varsol Oil Spill | Miami-Dade | Surface water and groundwater were contaminated by PAHs from oil spills at Miami International Airport, including a leak of approximately 1.6 million gallons of varsol, a petroleum solvent from an underground pipe. Groundwater contamination is mixed with contamination from the nearby Miami Drum Services and Northwest 58th Street Landfill Superfund sites and has reached the Biscayne Aquifer, the county's sole source of drinking water.[89] | 12/30/1982 | 09/08/1983 | 03/29/1985 | 09/01/1988 | |
| FLD982119729 | West Florida Natural Gas | Marion | [90] |
| ||||
| FLD980602767 | Whitehouse Oil Pits | Duval | [91] | 09/08/1983 | 05/04/2006 |
| ||
| FL2170023244 | Whiting Field Naval Air Station | Santa Rosa | [92] | 01/18/1994 | 05/31/1994 |
| ||
| FLD041184383 | Wilson Concepts of Florida, Inc. | Broward | [93] | 09/22/1992 | 04/04/1995 | |||
| FLD981021470 | Wingate Road Municipal Incinerator Dump | Broward | [94] | 10/04/1989 | 01/04/2002 |
| ||
| FLD004146346 | Woodbury Chemical Co. (Princeton Plant) | Miami-Dade | [95] | 06/25/1992 | 11/27/1995 | |||
| FLD980844179 | Yellow Water Road Dump | Duval | [96] | 10/03/1996 | 05/18/1999 | |||
| FLD049985302 | Zellwood Ground Water Contamination | Orange | [97] | 09/08/1983 | 09/16/2003 |
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Superfund_sites_in_Florida
_____________
Superfund Sites in Reuse in Florida
https://www.epa.gov/superfund-redevelopment/superfund-sites-reuse-florida
_____________
Nine toxic Superfund sites in Central Florida waiting for EPA help
2017
https://www.orlandosentinel.com/2017/10/19/nine-toxic-superfund-sites-in-central-florida-waiting-for-epa-help/
_____________
In an aging Central Florida Superfund Site, Huge Machines Aim to Knock Out a Toxic Mess
2023
https://www.orlandosentinel.com/2023/11/26/in-an-aging-central-florida-superfund-site-huge-machines-aim-to-knock-out-a-toxic-mess/
_____________
FLORIDA POLLUTION MAP
https://www.fight4zero.org/toxicmap
_____________
Here are the environmental bills to watch as Florida’s legislative session starts
January 14, 2024
https://www.wfit.org/environment-and-science/2024-01-14/here-are-the-environmental-bills-to-watch-as-floridas-legislative-session-starts
_____________
Environmental Justice in the Sunshine State
July 29, 2022
https://stateimpactcenter.org/insights/environmental-justice-in-the-sunshine-state
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FSU to spend millions cleaning up low-level radiation waste from forest, Innovation Park sites
2020
https://www.tallahassee.com/story/news/2020/10/30/florida-state-fsu-radiation-waste-research-sites-disposal-apalachicola-national-forest-atomic-usda/6083321002/
____________
Florida Waste Facility Must Face Pollution Claims From Fire
Jan 3, 2024
https://news.bloomberglaw.com/environment-and-energy/florida-waste-facility-must-face-pollution-claims-from-fire
_____________
Miami-based company designs new way to tackle pollution in North Bay Village
Feb 2024
Stop Ocean Pollution Technologies has created a design that has applies an upper flow of water through the screen which will allow it to continue to flow even as debris is collected
https://www.nbcmiami.com/news/local/miami-based-company-designs-new-way-to-tackle-pollution-in-north-bay-village/3234776/
______________
Florida allocates millions in funding for technology to fight toxic algae: ‘A critical component of our multi-faceted approach to protecting water quality’
March 2024
https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/us/florida-allocates-millions-in-funding-for-technology-to-fight-toxic-algae-a-critical-component-of-our-multi-faceted-approach-to-protecting-water-quality/ar-BB1jkUcl
______________
A new Florida law requires the state to hit certain cleanup levels of toxic 'forever chemicals'
July 2022
https://www.wusf.org/environment/2022-07-25/florida-law-cleanup-levels-toxic-forever-chemicals
______________
The myth of progress on restoring Florida’s waters
2023
Officials unwilling to make meaningful policy changes to stop the pollution
https://www.news-press.com/story/opinion/2023/01/22/the-myth-of-progress-on-restoring-floridas-waters/69815632007/
______________
‘Look at the water for evidence.’ Data proves Florida pollution prevention not working
Jan. 5, 2022
It’s a textbook Florida morning at a ranch just north of Lake Okeechobee. Cattle roam. Herons and egrets hunt for food. Clouds mosey across the sky.
But beneath this idyllic scene, a silent byproduct lurks. Phosphorus levels, mostly from fertilizer and cow manure, exceeded the state pollution limit by 19 times.
The problem is not exclusive to this Rio Rancho Corp. farm. Rainfall runoff that flows into Lake O from hundreds of surrounding properties routinely exceeds the limit — without the state imposing any consequences, a TCPalm investigation found.
All 32 drainage basins around the lake with available data exceeded the limit over a five-year average, according to TCPalm’s analysis of “water year” data from May 2016 to April 2021. Rio Rancho was just the worst in the last two years. Even lesser polluters exceeded the limit by over 100%.
The data proves — for the first time — that Florida’s flagship program to reduce water pollution isn’t working. And that pollution is contaminating waterways and sparking toxic algal blooms in the St. Lucie and Caloosahatchee rivers.
“All one has to do is look at the water for the evidence,” said Indian Riverkeeper Mike Conner, who heads a Treasure Coast nonprofit that advocates for clean water. “The impairment of Florida waters is now at an all-time high.”
The Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) oversees the program involving legally enforceable goals and strategies to reduce pollution, called Basin Management Action Plans (BMAPs). There are 38 plans customized to help waterways in their region.
For the Lake O BMAP, the agency set the phosphorus limit at 40 parts per billion two decades ago, but the basins have exceeded that by a median 5.7 times over the five-year average, TCPalm found.
The worst polluter over those five years — 22 times over the limit — was the East Beach Drainage District, on Lake O’s southeast shore, near Pahokee.
State records don’t show that, though. DEP historically touts progress that often doesn’t match reality because it uses models to give credit for pollution-reduction measures — from reservoirs to informational brochures — assuming they produce intended results. DEP’s resulting graphics, used in public presentations, show progress is being made.
The truth is in the data recorded by the South Florida Water Management District (SFWMD) water-quality monitors, which TCPalm analyzed.
https://www.tcpalm.com/in-depth/news/local/indian-river-lagoon/2022/01/05/florida-bmaps-lake-okeechobee-water-pollution-environment-bmp-fdep-fdacs-desantis-farming-regulation/6392489001/
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Florida's aquifer models full of holes, allowing more water permits and pollution
Jan. 27, 2013
https://www.tampabay.com/news/environment/water/floridas-aquifer-models-full-of-holes-allowing-more-water-permits-and/1272555/
______________
EPA assessment shows little improvement in river and stream nitrogen pollution
JAN 22, 2024
https://www.adirondackdailyenterprise.com/news/outdoors/2024/01/epa-assessment-shows-little-improvement-in-river-and-stream-nitrogen-pollution/
______________
Florida’s Environmental Failures Are a Warning for the Rest of the U.S.
2023
https://time.com/6288683/florida-desantis-environment-climate-change/
______________
This Florida chemical plant is the biggest greenhouse gas polluter in the state
2022
Nylon manufacturer produces lots of laughing gas, which turns out not to be funny
https://floridaphoenix.com/2022/12/01/this-florida-chemical-plant-is-the-biggest-greenhouse-gas-polluter-in-the-state/
______________
The EPA Calls an Old Creosote Works in Pensacola an Uncontrolled Threat to Human Health. Why Is There No Money to Clean it Up?
April 25, 2021
Heavy rains have dispersed highly toxic dioxins throughout the Sanders Beach neighborhood for years. Now residents hope the Biden administration will help put an end to their misery.
https://insideclimatenews.org/news/25042021/the-epa-calls-an-old-creosote-works-in-pensacola-an-uncontrolled-threat-to-human-health-why-is-there-no-money-to-clean-it-up/
______________
Sediment and water pollution in Bayou Chico, Pensacola, FL.
2006
https://pages.uwf.edu/cedb/Perch_report_Chico_final_revision_withmaps.pdf
______________
50% of U.S. lakes and rivers are too polluted for swimming, fishing or drinking
Apr 4, 2022
https://www.weforum.org/agenda/2022/04/50-of-u-s-lakes-and-rivers-are-too-polluted-for-swimming-fishing-drinking/
_____________
Too Polluted to Drink
2018
For
too many families, North Florida’s once pristine groundwater may be
unsafe to drink. One nasty pollutant is nitrate, a principal ingredient
in synthetic agricultural and urban fertilizers, and in animal manure
and human waste.
In the past 100 years of rapid development, the
ambient concentration of nitrate throughout the Floridan Aquifer has
risen from a baseline concentration of less than 0.05 parts per million
(ppm) to 1 ppm, a 20-fold increase...
https://floridaspringsinstitute.org/too-polluted-to-drink/
_____________
Report: agriculture runoff is leading cause of water pollution in the U.S.
2022
After
evaluating over 700,000 miles of rivers and streams across the country,
water experts concluded that half of those waters are too polluted to
fish or swim in.
https://www.agriculture.com/news/business/report-agriculture-runoff-is-leading-cause-of-water-pollution-in-the-us
_____________
Humans have driven the Earth's freshwater cycle out of its stable state
March 4, 2024
New analysis shows that the global freshwater cycle has shifted far beyond pre-industrial conditions
https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2024/03/240304135840.htm
____________
Marine scientists find toxic bacteria on microplastics retrieved from tropical waters
February 11, 2019
When these tiny pieces of plastics are ingested by marine organisms, they may accumulate and be transferred up the food chain
https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2019/02/190211110348.htm
______________
Plastic pollution is a huge problem—and it’s not too late to fix it
https://www.nationalgeographic.com/science/article/plastic-pollution-huge-problem-not-too-late-to-fix-it
______________
Ocean cleanup device successfully collects plastic for first time
Oct 3, 2019
https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2019/oct/03/ocean-cleanup-device-successfully-collects-plastic-for-first-time
______________
‘Forever chemicals’ found in freshwater fish, yet most states don’t warn residents
December 1, 2023
https://health.wusf.usf.edu/health-news-florida/2023-12-01/forever-chemicals-found-in-freshwater-fish-yet-most-states-dont-warn-residents
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Florida community raises alarm about potential cancer link to water contamination
2018
https://abcnews.go.com/Politics/florida-community-raises-alarm-potential-cancer-link-water/story?id=56340438
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High levels of 'Forever' chemicals soil South Patrick and Cocoa Beach
2021
https://www.floridatoday.com/story/news/local/environment/2021/06/09/forever-chemicals-high-south-patrick-cocoa-beach-area-brevard-pfas-patrick-space-force-base-florida/5019532001/
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Chemicals taint Florida oysters. What that could mean about our drinking water.
2022
FIU researchers examined levels of PFAS chemicals in Tampa, Miami-Dade and Naples.
https://www.tampabay.com/news/environment/2022/07/08/chemicals-taint-florida-oysters-what-that-could-mean-about-our-drinking-water/
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An 'alarming level' of PFAS compounds found in some Florida drinking water, a scientist says
August 18, 2023
https://www.wusf.org/environment/2023-08-1citrus g8/alarming-level-pfas-compounds-some-florida-drinking-water-scientist-says
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What’s in the water? Nearly half of US drinking water is estimated to contain ‘forever chemicals’
July 20, 2023
https://www.news4jax.com/news/local/2023/07/20/whats-in-the-water-nearly-half-of-us-drinking-water-is-estimated-to-contain-forever-chemicals/
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Tell Me About: Forever Chemicals in Florida
Jul 5, 2022
https://www.floridamuseum.ufl.edu/earth-systems/blog/tell-me-about-forever-chemicals-in-florida/
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FROM ALASKA TO FLORIDA, HARMFUL PFAS COMPOUNDS POLLUTE WATER AT MULTIPLE SITES IN EVERY STATE
Wherever you are in the U.S., there’s a good chance you can find harmful PFAS compounds in water near you.
https://ensia.com/features/drinking-water-contamination-pfas-health/
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The drinking water in Delray Beach, Florida is heavily contaminated with PFAS
March 17, 2022
https://www.militarypoisons.org/latest-news/the-water-in-delray-beach-florida-is-heavily-contaminated-with-pfas
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Millions Of Gallons Of Toxic Water Continue To Flow Into Tampa Bay
April 2021
https://www.wusf.org/environment/2021-04-01/millions-of-gallons-of-toxic-water-continue-to-flow-into-tampa-bay
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Hazardous spill in Florida highlights environmental threat decades in the making
April 7, 2021
Millions of gallons of wastewater discharged into Tampa Bay may spur red tides or other harmful algae blooms.
https://www.nationalgeographic.com/environment/article/hazardous-spill-in-florida-highlights-environmental-threat-decades-in-the-making
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At Least 600 Tons Of Dead Fish Have Washed Up Along Tampa Bay's Shore
July 13, 2021
https://www.npr.org/2021/07/13/1015312707/a-summer-red-tide-has-left-hundreds-of-tons-of-dead-fish-along-tampa-bays-shore
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Seagrass is dying by Tampa and Sarasota as red tide worsens
April 3, 2023
https://www.wlrn.org/environment/2023-04-03/seagrass-is-dying-by-tampa-and-sarasota-as-red-tide-worsens
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Tampa Bay lost 12% of its seagrass in 2 years; some areas at historic low, study shows
2/13/2023
https://www.tampabay.com/news/environment/2023/02/13/tampa-bay-lost-12-its-seagrass-2-years-some-areas-historic-low-study-shows/
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Is more algae mucking up Tampa Bay? Scientists need to track it first.
July 2022
Long-term macroalgae monitoring is another gap in research revealed in the year since the Piney Point release.
https://www.tampabay.com/news/environment/2022/07/12/is-more-algae-mucking-up-tampa-bay-scientists-need-to-track-it-first/
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Shining example: Tampa Bay's water quality is declining after a half-century of gains
2022
https://www.wusf.org/environment/2022-08-01/shining-example-tampa-bay-water-quality-declining-half-century-gains
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Danger lurking in the water of 6 Tampa Bay beaches: Where to avoid and why
Sep 4, 2021
TAMPA,
Fla. (WFLA) — If you’re hoping to go swimming or fishing in
Hillsborough County this Labor Day Weekend, you may want to reconsider
because county health officials say at least six beaches are unsafe to
swim in.
Many are being advised to stay away from beaches like Ben T. Davis because of dangerous bacteria lurking in the water.
The
Florida Department of Health in Hillsborough County said the amount of
Enterococci bacteria is too high, making the water dangerous to swim in.
They said that bacteria is usually found in the intestinal tract of
humans and animals and is an indication of fecal pollution.
https://www.wfla.com/news/hillsborough-county/danger-lurking-in-the-water-of-6-tampa-bay-beaches-where-to-avoid-and-why/
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4 billion particles of tiny plastics pollute Tampa Bay, study finds
2019
Now scientists will determine the impact on the animals that live in Florida’s largest estuary.
https://www.tampabay.com/news/environment/2019/09/12/4-billion-particles-of-tiny-plastics-pollute-tampa-bay-study-finds/
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Microplastic pollution is everywhere, including Sarasota County
2017
Looking for microplastics in Sarasota County
UF/IFAS
Extension Sarasota County partnered this spring with three local high
school teachers to engage students in the Florida Microplastics
Awareness Project. This partnership resulted in 65 water samples taken
throughout Sarasota County. Fifty-three percent of the samples contained
microplastic. The average number of microplastic pieces per sample was
2.17, which was inline with the state average. Fibers accounted for the
overwhelming majority (80 percent) of the microplastics found. Figure 1
shows the distribution of microplastics found locally.
https://blogs.ifas.ufl.edu/sarasotaco/2017/11/02/microplastic-pollution/
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Broward beaches are suffering and plastic is top culprit
May 12, 2021
https://www.local10.com/news/local/2021/05/12/broward-beaches-are-suffering-and-plastic-is-top-culprit/
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What are PFAS, the Toxic ‘Forever Chemicals' That Could Be in Broward Water?
May 24, 2023
https://www.nbcmiami.com/news/local/what-are-pfas-the-toxic-forever-chemicals-that-could-be-in-broward-water/3039619/
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Plastic pollution is becoming such a big problem that new part-plastic rocks are being formed
Feb. 4, 2024
https://www.wcjb.com/2024/02/05/plastic-pollution-is-becoming-such-big-problem-that-new-part-plastic-rocks-are-being-formed/
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Environmental Engineer says Styrofoam docks pose big threats to the environment and our health
Jan 01, 2020
Non-encapsulated Styrofoam docks cause pollution
https://www.abcactionnews.com/news/region-pasco/environmental-engineer-says-styrofoam-docks-pose-big-threats-to-the-environment-and-our-health
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Polystyrene microplastic contamination versus microplankton abundances in two lagoons of the Florida Keys
16 March 2021
https://www.nature.com/articles/s41598-021-85388-y
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Plastics killing sea animals, and Florida has more incidents than any other state, ocean conservation group says
2020
https://www.sun-sentinel.com/2020/11/23/plastics-killing-sea-animals-and-florida-has-more-incidents-than-any-other-state-ocean-conservation-group-says/
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How Plastic is Harming Florida’s Marine Life, and What We Can Do About It
https://www.greenpeace.org/usa/stories/how-plastic-is-harming-floridas-marine-life-and-what-we-can-do-about-it/
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Toxic paint is endangering marine life, Says WWF
10 Oct 2006
https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2006/oct/10/pollution.conservation
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How toxic is antifouling paint?
February 1, 2011
Most
antifouling bottom paints contain cupreous oxide which is a neurotoxin.
It constantly leaches into the water around your boat, creating a
plume. When marine life unsuspectingly swims into the plume, they ingest
the toxin, which attacks their nervous system and they die of
convulsions, thus preventing them from attaching to your boat.
Otheuclear neurotoxins used in the past have been banned worldwide
because of their destructive effects on marine life. Of all the copper
compounds, cupreous oxide is the most deadly.
https://www.auroramarine.com/main/ask-the-skipper/how-toxic-is-antifouling-paint/
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Pleasure Boatyard Soils are Often Highly Contaminated
2014 Feb 23
Abstract
The contamination in pleasure boatyards has been investigated. Measured
concentrations of copper, zinc, lead, mercury, cadmium, tributyltin
(TBT), the 16 most common polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (∑16 PAHs),
and the seven most common polychlorinated biphenyls (∑7 PCBs) from
investigations at 34 boatyards along the Swedish coast have been
compiled. The maximum concentrations were 7,700 for Cu, 10,200, for Zn,
40,100 for Pb, 188 for Hg, 18 for Cd, 107 for TBT, 630 for carcinogenic
PAHs, 1,480 for ∑16 PAHs, and 3.8 mg/kg DW for ∑7 PCB; all 10–2,000
higher than the Swedish environmental qualitative guidelines. In
addition, the mean of the median values found at the 34 places shows
that the lower guidance value for sensitive use of land was exceeded for
the ∑7 PCBs, carcinogenic PAHs, TBT, Pb, Hg, and Cu by a factor of 380,
6.8, 3.6, 2.9, 2.2 and 1.7, respectively. The even higher guideline
value for industrial use was exceeded for the ∑7 PCBs and TBT by a
factor of 15 and 1.8, respectively. TBT, PAHs, Pb, Cd, and Hg are
prioritized substances in the European Water Framework Directive and
should be phased out as quickly as possible. Because of the risk of
leakage from boatyards, precautions should be taken. The high
concentrations measured are considered to be dangerous for the
environment and human health and highlight the urgent need for
developing and enforcing pleasure boat maintenance guidelines to
minimize further soil and nearby water contamination.
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3972443/
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Eco-friendly paint most effective against fouling on ships and boats
December 12, 2022
Summary:
Emissions from copper-based antifouling paints are a well-known
environmental problem. As much as 40 percent of copper inputs to the
Baltic Sea come from antifouling paints on ships and leisure boats.
According to a new study, this is completely unnecessary. When the
researchers compared copper-based antifouling paint with biocide-free
silicone-based paint, they found that the environmentally friendly
alternative was best at keeping the fouling at bay.
https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2022/12/221212140719.htm
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Plastic Coated Pesticides Adding to Soil and Ecosystem Contamination with Microplastics
2022
https://beyondpesticides.org/dailynewsblog/2022/06/plastic-coated-pesticides-adding-to-soil-and-ecosystem-contamination-with-microplastics/
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Plastics and pesticides: Health impacts of synthetic chemicals in US products doubled in last 5 years, study finds
July 22, 2020
https://www.cnn.com/2020/07/21/health/chemical-endocrine-disruptor-doubled-wellness/index.html
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A new investigation will delve into pollution threatening water system in Florida’s Tampa Bay region
July 20, 2022
https://centerforhealthjournalism.org/our-work/insights/new-investigation-will-delve-pollution-threatening-water-system-floridas-tampa
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Study finds issues in Zephyrhills drinking water (10 Tampa Bay)
May 8, 2019
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KzCj2AJvGJc
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Zephyrhills puts the brakes on growth as it battles water woes
2023
https://www.wusf.org/economy-business/2023-09-15/zephyrhills-brakes-growth-battles-water-woes
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Fort Myers has a Water Pollution Problem and FDEP Promises Penalties
2020
https://calusawaterkeeper.org/news/fort-myers-has-a-water-pollution-problem-and-fdep-promises-penalties-6765/
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Florida hits Fort Myers with $500,000 in civil penalties for sewer plant leaks
2021
https://www.news-press.com/story/news/environment/2021/02/09/fort-myers-fined-water-pollution-billys-creek-caloosahatchee-river/4453313001/
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Is it safe to swim or fish in Fort Myers? See latest health advisories, test results
2023
https://www.news-press.com/story/news/environment/2023/06/28/water-quality-health-advisories-test-results-fort-myers-lee-county-safe-swim-fish-algae-red-tide/70363869007/
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Riviera Beach alerts residents about potentially harmful bacteria in water
Jan 09, 2019
https://www.wptv.com/news/region-c-palm-beach-county/riviera-beach/riviera-beach-alerts-residents-about-potentially-harmful-bacteria-in-water
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No-swim advisory in effect after 15 million gallons of sewage spilled into Intracoastal off Boynton
2023
https://www.sun-sentinel.com/2023/07/12/no-swim-advisory-in-effect-after-millions-of-gallons-of-sewage-spilled-into-intracoastal-off-boynton/
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UPDATE: 'No-swim' advisory lifted at beaches in Jupiter, Boynton, but remains at Riviera
Feb 21, 2024
https://www.palmbeachpost.com/story/news/local/2024/02/21/no-swimming-advisory-issued-for-three-beaches-in-palm-beach-county/72688270007/
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Crisis in Paradise: Examining Florida's Toxic Triangle and Its Impact on the Space Coast
March 11, 2024
BREVARD COUNTY, FL. - Florida's Space Coast may look like a
paradise with its sun-drenched beaches and glistening waters, but a dark
secret lurks beneath the surface. If you dive deep into research,
you'll uncover intriguing parallels to the contamination found in Camp Lejeune, North Carolina.
However, what makes it even more unsettling is the realization that
Brevard County doesn't house just one military base but three: Kennedy
Space Center, Cape Canaveral Space Force Station, and Patrick Space
Force Base.
INDIAN RIVER LAGOON: The Indian River Lagoon,
often mistaken for a river due to its lengthy appearance, is situated
along these bases and is home to a troubling history of pollution. This
expansive body of water is not just any estuary - it is a national
treasure that the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) committed to
protecting. Back in 1990, this area received special designation to
ensure the preservation of its ecosystems, but sadly, the current state
of affairs tells a different story. Over the years, sewage, chemicals,
and industrial waste have tainted the once pristine waters, robbing the
habitat of its vibrant marine life like seahorses, stingrays, and
manatees.
Decades ago, the waterways were a haven for local fishermen, but now
they bear witness to the profound impact of pollution. The condition has
worsened to the point where locals decided to impose a tax on
themselves in 2016, all hoping to preserve whatever little was left of
the waterways. The problem has become so widespread that even political
leaders incorporate the Indian River Lagoon and its water quality
concerns into their campaign rhetoric.
Over the last few
decades, the seagrass population has drastically decreased, leading to
manatees facing starvation and the declaration of an Unusual Mortality
Event (UME)
in 2021. Pollution has fueled harmful algal blooms, causing a decline
in fisheries, while unchecked development is encroaching on wildlife
habitats. The lagoon's shellfish have been found to have the highest concentration of microplastics in the world.
Studies have shown an uptick in diseases like cancers, lesions, and
tumors in dolphins, turtles, and fish. Parasites have impacted shrimp
and blue crab populations, with scientists sounding the alarm about
potential human health risks. Swimming in waterways with raw sewage
risks contracting Hepatitis A (HAV), urinary tract infections, and flesh-eating bacteria (vibrio vulnificus).
The once vibrant ecosystem of the lagoon has transformed from
crystal-clear waters to murky green, posing a grave threat to its
natural resources and the well-being of communities near them.
DISEASE CLUSTER CONCERNS: Over the years, several investigations have been conducted into disease clusters in Brevard County. These include a high incidence of leukemia cases in children near a Superfund site in Palm Bay, a high rate of Hodgkin's Lymphoma in teens near Patrick military base in South Patrick Shores, ALS among workers at Kennedy Space Center, and a concerning situation of blood cancer and asthma in Port St. John situated between two power plants. These investigations shed light on the health challenges faced by different communities in Brevard County.
PFAS CONTAMINATION: Fast-forward to 2018, and another alarming
discovery was made—PFAS chemicals were detected in groundwater
throughout the county. The levels were particularly concerning at
Patrick Space Force Base, where they reached a staggering 4.3 million
parts per trillion, making it the third-highest concentration in the
entire country.
The impact of PFAS chemicals on human health is
deeply troubling. Extensive epidemiological studies have revealed a
range of adverse effects, including elevated cholesterol levels,
reproductive and developmental issues, and weakened immune systems.
Shockingly, these harmful chemicals have also infiltrated the
bloodstreams of alligators, manatees, and dolphins in the Indian River,
reaching some of the highest recorded levels.
The source of these
hazardous substances can be traced back to firefighting foams, which
were once innocently sprayed on children for playful fun decades ago.
However, the Department of Defense was aware of the dangers associated
with these chemicals as early as the 1970s, yet continued their use.
This negligence has had far-reaching consequences for human and animal
populations, highlighting the urgent need for stricter regulations and
responsible practices to safeguard the ecosystem and human health.
HOW CHEMICALS ARE REGULATED: Polluting industries have a
reputation for advocating for looser regulations on chemicals and
monitoring, and one such example is perchlorate. Back in the 1990s,
scientific research revealed that exposure to perchlorate during
pregnancy could have significant adverse effects on the developing
brains of both fetuses and infants, with lifelong consequences.
Perchlorate contamination is most commonly found at sites involved in
the manufacturing, testing, and disposing ammunition and rocket fuel.
The Department of Defense has been using perchlorate since the 1940s.
The Defense Department and military contractors such as Lockheed Martin
have aggressively blocked regulation on this chemical.
Many
Americans lack knowledge about how chemicals are regulated in the United
States. The Safe Drinking Water Act does not prioritize health-based
standards; the initial standards were established before 1996.
Additionally, industries spend large sums of money lobbying to obstruct and remove regulations on toxic substances.
The powerful chemical industry influences toxic substance laws, while
the EPA faces challenges due to inadequate funding and a lack of
authority to tackle these critical issues.
Pollution has loomed
like a dark cloud over Brevard, impacting numerous young residents with
rare illnesses. The "toxic triangle" highlights the far-reaching
consequences of contaminated water sources and underscores the urgency
of proactive measures.
https://www.advocatesvoice.com/2024/03/blog-post.html
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New study suggests we're likely underestimating the future impact of PFAS in the environment
April 2024
https://phys.org/news/2024-04-underestimating-future-impact-pfas-environment.html
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10 U.S. cities with the worst drinking water
2011
A
surprising number of U.S. cities have drinking water with unhealthy
levels of chemicals and contaminants. If you live in Pensacola, Fla.,
you may want to invest in a water purifier.
1. Pensacola, Fla. (Emerald Coast Water Utility)
Located
on the Florida Panhandle along the Gulf of Mexico, Pensacola is
Florida's westernmost major city. Analysts say it has the worst water
quality in the country. Of the 101 chemicals tested for over five years,
45 were discovered. Of them, 21 were discovered in unhealthy amounts.
The worst of these were radium-228 and -228, trichloroethylene,
tetrachloroethylene, alpha particles, benzine and lead. Pensacola's
water was also found to contain cyanide and chloroform. The combination
of these chemicals makes Pensacola's water supply America's most
unhealthy.
10. Jacksonville, Fla. (JEA)
Located on the
northeast coast of Florida, Jacksonville is the state's largest city.
According to EWG, 23 different toxic chemicals were found in
Jacksonville's water supply. The chemicals most frequently discovered in
high volumes were trihalomethanes, which consist of four different
cleaning byproducts — one of which is chloroform. Many trihalomethanes
are believed to be carcinogenic. Over the five-year testing period,
unsafe levels of trihalomethanes were detected during each of the 32
months of testing, and levels deemed illegal by the EPA were detected in
12 of those months. During at least one testing period, trihalomethane
levels were measured at nearly twice the EPA legal limit. Chemicals like
arsenic and lead were also detected at levels exceeding health
guidelines.
https://www.nbcnews.com/id/wbna41354370
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North Florida, South Florida Vie to Be Most-Polluted Region
2023
https://oursantaferiver.org/north-florida-south-florida-vie-to-be-most-polluted-region/
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10 Must-Know Florida Water Pollution Facts That Will Amaze You!
Dec 20, 2021
https://kidadl.com/facts/must-know-florida-water-pollution-facts-that-will-amaze-you
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Sewer leak polluting Bruce Beach wasn't found by accident and fixing it's no silver bullet
2022
https://www.pnj.com/story/news/2022/10/26/no-luck-involved-ecuas-finding-downtown-pensacola-florida-sewage-leak/10561402002/
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THE FACTS ABOUT SEWAGE, MANURE, AND FERTILIZER IN FLORIDA DRINKING WATER
https://earthjustice.org/wp-content/uploads/florida-clean-water-fact-sheet.pdf
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5 Reasons Why Florida’s Public Water Smells Bad
December 28, 2022
https://sflcn.com/5-reasons-why-floridas-public-water-smells-bad/
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The City of St. Cloud investigates residential water discoloration
2022
https://mynews13.com/fl/orlando/news/2022/07/11/the-city-of-st--cloud-investigates-residential-water-discoloration--
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Study: Arsenic In Drinking Water Of Several States, Including Florida, Damages Hearts Of Young Adults
2019
https://www.cbsnews.com/miami/news/study-arsenic-in-drinking-water-of-several-states-including-florida-damages-hearts-of-young-adults/
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We sampled tap water across the US – and found arsenic, lead and toxic chemicals
2021
https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2021/mar/31/americas-tap-water-samples-forever-chemicals
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Arsenic and Drinking Water
March 1, 2019
https://www.usgs.gov/mission-areas/water-resources/science/arsenic-and-drinking-water
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Study suggests millions are at risk using high arsenic water for cooking
March 2024
https://phys.org/news/2024-03-millions-high-arsenic-cooking.html
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Arsenic Contamination of Groundwater: A Review of Sources, Prevalence, Health Risks, and Strategies for Mitigation
2014
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4211162/
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Natural
Background and Anthropogenic Arsenic Enrichment in Florida Soils,
Surface Water, and Groundwater: A Review with a Discussion on Public
Health Risk
2016
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6210428/
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Arsenic distribution in Florida urban soils: comparison between Gainesville and Miami
2003
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/12549549/
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Stanford researchers find groundwater pumping can increase arsenic levels in irrigation and drinking water
Pumping
an aquifer to the last drop squeezes out more than water. A Stanford
study finds it can also unlock dangerous arsenic from buried clays – and
reveals how sinking land can provide an early warning and measure of
contamination.
June 5, 2018
https://news.stanford.edu/2018/06/05/overpumping-groundwater-increases-contamination-risk/
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Arsenic contamination of groundwater
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Arsenic_contamination_of_groundwater
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Global threat of arsenic in groundwater
2020
https://www.science.org/doi/10.1126/science.aba1510
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A Short History of the Most Chemically Contaminated Sites in Miami
2019
Miami-Dade County is one of the most toxic places in the world.
https://www.miaminewtimes.com/news/miami-dade-is-one-of-the-worst-places-for-toxic-soil-and-chemical-contamination-11388553
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Florida Environment’s Hidden Menace: Toxic Chemical Pollution
1996
An
Associated Press computer analysis of five years of federal TRI records
examined Florida’s top 25 toxic polluters and the state’s toxic hot
spots.
The AP analysis found an encouraging trend: Many of
Florida’s largest polluters reduced their toxic waste releases between
1989 and 1993.
But a third of Florida’s 67 counties saw their
toxic waste totals grow during that five-year period--sometimes
dramatically, the AP analysis showed.
Industrial Polk County in
west-central Florida was the top toxic hot spot with 24.6 million pounds
of toxic waste released in 1993, according to the most recent,
available TRI statistics from the Environmental Protection Agency.
Most
of the toxic waste released in Polk County in 1993 came from companies
that mine phosphate and turn it into fertilizer for farms and gardens.
Polk County had 55.5 pounds of toxic waste per resident.
The
state’s top toxic polluter, IMC-Agrico, has three phosphate plants in
the Polk County town of Mulberry that generated more than 12 million
pounds of toxic waste in 1993.
Phosphate-rich Hillsborough
Country, also in west-central Florida, ranked second for the amount of
toxic waste released within its borders. Rounding out Florida’s toxic
top five are counties with chemical plants and paper mills--Bay and
Escambia in the Panhandle and Duval, which encompasses Jacksonville, in
northeast Florida.
https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1996-01-28-mn-29571-story.html
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PAHs in urban soils of two Florida cities: Background concentrations, distribution, and sources
2018
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0045653518317752
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‘A Civil Action’ Carcinogen Pollutes Tap Water Supplies for 14 Million Americans
JULY 24, 2018
https://www.ewg.org/childrenshealth/carcinogen-pollutes-tap-water-supplies-14-million-americans
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Harmful Contaminants Found In Florida Drinking Water: Study
What's
legal isn't always safe when it comes to drinking water. Harmful
pollutants were found in the water at many utilities across Florida.
2017
https://patch.com/florida/southtampa/harmful-contaminants-found-florida-drinking-water-study
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Report finds Florida drinking water ranks 2nd worst in nation
2017
https://www.abcactionnews.com/news/region-hillsborough/report-finds-florida-drinking-water-ranks-2nd-worst-in-nation
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How Florida's Drinking Water is Easily Contaminated
https://www.fight4zero.org/drinkingwater
______________
Don’t Drink the Water in South Florida
2022
https://www.militarypoisons.org/latest-news/dont-drink-the-water-in-south-florida
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Officials jump into action after toxic chemicals found in South Florida tap water
September 19, 2023
https://www.local10.com/news/local/2023/09/19/officials-jump-into-action-after-toxic-chemicals-found-in-south-florida-tap-water/
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Concerns growing over chemicals found in South Florida water
October 6, 2023
https://www.local10.com/news/local/2023/10/06/concerns-growing-over-chemicals-found-in-south-florida-water/
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'All the water's bad': In McDowell County, you have to get creative to find safe drinking water
June 17, 2021
To
get drinking water, Burlyn Cooper and his neighbors have to collect
runoff from the rock face of a mountain. It’s contaminated, but it’s all
they have.
BRADSHAW, W.Va. — Every week, Burlyn Cooper parks on
the edge of a winding two-lane road, unloads a dozen plastic jugs from
the trunk of his car, and uses a hose to fill them with the spring water
that drips from a mountain's exposed rock face. For Cooper and many of
his neighbors, the mountain's runoff is their most reliable, and
trusted, source of drinking water.
"I've got so used to it, I wouldn't know how to act, to turn the faucet on and have good water," he said. "I can't imagine it."
Cooper
and his wife, Hazel, once depended on wells for water. More than 43
million Americans use wells, which can be a plentiful source of clean
water. Today, however, the Coopers' two wells are too polluted to drink
from — the result, they suspect, of nearby natural gas extraction. The
once-clear water, which they now only use to wash themselves and water
their animals, is orange and sour-smelling. It leaves a thick sludge in
their sinks, rust-colored stains on their taps and clothes, and an
itchy, red rash on Burlyn's skin.
https://www.nbcnews.com/science/environment/all-water-s-bad-mcdowell-county-you-have-get-creative-n1270405
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Sunshine State Blues: Why is Florida Tap Water So Bad?
2023
1. Chlorine Overdose: The Aquatic Antiseptic
Florida’s tap water can taste like you just took a sip from a swimming pool. Why? Blame it on the chlorine overdose.
The
state disinfects its water supply with gusto, ensuring that our tap
water is practically germ-free. While it’s great for health, the
lingering taste of chlorine can be a rude awakening.
2. The Hard Water Hustle: Calcium Conundrum
Ever notice a white residue on your faucets and dishes? That’s the hard water hustle.
Florida’s
tap water is notorious for being hard, laden with calcium and
magnesium. It’s like a mineral-rich cocktail, leaving its mark wherever
it goes.
Agricultural Runoff: Pesticide Potholes
Old Pipes, New Problems: Aging Infrastructure Woes
Floods and Hurricanes: Nature’s Water Mix
Saltwater Intrusion: When the Sea Invades the Tap
https://exploreinfl.com/why-is-florida-tap-water-so-bad/
______________
170 Million in U.S. Drink Radioactive Tap Water
2018
https://www.ewg.org/research/170-million-us-drink-radioactive-tap-water
_______________
Florida knew prison well could be contaminated but let women keep drinking
Feb 2024
Data
showed contamination from a firefighter college reached Lowell
Correctional Institution. State officials did nothing for months.
https://www.tampabay.com/news/environment/2024/02/28/florida-knew-prison-well-could-be-contaminated-let-women-keep-drinking/
_____________
What is 1,4-dioxane? Seminole leaders discuss chemical in drinking water causing concern
2023
Traces of likely carcinogen found in Seminole County, Sanford, Lake Mary
https://www.clickorlando.com/news/local/2023/07/26/what-is-14-dioxane-seminole-leaders-discuss-chemical-in-drinking-water-causing-concern/
_____________
Sanford officials discuss solutions to ensure drinking water stays safe from contaminant
July 28, 2023
https://www.clickorlando.com/news/local/2023/07/28/sanford-officials-discuss-solutions-to-ensure-drinking-water-stays-safe-from-contaminant/
_____________
Industrial chemical infiltrated Lake Mary, Sanford, Seminole water wells; few knew and there was no coordinated response
2023
https://www.orlandosentinel.com/2023/07/11/toxic-chemical-central-florida-tap-water/
_____________
Seminole utilities struggled to address, pinpoint source of toxic chemical in tap water
2023
https://www.orlandosentinel.com/2023/07/13/seminole-utilities-toxic-chemical-water/
_____________
Report: Toxic chemical found in some Seminole County drinking water
Jul. 13, 2023
https://mynews13.com/fl/orlando/news/2023/07/14/toxic-chemical-found-in-parts-of-seminole-county-drinking-water
_____________
Seminole family plagued by cancer learned tap water was tainted. ‘It all began making sense’
2023
https://www.orlandosentinel.com/2023/07/20/dioxane-seminole-county-tap-water-secret/
_____________
Seminole County aims for transparency after 'forever chemical' are detected in its water supply
July 27, 2023
https://www.wusf.org/environment/2023-07-27/seminole-county-aims-for-transparency-after-forever-chemical-are-detected-in-its-water-supply
_____________
Transparency on drinking water contamination isn’t unanimous, Orlando Sentinel survey finds
September 29, 2023
https://www.orlandosentinel.com/2023/09/29/transparency-on-drinking-water-contamination-isnt-unanimous-orlando-sentinel-survey-finds/
_____________
Fort Myers has a water pollution problem; state environmental agency promises penalties, protections
2020
https://www.news-press.com/story/tech/science/environment/2020/07/10/state-agency-though-florida-department-environmental-protection-has-yet-take-any-legal-action-agains/5410962002/
____________
A Year Since The Spills: Fort Lauderdale Sewage Problems A Sign Of Infrastructure Woes For Other Coastal Cities
2021
https://www.wlrn.org/news/2021-02-25/a-year-since-the-spills-fort-lauderdale-sewage-problems-a-sign-of-infrastructure-woes-for-other-coastal-cities
____________
The fight over water in Florida has had some surprising winners
2021
https://www.csmonitor.com/Environment/2021/0820/The-fight-over-water-in-Florida-has-had-some-surprising-winners
___________
Economic impact of poor water quality in SWFL could be billions
January 17, 2024
https://winknews.com/2024/01/17/water-quality-economic-impact-swfl-billions/
___________
2020 Integrated Water Quality Assessment for Florida: Sections 303(d), 305(b), and 314 Report and Listing Update
July 2020
https://floridadep.gov/sites/default/files/2020_IR_Master_FINAL%20-%20ADA.pdf
______________
Floridan Aquifer System Groundwater Availability Study
https://fl.water.usgs.gov/floridan/
______________
Floridan aquifer
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Floridan_aquifer
______________
Florida’s aquifer is in crisis — but there’s still time to save it
2019
https://planetforward.org/story/florida-aquifer-crisis/
______________
Recharging the Floridan Aquifer: Threats to the Floridan Aquifer
2022
https://www.nflt.org/2022/08/22/recharging-the-floridan-aquifer-threats-to-the-floridan-aquifer/
______________
Floridan aquifer system
2021
The Floridan aquifer system (FAS) is one of the most productive aquifers
in the world. It underlies an area of approximately 100,000 square
miles beneath all of Florida and parts of southeastern Georgia, Alabama,
and South Carolina.
https://www.usgs.gov/mission-areas/water-resources/science/floridan-aquifer-system
______________
Floridan Aquifer System Groundwater Available Study
https://fl.water.usgs.gov/floridan/
______________
How's the water down there? Aquifer key to keeping Florida flush | Sustainable Tallahassee
2022
https://www.tallahassee.com/story/life/causes/2022/05/02/floridas-groundwater-resource-vulnerable-contamination/9589038002/
______________
COMMUNICATING
ABOUT WATER IN THE FLORIDAN AQUIFER REGION: PART 5—INCREASING
COLLABORATION BETWEEN PRODUCERS AND ENVIRONMENTALISTS ON WATER
CHALLENGES
March 1st, 2024
https://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/publication/WC449
_____________
Microbial degradation of microcystin in Florida’s freshwaters
2011 May 25
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3513335/
______________
Regulated Drinking Water Contaminants and Contaminants of Emerging Concern
https://floridadep.gov/comm/press-office/content/regulated-drinking-water-contaminants-and-contaminants-emerging-concern
______________
Monitoring Lead and Copper in Florida Drinking Water
https://floridadep.gov/water/source-drinking-water/content/monitoring-lead-and-copper-florida-drinking-water
______________
Lead in Drinking Water
2023
https://blogs.ifas.ufl.edu/mrec/2022/06/13/lead-in-drinking-water/
______________
Potential Well Water Contaminants and Their Impacts
https://www.epa.gov/privatewells/potential-well-water-contaminants-and-their-impacts
______________
Revised Total Coliform Rule And Total Coliform Rule
https://www.epa.gov/dwreginfo/revised-total-coliform-rule-and-total-coliform-rule
______________
Coliform Bacteria
https://madison.floridahealth.gov/_files/_documents/coliformbacteria.pdf
______________
Elevated Nitrate Nitrogen Levels Found in Florida’s Drinking Water Supply
2016
https://floridaspringsinstitute.org/elevated-nitrate-nitrogen-levels-found-in-floridas-drinking-water-supply/
______________
Algae task force: DEP says state's new stormwater rule holds line on pollution
2024
https://www.news-press.com/story/news/environment/2024/01/25/state-promises-less-pollution-with-future-development/72311023007/
______________
Surge in nitrogen has turned sargassum into the world's largest harmful algal bloom
MAY 24, 2021
For
centuries, pelagic Sargassum, floating brown seaweed, have grown in low
nutrient waters of the North Atlantic Ocean, supported by natural
nutrient sources like excretions from fishes and invertebrates,
upwelling and nitrogen fixation. Using a unique historical baseline from
the 1980s and comparing it to samples collected since 2010, researchers
from Florida Atlantic University's Harbor Branch Oceanographic
Institute and collaborators have discovered dramatic changes in the
chemistry and composition of Sargassum, transforming this vibrant living
organism into a toxic "dead zone."
https://phys.org/news/2021-05-surge-nitrogen-sargassum-world-largest.html
______________
Algae Blooms and Seagrass Loss
May 25, 2023
https://savethemanatee.org/manatees/algae-blooms/
______________
Water being pumped into Tampa Bay could cause a massive algae bloom, putting fragile manatee and fish habitats at risk
April 8, 2021
Millions
of gallons of water laced with fertilizer ingredients are being pumped
into Florida’s Tampa Bay from a leaking reservoir at an abandoned
phosphate plant at Piney Point. As the water spreads into the bay, it
carries phosphorus and nitrogen – nutrients that under the right
conditions can fuel dangerous algae blooms that can suffocate sea grass
beds and kill fish, dolphins and manatees.
It’s the kind of risk no one wants to see, but officials believed the other options were worse.
About
300 homes sit downstream from the 480-million-gallon reservoir, which
began leaking in late March 2021. State officials determined that
pumping out the water was the only way to prevent the reservoir’s walls
from collapsing. They decided the safest location for all that water
would be out through Port Manatee and into the bay.
Florida’s
coast is dotted with fragile marine sanctuaries and sea grass beds that
help nurture the state’s thriving marine and tourism economy. Those near
Port Manatee now face a risk of algal blooms over the next few weeks.
Once algae blooms get started, little can be done to clean them up.
https://theconversation.com/water-being-pumped-into-tampa-bay-could-cause-a-massive-algae-bloom-putting-fragile-manatee-and-fish-habitats-at-risk-158568
______________
The Clock is Ticking on Florida’s Mountains of Hazardous Phosphate Waste
April 26, 2017
Phosphate has also seeded Florida with the environmental equivalent of ticking time bombs.
https://www.sarasotamagazine.com/news-and-profiles/2017/04/florida-phosphate
______________
Piney Point pollution spread farther than first thought, new study shows
2023
It’s
proof that the plume of dirty water flowed from the former phosphate
plant and out into the Gulf of Mexico, the study’s authors say.
https://www.tampabay.com/news/environment/2023/06/13/piney-point-pollution-spread-farther-than-first-thought-new-study-shows/
______________
Environmental advocates spotlight dirty water at Florida beaches
2020
Some
of Tampa Bay's most popular beaches earned praise for cleanliness, but
flows of stormwater and sewage taint the shore elsewhere.
https://www.tampabay.com/news/environment/2020/07/27/environmental-advocates-spotlight-dirty-water-at-florida-beaches/
______________
What Florida is doing to improve the state's dirty water situation
2018
Executive orders issued to combat red tide, blue-green algae
https://www.clickorlando.com/water/2018/08/21/what-florida-is-doing-to-improve-the-states-dirty-water-situation/
______________
Comparison
of during-bloom and inter-bloom brevetoxin and saxitoxin concentrations
in Indian River Lagoon bottlenose dolphins, 2002-2011
2019 Nov 25
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/31790939/
______________
SEPTIC SYSTEMS AND SPRINGS WATER QUALITY: AN OVERVIEW FOR FLORIDA
https://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/publication/SS693
______________
FLORIDA’S SUFFOCATING SPRINGS: PROVIDING A LOCALLY-BASED MANAGEMENT SOLUTION TO NUTRIENT POLLUTION FROM SEPTIC SYSTEMS
2013
http://www.1000friendsofflorida.org/wp-content/uploads/2013/09/RNME_Suffocating-Springs.pdf
______________
Septic systems contribute to nutrient pollution and harmful algal blooms in the St. Lucie Estuary, Southeast Florida, USA
2017 Oct 26
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/29169565/
______________
Jacksonville taking action on underground septic tanks causing pollution
2019
https://www.actionnewsjax.com/news/investigates/action-news-jax-investigates-jea-taking-action-on-underground-septic-tanks-causing-pollution/931740286/
______________
Seminole plans to convert septic tanks to sewer systems to protect springs
3/13/2024
https://www.orlandosentinel.com/2024/03/13/seminole-plans-to-convert-septic-tanks-to-sewer-systems-to-protect-springs/
______________
Leaky septic systems in Lee County polluting region's soil and water
August 12, 2022
https://news.wgcu.org/2022-08-12/leaky-septic-systems-in-lee-county-polluting-regions-soil-and-water
______________
Water Quality Woes in S.W. Florida Linked to Seeping Septic Systems
8-9-2022
From fecal bacteria to blue-green algae to red tides, Southwest
Florida’s water quality has declined as its population has increased.
Researchers from Florida Atlantic University’s Harbor Branch Oceanographic Institute
took a deep dive into this region’s degrading water quality. Multiple
lines of evidence from their multi-year microbial source tracking study
point to septic systems as a contributing source for this decline.
Brian Lapointe, Ph.D., stands in front of a canal in Cape Coral located in Lee County, Florida.
https://www.fau.edu/newsdesk/articles/septic-systems-southwest-florida.php
______________
Miami’s Overflowing Septic Tanks and Trash Piles Test Appeal to Rich
2023
As
the city tries to attract more out-of-state workers and wealthy
residents, it must deal with a multi-billion dollar environmental
problem.
https://www.bloomberg.com/news/features/2023-07-31/miami-faces-trash-sewage-problems-as-more-residents-move-in
______________
Toxic Algal Bloom Covering Florida Lake So Big It Is Visible From Space
Jul 18, 2023
A
toxic bloom of blue-green algae is blossoming across Lake Okeechobee in
Florida, leading to health warnings and the closure of parts of a local
marina.
The bloom was thought to have spread across 380 square
miles of the lake as of June 12. It is Florida's largest freshwater
lake, and the 10th-largest natural freshwater lake in the U.S.
The algal bloom as seen
from space. Cyanobacteria covering over half of the surface of Florida’s
largest freshwater lake on June 12.
https://www.newsweek.com/algal-bloom-florida-lake-seen-space-toxic-1813735
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What You Should Know About Florida’s Red and Green Slime Crisis
July 21, 2021
A
short guide to the toxic red and green pollution in Florida’s waterways
that’s killing marine animals and threatening residents’ way of life.
Alex Kuizon covers his face as he stands near dead fish at a boat ramp in Bradenton Beach, Fla., on Aug. 6, 2018. Normally crystal clear water was murky, and the smell of dead fish permeated the air.
https://earthjustice.org/feature/florida-algae-outbreak-what-you-need-to-know
______________
It’s Toxic Slime Time on Florida’s Lake Okeechobee
2023
https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2023/07/09/climate/florida-lake-okeechobee-algae.html
______________
Army Corps Increasing Lake Okeechobee Releases to Fort Myers-Sanibel Area
Feb 14, 2024
https://calusawaterkeeper.org/news/army-corps-increasing-lake-okeechobee-releases-to-fort-myers-sanibel-area-226794/
_______________
Toxic Lake: The Untold Story of Lake Okeechobee
2017
https://weather.com/news/news/florida-toxic-lake-okeechobee
______________
DeSantis urged to veto Lake Okeechobee water supply bill by 4 environmental nonprofits
2022
Four
South Florida environmental nonprofits sent Gov. Ron DeSantis a letter
Wednesday urging him to veto a controversial Lake Okeechobee water
supply bill.
Opponents say SB 2508 contains an unnecessary
requirement that the governor and Legislature must approve water
management district decisions about water allocation; plus, the bill
yields too much control to entities planning to destroy wetlands.
Supporters say the bill provides a necessary check and balance...
https://www.tcpalm.com/story/news/local/florida/2022/03/30/florida-gov-ron-desantis-urged-veto-lake-o-water-supply-bill-lake-okeechobee-releases-everglades/7216793001/
______________
Discover the Most Polluted Lake in Florida (And What Lives in It)
August 28, 2023
https://a-z-animals.com/blog/discover-the-most-polluted-lake-in-florida-and-what-lives-in-it/
_______________
River advocate: Lake O water is tainted, polluting the Caloosahatchee, its estuary
2023
https://www.news-press.com/story/news/environment/2023/07/28/lake-o-rising-as-army-corps-continues-pulse-releases-to-caloosahatchee/70484600007/
_______________
How long must Floridians wait for agreed-upon water quality improvements? | Our View
2022
https://www.tcpalm.com/story/opinion/2022/08/19/taking-long-view-floridas-water-pollution-killing-us-our-view/10351616002/
_______________
The Effects: Dead Zones and Harmful Algal Blooms
https://www.epa.gov/nutrientpollution/effects-dead-zones-and-harmful-algal-blooms
Dead
zones are areas of water bodies where aquatic life cannot survive
because of low oxygen levels. Dead zones are generally caused by
significant nutrient pollution, and are primarily a problem for bays,
lakes and coastal waters since they receive excess nutrients from
upstream sources.
Excess nitrogen and phosphorus cause an
overgrowth of algae in a short period of time, also called algae blooms.
The overgrowth of algae consumes oxygen and blocks sunlight from
underwater plants. When the algae eventually dies, the oxygen in the
water is consumed. The lack of oxygen makes it impossible for aquatic
life to survive. The largest dead zone in the United States – about
6,500 square miles – is in the Gulf of Mexico and occurs every summer as
a result of nutrient pollution from the Mississippi River Basin.
When
some types of algae blooms are large and produce chemicals, or toxins,
the event is called a harmful algal bloom. Harmful algal blooms can
occur in lakes, reservoirs, rivers, ponds, bays and coastal waters, and
the toxins they produce can be harmful to human health and aquatic life.
Harmful algal blooms are mainly the result of a type of algae called
cyanobacteria, also known as blue-green algae.
Elevated nutrient
levels and algal blooms can also cause problems in drinking water in
communities nearby and upstream from dead zones. Harmful algal blooms
release toxins that contaminate drinking water, causing illnesses for
animals and humans.
_______________
Impact and Mitigation of Nutrient Pollution and Overland Water Flow Change on the Florida Everglades, USA
14 September 2016
https://www.mdpi.com/2071-1050/8/9/940
______________
Florida needs to stop recycling a 'serious nutrient problem'
June 2019
https://www.tcpalm.com/story/opinion/contributors/2019/06/06/florida-needs-stop-recycling-serious-nutrient-problem/1261926001/
_______________
Here’s one key to stopping nutrient pollution in Florida waters | Letters
2020
https://www.tampabay.com/opinion/2020/07/06/heres-one-key-to-stopping-nutrient-pollution-in-florida-waters-letters/
_______________
NUTRIENT POLLUTION IN FLORIDA: WHERE DO WE GO FROM HERE?
2021
https://www.southerncultureonthefly.com/features/nutrient-pollution-in-florida-tampa-bay/
_______________
Nutrient Pollution: A Persistent Threat to Waterways
2014
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4216153/
_______________
Ecoregional Nutrient Criteria for Rivers and Streams
https://www.epa.gov/nutrientpollution/ecoregional-nutrient-criteria-rivers-and-streams
______________
Water
quality changes following nutrient loading reduction and
biomanipulation in a large shallow subtropical lake, Lake Griffin,
Florida, USA
2015
https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s10750-015-2210-8
______________
VIDEO: Nutrient Pollution and Eutrophication in Florida Waterways
Dec 14, 2020
https://www.floridamuseum.ufl.edu/earth-systems/blog/video-nutrient-pollution-and-eutrophication-in-florida-waterways/
______________
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency - National Eutrophication Survey
Report on Lake George, Putnam and Volusia Counties, Florida: EPA Region IV - Working Paper No. 251
1977
https://nepis.epa.gov/Exe/ZyNET.exe/9100D1XL.TXT?ZyActionD=ZyDocument&Client=EPA&Index=1976+Thru+1980&Docs=&Query=&Time=&EndTime=&SearchMethod=1&TocRestrict=n&Toc=&TocEntry=&QField=&QFieldYear=&QFieldMonth=&QFieldDay=&IntQFieldOp=0&ExtQFieldOp=0&XmlQuery=&File=D%3A%5Czyfiles%5CIndex%20Data%5C76thru80%5CTxt%5C00000013%5C9100D1XL.txt&User=ANONYMOUS&Password=anonymous&SortMethod=h%7C-&MaximumDocuments=1&FuzzyDegree=0&ImageQuality=r75g8/r75g8/x150y150g16/i425&Display=hpfr&DefSeekPage=x&SearchBack=ZyActionL&Back=ZyActionS&BackDesc=Results%20page&MaximumPages=1&ZyEntry=1&SeekPage=x&ZyPURL
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What’s polluting Tampa Bay’s water? A new study maps its ‘nutrient fingerprint’
Aug. 3, 2023
A two-year study is identifying bay polluters in an important first step on the road to policy change.
https://www.tampabay.com/news/environment/2023/08/03/whats-polluting-tampa-bays-water-new-study-maps-its-nutrient-fingerprint/
______________
EPA’s Standards to Address Nutrient Pollution in Florida’s Lakes and Flowing Waters
2010
https://archive.epa.gov/epa/sites/production/files/2015-07/documents/floridafaq-2010.pdf
______________
New EPA Report Shows Persistent Nitrogen Pollution In Rivers And Streams
January 24, 2024
https://www.wunderground.com/article/science/environment/news/2024-01-24-river-and-stream-pollution-epa-assessment
_____________
Here’s one key to stopping nutrient pollution in Florida waters | Letters
2020
https://www.tampabay.com/opinion/2020/07/06/heres-one-key-to-stopping-nutrient-pollution-in-florida-waters-letters/
_____________
EPA Releases Tools to Help Reduce Nutrients in Water, Improve Public Health and Support Ecosystems
Actions highlight holistic, science-based, partnership-focused approach to improve water quality
April 29, 2021
https://www.epa.gov/newsreleases/epa-releases-tools-help-reduce-nutrients-water-improve-public-health-and-support
_____________
Senate panel OKs nutrient pollution oversight bill
2023
https://floridapolitics.com/archives/604495-senate-panel-oks-nutrient-pollution-oversight-bill/
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HEALTH OFFICIALS ISSUE BLUE-GREEN ALGAE BLOOM ALERT FOR HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY
August 10, 2022
https://hillsborough.floridahealth.gov/newsroom/2022/08/blue-green-algae.html
______________
Algae
https://plants.ifas.ufl.edu/plant-directory/algae/
Species Overview
Algae are a diverse set of organisms that can be found just about anywhere around the globe, from the artic circle to the underwater volcanic vents. These organisms conduct photosynthesis but do not have roots or leaves. Rather they are collections of cells that remain individual or connect together into colonies that can form mats or even resemble plants. Though unsightly at times, algae are an essential part of the food web and contribute significantly to dissolved oxygen in the water column.
Algae populations are driven, largely, by the amount of nitrogen and phosphorus in the water. But depending on what species of algae is present, green water can be a sign of a healthy and productive aquatic ecosystem.
Though this is a major oversimplification, we will primarily classify algae into four groups: (1) Unicellular (green), (2) filamentous, (3) blue-green, and (4) charophytes (plant-like).
Species Characteristics
Unicellular, green algae grow suspended throughout the water column and can indicate high levels of nitrogen and phosphorus, and high biological productivity. These are unicellular and don’t have any noticeable structure (unless you have a microscope), but will cause the water to take on a greenish or gritty appearance. These nutrient-rich environments are not necessarily bad as they will support a wide variety of wildlife, from plankton to invertebrates, to fish. However, the overgrowth of green algae can prevent light penetration through the water that is needed to support submersed plants. If no plants are present, as the algae populations cycle through the season, dissolved oxygen can range from high to low in a matter of days. This rapid cycling of oxygen can be troublesome to the aquatic ecosystem and fish kills may result.
Filamentous algae (Cladophora, Pithophora, and Spirogyra spp., and others) often form dense floating mats that can range from green to brown, to red. These mats can be thick and have hair-like quality to them. Generally speaking, these form on the bottom of relatively shallow or clear lakes that have sufficient light penetration to the bottom to support growth. Gases formed during photosynthesis get trapped in the mats, causing them to float to the surface. These algae can be particularly troublesome to desirable submersed plants as the algae cover them over and compete for sunlight. They are also unsightly and complicate fishing, swimming, and other recreation. Particularly as the older mats begin to rot the smell can be unpleasant, further adding to the nuisance of these algae.
Blue-green algae is a cyanobacteria that develops a recognizable blue-ish hue when blooming. If the bloom persists, the cells can begin to clump together and develop a noxious odor. Of primary concern, the blue-green algae microsystis can produce a powerful toxin (microsystin) that can be harmful to pets and humans. These algae are often managed in drinking water reservoirs as some of the compounds they produce have a bad taste at very small levels, in the parts-per-trillion range.
Charophytes, or plant-like algae, form very structured colonies that will appear rooted in the sediment with branch-like structures, very much looking like a plant. These are still algae; they are just very structured in their colonies. Kelp, a marine algae, looks very much like a plant but is a clonal algae. In freshwater some of these algae can grow to nuisance levels, impeding navigation and swimming. One example, chara algae, will often smell like garlic or onions and has an abrasive texture that can impede recreation.
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Collaborative Research on Airborne Toxins from Harmful Algal Blooms in Southwest Florida
May 2, 2022
https://calusawaterkeeper.org/news/collaborative-research-on-airborne-toxins-from-harmful-algal-blooms-in-southwest-florida-224878/
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Florida has more polluted freshwater than any other state, says study
Apr 22, 2022
The
study classified 873,340 acres of lake as impaired for swimming and
aquatic life, in addition to 935,808 acres listed as impaired for any
use and 2,533 square miles of impaired estuaries.
Raw untreated yellow water or sewage being pumped into a blue lake - Hollywood, Florida.
https://www.cltampa.com/news/florida-has-more-polluted-freshwater-than-any-other-state-says-study-13292223
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Florida tops list for the most polluted lakes in the U.S., study finds
March 18, 2022
Florida has climbed to the top of another ignominious list, thanks to its hundreds of thousands of acres of dirty lakes.
Thick algae mats clogged the Pahokee Marina on Lake Okeechobee last year.
The state's waters have long been fouled by dirty stormwater and algae blooms fed by fertilizer run off from farms. Now a new study examining water quality across the U.S. shows Florida ranking first for the highest total acres of lakes too polluted for swimming or healthy aquatic life. That means water can have high levels of fecal matter and other bacteria that can sicken people , or have low levels of oxygen or other pollution that can harm fish and other aquatic life. The state ranked second for polluted estuaries.
The Environmental Integrity Project launched the project to track the progress of the Clean Water Act as it nears its 50th anniversary.
“Fifty years ago, we had the imagination and political will to face big problems and try to do something about them,” said Eric Schaeffer, the project's executive director and former head of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency regulatory office . “We're hoping at this half-century mark that we can find the courage to recommit.”
The group based the findings on Florida’s 2020 water quality report filed with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. The same reporting from other states was used to compile the rankings. Ohio and the Great Lakes were excluded because they compile data on lakes differently.
The 1972 law made it a federal crime to directly discharge pollution into waters, but remained vague about runoff that drains into waters. That’s created decades of problems for states like Florida, where farms and dense urban areas line waterways.
Across the U.S., it’s also allowed industrialized agricultural operations to largely bypass pollution limits, Schaeffer said.
“A failure to confront agriculture is probably the biggest program failure in the Clean Water Act,” said Schaeffer, who resigned from his EPA post in 2002 after criticizing the Bush administration for gutting the Clean Air Act. “We have to confront the fact that agricultural runoff is really the leading cause of water pollution in the U.S. today. I don't think that was true so much 50 years ago.”
In Florida, nearly 900,000 acres of lakes are classified as impaired for swimming or healthy aquatic life. About 2,500 acres of estuaries are polluted, accounting for 99% of the total assessed.
https://www.wusf.org/environment/2022-03-18/florida-tops-list-for-the-most-polluted-lakes-in-the-u-s-study-finds
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Study: Florida has some of the most polluted lakes in the country
2022
A recent study looked into the legacy of the Clean Water Act by analyzing each state's water quality.
https://www.wtsp.com/article/tech/science/environment/florida-polluted-lakes/67-a897927d-7e07-465b-942d-420b614de4d0
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A study finds Florida has highest number of polluted lakes in the U.S.
March 24, 2022
https://news.wfsu.org/state-news/2022-03-24/a-study-finds-florida-has-highest-number-of-polluted-lakes-in-the-u-s
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Dire report on water quality in Florida lakes
March 25, 2022
https://fcvoters.org/2022/03/25/dire-report-on-water-quality-in-florida-lakes/
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Florida Crisis Highlights a Nationwide Risk From Toxic Ponds
2021
Thousands
of open-air waste pools near power plants, mines and industrial farms
can pose safety dangers from poor management and, increasingly, the
effects of climate change.
https://www.nytimes.com/2021/04/06/climate/florida-ponds-toxic-waste.html
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Rivers and lakes are the most degraded ecosystems in the world. Can we save them?
2021
https://www.nationalgeographic.com/environment/article/rivers-and-lakes-are-most-degraded-ecosystems-in-world-can-we-save-them
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Water Quality in the Nation’s Streams and Rivers – Current Conditions and Long-Term Trends
2019
https://www.usgs.gov/mission-areas/water-resources/science/water-quality-nations-streams-and-rivers-current-conditions
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Water Pollution: A Threat to Wildlife Conservation
2023
https://wildlife-conservation.org/water-pollution/
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Water Wars
Jan 24, 2024
https://calusawaterkeeper.org/news/water-wars-226778/
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Marion County lists contaminated water site as a legislative priority
October 29, 2021
https://www.ocalagazette.com/marion-county-lists-contaminated-water-site-as-a-legislative-priority/
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Improving Water Quality Tops Discussion at Greater Pine Island Civic Association
Jan 17, 2024
https://calusawaterkeeper.org/news/improving-water-quality-tops-discussion-at-greater-pine-island-civic-association-226755/
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The Power of Community: How Titusville Residents United for Clean Water Rights
November 20, 2023
https://www.advocatesvoice.com/2023/11/Titusvillertcw.html
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Court Rules That Florida Should Not be Allowed to Issue Wetland Dredge and Fill Permits
Feb 16, 2024
https://calusawaterkeeper.org/news/court-rules-that-florida-should-not-be-allowed-to-issue-wetland-dredge-and-fill-permits-226800/
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Mine tailing disposal sites: contamination problems, remedial options and phytocaps for sustainable remediation
2017
Abstract
Mining
practices and the absence of proper mine land reclamation has led to
heavy metal contaminated sites with serious impact on the ecosystems and
risk for human health. The origin of the contamination is often
associated to mine tailing deposits because they are a source of the
acid mine drainage (AMD). These areas are devoid of vegetation due to
the harsh soil conditions that prevent the rooting of plant species. The
remediation of these areas followed by revegetation is necessary to
suppress the generation of the AMD and its negative effects on the
ecosystems. Conventional remediation technologies for heavy metal
contaminated sites are usually not applicable because of the high cost
associated with chemicals and energy requirements, as well as the long
treatment time to remediate large areas. In this study, the use of
phytocapping for the remediation of mine tailing deposits and abandoned
mine areas is reviewed. Phytocapping is cost effective, environmentally
friendly and has multifunctional role against various problems of mine
tailings: it provides erosion control, landscape rehabilitation,
enhances the soil properties for further colonization of other more
demanding vegetal species, reduces the leachability of metals downwards
the groundwater, and favors the immobilization of metals forming less
bioavailable species. The most critical step in phytocapping is the
developing of the first vegetative cover because of the biotoxicity of
the mine soil and mine tailings. Several amendment materials can be used
to ameliorate soil conditions creating a favorable environment for the
rooting of plants, as well as serving as a source of nutrients. Local
plant species with fast growing are preferable because their adaptation
to the soil and climate conditions favors their self-propagation.
https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s11157-017-9453-y
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Saving our Springs: How pollution, pumping and people are destroying Florida's freshwater treasures
2022
https://www.wtsp.com/article/news/investigations/10-investigates/florida-springs-pollution-people-pumping-destroying-freshwater/67-aeacd1ef-abb9-4994-b474-b3f8704f2df8
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State is failing to save our springs
2021
https://www.gainesville.com/story/opinion/2021/02/26/editorial-state-failing-save-our-springs/6816839002/
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Florida’s springs face crisis from pollution, declining flows
2012
https://www.orlandosentinel.com/2012/12/17/floridas-springs-face-crisis-from-pollution-declining-flows/
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Where does most of the pollution in Florida's Springs come from?
2023
https://www.floridaspringscouncil.org/single-post/agriculture-and-springs
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Florida's Vanishing Springs
2014
https://www.tampabay.com/news/environment/water/floridas-vanishing-springs/1262988/
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Pollution threatens purity of Florida's spring water
1998
https://www.tampabay.com/archive/1998/06/20/pollution-threatens-purity-of-florida-s-spring-water/
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Springs Initiative Monitoring Report
https://floridadep.gov/sites/default/files/springs_Monitoring_report_102110.pdf
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Florida's vanishing springs
2014
https://www.tampabay.com/news/environment/water/floridas-vanishing-springs/1262988/
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Florida's natural springs are changing — and disappearing
September 5, 2015
https://theworld.org/stories/2015-09-05/floridas-natural-springs-are-changing-and-disappearing
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Saving Florida’s springs isn’t possible unless agriculture changes its ways | Commentary
2019
https://www.orlandosentinel.com/2019/04/15/saving-floridas-springs-isnt-possible-unless-agriculture-changes-its-ways-commentary/
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Ten Things Everyone Should Know about Florida's Springs
https://wec.ifas.ufl.edu/extension/gc/harmony/documents/10_things_florida.pdf
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Florida’s Springs Don’t Have to Fail
2019
https://floridaspringsinstitute.org/floridas-springs-dont-have-to-fail/
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Education Center - Protecting Florida's Springs
https://protectingfloridatogether.gov/education-center/protecting-floridas-springs
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Florida springs protection rule is overdue and underwhelming, critics say
2022
Lawmakers determined the state was not doing enough to care for an environmental treasure. That was 6 years ago.
https://www.tampabay.com/news/environment/2022/07/03/florida-springs-protection-rule-is-overdue-and-underwhelming-critics-say/
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DEP drags its feet on halting pollution of Florida’s precious springs
March 2, 2023
https://floridaphoenix.com/2023/03/02/dep-drags-its-feet-on-halting-pollution-of-floridas-precious-springs/
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How are Florida’s springs threatened?
https://www.swfwmd.state.fl.us/projects/spring/how-are-floridas-springs-threatened
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Pollution and Overuse Threaten Florida’s Fragile Freshwater Springs
September 17, 2021
https://oursantaferiver.org/pollution-and-overuse-threaten-floridas-fragile-freshwater-springs/
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Sulphur Springs’ past reminds us that sustainability and justice are deeply entwined
Nov 23, 2021
What happened to Sulphur Springs? And what does it reflect about our ongoing reckoning with Florida’s water resources?
https://www.cltampa.com/news/sulphur-springs-past-reminds-us-that-sustainability-and-justice-are-deeply-entwined-12479089
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Dye trace and bacteriological testing of sinkholes: Sulphur Springs, Tampa, Florida
1993
https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/BF00767510
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Fragile Springs Revisited: Silver Springs struggles with human impacts but remains a gem
2021
https://www.ocala.com/story/news/environment/2021/10/27/iconic-silver-springs-struggles-human-impacts-but-remains-gem/6020868001/
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Silver Springs pollution is reaching unsafe levels, according to expected survey results
February 17, 2024
https://www.wusf.org/environment/2024-02-17/silver-springs-pollution-nitrates-reaching-unsafe-levels-expected-survey-results-florida-springs-institute
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Bob Knight: The next fatality in Florida’s springs pandemic?
2020
https://www.gainesville.com/story/sports/columns/dooley/2020/08/14/bob-knight-next-fatality-in-floridarsquos-springs-pandemic/113186382/
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Health of beloved Florida spring should improve after water plant's closure
Jan 31, 2023
Hernando
County leaders and others participated in a valve closing ceremony to
mark the closure of the facility, which is located behind the Walmart
Supercenter on US Highway 19.
The county closed the facility,
which had been in operation since 1967 because it was ultimately sending
water rich with nitrogen into spring.
Nitrogen and other types of nutrient pollution can cause algae to bloom in springs like Weeki Wachee.
According
to the Southwest Florida Water Management District, “large amounts of
algae growth can cause reduced water clarity and extreme fluctuations in
dissolved oxygen, which is stressful to aquatic life.”
Hernando
County said the water reclaimed at the Spring Hill site will now be sent
to another facility near the airport, where newer technology will scrub
more of the nitrogen from reclaimed water before it is used to irrigate
a local golf course.
https://www.abcactionnews.com/news/region-citrus-hernando/health-of-beloved-florida-spring-should-improve-after-water-plants-closure
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Pollution Is Ruining Florida's Springs
Florida's 900+ freshwater springs are filling with algae because of poor stewardship by the state.
May 16, 2014
https://earthjustice.org/article/pollution-is-ruining-florida-s-famous-springs
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To ‘The Fellowship of the Springs,’ Florida Is Selling Out An Environmental Treasure
April 17, 2021
https://www.wusf.org/environment/2021-04-17/to-the-fellowship-of-the-springs-florida-is-selling-out-an-environmental-treasure
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Florida’s Springs
2000
Strategies for Protection & Restoration
https://floridadep.gov/sites/default/files/SpringsTaskForceReport_0.pdf
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Threats to Springs in a Changing World: Science and Policies for Protection
Nov 2022
https://www.wiley.com/en-us/Threats+to+Springs+in+a+Changing+World%3A+Science+and+Policies+for+Protection-p-9781119818618
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Lake Report 2021: Leon County’s Cleanest and Dirtiest Lakes
June 24, 2021
https://blog.wfsu.org/blog-coastal-health/2021/06/lake-report-2021-leon-countys-cleanest-and-dirtiest-lakes/
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26 Water Systems in Leon County, Florida
https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/projects/toxic-waters/contaminants/fl/leon/index.html
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Runoff 101
How Leon County Manages Runoff Pollution
https://cms.leoncountyfl.gov/waterresource/Protecting-and-Preserving-Our-Water-Quality/Pollution-Prevention/Runoff-101
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From lake to prairie: Limited time, options to deal with Lake Jackson's disappearing water
2021
With the recent draining, what was a lake became a prairie.
A doorway wide path carved into a lush savanna leads to where Lake Jackson once was.
Native
grasses, like maiden cane, along with dog fennel and the colorful
sesbania started to build the green wall in May when 4.4 billion gallons
of water drained into Porter Sink off Faulk Drive.
What was a lake became a prairie.
Lake
Jackson has drained down, or dried up, at least a dozen times since
1837. Native Americans called it Okeeheepkee, or "disappearing waters."
Hernando
DeSoto’s scribes made no mention of it when the conquistadors wintered
in present-day Tallahassee in 1539, but archeologists and historical
accounts place a village on its western shore 1,000 years ago...
https://www.tallahassee.com/story/news/politics/2021/08/17/leon-county-disappearing-lake-jackson-sinkhole-options-rain/5553904001/
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What happened to Lake Jackson in Florida?
September 18, 2022
https://safeharborfishing.com/what-happened-to-lake-jackson-in-florida/
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Disappearing Florida lake once again refilling with water (Lake Jackson)
June 24, 2021
https://www.news4jax.com/news/florida/2021/06/24/disappearing-florida-lake-once-again-refilling-with-water/
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Alachua County Fills the Final Gap in Protection of Lochloosa Slough
7/14/2023
https://alachuacounty.us/news/Article/Pages/Alachua-County-Fills-the-Final-Gap-in-Protection-of-Lochloosa-Slough.aspx
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Multitude of water pollution, shortage issues facing Florida and Alachua County
May 2, 2013
https://www.wuft.org/news/2013/05/02/runoff-water-carries-pollutants/
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Duval Tributary Watch
https://floridadep.gov/northeast/northeast/content/duval-tributary-watch
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Groups
Sue Live Oak Processing Plant for Polluting “Outstanding Florida Water”
With Toxic Wastewater in Violation of Permit Limits
2017
[Jacksonville,
FL] – Environment Florida announced today that it has filed a lawsuit
in the United States District Court in Jacksonville against the
second-largest chicken producer in the world, Pilgrim’s Pride, for
alleged ongoing violations of the federal Clean Water Act at its poultry
processing plant in Live Oak, Florida...
https://www.nelc.org/news/groups-sue-live-oak-processing-plant-for-polluting-outstanding-florida-water-with-toxic-wastewater-in-violation-of-permit-limits/
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Is it safe to swim or fish in Jacksonville? See latest health advisories, test results
June 2023
https://www.jacksonville.com/story/news/environment/2023/06/29/water-quality-health-advisories-test-results-jacksonville-duval-county-safe-swim-fish-algae-red-tide/70367882007/
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City of Jacksonville addresses high pollution concerns in St. Johns River
September 22, 2019
https://www.actionnewsjax.com/news/local/city-of-jacksonville-addresses-high-pollution-concerns-in-st-johns-river/988532329/
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Tons Of South Florida Sewage Finds Its Way Into St. Johns River To ‘Devastating Effect’
2018
https://news.wjct.org/news/2018-12-13/tons-of-south-florida-sewage-finds-its-way-into-st-johns-river-to-devastating-effect
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2022 St. Johns River Report shows increasing fecal bacteria, phosphorus levels
2022
https://www.firstcoastnews.com/article/tech/science/environment/2022-st-johns-river-report/77-6dcf4a6d-2b04-4854-a39a-df1988aba1e4
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Pollution persisted at St. Johns River industrial sites, report says
2018
https://www.jacksonville.com/story/news/2018/03/29/pollution-persisted-at-st-johns-river-industrial-sites-report-says/12878323007/
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Jacksonville has 'need for concern' for health of St. Johns River, scientists' report says
2022
https://www.jacksonville.com/story/news/environment/2022/10/14/report-wetland-losses-shrinking-seagrass-among-st-johns-river-woes/10495440002/
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Group: St. Johns River pollution threatens water supplies
2019
https://www.floridatoday.com/story/news/local/environment/2019/09/13/st-johns-river-showing-increasing-pollution-group-says/2310367001/
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Bills to cut water pollution from sludge moving in Florida Legislature
2019
Legislation
to control use of partly treated sewer sludge on farmland – which has
been blamed for algae problems at the start of the St. Johns River – is
advancing in Florida’s Legislature.
A Senate subcommittee signed
off this week on a bill that bans spreading sludge on land where it
would get into the water table, and requires the Florida Department of
Environmental Protection to write rules for safe use elsewhere.
https://www.jacksonville.com/story/news/2019/04/12/bills-to-cut-water-pollution-from-sludge-moving-in-florida-legislature/5453877007/
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Toxic wastewater reservoir on verge of collapse in Florida could cause "catastrophic event"
April 6, 2021
Hundreds
of residents in Manatee County, Florida, were ordered to evacuate their
homes over Easter weekend as officials feared that a wastewater pond
could collapse "at any time." On Saturday, Florida Governor Ron DeSantis
declared a state of emergency for the area, and the local state of
emergency was extended by county commissioners on Tuesday.
https://www.cbsnews.com/news/florida-state-of-emergency-wastewater-leak-verge-catastrophe/
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What can you do to help the St. Johns River? Read on, you may be surprised.
2023
https://www.jacksonville.com/story/news/local/2023/03/07/heres-how-people-in-jacksonville-and-florida-can-help-the-rivers/69969206007/
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Florida, Georgia Officials Working To Clean Up Lake Talquin Pollution
July 17, 2014
https://news.wfsu.org/environment/2014-07-17/florida-georgia-officials-working-to-clean-up-lake-talquin-pollution
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New report: Georgia 13th in nation for amount of toxic chemicals dumped in waterways
October 5, 2022
https://www.gpb.org/news/2022/10/05/new-report-georgia-13th-in-nation-for-amount-of-toxic-chemicals-dumped-in-waterways
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How a powerful company convinced Georgia to let it bury toxic waste in groundwater
January 18th, 2022
https://thecurrentga.org/2022/01/18/how-a-powerful-company-convinced-georgia-to-let-it-bury-toxic-waste-in-groundwater/
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EPA tells Georgia it is not following the law on toxic waste from generating electricity
February 22, 2024
https://www.gpb.org/news/2024/02/22/epa-tells-georgia-it-not-following-the-law-on-toxic-waste-generating-electricity
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Toxic chemicals showing up in private wells across SC, study shows. How big is the threat?
Feb 2024
https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/us/toxic-chemicals-showing-up-in-private-wells-across-sc-study-shows-how-big-is-the-threat/ar-BB1i34fs
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'We're not a dump' – poor Alabama towns struggle under the stench of toxic landfills
April 15, 2023
https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2019/apr/15/were-not-a-dump-poor-alabama-towns-struggle-under-the-stench-of-toxic-landfills
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Florida Department of Health warns of possible contamination in Withlacoochee River
Spill started in SW Georgia
Jul 04, 2022
https://www.wtxl.com/news/local-news/florida-department-of-health-warns-of-possible-contamination-in-withlacoochee-river
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Okefenokee Swamp and St. Marys River named Among America’s Most Endangered Rivers of 2020
AMERICA’S MOST ENDANGERED RIVERS® OF 2020
#1 Upper Mississippi River (Illinois, Iowa, Missouri, Minnesota, Wisconsin)
Threat: Climate change, poor flood management
#2 Lower Missouri River (Missouri, Iowa, Nebraska, Kansas)
Threat: Climate change, poor flood management
#3 Big Sunflower River (Mississippi)
Threat: Yazoo pumps project
#4: Puyallup River (Washington)
Threat: Electron Dam
#5: South Fork Salmon River (Idaho)
Threat: Gold mine
#6: Menominee River (Michigan, Wisconsin)
Threat: Open pit sulfide mining
#7: Rapid Creek (South Dakota)
Threat: Gold mining
#8: Okefenokee Swamp and St Marys River (Georgia, Florida)
Threat: Titanium mining
#9: Ocklawaha River (Florida)
Threat: Rodman Dam
#10: Lower Youghiogheny River (Pennsylvania)
Threat: Natural gas development
https://garivers.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/04/Okefenokee-Press-Release-FINAL.pdf
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Okefenokee Swamp Named Among America’s Most Endangered Rivers of 2023
April 18, 2023
https://www.americanrivers.org/media-item/okefenokee-swamp-named-among-americas-most-endangered-rivers-of-2023/
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Okfenokee Swamp: one of America's most endangered waterways
April 24, 2023
https://accesswdun.com/article/2023/4/1180005/okfenokee-swamp-one-of-americas-most-endangered-waterways
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Sulfur distribution and isotopic composition in peats from the Okefenokee Swamp, Georgia and the Everglades, Florida
1991
Abstract
Peat cores from three aquatic environments (freshwater, brackish and marine have been analyzed for organic, pyritic and sulfatic sulfur contents and isotope ratios. Peat collected from each environment has a unique combination of sulfur content, distribution and isotope ratio. Freshwater peat from the Okefenokee Swamp contains the least sulfur (0.26 to 0.48%, primarily organic sulfur) and is vertically uniform in sulfur content and isotope ratio. The organic sulfur isotope ratio of the Okefenokee pear (+ 12.3 to + 12.8 per mil) is similar to that of sulfate in associated surface waters. Cores from presently brackish and marine peats from the Florida Everglades have high organic, pyritic and sulfatic sulfur contents with vertical variability in sulfur content and isotope ration. The isotope ratio of organic sulfur in the brackish and marine peat is lighter than that of sulfate associated with their respective peat-forming environments. Organic sulfur in the marine peat is isotopically lighter than in the brackish peat. Freshwater peats subsequently overlain by sediment associated with brackish to marine waters may have a sulfur content, distribution and isotopic ratio indistinguishable from peats derived under brackish or marine conditions.
The primary source of sulfur in peats is dissolved sulfate associated with the peat-forming system. The sulfate concentration of the waters in which a peat forms is of major importance in determining the isotopic composition of the sulfur form found in peat. The content, distribution and isotopic ratio of low and high sulfur peats are similar to those reported for coals, indicating that the fundamental sulfur geochemistry of coals may have been established during the peat-forming stage of coalification. The organic sulfur content and isotope ratio of a coal may be useful in estimating the relative sulfate ion concentration of the waters present during the peat-forming stage of coalification where transgressive sequences are not involved. The sulfate ion concentration of paleowaters could be used to interpret the paleoenvironment during the peat-forming stage of coalification and thus, information about the organic sulfur content and isotope ratio of coals may prove useful in helping to assess coal quality in advance of mining.
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/016651629190002Z
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Statement: Dirty Water Rule puts the Okefenokee Swamp at risk
October 22, 2020
Mining operation can proceed without federal safeguards
Under
the Trump administration’s rule removing Clean Water Act protections
for thousands of wetlands and streams, a titanium dioxide mining
operation will be allowed to proceed near the Okefenokee Swamp in
southeast Georgia without federal permits. The Army Corps of Engineers
ruled that most of the wetlands impacted by the mine are no longer
protected by the Clean Water Act.
https://environmentamerica.org/media-center/statement-dirty-water-rule-puts-the-okefenokee-swamp-at-risk/
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Saving The Swamp: Environmentalists, mining company at odds over dig near Okefenokee
2023
https://www.news4jax.com/i-team/2023/10/25/saving-the-swamp-environmentalists-mining-company-at-odds-over-dig-near-okefenokee/
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More Than 30 Groups Organize to Save Okefenokee Swamp
2020
https://defenders.org/newsroom/more-30-groups-organize-save-okefenokee-swamp
______________
Proposed mine outside Georgia's Okefenokee Swamp nears approval despite environment damage concerns
February 9, 2024
https://www.clickorlando.com/news/national/2024/02/09/proposed-mine-outside-georgias-okefenokee-swamp-nears-approval-despite-environment-damage-concerns/
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Mining company can’t tap water needed for Okefenokee wildlife refuge, U.S. says
Mar 4, 2024
SAVANNAH,
Ga. (AP) — A federal agency is asserting legal rights to waters that
feed the Okefenokee Swamp and its vast wildlife refuge, setting up a new
battle with a mining company seeking permits to withdraw more than 1.4
million gallons daily for a project that critics say could irreparably
harm one of America’s natural treasures.
https://www.pbs.org/newshour/nation/mining-company-cant-tap-water-needed-for-okefenokee-wildlife-refuge-u-s-says
______________
Guest opinion: No end in sight for Florida’s water woes
2022
https://www.news-press.com/story/opinion/2022/09/19/florida-water-quality-frustration-mounts-over-little-progress-desantis-task-force-blue-green-algae/10425376002/
______________
Hydrogeology and quality of ground water in Orange County, Florida
December 1, 2004
https://www.usgs.gov/publications/hydrogeology-and-quality-ground-water-orange-county-florida
______________
Threats to Florida’s Water Quality
https://sfyl.ifas.ufl.edu/media/sfylifasufledu/pinellas/natural-resources/Threats-to-Florida-Water.pdf
______________
Surface Water Pollution – A Complete Overview
June 22, 2022
https://atlas-scientific.com/blog/surface-water-pollution/
______________
Pollution Verified in Most of Southwest Florida Area’s Prized Water Bodies
Oct 24, 2021
https://calusawaterkeeper.org/news/pollution-verified-in-most-of-southwest-florida-areas-prized-water-bodies-9492/
______________
5 things Florida must do to protect our waterways | Opinion
2019
https://www.floridatoday.com/story/opinion/2019/03/06/5-things-florida-must-do-protect-our-waterways/3080961002/
______________
Sustainable Solutions to the Water Pollution Crisis?
https://geo.libretexts.org/Courses/Mt._San_Jacinto_College/Environmental_Science_101/10%3A_Water/10.04%3A_Sustainable_Solutions_to_the_Water_Pollution_Crisis
______________
Water Pollution Solutions
2021
https://atlas-scientific.com/blog/water-pollution-solutions/
______________
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______________
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Section 10: Soil Erosion, Landfills & Karst
______________
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______________
______________
______________
Florida’s Vanishing Beaches: The fight against coastal erosion
July 20, 2022
According
to a June report by the Florida Department of Environmental Protection,
more than half of the 825 miles of coastline they surveyed are
critically eroded.
Earlier this year, you might remember seeing
the unbelievable video of a home collapsing into the Atlantic Ocean in
the Outer Banks. The house on a beach in Rodanthe is one of three that
succumbed to erosion.
Our national partner Newsy investigated how
bad the problem is in North Carolina. We teamed up with them and
learned that beaches on the West Coast of Florida have similar, if not
worse, erosion as Rodanthe...
https://dredgewire.com/floridas-vanishing-beaches-the-fight-against-coastal-erosion/
______________
Erosion a big threat to southwest Florida beaches
Aug 3, 2014
https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2014/08/03/sea-levels-rising-erosion-southwest-florida/13544221/
______________
Nearly 430 miles of Florida beach classified as critically eroded before hurricanes hit
December 2, 2022
State report reveals erosion was a known issue for years
https://www.clickorlando.com/news/local/2022/12/02/nearly-430-miles-of-florida-beach-classified-as-critically-eroded-before-hurricanes-hit/
______________
Sandy coastlines under threat of erosion
02 March 2020
https://www.nature.com/articles/s41558-020-0697-0
______________
South Florida beaches deemed "critically eroded"
September 11, 2022
https://www.cbsnews.com/miami/news/south-florida-beaches-deemed-critically-eroded/
______________
Critically Eroded Beaches in Florida
2023
https://floridadep.gov/rcp/coastal-engineering-geology/documents/critically-eroded-beaches-florida
______________
Beach Erosion in Florida
October 10, 2018
https://kcinow.com/beacherosion/
______________
Florida's Vanishing Beaches: The fight against coastal erosion
More than half of Florida beaches surveyed are critically eroded: FDEP
Jul 18, 2022
https://www.abcactionnews.com/news/state/floridas-vanishing-beaches-the-fight-against-coastal-erosion
______________
The Florida Coastal Mapping Program
March 30, 2018
https://www.usgs.gov/centers/spcmsc/science/florida-coastal-mapping-program
______________
Coastal Critical Erosion Areas
https://geodata.dep.state.fl.us/datasets/FDEP::coastal-critical-erosion-areas/about
______________
Losing Ground: Southeast Louisiana Is Disappearing, Quickly
2014
https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/losing-ground-southeast-louisiana-is-disappearing-quickly/
______________
A World of Vanishing Lakes
From the Dead Sea to a Louisiana lake that was sucked into the Earth, the stories behind the disappearances are varied
February 6, 2014
Scott Lake, Florida
This
central Florida lake drained away in just two weeks in June 2006 when a
sinkhole opened up. Scientists estimate that 32 tons of wildlife were
sucked into the Earth; some fish were left behind to rot on the exposed
lake bottom.
Nearby residents considered efforts to plug the
hole, but time took care of the problem for them. With the sinkhole now
naturally plugged back up with clay and silt, it's starting to fill with
water and gradually the lake is returning. But Florida’s geology makes
the state prone to sinkholes, so the lake’s permanence is not
guaranteed.
https://www.smithsonianmag.com/science-nature/world-vanishing-lakes-180949645/
______________
Disappearing cities on US coasts
06 March 2024
https://www.nature.com/articles/s41586-024-07038-3
______________
Beach erosion creates havoc from Palm Beach County to Treasure Coast
February 12, 2024
https://news.yahoo.com/beach-erosion-creates-havoc-jupiter-225409328.html
______________
Beach erosion threatens sewage-treatment plant on Nantucket
Feb 2024
https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/us/beach-erosion-threatens-sewage-treatment-plant-on-nantucket/ar-BB1iK03Z
______________
Florida city’s sewer plant to save the Blackwater River may make pollution worse
DECEMBER 29, 2022
Decision on site will affect both future development and leaping fish
https://floridaphoenix.com/2022/12/29/florida-citys-sewer-plant-to-save-the-blackwater-river-may-make-pollution-worse/
_____________
Sewer waste surges onto Holmes Beach street
2023
https://www.islander.org/2023/11/sewer-waste-surges-onto-holmes-beach-street/
_____________
Coastal Contamination: Buried beneath quaint Ormond-by-the-Sea lie hundreds of polluting septic tanks
2019
https://www.news-journalonline.com/story/news/local/volusia/2019/06/04/coastal-contamination-buried-beneath-quaint-ormond-by-the-sea-lie-hundreds-of-polluting-septic-tanks/4983039007/
______________
How septic tanks may imperil this Florida ecosystem
2016
https://www.pbs.org/newshour/show/septic-tanks-may-imperil-florida-ecosystem
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Florida can’t move forward on pollution because of places like ‘Dead Shark Acres’
2022
Eliminating some septic tanks while approving even more shows why we can’t fix our waterways and springs
https://floridaphoenix.com/2022/07/21/florida-cant-move-forward-on-pollution-because-of-places-like-dead-shark-acres/
______________
Onsite Sewage Research Reports
https://floridadep.gov/water/onsite-sewage/content/onsite-sewage-research-reports
_____________
Bradenton spills 1.2 million gallons of partially treated sewage into the Manatee River
March 1, 2024
https://www.heraldtribune.com/story/news/local/manatee/2024/03/01/bradenton-spills-1-2-million-gallons-of-partially-treated-sewage/72803567007/
_____________
‘Disturbing’ Beach Erosion Near Pier Meets Split and Muddled Response from Flagler Beach Commission
AUGUST 10, 2022
https://flaglerlive.com/beach-erosion-emergency/#gsc.tab=0
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Volusia County beach erosion remains concern with another day of strong winds, high tides
April 11, 2023
Several more feet of dune erosion reported in Volusia County after storm
https://www.clickorlando.com/news/local/2023/04/11/volusia-county-beach-erosion-remains-concern-with-another-day-of-strong-winds-high-tides/
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‘Like a bomb has gone off:’ Volusia County faces disastrous beach erosion, more building collapses after Nicole
November 10, 2022
Sheriff Mike Chitwood says up to 16 condos evacuated in Daytona Beach Shores
https://www.clickorlando.com/news/local/2022/11/10/like-a-bomb-has-gone-off-volusia-county-faces-disastrous-beach-erosion-building-collapses-after-nicole/
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Florida beaches were already running low on sand. Then Ian and Nicole hit.
November 25, 2022
The
Daytona Beach-area is famous for having beaches so wide drivers are
invited to ride on the shore. Two storms in the span of six weeks have
snatched away tons of sand.
https://www.washingtonpost.com/nation/2022/11/25/florida-beach-erosion-ian-nicole-sand/
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HURRICANE OPAL BEACH AND DUNE EROSION AND
STRUCTURAL DAMAGE ALONG THE PANHANDLE COAST OF FLORIDA
https://floridadep.gov/sites/default/files/opal-rpt.pdf
______________
Dune restoration project highlights increasing erosion on Treasure Coast beaches
Jan. 24, 2024
https://www.wflx.com/2024/01/24/dune-restoration-project-highlights-increasing-erosion-treasure-coast-beaches/
______________
MONITORING STANDARDS FOR BEACH EROSION CONTROL PROJECTS
May 2014
https://floridadep.gov/sites/default/files/PhysicalMonitoringStandards.pdf
______________
New project uses fences to capture sand to widen, restore Okaloosa beaches
Jan 18, 2022
https://www.nwfdailynews.com/story/news/2022/01/18/destin-okaloosa-beaches-might-aided-sand-capturing-systems/6517007001/
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Eroding Long-Term Prospects for Florida’s Beaches: Florida’s Coastal Construction Control Line Program
June, 2008
https://www.flseagrant.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/Eroding-Long-Term-Prospects-for-Floridas-Beaches.pdf
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Study: Flagler’s Beaches Are Eroding Critically, and Will Cost County Alone $5 to $13 Million a Year to Slow
Aug 2022
https://flaglerlive.com/study-flaglers-beaches-olsen/#gsc.tab=0
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ECOS keeps fighting to save Butler Lake shoreline
November 17, 2023
The
ECOS Club is planting high quality native plants around Butler Lake to
prevent further damage to the shoreline from invasive species and to
combat erosion. Planting is the culmination of the restoration project
that includes identifying problems, researching solutions, and planning
action steps.
https://www.lhsdoi.com/27300/news/ecos-keeps-fighting-to-save-butler-lake-shoreline/
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9 Coastal Plants that Initiate, Restore and Stabilize Coastal Dunes
December 9, 2021
https://dunedoctors.com/9-coastal-plants-that-initiate-restore-and-stabilize-coastal-dunes/
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Increases in development in Southwest Florida threaten wildlife
2022
https://www.wusf.org/environment/2022-04-02/increases-in-development-in-southwest-florida-threatens-preservation-of-wildlife
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Residents prepare for sand mine decision at Levy County meeting
Feb. 6, 2024
https://www.wcjb.com/2024/02/06/residents-prepare-sand-mine-decision-levy-county-meeting/
______________
Soil degradation: the problems and how to fix them
16 April 2021
https://www.nhm.ac.uk/discover/soil-degradation.html
______________
Tell Me About: Keeping Soil Healthy in Florida
Oct 1, 2021
https://www.floridamuseum.ufl.edu/earth-systems/blog/tell-me-about-keeping-soil-healthy-in-florida/
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Soils Overview
A wide variety of soils and landscapes comprise the state of Florida. These include:
The red, loamy soils of the upper Florida Panhandle;
the poorly drained, sandy soils of the flatwoods;
the peat soils of the northern Everglades; and
the shallow, limerock-influenced soils of extreme south Florida
https://programs.ifas.ufl.edu/florida-land-steward/forest-resources/soils/soils-overview/
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GENERAL SOILS MAP OF FLORIDA
https://soils.ifas.ufl.edu/extension/soil-and-water-resources/general-soils-map-of-florida/
______________
The Dirt on Agricultural Plastic Pollution of the Soil in the U.S. and China
March 10, 2022
https://www.newsecuritybeat.org/2022/03/dirt-agricultural-plastic-pollution-soil-u-s-china/
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Pollution and health: Contaminated soil may lead to heart disease
2022
https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/pollution-and-health-contaminated-soil-may-lead-to-heart-disease
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World’s soils ‘under great pressure’, says UN pollution report
Soils provide 95% of all food but are damaged by industrial, farming, mining and urban pollution
2021
https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2021/jun/04/soils-great-pressure-un-pollution-report-food-farming-mining
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More Than 50 Billion Tons of Topsoil Have Eroded in the Midwest
The estimate of annual loss is nearly double the rate of erosion the USDA considers sustainable
April 19, 2022
https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/57-billion-tons-of-top-soil-have-eroded-in-the-midwest-in-the-last-160-years-180979936/
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Third of Earth's soil is acutely degraded due to agriculture
2017
Fertile
soil is being lost at rate of 24bn tonnes a year through intensive
farming as demand for food increases, says UN-backed study
https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2017/sep/12/third-of-earths-soil-acutely-degraded-due-to-agriculture-study
______________
Impacts for half of all mining areas in the world are undocumented
Jan 2024
https://phys.org/news/2024-01-impacts-areas-world-undocumented.html
______________
Restoring Degraded Lands
2021
https://www.annualreviews.org/doi/full/10.1146/annurev-environ-012320-054809
______________
From Land Degradation to Land Restoration
January 11, 2022
https://www.iisd.org/articles/deep-dive/land-degradation-land-restoration
______________
Why soil matters (and what we can do to save it)
https://www.nationalgeographic.com/environment/article/paid-content-why-soil-matters-and-what-we-can-do-to-save-it
______________
Soil Degradation Solutions
2023
https://www.buildastash.com/post/soil-degradation-solutions
______________
Soil Management and Restoration
2020
https://www.fs.usda.gov/rm/pubs_journals/2020/rmrs_2020_williams_m001.pdf
______________
Tackling the growing challenge of soil pollution
2017
https://www.unep.org/news-and-stories/story/tackling-growing-challenge-soil-pollution
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Florida Platform
The Florida Platform is a flat geological feature with the emergent portion forming the Florida peninsula.
Depiction of Florida Platform with depths
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Florida_Platform
______________
Geology of Florida
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Geology_of_Florida
The
Floridian peninsula is a porous plateau of karst limestone sitting atop
bedrock known as the Florida Platform. The emergent portion of the
platform was created during the Eocene to Oligocene as the Gulf Trough
filled with silts, clays, and sands. Flora and fauna began appearing
during the Miocene. No land animals were present in Florida prior to the
Miocene.
Limestone over bedrock
The Floridian peninsula
is a porous plateau of karst limestone sitting atop bedrock known as the
Florida Platform. The emergent portion of the platform was created
during the Eocene to Oligocene as the Gulf Trough filled with silts,
clays, and sands. Flora and fauna began appearing during the Miocene. No
land animals were present in Florida prior to the Miocene.
The
largest deposits of rock phosphate in the United States are found in
Florida.[1] Most of this is in Bone Valley in central and west-central
Florida.[2]
Extended systems of underwater caves, sinkholes and
springs are found throughout the state and supply most of the water used
by residents. This type of terrain (geomorphology) that develops over a
carbonate platform or strata is called Karst Topography.
The
limestone is topped with sandy soils deposited as ancient beaches over
millions of years as global sea levels rose and fell. During the last
glacial period, lower sea levels and a drier climate revealed a much
wider peninsula, largely savanna.[3] While there are sinkholes in much
of the state, modern sinkholes most commonly form in the Tampa Bay area
and Central Florida.
______________
Posts Incorrectly Cite Map as Showing Future Effects of Climate Change
July 13, 2022
https://www.factcheck.org/2022/07/posts-incorrectly-cite-map-as-showing-future-effects-of-climate-change/
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Fact Check: Is Climate Map Showing U.S. Submerged Underwater by 2052 Real?
Jul 12, 2022
https://www.newsweek.com/fact-check-climate-map-showing-us-submerged-underwater-2052-real-1723733
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Groundwater reorganization in the Floridan aquifer following Holocene sea-level rise
12 September 2010
Abstract
Sea-level fluctuations, particularly those associated with
glacial–interglacial cycles, can have profound impacts on the flow and
circulation of coastal groundwater: the water found at present in many
coastal aquifers may have been recharged during the last glacial period,
when sea level was over 100 m lower than present, and thus is not in equilibrium with present recharge conditions.
Here we show that the geochemistry of the groundwater found in the
Floridan Aquifer System in south Florida is best explained by a
reorganization of groundwater flow following the sea-level rise at the
end of the Last Glacial Maximum approximately 18,000 years ago. We find
that the geochemistry of the fresh water found in the upper aquifers at
present is consistent with recharge from meteoric water during the last
glacial period. The lower aquifer, however, consists of
post-sea-level-rise salt water that is most similar to that of the
Straits of Florida, though with some dilution from the residual fresh
water from the last glacial period circulation. We therefore suggest
that during the last glacial period, the entire Floridan Aquifer System
was recharged with meteoric waters. After sea level rose, the increased
hydraulic head reduced the velocity of the groundwater flow. This
velocity reduction trapped the fresh water in the upper aquifers and
initiated saltwater circulation in the lower aquifer.
https://www.nature.com/articles/ngeo956
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What Did the Continents Look Like Millions of Years Ago?
SEPTEMBER 23, 2013
An artist-geologist renders the history of the Earth with maps.
https://www.theatlantic.com/technology/archive/2013/09/what-did-the-continents-look-like-millions-of-years-ago/279892/
______________
Mapped: What Did the World Look Like in the Last Ice Age?
2023
https://www.visualcapitalist.com/cp/mapped-world-the-last-ice-age/#google_vignette
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Quaternary cave levels in peninsular Florida
2007
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0277379107000625
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Ingeniously Engineered ‘Watercourts’ Fueled Florida’s Calusa Kingdom
2020
A
research project has finally solved an archaeological mystery in
America. Experts believe that they now know how a Native American
people, the Calusa who lived in Florida, were able to develop and expand
despite not practicing agriculture. They argue that the Calusa built
massive ‘watercourts’, where they captured fish in huge quantities to
produce a food surplus.
https://www.ancient-origins.net/news-history-archaeology/calusa-0013501
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Two Long-Lost Maps Spark a Quest to Find Forgotten Pyramids in the Florida Swamps
2014
https://www.miaminewtimes.com/news/two-long-lost-maps-spark-a-quest-to-find-forgotten-pyramids-in-the-florida-swamps-6524337
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Crystal River Mounds (150 BC)
2007
The
Crystal River site is located on the Central Gulf Coast of Florida near
the Three Sisters Springs. These springs are the source of the Crystal
River and the reason for its name. It is likely the Crystal River site
was chosen precisely due to its location near these springs.
The
site features at least three, flat-topped pyramid mounds, a large plaza,
two burial mounds, and three erect standing stones referred to as
stelae. The site is full of firsts. The flat-topped pyramid mounds are
the first such architectural features in Florida and perhaps the entire
Southeastern U.S. The mound-and-plaza site plan is the earliest such
site plan north of Mexico. A T-shaped flat-topped pyramid mound (Mound
H) is unique in the U.S. Its construction method, being made mostly of
limestone rocks, is rare in the southeastern U.S. and the first in
Florida. The three standing stone stelae, one carved with a human face,
are also unique and the only such objects north of Mexico.
The
central burial mound (Mound F) is surrounded by a circular embankment of
sand (Mound C), which also housed burials. The two structures form what
archaeologists call the Main Burial Complex. Exotic artifacts unearthed
from the central burial mound showed a trade connection with the
Hopewell civilization of Ohio. The Crystal River site was the
southernmost site with such exotic Hopewell artifacts.
Another
burial mound at the site (Mound G) showed no such exotic artifacts. This
difference in grave goods suggests one burial mound was for the elites
and the other for commoners.
https://lostworlds.org/crystal_river_mounds/
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The Black Drink, Ethnobotany, and a Lost Civilization in Florida
2019
https://www.discovery.com/exploration/the-black-drink--ethnobotany--and-a-lost-civilization-in-florida
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Ancient Civilizations of Florida
2007
https://lostworlds.org/ancient_civilizations_florida_intro/
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Major Archaeological Discovery Of A 7,000-Year-Old Settlement In Miami – But Its Future Is In Danger
2023
https://www.ancientpages.com/2023/02/10/major-archaeological-discovery-of-a-7000-year-old-settlement-in-miami-but-its-future-is-in-danger/
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THE
LOST CIVILIZATION OF KEY LARGO WERE THERE MAYANS IN THE FLORIDA KEYS?
PROBABLY, SAYS ARCHAELOGIST ‘INDIANA IRV’ BUT DON’T GO LOOKING FOR THE
TEMPLE OF DOOM.
1985
https://www.sun-sentinel.com/1985/09/01/the-lost-civilization-of-key-largo-were-there-mayans-in-the-florida-keys-probably-says-archaelogist-indiana-irv-but-dont-go-looking-for-the-temple-of-doom/
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What Happened to the Sunken City of Cuba?
2014
https://www.ancient-origins.net/ancient-places-americas/what-happened-sunken-city-cuba-001883
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Does Bimini Road Lead to The Lost Civilization of Atlantis?
2014
https://www.ancient-origins.net/myths-legends/does-bimini-road-lead-lost-civilization-atlantis-002070
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Amateur archeologist may have found an ancient city off the coast of St. Bernard
2022
“All I know is somebody built a city 12,000 years ago and it’s stuck out in Chandeleur."
ST.
BERNARD PARISH, La. — An amateur archeologist says he’s discovered the
ruins of an ancient civilization off the coast of St. Bernard Parish.
He
claims there are large underwater granite mounds near the Chandeleur
Islands that may have once been the site of the lost city.
The Chandeleur Islands are a chain of uninhabited barrier islands located in the Gulf of Mexico, 50 miles east of New Orleans.
https://www.wwltv.com/article/news/local/st-bernard/archeologist-may-have-found-an-ancient-city-off-the-coast-of-st-bernard/289-5fe907e3-5439-46af-89b9-ae9e6dc35918
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The Mysterious Rock Walls of Rockwall, Texas
2017
https://www.todayifoundout.com/index.php/2017/02/mysterious-rock-walls-rockwall-texas/
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Coral Castle
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Coral_Castle
Coral
Castle is an oolite limestone structure created by the Latvian-American
eccentric Edward Leedskalnin (1887–1951). It is located in
unincorporated territory of Miami-Dade County, Florida, between the
cities of Homestead and Leisure City. The structure comprises numerous
large stones, each weighing several tons, sculpted into a variety of
shapes, including slab walls, tables, chairs, a crescent moon, a water
fountain and a sundial.[2] It is currently a privately operated tourist
attraction. Coral Castle is noted for legends surrounding its creation
that claim it was built single-handedly by Leedskalnin using reverse
magnetism or supernatural abilities to move and carve the stones.
_____________
Florida's Radioactive Fountain of Youth May Prolong Life
2013
Five hundred years after Ponce de Leon explored the area, locals swear by an artesian well with unusual properties.
https://www.nationalgeographic.com/science/article/130719-florida-fountain-of-youth-radioactive-magnesium-health
_____________
Fountains of Life: A Look at Florida Springs from Sacred Waters to Green Slime
https://stateofwater.org/ecosystems/springs/
_____________
Mesoamerican Sculptures Reveal Early Knowledge of Magnetism
2019
https://www.smithsonianmag.com/science-nature/mesoamerican-sculptures-reveal-early-knowledge-magnetism-180972820/
_____________
Ancient Attraction: Mesoamerican Sculptors Created Magnetic Stone Figures
2019
https://www.ancient-origins.net/news-history-archaeology/magnetic-stone-figures-0011870
_____________
The hard truth of building clean solar farms
Dec 15, 2022
The
construction of four solar farms in the US violated the Clean Water
Act, showcasing the challenges of building a clean power grid.
https://www.popsci.com/environment/solar-farm-construction-epa-water-violations/
_____________
Florida to set goals for 100% renewable energy by 2050. But will it actually happen?
2022
https://www.wusf.org/environment/2022-02-12/florida-to-set-goals-for-100-renewable-energy-by-2050-but-will-it-actually-happen
_____________
King Solomon's Temple Investigation Marathon - (Michael James Ross)
7/21/2019
https://solomonstempleinvestigation.blogspot.com
_____________
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______________
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Section 11: Sinkholes, Karst, Caves & Groundwater
______________
______________
______________
______________
______________
Florida forecasts sinkhole burden
10 December 2013
https://www.nature.com/articles/504196a
______________
The Science Behind Florida’s Sinkhole Epidemic
May 24, 2018
Reports of these ground-chasms have been swelling in the past few years. Geology helps explain why
A sinkhole from 2012 that swallowed the back of a home at Shoal Drive in Hudson. At the time the picture was taken, Pasco County Fire officials said the sinkhole is currently 40 feet wide and 20 feet deep.
A screenshot taken from a Youtube video after four sinkholes recently opened up in the Villages.
https://www.smithsonianmag.com/science-nature/science-behind-floridas-sinkhole-epidemic-180969158/
______________
Identification and quantitative analysis of sinkhole contributing factors in Florida's Karst
June 2020
https://www.semanticscholar.org/paper/Identification-and-quantitative-analysis-of-factors-Nam-Kim/fb4e23b48b6ab909d42452fb1c89aa2df50c7a15
______________
Caves and Sinkholes in Florida: Understanding Karst in a Geologically Young Terrain
Jan 2019
https://www.researchgate.net/publication/327976160_Caves_and_Sinkholes_in_Florida_Understanding_Karst_in_a_Geologically_Young_Terrain
______________
Giant Sinkhole At Florida Plant Leaks Polluted Water Into State Aquifer
2016
Water containing low-level radiation and other pollutants has poured into Florida's primary drinking water aquifer through a gaping sinkhole 45 feet wide.
It happened at a plant owned by fertilizer giant Mosaic in central Florida's rural Polk County, Robin Sussingham of member station WUSF reports.
Last month, the sinkhole opened up at the plant under a gypsum stack — a pile of hazardous waste — as the Tampa Bay Times reported:
"It drained millions of gallons of acidic water laced with sulfate and sodium from a pool atop a 120-food gypsum stack. An unknown amount of gypsum, a fertilizer byproduct with low levels of radiation, also fell into the sinkhole, which is believed [to] be at least 300 feet deep."
Water continues to flow into a large sinkhole on the Mosaic Co. property
shown in this aerial photo on Thursday in Mulberry, Fla.
https://www.npr.org/sections/thetwo-way/2016/09/29/495936718/giant-sinkhole-at-florida-plant-leaks-polluted-water-into-state-aquifer
______________
Sinkhole
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sinkhole
______________
Groundwater-Level Changes and Karst Collapses
2022
https://link.springer.com/chapter/10.1007/978-3-030-92912-1_4
______________
Contamination risk of groundwater in karst regions is higher than previously believed
MAY 12, 2021
https://phys.org/news/2021-05-contamination-groundwater-karst-regions-higher.html
______________
Researchers find high concentrations of microplastics in cave water and sediment
2023
https://phys.org/news/2023-09-high-microplastics-cave-sediment.html
______________
Journal of cave and Karst Studies
2012
https://caves.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/05/cave-74-02-fullr.pdf
______________
Effects
of agricultural activities coupled with karst structures on riverine
biogeochemical cycles and environmental quality in the karst region
2020
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0167880920303066
______________
Chronic urban hotspots and agricultural drainage drive microbial pollution of karst water resources in rural developing regions
2020
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0048969720344272
______________
Karst ecosystem and environment: Characteristics, evolution processes, and sustainable development
2020
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0167880920303595
______________
Anticipating and managing engineering problems in the complex karst environment
2015
https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s12665-015-4647-5
______________
Extensive abundances and characteristics of microplastic pollution in the karst hyporheic zones of urban rivers
2022
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S004896972206716X
______________
Karst Map of the Conterminous United States - 2020
https://www.usgs.gov/media/images/karst-map-conterminous-united-states-2020
______________
Karst
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Karst
______________
Assessment of groundwater quality and remediation in karst aquifers: A review
2018
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/30555889/
______________
Comparative study of specific groundwater vulnerability of a karst aquifer in central Florida
2012
https://www.researchgate.net/publication/256972110_Comparative_study_of_specific_groundwater_vulnerability_of_a_karst_aquifer_in_central_Florida
______________
Potential
for pollution of the Upper Floridan aquifer from five sinkholes and an
internally drained basin in west-central Florida
1987
https://pubs.usgs.gov/publication/wri874013
______________
Long distance seawater intrusion through a karst conduit network in the Woodville Karst Plain, Florida
2016
https://www.researchgate.net/publication/306920475_Long_distance_seawater_intrusion_through_a_karst_conduit_network_in_the_Woodville_Karst_Plain_Florida
______________
Review of Groundwater Pollution and Protection in Karst Areas
1999
https://link.springer.com/article/10.1023/A:1005014532330
______________
Microgravity Mapping of Karst Conduits within the Woodville Karst Plain of North Florida
2007
https://library.seg.org/doi/10.4133/1.2924660
______________
Streamflow Losses through Karst Features in the Upper Peace River Hydrologic Area, Polk County, Florida, May 2002 to May 2003
2003
https://pubs.usgs.gov/fs/2003/fs-102-03/pdf/fs102-03.pdf
______________
Transport-based
source tracking of contaminants in a karst aquifer: Model
implementation, proof of concept, and application to event-based field
data
2022
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0043135422001087
______________
Roadway construction in karst areas: management of stormwater runoff and sinkhole risk assessment
2005
https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s00254-005-1252-z
______________
A decade after the BP oil spill: Sick fish, Gulf pollution, and human health problems
2020
https://floridaphoenix.com/2020/04/16/a-decade-after-the-bp-oil-spill-sick-fish-gulf-pollution-and-human-health-problems/
______________
Exclusive: Thousands of BP Oil Spill Samples Sit Inside South Florida Warehouse
2023
The samples were obtained by lawyers representing people in lawsuits against the company.
https://www.nbcmiami.com/investigations/exclusive-thousands-of-bp-oil-spill-samples-sit-inside-a-south-florida-warehouse/2970553/
______________
'Massive numbers': New Gulf oil spill study finds even deadlier impact on one of Florida's most popular fish
November 28, 2022
https://www.wlrn.org/environment/2022-11-29/massive-numbers-new-gulf-oil-spill-study-finds-even-deadlier-impact-on-one-of-floridas-most-popular-fish
______________
Yet Another Oil Spill Hits the Gulf of Mexico
December 8, 2023
The
largest Gulf oil spill since Deepwater Horizon highlights the inherent
risks of offshore drilling to coastal communities and marine ecosystems.
https://www.nrdc.org/bio/rebecca-loomis/yet-another-oil-spill-hits-gulf-mexico
______________
Gulf Oil Spill Tracker
https://skytruth.org/the-attic/oil-spill-tracker/
_____________
Study: Humans responsible for over 90% of world’s oil slicks
2022
https://news.fsu.edu/news/science-technology/2022/06/16/study-humans-responsible-for-over-90-of-worlds-oil-slicks/
______________
Offshore Oil Drilling in Florida Still Possible Despite Ban
2019
Floridians
hope Amendment 9 protects their state from offshore oil drilling, but a
seismic survey off the Atlantic coast could bring drilling to federal
waters.
https://www.usnews.com/news/best-states/articles/2019-01-15/offshore-oil-drilling-in-florida-still-possible-despite-constitutional-ban
______________
CONOCOPHILLIPS TO PAY $70 MILLION TO SETTLE FLORIDA POLLUTION SUITS
2004
https://fluoridealert.org/news/conocophillips-to-pay-70-million-to-settle-florida-pollution-suits/
______________
An oil spill at Florida's Port Manatee is under investigation
2023
https://news.wfsu.org/state-news/2023-09-07/an-oil-spill-at-floridas-port-manatee-is-under-investigation
______________
Possible sources of pollution by oil products of water body in karst area
2019
https://www.researchgate.net/publication/335573069_Possible_sources_of_pollution_by_oil_products_of_water_body_in_karst_area
______________
Investigation: South Florida’s smaller airports top the country in toxic lead emissions, but at-risk residents remain unaware
2023
https://www.sun-sentinel.com/2023/06/29/outside-of-the-fence-south-floridas-airports-top-the-country-in-lead-emissions-catching-residents-by-surprise/
______________
Florida Lockheed Martin Toxic Exposure Case Raises Questions About Public Safety
https://www.enjuris.com/blog/fl/florida-toxic-tort/
______________
Tire Particle Pollution May Be Harming Freshwater and Estuary Ecosystems
2022
https://www.ecowatch.com/tire-particle-pollution-freshwater-estuary-ecosystems.html
______________
A global perspective of the current state of heavy metal contamination in road dust
13 January 2022
https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s11356-022-18583-7
______________
EVs Are Sending Toxic Tire Particles Into the Water, Soil, and Air
Electric cars fix one pollution problem—and worsen another.
2023
https://www.theatlantic.com/technology/archive/2023/07/electric-vehicles-tires-wearing-out-particulates/674750/
______________
Evaluation of a peat filtration system for treating highway runoff in a karst setting
2003
https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s00254-002-0745-2
_______________
Highway runoff in areas of karst topography
2004
https://www.loc.gov/item/2004438237/
_______________
NAPLES, FLORIDA WATER QUALITY REPORT
https://www.epicwaterfilters.com/blogs/news/naples-utilities-florida-water-quality-report
Where
does Naples get its water from? All of the water that is used by the
Collier County Public Water Supply System (Naples, Florida) to produce
drinking water comes from wells. Water produced from wells is called
groundwater. The groundwater comes from porous, water-bearing
underground geologic layers of sand, gravel, or rock that have the
capability to produce water. These water-producing layers are called
aquifers. In Collier County, generally, as you go deeper into the
ground, the water in the aquifers becomes saltier.
List of Cities
& Towns that use this water system: Chokoloskee, Copeland,
Everglades City, Goodland, Immokalee, Marco Island, & Naples
The
Collier County Water Division operates two hybrid water treatment
plants that have the ability to process both fresh groundwater and
brackish groundwater from several different aquifers. Is Naples tap
water safe to drink? Does Naples put fluoride in the water?
Source: City of Naples, Florida
A list of contaminants in Naples, Florida Water Supply
(Detected above health guidelines*)
Chromium (hexavalent)
3rd
party independent testing found that this water utility exceeds health
guidelines for this drinking water contaminant. The movie Erin
Brockovich alerted the public to the great suffering the little town of
Hinkley, California experienced due to hexavalent chromium in their
drinking water. Today, Hinkley is little more than a ghost town thanks
to continued water contamination, health concerns, and plummeting
property values. Chromium (hexavalent) is a carcinogen that commonly
contaminates American drinking water. Chromium (hexavalent) in drinking
water may be due to industrial pollution or natural occurrences in
mineral deposits and groundwater. What are the risks of drinking tap
water with Chromium (hexavalent)? Cancer. A 2008 study by the National
Toxicology Program, part of the National Institutes of Health, found
that chromium-6 in drinking water caused cancer in laboratory rats and
mice. That study and other research led scientists at the California
Office of Environmental Health Hazard Assessment to conclude that
chromium-6 can cause cancer in people. Find out more about this
contaminant and how to remove it here.
Total trihalomethanes (TTHMs)
3rd
party independent testing found that this utility exceeds health
guidelines for this drinking water contaminant. Total Trihalomethanes
(TTHMs) are the result of a reaction between the chlorine used for
disinfecting tap water and natural organic matter in the water. At
elevated levels, TTHMs have been associated with negative health effects
such as cancer and adverse reproductive outcomes. Now a study by
government and academic researchers adds to previous evidence that
dermal absorption and inhalation of TTHMs associated with everyday tap
water use can result in significantly higher blood TTHM concentrations
than simply drinking the water does. What are the risks of drinking tap
water with Total Trihalomethanes (TTHMs)? Cancer. Studies from around
the world including the United States & Europe have found that
drinking tap water that carries Total Trihalomethanes increases the risk
of developing cancer. In animal studies, all trihalomethanes cause
liver, kidney and intestinal tumors. Find out more about this
contaminant and how to remove it here.
Fluoride
There is a
drinking water standard of 4 ppm for fluoride but there is no health
guideline for this contaminant and much is unknown about the effects of
fluoride long term on the human body. This water utility did not exceed
the drinking water standard for fluoride but fluoride was found in their
water. Fluoride occurs naturally in surface and groundwater and is also
added to drinking water by many water systems. The fluoride that is
added to water is not the naturally occurring kind, the main chemicals
used to fluoridate drinking water are known as “silicofluorides” (i.e.,
hydrofluorosilicic acid and sodium fluorosilicate). Silicofluorides are
not pharmaceutical-grade fluoride products; they are unprocessed
industrial by-products of the phosphate fertilizer industry (Gross!).
Since these silicofluorides undergo no purification procedures, they can
contain elevated levels of arsenic — more so than any other water
treatment chemical. In addition, recent research suggests that the
addition of silicofluorides to water is a risk factor for elevated lead
exposure, particularly among residents who live in homes with old pipes.
What are the risks of drinking tap water with Fluoride? Unknown. A
growing body of evidence reasonably indicates that fluoridated water, in
addition to other sources of daily fluoride exposure, can cause or
contribute to a range of serious effects, including neurological issues,
arthritis, damage to the developing brain, reduced thyroid function,
and possibly osteosarcoma (bone cancer) in adolescent males. Animal
studies indicate a moderate level of evidence that support adverse
effects on learning and memory in animals exposed to fluoride in the
diet or drinking water. Find out more about this contaminant and how to
remove it here.
_______________
Collier votes to no longer add fluoride to the county's water supply
February 16, 2024
https://health.wusf.usf.edu/health-news-florida/2024-02-16/collier-removes-fluoride-from-drinking-water-after-health-experts-testimony-on-benefits
______________
Fluoride contamination in groundwater: A global review of the status, processes, challenges, and remedial measures
2023
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1674987123002013
______________
Florida city fights its own citizens over clean water
2023
Titusville repeatedly thwarts voters’ approval of anti-pollution referendum
https://floridaphoenix.com/2023/06/15/florida-city-fights-its-own-citizens-over-clean-water/
______________
How long must Floridians wait for agreed-upon water quality improvements? | Our View
2022
https://www.tcpalm.com/story/opinion/2022/08/19/taking-long-view-floridas-water-pollution-killing-us-our-view/10351616002/
_____________
Fluoride contamination, consequences and removal techniques in water: a review
2022
https://pubs.rsc.org/en/content/articlehtml/2022/va/d1va00039j
______________
Fluoride contamination in groundwater: A global review of the status, processes, challenges, and remedial measures
2023
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1674987123002013
______________
Toxicity
of fluoride: critical evaluation of evidence for human developmental
neurotoxicity in epidemiological studies, animal experiments and in
vitro analyses
2020
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7261729/
______________
Report Linking Fluoride to Lower IQ in Children Made Public After CDC, HHS Tried to Block It
03/16/23
The
National Toxicology Program on Wednesday released a draft report
linking prenatal and childhood fluoride exposure to reduced IQ in
children, after public health officials tried for almost a year to block
its publication.
https://childrenshealthdefense.org/defender/ntp-report-fluoride-lower-iq-children/
_____________
How contaminated water contributes to mental illness
Nov 19, 2021
https://www.ehn.org/water-pollution-and-mental-health-2655532533.html
_____________
Fluoride occurrences, health problems, detection, and remediation methods for drinking water: A comprehensive review
2021 Sep 28
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/34597567/
_____________
Fluoride contamination, health problems and remediation methods in Asian groundwater: A comprehensive review
2019 Jun 26
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/31254856/
_____________
Fluoride Science on Trial in Case With Broader Chemical Impacts
Jan. 30, 2024
https://news.bloomberglaw.com/environment-and-energy/fluoride-science-on-trial-in-case-with-broader-chemical-impacts
_____________
Florida leads the country as the state with the most lead pipes, EPA survey says
April 5, 2023
https://www.wlrn.org/environment/2023-04-05/florida-leads-the-country-as-the-state-with-the-most-lead-pipes-epa-survey-says
____________
Lead pollution: Impact on environment and human health and approach for a sustainable solution
2023
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2590182623000048
___________
POISONED
2021
Part 1: THE FACTORY
Hundreds
of workers at a Tampa lead smelter have been exposed to dangerous
levels of the neurotoxin. The consequences have been profound.
https://projects.tampabay.com/projects/2021/investigations/lead-factory/gopher-workers/
___________
POISONED
2021
Part 2: THE FAILINGS
Equipment
designed to control poisons inside Gopher Resource kept breaking down,
creating more dangers for workers. As violations mounted, regulators
have been absent.
https://projects.tampabay.com/projects/2021/investigations/lead-factory/regulators-failures/
___________
POISONED
2021
Part 3: THE FALLOUT
Gopher Resource promised changes at Tampa's old lead factory. It kept polluting.
https://projects.tampabay.com/projects/2021/investigations/lead-factory/pollution-fallout/
_____________
Hillsborough County cautions public about high lead around Tampa factory
Feb. 19, 2022
Government monitoring devices around Gopher Resource measured lead levels well above federal air-quality standards.
https://www.tampabay.com/investigations/2022/02/19/county-cautions-public-about-high-lead-around-tampa-factory/
_____________
Nearly half the world’s kids are exposed to dangerous levels of lead
Jan 14, 2022
And we aren’t doing much to prevent it.
https://www.vox.com/future-perfect/22834666/lead-exposure-poisoning-developing-countries
_____________
Lead in Consumer Products
https://www.cdc.gov/nceh/lead/prevention/sources/consumer-products.htm
_____________
Effects of Lead on Environment
2013
https://www.researchgate.net/publication/274721823_Effects_of_Lead_on_Environment
_____________
A look inside Florida’s only lead smelter
2021
Workers shared photos and videos chronicling long-standing problems at the Tampa factory.
https://projects.tampabay.com/projects/2021/investigations/lead-factory/inside-gopher-smelter-video-photos/
_____________
How they did it: Tampa Bay Times reporters expose high airborne lead levels at Florida recycling factory
2023
https://journalistsresource.org/health/lead-air-recycling-factory-investigation-tampa-bay-times/
____________
Phosphate giant Mosaic pumps from Florida's aquifer to dilute its pollution
July 20, 2013
https://www.tampabay.com/news/environment/water/phosphate-giant-mosaic-pumps-from-floridas-aquifer-to-dilute-its-pollution/2132394/
____________
Rural DeSoto County Is Targeted For Florida's Next Phosphate Mine. Residents Fear The Worst
September 23, 2021
https://www.wusf.org/environment/2021-09-23/rural-desoto-county-is-targeted-for-floridas-next-phosphate-mine-residents-fear-the-worst
____________
Taxpayer-funded petrochemical plants are polluting communities, report finds
March 20, 2024
Regulators
also took note. The state Department of Environmental Protection found
the plant violated clean air laws 19 times since beginning operations
two years ago – and fined it over $10 million. The plant was found to
have released harmful levels of volatile organic compounds, which
contribute to asthma and other respiratory diseases, as well as benzene,
a known carcinogen.
It's one of 50 plastics plants nationwide
built or expanded over the last decade to take advantage of plentiful
natural gas from the U.S. fracking boom. Many of those plants routinely
break environmental laws, according to a new report from the nonprofit
watchdog group Environmental Integrity Project – and taxpayers are often
footing part of the bill...
https://health.wusf.usf.edu/npr-health/2024-03-20/taxpayer-funded-petrochemical-plants-are-polluting-communities-report-finds
____________
Florida the only state to turn down millions to lessen emissions, feds say
DECEMBER 18, 2023
https://phys.org/news/2023-12-florida-state-millions-lessen-emissions.html
_______________
Environmental group's 'shock' as state snubs $320m in federal funding to reduce pollution
December 8, 2023
https://www.wlrn.org/environment/2023-12-08/environmental-groups-shock-as-state-snubs-320m-in-federal-funding-to-reduce-pollution
_______________
Tampa's Sulphur Springs too far gone, experts say
Nov. 23, 2012
https://www.tampabay.com/news/environment/water/tampas-sulphur-springs-too-far-gone-experts-say/1262976/
______________
Potential Environmental Impacts of Quarrying Stone in Karst-—
A Literature Review
2001
https://pubs.usgs.gov/of/2001/ofr-01-0484/ofr-01-0484so.pdf
______________
Sinkholes and the Engineering and Environmental Impacts of Karst (2003)
https://ascelibrary.org/doi/book/10.1061/9780784406984
______________
Engineering
geological problems associated with karst terrains : their
investigation, monitoring, and mitigation and design of engineering
structures on karst terrains
Jan 2024
https://www.researchgate.net/publication/27227057_Engineering_geological_problems_associated_with_karst_terrains_their_investigation_monitoring_and_mitigation_and_design_of_engineering_structures_on_karst_terrains
______________
Facing Engineering Problems in the Fragile Karst Environment
2014
https://link.springer.com/chapter/10.1007/978-3-319-09048-1_92
______________
Sinkhole FAQ
https://floridadep.gov/fgs/sinkholes/content/sinkhole-faq
______________
Preliminary investigations of microplastic pollution in karst systems, from surface watercourses to cave waters
2022
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0169772222001656
______________
Microplastic pollution in show cave sediments: First evidence and detection technique
2021
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0269749121018431
_____________
Scientists Found Microplastics Deep Inside a Cave Closed to the Public for Decades
2023
A
Missouri cave that virtually nobody has visited since 1993 is
contaminated by high levels of plastic pollution, scientists found.
https://www.vice.com/en/article/z3mw4x/scientists-found-microplastics-deep-inside-a-cave-closed-to-the-public-for-decades
____________
Human-driven pollution affecting world's cave systems
2020
HIGHLIGHTS
Researchers have found that human-driven pollution can even change the
environment underground as surface water flows through agricultural and
urban areas, it collects bacterial contaminants before entering cave
systems
https://www.thehansindia.com/hans/opinion/news-analysis/human-driven-pollution-affecting-worlds-cave-systems-621666?infinitescroll=1
___________
Hazards associated with karst
2011
https://www.cambridge.org/core/books/abs/geomorphological-hazards-and-disaster-prevention/hazards-associated-with-karst/12FD9CF0A3C4FBF2A3B390D724AFF623
______________
A Guide To Unexplored Caves In Florida
May 9, 2023
https://www.preparedadventurer.com/a-guide-to-unexplored-caves-in-florida/
______________
This Hidden Underground River Flowing Through Florida Is Absolutely Magical
2023
https://familydestinationsguide.com/underground-river-florida/
_____________
Solving Wakulla Springs underwater mysteries. Using GPS to map Florida's underground caverns
2002
https://www.usgs.gov/publications/solving-wakulla-springs-underwater-mysteries-using-gps-map-floridas-underground
_____________
Wake up now: Dirty water has grounded Wakulla Springs' iconic glass bottom boats
August 8, 2022
https://www.wusf.org/environment/2022-08-08/wake-up-now-dirty-water-grounded-wakulla-springs-glass-bottom-boats
_____________
Local environmentalists say new Wakulla Springs regulations don't go far enough
May 02, 2023
https://www.wtxl.com/news/local-news/local-environmentalists-say-new-wakulla-springs-regulations-dont-go-far-enough
_____________
Fight over protection of Florida spring detonates a furor at county commission meeting
July 27, 2023
In wild Wakulla County, a citizen-led anti-pollution measure hits a wall of political resistance
https://floridaphoenix.com/2023/07/27/fight-over-protection-of-florida-spring-detonates-a-furor-at-county-commission-meeting/
_____________
A look at why Wakulla Springs water could be at risk for gas contamination
2023
https://www.tallahassee.com/story/news/2023/05/23/residents-want-strict-clean-water-rules-but-florida-no-help-in-writing-them/70220286007/
_____________
Human-driven pollution alters the environment even underground
2020
https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2020/05/200508112906.htm
_____________
11 Rivers Forced Underground
https://www.nationalgeographic.com/environment/article/underground-rivers
_____________
Subterranean river
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Subterranean_river
_____________
Thermal pollution
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thermal_pollution
Thermal
pollution, sometimes called "thermal enrichment", is the degradation of
water quality by any process that changes ambient water temperature.
Thermal pollution is the rise or drop in the temperature of a natural
body of water caused by human influence. Thermal pollution, unlike
chemical pollution, results in a change in the physical properties of
water. A common cause of thermal pollution is the use of water as a
coolant by power plants and industrial manufacturers. Urban
runoff—stormwater discharged to surface waters from rooftops, roads, and
parking lots—and reservoirs can also be a source of thermal
pollution. Thermal pollution can also be caused by the release of
very cold water from the base of reservoirs into warmer rivers.
When
water used as a coolant is returned to the natural environment at a
higher temperature, the sudden change in temperature decreases oxygen
supply and affects ecosystem composition. Fish and other organisms
adapted to particular temperature range can be killed by an abrupt
change in water temperature (either a rapid increase or decrease) known
as "thermal shock". Warm coolant water can also have long term effects
on water temperature, increasing the overall temperature of water
bodies, including deep water. Seasonality effects how these temperature
increases are distributed throughout the water column. Elevated water
temperatures decrease oxygen levels, which can kill fish and alter food
chain composition, reduce species biodiversity, and foster invasion by
new thermophilic species.
_____________
Scuba diver shows how dangerous underwater cave dubbed 'Everest of diving' can be
2023
https://www.ladbible.com/community/eagles-nest-cave-florida-diving-experience-dangers-530026-20230904
____________
The Most DANGEROUS Dive Site in Florida | Cave Exploring Gone Wrong
2023
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pQn7AMHGbew
____________
Divers' deaths show hazards of Florida's underwater cave
Oct 19, 2016
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HG1FT7hysFA
____________
Cave Exploring Gone WRONG | The Florida Cave Diver TERROR
2023
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=evmSMQwWzZ4
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Cave diving deaths in Florida
https://cavedivingaccident.com/cave-diving-deaths-in-florida/
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The Most Dangerous Underwater Caves in the World
https://enterthecaves.com/the-most-dangerous-underwater-caves-in-the-world/
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Descending into Florid's Freshwater Springs
2022
https://www.nytimes.com/2022/04/11/travel/florida-freshwater-springs.html
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Protecting Florida's Springs
https://floridadep.gov/springs/protect-restore/content/protecting-floridas-springs
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Fragile Springs Revisited: Returning to assess our signature natural asset
2021
https://www.gainesville.com/story/news/environment/2021/10/22/polluted-florida-springs-aquifer-investigation-nitrates-pollution-septic-systems/8521557002/
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Anticipating and managing engineering problems in the complex karst environment
2011
https://www.researchgate.net/publication/278890498_Anticipating_and_managing_engineering_problems_in_the_complex_karst_environment
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Advances
in Karst Geomorphology and Hydrogeology Research in the Last Decade and
Its Future Direction for Karst Land Use Planning
15 November 2023
https://link.springer.com/chapter/10.1007/978-981-99-6604-2_12
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Spatial distribution characteristics of nitrogen pollution in a typical karst groundwater system
12 May 2020
https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s12517-020-05401-y
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Tracing nitrate pollution sources of karst groundwater in water resources using environmental isotopes
Nov 2023
https://www.researchgate.net/publication/375381243_Tracing_nitrate_pollution_sources_of_karst_groundwater_in_water_resources_using_environmental_isotopes
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Nitrate contamination in karst groundwater
2019
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/B9780128141243000911
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Timescales for nitrate contamination of spring waters, northern Florida, USA
2001
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0009254101003217
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Analyzing Nitrates in North Florida’s Drinking Water
October 23, 2018
https://floridaspringsinstitute.org/analyzing-nitrates-in-north-floridas-drinking-water/
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Discrimination
of Nitrogen Sources in Karst Spring Contributing Areas Using a Bayesian
Isotope Mixing Model and Wastewater Tracers (Florida, USA)
August 2020
https://www.researchgate.net/publication/343923229_Discrimination_of_Nitrogen_Sources_in_Karst_Spring_Contributing_Areas_Using_a_Bayesian_Isotope_Mixing_Model_and_Wastewater_Tracers_Florida_USA
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Subsurface
transport and potential risk of phosphorus to groundwater across
different land uses in a karst springs basin, Florida, USA
2018
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0016706118309765
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IMPACT OF PHOSPHORUS ON WATER QUALITY
2017
https://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/publication/SS490
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PHOSPHORUS POLLUTION IN FLORIDA’S WATERS
2012
The Need for Aggressive Action to Protect Florida’s
Rivers and Streams from Nutrient Runoff
https://frontiergroup.org/wp-content/uploads/2012/03/FL-Phosphorus-Pollution-in-Floridas-Waters-text.pdf
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PHOSPHORUS RUNOFF IS A BIG PROBLEM, BUT FLORIDA IS GETTING CLOSER TO A SOLUTION
August 27, 2015
https://ensia.com/notable/phosphorous-runoff-is-a-big-problem-but-florida-is-getting-closer-to-a-solution/
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Wastewater crisis sheds light on Florida’s environmental troubles
04-07-2021
University
experts in marine science, environmental health, law, and engineering
reflect on state and local leaders’ decisions during a crisis prompted
by contaminated water spewing from an old phosphate retention pond.
https://news.miami.edu/stories/2021/04/wastewater-crisis-sheds-light-on-floridas-environmental-troubles.html
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History Of Phosphate Mining In Florida Fraught With Peril
2021
In
our ongoing series on phosphate mines, WUSF reports on the long,
tangled history of Florida's phosphate mines and the environment.
At
the construction entrance to the Piney Point phosphate plant - off
Buckeye Road in northern Manatee County, just south of the Hillsborough
County line - the smell of phosphate and gypsum hangs heavy in the air.
A
bulldozer is busy pushing sand into a hole from which more than 200
million gallons of tainted water flowed into Tampa Bay. This isn't the
first time this has happened. Accidents like this fill the history books
in Florida, including two here at this very site.
Manatee County Administrator Scott Hopes became the face of that disaster in late March.
ALSO READ: What Mosaic Is Doing With Its ‘Gypstack’ To Prevent Another Piney Point Disaster
"We're
down to about 340 million gallons that could breach in totality in a
period of minutes, and the models for less than an hour are as high as a
20-foot wall of water," he said during a news conference, when 300
families were evacuated for several days when it looked like a breach in
the gypstack was "imminent."
Long before Piney Point, phosphate
processing plants in the greater Tampa Bay region have caused some of
Florida's worst environmental disasters. Accidents like these fill the
history books in Florida.
Piney Point is not even close to the worst.
In
1997 a dam atop a gypsum stack at a Mulberry Phosphates fertilizer
plant broke during heavy rains, spilling 56 million gallons of acidic
wastewater into the North Fork of the Alafia River. Virtually everything
in the 42 miles between Mulberry and Tampa Bay was killed - including
more than 1 million fish. The company declared bankruptcy and shut down.
In
2004, high winds from Tropical Storm Frances whipped up waves atop a
180-foot-tall gypsum stack at Mosaic's phosphate plant in Riverview. The
waves bashed a big hole in the dike around the pond, sending 65 million
gallons of polluted water into Archie Creek, which flows into
Hillsborough Bay. Untold numbers of fish were killed, along with acres
of mangroves and seagrass.
In 2016, one of the deepest sinkholes ever
recorded in Florida opened beneath Mosaic's New Wales Plant in
Mulberry. More than 200 million gallons of polluted water spiraled into
the underground aquifer. No one knows where it went. It took the company
two years to seal the opening.
And at Piney Point in 2001, after
owner Mulberry Phosphates went belly up, thousands of gallons of
ammonia-laden waste poured from the stack into ditches leading into one
of the prime breeding areas for fish and marine life in Tampa Bay.
Ten years later, a rip in the lining of the stack here poured another 170 million gallons into the bay.
https://www.wusf.org/environment/2021-06-16/history-of-phosphate-mining-in-florida-fraught-with-peril
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Contaminated
water from Florida mining facility dumped a year's worth of hazardous
nutrients into Tampa Bay in just 10 days, study shows
April 25, 2022
https://www.cbsnews.com/news/piney-point-mining-facility-dumped-years-worth-hazardous-nutrients-tampa-bay-10-days-study/
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Florida faces 'imminent' pollution catastrophe from phosphate mine pond
2017
Millions of gallons of toxic wastewater pumped into Tampa Bay
https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2021/apr/04/florida-imminent-pollution-catastrophe-phosphate-retention-pond-bradenton-piney-point-desantis
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SINKHOLES AND STACKS; NEIGHBORS CLAIM FLORIDA’S PHOSPHATE MINES ARE A HAZARD
1995
https://fluoridealert.org/news/sinkholes-and-stacks-neighbors-claim-floridas-phosphate-mines-are-a-hazard/
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Pollution from Florida mining a concern with Hurricane Ian
2022
https://apnews.com/article/hurricanes-florida-storms-pollution-e82ff089f4ffc2e16c73c29e9818f58b
ST.
PETERSBURG, Fla. (AP) — The polluted leftovers of Florida’s phosphate
fertilizer mining industry, more than 1 billion tons in “stacks” that
resemble enormous ponds, are at risk for leaks or other contamination
when Hurricane Ian comes ashore in the state, environmental groups say.
Florida
has 24 such phosphogypsum stacks, most of them concentrated in mining
areas in the central part of the state. About 30 million tons of this
slightly radioactive waste is generated every year, according to the
Florida Industrial and Phosphate Research Institute...
Phosphate
has been mined in Florida since 1883. It’s used mainly for fertilizer to
produce food, animal supplements and a variety of industrial products.
Land used in mining is required to be “reclaimed,” or brought as close
as possible back to its original state.
The byproducts that wind
up in the stacks, however, have few uses acceptable to federal
regulators. They can contain radioactive uranium, thorium and radium
along with toxic metals such as barium, cadmium and lead, according to
the environmental group ManaSota 88.
Fertilizers are made from
phosphate rock that contains naturally occurring uranium and thorium,
which decay to radium, and radium decays to the radioactive gas radon,
the Environmental Protection Agency says. Class-action lawsuits have
claimed health effects for people living near the mining waste.
“Phosphate
companies have had over 70 years to figure out a way to dispose of
radioactive gypsum wastes in an acceptable manner, but they have yet to
do so,” said Glenn Compton, chairman of ManaSota 88...
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Hurricane Ian left millions of gallons of spilled wastewater, dirty runoff in its wake
Oct. 16, 2022
https://www.tampabay.com/news/environment/2022/10/15/hurricane-ian-left-millions-gallons-spilled-wastewater-dirty-runoff-its-wake/
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Fate and transport of radioactive gypsum stack water entering the Floridan aquifer due to a sinkhole collapse
2018
https://www.nature.com/articles/s41598-018-29541-0
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Radiological Test Results Released After Sinkhole Leaks 'Slightly Radioactive' Water into Florida Aquifer
2016
https://weather.com/news/news/mosaic-sinkhole-florida-wastewater-contaminated-plant-fertilizer
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EPA abandons major radiation cleanup in Florida, despite cancer concerns
2014
https://publicintegrity.org/national-security/epa-abandons-major-radiation-cleanup-in-florida-despite-cancer-concerns/
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Uranium Mining In Florida
https://thediggings.com/commodities/uranium/usa/florida
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A Sinking Feeling about Florida’s Phosphate Mines
2016
A
series of environmental disasters has beset Florida’s phosphate mining
industry, including the recent opening of a massive sinkhole 40 miles
east of Tampa.
https://earthjustice.org/article/a-sinking-feeling-about-florida-s-phosphate-mines
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Gizzard shad harvest reduces nutrient pollution in Lake George
August 23, 2019
PALATKA,
Fla., Aug. 23, 2019 ― The St. Johns River Water Management District’s
Lake George gizzard shad harvest removed approximately 5,176 lbs. of
phosphorus and 13,192 lbs. of nitrogen from the largest lake in the St.
Johns River system, located in Marion, Lake, Volusia and Putnam
counties.
“Gizzard shad removal is a cost-effective tool to
remove nutrients from Lake George,” said St. Johns River Water
Management District Executive Director Dr. Ann Shortelle. “We appreciate
our Governing Board’s commitment to funding turnkey projects such as
this to improve the health of the St. Johns River system, and we thank
Gov. DeSantis for making water quality protection one of his highest
environmental priorities.”
In response to the governor’s
executive order and emerging algal blooms in the lower St. Johns River,
district staff identified shad harvesting as a rapid and effective way
to reduce phosphorus in the lake, part of the St. Johns River system.
Staff identified unspent funds and the agency’s governing board approved
the Lake George harvest at its May meeting.
The gizzard shad
harvest took place from June 4 to July 16 and removed 628,173 pounds of
the rough fish from Lake George, which directly removed thousands of
pounds of nutrient pollution from the lake. Removing large numbers of
shad from a waterbody removes the nutrients contained in the fishes’
bodies.
Water quality data from Lake George suggest the reduction
in phosphorus recycling caused by shad removal is roughly seven times
the direct phosphorus removal benefit. District shad harvests on Lake
George between 2013 and 2018 removed more than 5 million pounds of fish
containing a total of 22,312 pounds of phosphorus.
Gizzard shad
feed on algae on the bottom of the lake, stirring up sediments and
clouding the water. Shad excrete nutrients back into the water,
recycling nutrients from the bottom that can feed more algae. Thus, by
removing these fish, additional nutrients will not be recycled into the
lake to impair its water quality.
Gizzard shad are a native fish
found in most Florida waters and account for 5 to 20 percent of the
total fish population in healthy Florida lakes. However, in
nutrient-rich, algae-dominated lakes, gizzard shad proliferate and can
account for more than 90 percent of the total fish population.
Harvesting
gizzard shad from Lake George is conducted during warmer months to
avoid potentially catching untargeted species, including American shad, a
species that is managed and protected under the Atlantic States Marine
Fisheries Commission.
The district works with commercial fishing
vendors to net gizzard shad. Sport fish caught in nets during the
harvests are immediately released. The program is permitted and
monitored by the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission.
https://www.sjrwmd.com/2019/08/gizzard-shad-harvest-reduces-nutrient-pollution-in-lake-george/
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How catching 'junk' fish cleans up Central Florida lakes
2017
Net
a million pounds of shad annually and that's 8,000 pounds of phosphorus
out of the lake. Each pound of phosphorus can grow 500 pounds of algae.
So that's 4 million pounds of potential algae per year out of the way
of bottom grass, bass and other coveted lake life.
https://www.floridatoday.com/story/news/local/environment/2017/01/13/fish-harvest-takes-bite-out-slime/96209788/
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Orlando fights lakes’ algae, pollution with liquid alum
2022
https://www.orlandosentinel.com/2022/04/29/orlando-fights-lakes-algae-pollution-with-liquid-alum/
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What Mosaic Is Doing With Its ‘Gypstack’ To Prevent Another Piney Point Disaster
2021
Three
months ago, a rupture at the former Piney Point phosphate plant sent
hundreds of millions of gallons of toxic water into Tampa Bay. We take a
tour of one towering "gypstack" to see what's being done to keep that
from happening again.
Dennis Black, the gypstack manager at The
Mosaic Company's phosphate processing plant in Bartow, guns a large
vehicle up the side of the dusty mountain.
"We're averaging just over 500 feet right now. We're permitted to go to 520," he says, over the roar of the SUV.
The stack is almost as tall as a 50-story building.
The view from atop the gypsum stack is regal.
The
Lakeland skyline pokes out to the north. Bok Tower in Lake Wales can be
seen to the east. On a clear day the towers of downtown Tampa scrape
the western horizon.
https://www.wusf.org/environment/2021-06-17/what-mosaic-is-doing-with-its-gypstack-to-prevent-another-piney-point-disaster
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Gypsum-karst problems in constructing dams in the USA
April 2008
https://www.researchgate.net/publication/226513928_Gypsum-karst_problems_in_constructing_dams_in_the_USA
______________
Review of Groundwater Pollution and Protection in Karst Areas
1999
https://www.researchgate.net/publication/226411389_Review_of_Groundwater_Pollution_and_Protection_in_Karst_Areas
______________
Threat of soil formation rate to health of karst ecosystem
2023
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0048969723025329
______________
Preface: Five decades of advances in karst hydrogeology
2021
https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s10040-020-02292-x
______________
What to Know about Polluted Ocean Caves
2023
https://medium.com/@DanielKellerNaplesFlorida/what-to-know-about-polluted-ocean-caves-84f9a2673f0c
______________
Assessment of groundwater quality and remediation in karst aquifers: A review
2018
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2352801X18301632
______________
Carbon dioxide partial pressure and its diffusion flux in karst surface aquatic ecosystems: a review
07 July 2023
https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s11631-023-00625-7
______________
Caves and Karst of West-Central Florida
2009
https://digitalcommons.wku.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1033&context=geog_fac_pub
______________
Effects of distribution patterns of karst landscapes on runoff and sediment yield in karst watersheds
2023
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0341816223000383
______________
The role of rainfall in producing karst depressions in Florida
2007
https://meetings.copernicus.org/www.cosis.net/abstracts/EGU2007/07803/EGU2007-J-07803.pdf
______________
Shallow Depressions in the Florida Coastal Plain: Karst and Pseudokarst
2015
https://digitalcommons.usf.edu/sinkhole_2015/ProceedingswithProgram/GIS_Databases_and_Maps/3/
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Identification and quantitative analysis of sinkhole contributing factors in Florida's Karst
March 2020
https://www.researchgate.net/publication/340181839_Identification_and_quantitative_analysis_of_sinkhole_contributing_factors_in_Florida's_Karst
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Silver Springs pollution is reaching unsafe levels, according to expected survey results
February 17, 2024
Robert
“Bob” Knight, the founder of FSI, said he fears Silver Springs will
meet the same fate as Gilchrest Blue Spring. In July, a sinkhole opened
in the spring and flooded the water with sediment. He said it’s all
empty and almost dead now. Nitrate levels are at a high, and about a
third of the spring’s flow is lost.
Chemical compounds in an area
spring are more than three times a safe level, according to an upcoming
report by the Florida Springs Institute. The compounds, called nitrates,
can kill plant life, cause algae blooms and pollute drinking water in
Silver Springs.
“Compared to what it used to be, [Silver Springs] is in very bad condition,” said Bill Hawthorne, an aquatic ecologist at FSI.
The
Silver Springs system, and over a thousand more springs in north
central Florida, supply 90% of the state’s drinking water. The Silver
Springs system is the largest artesian spring group in the United States
and is among the largest in the world.
FSI’s survey has
calculated the compounds at 1.15 milligrams per liter. Any level greater
than 0.35 causes plant death and pollutes the water, according to
Hawthorne.
“The two biggest threats we’ve seen are nitrogen
pollution and groundwater pumping,” Hawthorne said. “There’s been a
large reduction in flow, which is vital for everything that calls the
spring home.”
Prior to farming and development in the area, the chemical compounds were much lower, at 0.04 milligrams per liter, he said.
https://www.wusf.org/environment/2024-02-17/silver-springs-pollution-nitrates-reaching-unsafe-levels-expected-survey-results-florida-springs-institute
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Algae plaguing Florida's iconic springs triggers major legal battle
2019
https://www.floridaspringscouncil.org/single-post/2019/03/12/Algae-plaguing-Floridas-iconic-springs-triggers-major-legal-battle
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Development of a Point-Based Index for Sinkhole Vulnerability Evaluation in Central Florida’s Karst Terrain
June 2018
https://www.researchgate.net/publication/325613991_Development_of_a_Point-Based_Index_for_Sinkhole_Vulnerability_Evaluation_in_Central_Florida's_Karst_Terrain
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Florida Sinkhole Map: Where Have Incidents Been Reported In The State?
Jul 13, 2021
https://www.newsweek.com/florida-sinkhole-map-where-have-incidents-been-reported-state-1609283
______________
Investigating
sinkholes related to a deep-seated interstratal karst in the Disney
Wilderness Preserve (Florida) using an array of near-surface geophysical
methods.
2020
https://ui.adsabs.harvard.edu/abs/2020AGUFMNS004..09C/abstract
______________
Cruise Ship Pollution Is Causing Serious Health And Environmental Problems
2019
https://www.forbes.com/sites/jamesellsmoor/2019/04/26/cruise-ship-pollution-is-causing-serious-health-and-environmental-problems/?sh=572f493237db
______________
Sinkhole
susceptibility mapping in Marion County, Florida: Evaluation and
comparison between analytical hierarchy process and logistic regression
based approaches
09 May 2019
https://www.nature.com/articles/s41598-019-43705-6
______________
Nitrogen
Transport and Transformation Beneath Stormwater Retention Basins in
Karst Areas and Effectiveness of Stormwater Best Management Practices
for Reducing Nitrate Leaching to Ground Water
Marion County, Florida
2015
https://stormwater.ucf.edu/wp-content/uploads/2015/10/FinalReport.pdf
______________
Native Florida plants could be part of the solution to state's flooding and water quality problems
2023
https://www.wusf.org/environment/2023-09-25/native-florida-plants-part-solution-states-flooding-water-quality-problems
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Stuart likely to receive millions in $10.3 billion settlement over water contamination
2023
STUART
— The city is expecting to recoup millions of dollars as part of $10.3
billion lawsuit settlement with a global chemical company over
contamination of water systems with "forever chemicals."
Stuart
is among about 300 communities that sued chemical manufacturer 3M Co.
and other companies over the potentially harmful compounds used in
firefighting foam and other consumer products. Stuart's case was
scheduled for trial earlier this month but was delayed to allow time for
settlement negotiations.
https://www.tcpalm.com/story/news/local/martin-county/2023/06/23/stuart-at-forefront-of-10-3-billion-settlement-over-water-contamination/70349757007/
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SUSTAINING CRITICAL MILITARY TRAINING FACILITIES: AVON PARK AIR FORCE RANGE
2001
https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/CHRG-107hhrg81854/pdf/CHRG-107hhrg81854.pdf
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Avon Park Bombing Range Increase Could Cause Pollution
2005
https://www.theledger.com/story/news/2005/03/15/avon-park-bombing-range-increase-could-cause-pollution/26148640007/
______________
Military training exercise sparks 4,000-acre wildfire
2017
https://www.fox13news.com/news/military-training-exercise-sparks-4000-acre-wildfire
______________
‘Forever chemicals’ detected in groundwater from 13 DoD sites in Gulf of Mexico
Oct 14, 2021
https://www.militarytimes.com/2021/10/14/forever-chemicals-detected-in-groundwater-from-13-dod-sites-in-gulf-of-mexico/
______________
Contaminated groundwater, a toxic legacy of Georgia’s air bases
Jan 3, 2019
https://www.ajc.com/news/local/contaminated-groundwater-toxic-legacy-georgia-air-bases/sKLbYPA7ucd7ojDr5NvtFI/
______________
Military testing reveals hundreds of drinking water wells contaminated with PFAS in WA
Dec. 12, 2023
https://www.seattletimes.com/seattle-news/environment/military-testing-reveals-hundreds-of-drinking-water-wells-contaminated-with-pfas-in-wa/
______________
The US military is poisoning communities across the US with toxic chemicals
25 Mar 2021
The Department of Defense has ordered the burning of 20m pounds of AFFF – despite risks to human health
One
of the most enduring, indestructible toxic chemicals known to man –
Aqueous Film Forming Foam (AFFF), which is a PFAS “forever chemical” –
is being secretly incinerated next to disadvantaged communities in the
United States. The people behind this crackpot operation? It’s none
other than the US military.
https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2021/mar/25/us-military-toxic-chemicals-us-states
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Military’s Filthy 50 sites contaminated with ‘forever chemicals’ haven’t started cleanup
June 14, 2022
https://www.ewg.org/news-insights/news/2022/06/militarys-filthy-50-sites-contaminated-forever-chemicals-havent-started
______________
710 Military Sites With Known or Suspected Discharges of PFAS
https://www.ewg.org/interactive-maps/2020-military-pfas-sites/map/
______________
Other Contaminated U.S. Military Installations
https://www.civilianexposure.org/other-contaminated-u-s-military-installations/
______________
Raytheon’s Groundwater Contamination Problem in St. Petersburg
2008
https://affiliates.legalexaminer.com/health/raytheon39s-groundwater-contamination-problem-in-st-petersburg/
______________
A Management Plan for the Three Lakes Wildlife Management Area
2020 - 2030
https://myfwc.com/media/24908/three-lakes-wma-management-plan-2020-2030.pdf
______________
Southwest Florida's Babcock Ranch offers lessons in resilience and sustainability
2023
https://www.wusf.org/show/florida-matters/2023-11-07/southwest-floridas-babcock-ranch-lessons-resilience-sustainability
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Florida has brought this dying river back to life – here’s how its biodiversity bounced back
2023
The world’s biggest river restoration project has returned Florida’s Kissimmee River to good health.
Flood-prevention engineering projects in the 1960s caused severe
ecosystem damage and biodiversity loss to the more than 100-mile-long
waterway.
Undoing the damage to the river has seen bird, fish, insect and marine life populations thrive once again.
Biodiversity loss and ecosystem collapse is seen as the fourth-largest threat to humans in the next decade.
https://www.weforum.org/agenda/2023/06/us-river-restoration-project-biodiversity/
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Deep in Florida, an ‘ecological disaster’ has been reversed—and wildlife is thriving
2023
Much of Florida’s Kissimmee River has been restored to its natural state, a milestone worth celebrating—and learning from.
https://www.nationalgeographic.com/environment/article/kissimmee-biggest-river-restoration-ever-completed
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Loving Florida, losing Florida: The balance between increased tourism and the harm it's causing
August 27, 2022
https://www.wusf.org/environment/2022-08-27/loving-florida-losing-florida-the-balance-between-increased-tourism-and-the-harm-its-causing
______________
The relationship between tourism and the environment in Florida, USA: A media content analysis
2023
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2666957923000071
______________
What do we do with 6 billion tons of plastic waste?
2023
https://www.clickorlando.com/news/local/2023/11/14/what-do-we-do-with-6-billion-tons-of-plastic-waste/
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Orlando close, but not most rat-infested city in Florida, report says
2021
https://www.orlandosentinel.com/2021/10/07/orlando-close-but-not-most-rat-infested-city-in-florida-report-says/
______________
An enzyme used in laundry detergent can recycle single-use plastics within 24 hours
January 29, 2024
https://phys.org/news/2024-01-enzyme-laundry-detergent-recycle-plastics.html
______________
In Orlando, a mountain of coal ash evades EPA rules. It's not the only one.
January 12, 2022
https://www.npr.org/2022/01/12/1065214649/in-orlando-a-mountain-of-coal-ash-evades-epa-rules-its-not-the-only-one
______________
Renewables Aren’t Enough. Clean Coal Is the Future
https://www.wired.com/2014/03/clean-coal/
______________
The Myth of Clean Coal: Analysis
Jul 14, 2011
Will coal become the clean, green fuel of the future? Not so fast.
http://www.popularmechanics.com/science/energy/a4947/4339171/
______________
Can Coal Ever Be Clean?
April 2014
It’s the dirtiest of fossil fuels. We burn eight billion tons
of it a year, with growing consequences.
The world must face the question.
American Electric Power’s Mountaineer Plant, on the Ohio River in New Haven, West Virginia, inhales a million pounds of Appalachian coal every hour. The coal arrives fresh from the ground, on barges or on a conveyor belt from a mine across the road. Once inside the plant, the golf-ball-size lumps are ground into dust as fine as face powder, then blown into the firebox of one of the largest boilers in the world—a steel box that could easily swallow the Statue of Liberty. The plant’s three steam-powered turbines, painted blue with white stars, supply electricity round the clock to 1.3 million customers in seven states. Those customers pay about a dime per kilowatt-hour, or roughly $113 a month, to power the refrigerators, washers, dryers, flat screens, and smartphones, to say nothing of the lights, of an average household. And as Charlie Powell, Mountaineer’s plant manager, often said, even environmentalists like to keep the lights on.
The customers pay not a cent, however, nor does American Electric Power (AEP), for the privilege of spewing six to seven million metric tons of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere every year from Mountaineer’s thousand-foot-high stack. And that’s the problem. Carbon is dumped without limit because in most places it costs nothing to do so and because there is, as yet, no law against it in the U.S. But in 2009 it looked as if there might soon be a law; the House of Representatives had already passed a bill that summer. AEP, to its credit, decided to get ahead of it.
That October, Mountaineer began a pioneering experiment in carbon capture. Powell oversaw it. His father had worked for three decades at a coal-fired power plant in Virginia; Powell himself had spent his career at Mountaineer. The job was simple, he said: “We burn coal, make steam, and run turbines.” During the experiment, though, it got a bit more complicated. AEP attached a chemical plant to the back of its power plant. It chilled about 1.5 percent of Mountaineer’s smoke and diverted it through a solution of ammonium carbonate, which absorbed the CO₂. The CO₂ was then drastically compressed and injected into a porous sandstone formation more than a mile below the banks of the Ohio.
The system worked. Over the next two years AEP captured and stored more than 37,000 metric tons of pure carbon dioxide. The CO₂ is still underground, not in the atmosphere. It was only a quarter of one percent of the gas coming out the stack, but that was supposed to be just the beginning. AEP planned to scale up the project to capture a quarter of the plant’s emissions, or 1.5 million tons of CO₂ a year. The company had agreed to invest $334 million, and the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) had agreed to match that. But the deal depended on AEP being able to recoup its investment. And after climate change legislation collapsed in the Senate, state utility regulators told the company that it could not charge its customers for a technology not yet required by law.
In the spring of 2011 AEP ended the project. The maze of pipes and pumps and tanks was dismantled. Though small, the Mountaineer system had been the world’s first to capture and store carbon dioxide directly from a coal-fired electric plant, and it had attracted hundreds of curious visitors from around the world, including China and India. “The process did work, and we educated a lot of people,” said Powell. “But geez-oh-whiz—it’s going to take another breakthrough to make it worth our while.” A regulatory breakthrough above all—such as the one Obama promised last summer—but technical ones would help too.
Capturing carbon dioxide and storing or “sequestering” it underground in porous rock formations sounds to its critics like a techno-fix fantasy. But DOE has spent some $6.5 billion over the past three decades researching and testing the technology. And for more than four decades the oil industry has been injecting compressed carbon dioxide into depleted oil fields, using it to coax trapped oil to the surface. On the Canadian Great Plains this practice has been turned into one of the world’s largest underground carbon-storage operations.
Since 2000 more than 20 million metric tons of carbon dioxide have been captured from a North Dakota plant that turns coal into synthetic natural gas, then piped 200 miles north into Saskatchewan. There the Canadian petroleum company Cenovus Energy pushes the CO₂ deep into the Weyburn and Midale fields, a sprawling oil patch that had its heyday in the 1960s. Two to three barrels of oil are dissolved out of the reservoir rock by each ton of CO₂, which is then reinjected into the reservoir for storage. There it sits, nearly a mile underground, trapped under impermeable layers of shale and salt.
For how long? Some natural deposits of carbon dioxide have been in place for millions of years—in fact the CO₂ in some has been mined and sold to oil companies. But large and sudden releases of CO₂ can be lethal to people and animals, particularly when the gas collects and concentrates in a confined space. So far no major leaks have been documented at Weyburn, which is being monitored by the International Energy Agency, or at any of the handful of other large storage sites around the world. Scientists consider the risk of a catastrophic leak to be extremely low.
They worry more about smaller, chronic leaks that would defeat the purpose of the enterprise. Geophysicists Mark Zoback and Steven Gorelick of Stanford University argue that at sites where the rock is brittle and faulted—most sites, in their view—the injection of carbon dioxide might trigger small earthquakes that, even if otherwise harmless, might crack the overlying shale and allow CO₂ to leak. Zoback and Gorelick consider carbon storage “an extremely expensive and risky strategy.” But even they agree that carbon can be stored effectively at some sites—such as the Sleipner gas field in the North Sea, where for the past 17 years the Norwegian oil company Statoil has been injecting about a million tons of CO₂ a year into a brine-saturated sandstone layer half a mile below the seabed. That formation has so much room that all that CO₂ hasn’t increased its internal pressure, and there’s been no sign of quakes or leaks.
American Electric Power’s Mountaineer Plant, on the Ohio River in New Haven, West Virginia, inhales a million pounds of Appalachian coal every hour. The coal arrives fresh from the ground, on barges or on a conveyor belt from a mine across the road. Once inside the plant, the golf-ball-size lumps are ground into dust as fine as face powder, then blown into the firebox of one of the largest boilers in the world—a steel box that could easily swallow the Statue of Liberty. The plant’s three steam-powered turbines, painted blue with white stars, supply electricity round the clock to 1.3 million customers in seven states. Those customers pay about a dime per kilowatt-hour, or roughly $113 a month, to power the refrigerators, washers, dryers, flat screens, and smartphones, to say nothing of the lights, of an average household. And as Charlie Powell, Mountaineer’s plant manager, often said, even environmentalists like to keep the lights on.
The customers pay not a cent, however, nor does American Electric Power (AEP), for the privilege of spewing six to seven million metric tons of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere every year from Mountaineer’s thousand-foot-high stack. And that’s the problem. Carbon is dumped without limit because in most places it costs nothing to do so and because there is, as yet, no law against it in the U.S. But in 2009 it looked as if there might soon be a law; the House of Representatives had already passed a bill that summer. AEP, to its credit, decided to get ahead of it.
That October, Mountaineer began a pioneering experiment in carbon capture. Powell oversaw it. His father had worked for three decades at a coal-fired power plant in Virginia; Powell himself had spent his career at Mountaineer. The job was simple, he said: “We burn coal, make steam, and run turbines.” During the experiment, though, it got a bit more complicated. AEP attached a chemical plant to the back of its power plant. It chilled about 1.5 percent of Mountaineer’s smoke and diverted it through a solution of ammonium carbonate, which absorbed the CO₂. The CO₂ was then drastically compressed and injected into a porous sandstone formation more than a mile below the banks of the Ohio.
______________
America’s first ‘clean coal’ plant is now operational — and another is on the way
January 9, 2017
https://www.cambridge.org/core/journals/mrs-bulletin/news/america-s-first-clean-coal-plant-is-now-operational-and-another-is-on-the-way
______________
Even Breathing Is A Risk In One Of Orlando's Poorest Neighborhoods
2018
https://www.huffpost.com/entry/florida-poor-black-neighborhood-air-pollution_n_5a663a67e4b0e5630072746e
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Orlando Named One of the Cleanest Cities in New Lung Association Report
APR 22, 2022
https://www.orlandomedicalnews.com/article/5686/orlando-named-one-of-the-cleanest-cities-in-new-lung-association-report
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Jackson County air quality rated ‘very unhealthy’
Jun 28, 2023
https://www.wlns.com/news/jackson-county-air-quality-rated-very-unhealthy/
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Air pollution warnings cause concern in Putnam, St Johns County
March 7, 2023
High
levels of sulfur dioxide have resulted in Unhealthy Air Quality for
Sensitive Groups in southern St. Johns and Putnam counties.
https://www.firstcoastnews.com/article/tech/science/environment/fdep-investigating-unhealthy-air-quality-in-putnam-co/77-d1f7a9d7-0a56-40df-ba8d-0d2227b2c68a
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Air pollution precaution issued for Hillsborough County
March 29, 2022
https://www.wtsp.com/article/news/local/hillsboroughcounty/air-pollution-precaution-hillsborough-county/67-034373c2-ef91-44de-9fa2-91bad84dd787
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From car emissions to the wind, here's what's contributing to Hillsborough County's ozone pollution
January 26, 2022
The
American Lung Association gave Hillsborough County a failing grade for
its ozone pollution after the region saw double-digit days reach code
orange.
https://www.wtsp.com/article/tech/science/environment/hillsborough-county-ozone-pollution-air-quality/67-6b070a6d-4323-4eb0-a5e1-8b1a532f04bf
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Hillsborough County warns of elevated lead levels near a Tampa recycling plant
February 19, 2022
https://www.wusf.org/environment/2022-02-19/hillsborough-county-warns-of-elevated-lead-levels-near-a-tampa-recycling-plant
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Florida’s Ozone and Particulate Matter Air Quality Trends
2021
https://floridadep.gov/sites/default/files/FL_Ozone_PM_Trends_2021.pdf
______________
Florida Home to Seven Air Polluters on EPA Watch List
November 7, 2011
http://fcir.org/2011/11/07/florida-home-to-seven-air-polluters-on-epa-watch-list/
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Florida's Air Quality Shows Mixed Rankings for Ozone, Particle Pollution, Finds 2020 ‘State of the Air' Report
2020
https://www.floridatrend.com/article/29121/floridas-air-quality-shows-mixed-rankings-for-ozone-particle-pollution-finds-2020-state-of-the-air-report
______________
Air Pollution Tops Other Sources of Contamination in Tampa Bay
https://baysoundings.com/air-pollution-tops-other-sources-of-contamination-in-tampa-bay/
______________
Many on Gulf Coast say time is running out for EPA to act on toxic air
December 29, 2023
The Biden administration vowed to protect communities from dangerous pollution. But refineries continue to exceed safe levels.
https://www.washingtonpost.com/climate-environment/2023/12/21/oil-refineries-pollution-gulf-coast-epa/
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Jacksonville, Florida’s, ozone pollution reach hazardous levels
https://www.usairpurifiers.com/blog/jacksonville-floridas-ozone-pollution-reach-hazardous-levels/
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What a year-long study revealed about a "chemical-like" odor Jacksonville residents have complained about
May 9, 2023
https://www.firstcoastnews.com/article/entertainment/television/programs/gmj/jacksonville-environmental-quality-division-chief-talks-about-the-chemical-like-odor-in-jacksonville/77-0921e4e9-5198-456f-b6b6-2b144c315dff
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A stench in time: How Jacksonville’s stink played a role in the city’s history
May 31, 2022
The bustling papermill industry put the River City on the map for a smelly reason
https://www.news4jax.com/features/2022/05/31/a-stench-in-time-how-jacksonvilles-stink-played-a-role-in-the-citys-history/
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‘What is that smell?’: Nassau residents report stench along Amelia Concourse
November 17, 2021
https://www.wokv.com/news/local/nassau-county/what-is-that-smell-nassau-residents-report-stench-along-amelia-concourse/M7CSVYMR2NFTDI3ELSDJFHXRMU/
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Procter and Gamble’s Buckeye Paper Mill pollutes the Fenholloway River in Taylor Co., Florida, USA
2021
https://www.cevreadaleti.org/conflict/procter-and-gambles-buckeye-paper-mill-pollutes-the-fenholloway-river-in-taylor-county-florida
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A Florida neighborhood says an old factory made them sick. Now developers want to kick up toxic soil
17 Mar 2024
https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2024/mar/17/florida-toxic-waste-jacksonville
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A Plant in Florida Emits Vast Quantities of a Greenhouse Gas Nearly 300 Times More Potent Than Carbon Dioxide
March 24, 2020
Ascend’s
sprawling chemical complex north of Pensacola releases nitrous oxide
into the atmosphere equivalent to the emissions from 2.1 million cars
per year.
https://insideclimatenews.org/news/24032020/plant-florida-emits-vast-quantities-greenhouse-gas-nearly-300-times-more-potent-carbon/
______________
A Florida Chemical Plant Has Fallen Behind in Its Pledge to Cut Emissions of a Potent Greenhouse Gas
2022
Documents
show that Ascend Performance Materials, the nation’s largest emitter of
nitrous oxide, is still emitting significant amounts of the climate
super-pollutant.
https://insideclimatenews.org/news/18022022/florida-ascend-plant-super-pollutants/
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Tampa Bay’s CO2 emissions are up by more than half in 30 years. We’re the problem. | Editorial
2019
https://www.tampabay.com/opinion/2019/10/18/stuck-in-traffic-tampa-bays-cars-are-belching-greenhouse-gases-editorial/
______________
Parks Group’s Report Finds 96 Percent of National Parks are Plagued by Air Pollution
2019
https://www.npca.org/articles/2166-parks-group-s-report-finds-96-percent-of-national-parks-are-plagued-by-air
______________
Half of US states join GOP lawsuits challenging new EPA rule on deadly soot pollution
2024
https://www.orlandosentinel.com/2024/03/06/half-of-us-states-join-gop-lawsuits-challenging-new-epa-rule-on-deadly-soot-pollution/
______________
Biden strengthens US soot regulations, angering industry
Feb 2024
https://phys.org/news/2024-02-biden-soot-angering-industry.html
______________
Will Nestle’s Plans To Bottle More Water Put A Popular Florida Spring At Risk?
2021
https://www.wusf.org/environment/2021-02-23/will-nestles-plans-to-bottle-more-water-put-a-popular-florida-spring-at-risk
_____________
Studies Reveal the Bottled Water Brands With Highest Plastic Contamination
Mar 14, 2018
https://www.newbeauty.com/bottled-water-microplastic-contamination/
_____________
Preserving Florida’s Springs: The Bottled Spring Water Problem
2020
https://indepthmag.com/preserving-floridas-springs-the-bottled-spring-water-problem/
_____________
Bottled water is draining Florida’s aquifer
Professor calls usage unsustainable
March 2024
https://www.clickorlando.com/news/local/2024/03/08/bottled-water-is-draining-floridas-aquifer/
_____________
USGS Groundwater Data for Florida
https://waterdata.usgs.gov/fl/nwis/gw
_____________
Transport of pollutants in groundwater of domestic waste landfills in karst regions and its engineering control technologies
2023
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0301479723020339
______________
Trash Trouble: Miami-Dade’s Looming Landfill Crisis
https://www.biscaynetimes.com/news/on-the-cover/trash-trouble-miami-dade%E2%80%99s-looming-landfill/
______________
Ex-trash chief warns of impending landfill crisis in Miami-Dade
2023
https://www.local10.com/news/local/2023/07/05/ex-trash-chief-warns-of-impending-landfill-crisis-in-miami-dade/
______________
East Gainesville neighbors fight the expansion of a landfill in their backyard – again
February 9, 2023
https://www.wuft.org/racial-equity/2023-02-09/east-gainesville-neighbors-fight-the-expansion-of-a-landfill-in-their-backyard-again
______________
Jacksonville's waste problems remain unsolved
June 14, 2022
https://news.wjct.org/first-coast/2022-06-14/jacksonvilles-waste-problems-remain-unsolved
______________
Jacksonville landfill piles up beyond budget, council considers recycling education campaign
September 13, 2022
https://www.wokv.com/news/local/jacksonville-landfill-piles-up-beyond-budget-council-considers-recycling-education-campaign/T2N5U4G465CG7GTZHWLZDMKSIM/
______________
Your Trash Is Emitting Methane In The Landfill. Here's Why It Matters For The Climate
2021
https://www.npr.org/2021/07/13/1012218119/epa-struggles-to-track-methane-from-landfills-heres-why-it-matters-for-the-clima
______________
Florida needs alternatives to landfills: Where we stand
2016
https://www.orlandosentinel.com/2016/04/09/central-florida-needs-alternatives-to-landfills-where-we-stand/
______________
HCSO responds to more than a dozen cases of illegal dumping in July
July 31, 2020
https://teamhcso.com/News/PressRelease/4041b72f-af1e-4e32-9714-10f7a857a6c6/20-213
______________
Looming landfill crisis prompts action
2023
Poor recycling habits stymie progress
https://www.miamitimesonline.com/news/local/looming-landfill-crisis-prompts-action/article_65b8ee86-4bfe-11ee-b914-7fe40a51d84b.html
______________
Organic priority pollutants in groundwater and surface water at three landfills in north central Florida
1992
https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/BF00479894
______________
Wedgewood residents are tired of flooding and pollution. This is how the county plans to help.
2022
'The people are dying out there, and we need to do something.'
The
Rolling Hills Construction and Debris landfill became notorious for
essentially unregulated dumping that polluted the surrounding
predominately Black residential neighborhoods next door. In 2015, the
state finally intervened after years of outcry from the community.
Calvin
Avant, pastor and executive director of Unity in the Family Ministry,
said what he was hearing from county officials Thursday night was what
he needed to hear and pointed out the last time there was a discussion
at the county commission on the issue, community activist and leader
LaFanette Soles-Woods was still alive. She died in October of last year.
https://www.pnj.com/story/news/local/escambia-county/2022/04/08/wedgewood-flooding-pollution-issues-soon-addressed-county/9468762002/
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'Garbage juice' seen as threat to drinking water in Florida Panhandle county
June 24, 2017
https://www.tampabay.com/news/environment/water/garbage-juice-seen-as-threat-to-drinking-water-in-florida-panhandle-town/2328333/
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Feds suspect how dumpsite toxins enter Space Coast beachside homes: vapor intrusion
2021
https://www.floridatoday.com/story/news/local/environment/2021/08/29/army-corps-thinks-dumpsite-toxins-seep-into-brevard-homes-gas-cancer-cluster-florida-pfas-pollution/5601204001/
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Pasco neighbor sues landfill alleging water contamination, other violations
March 2024
The landowner who filed suit is seeking more than $50,000 in damages from the landfill operation next door.
https://www.tampabay.com/news/pasco/2024/03/16/pasco-neighbor-sues-landfill-alleging-water-contamination-other-violations/
______________
State Investigating Pasco County For 19.6 Million Gallons Of Partially Treated Wastewater Released Into Gulf
September 17, 2021
https://www.wusf.org/health-news-florida/2021-09-17/state-investigating-pasco-after-19-6-million-gallons-of-partially-treated-wastewater-released-into-gulf
______________
A pilot project in Pasco will prevent plastic and other garbage from entering the Gulf of Mexico
March 6, 2024
https://www.wusf.org/environment/2024-03-06/a-pilot-project-in-pasco-will-prevent-plastic-and-other-garbage-from-entering-the-gulf-of-mexico
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Pasco County makes strides to reduce litter in waterways with installation of first litter boom
Mar. 15, 2024
https://baynews9.com/fl/tampa/news/2024/03/15/pasco-county-making-strides-to-reduce-litter-in-waterways-with-installation-of-first-litter-boom-catchment-device
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Pasco County fires up trash disposal
Nov 14, 2023
Short on land and swamped with garbage, Pasco County is looking to burn more junk for energy.
Why
it matters: Officials are scrambling to manage an influx of trash that
followed the county's recent population boom. Its waste-to-energy
facilities are expected to burn about 100,000 more tons of garbage than
usual.
Some environmental groups and residents in Florida
have raised concerns over how emissions from waste-to-energy facilities
could impact the health of those who live near the plants.
https://www.axios.com/local/tampa-bay/2023/11/14/florida-pasco-county-burn-trash-fuel-energy-waste
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Environmental group worried about Lee County Waste-to-Energy incinerator failing previous inspection
Feb 17, 2024
Lee county says the facility is now meeting FDEP compliance
https://www.fox4now.com/fort-myers-metro-south/environmental-group-worried-about-lee-county-waste-to-energy-incinerator-failing-previous-inspection
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Three Central Florida Landfills Rank Among Nation's Top Emitters Of A Potent Greenhouse Gas. But The Numbers May Be Garbage
2021
https://www.wmfe.org/2021-07-13/three-central-florida-landfills-rank-among-nations-top-emitters-of-a-potent-greenhouse-gas-but-the-numbers-may-be-garbage
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Miami’s ‘Mount Trashmore,’ overflowing septic tanks pose a $4 billion challenge to its efforts to woo America’s financial elite
2023
https://fortune.com/2023/07/31/miami-wealthy-americans-trash-septic-sewage-4-billion-problem/
______________
Mount Trashmore (Florida)
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mount_Trashmore_(Florida)
______________
Florida's shift to waste-to-energy amidst growing trash crisis
2023
With mounting garbage and shrinking landfill space, Florida turns to waste-to-energy incineration amid a population surge.
https://www.ehn.org/florida-s-shift-to-waste-to-energy-amidst-growing-trash-crisis-2666251432.html
______________
Why aren’t we mining landfills for valuable materials like metals and soil?
https://ensia.com/features/landfill-mining/
______________
Businessman crafts genius solution to one of the biggest problems with America’s landfills: ‘It’s up to all of us’
2024
https://www.msn.com/en-us/money/companies/businessman-crafts-genius-solution-to-one-of-the-biggest-problems-with-america-s-landfills-it-s-up-to-all-of-us/ar-AA1ayeWK
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Tampa Conducts Recycling Study to Lower its “Contamination” Rate
Nov. 24, 2020
https://baynews9.com/fl/tampa/news/2020/11/24/tampa-recycling-study-contamination
______________
Redoing Recycling: How South Florida Cities Are Adapting to Change
2021
https://www.nbcmiami.com/responds/redoing-recycling-how-south-florida-cities-are-adapting-to-change/2620699/
______________
This Florida city is cracking down after 12,000 pounds of trash were hauled from its beaches
2020
https://www.cnn.com/travel/article/florida-beach-litter-pandemic-trnd/index.html
______________
Ocean pollution and marine debris
Each year, billions of pounds of trash and other pollutants enter the ocean.
2020
https://www.noaa.gov/education/resource-collections/ocean-coasts/ocean-pollution
______________
Florida is booming and burning more trash. Residents say it’s making them sick.
2023
Tampa-area
officials want to tap Inflation Reduction Act funds to help expand one
of Florida’s 10 incinerators, which they say are often preferable to
landfills. Critics worry the plants raise health risks.
https://www.nbcnews.com/business/business-news/florida-population-growth-waste-energy-incinerators-rcna120599
_____________
Burning trash ‘poisoning communities’ in Florida, complaint says
2022
Environmental activists accuse Florida environmental officials of civil rights violation in allowing waste-to-energy plants
https://www.tampabay.com/news/environment/2022/04/01/burning-trash-poisoning-communities-in-florida-complaint-says/
_____________
Florida sewage spills expected to worsen due to ageing infrastructure
2020
More than 230m gallons spilled in Fort Lauderdale between December 2019 and February 2020
https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2020/sep/10/florida-sewage-spill-waterways-infrastructure
______________
Pungent smell has Venice neighbors concerned — here's what we know
February 15, 2024
"It's acrid and it becomes almost unbearable. It burns the eyes," one neighbor said.
https://www.wtsp.com/article/news/local/sarasotacounty/bad-gas-smell-venice-florida/67-6ffadf1c-87aa-41c6-8167-cbe516728867
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Cancer-Linked Contaminants Found In Sarasota's Water: Report
Oct 23, 2019
A new study found drinking water is often less safe than what the federal government may deem legal.
https://patch.com/florida/sarasota/cancer-linked-contaminants-found-sarasotas-water-report
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‘Sewer crisis in the state of Florida’
2019
Storms and aging infrastructure contribute to massive spills
More than 900,000 gallons of raw sewage flowed into Sarasota Bay after a violent December storm forced open a city pipe.
Summer
rain in Daytona Beach and equipment failure in Jacksonville each
prompted more than a quarter-million gallons of human waste to spill
from sewers last year.
In Boca Raton, a pressurized pipe gushed
out nearly 50,000 gallons of untreated wastewater, while another 55,000
gallons spewed from a DeFuniak Springs manhole into nearby Bruce Creek.
These
sewage spills are emblematic of failing wastewater systems across
Florida, which is grappling with aging infrastructure and no clear
solutions for funding a fix.
An analysis of those reported spills
shows Florida’s sewers failed nearly 23,000 times over the past 10
years — a clip of more than six sewer spills each day.
The systems leaked enough human waste to fill about 2,400 Olympic-size swimming pools.
The
top cause for the spills was breakage, often from tree root intrusion
and exacerbated by the deterioration of aging lines, nearing 80 years
old in some communities. Flooding and power loss from storms also
pounded the systems in coastal areas, causing massive amounts of sewage
to flow out.
https://www.jacksonville.com/story/special/special-sections/2019/04/13/x2018-sewer-crisis-in/5438905007/
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The urine revolution: how recycling pee could help to save the world
09 February 2022
Separating
urine from the rest of sewage could mitigate some difficult
environmental problems, but there are big obstacles to radically
re-engineering one of the most basic aspects of life.
https://www.nature.com/articles/d41586-022-00338-6
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Scientists Make Breakthrough Discovery While Experimenting With Urine: We Can Reuse a Very Significant Portion of the Cobalt.
2-18-2024
https://canadiancor.com/breaking-news/scientists-make-breakthrough-discovery-while-experimenting-with-urine-we-can-reuse-a-very-significant-portion-of-the-cobalt/
______________
State Tightens Rules For Sewage Sludge Used As Fertilizer But Leaves A Loophole In Place
June 2, 2021
https://www.wlrn.org/news/2021-06-02/state-tightens-rules-for-sewage-sludge-used-as-fertilizer-but-leaves-a-loophole-in-place
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Ban Sewage Sludge Now!
Oct 26, 2018
Algae in Blue Cypress Lake, an Outstanding Florida Waterway
On
October 15, 2018, our Headwaters Advisory Committee delivered an
editorial to local papers highlighting the MANY concerns that remain
regarding the application on Sewage Sludge to property in our
headwaters, and the Technical Advisory Committee that has been formed to
study the issue. Read our concerns below, and help us stay engaged.
What happens in our headwaters impacts the entire basin.
"Florida waters are suffering from a growing pollution threat – sewage
sludge. Also known as biosolids, this sludge is a byproduct of the
process to clean our wastewater. In an effort to dispose of this waste
inexpensively, utilities often contract with third party haulers to
transport and spread excess sludge on to agricultural lands. This
unsustainable disposal practice exposes adjacent waters to those
agricultural areas to high levels of pollution from runoff.
In 2007, the Florida Legislature essentially banned the land disposal of
sewage sludge in the Lake Okeechobee watershed. This legislation was
enacted in response to the serious nutrient pollution problem that was
severely degrading the lake’s water quality. As a result, the state
began permitting the redistribution of South Florida’s sewage sludge to
areas with fewer restrictions north of the lake.
The Florida
Department of Environmental Protection (FDEP) confirmed that on average
more than 70,000 tons of sewage sludge has since been annually permitted
to be disposed within the Upper Basin of the St. Johns River, which
includes Brevard, Indian River and Osceola Counties. In 2016, this
represented more than 73% of the Class B biosolids permitted for land
application in the entire state.
This state-sanctioned
spreading of sewage sludge is now degrading the St. Johns River’s water
quality and threatening human health.
Did they believe that
they could simply relocate sewage sludge to a different watershed
without a similar degradation of water quality and increased threats to
human health?
In addition, biosolids are undermining the
significant investments made by downstream local governments to remove
nutrient pollution from the St. Johns and its lakes and tributaries. The
state-required Basin Management Action Plan (BMAP) for the middle
section of the St. Johns River determined that over 96% of the total
nitrogen loading and 95% of the total phosphorous loading in the Middle
Basin of the river comes from upstream sources. The addition of
biosolids-related nutrient pollution will only make it much more
expensive and difficult for Central Florida communities and businesses
to reduce nutrients by close to 38%, as required by the state.
In response to the public outcry, the FDEP recently formed a Biosolids
Technical Advisory Committee (TAC) to further evaluate this issue. We
are pleased to see the state finally taking some action, but this
committee is simply evaluating the same technical issues and research
that were previously determined to warrant legislative restrictions on
this harmful practice in South Florida. While good for the Lake
Okeechobee watershed, this unfortunately left the remainder of the state
exposed to the water quality impacts of sewage sludge. It should come
as no surprise that the application of over 70% of the state’s biosolids
to agricultural lands within the St. Johns watershed would have the
same devastating results.
https://www.stjohnsriverkeeper.org/ban-sewage-sludge-now/
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Unlimited Fresh Water: Can MIT's Breakthrough Save Us?
Jan 12, 2024
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2XzmNpacpvk
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New Florida Rules For Fertilizer from Sewage Waste Don't Do Enough To Stop Algae Blooms, Critics Say
June 2, 2021
The
state of Florida is taking steps to crack down on pollution from
biosolids. That’s the waste from sewage plants used as fertilizer which
can fuel algae blooms...
https://www.wmfe.org/2021-06-02/new-florida-rules-for-fertilizer-from-sewage-waste-dont-do-enough-to-stop-algae-blooms-critics-say
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Biosolids: Waste to fertilizer to - pollution?
11/28/2018
One region's waste fertilizes another region's pastures — but becomes a source of pollution in the process.
https://www.floridatrend.com/article/25908/biosolids-waste-to-fertilizer-to--pollution
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Effects
of microplastics on substance transformation, sludge characteristics,
toxicological effect, and microbial communities in different biochemical
sludge systems: A review
24 Nov 2023
https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/10643389.2023.2284785
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Residual
sludge from treating waste water has been turned into a money-spinner
but what are the costs to health of ‘the most pollutant-rich manmade
substance on Earth’?
7 Oct 2019
By some estimates, Americans send about 300m pounds of feces daily from the nation’s toilets to wastewater treatment plants.
While
the water is cleaned and discharged, the remaining toxic sewage sludge
stays at the treatment plant, and it’s what Sierra Club environmentalist
Nancy Raine calls “the most pollutant-rich manmade substance on Earth”.
This
“biosolid” sludge is expensive to dispose of because it must be
landfilled, but the waste management industry is increasingly using a
money-making alternative – repackaging the sludge as fertilizer and
injecting it into the nation’s food chain.
Now the practice is
behind a growing number of public health problems. Spreading
pollutant-filled biosolids on farmland is making people sick,
contaminating drinking water and filling crops, livestock and humans
with everything from pharmaceuticals to PFAS.
https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2019/oct/05/biosolids-toxic-chemicals-pollution
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Petroleum sludge treatment and disposal techniques: a review
24 March 2022
Abstract
Petroleum
sludge is a solid emulsified waste and contaminant commonly produced in
the petroleum industry. In the recent past, there has been increased
business growth in the oil sector, resulting in increased volumes of
oily sludge characterized by high viscosity and toxicity. Therefore,
sludge treatment before discarding is extremely necessary. This review
seeks to highlight various conventional and evolving approaches in the
treatment, recovery, and disposal of petroleum sludge and assess their
suitability under various conditions.
https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s11356-022-19614-z
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Sewage pollution, declining ecosystem health, and cross-sector collaboration
2021
Abstract
It is well established that a global sanitation crisis threatens humans. By comparison, much less attention has been given to address the effects of this crisis on the health of ecosystems. We provide examples of how sewage can affect natural ecosystems and where hotspots in sewage contamination commonly overlap with these habitats. We highlight these issues for some of the major ecosystems spanning across terrestrial, aquatic, and coastal realms. Recent studies reveal that untreated and poorly treated sewage elevates concentrations of nutrients, pathogens, endocrine disruptors, heavy metals, and pharmaceuticals in natural ecosystems. We show many large areas (10,000's of km2) across the globe with high levels of sewage contamination and that these contamination hotspots overlap extensively in occurrence with coral reefs, salt marshes, and fish-rich river systems. Given the global extent of sewage pollution in and near natural habitats, conservation biologists and managers must address this threat. However, because of its size, conservationists cannot solve this problem alone. We therefore argue that conservation must combine forces with the human health sector to create cross-disciplinary synergisms in innovation and efficiency. New sewage management solutions are emerging, such as waste-free toilets and resource recovery to generate fuel and drinking water; but more innovation is needed - a demand that will most effectively be reached through cross-sector collaboration.
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0006320721000628
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Wastewater in the Florida Keys: A Call for Stricter Regulation of Nonpoint Source Pollution
2018
https://ir.law.fsu.edu/jluel/vol16/iss2/2/
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Nonpoint Source Pollution Education
https://floridadep.gov/wra/319-tmdl-fund/content/nonpoint-source-pollution-education
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Just how clean is the Great Miami River?
April 16, 2018
The
Great Miami River continues to surprise scientists with its ability to
rebound from pollution of the 20th century, and some that continues
today.
“At one point, our waste just got flushed into the river,”
says Sarah Hippensteel Hall, one of those scientists and a leader with
the Miami Conservancy District, which built flood protection along the
river in the early 1900s and has been working to clean the river.
https://www.journal-news.com/news/local/just-how-clean-the-great-miami-river/wJOduuxBw7LcwHM7FpdlMM/
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New Programs in Miami Aim to Prevent Pollution From Destroying Waterways
2021
https://www.nbcmiami.com/news/local/new-programs-in-miami-aim-to-prevent-pollution-from-destroying-waterways/2449890/
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Florida's Sewage Pollution Crisis
04.13.22
https://www.surfrider.org/news/floridas-sewage-crisis
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Gainesville neighborhood on pollution notice after 10,000 gallons of flood and wastewater released into Hogtown Creek
Sep. 21, 2021
GAINESVILLE, Fla. (WCJB) - Gainesville residents who live near Hogtown Creek are facing a problem they’re all too familiar with.
On Sunday, GRU arrived at NW 10th Ave. where cleanout pipes released at least 10,000 gallons of flood and wastewater.
One man who’s lived on this street for three years said flooding is a constant problem.
“It’s been going on for a while, and I don’t go down there anymore because of those signs,” said Adam Pearce.
Pearce said because of where his house sits on the street, he’s safe from the sewage overflow.
He
said one of his neighbors at the end of the street had sewage flood
into their home. He said he’s seen the different ways this has affected
his neighbors’ lives.
“He’s got three kids. He can’t go outside
out front so he’s gotta kind of go out back and do baseball out there
because the sewage warnings and water damage,” said Pearce.
GRU said areas experiencing wastewater releases, like this, have received between 10 to 12 inches of rain over the last month.
https://www.wcjb.com/2021/09/21/gainesville-neighborhood-pollution-ntice-after-10000-gallons-flood-wastewater-released-into-hogtown-creek/
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Contractor seen pumping sewage-contaminated floodwater into Lake Monroe
2022
https://www.wftv.com/news/local/seminole-county/contractor-seen-pumping-sewage-contaminated-floodwater-into-lake-monroe/56ZFTXGHCJG4LEIOGCU74GRAUM/
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Polluters Dumping into Florida Waterways
March 29, 2018
https://environmentamerica.org/florida/media-center/polluters-dumping-into-florida-waterways/
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Industry still dumping pollution into Florida waterways: report
March 29, 2018
https://www.wmnf.org/industry-dumping-pollution-florida-waterways/
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Florida’s Waters Awash in Sewage Spills
July 20, 2022
https://peer.org/floridas-waters-awash-in-sewage-spills/
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Guest column: Stop sending South Florida’s sewage north
March 15, 2021
https://www.jacksonville.com/story/opinion/2021/03/15/guest-column-stop-sending-south-floridas-sewage-north/4664923001/
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Wastewater plants in Gadsden County report overflows
Mar 21, 2022
GADSDEN COUNTY, Fla. (WTXL) — Two wastewater plant facilities in Gadsden County experienced water overflows this weekend.
According
to a Florida Department of Environmental Protection pollution notice
that was released Saturday, the Quincy Wastewater Treatment Plant began
overflowing the facility flow equalization tanks at around 7:30 p.m.
Friday because of the heavy rain that accumulated in the area.
The news release notes that the facility’s influent pumps were running, but could not keep up with the high flows.
The facility overflowed until 2 p.m. Saturday.
The FDEP estimates that 100,000 gallons escaped into the Quincy creek.
The overflows were almost contained, but the on and off rains led to the overflows to back up.
https://www.wtxl.com/news/local-news/wastewater-plants-in-gadsden-county-report-overflows
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Okaloosa jail water break causes sewage spill of 6,000 gallons into Crestview creek
Feb 23, 2021
https://www.nwfdailynews.com/story/news/2021/02/23/okaloosa-county-jail-water-break-causes-sewage-spill-into-nearby-creek/4558172001/
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St. Petersburg pumped 6.6 million more gallons of dirty water into the Floridan Aquifer over the weekend
Aug 22, 2019
The
water exceeded state pollution limits for injection. It’s the seventh
infraction the city has racked up since the start of 2018.
https://www.tampabay.com/news/st-petersburg/2019/08/22/st-petersburg-pumped-66-million-more-gallons-of-dirty-water-into-the-florida-aquifer-over-the-weekend/
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Down the hatch: St. Petersburg has sent more than 21 million gallons of improperly treated sewage into the aquifer since 2018
Aug 20, 2019
City
officials have touted a vastly improved sewage system since signing a
consent order with the state in 2017, but said very little about
continued improper injections into the aquifer.
https://www.tampabay.com/news/environment/2019/08/20/down-the-hatch-st-petersburg-has-sent-more-than-21-million-gallons-of-improperly-treated-sewage-into-the-aquifer-since/
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100k gallons of sewage spills from pipe in Charlotte County community
January 25, 2022
https://winknews.com/2022/01/25/100k-gallons-of-sewage-spills-from-pipe-in-charlotte-county-community/
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Broken gear allows 5 million gallons of partially treated sewage to leak into Lake Monroe
January 13, 2024
https://www.mysanfordherald.com/article/broken-gear-allows-5-million-gallons-partially-treated-sewage-leak-lake-monroe
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13M gallons of sewage spilled into Lake Monroe, creating bacteria risk
January 25, 2024
https://www.clickorlando.com/news/local/2024/01/25/13m-gallons-of-sewage-spilled-into-lake-monroe-creating-bacteria-risk/
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Column: Lake Monroe is our water source. How can we protect it against climate change?
2022
https://www.heraldtimesonline.com/story/opinion/columns/2022/11/25/columnist-urges-more-action-to-protect-drinking-water-from-lake-monroe/69673522007/
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How Healthy Is Lake Monroe — and How Long Will It Survive?
https://limestonepostmagazine.com/deep-dive-how-healthy-is-lake-monroe/
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City had a chance to address water quality issues at Lake Munson. It did not. | Opinion
2022
In
his Aug. 1 column, William Leseman seems to be attempting to distract
from the lack of oversight while he was employed by the City of
Tallahassee, casting a blind eye to ongoing stormwater pollution
contributing to water and sediment quality problems in Lake Munson.
Leseman
and others were in positions that could have made a difference, but did
not do enough to remove legacy sediments, nor conduct enough source
testing, to determine where nutrients and toxins were originating.
Of course, there was no outcry across the city since transparency was non-existent.
In
2009, the City of Tallahassee was placed under a Florida Department of
Environmental Protection (FDEP) expensive enforcement consent order for
numerous and voluminous sewage spills, much of which end up in storm
water ditches leading to Munson.
November 2021, 466,000 gallons
flowed through Hartsfield Village into the Central Drainage Ditch.
Contrary to my requests of city staff to track the movement of raw
sewage from north Tallahassee to Lake Munson, staff stopped behind TCC,
even with high eColi measurements.
Another 10 spills of 100,000 gallons flowed in 2021; yet, no transparency. Approximately 150,000 gallons spilled in 2020.
https://www.tallahassee.com/story/opinion/2022/08/07/city-had-chance-address-water-quality-issues-lake-munson-did-not-opinion/10243600002/
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Lake Munson has gone from pristine to polluted. Can a drawdown change the trajectory?
Advocates, residents want county to remove what they see as toxic sediment
2022
The view over Lake Munson from Donna McKenzie’s armchair has changed a lot in the last 47 years.
Her husband, Ray, once fished and hunted ducks on the lake.
The
water used to be clear and free from the green scum accompanying the
pollution that has turned the lake toxic in recent years.
“It’s
really sad because I’ve been retired for 20 years and it’s like I’ve
been sitting here waiting for 20 years watching it go down,” Donna
McKenzie said from her home on the southwest shoreline.
The wait
for action may be over as the county in November began to release water
from the lake in an effort to combat the pollution that has resulted in
fish kills, algal blooms and partial closures of Lake Munson.
https://www.tallahassee.com/story/news/2022/12/05/as-county-draws-down-lake-munson-residents-and-scientists-want-more/10726864002/
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Lake Munson will be drained as efforts to mitigate pollution, algal bloom continue
Oct 2022
https://www.tallahassee.com/story/news/2022/10/14/lake-munson-will-be-drained-as-efforts-to-mitigate-pollution-algae-continue/10475112002/
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Is Perdido Bay in peril? Is it too late to protect it?
2019
Despite
Escambia County's outward beauty, our community has long been plagued
by pervasive pollution from industrial plants, landfills, septic tanks
and the like.
Pollution was so bad that in 1999, a special grand
jury was convened to assess local air and water quality. The jury found
that local regulators were falling down on the job, that local elected
officials were serving corporations rather than citizens and that we
needed to take immediate action to stem the tide of toxins in our
community.
The grand jury issued an array of recommendations to
improve pollution control, environmental monitoring, government
accountability and other issues, but 20 years later, we're still seeing a
lot of the same old problems.
https://www.pnj.com/story/news/2019/11/18/perdido-bay-water-quality-issues-spark-debate-but-what-does-data-say/2470708001/
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EPA Research in Florida’s Pensacola and Perdido Bays
https://www.epa.gov/water-research/epa-research-floridas-pensacola-and-perdido-bays
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It's sewage, not fertilizer fueling nitrogen surge in Florida's Indian River Lagoon
2023
https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2023/07/230718105736.htm
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Florida's Indian River Lagoon Is A "Killing Zone" Of Mass Animal Deaths: Report (VIDEO)
2013
Day
after day, dolphins floated up dead, emaciated down to their skeletons.
Florida's Indian River Lagoon, considered one of the most diverse
ecosystems in North America, was in dire crisis.
And it wasn't
just the 46 dead bottlenose dolphins. The casualty list is long and
depressing: gone are 47,000 acres of sea grass beds, 111 manatees, and
300 pelicans, reports Fox News.
It's been described as a "killing zone" and a "mass murder mystery" that is perplexing biologists.
The
Tampa Bay Times reports that scientists believe it may be due to one or
several causes: fertilizer-laced stormwater runoff, polluted water
dumped from Lake Okeechobee by U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, climate
change and effects on acidity, changes in water temperature and salt
levels, and overflow from contaminated mosquito-control ditches.
The
Harbor Branch Oceanographic Institute at Florida Atlantic University
was counting on $2 million in state funds to study the dead bodies
piling up at Indian River Lagoon.
Except Gov. Rick Scott vetoed
the research project in May, writing in his veto letter “While some
water projects may also contribute to a statewide objective, not all
projects demonstrate an ability to contribute to a statewide
investment.”
Since Scott took office in 2009, his smaller
government approach has slashed regulation and conservation programs,
reports the Broward New Times.
https://www.huffpost.com/entry/indian-river-lagoon_n_3472190
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Crisis in the Indian River Lagoon: Solutions for an Imperiled Ecosystem
There is an ecological crisis in Indian River Lagoon. Large quantities of water with high levels of nutrient pollution from Lake Okeechobee and the St. Lucie Basin are being discharged to tide, leading to toxic algae blooms in the Lagoon’s waters. There have been numerous, mysterious reports of deaths of Pelicans, manatees, and dolphins in the area. Harmful bacteria have also been detected in some areas, making the water dangerous for human contact.
A parallel story is taking place on Florida’s Southwest coast. Water from Lake Okeechobee and the Caloosahatchee Basin are being flushed into the Caloosahatchee River, and as with the Indian River Lagoon, the discharges are contributing to algae blooms in the Caloosahatchee Estuary’s ecosystem.
In its natural state, water in the northern Kissimmee Basin meandered south to Lake Okeechobee, flowing into Everglades National Park and eventually Florida Bay. This water had very low levels of phosphorus and nitrogen.
Before human alteration to the ecosystem, the Kissimmee Valley would take six to eight months to release wet season loads into Lake Okeechobee. Now this same water drainage takes place within one month, making the Lake rise at an unnaturally rapid pace.
Fertilizer and storm water add phosphorus and nitrogen to the Okeechobee watershed. The water moves so quickly that it cannot be naturally cleansed before flowing downstream. The Indian River Lagoon and the Caloosahatchee Estuary also receive local runoff, which contribute high flows of nutrient-laden water into the estuaries.
Lake Okeechobee’s optimum water level for the ecosystem and for public safety is between 12.5 and 15.5 feet. Higher levels have drowned out as much as 70 square miles of plant communities, damaging foraging, breeding, and nesting habitats for iconic wildlife such as the endangered Everglade Snail Kite.
In addition, the 75-year old Herbert Hoover Dike surrounding the Lake cannot tolerate very high water levels without increasing the risk of a breach. A breach of the levee would expose the nearby towns of Pahokee, South Bay, and Clewiston to dangerous flooding. The United States Army Corps of Engineers is currently repairing the levee, but completion is decades away and it is uncertain how high the water will be able to be held once repairs are complete.
The danger from high water levels in the Lake is the reason for the increased mandatory releases to the coastal estuaries. The solution is to clean water and keep it in the ecosystem rather than discharging it to the coast.
Please use the link below to download the full fact sheet, including our nine recommendations to protect our remarkable southern estuaries.
https://fl.audubon.org/crisis-indian-river-lagoon-solutions-imperiled-ecosystem
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How toxic is the water's surface on Florida's Indian River lagoon?
2021
https://phys.org/news/2021-06-toxic-surface-florida-indian-river.html
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‘Forever chemicals’ lurk everywhere Florida looks for them in the Indian River Lagoon
2022
https://www.floridatoday.com/story/news/local/environment/lagoon/2022/06/07/pfas-forever-chemicals-lurk-everywhere-florida-looks-them/7487187001/
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'Smells like raw sewage': Titusville neighbors worried about pollution, stench in parts of Indian River Lagoon
2023
https://www.fox35orlando.com/news/smells-like-raw-sewage-titusville-neighbors-worried-about-pollution-stench-in-parts-of-indian-river-lagoon
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New FAU research pins Indian River Lagoon pollution problems on leaky septic tanks
2022
https://www.tcpalm.com/story/news/local/indian-river-lagoon/2022/01/03/fau-study-pins-indian-river-lagoon-pollution-problems-septic-tanks/9032685002/
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It Runs Downhill
A Fight to Save Florida's Indian River Lagoon
2021
As
Florida’s population rises, multiple sources of pollution are
threatening the manatees, pinfish, and seagrass that call North
America’s most biodiverse estuary home. Researchers like Casey Craig and
her team at the University of Central Florida are looking at
nanoplastics in oysters and “water quality advocates” like Nyla Pipes
are among those fighting to protect the precious Indian River Lagoon —
before it’s too late.
https://bittersoutherner.com/feature/2021/it-runs-downhill-the-fight-to-save-floridas-indian-river-lagoon
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After a decade of intense algal blooms, the Indian River Lagoon is making fragile gains
November 12, 2022
https://www.wusf.org/environment/2022-11-12/after-a-decade-of-intense-algal-blooms-the-indian-river-lagoon-is-making-fragile-gains
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Florida’s Indian River Lagoon Crisis: Unveiling the Hidden Dangers of Toxic Algae Blooms
2024
FAU Harbor Branch scientists discover distinctive patterns of cell damage linked to toxins in Florida’s Indian River Lagoon.
The Indian River Lagoon (IRL) in Florida, stretching 156 miles long, is bordered by five counties and contains five inlets linking it to the Atlantic Ocean. In recent times, this estuary has faced several phytoplankton bloom incidents, triggered by rising seasonal temperatures and environmental factors.
Florida’s Indian River Lagoon faces increasing phytoplankton blooms,
leading to toxic conditions. A study by Florida Atlantic University
revealed varying toxicity levels and the presence of both known and
potentially new toxins, emphasizing the importance of monitoring for human health implications. Toxic algae blooms on the water surface.
https://scitechdaily.com/floridas-indian-river-lagoon-crisis-unveiling-the-hidden-dangers-of-toxic-algae-blooms/
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Florida health officials issue toxic algae alert for Lake Washington
March 2022
https://www.floridatoday.com/story/news/local/environment/2022/03/29/florida-department-health-issues-toxic-algae-alert-lake-washington/7194317001/
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Fertilizers and nitrate pollution of surface and ground water: an increasingly pervasive global problem
31 March 2021
https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s42452-021-04521-8
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Florida Sewage Spill and Pollution Notice Tracker
https://data.floridatoday.com/sewage-spill-pollution-notice-tracker/
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Saving our Springs: How pollution, pumping and people are destroying Florida's freshwater treasures
2022
https://www.wtsp.com/article/news/investigations/10-investigates/florida-springs-pollution-people-pumping-destroying-freshwater/67-aeacd1ef-abb9-4994-b474-b3f8704f2df8
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Devastating Photos Of Florida Pollution Will Fill You With Rage
2013
On Thursday, Rep. Patrick Murphy (D-Fla.) will present shocking photos of polluted Florida waterways to Congress "so that Washington can see the pressing need to find real solutions to address this problem that has gone on for far too long."
Murphy asked his constituents to send in photos of the toxic water lapping under their boats and docks, and will present the four most jaw-dropping at his October 3 briefing, which is co-hosted by Rep. Trey Radel (R-Fla.).
"Taylor Creek in Fort Pierce"
"Polluted water entering the estuary at the Stuart Locks"
"Along the St. Lucie and Hobe Sound Preserve"
https://www.huffpost.com/entry/lake-okeechobee-pollution_n_4031154
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A List of Suspected Cancer Clusters in Florida
April 14, 2020
https://www.advocatesvoice.com/2020/04/florida-cancer-clusters-contamination.html
Azalea Neighborhood of St. Petersburg
- Raytheon's Groundwater Contamination Problem in St. Petersburg: https://pinellas.legalexaminer.com/health/toxic-substances/raytheon39s-groundwater-contamination-problem-in-st-petersburg/
Apopka Neighborhood
- Man claims water is causing cancer cluster in the community: https://www.wftv.com/news/local/man-claims-water-is-causing-cancer-cluster-in-community/258463245/#:~:text=ORANGE%20COUNTY%2C%20Fla.,the%20water%20made%20her%20sick.&text=The%20man%20told%20Estevez%20about,cancer%20in%20his%20immediate%20community.
-
Brevard County Health Investigations & Concerns:
- Port St. John is an unincorporated neighborhood that was investigated for having a cancer cluster and asthma issues in children before two power plants were decommissioned in the area and a new plant was built.
- Palm Bay's Harris Corporation is a superfund site where numerous health investigations occurred, and families brought forward health concerns, including childhood cancer.
- Kennedy Space Center workers have brought forward health concerns regarding exposures to legacy contamination from the shuttle era. There was an ALS cluster investigation among workers at NASA.
- Satellite Beach High School graduates brought concerns in 2018 after learning that the air force base next door, Patrick Air Force Base, had high levels of PFAS chemicals in their wells. 56 graduates were diagnosed with rare cancers, including an Oncologist who attended the high school. The survivors and Fight For Zero pushed for a health investigation and regulations on the chemicals found in the area's groundwater.
- South Patrick Shores is an unincorporated neighborhood directly next to Patrick Air Force Base that had 30 cases of Hodgkin's Lymphoma in the 90s. The nonprofit organization, Fight For Zero, brought forward concerns regarding buried military debris underneath homes and pushed for a Formerly Used Defense Site designation in 2019.
- PFAS Chemicals were detected in the City of Titusville, Melbourne, and Palm Bay drinking water by nonprofit organization Fight For Zero through professional laboratory testing.
- Indian River Lagoon is a national estuary of significance that has had harmful algae blooms throughout the past decade. During warmer months, chemicals used on lawns and by government agencies wash into the watershed feeding harmful algae and causing blooms. Cyanobacteria cause harmful health effects, and bacteria from sewage spills have been known to cause severe infections such as MRSA.
- Abnormally High Rates of Cancer Say Report By Florida Dept. of Health: https://spacecoastdaily.com/2019/05/abnormally-high-rates-of-cancer-south-of-satellite-beach-says-report-by-florida-dept-of-health/
- Brevard County 2019 Cancer Assessment: https://drive.google.com/file/d/12hb0oONtTFVSLA2UUlIpgBAt3nRn3Bbu/view?usp=sharing
- Brevard County PFAS 2018 Sampling: https://appliedecologyinc.com/pfas-and-priority-pollutant-sampling/
- Brevard tests unearth more cancer-causing compounds: https://www.floridatoday.com/story/news/local/environment/lagoon/2018/11/30/brevard-tests-unearth-more-cancer-causing-compounds/2153023002/
- Community attends a meeting about the possible cancer cluster: https://www.wftv.com/news/local/-i-need-to-know-what-s-going-on-residents-attend-meeting-about-cancer-cluster-in-satellite-beach/806844294/
- Fear of possible 'cancer cluster' gains attention: http://veronews.com/2018/06/21/fear-possible-cancer-cluster-gains-attention/
- Florida cancer report: Elevated cases rates found in 2 zip codes: https://www.floridatoday.com/story/news/local/environment/2019/05/02/florida-health-officials-release-brevard-cancer-investigation/3618406002/
- Florida community raises alarm about potential cancer link to water contamination: https://abcnews.go.com/Politics/florida-community-raises-alarm-potential-cancer-link-water/story?id=56340438
- Florida woman is convinced what the military dumped underground is partly to blame for why she's wasting away: https://www.news-journalonline.com/zz/news/20200103/florida-woman-fought-air-force-30-years-ago-to-remove-radar-dome-now-shes-dying
- Groundwater Contamination Detected at Kennedy Space Center: https://waterwelljournal.com/groundwater-contamination-detected-at-kennedy-space-center/?fbclid=IwAR2vcN4BI4lFxuvdv_cmjdT-Sfw1SYUAomC1r-X5xQq89Pjq_IGYC_9gNpE
- High number of cancer cases found in 2 zip codes: https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/local/environment/2019/05/02/florida-health-officials-release-brevard-cancer-investigation/3618406002/
- No Confirmation of "Cancer Cluster" Near Patrick AFB: https://www.mynews13.com/fl/orlando/news/2019/05/03/report-on-pfas-in-drinking-water-near-patrick-base-florida-health-department
- Official Investigate Possible Cancer Link to Water Contamination in Brevard County: https://weather.com/science/environment/news/2018-07-05-florida-brevard-satellite-beach-cocoa-chemicals-cancer-water
- Satellite Beach School Crowdsourced Cases: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1CbNfI3Uxt3yiIWiCQICt339idsOy7n6T/view?usp=sharing
- Patrick Air Force Base Documents: https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1PFtiS_AYwXHN4GvCxE66HwAmWb9lHKL2?usp=sharing
- South Patrick Shores & Satellite Beach 1990 Cancer Investigation Reports: https://drive.google.com/drive/u/1/folders/1eBxfdx9zol7c0vr87RdkWtY9DIzRs-t-
- Alleged 'Cancer Cluster' focus of Manatee County meeting: https://www.abcactionnews.com/news/local-news/alleged-cancer-cluster-focus-of-special-manatee-county-meeting
- Bayshore alum is still looking for answers: https://www.dailycommercial.com/news/20170319/bayshore-alum-is-still-looking-for-answers
- Bradenton High School Investigated as Potential Cancer Cluster: https://health.wusf.usf.edu/post/bradenton-high-school-investigated-potential-cancer-cluster#stream/0
- Cancer cluster deadline approaching for Bayshore High School: https://www.wtsp.com/article/news/health/cancer-cluster-deadline-approaching-for-bayshore-high-school/67-530095844
- County commissioner want answers Bayshore cancer cluster theory: https://www.bradenton.com/news/local/education/article146722224.html
- Data being analyzed in study of possible cancer cluster among Bayshore High School graduates: https://www.mysuncoast.com/2018/10/31/data-being-analyzed-study-possible-cancer-cluster-among-bayshore-high-school-graduates/
- Health department investigating possible cancer cluster at Florida high school: https://www.cbsnews.com/news/health-department-investigating-possible-cancer-cluster-at-florida-high-school/
- Investigation into suspected 'cancer cluster' in Florida: https://www.wctv.tv/content/news/Investigation-into-suspected-cancer-cluster-in-Florida-424976634.html
- Investigation To Begin in Suspected 'Cancer Cluster': https://health.wusf.usf.edu/post/investigation-begin-suspected-cancer-cluster-bradenton#stream/0
- New Evidence of Cancer Cluster?: https://health.wusf.usf.edu/post/new-evidence-cancer-cluster#stream/0
- State officials begin collecting health data to study Bayshore High School cancer cluster: https://www.wfla.com/news/state-officials-to-begin-collecting-health-data-to-study-bayshore-high-school-cancer-cluster/
- Characterizing the Cancer Burden in Orange County: http://www.cancer.uci.edu/PDF/Catchment%20area%20slide%20deck%20FINAL.pdf
- Data on east Orange cancer cases near OUC coal plant: https://www.orlandosentinel.com/news/os-ne-orlando-coal-lawsuit-cancer-data-20191220-xlyiejfek5djjay2tpjwveeyxu-story.html
- Lawsuit says OUC polluted nearby neighborhood: https://www.wftv.com/news/local/30-000-residents-say-ouc-polluted-their-neighborhood-with-cancerous-toxins/892116969/
- No evidence of Avalon Park cancer cluster: https://www.clickorlando.com/news/local/2019/12/13/no-evidence-of-avalon-park-cancer-cluster-florida-department-of-health-report-finds/
- OUC coal plants linked with spike in cancer cases, lawsuit claims: https://www.orlandoweekly.com/Blogs/archives/2018/12/20/ouc-coal-plants-linked-with-spike-in-rare-cancer-cases-in-east-orange-county-lawsuit-claims
- Apopka Mayor Misleading Residents May Lead to More Cancer Deaths: https://theapopkamole.com/f/apopka-mayor-misleading-residents-may-lead-to-more-cancer-deaths
- High Contaminant loads in Lake Apopka's riparian wetland: https://www.researchgate.net/publication/304339822_High_contaminant_loads_in_Lake_Apopka%27s_riparian_wetland_disrupt_gene_networks_involved_in_reproduction_and_immune_function_in_largemouth_bass
- Cost of bringing Lake Apopka back to life: https://www.wftv.com/news/9-investigates/9-investigates-cost-of-bringing-lake-apopka-back-to-life/495058639/
- No Cancer Cluster in Apopka Neighborhood: https://www.clickorlando.com/news/2015/11/07/state-no-cancer-cluster-in-apopka-neighborhood/
- Something stinks in South Apopka: https://www.orlandoweekly.com/orlando/something-stinks-in-south-apopka/Content?oid=2260718
Miami-Dade, Florida | Childhood Cancer Clusters
- Cause for concern over childhood cancer clusters: https://www.fox4now.com/news/4-in-your-corner/cause-for-concern
- Demand answers on thyroid cancer cluster affecting South Florida children: https://floridapolitics.com/archives/10223-alan-farago-demand-answers-on-thyroid-cancer-clusters-affecting-south-florida-children
- Health Officials no cancer cluster in Miami: https://www.wlrn.org/post/health-officials-no-cancer-cluster-miami-dade#stream/0
- Mapping of Florida Childhood Cancer Clusters: https://www.researchgate.net/publication/40870723_Epidemiologic_Mapping_of_Florida_Childhood_Cancer_Clusters?fbclid=IwAR2HXREJiS4gUfR0ZTt9AnwNyyMZHWGr_oqEJS5YV-LSS5OxdSYGDGMHv1s
- Patterns of Pediatric Cancer in Florida: https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/2330443X.2019.1574686
- Report finds pediatric 'cancer cluster' in SWFL: https://www.nbc-2.com/story/28884407/report-finds-pediatric-cancer-cluster-in-swfl
- The Story of Florida and Cancer Clusters: http://eyeonmiami.blogspot.com/2009/08/do-not-seek-and-ye-shall-not-find-story.html
- UWF Researcher Discovers South Florida Cancer Cluster: https://www.wuwf.org/post/uwf-researcher-discovers-south-florida-cancer-cluster#stream/0
- 4 Florida counties part of live disease cluster: https://www.firstcoastnews.com/article/news/report-4-florida-counties-part-of-liver-disease-cluster/444125710
- Blue-green algae linked to ALS in UM study: https://www.miamiherald.com/news/health-care/article240701886.html
- Facing Florida's public health crisis toxic blue-green algae: https://www.sun-sentinel.com/opinion/commentary/fl-op-com-blue-green-algae-simon-20190410-story.html
- Florida needs to deal with long-term health risks from harmful algal blooms: https://www.tampabay.com/opinion/2020/01/28/florida-needs-to-deal-with-long-term-health-risks-from-harmful-algal-blooms-column/
- New ALS research implicated blue-green algae toxic: https://www.jacksonville.com/news/20200225/new-als-research-implicates-blue-green-algae-toxin-offers-hope-that-amino-acid-can-help
- A wife's fight to get answers: https://cbs12.com/news/local/cancer-cluster-concerns-a-wifes-fight-to-get-answers
- Attorney hired by St. Lucie County family to get more answers surrounding glioblastoma concerns: https://www.wflx.com/2019/03/06/attorney-hired-by-st-lucie-county-family-get-more-answers-surrounding-glioblastoma-concerns/
- Cluster mystery deepens as 18-year old is diagnosed: http://cw34.com/news/local/cancer-cluster-mystery-deepens-as-18-year-old-is-now-diagnosed-with-glioblastoma
- Data could reveal another brain cancer cluster in Florida: https://www.upi.com/Top_News/US/2018/12/19/Data-could-reveal-another-brain-cancer-cluster-in-Florida/6031545083853/
- Florida Department of Health Releases New Report: https://www.wptv.com/news/region-st-lucie-county/florida-department-of-health-releases-new-report-about-glioblastoma-cases-in-st-lucie-county
- Health Department No Cancer Cluster in St. Lucie County: https://www.newcountry1031.com/health-department-no-cancer-cluster-in-st-lucie-county/
- St Lucie cancer cases reaching stat, local scrutiny: https://www.tcpalm.com/story/opinion/columnists/anthony-westbury/2018/05/31/st-lucie-getting-outside-help-investigate-cancer-cases/655596002/
- Review shows no significant increase in rare cancer cases: https://www.tcpalm.com/story/news/local/st-lucie-county/2019/02/28/cancer-cluster-florida-review-shows-no-significant-increase-glioblastoma-fort-pierce/3014210002/
- Childhood cancer mortality in relation to the St Lucie nuclear power station: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/16286687
- Acreage Residents Seek Clads Status in Lawsuit: https://www.palmbeachpost.com/news/crime--law/acreage-residents-seek-class-status-cancer-cluster-lawsuit/yIxBi5k2fwGRxqjOVz1GHO/
- Brain Cancer Cases Shot Up in This Florida Town: https://www.thenation.com/article/archive/brain-cancer-rate-girls-town-shot-550-defense-contractor-blame/
- Cancer cluster frightens Palm Beach County Community: https://www.sun-sentinel.com/health/fl-acreage-cancer-cluster-story.html
- Cancer Cluster in Florida Worries Parents: https://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=125588073
- Cancer Cluster realtor to disclosure: https://activerain.com/blogsview/1501924/the-acreage--palm-beach-county-florida--cancer-cluster--realtors--to-disclosure-
- Holding a Polluter Accountable for Brain Cancer Cluster: https://www.wnyc.org/story/holding-polluter-accountable-brain-cancer-cluster-south-florida/
Polk County, Florida | Phosphate Mining
- Florida Phosphate Pollution Stirs Alarm: https://www.nytimes.com/1976/07/24/archives/florida-phosphate-pollution-stirs-alarm-alarm-stirred-in-florida.html
- Possible association between lung cancer and phosphate mining: https://www.researchgate.net/publication/15922695_A_possible_association_between_lung_cancer_and_phosphate_mining_and_processing
- Plant City Florida Cancer Cluster Assessment: http://www.floridahealth.gov/environmental-health/hazardous-waste-sites/_documents/c/coronetcancer0304.pdf
- Plant City Toxins Led to Illness, Suits Say: https://www.orlandosentinel.com/news/os-xpm-2004-04-04-0404040115-story.html
- Study of Mortality ion Workers at a Phosphate Fertilizer Facility: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4913354/
- Jacksonville Florida
- Eglin Air Force Base
- Union County, Florida (highest rates of cancer)
- American Cancer Society Cancer Clusters: https://www.cancer.org/cancer/cancer-causes/general-info/cancer-clusters.html
- Bladder Cancer Clusters in Florida: https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0022534709006004
- Cancer down nationwide, but 'hot spots' persist: https://www.cnn.com/2017/01/24/health/cancer-cluster-disparities-county-study/index.html
- Cancer 'hot spots' may be associated with hazardous waste sites: https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2017/03/170306145109.htm
- Cancer Cluster Guidelines: https://www.cdc.gov/nceh/clusters/default.htm
- Center for Health, Environment & Justice Cancer Clusters: http://chej.org/wp-content/uploads/Cancer-Clusters-PUB-045.pdf
- Chemical Contaminants and Human Disease: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1LFL-UGEKp65aiGeJZBO5buSuD4AtFceD/view?usp=sharing
- Clusters of Young Adult Thyroid Cancer: https://www.hindawi.com/journals/bmri/2014/832573/
- Defining the Elusive Cancer Cluster: https://moffitt.org/take-charge/take-charge-story-archive/defining-the-elusive-cancer-cluster/
- Disease Clusters in Florida: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1omdIkJSr8IPH4g3tRkmL41xq2770__Fa/view?usp=sharing
- Do Cancers Clusters Around Atomic Plants: https://emagazine.com/the-nuke-next-door/
- Florida Cancer Data System: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1m-dMQlNew8TYzeyp7RzEDRPWd-nbDP8e/view?usp=sharing
- Florida Department of Health Cancer Clusters: http://www.floridahealth.gov/environmental-health/hazardous-waste-sites/cancerclusterbooklet2016.pdf
- Florida Health Chart Cancer Deaths: http://www.flhealthcharts.com/charts/DataViewer/DeathViewer/DeathViewer.aspx?indNumber=0097
- Floridians Living Near Superfund Sites More likely to Get Cancer, New Study Shows: https://www.miaminewtimes.com/news/study-links-florida-superfund-pollution-sites-to-cancer-9190790
- Highest cancer mortality death rates in Florida: https://wellflorida.org/other/highest-cancer-mortality-death-rates-in-florida-new-report-finds-north-central-florida-on-top/
- Mapping of Florida Childhood Cancer Clusters: https://www.researchgate.net/publication/40870723_Epidemiologic_Mapping_of_Florida_Childhood_Cancer_Clusters?fbclid=IwAR2HXREJiS4gUfR0ZTt9AnwNyyMZHWGr_oqEJS5YV-LSS5OxdSYGDGMHv1s
- MSU Statisticians Identify Florida Cancer Cluster: https://research.msu.edu/msu-statisticians-identify-florida-cancer-cluster/
- National Cancer Institute State Cancer Profiles Map: https://statecancerprofiles.cancer.gov/map/map.noimage.php
- Nemours Center for Childhood Cancer Research: http://easternshorechp.org/wp-content/uploads/2013/10/FAPTP-Cancer-clusters-What-are-we-afraid-of.pdf
- Pancreatic cancer clusters and arsenic contaminated drinking water wells in Florida: https://bmccancer.biomedcentral.com/track/pdf/10.1186/1471-2407-13-111
- Patterns of Pediatric Cancer in Florida: https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/2330443X.2019.1574686
- The Story of Florida and Cancer Clusters: http://eyeonmiami.blogspot.com/2009/08/do-not-seek-and-ye-shall-not-find-story.html
- Contaminants in American alligator eggs from Lake Apopka, Lake Griffin, and Lake Okeechobee: Contaminated Lake Studies: https://www.science.gov/topicpages/c/contaminated+florida+lake.html
- Epigenetic programming alterations in alligators from environmentally contaminated lakes: https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/space-shuttle-blast-offs-spewed-metals-chemicals-into-wildlife-refuge/?fbclid=IwAR2j2IMPz5vXZmZNT7M3_XUnKWJaN-Kd5Si7TLrTd8Qx5w0wT-qd9XFSDi0
- Perfluoralkyl acids in the American alligator at Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge: Study of fifteen perfluoralkyl acids (PFAAs): https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5548459/
- Space Shuttle Blast-Offs Spewed Metals, Chemicals into Wildlife Refuge: https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/space-shuttle-blast-offs-spewed-metals-chemicals-into-wildlife-refuge/?fbclid=IwAR2j2IMPz5vXZmZNT7M3_XUnKWJaN-Kd5Si7TLrTd8Qx5w0wT-qd9XFSDi0
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Counties with the highest cancer rates in Florida
July 12, 2023
https://stacker.com/florida/counties-highest-cancer-rates-florida
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Florida Environment’s Hidden Menace: Toxic Chemical Pollution
JAN. 28, 1996
https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1996-01-28-mn-29571-story.html
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Inorganic Contaminants
https://floridadep.gov/water/source-drinking-water/content/inorganic-contaminants
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Nearly Half of U.S. Refineries Releasing Benzene at Levels That Could Pose a Long-Term Health Threat
May 12, 2022
Washington,
D.C. – Air pollution monitors at the fencelines of U.S. oil refineries
found that nearly half of them last year were releasing benzene at
levels that could pose a long-term health threat to surrounding
communities, according to industry data compiled by the Environmental
Integrity Project (EIP).
Benzene, a gaseous compound that
evaporates from gasoline and other petroleum products, is known to cause
a variety of health problems that include anemia, nervous system
damage, suppression of immune systems, and leukemia.
https://environmentalintegrity.org/news/nearly-half-of-u-s-refineries-releasing-benzene-at-levels-that-could-pose-a-long-term-health-threat/
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______________Section 12: Fracking
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Should Florida ‘frack’ its limestone for oil and gas? Two geophysicists weigh in
2016
https://news.ufl.edu/articles/2016/05/should-florida-frack-its-limestone-for-oil-and-gas-two-geophysicists-weigh-in.html
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Fracking in Florida
https://ballotpedia.org/Fracking_in_Florida
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Fracking Florida
Fracking Florida is a website created by the Florida-based non-profit environmental policy and human rights organization, The Center for Human Rights and Environment, and is devoted to promote the exchange of information about the social and environmental implications of bringing hydraulic fracturing (fracking) activity to the State of Florida.
Because Florida is a State where oil and gas has been extracted successfully in the past, it is likely that oil and gas companies will try to bring hydraulic fracturing to the State, in fact, they already have.
Through the dissemination of information it is our intention to inform Florida residents of the risks and impacts posed by hydraulic fracturing operations with the ultimate goal of protecting Florida’s natural resources and delicate ecological systems, and guaranteeing the health and safety of Florida residents.
Where would you get Fracked? Below is a map (source: Florida Department of Environment) of where the oil and gas industry has sought to extract fossil fuels in the State. While not all of these sites produced oil or gas, with hydraulic fracturing technologies, some of these may now be able to produce fossil fuel … any one of these places is a potential site for fracking exploration and possibly, if shale gas and oil were found at those site, for fracking. The most likely places where fracking would initially get underway are those places where there has been oil or gas extraction in the past, including for example, Escambia, Santa Rosa, Collier, Lee, Hendry, and Lee counties. But even if you happen to live near a county line to one of these counties, and there is an oil or gas deposit nearby in one of these neighboring counties, through the extension of horizontal drilling techniques which can explore for miles underground in horizontal directions and due to the typical impacts of fracking could easily affect your area, and that might include Miami-Dade, Broward, Glades, Okaloosa, and others. Those are the “most likely” and immediate scenarios for fracking explorations.
The conclusion is, no matter where you live in Florida, there is a potential for the oil and gas industry to at the very least, test the waters for potential of non-conventional oil and gas. If you hear about Florida Fracking possibly coming your way, and you’re concerned that this activity might impact you, get engaged, talk to your local city council members, write to your Legislative Representatives and make sure your voice is heard.
You can find information on this website to inform yourself about the likely impacts of hydraulic fracturing if it were to come to Florida.
https://frackingflorida.org/about/
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Fracking in Florida: What To Know
2020
https://ideasforus.org/everything-you-need-to-know-about-fracking-in-florida/
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Unlikely Battle Over Fracking Intensifies in Florida
2016
https://www.nytimes.com/2016/02/24/us/in-florida-an-unlikely-battle-over-fracking-intensifies.html
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DeSantis takes early steps to stop fracking, but progress stalls in state Legislature
2022
https://www.politifact.com/florida/promises/desant-o-meter/promise/1498/ban-fracking/
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South Florida’s Dirty Secret Is Oil
March 18, 2021
https://www.nrdc.org/bio/alison-kelly/south-floridas-dirty-secret-oil
“Paradise
Coast” is how the tourism industry often refers to the Everglades,
Naples, and Marco Island parts of south Florida. As many city dwellers
flee states with cold winters and expensive costs of living looking to
quarantine in this paradise, there is a dirty little secret lurking in
the Florida swamp—impending oil development.
Many new residents
and tourists come to Florida to experience the state’s natural wonders
like Everglades National Park, Big Cypress National Preserve, Ten
Thousand Islands National Wildlife Refuge, and Florida Panther National
Wildlife Refuge. They come to hike, view wildlife, kayak, boat, and
fish. What they don’t know is that beneath many of these public lands in
Florida, including Big Cypress, there is oil—and it’s privately owned.
Much
(but not all) of this oil is owned by corporations run by the
politically powerful Collier family, after whom Collier County is named.
Collier-related corporations also engage in real estate development,
including a new 45,000-acre town, in endangered Florida panther habitat.
The Intercept has recently reported on the Collier entities’
development of endangered species’ habitats. And the Colliers have also
set their sights on accessing Florida panther habitat in Big Cypress in a
continued quest for oil.
Although there are two legacy oil
drilling sites in Big Cypress National Preserve—Bear Island and Raccoon
Point—the Colliers’ lessee, Burnett Oil Company, wants to expand oil
drilling at Raccoon Point and develop another entirely new area of the
Preserve, consisting of wetlands and namesake cypress trees.
The U.S. Government Tried to Buy Out the Colliers’ Mineral Rights Under Big Cypress
Big
Cypress National Preserve is a “split estate” where the federal
government owns the surface of the preserve and private entities,
including Collier entities, own the oil and gas beneath the surface. In
the early 2000s, under President George W. Bush and his brother, Florida
Governor Jeb Bush, there was an attempt to strike a deal to buy mineral
rights from the Collier entities for Big Cypress, Ten Thousand Islands
National Wildlife Refuge, and Florida Panther National Wildlife Refuge.
The deal fell through after a Department of Interior whistleblower
raised concerns that the agency overvalued the mineral rights and did
not follow applicable agency rules. The complaint was referred to the
Interior’s Office of Inspector General, which produced a report raising
several claims.
Interior’s Inspector General found Collier
entities only own around two-thirds of the private mineral rights yet
the deal contemplated compensation for 100%. Even more concerning is the
report’s finding that Collier entities may have already been
compensated in previous transactions for some or all of the mineral
interests that they sought compensation for in the early 2000s. Given
all the uncertainties in valuing the oil and gas rights, the Inspector
General recommended that, should Interior consider acquiring Big
Cypress’s private mineral interests again, the Department consider
condemnation. That’s what the enabling legislation, establishing the
Preserve as a National Park Unit, contemplated.
Since the federal
government failed to buy out private oil and gas rights beneath Big
Cypress, there has been no action on the Inspector General’s claims.
This is a big deal because, generally, when oil companies want to
extract oil and gas from public lands and waters, they enter into lease
agreements with the federal government and pay certain fees and
royalties on the fossil fuels they extract. In the case of federally
owned oil and gas, the U.S. taxpayers collect a share of the profits
based on the value or volume of the oil and gas extracted.
But in
the case of Big Cypress, the Collier entities’ lessee, Burnett Oil
Company, only had to obtain an access permit from the National Park
Service (in addition to state-issued permits) to hunt for oil in the
Preserve, which it did in 2017 and 2018, as we previously reported. In
order to drill, Burnett Oil Company must apply for an operations permit
from the National Park Service, but since the mineral rights are
privately held and below the surface, it needs no lease with the federal
government. In short: because Collier’s mineral rights are private,
neither the federal government nor the taxpayer will receive any
royalties from oil extracted in Big Cypress.
And Collier entities
have begun a lobbying effort to try to make sure they are compensated
if state or local governments try to impact their efforts to drill for
oil. As recently reported, a registered lobbyist for certain Collier
companies drafted proposed bill language and sent it to Florida Senator
Ray Rodrigues, for what became proposed Senate Bill 1380 "Relief From
Burdens on Real Property Rights.” If this bill passes, it will amend the
“Bert J. Harris, Jr., Private Property Rights Protection Act” in
Section 70.001 of the Florida Statutes. The existing law created “a
separate and distinct cause of action from the law of takings, the
Legislature herein provides for relief, or payment of compensation, when
a new law, rule, regulation, or ordinance of the state or a political
entity in the state, as applied, unfairly affects real property.”
Senator Rodrigues’ proposed amendment would ensure that the law applies
to privately held oil and gas.
There are other bills pending in
the 2021 Florida Legislative Session, such as Senate Bill 722, which
would prohibit the Florida Department of Environmental Protection from
granting permits for the drilling of wells for oil or gas within the
Everglades Protection Area. But this area does not include Big Cypress
National Preserve. Florida minority Democratic Leader Senator Gary
Farmer has introduced Senate Bill 546—“Stop Fracking Act"—that would
prohibit “extreme well stimulation,” including certain types of fracking
and acidizing. The senator also opposes oil drilling in Big Cypress.
Burnett Oil Company Seeks Federal Water Permits to Facilitate Oil Drilling
Burnett
Oil Company must have liked the results of its damaging oil exploration
activities in the Preserve because it has applied for permits to fill
in wetlands to build new oil drilling well pads and access roads. It is
seeking these permits under Florida’s Section 404 Clean Water Act
permitting program. Note that in the eleventh hour of the Trump
Administration, the Environmental Protection Agency approved the state
of Florida’s application to assume this permitting program. There is
federal court litigation challenging that move, and the Miccosukee Tribe
of Indians of Florida has raised serious concerns about the state’s
takeover of this permitting program. The tribe indicated that it also
plans to submit comments on Burnett Oil’s new development proposal.
There are hundreds of known cultural and archaeological resources
located in the Preserve and one of Burnett Oil’s proposed new well pads
is located adjacent to a Miccosukee reservation.
According to
Collier Resources Company, the National Park Service allows oil
exploration and development “as long as the activities comply with
strict environmental protection measures.” However, state and federal
government permitting requirements for the oil exploration so far have
failed to prevent extensive damage and these permits are not being
“strictly” enforced.
Here’s an example: other permittees in
Florida proposing to impact wetlands must provide compensatory
mitigation. They have to assess ecological functions provided by
wetlands and other surface waters using a standard procedure called the
Uniform Mitigation Assessment Method (UMAM), calculate the amount those
functions are reduced by a proposed impact, and the amount of mitigation
they would need to do to offset that loss. State regulators usually
require mitigation plans in advance of any impacts to wetlands. But when
Burnett Oil conducted seismic testing in Big Cypress, it was not
required to provide compensatory mitigation before driving 33-ton
vehicles off-road through Preserve wetlands to hunt for oil. Indeed,
four years after Burnett began exploring for oil in big Cypress, the
company has not completed compensatory mitigation for its wetland damage
in Big Cypress using Florida’s Uniform Mitigation Assessment Method.
Now
Burnett Oil Company is proposing the same mitigation approach for oil
development in its state Section 404 Clean Water Act application. And
why not? Wetland mitigation requires time and money, and, thus far, the
oil company is not being required to prove it can compensate for the
loss of wetland functions under UMAM.
The Biden-Harris Administration Should Review, and if Necessary, Halt, Burnett Oil’s Drilling Plans
Despite
the damage Burnett Oil caused in its first phase of exploration and its
failure to complete mitigation for that harm to wetlands, the National
Park Service Big Cypress National Preserve Superintendent said we can
anticipate public release of Burnett Oil’s operations permit application
to drill for oil in Big Cypress in late April or early May 2021.
This
rush to process permit applications to accommodate oil drilling in the
early days of the Biden-Harris Administration could jeopardize its
comprehensive review and reconsideration of Federal oil and gas
permitting and leasing practices, including potential climate and other
impacts associated with oil and gas activities. The Administration is
also working on strengthening Tribal consultation and Nation-to-Nation
relationships, and, therefore, the concerns expressed by the Miccosukee
Tribe of Indians of Florida and the Seminole Tribe of Florida must be
heard and addressed. NRDC submitted Freedom of Information Act (FOIA)
requests to the National Park Service during the Trump Administration,
seeking information on Burnett Oil’s first phase of exploration and
legacy oil drilling in the Preserve to better understand the impacts.
The National Park Service should fulfill those requests.
The
National Park Service should not permit new oil drilling in Big Cypress
National Preserve “[i]n order to assure the preservation, conservation,
and protection of the natural, scenic, hydrologic, floral and faunal,
and recreational values of the Big Cypress Watershed . . . and to
provide for the enhancement and public enjoyment thereof” as
contemplated by Congress in the Preserve’s enabling act. At a minimum,
it should pause decisions until after:
The Biden-Harris Administration completes a comprehensive review of the Federal oil and gas program;
The Department of the Interior initiates an investigation to follow up
on the claims made by its Office of Inspector General regarding the
possible prior purchase of private mineral rights beneath Big Cypress;
The National Park Service fulfills outstanding FOIA requests regarding
past and present oil exploration and development in Big Cypress;
The National Park Service engages in meaningful government-to-government Tribal consultation;
The National Park Service prepares a detailed Environmental Impact
Statement (EIS) under the National Environmental Protection Act (NEPA)
to analyze the impacts of oil drilling and to consider alternatives to
drilling, such as purchasing private mineral rights; and
The
National Park Service initiates formal consultation with the U.S. Fish
and Wildlife Service on impacts from oil drilling on endangered species
and their critical habitats, such as the Florida panther, Florida
bonneted bat, and the Everglade snail kite.
Further, the Florida
Department of Environmental Protection should not authorize additional
wetland impacts or oil drilling in Big Cypress, particularly in light of
the damage Burnett Oil Company caused during its first exploratory
phase. After all, state and federal agencies are already spending
billions of dollars to restore the Everglades and Big Cypress provides
over 40 percent of water to Everglades National Park. So, is it wise to
industrialize this region to accommodate more oil extraction?
The
Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services’ Secretary,
Nikki Fried, who is a member of Florida Governor DeSantis’ cabinet,
opposes oil drilling in Big Cypress. It is unclear why the Florida
Department of Environmental Protection would permit new drilling in Big
Cypress in light of Governor DeSantis’ prior efforts to protect other
parts of the Everglades from oil development.
New oil development
will jeopardize Floridians way of life and tourism dollars—adverse
impacts could include truck traffic, pipelines and compressor stations,
risks of leaks and spills and related surface and ground water
contamination, air emissions and related impacts to human health and the
climate, noise, lighting, compromised viewsheds, and impacts to
cultural and natural resources and wildlife habitats.
We need state and federal agencies to help preserve what’s left of Florida’s paradise.
You can take action here.
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Mineral Holdings & Oil Fields
http://www.collierresources.com/mineral-holdings-oil-fields
Collier
Resources Company (CRC) manages more than 800,000 acres of minerals
throughout Collier, Lee and Hendry Counties, leasing mineral rights and
monitoring oil exploration, development and production at three oil
fields – Raccoon Point, Bear Island and Sunniland Field. CRC is also
actively engaged in further exploring its mineral assets.
Sunniland
Field
When
oil was needed to power the war effort during World War II, the federal
government created incentives to locate and drill for oil in Florida.
Humble Oil Company, known today as ExxonMobil, made the first discovery
on Collier minerals at Sunniland Field just south of Immokalee in 1943.
It was the beginning of oil exploration and development in Florida, and
since that time, the Sunniland Field has produced more than 13 million
barrels of oil and continues to produce oil today.
Bear
Island
Partially
located in the Big Cypress National Preserve, oil was discovered in
Bear Island in 1972, prior to the establishment of the preserve, and
production began just a year later. This oil field has yielded nearly 13
million barrels of oil since then and continues to produce oil today.
Raccoon
Point
Oil
at Raccoon Point field was first discovered by ExxonMobil in 1978 and
production began in 1981. The field is located in the Big Cypress
National Preserve near the Collier-Dade County line and produces
approximately 1,950 barrels of oil per day. The field has produced more
than 18 million barrels of oil to date, with a recent increase in
production with the addition of a new horizontal well. The field was
expanded in 1992 as a result of a 3-D seismic survey.
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Pick Your Poison: The Fracking Industry's Wastewater Injection Well Problem
Nov 19, 2018
https://www.desmog.com/2018/11/19/fracking-oil-gas-wastewater-injection-wells-earthquakes-aquifer-pollution/
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680,000 wells hold waste across US -- with unknown risks
June 21, 2012
https://www.nbcnews.com/news/investigations/680-000-wells-hold-waste-across-us-unknown-risks-flna839760
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Report Criticizes EPA Oversight of Injection Wells
July 29, 2014
The
Government Accountability Office says environmental regulators are
failing to adequately enforce rules for wells used to dispose of toxic
waste from drilling.
https://www.propublica.org/article/report-criticizes-epa-oversight-of-injection-wells
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Injection Wells Used to Dispose of Hazardous Waste in Florida
August 04, 2019
Hazardous Waste and Injection Wells
Hazardous
waste is a significant source of water pollution, including dangerous
chemicals harmful to people and the environment. Hazardous materials may
cause severe health and safety problems if not handled correctly. Waste
sources include dangerous byproduct materials generated by factories,
farms, and construction sites. According to a report released on March
29, 2018, by the Environment Florida Research and Policy Center,
industrial facilities dumped 270 times the allowed amount into Florida's
waters. The tenth-worst total in the nation.
According to the
Florida Department of Protection, over 2,100 permitted industrial
wastewater facilities are in Florida. Many industrial facilities use
freshwater to carry away waste into waterways. Wastewater is water that
has been harmfully affected by outside influence and flows from an open
drain. For instance, power plants are near bodies of water and discharge
a significant level of metals such as lead, mercury, cadmium, arsenic,
and chromium into the water. Typical industrial waste could include PCE
(perchloroethylene or tetrachloroethylene), asbestos, lead, mercury,
nitrates, phosphates, sulfur, oils, and petrochemicals. This water ends
up in an environment much more harmful to humans than irrigation water.
Since
the 1960s, deep injection wells (DJW) have been used to protect the
aquifer in Florida. The injection wells dispose of hazardous liquid by
injecting it underground. These wells use a high-pressure pump to force
toxic waste down a pipeline into the deep earth. However, waste fluids
can migrate to the surface through abandoned groundwater wells.
Injection wells are an invisible dumping ground for polluters. Florida
has minimal enforcement and weak protections when it comes to hazardous
waste. Polluters are not being held accountable for dumping chemicals
that threaten our health and environment.
https://www.advocatesvoice.com/2020/07/RCRA.html
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St. Pete proposes deep-injection wells as fix for sewage problems
January 11, 2017
https://www.fox13news.com/news/st-pete-proposes-deep-injection-wells-as-fix-for-sewage-problems
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A deep well injection could herald the end of spills from the Piney Point phosphate plant
April 19, 2023
https://www.wlrn.org/environment/2023-04-19/a-deep-well-injection-could-herald-the-end-of-spills-from-the-piney-point-phosphate-plant
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Injection Wells Explained, As Manatee County Approves Use At Piney Point
April 20, 2021
https://www.wusf.org/environment/2021-04-20/injection-wells-explained-as-manatee-county-approves-use-at-piney-point
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Injection Wells May Not Be As Safe As Previously Thought
Jun 21, 2012
Injection Wells: The Poison Beneath Us
https://www.huffpost.com/entry/injection-wells-safety-mistaken_n_1617086
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“They’re a Bunch of Liars” – Records Expose Lies About Injection Well Safety
October 27, 2022
https://publicherald.org/theyre-a-bunch-of-liars-records-expose-lies-about-injection-well-safety/
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Injection Wells: The Poison Beneath Us
Lax oversight, uncertain science plague program under which industries dump trillions of gallons of waste underground
June 21, 2012
https://www.propublica.org/article/injection-wells-the-poison-beneath-us
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The Toxic Legacy of Waste Injection Wells
Jul 05, 2013
Early scientific analysis predicted that the risks associated with hazardous waste injection wells would be negligible. Unfortunately, experience has indicated that disposing of hazardous waste deep underground has been linked to water contamination, destroyed ecosystems, toxic leaks and earthquakes.
https://www.ecowatch.com/the-toxic-legacy-of-waste-injection-wells-1881772695.html
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Well Delineated Contamination Areas
https://www.floridahealth.gov/environmental-health/drinking-water/Delineated-Contamination-Areas.html
______________
Proper Deep-Well Waste Disposal for Water Resources Protection
11 August 2016
https://link.springer.com/chapter/10.1007/978-3-319-26800-2_3
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Class VI - Wells used for Geologic Sequestration of Carbon Dioxide
https://www.epa.gov/uic/class-vi-wells-used-geologic-sequestration-carbon-dioxide
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Deepest Well Project In Florida History
February 13, 2015
MIAMI (CBSMiami) – Imagine a 10,000-foot deep injection. Queasy yet?
Don't worry, that's not the next painful vaccine shot. Instead, that's the depth the Miami-Dade Water and Sewer Department (WASD) is going for the state's record well project.
"WASD has recently begun drilling the largest deep injection well in the State of Florida, possibly the country for a water resource purpose at our Central District Waste Water Treatment Plant (CDWWTP)," said WASD Director Lester Sola. "We will be drilling to a depth of 10,000 feet and as a result needed a special drill to be built to accommodate this project."
The purpose of the deep injection well is to comply with future state laws that will prohibit the disposal of treated wastewater into the ocean by 2025. The new disposal method at CDWWTP has already been successfully implemented at the South District Waste Water Treatment Plant.
https://www.cbsnews.com/miami/news/deepest-well-project-in-florida-history/
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Improperly Constructed Wells
Several problems associated with improperly constructed wells can result in groundwater contamination from the introduction of contaminated surface or groundwater. Types of wells that are a source of potential groundwater contamination include:
Sumps and dry wells, which collect stormwater runoff and spilled liquids and are used for disposal. These wells sometimes contain contaminants such as used oil and antifreeze that may discharge into water supply areas.
Drainage wells, which are used in wet areas to remove some of the water and transport it to deeper soils. These wells may contain agricultural chemicals and bacteria (U.S. EPA, 1990a).
Injection wells, which are commonly used to dispose of hazardous and non-hazardous industrial wastes. These wells can range from a depth of several hundred to several thousand feet. If properly designed and used, these wells can effectively dispose of wastes. But undesirable wastes can be introduced into groundwater from injection wells when the well is located directly in an aquifer, or if leakage of contaminants occurs from the well head or casing or through fractures in the surrounding rock formations (U.S. EPA, 1990a).
Improperly abandoned wells act as a conduit through which contaminants can reach an aquifer if the well casing has been removed, as is often done, or if the casing is corroded. In addition, some people use abandoned wells to dispose of wastes such as used motor oil. These wells may reach into an aquifer that serves drinking water supply wells. Abandoned exploratory wells (e.g., for gas, oil, coal) or test hole wells are usually uncovered and are a potential conduit for contaminants.
Active drinking water supply wells that are poorly constructed can result in groundwater contamination. Construction problems, such as faulty casings, inadequate covers or lack of concrete pads, allow outside water and any accompanying contaminants to flow into the well. Sources of such contamination can be surface runoff or wastes from farm animals or septic systems. Contaminated fill packed around a well can also degrade well water quality. Well construction problems are more likely to occur in older wells that were in place prior to the establishment of well construction standards and in domestic and livestock wells.
Poorly constructed irrigation wells also can allow contaminants to enter groundwater. Often pesticides and fertilizers are applied in the immediate vicinity of wells on agricultural land.
https://www.dep.state.pa.us/dep/deputate/watermgt/wc/Subjects/SrceProt/SourcewaterProtectionTraining/basics/2.2.12.htm
______________
Private Wells 101: Bacterial Contamination and Shock Chlorination
https://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/publication/SS700
______________
Health Effects & Standards for Microbiological Contaminants
Surface Water Treatment Technique Microbiological Contaminants
https://floridadep.gov/water/source-drinking-water/content/microbiological-contaminants
______________
Florida Keys city to replace sewage wells following research findings
December 19, 2023
The Marathon City Council says it will end the use of shallow sewage wells, a move that could drastically reduce the pervasive pharmaceutical contamination in local fish populations uncovered by FIU scientists.
https://phys.org/news/2023-12-florida-keys-city-sewage-wells.html
______________
Many Floridians with private wells don’t know how to take care of them
November 21, 2023
https://www.wmfe.org/environment/2023-11-21/many-floridians-with-private-wells-dont-know-how-take-care-of-them
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Rockefeller scion warns of deteriorating ocean conditions during Palm Beach lecture
March 1, 2024
https://www.palmbeachdailynews.com/story/news/local/2024/03/01/climate-change-will-harm-floridas-waters-says-rockefeller-scion/72772140007/
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Section 13: Everglades
______________
______________
______________
______________
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Restoration Successes in America’s Everglades
August 24, 2023
A River of Grass:
America’s Everglades is called the “river of grass” for a reason. The slow-moving, rain-fed sheet of water that is the Everglades once covered roughly 11,000 square miles, with source waters stemming from the Kissimmee Chain of Lakes and flowing into Lake Okeechobee in the center of the state. From Lake Okeechobee, water historically flowed slowly south through what is now Everglades National Park and into Florida Bay and the Florida Keys, as well as to estuaries on the east and west coasts.
This created a unique patchwork of mangrove forests, sawgrass meadows, estuaries, continuous seagrass meadows, and some of the oldest cypress trees in the world. In fact, it is the only place in the world where the American alligator and crocodile coexist in the wild.
Toxic blue-green algae coats the waters of a canal off Florida’s
Caloosahatchee River. In 2016, harmful algae put St. Lucie and Martin
counties under a 242-day state of emergency.
https://blog.nwf.org/2023/06/restoration-successes-in-americas-everglades/
______________
Restoration of the Everglades
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Restoration_of_the_Everglades
______________
Everglades Restoration
https://www.everglades.org/the-everglades-handbook/section-4-environmental-impacts/solving-deterioration/
______________
Everglades
The Everglades is a natural region of flooded grasslands in the southern portion of the U.S. state of Florida, comprising the southern half of a large drainage basin within the Neotropical realm. The system begins near Orlando with the Kissimmee River, which discharges into the vast but shallow Lake Okeechobee. Water leaving the lake in the wet season forms a slow-moving river 60 miles (97 km) wide and over 100 miles (160 km) long, flowing southward across a limestone shelf to Florida Bay at the southern end of the state. The Everglades experiences a wide range of weather patterns, from frequent flooding in the wet season to drought in the dry season. Throughout the 20th century, the Everglades suffered significant loss of habitat and environmental degradation...
A satellite image of the Everglades, taken in March 2019
Limestone formations in South Florida. Source: U.S. Geological Survey
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Everglades
______________
Biscayne Bay and Southeastern Everglades Ecosystem Restoration (BBSEER) Project
https://www.saj.usace.army.mil/BBSEER/
______________
‘River of Grass’: Inside the quest to restore the Everglades
2022
https://www.csmonitor.com/Environment/2022/0616/River-of-Grass-Inside-the-quest-to-restore-the-Everglades
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Science academy: Everglades restoration won't fix water quality in Caloosahatchee, estuary
2021
https://www.news-press.com/story/news/2021/04/04/everglades-report-focuses-water-quality-issues/7058820002/
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Restoring Florida Everglades Depends Upon Fixing State’s Freshwater Flow, Conservationists Say
February 9, 2024
https://www.ecowatch.com/florida-everglades-restoration-freshwater-conservation.html
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A freshwater, saltwater tug-of-war is eating away at the Everglades
2018
Scientists wrestle with how to fight the effects of sea level rise and years of redirecting freshwater flow
TOXIC LAKE: Fertilizer-laden runoff from farms and urban areas caused a months-long harmful algal bloom in Lake Okeechobee in 2016.
https://www.sciencenews.org/article/florida-everglades-freshwater-saltwater-sea-level-rise
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How NASA spotted El Niño changing the saltiness of coastal waters
April 3, 2024
https://phys.org/news/2024-04-nasa-el-nio-saltiness-coastal.html
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How Are the Saline Glades Changing?
Changes
in plant communities in the park are not limited to Cape Sable.
Paralleling the shoreline in extreme southeastern Florida is a clearly
distinct vegetation community known locally as the saline glades, a
long, linear zone of sparsely vegetated marsh, much of which occurs
within Everglades National Park. Because this area receives little
freshwater flow and lies just out of reach of the tides, it is
unfavorable to the growth of most inland and coastal plant species8. The
zone is best characterized by the few plants species that can survive
there: stunted red mangroves, sawgrass, and spike rush.
Over the
past 50 years, the coastal vegetation of red mangroves has expanded its
range inland (more than 1 km in some areas) and has displaced other
freshwater species8. The red mangroves are able to grow farther inland
because the exchange of fresh and saline water in the marsh has been
influenced by roads, canals, and sea-level rise. Roads block the flow of
fresh water from the north into the saline glades and canals reroute
fresh water away from the area8. Storm surge and overwash from extreme
high tides deposit salt into the soils, making the area inhospitable to
freshwater species, and rising seas have helped extend this reach
farther inland. This increasingly salty environment makes it easier for
saline species to grow and reduces the overall area of freshwater
marsh8. Increased sea levels have also brought similar changes elsewhere
in south Florida.
https://www.nps.gov/ever/learn/nature/cceffectssalineglades.htm
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What's Happening to Cape Sable?
One
of the most drastic landscape changes in Everglades National Park, and
one that is complicated by sea-level rise and inland effects, is seen in
the Cape Sable area. Cape Sable is a large coastal landmass located at
the southwestern tip of Florida that was once characterized by an
expansive interior freshwater marsh with associated freshwater lakes. In
the early 1900s, settlers determined to use the area for agriculture
began draining the freshwater out to the ocean so the land could dry7.
However, the canals they built -- coupled with the effects of hurricanes
and the manipulation of water farther north -- transformed Cape Sable,
and much of this alteration has been aggravated by climate change.
Scientists
have used geological clues found in the landscape to estimate historic
sea levels long before humans had the instruments to do so. This
analysis shows that sea-level rise in south Florida was relatively slow
over the past 3,200 years7; however, modern instrumentation has recorded
an accelerated rate of rise over the past century, which has had
visible impacts on Cape Sable. The canals are now a pathway for salty
ocean water and sediments to travel inland, especially during high tides
or with the help of strong wind and surge from tropical storms7. In
recent years, the interior freshwater marsh has disappeared almost
entirely, and nearby lakes have filled almost completely with marine
sediments. Changes along Cape Sable also have implications for the
mangrove trees that live at the waters edge. In response to rising seas
and increased flooding, the trees have been moving inland as the habitat
becomes more suitable. And along the coast, high tides and storm surges
have helped wash sediments away from their roots and have contributed
to erosion along Cape Sable7. While many wonder whether coastal plants
and mangrove forests will be able to keep pace with sea-level rise,
others are beginning to notice similar changes further inland.
https://www.nps.gov/ever/learn/nature/cceffectscapesable.htm
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Water level and surface salinity trends in the Everglades freshwater-saline ecotone
September 2022
https://www.researchgate.net/publication/363855738_Water_level_and_surface_salinity_trends_in_the_Everglades_freshwater-saline_ecotone
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A novel approach for removing microplastics from water
September 12, 2023
Texas A&M AgriLife study shows fungal isolates can remediate potentially harmful microplastics in aqueous environment
https://agrilifetoday.tamu.edu/2023/09/12/a-novel-approach-for-removing-microplastics-from-water/
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Saltwater Intrusion, a “Slow Poison” to East Coast Drinking Water
August 2, 2022
https://www.circleofblue.org/2022/world/saltwater-intrusion-a-slow-poison-to-east-coast-drinking-water/
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Tell Me About: Saltwater Intrusion in Florida
Nov 4, 2021
https://www.floridamuseum.ufl.edu/earth-systems/blog/tell-me-about-saltwater-intrusion-in-florida/
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Threat from below: Sea rise is pushing up groundwater
March 6, 2023
https://www.miamiherald.com/news/local/environment/article257091902.html
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What are spring and neap tides?
A spring tide—popularly known as a "King Tide"—refers to the 'springing forth' of the tide during new and full moon.
A
neap tide—seven days after a spring tide—refers to a period of moderate
tides when the sun and moon are at right angles to each other.
https://oceanservice.noaa.gov/facts/springtide.html
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What is a perigean spring tide?
A perigean spring tide occurs when the moon is either new or full and closest to Earth.
https://oceanservice.noaa.gov/facts/perigean-spring-tide.html
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FLOODING FARMS? Everglades Project worries some Clewiston ranchers
Mar 14, 2024
Local rancher voices worries over potential flooding and land use impacts of a $3.4 billion environmental project
https://www.fox4now.com/clewiston/flooding-farms-everglades-project-sparks-concern-among-some-clewiston-ranchers
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Rubio, Florida lawmakers ask Biden for $725 million for Everglades restoration
March 2024
https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/politics/rubio-florida-lawmakers-ask-biden-for-725-million-for-everglades-restoration/ar-BB1jsoyV
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DeSantis announces $13 million in grants for water quality in Hernando
Nov 9, 2021
https://www.suncoastnews.com/news/desantis-announces-13-million-in-grants-for-water-quality-in-hernando/article_8a392dd2-4185-11ec-842d-6fc36e3ef18f.html
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DeSantis unveils $53 million for Indian River Lagoon cleanup, septic tank elimination
2021
https://www.floridatoday.com/story/news/local/2021/09/24/desantis-unveils-millions-indian-river-lagoon-cleanup-money/5846024001/
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DeSantis is spending heavily on water-quality improvements throughout Florida
January 16, 2024
https://www.wusf.org/environment/2024-01-16/desantis-spending-water-quality-improvements-algae-bloom-florida
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DeSantis signs sweeping new environmental law for cleaner water
2020
https://www.jacksonville.com/story/news/environment/2020/07/01/desantis-signs-sweeping-new-environmental-law-for-cleaner-water/41714235/
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Counties set aside millions to protect Sarasota Bay
November 14, 2023
https://www.wusf.org/environment/2023-11-14/counties-aside-millions-protect-sarasota-bay
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Did Florida lawmakers move to protect water quality? Here’s what passed and failed
2023
https://www.bradenton.com/news/local/article274488696.html
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Plan underway to protect Florida's springs
2018
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y8TgZEP5vus
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Lake County experts work to restore water quality at area lakes
Jun. 07, 2022
https://mynews13.com/fl/orlando/news/2022/06/07/lake-county-works-to-restore-impaired-lakes
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$57 million budgeted to protect Florida’s springs
2023
https://www.wcjb.com/2023/11/16/over-57-million-budgeted-protect-floridas-springs/
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DEP’s language for protecting Florida springs copies what doesn’t work
March 24, 2022
After repeated delays, agency fails to follow what the law requires
https://floridaphoenix.com/2022/03/24/deps-language-for-protecting-florida-springs-copies-what-doesnt-work/
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EPA: Florida must change water quality standards to protect citizens' health
Dec 5 2022
https://www.tallahassee.com/story/news/2022/12/05/epa-florida-runs-afoul-of-clean-water-act-must-update-water-standards/69699997007/
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Appeal court says state must do more to clean Florida’s polluted springs
February 15, 2023
"This allows us to hold polluters accountable," Ryan Smart of the Florida Springs Council said after Wednesday's ruling.
https://www.wtsp.com/article/news/investigations/10-investigates/appeals-court-floridas-polluted-springs/67-b5c1063c-15bd-4d25-9ead-26059389b973
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New study of Florida pollution just an expensive way to delay cleanup
March 21, 2024
The Legislature wants to spend $25M to find out something we already know
https://floridaphoenix.com/2024/03/21/new-study-of-florida-pollution-just-an-expensive-way-to-delay-cleanup/
______________
A look at the Florida Legislature’s spending plan: From bears to water quality
March 12, 2024
https://www.orlandosentinel.com/2024/03/12/a-look-at-the-florida-legislatures-spending-plan-from-bears-to-water-quality/
______________
Origin
and development of true karst valleys in response to late Holocene
sea‐level change, the Transverse Glades of southeast Florida, USA
2019
https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/pdf/10.1002/dep2.84
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'Bypass surgery for the Everglades': Scientists detail latest on restoration efforts
March 11, 2024
https://phys.org/news/2024-03-bypass-surgery-everglades-scientists-latest.html
______________
Climate Change Forces a Rethinking of Mammoth Everglades Restoration Plan
2023
https://insideclimatenews.org/news/09052023/climate-change-florida-everglades-restoration-plan/
______________
Industrious beavers, flooding causing headaches for Regatta Bay residents
Oct 19, 2021
https://www.nwfdailynews.com/story/news/local/2021/10/19/beavers-blamed-flooding-problems-destin-florida-regatta-bay-neighborhood/8471229002/
______________
Wildcat Wells in Florida’s Big Cypress Preserve Bring New and Unstudied Risks
2014
Regulatory
agencies aren't carefully assessing the impact of ramped up oil and gas
exploration in southwest Florida, say critics
https://earthisland.org/journal/index.php/articles/entry/wildcat_wells_in_floridas_big_cypress_preserve_bring_new_and_unstudied_risk/
______________
Army Corps Finds Significant Damage in Big Cypress National Preserve After NPS Green Lights Oil and Gas Exploration
Mar 11, 2020
https://www.npca.org/articles/2486-army-corps-finds-significant-damage-in-big-cypress-national-preserve-after
______________
New Report Examines Repercussions, Damage from Oil and Gas Testing in Big Cypress National Preserve
Nov 7, 2023
https://www.npca.org/articles/3609-new-report-examines-repercussions-damage-from-oil-and-gas-testing-in-big
______________
Burnett Oil Seeking to Drill in Big Cypress National Preserve, Part of America’s Everglades
2021
https://www.npca.org/articles/2802-burnett-oil-seeking-to-drill-in-big-cypress-national-preserve-part-of
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Oil drilling in Big Cypress National Reserve? Not if we can stop it | Opinion
February 2024
https://www.msn.com/en-us/money/markets/oil-drilling-in-big-cypress-national-reserve-not-if-we-can-stop-it-opinion/ar-AA1n2YWZ
______________
Where have all the big cypress gone?
2022
https://floridanationalparks.org/where-have-all-the-big-cypress-gone/
______________
Coalition
Comments On Big Cypress National Preserve Supplemental Draft
Backcountry Access Plan, Wilderness Study, and Environmental Impact
Statement
2022
https://protectnps.org/2022/09/20/coalition-comments-on-big-cypress-national-preserve-supplemental-draft-backcountry-access-plan-wilderness-study-and-environmental-impact-statement/
______________
Sea-Level Rise Might Kill Big Cypress Preserve's Namesake Trees, Study Warns
2018
https://www.miaminewtimes.com/news/sea-level-rise-threatens-big-cypress-trees-fiu-study-warns-10655103
______________
Methane
Gas Ebullition Dynamics From Different Subtropical Wetland Vegetation
Communities in Big Cypress National Preserve, Florida Are Revealed Using
a Multi-Method, Multi-Scale Approach
2023
https://agupubs.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1029/2023JG007795
______________
Cypress Camp Trail fire in Collier expands to nearly 6,700 acres; reported burning close to I-75
April 7, 2023
https://news.wgcu.org/section/environment/2023-04-06/cypress-trail-fire-in-collier-county-expands-to-over-4-500-acres-reported-burning-close-to-i-75
______________
Why are Collier County skies so smoky?
February 23, 2024
https://winknews.com/2024/02/23/smoky-skies-collier-county-prescribed-burn/
______________
The Troubling Impacts of Florida’s Piney Point Pollution
2021
https://oceanconservancy.org/blog/2021/08/02/floridas-piney-point-pollution/
______________
Babcock Ranch Problems: Unveiling the Challenges Faced by a Growing Community
2023
https://www.animascorp.com/babcock-ranch-problems/
______________
Florida
Keys' Record-high Water Temperatures Would Spell Disaster for Florida
Bay Seagrasses Without Fresh Water Delivered Through Everglades
Restoration
July 27, 2023
Audubon Florida's long-term
monitoring shows the significance of this event and the saving grace of
restoration projects already in place.
https://fl.audubon.org/news/florida-keys-record-high-water-temperatures-would-spell-disaster-florida-bay-seagrasses-without
______________
Mercury Air Pollution Hotspots Remain a Problem
June 8, 2023
https://www.technologynetworks.com/applied-sciences/news/mercury-air-pollution-hotspots-remain-a-problem-374415
______________
EPA Says Limiting Mercury Pollution From Power Plants Is No Longer ‘Appropriate and Necessary’
2019
To justify its position, the agency is choosing to blatantly disregard the health impact to humans and wildlife, critics warn.
https://www.audubon.org/news/epa-says-limiting-mercury-pollution-power-plants-no-longer-appropriate-and
______________
How Mercury Pollution Affects Our Oceans and Fish
October 17, 2019
https://environment.co/mercury-pollution-in-fish/
______________
Toxic mercury pollution found in the ocean’s deepest point
2020
Two
independent teams of scientists have found methylmercury in fish and
crustaceans captured in the 11,000-metre-deep Mariana Trench.
https://www.sciencefocus.com/news/toxic-mercury-pollution-found-in-the-oceans-deepest-point
______________
Humans have tripled mercury levels in upper ocean
06 August 2014
https://www.nature.com/articles/nature.2014.15680
______________
Global deforestation leads to more mercury pollution, finds study
FEBRUARY 12, 2024
https://phys.org/news/2024-02-global-deforestation-mercury-pollution.html
______________
Lethal mercury in the Everglades exceeds EPA standards
February 5, 2020
https://caplinnews.fiu.edu/mercury-in-the-everglades-lethal-and-increasing/
______________
Mercury Water Pollution in the Everglades: A Decades-long Concern
August 12, 2020
https://savethewater.org/mercury-water-pollution-in-the-everglades/
______________
Challenges and opportunities for managing aquatic mercury pollution in altered landscapes
2018
https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s13280-017-1006-7
_____________
Mercury in Stream Ecosystems—New Studies Initiated by the U.S. Geological Survey
2003
https://pubs.usgs.gov/fs/fs-016-03/
____________
Mercury Contamination of Aquatic Environments
November 13, 2018
https://www.usgs.gov/special-topics/water-science-school/science/mercury-contamination-aquatic-environments
____________
Mercury Contamination in Florida: Strategies to Reduce Mercury Pollution and Protect Public Health
2005
https://policyarchive.org/handle/10207/5158
_____________
Mercury accumulation trends in Florida Everglades and Savannas Marsh flooded soils
1995
https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/BF01189752
___________
Bioremediation of environments contaminated with mercury. Present and perspectives
2023
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC10338569/
___________
Widespread Mercury Contamination Across Western North America
2016
https://www.usgs.gov/news/featured-story/comprehensive-study-finds-widespread-mercury-contamination-across-western-north
______________
America’s Biggest Mercury Polluters
JANUARY 3, 2012
How Cleaning Up the Dirtiest Power Plants Will Protect Public Health
Power
plants continue to release large amounts of toxic pollutants, including
mercury, into our air. In 2010, two-thirds of all airborne mercury
pollution in the United States came from the smokestacks of coal-fired
power plants. In other words, power plants generate more airborne
mercury pollution than all other industrial sources combined.
https://environmentamerica.org/florida/center/resources/americas-biggest-mercury-polluters/
______________
Global deforestation leads to more mercury pollution
February 12, 2024
Scientists quantify a previously overlooked driver of human-made mercury emissions
https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2024/02/240212133224.htm
______________
Reducing Mercury Pollution from Artisanal and Small-Scale Gold Mining
https://www.epa.gov/international-cooperation/reducing-mercury-pollution-artisanal-and-small-scale-gold-mining
______________
The surprising source of most mercury pollution: Gold mining
2013
https://www.nbcnews.com/sciencemain/surprising-source-most-mercury-pollution-gold-mining-8C11269314
______________
Gold Rush's Poisonous Legacy: Mercury Will Linger for 10,000 Years
2023
https://www.livescience.com/40794-gold-rush-mercury-pollution.html
______________
Heavy Metal Pollution from Gold Mines: Environmental Effects and Bacterial Strategies for Resistance
2018
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5129257/
_____________
Florida Police Continue Crackdown on Illegal Mining and Crime
September 8, 2023
https://www.joburgetc.com/news/more-arrests-for-illegal-mining-in-florida/
_____________
Our evolved understanding of the human health risks of mercury
2023
https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s13280-023-01831-6
______________
Mercury Pollution Threatens Health Worldwide, Scientists Say
August 11, 2006
https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2006/08/060811191845.htm
______________
Health Impacts of Mercury Toxicity on Fish in an Aquatic System
Aug 2023
https://www.researchgate.net/publication/373485073_Health_Impacts_of_Mercury_Toxicity_on_Fish_in_an_Aquatic_System
______________
Bluefin tuna reveal global ocean patterns of mercury pollution
2021
https://phys.org/news/2021-09-bluefin-tuna-reveal-global-ocean.html
_____________
Mercury levels drop in Atlantic bluefin tuna
2016
Study shows 19-percent improvement in just 8 years.
https://arstechnica.com/science/2016/12/less-pollution-makes-for-less-mercury-in-atlantic-bluefin-tuna/
_____________
Why Is Mercury Stubbornly High in Tuna? Researchers Might Have an Answer.
Feb 2024
Old
accumulations of the toxic metal in the deep sea are circulating into
shallower waters where the fish feed, new research found.
https://www.nytimes.com/2024/02/27/climate/tuna-mercury.html
_____________
Mercury accumulation in largemouth bass (Micropterus salmoides Lacépède) within marsh ecosystems of the Florida Everglades, USA
2014 Oct 22
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/25336046/
______________
Experimental lake shows fish populations can recover quickly from mercury contamination
2021
https://www.science.org/content/article/research-experimental-lake-shows-fish-populations-can-recover-quickly-mercury-contamination
______________
Mercury as a Threat to the Endangered Florida Panther
https://web.cecs.pdx.edu/~fishw/WQC_HgPanthers.pdf
______________
Dragonflies reveal mercury pollution levels across US national parks
2020
Local research project spurs first nationwide survey of the toxic metal
https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2020/07/200722083811.htm
_____________
Everglades Marshes Contain Mercury That Can Poison Birds. But There's A Fix: More Water
October 28, 2020
https://www.wlrn.org/2020-10-28/everglades-marshes-contain-mercury-that-can-poison-birds-but-theres-a-fix-more-water
______________
Mercury pollution threatens to impair the ability of birds to migrate
2018
https://phys.org/news/2018-09-mercury-pollution-threatens-impair-ability.html
______________
Mercury causes homosexuality in male ibises
2010
https://www.nature.com/articles/news.2010.641
______________
Mercury poisoning makes male birds homosexual
2010
https://www.newscientist.com/article/dn19784-mercury-poisoning-makes-male-birds-homosexual/
______________
Study says pollution makes birds gay
2010
https://www.nbcnews.com/science/cosmic-log/study-says-pollution-makes-birds-gay-flna6C10403546
______________
Dioxin pollution leads to more baby girls: study
2007
https://www.reuters.com/article/idUSN18363845/
______________
New study reveals transgenerational effects of pesticide linuron on frogs
March 11, 2024
https://phys.org/news/2024-03-reveals-transgenerational-effects-pesticide-linuron.html
______________
Stop the Pollution of the Everglades with Methyl-Mercury
The
fish swimming in our Everglades are poisoned with toxic mercury. The
only way to fix this is to regulate runoff from the Everglades
Agricultural Area.
https://www.everglades.org/methyl-mercury/
______________
Mercury
Pollution History in Tropical and Subtropical American Lakes: Multiple
Impacts and the Possible Relationship with Climate Change
2023
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/36802450/
_____________
Microbial transformation to remediate mercury pollution: strains isolation and laboratory study
2022
https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s13762-022-04158-z
______________
Research Offers Promising Solution To Worsening Mercury Pollution
AUGUST 20, 2003
https://news.ufl.edu/archive/2003/08/research-offers-promising-solution-to-worsening-mercury-pollution.html
_____________
We created a new material from orange peel that can clean up mercury pollution
October 19, 2015
https://theconversation.com/we-created-a-new-material-from-orange-peel-that-can-clean-up-mercury-pollution-49355
_____________
Mercury pollution is not a problem (as long as we use this fungus)
27 December 2022
A
fungus, called Metarhizium robertsii, is reportedly able to remove
mercury around plant roots, thus preventing its uptake. The remediation
operation, moreover, occurs as much in the soil as in fresh or salt
water. These findings come from a study published in recent weeks in the
journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS).
https://resoilfoundation.org/en/environment/suolo-contamination-fungus/
____________
Mineral Oil Dielectric Fluid (MODEF) Cleanup Protocols
2020
https://floridadep.gov/waste/district-business-support/content/mineral-oil-dielectric-fluid-modef-cleanup-protocols
____________
Phytoremediation of heavy metal polluted soils and water: Progresses and perspectives
2008
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2266886/
____________
Clean-Up of Heavy Metals from Contaminated Soil by Phytoremediation: A Multidisciplinary and Eco-Friendly Approach
2023 May 2
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC10221411/
____________
Growth response and mycoremediation of heavy metals by fungus Pleurotus sp.
19 November 2022
Abstract
Heavy metal contamination (HMs) in water and soil is the most serious
problem caused by industrial and mining processes and other human
activities. Mycoremediation is a biotechnology that employs fungi to
remove toxic contaminants from the environment in an efficient and
cost-effective manner. Pleurotus spp. have been shown to
either increase plant growth on metal-contaminated soils by providing
more nutrients or by reducing metal toxicity. Pleurotus species (J. Lange), a mushroom that can be eaten, has been observed growing on plantations of wood trees in Kerman's orchards. P. sp.
was the subject of this study, which examined the effects of different
concentrations of various heavy metals Cobalt (Co), Copper (Cu), and
Nickel (Ni) (0, 15, 30, 45, and 60 mg/L) on fungal colony diameters,
mycelial dry weights, accumulation of heavy metals, and antioxidative
enzymes. The findings revealed that P. sp. was more
tolerant of Co than other metals, so the fungus grew more in the
presence of low concentrations of Co and Cu. However, even at
concentrations as low as 15 mg/L, Ni greatly inhibited the growth of
biomass and colony diameter. Heavy metals increased the activity of
superoxide dismutases (SOD) and catalase (CAT) up to 45 mg/L, but an
increase in metal concentration above 45 mg/L resulted in a significant
decrease in SOD. Metals in mycelium also increased as the concentrations
of these heavy metals increased.
https://www.nature.com/articles/s41598-022-24349-5
____________
Impact of heavy metals on the environment and human health: Novel therapeutic insights to counter the toxicity
2022
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1018364722000465
____________
Toxic Mechanisms of Five Heavy Metals: Mercury, Lead, Chromium, Cadmium, and Arsenic
2021 Apr 13
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC8078867/
____________
Metal-mining pollution impacts 23 million people worldwide
22 September 2023
https://www.bbc.com/news/science-environment-66880697
____________
Heavy Metal Contamination in Groundwater Sources
May 2021
https://www.researchgate.net/publication/351873383_Heavy_Metal_Contamination_in_Groundwater_Sources
____________
The
impact of heavy metal contamination on soil quality and plant
nutrition. Sustainable management of moderate contaminated agricultural
and urban soils, using low cost materials and promoting circular economy
2023
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S2352554123000803
____________
Problems in the assessment of heavy-metal levels in estuaries and the formation of a pollution index
1 March 1980
https://www.semanticscholar.org/paper/Problems-in-the-assessment-of-heavy-metal-levels-in-Tomlinson-Wilson/df12b558b164ae276a03a8c844ffc5b6cb63a5df
____________
Assessing the ecological risk of heavy metal sediment contamination from Port Everglades Florida USA
November 14, 2023
https://peerj.com/articles/16152/
____________
Effects of heavy metals on fish physiology – A review
2022
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0045653522010128
____________
Waterbirds as bioindicators of wetland heavy metal pollution
2011
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1878029611006244
____________
Heavy metal pollution in the environment and their toxicological effects on humans
2020
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/32964150/
____________
The impact of heavy metal contamination on soil health
August 2018
https://www.researchgate.net/publication/326894899_The_impact_of_heavy_metal_contamination_on_soil_health
____________
Thunderstorms spread mercury pollution
AUGUST 31, 2016
https://phys.org/news/2016-08-thunderstorms-mercury-pollution.html#google_vignette
____________
After Ian, Florida’s waterways could remain polluted for months
November 2, 2022
In the weeks since Ian pulled away from the Sunshine State, city workers and concerned citizens filed hundreds of pollution reports to the state’s Department of Environmental Protection
https://www.washingtonpost.com/climate-environment/2022/11/02/ian-sewage-florida-wastewater/
___________
State Still Lets Central Florida's Sludge Foul Everglades, Critics Say
June 29, 2009
https://fl.audubon.org/news/state-still-lets-central-floridas-sludge-foul-everglades-critics-say
___________
South Florida Ecosystem Assessment: Everglades Water Management, Soil Loss, Eutrophication and Habitat
Septembeer 2000
https://www.epa.gov/everglades/south-florida-ecosystem-assessment-everglades-water-management-soil-loss-eutrophication
___________
Why is it Important to Restore the Everglades?
Restoring America's Everglades
https://www.epa.gov/everglades/why-it-important-restore-everglades
______________
Everglades restoration is getting a billion dollar windfall. Here's what that will buy
2022
https://www.wlrn.org/environment/2022-02-25/everglades-restoration-is-getting-a-billion-dollar-windfall-heres-what-that-will-buy
_______________
______________
______________
______________
______________
Section 14: Mangroves
______________
______________
______________
______________
______________
NASA Study Maps the Roots of Global Mangrove Loss
Sep 29, 2023
Using high-resolution data from the joint NASA-U.S. Geological Survey Landsat program, researchers have created the first map of the causes of change in global mangrove habitats between 2000 and 2016 – a valuable tool to aid conservation efforts for these vital coastline defenders.
Mangroves are hardy trees and shrubs that grow in the salty, wet, muddy soils of Earth’s tropical and subtropical coastlines. They protect the coastlines from erosion and storm damage; store carbon within their roots, trunks, and in the soil; and provide habitats for commercially important marine species. The study showed that overall, mangrove habitat loss declined during the period. However, losses from natural causes like erosion and extreme weather declined more slowly than human causes such as farming and aquaculture. For conservation and resource managers trying to prevent loss or re-establish new habitats, this finding highlights the need for strategies that account for natural causes of loss.
The global map will benefit researchers investigating the carbon cycle impacts of mangrove gain and loss, as well as help conservation organizations identify where to protect or restore these vital coastal habitats.
In 2002, the Río Cauto Delta, pictured here in a January 2020 Landsat 8 image, was named a Ramsar site – an internationally recognized wetland of importance. The delta is home to numerous species of mangroves.
This map shows the location and severity of mangrove habitat loss,
measured in kilometers, caused by natural and human drivers from 2000 to
2016. Darker areas experienced more loss in the period.
https://www.nasa.gov/centers-and-facilities/goddard/nasa-study-maps-the-roots-of-global-mangrove-loss/
______________
The new 'blob': How sargassum seaweed assaults Florida mangroves
AUGUST 17, 2023
Meet the scientists testing what Florida’s most important plant can withstand.
https://www.cityandstatefl.com/policy/2023/08/sargassum-seaweeds-assault-florida-mangroves/389476/
______________
Tell Me About: Threats to Mangroves in Florida
Jun 2, 2022
What’s going on?
Although currently protected by Florida law, mangrove deforestation continues due to coastal and urban development. Since the 1900s, vital estuary habitats such as the Tampa Bay and Charlotte Harbor have lost 50-60% of their mangrove forests. Other environmental issues, including climate change and water pollution, also threaten mangroves by changing the distribution and chemistry of their environment. This may include increased storm events and sea-level rise.
Why it matters.
Mangrove forests provide critical habitats for crustaceans, birds, and fish, including many endangered species. They are home to several important species for commercial and recreational fishing industries, a significant part of Florida’s economy. Mangroves remove and store much more carbon per acre than terrestrial forests, making these ecosystems a significant player in fighting climate change.
Found right along the water’s edge, mangroves stabilize shorelines and reduce coastal erosion. They help prevent storm surges and damage to coastal properties during hurricanes and other storm events. Mangroves also improve water clarity and quality by trapping sediments and absorbing nutrients that would obscure or pollute the water.
https://www.floridamuseum.ufl.edu/earth-systems/blog/tell-me-about-threats-to-mangroves-in-florida/
______________
Four threats to manatees and mangroves in Florida – and how we can save them
https://www.worldwildlife.org/stories/four-threats-to-manatees-and-mangroves-in-florida-and-how-we-can-save-them
______________
Manatees in Florida Seriously Threatened from Pollution, Pesticides, and Other Human-Induced Stressors
2022
https://beyondpesticides.org/dailynewsblog/2022/01/manatees-in-florida-seriously-threatened-from-pollution-pesticides-and-other-human-induced-stressors/
______________
Chronic exposure to glyphosate in Florida manatee
March 2021
https://www.researchgate.net/publication/350123311_Chronic_exposure_to_glyphosate_in_Florida_manatee
______________
Climate Crisis and Negligent Policymakers Blamed for 'Record Sickening Levels' of Manatee Deaths in Florida
May 31, 2021
"The reason sensitive manatees are dying is no big mystery," wrote the Orlando Sentinel editorial board. "Environmentalists heralded this foul die-off. Politicians were deaf to the warning."
https://www.commondreams.org/news/2021/05/31/climate-crisis-and-negligent-policymakers-blamed-record-sickening-levels-manatee
______________
EPA accused of failing to regulate use of toxic herbicides despite court order
24 Apr 2023
Instead of yanking products, EPA made Monsanto and others amend labels before reapproving dicamba, lawsuit claims
https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2023/apr/24/epa-monsanto-toxic-herbicides-dicamba
______________
NAS: EPA Underestimated Number of Polluted Florida Streams, Lakes, Rivers and Springs in Florida
2012
https://earthjustice.org/press/2012/nas-epa-underestimated-number-of-polluted-florida-streams-lakes-rivers-and-springs-in-florida-0
_____________
Florida NEEDS Stricter Rules OR Ban Dimethyl Disulfide and/or Chloropicrin for Commercial Agricultural Pesticide use for the Protection of Earth, Water, Air, Humanity's Health, Animal Life and OUR Food Supply. Refer to Clean Air Act Section 112 (2).
July 29, 2015
https://www.change.org/p/florida-pesticides-florida-needs-stricter-rules-or-ban-dimethyl-disulfide-and-or-chloropicrin-for-commercial-agricultural-pesticide-use-for-the-protection-of-earth-water-air-humanity-s-health-animal-life-and-our-food-supply-refer-to-clean-air-act
______________
In the last 21 months, according to Environment Florida, polluters have violated the Clean Air Act nearly 300 times.
https://organicconsumers.org/report-florida-has-water-pollution-problem-and-some-tampa-bay-companies-are-among-worst/
______________
Pollution Has Cost Florida Millions, and the Bill Keeps Rising
2020
In the past decade, the State of Florida has spent at least $20 million cleaning up and preventing algal blooms.
https://www.miaminewtimes.com/news/florida-has-spent-millions-fixing-water-pollution-and-algal-blooms-11687113
______________
Report Finds Water Pollution in Florida Costs up to $10.5 Billion, Annually
2012
https://earthjustice.org/press/2012/report-finds-water-pollution-in-florida-costs-up-to-10-5-billion-annually
______________
Floridians Want More Aggressive Action To Address Environmental Issues, Survey Finds
2021
https://www.wusf.org/environment/2021-09-21/floridians-want-more-aggressive-action-to-address-environmental-issues-survey-finds
_____________
"Tallahassee Politicians Are Failing To Protect Florida’s Environment"
https://www.sej.org/headlines/tallahassee-politicians-are-failing-protect-florida%E2%80%99s-environment
_____________
Why must Florida wait to take action on polluted waterways? | Editorial
2022
https://www.orlandosentinel.com/2022/08/31/why-must-florida-wait-to-take-action-on-polluted-waterways-editorial/
_____________
Florida Legislature’s leaders leave plenty of work for their successors
March 2024
https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/politics/florida-legislature-s-leaders-leave-plenty-of-work-for-their-successors/ar-BB1jC6Xu
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Latest EPA assessment shows almost no improvement in river and stream nitrogen pollution
The problem is expected to get harder to control as climate change produces more intense storms
Jan 2024
https://www.nbcmiami.com/news/national-international/latest-epa-assessment-shows-almost-no-improvement-in-river-and-stream-nitrogen-pollution/3212045/
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If groundwater tables drop, streams and rivers seep away and pollute drinking water
2022
https://phys.org/news/2022-08-groundwater-tables-streams-rivers-seep.html
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Mangrove removal investigation on Anna Maria Island
2024
https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/us/mangrove-removal-investigation-on-anna-maria-island/ar-AA1mx7lZ
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Global trends in mangrove forest fragmentation
28 April 2020
https://www.nature.com/articles/s41598-020-63880-1
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Human activities such as dredging and careless boating are threatening South Florida’s mangroves and seagrass
https://floridakeys.noaa.gov/plants/msthreats.html/welcome.html
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Chapter 17 - Mangroves as coastal rainforests: imminent threats, hazards, and changing status of ecosystem services
2023
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/B978012820509900006X
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Mangroves and seagrass provide habitat for important commercial and recreational species, help stabilize the seafloor, and filter pollutants
https://floridakeys.noaa.gov/plants/msbenefits.html
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Mangrove Restoration: Offering two-for-one solutions to climate change
20 Jan, 2017
Climate mitigation and adaptation are a country’s most pressing actions in the face of a looming global climate crisis –with catastrophic consequences already occurring in many coastal regions. Now, the restoration of mangrove forests and other coastal systems is emerging as a solution – serving both as a carbon sink as well as offering coastal protection and food security.
https://www.iucn.org/news/forests/201701/mangrove-restoration-offering-two-one-solutions-climate-change
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Forests with Multiple Tree Species are More Effective as Carbon Sinks
16 Nov 2023
https://www.linacre.ox.ac.uk/news/forests-with-multiple-tree-species-are-more-effective-as-carbon-sinks
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Governments ill-equipped to protect mangroves, need to involve communities: global study
February 2, 2017
https://www.reuters.com/article/idUSKBN15H2RH/
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Florida county’s swampy politics lead to bad decision on wetlands
AUGUST 24, 2023
Commissioners listen to developer’s expert instead of actual wetlands scientist
https://floridaphoenix.com/2023/08/24/florida-countys-swampy-politics-lead-to-bad-decision-on-wetlands/
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Fueled by Pollution and Unsound Policies, Toxic Algae Overtake Florida Beaches
2018
Florida is in the midst of a still-unfolding water pollution catastrophe. Many formerly picture-perfect beaches and posh waterfront neighborhoods are now surreal toxic landscapes where the smell is so pungent, it can make you nauseous.
Parts of South Florida are being inundated by harmful algal blooms, which affect both public health and marine life, including red tide (caused by the alga Karenia brevis) and blue-green algae (more precisely known as cyanobacteria, or Microcystis, which are technically bacteria but commonly referred to as algae).
Sunset over a canal in Cape Coral, Florida, filled with cyanobacteria, or blue-green algae.
Cyanobacteria, or blue-green algae, in a canal near the Cape Coral Yacht Club in Florida.
Photographer’s sneakers on a concrete seawall on the side of a toxic algae-filled canal in Cape Coral, Florida.
https://truthout.org/articles/fueled-by-pollution-and-unsound-policies-toxic-algae-overtakes-florida-beaches/
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Algae issue needs attack at source, not pretend study
2022
https://www.palmbeachpost.com/story/opinion/2022/05/09/florida-needs-stop-algae-pollution-source-not-fund-fake-studies/9679115002/
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Florida Senators Back Mangrove, Reef Projects
March 07, 2023
https://www.law.com/dailybusinessreview/2023/03/07/florida-senators-back-mangrove-reef-projects/?slreturn=20240128003511
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Florida: Proposed bill would restore mangroves to help fight coastal erosion
January 22, 2024
https://dredgewire.com/florida-proposed-bill-would-restore-mangroves-to-help-fight-coastal-erosion/
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A New Local Mapping Project Aims to Protect Mangroves
April 7, 2023
The project will track mangrove growth and conditions along northern Sarasota Bay, Palma Sola Bay, southern Tampa Bay, Terra Ceia Bay and the Manatee River.
https://www.sarasotamagazine.com/news-and-profiles/2023/04/mangroves-new-college
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41 Mangrove Facts For Kids To Understand Their Importance
Mar 09, 2022
https://kidadl.com/facts/mangrove-facts-for-kids-to-understand-their-importance
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Mangrove Ecosystems under Climate Change
04 November 2017
https://link.springer.com/chapter/10.1007/978-3-319-62206-4_7
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Hurricanes fertilize mangrove forests, shape coastal landscape of the Florida Everglades
February 17, 2020
https://news.fiu.edu/2020/hurricanes-fertilize-mangrove-forests,-shape-coastal-landscape-of-the-florida-everglades
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Why protecting & restoring blue carbon ecosystems matters
https://www.unep.org/explore-topics/oceans-seas/what-we-do/protecting-restoring-blue-carbon-ecosystems/why-protecting
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Mapping the Roots of Mangrove Loss
https://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/images/147142/mapping-the-roots-of-mangrove-loss
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The Loss of Species: Mangrove Extinction Risk and Geographic Areas of Global Concern
2010 Apr 8
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2851656/
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Finding Mangroves In Unexpected Places
https://ocean.si.edu/ocean-life/plants-algae/finding-mangroves-unexpected-places
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The impact of shrimp farming on mangrove ecosystems
January 2010
https://www.researchgate.net/publication/248908889_The_impact_of_shrimp_farming_on_mangrove_ecosystems
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Shrimp farming can help regenerate mangroves
10 January 2023
New research has found that shrimp farming, once a driver of mangrove loss, can protect and restore this critical ecosystem.
https://thefishsite.com/articles/shrimp-farming-can-help-regenerate-mangroves
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SFP: Shrimp farming can help restore mangroves and mitigate climate change
10 January 2023
https://www.globalseafood.org/advocate/sfp-shrimp-farming-can-help-restore-mangroves-and-mitigate-climate-change/
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Ecosystems Under Stress: Restoring South Florida's Everglades and Coral Reefs
November 2023
https://sanctuaries.noaa.gov/news/nov23/ecosystems-under-stress.html
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The Power of Three: Coral Reefs, Seagrasses and Mangroves Protect Coastal Regions and Increase Their Resilience
2016 Jul 13
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4943730/
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Mangroves protect coastlines, store carbon – and are expanding with climate change
February 9, 2018
https://theconversation.com/mangroves-protect-coastlines-store-carbon-and-are-expanding-with-climate-change-81445
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New study finds mangroves may store way more carbon than we thought
2 May 2018
https://news.mongabay.com/2018/05/new-study-finds-mangroves-may-store-way-more-carbon-than-we-thought/
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Changes in Mangrove Blue Carbon under Elevated Atmospheric CO2
17 Mar 2023
https://spj.science.org/doi/10.34133/ehs.0033
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Rapid greening in mangroves
03 January 2024
https://www.nature.com/articles/s41559-023-02247-x
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Mangrove forest loss is slowing toward a halt, new report shows
8 November 2022
https://news.mongabay.com/2022/11/mangrove-forest-loss-is-slowing-toward-a-halt-new-report-shows/
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News spotlight: Mangrove deforestation drops, but new protections still needed
Nov 23, 2022
https://www.conservation.org/blog/news-spotlight-mangrove-deforestation-drops-but-new-protections-still-needed
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Mangrove loss has fallen dramatically, but the forests are still in danger
September 12, 2020
https://www.washingtonpost.com/science/mangrove-forest-loss-protection/2020/09/11/e722652a-d694-11ea-9c3b-dfc394c03988_story.html
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Should Florida do more to protect its mangroves?
August 29, 2023
https://www.theinvadingsea.com/2023/08/29/florida-mangroves-climate-hurricanes-restoration-carbon/
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Proposed bill would restore mangroves to help fight coastal erosion
JAN. 20, 2024
https://baynews9.com/fl/tampa/news/2024/01/20/mangroves-coastal-erosion-
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Mangrove Trees in Florida: What Are They And Why Are They Important?
OCTOBER 10, 2023
https://www.epicgardening.com/mangroves/
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Decades of Mangrove Forest Change: What does it mean for nature, people and the climate?
02 May 2023
https://www.unep.org/resources/report/decades-mangrove-forest-change-what-does-it-mean-nature-people-and-climate
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7 Helpful Ways To Conserve Mangrove Ecosystems
August 4, 2022
https://oceanwideexplorers.com/7-helpful-ways-to-conserve-mangrove-ecosystems/
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Mangrove root model may hold the key to preventing coastal erosion
June 3, 2021
https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2021/06/210603111957.htm
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Mangroves could survive sea-level rise if protected
https://www.cam.ac.uk/research/news/mangroves-could-survive-sea-level-rise-if-protected
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Shoreline Habitat: Mangroves
2013
https://www.aoml.noaa.gov/ocd/ocdweb/docs/MARES/MARES_SEFC_ICEM__20131001_Appendix_Mangroves.pdf
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Florida mangroves
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Florida_mangroves
Habitat destruction
Human activity has impacted the mangrove ecoregion in Florida. While the coverage of mangroves at the end of the 20th century is estimated to have decreased only 5% from a century earlier, some localities have seen severe reductions. The Lake Worth Lagoon lost 87% of its mangroves in the second half of the 20th century, leaving a remnant of just 276 acres (1.12 km2). Tampa Bay, home to the busy Port of Tampa, lost over 44% of its wetlands, including mangroves and salt marshes, during the 20th century. Three-quarters of the wetlands along the Indian River Lagoon, including mangroves, were impounded for mosquito control during the 20th century. As of 2001, natural water flow was being restored to some of the wetlands.
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Mangrove tree distribution
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mangrove_tree_distribution
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Mangrove
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mangrove
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Improving Water Quality with Mangroves
July 15, 2019
https://www.monitorwater.org/post/improving-water-quality-with-mangroves
In the heart of South Florida, mangrove forests are characteristic of coastline scenery. While many people may not even think twice when passing these ecosystems while biking down a beach road or kayaking atop glassy waters, mangroves hold incredible environmental value, a value that is being threatened by human activity around the world today.By some estimates, more than 50 percent of the world's mangrove forests were destroyed by the end of the 20th century, and half of those that remain are in poor condition. Mangrove forests are among the most threatened habitats in the world, and the loss of mangroves is rampant across the globe.In South Florida, we have an estimated 469,000 acres of mangrove forests that contribute to the overall health of the state's coastal zone. From securing and protecting coastlines, to serving as homes for hundreds of marine and land species, to capturing tons of carbon dioxide from the atmosphere with their immense carbon-storing abilities, mangroves and mangrove forests are key environmental beauties.Mangroves also have the lesser-known, incredible ability to improve the water quality of their ecosystem. Their roots hold onto sediments which reduces erosion and leads to better water quality. They can also absorb nutrients from runoff that could potentially cause harmful algal blooms offshore, an increasingly big problem here in South Florida. Amazingly, both coral reefs and seagrass beds are reliant on the water purifying ability of nearby mangrove forests to keep the water clear and healthy.However, despite their known environmental benefits and impact, mangroves still face the imminent threat of destruction from human action around the world. Human greed continues to devastate mangrove ecosystems, and if we do not stop our current courses of action now, mangroves as we know them may become extinct. From damage from plastic and agricultural pollution to being cleared for coastal development, mangroves continue to be destroyed at an alarming rate, and it is up to us to change this.
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Florida’s Environmental Failures Are a Warning for the Rest of the U.S.
JULY 12, 2023
https://time.com/6288683/florida-desantis-environment-climate-change/
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Threats to the Everglades
The Everglades National Park is often referred to as the “most threatened park in the U.S.”
https://www.floridamuseum.ufl.edu/southflorida/regions/everglades/threats/
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Section 15: Endangered Animals & Invasive Animals
______________
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FLORIDA’S ENDANGERED AND THREATENED SPECIES
http://tampabay.wateratlas.usf.edu/upload/documents/Threatened_Endangered_Species.pdf
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Giant lizards, hissing ducks, and pythons: Florida has an invasive Species Problem
2021
https://www.nationalgeographic.com/premium/article/florida-has-invasive-species-problem
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The 3 Invasive Iguanas In Florida: Guide With Pictures And Facts
February 27, 2023
https://outforia.com/iguanas-in-florida/
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Florida’s invasive iguana population is booming. And that’s a problem.
2019
https://www.tampabay.com/news/environment/2019/11/26/floridas-invasive-iguana-population-is-booming-and-thats-a-problem/
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Iguana Hunter Kills Giant Invasive Lizards in Florida
August 2, 2022
https://www.outdoorlife.com/conservation/florida-iguana-invasion/
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Iguana Hunting 101: How to Target This Invasive and Destructive Species
August 23, 2021
https://www.wideopenspaces.com/iguana-hunting-101/
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Florida's least wanted: 10 invasive animal species that are wrecking native ecosystems
2019
1. Burmese pythons
2. Feral hogs
3. Cane toads
4. Lionfish
5. Cuban tree frogs
6. Giant African land snails
7. Iguanas
8. Green Mussles
9. Cats
10. Tegu lizards
https://www.floridatoday.com/story/news/local/environment/2019/04/13/florida-invasive-animal-species-wrecking-native-ecosystems-non-native/3456294002/
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A Florida delicacy: Invasive lionfish, fresh from local waters
August 28, 2023
Lionfish in Florida
https://www.floridarambler.com/restaurants-bars/lionfish-in-florida/
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Bite Back Against Invasive Species at Your Next Meal
February 9, 2016
From seaweed to lionfish, invasive species are appearing on menus throughout the U.S.
https://www.smithsonianmag.com/travel/indulge-invasive-species-restaurants-across-country-180957899/
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The Lionfish Have Invaded, But a Ragtag Army of Divers and Chefs Are Fighting Back
June 2018
Those waging the war against this devastating wave of the venomous species have taken on an ‘eat ‘em to beat ‘em’ approach
https://www.smithsonianmag.com/science-nature/lionfish-invaded-army-divers-chefs-fighting-back-180968999/
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The Race To Kill Lionfish, The Invasive Species Threatening Our Seafood Supply
SEP 29, 2023
https://www.delish.com/food-news/a45377359/lionfish-invasive-species/
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Glock-Fishing Underwater with the "FireFish" | 9mm Handgun Shooting Lionfish
Sep 21, 2016
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6lG-snJZIV8
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Florida man makes underwater Glock to hunt lionfish
Sep 28, 2016
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-1yM2wOGNE8
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New Study: Florida’s Invasive Pythons are Multiplying Rapidly—and Spreading North
MAR 17, 2023
Massive
Burmese pythons have been plaguing the Florida Everglades for well over
two decades—and new research from the USGS says their populations are
only getting bigger
https://www.fieldandstream.com/conservation/florida-pythons-spreading-north/
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How Burmese Pythons Took Over the Florida Everglades
FEBRUARY 20, 2020
They've eaten practically every mammal in sight—and have no natural predators.
https://www.history.com/news/burmese-python-invasion-florida-everglades
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Scientists in Florida Used a "Scout" Snake to Track and Kill a 16-Foot Invasive Python
February 23, 2024
https://www.yahoo.com/lifestyle/scientists-florida-used-scout-snake-010000493.html
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A python invasion has exploded out of the Everglades
March 18, 2023
https://www.wusf.org/environment/2023-03-18/python-invasion-exploded-everglades
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Newly Discovered Hybrid Pythons Are Threatening Florida’s Wildlife
August 30, 2018
A
new study has found that some invasive Burmese pythons carry DNA from
another snake, which could make them more adaptable—and more dangerous
https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/newly-discovered-hybrid-pythons-are-threatening-floridas-wildlife-180970178/
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Snake School: FWC's crash course on Burmese pythons a primer for finding, killing menace
February 21, 2024
https://www.news-press.com/story/news/environment/2024/02/21/fwcs-python-patrol-training-shows-public-how-to-find-kill-snake-burmese-invasive-everglades/72636476007/
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Pythons are invading Florida. Meet the scientists fighting back.
OCT 13, 2017
https://www.popsci.com/florida-invasive-pythons/
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Painted buntings are in decline. Citizen scientists with backyard feeders are helping track them
March 19, 2024
https://www.wfit.org/nature/2024-03-19/painted-buntings-are-in-decline-citizen-scientists-with-backyard-feeders-are-helping-track-them
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Wild Monkeys In Florida: All About Them And How They Got There
November 4, 2023
https://outforia.com/wild-monkeys-in-florida/
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Federal agents respond to more than a dozen migrant landings in a 24-hour period as surge intensifies
Oct 18 2022
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Hope for the Wild Hog Problem in Florida
2021
https://nwdistrict.ifas.ufl.edu/phag/2021/04/23/hope-for-the-wild-hog-problem-in-florida/
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South Florida's baby sea turtles are threatened by plastic and light pollution
2022
https://www.wlrn.org/local-news/2022-08-08/south-floridas-baby-sea-turtles-are-threatened-by-plastic-and-light-pollution
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Artificial Lighting and Sea Turtle Hatchling Behavior
https://myfwc.com/research/wildlife/sea-turtles/threats/artificial-lighting/
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How Plastic is Harming Florida’s Marine Life, and What We Can Do About It
https://www.greenpeace.org/usa/stories/how-plastic-is-harming-floridas-marine-life-and-what-we-can-do-about-it/
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Scientists continue to search for what's poisoning Lower Keys fish
March 3, 2024
https://www.wfit.org/environment-and-science/2024-03-03/scientists-continue-to-search-for-whats-poisoning-lower-keys-fish
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Endangered sawfish have been found dead in Lower Keys. Other fish also dying
February 22, 2024
https://www.wlrn.org/environment/2024-02-22/endangered-sawfish-found-dead-in-lower-florida-keys
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Sawfish dying at an alarming rate – is it something in the water?
February 26, 2024
https://winknews.com/2024/02/26/marine-species-dying-faster-than-usual-rate/
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Commercial fishery bycatch risk for large juvenile and adult smalltooth sawfish (Pristis pectinata) in Florida waters
15 February 2022
https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1002/aqc.3777
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Reef Sharks are at a Much Higher Risk of Extinction than Previously Thought
June 15, 2023
https://newsroom.wcs.org/News-Releases/articleType/ArticleView/articleId/19226/Reef-Sharks-are-at-a-Much-Higher-Risk-of-Extinction-than-Previously-Thought.aspx
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Extinction risk and conservation of the world’s sharks and rays
2014 Jan 21
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3897121/
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A global study reveals pathways to save threatened sharks, despite rising mortality trends
January 11, 2024
https://phys.org/news/2024-01-global-reveals-pathways-threatened-sharks.html
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PCBs Contamination in Killer Whales and Orca Pollution
Dec 2023
https://www.geoforward.com/pcbs-contamination-killer-whales-orca-pollution/
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Endangered Keys: 10 Rare Animals That Make the Florida Keys Home
https://floridatraveler.com/endangered-florida-keys/
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Conservationists Urge Caution as the Federal Government Promotes Fish Farming
Aquaculture comes in many forms and can be done sustainably, but a push for more offshore operations raises concerns, environmentalists say.
Spring 2024
https://www.audubon.org/news/conservationists-urge-caution-federal-government-promotes-fish-farming?utm_source=pocket-newtab-en-us
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Florida Marine Life Dying From Pollution
2013
https://sharkresearch.earth.miami.edu/florida-marine-life-dying-from-pollution/
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Thousands of fish killed by toxic red tide wash ashore on Florida beaches
Aug 2021
https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2021/aug/09/red-tide-florida-beaches-fish-kill-phosphate-pollution
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What's killing the alligators of the Florida Everglades?
2014
https://www.cbsnews.com/news/whats-killing-the-alligators-of-the-florida-everglades/
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Thousands of Florida’s ‘nuisance’ alligators are killed each year. Is it necessary?
Nov. 25, 2022
More than 184,000 gators in Florida have been killed since 1997, according to Florida wildlife officials. But the bar needed to kill them is low.
https://www.tampabay.com/news/environment/2022/11/25/florida-gators-nuisance-alligator-report-kill-wildlife-permit/
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Fla. lake contaminants affect alligator weight, biological responses in offspring
July 20, 2012
https://phys.org/news/2012-07-fla-lake-contaminants-affect-alligator.html
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Research Finds Alligator Problems Also Evident In Less Polluted Lakes
February 9, 1998
https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/1998/02/980209154754.htm
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Reproductive toxins and alligator abnormalities at Lake Apopka, Florida
1997
Abstract
The alligator population at Lake Apopka in central Florida declined dramatically between 1980 and 1987. Endocrine-disrupting chemicals and specifically DDT metabolites have been implicated in the alligators' reproductive failure. The DDT metabolite hypothesis is based largely on the observation of elevated concentrations of p,p-DDE and p,p-DDD in alligator eggs obtained from Lake Apopka in 1984 and 1985. In the following commentary, we draw attention to two nematocides that are established reproductive toxins in humans, dibromochloropropane (DBCP) and ethylene dibromide (EDB), which could also have played a role in the reproductive failure observed in alligators from Lake Apopka in the early 1980s.
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1470392/
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Abnormal Alligators and Organochlorine Pesticides in Lake Apopka, Florida
2011
https://link.springer.com/chapter/10.1007/978-0-387-89432-4_5
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Lake Apopka: From fisherman’s paradise to pond of poison
Apr 30, 2015
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FnFBRlJ3eTk
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LAKE APOPKA CONTAMINATION | How Pesticide Use Destroyed Lake Apopka
2019
https://www.researchgate.net/publication/336262747_LAKE_APOPKA_CONTAMINATION_1_How_Pesticide_Use_Destroyed_Lake_Apopka
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Apopka wastewater problems forced fertilizer plant shutdown
2017
https://www.orlandosentinel.com/2017/03/20/apopka-wastewater-problems-forced-fertilizer-plant-shutdown/
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Multiyear oscillations in depth affect water quality in Lake Apopka
Feb 2018
https://www.researchgate.net/publication/323269829_Multiyear_oscillations_in_depth_affect_water_quality_in_Lake_Apopka
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Final Lake Apopka Natural Resource Damage Assessment and Restoration Plan
2004
https://1library.net/document/yr6wlnpy-final-lake-apopka-natural-resource-damage-assessment-restoration.html
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Restoration of Lake Apopka’s North Shore Marsh: High Hopes, Tough Times, and Persistent Progress
2011
https://link.springer.com/chapter/10.1007/978-0-387-89432-4_6
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Lake Apopka emerging from "Dead Lake" stigma
December 1, 2016
https://theapopkavoice.com/stories/lake-apopka-emerging-from-dead-lake-stigma,4931
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$2M in public money could go to Lake Apopka project tied to controversial former water district chair
February 29, 2024
https://www.orlandosentinel.com/2024/02/29/2-million-in-public-money-could-go-to-lake-apopka-project-tied-to-controversial-former-water-district-chair/
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Latest Lake Apopka cleanup plan could be magic bullet
2020
https://www.orlandosentinel.com/2020/03/06/latest-lake-apopka-cleanup-plan-could-be-magic-bullet/
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Lake Apopka on the rebound
2023
https://theapopkavoice.com/stories/lake-apopka-on-the-rebound,31748
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How Lake Apopka went from Florida's most polluted lake to the most promising
2018
Wildlife return to fourth-largest lake in Florida
https://www.clickorlando.com/water/2018/08/24/how-lake-apopka-went-from-floridas-most-polluted-lake-to-the-most-promising/
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Lake Apopka can provide valuable lessons for other water bodies: Letters
2018
https://www.orlandosentinel.com/2018/12/05/lake-apopka-can-provide-valuable-lessons-for-other-water-bodies-letters/
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What Are Common Wildlife Problems in Florida?
June 13, 2019
https://www.mccallservice.com/blog/what-are-common-wildlife-problems-in-florida/
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Fireflies Are Disappearing, And That Could Make FL Nights Less Magical
2023
Habitat loss to development, overuse of pesticides, climate change and more light pollution contribute to the decline in fireflies in FL
https://patch.com/florida/newportrichey/fireflies-are-disappearing-could-make-fl-nights-less-magical
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Where Have All The Florida Lovebugs Gone?
October 20, 2023
https://weather.com/news/climate/news/2023-10-20-florida-lovebugs-fewer-this-year
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Invasive apple snails in your backyard, waterways? UF/IFAS study dives into their threat to Florida’s wetlands
2023
https://blogs.ifas.ufl.edu/news/2023/03/06/invasive-apple-snails-in-your-backyard-waterways-uf-ifas-study-dives-into-their-threat-to-floridas-wetlands/
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Always Destroy These Eggs! (Invasive Apple Snail Eggs)
https://www.youtube.com/shorts/sYuLP2JhtzA
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Casting a Fire Ant Colony with Molten Aluminum
Nov 22, 2013
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IGJ2jMZ-gaI
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Nearly half of the world's migratory species are in decline, UN report says
Feb 2024
https://phys.org/news/2024-02-world-migratory-species-decline.html
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More Than Half of U.S. Birds Are in Decline, Warns New Report
October 12, 2022
The
2022 U.S. State of the Birds report shows plummeting bird populations
across almost all habitats while highlighting the need for further
conservation efforts.
https://www.audubon.org/news/more-half-us-birds-are-decline-warns-new-report
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Florida Nature: Endangered Birds
https://www.floridiannature.com/FloridaEndangeredbirds.htm
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Native Florida bird among 21 species declared extinct
Oct 20, 2023
https://www.wfla.com/news/florida/native-florida-bird-among-21-species-declared-extinct/
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15 Endangered Birds of Florida
2023
https://birdingplanet.com/endangered-birds-of-florida/
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These 4 native Florida birds are threatened or facing extinction. Here's what to know
2023
https://www.heraldtribune.com/story/news/state/2023/05/24/four-native-florida-birds-scrub-jay-grasshopper-sparrow-stork-threatened-with-possibl-extinction/70248768007/
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Florida's Imperiled Birds
https://fl.audubon.org/birds/floridas-imperiled-birds
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Florida’s Vanishing Sparrows
July 17, 2023
A group of eccentric endangered birds serves as a bellwether of the climate crisis.
https://www.newyorker.com/news/news-desk/floridas-vanishing-sparrows
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The North Florida Nine: Endangered list shows birds, mussels, turtles at risk of extinction
November 21, 2023
https://news.yahoo.com/north-florida-nine-endangered-list-102018951.html
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Lawton 'Bud' Chiles: Fix the farm bill to help land owners save wildlife | Opinion
March 2024
https://www.palmbeachpost.com/story/opinion/columns/2024/03/14/lawton-chiles-congress-rework-florida-farm-bill-to-save-wildlife/72941735007/
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50 Florida endangered species on the 50th anniversary of the Endangered Species Act
2023
https://www.floridarambler.com/wildlife/florida-endangered-species/
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33 Most Threatened and Endangered Species in Florida
2023
https://www.ourendangeredworld.com/endangered-species-in-florida/
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FLORIDA’S ENDANGERED AND THREATENED SPECIES
https://myfwc.com/media/1945/threatened-endangered-species.pdf
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Under Threat: Conservation of Florida’s Threatened and Endangered Species
2023
https://blogs.ifas.ufl.edu/sarasotaco/2023/12/11/underthreat-floridawildlife/
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Study: Sea level rise shifts habitat for endangered Keys species
2023
https://blogs.ifas.ufl.edu/news/2023/08/01/rice-rat-sea-level-rise-study
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Endangered and Threatened Species
Management and Conservation Plan
2020
https://myfwc.com/media/28338/2020-21endangeredspeciesreport.pdf
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Threatened + Endangered Species
https://www.floridamuseum.ufl.edu/southflorida/regions/keys/endangered-species/
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Section 16: Deforestation & Endangered Plants
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Habitat Loss
Habitat destruction is the issue most often cited for the problems now facing Florida wildlife. Wildlife habitat has declined and even disappeared during the past 100 years as natural lands were converted to agriculture, range lands, and expanding urban areas. During the mid-20th century, Florida lost more than seven million acres of forest and herbaceous wetlands to development. In recent decades, Florida’s massive population growth and booming tourism industry have disturbed and fragmented many natural areas across the state. Estimates based on current growth rates suggest Florida could lose an additional seven million acres of rural and natural lands to urban uses within the next 50 years.
http://www.landscope.org/florida/threats/habitat_loss/
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Florida Deforestation Crisis
Florida Deforestation Crisis. Deforestation. The word comes up all the time in conversations about climate change and environmental impact , but how much do most of us really know about deforestation and its true effect? National Geographic defines deforestation as “the purposeful clearing of forested land” (1). Countless forests have been cut down to make room for civilization or to provide wood for manufacturing or building. Deforestation is one of the most obvious forms of environmental damage; we see it every day on the way to work in a casual glance at the many construction sites constantly appearing in new locations. Who even thinks twice when they see a newly-developed neighborhood, a construction area spotted with dirt heaps and tractors, or yet another road work crew on the job? Construction is a part of everyday experience, and because of this, we don’t always make the connection between destructive environmental degradation and that new neighborhood down the street. But they’re inextricably linked, and it’s time to start paying attention.
The Whole Picture
Key to any discussion of deforestation is a full understanding of the term ecosystem. Briefly put, an ecosystem is a “community of coexisting species together with the nonliving parts of their habitat” (2). Fundamental to every ecosystem is the presence of all the necessary components; animals, trees, plants, microorganisms, and water systems all work together to sustain healthy life. Take away one piece of the ecosystem and the entire setup falters. Florida is a notable global hotspot for biodiversity, full of vivid and healthy ecosystems that sustain all different species of animals and plants. But take away the trees and waterways – replace them with roadways and cities – and all of that changes.
One clue to Florida’s amazing biodiversity lies in its multiple climate zones. The U.S. is home to 11 different climate zones, designated by temperature ranges that allow the growth of different plant types (3). Florida in particular among the states is special because it contains the warmer zones 8-10, making it one of the only locations conducive to growing both tropical and subtropical plants. Wetlands are also a major part of the Florida landscape, and these damp, swampy areas provide a home to countless species and perform several other essential but often-ignored functions. Coastal wetlands act as a filter, removing excess pollutants and nutrients from water and preventing coastal erosion (4). However, human activities are severely damaging Florida wetlands, destroying these diversely inhabited wildlife homes and subjecting the landscape as a whole to unprecedented change.
Historic South Florida water flow vs. current water flow
Florida’s history includes the mentality of “draining the swamp”, which was a term associated with destroying wetlands to increase the areas in Florida available for construction. This mindset along with the “Florida is a blank canvas” ethos collectively normalized the destruction of the natural Florida landscape for the benefit of the real estate / tourism market. Little did these developers understand just how important the hydrology systems of wetlands are to our water system (5).
Florida’s red tides are partly a result of the expansive wetland loss, as these wetland ecosystems are no longer able to filter nutrient-filled liquid before it reaches larger bodies of water (6). Construction is systematically disturbing the balance of Florida’s expansive statewide ecosystem and contributing to such a major source of pollution.
Deforestation and Florida’s Trees
The unique Florida climate provides for a number of different forest habitats. Florida’s upland ecosystems, predominated by hardwood pine forests, scrub, etc. are home to many tree species (7). These habitats include: Pine Flatwoods, Oak Scrub, Coastal Strands, Coastal Scrub, Hammocks, Cypress Swamps, and more. Here is a short breakdown of some common Florida habitats and the important trees that call these places home...
https://ideasforus.org/florida-deforestation-crisis/
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Focus on South Florida: Save the Forests
2014
https://www.cbsnews.com/miami/news/focus-on-south-florida-save-the-forests/
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Is This Paradise or a Parking Lot? This Florida Ecosystem is a Battleground
https://www.nationalgeographic.com/animals/article/pine-rockland-ecosystem-restoration-miami-wilds
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Senators Hear Litany Of Problems Caused By Overcrowding In National Parks
2021
https://www.nationalparkstraveler.org/2021/07/senators-hear-litany-problems-caused-overcrowding-national-parks
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Threatened and Endangered Plants
https://gardeningsolutions.ifas.ufl.edu/plants/ornamentals/threatened-and-endangered-plants.html
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Florida Statewide Endangered and Threatened Plant Conservation
Program (funded by the United State Fish and Wildlife Service,
Endangered Species Act, Sect. 6 “Traditional Funds” and by the
Florida Forest Service).
List of Final Reports for Rare Plant Conservation Projects 1992 through
2023, alphabetized by species.
https://ccmedia.fdacs.gov/content/download/73803/file/list-of-program-reports-by-species-2022.pdf
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Common Poisonous Weed and Invasive Plant Species in Florida Residential Landscapes
https://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/publication/EP631
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Eight South Florida Plants Get Proposal for Critical Habitat Protection
2022
https://biologicaldiversity.org/w/news/press-releases/eight-south-florida-plants-get-proposal-for-critical-habitat-protection-2022-10-13/
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Four Keys Plants Proposed Critical Habitat
2022
https://www.fws.gov/story/2022-10/faq-proposed-critical-habitat-4-florida-keys-plants
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What are Florida's poisonous plants? Expert botanist tells you what to watch out for in Q&A
2023
https://www.news-press.com/story/news/environment/2023/09/14/floridas-most-poisonous-plants-include-castor-bean-sago-palm-pets-children-outdoors-invasive-native/70632221007/
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Deforestation and Its Effects on Forest-Nesting Birds in the Florida Keys
1995
https://www.researchgate.net/publication/227772039_Deforestation_and_Its_Effects_on_Forest-Nesting_Birds_in_the_Florida_Keys
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Weeds and Invasive Plants
https://gardeningsolutions.ifas.ufl.edu/care/weeds-and-invasive-plants/
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These 10 invasive plants are causing major problems in Florida
2019
https://www.floridatoday.com/story/news/local/environment/2019/11/23/worst-invasive-plants-causing-major-problems-florida/4244047002/
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Pollutants threaten the Everglades' future
January 5, 2012
https://www.earthmagazine.org/article/pollutants-threaten-everglades-future
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Section 17: Pesticides, Insecticides & Agriculture
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Pesticide-free agriculture as a new paradigm for research
27 January 2022
https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s13593-021-00742-8
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Ultrasonic Pest Control: Does it Really Work?
2023
https://www.familyhandyman.com/article/ultrasonic-pest-control-does-it-really-work/
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Dissolving metal with sound
Feb 2024
https://www.youtube.com/shorts/H5wVQ513-5M
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U.S. Air Force Testing Light Beams From Weed-Zapping Wand as a Pesticide Alternative
August 10, 2016
https://weather.com/science/environment/news/nature-zap-weed-wand-zap-light-pesticides-herbicides-edwards-air-force-base
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Selective radio frequency pest control apparatus
1995
Abstract
This
application discloses an apparatus and method for generating and
radiating energy at specific radio frequency wavelengths known to
adversely affect the nervous systems of small insects such as flies,
gnats, cockroaches, termites and the like wherein each is affected by a
different frequency or range of frequencies; the apparatus containing a
power supply, a voltage selector circuit for generating sequences of
specific voltages, a modulator circuit to amplitude modulate each
specific voltage about its center level, a multiple frequency generator
to convert each modulated voltage into a modulated frequency of both
fundamental and harmonic content, a radio frequency transmitter circuit,
and a random interval timer circuit to energize and de-energize the
radio frequency transmitter circuit in such a manner as to prevent the
pest from acquiring an immunity to the radiated energy. There is further
disclosed a method of forming patterns of radiated energy wherein said
multiple frequency generator, said modulator circuit, said voltage
selector circuit, said radio frequency transmitter circuit and said
random interval timer circuit are operably connected in such a manner as
to produce bursts of radio frequency energy at slightly varying fixed
frequencies having both fundamental and harmonic content and wherein
such bursts are continuously varied in both their interval and duration.
https://patents.google.com/patent/US5896696A/en
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Exposure of Insects to Radio-Frequency Electromagnetic Fields from 2 to 120 GHz
02 March 2018
Abstract
Insects
are continually exposed to Radio-Frequency (RF) electromagnetic fields
at different frequencies. The range of frequencies used for wireless
telecommunication systems will increase in the near future from below
6 GHz (2 G, 3 G, 4 G, and WiFi) to frequencies up to 120 GHz (5 G). This
paper is the first to report the absorbed RF electromagnetic power in
four different types of insects as a function of frequency from 2 GHz to
120 GHz. A set of insect models was obtained using novel Micro-CT
(computer tomography) imaging. These models were used for the first time
in finite-difference time-domain electromagnetic simulations. All
insects showed a dependence of the absorbed power on the frequency. All
insects showed a general increase in absorbed RF power at and above
6 GHz, in comparison to the absorbed RF power below 6 GHz. Our
simulations showed that a shift of 10% of the incident power density to
frequencies above 6 GHz would lead to an increase in absorbed power
between 3–370%.
https://www.nature.com/articles/s41598-018-22271-3
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Electronic pest control
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Electronic_pest_control
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Sustainable laser-based technology for insect pest control
2021
Abstract
Aphids
damage directly or indirectly cultures by feeding and spreading
diseases, leading to huge economical losses. So far, only the use of
pesticides can mitigate their impact, causing severe health and
environmental issues. Hence, innovative eco-friendly and low-cost
solutions must be promoted apart from chemical control. Here, we have
investigated the use of laser radiation as a reliable solution. We have
analyzed the lethal dose required to kill 90% of a population for two
major pest aphid species (Acyrthosiphon pisum and Rhopalosiphum padi).
We showed that irradiating insects at an early stage (one-day old nymph)
is crucial to lower the lethal dose without affecting plant growth and
health. The laser is mostly lethal, but it can also cause insect
stunting and a reduction of survivors’ fecundity. Nevertheless, we did
not notice any significant visible effect on the offspring of the
surviving irradiated generation. The estimated energy cost and the
harmless effect of laser radiation on host plants show that this
physics-based strategy can be a promising alternative to chemical
pesticides.
https://www.nature.com/articles/s41598-021-90782-7
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Forget Pesticides, Farmers Can Shoot Bad Bugs With Lasers
The
Photonic Fence intelligently targets and kills flying pests at a rate
of 20 per second, leaving other friendly insects alone.
2017
https://www.pcmag.com/news/forget-pesticides-farmers-can-shoot-bad-bugs-with-lasers
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Sustainable laser‑based technology for insect pest control
https://www.nature.com/articles/s41598-021-90782-7.pdf
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Removing the Need for Pesticides with Lasers and Machine Vision
Sep 26 2022
https://www.azooptics.com/News.aspx?newsID=27947
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Goodbye, pesticides? This new robot can kill 100,000 weeds per hour using lasers
2021
https://www.zmescience.com/science/goodbye-pesticides-this-new-robot-can-kill-100000-weeds-per-hour-using-lasers/
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Self-Driving Farm Robot Uses Lasers To Kill 100,000 Weeds An Hour, Saving Land And Farmers From Toxic Herbicides
Nov 2, 2021
https://www.forbes.com/sites/johnkoetsier/2021/11/02/self-driving-farm-robot-uses-lasers-to-kill-100000-weeds-an-hour-saving-land-and-farmers-from-toxic-herbicides/?sh=4ebf42894070
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Laser vaccine adjuvants. History, progress, and potential
2014
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/25424797/
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Lethal effects of short-wavelength visible light on insects
2014
______________
One photon is all it takes to kick off photosynthesis
09 December 2014
Researchers demonstrated the role of a single particle of light in photosynthetic bacteria
https://www.nature.com/articles/srep07383
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Photonic molecule
Photonic molecules are a form of matter in which photons bind together to form "molecules".[1][2][3] They were first predicted in 2007. Photonic molecules are formed when individual (massless) photons "interact with each other so strongly that they act as though they have mass".[4] In an alternative definition (which is not equivalent), photons confined to two or more coupled optical cavities also reproduce the physics of interacting atomic energy levels, and have been termed as photonic molecules.
Researchers drew analogies between the phenomenon and the fictional "lightsaber" from Star Wars.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Photonic_molecule
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Single photon emitter takes a step closer to quantum tech
MAY 5, 2022
https://phys.org/news/2022-05-photon-emitter-closer-quantum-tech.html
______________
A review of pesticide phototransformation on the leaf surface: Models, mechanism, and influencing factors
2022
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0045653522027539
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Absorption (electromagnetic radiation)
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Absorption_%28electromagnetic_radiation%29
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Construction of liquid crystal droplet-based sensing platform for sensitive detection of organophosphate pesticide
2018
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0039914018308221
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Ultrasensitive fluorescent detection of pesticides in real sample by using green carbon dots
2020 Mar 24
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7092965/
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Recent advances in synthesis and modification of carbon dots for optical sensing of pesticides
2021
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0304389421018495
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Polymer additives regulate the deposition behavior of pesticide droplets on target plants
2020
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0142941820321875
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Visualization and characterization of agricultural sprays using machine learning based digital inline holography
2023
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0168169923008748
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Detection of pesticides using nanozymes: Trends, challenges and outlook
Abstract
Effective
monitoring of pesticide residues in food and environmental samples is
of high importance as these chemical residues undergo ongoing eco- and
bio-accumulation, compromising the health of humans and animals alike.
Several sensor platforms are being developed for the detection of
pesticide residues in a range of sample matrices. A relatively new
sensor platform that has gained enormous attention is based on the
natural enzyme-mimicking catalytic activity of nanomaterials, more
commonly referred to as nanozyme activity. In this review, we provide a
critical overview of the recent advances in nanozyme-based sensing
strategies for the detection of pesticides. The review highlights the
salient features and the working principle of various nanozyme-based
sensors, their integration with molecular recognition elements (MREs) to
improve target specificity, and associated limitations that must be
overcome to turn nanozyme sensors into mainstream analytical tools. The
review further provides a critical outlook of nanozyme-based sensors for
pesticide detection. The last section of the review outlines the steps
that must be taken to realise the full potential of nanozyme-based
sensors.
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0165993621002521
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Nanotechnology promises to help farmers cut pesticide use – but could also make chemicals more toxic
February 23, 2024
https://theconversation.com/nanotechnology-promises-to-help-farmers-cut-pesticide-use-but-could-also-make-chemicals-more-toxic-223404
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Nanopesticides
in Agriculture: Benefits and Challenge in Agricultural Productivity,
Toxicological Risks to Human Health and Environment
2021 Jun 4
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC8230079/
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Magnetic nanomaterials with unique nanozymes-like characteristics for colorimetric sensors: A review
2021
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0039914021002204
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Nanozymes-based biosensors for food quality and safety
2020
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0165993619306739
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Transparent,
Flexible Plasmonic Ag NP/PMMA Substrates Using Chemically Patterned
Ferroelectric Crystals for Detecting Pesticides on Curved Surfaces
July 2021
https://www.researchgate.net/publication/353336218_Transparent_Flexible_Plasmonic_Ag_NPPMMA_Substrates_Using_Chemically_Patterned_Ferroelectric_Crystals_for_Detecting_Pesticides_on_Curved_Surfaces
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A review on metal nanozyme-based sensing of heavy metal ions: Challenges and future perspectives
2020
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0304389420313868
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Removal of pesticide pollutants from aqueous waste utilizing nanomaterials via photocatalytic process: a review
28 November 2023
https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s13762-023-05341-6
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Nano-enabled pesticides for sustainable agriculture and global food security
24 March 2022
https://www.nature.com/articles/s41565-022-01082-8
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Nano-based pesticides: challenges for pest and disease management
18 September 2021
https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s41207-021-00279-y
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Reducing
insecticide use with CRISPR: Gene editing could naturally rollback
pesticide resistance evolution in disease-carrying insects
January 19, 2022
https://geneticliteracyproject.org/2022/01/19/reducing-insecticide-use-with-crispr-gene-editing-could-naturally-roll-back-pesticide-resistance-evolution-in-disease-carrying-insects/
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CRISPR gene editing
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/CRISPR_gene_editing
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Curing disease by repairing faulty genes
2016
New delivery method boosts efficiency of CRISPR genome-editing system.
https://news.mit.edu/2016/crispr-curing-disease-repairing-faulty-genes-0201
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HOLOGRAMS YOU CAN TOUCH AND FEEL
JANUARY 23, 2024
https://magazine.scienceconnected.org/2024/01/holograms-can-touch-feel/
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Machine learning holography for measuring 3D particle distribution
2020
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0009250920303626
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Using artificial intelligence to generate 3D holograms in real-time
March 10, 2021
A
new method called tensor holography could enable the creation of
holograms for virtual reality, 3D printing, medical imaging, and more —
and it can run on a smartphone.
https://news.mit.edu/2021/3d-holograms-vr-0310
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Digital holography
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Digital_holography
Phase-shifting holography
The
phase-shifting (or phase-stepped) digital holography process entails
capturing multiple interferograms that each indicate the optical phase
relationships between light returned from all points on the illuminated
object and a controlled reference beam of light. The optical phase of
the reference beam is shifted from one sampled interferogram to the
next. From a linear combination of these interferograms, complex-valued
holograms are formed. These holograms contain amplitude and phase
information of the optical radiation diffracted by the object, in the
sensor plane.
Frequency-shifting holography
Through the
use of electro-optic modulators (Pockel cells) or acousto-optic
modulators (Bragg cells), the reference laser beam can be
frequency-shifted by a tunable quantity. This enables optical heterodyne
detection, a frequency-conversion process aimed at shifting a given
radiofrequency optical signal component in the sensor's temporal
bandwidth. Frequency-shifted holograms can be used for narrowband laser
Doppler imaging.
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Physics of optical holography
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Physics_of_optical_holography
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Acoustic holography
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Acoustic_holography
______________
Holography and its applications for industry 4.0: An overview
2022
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2667345222000141
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Holography applications toward medical field: An overview
2020
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7694722/
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Millimeter-wave beam shaping using holograms
08 April 2003
https://ieeexplore.ieee.org/document/1193141
Abstract:
We
synthesize amplitude- and phase-type computer-generated holograms
(diffractive gratings) for shaping millimeter-wave fields. We design
holograms using quasi-optical back-propagation and rigorous optimization
methods adopted from diffractive optics. We present experimental
results from a plane-wave-generating hologram and a custom-designed
field shaper at 310 GHz. Holograms can be applied, e.g., in a compact
antenna test range and we propose their use for alignment purposes.
______________
Study of the Photocatalytic Degradation of Highly Abundant Pesticides in Agricultural Soils
2022 Jan 19
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC8840474/
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Spray coating for grapes shows promise in battle between wildfire smoke and wine
January 29, 2024
https://phys.org/news/2024-01-spray-coating-grapes-wildfire-wine.html
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How mosquito larva guts could help create highly specific insecticides
April 8, 2024
https://phys.org/news/2024-04-mosquito-larva-guts-highly-specific.html
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Discovery of new nematode species that could protect crops without pesticides
February 8, 2024
https://phys.org/news/2024-02-discovery-nematode-species-crops-pesticides.html
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A review on photocatalytic degradation of hazardous pesticides using heterojunctions
2021
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0277538721004472
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Semiconductor based photocatalytic degradation of pesticides: An overview
2020
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S2352186420314280
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Photodissociation
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Photodissociation
_____________
A review of photochemical approaches for the treatment of a wide range of pesticides
2023 Nov 13
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0304389414009431
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New insights into pesticide photoprotection
30 January 2013
https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s11356-013-1490-7
______________
Exploring
Various Photochemical Processes in Optical Sensing of Pesticides by
Luminescent Nanomaterials: A Concise Discussion on Challenges and Recent
Advancements
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC10688216/
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Quasi-crystalline order in vibrating granular matter
19 January 2024
Abstract
Quasi-crystals
are aperiodic structures with crystallographic properties that are not
compatible with that of a single unit cell. Their discovery in a
metallic alloy more than four decades ago has required a full
reconsideration of our definition of a crystal structure.
Quasi-crystalline structures have also been discovered at much larger
length scales in different microscopic systems for which the size of the
elementary building blocks ranges from the nanometre to the micrometre
scale. Here we report the first experimental observation of spontaneous
quasi-crystalline self-assembly at the millimetre scale. This result is
obtained in a fully athermal system of macroscopic spherical grains
vibrating on a substrate. Starting from a liquid-like disordered phase,
the grains begin to locally arrange into three types of square and
triangle tile that eventually align, forming an eight-fold symmetric
quasi-crystal that has been predicted in simulation but not yet
experimentally observed in non-atomic systems. These results not only
demonstrate an alternative route for the spontaneous assembly of
quasi-crystals but are of fundamental interest for the connection
between equilibrium and non-equilibrium statistical physics.
https://www.nature.com/articles/s41567-023-02364-1
______________
Resurrecting quasicrystals: Findings make an exotic material commercially viable
OCTOBER 11, 2021
https://phys.org/news/2021-10-resurrecting-quasicrystals-exotic-material-commercially.html
______________
"Recent Advances in Quasicrystals" Special Issue of Crystals
Feb 2023
https://www.researchgate.net/publication/368365421_Recent_Advances_in_Quasicrystals_Special_Issue_of_Crystals
_____________
DNA gives colloidal crystals shape-shifting and memory abilities
OCTOBER 17, 2022
https://phys.org/news/2022-10-dna-colloidal-crystals-shape-shifting-memory.html
_____________
Nanoparticle quasicrystal constructed with DNA
November 2, 2023
ANN
ARBOR—Nanoengineers have created a quasicrystal—a scientifically
intriguing and technologically promising material structure—from
nanoparticles using DNA, the molecule that encodes life.
The
team, led by researchers at Northwestern University, the University of
Michigan and the Center for Cooperative Research in Biomaterials in San
Sebastian, Spain, reports the results in Nature Materials.
Unlike
ordinary crystals, which are defined by a repeating structure, the
patterns in quasicrystals don’t repeat. Quasicrystals built from atoms
can have exceptional properties—for example, absorbing heat and light
differently, exhibiting unusual electronic properties such as conducting
electricity without resistance, or their surfaces are very hard or very
slippery.
Engineers studying nanoscale assembly often view
nanoparticles as a kind of ‘designer atom,’ which provides a new level
of control over synthetic materials. One of the challenges is directing
particles to assemble into desired structures with useful qualities, and
in building this first DNA-assembled quasicrystal, the team entered a
new frontier in nanomaterial design...
A mathematical tool called a fast Fourier transform maps the structure
in a way that reveals the 12-fold symmetry of the quasicrystal. The fast
Fourier transform of the electron microscope image of the quasicrystal
is shown on the left, while the transform of the simulated crystal is
shown on the right.
https://news.umich.edu/nanoparticle-quasicrystal-constructed-with-dna/
______________
RNAi-Based Pesticides Contribute To The Promise Of A New Green Revolution
2020
https://www.forbes.com/sites/michaelhelmstetter/2020/08/06/rnai-based-pesticides-contribute-to-the-promise-of-a-new-green-revolution/?sh=6aa095fa78e7
______________
RNA-based pesticides are coming, but how will they affect the ecosystem?
March 6, 2019
https://geneticliteracyproject.org/2019/03/06/rna-based-pesticides-are-coming-but-how-will-they-affect-the-ecosystem/
______________
Twisting Physics: MIT’s Quasicrystal Superconductivity Breakthrough
OCTOBER 18, 2023
https://scitechdaily.com/twisting-physics-mits-quasicrystal-superconductivity-breakthrough/
______________
Investigation on the nonreciprocal properties of one-dimensional cylindrical magnetized plasma photonic crystals
2021
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/34143159/
______________
Periodic and quasi-periodic one-dimensional extrinsically magnetized photonic crystals with robust photonic bandgaps
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/38038118/
______________
Photonic quasi-crystal terahertz lasers
19 December 2014
https://www.nature.com/articles/ncomms6884
______________
A phase-field framework for brittle fracture in quasi-crystals
2023
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0020768323002822
______________
Unraveling Microbes as Potential Proxies for Remediation of Heavy Metal and Pesticide Contamination: A State-of-the Art Review
22 August 2023
https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s41742-023-00544-8
______________
Pesticide Use and Degradation Strategies: Food Safety, Challenges and Perspectives
2023 Jul 15
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC10379487/
______________
Degradation strategies of pesticide residue: From chemicals to synthetic biology
2023
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2405805X23000236
______________
Degradation of traditional and new emerging pesticides in water by nanomaterials: recent trends and future recommendations
28 August 2017
https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s13762-017-1512-y
______________
Chapter 7 - Genome editing of microbes for degradation of pesticides
2023
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/B9780323919005000023
______________
Chapter 14 - Role of cloning and modification of genes in pesticide decomposition
2023
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/B9780323919005000035
______________
Silica nanoparticle based techniques for extraction, detection, and degradation of pesticides
2016
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0001868616301233
______________
Engineered silica nanomaterials in pesticide delivery: Challenges and perspectives
2023
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0269749123000477
______________
A comprehensive review on semiconductor-based photocatalysts toward the degradation of persistent pesticides
2023
https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s12274-023-5428-6
______________
Chapter 9 - Photocatalytical degradation of pesticides
2020
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/B9780128185988000092
______________
Recent developments in photocatalytic degradation of insecticides and pesticides
September 2021
https://www.researchgate.net/publication/354472747_Recent_developments_in_photocatalytic_degradation_of_insecticides_and_pesticides
______________
Adsorption and Photocatalytic Degradation of Pesticides into Nanocomposites: A Review
2022
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/36234798/
______________
Photostability and photodegradation pathways of distinctive pesticides
2009
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/19141805/
______________
Chapter 4 - Solar light-induced photocatalytic degradation of pharmaceuticals in wastewater treatment
2020
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/B9780128185988000043
______________
New Approach Shows Hydrogen Can be Combined with Electricity to Make Pharmaceutical Drugs
August 27, 2023
The world needs greener ways to make chemicals. In a new study, University of Wisconsin–Madison researchers demonstrate one potential path toward this goal by adapting hydrogen fuel cell technologies. These technologies are already used to power some electric vehicles, laptops and cell phones.
https://www.technology.org/2023/08/27/hydrogen-combined-with-electricity-to-make-pharmaceutical-drugs/
______________
Pesticide remediation with cyclodextrins: a review
22 July 2021
https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s11356-021-15434-9
______________
Animals keep eating precious plants—we used 'smell misinformation' to keep them away
Feb 2024
https://phys.org/news/2024-02-animals-precious-misinformation.html
______________
Nanotechnology-based recent approaches for sensing and remediation of pesticides
2017
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S030147971731112X
______________
New Trends in Biosensor Development for Pesticide Detection
13 March 2021
https://link.springer.com/chapter/10.1007/978-3-030-66165-6_8
______________
ZnO-rGO-based electrochemical biosensor for the detection of organophosphorus pesticides
2023
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S1567539423002360
______________
Electrochemical Biosensors for Detection of Pesticides and Heavy Metal Toxicants in Water: Recent Trends and Progress
February 15, 2021
https://pubs.acs.org/doi/10.1021/acsestwater.0c00125
______________
Detecting and Mapping Harmful Chemicals in Fruit and Vegetables Using Nanoparticle-Enhanced Laser-Induced Breakdown Spectroscopy
29 January 2019
https://www.nature.com/articles/s41598-018-37556-w
______________
Pesticide degradation
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pesticide_degradation
______________
Physicists trap electrons in a 3D crystal for the first time
NOVEMBER 8, 2023
https://phys.org/news/2023-11-physicists-electrons-3d-crystal.html
______________
A columnar liquid quasicrystal with a honeycomb structure that consists of triangular, square and trapezoidal cells
23 March 2023
https://www.nature.com/articles/s41557-023-01166-5
______________
Inorganic Porous Nanoparticles as Pesticide or Nutrient Carriers
May 2022
https://link.springer.com/chapter/10.1007/978-3-030-94155-0_11
______________
MIT scientists use a new type of nanoparticle to make vaccines more powerful
March 6, 2024
Study
shows metal-organic particles can both deliver vaccines and act as an
adjuvant to generate a strong immune response at a lower dose.
https://news.mit.edu/2024/mit-scientists-use-new-nanoparticle-more-powerful-vaccines-0306
______________
Nanoparticle vaccines explained
August 19, 2022
Vaccines
made with nanoparticles are currently being studied. Find out how they
work differently than the approved messenger RNA COVID-19 vaccines.
https://mcpress.mayoclinic.org/research-innovation/nanoparticle-vaccines-explained/
______________
Sound research
Scientific innovations harness noise and acoustics for healing
Bioengineering | Spring 2018
From
the original stethoscope, invented more than 200 years ago, to the
fleeting chirp of gravitational waves, sound has reverberated throughout
the history of technological and scientific advances.
Today, the
role of sound in science extends beyond the range of audible
frequencies: Ultrasonic and other silent acoustic waves have made their
way into researchers’ repertoire, helping them push the boundaries of
conventional medicine and research.
In examples from four
Stanford labs, scientists are investigating the full spectrum,
harnessing the nuances of noise and the power of acoustics to generate
inventive, if not unexpected, technologies that show just how potent the
combination of sound and science can be.
Turning the irksome into the advantage
Nothing
incites irritation in quite the same way as a lurking mosquito. But its
high-pitched drone may actually help curb spikes in mosquito
populations and, more importantly, the diseases that they pass on to
humans. This, at least, is the premise behind Manu Prakash’s newly
launched app, Abuzz.
https://stanmed.stanford.edu/innovations-helping-harness-sound-acoustics-healing/
______________
HAARP AND NEW TECHNOLOGIES THAT AFFECT HUMAN BEHAVIOUR
2001
http://www.consumerhealth.org/articles/display_ID_20011005223152.html
WHAT IS HAARP?
HAARP
stands for High-frequency Active Auroral Research Project. HAARP is a
joint project by the U.S. Navy and Air Force in Alaska to create a very
large radio frequency transmitter which can transmit an electromagnetic
beam into the upper atmosphere or ionosphere. This radio-frequency
energy is broadcast through a field of 48 antennas which are 72 feet
tall and they have a cross diapoled across the top. Electromagnetic
waves then bounce back onto Earth and penetrate everything--living and
dead. Normally, radio frequency energy dissipates with distance, but by
firing them in a unique way, the energy is focussed and a cyclotron
resonance effect occurs. This produces very much more concentrated and
potent energy when it delivers its load either through magnetic lines of
force or to the ionosphere. The cyclotron resonance energy wraps itself
around these magnetic lines and it moves north to south. This was
intended to create a shielding effect during a nuclear attack. The ideal
place to locate these instruments happens to be in the northern regions
where the magnetic lines of force intersect the planet, and the
research project was located in Alaska.
EXTREMELY LOW FREQUENCY (ELF) RADIATION
When
HAARP sends up a signal in the high frequency range and they begin to
pulse or vibrate that signal, the ionosphere itself converts from DC to
AC, begins to mirror the pulse rate and acts like a giant broadcast
antenna in the sky, perhaps as much as a 1,000 miles above this
transmitter. It pulses the signal back to the earth in the extremely low
frequency (ELF) range. This is between one and approximately 100 Hertz.
That is what is used for communication with submarines at depth using
14 and 26 mile long antennas buried underground in Michigan, Wisconsin
and in Alaska to create that signal. With HAARP, they thought they would
have a little more versatility and the ability to communicate at higher
data rates and more efficiently with submarines at depth. It is the
same ELF that is used for earth penetrating tomography because you need a
long wave in order to penetrate the earth to any great degree. Short
wavelengths just don't go very far. The problem is, earth penetrating
tomography operates in the ELF range, which happens to correlate to
biologically active frequencies in the human body, particularly in the
human brain.
FREQUENCY RANGES IN THE HUMAN BRAIN
The
human brain predominantly operates on a frequency of between one and 30
pulses per second, cycles per second Hertz, and it varies. One to four
pulses per second is the delta range. This is where you are in your
deepest, deepest sleep. The next level is theta, which is about 4 to 7
cycles per second. This is the range where you are in that semi-awake,
semi-asleep stage where you are sort of drifting off. You are aware of
your dreams but are aware you are awake. This is where most three to
five-year-olds spend most of their lives, which explains an awful lot.
But it is also where they learn a tremendous amount. This is where they
learn language, social skills, everything that kids learn between the
ages of three and five. This is also the state where a lot of people
re-experience childhood events, because that is where you are when you
are a child. The next stage is the alpha stage, which goes from about 7
to 12 Hertz. This is where you are when you do your most creative and
intellectual work. It is interesting to note that the planet Earth
pulses at Schumann's Resonance which is 7.83 Hertz. That is the ideal
frequency for human beings to be engaged in, and we are separated from
that because we are surrounded by Tesla's invention of 60 cycles of AC
current which is agitating to most of our systems. The next level is
beta. Low beta is where we are actively engaged in learning and thinking
and dialogue. You are in high beta when you get agitated and angry,
when you have high, strong emotions.
EFFECTS OF ELF ON THE BRAIN
The
problem is that external signals like the radio frequency signals of
HAARP, and any electromagnetic signals from light and sound waves that
can be pulsed in this ELF range will cause the brain to begin to lock
onto that external signal and begin to mirror it. When it does so, it
changes the character and chemistry of the brain during that period of
time and your behaviour changes. Early researchers have claimed that
these ELF concentrations of energy are harmless, but over the last 20
years, researchers have recognized that very low energy concentrations
can have profound physiological effects. The military rationalizes that
HAARP instruments broadcast the signal in the ELF range and this is a
very, very low level of electromagnetic radiation by the time it gets
back to the earth, that it is nothing to worry about, that it is about
equal to what the earth naturally produces. They compare it to things
like the flickering of the television set.
ZAPPING THE BODY WITH ELF
However,
Jose Delgado at Yale University researched radio frequency energy, and
discovered that he could influence the brain using a pulsed radio
frequency signal concentration at one-fiftieth of the energy that the
earth naturally produces, and this was sufficient to change the
behaviour of primates and humans like flipping on and off a light
switch. It was not the magnitude of energy, but its specific frequency
which triggered events within the brain, changed brain chemistry and
consequently changed behaviour. A few years ago, a story was released
about children having epileptic seizures from watching a cartoon on
television. A reaction in the brain was caused by the flicker rate
hitting one of these frequencies inadvertently. It wasn't the amount of
energy; it was the frequency. It is like dialing a radio station. In
between stations, you hear static. When you hit a resonant frequency, a
signal that corresponds to the receiver, you get a clear signal.
The
same is true of the human body. Every organ, every chemical, every
element within our body has a unique resonant frequency that can be
measured. In fact, the basic organs of the body have been measured for
radio frequency symmetry by the University of Utah under contract with
the United States Air Force. The study is cited in our books. You can
look it up. They have actually determined the amount of radio frequency
energy each part of the body can tolerate. So if you want to stop a
heart, you know how to do it. This is kind of a gross application of the
technology. A more refined application would be to target a chemical or
chemical compound within the population that is present in all of us,
that is universal. For instance, if you send a signal that resonates at
the same frequency as iodine, you trick the body into thinking it has
been poisoned by iodine. And you have a mystery illness which doesn't
show on tests because the iodine is not there. This can be used in lots
of different ways. If everyone breaths in a substance during war, you
can send energy that amplifies its effect, and you can create some
pretty horrendous special effects.
The idea that HAARP
inadvertently or purposefully might be used in this way is kind of
shocking. In Between Two Ages (p.54-56), Zbigniew Brezinski, previous
National Security Advisor to President Carter, discussed triggering an
event in the ionosphere that could affect human behaviour. Referring to
research out of UCLA by Gordon MacDonald, Brezinski suggested that if
you could electronically stroke the ionosphere in just the right way to
return a signal in the ELF range, you could manipulate the emotions of a
population of a large geographic area. Between Two Ages is about
technology's impact on society, culture and economies, and it gave a
25-year forecast of what was going to happen globally. It was written in
the early '70s, so it reads like a history because it is dead right on.
In Earth Rising: The Revolution, our latest book, we cite a CIA
experiment in which they actually tried this in Eastern Europe. There is
plenty of evidence that the Russians were doing this to us. Remember
the macrowave beaming of the U.S. Embassy? There are reports of Russian
research where they exposed primates to this same signal. This research
is still classified because it caused disruption of physical health.
______________
Microwave weapons that could cause Havana Syndrome exist, experts say
2021
https://www.theguardian.com/science/2021/jun/02/microwave-weapons-havana-syndrome-experts
______________
High-frequency Active Auroral Research Program
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/High-frequency_Active_Auroral_Research_Program
The
High-frequency Active Auroral Research Program (HAARP) is a University
of Alaska Fairbanks program which researches the ionosphere – the
highest, ionized part of Earth's atmosphere.
The most prominent
instrument at HAARP is the Ionospheric Research Instrument (IRI), a
high-power radio frequency transmitter facility operating in the high
frequency (HF) band. The IRI is used to temporarily excite a limited
area of the ionosphere. Other instruments, such as a VHF and a UHF
radar, a fluxgate magnetometer, a digisonde (an ionospheric sounding
device), and an induction magnetometer, are used to study the physical
processes that occur in the excited region.
Initially HAARP was
jointly funded by the U.S. Air Force, the U.S. Navy, the University of
Alaska Fairbanks, and the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency
(DARPA).[1] It was designed and built by BAE Advanced Technologies. Its
original purpose was to analyze the ionosphere and investigate the
potential for developing ionospheric enhancement technology for radio
communications and surveillance.[2] Since 2015 it has been operated by
the University of Alaska Fairbanks.[3]
Work on the HAARP facility
began in 1993. The current working IRI was completed in 2007; its prime
contractor was BAE Systems Advanced Technologies.[1] As of 2008, HAARP
had incurred around $250 million in tax-funded construction and
operating costs. In May 2014, it was announced that the HAARP program
would be permanently shut down later in the year.[4] After discussions
between the parties, ownership of the facility was transferred to the
University of Alaska Fairbanks in August 2015.[5]
HAARP is a
target of conspiracy theorists, who claim that it is capable of weather
manipulation. Commentators and scientists say that advocates of this and
other conspiracy theories are wrong,[6] as claims made fall well
outside the abilities of the facility, if not the scope of natural
science.
Research
HAARP's main goal is basic science
research in the uppermost portion of the atmosphere, termed the
ionosphere. Essentially a transition between the atmosphere and the
magnetosphere, the ionosphere is where the atmosphere is thin enough
that the Sun's X-rays and UV rays can reach it, but thick enough that
there are enough molecules present to absorb those rays. Consequently,
the ionosphere consists of a rapid increase in density of free
electrons, beginning at ~70 km, reaching a peak at ~300 km, and then
falling off again as the atmosphere disappears entirely by ~1,000 km.
Various aspects of HAARP can study all of the main layers of the
ionosphere.
The profile of the ionosphere is highly variable,
changing constantly on timescales of minutes, hours, days, seasons, and
years. This profile becomes even more complex near Earth's magnetic
poles, where the nearly vertical alignment and intensity of Earth's
magnetic field can cause physical effects like the aurora.
The
ionosphere is traditionally very difficult to measure. Balloons cannot
reach it because the air is too thin, but satellites cannot orbit there
because the air is too thick. Hence, most experiments on the ionosphere
give only small pieces of information. HAARP approaches the study of the
ionosphere by following in the footsteps of an ionospheric heater
called EISCAT near Tromsø, Norway. There, scientists pioneered
exploration of the ionosphere by perturbing it with radio waves in the
2–10 MHz range, and studying how the ionosphere reacts. HAARP performs
the same functions but with more power and a more flexible and agile HF
beam.
Some of the main capabilities of HAARP include:
Generating very low frequency (VLF) radio waves by modulated heating of
the auroral electrojet, useful because generating VLF waves ordinarily
requires gigantic antennas
Generating artificial Airglow, which
is typically subvisual but routinely detectable. Under certain
geophysical conditions and transmitter configurations, it can be bright
enough to observe with the unaided eye.[17][18]
Generating
extremely low frequency (ELF) waves in the 0.1 Hz range. These are next
to impossible to produce any other way, because the length of an antenna
is dictated by the wavelength of the signal it emits or receives.
Generating whistler-mode VLF signals that enter the magnetosphere and
propagate to the other hemisphere, interacting with Van Allen radiation
belt particles along the way
VLF remote sensing of the heated ionosphere
Research at the HAARP has included:
Plasma line observations
Stimulated electron emission observations
Gyro frequency heating research
Spread F observations (blurring of ionospheric echoes of radio waves
due to irregularities in electron density in the F layer)
High-velocity trace runs
Airglow observations[19]
Heating induced scintillation observations
VLF and ELF generation observations[20]
Radio observations of meteors
Polar mesospheric summer echoes (PMSE) have been studied, probing the
mesosphere using the IRI as a powerful radar, and with a 28 MHz radar
and two VHF radars at 49 MHz and 139 MHz. The presence of multiple
radars spanning both HF and VHF bands allows scientists to make
comparative measurements that may someday lead to an understanding of
the processes that form these elusive phenomena.
Research into extraterrestrial HF radar echos: the Lunar Echo experiment (2008).[21][22]
Testing of spread spectrum Transmitters (2009)
Meteor shower impacts on the ionosphere
Response and recovery of the ionosphere from solar flares and geomagnetic storms
The effect of ionospheric disturbances on GPS satellite signal quality
Producing high density plasma clouds in Earth's upper atmosphere[23]
Research
conducted at the HAARP facility has allowed the US military to perfect
communications with its fleet of submarines by sending radio signals
over long distances.
______________
Why scientists used these radio transmitters to create artificial auroras
Sending radio pulses into the upper atmosphere can create splotches of red and green light.
Nov 10, 2023
If
you live in and around Gulkana, Alaska and recently saw some eerie
lights in the sky—don’t worry; they were all part of a science
experiment. Earlier this week, researchers from the University of Alaska
Fairbanks and several other US institutions created artificial auroras
by sending radio pulses into the Earth’s ionosphere using HAARP (High
Frequency Active Auroral Research Program) transmitters on the ground.
The frequencies of these transmissions were between 2.8 and 10
megahertz.
These transmitters act as heaters that excite the
gasses in the upper atmosphere. When the gasses “de-excite,” they
produce an airglow between 120 and 150 miles above ground, according to a
notice about the project issued by the HAARP team. This is similar to
how charged particles from the sun interact with gasses in the upper
atmosphere to create natural auroras; the charged particles are steered
by the Earth’s magnetic field to the north and south poles to form
aurora borealis and aurora australis. Compared to those light displays,
the artificial auroras are much weaker.
https://www.popsci.com/technology/haarp-artificial-aurora/
______________
HAARP experiments could cause artificial aurora over Alaska this weekend
November 4, 2023
https://www.adn.com/alaska-news/science/2023/11/04/haarp-experiments-could-cause-artificial-aurora-over-alaska-this-weekend/
______________
HAARP ionospheric research program set to continue
July 24, 2013
https://newatlas.com/haarp-operations-on-hold/28383/
______________
Plane laser scanning homes in Florida??
March 18, 2024
https://www.youtube.com/shorts/JbhlexoZQoM
_______________
Congress Could Roll Back Pesticide Protections in the Farm Bill
In
this week’s Field Report: The farm bill could be a vehicle to roll back
pesticide safety, a flurry of food-and-climate reports, and more.
NOVEMBER 7, 2023
https://civileats.com/2023/11/07/congress-may-roll-back-pesticide-protections-farm-bill/
______________
EPA phased out a toxic pesticide in 2010. Before Trump left office, it was approved for Florida citrus.
Nov 2, 2021
https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2021/11/02/epa-pressured-decision-toxic-pesticide-florida-citrus/8124503002/?gnt-cfr=1
______________
'Extremely Hazardous' Pesticide Federally Approved For Use On Florida Citrus
January 13, 2021
https://www.wusf.org/environment/2021-01-13/extremely-hazardous-pesticide-federally-approved-for-use-on-florida-citrus
______________
Court Blocks Controversial Pesticide For Use On Florida Citrus
June 10, 2021
In
a victory for environmental and farmworker groups, an appeals court has
overturned federal approval of a controversial pesticide that
supporters say could help fight a disease that has caused heavy damage
in Florida’s citrus industry.
The decision this week by a panel
of the U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia came
amid federal and state legal battles about the use of the pesticide
aldicarb on citrus crops.
https://news.wfsu.org/state-news/2021-06-10/court-blocks-controversial-pesticide-for-use-on-florida-citrus
______________
Restricted Use Pesticides for Use in Florida
https://journals.flvc.org/edis/article/download/114783/122375/
______________
THE DEPARTMENT OF YES
How Pesticide Companies Corrupted the EPA and Poisoned America
2021
https://theintercept.com/2021/06/30/epa-pesticides-exposure-opp/
______________
Florida Delegation Urges EPA Not To Ban Pesticide Which Helps Strawberry Production
May 26, 2022
https://www.floridadaily.com/florida-delegation-urges-epa-not-to-ban-pesticide-which-helps-strawberry-production/
______________
The USA lags behind other agricultural nations in banning harmful pesticides
07 June 2019
https://ehjournal.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s12940-019-0488-0
______________
Pesticides and environmental injustice in the USA: root causes, current regulatory reinforcement and a path forward
19 April 2022
https://bmcpublichealth.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s12889-022-13057-4
______________
Florida Legislature proposes blocking fertilizer restrictions. Here's what we know
May 3, 2023
The
Florida Legislature is set to vote Friday on the state's budget, which
includes a fertilizer-related provision that some say could
detrimentally affect the state's water quality.
Multiple
municipalities across the state restrict the use of fertilizer
containing nitrogen or phosphorus during Florida's rainy season, June 1
through Sept. 30, because excess nutrients found in runoff are some of
the biggest nitrogen contributors to local springs...
https://www.news-journalonline.com/story/news/environment/2023/05/03/florida-legislature-wants-to-block-fertilizer-restrictions-what-we-know/70178675007/
______________
Florida Pesticide Producer to Pay $1.7 Million Penalty for Selling Misbranded Pesticides
December 20, 2013
https://www.enewspf.com/science/environmental/florida-pesticide-producer-to-pay-1-7-million-penalty-for-selling-misbranded-pesticides/
______________
Management of Pesticide Waste a Global Problem
2018
https://beyondpesticides.org/dailynewsblog/2018/10/management-of-pesticide-waste-a-global-problem/
______________
Pesticide poisoning in south Florida. An analysis of mortality and morbidity and a comparison of sources of incidence data
1968
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/5687273/
______________
Millions of People Drinking Groundwater with Pesticides or Pesticide Degradates
2021
https://beyondpesticides.org/dailynewsblog/2021/01/millions-of-people-drinking-groundwater-with-pesticides-or-pesticide-degradates/
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‘No community should suffer this’: Florida’s toxic breach was decades in the making
2021
A leak at an abandoned fertilizer plant is just the latest development at a site that has polluted the area since it was built
https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2021/apr/11/florida-piney-point-fertilizer-plant-toxic-leak
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Fertilizer ordinances across Southwest Florida hope to curb nutrient pollution, stop algae blooms
2020
https://www.news-press.com/story/tech/science/environment/2020/06/04/fertilizer-ordinances-southwest-florida-used-hope-stop-algae-blooms/5308140002/
_____________
Fertilizer use by Florida farmers appears to be leveling off. But will it be enough?
JULY 16, 2023
https://www.miamiherald.com/news/local/environment/article276607041.html
______________
Fertilizer runoff in streams and rivers can have cascading effects, analysis shows
2020
https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2020/12/201217135317.htm
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Experts say fertilizer's impact in Florida already known, but study clears state budget
June 2023
https://www.news-journalonline.com/story/news/2023/06/20/fl-environmentalists-seasonal-fertilizer-bans-work-250k-study-a-waste/70330407007/
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New Study: Agricultural Pesticides Cause Widespread Harm to Soil Health, Threaten Biodiversity
Most
Comprehensive Review Ever Conducted of Pesticide Impacts on Soil Finds
Harm to Beneficial Invertebrates Like Beetles, Earthworms in 71% of
Cases
May 4, 2021
https://biologicaldiversity.org/w/news/press-releases/new-study-agricultural-pesticides-cause-widespread-harm-to-soil-health-threaten-biodiversity-2021-05-04/
______________
Chapter 2 - Influence of synthetic fertilizers and pesticides on soil health and soil microbiology
2020
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/B9780081030172000027
______________
Photochemistry and a new catalyst could make fertilizer more sustainable
January 5, 2024
https://phys.org/news/2024-01-photochemistry-catalyst-fertilizer-sustainable.html
______________
Toxicity and bioremediation of pesticides in agricultural soil
20 September 2013
https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s11157-013-9320-4
______________
City of Largo sold contaminated fertilizer for months, records show
State and federal regulators are lobbing penalties a year after a whistleblower raised concerns
2023
https://www.tampabay.com/news/environment/2023/04/12/city-largo-sold-contaminated-fertilizer-months-records-show/
______________
Managing the Biodiversity Impacts of Fertiliser and Pesticide Use
2020
https://one.oecd.org/document/ENV/WKP(2020)2/En/pdf
______________
Testing Reveals High Level of Toxic Pesticides in Foods Sold by Top 20 Fast Food Chains
10/18/23
https://childrenshealthdefense.org/defender/los-analisis-revelan-un-alto-nivel-de-pesticidas-toxicos-en-los-alimentos-vendidos-por-las-20-principales-ca
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US food pesticides contaminated with toxic ‘forever chemicals’ testing finds
May 2023
PFAS are present at ‘potentially dangerous’ levels in widely used chemicals sprayed on food crops destined for Americans’ plates
https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2023/may/07/food-pesticides-toxic-forever-chemicals-pfas
______________
PFAS in pesticides: ‘A problem of epic proportions’
March 5, 2021
https://pfasproject.com/2021/03/05/pfas-in-pesticides-a-problem-of-epic-proportions/
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This Brutal Pesticide Creates a ‘Circle of Death.’ So Why Is It Making a Comeback?
Spring 2020
Carbofuran,
a century-old chemical, is increasingly being weaponized against birds
and other wildlife, decimating entire food webs.
Let me tell you
about the birds and the bees: A family of pesticides called
neonicotinoids has been linked with pollinator declines. While their
involvement in bee colony collapse is hotly debated, ecologists are
wondering: could neonicotinoids impact something further up the food
chain?
A study published yesterday in Nature suggests that birds
and bees may share a common enemy. Dutch researchers have found a
correlation between bird population declines in the Netherlands and
higher concentrations of the common neonicotinoid pesticide imidacloprid
in surface water.
https://www.smithsonianmag.com/science-nature/popular-pesticides-linked-drops-bird-population-180951971/
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Popular Pesticides Linked to Drops in Bird Populations
July 10, 2014
This is the latest in a string of studies suggesting that some pesticides impact birds as well as pollinators
https://www.smithsonianmag.com/science-nature/popular-pesticides-linked-drops-bird-population-180951971/
______________
Health effects of pesticides
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Health_effects_of_pesticides
______________
Environmental impact of pesticides
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Environmental_impact_of_pesticides
______________
Pesticides and Groundwater Quality: Issues and Problems in Four States (1986)
National
Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. 1986. Pesticides and
Groundwater Quality: Issues and Problems in Four States. Washington, DC:
The National Academies Press. https://doi.org/10.17226/649.
https://nap.nationalacademies.org/read/649/chapter/6
______________
Pesticides
and Pesticide Degradates in Groundwater Used for Public Supply across
the United States: Occurrence and Human-Health Context
December 14, 2020
https://pubs.acs.org/doi/10.1021/acs.est.0c05793
______________
Study of the Photocatalytic Degradation of Highly Abundant Pesticides in Agricultural Soils
2022 Jan 19
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC8840474/
______________
A third of global farmland at 'high' pesticide pollution risk
MARCH 29, 2021
https://phys.org/news/2021-03-global-farmland-high-pesticide-pollution.html
______________
Pesticides and Florida Lakes
2023
https://blogs.ifas.ufl.edu/pesticideinformation/2023/07/13/pesticides-and-florida-lakes/
______________
Water quality and evaluation of pesticides in lakes in the Ridge Citrus region of central Florida
2009
https://pubs.usgs.gov/publication/sir20085178
______________
Pesticides and Nitrate in Groundwater Underlying Citrus
Croplands, Lake Wales Ridge, Central Florida, 1999–2005
2013
https://pubs.usgs.gov/of/2013/1271/pdf/of2013-1271.pdf
______________
Pesticides in the Nation's Streams and Ground Water, 1992–2001—A Summary
March 2006
https://pubs.usgs.gov/fs/2006/3028/
______________
Water quality, pesticide occurrence, and effects of irrigation with reclaimed water at golf courses in Florida
December 1, 1996
https://www.usgs.gov/publications/water-quality-pesticide-occurrence-and-effects-irrigation-reclaimed-water-golf-courses
______________
Natural Products for Managing Landscape and Garden Pests in Florida
https://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/publication/IN197
______________
REDUCING PESTICIDE USE IN FLORIDA WATERS
https://plants.ifas.ufl.edu/manage/management-plans/chemical-control-considerations/reducing-pesticide-use-in-florida-waters/
______________
Ordinance limiting fertilizer use aims to keep South Florida waterways healthy
May 11, 2022
https://www.local10.com/news/local/2022/05/11/ordinance-limiting-fertilizer-use-aims-to-keep-south-florida-waterways-healthy/
______________
AQUATIC HERBICIDE TESTING, TOXICITY, AND EPA REGISTRATION
https://plants.ifas.ufl.edu/manage/control-methods/chemical-control/aquatic-herbicide-testing-toxicity-and-epa/
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Assessment of carbon dioxide piscicide treatments
January 1, 2018
Few
chemicals are approved to control or eradicate nuisance fish
populations in the United States. Carbon dioxide (CO2) is currently
being developed and studied as a new piscicide option for nonselective
population control. This study evaluated dry ice (solid state CO2) as a
simple CO2 delivery method during winter piscicide applications.
Nonnative Silver Carp Hypophthalmichthys molitrix, Bighead Carp H.
nobilis, and native Fathead Minnow Pimephales promelas were overwintered
together in ice‐covered ponds treated with 25 kg dry ice/100,000 L (low
treatment) or 50 kg dry ice/100,000 L (high treatment). Overwinter fish
survival was significantly reduced in ponds treated with dry ice
relative to untreated control ponds. Fathead Minnows were less
susceptible to CO2exposure than the carps, with 26–96% survival in
low‐treatment ponds and 4–68% survival in high‐treatment ponds. Silver
Carp and Bighead Carp were more sensitive to CO2 treatments and no
individuals of either species survived in ponds with the high‐treatment
level. Water samples were also collected in all ponds throughout this
study, and we observed notably higher Silver Carp and Bighead Carp
environmental DNA (eDNA) concentrations in dry‐ice‐treated ponds
relative to untreated control ponds. Distinct changes in eDNA trends
correlated with fish mortality, and results indicate that eDNA sampling
could be a useful indicator of piscicide efficacy. This study
demonstrates that CO2 administered as dry ice is an effective under‐ice
piscicide method.
https://www.usgs.gov/publications/assessment-carbon-dioxide-piscicide-treatments
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Piscidia piscipula
Family: FABACEAE
Species: Piscidia piscipula (L.)Sarg.
Common Name: FLORIDA FISHPOISON TREE; JAMAICAN DOGWOOD
Plant
Notes: Native to the Caribbean region, the root bark has been
employed to poison and catch fish (Hamilton 1832). The primary
constituents are flavonoid derivaties, i.e. piscidone, piscerythrone,
ichthynone, and rotenone (Ingham et al. 1989).
Status: Native
https://florida.plantatlas.usf.edu/plant.aspx?id=3732
_____________
Piscicide impact extends beyond targets and toxicity
2018
Abstract
Restoration
of fisheries often requires removal of invasive fishes. Although
piscicides such as antimycin a and rotenone are reliable and
cost-effective tools for such removals, they may reduce the abundance of
nontarget species directly via toxicity-induced mortality (toxic
effect) or indirectly via loss of prey (trophic effect). Toxic effects
are well documented in some taxa, especially in benthic
macroinvertebrates (BMIs). Yet, the corresponding trophic effects on
nonpiscine, aquatic, and riparian species remain unstudied. I tested for
a trophic effect of piscicides using a population of American Dippers
(Cinclus mexicanus), songbirds that feed extensively on BMIs. I caught
breeding birds and estimated body condition before, during, and after
treatment of the stream with antimycin a or rotenone. Birds exhibited
poorer body condition (3.0–3.7% lower body mass) during treatment than
before or after treatment. These differences suggested that treatment
reduced prey availability enough to impact birds at least 9 months after
application. Therefore, continued use of piscicides for fish
restoration would benefit from (1) site-specific comparison of benefits
of invasive fish removal to costs of potential or documented toxic and
trophic effects of piscicides on nontarget organisms; (2) continued
adherence to best practices for recovery of the BMI community after
piscicide treatment; and (3) experimental study of piscicide impacts.
https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1111/rec.12674
_____________
Impacts of piscicide-induced fish removal on resource use and trophic diversity of lake invertebrates
2022
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0048969722024573
_____________
Rotenone: Advances on Resources, Biosynthetic Pathway, Bioavailability, Bioactivity, and Pharmacology
13 October 2023
https://link.springer.com/referenceworkentry/10.1007/978-3-030-94753-8_92-1
_____________
Variation
in Rotenone and Deguelin Contents among Strains across Four Tephrosia
Species and Their Activities against Aphids and Whiteflies
2022
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC9146100/
_____________
Negative effects of a piscicide, rotenone, on the growth and metabolism of three submerged macophytes
2020
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0045653520304392
_____________
Use and Status of Rotenone in Organic Growing
2014
Rotenone
is a potent botanical pesticide that has become a source of mounting
concern because of its toxicity and potential environmental impact.
There is significant confusion concerning whether and how this material
may be used in USDA-certified organic farming.
Although the
Organic Materials Review Institute (OMRI) Generic Materials List
identifies rotenone as “Allowed with Restrictions” on organic farms, the
material is only legally allowed under certain conditions. Other
substances commonly used with rotenone, including piperonyl butoxide,
are explicitly prohibited for use in organic agriculture. The National
Organic Program (NOP) is currently exploring possible changes to the
regulations, potentially limiting or prohibiting the use of rotenone.
Rotenone
is commonly derived from the roots of various tropical plants native to
Southeast Asia, South America and East Africa. Historically, farmers
have used this extract as a foliar spray to control pests on vegetables,
berries, tree fruits, nuts, forage crops and sugarcane. It was first
registered in the United States in 1947, and through the years, the
Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) required a number of studies to
further confirm its safety status for use in agriculture. In 2004, the
EPA required an inhalation neurotoxicity study to further investigate
the possibility of rotenone leading to Parkinson’s Disease-like symptoms
at high dose exposure in animals. Instead, the companies distributing
and selling rotenone products voluntarily cancelled all food use
registrations for it, except for piscicide (fish kill) uses. Since
then, the EPA only supports registration for piscicidal purposes.
https://www.motherearthnews.com/organic-gardening/rotenone-organic-zb0z1405zsto/
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Addition of Cinnamon Oil Improves Toxicity of Rotenone to Spodoptera litura (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae) Larvae
1 September 2017
Abstract
Although
rotenone is widely used as a pesticide, it has a low level of
insecticidal activity on Spodoptera litura (F.) (Lepidoptera:
Noctuidae). To gain a better understanding of the high tolerance to
rotenone, a synergist (cinnamon oil) was added, and the comparative
physiological impacts were assessed. After rotenone treatment, a
considerable amount of rotenone was discharged in excreta, but extremely
low levels were found in the ventral nerve cord and brain. By contrast,
the rotenone cinnamon oil treatment group showed an increased amount of
rotenone in the ventral nerve cord and brain. The co-toxicity
coefficient for rotenone cinnamon was 213, indicating synergism. The
midgut cells from insects treated with rotenone alone, and the controls,
exhibited no significant differences, whereas those of the rotenone
cinnamon oil group had larger intercellular spaces. These findings
suggest that rotenone alone could not effectively penetrate the midgut,
perhaps accounting for its low toxicity to S. litura. The rotenone
cinnamon oil mixture apparently affected midgut cell spacing and
membrane permeability, thus effectively increasing rotenone toxicity.
https://bioone.org/journals/florida-entomologist/volume-100/issue-3/024.100.0304/Addition-of-Cinnamon-Oil-Improves-Toxicity-of-Rotenone-to-Spodoptera/10.1653/024.100.0304.full
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Snakeheads: One of South Florida's Most Notorious and Misunderstood Invasive Species
Aug 30, 2023
https://www.floridasportfishing.com/freshwater/snakeheads-one-of-south-floridas-most-notorious-and-misunderstood-invasive-species/article_efac815a-4746-11ee-810e-2f8489ac5d04.html
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Snakehead Tech Tips: What You Should Look for When Chasing Snakeheads in South Florida
Aug 30, 2023
https://www.floridasportfishing.com/freshwater/snakehead-tech-tips-what-you-should-look-for-when-chasing-snakeheads-in-south-florida/article_799013e8-474a-11ee-8578-7f6f7cf45b7b.html
_____________
Florida Snakehead Fishing
https://www.takemefishing.org/florida/fishing/how-to-fish-in-florida/snakehead-fishing/
_____________
Invasive Snakehead Population Discovered, Removed from Manatee River Drainage, Florida
January 19, 2023
The
goldline snakehead (formerly known as the "bullseye snakehead") is
native to Asia, but has been introduced in Florida waters.
https://www.usgs.gov/centers/wetland-and-aquatic-research-center/news/invasive-snakehead-population-discovered-removed
_____________
Acute Toxicity of 5% Rotenone to Northern Snakeheads
August 2006
Abstract
The
confirmation of northern snakeheads Channa argus caught by an angler in
a private pond in Maryland resulted in significant media attention and
generated numerous resources for risk identification and the development
of action plans to prevent the introduction of this nonnative species
into state waters. Rotenone was selected as an eradication option, and a
bioassay was conducted with captured northern snakehead juveniles to
determine toxicity and application dose. The lowest rotenone
concentration evaluated, 0.075 mg of active ingredient per liter of
water, resulted in 100% mortality within 1 h. Pond treatment was highly
successful; 8 adult and 834 juvenile snakeheads were recovered. Study
results show that northern snakeheads are susceptible to normal doses of
rotenone and that standard pond treatment techniques are effective in
eradicating this invasive species.
https://www.researchgate.net/publication/250017186_Acute_Toxicity_of_5_Rotenone_to_Northern_Snakeheads
______________
Pesticide occurrence in selected South Florida canals and Biscayne Bay during high agricultural activity
2005
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/16028993/
______________
Common pesticide may have made the Zika epidemic worse
SEPTEMBER 21, 2021
Before COVID, there was Zika. In 2015, the number of babies born in
Brazil with small heads and brains—a condition known as
microcephaly—suddenly increased dramatically. The severe deformities
left the children disabled for life, and caused intense global concern.
These cases of microcephaly were soon shown to be caused by pregnant women being infected with the mosquito-borne Zika virus. The virus infects and kills cells that form the brain, hampering its proper development.
But the impact was not universal—certain regions in north-eastern Brazil saw far more cases of microcephaly than others.
Scientists began to question whether other factors might be at play that intensified the epidemic in some places. Not long after, they focused their attention on pyriproxyfen, a globally approved pesticide used against household insects in agriculture—including mosquitoes. Pyriproxyfen was used intensively in the regions with the highest numbers of microcephaly cases.
Now, in a new study, we have shown that pyriproxyfen could indeed exacerbate the already severe effects the Zika virus has on fetal brain development...
Genetically modified tadpoles emit green fluorescence when exposed to
thyroid hormone (T3 in the image). When they were simultaneously exposed
to pyriproxyfen, the fluorescent signal dropped significantly, showing
the insecticide blocks thyroid hormone action.
https://medicalxpress.com/news/2021-09-common-pesticide-zika-epidemic-worse.html
______________
Zika spraying in Miami: What you need to know
September 9, 2016
https://www.cnn.com/2016/09/08/health/florida-zika-spraying-concerns/index.html
______________
Popular Pesticide From The 1970s, Methoxychlor, Found To Have Lasting Effects On Health For Up To Three Generations
Jul 24, 2014
https://www.medicaldaily.com/popular-pesticide-1970s-methoxychlor-found-have-lasting-effects-health-three-generations-294852
______________
Using hypochlorous acid as an agricultural pesticide
JUN 08, 2022
https://hyposource.com/blogs/stories-from-the-field/using-hocl-as-a-pesticide
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This 27-Year-Old Scientist Has A Fix For Our Pesticide Problem
04-26-18
The winner of the 2018 Lemelson-MIT Student Prize thinks he can drastically cut the pesticides we use, by making them stickier.
https://www.fastcompany.com/40563458/this-27-year-old-scientist-has-a-fix-for-our-pesticide-problem
______________
Chapter 12 - Botanical pesticides as alternatives for more sustainable crops and healthy foods
2022
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/B9780323904896000124
______________
Research Progress on the Synthetic Biology of Botanical Biopesticides
2022 May 12
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC9137473/
______________
Hypochlorous Acid; Exemption From the Requirement of a Pesticide Tolerance
05/17/2022
https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2022/05/17/2022-10563/hypochlorous-acid-exemption-from-the-requirement-of-a-pesticide-tolerance
______________
Organophosphate Pesticides in the United States
August 4, 2021
Inherently neurotoxic to humans, organophosphate pesticides pose a risk to children’s neurodevelopment and normal neurological function. At high levels of exposure, organophosphate pesticides can be lethal.
Exposure to organophosphate pesticides during pregnancy has been linked to neurodevelopmental disorders like attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and autism.
Earthjustice is committed to mitigating both human and environmental exposure to this toxic class of pesticides. Of the dozens of organophosphate pesticides that still remain in use in the U.S., we have chosen to examine 17 in this database because of their heavy use and/or serious health effects.
https://earthjustice.org/feature/organophosphate-pesticides-united-states
______________
Cold
plasma for mitigating agrochemical and pesticide residue in food and
water: Similarities with ozone and ultraviolet technologies
2021
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0963996921000351
______________
Finding Fluorine: Photoproduct Formation during the Photolysis of Fluorinated Pesticides
Aug 16, 2022
https://pubs.acs.org/doi/10.1021/acs.est.2c04242
______________
Silica nanoparticles as pesticide against insects of different feeding types and their non-target attraction of predators
July 2021
https://www.researchgate.net/publication/353267380_Silica_nanoparticles_as_pesticide_against_insects_of_different_feeding_types_and_their_non-target_attraction_of_predators
______________
Application of mushrooms in the degradation of xenobiotic components and the reduction of pesticides
2022
https://www.taylorfrancis.com/chapters/edit/10.1201/9781003152583-19/application-mushrooms-degradation-xenobiotic-components-reduction-pesticides-karishma-joshi-anamika-das-gaurav-joshi-bibekananda-sarkar
______________
Selection of pesticides to reduce human and environmental health risks: a global guideline and minimum pesticides list
February, 2020
https://www.thelancet.com/journals/lanplh/article/PIIS2542-5196(19)30266-9/fulltext
______________
UK fails to ban 36 harmful pesticides outlawed for use in EU
13 Sep 2023
https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2023/sep/13/uk-fails-ban-pesticides-outlawed-use-in-eu
______________
Cocktail of pesticides in almost all oranges and grapes, UK study finds
Sep 2021
Traces of 122 different pesticides in 12 most polluted fruit and veg products, many with links to cancer
https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2021/sep/29/cocktail-pesticides-almost-all-oranges-grapes-uk-study
______________
European fruit with traces of most toxic pesticides ‘up 53% in nine years’
24 May 2022
Analysis of nearly 100,000 samples found residues in a third of apples and half of blackberries
https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2022/may/24/european-fruit-with-traces-of-most-toxic-pesticides-up-53-in-nine-years
______________
‘An utter disgrace’: 90% of England’s most precious river habitats blighted by raw sewage and farming pollution
Aug 2023
Observer investigation reveals the shocking state of the country’s protected freshwater sites of special scientific interest
https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2023/aug/12/an-utter-disgrace-90-of-englands-most-precious-river-habitats-blighted-by-raw-sewage-and-farming-pollution
_____________
Feds Considering 'Extremely Hazardous' Pesticide For Florida Citrus
December 11, 2020
https://www.wusf.org/environment/2020-12-11/feds-considering-extremely-hazardous-pesticide-for-florida-citrus
______________
‘Water is sacred too’: How a pesticide banned in Europe robbed a Costa Rican town of its drinking water
22.06.2023
Authorities
have been trucking clean water to the mountain town of Cipreses after
its tap water was found to be contaminated by chlorothalonil, a
pesticide banned in Europe but still sold in Costa Rica by European
companies. In a country without the means to test for this kind of
pollution, Cipreses may be the tip of the iceberg.
https://unearthed.greenpeace.org/2023/06/22/pesticide-chlorothalonil-water-contamination-costa-rica-banned-europe-syngenta/
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Toxic coal ash is making its way to Florida from Puerto Rico. Experts warn of its adverse health effects
February 7, 2020
The
AES power plant in Puerto Rico generates 300,000 tons of coal ash, the
toxic byproduct of coal burned to generate electricity, each year. The
residents of the island, understandably, don't want to be near the toxic
elements, so they passed a law "to prohibit the deposit and disposal of
coal ashes or coal combustion residues in Puerto Rico."
In addition, the law prevents the ash from being stored on the island for more than 180 days.
So where does the coal ash go? A lot of it — tens of thousands of tons — makes its way to the mainland U.S.
CBS
News tracked one cargo ship, the Mississippi Enterprise, as it was
hauling coal ash into Jacksonville, Florida. From there, the ash is
taken to Chesser Island landfill in Folkston, Georgia, as reported by
local Puerto Rican journalist Abner Dennis and Omar Alfonso.
Lawyer
and activist Ruth Santiago, who has been battling AES to provide better
safeguards in disposing the coal ash, warned communities in Florida and
elsewhere where the ash was being disposed: "They should not allow the
import of the toxic coal ash to their communities."
https://www.cbsnews.com/news/toxic-coal-ash-from-puerto-rico-aes-power-plant-is-being-shipped-to-florida/
______________
The Big Pineapple Pesticide Problem
November 14, 2023
And
other dark truths about the pesticide-fuelled pineapple industry in
Costa Rica, where the UK and U.S. gets most of its stock.
https://www.vice.com/en/article/g5ykbx/supermarket-pineapples-toxic-pesticides
______________
Tomato Pesticides: Everything You Need To Know (2023)
February 21, 2023
https://ourgardenworks.com/tomato-pesticides-guide/
______________
Less pesticide needed to control thrips in strawberries, study says
JAN 18, 2021
https://vegetablegrowersnews.com/news/less-pesticide-needed-to-control-thrips-in-strawberries-study-says/
______________
UF/IFAS findings show less need for pesticide to control strawberry pest
2020
https://blogs.ifas.ufl.edu/news/2020/12/08/uf-ifas-findings-show-less-need-for-pesticide-to-control-strawberry-pest/
______________
Panthers: Group sues over failure to protect cats from pesticides, female collared at CREW
Feb 12, 2024
https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/environment/2024/02/12/suit-filed-over-failure-to-protect-panthers-other-species-from-pesticides/72490714007/?gnt-cfr=1
______________
Potential Impacts of Climate Change on the Toxicity of Pesticides towards Earthworms
2021 Aug 20
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC8397574/
______________
Newly discovered roundworm species could help limit pesticide use
Feb 26, 2024
RIVERSIDE
— Chemical pesticides have come under a lot of scrutiny lately for
their potential effects on human health and the environment. In fact,
several cities across the country have started taking action to ban the
use of some types.
Now, researchers in California have made an
exciting discovery that's an alternative to chemical pesticides and
could impact earth.
Nematodes are microscopic roundworms that
often get a bad wrap in the agriculture community because some are
dangerous to humans and animals and some kill crops. But there are also
types that target insects.
“These are the good guys. These are
often known as beneficial nematodes,” said Adler Dillman a professor who
studies nematodes at the University of California at Riverside.
They enter insects through their openings like a mouth and then kill them within 48 hours from the inside.
There
are 100 species of these good Steinermnema that researchers around the
world know about and each has unique features that makes it thrive in
different conditions.
Dillman was trying to sequence genomes for
some of these insect-killing nematodes and received a batch from
Thailand for his work. However, when he started running tests, he
discovered that the worms he ordered were not the ones he got.
“It turns out it was a previously undescribed species. It wasn't like anything else that is known,” Dillman said.
The
researchers decided to name the new species Steinornema Adamsi. These
nematodes are completely safe for people and only target insects.
Dillman
and his team are now working to understand the unique characteristics
of this nematode to see if it's better adapted to humidity or a certain
type of soil.
Then, farmers can use that knowledge in their
application. many agriculturists already spray nematodes on their land
rather than pesticides. It is more expensive but the worms
self-replicate and can last multiple planting seasons, so Dillman says
there's enormous potential.
“We have become more conscientious
and aware of the damage, the ecological damage of chemical pesticides
and their health effects, not only on humans, but on the rest of the
environment, contaminating water sources and other things,” Dillman
said. “Our food abundance, food security is a major global problem and
insects cause a significant loss of global crop yield. Being able to use
something that is environmentally friendly and ecologically safe, but
can also significantly reduce insect herbivory of our crops will be
beneficial to everyone.”
https://www.wptv.com/news/national/newly-discovered-roundworm-species-could-help-limit-pesticide-use
______________
Attack on Vulnerable Species Pilot Project: Opportunities to Engage with EPA on ESA
2024
https://beyondpesticides.org/dailynewsblog/2024/02/attack-on-vulnerable-species-pilot-project-opportunities-to-engage-with-epa-on-esa/
______________
The Cocktail Effects on the Acute Cytotoxicity of Pesticides and Pharmaceuticals Frequently Detected in the Environment
28 February 2024
https://www.mdpi.com/2305-6304/12/3/189
______________
Fish off the coast of Florida test positive for pharmaceutical drugs, says study
2022
https://www.cnn.com/2022/05/29/us/florida-fish-pharmaceutical-drugs-scn-trnd/index.html
______________
Pharmaceuticals found in popular Florida fish from coast to coast
April 5, 2023
https://health.wusf.usf.edu/health-news-florida/2023-04-05/pharmaceuticals-found-in-popular-florida-fish-from-coast-to-coast
______________
Fish on Valium: A Multitude of Prescription Drugs Are Contaminating Florida’s Waterways and Marine Life
March 2, 2022
One recent study identified 58 different drugs in bonefish from South Florida’s coastal waters, including 16 in a single fish.
https://insideclimatenews.org/news/02032022/fish-florida-prescription-drugs/
______________
High amount of prescription drugs found in redfish in Florida’s most important estuaries, new study finds
2023
https://www.fox13news.com/news/high-amount-of-prescription-drugs-found-in-redfish-in-floridas-most-important-estuaries-new-study-finds
______________
Prescription drugs are contaminating Florida’s marine life, researchers find
2022
https://www.tampabay.com/news/environment/2022/02/28/prescription-drugs-are-contaminating-floridas-marine-life-researchers-find/
______________
Pharmaceutical pollution of the world’s rivers
2022
https://www.pnas.org/doi/full/10.1073/pnas.2113947119
______________
Pesticides in U.S. Streams and Rivers: Occurrence and Trends during 1992-2011
https://water.usgs.gov/nawqa/pnsp/pubs/pest-streams/faq.html
______________
Impacts of Pesticides on Wildlife
https://www.beyondpesticides.org/programs/wildlife
______________
The world's insect population is in decline — and that's bad news for humans
FEBRUARY 24, 2022
https://www.npr.org/sections/goatsandsoda/2022/02/24/1082752634/the-insect-crisis-oliver-milman
______________
Insect 'apocalypse' in U.S. driven by 50x increase in toxic pesticides
Aug 6, 2019
https://www.nationalgeographic.com/environment/article/insect-apocalypse-under-way-toxic-pesticides-agriculture
______________
Why Florida Is on the Front Lines to Save Honeybees
With one of the nation’s largest populations of honeybees, Florida has much resting on its fight to keep bees flying.
MARCH 2, 2020
https://flamingomag.com/2020/03/02/fight-for-bees/
______________
Honey bee colony loss in the U.S. linked to mites, extreme weather, pesticides
January 30, 2023
https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2023/01/230130112416.htm
______________
Understanding How Pesticide Exposure Affects Honey Bee Colonies
July 30, 2018
https://www.epa.gov/sciencematters/understanding-how-pesticide-exposure-affects-honey-bee-colonies
______________
Bees' pesticide risk found to be species- and landscape-dependent
MARCH 2, 2023
https://phys.org/news/2023-03-bees-pesticide-species-landscape-dependent.html
______________
Pesticide toxicity to bees
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pesticide_toxicity_to_bees
______________
Bill to ban pesticides toxic to bees takes a key step forward in the Vermont House
February 28, 2024
https://www.capeandislands.org/2024-02-28/bill-to-ban-pesticides-toxic-to-bees-takes-a-key-step-forward-in-the-vermont-house
______________
Researchers use an edible blue-green algae to protect honey bees against viruses
March 19, 2024
https://phys.org/news/2024-03-edible-blue-green-algae-honey.html
______________
Florida citrus growers binge on pesticides, endangering bees
Oct 01, 2013
Florida
farmers are dousing their groves with chemicals in a desperate bid to
save them from citrus greening disease. But the approach is killing the
state's bees.
https://grist.org/food/florida-citrus-growers-binge-on-pesticides-endangering-bees/
______________
Court Blocks Controversial Pesticide For Use On Florida Citrus
June 10, 2021
In
a victory for environmental and farmworker groups, an appeals court has
overturned federal approval of a controversial pesticide that
supporters say could help fight a disease that has caused heavy damage
in Florida’s citrus industry.
The decision this week by a panel
of the U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia came
amid federal and state legal battles about the use of the pesticide
aldicarb on citrus crops...
https://www.wfit.org/environment-and-science/2021-06-10/court-blocks-controversial-pesticide-for-use-on-florida-citrus
______________
Silent fields: A cocktail of pesticides is stunting bumblebee colonies across Europe
FEBRUARY 3, 2024
https://phys.org/news/2024-01-silent-fields-cocktail-pesticides-stunting.html
______________
Secret, undeclared pesticide ingredients may pose a risk to people, pollinators and the environment
FEBRUARY 22, 2024
https://phys.org/news/2024-02-secret-undeclared-pesticide-ingredients-pose.html
______________
Adding new buzz to controversial insecticide
October 12, 2021
A team of US chemists has found a way to make the insecticide
imidacloprid more effective, claiming that its faster-acting forms of
the insecticide could be used in smaller amounts, reducing its exposure
to the environment.
(Imidacloprid crystals).
Some of the imidacloprid polymorphs.
https://cosmosmagazine.com/science/chemistry/adding-new-buzz-to-controversial-insecticide/
______________
Florida monarch butterfly populations have dropped 80 percent since 2005
November 8, 2018
https://www.floridamuseum.ufl.edu/science/florida-monarch/
______________
Causes of Pollinator Declines and Potential Threats
National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. 2007. Status of Pollinators in North America.
Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. https://doi.org/10.17226/11761.
https://nap.nationalacademies.org/read/11761/chapter/5
______________
Evidence piles up for popular pesticides’ link to pollinator problems
AUGUST 17, 2016
https://www.sciencenews.org/blog/science-ticker/evidence-piles-popular-pesticides-link-pollinator-problems
______________
Exposure risk and environmental impacts of glyphosate: Highlights on the toxicity of herbicide co-formulants
2021
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2667010021001281
______________
Brazilian researchers develop method of purifying water contaminated by glyphosate
17/10/2023
https://smartwatermagazine.com/news/agencia-fapesp/brazilian-researchers-develop-method-purifying-water-contaminated-glyphosate
______________
When it comes to controlling mosquitoes, residents want to know if the chemicals can cause cancer
June 13, 2023
https://www.naplesnews.com/story/news/environment/2023/06/13/non-restricted-pesticides-used-to-control-mosquitoes-in-collier-county-florida-cancer-chemicals/70312313007/
______________
Acute Illnesses Associated With Insecticides Used to Control Bed Bugs
September 23, 2011
https://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/preview/mmwrhtml/mm6037a1.htm
______________
Orlando, 2 other Florida cities among the nation's top 50 cities with the most bed bugs: study
January 24, 2024
https://www.fox35orlando.com/news/orlando-2-other-florida-cities-among-the-nations-top-50-for-the-most-bed-bugs-study
______________
Killing cockroaches with pesticides is only making the species stronger
March 16, 2022
https://www.nationalgeographic.com/animals/article/pesticides-are-making-german-cockroaches-stronger
______________
Bug wild: 2 Florida spots in top 10 on list of US cities with worst cockroach problems
Nov 14, 2023
Tampa and Miami were recently ranked the 2nd and 6th 'roachiest' cities in the U.S.
https://www.news-press.com/story/news/2023/11/14/florida-cities-on-roachiest-in-america-list/71579910007/
______________
2 Florida cities among 50 most rat-infested in America
May 31, 2022
https://winknews.com/2022/05/31/2-florida-cities-among-50-most-rat-infested-in-america/
______________
EPA Permits Experimental Release of 2.5 Billion Genetically Engineered Mosquitoes in California and Florida
2022
https://beyondpesticides.org/dailynewsblog/2022/03/epa-permits-experimental-release-of-2-5-billion-genetically-engineered-mosquitoes-in-california-and-florida/
______________
Scientists and government agencies are targeting mosquitoes with bacteria
February 29, 2024
https://phys.org/news/2024-02-scientists-agencies-mosquitoes-bacteria.html
______________
Good news: Some toxic insecticides are vanishing from the atmosphere
March 02, 2023
https://www.ehn.org/air-pollution-in-the-great-lakes-2659413909.html
______________
Protecting Endangered Species from Pesticides
https://www.epa.gov/endangered-species
______________
South Florida produce growers continue facing major hurdles in 2022
January 4, 2022
https://www.local10.com/news/local/2022/01/04/south-florida-produce-growers-continue-facing-major-hurdles-in-2022/
______________
Are
nano-pesticides really meant for cleaner production? An overview on
recent developments, benefits, environmental hazards and future
prospectives
2023
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0959652623013902
______________
Environmental risks of new pesticides with nanoparticles insufficiently examined, say researchers
JANUARY 25, 2024
https://phys.org/news/2024-01-environmental-pesticides-nanoparticles-insufficiently.html
______________
Pesticide Exposure, Safety Issues, and Risk Assessment Indicators
2011 May 6
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3108117/
______________
Pesticide use around world almost doubles since 1990, report finds
2022
Agricultural chemicals drive falls of 30% in populations of field birds and butterflies, says Pesticide Atlas
https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2022/oct/18/pesticide-use-around-world-almost-doubles-since-1990-report-finds
______________
Farmers’ Exposure to Pesticides: Toxicity Types and Ways of Prevention
2016
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5606636/
______________
Health problems in agricultural workers occupationally exposed to pesticides
2021 Feb 11
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7879472/
______________
Rising pesticides use harming farmers, environment: report
January 12, 2022
https://www.dw.com/en/pesticide-atlas-2022/a-60390427
______________
Occupational Pesticide Exposures and Respiratory Health
2013 Nov 28
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3881124/
______________
Cancer health effects of pesticides
2007
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2231435/
______________
Cancer and occupational exposure to pesticides: an umbrella review
2021 Jan 25
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC8238729/
______________
Mortality in a cohort of licensed pesticide applicators in Florida
1999
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1757646/
______________
Pesticide exposure: the hormonal function of the female reproductive system disrupted?
2006 May 31
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1524969/
______________
Neurochemical and Behavioral Dysfunctions in Pesticide Exposed Farm Workers: A Clinical Outcome
2018 Sep 22
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6170243/
______________
EPA Bans Pesticide Linked to Health Problems in Children
September 1, 2021
The
Environmental Protection Agency has announced it is banning the use of
chlorpyrifos, a widely used pesticide long targeted by
environmentalists, on food crops because it poses risks to children and
farm workers.
https://www.nbcmiami.com/news/local/epa-bans-pesticide-linked-to-health-problems-in-children-2/2542099/
______________
Pesticide Exposure and Child Neurodevelopment
2014
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4247335/
______________
10 commonly used pesticides directly linked to Parkinson's in new study
May 24, 2023
https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/10-commonly-used-pesticides-directly-linked-to-parkinsons-in-new-study
______________
10 pesticides toxic to neurons involved in Parkinson's
May 18, 2023
https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2023/05/230518120851.htm
______________
Common pesticides in food reducing sperm count worldwide, study says
November 15, 2023
https://www.cnn.com/2023/11/15/health/sperm-damage-pesticides-wellness/index.html
______________
Reproductive disorders associated with pesticide exposure
2007
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/18032334/
______________
Pesticides in paradise: Hawaii's spike in birth defects puts focus on GM crops
2015
https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2015/aug/23/hawaii-birth-defects-pesticides-gmo
______________
What is chlormequat, and can the chemical found in foods like Quaker Oats and Cheerios impact fertility?
February 21, 2024
https://www.cbsnews.com/news/chlormequat-chemical-oats-health-fertility/
______________
Pesticides' Impact on Indoor Air Quality
https://www.epa.gov/indoor-air-quality-iaq/pesticides-impact-indoor-air-quality
______________
Deaths of 2 pesticide company workers prompt Pompano Beach warehouse investigation
April 25, 2023
Detectives investigate 2 deaths in Broward, Palm Beach counties
https://www.local10.com/news/local/2023/04/25/developing-paramedics-respond-to-fumigated-bulding-in-pompano-beach/
______________
Efficacy of ultrasound treatment in the removal of pesticide residues from fresh vegetables: A review
2020
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0924224419308362
______________
Sliding friction perturbed by shear ultrasound vibrations: dynamic lubrication and overaging
19 December 2022
https://link.springer.com/article/10.1140/epje/s10189-022-00256-5
______________
9 Homemade Pesticides for Your Flower Garden
05/23/22
Garlic Spray
Homemade Tobacco Spray
Epsom Salt Pesticide
Oil Spray
Hot Pepper Bug Repellent
Citrus Spray
Rubbing Alcohol Bug Spray
Bug Juice Spray
https://www.thespruce.com/homemade-flower-garden-pesticide-1316079
______________
Robots, monitoring and healthy ecosystems could halve pesticide use without hurting productivity
February 26, 2024
https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2024/02/240226114619.htm
______________
Farmers
use $60 billion of pesticides each year. 2 MIT scientists have
developed a new technology that could cut that number in half
Dec. 19, 2022
Kripa
Varanasi had just started his first year as an assistant professor of
mechanical engineering at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology in
2009 when he went to Washington, D.C., to give a talk at the U.S.
Department of Agriculture. His academic focus was on the bottlenecks
that occur between states of matter—where liquids and solids meet, for
example—and he was studying how to make droplets stick to, or bounce
off, solids in various applications. Varanasi had just come off a stint
in industry, at GE, where he was inculcated in the entrepreneur’s habit
of looking for problems to solve, so he asked the USDA representatives
for their top gripe. They didn’t hesitate to answer: “Pesticide runoff
is a big problem.”
Now, 13 years later, Varanasi and one of his
since graduated Ph.D. students—Vishnu Jayaprakash—have launched AgZen,
which uses additives developed in the lab to make more pesticide spray
droplets stick to the plants they hit. In early lab tests and field
trials, the additives replicated farmers’ prior results but with up to
50% less pesticide, cutting costs and reducing pollution from runoff and
wind-carried chemicals.
“Globally, farms are spending about $60
billion a year on these pesticides, and our goal is to try to get them
to cut that down while still not compromising on pest control,” says
Jayaprakash, AgZen’s CEO.
The company, which officially launched
in 2020, has raised $3 million in seed funding (Material Impact is an
investor) and won about $600,000 in prizes such as runner-up awards at
the MIT $100K and Rice Business Plan competitions.
https://meche.mit.edu/news-media/farmers-use-60-billion-pesticides-each-year-2-mit-scientists-have-developed-new
______________
Biopesticides
as a promising alternative to synthetic pesticides: A case for
microbial pesticides, phytopesticides, and nanobiopesticides
2023 Feb 16
Abstract
Over
the years, synthetic pesticides like herbicides, algicides, miticides,
bactericides, fumigants, termiticides, repellents, insecticides,
molluscicides, nematicides, and pheromones have been used to improve
crop yield. When pesticides are used, the over-application and excess
discharge into water bodies during rainfall often lead to death of fish
and other aquatic life. Even when the fishes still live, their
consumption by humans may lead to the biomagnification of chemicals in
the body system and can cause deadly diseases, such as cancer, kidney
diseases, diabetes, liver dysfunction, eczema, neurological destruction,
cardiovascular diseases, and so on. Equally, synthetic pesticides harm
the soil texture, soil microbes, animals, and plants. The dangers
associated with the use of synthetic pesticides have necessitated the
need for alternative use of organic pesticides (biopesticides), which
are cheaper, environment friendly, and sustainable. Biopesticides can be
sourced from microbes (e.g., metabolites), plants (e.g., from their
exudates, essential oil, and extracts from bark, root, and leaves), and
nanoparticles of biological origin (e.g., silver and gold
nanoparticles). Unlike synthetic pesticides, microbial pesticides are
specific in action, can be easily sourced without the need for expensive
chemicals, and are environmentally sustainable without residual
effects. Phytopesticides have myriad of phytochemical compounds that
make them exhibit various mechanisms of action, likewise, they are not
associated with the release of greenhouse gases and are of lesser risks
to human health compared to the available synthetic pesticides.
Nanobiopesticides have higher pesticidal activity, targeted or
controlled release with top-notch biocompatibility and biodegradability.
In this review, we examined the different types of pesticides, the
merits, and demerits of synthetic pesticides and biopesticides, but more
importantly, we x-rayed appropriate and sustainable approaches to
improve the acceptability and commercial usage of microbial pesticides,
phytopesticides, and nanobiopesticides for plant nutrition, crop
protection/yield, animal/human health promotion, and their possible
incorporation into the integrated pest management system.
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC9978502/
______________
An Overview of Some Biopesticides and Their Importance in Plant Protection for Commercial Acceptance
2021 Jun 10
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC8230470/
______________
Advances
in organophosphorus pesticides pollution: Current status and challenges
in ecotoxicological, sustainable agriculture, and degradation
strategies
2021
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0304389421024626
_______________
Biochar efficiency in pesticides sorption as a function of production variables—a review
2015
https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s11356-015-5114-2
______________
Can you use garlic as a pesticide? What you need to know
August 11, 2023
https://www.happysprout.com/gardening/is-garlic-a-good-insecticide/
______________
MANAGING INSECTICIDE AND MITICIDE RESISTANCE IN FLORIDA LANDSCAPES
August 30th, 2018
USING IPM TO REDUCE PESTICIDE RESISTANCE DEVELOPMENT
The
best way to reduce pest population exposure to the same insecticide
class is to spray that insecticide class less often. Use insecticides
only when it is necessary to protect plants from serious injury. Rotate
insecticide classes, and integrate cultural, mechanical, biological, and
chemical controls to reduce pests more sustainably by promoting plant
and ecosystem health.
https://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/publication/IN714
______________
Biopesticides: a Green Approach Towards Agricultural Pests
23 November 2023
https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s12010-023-04765-7
______________
Fungicides: An Overlooked Pesticide Class?
2019 Mar 5
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6536136/
______________
Plant biologists identify promising new fungicides
February 2024
A promising new fungicide to fight devastating crop diseases has been identified by researchers at the University of California, Davis. The chemical, ebselen, prevented fungal infections in apples, grapes, strawberries, tomatoes and roses and improved symptoms of pre-existing fungal infection in rice.
https://phys.org/news/2024-02-biologists-fungicides.html
______________
Crystal Engineering of Pharmaceutical Cocrystals in the Discovery and Development of Improved Drugs
June 1, 2022
https://pubs.acs.org/doi/10.1021/acs.chemrev.1c00987
______________
Crystal engineering in the development of improved pesticide products
2022
Highlights
•
Giving the basic concepts of solid-state forms and crystal engineering.
•
Summarizing the classical cases related to the application of crystal engineering in the full life cycle of pesticides.
•
Presenting crystal engineering as an efficient technology for adjusting physicochemical properties of the pesticide.
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2773237122000077
______________
Designing Supramolecular Pheromone Containers by Crystal Engineering for Replacing Pesticides
January 2022
https://www.researchgate.net/publication/361258866_Designing_Supramolecular_Pheromone_Containers_by_Crystal_Engineering_for_Replacing_Pesticides
______________
Piezoelectric Biosensors for Organophosphate and Carbamate Pesticides: A Review
9 September 2014
Abstract
Due
to the great amount of pesticides currently being used, there is an
increased interest for developing biosensors for their detection. Among
all the physical transducers, piezoelectric systems have emerged as the
most attractive due to their simplicity, low instrumentation costs,
possibility for real-time and label-free detection and generally high
sensitivity. This paper presents an overview of biosensors based on the
quartz crystal microbalance, which have been reported in the literature
for organophosphate and carbamate pesticide analysis.
https://www.mdpi.com/2079-6374/4/3/301
______________
A
Potassium Ion-Exchanged Glass Optical Waveguide Sensor Locally Coated
with a Crystal Violet-SiO2 Gel Film for Real-Time Detection of
Organophosphorus Pesticides Simulant
2019
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/31569346/
______________
Liquid crystal-based sensor for real-time detection of paraoxon pesticides based on acetylcholinesterase enzyme inhibition
09 March 2023
https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s00604-023-05716-z
______________
An acetylcholinesterase-based biosensor for the detection of pesticides using liquid crystals confined in microcapillaries
2021
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S092777652100031X
______________
Detection
of organophosphorus pesticides with liquid crystals supported on the
surface deposited with polyoxometalate-based
acetylcholinesterase-responsive supramolecular spheres
2020
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0308814620305458
______________
Water in liquid crystal emulsion-based sensing platform for colorimetric detection of organophosphorus pesticide
2023 Oct 17
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/37857198/
______________
Graphene-Based Metamaterial Sensor for Pesticide Trace Detection
29 March 2023
https://www.mdpi.com/2079-6374/13/5/560
______________
Graphene Family Materials for the Removal of Pesticides from Water
21 June 2018
https://link.springer.com/chapter/10.1007/978-3-319-75484-0_13
______________
Platinum nanozyme catalyzed multichannel colorimetric sensor array for identification and detection of pesticides
2022
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0925400522009765
______________
Microfluidic devices for the detection of pesticide residues
08 July 2023
https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s11157-023-09664-1
______________
Using glowing fish to detect harmful pesticides
AUGUST 15, 2023
https://phys.org/news/2023-08-fish-pesticides.html
______________
Genes identified that allow bacteria to thrive despite toxic heavy metal in soil
March 2024
https://phys.org/news/2024-03-genes-bacteria-toxic-heavy-metal.html
______________
Tiny worms tolerate Chornobyl radiation, new research shows
March 2024
https://phys.org/news/2024-03-tiny-worms-tolerate-chornobyl.html
______________
Deciphering the recent trends in pesticide bioremediation using genome editing and multi-omics approaches: a review
08 April 2023
https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s11274-023-03603-6
______________
Gene Editing and Systems Biology Tools for Pesticide Bioremediation: A Review
2019 Feb 13
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6396717/
______________
Microbiology and Biochemistry of Pesticides Biodegradation
2023
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC10649977/
______________
Phytoremediation and Bioremediation of Pesticide-Contaminated Soil
2020
https://www.mdpi.com/2076-3417/10/4/1217
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Current
status of pesticide effects on environment, human health and it’s
eco-friendly management as bioremediation: A comprehensive review
2022 Aug 17
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC9428564/
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Harmful Bacteria In Soil: What You Need To Know
Recently
there’s been a surge in concern over harmful bacteria in soil.
Specifically, people are panicking over the risk of contracting
Legionnaires disease from potting mix.
Although Legionnaires
disease can be fatal, it’s relatively rare to contract the disease from
potting mix. However, it seems that the online world would glorify this
into something that might scare people off of gardening.
https://youshouldgrow.com/harmful-bacteria-in-soil/
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Scientists record case of harmful bacteria in ubiquitous weed throughout US
April 18, 2022
Summary
Scientists have recorded the first North American case of a harmful
phytoplasma disease known for its threat to fruit, vegetable and
ornamental crops in South America and the Middle East. To make matters
worse, scientists confirmed the host for the disease to be one of the
most noxious and rapidly spreading weeds commonly found in a wide range
of environments throughout the United States and into Canada.
https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2022/04/220418120420.htm
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Florida among 7 states hit by listeria outbreak, CDC warns
Nov. 21, 2023
The
outbreak is tied to infected peaches, nectarines and plums distributed
by HMC Farms that were subject to a recall, the federal agency said.
https://www.tampabay.com/news/health/2023/11/21/florida-listeria-cdc-outbreak-bacteria-disease/
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A new listeria outbreak tied to Florida accounts for 23 illnesses and one death
July 1, 2022
https://www.wusf.org/health-news-florida/2022-07-01/a-new-listeria-outbreak-tied-to-florida-accounts-for-23-illnesses-and-one-death
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‘Failed Strategy’: Chemical Maker Seeks EPA Approval to Use Neurotoxic Pesticide on Florida Oranges
The
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency previously banned the pesticide
aldicarb, citing unacceptable health risks, but now a company wants it
approved for Florida citrus. Experts say systemic pesticides like
aldicarb threaten humans, bees and other wildlife. Alternatives like
agroecology exist but are not widely practiced.
08/02/23
https://childrenshealthdefense.org/defender/aglogic-chemical-epa-neurotoxic-pesticide-aldicarb-florida-oranges/
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The race to save Florida’s oranges as bacterial disease threatens crops
SEPTEMBER 15, 2023
https://www.theglobeandmail.com/business/article-florida-oranges-greening-bacteria/
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After the worst orange harvest in 75 years, Florida growers are trying to combat a deadly citrus disease
May 18, 2022
https://news.yahoo.com/worst-orange-harvest-75-years-175618535.html
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The 20-year fight against citrus greening in Florida has farmers and researchers exhausted
May 8, 2023
https://www.wusf.org/environment/2023-05-08/20-year-fight-citrus-greening-florida-farmers-researchers-exhausted
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Company challenges Florida on denial to use a chemical to combat citrus greening
2021
https://www.news-press.com/story/tech/science/environment/2021/05/14/chemical-company-challenges-florida-pesticide-denial-citrus-greening/5073010001/
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New research takes aim at devastating citrus greening
Texas A&M AgriLife leads multistate collaboration against Huanglongbing disease
NOVEMBER 30, 2021
https://agrilifetoday.tamu.edu/2021/11/30/new-research-takes-aim-at-devastating-citrus-greening/
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Citrus Farmers Facing Deadly Bacteria Turn to Antibiotics, Alarming Health Officials
5-17-2019
https://www.nytimes.com/2019/05/17/health/antibiotics-oranges-florida.html
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Antibiotics set to flood Florida’s troubled orange orchards
A desperate plan to fight a citrus scourge has public-health advocates and scientists concerned.
19 March 2019
https://www.nature.com/articles/d41586-019-00878-4
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Florida's orange crops have been quietly dying for over a decade as growers fight to save them
Florida’s oranges are battling disease as farmers fight to save them.
January 30, 2018
https://abcnews.go.com/US/floridas-orange-crops-quietly-dying-decade-growers-fight/story?id=52612301
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Abandoned Citrus Groves Produce Problems In Fla.
JANUARY 19, 2011
https://www.npr.org/2011/01/19/133048536/abandoned-orange-groves-produce-problems-in-florida
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Florida's Citrus Industry Faces an Uncertain Future
May 25, 2023
https://www.atlantafed.org/economy-matters/regional-economics/2023/05/25/florida-citrus-industry-faces-an-uncertain-future
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New discovery speeds scientists' push for Huanglongbing-tolerant citrus
Feb 2024
https://phys.org/news/2024-02-discovery-scientists-huanglongbing-tolerant-citrus.html
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Updates on Florida Citrus Diseases
JANUARY 23, 2023
https://citrusindustry.net/2023/01/23/updates-on-florida-citrus-diseases/
______________
Some Common Diseases of Mango in Florida
2000
https://plantpath.ifas.ufl.edu/misc/media/factsheets/pp0023.pdf
______________
PALM DISEASES & NUTRITIONAL PROBLEMS
Sep 10, 2021
https://hgic.clemson.edu/factsheet/palm-diseases-nutritional-problems/
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Plant palm oil plantations where they’re sustainable — in Florida | Opinion
2022
https://www.sun-sentinel.com/2022/04/24/plant-palm-oil-plantations-where-theyre-sustainable-in-florida-opinion/
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New Serious Pest of Lychee Trees Found in Florida
2018
https://blogs.ifas.ufl.edu/trec/2018/03/19/new-serious-pest-lychee-longan-trees-found-florida/
______________
32 Common Tree Diseases
Discover the major common tree diseases in the United States.
https://www.treehugger.com/an-index-of-common-tree-diseases-1342808
______________
PESTS AND FUNGAL ORGANISMS IDENTIFIED ON OLIVES (OLEA EUROPAEA) IN FLORIDA
https://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/publication/IN1046
______________
Field Symptoms of Boron Toxicity and Deficiency in Florida Peanuts
https://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/publication/SS567
______________
Towards an Eco-Friendly Coffee Rust Control: Compilation of Natural Alternatives from a Nutritional and Antifungal Perspective
2022 Oct 17
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC9609732/
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LETHAL BRONZING DISEASE (LB)
https://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/publication/PP163
______________
Sugarcane Mosaic Virus in Florida Turfgrass
https://gardeningsolutions.ifas.ufl.edu/lawns/problems-and-solutions/sugarcane-mosiac-virus-in-turfgrass.html
______________
CENTIPEDEGRASS FOR FLORIDA LAWNS
https://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/publication/LH009
______________
Agriculture in Florida
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Agriculture_in_Florida
______________
City Ignores Reports of Toxic Soil in Residences, Sidewalks in Coconut Grove, Reports Show
2014
Last
fall, Miami leaders finally admitted they'd known for years that the
long-shuttered Old Smokey trash incinerator in Coconut Grove had
poisoned the earth with toxic ash. But they've also insisted
contamination is contained within a 4.5-acre, fenced-off facility.
However,
new reports obtained by New Times contradict that claim, revealing
instead that testing this summer found that residential properties and
public rights of way adjacent to Old Smokey had dangerous levels of
heavy metals and other highly toxic substances. And though the findings
arrived in June, city officials have failed to notify residents, ignored
repeated demands from county regulators to fence off dangerous sites
and remove the toxin-laced soil, and refused to investigate the extent
of the contamination.
https://www.miaminewtimes.com/news/city-ignores-reports-of-toxic-soil-in-residences-sidewalks-in-coconut-grove-reports-show-6521340
______________
A Fire in the River: Big Sugar and ‘Black Snow’ in the Everglades
JAN 7, 2024
For
more than a century, the sugar harvest has shaped the lives of people
in the Everglades and transformed the region — and put the most
vulnerable at risk
https://www.rollingstone.com/culture/culture-features/sugar-crop-pollutants-florida-1234924707/
______________
The Ugly Truth About Big Sugar Destroying Florida’s Coastline…
December 7, 2018
https://www.saltstrong.com/articles/big-sugar-destroying-florida/
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'Not even close': Clean-up of Everglades water polluted by Big Sugar struggles to keep up
December 10, 2023
https://www.wusf.org/environment/2023-12-10/clean-up-everglades-water-polluted-big-sugar-struggles-keep-up
______________
Big Sugar scored a sweet deal that’s left Florida’s waterways a toxic mess
August 4, 2016
https://thenewtropic.com/algae-everglades-sugar/
______________
After sugar’s $11 million flex, Florida lawmakers push to protect industry
March 31, 2021
Florida’s
powerful sugar industry spent more than $11 million on Florida
campaigns in the 2020 cycle. Lawmakers are now considering a bill that
would undermine legal efforts to stop burns that produce pollution.
https://www.tampabay.com/news/florida-politics/2021/03/31/after-sugars-11-million-flex-florida-lawmakers-push-to-protect-industry/
______________
Glades residents raise health concerns again over sugarcane harvest burns
November 14, 2023
https://health.wusf.usf.edu/health-news-florida/2023-11-14/glades-residents-raise-health-concerns-again-over-sugarcane-harvest-burns
_____________
In the Florida Everglades, a Greenhouse Gas Emissions Hotspot
November 6, 2023
Drainage
has exposed the fertile soils of the Everglades Agricultural Area, a
region responsible for much of the nation’s sugar cane.
ORLANDO,
Fla.—It used to be the water spilled over Lake Okeechobee’s southern
shore, flowing eventually into the sawgrass prairies of the Florida
Everglades. For thousands of years the marsh vegetation flourished and
died here in an endless cycle, the plant remains falling beneath the
slow-coursing water to form a rich layer of organic soil called peat.
Over
time the fertile soil, along with the subtropical climate and abundance
of water, drew the attention of farmers, who as far back as the 1880s
began digging canals to drain away the water and expose the peat for
planting.
Today this region, known as the Everglades
Agricultural Area, is among the nation’s most bountiful, raising rice,
sod, vegetables like lettuce, celery and corn and most notably sugar
cane, making Florida the country’s top producer of the crop.
Growing
evidence suggests that draining the water and exposing the peat also
has made the region a significant source of greenhouse gas emissions,
which are warming the global climate and contributing to impacts like
hotter temperatures, rising seas and more damaging hurricanes.
The
Everglades represent Florida’s most important freshwater resource. The
watershed spans much of the peninsula, encompassing the Kissimmee River,
Lake Okeechobee, sawgrass prairies to the south and Florida Bay.
Various efforts over the last century to drain the Everglades, the
largest steered by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, have made modern
Florida possible and left the river of grass drastically altered. A $21
billion federal and state effort to restore the Everglades is among the
most ambitious of its kind in human history.
The Everglades
Agricultural Area hugs the southern shore of Lake Okeechobee, the
state’s largest lake. Emissions here especially are a concern because,
although vast swaths throughout the watershed have been drained, this
region historically harbored the greatest deposits of peat, said
Meenakshi Chabba, ecosystem and resilience scientist at the Everglades
Foundation, an advocacy group that commissioned one recent study on the
emissions.
“This is one little spot nestled in a highly conserved
area that is really a global emissions hotspot,” she said. “Right here
is the Everglades Agricultural Area, which is bleeding greenhouse gas
emissions and leading to global heating.”
The study, conducted by
Winrock International, a nonprofit focused on social, agricultural and
environmental issues, found that sugar cane production in the Everglades
Agricultural Area accounted for more than 7.3 million metric tons of
greenhouse gas emissions annually, an amount equivalent to that from 1.6
million gas-powered passenger vehicles driven for one year. The scope
of the emissions would place the region among the top 100 greenhouse gas
polluters in the U.S., in a league with the likes of Nebraska Public
Power District (7.6 million metric tons) and East Kentucky Power
Cooperative (7.3 million metric tons), which are 82nd and 83rd on the
list, said Steve Davis, chief science officer at the Everglades
Foundation.
The vast majority of the agricultural area’s
emissions, 84 percent, were a result of drainage leading to peat
oxidation and loss, according to the study. The researchers also
examined emissions related to agricultural equipment (3.8 percent),
pre-harvest field burning (1.7 percent), drainage canals (1 percent),
pesticides (0.7 percent) and fertilizers (0.6 percent), among other
sources. Emissions associated with the processing of sugar cane were
excluded because the region’s mills and refineries are powered through
the combustion of sugar cane by-products, the study said.
Florida’s
largest sugar growers characterized the study as inaccurate and based
on faulty data and analysis. U.S. Sugar, responsible for nearly 10
percent of all the sugar produced in the U.S., pointed out the region
plays an important part in providing the nation’s food and that cane is a
crop that absorbs carbon. Florida Crystals Corp., another leading
producer of sugar cane, said its farmers have taken steps to minimize
peat loss and greenhouse gas emissions by focusing, for instance, on
minimizing soil disturbance and keeping soils covered...
https://insideclimatenews.org/news/06112023/in-the-florida-everglades-a-greenhouse-gas-emissions-hotspot/
______________
SENATE REVIEWS ETHNIC AND RACIAL STATISTICS ON CRIME
2019
https://www.floridabar.org/the-florida-bar-news/senate-reviews-ethnic-and-racial-stats-on-crime/
______________
Oil refineries release lots of water pollution near communities of color, data show
2023
https://www.npr.org/2023/01/26/1151464514/oil-refineries-release-lots-of-water-pollution-near-communities-of-color-data-sh
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Sugar harvesting pollution hits Black Florida residents hardest
January 4th, 2024
Permitting
laws allow sugar cane burns to blow west toward majority-Black
communities, but mechanical harvesting offers a greener solution
https://prismreports.org/2024/01/04/sugar-harvesting-pollution-black-florida-residents/
______________
Study finds pesticide exposure in the U.S. is up to five times greater for people of color
April 26, 2022
https://health.wusf.usf.edu/health-news-florida/2022-04-26/study-finds-pesticide-exposure-in-the-u-s-is-up-to-five-times-greater-for-people-of-color
______________
In the news: Hispanic and Latino farmworkers at high risk from pesticide use in agriculture
April 19, 2022
https://floridafarmworkers.org/articles/in-the-news-hispanic-and-latino-farmworkers-at-high-risk-from-pesticide-use-in-agriculture/
______________
Greenwashing Florida – From "Fuel Farms" to "Resiliency Facilities"
February 12, 2024
TALLAHASSEE,
FL - Florida stands at a pivotal moment, facing a transformation that
threatens to reshape its landscape and compromise the well-being of its
communities. Senate Bills 1624 and 1628, and their companion House Bills
(collectively "Bills"), currently under consideration, are not merely
pieces of legislation; they represent a concerted effort to rebrand the
expansion of fuel storage and distribution facilities in Florida as a
noble endeavor to enhance resiliency. However, advocates and activists
are attempting to expose the cloaking of corporate interests in the
guise of environmental stewardship for what it truly is: a deceptive
practice that undermines local autonomy and jeopardizes environmental
integrity.
At the heart of this issue lies the creation and
operation of fuel distribution and storage facilities by Belvedere
Terminals, a wholly owned subsidiary of Grupo Mexico, a Mexican mining,
transportation, and infrastructure corporation. What initially appears
as an innocuous effort to bolster energy infrastructure is, in reality, a
calculated move to establish above-ground fuel storage facilities
across Florida. This aggressive expansion plan, disguised under the
label of "resiliency facilities," threatens to irreversibly alter the
fabric of our state.
The terms "fuel farms" and "resiliency
facilities" may sound reassuring, but they serve as thinly veiled
attempts to greenwash the true nature of these projects. By portraying
the construction of fuel storage and distribution facilities as vital
components of resiliency planning, proponents of these Bills seek to
garner public support while obscuring the potential risks and
consequences.
The implications of this deceptive maneuver extend
far beyond mere semantics. By rebranding fuel storage and distribution
facilities as fuel farms or resiliency facilities, proponents seek to
circumvent scrutiny and silence dissent. This greenwashing of corporate
interests undermines the democratic process and erodes the rights of
local communities to determine their own fate. Will Floridians continue
to be misled by such rhetoric?
SB 1624, disguised as a champion
for Florida's alleged energy crisis, masks a sinister reality: a scheme
orchestrated for Grupo Mexico, a company with an abysmal safety record,
to force unwanted fuel distribution and storage facilities into
unwilling communities.
There is a legitimate concern that Grupo
Mexico's control over Florida's fuel supply and infrastructure could
compromise the state's energy security as well as Homeland Security.
Grupo Mexico’s potential control over Florida’s railway infrastructure
and fuel storage demands close scrutiny. Balancing economic interests
with security imperatives is crucial to safeguarding our state and
nation.
What many people may not realize is that the previously
American-owned Florida East Coast Railway (FEC), a vital artery of our
region's economy and transportation network for over 100 years, has been
discreetly acquired by Grupo Mexico. This transformation holds
significant implications for Florida communities, raising concerns about
transparency, accountability, and the potential impact on local jobs,
safety, and the environment.
https://www.advocatesvoice.com/2024/02/greenwashing-florida-from-fuel-farms-to.html
______________
Protecting Florida’s Apalachicola River from Coal Ash Pollution
2015
Piles
of coal ash in unlined pits threaten one of the south’s premier rivers.
Under our legal settlement, Gulf Power Corp. pledges to take steps to
protect the Apalachicola River from coal ash pollution.
https://earthjustice.org/article/case-settled-protecting-florida-s-apalachicola-river-from-coal-ash-pollution
______________
How to Prevent Red Tide – Florida’s Efforts to Control Red Tide
May 24, 2023
Researchers call it "sea sawdust," and it has a friendly relationship with the organism that causes red tide.
Florida
researchers are watching an algae bloom drifting offshore of the Tampa
Bay area — and no, it’s not red tide or a looming blobof seaweed.
Scientists
are monitoring a patchy cloud of “sea sawdust” that has ebbed and
flowed in the Gulf of Mexico for nearly a week, according to the Florida
Fish and Wildlife Research Institute. The blue-green algae species,
known as Trichodesmium, is often found in tropical waters and blooms off
Southwest Florida.
The good news: It’s not known to be toxic. The bad news: It leaves behind nitrogen that can feed red tide.
Sea
sawdust earns its nickname from the opaque, brownish hue it reflects as
it gathers on the sea surface, according to Kate Hubbard, the director
of the state’s Center for Red Tide Research. From above, thick blooms
can resemble oil slicks.
“It really stands out,” Hubbard said in
an interview. “When you’re on the water, it pops out as something that
looks different than really any other type of algae.”
https://mywaterearth.com/how-to-prevent-red-tide-floridas-efforts-to-control-red-tide/
______________
PollutionScience@Protonmail.com
Theinvestigations@Email.com
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