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Environmental SCENE

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Archive: 2011 | 2010

Welcome to Chemical & Engineering News's Environmental SCENE, an up-to-the-minute collection of news about environmental research, business, and policy, including coverage of climate change, pollution, toxic substances, and sustainability.

October 24, 2011

House Bills Would Undermine EPA

House Bills Would Undermine EPA

Pollution: Congressional Republicans seek to derail rules on boilers, coal ash.

October 24, 2011

Investors Bet On Cleantech

Investors Bet On Cleantech

Green Chemistry: Close to $1 billion is slated for start-up firms.

October 17, 2011

Shedding Nanoparticles

Shedding Nanoparticles

Materials Science: Chemists observe metal objects sloughing off ions to form nanoparticles.

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Archive

2011

2010

Environmental SCENE

October, 2011

October 27, 2011

Hair Reveals Source Of People's Exposure To Mercury

Toxic Exposure: Mercury isotopes in human hair illuminate dietary and industrial sources.

October 26, 2011

Alleged Science Manipulation

Republicans say EPA chemical assessments are slanted toward tougher regulation.

EPA Clean Air Rules Challenged

Republicans, Democrats clash over the costs and benefits of agency's actions.

Flame Retardant May Be Banned

A brominated flame retardant used in polystyrene products is closer to regulation under a global treaty.

EPA Cracks Down On Nitric Acid Plants

The agency's proposal would set a limit down 83% from the existing one.

October 25, 2011

Shedding Nanoparticles

Materials Science: Chemists observe metal objects sloughing off ions to form nanoparticles.

Toxicology: Draft government report links low-level lead exposure to negative health effects

Blood lead concentrations less than the federally established level of concern are associated with adverse health effects.

House Bills Would Undermine EPA

Pollution: Congressional Republicans seek to derail rules on boilers, coal ash.

Investors Bet On Cleantech

Green Chemistry: Close to $1 billion is slated for start-up firms.

GE Will Build U.S. Solar Factory

General Electric is building what it says will be the largest solar panel factory in the U.S.

October 19, 2011

DOE Demands Solar Patents

Intellectual Property: Bankrupt solar firm developed its manufacturing technology with government grant.

Regulation

Industry asks FDA to ban bisphenol A in baby bottles and sippy cups.

Unfriendly Skies

U.S. carriers challenge EU law controlling airlines' greenhouse gas emissions.

A Flood Of Energy Awards

Energy Department marks end of fiscal 2011 with key clean energy loan guarantees, grants.

EPA Revises Interstate Air Pollution Rule

EPA is proposing to ease air pollution restrictions from a regulation it issued in July.

October 14, 2011

Municipal Wastewater Spreads Antibiotic Resistance

Water Treatment: Even with advanced filtration, a wastewater treatment plant releases antibiotic-resistant bacteria.

October 13, 2011

Tracking A Lake's Single-Celled Life

Biological Monitoring: Researchers watch changes in populations of microorganisms in lakes.

October 11, 2011

New Brominated Chemicals Detected In Gull Eggs

Environmental Pollutants: The contaminants may be degradation products of flame retardants.

October 10, 2011

Making Dinitrogen

Environment: Pathway involves microbial oxidation of ammonia via nitric oxide and hydrazine.

Cellulosic Ethanol Production Lags

Biofuels: National Research Council questions government's output goals.

Solar Shuffle

The U.S. becomes a top destination for installing--but not manufacturing--photovoltaic modules.

Standards To Gauge Carbon Footprints

Standardized methods released last week can guide businesses in calculating greenhouse gas emissions.

October 07, 2011

Fertilizer May Help Bacteria Slip Into Groundwater

Water Safety: High phosphate levels allow deadly microbes to pass through soil.

October 04, 2011

DOE Plans Shift In R&D Direction

Review: Transportation-related R&D, electric vehicle development to grow.

House Takes Aim At Clean Air Act

Pollution: Industry backs cost-benefit analyses of EPA rules, but critics fear assault on public health.

White House Honors Scientists

Awards: Winners of National Medals of Science and of Technology & Innovation include chemical scientists.

Adding Electrolytes

New players follow in the footsteps of lithium-ion battery makers to meet surging U.S. demand.

Renmatix Unveils Biomass Technology

Renmatix has unveiled details of its Plant-rose supercritical hydrolysis process for making industrial sugars from plant biomass.

Under Siege: DOE's Loan Guarantees

Solyndra's bankruptcy triggers congressional investigation of Energy Department's clean energy policies.

Reactive Nitrogen And Climate Change

ACS meeting news: Intricacy of nitrogen cycle complicates emissions regulation.

States Continue To Ban Chemicals

New laws target bisphenol A, tris (2-chloroethyl) phosphate.

Trichloroethylene Is Carcinogenic, EPA Says

The widely used solvent trichloroethylene is carcinogenic to humans, EPA concludes.

Chemical Stockpile Destroyed At Anniston

The Army says it has completed the destruction of the chemical weapons stockpile at its disposal facility in Anniston, Ala.

U.S. Agrees To Take Ukraine's Uranium

The U.S. and Ukraine signed a memorandum of understanding on Sept. 26 designed to prevent nuclear proliferation and modernize Ukraine's nuclear research facilities.

Nanostructures Sop Up Radioactive Ions

Tiny titanate tubes and fibers could remediate contaminated water.

Hybrid Photocatalyst Produces H2 Rapidly

Coupling photosystem I and a cobalt complex yields an inexpensive yet active catalyst.

Arctic Ozone Loss Qualifies As A Hole

Ozone depletion in the stratosphere over the Arctic deepens, matching that of the Antarctic.

October 03, 2011

Bisphenol A Is Ubiquitous In Receipts

Endocrine Disrupters: Researchers detect BPA in every receipt that they collected from seven U.S. cities.

September, 2011

September 28, 2011

Sunlight Is An Effective Disinfectant

Public Health: Field work shows that a cheap water treatment method improves children's health.

September 26, 2011

Getting The Steel Out

Automakers push ahead on energy-saving carbon fiber composites despite questions of economic viability.

Protests Flare At Chinese Solar Plant

Environment: Water contamination infuriates nearby residents.

EPA Stalls On CO2 Rules

Greenhouse Gas: Agency puts off proposal to cut power plant emissions.

The Public Wins In Dalian

Spontaneous protests lead to closure of a Chinese petrochemical facility.

Academic Freedom Challenged

Judge to decide whether climate researcher can argue for protection of his documents.

House Bill Would Delay Boiler Rule

EPA would get more time to set new emissions standards for industrial boilers and solid waste incinerators.

China, India Lead The Energy Pack

Worldwide energy consumption will grow by 53 percent from 2008 to 2035.

Emerging Pollutants Named In Great Lakes

Synthetic musk fragrances and pharmaceuticals are among the eight classes of chemicals.

Analyzing Nuclear Processes

ACS Meeting News: Analytical chemists devise ways to watch radioactive streams.

Porphyrin's Hole Plugged By Ethylene

All-organic porphyrin displays electronic properties amenable to solar energy collection.

Carbon-Based Thermoelectrics

Cyclopentane-1,3-diones are viable options for replacing carboxylic acids in drug candidates.

September 22, 2011

Solyndra Hearing Cranks The Heat

Bankruptcy: House blasts federal support of failed solar manufacturer.

Diamond Illumines Carbon Cycling

Geological Sciences: Preserved mineral inclusions yield new insights on deep-mantle geologic processes.

Natural Gas: Sasol proposes gas-to-liquids plant for Louisiana

South African fuels and chemicals giant Sasol has unveiled plans to build a gas-to-liquids complex--entailing a possible investment of between $8 billion and $10 billion--in Calcasieu Parish, La.

Judge Dismisses Greenpeace Suit

U.S. District Court Judge Rosemary Collyer has dismissed Greenpeace's lawsuit against Dow Chemical, Sasol, the public relations firms Ketchum Inc. and Dezenhall Resources, and other defendants.

Clariant Installs Recycling System

Clariant has inaugurated a plant to recycle propylene glycol deicer fluids at Oslo International Airport.

Changes Ahead For Old Power Plants

Coal-fired electrical power plants face an uncertain future.

Pesticides And Endangered Species

ACS Meeting News: Litigation hobbles already beleaguered federal agencies.

Legal Action: Lawsuits Force EPA Reaction

Prioritizing Chemicals

EPA explains how it will select set of substances for assessment, possible regulation.

BP, Contractors Blamed For Gulf Oil Spill

An inadequate cementing job to temporarily cap the Macondo oil and gas well and a series of failures to recognize the impact of such inadequacies led to the largest oil spill in U.S. history.

EPA Lacks Data On Drugs In Water

EPA should form a working group to coordinate interagency research on pharmaceuticals in drinking water, a report from the Government Accountability Office recommends.

White House Asked To Release Chemicals List

The White House is under pressure from two Democratic senators to release a list of chemicals EPA says could endanger human health or the environment.

A New Life for Soda Bottles

ACS Meeting News: Symposium explores the benefits and challenges of recycling PET.

September 21, 2011

Cleaning Up Commercial Shipping

Air Pollution: Researchers test the impact of new California fuel regulations intended to reduce air pollution from ocean-going vessels.

September 20, 2011

Plant Analysis Made Simple

Mass Spectrometry: Researchers use a quick jolt of electricity to ionize samples directly from plant tissue.

September 19, 2011

Clothing Sheds Microplastics Into Sea

Water Pollution: Washing synthetic fabrics may be a major source of plastic particles in the oceans.

September 15, 2011

Oil Is Oil, Even In The Arctic

Oil Toxicity: Arctic marine species are no more sensitive to crude oil than temperate species are.

September 14, 2011

Obama Retreats On Environment

Air Pollution: Citing fragile economy, White House shelves tougher ozone restrictions.

Hello, Chongqing

BASF holds initial meeting with representatives of communities near its southwest China polyurethane project.

Adidas, Nike, And Puma Commit To Zero Discharge

In response to a challenge posed by Greenpeace, sportswear makers have committed to eliminating all hazardous chemical discharges.

Dupont Sues Heraeus Over Solar Pastes

DuPont has sued the German specialty materials maker Heraeus for infringing a DuPont patent on metallization pastes.

BASF, Daimler Design Urban Electric Car

BASF and Daimler have joined forces to design a concept electric vehicle, the Smart Forvision, for urban markets.

Acrylonitrile Acrimony

Industry blasts EPA's draft assessment of the chemical's toxicity.

DOE Continues Solar Push

Two projects to spur development and deployment of solar technologies were recently announced.

Intoxicating Chemistry

ACS Meeting News: In spirited research, chemists use brand-name liquors as solvents for organic syntheses.

Hydrocarbons At Gulf Spill Surface

Soluble hydrocarbons dissolved in ocean, but researchers continue to debate worker safety.

Captured CO2 Could Work As A Green Industrial Solvent

Impurities in waste carbon dioxide wouldn't be an impediment for supercritical fluid-based reactions.

Algae Gum Amps Li-Ion Batteries

Inexpensive natural binder compound boosts electrode performance.

September 12, 2011

Nanomedicines Stick To Cellulose

Nanoparticle Safety: Excreted nanoparticles containing drugs could pose a threat in the environment.

September 8, 2011

Device Tests Toxic Waters

Pollution: Genetically engineered bacteria could allow cheap detection of water contaminants.

Consumer Electronics Outrank Refrigerators As Contributors To Climate Change

Carbon Emissions: Laptops, televisions, and other devices emit more than household appliances do.

U.S.-Backed Solar Panel Maker Folds

Bankruptcy: Solyndra got loan guarantee but can't make a profit.

Politics: House Republicans plan to continue antiregulation push

Dioxins: More delays for EPA assessment of the chemical's most hazardous form

From Dust To Snow

ACS Meeting News: Study of atmospheric dust may herald changes in weather and climate forecasting.

Proppant Progress

A workhorse for oil and gas extraction sees material advances amid growing demand.

UOP Builds Hawaii Biorefinery

Honeywell's UOP subsidiary has begun construction on a biofuels demonstration facility.

CO2 Sets Record

Yearly gain in carbon dioxide emissions for 2010 tops U.S. GDP growth for first time in more than two decades.

Earthquake Triggers Nuclear Plant Review

The Nuclear Regulatory Commission last week dispatched an inspection team to a nuclear power station in central Virginia.

Water For Oil

Alberta's oil sands are a vast energy resource, but tapping them comes at the expense of a lot of water.

Biobased, BPA-free Epoxies

ACS Meeting News: Chemists build biobased resins from vegetable oil.

September 2, 2011

No Progress On Nitrosamine Levels In U.S. Cigarettes

ACS Meeting News: Amounts of two cancer-causing chemicals remain high in U.S. cigarettes, despite a longstanding ability to reduce them.

September 1, 2011

Estimating Climate Change's Effects On Gulf Wetlands

Climate Change: Sea level rise could wash away organic carbon and nitrogen stored in the soil of Louisiana's coastal wetlands.

August, 2011

August 31, 2011

Making Greener Flame Retardants

ACS Meeting News: Environmentally friendly films protect cotton and foam from flames and heat.

From Dust In Asia To Snow In California

ACS Meeting News: Field study may herald changes in weather and climate forecasting.

Intoxicating Chemistry

ACS Meeting News: In spirited research, chemists use brand-name liquors as solvents for organic syntheses.

August 30, 2011

Seeing Red

Controversy smolders over federal use of aerially applied fire retardants.

How They Work

Retardants Drive Wood Decomposition To Dehydration, Hinder Ignition.

Climate Researcher Exonerated

Investigation: NSF probe clears researcher Michael Mann of misconduct allegations.

Loan Guarantees Advance Biofuels Projects

Air Products Slates Waste-To-Energy Unit

Cabot Will Sell Tantalum Business

Dow Seeks Approval For New Soybeans

Dow And Lehigh Link For Rubber Reuse

EPA Takes Aim At Fracking Emissions

EPA is proposing new regulations aimed at limiting air pollution from oil and natural gas drilling operations, including the first standard for wells that are hydraulically fractured.

Interior To Hold Oil, Gas Lease Sale

The Interior Department says it will resume selling leases for offshore oil and natural gas drilling in the Gulf of Mexico for the first time since last year's BP rig explosion unleashed the worst maritime oil spill in history.

Labs At EPA Need Better Management

The activities at EPA's 37 laboratories are fragmented and largely uncoordinated, according to an analysis by the Government Accountability Office.

Nitrogen Pollution Curbs Urged

EPA should work with other federal agencies to manage nitrogen pollution from agriculture and fossil-fuel burning in a more comprehensive way, a report from EPA's Science Advisory Board concludes.

Using Bacteria To Clean Water

Utilities are starting to take advantage of naturally occurring microbes to rid drinking water of nitrate, perchlorate.

Cosmic Rays Promote Aerosol Formation

Cosmic rays can incite up to a 10-fold increase in the nucleation rate of sulfuric-acid-based atmospheric aerosol particles.

August 29, 2011

Owl Eggs Reveal Complex Pollutant Patterns

Persistent Pollutants: Pollutant levels in owl eggs fluctuate with changes in climate and food sources.

August 23, 2011

Renewable Energy

Two solar panel manufacturers shutter U.S. operations.

Protests Force Chemical Plant Closure In China

Environment: Authorities to shut independent aromatics producer.

PPG Renews Zoo Commitment

PPG will provide a grant of $6.9 million to the Pittsburgh Zoo and PPG Aquarium over the next 10 years.

Linde Receives Energy Department Grant

The U.S. Department of Energy has awarded German industrial gas firm Linde $15 million for research into carbon capture technologies.

Chrysler, ZeaChem To Collaborate

Biofuel firm ZeaChem has signed a memorandum of understanding with the automaker Chrysler to speed up the development of cellulosic ethanol as a transportation fuel.

Momentive Adds Proppant Capacity

Momentive Specialty Chemicals will expand capacity for resin-coated proppants, used in hydraulic fracturing in the oil and gas industry, at its Brady, Texas, facility.

Congress Stalls On Oil-Spill Response

Efforts to pass offshore drilling safety legislation have sputtered over the past year.

Technology: Oil Firms Develop New Methods To Avoid Another BP Spill

Living With Radon

EPA's efforts to save people from radioactivity in their homes have accomplished little.

Carbon Monoxide Standards Retained

The existing national air quality standards for carbon monoxide adequately protect public health and the environment, EPA said last week in announcing its decision to retain the 40-year-old rules.

Administration Pushes Biofuels Production

President Barack Obama announced a plan last week in which the Departments of Agriculture, Energy, and Navy would invest a total of up to $510 million over three years to spur production of aviation and marine biofuels for commercial and military applications.

Ocean Acidification's Decalcifying Effects Explained In Detail

Study provides clearer data on the impact of atmospheric CO2 on the calcium carbonates of coral and shellfish.

August 17, 2011

Examining Biofuels Policy

Government mandates have shaped the market but not always for the best.

Generations: Biofuels Are Grouped According To Commercial Maturity

Biofuels: An Ethical Framework

Nickel Unites Protons Rapidly

Catalysis: Synthetic complex can speed production of H2 by a factor of 10.

Agrochemicals: EPA orders recall of herbicide suspected of damaging trees

EPA ordered DuPont on Aug. 11 to halt sales of Imprelis herbicide one week after the firm, under pressure from the agency, announced a voluntary recall.

Stroller Brigades

Families march for chemicals law reform.

Plant Science Firm Comes To St. Louis

A subsidiary of India's Symbiotic Sciences has established U.S. operations at the Donald Danforth Plant Science Center in St. Louis.

Microgen And Cornell Make Energy Harvester

MicroGen Systems and Cornell University's Cornell Nanoscale Science and Technology Facility have collaborated to develop battery-free sensors that can operate in anything that spins or shakes.

E15 Controversy

Proposed shift to higher ethanol-blended gasoline draws questions from industry, activist groups, and Congress.

Groups Seek Deadline For Ozone Standards

A coalition of health and environmental groups is asking a federal appeals court to set an immediate deadline for EPA to decide whether to strengthen clean air standards for ground-level ozone, the main component of urban smog.

Phthalate Testing Process Set By CPSC

Under the Consumer Product Safety Improvement Act of 2008, several phthalates used as plasticizers were banned from products intended for children 12 years old and younger.

Energy Panel Sees Risks In Gas Drilling

Natural gas recovered from shale rock formations has "enormous potential to provide economic and environmental benefits for the country," but the drilling technology presents a variety of environmental risks that must be addressed.

EPA Proposes Easing CO2 Controls

Carbon dioxide injected underground would not be treated as a hazardous waste under an EPA proposal issued Aug. 4.

Examining Methane's Slowing Increase

Conflicting explanations attribute change in emission rates to human activity.

Plasmons Enhance Solar-Cell Output

Electron waves associated with core-shell particles lead to thinner better-performing devices.

August 15, 2011

Some Gulf Spill Hydrocarbons Remain Underwater

Workplace Safety: Soluble hydrocarbons dissolved in ocean, but questions of worker safety, and the fate of less soluble compounds debated.

Little Radioactive Material From Fukushima Reached Europe

Nuclear Disaster: A volunteer monitoring network reports on levels of radioisotopes that traveled from Japan to Europe.

August 12, 2011

Mussels May Strong-Arm Nutrients In Great Lakes

Water Quality: Invasive mussels may disrupt phosphorus flow in Lake Huron.

Devices Reveal Hidden Messages

Materials Science: Sensors' response to surface tension can also differentiate liquids.

August 10, 2011

Looking Past Yucca Mountain

Nuclear Waste: Blue ribbon panel calls for interim storage of spent fuel.

Scrutinizing Sunscreens

Lotions containing inorganic nanoparticles draw attention of toxicologists and ire of some consumer groups.

Commitments Are Running Out

Possibilities for new global climate treaty are slim.

Dow Expands Films

Dow Chemical is building two new plants to produce its Enlight polyolefin encapsulant films, used in solar panels.

Evonik Aids Solar Racing Car

Students at Delft University of Technology, in the Netherlands, have designed a 145-kg solar-powered racing car using lightweight materials from Evonik Industries.

EPA Requires More Chemical Data

Chemical manufacturers will have to supply more data to EPA about the quantity and use of substances they make, under a rule unveiled last week.

U.S. To Regulate Ammonium Nitrate

The Department of Homeland Security is proposing to regulate the sale and transfer of ammonium nitrate in an effort to keep the potentially dangerous chemical out of the hands of terrorists and others with criminal intent.

Dow Settles Pollution Case

Dow Chemical will pay $2.5 million to settle alleged pollution due to leaking pipes and valves at its facility in Midland, Mich., under a federal consent decree announced in late July.

Solar-Cell Layer Comes Into View

Microscopy method reveals the location and morphology of electron donor, acceptor, and blended regions in photoactive layers.

August 9, 2011

No Progress In Nitrate Cleanup Of Mississippi River

Water Pollution: Nitrate leaving the river's basin has increased 9% since 1980, according to new study.

August 8, 2011

Method Could Resolve Nanosilver's Cloudy Toxicity Picture

Nanomaterials: Cloud point extraction could help distinguish between silver nanoparticles and silver ions.

August 2, 2011

Regulating Beyond Risk

Sustainability: EPA should prevent pollution, not just manage it, NRC report says.

August 1, 2011

Taking It Back

Material makers will have to adapt to help consumer goods firms fulfill product stewardship goals.

Fukushima Plant Reaching Stability

Nuclear Accident: Progress in containing damage means a cold shutdown could happen early next year.

Detour Takes CO2 To Methanol

Sustainable Chemistry: Alternative syntheses open a door to more efficient industrial processes.

Seeking Efficiency

Energy-saving projects are especially valued by Europe's chemical industry.

DuPont Buys Solar Ink Firm Innovalight

DuPont has acquired Silicon Valley start-up Innovalight, a maker of silicon inks and process technologies that increase the conversion efficiency of crystalline silicon solar cells.

Merck, Solvay Invest In Photovoltaics

Merck KGaA and Solvay are making new investments in plastic electronics.

Credibility On The Line

EPA's chemical hazard assessment program remains under scrutiny.

EPA Program To Protect Children Falls Short

EPA's program for evaluating the risks of chemicals to children has failed to accomplish its goals because it relied on industry to voluntarily hand over safety information.

Canada To Ban Four Chemical Classes

Canada plans to take out of commerce four classes of chemicals because of environmental concerns.

Rethinking Deinking

Climb in digital printing puts pressure on paper recycling.

Archaea May Be Key Nitrous Oxide Source

The single-celled organisms, rather than bacteria, appear to make large quantities of the ozone-destroying greenhouse gas.

July, 2011

July 28, 2011

EPA Moves Toward Bisphenol A Rule

Regulations: Agency solicits comments on plan to require toxicity testing, environmental sampling.

July 27, 2011

Crops Collect More Cadmium As Carbon Dioxide Builds

Climate Change: Under elevated CO2 levels, rice and wheat increasingly pick up the toxic metal from contaminated soils.

July 26, 2011

Ecolab To Buy Water Firm Nalco

Specialties: Transaction will create a leader in water treatment and cleaning products.

CPChem's Fate Unsure in ConocoPhillips Split

ConocoPhillips' plan to divide into two independent companies has left undecided the fate of the firm's polypropylene business and its Chevron Phillips Chemical joint venture with Chevron.

DuPont Sued Over New Herbicide

A homeowner in Pennsylvania and a chain of golf courses in Indiana have filed a class-action lawsuit against DuPont claiming the company's Imprelis herbicide injured or killed pine trees on their property.

Preventing Disaster

Chemical industry seeks regulatory certainty in antiterrorism standards.

House Passes Energy-Water Appropriations Bill

The U.S. House of Representatives passed the fiscal 2012 energy-water appropriations bill on July 15.

Manufacturers Oppose Tighter Ozone Standard

The American Chemistry Council and the American Petroleum Institute are among large industry groups that are calling for EPA to delay setting a new national air quality standard for ground-level ozone.

National E-Waste Strategy Unveiled

Representatives from industry and the Obama Administration last week announced a strategy for the responsible design, purchase, management, and recycling of old electronic products.

Senate Bill To Delay Boiler Rules

EPA would have 15 months to repropose and finalize rules governing hazardous industrial-boiler emissions under a draft bill introduced in the Senate last week.

Making Better Sodium-Ion Batteries

Templated Porous Carbon Electrode Speeds Up Ion Transport.

Improving Polymer Tandem Solar Cells

Embedding nanoparticles between subcells boosts photovoltaic performance.

July 25, 2011

Furniture Linked To PBDE Levels In Pregnant Women

Toxic Substances: Women with more stuffed furniture had higher blood levels of the flame retardants.

Water Disinfectant Turns Medical Compounds Toxic

Disinfection By-Products: Medical imaging chemicals transform into toxic compounds in drinking water treated with chlorine.

July 21, 2011

Pollution Changes Ocean Nutrients

Biogeochemistry: Acidifying phosphorus-containing dust makes element more accessible to ocean ecosystems.

Manure Could Provide U.S. Power

Energy Policy: Clean power from livestock waste would become economical with carbon tax.

Removing Nitrogen From Wastewater Would Clean Air, Too

Climate Change: By adding a treatment step, plants handling wastewater could cut nitrous oxide emissions.

July 18, 2011

Testing Gulf Seafood

After the oil spill, analytical protocols to assess contaminants in seafood found few problems, but the public and some scientists are not reassured.

Instrumentation: Firms Help Meet Demand For Equipment

Instrumentation companies supplied the gas and liquid chromatography, mass spectrometry, and detection technologies used for seafood safety testing.

Spotlight On Nuclear Power

Review: U.S. nuclear plants need stronger safeguards for catastrophic events, panel says.

Algae Plans Bloom

From personal care to fish food, algae firms look for ways to make profits quickly.

Super Natural Cosmetic Potions

Advances in biotechnology enable a new generation of plant-derived ingredients.

Changing Fortunes For Cellulosic Fuel Makers

As one developer of cellulosic biofuels gets funded, two others face difficulties.

BASF Wins Approval For Biofungicide

Brazil has registered the biological fungicide Serenade for apples, onions, and strawberries, according to BASF.

ITT To Acquire Water Monitoring Firm YSI

ITT has been acquiring companies to build its ITT Analytics business.

Research Companies Join With Nonprofits

The Innovative Vector Control Consortium has signed an agreement with the contract research firm Scynexis.

Modernizing Toxicity Tests

EPA inches toward high-throughput in vitro assays to reduce cost, time of chemical safety assessments.

Utility Stops Carbon Capture Project

A major electricity company, American Electric Power, has halted one of the most successful programs to develop a commercial-scale coal-fired power plant that utilizes carbon dioxide capture and storage technology.

EPA Focuses On Exposure To 14 Glycol Ethers

EPA is acting on its concerns about toxicity of and potential increase in consumers' exposure to 14 ethylene glycol ethers.

Bill Would Require Analysis Of Air Rules

A House committee last week approved a bill that would require Cabinet-level officials to analyze the effects of eight Clean Air Act regulations on employment and the economy.

July 13, 2011

Improving Chemical Hazard Information

Risk Assessment: EPA documents to become more concise, describe scientific decisionmaking.

Clean Air Regulations And Jobs

Congress: House bill would require analysis of EPA rules' impacts on the economy.

July 12, 2011

Greening Mortar With Olive Waste

Construction Chemistry: Waste from olive oil production could shrink the building material's carbon footprint.

Budget: DOE Faces Cuts In 2012 Funding

The fiscal 2012 Energy & Water Appropriations bill funds the Department of Energy at $24.7 billion, down $850 million from 2011 and $5.9 billion from President Barack Obama's 2012 request.

Interim Nuclear Waste Storage Plan Offered

Sen. Lisa Murkowski has introduced legislation that would require the Department of Energy to create two temporary storage sites for spent nuclear fuel at unspecified locations.

July 11, 2011

Detecting Crude Oil In Water

Water Pollution: A special type of mass spectrometry could help monitor the amount of oil discharged into oceans.

Bioplastics Gathering

At the first BioPlastek Forum, delegates met for an exchange of information and pointed discussion.

Powering Innovation

Energy Department's latest programs target critical energy challenges.

Scientists Go To Great Depths For Rare-Earth Elements

Deep-sea mud in the Pacific Ocean contains enough of the metals to meet the world's growing demand.

July 8, 2011

Clearing Skies

Clean Air: EPA rule curbs pollutants from power plants in eastern U.S.

July 7, 2011

How Dirty Is The Yellow School Bus?

Air Pollution: Tailpipe controls on buses don't clear the air inside bus cabins.

Dow Opens Water Technologies Center

The water and process solutions unit of Dow Chemical has opened a $15 million technology development center in Tarragona, Spain.

Clash Over Natural Gas

Chemical manufacturers oppose tax credits to expand transportation use of the fuel.

Styrene Group Challenges Cancer Listing

An industry group representing manufacturers of styrene, an industrial chemical used to make polystyrene and polyester resins found in numerous consumer products, has filed a lawsuit against the Department of Health and Human Services for classifying styrene as a "reasonably anticipated carcinogen."

EPA Sets Timeline For Boiler Rule

EPA says it plans to propose revised regulations to limit toxic air emissions from industrial boilers in October and will then issue final standards by the end of April 2012.

Senate Committee Clears Pesticide Bill

The Senate Agriculture, Nutrition and Forestry Committee has approved a bill that would eliminate a 2009 court-ordered requirement that pesticide applicators obtain a permit under the Clean Water Act when spraying in or near U.S. waters.

Report Details Costs Of Federal Rules

Major federal regulations issued over the past decade cost the U.S. economy between $44 billion and $62 billion each year, and they generate benefits worth $132 billion to $655 billion annually.

Wallabies Beat Cows In Methane Showdown

When wallabies chow down on a leafy dinner, they produce about one-fifth the amount of methane that cows do per volume of greens digested.

July 1, 2011

Wildfire Closes Los Alamos

Natural Disaster: Lab, city are shuttered as crews fight to contain blaze.

Chemical Imports

Shipments of three pesticides require countries' consent.

Archive: 2011 | 2010

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