https://phys.org/ en-us Phys.org internet news portal provides the latest news on science including: Physics, Nanotechnology, Life Sciences, Space Science, Earth Science, Environment, Health and Medicine. PFAS, otherwise known as forever chemicals, have become commonplace in numerous everyday and industrial products. At the same time, they are some of the most problematic pollutants of our times: They are extremely durable, accumulate in the environment and in organisms and can only be removed from water with difficulty. https://phys.org/news/2026-07-magnetic-nanoparticles-chemicals.html Nanomaterials Fri, 31 Jul 2026 13:20:06 EDT news704715481 Microplastic contamination has been a much-discussed topic over the last several years, but contamination from even smaller plastic particles represents another pressing issue. Nanoplastics—defined as being under a micrometer in diameter—may pose an even higher ecological risk because they can travel more easily, cross cellular membranes and easily adsorb other pollutants. https://phys.org/news/2026-07-nanoplastics-antarctic-soils-range-atmospheric.html Earth Sciences Wed, 08 Jul 2026 12:30:01 EDT news702729325 A new study shows that a specific type of silicone, the so-called methylsiloxanes, is widely present in the atmosphere across diverse environments. Also, concentrations appear to be much higher than expected. According to the researchers, this raises concerns about their potential—yet poorly understood—effects on human health and the climate. Methylsiloxanes are commonly used in industry, transportation, cosmetics, and household products. The study was supervised by Utrecht University and the University of Groningen, and the results are published in Atmospheric Chemistry and Physics. https://phys.org/news/2026-04-newly-pollutant-widely-atmosphere.html Environment Thu, 16 Apr 2026 19:30:01 EDT news695576521 Parasitic wasps of the genus Trichogramma are among the smallest insects in the world—yet they play an important role in natural ecosystems and agricultural landscapes as natural antagonists of pest species. Research teams from the Universities of Regensburg, Wageningen and Groningen have now identified for the first time the sex pheromone of a Trichogramma wasp. The study shows that unimaginably small amounts of the female pheromone are sufficient to attract males and trigger their courtship behavior. The findings are published in the journal Scientific Reports. https://phys.org/news/2026-04-sex-pheromone-sandgrain-sized-insect.html Plants & Animals Thu, 16 Apr 2026 16:40:04 EDT news695568181 Svalbard reindeer live in a place so remote they have actually evolved to become a subspecies. But that remoteness isn't enough to protect them from contaminants from the industrial world. https://phys.org/news/2026-04-high-chemicals-svalbard-reindeer.html Environment Thu, 09 Apr 2026 11:20:07 EDT news694949881 Earth's "gold kitchen" lies deep beneath the seafloor. Island arcs, whose volcanoes form above subduction zones where one oceanic plate sinks beneath another, are often particularly rich in gold. The reasons for this have long been debated. https://phys.org/news/2026-04-subduction-zones-earth-gold-kitchens.html Earth Sciences Wed, 01 Apr 2026 16:20:01 EDT news694263001 Aleksey Maro knows far more than he cares to know about the urination habits of chimpanzees. But if you want to measure the alcohol intake of chimps in a Ugandan rain forest, where a breathalyzer is impractical, collecting urine for analysis is your only choice. https://phys.org/news/2026-02-urine-alcohol-consumption-wild-african.html Plants & Animals Tue, 24 Feb 2026 19:10:01 EST news691071121 Actinides are a group of heavy, radioactive elements that include uranium, plutonium, americium, curium, berkelium and californium. Understanding how these elements bond with other atoms (known as coordination chemistry), how they behave in water and how they can be separated from one another is crucial for safer nuclear waste management, new reactor technologies and advanced materials. https://phys.org/news/2026-02-americium-curium-californium-crystallizing-rarest.html Analytical Chemistry Fri, 20 Feb 2026 10:31:16 EST news690805861 Colorado farmers plant tens of millions of corn seeds every year, nearly every one of them covered in a thin layer of insecticide. https://phys.org/news/2026-01-corn-seed-colorado-insecticide-lawmakers.html Biotechnology Mon, 05 Jan 2026 06:20:03 EST news686815674 The flames die down. The sirens fade. Firefighters peel off their gear, thinking the danger has passed. But in the quiet aftermath, another enemy lingers, an invisible film of "forever chemicals" clinging to jackets, pants and masks. https://phys.org/news/2025-12-simple-reveals-hidden-pfas-contamination.html Analytical Chemistry Tue, 30 Dec 2025 11:05:00 EST news686315059 One of the highest-risk components of nuclear waste is iodine-129 (I-129), which stays radioactive for millions of years and accumulates in human thyroids when ingested. In the U.S., nuclear waste containing I-129 is scheduled to be disposed of in deep underground repositories, which scientists say will sufficiently isolate it. https://phys.org/news/2025-11-countries-nuclear-strategies-focus-radionuclide.html Environment Wed, 05 Nov 2025 12:28:04 EST news681568081 In a new study appearing in Environmental Science and Technology, researchers found high levels of ultrashort-chain per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) in blood samples taken from Wilmington, N.C. residents between 2010 and 2016. Two ultrashort-chain PFAS—perfluoromethoxyacetic acid (PFMOAA) and trifluoroacetic acid (TFA)—were detected at high levels in almost every sample. https://phys.org/news/2025-10-high-short-chain-pfas-blood.html Environment Mon, 27 Oct 2025 08:00:03 EDT news680431893 More marine life is living on some World War II munitions disposed of on the Baltic Sea's seabed than on the sediment surrounding it. The findings, reported in a paper in Communications Earth & Environment, show that some marine organisms can tolerate high levels of toxic compounds if there is a hard surface for them to inhabit. The results also demonstrate how detritus from human conflict can provide habitats for wildlife, which is similarly shown in a Scientific Data study mapping a fleet of World War I shipwrecks in Maryland, U.S. https://phys.org/news/2025-09-sunk-debris-world-wars-home.html Plants & Animals Thu, 25 Sep 2025 11:00:03 EDT news677862215 Researchers at the University of Adelaide have developed a sunlight-activated material that can degrade per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) in water, breaking down the pollutant into harmless components, including fluoride. The work is published in the journal Small. https://phys.org/news/2025-08-sunlight-material-pfas-harmless-fluoride.html Materials Science Fri, 08 Aug 2025 08:56:03 EDT news673862161 The 120-mile Tijuana River flows from Baja California into the United States and discharges millions of gallons of wastewater—including sewage, industrial waste and runoff—into the Pacific Ocean every day, making it the dominant source of coastal pollution in the region. https://phys.org/news/2025-05-pollution-tijuana-river-affects-air.html Earth Sciences Wed, 28 May 2025 14:00:05 EDT news667641962 An electrochemical sensor designed to address a global health issue that particularly impacts people in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) has been created by a multidisciplinary team at KAUST. The sensor detects low vitamin D levels in blood samples, providing early warning of an essential vitamin deficiency that can have severe health consequences if left untreated. https://phys.org/news/2025-05-mxene-antibody-sensor-enables-accurate.html Bio & Medicine Wed, 14 May 2025 14:25:04 EDT news666451501 Nankai University researchers have found that plant leaves can directly absorb microplastics (MPs) from the atmosphere, leading to a widespread presence of plastic polymers in vegetation. Concentrations of polyethylene terephthalate (PET) and polystyrene (PS) were detected in leaves collected from multiple environments, including urban areas and agricultural sites. The study is published in the journal Nature. https://phys.org/news/2025-04-airborne-microplastics-infiltrate-environmental.html Environment Tue, 15 Apr 2025 06:30:01 EDT news663841321 Imagine a glacier. Are you thinking "glittering snow" or "plastic pollution?" A new study underscores the pervasive nature of plastic pollution, even in such remote and apparently pristine areas. https://phys.org/news/2025-01-mountaineers-scientists-nanoplastics-remote-glaciers.html Earth Sciences Mon, 20 Jan 2025 12:40:03 EST news656599201 On the Pic du Midi in the Pyrenees, ETH researchers have analyzed particulate matter, clouds and rainwater for traces of arsenic. Using newly developed measurement methods, they have elucidated the transport pathways of the environmental toxin in the atmosphere. The work is published in the journal Nature Communications. https://phys.org/news/2025-01-arsenic-atmospheric-journey-methods-reveal.html Environment Thu, 09 Jan 2025 15:37:03 EST news655659421 Spiders have always lived alongside humans, so it's surprising how much we still don't know about them. One long-standing mystery was related to how spiders detect smells. Now, our latest research has finally uncovered the secret. https://phys.org/news/2025-01-spiders-legs.html Plants & Animals Tue, 07 Jan 2025 11:57:03 EST news655473421 When responding to a hazardous spill, every second counts—and Purdue University researchers have found a way to maximize that time. https://phys.org/news/2024-12-faster-hazardous-response-method.html Environment Thu, 12 Dec 2024 16:32:05 EST news653243521 Researchers have shown that optical spring tracking is a promising way to improve the signal clarity of gravitational-wave detectors. The advance could one day allow scientists to see farther into the universe and provide more information about how black holes and neutron stars behave as they merge. https://phys.org/news/2024-12-dynamic-tracking-technique-noise-gravitational.html Astronomy Wed, 04 Dec 2024 15:10:44 EST news652547438 Residential garden produce grown near the Fayetteville Works fluorochemical plant can expose those who consume it to per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), according to a new study conducted by researchers from North Carolina State University, East Carolina University and the Colorado School of Mines. https://phys.org/news/2024-11-garden-grown-fayetteville-fluorochemical-genx.html Agriculture Wed, 20 Nov 2024 09:40:53 EST news651318047 Per- and polyfluoroalkyl chemicals, known commonly as PFAS, could take over 40 years to flush out of contaminated groundwater in North Carolina's Cumberland and Bladen counties, according to a new study from North Carolina State University. The study used a novel combination of data on PFAS, groundwater age-dating tracers, and groundwater flux to forecast PFAS concentrations in groundwater discharging to tributaries of the Cape Fear River in North Carolina. https://phys.org/news/2024-10-years-flush-pfas-groundwater.html Earth Sciences Thu, 10 Oct 2024 14:46:03 EDT news647790361 In a significant advancement for point-of-care medical diagnostics, a team of researchers from UCLA has introduced a deep learning-enhanced, paper-based vertical flow assay (VFA) capable of detecting cardiac troponin I (cTnI) with high sensitivity. The innovative assay holds the potential to democratize access to rapid and reliable cardiac diagnostics, particularly in resource-limited settings. https://phys.org/news/2024-10-paper-based-sensor-rapid-cardiac.html Bio & Medicine Sun, 06 Oct 2024 12:37:06 EDT news647437014 A new study documents how Southern Californians are chronically being exposed to toxic airborne chemicals called plasticizers, including one that's been banned from children's items and beauty products. https://phys.org/news/2024-10-southern-california-high-airborne-plasticizers.html Environment Tue, 01 Oct 2024 17:11:03 EDT news647021461 RIKEN researchers have discovered how the structure of drugs for treating epilepsy allows them to interact with a key protein found in synapses at the junctions of neurons. This knowledge could help to design even better drugs for the condition. https://phys.org/news/2024-09-scientists-uncover-secrets-antiepileptic-drugs.html Molecular & Computational biology Fri, 27 Sep 2024 11:10:10 EDT news646654202 A large sample of European drinking water has detected a substance linked to "forever chemicals" used in pesticides and refrigeration, a coalition of non-governmental organizations said Wednesday. https://phys.org/news/2024-07-europe-contaminated-chemical-ngos.html Environment Wed, 10 Jul 2024 10:19:46 EDT news639825581 According to a new study of rivers and lakes in Wisconsin, natural foams from these bodies of water contain much higher concentrations of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) than the water below them. https://phys.org/news/2024-07-lake-river-foams-reveals-high.html Environment Tue, 09 Jul 2024 13:32:04 EDT news639750721 In a study with potential implications for the oceans and human health, scientists have reported elevated mercury levels in dolphins in the U.S. Southeast, with the greatest levels found in dolphins in Florida's St. Joseph and Choctawhatchee Bays. https://phys.org/news/2024-06-dolphins-elevated-mercury-florida-georgia.html Plants & Animals Wed, 12 Jun 2024 14:30:37 EDT news637421428