Weathering of Arctic rocks produces CO2 in climate feedback loop
The breakdown of sulfide minerals like pyrite, or fool’s gold, is generating carbon dioxide, and the process is speeding up as the region warms.
Read More >>How one researcher is improving air quality in the Toronto subway system
The concentration of tiny particulate matter is around 10 times higher than what is typically seen outdoors, and is higher than many other subway systems around the world.
Read More >>Cleaning water with quantum chemistry
How a University of Toronto student founded a company that uses quantum chemistry and artificial intelligence to discover and refine new materials to clean water of contaminants.
Read More >>Resistance to glyphosate on the rise among weeds
Since 1996, there have been 354 confirmed cases of glyphosate resistance in 57 weed species around the world. New study suggests a way forward.
Read More >>Plant-based soft robots could do medical procedures inside the body
Tiny medical robots made of polymers derived from cellulose could one day travel through your body, delivering drugs, transporting cells, and taking biopsies. That’s the ultimate goal of Hamed Shahsavan, a chemical engineer at the University of Waterloo.
Read More >>Creating a new kind of quasicrystal by accident
A funny thing happened when Sergio de la Barrera and his colleagues started playing around with sheets of graphene – they created a new type of “quasicrystal” with fascinating properties that could help scientists explore exotic kinds of physics.
Read More >>Making perovskite solar cells more durable
Over the past decade, however, a promising new class of photovoltaic material has come to the fore – perovskite crystals made of a combination of organic and inorganic materials, such as lead-halide.
Read More >>Chemical from shellfish could help keep avocados fresh
Nearly 60% of food is lost or wasted each year, and short-lived fruits and vegetables are a big part of that. Researchers at the University of Guelph are testing a new kind of edible coating to see if it can extend the shelf life of that most fickle of fruits: avocados.
Read More >>Cancer-causing chlorinated paraffins found in toys, despite ban
Chlorinated paraffins, a class of chemicals banned a decade ago for their cancer-causing effects, have been found in a wide range of household products in Canada, according to researchers at the University of Toronto.
Read More >>Some banned pesticides have almost disappeared from the air
Two recently banned pesticides have all but vanished from the atmosphere around the Great Lakes, but others phased out decades earlier don’t seem to be going anywhere.
Read More >>Slippery coating could help reduce microplastic shedding from clothes
Researchers at the University of Toronto have developed a way to help reduce one of the biggest sources of the plastic pollution choking our oceans: not single-use straws or bags, but tiny fibres shed from synthetic fabrics like polyester and nylon.
Read More >>PFAS ‘forever chemicals’ common in kids’ school uniforms
Products intended for children, particularly school uniforms, have been found to have high levels of PFAS chemicals, potentially exposing kids to levels of these substances that could have harmful health effects, according to a study in the journal Environmental Science and Technology.
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