Mapping chemical footprints in European streams

Analysis shows a mix of chemicals that endanger invertebrate organisms in particular

11-Mar-2024 - It is well known that if chemicals from domestic sources enter water bodies via sewage treatment plants, agriculture, and industry, this can endanger freshwater ecosystems. In order to find out more about the pollution of European rivers, a research team from the Helmholtz Centre for ...

Presence of nicotine and antidepressants detected in Antarctic waters

A study with the participation of IDAEA and IGME locates organic contaminants derived from human activity in inland and coastal waters of the frozen continent

30-May-2023 - Human activity is negatively impacting Antarctic water quality. This is the conclusion of a study carried out by the Institute of Environmental Diagnosis and Water Studies (IDAEA-CSIC) and the Geological and Mining Institute of Spain (IGME-CSIC), in collaboration with the University of Granada ...

Widespread uranium contamination found in India's groundwater

11-Jun-2018 - A new Duke University-led study has found widespread uranium contamination in groundwater from aquifers in 16 Indian states. The main source of the uranium contamination is natural, but human factors such as groundwater-table decline and nitrate pollution may be exacerbating the problem. Several ...

Faecal Pollution: DNA Uncovers Culprit

CSI and forensics can be used to uncover not only serial killers but also the cause of water pollution

19-Jan-2018 - Despite wastewater management and treatment plants, human waste remains the main source of microbial faecal pollution in the river Danube. This is the most notable finding of a comprehensive analysis of faecal pollution in the Danube. The study used a new molecular genetics method that enables ...

Surfers three times more likely to have antibiotic-resistant bacteria in guts

16-Jan-2018 - Regular surfers and bodyboarders are three times more likely to have antibiotic resistant E. coli in their guts than non-surfers, new research has revealed. Conducted by the University of Exeter, the Beach Bums study asked 300 people, half of whom regularly surf the UK's coastline, to take rectal ...

Tracking microbial faecal pollution in water

Identifying faecal bacteria by their DNA

30-May-2017 - In a project supported by the Austrian Science Fund FWF, the microbiologist Andreas Farnleitner is looking at new methods for analysing faecal pollution in water. Using DNA analytics, the scientist aims to develop comprehensive and simple methods to determine the extent and origin of faecal ...

Preventing lead spread

20-Mar-2017 - While lead pipes were banned decades ago, they still supply millions of American households daily with drinking water amid risks of corrosion and leaching that can cause developmental and neurological effects in young children. One common abatement: Dig up old lead lines and replace a portion of ...

Tiny algae ideal for sniffing out nutrient pollution in water

28-Jun-2016 - The key to effectively measuring damagingly high levels of nutrients in freshwater streams lies in the microscopic organisms living in them, according to a group of Drexel University scientists. A team largely made up of researchers from the Academy of Natural Sciences of Drexel University ...

Crayfish may help restore dirty streams, Stroud study finds

22-Apr-2016 - While macroinvertebrates are a tasty food source for crayfish, a new study reveals a surprising finding: When crayfish were present in in-stream experimental enclosures, macroinvertebrate density was higher, not lower. Stroud Water Research Center's lead fluvial geomorphologist Melinda Daniels, ...

Assessing quality of flowing waters with DNA analyses

Organisms in streams and rivers shed light on quality of waters

10-Jul-2015 - The quality of waters can be assessed using of the organisms occurring therein. This approach often results in errors, because many species look alike. Therefore, new methods focus on DNA analyses instead. Biologists at the Ruhr-Universität Bochum (RUB) have optimised the process so that they are ...