Environmental science
The latest chemistry news and research on environmental science, including atmosphere, climate, water and space, from the Royal Society of Chemistry's magazine, Chemistry World
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NewsPlastic treaty negotiators fail to reach agreement
Disputes over treaty’s scope remain as original deadline passes
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BusinessNorthvolt bankruptcy dents European battery industry ambitions
Swedish startup aimed to challenge Asian producers, but stumbled in scaling production
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ResearchVisible light-powered catalysts clean up ‘forever chemicals’
Organic photoredox catalysts show promise for fluorinated pollutants
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NewsCountries announce new steps to reduce methane emissions at Cop29
A new declaration on solid waste has been endorsed by seven of the 10 largest emitters in the organic waste sector
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ResearchFirst detected 40 years ago, a byproduct in chloraminated drinking water has finally been identified
Researchers call for urgent investigation into the chloronitramide anion’s toxicity
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NewsAfter years of negotiations, a global agreement to tackle plastic pollution is within sight
The UN’s plastics treaty negotiations have faced many hurdles, but delegates are getting closer to a final agreement
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BusinessShell appeal overturns ruling enforcing faster emissions cuts
Dutch court underlines firm’s climate responsibility but rejects legally binding reduction requirement
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ResearchFailings in response to East Palestine train derailment compounded human and environmental impact
Study makes recommendations to better protect humans and the environment in the event of a future chemical incident
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FeatureClearing up the compostable plastic mess
Rather than a potential triumph, the compostable plastics we use look increasingly like a tragedy. Andy Extance looks at the problems and seeks solutions
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NewsNew polymers to be tested in extreme conditions aboard the International Space Station
The materials might one day make it into spacecraft components
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NewsWater regulator applies stricter PFAS limits to drinking water in England and Wales
New guidance, expected to go into effect in January, would cumulatively restrict 48 different PFAS
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ResearchCarbon capture COF shows impressive ability to survive hundreds of cycles
Fast take-up and low regeneration temperatures make direct air capture promising
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ResearchNew database highlights gaps in plastic monitoring efforts
Certain types of plastic products are rarely studied in detail, while many monitoring campaigns focus on a small number of well-known hazardous chemicals
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NewsNobel prize-winning scientists mobilise for Kamala Harris
82 Nobel laureates warn of the threat Donald Trump poses to science, climate and living standards
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BusinessCarbon capture making slow progress in UK and Europe
Government funding welcomed, but issues over strategy and CO2 purity persist
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ResearchMeteorite 200 times larger than one that killed dinosaurs reset early life
Counterintuitively, impact brought benefits too by providing microorganisms with iron and phosphorus
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OpinionA high-pressure insight into the structure of water
The hydrogen-bonded network in liquid water resists compression; density increases instead arise from molecules moving into voids
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NewsPerseverance rover’s discovery of organics on Mars could be illusory
Hopes that compounds were sign of prebiotic chemistry or even ancient life may be result of instrument limitations
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FeatureThe problem of plastic in our soils
Not just a marine issue, new research shows microplastics are also changing agricultural land. Bárbara Pinho finds out how and what we can do to prevent it affecting our food