Nano-/microplastics accumulate in aquatic bodies and raise increasing threats to ecosystems and human health. The limitation of existing water cleanup strategies, especially in the context of nano-/microplastics, primarily arises from their complexity (morphological, compositional, and dimensional). Here, highly efficient and bio-based flowthrough capturing materials (bioCap) are reported to remove a broad spectrum of nano-/microplastics from water: polyethylene terephthalate (anionic, irregular shape), polyethylene (net neutral, irregular shape), polystyrene (anionic and cationic, spherical shape), and other anionic and spherical shaped particles (polymethyl methacrylate, polypropylene, and polyvinyl chloride). Highly efficient bioCap systems that adsorb the ubiquitous particles released from beverage bags are demonstrated. As evidence of removal from drinking water, the in vivo biodistribution of nano-/microplastics is profiled, confirming a significant reduction of particle accumulation in main organs. The unique advantage of phenolic-mediated multi-molecular interactions is employed in sustainable, cost-effective, and facile strategies based on wood sawdust support for the removal of challenging nano-/microplastics pollutions.
Hardly, though. I have an ability to inefficiently find and check websites that are related to Australian environment news and then repost articles to the void.
Tropical forests are a little hard to bring back to an original state due to the sheer number of species. No nursery can match it. Plus, the degradation means there are a lot of missing connections, most unknown, so restored forests around here always look a certain type of clinical. Improved, but there is always something missing.
We have over 5000 species in our little corner of Australia.
I believe we have the opportunity to add some diversity but it all depends on what this climate does to us. Lost insects, lost birds, lost mammals, lost vectors for seeds etc. I’ve got a feeling that a lot of forests will simplify over time.
Land clearing remnant vegetation is something that needs to be quite punishable at this point. It’s lost for basically forever.
No, that’s good. A wooden structure might also be worthwhile, something with a roof and another gutter? Like a lean to. IBCs aren’t made to be permanent, the wall thickness is a fraction of a plastic water tank and can be punctured easily (the cage is why it can be thin). Can you get 200L blue barrels? Daisy chaining them, even a 2x stack is possible, and they are similar to plastic water tanks. Same HDPE, thick walled, UV stabilised, sun not an issue.
Tanks are an investment here. They’re not cheap(ish) but it’s part of the house, a necessary expense even bordering on survival in a way.
20K is enough when the weather is good. We have multi-year droughts so it won’t be enough for the house when it’s bad. Cities were down to 140L per day so you can’t rely on municipal always.
With my 10K, all gardening and outside water was tank. A nursery with our heat uses a lot, daily watering.
I would err on the side of caution. We don’t use IBCs because they aren’t UV stabilised. Metal or UV plastic tanks are freely available.
A family of 4 with my larger nursery uses 31K every 3 months, it will get higher when El Nino arrives. I can’t convince kids to have short showers and we have an ultra low flow head.