Hybrid system produces electricity and irrigation water in the desert

In remote desert locations, at least two things are likely to be lacking: an electrical grid, and a source of water for agriculture. An experimental new system addresses both problems, by combining photovoltaic panels with an absorbent hydrogel.Continu… Continue reading Hybrid system produces electricity and irrigation water in the desert

Hand-held device shows concentration of water contamination in minutes

Back in 2019, a team of researchers at Northwestern University developed a cheap testing system for the detection of fluoride levels in water. The following year, project leader Prof. Julius Lucks introduced a new system that could detect 17 different … Continue reading Hand-held device shows concentration of water contamination in minutes

$4 solar desalination system produces a family’s daily drinking water

Desalination is being explored as a way to solve the shortages of drinking water that plague much of the world, but it has a few issues to iron out. A new design for a solar-powered desalination device prevents the build-up of salt, making for an effic… Continue reading $4 solar desalination system produces a family’s daily drinking water

Soft plastic bottles leach hundreds of chemicals into drinking water

Recent research has raised the alarm over the potential health impacts of consuming water from plastic bottles, with scientists concerned over the chemicals that can leach into the liquid with unknown impacts on human health. A new study has investigat… Continue reading Soft plastic bottles leach hundreds of chemicals into drinking water

Two new studies join debate over presence of liquid water lake on Mars

Recent studies reported the discovery of lakes of liquid water below the polar ice caps on Mars, but others later refuted the find. Fueling the debate are two new independent studies, which have reached opposite conclusions.Continue ReadingCategory: Sp… Continue reading Two new studies join debate over presence of liquid water lake on Mars

“Living” water filter outperforms its commercial equivalent

While certain types of filtration media are great at removing pathogens from water, they do clog up over time, slowing their rate of filtration. According to new research, a solution to the problem may lie in the use of “living filtration membranes.”Co… Continue reading “Living” water filter outperforms its commercial equivalent

Humidity sensor inspired by camel noses can trace moving fingers

Scientists have developed an advanced new type of humidity sensor that takes inspiration from camel noses to overcome shortcomings with existing solutions. The novel device is capable of detecting low levels of water molecules in the air and opens up s… Continue reading Humidity sensor inspired by camel noses can trace moving fingers

China’s Chang’E-5 lander finds first onsite evidence of water on the Moon

Data from China’s Chang’E-5 lunar lander analyzed by an international team led by the Chinese Academy of Sciences shows that the robotic spacecraft has, for the first time, detected traces of water in the rocks and regolith on the Moon’s surface.Contin… Continue reading China’s Chang’E-5 lander finds first onsite evidence of water on the Moon