Phys.org February 12, 2024 Removal of micro- and nano-plastics from water is challenging using conventional separation methods. A new class of solvents composed of hydrogen bond donors and acceptors called Deep eutectic solvents (DES) have been proposed as a cheaper alternative to ionic liquids. Hydrophobic DES derived from natural compounds (NADES) show promise as extractants in liquid–liquid extractions. Researchers at the University of Kentucky investigated the extraction efficiency of micro- and nano-plastics including polyethylene terephthalate, polystyrene, and a bioplastic polylactic acid from fresh water and saltwater using three hydrophobic NADES. The extraction efficiencies were in a range of 50–93% (maximum […]
Tag Archives: Pollution
Study predicts the oceans will start emitting ozone-depleting CFCs
MIT News March 15, 2021 The levels of CFC-11 in the atmosphere have been steadily declining since 2010 under the Montreal Protocol, ocean absorbing about 5 to 10 percent of all manufactured CFC-11 emissions. A team of researchers in the US (MIT, Colorado State University, UC Santa Barbara, NASA Goddard Space Flight Center) looked to pinpoint when the ocean would become a source of the chemical, and to what extent the ocean would contribute to CFC-11 concentrations in the atmosphere. Through a hierarchy of models to simulate the mixing within and between the ocean and atmosphere, and adding anthropogenic emissions […]