Plastic pollution in the ocean is a growing problem. This study, which is the first to investigate the presence of plastic debris in large pelagic fish in the central Mediterranean Sea, found that over 18% of fish had ingested plastics.

The release of pharmaceutically active compounds (PhACs) in waste water from treatment plants (WWTPs) is currently not regulated anywhere in the world, with the exception of a few plants in Switzerland. Yet thousands of PhACs or their by-products — excreted by humans — can be found in waste water and some of these may harm biodiversity when released into waterways. For example diclofenac and oxazepam may have negative effects on aquatic species.

Google has announced machine images, a new type of Compute Engine resource that contains all the information people need to create, backup or restore a virtual machine, reducing the amount of time people spend managing their Cloud environment.

A comprehensive analysis of pharmaceuticals in Spanish wastewater has indicated that they are widespread pollutants. The majority of pharmaceuticals present in incoming wastewater were still present in both treated water and in the river waters receiving the treated water.

A recent study has considered the levels at which active pharmaceutical ingredient (API) residues are safe when released into water bodies from drug manufacturing plants. It proposes that environmental reference concentrations and maximum tolerable concentrations are adopted for each API.

A recent study compared the decentralised treatment of pharmaceutical contaminants in wastewater at hospitals with centralised treatment at conventional and upgraded wastewater plants. The results suggest that additional (post) treatments may not always provide significant benefits.

A new tool has been developed which highlights ‘hot spots’ of pharmaceutical pollution in Europe, where human health and aquatic environments could potentially be affected. The results suggest that the substances and locations posing the greatest risk are not the same for the aquatic environment as for human health.

Changes in complex microbial communities known as ‘biofilms’ at the bottom of rivers can reveal the effects of pesticide and pharmaceutical pollution of river water, according to a recent study. Painkillers and anti-inflammatory drugs were found to have a significant effect on the structure and functioning of the biofilms.

Oil spills can decimate seabird populations. Some birds can be saved, if the oil is washed from their feathers in time; however, this long process is stressful for the birds and requires numerous volunteers. Researchers have now developed a ‘bird-washing machine’ which reduces the washing time from two hours to four minutes. When trialled on oiled birds rescued from the Caspian Sea this resulted in a substantial increase in survival: 88.5% survival after seven days compared to 50% survival with current washing techniques.

Concentrations of three pharmaceuticals (ethinylestradiol, oestradiol and diclofenac), have been mapped in a recent study of European rivers. The researchers predict that levels of ethinylestradiol, a contraceptive and hormone replacement drug, could exceed the WFD's suggested environmental quality standards in 12% of the total length of Europe’s rivers

Controls on pharmaceutical production in the EU should be changed to guard against the spread of antibiotic resistance, protect wildlife and improve transparency in the industry, a team of scientists from Sweden and the UK recommends. The scientists propose 10 changes to the environmental risk assessment (ERA) of pharmaceuticals.

Pharmaceutical pollution of marine environments has important biological consequences for aquatic organisms. This study investigated the effects on mussels of treatment with environmentally relevant levels of an antidepressant, fluoxetine, and a beta-blocker, propranolol, using biomarkers including DNA damage. The results showed that mussels are most vulnerable to these drugs in combination.

A novel approach for identifying and isolating anthropogenic – including microplastic – particles in fish stomachs has been devised by researchers in Belgium. The new method may enable scientists and policymakers to better assess the presence, quantity and composition of particles ingested by marine life, and improve understanding of the environmental effects of marine plastic pollution.

Active pharmaceutical ingredients (APIs) — responsible for the biological activity of drugs — have been widely found in the environment, yet the precise sources and relative importance of emissions via wastewater are not quite clear. This study assessed emissions from three health institutions in Germany — a hospital, a psychiatric hospital, and a nursing home — and found their contribution was low compared to that from households. However, more research is needed to understand the environmental effects of neurological drugs, emissions of which were in some cases relatively high.

MELFA – The Virginia Department of Transportation (VDOT) invites the public to attend a hearing on Tuesday, August 28, to learn about and comment...

ENVIRONMENT Secretary, George Eustice, says fast-food restaurants like KFC, McDonald's and Burger King can re-open for deliveries and take-aways, but stressed the need for safety and social distancing.

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Scientists at NTU Singapore, MIT and Brown University have developed new approaches that significantly improve the accuracy of an important material testing technique by harnessing the power of machine learning....

Researchers study ants and their complex, productive societies to help address some of human society's most pressing challenges.

Shoppers went gaga for 'Leisurama' vacation homes showcased on the department store's ninth floor in the early 1960s.

The Washington, D.C., river epitomizes the ecological dangers that plague many U.S waterways, according to a national environmental group.

The ENOUGH project points out at least one commonality between Mac and PC -- they both use conflict minerals.

Nancy Rabalais has spent a lifetime documenting the effect of ocean "dead zones." The Louisiana researcher has increased our understanding of these hypoxic zone

The ultrathin New Apple MacBook laptop has been called one of the "least repairable, least recyclable" computers on the market. Sustainability was not included

The granola guru John Mackey has a new book and is once again making waves with his outspoken views.

In June 2012, a network of 16,000 computers trained itself to recognize a cat by looking at 10 million images from YouTube videos.

MNN's lifestyle blogger loves the sweet and crunchy taste of Chocolate Maca Chunk — a raw, organic, vegan and fair trade chocolate bar handcrafted by Lulu's C

Sweatshops filled with robots could bring manufacturing of smartphones, computers and TVs to the United States, as well.

People have done this forever, but today's technology makes it easier and faster.

After debuting in Nottingham, England, the big-hearted concept catering to 'rough sleepers' is coming to America.

The rainforest as a living machine, is quite possibly the most sophisticated technology on the planet.

Maybe carbon offsetting isn't as fool-proofed as many businesses would like people to believe.

These guys aren't shy about taking on Tesla, but first they need to ramp up the factory for this 1,088-horsepower, 200 mph electric from Croatia.

Rimac's Concept One is a $936,000 supercar made in Croatia, and only 8 will be built.

Green mom blogger Diane MacEachern shares her thoughts on picket lines, the state of U.S. politics and how to create a better quality of life.

Here's how to capture gorgeous close-up photos in any scenario, with nothing but your smartphone and an affordable lens attachment.

To celebrate the 30th birthday of Macintosh, Apple filmed an ad entirely on an iPhone and aired it during the Super Bowl.

Support small companies with good products though kickstarter.com! The following two companies have great products to back.

Photographer Chris Perani painstakingly combines thousands of exposures to create each individual image.

There are only 300 blue-throated macaws left in the wild.

The Porsche 918 Spyder and Ferrari F70 offer split personalities: voracious performance on tap, but eco-driving if you tread lightly. Is it a new era of Dr. Gre

The Monkey's Paw book store in Toronto has a Biblio-Mat that distributes random rare books to customers for only a few dollars.

If your preferred mode of transportation is by horse or bike, this is the place for you.

Macau is usually associated with blackjack and baccarat. The East Asian gambling mecca, made up of a small peninsula and two islands that are now connected by a

A new study finds surging levels of harmful phthalates in instant macaroni and cheese.

In an effort to save money and labor, a farm in Germany has begun selling fresh, local produce from vending machines.

The International Garden Photographer of the Year honors 16 photographers for their macro images of plants and animals.

The rhyme "leaves of three, let it be" could describe a lot of plants, so you have to know what to look for to identify poison ivy, poison oak and poison sumac.

Xenobots are hybrids of living frog cells and machinery — a unique hybrid of organic and inorganic parts that can power themselves.

Stomach flu, or viral gastroenteritis, can be as common as a cold. Here are some home remedies for the stomach flu to ease discomfort.