biodiversity

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    Water Hyacinths Show Promise for Microplastics Removal, Despite Being an Invasive Species

    Water Hyacinths Show Promise for Microplastics Removal, Despite Being an Invasive Species

    In a recent study, scientists have found that the species Eichhornia crassipes, also known as the common water hyacinth, has strong potential as a remediator for microplastics in the environment. In the study, published in the journal Environmental Science and Ecotechnology, researchers collected water hyacinths from a river in Shanghai, China and relocated the plants […]

    Mercury Pollution Detected in Antarctic Penguins

    Mercury Pollution Detected in Antarctic Penguins

    In a new study, scientists have confirmed mercury contamination in Antarctic penguins and are raising alarms that this pollutant and its impact on birds mimics the spread of DDT uncovered in the 1960s. Despite the lack of humans near the penguins on the Antarctic Peninsula, researchers have confirmed mercury contamination in these birds. According to […]

    Urban and Rural Trees of England Are Mapped for the First Time

    Urban and Rural Trees of England Are Mapped for the First Time

    A new map by the UK Department for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs (DEFRA) and the Forest Research agency outlines where the non-woodland trees of England can be found. This map, the first to map rural and urban trees in England, can serve as a tool for more precise tree planting. Based on the Trees […]

    Could a 3D-Printed Skin Imitation Replace Animal Testing for Cosmetics?

    Could a 3D-Printed Skin Imitation Replace Animal Testing for Cosmetics?

    A research team from the Graz University of Technology (TU Graz) in Austria and India’s Vellore Institute of Technology (VIT) have been working on the development of 3D-printed imitations of human skin that could potentially be used to replace animals in cosmetics testing. Directive 2010/63/EU, European legislation “on the protection of animals used for scientific […]

    EU Lifts Hunting Ban on Turtle Doves in ‘Reckless’ Move

    EU Lifts Hunting Ban on Turtle Doves in ‘Reckless’ Move

    The European Commission has lifted a ban on hunting vulnerable turtle doves for sport. The commission announced that EU countries could reopen the European turtle dove (Streptopelia turtur) hunting season in areas of Western Europe. The reopening followed a pause on hunting the birds initiated in 2021. “The Turtle-dove did its part. Left alone, it […]