New research reveals that natural soil minerals critically control the fate of lead locked into chloropyromorphite—a stable mineral formed during phosphorus-based lead remediation. Negatively charged clay minerals enhance its mobility, while positively charged iron minerals promote rapid settling, highlighting the need for site-specific risk assessments.

A new study in Macao reveals that stormwater drains carry significant microplastic pollution into coastal waters. Concentrations reached over 53 particles per litre, with hazardous polymers like PVC posing high ecological risks. The research highlights how land use and rainfall drive this pollution pathway in subtropical coastal cities.

Now, researchers from Forschungszentrum Jülich in Germany, RWTH Aachen University and Stanford University have published (DOI: 10.1016/j.esci.2026.100589) a comprehensive review in the journal eScience that synthesizes the current understanding of dendrite formation at the solid electrolyte/lithium metal anode interface. Available online since 7 May 2026, the review examines inorganic, polymer and hybrid solid electrolytes, establishing critical correlations between key parameters and the processes that govern dendrite growth.

A new review traces the development of carbohydrate-based medicines originating from marine organisms, from early bioactivity studies to approved products and current clinical trials. It links structural features such as sulfation, molecular weight and branching with therapeutic use, and outlines the production, quality-control, mechanistic and pharmacokinetic challenges that still limit clinical translation.

Four years of monitoring after the 2019 Brumadinho tailings dam collapse show that Brazil's Paraopeba River has not returned to a stable state. Bottom-dwelling invertebrate communities were reshuffled continuously at every site, and the reaches that received tailings show no sign of settling. Tributaries held most of the species, including many found nowhere else, and act as reservoirs that resupply the damaged channel. Protecting them is now the priority for restoring the basin.

In a major step forward in wearable technology, researchers have used machine learning to reveal how stretching flexible materials impacts their electrical performance. The study shows that pulling a material in one direction can boost conductivity by over 50%, while pulling it in another can hinder it, providing a crucial design guide for future electronic skin and sensors.

A review of over 200 studies reveals that bacteria—especially when partnered with plants—can effectively break down herbicide and petroleum hydrocarbon pollution. The research highlights promising new techniques including rhizoremediation, metagenomics, and CRISPR, while showing that herbicides are generally easier for bacteria to degrade than petroleum hydrocarbons.