A pioneering study reveals that low-grade coal, known as lignite, can be effectively converted into a resource for environmental protection—offering solutions for wastewater cleanup and resource recycling. Researchers from the University of Melbourne, in collaboration with Deakin University and Yancheng Institute of Technology, have developed a fast and energy-efficient method to modify lignite, greatly boosting its ability to strip toxic cadmium from polluted water.

A new long-term field study demonstrates that combining organic manure with synthetic fertilizer can enhance soil quality, maintain high crop yields, and dramatically reduce harmful nitrous oxide emissions—one of the most potent greenhouse gases contributing to climate change.

Researchers have created a more energy dense storage material for iron-based batteries. The breakthrough could also improve applications in MRI technology and magnetic levitation.

As electric vehicles become more common, the number of used lithium-ion batteries is soaring. These batteries contain valuable metals such as nickel, cobalt, and lithium, but current recycling methods often destroy the complex crystal structure that makes them work efficiently. Now, researchers from Huazhong University of Science and Technology have developed a new molten salt technique that restores the structure and performance of used high-nickel cathode materials, offering a greener and more efficient route to battery recycling.

Global environmental DNA (eDNA) surveys significantly expand known geographic and ecological niche ranges of marine fish, highlighting current biases in conservation and ecological modeling