#wastewater — Public Fediverse posts
Live and recent posts from across the Fediverse tagged #wastewater, aggregated by home.social.
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Australian-first water recycling technology goes live in regional NSW
A new way of recycling wastewater that its inventor says uses less energy and works faster than conventional…
#Australia #AU #Austrlia #dubboregionalcouncil #environmentalscience #squadronenergy #troywarry #Wastewater #waterscarcity #watersecurity
https://www.europesays.com/australia/94167/ -
Australian-first water recycling technology goes live in regional NSW
A new way of recycling wastewater that its inventor says uses less energy and works faster than conventional…
#NewsBeep #News #Environment #AU #Australia #DubboRegionalCouncil #EnvironmentalScience #Science #SquadronEnergy #troywarry #wastewater #WaterScarcity #watersecurity
https://www.newsbeep.com/au/888698/ -
Australian-first water recycling technology goes live in regional NSW
A new way of recycling wastewater that its inventor says uses less energy and works faster than conventional…
#NewsBeep #News #Environment #AU #Australia #DubboRegionalCouncil #EnvironmentalScience #Science #SquadronEnergy #troywarry #wastewater #WaterScarcity #watersecurity
https://www.newsbeep.com/au/888698/ -
Australian-first water recycling technology goes live in regional NSW https://www.byteseu.com/2357769/ #Australia #DubboRegionalCouncil #EnvironmentalScience #SquadronEnergy #TroyWarry #wastewater #WaterScarcity #WaterSecurity
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#KyodoNews:
"
170,000 tons of Fukushima plant treated water released in 3 years
"
".. completed its third year of releasing treated radioactive water from the crippled Fukushima nuclear plant into the sea, with 172,700 tons released in 22 rounds so far."https://english.kyodonews.net/articles/-/82954
24.8.2026
#AKW #Atomkraft #Atomkraftwerk #Atommüll #Dilution #Fukushima #Japan #Kernenergie #NPP #NuclearPower #NuclearWaste #Pollution #TEPCO #Umweltverschmutzung #Verdünnung #Wastewater
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Northeastern University: Could the clean energy revolution be powered by wastewater?. “The researchers found that enough magnesium, lithium, uranium, titanium, fluorine and silicon could be recovered from wastewaters to meet at least one-tenth of each resource’s projected demand in the international clean energy sector.”
https://rbfirehose.com/2026/07/07/northeastern-university-could-the-clean-energy-revolution-be-powered-by-wastewater/ -
Unfortunately, both articles are behind paywalls -- but you get the gist...
#GallupNM #datacenter water deal draws #Navajo concerns
By Donovan Quintero | May 14, 2026
"A proposed data center on Gallup’s eastern industrial edge has raised questions about water, jobs, public notice and whether the project could affect the Navajo-Gallup Water Supply Project.
"The Gallup City Council is considering whether to extend a long-term reclaimed water option tied to #TeraplexDataCentersLLC, a Virginia limited liability company identified in city documents as seeking to develop industrial and commercial uses, including a data center, on roughly 330 acres in Gallup.
"Public materials describe Teraplex as a modular data center and power infrastructure company focused on #AI computing, integrated power systems and factory-built infrastructure. Publicly available company materials do not clearly identify completed or operating data center campuses owned by Teraplex."
https://navajotimes.com/reznews/gallup-data-center-water-deal-draws-navajo-concerns/
Gallup data center proposal raises water, jobs and notice concerns
Marcus Williams, 5/17/2026
"A 330-acre #GallupTradeport data center could send nearly 110 million gallons of #wastewater a year into a water-stressed region already waiting on #NavajoGallup deliveries.
"Gallup City Council put off action April 29 on a wastewater deal tied to a proposed 330-acre data center in the Gallup Tradeport, and the scale alone sharpened the stakes: nearly 110 million gallons of wastewater a year could be routed to the project if the agreement advances.
"That number is now colliding with a much larger question in McKinley County and across the Eastern Navajo Nation, who bears the risk if a private technology campus moves ahead in a region where water is already scarce. At a May 14 discussion, speakers raised concerns about water use, public notice and whether the project could affect the Navajo-Gallup Water Supply Project, the long-delayed system meant to carry municipal and industrial water from the #SanJuanRiver to Gallup, the eastern #NavajoNation and the southwestern #JicarillaApache Nation."
https://www.prismnews.com/local/mckinley-nm/gallup-data-center-proposal-raises-water-jobs-and-notice
#ClimateCrisis #ExtremeDrought
#Dine #WaterIsLife #WaterShortage #NoWaterForDatacenters
#NativeAmericanNews #AIDatacenters -
From 2024: Locals Say #SpaceX Is #Polluting #SacredLand. This Project Aims to Preserve It.
“This wasn’t just something we wanted to do,” said 35-year-old Monica Sosa, who grew up in #BrownsvilleTX, a short drive from #BocaChica Beach. “We felt like we needed to do it.”
by Cat Cardenas October 30, 2024
"Among the #CarrizoComecrudo people of Texas, it is said that the state’s rivers are like ancestors. As they flow toward the sea, they bring their abundance, their beauty, and their knowledge with them. In South Texas, the place where these rivers meet and empty into the Gulf of Mexico is a sacred life source — the location they believe to be the birthplace of the first woman. Today, most Brownsville locals know it as #BocaChicaBeach — a public stretch of sand located at the end of #Highway4, along the southernmost edge of the Texas coast. But to many people outside of the #RioGrandeValley, that land, its name, and its history have largely been swallowed up by the operation of the #RocketLaunch facility just up the road: SpaceX’s #Starbase.
"Growing up a short drive from Boca Chica Beach in Brownsville, 35-year-old Monica Sosa told The Barbed Wire she still remembers it as an escape: a piece of unspoiled coastline that was free for everyone to enjoy. On lazy summer weekends, she and her siblings would hop into her mom’s blue Chevrolet Astro van. The back seats pulled down to make room for more passengers as they stopped to pick up more family. Once there, they’d look forward to hours and hours of endless sunshine, and a cooler packed full of ham and cheese sandwiches, sodas, Cheetos, and fruit.
"As an adult, many of those happy memories have turned bittersweet. The beach, while still free to the public, is frequently plagued by the closure of Highway 4 each time there’s a rocket launch or other 'space flight activities.' And even when it’s open, the construction has fundamentally changed the landscape: There’s a tall metal SpaceX launch and catch pad towering over the once-untouched sand dunes.
" 'Boca Chica was bliss,' Sosa said earlier this month. 'I came from a working class family, and being out there was one of the only times we would come together and play. We’d be in the water, sitting in the sun, running through the lomas (hills), or burying each other in sandcastles. You could spend the whole day out there. But now there’s someone who has the right and the ability to privatize a beach that people have used for decades and decades.'
"SpaceX’s operation in the Rio Grande Valley has been far from smooth. In recent years, they’ve been cited by the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality for multiple violations of #wastewater regulations and been the subject of multiple legal complaints. The company has disputed these claims as 'factually inaccurate' and has been allowed to continue their operations.
"In April of this year, multiple Valley-based environmental groups filed a lawsuit against the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department over a proposed land swap that would grant 43 acres of #BocaChicaStatePark to #SpaceX in exchange for land near Laguna Atascosa National Wildlife Refuge. In addition to their concerns about #pollution, the groups also argued that the land proposed in the swap was sacred to the #CarrizoComecrudoTribe.
" 'SpaceX has always been polluting,' Christopher Basaldú, a member of the Carrizo/Comecrudo Tribe told the Texas Tribune, which first reported on the allegations. 'And I think people are kind of brainwashed into thinking that rockets — constructing rockets, testing rockets and blowing up rockets — that somehow that’s not causing pollution.' "
#ProtectTheSacred #Colonialism
#CorporateColonialism #OccupySpaceX #TwoHeartedPeople #GarciaPasture #EndangeredSpecies #EnvironmentalRacism #AncestralLand #ElonSucks #StarbaseCity -
Detection And Spatial Modelling Of Trends In UK Rainfall Frequency
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https://doi.org/10.1080/02626667.2026.2622458 <-- shared paper
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#GIS #spatial #mapping #extremeweather #rainfall #pluvial #frequency #trends #nonstationarity #extremevalue #model #modeling #monitoring #UnitedKingdom #UK #Britian #England #Scotland #Wales #precipitation #spatialanalysis #spatiotemporal #drainage #monitoring #planning #resilience #naturalhazards #flooding #flood #water #hydrology # #sewerage #sewage #wastewater #waterways #pollution #spills #releases #stormwater #erosion #massmovement #landslides #engineeringgeology #risk #hazard #climatic #covariates #raingauges #maximums #duration #winter #NorthernEngland #NorthAtlanticOscillation #NAO #index #metrics #annualmaximum #AMAX #seasonalmaximum #SMAX #peaksoverthreshold #POT #statistics #geostatistics #MetOffice #weather #climate -
Forever Chemicals And Medications Detected In National Park Waters
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https://www.sfgate.com/national-parks/article/forever-chemicals-detected-grand-canyon-springs-21291219.php <-- shared technical/media article
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https://doi.org/10.3133/sir20255095 <-- shared (USGS) Scientific Investigations Report 2025-5095
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[I still remember a talk that @RelaenaSindelar gave about pharmaceuticals in the waste stream; one of her examples was Sequim, WA - in the banana belt - with retirement communities' flushed medications’ and the downstream/coastal effects - NOT the Grand Canyon! :( ]
#water #hydrology #waterquality #southrim #grandcanyon #USA #PFAs #foreverchemicals #pharmaceuticals #pharmaceuticalsinthewastestream #NationalPark #waterresources #wastewater #effluent #springs #perfluoroalkyl #polyfluoroalkyl #medications #groundwater #infiltration #humanhealth #ecosystem #humanimpacts
#USGS #NPS -
#Okra and #Fenugreek Extracts Safely Remove #Microplastics From Water in New Texas Research
May 10, 2025
"The substances behind the slimy strings from okra and the gel from fenugreek seeds could trap microplastics better than a commonly used synthetic polymer.
"Texas researchers proposed in 2022 using these sticky #NaturalPolymers to clean up water. Now, they’ve found that okra and/or fenugreek extracts attracted and removed up to 90% of microplastics from #ocean water, #freshwater, and #groundwater.
"With funding from the U.S. Department of Energy, Rajani Srinivasan and colleagues at Tarleton State University found that the plant-based polymers from okra, fenugreek, and #tamarind stick to microplastics, clumping together and sinking for easy separation from water.
"In this next stage of the research, they have optimized the process for okra and fenugreek extracts and tested results in a variety of types of water.
"To extract the sticky plant polymers, the team soaked sliced okra pods and blended fenugreek seeds in separate containers of water overnight. Then, researchers removed the dissolved extracts from each solution and dried them into powders.
"Analyses published in the American Chemical Society journal showed that the powdered extracts contained #polysaccharides, which are natural polymers. Initial tests in pure water spiked with microplastics showed that:
- One gram of either powder in a quart (one liter) of water trapped microplastics the most effectively.
- Dried okra and fenugreek extracts removed 67% and 93%, respectively, of the plastic in an hour.
- A mixture of equal parts okra and fenugreek powder reached maximum removal efficiency (70%) within 30 minutes.
- The natural polymers performed significantly better than the synthetic, commercially available polyacrylamide polymer used in #wastewater treatment."Then the researchers tested the plant extracts on real microplastic-polluted water. They collected samples from waterbodies around Texas and brought them to the lab. The plant extract removal efficiency changed depending on the original water source.
"Okra worked best in ocean water (80%), fenugreek in groundwater (80-90%), and the 1:1 combination of okra and fenugreek in freshwater (77%).
"The researchers hypothesize that the natural polymers had different efficiencies because each water sample had different types, sizes and shapes of microplastics.
"Polyacrylamide, which is currently used to remove contaminants during wastewater treatment, has low toxicity, but its precursor #acrylamide is considered #toxic. Okra and fenugreek extracts could serve as #biodegradable and #nontoxic alternatives.
" 'Utilizing these plant-based extracts in water treatment will remove microplastics and other pollutants without introducing additional toxic substances to the treated water,' said Srinivasan in a media release, 'thus reducing long-term health risks to the population [and the environment].
"She had previously studied the use of food-grade plant extracts as non-toxic flocculants to remove textile-based pollutants from wastewater and thought, ‘Why not try microplastics?’"
Source:
https://www.goodnewsnetwork.org/plant-based-filter-removes-up-to-99-9-of-microplastics-from-water/#SolarPunkSunday #PlasticPollution #Plastics #Pollution #PollutionSolutions #WaterIsLife #Remediation
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#Okra and #Fenugreek Extracts Safely Remove #Microplastics From Water in New Texas Research
May 10, 2025
"The substances behind the slimy strings from okra and the gel from fenugreek seeds could trap microplastics better than a commonly used synthetic polymer.
"Texas researchers proposed in 2022 using these sticky #NaturalPolymers to clean up water. Now, they’ve found that okra and/or fenugreek extracts attracted and removed up to 90% of microplastics from #ocean water, #freshwater, and #groundwater.
"With funding from the U.S. Department of Energy, Rajani Srinivasan and colleagues at Tarleton State University found that the plant-based polymers from okra, fenugreek, and #tamarind stick to microplastics, clumping together and sinking for easy separation from water.
"In this next stage of the research, they have optimized the process for okra and fenugreek extracts and tested results in a variety of types of water.
"To extract the sticky plant polymers, the team soaked sliced okra pods and blended fenugreek seeds in separate containers of water overnight. Then, researchers removed the dissolved extracts from each solution and dried them into powders.
"Analyses published in the American Chemical Society journal showed that the powdered extracts contained #polysaccharides, which are natural polymers. Initial tests in pure water spiked with microplastics showed that:
- One gram of either powder in a quart (one liter) of water trapped microplastics the most effectively.
- Dried okra and fenugreek extracts removed 67% and 93%, respectively, of the plastic in an hour.
- A mixture of equal parts okra and fenugreek powder reached maximum removal efficiency (70%) within 30 minutes.
- The natural polymers performed significantly better than the synthetic, commercially available polyacrylamide polymer used in #wastewater treatment."Then the researchers tested the plant extracts on real microplastic-polluted water. They collected samples from waterbodies around Texas and brought them to the lab. The plant extract removal efficiency changed depending on the original water source.
"Okra worked best in ocean water (80%), fenugreek in groundwater (80-90%), and the 1:1 combination of okra and fenugreek in freshwater (77%).
"The researchers hypothesize that the natural polymers had different efficiencies because each water sample had different types, sizes and shapes of microplastics.
"Polyacrylamide, which is currently used to remove contaminants during wastewater treatment, has low toxicity, but its precursor #acrylamide is considered #toxic. Okra and fenugreek extracts could serve as #biodegradable and #nontoxic alternatives.
" 'Utilizing these plant-based extracts in water treatment will remove microplastics and other pollutants without introducing additional toxic substances to the treated water,' said Srinivasan in a media release, 'thus reducing long-term health risks to the population [and the environment].
"She had previously studied the use of food-grade plant extracts as non-toxic flocculants to remove textile-based pollutants from wastewater and thought, ‘Why not try microplastics?’"
Source:
https://www.goodnewsnetwork.org/plant-based-filter-removes-up-to-99-9-of-microplastics-from-water/#SolarPunkSunday #PlasticPollution #Plastics #Pollution #PollutionSolutions #WaterIsLife #Remediation
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#Okra and #Fenugreek Extracts Safely Remove #Microplastics From Water in New Texas Research
May 10, 2025
"The substances behind the slimy strings from okra and the gel from fenugreek seeds could trap microplastics better than a commonly used synthetic polymer.
"Texas researchers proposed in 2022 using these sticky #NaturalPolymers to clean up water. Now, they’ve found that okra and/or fenugreek extracts attracted and removed up to 90% of microplastics from #ocean water, #freshwater, and #groundwater.
"With funding from the U.S. Department of Energy, Rajani Srinivasan and colleagues at Tarleton State University found that the plant-based polymers from okra, fenugreek, and #tamarind stick to microplastics, clumping together and sinking for easy separation from water.
"In this next stage of the research, they have optimized the process for okra and fenugreek extracts and tested results in a variety of types of water.
"To extract the sticky plant polymers, the team soaked sliced okra pods and blended fenugreek seeds in separate containers of water overnight. Then, researchers removed the dissolved extracts from each solution and dried them into powders.
"Analyses published in the American Chemical Society journal showed that the powdered extracts contained #polysaccharides, which are natural polymers. Initial tests in pure water spiked with microplastics showed that:
- One gram of either powder in a quart (one liter) of water trapped microplastics the most effectively.
- Dried okra and fenugreek extracts removed 67% and 93%, respectively, of the plastic in an hour.
- A mixture of equal parts okra and fenugreek powder reached maximum removal efficiency (70%) within 30 minutes.
- The natural polymers performed significantly better than the synthetic, commercially available polyacrylamide polymer used in #wastewater treatment."Then the researchers tested the plant extracts on real microplastic-polluted water. They collected samples from waterbodies around Texas and brought them to the lab. The plant extract removal efficiency changed depending on the original water source.
"Okra worked best in ocean water (80%), fenugreek in groundwater (80-90%), and the 1:1 combination of okra and fenugreek in freshwater (77%).
"The researchers hypothesize that the natural polymers had different efficiencies because each water sample had different types, sizes and shapes of microplastics.
"Polyacrylamide, which is currently used to remove contaminants during wastewater treatment, has low toxicity, but its precursor #acrylamide is considered #toxic. Okra and fenugreek extracts could serve as #biodegradable and #nontoxic alternatives.
" 'Utilizing these plant-based extracts in water treatment will remove microplastics and other pollutants without introducing additional toxic substances to the treated water,' said Srinivasan in a media release, 'thus reducing long-term health risks to the population [and the environment].
"She had previously studied the use of food-grade plant extracts as non-toxic flocculants to remove textile-based pollutants from wastewater and thought, ‘Why not try microplastics?’"
Source:
https://www.goodnewsnetwork.org/plant-based-filter-removes-up-to-99-9-of-microplastics-from-water/#SolarPunkSunday #PlasticPollution #Plastics #Pollution #PollutionSolutions #WaterIsLife #Remediation
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#Okra and #Fenugreek Extracts Safely Remove #Microplastics From Water in New Texas Research
May 10, 2025
"The substances behind the slimy strings from okra and the gel from fenugreek seeds could trap microplastics better than a commonly used synthetic polymer.
"Texas researchers proposed in 2022 using these sticky #NaturalPolymers to clean up water. Now, they’ve found that okra and/or fenugreek extracts attracted and removed up to 90% of microplastics from #ocean water, #freshwater, and #groundwater.
"With funding from the U.S. Department of Energy, Rajani Srinivasan and colleagues at Tarleton State University found that the plant-based polymers from okra, fenugreek, and #tamarind stick to microplastics, clumping together and sinking for easy separation from water.
"In this next stage of the research, they have optimized the process for okra and fenugreek extracts and tested results in a variety of types of water.
"To extract the sticky plant polymers, the team soaked sliced okra pods and blended fenugreek seeds in separate containers of water overnight. Then, researchers removed the dissolved extracts from each solution and dried them into powders.
"Analyses published in the American Chemical Society journal showed that the powdered extracts contained #polysaccharides, which are natural polymers. Initial tests in pure water spiked with microplastics showed that:
- One gram of either powder in a quart (one liter) of water trapped microplastics the most effectively.
- Dried okra and fenugreek extracts removed 67% and 93%, respectively, of the plastic in an hour.
- A mixture of equal parts okra and fenugreek powder reached maximum removal efficiency (70%) within 30 minutes.
- The natural polymers performed significantly better than the synthetic, commercially available polyacrylamide polymer used in #wastewater treatment."Then the researchers tested the plant extracts on real microplastic-polluted water. They collected samples from waterbodies around Texas and brought them to the lab. The plant extract removal efficiency changed depending on the original water source.
"Okra worked best in ocean water (80%), fenugreek in groundwater (80-90%), and the 1:1 combination of okra and fenugreek in freshwater (77%).
"The researchers hypothesize that the natural polymers had different efficiencies because each water sample had different types, sizes and shapes of microplastics.
"Polyacrylamide, which is currently used to remove contaminants during wastewater treatment, has low toxicity, but its precursor #acrylamide is considered #toxic. Okra and fenugreek extracts could serve as #biodegradable and #nontoxic alternatives.
" 'Utilizing these plant-based extracts in water treatment will remove microplastics and other pollutants without introducing additional toxic substances to the treated water,' said Srinivasan in a media release, 'thus reducing long-term health risks to the population [and the environment].
"She had previously studied the use of food-grade plant extracts as non-toxic flocculants to remove textile-based pollutants from wastewater and thought, ‘Why not try microplastics?’"
Source:
https://www.goodnewsnetwork.org/plant-based-filter-removes-up-to-99-9-of-microplastics-from-water/#SolarPunkSunday #PlasticPollution #Plastics #Pollution #PollutionSolutions #WaterIsLife #Remediation
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#Okra and #Fenugreek Extracts Safely Remove #Microplastics From Water in New Texas Research
May 10, 2025
"The substances behind the slimy strings from okra and the gel from fenugreek seeds could trap microplastics better than a commonly used synthetic polymer.
"Texas researchers proposed in 2022 using these sticky #NaturalPolymers to clean up water. Now, they’ve found that okra and/or fenugreek extracts attracted and removed up to 90% of microplastics from #ocean water, #freshwater, and #groundwater.
"With funding from the U.S. Department of Energy, Rajani Srinivasan and colleagues at Tarleton State University found that the plant-based polymers from okra, fenugreek, and #tamarind stick to microplastics, clumping together and sinking for easy separation from water.
"In this next stage of the research, they have optimized the process for okra and fenugreek extracts and tested results in a variety of types of water.
"To extract the sticky plant polymers, the team soaked sliced okra pods and blended fenugreek seeds in separate containers of water overnight. Then, researchers removed the dissolved extracts from each solution and dried them into powders.
"Analyses published in the American Chemical Society journal showed that the powdered extracts contained #polysaccharides, which are natural polymers. Initial tests in pure water spiked with microplastics showed that:
- One gram of either powder in a quart (one liter) of water trapped microplastics the most effectively.
- Dried okra and fenugreek extracts removed 67% and 93%, respectively, of the plastic in an hour.
- A mixture of equal parts okra and fenugreek powder reached maximum removal efficiency (70%) within 30 minutes.
- The natural polymers performed significantly better than the synthetic, commercially available polyacrylamide polymer used in #wastewater treatment."Then the researchers tested the plant extracts on real microplastic-polluted water. They collected samples from waterbodies around Texas and brought them to the lab. The plant extract removal efficiency changed depending on the original water source.
"Okra worked best in ocean water (80%), fenugreek in groundwater (80-90%), and the 1:1 combination of okra and fenugreek in freshwater (77%).
"The researchers hypothesize that the natural polymers had different efficiencies because each water sample had different types, sizes and shapes of microplastics.
"Polyacrylamide, which is currently used to remove contaminants during wastewater treatment, has low toxicity, but its precursor #acrylamide is considered #toxic. Okra and fenugreek extracts could serve as #biodegradable and #nontoxic alternatives.
" 'Utilizing these plant-based extracts in water treatment will remove microplastics and other pollutants without introducing additional toxic substances to the treated water,' said Srinivasan in a media release, 'thus reducing long-term health risks to the population [and the environment].
"She had previously studied the use of food-grade plant extracts as non-toxic flocculants to remove textile-based pollutants from wastewater and thought, ‘Why not try microplastics?’"
Source:
https://www.goodnewsnetwork.org/plant-based-filter-removes-up-to-99-9-of-microplastics-from-water/#SolarPunkSunday #PlasticPollution #Plastics #Pollution #PollutionSolutions #WaterIsLife #Remediation
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More fried equipment? Not surprising! #Japan to resume trial removal of #radioactive #Fukushima nuclear debris amid safety concerns
10/25/2024
Fukushima, Japan - "The operator of Japan's stricken Fukushima nuclear plant will resume an operation to remove a sample of #HighlyRadioactive material next week, reports said Friday, after having suspended the effort over a technical snag.
"Extracting the estimated 880 tons of highly radioactive fuel and debris inside the former power station remains the most challenging part of decommissioning the facility, which was hit by a catastrophic tsunami in 2011.
"Radioactivity levels inside are far too high for humans to enter, and last month engineers began inserting an extendable device to try and remove a small sample.
"However, operator Tokyo Electric Power Company (TEPCO) had to halt the procedure after noticing that remote cameras on the apparatus were not beaming back images to the control center.
"TEPCO on Friday said it would resume the removal on Monday after replacing the cameras with new ones, the Asahi Shimbun daily and other local media reported.
"TEPCO officials could not immediately be reached to confirm the reports.
Safety of Fukushima #wastewater release in question
"Three of Fukushima's six reactors went into meltdown after a tsunami triggered by Japan's biggest earthquake on record swamped the facility in one of the world's worst atomic accidents.
"Japan last year began releasing into the #PacificOcean some of the 540 Olympic swimming pools' worth of contaminated reactor cooling water amassed since the catastrophe."
#FukushimaIsntOver #NoDumping #FukushimaWastewater #TEPCOLies #PacificLivesMatter #WaterIsLife #RethinkNotRestart #TEPCO
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#PlasticRain Is the New #AcidRain
Plastic rain could prove to be a more insidious problem than acid rain.
by Matt Simon
June 12, 2020"Hoof it through the national parks of the western United States—Joshua Tree, the #GrandCanyon, Bryce Canyon—and breathe deep the pristine air. These are unspoiled lands, collectively a great American conservation story. Yet an invisible menace is actually blowing through the air and falling via raindrops: #Microplastic particles, tiny chunks (by definition, less than 5 millimeters long) of fragmented plastic bottles and microfibers that fray from clothes, all #pollutants that get caught up in Earth’s atmospheric systems and deposited in the #wilderness.
"Writing in the journal Science, researchers report a startling discovery: After collecting #rainwater and air samples for 14 months, they calculated that over 1,000 metric tons of microplastic particles fall into 11 protected areas in the western US each year. That’s the equivalent of over 120 million plastic water bottles.
"'We just did that for the area of protected areas in the West, which is only 6 percent of the total US area,' says lead author Janice Brahney, an environmental scientist at Utah State University. 'The number was just so large, it's shocking.'
"It further confirms an increasingly hellish scenario: Microplastics are blowing all over the world, landing in supposedly pure habitats, like the #Arctic and the remote #FrenchPyrenees. They’re flowing into the #oceans via #wastewater and tainting #deepsea #ecosystems, and they’re even ejecting out of the water and blowing onto land in sea breezes. And now in the American West, and presumably across the rest of the world given that these are fundamental atmospheric processes, they are falling in the form of plastic rain—the new acid rain.
"Plastic rain could prove to be a more insidious problem than acid rain, which is a consequence of #SulfurDioxide and #NitrogenOxide emissions. By deploying #scrubbers in power plants to control the former, and catalytic converters in cars to control the latter, the US and other countries have over the last several decades cut down on the #acidification problem. But microplastic has already corrupted even the most #RemoteEnvironments, and there’s no way to scrub water or land or air of the particles—the stuff is absolutely everywhere, and it’s not like there’s a plastic magnet we can drag through the oceans. What makes plastic so useful—its hardiness—is what also makes it an alarming pollutant: Plastic never really goes away, instead breaking into ever smaller bits that infiltrate ever smaller corners of the planet. Even worse, plastic waste is expected to skyrocket from 260 million tons a year to 460 million tons by 2030, according to the consultancy McKinsey. More people joining the middle class in #EconomicallyDeveloping countries means more #consumerism and more #PlasticPackaging. "
Read more:
https://getpocket.com/explore/item/plastic-rain-is-the-new-acid-rain?utm_source=pocket-newtab-en-us -
#MaineTribes and Leading #Environmental Organizations Join Forces To Oppose Proposed #Mine in Shadow of #Katahdin
Proposed #ZincMine at #PickettMountain being pursued by virtually unknown Canadian company
June 28, 2023
"Two Tribes in Maine today joined forces with leading environmental groups and a national public interest environmental law organization to oppose a proposed mine that would be located in the shadow of #BaxterStatePark and the #KatahdinWoods & Waters National Monument.
"The proposed zinc mine at Pickett Mountain is being pursued by a virtually unknown Canadian company, #WolfdenResources, that has never operated a mine before. A previous version of Wolfden’s request was widely opposed because the region holds enormous cultural and natural significance to #Wabanaki Tribes, outdoor recreation businesses, and Maine people.
"The #HoultonBandOfMaliseets, the #PenobscotNation, and the #NaturalResourcesCouncilOfMaine [#NRCM], represented by #Earthjustice and #Brann&Isaacson, joined the #ConservationLawFoundation in petitioning to intervene in the review of Wolfden’s permit application to the Land Use Planning Commission (#LUPC) to rezone the area for #industrial uses.
"'The Penobscot Nation strongly opposes the rezoning of this #ecologically important area. We share significant concerns over impacts to the #water quality and f#isheries of the area, which our members rely upon,' said #ChiefKirkFrancis of the Penobscot Nation. 'The West Branch of the #MattawamkeagRiver contains abundant, high-quality, cold-water fish habitat and Designated #CriticalHabitat for #endangered #AtlanticSalmon, identified as necessary for the recovery of Atlantic salmon in the Penobscot River. This mine would impact our traditional territories and forever alter our ability to maintain our relationship to this place.'
"The area Wolfden wants to mine is next to three State Heritage Fish Waters and is a centerpiece of the region’s growing outdoor economy. It contains the headwaters of the West Branch of the Mattawamkeag River, which is sacred to the Penobscot Nation and provides key, federally designated critical habitat for endangered Atlantic salmon.
"'The Katahdin region’s wild beauty and clean water are extraordinary. One look at this landscape demonstrates that this is no place to put a mine,' said Nick Bennett, staff scientist at the Natural Resources Council of Maine. 'Wolfden’s claims that it will treat #wastewater more effectively than any mining company on earth are not credible. This is too big a risk for #Maine.'
"'The legacy of metallic mineral #mining in Maine is one of empty promises of economic development, acid mine drainage #polluting waters and killing fish, and multi-million dollar c#leanups funded by taxpayers and not the fly-by-night mining companies like Wolfden,' said #SeanMahoney, vice-president and senior counsel at the Conservation Law Foundation. 'Rezoning this area to allow mining would fail to recognize the cultural and spiritual importance of the land to the #WabanakiTribes and threaten the natural resources and experiences valued by generations of Maine citizens.'
"After withdrawing its initial request because it was riddled with errors, Wolfden submitted a second rezoning petition in January that sparked another review by the LUPC. Comments by Wolfden’s CEO disrespecting Maine tribes and #MininLlaws have prompted outrage from the Penobscot Nation, Houlton Band of Maliseet Indians, and #conservationists. The company has lost tens of millions of dollars over the past decade.
"'This is one of the absolute worst areas to rezone for a mine,' said Aaron Bloom, a senior attorney with Earthjustice. 'The region is known for its vast contiguous forest, pristine streams, high-quality lakes, and aquatic species like wild brook trout and landlocked salmon. Why would we risk that, along with the outdoor economy that depends on it, on a half-baked proposal from an unproven mining company? The Commission must put Maine’s unique natural resources, and the well-being of the people of Maine and Maine’s Wabanaki Tribes, before short-term industry profits.'
"More than 700 hundred Mainers and local businesses, including Bradford Camps, Chandler Lakes Camps and Lodge, and the #MaineWildernessGuidesOrganization, have spoken out against Wolfden’s plans. In May 2022, residents of #Pembroke voted overwhelmingly to ban industrial-scale metallic mineral mining in their town in response to Wolfden’s plans to develop a mine there."
#WaterIsLife #Maine #WabanakiNations #Environment #Mining #CorporateColonialism #NoMining
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U[pdate for 2/23/2024!
Good Morning SARS2PAians! ❄️❄️❄️
There's no new CDC stuff for today.
VOCs
JN.1 and its cousins/offspring continues to smash the leaderboard globally and in the US: https://ibb.co/xSW90JK
And here in PA: https://ibb.co/FX4VJgb
Lineage News
JN.1.11 has totally fizzled out (that's the difference between how it looks in a lab compared to actual infectivity) but there is a new variant that is being VERY closely scoured for by geneticists: JN.1.23 (that's JN One Dot Twenty-Three.)
This variant has an absolutely astounding ACE2Binding ability (which means it's easier to "stick" to lungs) + very good escape rate (which means it looks different than anything else before it and the body isn't sure how to react to it).: https://ibb.co/B45zX5B
It is definitely way beyond "uh-oh" at this point.: https://ibb.co/9T5pv5z
It has already been found on 3 continents (South America/Brazil, North America/California, and Asia/India) and also in Canada/Alberta. it's now being tracked on Rajnarayanan's Tableau chart for the US.: https://ibb.co/xMwRyyC
This also has so much binding ability, it has the most potential to even "spend" some of its infectivity on other mutations that will benefit its children, sacrificing it for more severity or more innate infectivity....which would be very bad.
The good news is that this variant has only 2 differences between it and what we're already dealing with. Despite the very good ACE2 binding, XBB.1.5 vaccines and prior infections with JN.1 should hold against it at least a little while.: https://ibb.co/42D30fZ
(Note: don't get infected to prevent infection. That's silly. There's NO sure way to know if you were infected with JN.1 unless you get your case sequenced. Get vaccinated and use source control. That's smart and NOT silly.)
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WastewaterWastewater SARS2 material is rising in the US again. Not a good sign.: https://ibb.co/DGx889k
Regionally, all regions except the West are starting to tick upwards again.: https://ibb.co/dtKpRsK
In PA, the 5 stations that report to Biobot are showing very volatile elves, but Chester, Lackawanna, Luzerne, and MontCo are handling it. :canparrot: GOOD GOING. Source control keeps those numbers down!!!: https://ibb.co/JxZX7YC
BucksCo is on an uptick, now above national averages. Please be cautious and keep working at it for Spring!!! 💐
The PA DoH Wastewater dashboard reflects these rising levels, with levels especially rising in Monroe County. PLEASE USE SOURCE CONTROL. Wear a quality respirator, clean the air with MERV-13 or HEPA filters, and STAY HOME if you are sick!: https://ibb.co/DwtcNgd
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Year-Over-YearWant to remind everyone that this year has the highest national wastewater numbers of all COVID years at this time.: https://ibb.co/WP98zxT
(I changed the color of the 2024 year because the original color used to represent it was...pretty unseeable.)
MORE people are getting infected/reinfected more quickly, and you can see the general trend is for the absolute baseline rising throughout the year.
This is in addition to, on WastewaterSCAN, high levels of other respiratory pathogens like RSV, FluA and FluB and the gastro-disturbing (and just gross) Norovirus.: https://ibb.co/ggyxfBt
Wash hands to prevent especially non SARS pathogens.
🌊👍🌊Wash fruits and veg too before you eat them!
🌊🍎🥒🌊Guys, this is us on our way to a high tide that will never drop IF we don't use source control.
But if we do, we can prevent life, learning, and financial loss going into spring and have a LOVELY and healthy new season soon! 💐
#covid #Covid19 #SARS2PA #CDC #CovidIsNotOver #Pennsylvania #PA #JN1 #JN1TwentyThree #JN123 #Norovirus #Influenza #InfluenzaB #Flu #FluB #WearAMask #CleanTheAir #VaccinesSaveLives #Wastewater #StayHomeIfSick #SourceControl #USESourceControl #COVIDSourceControl
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@SkepticalEye Reverse osmosis produces several gallons of wastewater for every gallon of "pure" water it produces. It's incredibly wasteful.
The bottled water companies and those who sell RO sysyems know this and don't care. They end up getting their money.
#ReverseOsmosis #WaterPurifier #WaterFootprint #WasteWater #Conservation
