Edition 18: July 18, 2025
From finding out our bodies have the capability to absorb and expel PFAS chemicals to developing a better way to recycle wind turbine blades, science is here to help humanity.
Certain Gut Microbes Can Help Remove PFAS From Our Bodies
Numerous studies have shown that PFAS chemicals negatively impact human health, but that is not the only reason why researchers at the University of Cambridge set out to study if human gut microbes could absorb and expel PFAS chemicals. They initially looked into a total of 42 different food contaminants, but the results with PFAS chemicals were the most shocking. At least 38 different strains of gut microbes were found to be capable of absorbing PFAS chemicals and then helping the body expel them via feces. Nine strains in particular — Bacteroides caccae, Bacteroides clarus, Bacteroides dorei, Bacteroides stercoris, Bacteroides thetaiotaomicron, Bacteroides uniformis, Odoribacter splanchnicus, Parabacteroides distasonis and Parabacteroides merdae — were found to remove up to 75% of PFAS chemicals in the guts of mice. The researchers behind this study now plan to conduct another one using humans to see if the results can be replicated, and if so, plans are already in the works to produce a probiotic supplement with the most effective strains of microbes. This research has not only shown that our bodies are more resilient to certain types of contaminants than initially thought, but it has also helped explain why PFAS pollution is so prevalent at wastewater treatment plants. Thankfully, technologies already exist to remove PFAS chemicals from effluent at wastewater treatment plants, but since they aren’t legally required yet, only a few in the United States are using them.
Source: Tom Perkins writes for The Guardian
“The reality is that PFAS are already in the environment and in our bodies, and we need to try and mitigate their impact on our health now. We haven’t found a way to destroy PFAS, but our findings open the possibility of developing ways to get them out of our bodies where they do the most harm.” — Dr. Indra Roux, University of Cambridge researcher and study co-author
Study Shows Solar Panels Help Semi-Arid Grasslands Survive Droughts
Semi-arid grasslands feature a combination of grassland and desert species, and they experience dry periods followed by wet ones. Climate change is unfortunately making drought conditions across the world, not just in semi-arid areas, more frequent and more severe which in turn is hurting ecosystems. That is why researchers at Cornell University set out to see if solar farms on Colorado’s semi-arid grasslands could alleviate water stress during periods of drought. They discovered that solar farms do indeed reduce water stress as well as help increase plant growth by around 20% during dry periods. This is because the solar panels provide partial shade and collect excess water that then trickles down to the soil. The researchers behind this study are now looking into the best placements and tilts for panels to maximize the positive impact on semi-arid grasslands, and they are also studying if solar farms could help livestock and pollinators in semi-arid areas as well. Every few months, new research like this study out of Colorado shows just how beneficial solar farms can be for livestock, biodiversity, and now helping ecosystems be more resilient to droughts. All this research is helping shine a light on the disinformation the fossil fuel industry perpetuates about climate solutions — namely how they aren’t efficient and harm ecosystems more than fossil fuels. Hopefully, it will help the world move past the propaganda and fully embrace clean energy.
Source: Sharon Udasin writes for The Hill
“Even though this solar array was designed to maximize energy generation — not to promote beneficial environmental conditions for the grasses grown beneath — it still provided a more favorable environment during a dry year.” – Matthew Sturchio, Cornell University postdoctoral researcher and lead study author
European Union Close to Meeting 2030 Climate Goal
In 2023, the European Union adopted a legally-binding climate goal for member states to reduce their emissions 55% below 1990 levels by 2030 as part of their larger goal to become climate neutral by 2050. A recent assessment based on updated national climate plans has shown that the continent is nearly on track to achieve that goal — with the current estimates showing a 54% reduction by 2030. Some countries are lagging behind when it comes to meeting this goal while others are overachieving. The continent making progress on phasing out coal and then shying away from gas due to Russia’s war on Ukraine are primarily responsible for the European Union being on track with their 2030 goal. Despite this, Europe is still struggling to reduce emissions when it comes to agriculture and transportation. Farmers have protested nearly every policy aimed at aligning with climate goals, and many countries have been slow to expand public transportation as well as ban vehicle traffic from urban centers. Those issues will need to be addressed soon, though, because the European Union is already working on a 2040 climate goal that could call for emissions to be reduced by up to 90% — however it is more likely that number will be closer to 75% when it is formally approved after debate sometime in the next few years. The solutions exist to help Europe, and the rest of the world, meet their climate goals; they just need the right polices, funding, and support to be fully implemented.
Source: Rosie Frost writes for EuroNews
“Emissions are down 37 per cent since 1990, while the economy has grown nearly 70 per cent, proving climate action and growth go hand in hand.” — Wopke Hoekstra, European Union Climate Commissioner
Researchers Discover New Way to Recycle Wind Turbine Blades
One of the main arguments against wind energy these days is the amount of waste wind turbines produce at the end of their life. Those concerns are quite valid because recycling wind turbines is notoriously difficult, and many have ended up in landfills or piled away in fields as a result. Instead of ignoring those issues, though, researchers and the wind industry alike set out to find more sustainable solutions because turbines installed in the 1990s and early 2000s are nearing the end of their life. One of those new methods was recently developed by researchers at Washington State University, and it is a mild chemical recycling process for wind turbine blades. Wind turbine blades are the most difficult part of a turbine to deal with because they consist of a composite of fiberglass, carbon fiber, wood, and plastic that is difficult to separate once manufactured. This new approach to recycling the blades starts with chopping them up into small, 2-inch blocks and then soaking them in a superheated water bath to break down the fiberglass. Then, zinc acetate is added to the bath to further break down the polymers in the blade. In a lab setting, up to 83.5% of the blade was degraded by the process, and what is left over can be mixed with other plastics to increase the tensile strength of new materials. The researchers behind this study hope their new recycling method will be used to reduce the amount of new plastics that need to be produced as well as the amount of wind turbine blades that end up in landfills.
Source: Courtney Flatt writes for Northwest Public Broadcasting
“As wind energy grows, recycling and reusing wind turbine waste is becoming increasingly urgent. This recycling method is scalable, cost-effective, and environmentally friendly, providing a sustainable solution for reusing large quantities of glass fiber reinforced waste.” — Jinwen Zhang, Washington State University researcher and study co-author
Bonus Stories!
How Toxin-Munching Mushrooms Are Restoring Polluted Brownfields — via Atmos
Inspired by the human heart, this buoy converts wave motion into clean electricity — via EuroNews
This NYC affordable housing complex is the biggest ‘Passive House’ in US — via Canary Media
Penguin poop could be driving Antarctic cloud formation — via Science