A collaborative team of researchers from the University of Science and Technology, Beijing, and the Chinese Research Academy of Environmental Sciences has provided an unprecedented molecular-level view into the water quality of urban rivers. The investigation focused on dissolved organic matter (DOM), a complex mixture of carbon-based compounds that influences aquatic ecosystems and drinking water safety. By analyzing the intricate chemical makeup of DOM, scientists can trace its origins, whether from natural soil and plant decay or from human-caused pollution. This new work offers a powerful diagnostic approach for understanding the health of waterways in densely populated areas.

The investigation centered on two vital Beijing waterways with differing roles and surrounding environments: the Yongding River (YDH) and the Beiyun River (BYH). The YDH, known as Beijing's "mother river," primarily serves water supply functions and flows through mountainous, forested terrain. In contrast, the BYH courses through the city’s urban sub-center, receiving significant amounts of domestic sewage and agricultural runoff. This intentional comparison allowed the scientific team to isolate how distinct landscapes and anthropogenic pressures imprint unique chemical signatures on the rivers’ dissolved organic matter pools.

A comprehensive analysis of China's livestock sector shows a significant reduction in greenhouse gas emissions over the last two decades, with projections indicating a further 33.7% decrease by 2030. The investigation, led by researchers Yulong Chen and Le Qi of Inner Mongolia University and Hafiz Athar Hussain of the Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, pinpoints the complex interplay of factors driving this trend, offering a roadmap for sustainable agricultural development. As a major contributor to global agriculture, China's management of non-CO₂ GHG emissions from its livestock industry has profound implications for international climate goals.

Intensive monoculture farming is known to simplify the complex molecular makeup of soil organic matter, potentially compromising soil health and its ability to store carbon. Addressing this issue, a collaborative team of scientists from the Institute of Soil Science, Chinese Academy of Sciences, and Nanjing Agricultural University investigated the ecological processes that unfold when agricultural fields are left to rest. Their year-long experiment in a long-farmed paddy field explored how a natural fallow period, positioned between rice cultivation seasons, influences the diversity and composition of soil organic matter (SOM) at a molecular level. The objective was to understand the biological mechanisms behind SOM restoration in agroecosystems.

Forest soils are immense reservoirs of carbon, playing a critical role in regulating the global climate. The specific sources of this carbon and the processes that stabilize it have been subjects of intense scientific inquiry. A comprehensive investigation by researchers at the Southern University of Science and Technology and Sun Yat-Sen University provides new clarity on the complex dynamics of soil organic matter (SOM). By analyzing soils from 32 natural forests across China, a team led by Guodong Sun and Junjian Wang has uncovered how different components of plant and microbial debris contribute to carbon storage at varying depths, and how these contributions are shaped by climate and geology.

A study from Sultan Qaboos University compares three methods for drying anchovies and finds that solar tunnel drying is the most efficient, reducing drying time and improving product quality.

As the world transitions towards renewable energy, the demand for safe, cost-effective, and environmentally friendly energy storage solutions has become paramount. Zinc-ion energy storage devices (ZESDs), including batteries and capacitors, have emerged as a highly promising alternative to conventional lithium-ion technologies due to the natural abundance and low toxicity of zinc. A new review published in Carbon Research provides a systematic overview of the critical role that carbon materials play in advancing these sustainable technologies. The work, authored by a team from Changsha University of Science and Technology, Sichuan University, and Xiamen University, consolidates the latest strategies for using carbon to enhance every component of ZESDs, from the cathode to the notoriously problematic zinc anode.

By introducing fairness from the beginning with ‘fuzzy’ systems that understand ambiguity and shades of correctness, the evolved AIs balanced fairness and accuracy even when tasked with coming up with solutions for complicated financial and ethical issues.

In a novel approach that bridges sustainable agriculture and climate technology, scientists have successfully used cow manure as a superior, green alternative to chemical additives for creating high-performance carbon-capture materials. A collaborative team from the Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences (CAAS) and China Agricultural University has demonstrated that protein-rich cow manure is more effective than conventional urea for producing nitrogen-doped biochar, a porous material designed to adsorb CO₂ from the atmosphere. This finding presents a dual solution, tackling agricultural waste management while advancing carbon capture technology.

The research, led by Yuxuan Sun, Jixiu Jia, and Zonglu Yao, focused on developing a more environmentally friendly method for enhancing biochar. The standard process often relies on synthetic, energy-intensive nitrogen sources like urea to improve biochar’s ability to trap CO₂ molecules. The team instead explored a circular-economy model, using corn straw as the base carbon material and cow manure as a biological nitrogen source. They prepared different biochar samples through hydrothermal carbonization, a process that uses heated water under pressure, followed by a potassium hydroxide activation step to create a highly porous final product.

A team of scientists from the State Key Laboratory of Biogeology and Environmental Geology, China University of Geosciences, has introduced an economical and environmentally friendly approach for cleaning antibiotic-contaminated water. The work, led by authors Jingqi Wu and Jiawei Chen, focuses on enhancing a carbon material called hydrochar, derived from the noxious invasive water hyacinth plant. By applying a simple mechanical grinding process, the team was able to nearly triple the material's capacity to adsorb the common antibiotic norfloxacin, presenting a promising new avenue for water remediation.