We have developed a method for making simultaneous soft X-ray absorption spectroscopy (XAS) measurements of solid-liquid interfaces and bulk liquids. By controlling the thickness of the liquid layer, we obtained the O K-edge XAS spectrum of bulk H₂O from a liquid H₂O layer on a thin Au film using the transmission method, and we used the electron-yield method to obtain the XAS spectrum of the H₂O/Au interface by measuring the drain currents from the Au surface following soft X-ray absorption. This method for obtaining simultaneous XAS measurements of solid-liquid interfaces and bulk liquids can be utilized to investigate the mechanisms of a variety of catalytic, electrochemical, and biological reactions involving solid-liquid interfaces.

A research team led by University of Tsukuba has revealed that the severity of Japanese winters is strongly influenced by the combined behavior of two distant climate systems: atmospheric circulation over the North Atlantic-European region and convective activity in the tropical Indo-Pacific. When these systems align, they reinforce each other and intensify cold conditions in Japan; when they are misaligned, their influence weakens, leading to milder impacts.

For the first time, researchers, including those from the University of Tokyo, found out how to determine how much carbon dioxide (CO2) from either natural or anthropogenic sources can be absorbed by special concrete production methods. This can be useful for economic tools such as carbon trading and carbon accounting, and the work could lead to similar measurement techniques for other gases of concern. 

Biochar, a charcoal-like material made from plant waste, has been widely promoted as a promising tool for improving soil health and storing carbon in farmland. But a new long-term study suggests that its effects are more complex than previously understood.

Researchers studying the ant Formica japonica found that rice straw biochar applied at moderate levels, especially 2.5% to 5%, improved several colony behaviors linked to soil health. Ants in moderately amended soils showed stronger habitat preference, built larger and more complex nests, found food more quickly, and maintained more effective social recognition. However, when the biochar dose reached 10%, the benefits declined and ant survival dropped sharply.

Antibiotic residues in agricultural soils are an emerging environmental concern, with potential impacts on soil health, crop safety, and the spread of antimicrobial resistance. A new study published in Biochar reports a promising solution: an iron-modified biochar that helps soil use its own oxygen and iron chemistry to break down sulfamethoxazole, a commonly detected antibiotic pollutant.

Depression, anxiety and sleep disorders are among the conditions often treated with antidepressant drugs. Yet, up to 90% of these drugs pass through the body into wastewater. They’re also difficult to remove during water treatment, presenting a possible risk of environmental contamination and threats to ecological and human health. Now, researchers reporting in ACS’ Environmental Science & Technology found some antidepressant drugs at levels that could be harmful to aquatic wildlife in North Carolina waterways.