In the complex world of soil and water chemistry, certain minerals act like microscopic sponges, soaking up pollutants and keeping our environment safe. Among the most dangerous of these pollutants is hexavalent chromium—Cr(VI)—a highly toxic and mobile substance often found at industrial and mining sites. Now, a groundbreaking study published in Carbon Research has identified the specific "superstar" minerals that are best at neutralizing this threat while simultaneously locking away organic carbon.

The research, led by Professor Bin Dong from Tongji University, focuses on the interaction between dissolved organic matter (DOM) and various iron (oxyhydr)oxides. The team discovered that low-crystallinity minerals, specifically ferrihydrite, are far more effective at managing chromium than their more "perfect" crystalline cousins like goethite and hematite. This work represents a major collaborative effort centered at the College of Environmental Science and Engineering at Tongji University and the Shanghai Institute of Pollution Control and Ecological Security, with support from the YANGTZE Eco-Environment Engineering Research Center and Guilin University of Technology. "Nature has a built-in filtration system, but not all minerals are created equal," says Professor Bin Dong. "By understanding the molecular handshake between organic matter and iron minerals, we can design smarter, nature-based solutions to clean up heavily contaminated mine soils while helping the planet store more carbon."

A major new UN assessment finds that the world’s great freshwater fish migrations are rapidly collapsing, threatening ecosystems, fisheries, and the livelihoods of hundreds of millions of people. Being released by the Convention on the Conservation of Migratory Species (CMS) at its COP15 in Brazil, the Global Assessment of Migratory Freshwater Fishes identifies 325 species requiring coordinated international conservation action, their declines driven by dams, habitat fragmentation, pollution, overfishing, and climate change. Migratory freshwater fish populations have fallen by about 81% since 1970, making them among the most imperiled wildlife on Earth. Because many species migrate across national borders through shared river basins such as the Amazon, Mekong, Danube, Nile, and Ganges–Brahmaputra, the report stresses that effective protection depends on countries managing rivers as connected systems. At CMS COP15, governments will consider new basin-scale action plans, conservation listings, and other initiatives to protect iconic long-distance migrant species such as the massive Amazonian catfish.

New research reveals a cross-seasonal pathway linking tropical sea surface temperatures to the Antarctic polar vortex, with implications for long-range climate prediction.