National Science Foundation
National Science Foundation is a public administration that is part of the pulse of the water sector. Here we bring together everything it publishes on Smart Water Magazine: its news, its blogs and the events it takes part in.
Researchers create molecular nanocages that remove 80-90% of PFAS from water
Researchers funded by the U.S. National Science Foundation have created a molecular nanocage that captures the bulk of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances, or PFAS, found in water — and it works better than traditional filtering techniques that use activated carbon. Made of organic nanoporous material designed to capture only PFAS, this tiny chemical-based filtration system […]
Algae blooms increase snowmelt in the Pacific Northwest by 20%
Algae that commonly grow on snow in the Pacific Northwest have been ignored in melt models, but their presence significantly increases snowmelt compared with clean, white snow, according to a study conducted on Mount Baker in the North Cascades, Washington. Scientist Alia Khan at Western Washington University and the National Snow and Ice Data Center […]
Hotspots shed light on ‘flash drought’ causes
Two Clemson University engineers say their research is the most comprehensive analysis so far of what causes flash drought, a weather phenomenon that has been blamed for billions of dollars in crop damage and increased wildfire risk. The work is supported by the U.S. National Science Foundation. Civil engineers Sourav Mukherjee and Ashok Mishra believe […]
Managing salt pollution to protect drinking water resources and freshwater ecosystems
Too much salt threatens ecosystem and human health.
Heavy rainfall drives one-third of nitrogen runoff, according to new study
Research looked at nitrogen runoff from farmland in the Mississippi River basin.
Recovering phosphorus from corn ethanol production helps reduce groundwater pollution
Less phosphorus ultimately helps downstream 'dead zones'.
Microplastics million times more abundant in the ocean than previously thought
Nothing seems safe from plastic contamination. A new study by NSF-funded researchers at the Scripps Institution of Oceanography suggests there could be a million times more pieces of plastic in the ocean than previously estimated. Biological oceanographer Jennifer Brandon found some of the tiniest microplastics in seawater at much higher concentrations than previously measured. Her method showed that the […]
Lake Erie’s toxic algae blooms: Why is the water turning green?
Scientists at NSF-NIEHS Great Lakes Center for Fresh Waters and Human Health finding new answers.