Oregon State University
Oregon State University is a university 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.
Study shows bird flu markers in wastewater may come from wild birds
New research shows that wild birds can account for much of the avian influenza virus evidence found in wastewater in Oregon, suggesting wastewater detections of the virus do not automatically signal human, poultry or dairy cattle cases of bird flu. The study looked at the new clade of avian influenza virus that first appeared in […]
New model sheds light on groundwater declines by linking irrigation decisions and groundwater use
Sustainable rates of groundwater withdrawal in Oregon's Harney Basin were surpassed 20 years prior to the time declining groundwater levels were generally recognized, a new analysis found. That lag in realizing the impact of groundwater use is just one insight from a new study linking farm economics and groundwater hydrology in the Harney Basin. Oregon […]
Photocatalyst research uncovers better way to produce green hydrogen
Researchers at Oregon State University have developed a material that shows a remarkable ability to convert sunlight and water into clean energy. A collaboration led by Kyriakos Stylianou of the OSU College of Science created a photocatalyst that enables the high-speed, high-efficiency production of hydrogen, used in fuel cells for cars as well as in […]
Researchers take deep dive into how much water is stored in snow
A heavy snowpack is fun for skiers and sledders, and it also acts like an open-air storage tank that melts away to provide water for drinking, irrigation and other purposes during dry months. But exactly how much water is held in snowpacks, and for how long? That information, critical to water managers around the globe, has taken […]
Researchers make key advance toward removing pesticide from groundwater
Scientists led by an Oregon State University chemistry researcher are closing in on a new tool for tackling the global problem of weedkiller-tainted groundwater. Kyriakos Stylianou of the OSU College of Science led an international team that identified a material known as a metal-organic framework, or MOF, that showed an ability to completely remove, and […]
Researchers developing technology to make wastewater usable for irrigation
Researchers in the Oregon State University College of Engineering are developing technology to convert wastewater into a product that would simultaneously irrigate and fertilize crops. The three-year project led by Xue Jin, assistant professor of environmental engineering, will be supported by $750,000 in funding from the U.S. Department of Agriculture and will involve partnerships with farmers, […]
Rain gardens help keep pollutants out of waterways, says researcher
As water runs down roofs, over driveways and patios and off other impervious surfaces, it might pick up pollutants as it flows directly into streams, wetlands, lakes and groundwater aquifers. Stormwater runoff from impervious surfaces has been routed directly to streams through stormwater pipes and ditches with little infiltration or treatment, according to Derek Godwin, […]
Researchers develop catalyst that purifies herbicide-tainted water and produces hydrogen
Researchers in the Oregon State University College of Science have developed a dual-purpose catalyst that purifies herbicide-tainted water while also producing hydrogen. The project, which included researchers from the OSU College of Engineering and HP Inc. is important because water pollution is a major global challenge, and hydrogen is a clean, renewable fuel. Findings of the […]
Feedback loops make climate action even more urgent, scientists say
An international collaboration led by Oregon State University scientists has identified 27 global warming accelerators known as amplifying feedback loops, including some that the researchers say may not be fully accounted for in climate models. They note that the findings, published in the journal One Earth, add urgency to the need to respond to the climate […]