University of Massachusetts Amherst
University of Massachusetts Amherst 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.
Scientists develop ultraprecise, efficient and flexible technique for analyzing nanoplastics
While the threat that microplastics pose to human and ecological health has been richly documented and is well known, nanoplastics, which are smaller than one micrometer (1/50th the thickness of an average human hair), are far more reactive, far more mobile and vastly more capable of crossing biological membranes. Yet, because they are so tiny […]
We are vastly overestimating the amount of freshwater available for lithium mining
New research led by UMass Amherst hydrologists sounds the alarm over mining practices that have immediate implications for transition to low-carbon economy.
Floods, insufficient water, sinking river deltas: hydrologists map changing river landscapes
New research by UMass Amherst and the University of Cincinnati shows a rapid shift of water upstream over 35 years.
New PFAS testing method could make water testing more affordable, portable and accessible
University of Massachusetts Amherst researchers have discovered a new way to detect per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) in water. This marks an important step forward in creating testing devices that are simpler, more cost-effective, faster and generally more accessible than existing methods. PFAS, the so-called forever chemicals, have been recognized as a concerning pollutant. These […]
New research estimates carbon emissions from 22 million stream reaches across the US
Using a sophisticated new modeling approach, researchers at the University of Massachusetts Amherst have estimated carbon dioxide emissions from inland waters to 22 million U.S. lakes, rivers and reservoirs. It marks the first time this approach has been applied at a continental scale, and reveals previous methods may have overestimated CO2 emissions by as much as […]
Clean Water Act leaves about 55% of water flowing out of rivers vulnerable to pollution
The Supreme Court ruled in 2023 that rivers that only flow in response to weather events—called ephemeral streams—do not fall under the protection of the Clean Water Act. Research published in the journal Science, led by University of Massachusetts Amherst recent doctoral graduate Craig Brinkerhoff and co-authored by colleagues at Yale University, suggests that this now […]
Oil palm plantations are driving massive downstream impact to watershed
The global demand for palm oil—the most widely consumed vegetable oil on the planet, in everything from instant noodles to lipstick—is driving worldwide tropical deforestation. While many studies have shown the loss of biodiversity when rainforests are converted to oil palm plantations, researchers at the University of Massachusetts of Amherst are the first to show […]
For mining in arid regions to be responsible, we must change how we think about water
A research team led by the University of Massachusetts Amherst, in collaboration with the University of Alaska-Anchorage and Columbia University, has conducted the widest-ever hydrological tracer analysis of the Dry Andes region in Chile, Argentina and Bolivia, home to the majority of the world's lithium deposits and other elements, such as copper, critical to the […]
We know the Arctic is warming—what will changing river flows do to its environment?
Scientists at the University of Massachusetts Amherst recently combined satellite data, field observations, and sophisticated numerical modeling to paint a picture of how 22.45 million square kilometers of the Arctic will change over the next 80 years. As expected, the overall region will be warmer and wetter, but the details—up to 25% more runoff, 30% more […]