University of Wisconsin-Madison
University of Wisconsin-Madison 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 reveals high PFAS levels in lake and river foams despite low water contamination
According to a new study of rivers and lakes in Wisconsin, natural foams from these bodies of water contain much higher concentrations of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) than the water below them. Thirty-six different kinds of PFAS compounds were analyzed in samples of both the foams and water surface microlayers of 43 Wisconsin rivers […]
New approach shows hydrogen can be combined with electricity to make pharmaceutical drugs
The world needs greener ways to make chemicals. In a new study, University of Wisconsin–Madison researchers demonstrate one potential path toward this goal by adapting hydrogen fuel cell technologies. These technologies are already used to power some electric vehicles, laptops and cell phones. “The chemical industry is a massive energy consumer, and there is a […]
Mapping methane emissions from rivers around globe reveals surprising sources
Freshwater ecosystems account for half of global emissions of methane, a potent greenhouse gas that contributes to global warming. Rivers and streams, especially, are thought to emit a substantial amount of that methane, but the rates and patterns of these emissions at global scales remain largely undocumented. An international team of researchers, including University of […]
Atmospheric rivers linked to melting Greenland ice sheet
Atmospheric rivers — long, concentrated flows of moisture in the sky — are a key factor in the complex conditions accelerating glacial melting over northern Greenland, according to new research from the University of Wisconsin–Madison. Led by Kyle Mattingly, a researcher at UW–Madison’s Space Science and Engineering Center, the new study of the rivers of […]
Earlier algae blooms, lingering toxins: Invasive species change a lake’s microbial community
New research from University of Wisconsin–Madison scientists traces two tiny invasive species through their outsized effects on the water quality, algae blooms and toxic conditions in a Wisconsin lake. Lake Mendota in Madison, Wisconsin, has seen two different invasions in the last 15 years. Researchers first documented large populations of an invasive zooplankton called the […]
Northeastern Wisconsin PFAS plume moves into Green Bay via groundwater
A new study has found that a plume of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) from an industrial source has made its way into Green Bay, Lake Michigan, through the movement of groundwater. PFAS are often referred to as "forever chemicals" because they do not readily break down in the environment. They have been used to […]
Great Lakes tributary rivers play key role in bringing PFAS to drinking water source of millions
The world's largest source of freshwater, the Great Lakes, provides drinking water to more than 40 million people in the U.S. and Canada. In the first study of its kind, researchers at the University of Wisconsin-Madison College of Engineering have demonstrated that tributary rivers feeding Lake Michigan play an important role in bringing the human-made […]
Study finds that not even the largest lakes in the world are safe from salt
Tourist towns along the Lake Michigan shoreline love to proclaim the giant body of water "Unsalted and Shark-Free." The slogan is plastered on t-shirts, magnets and bumper stickers—but, according to a new study, only one of those claims holds water. Combined, the Great Lakes make up about 20 percent of all the available fresh surface […]
Irrigated farming in Wisconsin’s Central Sands cools the region’s climate
New research finds that irrigated farms within Wisconsin’s vegetable-growing Central Sands region significantly cool the local climate compared to nearby rain-fed farms or forests. Irrigation dropped maximum temperatures by one to three degrees Fahrenheit on average while increasing minimum temperatures up to four degrees compared to unirrigated farms or forests. In all, irrigated farms experienced […]