Tuesday, November 11, 2025

Scientists develop low-cost sensor to safeguard water from fireworks pollution

Biochar Editorial Office, Shenyang Agricultural University

image:
Rational design of porphyrin-based ionophores for enhanced perchlorate selectivity in ion selective electrodes: application to fireworks wastewater analysis
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Credit: Baichun Li, Bing Li, Yuze Han, Qimeng Li, Chengkui Liang, Shuo Zhang & Wentao Li

A team of researchers from Nanjing University and Nanjing Normal University has designed a new, affordable sensor to detect toxic perchlorate in water, paving the way for better environmental monitoring and healthier communities. The sensor, inspired by porphyrin molecules and costing less than two US dollars, offers rapid and highly accurate detection of perchlorate, a harmful pollutant that often escapes into rivers and drinking water through fireworks manufacturing and industrial operations.

Perchlorate is a persistent pollutant known for its mobility, water solubility, and stability. While perchlorate can occur naturally, its largest sources are industrial activities including the production of fireworks, explosives, and some military devices. In China’s Xiangjiang River Basin, for instance, heavy fireworks production in recent years has led to dramatic increases in perchlorate concentrations, sometimes surpassing 1,000 milligrams per liter in wastewater. The pollutant is hazardous to human health, especially because it disrupts thyroid gland function and hormone production.

Current methods for perchlorate detection such as ion chromatography and mass spectrometry are often expensive and require complex sample preparation in laboratory conditions. There is greater need for portable, simple tools for real-time screening of polluted water, which would facilitate quick responses to contamination events and help industries comply with new regulations. The World Health Organization and China’s latest national standards have set strict limits for perchlorate in drinking water, prompting a demand for robust field monitoring.

To answer this need, the research team developed a liquid-contact ion-selective electrode (ISE) using a polyvinyl chloride (PVC) membrane enhanced with a custom-made porphyrin-based ionophore. The heart of the membrane incorporates a derivative called iron(III) meso-tetraphenylporphine chloride, or FeIIITPPCl, carefully chosen for its superior ability to recognize and bind perchlorate ions while ignoring common interfering substances. The sensor’s chemical recipe was refined through systematic screening and optimization, leading to excellent selectivity, a wide detection range, and extremely low detection limits.

“ISEs are known for their simplicity and field deployability, yet their selectivity often lags behind complex lab instruments,” explained Dr. Wentao Li, principal investigator. “By using this specially designed porphyrin-based carrier, our sensor can spot perchlorate ions at very low levels and resist being misled by similar anions such as sulfate or nitrate.”

The sensor reacts rapidly, delivering results in as little as five seconds, and can tolerate a broad variety of environmental conditions, including a wide range of pH (from acidic to mildly alkaline). When tested in actual fireworks production wastewater and in natural surface waters, the device proved capable of detecting perchlorate with impressive recovery rates—often matching the measurement accuracy of much more expensive instruments. Even without sample pretreatment, the recovery for spiked surface water averaged over 104 percent, while measurements in real fireworks wastewaters averaged over 96 percent recovery.

Beyond scientific innovation, the sensor’s low cost and ease of use make it ideal for broad deployment in at-risk communities and by industry professionals responsible for wastewater monitoring. The team estimates the cost per unit is under two dollars, offering a pathway to routine, on-site testing with disposable sensors.

Looking ahead, the researchers plan to adapt their design to address long-term stability and consider transforming the sensor from a liquid-contact to a solid-contact format, further improving its durability against environmental variations like temperature changes.

According to the authors, this new technology represents a significant advance in the global effort to tackle perchlorate pollution. By combining precision molecular design with practical field applications, the team’s work brings safer water and improved public health one step closer for populations exposed to the risks from industrial and fireworks-related contamination.

The full study is open access and can be found in Energy & Environment Nexus, Volume 1, 2025.

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Journal reference: Li B, Li B, Han Y, Li Q, Liang C, et al. 2025. Rational design of porphyrin-based ionophores for enhanced perchlorate selectivity in ion selective electrodes: application to fireworks wastewater analysis. Energy & Environment Nexus 1: e009

https://www.maxapress.com/article/doi/10.48130/een-0025-0007

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About Energy & Environment Nexus:
Energy & Environment Nexus is an open-access journal publishing high-quality research on the interplay between energy systems and environmental sustainability, including renewable energy, carbon mitigation, and green technologies.

DOI

10.48130/een-0025-0007

Method of Research

News article

Subject of Research

Not applicable

Article Title

Rational design of porphyrin-based ionophores for enhanced perchlorate selectivity in ion selective electrodes: application to fireworks wastewater analysis

Baby-cams confirm Moreton Bay as nursing ground for humpback whales

Griffith University

Baby whale nursing — video:
The researchers captured the first known footage of humpback whale calves nursing in Moreton Bay, Queensland, Australia.
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Credit: Stephanie Stack

On Quandamooka Sea Country (Moreton Bay), a team of multi-disciplinary scientists have captured unique footage that cements the popular bayside site’s importance as a humpback whale nursing and resting area.

The team of Griffith University researchers have captured the first known underwater video footage of humpback whale calves nursing.

Footage was captured using suction camera tags which revealed frequent bouts of nursing in around half of the individuals tagged.

These findings build evidence surrounding the critical importance of the bay as a key nursery and rest area for humpbacks.

“To our knowledge, this is the first documented use of camera-equipped suction-cup tags on humpback whale calves in Australia, and one of few datasets globally that combines video, fine-scale movement, and acoustic data for humpback whale calves,” Griffith University researcher and PhD Candidate Stephanie Stack said.

This sighting formed part of Ms Stack’s doctoral research at Griffith University and contributed to Professor Susan Bengston Nash’s ARC Linkage project ‘Life in the Shipping Lane’, which investigated humpback whale shipping disturbance risks on Quandamooka Sea Country.

Other related findings from the team’s field work included consistently high numbers of mother-calf pairs across both 2024/25 seasons; several lone adult whales using the Bay; and groups that included multiple mother-calf pairs socialising together which was not previously documented for Moreton Bay.

“Across both seasons, we achieved 13 successful CATS camera tag deployments, with approximately half of these capturing nursing behaviour between mothers and calves,” Ms Stack said.

“In total, we now have 35 hours and 37 minutes of fine-scale movement, acoustic, and video data focusing on humpback whale calves.”

The study was performed as a collaboration between Griffith University and the University of Hawaii, in partnership with Quandamooka Traditional Owners and industry partners including Port of Brisbane, DHI, Stradbroke Flyer, and Healthy Land & Water.

Professor Bengston Nash said the project’s findings were of direct relevance to planned State Government re-zoning of Moreton Bay.

“Our growing understanding of the critical role that the bay plays in the life-history of the whales warrants a holistic assessment of the true ecological, social, and cultural value of the bay so that these values are not degraded or lost in favour of short-term financial gain,” said Professor Bengtson Nash.

“Both years, we observed high levels of recreational vessel traffic throughout the Bay, including in areas where whales were resting at the surface or in shallow waters, and often in direct transit zones for boats.

“We also documented multiple whales with propeller mark scars, underscoring the need for increased awareness and caution from boaters during the migration season.”

How to feed the next ten billion? Rethinking and re-engineering wheat inflorescence architecture to unlock yield potential

Science China Press

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Conceptual framework for inflorescence architecture and yield improvement in wheat
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Credit: ©Science China Press

Driven by both long-term natural evolution and human domestication, different cereal crops have evolved inflorescence architectures that share common features, most having a notably compact spike, while also exhibiting distinct variations in shape and structure. These architectural differences contribute significantly to the variation in grain number per spike among major crops such as wheat, rice, maize, and sorghum.

How can we unlock the genetic code for obtaining higher wheat yields through inflorescence design? The researchers proposed a multi-pronged strategy focusing on four key areas:

1. Unlocking the yield potential of branched wheat: In crops like rice and sorghum, branched inflorescences are a major factor contributing to the high grain number per panicle. Although wheat and barley are typically unbranched crops, some natural or mutanted branched varieties do exist and have showed potential on grain number increase. However, challenges remain existing, as branched wheat often suffers from poor fertility and lower grain weight, and the trait is usually controlled by recessive loci, which further complicating its application in breeding. But, the potential of branching to boost grain number is undeniable. The authors advocate for deeper exploration of the molecular mechanisms underlying wheat spike branching, identification of robust genetic loci controlling the trait, and the use of genetic engineering to balance branching with other agronomic traits. The goal is to achieve moderate branching wheat variaties that enhance grain number without compromising overall performance.

2. Maintaining inflorescence meristem activity: Differences in meristem activity among crops significantly influence the development of lateral organs, including branch and spikelet meristem. By manipulating stem cell activity to prolong the activity of the inflorescence meristem, wheat can form more spikelets without negatively affecting other traits. This approach can effectively increase both spikelet and grain number, leading to a higher yield.

3. Improving floret fertility: Enhancing the fertility of individual florets is a direct way to increase grain number per spike. This involves the understanding and optimizing the genetic and environmental factors that determine whether a floret successfully sets grain.

4. Enhancing nutrient transport via the rachis: Recent studies have increasingly focused on redesigning the source–sink–flow system to meet breeding goals. In the context of wheat, improving the photosynthetic capacity and nutrient distribution efficiency of the spike, especially the rachis, can significantly enhance floret fertility and overall yield. Fine-tuning the allocation of assimilates to developing grains represents a promising avenue for yield improvement.

To achieve these goals, the researchers advocates for a multi-omics approach by integrating genomics, metabolomics, single-cell transcriptomics, and phenomics, to conduct comprehensive comparative analyses of inflorescence development across cereal species. By combining genetic engineering with deep learning and AI-driven design, the ultimate aim is to re-engineer wheat inflorescence architecture to maximize grain number potential, break through current yield ceilings, and ensure global food security.

Journal

Science Bulletin

DOI

10.1016/j.scib.2025.10.032

Grassland degradation reshapes relationship between biodiversity and ecosystem multifunctionality

Chinese Academy of Sciences Headquarters

image:
Effects of grassland degradation on ecosystem functioning, biodiversity, and the biodiversity–ecosystem multifunctionality relationship
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Credit: GAO Xiaoxia and BAI Yuxuan

Grassland degradation fundamentally reshapes how biodiversity supports ecosystem multifunctionality, shifting it from being plant-dominated to being mediated by soil microbes, according to a new study led by Prof. YANG Yuanhe from the Institute of Botany of the Chinese Academy of Sciences (IBCAS).

The findings, published in Nature Plants on November 10, provide the first large-scale field evidence that grassland degradation alters biodiversity–multifunctionality relationships across natural ecosystems.

Grasslands cover nearly 40% of Earth's land surface and provide critical ecosystem functions such as carbon storage, forage production, and water regulation. However, nearly half of the world's grasslands are now degraded, largely due to overgrazing and climate change. The Tibetan Plateau hosts the largest and most fragile alpine grasslands on Earth, with moderate degradation now the most widespread condition. Grassland degradation is typically accompanied by changes in plant and soil microbial communities, which may profoundly reshape the relationships between biodiversity and ecosystem functioning. Nevertheless, it has remained unclear if and how grassland degradation alters the relationship between biodiversity and ecosystem multifunctionality across large-scale natural ecosystems.

To fill this gap, the researchers conducted an extensive transect survey spanning about 2,600 km across the Tibetan Plateau, covering 44 paired sites of non-degraded and moderately degraded grasslands. They measured 20 indicators of ecosystem functioning, including plant productivity, water-holding capacity, soil carbon, nitrogen and phosphorus pools, and organic matter decomposition.

Based on the combination of a quadrat survey and amplicon sequencing, the researchers assessed both above- and below-ground biodiversity, including species richness of plants, bacteria, fungi, and protists.

The results showed that moderate degradation significantly reduced individual ecosystem functions and multifunctionality, while increasing both plant and soil biodiversity. Further analyses revealed that, following degradation, the influence of soil biodiversity on multifunctionality strengthened, whereas that of plant richness weakened. These shifts were associated with a decline in the selection and complementarity effects of plant diversity on the one hand and a strengthening of microbial complementarity on the other hand.

These findings highlight the critical role of soil microbial diversity in sustaining ecosystem functioning under degradation. The researchers suggest that grassland restoration efforts should move beyond vegetation recovery to prioritize the conservation and rehabilitation of soil microbial communities, offering a framework for microbe-based ecological restoration of degraded grasslands.

Journal

Nature Plants

DOI

10.1038/s41477-025-02147-x