It’s possible that I shall make an ass of myself. But in that case one can always get out of it with a little dialectic. I have, of course, so worded my proposition as to be right either way (K.Marx, Letter to F.Engels on the Indian Mutiny)
Sunday, March 22, 2026
Researchers call on the fragrance industry to move beyond sustainability rhetoric and fund plant conservation
Researchers propose a "conservation-first" model linking commercial perfumery with the conservation of threatened flora
Writing in BioScience, the journal of the American Institute of Biological Sciences, an international team of conservation scientists and biodiversity researchers argue that the global fragrance industry is uniquely positioned to become a genuine partner in stemming the collapse of plant diversity—but only if it moves beyond narrow supply-chain commitments and embeds conservation finance into its core business practices. The article was authored by researchers affiliated with The Red List Project (USA), the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew (UK), Brazilian universities including the Federal University of Minas Gerais and the Federal University of Rio Grande do Norte, and the independent Brazilian asset management firm Fama re.capital, reflecting a transnational collaboration that bridges conservation science and sustainable finance.
The stakes at play, both for industry and the world's flora, are extremely high, say the authors. An estimated 45% of the world's flowering plants (roughly 150,000 species) are at risk of extinction, and the fragrance market, projected to grow from $60.73 billion in 2025 to $101.47 billion by 2034, draws on approximately 2000 plant species for its essential oil supply alone. The authors argue that this dependence on botanical diversity creates both an obligation and an opportunity for the fragrance industry to act. Programs like The Red List Project, they say, provide a working, scalable example of how industry and conservation needs can be met harmoniously for the benefit of industry, nature, and people.
The Red List Project is described as a "conservation-first" model that pairs fragrance manufacturers with local conservation organizations, with the aim of producing marketable products while also supporting local environmental stewards. In these collaborations, industry participants draw creative inspiration from threatened species to create novel fragrance combinations, rather than harvesting the threatened species directly for their aromatic compounds. Proceeds of the fragrances' sales are then directed to the in-country conservation partners. The model "integrates biodiversity objectives directly into fragranced product development, using scent inspiration rather than wild harvesting," the authors write. In addition, the project aims to generate consumer awareness of the specific species and ecosystems being protected and used as product inspiration. Individual projects to date span Brazil's Atlantic Forest, the Ecuadorian Chocó cloud forests, the Caribbean, the Mediterranean Basin, and Micronesia.
The authors are careful to acknowledge that using commerce to fund conservation is an approach that is not without its critics. Seminal scholarship has cautioned against what earlier researchers termed "selling nature to save nature." However, the authors contend that "blanket criticisms of monetization risks may well be stifling responsible efforts to harness private capital" in ways that could advance conservation goals, which have thus far proved difficult to achieve.
Just as important, the authors also see opportunities to foster environmental justice for the Indigenous and local communities who live in biodiverse areas. They propose that benefit sharing in the fragrance sector should encompass "both tangible and intangible returns for Indigenous and local communities" across financial, technological, educational, and cultural dimensions—and they are hopeful that The Red List Project and similar efforts may make this possible.
Researchers collect road dust samples from a section of road paved with recycled plastic-reinforced asphalt. Pictured left to right: Rachel Nakamoto, Simon Williams, Cara Megill and Cate Wardinski.
ATLANTA, March 22, 2026 — Hawaii has a plastic problem. The island state faces economic and logistical challenges in recycling plastic waste, including marine debris that lingers in its ocean waters. Researchers in Hawaii are pioneering a method to recycle the islands’ derelict fishing nets and residential plastic trash into asphalt roads. Early demonstrations show that these recycled materials may provide a viable end-of-life fate for the region’s garbage.
Jeremy Axworthy, a researcher at the Center for Marine Debris Research (CMDR) at Hawaiʻi Pacific University, will present the team’s results at the spring meeting of the American Chemical Society (ACS). ACS Spring 2026 is being held March 22-26; it features nearly 11,000 presentations on a range of science topics.
“This work investigates whether it’s responsible to use recycled plastics in Hawaii’s roads,” shares Axworthy. “By reusing plastic waste that is already in Hawaii, we can reduce the environmental and economic impacts of transporting waste plastics from the islands, incinerating it or dumping it in Hawaii’s overflowing landfills.”
Since 2020, Hawaii’s roads have predominantly been paved with polymer-modified asphalt (PMA) to increase pavement strength and durability. Compared to standard asphalt pavement, PMA pavement is more elastic and more resistant to cracking, rutting and water damage — qualities that are especially important for the state’s tropical climate. PMA pavement is made by first melting pellets of styrene-butadiene-styrene (SBS; a type of copolymer) into a sticky, petroleum-based asphalt binder. Then, the PMA binder is tumbled with heated aggregates (rocks and sand) in a mixing drum, causing the PMA binder to fully coat the aggregates.
But why not see if discarded plastics could be incorporated into asphalt pavements as an environmentally friendly disposal option? How would modified pavements made with recycled plastics perform, and would they release microplastics or associated chemicals into the environment? These are the questions the Hawaii Department of Transportation (HDOT) aimed to answer when they reached out to environmental chemist Jennifer Lynch, CMDR director and team lead.
HDOT asked Lynch’s team for two things. The first was to provide derelict fishing nets removed from Hawaii’s marine environment for the creation of recycled plastic-modified asphalt pavements. “Foreign plastic derelict fishing gear is the largest contributor of Hawaii’s marine debris problem,” shares Lynch. “To date, CMDR’s Bounty Project, which pays a financial reward to licensed commercial fishers for marine debris removal, has removed 84 tons of large, derelict fishing gear from the Pacific Ocean.”
HDOT’s second request was to measure possible microplastic shedding from pavements made with plastic waste versus that from standard SBS-modified pavement. “CMDR’s laboratory is equipped with state-of-the-art chemical instrumentation for quantifying and characterizing microplastics in environmental samples,” explains Lynch. “This capability is incredibly unique and impactful, especially when coupled to our marine debris-removal project and our mission to recycle the debris into long-term, locally necessary infrastructure products.”
Once a U.S.-based company converted the waste into products that could be incorporated into asphalt, HDOT took the experimental asphalt mixes to Hawaii’s streets. A local paving company laid down sections of a residential road on the island of Oahu with asphalt pavement containing standard SBS, repurposed polyethylene from Honolulu’s recycling containers and polyethylene from fishing nets. After about 11 months of regular traffic usage, Lynch’s team stepped in to collect road dust samples from each section of pavement to test for microplastic shedding, which could contaminate the surrounding soil.
The researchers processed the road dust using a method that separates different types of polymers from other materials in the dust, including microplastics, larger chunks of plastic and tire rubber. Using pyrolysis gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (Py-GC-MS), they identified and measured the source of the polymers: styrene and butadiene from the standard PMA, polyethylene from the plastic-waste and fishing-net PMA, and isoprene and butadiene rubber from tires.
Initial tests showed that pavements made with recycled polyethylene did not release more polymers than the control pavement made with SBS. Lynch’s team showed this was true during mechanical performance tests with pavement samples as well as in simulated stormwater collected from the experimental road sections. Microplastic-sized particles were detected, but very few of these were identified as polyethylene regardless of the pavement type tested. This is likely because the polymers are melted into the asphalt binder, meaning particles that break off are not plastic alone; they are a mixture of rock, binder and melted polymer chains.
The CMDR team is also comparing the amount of polymers shed from the pavement to the amount of polymers shed by tires in the road dust. “In our initial Py-GC-MS data,” continues Lynch, “we saw tire wear swamps the signal of polyethylene by orders of magnitude, like gigantic peaks! We had to search the weeds of the chromatogram to find signs of polyethylene.”
Additional research is needed to assess pavement durability. But the researchers are hopeful that someday, repurposing used plastics into pavement could help reduce landfill and marine debris in Hawaii.
“Some people think plastic recycling is a hoax — that it doesn’t work; it’s too challenging,” Lynch shares. “But this work demonstrates that recycling can work when society prioritizes sustainability.”
The research was funded by the Hawaii Department of Transportation.
Visit the ACS Spring 2026 program to learn more about this presentation, “Harvesting ocean plastics to pave hawaiian roads: Evaluation of microplastic and plastic additive release from asphalt incorporating recycled plastic from various waste streams,” and other science presentations.
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Title Harvesting ocean plastics to pave hawaiian roads: Evaluation of microplastic and plastic additive release from asphalt incorporating recycled plastic from various waste streams
Abstract Polymer modified asphalt (PMA) is used to increase strength and durability of roads. In Hawaii, PMA is typically produced using the virgin co-polymer styrene-butadiene-styrene (SBS). Recycled plastics, such as high-density polyethylene (HDPE), may also be added to asphalt serving to sequester plastic waste. In the state of Hawaii, derelict fishing gear (DFG) is a significant problem, yet it is also a source of HDPE that can be used in recycling. However, asphalt performance and the consequences of adding recycled polymers to asphalt are not well understood. In collaboration with the Hawaii Department of Transportation (HDOT) and the University of Hawaii (UH), the Center for Marine Debris Research (CMDR) are testing the feasibility of using recycled HDPE in asphalt by quantifying microplastics and plastic additives release from roads paved with asphalts made from different combinations of virgin and recycled polymers. The specific asphalt combinations being tested are: SBS (Control-PMA), DFG with and without SBS (DFG-PMA and DFG-neat), Local Waste recycled HDPE with and without SBS (LW-PMA and LW-neat), and Commercially Available, post-industrial recycled HDPE with and without SBS (CA-PMA and CA-neat). Microplastic and plastic additive release under laboratory conditions were performed using a Hamburg Wheel Tracker Test (HWTT) with water sample analyses. Field trials were conducted on a residential road on the island of Oahu, Hawaii. Road dust was swept and analyzed for microplastics by direct analysis and solvent extraction to separate bound plastic from asphalt and plastic additives by water extraction. Microplastic samples utilized pyrolysis gas chromatography mass spectrometry for analysis. Plastic additives are subjected to solid phase extraction with analysis by gas chromatography mass spectrometry. Results produced using these novel analytical methods provide guidance on the use of recycled plastics over virgin plastics in roadways. Moreover, results of this study may provide a viable end of life fate for plastic marine debris, leading to cleaner and healthier oceans.
Sepsis linked to nearly 1 in 5 pediatric hospital deaths in the US
New surveillance approach uses clinical data from electronic health records to track pediatric sepsis across hospitals nationwide
BOSTON, MA —Nearly 1 in 5 pediatric hospital deaths in the United States involve sepsis, according to a new national study published March 22 in JAMA. The study also found that sepsis occurs in about 1 in every 75 pediatric hospitalizations and that more than 1 in 10 children with sepsis die during hospitalization.
Based on these findings, the authors estimate that more than 18,000 hospitalized children in the United States have sepsis each year, including more than 1,800 who do not survive to discharge.
The study, “National Estimates of Pediatric Sepsis in US Hospitals Using Clinical Data,” was led by investigators from the SEPSIS Center at the Harvard Pilgrim Health Care Institute, the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, and Nemours Children’s Hospital, Delaware, with contributions from multiple collaborating health systems across the country. The research was supported by funding from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
A New Way to Measure Pediatric Sepsis
Sepsis is a life-threatening condition that occurs when the body’s response to infection causes damage to its own organs. Although sepsis is widely recognized as a leading cause of death in both adults and children, its true burden has historically been difficult to measure reliably.
For many years, researchers relied on hospital billing codes to identify sepsis cases. However, diagnosis and coding practices vary across hospitals and are changing over time, leading to uncertainty about how often sepsis truly occurs.
To address this challenge for children, the research team developed a new surveillance definition called Pediatric Sepsis Event (PSE). The definition builds on the CDC’s Adult Sepsis Event surveillance framework and adapts the recently developed Phoenix pediatric sepsis clinical criteria into a scalable approach that uses objective clinical data from electronic health records—including laboratory results, antibiotics, and markers of organ dysfunction—to generate consistent estimates of pediatric sepsis across hospitals nationwide.
“Improving outcomes starts with measuring the problem accurately,” said Chanu Rhee, MD, MPH, Harvard Medical School associate professor at the Harvard Pilgrim Health Care Institute and one of the two lead authors of the study. “By building a standardized national surveillance framework based on objective clinical data, we can now reliably track how often pediatric sepsis occurs and how many children are affected, creating a stronger foundation for prevention and improvement.”
Key Findings
Researchers analyzed 3.9 million pediatric hospitalizations from 2016 through 2023 across hundreds of hospitals and health systems. The Pediatric Sepsis Event definition was also validated through physician chart review and was found to be more accurate than identifying sepsis using billing codes.
Key findings included:
Sepsis occurred in 1.3% of pediatric hospitalizations (approximately 1 in every 75 hospitalized children)
More than 1 in 10 children with sepsis died during hospitalization
Nearly 1 in 5 pediatric hospital deaths involved sepsis
Rates of pediatric sepsis and associated mortality remained relatively stable nationwide between 2016 and 2022
The study also found that most pediatric sepsis cases were present on admission, but a smaller yet notable proportion developed during hospitalization and were associated with higher mortality. These findings highlight the importance of hospitals strengthening both early recognition and infection prevention efforts.
Why This Matters
The study provides the first standardized national estimates of pediatric sepsis based on clinical data from U.S. hospitals and establishes a scalable framework for tracking pediatric sepsis across health systems.
“Sepsis remains one of the leading causes of serious illness and death among children,” said Scott Weiss, MD, MSCE, division chief of critical care medicine at Nemours Children’s Hospital and one of the two senior authors of the study. “Having a reliable way to measure pediatric sepsis across hospitals using criteria aligned with consensus clinical and research definitions is an essential step toward improving care, guiding prevention and policy efforts, and ultimately saving lives.”
About the Harvard Pilgrim Health Care Institute’s Department of Population Medicine The Harvard Pilgrim Health Care Institute's Department of Population Medicine is a unique collaboration between Harvard Pilgrim Health Care and Harvard Medical School. Created in 1992, it is the first appointing medical school department in the United States based in a health plan. The Institute focuses on improving health care delivery and population health through innovative research and education, in partnership with health plans, delivery systems, and public health agencies. Follow us on Bluesky, X, and LinkedIn.
Journal
JAMA
Article Title
National Estimates of Pediatric Sepsis in US Hospitals Using Clinical Data
Article Publication Date
22-Mar-2026
Fiber-optic sensors reveal how farming destroys soil's natural structure
Soil is often perceived simply as "dirt," but in reality, it is a dynamic, living system that acts as the Earth's natural sponge. Unfortunately, common agricultural practices—including deep plowing and the use of heavy machinery—can severely disrupt this natural system, according to a new study led by Dr. SHI Qibin from the Institute of Geology and Geophysics of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, in collaboration with international partners.
The study, published in Science on March 19, shows that healthy soil contains a natural internal "plumbing" network of microscopic pores and channels that allow water to infiltrate deeply into the ground, where it becomes available to plant roots. Frequent plowing or heavy tractor traffic not only disrupts soil structure but also reduces its ability to help crops withstand both flooding and drought.
The team used a novel technique to observe subsurface soil processes without excavation. The researchers converted standard fiber-optic cables—similar to those used in high-speed internet networks—into a large-scale sensor array installed across an experimental farm at Harper Adams University in the United Kingdom. By using the array to detect tiny ground vibrations generated by water flow, the researchers were able to monitor water movement through the soil minute by minute.
Using high-resolution fiber-optic data, they observed that rainfall tends to pool near the surface in heavily cultivated soil. Because water remains shallow, it evaporates rapidly in sunlight, leaving deeper soil layers dry. By contrast, undisturbed soils act as efficient natural filters, quickly absorbing water and storing it in deeper layers where plants can access it during dry periods.
To explain these observations, the research team developed a dynamic capillary stress model that assumes an "ink-bottle effect" within soil pore structures. In other words, water flows into a pore (bottle) with ease, but flows out with more difficulty. These differences are attributable to capillary forces that hold soil together more or less strongly, depending on whether the soil is drying or wetting—even when overall moisture content remains the same.
This model is much more complex than traditional soil mechanics, which generally assumes that soil strength depends primarily on total water content.
"Rather than a simple collection of particles, soil is a porous medium in which the structure functions like capillary vessels within the water cycle," Dr. SHI explained.
The findings underscore the need to rethink agricultural land management. Excessive tillage and soil compaction caused by heavy machinery do not merely rearrange soil particles; they break the invisible mechanical bonds that allow soil to breathe, circulate water, and maintain ecological stability.
Preserving these natural structures will be critical to helping crops adapt to increasingly extreme weather conditions driven by climate change, the researchers explained.
The study is noteworthy for introducing distributed fiber-optic sensing—and the larger field of agroseismology—to assess the health of soil water systems without physically disturbing the land. By "listening" to the Earth in this way, scientists and farmers will be able to "diagnose" agricultural soil conditions in real time and develop more resilient strategies for sustainable food production.
