blog posts

• Studies link some food preservatives to higher diabetes and cancer risk

  by Joy ScrogumJan 21, 2026 9:00 am

  Source: The Guardian, 1/8/26

  'Higher consumption of some food preservatives is associated with an increased risk of type 2 diabetes and cancer, two studies suggest. The findings, published in the medical journals Nature Communications and the BMJ, may have important public health implications given the ubiquitous use of these additives globally, researchers said. While more studies are needed, they said the findings should lead to a re-evaluation of regulations governing the use of preservatives by companies in products such as ultra-processed foods (UPF) to improve consumer protection worldwide.'
  
  Visit https://www.nature.com/articles/s41467-025-67360-w and https://doi.org/10.1136/bmj-2025-084917 to read the Nature Communications and BMJ articles, respectively.

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• New research finds regenerative school meals could feed nearly 8 million more children worldwide

  by Joy ScrogumJan 20, 2026 9:00 am

  Source: The Rockefeller Foundation, 11/18/25

  'During the United Nations Climate Change Conference in Belém, Brazil (COP30), Stanford University, with support from The Rockefeller Foundation, released new research that projects school meal programs could reach 8 million more children for the same cost with regeneratively grown staple foods (like rice, wheat, maize, and soy). The analysis draws on data from the Global Survey of School Meal Programs, country food basket data from the FAO, and regional weather and agricultural production data. Climate Resilient School Meals is the first systematic empirical study to assess climate risks to school feeding programs globally. In addition to demonstrating how regeneratively grown staples farmed in ways that restore soil health also improve lives and livelihoods, the report provides recommendations for countries to build greater resilience into food systems through school meal programs, while identifying the “hidden costs” of failing to act.'

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• New technology eliminates “forever chemicals” with record-breaking speed and efficiency

  by Joy ScrogumJan 16, 2026 9:00 am

  Source: ScienceDaily, 12/25/25

  'A new eco-friendly technology can capture and destroy PFAS, the dangerous “forever chemicals” found worldwide in water. The material works hundreds to thousands of times faster and more efficiently than current filters, even in river water, tap water, and wastewater. After trapping the chemicals, the system safely breaks them down and refreshes itself for reuse. It’s a rare one-two punch against pollution: fast cleanup and sustainable destruction.' 

  The technology was developed by researchers at Rice University. Their results were recently published in Advanced Materials.

  NOTE: Sustainability in the News will not be published on Monday, January 19, in observance of Martin Luther King Jr. Day, but will return on 1/20/26.

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• Toxic substances in PET bottles scrutinized by researchers

  by Joy ScrogumJan 15, 2026 9:00 am

  Source: Packaging Dive, 1/6/26

  'PET bottles — both virgin and recycled — contain a dozen leachable plastic additives and at least a dozen more hazardous chemicals that were not intentionally added, according to a small study published in late 2025. The findings add to a growing body of research on chemical leaching from plastics and come as new rules requiring recycled material boost demand for recycled PET. The analysis, published in the Royal Society of Chemistry's Environmental Science: Processes and Impacts journal, found that virgin and recycled products can leach chemicals that have been linked to cancer, endocrine disruption and reproductive problems. The study did not, for the most part, quantify levels of the chemicals.'  

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• Semi-transparent photovoltaics cost-competitive only up to 50% transparency

  by Joy ScrogumJan 14, 2026 9:00 am

  Source: PV Magazine, 1/6/26

  'Researchers from Spain found that semi-transparent PV systems are commercially viable only up to about 50% transparency, as higher transparency sharply reduces efficiency and increases system costs. Their analysis shows that declining power density, and not balance-of-system or financing factors, is the main driver of higher LCOE, even in high-irradiation regions.' 

  See https://doi.org/10.1016/j.renene.2025.125003 for the study referenced in this news article.

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• Tiny Fiddler crabs are hoovering up and breaking down microplastics, study finds

  by Joy ScrogumJan 13, 2026 9:00 am

  Source: EuroNews, 1/2/26

  'A new study, published in the journal Global Change Biology, tracked a population of Fiddler crabs – which grow no bigger than the width of a Post-It note – in a highly polluted mangrove forest on the north coast of Colombia. Here, years of urban and agricultural expansion have degraded the mangrove systems, resulting in some of the highest levels of plastic contamination reported anywhere in the world. Despite this, researchers found that the arthropods were “thriving” and are able to ingest and break down large quantities of small plastic particles in the sediment. With the reputation of being an “ecosystem engineer”, these crabs can break down plastics within days, acting much faster than sunlight and waves...Researchers warn that the fiddler crab’s fascinating ability may come at a cost – potentially releasing harmful nanoplastics into their tissues and subsequently into the food chain.'

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• New method for removing PFAS from groundwater

  by Joy ScrogumJan 12, 2026 9:00 am

  Source: University of Minnesota, 12/17/25

  A new study led by researchers from Brown University, the University of Minnesota, Jacobs Engineering, Arq Inc., and the U.S. Navy demonstrates a potential solution to the challenge of mitigating PFAS in real-world situations. Specifically, researchers wanted to see whether a specially-engineered, ultra-fine carbon material called colloidal carbon product (CCP) could be injected underground to trap PFAS in groundwater. 

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• Microplastics Are Leaking Invisible Chemical Clouds Into Rivers and Oceans

  by Joy ScrogumJan 9, 2026 9:00 am

  Source: SciTech Daily, 12/14/25

  Scientists have found that microplastics drifting through rivers, lakes, and oceans steadily release a wide range of dissolved organic chemicals into the water. These chemicals change over time, with sunlight playing a major role in how they form and break down. The research offers the most detailed molecular-scale look so far at how microplastic-derived dissolved organic matter, known as MPs DOM, develops and changes in natural aquatic environments. 

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• 8 Million Tons of Plastic Tornadoes Are Churning in Our Oceans, Scientists Say

  by Joy ScrogumJan 8, 2026 9:00 am

  Source: Popular Mechanics, 12/16/25

  In a new study published in the journal Chaos, scientists Larry Pratt and Irina Rypina from the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution in Massachusetts turned to 3D modeling to understand how microplastics move in chaotic environments like the ocean. Because oceans are so vast, gathering sampling data isn’t an option. So the researchers delved deep into modeling how tiny particles move in a 3D fluid, and found that microplastics tend to eventually form an “idealized eddy” (circular current) that closely resembles a kind of closed-loop tornado of ecological destruction. 

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• Nearly 7,000 of the world’s 8,808 data centers are built in the wrong climate, analysis finds

  by Joy ScrogumJan 7, 2026 9:00 am

  Source: Tom's Hardware, 12/17/25

  Nearly 7,000 of the world’s 8,808 operational data centers are located in climates that fall outside the temperature range recommended for efficient operation, according to a new analysis that maps global data center locations against long-term climate data. While only a minority are in regions that are persistently too hot, the findings underline how economic, political, and network realities often outweigh environmental suitability when companies decide where to build.

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