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Prototype system sniffs out soil health with results in five minutes

Envirotec Magazine

An electronic nose to sniff out soil health that will deliver results to a farmer’s phone in five minutes is being developed by PES Technologies. The company says it is able to create an aroma fingerprint from gas released by microbes in the soil. Jim Bailey of PES Technology at the Agri-TechE REAP Conference 2023.

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5 Ways to Clean and Decontaminate Soil

The Environmental Blog

To keep your landscaping looking great, soil health and cleanliness are essential components. Contaminated or unhealthy soil can lead to unpleasant odors, water contamination, and damage to vegetation. Fortunately, there are simple ways to take steps toward cleaning and decontaminating the soil in your yard.

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Unlocking the soil microbiome

Envirotec Magazine

How are data science techniques helping us better understand the microbial universe of the soil? Over-reliance on nitrogen fertilizers is leading to the collapse of soil biodiversity. Yet, some predictions warn that there are only 60 harvests left in the world’s soil because it is so depleted by nitrogen fertilizers.

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UK soils could see step change in carbon sink potential, with proper investment

Envirotec Magazine

Investing in the ground beneath our feet could have wide-ranging benefits for the environment, animal and human health – as well as moving closer to Net Zero, according to new research. Soil acts as a carbon ‘sink’, locking in GHGs that would otherwise be released into the atmosphere.

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Measurement of persistent organic pollutants: Recent progress profiled

Envirotec Magazine

By Gauthier Eppe Persistent organic pollutants (POPs) are toxic chemicals that pose a significant threat to human health and the environment. 5 New sensitivity in food contaminant analysis POPs pose a significant threat to human health and the environment.

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COVID-19 drugs persist in wastewater, and may pose risk to aquatic organisms

Envirotec Magazine

This diverts the wastewater from Spring Creek and allows the soil to act as a natural filter for any chemical residuals that remain in the wastewater (image credit: Heather Preisendanz, Penn State). However, naproxen concentrations detected in effluent were at levels that could pose a low-to-medium risk to aquatic organisms.

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Livestock antibiotics and rising temperatures disrupt soil microbial communities

Envirotec Magazine

Lead author of the study Jane Lucas measures CO2 production from prairie soil samples in Moscow, Idaho (image credit: Dana Whitmore). Combined stressors could impair soils’ ability to cycle nutrients and trap carbon, says a group from the Cary Institute of Ecosystem Studies.

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