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Every few years, the tires on your car wear thin and need to be replaced. But where does that lost tire material go? The answer, unfortunately, is often waterways, where the tiny microplastic particles from the tires synthetic rubber carry several chemicals that can transfer into fish, crabs, and perhaps even the people who eat them. We are analytical and environmental chemists who are studying ways to remove those microplasticsand the toxic chemicals they carrybefore they reach waterways and the aquatic organisms that live there. Microplastics, macro-problem Millions of metric tons of plastic waste enter the worlds oceans every year. In recent times, tire wear particles (TWPs) have been found to account for about 45% of all microplastics in both terrestrial and aquatic systems. Tires shed tiny microplastics as they move over roadways. Rain washes those TWPs into ditches, where they flow into streams, lakes, rivers, and oceans. Along the way, fish, crabs, oysters, and other aquatic life often find these TWPs in their food. With each bite, the fish also consume extremely toxic chemicals that can affect both the fish themselves and whatever creatures eat them. Some fish species, like rainbow trout, brook trout, and coho salmon, are dying from toxic chemicals linked to TWPs. Researchers in 2020 found that more than half of the coho salmon returning to streams in Washington state died before spawning, largely because of 6PPD-Q, a chemical stemming from 6PPD, which is added to tires to help keep them from degrading. But the effects of tire wear particles arent just on aquatic organisms. Humans and animals alike may be exposed to airborne TWPs, especially people and animals who live near major roadways. In a study in China, the same chemical, 6PPD-Q, was also found in the urine of children and adults. While the effects of this chemical on the human body are still being studied, recent research shows that exposure to this chemical could harm multiple human organs, including the liver, lungs, and kidneys. In Oxford, Mississippi, we identified more than 30,000 TWPs in 24 liters of stormwater runoff from roads and parking lots after two rainstorms. In heavy traffic areas, we believe the concentrations could be much higher. The Interstate Technology and Regulatory Council, a states-led coalition, in 2023 recommended identifying and deploying alternatives to 6PPD in tires to reduce 6PPD-Q in the environment. But tire manufacturers say theres no suitable replacement yet. What can communities do to reduce harm? At the University of Mississippi, we are experimenting with sustainable ways of removing TWPs from waterways with accessible and low-cost natural materials from agricultural waste. The idea is simple: Capture the tire wear particles before they reach the streams, rivers, and oceans. In a recent study, we tested pine wood chips and biochara form or charcoal made from heating rice husks in a limited oxygen chamber, a process known as pyrolysisand found they could remove approximately 90% of TWPs from water runoff at our test sites in Oxford. Biochar is an established material for removing contaminants from water due to its large surface area and pores, abundant chemical binding groups, high stability, strong adsorption capacity, and low cost. Wood chips, because of their rich composition of natural organic compounds, have also been shown to remove contaminants. Other scientists have also used sand to filter out microplastics, but its removal rate was low compared with biochar. We designed a biofiltration system using biochar and wood chips in a filter sock and placed it at the mouth of a drainage outlet. Then we collected stormwater runoff samples and measured the TWPs before and after the biofilters were in place during two storms over the span of two months. The concentration of TWPs was found to be significantly lower after the biofilter was in place. The unique elongated and jagged features of tire wear particles make it easy for them to get trapped or entangled in the pores of these materials during a storm event. Even the smallest TWPs were trapped in the intricate network of these materials. Using biomass filters in the future We believe this approach holds strong potential for scalability to mitigate TWP pollution and other contaminants during rainstorms. Since biochar and wood chips can be generated from agricultural waste, they are relatively inexpensive and readily available to local communities. Long-term monitoring studies will be needed, especially in heavy traffic environments, to fully determine the effectiveness and scalability of the approach. The source of the filtering material is also important. There have been some concerns about whether raw farm waste that has not undergone pyrolysis could release organic pollutants. Like most filters, the biofilters would need to be replaced over timewith used filters disposed of properlysince the contaminants build up and the filters degrade. Plastic waste is harming the environment, the food people eat, and potentially human health. We believe biofilters made from plant waste could be an effective and relatively inexpensive, environmentally friendly solution. Boluwatife S. Olubusoye is a PhD candidate in chemistry at the University of Mississippi. James V Cizdziel is a professor of chemistry at the University of Mississippi. This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article.
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India is on the moon, S. Somanath, chairman of the Indian Space Research Organization, announced in August 2023. The announcement meant India had joined the short list of countries to have visited the moon, and the applause and shouts of joy that followed signified that this achievement wasnt just a scientific one, but a cultural one. Over the past decade, many countries have established new space programs, including multiple African nations. India and Israelnations that were not technical contributors to the space race in the 1960s and 70shave attempted landings on the lunar surface. With more countries joining the evolving space economy, many of our colleagues in space strategy, policy ethics, and law have celebrated the democratization of space: the hope that space is now more accessible for diverse participants. We are a team of researchers based across four countries with expertise in space policy and law, ethics, geography, and anthropology who have written about the difficulties and importance of inclusion in space. Major players like the U.S., the European Union, and China may once have dominated space and seen it as a place to try out new commercial and military ventures. Emerging new players in space, like other countries, commercial interests, and nongovernmental organizations, may have other goals and rationales. Unexpected new initiatives from these newcomers could shift perceptions of space from something to dominate and possess to something more inclusive, equitable, and democratic. We address these emerging and historical tensions in a paper published in May 2025 in the journal Nature, in which we describe the difficulties and importance of including nontraditional actors and Indigenous peoples in the space industry. Continuing inequalities among space players Not all countries space agencies are equal. Newer agencies often dont have the same resources behind them that large, established players do. The U.S. and Chinese programs receive much more funding than those of any other country. Because they are most frequently sending up satellites and proposing new ideas puts them in the position to establish conventions for satellite systems, landing sites, and resource extraction that everyone else may have to follow. Sometimes, countries may have operated on the assumption that owning a satellite would give them the appearance of soft or hard geopolitical power as a space nation, and ultimately gain relevance. In reality, student groups of today can develop small satellites, called CubeSats, autonomously, and recent scholarship has concluded that even successful space missions may negatively affect the international relationships between some countries and their partners. The respect a country expects to receive may not materialize, and the costs to keep up can outstrip gains in potential prestige. Environmental protection and Indigenous perspectives Usually, building the infrastructure necessary to test and launch rockets requires a remote area with established roads. In many cases, companies and space agencies have placed these facilities on lands where Indigenous peoples have strong claims, which can lead to land disputes, like in western Australia. Many of these sites have already been subject to human-made changes, through mining and resource extraction in the past. Many sites have been ground zero for tensions with Indigenous peoples over land use. Within these contested spaces, disputes are rife. Because of these tensions around land use, it is important to include Indigenous claims and perspectives. Doing so can help make sure that the goal of protecting the environments of outer space and Earth are not cast aside while building space infrastructure here on Earth. Some efforts are driving this more inclusive approach to engagement in space, including initiatives like Dark and Quiet Skies, a movement that works to ensure that people can stargaze and engage with the stars without noise or sound pollution. This movement and other inclusive approaches operate on the principle of reciprocity: that more players getting involved with space can benefit all. Researchers have recognized similar dynamics within the larger space industry. Some scholars have come to the conclusion that even though the space industry is pay to play, commitments to reciprocity can help ensure that players in space exploration who may not have the financial or infrastructural means to support individual efforts can still access broader structures of support. The downside of more players entering space is that this expansion can make protecting the environmentboth on Earth and beyondeven harder. The more players there are, at both private and international levels, the more difficult sustainable space exploration could become. Even with good will and the best of intentions, it would be difficult to enforce uniform standards for the exploration and use of space resources that would protect the lunar surface, Mars, and beyond. It may also grow harder to police the launch of satellites and dedicated constellations. Limiting the number of satellites could prevent space junk, protect the satellites already in orbit, and allow everyone to have a clear view of the night sky. However, this would have to compete with efforts to expand internet access to all. What is space exploration for? Before tackling these issues, we find it useful to think about the larger goal of space exploration, and what the different approaches are. One approach would be the fast and inclusive democratization of space, making it easier for more players to join in. Another would be a more conservative and slower big player approach, which would restrict who can go to space. The conservative approach is liable to leave developing nations and Indigenous peoples firmly on the outside of a key process shaping humanitys shared future. But a faster and more inclusive approach to space would not be easy to run. More serious players means it would be harder to come to an agreement about regulations, as well as the larger goals for human expansion into space. Narratives around emerging technologies, such as those required for space exploration, can change over time, as people begin to see them in action. Technology that we take for granted today was once viewed as futuristic or fantastical, and sometimes with suspicion. For example, at the end of the 1940s, George Orwell imagined a world in which totalitarian systems used tele-screens and videoconferencing to control the masses. Earlier in the same decade, Thomas J. Watson, then president of IBM, notoriously predicted that there would be a global market for about five computers. We as humans often fear or mistrust future technologies. However, not all technological shifts are detrimental, and some technological changes can have clear benefits. In the future, robots may perform tasks too dangerous, too difficult, or too dull and repetitive for humans. Biotechnology may make life healthier. Artificial intelligence can sift through vast amounts of data and turn it into reliable guesswork. Researchers can also see genuine downsides to each of these technologies. Space exploration is harder to squeeze into one streamlined narrative about the anticipated benefits. The process is just too big and too transformative. To return to the question of whether we should go to space, our team argues that it is not a question of whether or not we should go, but rather a question of why we do it, who benefits from space exploration, and how we can democratize access to broader segments of society. Including a diversity of opinions and viewpoints can help find productive ways forward. Ultimately, it is not necessary for everyone to land on one single narrative about the value of space exploration. Even our team of four researchers doesnt share a single set of beliefs about its value. But bringing more nations, tribes, and companies into discussions around its potential value can help create collaborative and worthwhile goals at an international scale. Timiebi Aganaba is an assistant professor of space and society at Arizona State University. Adam Fish is an associate professor at the School of Arts and Media at UNSW Sydney. Deondre Smiles is an assistant professor of geography at the University of Victoria. Tony Milligan is a research fellow in the philosophy of ethics at King’s College London. This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article.
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Starting a new job can be exciting and intense. But most new hires fall into traps that can lead straight to burnout: going all-out to impress their bosses, or just trying to survive the transition. The problem isnt that new jobs are demandingits that these default approaches often work against you. Shooting for work-life balance from the start isnt the answer, as it sets unrealistic expectations around works role at this early stage and can leave the wrong impression. To be sure, you want to establish positive norms. Instead, think about work-life sustainability. Your first month will require more time and energy than the long-term,but you can navigate it strategically without burning out. Start by motivating, focusing, and managing your effort. Own Your Motivation to Fuel Your Effort Creating motivation behind our work directly impacts our success. According to research by BetterUp, motivation accounts for 80% of what drives our performance. While many of us look to our employers to create meaning in our work, we can take control in shaping motivation for ourselves. Dr. Ayelet Fishbach, an expert on motivation, writes in her book Get It Done about how we can pull ourselves by shaping our circumstances. We have more agency to motivate ourselves than we realize, driving our actions and feeding our energy. You can build your motivation through three strategies: Link the role to your personal values. Connect to what is meaningful and matters to you, along with how it aligns to who you are. Doing so taps into whats called identified motivation, and academic studies have shown it leads to more satisfaction, higher persistence, and greater goal attainment. Ask your leader for stories about your works real-world impact. According to research by Adam Grant, making such associations can increase motivation up to 400%. Be strategic about cultivating relationships with positive, self-motivated colleagueswhile avoiding energy-draining cynics. The people you surround yourself with not only provide an essential support system to help you achieve your goals, but their attitude is also contagious. Avoid going negative about the job at the start, which can drain your energy and undermine your motivation. Strategically Focus Your Effort to Build Confidence New hires are often overeager and take on too much. This can be exhausting and counterproductive, not allowing you to focus your effort where it will matter to gain confidence and demonstrate competence. Instead, prioritize what actually matters in your first 30 days. Start by managing your own expectations for performance. In your first month, youre in learning mode more than proving mode. Invest time in understanding cultural norms in your organization and on your team. Next, work with your leader to get crystal clear on priorities and what good and great outputs look like in your first 30, 60, and 90 days. With this clarity, you can channel your effort to gradually build confidence without overextending yourself. When it comes to your development, even in your first month, dont wait for your manager to direct your learning. Demonstrate your commitment to improvement by owning your growth. Proactively seek feedback to clarify expectations, course-correct, and continuously improve. In this way, you can prove your growing competence to your leader and build professional self-efficacy. Proactively Manage Your Energy to Sustain Your Effort and Yourself Going all-out when you start a new job wont be sustainable, and managing your time isnt sufficient. It helps to be discerning about your energy management, considering two human states: using your energy and replenishing it. Manage your effort to avoid exhaustion with these strategies: Be selective about what is worthy of your hard work. Not every task deserves equal investment. Know where it matters to put in the effort, keeping in mind your leaders expectations. Before diving too deep into deliverables, challenge perfectionist tendencies by asking, Is this good enough? Seek feedback to ensure youre moving in the right direction before investing excessive time. Be smart in setting boundaries around life and work to protect what sustains you. Disconnecting from work and turning off devices is critical for sustaining ourselves. But checking out can backfire without demonstrating commitment. When establishing boundaries around your work hours and responsiveness, be transparent, build mutual trust, and avoid surprises. Work collaboratively with your leader, consider team norms, and remain adaptable as you learn your teams rhythm. Know what you require and have a plan in place to support sustaining your energy. During the intense period when you first start a role, youre unlikely to be able to do all that youd ideally want. Small actions can help, like taking regular breaks throughout your day (half of knowledge workers skip this, despite the proven benefits of short pauses like brief walks, daydreaming, and mindfulness). Participate in activities that allow you to psychologically detach from work for mental and emotional recovery. Active pursuits like sports or creative activities restore our energy better than passive ones like scrolling social media or watching TV. Your first month at a job starts to set in place long-term patterns. The professionals who thrive arent those who sprint hardest at the starttheyre the ones who build sustainability from day one. These practices can help you avoid getting on a path to burnout and can position you as a resilient professional.
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