Africa: Tiny Water-Walking Bugs Provide Scientists With Insights On How Microplastics Are Pushed Underwater

[ad_1] Microplastics are tiny plastic particles that can cause big problems when they enter the water supply. One way my fluid dynamics lab explores microplastic movement is by studying how tiny water-walking insects are pushed underwater by raindrops. Exposure to microplastic pollution can pose health risks, such as respiratory and digestive problems, increased risk of diabetes and disrupted sleep. But physicists like me can study how they move through water to learn how to clean them up. Water striders are […]

January 25, 2024

Africa

Africa’s Life-Sustaining Water Towers Have Been Overlooked for Too Long

[ad_1] International researchers' focus on ice to define natural water towers leaves Africa's critical systems off the map, and with little protection. Africa is a water stressed continent. It is home to 1.4 billion people - 18% of the world's population - yet has only 9% of global freshwater. By 2050, when Africa's population is projected to reach close to 2.5 billion, demand for already limited fresh water will be even higher. Yet it's not all doom and gloom. Despite […]

January 24, 2024

Africa

Africa: UN Concerned By Spread of Cholera to 10 African Countries

[ad_1] Harare, Zimbabwe — The U.N.'s Children's Fund expressed alarm this week about a cholera outbreak in Africa that has spread to at least 10 countries, with the situation in Zambia and Zimbabwe "very serious." Dr. Paul Ngwakum, the regional health adviser for UNICEF in East and Southern Africa, said about 200,000 cases have been reported and more than 3,000 lives taken by the disease. Of the 10 countries he named as having an active outbreak, Ethiopia, Mozambique, Tanzania, Somalia, […]

January 19, 2024

Africa

Africa: An Ancient System That Could Bring Water to Dry Areas

[ad_1] Some of Africa's dry areas face serious water shortages due to minimal rainfall. An ancient system of drawing water from aquifers, the "qanat system", could help. Gaathier Mahed, an environmental scientist and expert on the management of groundwater, has studied the feasibility of these systems. He tells us more. How does the qanat system work? There are bodies of water underground known as aquifers, some of which can be found at the tops of valleys or near mountains. A […]

January 17, 2024

Water and Sanitation