Tag Archive for 'Polystyrene'

Brandon et al investigated the fate of the flame retardant hexabromocyclododecane in polystyrene-degrading mealworms and in mealworm-fed shrimp. Image credit: Andrew Martin.

Mealworms Can Safely Biodegrade Toxic Additive-Containing Plastic

Jan 2, 2020 by News Staff

Common mealworms, the larvae of the darkling beetle (Tenebrio molitor), can consume toxic additives in polystyrene with no ill effects; the worms can then...

Magnesite. Image credit: Rob Lavinsky, iRocks.com / CC BY-SA 3.0.

Researchers Find Rapid Way to Make Carbon Dioxide-Storing Mineral Magnesite

Aug 16, 2018 by News Staff

A team of researchers led by Trent University’s Professor Ian Power has developed an accelerated way to produce magnesite (MgCO3) at room temperature...

A cutaway depicts the interior of Neptune (left). In the new experiment, Kraus et al studied a plastic simulating compounds formed from methane -- a molecule with just one carbon bound to four hydrogen atoms that causes the distinct blue cast of Neptune; methane forms hydrocarbon (hydrogen and carbon) chains that respond to high pressure and temperature to form ‘diamond rain’ in the interiors of ice giants like Neptune; the authors were able to recreate similar conditions using high-powered optical lasers and watch the small diamonds form in real time with X-rays. Image credit: Greg Stewart, SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory.

It Rains Diamonds on ‘Ice Giant’ Planets

Aug 21, 2017 by News Staff

A new experiment at SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory reveals how large diamonds may be formed from just hydrogen and carbon in the deep interior of...

Mealworms (larvae of the darkling beetle) munch on Styrofoam, a hopeful sign that solutions to plastics pollution exist. Image credit: Yu Yang.

Common Mealworms Can Live on Diet of Polystyrene, Scientists Say

Oct 1, 2015 by News Staff

Mealworms, which are the larvae of the darkling beetle (Tenebrio molitor), can subsist on a diet of Styrofoam and other forms of polystyrene, according...