Researchers across Europe have come together to accelerate the development of technologies to reduce carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions. Over the next 3 years, a large project will focus on the removal of CO2 from industrial processes, the conversion of CO2 to create valuable products, such as methanol, and the safe storage of CO2 deep underground.

Key players from Europe, Australia and the USA are joining forces to tackle the challenge of removing CO2 from the atmosphere and storing it underground in a bid to make a real difference to our future climate. The ‘Pressure control and conformance management for safe and efficient CO2 storage’ or ‘Pre-ACT’ project, aims to improve the cost effectiveness of safe CO2 storage.

The unsaturated (vadose) zone between the base of soils and the water table can be an important store of nitrate. Water moves slowly downward through the unsaturated zone and so a large store of nitrate can accumulate if this water contains nitrate derived from surface sources such as fertiliser. Release of this store can affect ground- and surface water quality for decades and it can continue for a long time after changes in farming practice that reduce nitrate leaching.

Here is a round up of metrics for October 2017. For all social media, the item shown is the most popular this month.

Groundwater researchers at the British Geological Survey (BGS) have found a major store of pollution sitting in the rocks beneath our feet that could have severe global-scale consequences for our rivers, water supplies, human health and the economy.