ACS in the News

Weekly press highlights of the latest ACS journal articles and other coverage featured in high-profile news media outlets all around the globe. 

The Sun (United Kingdom: 31.87 million unique monthly visits)
“‘Snot bots’ may deliver drugs by ‘sneaking through the body like a Trojan horse’”
July 19, 2024
Publicized in: ACS PressPac

Each bot is made up of porous particles that can be filled with drug molecules, helping to sneaks meds through the body's defence system like a Trojan hose. [Adapted from research published in ACS Nano.]

Eight outlets covered the story this week.

 

Ars Technica (New York, NY: 7.73 million unique monthly visits)
“Electric eels inspire novel 'jelly' batteries for soft robotics, wearables”
July 17, 2024
Publicized in: ACS PressPac

In related research, a new paper published in the journal ACS Energy Letters described the fabrication of a lithium-ion battery with stretchable components, including an electrolyte layer that can expand by 5,000 percent.

Eighty outlets, including Interesting Engineering (United States), covered the story this week.

 

Genetic Engineering & Biotechnology News (New Rochelle, NY: 266,000 unique monthly visits)
“Opioid Candidate Suppresses Pain in Mice with Fewer Side Effects”
July 17, 2024
Publicized in: ACS PressPac

Research co-lead Susruta Majumdar, PhD, at the University of Health Sciences and Pharmacy at St. Louis and the Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, and colleagues reported on their development in ACS Central Science, in a paper titled “Signaling Modulation Mediated by Ligand Water Interactions with the Sodium Site at μOR.”

Fifteen outlets covered the story.

 

Fortune (New York, NY: 23.22 million unique monthly visits)
“If tampons contain metals, what about menstrual cups?”
July 20, 2024
Publicized in: ACS meeting release

Still, that doesn’t mean some women aren’t feeling worried and looking for alternatives—especially considering that there’s already been indication of PFAS, or “forever chemicals,” found in some sanitary pads, tampons, and period underwear, according to [research presented at ACS Fall 2023].

Three outlets covered the story.

 

Health Central (New York, NY: 2.06 million unique monthly visits)
“Can Microplastics Cause Inflammatory Bowel Disease?”
July 17, 2024
Publicized in: ACS PressPac

However, people with IBD showed significantly higher concentration of microplastics in their feces when compared with healthy people in a 2022 study published in the journal Environmental Science & Technology.

 

Newsweek (New York, NY: 29.77 million unique monthly visits)
“Cancer breakthrough as Yale radiologists develop ‘Trojan Horse’ therapy”
July 16, 2024

Now, scientists from Yale have found a way to hitch a ride on these molecular building blocks and use them to deliver anti-cancer drugs directly into tumor cells… The full study can be found in the American Chemical Society's journal [ACS] Central Science.

Twenty-two outlets covered the story this week.

 

Wired (United States: 15.26 million unique monthly visits)
“It Will Soon Be Easier for Americans to Recycle Batteries”
July 15, 2024

Only about 5 percent of lithium-ion batteries are thought to be recycled, according to [a report by CAS, a division of] the American Chemical Society.

Ten outlets covered the story this week.

 

Digital Trends (Portland, OR: 8.26 million unique monthly visits)
“This tiny patch could be the future of wearable technology”
July 19, 2024

In a research paper published in the journal Analytical Chemistry, the team describes a hydrogel-based film with separate chemical receptacles to identify lactate, urea, and glucose levels in sweat.

Seven outlets covered the story this week.

 

Popular Science (Harlan, IA: 3.41 million unique monthly visits)
“Dragonflies reveal how toxic mercury moves in nature”
July 16, 2024

In a study published on July 16 in the journal Environmental Science & Technology, a team working between the US Geological Survey, National Park Service, and the Appalachian Mountain Club explained what can be learned from this common trove of ecological information.

Nine outlets covered the story this week.

IFL Science (United Kingdom: 5.40 million unique monthly visits)
“How Do You Get Rid Of Skunk Smell? And Why Does It Smell So Bad?”
July 8, 2024
Publicized in: ACS video release

If you’re currently staring teary-eyed at your screen wondering “how do you get rid of skunk smell?”, fear not. The American Chemical Society has come through with the answers.

 

Science News (United States: 1.00 million unique monthly visits)
“Landfills belch toxic 'forever chemicals' into the air”
July 11, 2024
Publicized in: ACS PressPac

Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances, or PFAS, have been detected in the gas exuded by some Florida landfills in quantities comparable to or even greater than in the liquids that seep from the waste, researchers report June 26 in Environmental Science & Technology Letters.

Ten outlets covered the story this week.

 

La Nación (Argentina: 25.78 million unique monthly visits)
“Nuevo y eficaz aparato para extraer agua del aire” [New and effective device to extract water from the air]
July 15, 2024
Publicized in: ACS PressPac

Xiangyu Li y sus colegas exponen los detalles técnicos de su nuevo aparato para extraer agua del aire en la revista académica ACS Energy Letters. [Xiangyu Li and his colleagues present the technical details of their new device for extracting water from the air in the academic journal ACS Energy Letters.]

Thirteen outlets covered the story this week.

 

The Independent (United Kingdom: 57.39 million unique monthly visits)
“New battery technology could bring electric cars that can travel a million kilometres, creators say”
July 11, 2024

The research is described in a recently published article, ‘Comparison Study of a Thermal-Driven Microstructure in a High-Ni Cathode for Lithium-Ion Batteries: Critical Calcination Temperature for Polycrystalline and Single-Crystalline Design’, in the journal ACS Applied Materials & Interfaces.

Nineteen outlets, including Yahoo UK (United Kingdom), covered the story this week.

 

Newsweek (New York, NY: 29.77 million unique monthly visits)
“Baby formula warning over vulnerability to forever chemicals”
July 12, 2024

Now, researchers from The University of Texas at El Paso have explored the impacts of these compounds on three key molecules found in breast milk and infant formula which are critical for human development… The full results can be found in the Journal of the American Chemical Society and ACS Applied Materials and Interfaces.

Three outlets, including The Independent (United Kingdom), covered the story this week.

 

Chicago Sun-Times (Chicago, IL: 4.55 million unique monthly visits)
“It's grilling season, so brush up on these outdoor food safety basics”
July 12, 2024

As reported in the journal Environmental Science & Technology, more polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons from barbecue fumes can enter our bodies through the skin than from inhalation. To limit your exposure, make sure not to linger around the smoky grill when you’re sizzling up burgers.

 

Interesting Engineering (San Francisco, CA: 3.39 million unique monthly visits)
“Goodbye needles: Tiny laser in band-aid tracks glucose from sweat”
July 9, 2024

The NTU research team aims to enhance the device’s capabilities further, potentially expanding its application to detect additional substances, such as drugs and other chemical compounds present in sweat. The findings were detailed in the journal Analytical Chemistry.

Nineteen outlets, including News Medical (United Kingdom), covered the story this week.

People (New York, NY: 65.60 million unique monthly visits)
“Scientists have invented a machine that can turn air into water”
July 5, 2024
Publicized in: ACS PressPac

Sorption-based atmospheric water harvesting (SAWH) is a field of engineering that looks at ways to resolve water scarcity, which “remains a grand challenge across the globe,” a study published in ACS Energy Letters said.

Sixty-nine outlets, including The Independent (United Kingdom) and Interesting Engineering (United States), covered the story over the past two weeks.

 

The Hill (Washington, DC: 18.67 million unique monthly visits)
“Garbage dumps may be ‘burping’ toxic ‘forever chemicals’: Study”
June 26, 2024
Publicized in: ACS PressPac

That invasion could be occurring in similar capacities via both vented gases and liquid by-products, known as leachates, according to the study, published on Wednesday in Environmental Science & Technology Letters.

Twenty-nine outlets covered the story over the past two weeks.

 

Earth.com (Reno, NV: 2.74 million unique monthly visits)
“Wood surfaces can naturally reduce virus transmission”
June 26, 2024
Publicized in: ACS PressPac

New research [published by] the American Chemical Society has found that wood possesses natural antiviral properties, which can decrease the duration viruses remain infectious on its surface.

Six outlets covered the story over the past two weeks.

 

Euronews (France: 24.16 million unique monthly visits)
“Worried about microplastics? Avoid these 5 household items”
July 1, 2024
Publicized in: ACS PressPac

Chopping boards alone could expose humans to up to 79.4 million polypropylene microplastics - a type of plastic polymer - each year according to a study [published] by the American Chemical Society (ACS).

Eleven outlets, including Irish Times (Ireland), covered the story over the past two weeks.

 

Forbes (Jersey City, NJ: 75.78 million unique monthly visits)
“Council post: Protecting employees with cleaner water”
July 1, 2024

A study [published] by the American Chemical Society in 2023 found a correlation between microplastic exposure and incidences of DNA damage, organ dysfunction, metabolic disorder, neurotoxicity and reproductive and developmental toxicity, among other harmful effects.

 

Interesting Engineering (San Francisco, CA: 3.39 million unique monthly visits)
“Low-cost material doubles energy density of redox flow battery without vanadium”
July 3, 2024

A study found that vanadium that is mined from the ground can be replaced by easily available molecules made from carbon and oxygen… The research findings were published in the journal ACS Applied Materials and Interfaces.

The Independent (United Kingdom: 57.46 million unique monthly visits)
“Common cleaning product releases trillions of microplastics each month, study warns”
June 24, 2024
Publicized in: ACS PressPac

However, a new study published in the Environmental Science & Technology journal, estimates that fibres from these cleaning products release trillions of toxic microplastic particles globally each month, potentially impacting human health.

Twenty-four outlets, including Newsweek (United States), covered the story this week.

 

Quanta Magazine (New York, NY: 1.21 million unique monthly visits)
“The enduring mystery of how water freezes”
June 17, 2024
Publicized in: ACS meeting release

And in March, [researchers] presented a new model at the American Chemical Society conference that can predict the temperature at which ice will nucleate on a given surface.

Two outlets covered the story this week.

 

Daily Mail (United Kingdom: 92.62 million unique monthly visits)
“Scientists 3D print ‘sticker’ that can tell if you're at risk of diabetes from collecting your SWEAT”
June 20, 2024

Researchers wrote in their report, published in the journal ACS Sensors, the study successfully demonstrated ‘the functionality and reliability of our health monitor, generating reliable... results of sweat rate, glucose, lactate, and uric acid concentrations during physical exercise.’

Fifty outlets, including ABC (Spain) and News Medical (United Kingdom), covered the story this week.

 

Newsweek (New York, NY: 29.77 million unique monthly visits)
“Microplastic map reveals countries consuming the most”
June 22, 2024

In a recent study, published in the journal Environmental Science & Technology, scientists from Cornell University examined data from around the world to determine which countries had the highest exposure to microplastics through different methods of ingestion.

Twelve outlets, including Yahoo Malaysia (Malaysia), covered the story this week.

 

Popular Mechanics (New York, NY: 9.42 million unique monthly visits)
“A new liquid battery could deliver the renewable energy miracle”
June 19, 2024

Hopefully, this liquid organic hydrogen carriers (LOHC) battery will offer storage and smooth out ebb and flow of renewable power production without certain negative side effects. The team described its work in a study published in the Journal of the American Chemical Society.

Twenty-three outlets, including The Independent (United Kingdom), covered the story this week.

 

Snopes (United States: 6.72 million unique monthly visits)
“Soursop fruit ‘10,000 times more effective than chemotherapy’?”
June 20, 2024

In terms of a possible mechanism, most ideas revolve around unique chemicals contained within the fruit — annonaceous acetogenins — that may present a novel pathway to kill cancer cells. [Adapted from research published in the Journal of Natural Products.]

Four outlets covered the story this week.

 

CBC News (Toronto, Canada: 4.93 million unique monthly visits)
“Study finds coal mine contaminants blown onto snowpack in Alberta, British Columbia”
June 19, 2024

"Our results reveal, for the first time, clear evidence that coal mining contaminants are spread far downwind from their sources," says the paper, published in the journal Environmental Science & Technology.

Thirty-seven outlets, including National Post (Canada), covered the story this week.

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