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No transfer of compounds from the bottle material into the Él detected Bottles made of bioplastic protect cooking oil from oxidative spoilage (rancidity) to a similar extent as PET bottles. In addition, even less taste- and odor-impairing substances were formed. This is the result of a recent study published in the journal "Food Packaging and Shelf Life" by researchers led by Marc Pignitter from the Faculty of Chemistry at the University of Vienna.

The interference of climate change with the planet's water cycle is a well established fact. New analyses suggest that in many places, runoff responds more sensitively than previously assumed. Climate change alters the global atmospheric circulation, which in turn alters precipitation and evaporation in large parts of the world and, in consequence, the amount of river water that can be used locally.

Hostility due to heat: Effects caused by the climate crisis, such as higher temperatures and more nitrogen in the soil, lead to greater aggressiveness among ant colonies. This was shown by a team of researchers led by the Innsbruck ecologists Patrick Krapf, Birgit C. Schlick-Steiner and Florian M. Steiner of the Molecular Ecology Research Group using the example of the widespread ant Tetramorium alpestre at eight high alpine sites in Austria, Italy, France and Switzerland .

Long-term measurements in the urban area of Innsbruck, Austria, show that the fraction of ozone near the surface tends to be overestimated in atmospheric models. Consequently, a fundamental assumption for air quality forecasting has to be reinterpreted for urban areas. Measurements by an international team led by atmospheric scientist Thomas Karl of the University of Innsbruck also show that direct nitrogen dioxide emissions are overestimated.

Scientists have discovered for the first time a bacterium in Lake Gossenköllesee in Tyrol that uses two different mechanisms to obtain energy from light. This could be an adaptation to the very pronounced change of seasons in the Alps. The change of seasons is clearly noticeable in the Alps. Moderate temperatures with a high exposure to light in summer give way to months with great cold and only little sunlight in winter.

Researchers discover key to predicting the future of ecosystems Whether in the gut, in the lake, in the forest or in the meadow: All over nature, a wide variety of living organisms form ecosystems. How these develop is a question that is extremely relevant in both medicine and environmental protection.

An international team of researchers with the participation of Innsbruck geologist Christoph Spötl was able to reconstruct the monsoon of the last millennium in northeastern India in detail for the first time using dripstones. The region with the highest precipitation on earth today once suffered several megadroughts with massive famines.

Smart buildings are designed to increase comfort and reduce energy consumption. Gerald Schweiger, who works on intelligent energy systems at TU Graz, knows what opportunities are opening up.

Eight ice caves in four Austrian provinces: In a study, a team of geologists from the University of Innsbruck has for the first time comprehensively documented the ice losses and gains in alpine ice caves over the last 2000 years. Geologist Tanguy Racine from the University of Innsbruck warns: Especially the ice of smaller caves threatens to disappear in the near future and with it a valuable climate archive.

CO2 and methane can be turned into valuable products. But until now the catalysts required for such reactions quickly lose their effectiveness. TU Wien has now developed more stable alternatives. Wherever the production of harmful greenhouse gases cannot be prevented, they should be converted into something useful: this approach is called "carbon capture and utilisation".

Scientists of the Leibniz Institute of Freshwater Ecology and Inland Fisheries (IGB) and the University of Vienna believe that natural causes for the mass development of algae are unlikely. Recent investigations substantiate the suspicion that mass development of a toxic brackish water alga has taken place in the Oder River.

Scientists also investigated when alien plants successfully spread. The spread of species by humans to new regions - so-called biological invasions - has increased massively in recent decades. In two comprehensive studies, international research teams with the participation of the University of Vienna now investigated which factors are decisive for the survival of introduced plants, and whether such species can sometimes also have positive effects.

The different geographic and climatic regions from which ragweed pollen originates, as well as the degree of environmental pollution, may influence the severity of allergic reactions such as hay fever and asthma. Pollen from plants in different areas exhibit different levels of aggressiveness. This is the conclusion reached by an inter-university study team led by MedUni Vienna and involving the University of Vienna and the University of Natural Resources and Applied Life Sciences.

By Christoph Pelzl The Graz Center of Sustainable Construction was officially opened yesterday at TU Graz. Its goals are to rethink construction in its entirety, reduce environmental impacts and make the built environment climate neutral.

Scientists say more environmental pollutants should be considered in species protection Environmental chemical pollution threatens biodiversity. However, the complexity of this pollution remains insufficiently recognised by decision-makers - this is what international researchers led by Gabriel Sigmund from the University of Vienna and Ksenia Groh from the Swiss Federal Institute of Aquatic Science and Technology (Eawag) argue in the most recent issue of "Science".

Cognitive capabilities in marmoset monkeys are influenced by both their personality as well as family group membership Individual traits seem to drive our learning success: for instance, conscientious individuals often show higher academic performance. A group of cognitive and behavioural biologists from University of Vienna conducted personality assessments and a battery of learning tests with common marmosets and found that such a link, intertwined with family group membership, exists in these monkeys, too.

By Christoph Pelzl Researchers at TU Graz have modelled an AI system for automotive radar sensors that filters out interfering signals caused by other radar sensors and dramatically improves object detection. Now the system is to be made more robust to weather and environmental influences as well as new types of interference.

Pollutant concentrations in rivers provide a chemical fingerprint of society Residues of pharmaceuticals, cosmetics and lifestyle substances enter rivers via wastewater. A recent study shows that the concentration of such trace pollutants in the Vienna Danube is surprisingly high compared to other EU countries.

By Birgit Baustädter Forest fires, floods, falling rocks and other natural disasters are increasingly causing damage to built structures and, in the worst case, to people. TU Graz researchers are trying to help. Whether by means of rescue robots, autonomous drones or in securing structures, TU Graz researchers are involved in emergency management and disaster relief in a variety of ways.

By Marcella Ruschi Mendes Saade An increasing number of proposed novel technologies in construction claim to be low carbon. Proper methods to estimate the emissions arising from these emerging technologies must be implemented to determine their environmental feasibility. A prospective Life Cycle Assessment study of 3D-printed concrete structures is proposed to investigate whether the technology holdsthe potential to reduce buildings' contribution to climate change.