Growing Impact

Plants respond to changes in their environment, but can those responses help detect contamination? A new research project is exploring whether flexible sensors attached to plants can identify electrical signals associated with exposure to PFAS, a group of persistent chemicals found throughout the environment. If successful, the approach could offer a faster, less expensive way to monitor contamination and help farmers and communities make more informed decisions.

Plastic recycling is difficult for a simple reason: Plastics are designed to last. Penn State researchers are testing whether tiny particles of Pennsylvania anthracite coal can absorb laser light and deliver targeted heat to break polymer bonds. If successful, the approach could use less energy, require less sorting, and make more types of plastic easier to recycle.

As electricity demand grows and becomes harder to predict, power grid planners face a difficult question: how do they build for a future shaped by extreme weather, renewable energy, and the rapid rise of data centers? A new research project is developing tools to help planners identify the most important risks without having to model every possible future. The work could help utilities make better long-term infrastructure decisions while reducing the chances of costly overbuilding or major power outages.

India is the world's largest groundwater-based economy, with more than half its 1.5 billion population depending on agriculture for their livelihoods — making groundwater depletion a critical threat. Researchers are investigating the Atal Bhujal Yojana, a $500 million World Bank–supported national program that takes a community-led, "inside-out" approach to groundwater management. But can village committees manage this resource sustainably and equitably? And what happens when the program is cut short?

Microplastics are turning up in unexpected places, including tidal freshwater marshes. Researchers are uncovering how these ecosystems trap plastics before they reach the ocean, leading to long-term accumulation in sediments and habitats. Understanding where plastics accumulate and how different materials behave matters for protecting ecosystems, communities, and long-term environmental health.

Long-distance wildfire smoke is emerging as a serious health risk in the Northeast U.S., where many residents have little experience navigating hazardous air. Conflicting messages from apps, agencies, media, and social networks often leave people unsure what to trust or how to respond. Researchers are uncovering how people interpret these warnings, why uncertainty slows protective action, and what clearer, more reliable communication could do to better protect communities during future smoke events.

How do you keep a building comfortable without wasting energy? A Penn State team is tackling that question with an innovative smart window. Using a responsive polymer, the window can block visible light, infrared heat, or both—automatically, without sensors or electricity. The technology could dramatically reduce energy use in buildings while giving architects new freedom to design spaces that work with, rather than against, the sun.

The Amazon, home to rich biodiversity and vital carbon-storing ecosystems, is also the ancestral land of Indigenous communities who are grappling with the devastating effects of oil extraction across Ecuador, Peru, and Colombia. These communities live amid widespread pollution from oil spills, toxic chemicals, and industrial infrastructure, which threaten their way of life and the health of their environment. In response, they are working alongside researchers to map the environmental destruction and strengthen their efforts to hold oil companies accountable while fighting to protect their lands and preserve their cultural heritage.

Heat significantly affects pregnant women and infants, increasing risks like dehydration, heat exhaustion, and developmental issues in children. Expectant mothers are more vulnerable due to physiological changes, while infants face heightened danger because of immature temperature regulation. These challenges are further intensified for families with limited resources. Researchers are investigating these impacts to provide lawmakers with the knowledge needed to create protective measures for these at-risk groups.

Cooling is energy-intensive, with air conditioning consuming a significant portion of electricity in homes and commercial buildings, while also contributing to greenhouse gas emissions and climate change. This creates a cycle of increasing energy demand for cooling. However, innovative materials that cool when strained offer a promising, sustainable solution for various applications.