AEESP Spotlight: Late 2024.

This document is a spotlight column from the journal Environmental Engineering Science, highlighting selected articles from the April through August 2024 issues. One article discusses the importance of accurately characterizing carpet dust microbial communities using DNA extraction and PCR amplification methods. The study found that established protocols could underestimate the quantity of microbes, particularly fungal species, and that sample size may impact results. Another article explores unintended consequences related to lead pipe corrosion control in a drinking water system. The addition of orthophosphate led to the formation of white precipitate that clogged plumbing fixtures, and the study identified the optimal phosphate dose for proper corrosion control. Lastly, a study examined the environmental impacts of academic conferences, with transportation being the largest contributor. The researchers suggested measures such as carpooling and minimizing food waste to reduce the carbon footprint of conferences. [Extracted from the article]