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Although the transformation of bacteria due to the presence of contaminants in wastewater is often attributed to geometrical aspects, studying the impact of physical and chemical stressors shows that geometry is not the only factor to be taken into account.
The combination of ultraviolet-C emitting diodes with side-emitting optical fibres can be used to effectively inhibit biofilm formation, as demonstrated within the water system of the International Space Station.
Sorbent-assisted atmospheric water harvesting is one of the technologies currently explored to produce clean water especially in dry land locations. A metal–organic framework harvester has been shown to harvest water effectively in the Death Valley.
Precipitation extremes could impact our society and ecosystems. This study investigates the historical intensification of extreme precipitation and the mechanisms by disentangling the contributions of different forcings.
Rivers are important reservoirs of plastic pollution. This study demonstrates that fluvial floods drive macroplastic transport and accumulation in rivers with unique observational evidence during the July 2021 flood along the Dutch Meuse River.
Enhancing the advanced oxidation processes used in potable reuse treatment trains represents an attractive target for reducing the energy intensity of the train. Switching the UV wavelength from 254 nm to 222 nm improves contaminant degradation by both direct photolysis and reaction with radicals, offering substantial efficiency gains.
Achieving zero liquid discharge is an essential step towards the sustainability of hypersaline brine treatment. A potential method to achieve zero liquid discharge on the basis of electrodialysis crystallization is now demonstrated.
Although we know that microplastic is a huge contaminant of water resources, a connection between its source and its fate is largely missing. Combining a high-resolution microplastic release model with a fate model in rivers and lakes allows the prediction of masses of microplastics in each river section on a country level.
The rapid urbanization in China calls for an expansion of urban wastewater treatment systems, which in turn may exacerbate climate impacts. With an extensive and integrated application of existing low-carbon technologies for wastewater treatment, sludge disposal and water reuse, it is possible to substantially decouple urban water stress mitigation from greenhouse gas emissions.
Heterogeneous water disinfection is a promising way to avoid secondary pollution, but it is not very efficient. The development of nanoflakes shows that a much higher efficiency than previously achieved can be achieved through solar-driven heterogeneous disinfection.
Physicochemical defluorination is arguably the best pathway to degrade polyfluoroalkyl substances. In the case of chlorinated polyfluorocarboxylic acids, it is shown that substantial defluorination can be achieved by an anaerobic microbial community via novel pathways triggered by anaerobic hydrolytic dechlorination.
It is challenging to treat emerging organic contaminants such as pharmaceutical compounds. Using the proposed plant-based zirconium–ellagate framework, this study demonstrates high removal efficiencies of emerging organic contaminants from real untampered municipal wastewater treatment plant effluent.
The exposure to both air pollution and cigarette smoke can trigger asthma. Wastewater surveillance was used to demonstrate the possibility of distinguishing between these two factors.
A national classification system of wetland hydrologic connectivity to streams, which could be applied globally, demonstrates and advances current understanding of how wetland connectivity affects surface water quality.
The water crisis in Jackson, Mississippi has made recent news as a major environmental catastrophe. In this paper, the authors assess how boil water alerts disrupt student learning. They show that, each time a boil water alert is issued, unexcused absence rates increase by up to 10%.
Droughts pose a threat to water availability for food production, enhancing urban conflicts. This study explores the drought–conflict nexus by accounting for the effects of droughts on the food-security pillars of availability, economic access and stability.
Reverse osmosis of seawater is a popular though energy demanding process to produce freshwater. Interfacing reverse osmosis membranes with solar steam generation shows potential for a more efficient desalination process.
The achievement of almost complete defluorination of chlorinated polyfluoroalkyl substances reveals insight into the degradation pathways of these persistent contaminants.
How will climate change affect wet and dry extreme events around the world? On the basis of terrestrial water storage observations and a novel clustering algorithm, this study shows that the intensity of such events has been increasing with global warming.
Concentrations of dissolved oxygen are considered as comparably driven by light, temperature and flow regimes in individual rivers, although their continental-scale drivers remain elusive due to data scarcity. Results from data and a long short-term memory deep learning model suggests that temperature is the most predominant driver of daily DO in US rivers.