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| Open AccessCoupling nitrate capture with ammonia production through bifunctional redox-electrodes
Coupling nitrate capture with conversion to ammonium is attractive because it combines pollutant remediation and chemical production. Here, the authors design a bifunctional redox-electrode to achieve the reactive separation of nitrate to ammonium in a single electrochemical cell.
- Kwiyong Kim
- , Alexandra Zagalskaya
- & Xiao Su
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| Open AccessVariation of lightning-ignited wildfire patterns under climate change
This study shows that climate change is expected to result in a 41% increase in the frequency of lightning worldwide. This increase has the potential to amplify the risk of lightning-induced wildfires.
- Francisco J. Pérez-Invernón
- , Francisco J. Gordillo-Vázquez
- & Patrick Jöckel
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| Open AccessReef islands have continually adjusted to environmental change over the past two millennia
This study establishes that the magnitude of observed physical changes in coral reef islands over the period of recent global warming is not unprecedented, and islands have continually adjusted to environmental change over the past millennia.
- P. S. Kench
- , C. Liang
- & R. F. McLean
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| Open AccessExplainable deep learning for insights in El Niño and river flows
Here, explainable deep learning and climate networks give insight into the dependencies between El Niño and river flow, with implications for machine learning-based earth system model coupling and climate-informed projections of water resources.
- Yumin Liu
- , Kate Duffy
- & Auroop R. Ganguly
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| Open AccessIon sieving in graphene oxide membrane enables efficient actinides/lanthanides separation
Separation of actinides from lanthanides is very important for the safe management of nuclear waste, however still challenging due to the chemical complexity of the f-elements. Here, authors report an efficient strategy with graphene oxide membranes for ion sieving of high valent actinyl ions and spherical lanthanide ions.
- Zhipeng Wang
- , Liqin Huang
- & Chao Xu
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| Open AccessElectric vehicle batteries alone could satisfy short-term grid storage demand by as early as 2030
Renewable energy and electric vehicles will be required for the energy transition, but the global electric vehicle battery capacity available for grid storage is not constrained. Here the authors find that electric vehicle batteries alone could satisfy short-term grid storage demand by as early as 2030.
- Chengjian Xu
- , Paul Behrens
- & Bernhard Steubing
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| Open AccessPorous organic polycarbene nanotrap for efficient and selective gold stripping from electronic waste
Efficient and selective gold recovery from electronic waste is highly demanded. Here, authors demonstrate the application of a porous organic polycarbene adsorbent with up to 2.09 g/g gold-capturing capability.
- Xinghao Li
- , Yong-Lei Wang
- & Yaozu Liao
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| Open AccessMetal single-site catalyst design for electrocatalytic production of hydrogen peroxide at industrial-relevant currents
Direct hydrogen peroxide electrosynthesis offers a sustainable alternative to the traditional energy-intensive anthraquinone technology. Here, the authors report a scalable cobalt single-site catalyst for hydrogen peroxide synthesis at industrial-relevant currents in acidic, neutral or alkaline electrolyte.
- Peike Cao
- , Xie Quan
- & Jingguang G. Chen
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| Open AccessBiophysical impacts of earth greening can substantially mitigate regional land surface temperature warming
Using satellite observations over the recent two decades, the authors quantify the biophysical impact of earth greening on land surface temperature and show a considerable cooling effect in India and China, important for climate mitigation.
- Yitao Li
- , Zhao-Liang Li
- & Lingling Ma
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| Open AccessAmpere-level current density ammonia electrochemical synthesis using CuCo nanosheets simulating nitrite reductase bifunctional nature
Electroreduction of NO3− to NH3 is drawing increasing interest. Here, the authors designed a CuCo catalyst imitating the bifunctional nature of Cu-type nitrite reductase to deliver an ampere-level current density for NH3 formation.
- Jia-Yi Fang
- , Qi-Zheng Zheng
- & Shi-Gang Sun
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| Open AccessNon-linear effects of secondary organic aerosol formation and properties in multi-precursor systems
Tiny airborne particles play a critical role in two major environmental issues: climate change and air pollution. Our study highlights the important, yet often overlooked non-linear interaction of organic compounds on the formation of such particles.
- Masayuki Takeuchi
- , Thomas Berkemeier
- & Nga Lee Ng
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| Open AccessSelective and rapid extraction of trace amount of gold from complex liquids with silver(I)-organic frameworks
The development of adsorbents for extracting gold from solutions is desirable from an environmental and economical point of view. Here, the authors report two two-dimensional silver(I)‒organic frameworks that enable selective sensing and extraction of gold from aqueous solutions, including seawater and solutions of e-waste.
- Jie Luo
- , Xiao Luo
- & Dan Li
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Article
| Open AccessStratospheric impacts on dust transport and air pollution in West Africa and the Eastern Mediterranean
Today, most operational dust forecasts extend only 2-5 days. New research finds that the stratosphere exerts long-lasting influence on Saharan dust emission and transport, contributing to subseasonal predictability for dust and air pollution over West Africa and the Eastern Mediterranean.
- Ying Dai
- , Peter Hitchcock
- & Adwoa Aboagye-Okyere
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| Open AccessSignificant contributions of combustion-related sources to ammonia emissions
By integrating nitrogen isotope systematics of ammonia emissions and transformations in the atmosphere, this study quantified the combustion-related ammonia emission and uncovered its importance for mitigating strategies of ammonia pollution.
- Zhi-Li Chen
- , Wei Song
- & Xue-Yan Liu
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| Open AccessThe burden of heatwave-related preterm births and associated human capital losses in China
Frequent heatwaves caused by global warming can lead to an increased risk of preterm birth, however, what remains unknown is the extent to which anthropogenic climate change has contributed to such burdens. Here, the authors combine health impact and economic assessment methods to comprehensively evaluate the entire preterm birth burden of heatwave exposure.
- Yali Zhang
- , Shakoor Hajat
- & Cunrui Huang
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| Open AccessRisk of the hydrogen economy for atmospheric methane
H2 has the potential to become the green, low-carbon fuel of the future. However, hydrogen emissions impact atmospheric methane (CH4). Bertagni et al. investigate the fate of atmospheric CH4 in scenarios of H2 economy.
- Matteo B. Bertagni
- , Stephen W. Pacala
- & Amilcare Porporato
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Matters Arising
| Open AccessReply to: Re-examining extreme carbon isotope fractionation in the coccolithophore Ochrosphaera neapolitana
- Yi-Wei Liu
- , Robert A. Eagle
- & Justin B. Ries
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Article
| Open AccessShort-term exposure to wildfire-related PM2.5 increases mortality risks and burdens in Brazil
To assess mortality risks and burdens associated with short-term exposure to wildfire-related PM2.5, the authors collect daily mortality data from 2000 to 2016 for 510 immediate regions in Brazil, the most wildfire-prone area.
- Tingting Ye
- , Rongbin Xu
- & Shanshan Li
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| Open AccessMulti-angular polarimetric remote sensing to pinpoint global aerosol absorption and direct radiative forcing
Chen et al. demonstrate the use of multi-angular polarimetric remote sensing to pinpoint global aerosol absorption and direct radiative forcing.
- Cheng Chen
- , Oleg Dubovik
- & Ying Zhang
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| Open AccessSouth Asian black carbon is threatening the water sustainability of the Asian Water Tower
South Asian black carbon’s pairing activities (direct and indirect effects) are driving glacial mass decline of the so-called “Water Tower of Asia” with the potential to threaten future water resources for the countries that rely upon its source.
- Junhua Yang
- , Shichang Kang
- & Robert R. Gillies
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| Open AccessDeficiency and excess of groundwater iodine and their health associations
Both iodine deficiency and excess could cause thyroid disorders. By creating a national map of groundwater iodine throughout China, the authors reveal the spatial responses of diverse health risks to iodine in continental groundwater.
- Ruoqi Ma
- , Mingquan Yan
- & Jinren Ni
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| Open AccessU.S. winter wheat yield loss attributed to compound hot-dry-windy events
The authors show that in recent decades compound climate extremes (i.e., hot, dry, and windy events) have increased and have reduced winter wheat yields in the U.S. Great Plains. The area most affected is the same area as that in 1930s Dust Bowl.
- Haidong Zhao
- , Lina Zhang
- & Xiaomao Lin
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| Open AccessForest fire threatens global carbon sinks and population centres under rising atmospheric water demand
Rising forest flammability could become a major public health issue and amplify climate change via feedbacks on the carbon cycle. Here the authors identify daily fuel moisture thresholds associated with increased fire risk in earth’s forests.
- Hamish Clarke
- , Rachael H. Nolan
- & Matthias M. Boer
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| Open AccessDrivers of recent decline in dust activity over East Asia
Changes in climatic factors mainly drive the decline of East Asian dust activity in the past two decades. The weakening of surface winds plays a dominant role, and the increasing of vegetation cover and soil moisture also has key contribution
- Chenglai Wu
- , Zhaohui Lin
- & Ying Li
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Article
| Open AccessFine-tuned local coordination environment of Pt single atoms on ceria controls catalytic reactivity
CeO2-supported Pt single atoms with different coordination environments exhibit distinct behaviors in reactant adsorption/activation and product desorption, thus showing different catalytic performance for various catalytic oxidation reactions.
- Wei Tan
- , Shaohua Xie
- & Fudong Liu
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Article
| Open AccessUnderstanding soil selenium accumulation and bioavailability through size resolved and elemental characterization of soil extracts
Selenium is essential for human health and mainly delivered via terrestrial foodstuffs. An advanced characterization of selenium chemical forms shows that organic matter increases its accumulation in soils but could limit its supply to plants
- Julie Tolu
- , Sylvain Bouchet
- & Lenny H. E. Winkel
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| Open AccessAir quality impacts of crop residue burning in India and mitigation alternatives
We quantify the air quality and health impacts of Indian crop residue burning and trace these impacts back to individual burning events by hour and district. We find that small interventions, such as burning one hour earlier in the day, may provide broad public health benefits
- Ruoyu Lan
- , Sebastian D. Eastham
- & Steven R. H. Barrett
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| Open AccessEnergy requirements and carbon emissions for a low-carbon energy transition
A low-carbon energy transition consistent with 1.5 °C of warming may result in substantial carbon emissions. Moreover, the initial push to substitute fossil fuels with low-carbon alternatives will reduce the net energy available to society.
- Aljoša Slameršak
- , Giorgos Kallis
- & Daniel W. O’Neill
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| Open AccessDust emission reduction enhanced gas-to-particle conversion of ammonia in the North China Plain
Liu et al. found that the formation rate of particulate ammonium is slower in the atmosphere than that observed in the laboratory, while it is sped up due to an increase in aerosol acidity driven by an emission reduction of dust in North China Plain.
- Yongchun Liu
- , Junlei Zhan
- & Markku Kulmala
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| Open AccessBeaver dams overshadow climate extremes in controlling riparian hydrology and water quality
Beaver dams increase water flow gradients and nitrate removal far more than seasonal climate extremes. An expanding beaver range is an ecosystem feedback to climate change which could improve water quality.
- Christian Dewey
- , Patricia M. Fox
- & Scott Fendorf
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| Open AccessThree-dimensional open architecture enabling salt-rejection solar evaporators with boosted water production efficiency
Conventional salt-rejection evaporators typically exhibit low evaporation rate due to large heat loss. Here, authors demonstrate a solar evaporator featuring vertically aligned mass transfer bridges that takes advantage of the conductive heat to enable optimized water transport and salt backflow.
- Kaijie Yang
- , Tingting Pan
- & Yu Han
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Article
| Open AccessUnequal airborne exposure to toxic metals associated with race, ethnicity, and segregation in the USA
A new study assesses differences in exposure to particulate air pollution between racially segregated and racially integrated communities in the U.S, and finds that segregated communities are exposed to higher proportions of toxic and carcinogenic metals.
- John K. Kodros
- , Michelle L. Bell
- & John Volckens
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| Open AccessThe extent to which soil hydraulics can explain ecohydrological separation
Soil physics simulations show water isotope ratios can differ among drainage, mobile and immobile storages due to transport processes alone, but effects were smaller than field data implying unrepresented processes underly ecohydrologic separation.
- Catherine E. Finkenbiner
- , Stephen P. Good
- & Salini Sasidharan
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| Open AccessThe impact of phosphorus on projected Sub-Saharan Africa food security futures
New research finds future rock fertiliser use as a contributor towards food security in Sub-Saharan Africa can be achieved with both sustainability-driven and fossil-fuel-driven economic growth.
- Daniel Magnone
- , Vahid J. Niasar
- & Sheida Z. Sattari
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Article
| Open AccessEthylene industrial emitters seen from space
Combining 13 years of satellite measurements led to the discovery of 300 global hotspots of atmospheric ethylene (C2H4). They are found to be linked to heavy industries and megacities, and are currently misrepresented in emission inventories.
- Bruno Franco
- , Lieven Clarisse
- & Pierre-François Coheur
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| Open AccessImpacts of shared mobility on vehicle lifetimes and on the carbon footprint of electric vehicles
Shared cars are driven more, which could shorten their lifetimes. This could influence carbon dioxide emissions in car manufacturing. Sharing nonetheless reduces carbon footprints. Designing cars for durability can further enhance the benefits
- Johannes Morfeldt
- & Daniel J. A. Johansson
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Article
| Open AccessInsights into memory effect mechanisms of layered double hydroxides with solid-state NMR spectroscopy
The “memory effect” of layered double hydroxides (LDHs) plays a critical role in their applications, yet the details of the mechanism are still under debate. Here authors reveal the nature of the “memory effect” with ex situ and in situ solid-state NMR spectroscopy.
- Li Jin
- , Xiaoyuan Zhou
- & Luming Peng
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| Open AccessDeforestation intensifies daily temperature variability in the northern extratropics
A new study finds that deforestation in the northern extratropics can enhance horizontal temperature advection through biogeophysical processes, leading to higher local daily temperature variability, particularly in winter.
- Jun Ge
- , Qi Liu
- & Weidong Guo
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| Open AccessUsing modelled relationships and satellite observations to attribute modelled aerosol biases over biomass burning regions
Error attribution based on modelled relationships and satellite observations suggests that errors in global models are more important and require more concerns than emission errors in creating the overall uncertainties for biomass burning aerosols.
- Qirui Zhong
- , Nick Schutgens
- & Mian Chin
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Article
| Open AccessCement substitution with secondary materials can reduce annual global CO2 emissions by up to 1.3 gigatons
In this paper we report the maximum potential for cement substitution with secondary materials to reduce CO2 emissions globally (1.3 Gt CO2-eq. in 2018) and on a country-by-country basis.
- Izhar Hussain Shah
- , Sabbie A. Miller
- & Rupert J. Myers
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| Open AccessDecarbonization will lead to more equitable air quality in California
Air quality is found to be more equitable through two salient decarbonization pathways for California in 2050 with the relative justice of decarbonization scenarios quantified at the neighborhood level and the tradeoffs between pathways evaluated.
- Shupeng Zhu
- , Michael Mac Kinnon
- & Scott Samuelsen
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Article
| Open AccessEolian chronology reveals causal links between tectonics, climate, and erg generation
Modeling cosmogenic nuclides concentrations from Kalahari Desert Sand reveals the time of sand introduction into the landscape. This coincides with morphotectonic and climatic changes that could have triggered sand production and its impact on the environment.
- Shlomy Vainer
- , Ari Matmon
- & Karim Keddadouche
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| Open AccessBiodegradation of poly(butylene succinate) in soil laboratory incubations assessed by stable carbon isotope labelling
This study applies stable carbon isotope labelling to study polymer biodegradation in soils. This labelling enables accurate and precise tracking of polymer carbon during biodegradation and, thereby, provides a holistic picture of this process.
- Taylor F. Nelson
- , Rebekka Baumgartner
- & Michael Sander
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| Open AccessRapid vertical exchange at fronts in the Northern Gulf of Mexico
Vertical exchange in the ocean is an important conduit connecting the surface to the deep and influences the distributions of gases, nutrients, pollutants, and other tracers. Here the authors using high-resolution observations and numerical simulations of the ocean fronts in the Northern Gulf of Mexico reveal that the interaction between the fronts and land-sea breeze creates slantwise pathways for water parcels and induces significant subduction of surface water and upwelling of bottom water.
- Lixin Qu
- , Leif N. Thomas
- & Jonathan D. Nash
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Article
| Open AccessTropical modulation of East Asia air pollution
In this study, it is suggested that the daily PM10 level in East Asia is remotely controlled by the convection over the equatorial Indian Ocean and western Pacific. This tropical modulation explains up to 15% of daily PM10 variability in the region.
- Myung-Il Jung
- , Seok-Woo Son
- & Deliang Chen
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| Open AccessThe effect of carbon fertilization on naturally regenerated and planted US forests
The CO2 fertilisation effect in forests remains controversial. Here, the authors disentangle the effect of CO2 on forest wood volume from other environmental factors, showing that elevated CO2 had a positive effect on wood volume in planted and natural US temperate forests.
- Eric C. Davis
- , Brent Sohngen
- & David J. Lewis
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Article
| Open AccessDiesel soot photooxidation enhances the heterogeneous formation of H2SO4
Potential source of H2SO4 remains unclear in the atmosphere. This work first demonstrates that the formation of photoinduced •OH radical can directly promote the heterogeneous conversion of SO2 to H2SO4 on real diesel soot under light irradiation, extending the known sources of atmospheric H2SO4.
- Peng Zhang
- , Tianzeng Chen
- & Hong He
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| Open AccessGrave-to-cradle upcycling of Ni from electroplating wastewater to photothermal CO2 catalysis
The valorization of undesirable substrates offers a two-fold strategy for pollution remediation and renewable energy conversion. Here, authors demonstrate the scavenging of Ni from electroplating wastewater and subsequent utilization as materials for photothermal CO2 reduction.
- Shenghua Wang
- , Dake Zhang
- & Geoffrey A. Ozin
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| Open AccessA central arctic extreme aerosol event triggered by a warm air-mass intrusion
Warm and moist air-mass intrusions into the Arctic are more frequent than the past decades. Here, the authors show that warm air mass intrusions from northern Eurasia inject record amounts of aerosols into the central Arctic Ocean strongly impacting atmospheric chemistry and cloud properties.
- Lubna Dada
- , Hélène Angot
- & Julia Schmale