{"title":"Advancing sustainable aquaculture with a zero-valent copper filter system","authors":"Tingting Zhu, Wen Zhang, Junwei Zhang, Xia Liu, Yifei Wang, Siyu Zhang, Li Yan, Yunfei Tan, Ruiping Liu, Chengzhi Hu, Jiuhui Qu, Menachem Elimelech, Meng Sun","doi":"10.1038/s41893-026-01902-y","DOIUrl":"10.1038/s41893-026-01902-y","url":null,"abstract":"Algal blooms, caused by excessive microalgae growth, threaten water quality, aquatic ecosystems and human health by releasing cyanotoxins and unpleasant odours. Conventional algae elimination methods, including the use of copper sulfate algaecides, are chemically intensive and environmentally unsustainable. This study introduces an innovative filtration system featuring a zero-valent copper microporous filter (CuMF), offering a sustainable solution for aquaculture systems susceptible to algal blooms and associated harmful by-products. The CuMF achieves 100% algae retention while maintaining an ultrahigh water permeability (11,700 l m−2 h−1 bar−1), markedly outperforming conventional polymeric filters. Furthermore, the CuMF facilitates spontaneous Cu(III) generation for selective oxidation of extracellular organic matter via interfacial electron transfer while preserving algal cells for resource recovery. In aquaculture systems impacted by harmful algal proliferation, this filtration system delivers long-term stability, high-concentration algal biomass recovery, and efficient removal of algal toxins, odorous compounds, micropollutants, antibiotic resistance genes, and viruses, enabling closed-loop water reuse. Techno-economic analysis and life-cycle assessment validate the feasibility of CuMF, with a 64.8% reduction in economic costs and a 77.5–97.2% decrease in environmental impacts across 21 categories, compared with using algaecides. These findings position the CuMF as an innovative and environmentally sustainable solution for mitigating algal blooms and advancing resource-efficient, circular aquaculture. Algal blooms severely threaten water safety, but conventional algae elimination methods are chemical-intense. This study presents a zero-valent copper microporous filter capable of removing algal cells and other harmful pollutants from aquaculture water without chemical input.","PeriodicalId":19056,"journal":{"name":"Nature Sustainability","volume":"9 10","pages":"1640-1650"},"PeriodicalIF":32.1,"publicationDate":"2026-07-27","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"149214747","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"环境科学与生态学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"On the relevance of post-growth in China","authors":"Mengyu Li, Manfred Lenzen, Jason Hickel","doi":"10.1038/s41893-026-01889-6","DOIUrl":"10.1038/s41893-026-01889-6","url":null,"abstract":"Post-growth refers to approaches prioritizing human well-being and ecological sustainability over gross domestic product expansion as a primary objective of economic policy. While it is widely discussed in the global north and generally targeted at high-income countries, its relevance to China remains underexplored and largely absent from academic discourse. This Perspective discusses China’s position in a possible global post-growth transition and explores convergence and difference between post-growth principles and development priorities in China. We consider how China’s concepts of ‘high-quality development’ and ‘ecological civilization’ could integrate post-growth principles, and vice versa. Understanding China’s context is crucial for a collaborative, effective approach to sustainability and global equity. Post-growth debates largely ignore China, despite its key position in the world economy, leaving a gap in sustainability discourse. This Perspective examines China’s role in a post-growth transition, comparing post-growth principles with China’s development model.","PeriodicalId":19056,"journal":{"name":"Nature Sustainability","volume":"9 9","pages":"1317-1324"},"PeriodicalIF":32.1,"publicationDate":"2026-07-23","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148981537","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"环境科学与生态学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Research priorities for addressing global absorbent hygiene product waste","authors":"Elze Porte, Mark Miodownik","doi":"10.1038/s41893-026-01903-x","DOIUrl":"10.1038/s41893-026-01903-x","url":null,"abstract":"A major, yet largely unrecognized, source of plastic waste is absorbent hygiene products, which include child diapers, adult incontinence products and period products. These products contain substantial amounts of plastic, are materially complex and are socially engrained in essential hygiene and healthcare practices. Here we analyse the research priorities to create sustainable systems for absorbent hygiene product provision. The analysis is global and interdisciplinary in scope, addressing nuances in high- and low-income settings, and bringing together behaviour, material, technology, policy and economic challenges. We identify important opportunities for scientists to help avert the unfolding absorbent hygiene product crisis. Absorbent hygiene products (AHPs) — child diapers, adult incontinence products and period products — are a major source of plastic waste. This Perspective highlights the materials and societal complexity of AHP waste and identifies opportunities for scientists to help address the unfolding AHP crisis.","PeriodicalId":19056,"journal":{"name":"Nature Sustainability","volume":"9 10","pages":"1512-1516"},"PeriodicalIF":32.1,"publicationDate":"2026-07-23","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"149214750","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"环境科学与生态学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Benno Werlen, Garry Jacobs, Gordon McBean, Paul Shrivastava, Olimpia Niglio, André Boeing, Joanne Kauffman, Raminder Kaur, Tadie Degie Yigzaw, Mira Sartika, Peter Neill, Zoltán Somhegyi
{"title":"Culturalizing sustainability","authors":"Benno Werlen, Garry Jacobs, Gordon McBean, Paul Shrivastava, Olimpia Niglio, André Boeing, Joanne Kauffman, Raminder Kaur, Tadie Degie Yigzaw, Mira Sartika, Peter Neill, Zoltán Somhegyi","doi":"10.1038/s41893-026-01898-5","DOIUrl":"10.1038/s41893-026-01898-5","url":null,"abstract":"Policy-makers and scientists dominate high-level sustainability debates but any decision that follows has consequences for ordinary people in their local communities and environments. We asked experts to reflect on the importance of embracing a culturally informed, bottom-up approach to the sustainability discourse and action.","PeriodicalId":19056,"journal":{"name":"Nature Sustainability","volume":"9 10","pages":"1477-1482"},"PeriodicalIF":32.1,"publicationDate":"2026-07-22","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"149214676","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"环境科学与生态学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"When drought meets war trauma","authors":"Elizabeth Frankenberg","doi":"10.1038/s41893-026-01909-5","DOIUrl":"10.1038/s41893-026-01909-5","url":null,"abstract":"The human consequences of armed conflict and climate change are often studied separately despite frequent co-occurrence of those events in fragile regions. A study now reveals a compounding effect of drought on post-traumatic stress from war, underlining the need for mental health services as a component of adaptation and humanitarian responses.","PeriodicalId":19056,"journal":{"name":"Nature Sustainability","volume":"9 10","pages":"1485-1486"},"PeriodicalIF":32.1,"publicationDate":"2026-07-22","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"149214716","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"环境科学与生态学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Drought amplifies the psychological burden of war","authors":"Stefan Döring, Tobias Hecker, Jonathan Hall","doi":"10.1038/s41893-026-01882-z","DOIUrl":"10.1038/s41893-026-01882-z","url":null,"abstract":"The convergence of climate shocks and armed conflict poses a critical threat to human security and sustainable development. However, their joint impacts on human populations, particularly the erosion of psychosocial resilience, remain poorly quantified. Here, integrating georeferenced drought data from respondents’ pre-displacement regions with survey data from Syrian and Iraqi refugees (N = 3,751), we find that the association between war exposure and post-traumatic stress is stronger among those from more drought-affected areas of origin. Under severe drought conditions, the increase in post-traumatic stress associated with war exposure was more than twice as large as under average moisture conditions. This pattern is consistent with resilience corrosion, whereby climate-induced hardship may degrade mental health and weaken the adaptive capacities communities need to navigate future shocks. These findings support policy approaches that integrate mental health into climate adaptation and humanitarian response in settings shaped by overlapping crises. Integrating georeferenced drought data from respondents’ pre-displacement regions with survey data from Syrian and Iraqi refugees, this study finds a stronger association between war exposure and post-traumatic stress among individuals from more drought-affected areas of origin.","PeriodicalId":19056,"journal":{"name":"Nature Sustainability","volume":"9 10","pages":"1662-1668"},"PeriodicalIF":32.1,"publicationDate":"2026-07-22","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.nature.comhttps://www.nature.com/articles/s41893-026-01882-z.pdf","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"149214749","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"环境科学与生态学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Essam Heggy, Jongeun You, Abotalib Z. Abotalib, Sara S. Fouad, Mohamed Ramah
{"title":"African water research beyond the narratives of conflict and scarcity","authors":"Essam Heggy, Jongeun You, Abotalib Z. Abotalib, Sara S. Fouad, Mohamed Ramah","doi":"10.1038/s41893-026-01895-8","DOIUrl":"10.1038/s41893-026-01895-8","url":null,"abstract":"Reproducible, replicable and robust African water research remains underrepresented in highly visible scientific journals, leading regional policymakers to turn to consulting firms and interest groups. We call for stronger editorial engagement with African water research to leverage its contributions to transboundary conflict resolution.","PeriodicalId":19056,"journal":{"name":"Nature Sustainability","volume":"9 9","pages":"1289-1291"},"PeriodicalIF":32.1,"publicationDate":"2026-07-21","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148981538","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"环境科学与生态学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"The true impacts of the built environment","authors":"","doi":"10.1038/s41893-026-01910-y","DOIUrl":"10.1038/s41893-026-01910-y","url":null,"abstract":"Cement and concrete underpin modern societies, yet their true resource demands and the dynamics that govern their efficient use remain poorly understood. Two recent studies suggest that the most powerful levers for change may not lie inside the cement plant at all.","PeriodicalId":19056,"journal":{"name":"Nature Sustainability","volume":"9 7","pages":"943-943"},"PeriodicalIF":32.1,"publicationDate":"2026-07-21","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.nature.comhttps://www.nature.com/articles/s41893-026-01910-y.pdf","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148522965","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"环境科学与生态学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Recognizing the human health impacts of marine heatwaves","authors":"Laura J. Falkenberg, Bayden D. Russell","doi":"10.1038/s41893-026-01892-x","DOIUrl":"10.1038/s41893-026-01892-x","url":null,"abstract":"Although the physical and ecological impacts of marine heatwaves are well recognized, their cascading consequences for human health remain poorly understood. We argue that marine heatwaves pose growing physical and mental health risks that must be treated as a distinct, core climate concern requiring anticipatory action.","PeriodicalId":19056,"journal":{"name":"Nature Sustainability","volume":"9 9","pages":"1292-1294"},"PeriodicalIF":32.1,"publicationDate":"2026-07-20","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148981543","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"环境科学与生态学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}