npj Clean Water最新文献

Decomposition of wastewater sources in England 分解的废水来源在英国

IF 11.4 1区工程技术

npj Clean Water Pub Date : 2026-09-04 DOI: 10.1038/s41545-026-00630-2

Barnaby Dobson,Robin Maes-Prior,Christopher R. Jackson

引用次数: 0

Low-dose turbidity control using cationic polysaccharide bioflocculants: performance, dosage tolerance and molecular interpretation 阳离子多糖生物絮凝剂的低剂量浊度控制：性能、剂量耐受性和分子解释

IF 11.4 1区工程技术

npj Clean Water Pub Date : 2026-08-27 DOI: 10.1038/s41545-026-00625-z

Yuanying Yang, Wenshan Guo, Huiying Zhang, Soon Woong Chang, Dinh Duc Nguyen, Dongle Cheng, Yuanyao Ye, Xuan Thanh Bui, Tra Van Tung, Huu Hao Ngo

{"title":"Low-dose turbidity control using cationic polysaccharide bioflocculants: performance, dosage tolerance and molecular interpretation","authors":"Yuanying Yang, Wenshan Guo, Huiying Zhang, Soon Woong Chang, Dinh Duc Nguyen, Dongle Cheng, Yuanyao Ye, Xuan Thanh Bui, Tra Van Tung, Huu Hao Ngo","doi":"10.1038/s41545-026-00625-z","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1038/s41545-026-00625-z","url":null,"abstract":"Bioflocculants are being developed as sustainable alternatives to inorganic coagulants for turbidity control, but how polysaccharide backbones affect the performance of cationically modified bioflocculants remains insufficiently understood. Here, modified starch (M-Starch) and modified chitosan (M-Chitosan) carrying quaternary ammonium groups were compared in kaolin suspensions under high- and low-turbidity conditions. In the high turbidity system, M-Starch achieved over 95% turbidity removal at 0.3–0.5 mg/L and showed a wider effective dosage range than M-Chitosan. Under low turbidity conditions, M-Starch achieved approximately 55% removal, compared with about 37% for M-Chitosan and less than 10% for Al₂(SO₄)₃. Zeta potential results showed that the optimum performance of M-Starch did not coincide with complete charge neutralization. Charge equivalent comparison and graft-chain estimates further indicated that the different dose responses could not be explained solely by the amount of charge introduced or by graft-chain parameters. Electronic structure calculations and molecular dynamics simulations further indicated that M-Starch tended to form a compact conformation with heterogeneous charge distribution, whereas M-Chitosan showed a more extended configuration with a more uniform cationic surface. The results indicate that backbone-associated structural features may modulate the dose response of cationic bioflocculants by influencing charge accessibility, molecular conformation and hydration behaviour.","PeriodicalId":19375,"journal":{"name":"npj Clean Water","volume":"27 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":11.4,"publicationDate":"2026-08-27","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148853676","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"工程技术","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

引用次数: 0

Hotspots are not targets: scale-matched source-control screening for rural black and odorous waters 热点地区不是目标：对农村黑臭水域进行规模匹配的源头控制筛查

IF 11.4 1区工程技术

npj Clean Water Pub Date : 2026-08-26 DOI: 10.1038/s41545-026-00626-y

Yuting Zhang, Qian Shen, Jagannath Aryal, Yiqun Chen, Yue Yao, Bing Zhang

{"title":"Hotspots are not targets: scale-matched source-control screening for rural black and odorous waters","authors":"Yuting Zhang, Qian Shen, Jagannath Aryal, Yiqun Chen, Yue Yao, Bing Zhang","doi":"10.1038/s41545-026-00626-y","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1038/s41545-026-00626-y","url":null,"abstract":"Managing water quality in dispersed rural small water bodies requires source-control prioritisation under sparse monitoring and overlapping domestic, agricultural, and livestock pressures. Using reported rural black and odorous waters in China, this study integrates gridded population, cropland, and livestock data with official inventories to compare screening information across provincial macro-scale units, 1-km grids, and 25-km windows. Provincial hotspot rankings were reordered under population-, livestock-, and cropland-normalised frameworks, showing that regional clustering alone cannot identify a source-control target. At the 1-km scale, population pressure showed a near-continuous background-gradient response, whereas livestock pressure showed more concentrated local risk-rise positions in higher-pressure intervals, providing a screening reference for prioritising field checks within otherwise similar backgrounds. Cropland proportion exhibited a robust non-monotonic response that varied with population and livestock backgrounds. At the 25-km scale, local responses formed contiguous mesoscale structures, while population-leaning and livestock-leaning patches remained spatially differentiated. These results support a hierarchical framework in which provincial analyses guide resource allocation, 1-km analyses prioritise local screening, 25-km structures organise dispersed survey tasks, and field investigations confirm water-body status, pollution sources and pathways, and appropriate management measures. The framework converts reported inventories and spatial pressure data into operational screening priorities where exhaustive monitoring is impractical.","PeriodicalId":19375,"journal":{"name":"npj Clean Water","volume":"20 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":11.4,"publicationDate":"2026-08-26","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148853677","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"工程技术","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

引用次数: 0

Dominance shifts between planktonic and attached algae associated with differential phosphorus utilization and microbial processes 浮游藻类和附生藻类之间的优势转移与不同的磷利用和微生物过程有关

IF 11.4 1区工程技术

npj Clean Water Pub Date : 2026-08-22 DOI: 10.1038/s41545-026-00628-w

Qihao Zhou, Yuanrong Zhu, Fangxi Cui, Wei Tian, Jing Liu, Xiaojie Bing, Juan Jiang, Xin Liu, Sailan He, Qingshuai Song, Fengchang Wu

{"title":"Dominance shifts between planktonic and attached algae associated with differential phosphorus utilization and microbial processes","authors":"Qihao Zhou, Yuanrong Zhu, Fangxi Cui, Wei Tian, Jing Liu, Xiaojie Bing, Juan Jiang, Xin Liu, Sailan He, Qingshuai Song, Fengchang Wu","doi":"10.1038/s41545-026-00628-w","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1038/s41545-026-00628-w","url":null,"abstract":"Phosphorus (P) availability is closely associated with algal bloom types, yet filamentous attached algae frequently proliferate in clear waters or low-P systems. To examine associations between algal dominance and microbial P-cycling potential, sediment–periphyton assemblages from a low-P artificial water-diversion canal were incubated for 120 days under three water matrices representing oligotrophic, lake-like, and eutrophic conditions. Algal dominance was assessed by microscopy and metagenomic relative abundance profiling, together with sediment P fractions, bacterial communities, and P-cycling genes. Filamentous attached algae remained dominant under low-P treatments, accompanied by depletion of sediment P, especially redox-sensitive BD-P, and higher relative abundances of genes associated with P scavenging and organic P utilization, including aphA and glpQ. In contrast, eutrophic treatments were associated with planktonic algae accounting for more than 70% of the algal community at the bloom stage and with distinct bacterial assemblages and P-cycling gene profiles. Candidate phosphate-solubilizing taxa, including Ideonella, Runella, Sphingopyxis, and Gemmatimonas, were statistically associated with community variation. These results suggest that the level of P in the water, microbial P-cycling potential, and sediment P dynamics may jointly contribute to algal niche differentiation at the water–sediment interface, providing a framework for understanding filamentous algal proliferation in low-P aquatic systems.","PeriodicalId":19375,"journal":{"name":"npj Clean Water","volume":"9 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":11.4,"publicationDate":"2026-08-22","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148769099","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"工程技术","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

引用次数: 0

The multi-functional solar interfacial evaporators based on almond shells 基于杏仁壳的多功能太阳能界面蒸发器

IF 11.4 1区工程技术

npj Clean Water Pub Date : 2026-08-21 DOI: 10.1038/s41545-026-00624-0

Yutong Chi, Xiaxia Yang, Jiayi Shen, Weiwei Shi

{"title":"The multi-functional solar interfacial evaporators based on almond shells","authors":"Yutong Chi, Xiaxia Yang, Jiayi Shen, Weiwei Shi","doi":"10.1038/s41545-026-00624-0","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1038/s41545-026-00624-0","url":null,"abstract":"Solar evaporation technology holds profound significance as a sustainable and innovative solution to global freshwater scarcity, energy sustainability, and environmental remediation. This work presents a high-performance solar evaporator (PDAS) developed by functionalizing delignified almond shells with a photothermal coating. The systematic characterization confirms the successful formation of a cohesive, conductive PPy layer on the porous biomass substrate, which enhances light absorption and improves the photothermal effect. The designed evaporator PDAS achieves a high evaporation rate of 2.49 kg m−2 h−1, the photothermal conversion efficiency of 84.94%, and the water evaporation efficiency of 155%, under one-sun illumination, along with outstanding salt-resistance and long-term stability. When applied to seawater desalination and wastewater treatment, PDAS effectively removes salt ions, heavy metals, organic and pharmaceutical contaminants, producing freshwater that meets WHO drinking standards. The high-output performance of PDAS was revealed with the optimal open-circuit voltage of 288.9 mV and the power density of 16.78 mW/m2, at 3.5 wt% saline solution under one solar irradiation. This work demonstrates a sustainable strategy for transforming abundant biomass wastes into efficient solar evaporators for practical freshwater collection, wastewater treatment, and energy production.","PeriodicalId":19375,"journal":{"name":"npj Clean Water","volume":"40 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":11.4,"publicationDate":"2026-08-21","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148769080","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"工程技术","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

引用次数: 0

Passive solar photothermal generation of high localized temperatures for water desalination and hydrogen production 用于海水淡化和制氢的局部高温被动式太阳能光热发电

IF 11.4 1区工程技术

npj Clean Water Pub Date : 2026-08-20 DOI: 10.1038/s41545-026-00623-1

Ridha Djellabi, Dominic Aboagye, Francesc Medina, Sandra Contreras

{"title":"Passive solar photothermal generation of high localized temperatures for water desalination and hydrogen production","authors":"Ridha Djellabi, Dominic Aboagye, Francesc Medina, Sandra Contreras","doi":"10.1038/s41545-026-00623-1","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1038/s41545-026-00623-1","url":null,"abstract":"The generation of high localized temperatures (T ≥ 100 °C) using passive solar interfacial steam generation (SSG) technology typically requires expensive optical concentrators to amplify the incident solar flux. Herein, we demonstrate the generation of a high localized temperature under a low ambient solar irradiance in a passive, non-pressurized system, eliminating the need for optical concentration. Inspired by the greenhouse effect, a novel SSG device was designed to maximize thermal concentration and significantly enhance localized heating. The operating mechanism involves two sequential processes. First, efficient interfacial photothermal conversion is achieved using a kaolin clay-modified activated carbon/CuO photothermal layer, which minimizes heat loss owing to its high thermal inertia. Second, the generated heat is confined within a hollow porous cellulosic tube, where vapour condensation and internal heat recirculation promote extreme heat localization, enabling the localized temperature to reach as high as 160.9 °C under an ambient solar irradiance of 500 W.m−2. The system demonstrated outstanding solar seawater desalination performance, achieving an evaporation rate of 3.7 kg.m−2.h−1 under 0.5-sun illumination. Furthermore, photothermal-photocatalytic H2 production over commercial TiO2 P25 modified with AC-K@CuO reached 28.734 mmol.g−1.h−1 under half-sun illumination without the use of noble-metal co-catalysts or external energy input. This device introduces a new concept for generating superheated steam under realistic operating conditions, paving the way for diverse applications in remote areas.","PeriodicalId":19375,"journal":{"name":"npj Clean Water","volume":"74 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":11.4,"publicationDate":"2026-08-20","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148769149","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"工程技术","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

引用次数: 0

Revisiting microplastic pollution: A novel method for detecting small-sized microplastics in natural waters 重新审视微塑料污染：一种检测天然水域中小型微塑料的新方法

IF 11.4 1区工程技术

npj Clean Water Pub Date : 2026-08-17 DOI: 10.1038/s41545-026-00612-4

Christel S. Hassler, Rafael Peixoto, Florian Breider, Merve Tunali, Filippo De Franceschi

{"title":"Revisiting microplastic pollution: A novel method for detecting small-sized microplastics in natural waters","authors":"Christel S. Hassler, Rafael Peixoto, Florian Breider, Merve Tunali, Filippo De Franceschi","doi":"10.1038/s41545-026-00612-4","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1038/s41545-026-00612-4","url":null,"abstract":"Microplastics are widespread, yet methods to measure polymer type simultaneously and particles size smaller than 20 µm are limited, hindering toxicity assessment and policy formulations. We introduce a machine learning-assisted spectral flow cytometry approach that identifies six major polymers relevant to the environment and human health within the 5–100 µm range and allows projection in the 1–100 µm range. High-throughput, sensitive detection, straightforward sampling, and strong quality control make this technique suitable for routine monitoring of industrial and natural waters. Clear differences in microplastics levels and polymer composition were found between Lake Geneva, nearby rivers, and surface versus deep waters. With up to 97% of microplastics between 1 and 20 µm, data indicates a substantial underestimation of pollution. Consistent with laser-infrared measurements, concentrations of small-sized microplastics exceed previous reports in lake waters up to 656-fold. Environmental risk assessment of microplastics suggests that risk might be expected at some sampling sites.","PeriodicalId":19375,"journal":{"name":"npj Clean Water","volume":"52 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":11.4,"publicationDate":"2026-08-17","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148769150","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"工程技术","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

引用次数: 0

Post-treatment of biogenic sulfur coating enhances autotrophic denitrification 生物硫包膜后处理增强了自养反硝化作用

IF 11.4 1区工程技术

npj Clean Water Pub Date : 2026-08-17 DOI: 10.1038/s41545-026-00622-2

Na Zhang, Yilu Sun, Shusen Wang, Haoran Xu, Jinsong Liang, Wenzong Liu, Aijie Wang, Hao-Yi Cheng

{"title":"Post-treatment of biogenic sulfur coating enhances autotrophic denitrification","authors":"Na Zhang, Yilu Sun, Shusen Wang, Haoran Xu, Jinsong Liang, Wenzong Liu, Aijie Wang, Hao-Yi Cheng","doi":"10.1038/s41545-026-00622-2","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1038/s41545-026-00622-2","url":null,"abstract":"Biogenic sulfur is a promising electron donor for carbon-limited wastewater treatment, yet its practical application is hindered by the structural variability of its native organic coating. In this study, four post-treatment methods—EDTA, heating, enzymatic, and acid treatments—were applied to modify the coating. Moderate thinning via EDTA or heating treatment substantially enhanced denitrification kinetics, increasing nitrate removal rates by 1.9- to 2.4-fold and shortening the lag phase by over 60%. Mechanistically, this improvement results from a thinner organic coating that lowers the barrier to microbial access, and increased polysulfane content and crystallographic disorder, which together enhance intrinsic sulfur reactivity. In contrast, enzymatic treatment left the coating thick and continuous, while acid treatment resulted in a thin but disrupted surface with oxidation and preferential exposure of low‑reactivity crystal planes; both severely impaired performance. This study provides a mechanistic understanding of how the organic coating governs the bioavailability of bio-S0 and offers a promising post-treatment strategy to enhance its application in nitrogen removal technologies.","PeriodicalId":19375,"journal":{"name":"npj Clean Water","volume":"187 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":11.4,"publicationDate":"2026-08-17","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148769155","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"工程技术","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

引用次数: 0

Macroporous manganese–cerium oxides boost ozone utilization and mineralization through metal–oxygen bridges 大孔锰铈氧化物通过金属-氧桥促进臭氧利用和矿化

IF 11.4 1区工程技术

npj Clean Water Pub Date : 2026-08-14 DOI: 10.1038/s41545-026-00617-z

Lei Wu, Xuemeng Di, Yangqun Zhou, Jiaren Wang, Xiaoning Wang, Zhangxiong Wu

{"title":"Macroporous manganese–cerium oxides boost ozone utilization and mineralization through metal–oxygen bridges","authors":"Lei Wu, Xuemeng Di, Yangqun Zhou, Jiaren Wang, Xiaoning Wang, Zhangxiong Wu","doi":"10.1038/s41545-026-00617-z","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1038/s41545-026-00617-z","url":null,"abstract":"Catalytic ozonation is often limited by inefficient ozone utilization at gas–liquid–solid interfaces and sluggish mineralization of refractory oxidation intermediates. Here, we report a facile and potentially scalable molecular foaming strategy to construct macroporous Mn–Ce binary oxides (HP-MnCeO) that integrate interconnected diffusion pathways with coupled Mn2+/Mn3+/Mn4+ and Ce3+/Ce4+ redox cycles. The optimized HP-70MnCeO exhibited enhanced deep oxidation capability, achieving 68% total organic carbon removal during carbamazepine ozonation, while only moderately accelerating parent compound degradation compared with ozonation alone. Compared with mesoporous counterparts, HP-70MnCeO delivered a 1.7-fold higher apparent reaction rate and promoted more efficient transformation of refractory intermediates, despite its lower surface area. It also accelerated ozone decomposition by 6–12 times compared with single-metal oxides, demonstrating improved ozone activation and utilization. Finite element simulations indicate that macropores enhance O3 and pollutant transport, while density functional theory suggests preferential O3 adsorption at Mn–Ce bridge sites. HP-70MnCeO maintained stable activity with negligible Mn leaching (0.01 mg/L) during cycling tests and enabled continuous-flow treatment of real wastewater. This work provides a strategy for designing macroporous multimetal oxide catalysts with enhanced mineralization efficiency for practical ozone-based water purification.","PeriodicalId":19375,"journal":{"name":"npj Clean Water","volume":"48 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":11.4,"publicationDate":"2026-08-14","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148728864","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"工程技术","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

引用次数: 0

Upcycling tonne-scale furniture into 3D solar steam generators for water harvesting and carbon mitigation 将吨级家具升级为3D太阳能蒸汽发生器，用于集水和减少碳排放

IF 11.4 1区工程技术

npj Clean Water Pub Date : 2026-08-13 DOI: 10.1038/s41545-026-00603-5

Chih-Cheng Kao, Shang-Wen Wei, You-Rui Chen

引用次数: 0