Discover Water最新文献

{"title":"Wastewater-based surveillance for community exposome surveillance, Louisville, Kentucky.","authors":"Lu Cai, Rochelle H Holm, Donald J Biddle, Charlie H Zhang, Daymond Talley, Ted Smith, J Christopher States","doi":"10.1007/s43832-026-00376-5","DOIUrl":"10.1007/s43832-026-00376-5","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Exposomics research has primarily focused on individual exposures relevant to precision environmental health. Community exposomics is an emerging concept that seeks to connect community-level exposures to public health, but clear, practical ways to scale surveillance from individuals to communities-especially using wastewater to determine community chemical exposures-remain limited. We address this issue by applying wastewater-based surveillance for community exposome surveillance, allowing detection of neighborhood- and multi-neighborhood-scale exposure to environmental toxicants. Influent wastewater samples from 24 sites and tap water samples from five sites in the same areas were analyzed using an Inductively Coupled Plasma Quadrupole Mass Spectrometer to quantify 26 metals. Exposure levels vary across the county: 20 of 24 sites had at least one metal level exceeding 1 standard deviation (SD) above the mean and were designated areas of concern. Additionally, 14 of the 20 sites were designated as having increased concern, with levels greater than 2 SD above the mean. Our findings contribute to a better understanding of how wastewater-based surveillance can serve as a tool for transitioning from individual- to community-scale exposome assessment, with neighborhood- and multi-neighborhood-scale metal variance observed across a single county. A place-based community health exposomics surveillance model that leverages wastewater may be a promising approach for future public health action.</p><p><strong>Supplementary information: </strong>The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s43832-026-00376-5.</p>","PeriodicalId":29971,"journal":{"name":"Discover Water","volume":"6 1","pages":"57"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2026-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13095899/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147783153","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"The influence of backwashing strategy on floc accumulation and organic carbon content in full-scale biofilters.","authors":"Zoé Jeaurond, Jedediah Rode, Joshua Elliott, Onita D Basu","doi":"10.1007/s43832-026-00452-w","DOIUrl":"10.1007/s43832-026-00452-w","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>This study investigates backwashing strategies under full scale conditions with analysis focused on pairing washed filter media associated turbidity with dissolved organic carbon (DOC) removal. A core sampling monitoring program was implemented on full-scale biofilters at two water treatment plants to assess these monitoring tools under varying seasonal and operational conditions. Despite processing the same water source with similar pre-treatment methods (flocculation, coagulation, sedimentation), notable differences were observed between biofilters, showing the importance of site-specific evaluations. The findings indicate that backwashing that included air scouring was more effective than hydraulic backwashing alone in floc removal, with reduced air scour durations maintaining efficiency. Ineffective backwashing led to high floc retention turbidity across filter depths, particularly in systems relying solely on hydraulic wash. Interestingly, filters using hydraulic backwashing, despite failing to meet floc retention guidelines, achieved higher DOC removals suggesting that current floc retention guidelines may be too low for biofilters. Additionally, Fluorescence Excitation-Emission Matrix (FEEM) analysis indicated higher soluble microbial by-product fluorescence in specific filter groups, correlating with higher effluent DOC levels. These findings highlight the distinct nature of biofilters compared to conventional filters, and the importance of additional considerations for backwashing practices and effective DOC removal emphasizing the need for tailored monitoring tools with biofiltration.</p>","PeriodicalId":29971,"journal":{"name":"Discover Water","volume":"6 1","pages":"115"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2026-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13601076/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"149040950","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Cresol salting out and complexation with metal salts influence their migration in impacted aquifers.","authors":"Renato Souza Lima Sant'Anna, Alejandro G Marangoni, Erica Pensini","doi":"10.1007/s43832-026-00402-6","DOIUrl":"10.1007/s43832-026-00402-6","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Salts and transition metals commonly co-occur with phenolic co-pollutants in impacted aquifers and treatment reactors, yet their combined effects on phenol speciation, transport, and removability remain poorly constrained. Here we examine how chloride and sulfate salts of Na, Zn, Fe, and Cu alter the mixing behavior of m-cresol and p-cresol in water and the downstream consequences for mobility and filtration. Bottle tests and optical microscopy show that 0.1-0.5 M electrolytes decrease cresol miscibility and generate polydisperse cresol-rich droplets. Conductor-like Screening Model for Realistic Solvation (COSMO-RS) calculations support salt-driven increases in cresol activity consistent with salting out. Beyond phase separation, metal identity and counter-ion strongly influence cresol association: attenuated total reflectance-Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (ATR-FTIR) reveals isomer-dependent new bands (815 cm⁻¹ for m-cresol; 775 cm⁻¹ for p-cresol) in selected systems, indicating formation of salt- and isomer-specific cresol-metal species, particularly in chloride media, while sulfate salts suppress or alter these signatures. Density-based \"perfect cresol-water separation\" predictions indicate that most divalent brines at 0.5 M should buoy cresol. However, observed flotation/sinking deviates systematically where metal association and iron (oxyhydr)oxide floc formation promote droplet densification and entrainment. Using Stokes-Einstein scaling and a geometric straining model, we show that salt-induced droplets shift cresol transport from purely molecular diffusion to size-dependent particle mobility, with multi-micron droplets increasingly susceptible to pore-throat exclusion in finer media. Collectively, these results link electrolyte-driven demixing and complexation to cresol migration pathways, which should inform the management of impacted sites.</p><p><strong>Supplementary information: </strong>The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s43832-026-00402-6.</p>","PeriodicalId":29971,"journal":{"name":"Discover Water","volume":"6 1","pages":"95"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2026-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13506607/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148833097","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Lignin, tannic acid and gallic acid reduce sulfolane miscibility in water with implications for pollutant migration and water treatment.","authors":"Erica Pensini, Renato Souza Lima Sant'Anna, Alejandro G Marangoni","doi":"10.1007/s43832-026-00369-4","DOIUrl":"10.1007/s43832-026-00369-4","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Sulfolane is a groundwater and surface water pollutant. Phenolic and polyphenolic compounds are found in plants and are ubiquitous in natural environments. Sulfolane is fully miscible in pure water, but its interactions with polyphenols decrease its miscibility. Lignin, a polyphenol immiscible in water, phase separates sulfolane from water, potentially impacting its migration in water. Sulfolane also interacts with tannic acid (a polyphenol) and gallic acid (a phenol), as seen by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy and mechanistic simulations. These compounds are highly water-soluble and do not induce the macroscopic separation of sulfolane from water, but they form smaller clusters with sulfolane. Polyvinyl pyrrolidone flocculates gallic acid-sulfolane clusters, promoting their separation into larger droplets. Also, ferric iron forms complexes with gallic acid and sulfolane, promoting their sorption onto zero valent iron particles to achieve a removal of 224 ± 18 mg sulfolane/g zero valent iron within 30 s.</p><p><strong>Graphical abstract: </strong></p>","PeriodicalId":29971,"journal":{"name":"Discover Water","volume":"6 1","pages":"50"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2026-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13048964/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147623867","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Risk-based prioritization of operation and maintenance indicators for school sanitation decision support in Kampala City, Uganda.","authors":"Jude Zziwa Byansi, Swaib Semiyaga, Alex Yasoni Katukiza, Najib Lukooya Bateganya, Angella Mercy Nakaye, Frank Kansiime, Robinah Nakawunde Kulabako","doi":"10.1007/s43832-026-00412-4","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1007/s43832-026-00412-4","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Effective operation and maintenance (O&M) of sanitation facilities are vital for ensuring consistent service delivery in schools, yet many low- and middle-income contexts continue to face challenges stemming from reactive maintenance practices and weak management systems. This study developed and applied a risk-based approach to identify and prioritize O&M processes that most threaten the continuity of sanitation services in Kampala City schools. Using a cross-sectional workshop-based design, 106 head teachers and 99 sanitation teachers from 205 schools assessed the status, likelihood, and severity of failure for 33 indicators across six O&M domains. Risk scores were computed following the adapted World Health Organization's Sanitation Safety Planning framework, and indicators were ranked using median (P50) and upper-quartile (P75) statistics to identify priority areas. The results showed that 46% of the indicators were rated as low risk, 24% as medium risk, and 30% as high risk, with no indicator classified as very high-risk. Material supply and use management, toilet cleanliness, preventive maintenance schedules, menstrual hygiene material provision, and sanitation budget-line implementation were identified as the most critical areas requiring attention. Although several monitoring and evaluation indicators ranked as lower risk, this reflects their strong current performance rather than a reduced importance in sustaining sanitation services. The findings highlight that the main threats to sanitation service reliability arise from weak O&M practices and resource management processes rather than infrastructure deficits. Targeting preventive maintenance, supply management, and budget execution provides a practical pathway for strengthening the functionality, reliability, and continuity of sanitation services within resource-limited school environments.</p><p><strong>Graphical abstract: </strong></p><p><strong>Supplementary information: </strong>The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s43832-026-00412-4.</p>","PeriodicalId":29971,"journal":{"name":"Discover Water","volume":"6 1","pages":"89"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2026-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13481572/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148798757","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Biosurfactant-producing bacteria counteract hydrocarbon-driven delay of sulfolane migration in groundwater.","authors":"Erica Pensini, Caitlyn Hsiung, Alejandro G Marangoni","doi":"10.1007/s43832-025-00228-8","DOIUrl":"10.1007/s43832-025-00228-8","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Sulfolane is a worldwide water-soluble pollutant, which typically migrates rapidly in impacted aquifers, with risks to water bodies and drinking water wells. Sulfolane migration may be delayed in sites co-polluted by hydrocarbons, which move more slowly and in which sulfolane partitions. However, when bacteria such as <i>Pseudomonas aeruginosa</i> aerobically biodegrade hydrocarbons and sulfolane, they generate biosurfactants (such as rhamnolipids). These enclose sulfolane within micelles and droplets, as seen by optical microscopy, and hamper its partitioning into hydrocarbons, as shown by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy. Therefore, biosurfactants have the potential to accelerate sulfolane migration in groundwater, compared to scenarios where biosurfactant-producing bacteria are absent. These findings will aid safe management of impacted sites, where aerobic bacterial bioremediation is used for pollutant clean-up. When aerobic bacterial activity is promoted to enable pollutant biodegradation, sulfolane migration may accelerate before clean-up is complete, begging for careful monitoring of pollutant plumes.</p><p><strong>Graphical abstract: </strong></p>","PeriodicalId":29971,"journal":{"name":"Discover Water","volume":"5 1","pages":"36"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2025-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC12092487/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144128880","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Water security in Mbagathi and Stony Athi catchments within Kenya's SGR corridor under environmental and socio-economic change.","authors":"Catherine C Sang, Daniel O Olago","doi":"10.1007/s43832-025-00251-9","DOIUrl":"10.1007/s43832-025-00251-9","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Water insecurity, driven by urbanization, population growth, land use and climate change, poses a global challenge. This study examines water supply and demand trends in the Mbagathi-Stony Athi sub-catchments, highlighting urbanization's impact in a semi-arid context. Using GIS, and the WEAP model, various scenarios were simulated. Results show annual rainfall increased insignificantly (<i>p</i> = 0.61) from 1981 to 2019. By 2063, rainfall is projected to rise by 12.43% (RCP 4.5) and 21.02% (RCP 8.5). Mean temperature increased by 0.88 °C (1981-2019) and is projected to rise by 1.70 °C (RCP 4.5) and 1.75 °C (RCP 8.5) by 2063. Land use analysis (2000-2019) showed a 53.67% increase in built-up areas and a 99.32% decline in wetlands. Between 2000 and 2019, the annual supply, demand, and unmet demand increased by 171.64%, 147.56%, and 73%, respectively. Land use changes between 2000 and 2019, particularly the increase in shrublands and decline in bare land, contributed to a 25.51% decrease in surface runoff and a 3.55% rise in total annual evapotranspiration. Future projections indicate surface runoff decreases of up to 4.47% under RCP 4.5 and increases of 9.38% under RCP 8.5. Potential evapotranspiration is projected to rise by 23.39% (reference), 16.44% (RCP 4.5), and 11.19% (RCP 8.5). Water demand will increase across all scenarios, peaking at 184% under high urbanization, while unmet demand will rise by up to 162.47% under irrigation expansion. Water scarcity is expected to worsen due to climate change, population growth, and land use shifts. These findings inform sustainable water resource management in development corridors.</p>","PeriodicalId":29971,"journal":{"name":"Discover Water","volume":"5 1","pages":"51"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2025-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC12241286/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144627265","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Towards low energy greywater treatment of surfactants and pathogens.","authors":"Zachary Bogart, Aksana Atrashkevich, Jirapat Ananpattarachai, Shahnawaz Sinha, Sergi Garcia-Segura, Paul Westerhoff","doi":"10.1007/s43832-025-00295-x","DOIUrl":"10.1007/s43832-025-00295-x","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Greywater reuse in households and off-grid applications is growing in response to water scarcity. Effective treatment technologies must balance water quality, efficiency, and low energy or chemical inputs. This study presents a low-energy, non-biological greywater treatment system using foam fractionation and in situ electrochlorination, leveraging ambient chloride in greywater. Designed for handwashing stations and household reuse, the system treats up to 450 L day^- 1 using < 1 kWh day^- 1 of energy with no chemical dosing. Among six screened physical-chemical processes, foam fractionation was the only method achieving > 80% COD removal with high water recovery. Smaller diffuser pore sizes and lower air flowrates improved COD removal by increasing bubble surface area, though at the cost of water recovery. Pulsed aeration improved water recovery by ~ 20% with minimal COD performance loss. Surfactant behavior, correlated with the critical micelle concentration (CMC), strongly influenced foam stability and COD removal. Both free and combined chlorine residuals were successfully generated via in situ electrochlorination, using only the chloride ions naturally present in greywater. In situ electrochlorination following foam treatment generated up to 0.53 mg L^- 1 of residual chlorine. Foam fractionation with small-pore diffusers removed surfactants and other compounds that inhibit chlorine generation, such as CAPB, SDS, and anions, improving disinfection outcomes. The system achieved > 70% COD removal and > 80% water recovery. This integrated, chemical-free system provides a promising solution for decentralized greywater reuse. With further optimization, it may consistently achieve < 50 mg L^- 1 COD and adequate disinfection, supporting sustainable hygiene in low-resource settings.</p><p><strong>Supplementary information: </strong>The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s43832-025-00295-x.</p>","PeriodicalId":29971,"journal":{"name":"Discover Water","volume":"5 1","pages":"96"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2025-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC12568821/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145410220","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Lead levels and abundance of microplastics in surface water and sediment along a rural–urban river gradient","authors":"Sienna A. Lightman, Sydney Moyo","doi":"10.1007/s43832-024-00153-2","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1007/s43832-024-00153-2","url":null,"abstract":"Microplastics are commonly found in aquatic ecosystems and can pose environmental threats to aquatic organisms. While the threats of microplastic ubiquity are recognized, few studies have concomitantly quantified microplastic abundance and heavy metals along a rural–urban river continuum. In the current study, we studied changes in microplastics and heavy metals (using lead as a proxy) by collecting sediment and water samples along a rural–urban river over two seasons (temperate spring and summer) and across five sites in a North American River. Our results revealed that microplastics decreased in a downstream direction in surface water but did not change predictably in sediment samples collected along the river continuum. Regarding the relationship between microplastic abundance and lead concentrations, we found a positive relationship between microplastics in sediment samples and lead concentrations. Contrariwise, we found no discernible correlation between microplastics in surface water and lead concentrations along the river continuum. Given the presence of microplastics at every site and moderate lead pollution documented in the Wolf River, our results provide baseline data that can aid in the concurrent assessment of microplastics and heavy metals in river systems. These findings can inform environmental managers in planning pollution management strategies for waterways flowing through rural–urban areas.","PeriodicalId":29971,"journal":{"name":"Discover Water","volume":"4 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2024-10-30","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://link.springer.com/content/pdf/10.1007/s43832-024-00153-2.pdf","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147899644","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Optimizing water supply systems in developing regions: a sustainable approach using ESCO model system for urban water supply in Dehradun, India","authors":"Paritosh Singh Rana, Ram Swaroop Uniyal, Krishana Pallava Chamola, Ashish Kumar Srivastava","doi":"10.1007/s43832-024-00107-8","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1007/s43832-024-00107-8","url":null,"abstract":"","PeriodicalId":29971,"journal":{"name":"Discover Water","volume":"71 19","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2024-08-09","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"141922494","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}