Water Research最新文献

{"title":"Nanoplastics Induce Prophage Activation and Quorum Sensing to Enhance Biofilm Mechanical and Chemical Resilience","authors":"Haibo Wang, Hui Chen, Chujin Ruan, Jingqiu Liao, Cory Schwarz, Baoyou Shi, Pedro J.J. Alvarez, Pingfeng Yu","doi":"10.1016/j.watres.2025.124712","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.watres.2025.124712","url":null,"abstract":"Despite the prevalence of nanoplastics (NPs) in natural and engineered water systems and their association with microbial risks, bacterium-phage interactions have been largely overlooked in the context of biofilm formation. Here, we investigated the effects of positively (PS-NH₂) and negatively (PS-COOH) charged polystyrene nanoplastics (PS-NPs) on dual-species biofilms composed of <em>Escherichia coli</em> (λ+) and <em>Pseudomonas aeruginosa</em>. PS-NPs promoted biofilm formation and stability at environmentally relevant concentrations (e.g., 100-1000 ng/L), with PS-NH₂ exhibiting higher influence. The cellular internalization of PS-NPs increased the reactive oxygen species (ROS) levels by 2.18-2.25 folds, triggered prophage λ activation followed by lysis of E. coli (λ+) after exposure to PS-NPs. Transcriptomic analyses revealed that PS-NPs, especially PS-NH₂, activated the SOS response (2.35-2.63-fold), λ phage replication (2.68-3.97-fold), and interspecies quorum sensing (2.24-5.13-fold), which was verified by the proteomic analyses. Therefore, PS-NPs stimulated protective extracellular polymeric substances (EPS) secretion with eDNA content increased to 325.8-433.8 μg/cm². Enhanced EPS production contributed to improved biofilm mechanical properties (1.46-1.57-fold as measured by atomic force microscopy) and increased resistance to chlorine disinfection. Metagenomic analysis of pipeline biofilm demonstrated that PS-NPs promoted bacterium-phage interactions and enhanced bacterial antiviral defense systems, which stimulated multi-species biofilm formation and enhanced environmental resilience. Overall, our findings provide novel insights into the interplay between nanoplastics and bacterium-phage dynamics, highlighting increased microbial risks associated with waterborne nanoplastics.","PeriodicalId":443,"journal":{"name":"Water Research","volume":"101 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":12.8,"publicationDate":"2025-10-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145203121","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":"Efficient metal removal from digested sludge and supernatant by nitrification-driven acidifying leaching and denitrification-driven alkalizing precipitation","authors":"Chenkai Niu, Tao Liu, Zheng Kong, Suicao Wang, Min Zheng, Jianhua Guo, Shihu Hu","doi":"10.1016/j.watres.2025.124707","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.watres.2025.124707","url":null,"abstract":"The transfer of heavy metals from wastewater to sludge necessitates proper sludge management. This study proposed a two-step bioprocess, utilizing pH variations during nitrification (decreasing pH) and denitrification (increasing pH) to achieve heavy metals removal from digested sludge and supernatant, alongside simultaneous nitrogen removal in the sludge supernatant. In the first stage, digested sludge was acidified to a pH of approximately 2 through ammonia oxidation, facilitated by acid-tolerant ammonia-oxidizing bacteria (AOB). This step resulted in metal solubilization efficiencies of 84.1 ± 2.5% for Cu, 94.5 ± 2.3% for Zn, 83.9 ± 2.5% for Mg, and 72.3 ± 2.2% for Al. In the second stage, the metal ions and nitrogen-rich sludge supernatant derived from bioleaching were introduced into a hydrogen/carbon dioxide (H₂/CO₂)-based membrane biofilm reactor (MBfR). During this process, denitrification raised the pH to above 7, leading to nitrogen removal efficiencies exceeding 90% and the precipitation of over 90% of Cu, Zn, and Al. Long-term operation of the system revealed the presence of volatile fatty acids (VFAs) in MBfR, which functioned as secondary electron donors alongside hydrogen, as confirmed by <em>in situ</em> batch assays. Furthermore, microbial analysis identified denitrifiers (e.g., <em>Comamonas, Denitratisoma</em>) and fermenters (e.g., <em>Sporomusa</em>) within the biofilm, substantiating the biological processes underpinning the treatment. Overall, this two-step biological treatment effectively removed metals from sludge without reliance on external acids or alkalis, which promotes sustainable waste management practices.","PeriodicalId":443,"journal":{"name":"Water Research","volume":"115 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":12.8,"publicationDate":"2025-10-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145203124","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":"Mechanical resistance of higher EPS contents in larger granules restricts anammox bacterial growth","authors":"Dongdong Xu, Tao Liu, Jiahui Fan, Wenda Chen, Yiyu Li, Meng Zhang, Ping Zheng, Jianhua Guo","doi":"10.1016/j.watres.2025.124705","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.watres.2025.124705","url":null,"abstract":"Extracellular polymeric substances (EPS) are core granular components, playing critical roles in its structural stability. However, little is known about the effect of EPS on bacterial growth due to physical and mechanical resistances posed by EPS matrix. Herein, anaerobic ammonium oxidation (anammox) granules with different sizes and EPS contents were collected from a full-scale plant. Using ¹³C isotope labelling and qPCR assays, we confirmed that larger granules with higher EPS content exhibited the higher maximum nitrogen removal activity but much lower bacterial growth yield, resulting in a significantly lower maximum specific growth rate (-26.8%), compared to smaller granules. Metagenomic sequencing revealed that anammox species were identical in different granules, and actual EPS production yields were similar in 15-day incubation, ruling out the possibility that more energy was diverted to produce additional EPS in larger granules. Interestingly, the EPS mechanical strength was significantly greater in large granules, which reduced cell membrane fluidity and severely deformed bacterial cells. These mechanical constraints imposed by the dense EPS matrix limited anammox bacterial proliferation and reduced their growth yield. Using low-intensity ultrasound to loosen EPS structure improved the growth yield of anammox bacteria in large granules, while also enhancing nitrogen removal activity. These together contributed to a substantial increase in bacterial growth rate (+153.3%). The findings highlight that physical and mechanical resistance imposed by EPS plays a previously overlooked role in bacterial growth, and provide the basis for promoting anammox bacterial proliferation within granules.","PeriodicalId":443,"journal":{"name":"Water Research","volume":"8 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":12.8,"publicationDate":"2025-10-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145203181","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":"Fast and Eco-friendly Sulfidation of Zero-Valent Iron Using Elemental Sulfur and Geobacter Sulfurreducens for Groundwater Remediation","authors":"Runze Li, Liang Zhang, Yanduo Yang, Weiqi Zhang, Yuming Zhen, Jianliang Sun, Feng Jiang","doi":"10.1016/j.watres.2025.124706","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.watres.2025.124706","url":null,"abstract":"Sulfidated zero-valent iron (S-ZVI) with high electron selectivity and reactivity toward contaminants is a promising reagent for groundwater remediation. However, the widely-used chemical and mechanical sulfidation methods to prepare S-ZVI are often chemical- or energy-intensive. Biogenic sulfidation method relying on sulfate-reducing bacteria (SRB) are considered as green methods, yet are time-consuming and may release toxic and odorous hydrogen sulfide gas. Instead, elemental sulfur (S⁰) as sulfur precursor may avoid prolonged preparation time and hydrogen sulfide emission. However, elemental sulfur is difficult to be utilized by SRB so as to hinder the production rate of S-ZVI. In this study, therefore, we proposed a novel biogenic sulfidation method using <em>Geobacter sulfurreducens</em> (PCA) to achieve fast, low-cost and eco-friendly S-ZVI preparation with insoluble S⁰ and Fe⁰ powders. The results showed that the successful sulfidation of ZVI using PCA strains and S⁰ without the addition of organic carbon was achieved within 2 hours, 13 times faster than SRB mediated sulfidation. The rate of hexavalent chromium removal by the PCA<em>-</em>synthesized S-ZVI was 68% higher than that by SRB-synthesized S-ZVI. The fast sulfidation proceeded via the reductive dissolution of iron oxide passivation layer on ZVI by PCA and the enhanced electron transfer between ZVI and S⁰ mediated by conductive PCA cells. The PCA-mediated sulfidation minimized the potential secondary pollution associated hydrogen sulfide and chemical consumption for the S-ZVI preparation. This study demonstrated a fast, chemical-saving and eco-friendly approach for S-ZVI preparation, which could be an ideal solution for groundwater remediation.","PeriodicalId":443,"journal":{"name":"Water Research","volume":"1 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":12.8,"publicationDate":"2025-10-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145203123","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":"Electrochemical ammonia recovery from wastewater: the critical roles of electrode engineering toward scale-up","authors":"Dejia Liu, Jixin Yuan, Panyu Ren, Le Shi, Zhiping Zhu, Changyong Zhang, Hongmin Dong, Dezhao Liu","doi":"10.1016/j.watres.2025.124708","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.watres.2025.124708","url":null,"abstract":"Ammonia is indispensable for producing fertilizers that sustain the global population, yet its agricultural application contributes significantly to water pollution. Electrochemical technologies offer a renewable-energy-driven and chemical-free pathway for recovering ammonia directly from wastewater, representing a critical step toward a circular nitrogen economy and net-zero emissions in the wastewater sector. Nevertheless, translating lab-scale advances to industrialization remains constrained by technological hurdles. Emerging electrode-engineering strategies promise scalable, membrane-less electrochemical systems, yet a systematic and comparative assessment is lacking. In this review, we first present the electrochemical ammonia recovery pathway and elucidate the mechanisms of various electrode materials in this process. Secondly, we critically evaluate state-of-the-art scalable electrode systems for electrochemical ammonia recovery. Thirdly, we comparatively analyze the ammonia recovery performance at both the electrode-material and electrode-system levels, comprehensively discussing the current challenges and future research opportunities toward technological scale-up. Finally, we outline key research targets toward next-generation electrochemical engineering for sustainable ammonia recovery and wastewater treatment.","PeriodicalId":443,"journal":{"name":"Water Research","volume":"114 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":12.8,"publicationDate":"2025-10-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145203178","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":"Reactive transport and retention of Cd, Pb, and Zn under coexisting multimetal-xanthate conditions in porous media","authors":"Bowen Luo ,&nbsp;Kouping Chen ,&nbsp;Xianwu Zheng ,&nbsp;Jichun Wu ,&nbsp;Ping Li ,&nbsp;Huali Chen","doi":"10.1016/j.watres.2025.124713","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.watres.2025.124713","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>The geochemical fate of heavy metals in mining regions is significantly complicated by the coupled effects of residual flotation reagents and the co-existence of multiple metals. Combining column transport experiments and spectroscopic characterization, this study developed a Multisurface Speciation Model (MSM) to describe the reaction processes between cadmium (Cd), lead (Pb), and zinc (Zn) and key retention components including iron oxides, organic matter, clay minerals, and ethyl xanthate (EX), to quantitatively elucidate the impact of system complexity and EX-loaded concentration on their transport and retention behaviors in actual porous media. First, increasing the EX-loaded concentration from 0 to 1 mmol/L enhanced overall retention and inhibited the transport of all the three metals. Conversely, increasing system complexity from single-metal to multimetal systems diminished overall retention and enhanced transport. EX loading established EX as a dominant component for metal retention and concurrently suppressed the retention contribution of other soil components. However, the transition from single metal systems to ternary metal systems led to the intensified competition between metals and EX, thereby reducing the adsorption of EX onto the porous media and consequently weakening its overall capacity to retain the heavy metals, with the EX-retained concentrations of Cd, Pb, and Zn decreasing by 78.62 %, 52.44 %, and 80.46 %, respectively. The characterization results demonstrated that while the introduction of EX enhanced heavy metal retention through introducing new sulfur-containing functional groups, increasing the net negative surface charge, and promoting metal-immobilizing sulfidation reactions, the enhancement was significantly offset in multimetal systems by the intensified inter-metal competition and by a concurrent weakening of electrostatic attraction. This study successfully deconvolved the dual effects of EX loading and multimetal competition on the transport and retention of Cd, Pb, and Zn, offering a new perspective on the fate of heavy metals in xanthate-affected systems.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":443,"journal":{"name":"Water Research","volume":"288 ","pages":"Article 124713"},"PeriodicalIF":12.4,"publicationDate":"2025-10-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145203177","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":"Environmental co-exposure to roxarsone and heavy metals drives bacterial antibiotic multidrug resistance via genetic and phenotypic adaptations","authors":"Qian-He Liu, Li Yuan, Zheng-Hao Li, Kenneth Mei Yee Leung, Guo-Ping Sheng","doi":"10.1016/j.watres.2025.124682","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.watres.2025.124682","url":null,"abstract":"Agricultural wastewater, a significant component of the anthropogenic water cycle, often contains complex mixtures of contaminants, including non-antibiotic feed additives, posing largely uncharacterized risks for antimicrobial resistance (AMR) evolution. This study addresses the critical knowledge gap regarding the combined impact of commonly co-occurring roxarsone (ROX) and heavy metals (Zn, Cu) at environmentally relevant concentrations on the <em>de novo</em> evolution and persistence of multidrug resistance in aquatic environments. Using a 90-day laboratory evolution experiment with <em>Escherichia coli</em>, we demonstrate that while ROX alone induced moderate resistance (e.g., 6.2-fold increase in minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) for chloramphenicol), co-exposure with Zn and Cu synergistically drove multidrug tolerance to nine antibiotics and selected for stable, heritable resistance to chloramphenicol, tetracycline, and kanamycin (up to 8.2-fold MIC increase). This robust resistance persisted even after pollutant removal, highlighting a significant long-term threat to water quality and public health via the dissemination of resilient AMR bacteria from agricultural sources. Co-exposure intensified oxidative stress-induced mutagenesis and selected for key adaptive strategies enhancing bacterial survival and AMR persistence in contaminated water. These include upregulated efflux pumps, increased secretion of extracellular polymeric substances (1.1-3.2-fold), enhanced motility (1.1-1.5-fold), and cell filamentation (lengths 2.4-8.2-fold greater). These findings illuminate a potent, previously underestimated environmental pathway where mixtures of common agricultural pollutants in wastewater synergistically select for persistent multidrug resistance. This research underscores the urgent need to revise water quality criteria and wastewater treatment paradigms to address the co-selection pressures exerted by non-antibiotic chemical mixtures in aquatic ecosystems.","PeriodicalId":443,"journal":{"name":"Water Research","volume":"54 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":12.8,"publicationDate":"2025-09-29","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145183129","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":"Bioinspired polyethylene/boron nitride woven mesh integrating heterogeneous wettability and radiation cooling for water recycling of cooling tower","authors":"Feicong Fan ,&nbsp;Kang Zhou ,&nbsp;Yu Du ,&nbsp;Weilong Zhou ,&nbsp;Jiabao Lu ,&nbsp;Heng Xie ,&nbsp;Ting Wu","doi":"10.1016/j.watres.2025.124699","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.watres.2025.124699","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Industrial cooling towers, consuming ∼50 % of global industrial water, incur significant losses via evaporation, drift, and blowdown. To address this challenge, we developed a melting blending and extrusion-drawing method to fabricate spider-web inspired woven mesh based on polyethylene/boron nitride composites. The bioinspired mesh integrates heterogeneous wettability with radiative cooling to efficiently harvest water from the cooling tower. The bioinspired woven mesh exhibited a strong mid-infrared emissivity of 96.46 % and a temperature reduction of 6.68 °C is achieved. The micro/nanostructure-induced heterogeneous wettability synergized with radiative cooling to enhance droplet nucleation and growth, boosting water recycling efficiency by 54.67 % compared to conventional meshes. When applied to the water recycling of the cooling tower, the bioinspired woven mesh achieved a water recycling rate of 13.58 kg m⁻² h⁻¹ with a recovery efficiency of 71.46 %. Furthermore, the water recycling efficiency and material properties of the bioinspired woven mesh remained stable after 30 days of outdoor testing and 72 h of continuous UV irradiation of 0.5 W cm⁻², ensuring long-term durability for sustainable water recovery in industrial applications. Critically, global implementation of this spider-web-inspired woven mesh in industrial cooling towers could conserve ∼149.0 billion m³ of water annually. This rapid, efficient strategy addresses key challenges in cooling tower water recycling through synergistic heterogeneous wettability and radiative cooling.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":443,"journal":{"name":"Water Research","volume":"288 ","pages":"Article 124699"},"PeriodicalIF":12.4,"publicationDate":"2025-09-29","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145188918","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":"Double filament feed spacers for enhanced performance in reverse osmosis modules","authors":"Najat A. Amin ,&nbsp;Adnan Qamar ,&nbsp;Henry J. Tanudjaja ,&nbsp;Sarah Kerdi ,&nbsp;Ho Kyong Shon ,&nbsp;Noreddine Ghaffour","doi":"10.1016/j.watres.2025.124696","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.watres.2025.124696","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Optimizing feed spacer geometry can significantly improve the efficiency of reverse osmosis (RO) modules through enhanced hydrodynamics. In this study, a novel symmetrical spacer is developed to mitigate concentration polarization and enhance RO performance. The proposed double filament spacer design features double elliptical or circular filaments separated by a slit along their length, connected by column-type nodes. Flow simulations, a type of computational fluid dynamics simulation in which the Navier-Stokes equations are numerically solved without relying on turbulence models, provided a fundamental analysis of double filament spacer performance. These reveal an even velocity distribution and increased flow mixing induced by the double filament, regardless of the cross-section type. Moreover, additional vortices were promoted downstream of the double filament spacer nodes, producing a jetting effect. This phenomenon helped to reduce the polarization region on the membrane surface and improve the permeation potential, as confirmed by salt concentration and permeation velocity computations. Although both double filament spacers outperformed the commercial design, the circular double filament spacer exhibited higher permeation and lower salt deposition capabilities than the elliptical-shaped filaments. Furthermore, the practical effectiveness of a double filament spacer was experimentally assessed in the RO system. Both spacers showed the potential to enhance flux production and specific flux relative to commercial design, with an enhancement reaching 68 % in the case of the circular double filament spacer. Utilizing this spacer also demonstrated a substantial reduction in pressure drop by 35 %. Therefore, the novel double filament spacer design, particularly the circular filament type, appears well-suited for achieving highly efficient and low-energy performance in RO module elements.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":443,"journal":{"name":"Water Research","volume":"288 ","pages":"Article 124696"},"PeriodicalIF":12.4,"publicationDate":"2025-09-29","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145183125","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":"Carbonate radicals in environmental systems: mechanistic insights and engineering applications","authors":"Zhantao Cai, Gancheng Zuo, Liping Huang, Xiaoyu Lou, Guoyang Zhang, Huan He, Shujuan Zhang","doi":"10.1016/j.watres.2025.124703","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.watres.2025.124703","url":null,"abstract":"Carbonate radical (CO₃^•−) is prevalent in both natural environments and engineered water treatment systems, originating from reactions between carbonate species (CO₃²⁻/HCO₃⁻) and free radicals or triplet states of dissolved organic matter (³DOM*). Its significant roles in environmental oxidation, advanced oxidative water treatment, and cellular oxidative damage are increasingly recognized. Despite extensive research on CO₃^•−, a gap remains in comprehensive reviews addressing its kinetics and mechanisms in pollutant removal and environmental impact. This review synthesizes previous studies, tracing the historical recognition of CO₃^•− in environmental sciences and comparing various detection methods. The reaction rate constants of CO₃^•− with organic contaminants (<em>k</em>_CO3•−) are summarized, and the relationship between pollutant structure and reactivity is explored. Reaction mechanisms and the selectivity of CO₃^•− are critically evaluated in comparison to other common radicals, such as hydroxyl (HO^•) and sulfate (SO₄^•−). Furthermore, the dual roles of CO₃^•− as both primary and secondary radicals in advanced oxidation processes (AOPs), along with its impact on degradation pathways and byproduct toxicity, are assessed. Finally, the environmental implications of CO₃^•−, including its contributions to self-purification, metal transport, and biological oxidative damage, are discussed. This review aims to offer a comprehensive framework for understanding CO₃^•− in environmental contexts, enhancing its application in AOP systems and natural remediation.","PeriodicalId":443,"journal":{"name":"Water Research","volume":"54 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":12.8,"publicationDate":"2025-09-29","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145183126","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}