ACS ES&T engineering最新文献

{"title":"Advances for Sustainable Development: Environmental Engineering Innovations from India","authors":"Abhijit Mukherjee, Bernaurdshaw Neppolian, Ligy Philip, Swatantra Singh, Tarun Gupta, Venkata Krishnan, Kunal Gupta, Wonyong Choi","doi":"10.1021/acsestengg.6c00844","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1021/acsestengg.6c00844","url":null,"abstract":"","PeriodicalId":7008,"journal":{"name":"ACS ES&T engineering","volume":"6 10","pages":"2717–2721"},"PeriodicalIF":6.3,"publicationDate":"2026-10-09","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"149124884","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}

{"title":"Engineering Metrics for Full-Scale Viability of PFAS Sorbent Regeneration","authors":"Alison L. Ling,&nbsp;Ayman N. Saber,&nbsp;Hooman Vatankhah,&nbsp;Fuhar Dixit,&nbsp;Mohamed Ateia","doi":"10.1021/acsestengg.6c00580","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1021/acsestengg.6c00580","url":null,"abstract":"<p>Evolving global regulations of per- and polyfluoroalkylsubstances(PFASs) are driving rapid expansion of sorbent-based treatment indrinking water and industrial effluents. Granular activated carbonand anion-exchange resins remain among the best available technologies,yet the sustainability and cost of full-scale sorbent replacementor regeneration have become critical challenges. Meanwhile, noveladsorbents commonly promise both a higher affinity to remove PFASand ease of regeneration. Media regeneration can reduce costs andenvironmental impacts but transfers PFAS into residuals requiringintegrated capture, monitoring, and destructive treatment to satisfycompliance expectations. This perspective examines sorbent–regeneration–destructionpathways using implementation-relevant design parameters: residualvolume reduction, PFAS mass recovery, and media replacement rate.These design parameters depend on sorption performance, desorptionefficiency and kinetics, regenerant demand, solvent recovery, residualcomposition, and media performance over repeated cycles. We presenta systems-level implementation framework linking design parametersand performance metrics with economic and regulatory outcomes andrecommend priority data needs for standardized performance reportingto support decision-making.</p>","PeriodicalId":7008,"journal":{"name":"ACS ES&T engineering","volume":"6 10","pages":"2755–2765"},"PeriodicalIF":6.3,"publicationDate":"2026-10-09","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"149124852","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}

{"title":"Retention and Consumption of Chemical Oxidants by Low-Permeability Lenses in Heterogeneous Aquifers","authors":"Zheng Fang,&nbsp;Chang Ge,&nbsp;Zixuan Cao,&nbsp;Yunsong Zheng,&nbsp;Peng Zhang,&nbsp;Songhu Yuan","doi":"10.1021/acsestengg.6c00542","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1021/acsestengg.6c00542","url":null,"abstract":"<p><em>In situ</em> chemical oxidation (ISCO) iswidely usedfor groundwater remediation, whereas the influence of aquifer heterogeneity,that is, the difference in physical structure and chemical compositions,on oxidant retention and consumption remains poorly understood. Inlow-permeability lens-containing sand columns, we found that the retentionand consumption of oxidant (KMnO₄) were largely influencedby the chemical reactivity of the lens besides the well-known permeability.Inert lens (represented by kaolin) mainly altered the transport pathwaysof oxidant, whereas chemically reactive lenses (represented by realsediments with different electron-donating capacities) further enhancedthe retention and consumption within the lenses. A higher electron-donatingcapacity led to more oxidant retention and consumption. Moreover,the reduced components released from the reactive lens could alsoincrease the oxidant consumption. This study highlights the importanceof chemical reactivity besides the physical structure of lenses inheterogeneous aquifers for oxidant transport, retention, and consumptionand also implicates the consideration of chemical reactivity for designingthe injection dosages and position of oxidants in ISCO remediation.</p>","PeriodicalId":7008,"journal":{"name":"ACS ES&T engineering","volume":"6 9","pages":"2670–2676"},"PeriodicalIF":6.3,"publicationDate":"2026-09-11","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148950666","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}

{"title":"Surface-Limited Chemical and Physical Alteration of Plastics during Composting: An In-Depth Field- and Lab-Scale Study","authors":"Biraj Saha,&nbsp;Mohamed Ateia,&nbsp;James M. Eagan,&nbsp;Syeed Md Iskander","doi":"10.1021/acsestengg.6c00349","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1021/acsestengg.6c00349","url":null,"abstract":"<p>Plastics entering composting systems are frequently foundas fragmentsin finished compost, yet the mechanisms controlling their degradationand persistence remain unclear. In this study, food waste amendedwith virgin, 30-day UV-weathered, and 30-day sunlight-weathered polyethylene(PE) and poly(methyl methacrylate) (PMMA) microbeads was treated underaerobic and hyperthermophilic composting conditions. PE showed increasedsurface oxidation after both composting conditions, with the carbonylindex increasing from 3.6–16.6 in virgin to 12.2–25.1in UV-weathered and 15.0–21.3 in sunlight-weathered beads.This oxidation corresponded with a decreased C/O ratio due to theformation of carbonyl and ester/carboxyl groups. Composting increasedcrack density on PE surfaces without altering molecular weight, indicatingsurface-limited degradation. In contrast, PMMA showed a 44–71%decrease in molecular weight after weathering, but no additional molecularweight reduction occurred during composting of weathered PMMA beads.After exposure to both composting conditions, PMMA showed increasedthermal stability, whereas PE showed decreased thermal stability.Degradation rates were 6.2–19.5 μm yr^–1 for PE and 5.9–33.9 μm yr^–1 for PMMA,with estimated degradation times of 8.6–26.9 and 5.8–41.9years, respectively. A field study showed that surface oxidation andcrack density of PE, PP, PS, and PET correlated with compost maturity,likely due to prolonged exposure to dynamic composting conditions.These findings reveal plastic degradation pathways in compost andenable the prediction of their long-term environmental fate.</p>","PeriodicalId":7008,"journal":{"name":"ACS ES&T engineering","volume":"6 9","pages":"2438–2448"},"PeriodicalIF":6.3,"publicationDate":"2026-09-11","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148950671","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}

{"title":"Decoding Wolffia: A Predictive Model for Duckweed Growth and Nutrient Uptake for Resource Recovery from Wastewater in Tropical Countries","authors":"Johan Pasos-Panqueva,&nbsp;Anie Yulistyorini,&nbsp;Alison Baker,&nbsp;Miller Alonso Camargo-Valero","doi":"10.1021/acsestengg.6c00224","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1021/acsestengg.6c00224","url":null,"abstract":"<p>Duckweed-based wastewater treatment systems have attractedincreasingattention for sustainable water pollution control, yet predictivetools to optimize their operation under real-world conditions remainlimited. Here, we develop and validate a temperature- and nutrient-dependentkinetic model for the duckweed species <em>Wolffia angusta</em>, integrating nutrient limitation (Monod model), temperature dependence(Arrhenius model) and internal nutrient reserve dynamics. The modelwas parametrized and validated through laboratory-scale batch experiments(20–30 °C), in small cylindrical plastic vessels, undervarying phosphorus and nitrogen supplies, including nutrient-limitingscenarios. Temperature predominantly drives biomass production, withoptimal growth observed at 25–30 °C (maximum relativegrowth rate of 0.427 d^–1), while nutrient availabilitymore strongly governs biological nutrient uptake and removal efficiency.Maximum nutrient removal rates reached 6.85 mg N L^–1 d^–1 and 1.85 mg P L^–1 d^–1 under nutrient-replete conditions. Biomass accumulationincreases at the higher end of optimum temperature values, but specificnitrogen uptake rates decrease, indicating metabolic constraints.Model calibration markedly improved predictive accuracy (<em>R</em>² &gt; 0.9; RPD &gt; 2), even under nutrient-limited conditions.The model was applied to simulate a duckweed-based pond systems topolish the effluent from a hybrid anaerobic baffled reactor (HyABR)processing domestic wastewater under tropical conditions (Indonesia).Beyond predicting effluent nutrient concentrations, the model wasused as a process design tool to optimize system configuration tomeet local effluent discharge consents. Simulations showed that increasingthe number of duckweed ponds in series reduces total hydraulic retentiontime and total land area while lowering per-pond productivity, withan optimal configuration of two to three ponds balancing treatmentperformance and resource recovery. This work advances the mechanisticunderstanding of <em>Wolffia</em>’s growth and nutrientuptake, and delivers a practical, transferable modeling frameworkfor design and optimization of duckweed-based nutrient control unitsfor decentralised wastewater treatment, particularly in tropical regions.The approach represents a significant step toward integrating nature-basedsystems into circular, sustainable water management strategies.</p>","PeriodicalId":7008,"journal":{"name":"ACS ES&T engineering","volume":"6 9","pages":"2402–2415"},"PeriodicalIF":6.3,"publicationDate":"2026-09-11","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148950880","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}

{"title":"Beyond Plastic Labels: Polymer-Aware Substrate Encoding Improves Plastizyme Prediction and Reliability Models","authors":"Joseph Wasswa,&nbsp;Bharath Ramsundar","doi":"10.1021/acsestengg.6c00559","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1021/acsestengg.6c00559","url":null,"abstract":"<p>Machine learning is increasingly being used to identifyplastic-degradingenzymes (plastizymes), yet systematic evaluations of how differentprotein and polymer representations influence predictive performance,generalization, and computational cost remain lacking. Here, we systematicallyevaluated protein–polymer representation strategies using acurated data set of 720 enzyme–polymer interactions spanningseven polymer families. Handcrafted and learned protein and polymerrepresentations, including transformer-based embeddings, graph representations,molecular descriptors, molecular fingerprints, and polymer languagemodel embeddings, were evaluated individually and in multimodal combinations.Models were assessed using random, MMseqs2 sequence-clustered, andleave-one-polymer-family-out splits to quantify both in-distributionperformance and out-of-distribution generalization. Under random splits,several multimodal models achieved excellent predictive performance(AUROC &gt; 0.95), with transformer-based protein embeddings consistentlyoutperforming conventional representations. Performance declined substantiallyunder sequence-clustered and polymer-family-based evaluations, underscoringthe difficulty of generalizing to remote enzymes and previously unseenpolymer classes. Incorporating polymer representations consistentlyimproved predictive performance, particularly for sequence- and descriptor-basedprotein models, while multimodal combinations provided the greatestbenefit under the most challenging evaluation settings. Ablation andSHAP analyses revealed an increasing reliance on learned protein andpolymer embeddings as model complexity increased. A quantitative cost-benefitanalysis further showed that conventional polymer descriptors providedthe best balance between predictive performance, model reliability,and computational efficiency, whereas increasingly complex learnedpolymer representations yielded only modest additional gains. Overall,this study provides a practical framework for evaluating protein andpolymer representations and offers guidance for developing more robust,generalizable, and computationally efficient machine learning modelsfor enzyme–polymer interaction prediction.</p>","PeriodicalId":7008,"journal":{"name":"ACS ES&T engineering","volume":"6 9","pages":"2688–2705"},"PeriodicalIF":6.3,"publicationDate":"2026-09-11","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148950832","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}

{"title":"Impact of Packed Bed Microscale Geometry on PFAS Adsorption","authors":"Mostafa J. Gildeh,&nbsp;Mahdi N. Shahrak,&nbsp;Hooman V. Tafreshi","doi":"10.1021/acsestengg.6c00541","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1021/acsestengg.6c00541","url":null,"abstract":"<p>Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) are persistentwatercontaminants that can often be removed using packed beds of granularactivated carbon (GAC). In this study, we present a particle-resolvedsimulation framework to investigate how the packed bed microscalegeometry can be designed to improve PFAS adsorption. The model explicitlyresolves individual particles and solves species transport in boththe solid adsorbent particles and the pore spaces between them. Thisallowed us to study how different polydisperse bed configurationscould impact the bed’s breakthrough behavior. For the microporousadsorbent particles considered, the intraparticle diffusion was treatedas the rate-limiting mechanism, while the adsorption equilibrium wasdescribed using the Langmuir isotherm. A unique attribute of the proposedapproach is that it can capture the nonuniform nonconcentric PFASloading inside the particles, which is not available in the conventionalreduced-order models. Our simulation results were compared with theexperimental data from the literature for a monodisperse packed bedof carbon particles, and good agreement was observed. The simulationsindicated that breakthrough curves for bidisperse packed beds composedof coarse and fine particles fall between those of the monodispersepacked beds made of the same particles. Comparing the fully blendedand layered particle configurations, it was observed that the blendedconfiguration better delays the breakthrough, followed by the layeredconfiguration in which the coarse particles were placed on the upstreamside.</p>","PeriodicalId":7008,"journal":{"name":"ACS ES&T engineering","volume":"6 9","pages":"2658–2669"},"PeriodicalIF":6.3,"publicationDate":"2026-09-11","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148950923","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}

{"title":"Enhancing the Interpretability of Spatially Variable N2O Model Predictions with Soft Sensors during Wastewater Treatment","authors":"Mohammad Raeisi,&nbsp;Pedram Ramin,&nbsp;Vincenzo A. Riggio,&nbsp;Carlos Domingo-Félez","doi":"10.1021/acsestengg.6c00364","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1021/acsestengg.6c00364","url":null,"abstract":"<p>Model-based solutions for nitrous oxide (N₂O) emissionsfrom wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) are informed by operationaldata sets designed to control nutrient levels in liquid waste, coupledwith dedicated campaigns for N₂O measurements. We analyzedhow machine learning (ML) models predict disturbances to WWT operationand spatially variable N₂O emissions. A real data set wasinvestigated to validate the modeling framework from N₂O emissions predicted by four ML models (<em>R</em>² = 0.79–0.89). Monitoring campaigns for N₂O weresimulated with a plant-wide mechanistic model to include additionalsensors, site-level N₂O data sets, and wastewater disturbances(<em>n</em> = 16). ML models were highly accurate (0.97 ±0.02, <em>n</em> = 80), but the feature importance dependedon the model, the scenario, and the N₂O measurement scale(reactor vs. WWTP). We argue that N₂O soft sensor modelpredictions are limited to the measuring location and the methodologicaluncertainty of the data set, which affect the interpretability ofthe model. Lastly, the analysis of the mechanistic model structureexposed interactions between autotrophic and heterotrophic pathwaysover nitric oxide which can overestimate aerobic nitrite productionand bias the N₂O pathway contributions.</p>","PeriodicalId":7008,"journal":{"name":"ACS ES&T engineering","volume":"6 9","pages":"2449–2460"},"PeriodicalIF":6.3,"publicationDate":"2026-09-11","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148950925","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}

{"title":"Synergistic Microwave–Zwitterionic Natural Deep Eutectic Solvents System for Selective Fractionation of Pineapple Leaf Agro-Biomass, Enabling Multifunctional Lignin and Bioethanol Production","authors":"Baby Salini Jacob Rani,&nbsp;Raghuram Chetty","doi":"10.1021/acsestengg.6c00219","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1021/acsestengg.6c00219","url":null,"abstract":"<p>This study introduces a novel, rapid,and sustainablebiorefineryapproach for lignocellulosic biomass valorization, employing a naturaldeep eutectic solvent (NADES) system composed of betaine hydrochlorideand lactic acid (15:85 w/w). Within just 4 min of microwave-assistedtreatment, this green solvent system enables efficient extractionof structurally pristine lignin, preserving its native architectureand unlocking its remarkable multifunctionality. The extracted ligninexhibits exceptional properties, including &gt;95% UV shielding efficiency(transmittance &lt; 5% in the 280–400 nm range at 0.5 mg/mL),strong antioxidant activity (69.7% DPPH inhibition at just 50 μg/mL),and potent antimicrobial effects, especially antifungal inhibitionzones surpassing those of standard agents by over 75%. Simultaneously,the holocellulose-rich residue was successfully converted into bioethanolvia fed-batch simultaneous saccharification and fermentation, achievingan impressive 82% of the theoretical yield. This integrated processis not only time- and solvent-efficient but also entirely free fromtoxic chemicals, aligning perfectly with the principles of green chemistryand circular bioeconomy. Altogether, this work positions betaine hydrochloride/lacticacid–based NADES as a transformative green solvent for holisticbiomass valorization, offering a promising pathway toward sustainableproduction of advanced biofuels and high-value functional bioproducts.</p>","PeriodicalId":7008,"journal":{"name":"ACS ES&T engineering","volume":"6 9","pages":"2388–2401"},"PeriodicalIF":6.3,"publicationDate":"2026-09-11","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148950619","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}

{"title":"Interfacial Polarization Engineering in MXene/PEO Nanofibers for High-Performance, Sustainable Electroactive Aerosol Filtration","authors":"Cong Fang,&nbsp;Yang Gan,&nbsp;Jun Liu,&nbsp;Shaolin Zhang,&nbsp;Kehai Liu,&nbsp;Jinhan Mo,&nbsp;Enze Tian","doi":"10.1021/acsestengg.6c00449","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1021/acsestengg.6c00449","url":null,"abstract":"<p>Achieving high filtration efficiency, low pressure drop,and sustainableend-of-life disposal represents a critical challenge in aerosol filtration.Here, we develop an electroactive air filter by incorporating Ti₃C₂T_<em>x</em> MXene nanosheetsinto recyclable poly(ethylene oxide) (PEO) nanofibers via an environmentallyfriendly aqueous electrospinning method, eliminating the need fortoxic organic solvents. Increasing MXene concentration reduced themean fiber diameter from 901 nm (pristine PEO) to 332 nm at 0.5 wt% loading, which is attributed to intensified electrostatic draftingforces during electrospinning. Applied with a particle charging voltage(9 kV) and a fiber polarizing voltage (16 kV), the optimized M0.5@PEOfilter achieved 99.3% filtration efficiency for 0.3 μm particulatematter at a face velocity of 0.053 m/s, with a pressure drop of merely10.8 Pa. The superior filtration performance is primarily attributedto the interfacial polarization at the MXene/PEO interfaces, whichelevates the relative dielectric constant of the fibrous membrane(from 1.208 for pristine PEO to 49.66 at 500 Hz) and promotes field-inducedcharge accumulation under the external electric field, thereby enhancingelectrostatic particle capture. Long-term stability testing conductedover 30 days in ambient conditions verified consistent performance,with filtration efficiencies between 99.1% and 99.8%. Moreover, thewater-soluble PEO matrix facilitates complete filter dissolution within90 s, providing an environmentally friendly end-of-life solution thatavoids energy-intensive incineration or landfill disposal. This studyestablishes a mechanistically grounded and sustainable strategy, leveraginginterfacial polarization engineering in MXene/polymer composites,for developing high-performance electroactive air filtration materialswith broad applicability in indoor air purification, cleanroom engineering,and industrial emission control.</p>","PeriodicalId":7008,"journal":{"name":"ACS ES&T engineering","volume":"6 9","pages":"2571–2580"},"PeriodicalIF":6.3,"publicationDate":"2026-09-11","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148950669","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}