ACS ES&T engineering最新文献

{"title":"Impact of Surfactant-Modified Biochar–Clay Soil Amendments on Per/Polyfluoroalkyl Substance (PFAS) Accumulation in Lettuce (Lactuca sativa)","authors":"Raj Mukhopadhyay,&nbsp;Robert Pures,&nbsp;David V. P. Sanchez,&nbsp;Carrie A. McDonough","doi":"10.1021/acsestengg.6c00294","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1021/acsestengg.6c00294","url":null,"abstract":"<p>Bioaccumulation of per/polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFASs)in agriculturalplants is an emerging concern for human exposure. Immobilizing PFASsin soil using amendments is an effective strategy for reducing thelevels of some PFASs in plants but is typically less impactful forPFASs with shorter perfluorinated chains. We evaluated low-cost, locallyavailable clay-based amendments for reducing the uptake of short-and long-chain perfluoroalkyl carboxylates and sulfonamides in lettuce(<em>Lactuca sativa</em>) grown in PFAS-contaminated soil.We compared the performance of montmorillonite clay modified withcationic surfactant, biochar–clay composite, and surfactant-modifiedbiochar–clay composite applied to soil at 0.5%, 1.0%, and 4.0%(w/w). PFAS concentrations in soil, porewater, and lettuce shootsand roots were measured after an 80-day growing period to track howamendments impacted PFAS partitioning, bioavailability, and ultimatelyaccumulation in lettuce shoots. Amendment addition significantly decreasedporewater ∑₆PFAS, with long-chain PFASs removedmore effectively than short-chain PFASs. Organic carbon–waterpartitioning coefficients demonstrated increased sorptive capacityin soils with surfactant-modified amendments, including for some short-chainPFASs like perfluorohexanoate (PFHxA). Total PFAS concentrations intissues from lettuce grown in amended soils were significantly reduced,with surfactant-modified amendments appearing to be most effective.This suggests that surfactant addition enhanced both hydrophobic andelectrostatic interactions promoting long- and short-chain PFAS sorption.Longer-chain PFASs were reduced in lettuce tissue to the greatestextent. Despite this, due to their high toxicity, long-chain PFASin these lettuce tissues were still estimated to pose risks from regularhuman consumption.</p>","PeriodicalId":7008,"journal":{"name":"ACS ES&T engineering","volume":"6 9","pages":"2427–2437"},"PeriodicalIF":6.3,"publicationDate":"2026-09-11","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148950882","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":"Electrically Conductive Membrane-Assisted Anammox MBR via Extracellular Electron Transfer for Enhanced Nitrogen Removal under Nitrite-Deficient Conditions","authors":"Siyu Wang,&nbsp;Tao Liu,&nbsp;Shuo Chen,&nbsp;Gaoliang Wei,&nbsp;Jiajian Xing,&nbsp;Xie Quan","doi":"10.1021/acsestengg.6c00550","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1021/acsestengg.6c00550","url":null,"abstract":"<p>Conventionalanaerobic ammonium oxidation (anammox) relieson nitrite(NO₂^–) as the electron acceptor for ammonium(NH₄⁺) oxidation. However, NO₂^– is often insufficient in ammonium-rich wastewater,necessitating complex pretreatment to meet the stoichiometric NH₄⁺: NO₂^– ratio of 1:1.32.Recent studies suggest that anammox bacteria (AnAOB) can perform extracellularelectron transfer (EET), indicating a possible route to reduce NO₂^– demand. However, how to achieve efficientand stable EET under nitrite-deficient conditions remains unclear.Here, an electrochemical anammox membrane bioreactor equipped withconductive membranes (Amx-EMBR) was developed to couple AnAOB enrichmentwith EET-assisted nitrogen removal. By promoting the dense AnAOB accumulationon the anode, the efficiency of electron transfer from AnAOB to theanode was significantly enhanced, thereby enabling the system to realizeEET-associated NO₂^– oxidation. With influentconcentrations of 250 mg/L NH₄⁺ and 150 mg/LNO₂^–, the reactor achieved a total nitrogenremoval efficiency of approximately 90%, corresponding to a 32.8%increase compared with the nonelectrified reactor. ¹⁵N-labeling,riboflavin, and hydroxylamine (NH₂OH) interference experimentsconfirmed the occurrence of an EET-driven nitrogen removal pathway.Meanwhile, metagenomic analysis further supported the genetic potentialfor electrode-dependent NH₄⁺ oxidation and extracellularelectron transfer. Furthermore, the reactor exhibited reduced membranefouling during long-term operation. This study demonstrates an effectivestrategy for enhancing nitrogen removal under nitrite-deficient conditions,breaking through the strict stoichiometric constraints of conventionalanammox with respect to the influent ammonium-to-nitrite ratio.</p>","PeriodicalId":7008,"journal":{"name":"ACS ES&T engineering","volume":"6 9","pages":"2677–2687"},"PeriodicalIF":6.3,"publicationDate":"2026-09-11","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148950893","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":"Mechanistic Insights into Potassium Poisoning of V2O5–MoO3/TiO2 Catalysts in the Synergistic Catalytic Control of NOx and Chlorinated Organics","authors":"Guo Nie,&nbsp;Renna Li,&nbsp;Feng Bi,&nbsp;Xu Huang,&nbsp;Hua Pan,&nbsp;Zhongbiao Wu,&nbsp;Yunpeng Long,&nbsp;Peng Lu,&nbsp;Xiaole Weng","doi":"10.1021/acsestengg.6c00430","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1021/acsestengg.6c00430","url":null,"abstract":"<p>Vanadium-based catalysts are widely considered for thesynergisticremoval of NO_<em>x</em> and chlorinated organicsin waste incineration and sintering flue gases, where alkali metalscan accumulate and compromise catalytic stability and emission safety.Herein, experiments and DFT calculations were combined to elucidatethe effect of potassium on the multipollutant conversion efficiency,synergistic reaction mechanism, and toxic byproduct formation overa V₂O₅–MoO₃/TiO₂ catalyst. Potassium species preferentially neutralized Brønstedacid sites and reduced the availability of surface hydroxyl groups,thereby weakening NH₃ activation and chlorinated organicadsorption/activation. DFT calculations further revealed that K₂O adsorption at the V–Mo interfacial site hinderedinterfacial electron transfer and lattice oxygen activation, suppressingMars-van Krevelen deep oxidation. Consequently, potassium depositiondecreased NO_<em>x</em> conversion and chlorinatedorganic oxidation by 20% and 90% at 350 °C compared to V₂O₅–MoO₃/TiO₂, respectively,and promoted the formation of incomplete oxidation products, includingchloromethane and benzaldehyde. Our findings demonstrate that alkalipoisoning not only lowers catalytic activity but also redirects reactionpathways toward secondary byproduct formation, highlighting the needto design alkali-tolerant catalysts that preserve acid-redox couplingunder alkali-rich flue-gas conditions.</p>","PeriodicalId":7008,"journal":{"name":"ACS ES&T engineering","volume":"6 9","pages":"2536–2545"},"PeriodicalIF":6.3,"publicationDate":"2026-09-11","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148950843","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":"Orchestrating Caproate Biosynthesis through Iron–Carbon Microelectrolysis: From Electrochemical Corrosion and Metagenomic Regulation","authors":"Qing-Lian Wu,&nbsp;Zi-Lin He,&nbsp;Rui-Dong Xie,&nbsp;Changha Lee,&nbsp;Wan-Qian Guo","doi":"10.1021/acsestengg.6c00444","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1021/acsestengg.6c00444","url":null,"abstract":"<p>The chain elongation (CE) process for medium-chain fattyacid (MCFA)biosynthesis offers a sustainable strategy for organic waste valorization,yet its efficiency is constrained by suboptimal microbial metabolicactivity. To address this limitation, this study developed an iron–carbon(IC) composite material featuring an iron–carbon microelectrolysiseffect. IC supplementation significantly augmented carbon flux towardcaproate biosynthesis by 27.3%, mediated through four interconnectedmechanisms. First, electrochemical corrosion of iron anodes sustainedFe²⁺ release, which elevated the abundance of genes encodingiron-dependent enzymes involved in the oxidative phosphorylation pathway,enhancing the genetic potential for ATP synthesis and energy metabolism.Second, the carbon cathode facilitated [H] generation through H⁺ consumption, concurrently driving critical redox cofactors’regeneration (ferredoxin and NAD(P)H) and stabilizing pH conditionsin CE systems. Furthermore, metagenomic analysis revealed that ICamendments enriched functional microorganisms (e.g., <em>Azotobacter_chroococcum</em> and <em>Pseudomonas_sp</em>.) and increased the abundance of CE-associated enzyme genes. Lastly,IC orchestrated ABC transporters and quorum sensing, regulating microbialnutrient uptake, bacterial chemotaxis, and biofilm formation, whichfostered interspecies collaboration. This study provided valuableinsights into the multilevel regulatory mechanism underlying IC-mediatedcaproate biosynthesis, establishing a paradigm for optimizing caproatebiosynthesis in waste-to-resource applications.</p>","PeriodicalId":7008,"journal":{"name":"ACS ES&T engineering","volume":"6 9","pages":"2561–2570"},"PeriodicalIF":6.3,"publicationDate":"2026-09-11","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148950610","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":"Conductive Materials in Microbial Chain Elongation for Medium-Chain Fatty Acids Biosynthesis: A Critical Review of Mechanisms and Metabolic Regulation","authors":"Shan-Shan Ye,&nbsp;Yu-Fei Meng,&nbsp;Yong-Yao Zhang,&nbsp;Wonyong Choi,&nbsp;Qing-Lian Wu,&nbsp;Wei-Tong Ren,&nbsp;Hua-Zhe Wang,&nbsp;Wan-Qian Guo","doi":"10.1021/acsestengg.6c00348","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1021/acsestengg.6c00348","url":null,"abstract":"<p>Microbial chain elongation, whichuses anaerobic fermentationtoproduce high-value medium-chain fatty acids (MCFAs), is a promisingstrategy for resource sustainability, yet its efficacy is limitedby poor extracellular electron transfer and thermodynamic imbalancesin chain elongation (CE) microbiomes. This review provides a multidimensionalperspective on how conductive materials─including carbon-basedmaterials, iron-based materials, and engineered composites─reshapethe energy metabolism network to drive efficient MCFAs biosynthesis.The physicochemical properties of these materials systematically determinetheir electron-mediating capacities, forming dynamic conductive networksthat boost electron transfer. Moreover, the significant intracellularmetabolic adaptations linked to these materials are critically examined,encompassing modulation of the NAD⁺/NADH balance, shiftsin ATP synthesis, and the associated upregulation of key enzymes withinthe reverse β-oxidation and fatty acid biosynthesis pathways.Synergistic integration with electro-fermentation and biofilm reactorsis highlighted, demonstrating process intensification and enhancedoperational robustness. Finally, scalability and sustainability areevaluated through techno-economic analysis and life-cycle assessment,identifying critical challenges and opportunities for industrial translation.By synthesizing mechanistic insights with engineering perspectives,this review proposes a “material-electron transfer-metabolism-engineering”framework to guide the rational design and scalable application ofconductive materials for next-generation waste valorization.</p>","PeriodicalId":7008,"journal":{"name":"ACS ES&T engineering","volume":"6 9","pages":"2334–2351"},"PeriodicalIF":6.3,"publicationDate":"2026-09-11","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148950662","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":"Dissolution Behaviors and Circular Economy Potential of Waste-to-Energy Fly Ash for Carbon Sequestration and Electrodeposited Zn Recovery","authors":"Amanda Whai Shin Ooi,&nbsp;Hunter B. Vibbert,&nbsp;Yonghwan Kim,&nbsp;Kwiyong Kim,&nbsp;Darien Raymond,&nbsp;Xiao Su,&nbsp;Ah-Hyung Alissa Park","doi":"10.1021/acsestengg.6c00391","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1021/acsestengg.6c00391","url":null,"abstract":"<p>While coal-fired power plants are being phased out, waste-to-energy(WTE) facilities remain important during the clean energy transition,providing both waste management and energy recovery. This study presentsa mild, modular process that integrates zinc recovery with CO₂ mineralization from WTE fly ash (FA). Feedstock characterizationshowed high Ca (25 wt·%) and Zn (1.2 wt·%) contents. A two-stepleaching strategy, DI water washing followed by mild acid leaching(pH 3, HNO₃), effectively partitioned Ca and Zn into distinctstreams, increasing the Ca/Zn ratio from 20 in raw ash to 223.6 inthe water-soluble fraction and 13.6 in the acid-soluble fraction.Electrochemical recovery from the acidic leachate achieved 99% Zn²⁺ removal under ambient conditions, yielding a cathodic depositwith an estimated Zn content of 58 wt·% that may serve as anintermediate feedstock for further refining. Subsequent carbonationof the Ca-rich stream yielded CaCO₃ with 77 wt·% purityand 99.5% Ca removal efficiency. Integration of Zn recovery with CO₂ mineralization enables simultaneous valorization of metalsand carbonates within a single workflow, minimizing cross-contaminationand maintaining compatibility with existing WTE plant infrastructure.The process operates without highly acidic leaching conditions, elevatedtemperatures, or complex chemical separation steps, supporting scalabilityto continuous-flow or staged reactor configurations. By coupling resourcerecovery with carbon sequestration, this approach offers a pathwaytoward net-negative emissions when paired with CO₂ capturedfrom WTE flue gas. The results highlight the potential for WTE FAvalorization to contribute to circular-economy objectives and carbonreduction targets through the production of value-added products froman underutilized waste stream.</p>","PeriodicalId":7008,"journal":{"name":"ACS ES&T engineering","volume":"6 9","pages":"2486–2500"},"PeriodicalIF":6.3,"publicationDate":"2026-09-11","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148950897","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":"Divergent Acid-Treatment Effects on (CrMnFeCoNi)Ox for the Catalytic Oxidation of Propane","authors":"Bowen Han,&nbsp;Yang Li,&nbsp;Xueqing Luo,&nbsp;Li Xiang,&nbsp;Hehe Qian,&nbsp;Feng Bi,&nbsp;Zhongbiao Wu,&nbsp;Xiaole Weng","doi":"10.1021/acsestengg.6c00461","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1021/acsestengg.6c00461","url":null,"abstract":"<p>Achievingefficient catalytic oxidation of propane remains a challengein pollution control. High-entropy oxides (HEOs) are promising catalystsfor this reaction owing to their abundant defects and high thermalstability. To further improve their performance, we investigated thedivergent effects of acid treatment on HEO catalysts for propane oxidation.The catalyst treated with citric acid (HEO-CA) exhibited enhancedactivity, lowering T₉₀ by 13 °C, whereas the catalysttreated with phosphoric acid (HEO-PA) increased T₉₀ by11 °C. Characterization revealed that both acid treatments introducedadditional defects. On HEO-CA, the residual surface organic specieswere readily decomposed, allowing oxygen vacancies to promote theactivation of gaseous O₂ and to enhance the availabilityof reactive lattice oxygen. In contrast, although HEO-PA possessedmore oxygen vacancies, the retained phosphate species hindered oxygenmigration and lattice oxygen replenishment. This ultimately suppresseddeep oxidation and degraded catalytic performance.</p>","PeriodicalId":7008,"journal":{"name":"ACS ES&T engineering","volume":"6 9","pages":"2581–2591"},"PeriodicalIF":6.3,"publicationDate":"2026-09-11","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148950844","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":"Energy-Efficient PFAS Defluorination via Reactor-Scale VUV/UVC Boron Nitride Photocatalysis for Semiconductor Fabrication Wastewater","authors":"Juan A. Donoso,&nbsp;Abraham S. Nelson,&nbsp;Gunhak Oh,&nbsp;Youngkun Chung,&nbsp;Sarah Glass,&nbsp;Welman C. Elias,&nbsp;Kimberly N. Heck,&nbsp;Tony Powell,&nbsp;Pedro Alvarez,&nbsp;Mohamed Ateia,&nbsp;Michael S. Wong","doi":"10.1021/acsestengg.6c00254","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1021/acsestengg.6c00254","url":null,"abstract":"<p>Boron nitride (BN) is a commercially available photocatalystwithdemonstrated activity for degrading per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances(PFAS), but reactor-scale performance has not been reported. Here,we evaluate BN photocatalysis (BN + UV) in a 16 L recirculating reactorequipped with low-pressure mercury lamps emitting vacuum ultraviolet(VUV, 185 nm) and UV–C (254 nm) radiation. Using perfluorooctanoicacid (PFOA) as a model compound at mg/L concentrations, BN + UV achieved&gt;99.8% removal within 1 h and 88% defluorination after 7 h, outperformingdirect photolysis (UV-only; 92% removal, 30% defluorination) and TiO₂ photocatalysis (TiO₂ + UV; 63% removal, 10% defluorination)under identical conditions. A reactor-scale kinetic model yieldedan intrinsic illuminated-zone rate constant (<em>k</em>_A) of 110 h^–1 for BN + UV, 11-fold greaterthan photolysis and 24-fold greater than TiO₂ + UV. BN+ UV correspondingly presented the lowest electrical energy per orderremoved (<em>E</em>_EO = 1.82 kWh m^–3) and per order defluorinated (<em>E</em>_EOD =6.68 kWh m^–3) based on lamp power. Furthermore,BN + UV degraded a 13-compound PFAS mixture in simulated semiconductorfabrication wastewater at μg/L levels. Long-chain compoundswere completely removed within 24 h, while perfluorobutanesulfonicacid (PFBS) persisted, consistent with the known recalcitrance ofshort-chain sulfonates. These results demonstrate the energy efficiencyof BN photocatalysis for destructive PFAS treatment in complex industrialmatrices.</p>","PeriodicalId":7008,"journal":{"name":"ACS ES&T engineering","volume":"6 9","pages":"2416–2426"},"PeriodicalIF":6.3,"publicationDate":"2026-09-11","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148950727","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":"Hybrid Chemical Looping Model for Sustainable Polygeneration of DME, Methanol, and Ammonia from Biomass with Enviro-Economic Insights","authors":"Pushpraj Patel,&nbsp;Shubhi Gupta","doi":"10.1021/acsestengg.6c00165","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1021/acsestengg.6c00165","url":null,"abstract":"<p>Dimethyl ether (DME), methanol, andammonia are versatilechemicalsthat serve as clean energy carriers for sustainable fuels and carbon-neutralenergy systems. However, their production routes face challenges owingto a high energy demand, carbon emissions, and limited availabilityof feedstocks. To overcome these challenges, we developed a hybridchemical looping (HCL) model by integrating the chemical looping-basedammonia generation (CLAG) process with the three-reactor chemicallooping (TRCL) process, representing a win–win approach forpolygenerating DME, methanol, and ammonia from inexpensive startingmaterials. The Aspen-Plus simulated model with 5 metric tons per hour(MTPH) waste biomass processing capacity, comprising biomass pretreatmentand devolatilization, CLAG, TRCL, and DME synthesis units, was streamlinedto produce ammonia, DME, and methanol with a purity of over 99.9%.To enhance the process energy efficiency, a waste heat recovery module(HCL-WHR) was incorporated and compared to the baseline scenario (HCL-WWHR).Direct-process-related CO₂ emissions were captured andconverted into liquid CO₂, resulting in significant emissionsavings. Life cycle analysis estimated the global warming potentialas −1088.20 kg of CO₂ equiv and −2983.36kg of CO₂ equiv in HCL-WWHR and HCL-WHR, respectively,based on a functional unit of 5 MTPH biomass processing capacity.The techno-economic analysis revealed promising economic returns,generating a net present value of $119.79 million by HCL-WHR, basedon a 20 year economic plant life. These findings establish the HCLsystem as a viable and scalable route for the carbon-negative conversionof waste biomass to value-added products.</p>","PeriodicalId":7008,"journal":{"name":"ACS ES&T engineering","volume":"6 9","pages":"2371–2387"},"PeriodicalIF":6.3,"publicationDate":"2026-09-11","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148950901","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":"Scalable Poly(organosiloxane)-Modified Air Filtration Media for Reducing Indoor Airborne Transmission of SARS-CoV-2 and Other Contagions","authors":"Amirhomayoon Paydar,&nbsp;Surendra Maharjan,&nbsp;Alexander J. Wang,&nbsp;Eileen Mellon,&nbsp;Jerry Gates,&nbsp;Bryan Hlavinka,&nbsp;Alex J. Taylor,&nbsp;Michael Curran,&nbsp;Jakelin Gutierrez,&nbsp;Layla Pham,&nbsp;Christopher Taylor,&nbsp;Kenneth Russell,&nbsp;Seamus A. Curran","doi":"10.1021/acsestengg.6c00372","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1021/acsestengg.6c00372","url":null,"abstract":"<p>Mounting empirical evidence supporting the notion ofairborne transmissionof communicable infectious diseases, such as COVID-19, continues toshift the consensus toward increasing indoor air quality safety standardsin common spaces. Airborne viral transmission is particularly problematicin rationally designing next-generation heating, ventilation, andair-conditioning (HVAC) system technologies to cost-effectively removeairborne biological contaminants from shared indoor environments.Holistic strategies for managing indoor air quality in shared commercialspaces often rely on HVAC disinfection technologies (e.g., ultravioletlight-C irradiation and bipolar ionization) or the use of functionalizedair filters such as resistively heated Ni-foam filters and Ag nanocluster/silicananocomposite coatings, both of which are costly to implement andmaintain. Many existing HVAC systems are unable to accommodate simpleoperational changes (e.g., static pressure, incident air temperature,and outdoor-to-recirculated air ratios) while maintaining acceptableset points and energy efficiency. This work is the first report ona scalable SARS-CoV-2-capturing waterborne poly(organosiloxane)-basedcoating, named microbial and viral transmission resistance (MVTR),that is applied directly to HVAC air filtration media as a retrofitwithout adversely affecting breathability or static pressure uponcuring/cross-linking. Real-time quantitative polymerase chain reactionstudies demonstrate that MVTR-treated MERV-8 air filters are moreeffective at filtering a challenge aerosol of thermally inactivatedSARS-CoV-2 virions than untreated MERV-13 air filters. MVTR reducesconcentrations of airborne SARS-CoV-2 using lower MERV-rated air filterswhile preserving energy efficiency without imposing operational restrictionson HVAC systems and is another preventive countermeasure against indoorcontagion, synergistically augmenting best hygiene practices, socialdistancing, disinfectants, virucidal nanomaterials, novel vaccines,and existing antiviral pharmaceuticals.</p>","PeriodicalId":7008,"journal":{"name":"ACS ES&T engineering","volume":"6 9","pages":"2461–2475"},"PeriodicalIF":6.3,"publicationDate":"2026-09-11","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148950846","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}