Nature water最新文献

{"title":"Direct-drive photovoltaic electrodialysis via flow-commanded current control","authors":"Jonathan Tae-Yoon Bessette, Shane Richard Pratt, Amos G. Winter V","doi":"10.1038/s44221-024-00314-6","DOIUrl":"10.1038/s44221-024-00314-6","url":null,"abstract":"Renewable powered, brackish groundwater desalination is an underutilized resource in the developing world, where there are unreliable energy sources and reliance on increasingly saline groundwater. Traditional renewable desalination technologies require sizable energy storage for sufficient water production, leading to increased cost, maintenance and complexity. We theorize and demonstrate a simple control strategy—flow-commanded current control—using photovoltaic electrodialysis (PV-ED) to enable direct-drive (little to no energy storage), optimally controlled desalination at high production rates. This control scheme was implemented on a fully autonomous, community-scale (2–5 m3 d−1) PV-ED prototype system and operated for 6 months in New Mexico on real brackish groundwater. The prototype fully harnessed 94% of the extracted PV energy despite featuring an energy storage to water productivity ratio of over 99% less than the median PV desalination systems in literature. Flow-commanded current control PV-ED provides a simple strategy to desalinate water for resource-constrained communities and has implications for decarbonizing larger, energy-intensive desalination industries. Desalination of brackish water powered by renewable energy sources is a promising approach to obtain clean water in environmentally constrained communities, but high energy storage requirements hamper its development. Direct-drive photovoltaic electrodialysis is now shown to efficiently produce desalinated water while requiring minimal energy storage.","PeriodicalId":74252,"journal":{"name":"Nature water","volume":"2 10","pages":"1019-1027"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2024-10-08","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.nature.com/articles/s44221-024-00314-6.pdf","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142451331","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":"Going from energy efficiency to climate neutrality on the way to decarbonizing the wastewater sector","authors":"Maria Salvetti","doi":"10.1038/s44221-024-00322-6","DOIUrl":"10.1038/s44221-024-00322-6","url":null,"abstract":"Reducing carbon emission in the wastewater treatment sector requires both lower energy consumption and a transition towards renewable energy sources. Utilizing the embedded energy in wastewater, which has been traditionally overlooked, could be a substantial additional step towards achieving carbon neutrality.","PeriodicalId":74252,"journal":{"name":"Nature water","volume":"2 10","pages":"913-914"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2024-10-03","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142451322","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":"Brine concentration at ambient conditions using ion exchange","authors":"Treavor H. Boyer","doi":"10.1038/s44221-024-00319-1","DOIUrl":"10.1038/s44221-024-00319-1","url":null,"abstract":"A two-step process of water uptake by ion-exchange resin followed by evaporation can concentrate brine solutions without the need for heating.","PeriodicalId":74252,"journal":{"name":"Nature water","volume":"2 10","pages":"921-922"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2024-10-03","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142451300","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":"New approach to progress development of hybrid urban water systems","authors":"Jurg Keller","doi":"10.1038/s44221-024-00317-3","DOIUrl":"10.1038/s44221-024-00317-3","url":null,"abstract":"With ever growing challenges, our urban water systems will need to adapt and change significantly in coming years. A new tool is now available to evaluate a wide range of diversified and decentralized solutions, including their costs and benefits, to improve sustainability and resilience of our cities.","PeriodicalId":74252,"journal":{"name":"Nature water","volume":"2 10","pages":"919-920"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2024-10-03","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142451316","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":"Accelerated low-temperature, low-fouling brine concentration through evaporative ion exchange mediated by the effect of functional groups","authors":"Hao Chen, Arup K. SenGupta","doi":"10.1038/s44221-024-00305-7","DOIUrl":"10.1038/s44221-024-00305-7","url":null,"abstract":"Achieving brine concentration by membrane distillation or the various humidification–dehumidification processes that are currently available always requires a thermal energy input and an elevated temperature. In this study, we developed a brine concentration process mediated by the unique osmotic and evaporation properties of high-capacity ion exchange resins. The evaporative ion exchange process consists of two steps. First, when a concentrated salt solution is brought into contact with a relatively dry, high-capacity polymeric ion exchanger, water selectively permeates into the ion exchanger phase through osmosis and the resin swells. In the second step, water evaporates when the swollen ion exchanger is brought into contact with air with low relative humidity and the resin shrinks. Here we show that, with hypersaline produced water from Marcellus gas shale, this evaporative ion exchange process attained total dissolved solids greater than 400,000 mg l−1, leading to the precipitation/crystallization of barium and sodium chloride at ambient temperature without causing any fouling of the ion exchange resins. The evaporative ion exchange process developed in this study achieves brine concentration at ambient temperature without fouling, providing a non-thermal brine concentration technology towards zero liquid discharge.","PeriodicalId":74252,"journal":{"name":"Nature water","volume":"2 10","pages":"1009-1018"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2024-10-03","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142451298","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":"Let the Olympics serve as warning for water quality","authors":"Hong Yang","doi":"10.1038/s44221-024-00324-4","DOIUrl":"10.1038/s44221-024-00324-4","url":null,"abstract":"Water pollution in the Seine and Thames rivers underscores the urgent need for unified and global action. As climate change intensifies, outdated infrastructure and reactive measures fall short. We must adopt proactive strategies, improve wastewater treatment, and implement nature-based solutions.","PeriodicalId":74252,"journal":{"name":"Nature water","volume":"2 10","pages":"912-912"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2024-10-03","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142451323","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":"Universal microbial indicators provide surveillance of sewage contamination in harbours worldwide","authors":"Sandra L. McLellan, Anthony Chariton, Annachiara Codello, Jill S. McClary-Gutierrez, Melissa K. Schussman, Ezequiel M. Marzinelli, Judith M. O’Neil, Eric J. Schott, Jennifer L. Bowen, Joe H. Vineis, Lois Maignien, Clarisse Lemonnier, Morgan Perennou, Karen S. Gibb, Guang-Jie Zhou, Kenneth M. Y. Leung, Marek Kirs, John F. Griffith, Joshua A. Steele, Stephen E. Swearer, Allyson L. O’Brien, Dehai Song, Shengkang Liang, Junfeng Li, Laura Airoldi, Francesco P. Mancuso, Paulo S. Salomon, Arthur W. Silva-Lima, Renato C. Pereira, Alexandria B. Boehm, Elton W. X. Lim, Stefan Wuertz, Emilio Fernández, Eva Teira, Ming-Ling Liao, Yun-Wei Dong, Peter D. Steinberg","doi":"10.1038/s44221-024-00315-5","DOIUrl":"10.1038/s44221-024-00315-5","url":null,"abstract":"Human population pressures and activities pose unprecedented challenges to water resources in urban environments. However, standard methods of assessing microbial water quality have relied on the same cultured organisms for decades. We show that there is a conserved microbial assemblage in untreated sewage that can be exploited to improve global sewage surveillance. Among harbour and coastal water samples from 18 cities across 5 continents (n = 442), nearly half had evidence of sewage contamination using two human faecal bacteria as molecular indicators. In contrast, conventional measures using cultured Escherichia coli or enterococci only exceeded water quality limits in ~18% of samples, with less than half of these demonstrating sewage indicators. Contaminated locations also displayed a signature characteristic of microorganisms mainly derived from sewer infrastructure. Given the human health risk, loss of ecosystem services and economic costs associated with contaminated coastal waters, molecular approaches could provide more reliable information on sewage contamination of urban waterways. Assessing microbial water quality is an important approach to monitor potential risks to human and environmental health. The use of two human faecal bacteria as molecular indicators is shown to be more sensitive than conventional measures for detecting contamination on an extensive set of data.","PeriodicalId":74252,"journal":{"name":"Nature water","volume":"2 11","pages":"1061-1070"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2024-10-03","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142672781","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":"Pseudo-continuous and scalable electrochemical ion pumping with circuit-switching-induced ion shuttling","authors":"Longqian Xu, Weifan Liu, Xudong Zhang, Wei Tang, Dong-Ju Lee, Zezhou Yang, Zheng Chen, Shihong Lin","doi":"10.1038/s44221-024-00312-8","DOIUrl":"10.1038/s44221-024-00312-8","url":null,"abstract":"Despite the potential of electrosorption to address many challenges in sustainability at the water–energy–food nexus, the performance of conventional electrosorption is hindered by the technical limitations associated with the need to switch solutions in the flow channels between the charging and discharging half-cycles. Here we show that electrochemical ion pumping (EIP), powered by the mechanism of ion shuttling induced by circuit switching, offers a highly scalable approach to overcome the limitations of solution switching and achieve pseudo-continuous ion separation with unidirectional ion flux. We demonstrate the feasibility of EIP with symmetric and asymmetric configurations and report a systematic investigation of symmetric EIP with both a single electrode and multiple electrodes. We unveil interesting system behaviours of multi-electrode EIP that are critical to scaling up EIP for practical applications. We also show salient performance enhancement of EIP compared with conventional electrosorption using various types of configurations for brackish water desalination. In addition to its exceptional scalability and performance, the ability of EIP to operate with ultrashort half-cycles with minimum capacitance has a strong potential to shift the paradigm of system and electrode design in a broad range of electrochemical separation applications. Unlike solution switching in conventional electrosorption, electrochemical ion pumping achieves ion separation via circuit switching, enabling pseudo-continuous desalination with a unidirectional ion flux and a very high frequency of charging and discharging.","PeriodicalId":74252,"journal":{"name":"Nature water","volume":"2 10","pages":"999-1008"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2024-10-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142451277","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":"Valuing energy flexibility from water systems","authors":"Akshay K. Rao, Jose Bolorinos, Erin Musabandesu, Fletcher T. Chapin, Meagan S. Mauter","doi":"10.1038/s44221-024-00316-4","DOIUrl":"10.1038/s44221-024-00316-4","url":null,"abstract":"Water systems represent an untapped source of electric power load flexibility, but determining the value of this flexibility requires quantitative comparisons to other grid-scale energy storage technologies and a compelling economic case for water system operators. Here we present a unified framework for representing water asset flexibility using grid-scale energy storage metrics (round-trip efficiency, energy capacity and power capacity) and assessing the technoeconomic benefits of energy flexibility at the water facility scale (levelized cost of water and levelized value of flexibility). We apply this framework to case studies of an advanced water treatment (desalination) plant, a water distribution network and a wastewater treatment plant. The framework reveals strengths and limitations of water system flexibility relative to other grid-scale energy storage solutions, high-value opportunities for flexible load operation of water assets and the critical role of electricity tariff structures and energy service markets in determining water sector participation in load flexibility. Ultimately, this unified framework for valuating water asset flexibility enables both electricity and water asset managers to prioritize investments based on levelized cost comparisons across their respective portfolios. This Article introduces a framework to assess water systems as potential sources of energy flexibility using energy storage metrics and levelized costs. Through case studies of a desalination plant, a water distribution network and a wastewater treatment plant, it explores the benefits and challenges of flexible load operation, highlighting how electricity tariffs may influence facility investment decisions.","PeriodicalId":74252,"journal":{"name":"Nature water","volume":"2 10","pages":"1028-1037"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2024-09-27","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142451301","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":"Global scale exploration of human faecal and sewage resistomes as a function of socio-economic status","authors":"Suraj Gupta, Xiaowei Wu, Amy Pruden, Liqing Zhang, Peter Vikesland","doi":"10.1038/s44221-024-00310-w","DOIUrl":"10.1038/s44221-024-00310-w","url":null,"abstract":"Prior studies have shown that socio-economic indicators collectively explain most of the variance in sewage resistomes. However, the relationship between human faecal and sewage resistomes has not been well characterized. We investigated common and discriminating features between human faecal and sewage microbiomes and resistomes by analysing 451 publicly available metagenomic samples from 69 countries (240 human faecal samples from 23 countries and 211 urban sewage samples from 60 countries) representing different socio-economic statuses. We found that sewage and human faecal resistome compositions were distinct, with sewage exhibiting higher relative antibiotic resistance gene abundance and total diversity than human faeces. The ANOSIM test revealed stronger separation by socio-economic status in sewage samples (R = 0.47) compared to faecal samples (R = 0.17). The distinctions between human faecal and sewage resistomes revealed in this study are key considerations in the advancement of sewage surveillance efforts aimed at informing the antibiotic resistance status of human populations. Extensive comparisons of human faecal and sewage resistomes provide essential insights into the differences between these resistomes and their relationship with socio-economic factors.","PeriodicalId":74252,"journal":{"name":"Nature water","volume":"2 10","pages":"975-987"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2024-09-24","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142451311","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}