Nature water最新文献

{"title":"Solar-powered circular desalination agriculture enabled by amyloid fibril-based bioevaporators","authors":"Meng Xia, Yan Song, Jiahui Yu, Mengyue Zeng, Peng Zhao, Tao Yang, Shuangkang Pei, Yonggang Zhou, Qi Chen, Haiyan Li, Dong Wang, Juanxiu Xiao, Jia Zhu","doi":"10.1038/s44221-026-00615-y","DOIUrl":"10.1038/s44221-026-00615-y","url":null,"abstract":"Coastal agriculture is constrained by freshwater scarcity and the linear, resource-intensive nature of conventional farming, with substantial waste and environmental impacts. Here we report solar-powered circular desalination agriculture, which harnesses sunlight and seawater to produce food with minimal waste. Specifically, solar desalination provides abundant boron-free irrigation water from seawater; soybeans supply food and value-added products; and leftover biomass is upgraded into bioevaporators and fertilizers, sustaining further desalination and cultivation. A 3-month field trial on Hainan Island validated the full circular cycle from seed germination to harvest, processing and waste upcycling. Scaled to 0.6 ha, the global average agricultural land per person, the system can meet the daily food needs of 47 people. Beyond soybeans, the approach successfully remediated saline soils while cultivating diverse food and cash crops, highlighting broad applicability and economic potential. This solar-powered circular agriculture strategy offers a sustainable pathway towards water–food–energy security. A solar-powered strategy enables sustainable agriculture by integrating solar desalination, crop irrigation and food waste upcycling into an interconnected system, creating a circular economy for regions facing freshwater constraints.","PeriodicalId":74252,"journal":{"name":"Nature water","volume":"4 4","pages":"532-541"},"PeriodicalIF":24.1,"publicationDate":"2026-04-08","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147735107","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":"A smart self-indicating metal–organic framework with real-time fluorochromic response for ultraselective thorium remediation","authors":"Yunyi Cui, Yaoyao Bai, Junpu Yang, Guangtao Zhang, Chengyan Yu, Yaxing Wang, Jie Qiu, Shuao Wang, Jian Lin","doi":"10.1038/s44221-026-00612-1","DOIUrl":"10.1038/s44221-026-00612-1","url":null,"abstract":"The efficient separation and simultaneous detection of thorium from complex aqueous environments remain a critical challenge in radioactive waste management, where minimizing secondary waste and reducing adsorbent consumption are paramount. Here we report a fluorochromic metal–organic framework (MOF), Eu-NDC, that functions as a self-indicating adsorbent for ultraselective Th(IV) sensing and separation. Eu-NDC exhibits a distinctive red-to-blue emission transition upon Th(IV) binding, achieving an ultralow detection limit of 9.2 nM while selectively distinguishing Th(IV) from other tetravalent cations. Furthermore, the material combines high Th(IV) adsorption capacity (504.3 mg g−1) with superior selectivity, indicated by a distribution coefficient of 2.8 × 106 ml g−1 and a Th(IV)/U(VI) separation factor of 1,806. Mechanistic studies reveal that Th(IV) uptake occurs via a dissolution–recrystallization process. Importantly, the fluorochromic response of Eu-NDC provides a self-indicating capability, whereby changes in emission colour directly reflect adsorption progress. This dual-functionality, integrating ultraselective adsorption with direct optical feedback, establishes MOFs as a multifunctional platform for smart, self-indicating radionuclide separation and environmental remediation. A fluorochromic metal–organic framework sensor enables real-time visualization of thorium adsorption and exhibits a higher selectivity than other tetravalent cations.","PeriodicalId":74252,"journal":{"name":"Nature water","volume":"4 4","pages":"521-531"},"PeriodicalIF":24.1,"publicationDate":"2026-03-26","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147735106","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":"A new vision for global water action","authors":"","doi":"10.1038/s44221-026-00621-0","DOIUrl":"10.1038/s44221-026-00621-0","url":null,"abstract":"As the next UN Water Conference approaches, the world must look beyond SDG6 and short-term deadlines. A broader, more adaptive vision is essential to address the political, social, and environmental realities of water.","PeriodicalId":74252,"journal":{"name":"Nature water","volume":"4 3","pages":"257-257"},"PeriodicalIF":24.1,"publicationDate":"2026-03-24","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.nature.comhttps://www.nature.com/articles/s44221-026-00621-0.pdf","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147558656","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":"Anthropogenic tritium as a continental-scale tracer in river-derived recharge","authors":"Jared van Rooyen, Torsten Vennemann, Roland Purtschert, Annette Affolter Kast, Matthias S. Brennwald, Rolf Kipfer, Oliver S. Schilling","doi":"10.1038/s44221-026-00616-x","DOIUrl":"10.1038/s44221-026-00616-x","url":null,"abstract":"Groundwater, enhanced through managed aquifer recharge (MAR), plays a central role in mitigating current and future water stress. Here we evaluate anthropogenic and natural water isotopes as tracers of groundwater flow dynamics within alluvial MAR systems. High-resolution sampling (daily/weekly) of stable isotopes (δ18O and δ2H) and tritium (3H), influenced by nuclear power plant effluents, is used to trace and quantify the movement of infiltrated river water through an alluvial aquifer along the Rhine River in Switzerland. Time-series deconvolution is applied to quantify the tracer-based travel time distribution and to predict travel times throughout the entire MAR scheme. The results demonstrate the suitability of 3H as a quasi-conservative travel time tracer in systems where the infiltrating river water is marked by nuclear power plant discharges—a situation prevalent along the banks of many large river basins globally. Deuterium excess proved equally effective as a bulk travel time tracer, reflecting distinct seasonal meltwater signals expected in major European rivers. These findings quantify MAR recovery rates and wellhead protection zones, supporting sustainable groundwater management under natural and anthropogenic pressures. Groundwater, enhanced through managed aquifer recharge, is crucial for alleviating water stress. This study demonstrates that isotopic tracers, including tritium from nuclear power plant effluents, can be used to map groundwater flow in Swiss alluvial systems, revealing insights into groundwater travel time distributions and informing sustainable groundwater management globally.","PeriodicalId":74252,"journal":{"name":"Nature water","volume":"4 4","pages":"444-454"},"PeriodicalIF":24.1,"publicationDate":"2026-03-23","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147735108","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 interaction-driven rapid capture and on-site analysis of nano- and microplastics enabled by multifunctional magnetic adsorbent","authors":"Qingfeng Yao, Chao Xu, Luhe Qi, Zheng Cai, Xinrong Liao, Lizhi Zhang, Jingming Gong, Chaoji Chen","doi":"10.1038/s44221-026-00610-3","DOIUrl":"10.1038/s44221-026-00610-3","url":null,"abstract":"The pervasive spread of nano- and microplastics (NMPs) presents pressing environmental and health challenges and conventional approaches struggle to achieve both the efficient adsorption and precise detection of label-free NMPs, especially at the nanoscale in complex real-world matrices. Here we report a multifunctional copper-doped polydopamine-functionalized magnetic silica adsorbent that integrates robust interfacial adhesion, photothermal activity and laccase-like catalytic activity, enabling the rapid capture and on-site detection of label-free NMPs. This hierarchical design can capture NMPs ranging from the nano- to micrometre scale within 3 minutes and maintains robust performance over multiple reuse cycles under mild conditions. Leveraging its laccase-like catalytic activity, the developed adsorbent serves as a surface-responsive platform for the broad-spectrum on-site detection of various label-free NMPs, even at the nanoscale. Multivariate analysis via machine learning methods further distinguishes NMP species and concentrations with high specificity. Density functional theory calculations confirm that non-covalent interactions dominate the NMP adsorption mechanism. Impressively, this adsorbent demonstrates the reliable capture and on-site detection of low-concentration label-free NMPs in natural water sources and real-life scenarios (plastic cups, bowls and tea bags). This work overcomes the fundamental limitations of single-mode adsorption or label-based detection of traditional NMP treatment and analysis approaches, pioneering a new paradigm for efficient NMP removal and portable on-site analysis. A multifunctional adsorbent, composed of copper-doped polydopamine-functionalized magnetic silica, enables the simultaneous removal and on-site detection of label-free nano- and microplastics.","PeriodicalId":74252,"journal":{"name":"Nature water","volume":"4 4","pages":"493-506"},"PeriodicalIF":24.1,"publicationDate":"2026-03-13","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147735101","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":"Steering the nitrate electroreduction pathway via nanoconfinement-induced hydrogen-bond network regulation","authors":"Linghui Meng, Chensi Shen, Min Zhou, Xin Wang, Yanming Liu, Chong-Chen Wang, Meng Liu, Xie Quan, Yanbiao Liu","doi":"10.1038/s44221-026-00600-5","DOIUrl":"10.1038/s44221-026-00600-5","url":null,"abstract":"Electrochemical nitrate reduction to ammonia offers a sustainable route for wastewater remediation and fertilizer production. However, the prevailing hydrogen-atom-mediated pathway often suffers from low selectivity owing to competing hydrogen evolution. Here we show that nanoconfinement can fundamentally redirect the reaction pathway towards a highly efficient proton-coupled electron transfer process. We constructed a catalyst comprising CuCo alloy nanoparticles embedded within carbon nanotubes via flash joule heating. This architecture achieves an ammonia yield of 2.23 mg h−1 cm−2 with 93.8% Faradaic efficiency, surpassing non-confined counterparts. Mechanistic studies reveal that the nanoconfined microenvironment restructures the interfacial hydrogen-bond network to create a water-deficient, nitrate-enriched interface that suppresses water dissociation and facilitates direct proton shuttling. The system demonstrates robust stability in treating real wastewater, with technoeconomic and life-cycle analyses confirming its viability. This work establishes nanoconfinement as a powerful lever for steering interfacial environments and reaction pathways in electrocatalysis. Electrochemical nitrate reduction can simultaneously remove pollutants and produce ammonia but is often limited by hydrogen side reactions. This study shows that nanoconfined CuCo catalysts enable a proton-coupled electron transfer pathway that delivers highly selective, efficient and stable ammonia synthesis.","PeriodicalId":74252,"journal":{"name":"Nature water","volume":"4 4","pages":"481-492"},"PeriodicalIF":24.1,"publicationDate":"2026-03-11","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147735100","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":"Waste per- and polyfluoroalkyl substance-assisted flash fluorination for lithium recovery from brine","authors":"Yi Cheng \u0000 (, ), Alexander E. Lathem, Phelecia Scotland, Qiming Liu \u0000 (, ), Jinhang Chen \u0000 (, ), Karla J. Silva, Tianyou Xie \u0000 (, ), Bowen Li \u0000 (, ), Youngkun Chung, Ralph Abdel Nour, Jaeho Shin \u0000 (, ), Lucas Eddy, Carter Kittrell, Haoxin Ye \u0000 (, ), Shihui Chen \u0000 (, ), Tengda Si \u0000 (, ), Obinna E. Onah, Michael S. Wong, Christopher Griggs, James M. Tour","doi":"10.1038/s44221-026-00593-1","DOIUrl":"10.1038/s44221-026-00593-1","url":null,"abstract":"Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) are recalcitrant and bioaccumulative environmental pollutants. Whereas substantial efforts have been made to degrade PFAS, the potential for effectively using these fluoride resources has been overlooked. Here we develop an electrothermal fluorination method to selectively fluorinate brine salts using granular activated carbon (GAC)-sorbed aqueous film-forming foam (AFFF) as a fluorination agent. During this process, GAC and PFAS in AFFF are converted to graphene, whereas fluorine atoms are effectively mineralized into metal fluorides. Followed by washing and flash distillation, lithium can be recovered from other alkali and alkaline-earth metal cations in brine (Na+, Mg2+, K+, Ca2+) in the form of lithium fluoride, with an ~99% lithium purity and ~82% yield. The recovered lithium fluoride is demonstrated as an additive to stabilize electrolytes and improve the performance of lithium-ion batteries. Life-cycle assessment and techno-economic analysis indicate that this process greatly reduces greenhouse gas emissions and costs compared to the industrial lithium extraction method. This highlights the potential of the process to manage pollutants while providing a sustainable lithium supply, and this fluorination strategy shows promise to be extended to other metal extraction processes. An electrothermal fluorination methodology has been developed to transform granular activated carbon-sorbed aqueous film-forming foam waste into graphene and a fluorinating reagent, subsequently enabling lithium recovery from brine sources.","PeriodicalId":74252,"journal":{"name":"Nature water","volume":"4 3","pages":"369-380"},"PeriodicalIF":24.1,"publicationDate":"2026-03-10","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147570543","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":"Molecular oxygen cascade reduction to •OH via coplanar dual-electrocatalytic zone achieving electrolyte-free water purification","authors":"Chao Miao, Zhiming Wang, Kuang Chen, Chufan Li, Ziwen An, Yanbo Li, Haiyu Wang, Lina Li, Guohua Zhao","doi":"10.1038/s44221-026-00606-z","DOIUrl":"10.1038/s44221-026-00606-z","url":null,"abstract":"As a promising approach for treating emerging organic pollutants in water, the conventional Fenton process faces an inherent limitation: its reliance on the continuous addition of Fenton reagents and supporting electrolytes, which raises operational costs, risks secondary pollution and complicates safe handling. Here, to overcome these challenges, we propose a ‘spatial–temporal dynamic dual-electrocatalytic cascade’ strategy and design an innovative coplanar dual-electrocatalytic zone-structured electrode—integrated with a membrane electrode assembly—that forms a compact reaction system. This system enables the continuous in situ cascading transformation of O2 → H2O2 → •OH without supporting electrolytes and achieves efficient degradation of organic pollutants. Experimental results confirm that the system exhibits exceptional degradation performance for four categories of typical recalcitrant organic pollutants, achieving removal rates exceeding 98%. In terms of energy consumption, it is reduced by ~69.3% compared with the conventional dual-cathode system. Furthermore, this system is effective in five distinct water matrices, and it can achieve effective reduction of total organic carbon in real chemical pharmaceutical wastewater without requiring complex pretreatment. As a reagent-free and electrolyte-free alternative, this integrated coplanar dual-electrocatalytic zone coupled system overcomes the constraints of traditional electro-Fenton technology. It enables decentralized treatment of low-conductivity water matrices, and its broad applicability lays a solid foundation for advancing the practical implementation of electrochemical water treatment technology in complex wastewater remediation. This study presents an electrolyte-free electrochemical system that leverages dual electrocatalytic zones to effectively remove a wide range of recalcitrant pollutants across various water matrices, including low-conductivity organic wastewater.","PeriodicalId":74252,"journal":{"name":"Nature water","volume":"4 4","pages":"507-520"},"PeriodicalIF":24.1,"publicationDate":"2026-03-10","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147735102","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":"Water scientists must become agenda-setters","authors":"Kaveh Madani, Karin Sjöstrand","doi":"10.1038/s44221-026-00613-0","DOIUrl":"10.1038/s44221-026-00613-0","url":null,"abstract":"The global water agenda is outdated and narrow and is framed mainly as a downstream impact sector. Scientists must step up to help the world recognize water as an opportunity sector and to design a bolder water agenda.","PeriodicalId":74252,"journal":{"name":"Nature water","volume":"4 3","pages":"258-260"},"PeriodicalIF":24.1,"publicationDate":"2026-03-09","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.nature.comhttps://www.nature.com/articles/s44221-026-00613-0.pdf","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147570483","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":"Pathogen-free atmospheric water harvesting using a mussel-inspired wet-adhesive photothermal aerogel","authors":"Feng Cheng, Hongbin Li, Zechang Wei, Mengjuan Zhou, Haojie Lu, Qiujian Le, Fei Wang, Yujie Du, Lin Yang, Swee Ching Tan","doi":"10.1038/s44221-026-00592-2","DOIUrl":"10.1038/s44221-026-00592-2","url":null,"abstract":"Atmospheric water harvesting (AWH) offers a sustainable route to freshwater production, but ensuring biological safety remains a major challenge due to the potential transport of bacteria during water evaporation. Here we report a scalable mussel-inspired hygroscopic aerogel integrating rapid sorption–desorption, structural stability and photothermal antibacterial activity. The aerogel achieves a higher water uptake of 6.0 g g−1 with an absorption rate of 1.78 g g−1 h−1 at 95% relative humidity, while solar irradiation inactivates more than 90% of bacteria. The collected water is non-cytotoxic and supports in vitro cell growth. Moreover, we developed a solar–wind–electric hybrid AWH device incorporating this aerogel, and feeding the collected water to Sprague Dawley rats caused no tissue damage in vivo, confirming its biological safety. This platform combines efficient water harvesting with pathogen inactivation and biological safety, providing a scalable and versatile approach for safe AWH with potential applications in potable water supply, disaster relief and healthcare in resource-limited settings. Atmospheric water harvesting (AWH) offers sustainable freshwater but faces persistent microbial safety concerns. A mussel-inspired hygroscopic aerogel achieves rapid water uptake with solar-driven bacterial inactivation, enabling a scalable AWH system.","PeriodicalId":74252,"journal":{"name":"Nature water","volume":"4 3","pages":"348-359"},"PeriodicalIF":24.1,"publicationDate":"2026-03-06","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147570482","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}