Nature water最新文献

{"title":"Hierarchically semi-interpenetrating polymer nanofilms for high-performance seawater desalination","authors":"Yu Chen, Jia Xu, Kaiyuan Song, Ziying Li, Baiyang Chen, Qijing Huang, Li Yu, Yue Su, Ruijiao Dong","doi":"10.1038/s44221-025-00577-7","DOIUrl":"10.1038/s44221-025-00577-7","url":null,"abstract":"Thin-film composite polyamide membranes remain the benchmark for water desalination and purification. However, conventional polyamide membranes are greatly limited by the trade-off between water permeance and ion permselectivity, but also susceptible to chlorine degradation and membrane fouling. Here we addressed these issues by molecularly creating hierarchically structured polymer nanofilms featuring polyamide/polyethylene glycol (PEG) semi-interpenetrating polymer networks (semi-IPN) and interconnected hydrated micropores via macromolecule-regulated interfacial polymerization. This strategy enables controlled synthesis of nanofilms with semi-IPN architectures and tunable subnanometre-scale micropores, spanning reverse osmosis to nanofiltration. The resultant semi-IPN networks synergistically enhance water permeance and ion permselectivity to overcome the intrinsic permeability–selectivity trade-off, but also further provide superior resistance to chlorine, biofouling and mineral scaling and long-term operational stability in seawater desalination, outperforming commercial polyamide membranes. This work offers a robust platform for creating hierarchically ordered polymer networks for high-performance seawater desalination to solve the global water crisis. A macromolecule-regulated interfacial polymerization strategy enables control over polymer network architectures and micropore sizes, leading to membranes breaking the intrinsic permeability–selectivity trade-off with resistance to chlorine and membrane biofouling.","PeriodicalId":74252,"journal":{"name":"Nature water","volume":"4 2","pages":"183-195"},"PeriodicalIF":24.1,"publicationDate":"2026-02-04","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147269051","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":"Transformative adaptation needed to break cycles of inequitable urban flood management","authors":"Rebecca L. Hale, Krista Capps, Elizabeth M. Cook, Rachel Scarlett","doi":"10.1038/s44221-025-00569-7","DOIUrl":"10.1038/s44221-025-00569-7","url":null,"abstract":"Urban water hazards, including floods, water scarcity and water contamination, are increasing due to climate change. Risks associated with urban flooding are shaped by past decisions, institutional forms of oppression, their legacies, and the interactions of these legacies with ongoing climate change. When legacies of oppression and the contemporary social landscape are not considered, technocratic adaptation measures perpetuate inequitable infrastructure investment and risk. Here we review the inequitable distribution of urban flood risks within and among cities, discussing the forces driving these inequities and why many adaptation measures to address flooding exacerbate environmental injustices. Transformative approaches for equitable adaptation include systemic changes to planning, governance, and adaptive management and funding, with an explicit focus on social justice to address the underlying causes of urban flood risks. Climate adaptation provides the opportunity not only to increase urban resilience to climate change, but also to address historic injustices. Urban water hazards like flooding and contamination are worsening due to climate change, and their risks are deeply influenced by historical oppression and inequitable infrastructure decisions. This Perspective examines how urban flood risk is inequitably distributed and argues that climate adaptation should prioritize systemic, justice-focused reforms to address both resilience and historic social injustices.","PeriodicalId":74252,"journal":{"name":"Nature water","volume":"4 2","pages":"147-157"},"PeriodicalIF":24.1,"publicationDate":"2026-02-04","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147269056","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":"Mg2+ in drinking water boosts Salmonella infection risk by rewiring gut ecology and virulence","authors":"Tanghao Liu, Tao Dong, Ting Zhang, Xiaohui Bai","doi":"10.1038/s44221-026-00584-2","DOIUrl":"10.1038/s44221-026-00584-2","url":null,"abstract":"The mineral content in drinking water is an emerging regulator of intestinal health. While certain mineral waters are generally considered beneficial, their health effects under enteric infection conditions remain unclear. Here we show that Mg2+ in drinking water exacerbates inflammation caused by enteric pathogen Salmonella Typhimurium via two interlinked mechanisms: direct activation of its key bacterial competition machinery type VI secretion system (T6SS) and indirect amplification through inflammation-driven dysbiosis. Mg2+ depletes beneficial Akkermansia and enriches Bacteroides, elevating pro-inflammatory bile acids and arginine that enhance T6SS-mediated competitive fitness. These effects vary with host health and water sources. Our findings support the use of low-mineral water for vulnerable groups during infection risk periods, establishing Mg2+ in drinking water as a modifiable risk factor for infectious enteritis. Minerals in drinking water can influence gut health, especially during infection. This study finds that magnesium in drinking water worsens Salmonella-driven gut inflammation by boosting the pathogen’s competitiveness and disturbing the gut microbiome.","PeriodicalId":74252,"journal":{"name":"Nature water","volume":"4 3","pages":"307-319"},"PeriodicalIF":24.1,"publicationDate":"2026-02-04","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147570540","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":"Estimating methane emissions from global sewer networks","authors":"Keshab Sharma, Jiuling Li, Tao Liu, John Willis, Yiwen Liu, Zhiyu Zhang, Zhiguo Yuan","doi":"10.1038/s44221-025-00574-w","DOIUrl":"10.1038/s44221-025-00574-w","url":null,"abstract":"Conclusive evidence has emerged showing substantial methane (CH4) emissions from sewer systems, contradictory to the ‘zero emission’ assumption made by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change. However, the global magnitude of sewer CH4 emissions remains unknown. By ingeniously integrating mechanistic and knowledge-supported data-driven modelling, we have derived from the relatively small datasets available a simple set of robust and interpretable equations to estimate CH4 emissions from sewer networks based on readily available information such as sewer geometry, the design and actual dry weather flows, and wastewater temperature. With this tool, we estimate that, globally, sewers emit 1.18–1.95 Tg CH4 yr−1 (95% confidence interval), adding 15.7–37.6% to the currently estimated carbon footprint of wastewater management and 1.7–3.3% to the currently estimated global methane emissions by the waste sector. Our developed tool can reliably and efficiently estimate sewer methane emissions, supporting water authorities globally to establish emissions inventories and pursue carbon-neutral wastewater management. Sewer systems have long been assumed to be negligible sources of methane, yet emerging evidence suggests that they represent a previously overlooked contributor to greenhouse gas emissions. This study shows that global sewer networks emit ~1.2–2.0 Tg CH4 yr−1, substantially increasing wastewater-sector methane emissions and challenging the IPCC zero-emission assumption.","PeriodicalId":74252,"journal":{"name":"Nature water","volume":"4 2","pages":"196-205"},"PeriodicalIF":24.1,"publicationDate":"2026-02-02","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147269052","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":"Neutral microenvironment-driven catalytic polymerization for closed-loop wastewater treatment and resource recovery","authors":"Feng Ye, Peng-Yu Zhang, Long-Jie Wang, Han-Lin Zhang, Yi-Wen Lu, Gui-Xuan Dong, Wei-Kang Wang, Xiaoguang Duan, Juan Xu","doi":"10.1038/s44221-026-00586-0","DOIUrl":"10.1038/s44221-026-00586-0","url":null,"abstract":"Persulfate-based polymerization-oriented advanced oxidation processes (PS-P-AOPs) represent a promising strategy for simultaneous pollutant removal and resource recovery. However, their practical applications have been limited by efficient polymer product recovery and catalyst regeneration. Here we design a Ni–Zn layered double hydroxide (NiZn-LDH) catalyst that creates a self-buffered neutral microenvironment via amphiphilic ≡Zn(OH)2 groups. This microenvironment enriches Ni at the slipping plane, affording favourable electronic structures for selective peroxymonosulfate activation into high-valent Ni(IV)=O species which triggers phenol polymerization through a proton-coupled electron transfer mechanism. A high polymerization efficiency (85.7%) is achieved and the resulting polymers are recovered via facile acid washing and applied as coating materials with outstanding anticorrosion capacity. Meanwhile, the NiZn-LDH catalyst is regenerated through alkaline ageing of the residual solution for further cyclic use. The efficiency of 1.5NiZn-LDH/peroxymonosulfate was assessed for the treatment of industrial coking wastewater (15 litres, 277.17 mg l−1 chemical oxygen demand), achieving 82.8% chemical oxygen demand and 81.6% total organic carbon removal, 0.91 g polymer recovery and 97.6% catalyst regeneration. This closed-loop approach provides substantial advantages over homogeneous Fenton systems, delivering improved sustainability, reduced operational costs, and enhanced efficiency. We demonstrate a closed-loop PS-P-AOPs strategy that integrates selective pollutant removal, polymeric product valorization and catalyst reuse, offering a low-emission strategy for sustainable wastewater treatment. A sustainable approach to wastewater treatment is achieved through pollutant polymerization, polymer recovery and catalyst reuse, enabled by the design of a Ni–Zn layered double hydroxide catalyst.","PeriodicalId":74252,"journal":{"name":"Nature water","volume":"4 3","pages":"320-333"},"PeriodicalIF":24.1,"publicationDate":"2026-01-30","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147558655","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":"Mapping global freshwater ecosystems to guide national restoration targets and nature-based solutions","authors":"Mahya G. Z. Hashemi, Kashif Shaad, Vivian Griffey, Ibrahim Nourein Mohammed, Maíra Ometto Bezerra, Starry Sprenkle-Hyppolite, John D. Bolten","doi":"10.1038/s44221-025-00573-x","DOIUrl":"10.1038/s44221-025-00573-x","url":null,"abstract":"Freshwater ecosystems regulate the water cycle, support biodiversity and enhance resilience, yet they remain largely overlooked in global climate policies, and most national commitments lack clear, spatially defined targets for their protection and restoration. Here our global map—derived from 30-m land-cover classification, hydrological networks and floodplain models—reveals around 51 million km2 of rivers, wetlands, headwaters, riparian buffers and floodplains that are critical for water security and disaster risk reduction. Overlaying this map on country members of the Freshwater Challenge, we discuss pathways for integrating freshwater ecosystems into nature-based solutions for climate adaptation and mitigation. Furthermore, by analysing areas where forest would naturally occur within our mapped categories, we show that reforesting degraded croplands and short vegetation could sequester 1.07 and 3.41 gigatonnes of CO2 per year, across 355–484 million hectares. These results provide a practical foundation for aligning global climate goals with regional freshwater targets. Freshwater ecosystems are crucial for biodiversity and climate resilience, yet they are often neglected in global climate policies. Here the authors present a global map of high-value freshwater ecosystems, providing a practical foundation for integrating freshwater ecosystems for climate adaptation and mitigation through targeted restoration.","PeriodicalId":74252,"journal":{"name":"Nature water","volume":"4 3","pages":"396-406"},"PeriodicalIF":24.1,"publicationDate":"2026-01-29","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.nature.comhttps://www.nature.com/articles/s44221-025-00573-x.pdf","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147570536","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":"Evolving resource potential of glacial lakes with ongoing deglaciation","authors":"Georg Veh, Wolfgang Schwanghart, Oliver Korup, Jonathan L. Carrivick","doi":"10.1038/s44221-025-00578-6","DOIUrl":"10.1038/s44221-025-00578-6","url":null,"abstract":"Melting and retreating glaciers are generating meltwater and creating space for new glacial lakes in Earth’s high mountains. These glacial lakes become increasingly important freshwater reservoirs, but their value for hydropower, drinking water supply, tourism and ecosystem services over decades depends on their storage capacity and sedimentation-dependent lifespan. Here we estimate the volumes and sediment storage capacities for ~71,000 glacial lakes globally as of 2020. Combined, these lakes impound a water volume of $${mathrm{2,048}}_{{-}296}^{+218}$$  km³ (median and 68% highest density interval), representing a $${+12.7}_{{-}13.2}^{+9.1} %$$ change compared with 1990. Half of the 2020 glacial lake water volume is located within 63 km of a coastline and below 200 m above sea level, mostly in sparsely populated, high-latitude regions such as Greenland, Arctic Canada, Patagonia and Alaska, where use of, and demand for, freshwater remains limited. The smallest lakes (<0.1 km2; ~80% of all) could lose 10% of their storage capacity within a century owing to sedimentation, while the 40 largest lakes, holding half of the global glacial lake volume, could endure for tens of thousands of years. These differing lifespans put pressure on a sustainable use of meltwater impounded within lakes, particularly in High Mountain Asia, where small glacial lakes could help serve the basic needs of millions of people, while unstable dams might rapidly remove some of this capacity. Overall, we offer regional and local baseline data of lake longevity to constrain a window of opportunity, in which growing demands for water security must be balanced with hazard mitigation and protection of rapidly evolving high-mountain ecosystems. Lakes fed by melting and retreating glaciers are becoming important freshwater reservoirs, and their value depends on their storage capacity and sedimentation-dependent lifespan. This study estimates the volumes and lifespans of >70,000 glacial lakes globally as of 2020, improving our understanding on the potential of these lakes and the sustainable use of these reservoirs.","PeriodicalId":74252,"journal":{"name":"Nature water","volume":"4 3","pages":"381-395"},"PeriodicalIF":24.1,"publicationDate":"2026-01-28","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.nature.comhttps://www.nature.com/articles/s44221-025-00578-6.pdf","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147558659","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":"Mesospace domain orchestrates microbial consortia by β-barrel porin modulation and local molecule enrichment for wastewater treatment","authors":"Chao Liu, Yue Yin, Xuemeng Zhang, Wei-Min Wu, Bingcai Pan, Hongqiang Ren, Qingran Zhang, Han-Qing Yu, Jinfeng Wang, Mengru Zhu, Yinguang Chen","doi":"10.1038/s44221-025-00579-5","DOIUrl":"10.1038/s44221-025-00579-5","url":null,"abstract":"Microbial consortia hold immense promise for wastewater treatment by harnessing metabolite exchange-based interspecies interactions to drive energy and matter flow. Yet, challenges in the coordinated modulation of transmembrane transport proteins and extracellular metabolite distribution limit cross-species interactions within consortia. Here we propose a mesospace-domain regulation strategy that leverages hydrogel-assembled mesoscale habitats to precisely modulate β-barrel membrane porins and locally enrich cross-fed molecules, thus remodelling interspecific cooperative metabolism for efficient wastewater treatment. Confining a carefully designed microbiota within mesospace enhances organic wastewater treatment for hexanoate production, achieving a 307.2% higher yield than unconfined systems. This improvement is attributed to mesospace-governed porin regulation and exometabolite enrichment, which reprogram interbacterial interactions from unidirectional electron transfer to bidirectional multimetabolite cross-feeding. This regulatory strategy is also applicable to other wastewater treatment systems, markedly enhancing succinic acid production, denitrification of low carbon-to-nitrogen ratio wastewater and removal of emerging contaminants. These findings illuminate how the mesospace domain orchestrates microbiota metabolism to boost bioconversion efficiency and selectivity for sustainable wastewater management. Microbial consortia offer a promising route for sustainable wastewater treatment but are often constrained by inefficient interspecies metabolic interactions. This study shows that hydrogel-defined mesospace confinement enhances interspecies cross-feeding by regulating transmembrane transport and metabolite retention, improving pathway selectivity and treatment efficiency.","PeriodicalId":74252,"journal":{"name":"Nature water","volume":"4 3","pages":"294-306"},"PeriodicalIF":24.1,"publicationDate":"2026-01-27","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147570488","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":"Adsorption–microbial integration pioneers sustainable phosphorus cycle","authors":"Tianming Wu, Wen-Jie Fu, Zheng Yan, Binggong Li, Zhe Zhao, Lu Wang, Lei Yan, Kaiqing Tong, Gong Zhang, Yusheng Niu","doi":"10.1038/s44221-025-00582-w","DOIUrl":"10.1038/s44221-025-00582-w","url":null,"abstract":"Escalating phosphorus (P) pollution and depleting P reserves demand sustainable P control strategies. Here we developed a microbially enhanced La–Zr-loaded basalt (MLZB) system integrating physicochemical adsorption with microbial metabolism for P removal and recovery. Adsorption creates a P-enriched microenvironment that fosters P-solubilizing bacteria, which secrete organic acids to release adsorbed P and regenerate adsorption sites. These bacteria mediate P storage and re-release via polyphosphate metabolism, making P available to eukaryotes. Ultimately, biodiverse microbial communities harbouring key P-metabolic genes were established within MLZB. Over a 1-year continuous treatment of real agricultural non-point source polluted water, this system maintained P removal efficiencies exceeding 90.0%, with its effluent consistently meeting the discharge standard of 0.2 mg l−1. The basalt matrix was regenerated, whereas P-containing products were recovered through incineration. MLZB offers an economically superior alternative to traditional chemicals by serving as an effective P cycle medium. It markedly reduces ecological impacts and promotes the development of circular economy. Escalating phosphorus pollution and depleting reserves necessitate sustainable control and recovery strategies. Here the authors develop a microbially enhanced La–Zr-loaded basalt system that achieves over 90% phosphorus removal and recovery, promoting a circular economy and reducing ecological impacts, offering an economically superior alternative to traditional chemical methods.","PeriodicalId":74252,"journal":{"name":"Nature water","volume":"4 2","pages":"169-182"},"PeriodicalIF":24.1,"publicationDate":"2026-01-26","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147269057","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":"Clarifying our remit as we enter a new phase","authors":"","doi":"10.1038/s44221-026-00588-y","DOIUrl":"10.1038/s44221-026-00588-y","url":null,"abstract":"Three years after the launch of Nature Water, we assess our development as a journal and provide clearer guidance on the boundaries of our scope.","PeriodicalId":74252,"journal":{"name":"Nature water","volume":"4 1","pages":"1-1"},"PeriodicalIF":24.1,"publicationDate":"2026-01-23","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.nature.comhttps://www.nature.com/articles/s44221-026-00588-y.pdf","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146027624","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}