Pub Date : 2026-02-07DOI: 10.1038/s41545-026-00558-7
Heejin Yang, Sam Yeol Lim, Gayoung Lee, Sung-Hyo Jung, Seonuk Yu, Jeehoon Han, Chang-Gu Lee, Jechan Lee
Ammonia (NH3) recovery from wastewater represents an emerging opportunity for sustainable nitrogen management and carbon-free hydrogen (H2) production. Despite extensive research on ammonium (NH4+) and NH3 recovery technologies, direct comparisons of process performance using real wastewater remain limited, and most studies prioritize fertilizer reuse rather than hydrogen generation. These limitations obscure the true recovery efficiency and hydrogen production potential of wastewater-derived NH3. An integrated system coupling NH4+ recovery from wastewater with electrochemical NH3 conversion and catalytic H2 production is presented. The system comprises three sequential steps: NH4+ recovery via gas stripping, membrane dialysis, or electrodialysis; electrochemical conversion of NH4+ to NH3; and catalytic decomposition of NH3 to H2 using Ru-, Ni-, and alloy-based catalysts. Process performance was systematically compared by normalizing recovery results to equivalent real wastewater volumes, enabling quantitative assessment of both recovery efficiency and total NH3 yield. The fully integrated system exhibited a theoretical hydrogen production potential equivalent to approximately 43.6% of current global H₂ output, demonstrating wastewater as a viable renewable NH3 source and carbon-free hydrogen carrier. Techno-economic and environmental analyses further support the feasibility of wastewater-derived NH3 as a sustainable alternative to conventional Haber–Bosch-based hydrogen production.
{"title":"Hydrogen production from wastewater via ammonia gas recovery","authors":"Heejin Yang, Sam Yeol Lim, Gayoung Lee, Sung-Hyo Jung, Seonuk Yu, Jeehoon Han, Chang-Gu Lee, Jechan Lee","doi":"10.1038/s41545-026-00558-7","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1038/s41545-026-00558-7","url":null,"abstract":"Ammonia (NH3) recovery from wastewater represents an emerging opportunity for sustainable nitrogen management and carbon-free hydrogen (H2) production. Despite extensive research on ammonium (NH4+) and NH3 recovery technologies, direct comparisons of process performance using real wastewater remain limited, and most studies prioritize fertilizer reuse rather than hydrogen generation. These limitations obscure the true recovery efficiency and hydrogen production potential of wastewater-derived NH3. An integrated system coupling NH4+ recovery from wastewater with electrochemical NH3 conversion and catalytic H2 production is presented. The system comprises three sequential steps: NH4+ recovery via gas stripping, membrane dialysis, or electrodialysis; electrochemical conversion of NH4+ to NH3; and catalytic decomposition of NH3 to H2 using Ru-, Ni-, and alloy-based catalysts. Process performance was systematically compared by normalizing recovery results to equivalent real wastewater volumes, enabling quantitative assessment of both recovery efficiency and total NH3 yield. The fully integrated system exhibited a theoretical hydrogen production potential equivalent to approximately 43.6% of current global H₂ output, demonstrating wastewater as a viable renewable NH3 source and carbon-free hydrogen carrier. Techno-economic and environmental analyses further support the feasibility of wastewater-derived NH3 as a sustainable alternative to conventional Haber–Bosch-based hydrogen production.","PeriodicalId":19375,"journal":{"name":"npj Clean Water","volume":"5 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":11.4,"publicationDate":"2026-02-07","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146135606","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"工程技术","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2026-02-05DOI: 10.1038/s41545-025-00539-2
Mandi Pretorius, Inhyeong Jeon, Mónica María Martínez-Fausto, Nick Novelli, Jorge Luis Galindo Arevalo, Eric Ryberg, Melanie M. Derby, Jae-Hong Kim, Anna Dyson
{"title":"Building-integrated solar water disinfection system for reliable year-round drinking water safety","authors":"Mandi Pretorius, Inhyeong Jeon, Mónica María Martínez-Fausto, Nick Novelli, Jorge Luis Galindo Arevalo, Eric Ryberg, Melanie M. Derby, Jae-Hong Kim, Anna Dyson","doi":"10.1038/s41545-025-00539-2","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1038/s41545-025-00539-2","url":null,"abstract":"","PeriodicalId":19375,"journal":{"name":"npj Clean Water","volume":"182 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":11.4,"publicationDate":"2026-02-05","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146135556","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"工程技术","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2026-01-24DOI: 10.1038/s41545-025-00541-8
Clara Benavent-Celma, Peter J. A. Cock, Lisa Avery, Eulyn Pagaling
Somatic coliphages are recognized reliable indicators of faecal contamination in water. Their routine monitoring relies on time-consuming, labour-demanding culture-based methods, which are limited to detecting total somatic coliphages. Here, we developed and validated a novel family-specific quantitative PCR (qPCR) assay targeting four major families of somatic coliphages— Myoviridae , Podoviridae , Siphoviridae , and Microviridae —to enhance sensitivity, specificity, and throughput. The assays were designed using in silico primer screening against reference genomes. The qPCR assay was specific to the phage families (100% assay specificity within the tested prototypes) and had a LOD and LOQ of 10.4 copies/µl, 2.7 copies/µl, 26.5 copies/µl, and 3.3 copies/µl for Myoviridae, Microviridae, Podoviridae and Siphoviridae , respectively. Efficiencies between 90 and 110% were achieved. Coefficients of determination ( R2 ) were 0.993–0.996. Comparison of ISO (culture-based method) and qPCR methods revealed significant correlations ( p < 0.05), showing that the methods are comparable. The qPCR method was tested on a range of environmental waters to demonstrate wide application of the assay. This showed season and source-specific patterns in phage family distribution, with Podoviridae and Siphoviridae significantly enriched in winter-collected farm water samples, and Myoviridae dominating in farm summer samples, and a more even phage-family relative abundance in wastewater with no significant differences. We suggest that this qPCR assay could be used as a screening tool to complement standard protocols for regulatory monitoring, ensuring drinking water safety. It is also a valuable research tool for investigating the environmental ecology of somatic coliphages and understanding sources of faecal pollution.
{"title":"Development of a Novel Quantitative PCR Assay for Somatic Coliphages to Advance Water Safety Diagnostics","authors":"Clara Benavent-Celma, Peter J. A. Cock, Lisa Avery, Eulyn Pagaling","doi":"10.1038/s41545-025-00541-8","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1038/s41545-025-00541-8","url":null,"abstract":"Somatic coliphages are recognized reliable indicators of faecal contamination in water. Their routine monitoring relies on time-consuming, labour-demanding culture-based methods, which are limited to detecting total somatic coliphages. Here, we developed and validated a novel family-specific quantitative PCR (qPCR) assay targeting four major families of somatic coliphages— <jats:italic>Myoviridae</jats:italic> , <jats:italic>Podoviridae</jats:italic> , <jats:italic>Siphoviridae</jats:italic> , and <jats:italic>Microviridae</jats:italic> —to enhance sensitivity, specificity, and throughput. The assays were designed using in silico primer screening against reference genomes. The qPCR assay was specific to the phage families (100% assay specificity within the tested prototypes) and had a LOD and LOQ of 10.4 copies/µl, 2.7 copies/µl, 26.5 copies/µl, and 3.3 copies/µl for <jats:italic>Myoviridae, Microviridae, Podoviridae</jats:italic> and <jats:italic>Siphoviridae</jats:italic> , respectively. Efficiencies between 90 and 110% were achieved. Coefficients of determination ( <jats:italic>R</jats:italic> <jats:sup>2</jats:sup> ) were 0.993–0.996. Comparison of ISO (culture-based method) and qPCR methods revealed significant correlations ( <jats:italic>p</jats:italic> < 0.05), showing that the methods are comparable. The qPCR method was tested on a range of environmental waters to demonstrate wide application of the assay. This showed season and source-specific patterns in phage family distribution, with <jats:italic>Podoviridae</jats:italic> and <jats:italic>Siphoviridae</jats:italic> significantly enriched in winter-collected farm water samples, and <jats:italic>Myoviridae</jats:italic> dominating in farm summer samples, and a more even phage-family relative abundance in wastewater with no significant differences. We suggest that this qPCR assay could be used as a screening tool to complement standard protocols for regulatory monitoring, ensuring drinking water safety. It is also a valuable research tool for investigating the environmental ecology of somatic coliphages and understanding sources of faecal pollution.","PeriodicalId":19375,"journal":{"name":"npj Clean Water","volume":"28 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":11.4,"publicationDate":"2026-01-24","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146042641","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"工程技术","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
The synergistically optimized nitrogen removal strategy emerges from the co-treatment of municipal wastewater with the effluent from partial nitrification (PN) of high-ammonia wastewater through a partial denitrification-anaerobic ammonium oxidation (PDA) process. However, maximizing PDA efficiency remains a critical challenge. In this study, a two-stage partial nitrification-partial denitrification-anaerobic ammonium oxidation (PN-PDA) integrated system was developed to regulate synergistic granule-biofilm architecture in the second stage to enhance PDA. After 160-day operation, the system showed excellent nitrogen removal, with effluent nitrogen at 5.6 ± 2.9 and 5.2 ± 2.0 mg/L in two phases. In-situ activity assays revealed that anammox rate in granular sludge (9.6 mg N/(L·h)) was significantly higher than that in biofilms (1.8 mg N/(L·h)). Fluorescence in-situ hybridization analysis demonstrated a distinct spatial distribution, with PD functional bacteria Thauera dominating granule outer layer, while Ca. Brocadia was enriched in the inner layer. Metagenomic sequencing further confirmed that Ca. Brocadia accounted for 9.8% and 4.1% in granules and biofilms, respectively. Anammox-related genes ( hzs , hdh ) showed significantly higher abundance in the granules. This study offers a novel framework for concurrent high-strength and municipal wastewater treatment while providing critical insights into granule-biofilm engineering for nitrogen removal intensification.
{"title":"Synergistic granule-biofilm PDA process enables ultra-efficient nitrogen removal in co-treating high-strength and municipal wastewater","authors":"Meng Bai, Bo Wang, Wen Wang, Xiang Hao, Yucheng Zou, Yiyuan Xing, Wei Zeng, Yongzhen Peng","doi":"10.1038/s41545-025-00549-0","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1038/s41545-025-00549-0","url":null,"abstract":"The synergistically optimized nitrogen removal strategy emerges from the co-treatment of municipal wastewater with the effluent from partial nitrification (PN) of high-ammonia wastewater through a partial denitrification-anaerobic ammonium oxidation (PDA) process. However, maximizing PDA efficiency remains a critical challenge. In this study, a two-stage partial nitrification-partial denitrification-anaerobic ammonium oxidation (PN-PDA) integrated system was developed to regulate synergistic granule-biofilm architecture in the second stage to enhance PDA. After 160-day operation, the system showed excellent nitrogen removal, with effluent nitrogen at 5.6 ± 2.9 and 5.2 ± 2.0 mg/L in two phases. In-situ activity assays revealed that anammox rate in granular sludge (9.6 mg N/(L·h)) was significantly higher than that in biofilms (1.8 mg N/(L·h)). Fluorescence in-situ hybridization analysis demonstrated a distinct spatial distribution, with PD functional bacteria <jats:italic>Thauera</jats:italic> dominating granule outer layer, while <jats:italic>Ca. Brocadia</jats:italic> was enriched in the inner layer. Metagenomic sequencing further confirmed that Ca. <jats:italic>Brocadia</jats:italic> accounted for 9.8% and 4.1% in granules and biofilms, respectively. Anammox-related genes ( <jats:italic>hzs</jats:italic> , <jats:italic>hdh</jats:italic> ) showed significantly higher abundance in the granules. This study offers a novel framework for concurrent high-strength and municipal wastewater treatment while providing critical insights into granule-biofilm engineering for nitrogen removal intensification.","PeriodicalId":19375,"journal":{"name":"npj Clean Water","volume":"16 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":11.4,"publicationDate":"2026-01-23","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146033394","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"工程技术","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Ultralight, water-stable adsorbents that deliver both dye removal and sustained antibacterial activity are increasingly sought for decentralized water purification. We report a scalable strategy to integrate Ti₃C₂Tₓ MXene with chitosan (CS) into three-dimensional, compressible aerogels (MCA) that couple high adsorption capacity for the anionic azo dyes methyl orange (MO) and Eriochrome Black T (EBT) with strong, reusable suppression of Escherichia coli and Enterococcus faecalis. At an optimal 12 wt% MXene loading (MCA@12), the aerogel exhibited ultralow density (~0.027 g cm⁻³), high elastic recoverability, seven-fold higher BET surface area than CS-only aerogels, and remarkable long-term aqueous stability (≥2160 h). In batch adsorption, MCA@12 achieved a maximum MO capacity of ~523 mg g⁻¹ (Langmuir fit) and retained ~89% capacity over five cycles. Adsorption was faster under mildly acidic conditions due to enhanced protonation of chitosan’s amine groups and electrostatic attraction with anionic dyes. Under continuous-flow filtration, MCA@12 sustained ~92% bacterial clearance and ~93% MO removal, maintaining performance over six reuse cycles. These findings outline a clear design strategy where low MXene content embedded in a chitosan-rich, biodegradable matrix yields a mechanically robust, water-stable, and multifunctional aerogel—a cost-effective and modular platform for practical water purification.
超轻，水稳定吸附剂，提供染料去除和持续的抗菌活性越来越多地寻求分散式水净化。我们报道了一种可扩展的策略，将Ti₃C₂TₓMXene与壳聚糖（CS）整合成三维可压缩气凝胶（MCA），该气凝胶对阴离子偶氮染料甲基橙（MO）和Eriochrome Black T （EBT）具有高吸附能力，同时对大肠杆菌和粪肠球菌具有强的可重复使用的抑制作用。在最佳的12 wt% MXene负载（MCA@12）下，气凝胶表现出超低密度（~0.027 g cm⁻³），高弹性回复率，比纯cs气凝胶高出7倍的BET表面积，以及显著的长期水稳定性（≥2160 h）。在间歇吸附中，MCA@12达到了~523 mg g - (Langmuir fit)的最大MO容量，并在5个循环中保持了~89%的容量。在温和的酸性条件下，由于壳聚糖胺基的质子化作用和阴离子染料的静电吸引作用，壳聚糖的吸附速度更快。在连续流过滤下，MCA@12的细菌清除率为92%，MO去除率为93%，在6个重复使用周期内保持性能。这些发现概述了一种清晰的设计策略，将低MXene含量嵌入到富含壳聚糖的可生物降解基质中，产生一种机械坚固、水稳定、多功能的气凝胶——一种具有成本效益和模块化的实用水净化平台。
{"title":"Ultralight, mechanically robust, water stable MXene–chitosan aerogels for concurrent dye adsorption and antibacterial filtration at low MXene loading","authors":"Soumyasri Nikhilesh Mahapatra, Saad Zafar, Rashmi Niranjan, Jasvinder Kaur, Richa Priyadarshini, Bimlesh Lochab","doi":"10.1038/s41545-025-00551-6","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1038/s41545-025-00551-6","url":null,"abstract":"Ultralight, water-stable adsorbents that deliver both dye removal and sustained antibacterial activity are increasingly sought for decentralized water purification. We report a scalable strategy to integrate Ti₃C₂Tₓ MXene with chitosan (CS) into three-dimensional, compressible aerogels (MCA) that couple high adsorption capacity for the anionic azo dyes methyl orange (MO) and Eriochrome Black T (EBT) with strong, reusable suppression of Escherichia coli and Enterococcus faecalis. At an optimal 12 wt% MXene loading (MCA@12), the aerogel exhibited ultralow density (~0.027 g cm⁻³), high elastic recoverability, seven-fold higher BET surface area than CS-only aerogels, and remarkable long-term aqueous stability (≥2160 h). In batch adsorption, MCA@12 achieved a maximum MO capacity of ~523 mg g⁻¹ (Langmuir fit) and retained ~89% capacity over five cycles. Adsorption was faster under mildly acidic conditions due to enhanced protonation of chitosan’s amine groups and electrostatic attraction with anionic dyes. Under continuous-flow filtration, MCA@12 sustained ~92% bacterial clearance and ~93% MO removal, maintaining performance over six reuse cycles. These findings outline a clear design strategy where low MXene content embedded in a chitosan-rich, biodegradable matrix yields a mechanically robust, water-stable, and multifunctional aerogel—a cost-effective and modular platform for practical water purification.","PeriodicalId":19375,"journal":{"name":"npj Clean Water","volume":"38 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":11.4,"publicationDate":"2026-01-20","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146006268","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"工程技术","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Developing adsorptive materials with high removal efficiency is essential for treating heavy metals in water systems and mitigating their severe environmental and health impacts. This study synthesised three-dimensional resorcinol–formaldehyde hollow spheres (RF-HSs) with micro- and sub-100-nm particle sizes for the adsorptive removal of cadmium (Cd) and lead (Pb). The materials were prepared via an extended Stöber method and a water-in-oil microemulsion method to produce micrometre- and nanometre-sized spheres, respectively. Batch adsorption experiments were conducted to determine optimal operating conditions, yielding an adsorbent dose of 2 mg, a contact time of 10 min, and a solution pH of 5.5. The nano-sized RF-HSs exhibited significantly higher removal performance for Cd and Pb than their micro-sized counterparts. Maximum adsorption capacities of 90 mg/g (Cd) and 271 mg/g (Pb) were achieved within a 20 min contact time. In complex real-water matrices, RF-HS nanoparticles achieved removal efficiencies of 85–97%. Furthermore, the nanospheres could be regenerated and reused for up to 10 cycles without any measurable loss in removal efficiency, thereby reducing the adsorption costs to $6.12 USD/g for Cd and $2.03 USD/g for Pb. Overall, the results indicate that RF-HS nanoparticles are a sustainable, cost-effective, and high-performance adsorbent for removing heavy metals from contaminated water systems.
{"title":"Sub-100 nm resorcinol-formaldehyde hollow spheres to remove heavy metals from water","authors":"Mthokozisi Mnguni, Siphosethu Hobongwana, Philiswa Nosizo Nomngongo","doi":"10.1038/s41545-025-00552-5","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1038/s41545-025-00552-5","url":null,"abstract":"Developing adsorptive materials with high removal efficiency is essential for treating heavy metals in water systems and mitigating their severe environmental and health impacts. This study synthesised three-dimensional resorcinol–formaldehyde hollow spheres (RF-HSs) with micro- and sub-100-nm particle sizes for the adsorptive removal of cadmium (Cd) and lead (Pb). The materials were prepared via an extended Stöber method and a water-in-oil microemulsion method to produce micrometre- and nanometre-sized spheres, respectively. Batch adsorption experiments were conducted to determine optimal operating conditions, yielding an adsorbent dose of 2 mg, a contact time of 10 min, and a solution pH of 5.5. The nano-sized RF-HSs exhibited significantly higher removal performance for Cd and Pb than their micro-sized counterparts. Maximum adsorption capacities of 90 mg/g (Cd) and 271 mg/g (Pb) were achieved within a 20 min contact time. In complex real-water matrices, RF-HS nanoparticles achieved removal efficiencies of 85–97%. Furthermore, the nanospheres could be regenerated and reused for up to 10 cycles without any measurable loss in removal efficiency, thereby reducing the adsorption costs to $6.12 USD/g for Cd and $2.03 USD/g for Pb. Overall, the results indicate that RF-HS nanoparticles are a sustainable, cost-effective, and high-performance adsorbent for removing heavy metals from contaminated water systems.","PeriodicalId":19375,"journal":{"name":"npj Clean Water","volume":"31 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":11.4,"publicationDate":"2026-01-12","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145956339","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"工程技术","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2026-01-09DOI: 10.1038/s41545-025-00536-5
Lena Campostrini, Katalin Demeter, Rita Linke, Anna Pölz, Margaret E. Stevenson, Julia Derx, Stefan Jakwerth, Gerhard Lindner, Adrian Shajkofci, Luigino Grasso, Sandra Peer, Matthias Zessner, Alexander K. T. Kirschner, Andreas H. Farnleitner
This study presents the first rigorous, multi-parameter evaluation of near-real-time flow cytometry (FCM) for automated on-site monitoring at a model alpine karst spring used as a drinking water resource. We tested automated FCM for its capacity to indicate microbial cell inputs from the catchment surface (SRI) and to indirectly indicate diffuse faecal contamination (DFC). A nested 10-year study design combined low-frequency monitoring with high-frequency event sampling. The instruments tested in the study performed well under challenging field conditions and reliably quantified microbial cells, as validated against established methods. FCM parameters robustly detected SRI and, indirectly, DFC, in a catchment with diffuse animal faecal contamination sources. The same performance was observed for the online physico-chemical parameters UV254 and turbidity. The combination of these biotic and abiotic indicators outperformed single parameters in early warning analyses, demonstrating their potential for water safety planning by enabling timely and specific responses. The various aspects of the automated on-site monitoring devices used are discussed in detail. While automated FCM already supports the indirect detection of diffuse faecal pollution, further technical advances are necessary to extend its scope toward the specific and sensitive detection of faecal contamination.
{"title":"Performance of on-site flow cytometry for near-real-time microbiological analysis of alpine karst drinking water resources","authors":"Lena Campostrini, Katalin Demeter, Rita Linke, Anna Pölz, Margaret E. Stevenson, Julia Derx, Stefan Jakwerth, Gerhard Lindner, Adrian Shajkofci, Luigino Grasso, Sandra Peer, Matthias Zessner, Alexander K. T. Kirschner, Andreas H. Farnleitner","doi":"10.1038/s41545-025-00536-5","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1038/s41545-025-00536-5","url":null,"abstract":"This study presents the first rigorous, multi-parameter evaluation of near-real-time flow cytometry (FCM) for automated on-site monitoring at a model alpine karst spring used as a drinking water resource. We tested automated FCM for its capacity to indicate microbial cell inputs from the catchment surface (SRI) and to indirectly indicate diffuse faecal contamination (DFC). A nested 10-year study design combined low-frequency monitoring with high-frequency event sampling. The instruments tested in the study performed well under challenging field conditions and reliably quantified microbial cells, as validated against established methods. FCM parameters robustly detected SRI and, indirectly, DFC, in a catchment with diffuse animal faecal contamination sources. The same performance was observed for the online physico-chemical parameters UV254 and turbidity. The combination of these biotic and abiotic indicators outperformed single parameters in early warning analyses, demonstrating their potential for water safety planning by enabling timely and specific responses. The various aspects of the automated on-site monitoring devices used are discussed in detail. While automated FCM already supports the indirect detection of diffuse faecal pollution, further technical advances are necessary to extend its scope toward the specific and sensitive detection of faecal contamination.","PeriodicalId":19375,"journal":{"name":"npj Clean Water","volume":"3 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":11.4,"publicationDate":"2026-01-09","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145938234","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"工程技术","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2026-01-07DOI: 10.1038/s41545-025-00550-7
Hyunsoo Choi, Su-Mi Shin, Sungju Jung, Sung-Hun Lee, Taeho Kim
Land-based aquaculture requires scalable treatment systems capable of anticipating and mitigating pathogenic risks under changing environmental conditions. In this study, we collected meteorological and bacterial data and performed correlation analyses to identify key relationships, which guided the development of an integrated, predictive treatment system. This system combines a modular total suspended solids–pathogen removal system (TSS–PRS), composed of sediment filtration, UV disinfection, and oxygen dissolution, with a deep learning-based multi-layer perceptron (MLP) model to improve water quality and forecast pathogen dynamics. The TSS–PRS effectively reduced TAN (41.1%), bacterial activity (BQV, 74.5%), and turbidity (72.8%). It also successfully eliminated hazardous fish pathogens, including Photobacterium damselae, Tenacibaculum maritimum, Vibrio harveyi, and Enteromyxum leei. The MLP model further indicated that bacterial activity markedly increased under optimal conditions of turbidity (100 NTU), pH (7.97), and water temperature (27.5 °C).
{"title":"Scalable predictive framework for environmental pathogen control in land-based aquaculture","authors":"Hyunsoo Choi, Su-Mi Shin, Sungju Jung, Sung-Hun Lee, Taeho Kim","doi":"10.1038/s41545-025-00550-7","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1038/s41545-025-00550-7","url":null,"abstract":"Land-based aquaculture requires scalable treatment systems capable of anticipating and mitigating pathogenic risks under changing environmental conditions. In this study, we collected meteorological and bacterial data and performed correlation analyses to identify key relationships, which guided the development of an integrated, predictive treatment system. This system combines a modular total suspended solids–pathogen removal system (TSS–PRS), composed of sediment filtration, UV disinfection, and oxygen dissolution, with a deep learning-based multi-layer perceptron (MLP) model to improve water quality and forecast pathogen dynamics. The TSS–PRS effectively reduced TAN (41.1%), bacterial activity (BQV, 74.5%), and turbidity (72.8%). It also successfully eliminated hazardous fish pathogens, including Photobacterium damselae, Tenacibaculum maritimum, Vibrio harveyi, and Enteromyxum leei. The MLP model further indicated that bacterial activity markedly increased under optimal conditions of turbidity (100 NTU), pH (7.97), and water temperature (27.5 °C).","PeriodicalId":19375,"journal":{"name":"npj Clean Water","volume":"44 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":11.4,"publicationDate":"2026-01-07","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145908426","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"工程技术","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2026-01-03DOI: 10.1038/s41545-025-00538-3
Nadeem Baig, Tauqir Ahmad, Ali Sufyan, Muhammad Bilal Asif, Kawthar Alqudaihi, Balqees Alrwaily, Md. Sabbir Ahmed, Md. Maniruzzaman, Arshad Hussain, Syed Shaheen Shah, J. Andreas Larsson, Md. Abdul Aziz
Oily wastewater presents a serious environmental challenge, demanding sustainable and regenerative membrane technologies. Here, we report a green and scalable method for fabricating skin-replaceable cellulose membranes (SRC-M) from jute agro-waste, using a NaOH/urea activation route and argon-pressurized deposition onto ceramic supports. The resulting Cellulose II-based asymmetric membranes exhibit high water flux (~470 L m⁻²h⁻¹) and >98% oil rejection across various emulsions. Notably, the membrane’s surface can be fully renewed via ultrasonication, restoring >99% of the original flux after 16 fouling cycles. Density functional theory (DFT) calculations confirm the thermodynamic stability (ΔG = -0.162 eV) and low kinetic barrier (0.46 eV) of urea adsorption on cellulose, supporting the dissolution mechanism and regeneration behavior. This biodegradable, self-renewable membrane system offers a robust, circular solution for long-term oily wastewater remediation and aligns with green chemistry principles.
含油废水对环境提出了严峻的挑战，需要可持续和再生膜技术。在这里，我们报告了一种绿色且可扩展的方法，利用NaOH/尿素活化路线和氩气加压沉积在陶瓷支架上，从黄麻农业废弃物中制备皮肤可替代纤维素膜（SRC-M）。所得到的纤维素ii基不对称膜具有高的水通量（~470 L m⁻²h⁻¹）和高达98%的阻油率。值得注意的是，通过超声波，膜的表面可以完全更新，经过16次污染循环后，恢复了原来99%的通量。密度泛函理论（DFT）计算证实了尿素在纤维素上吸附的热力学稳定性（ΔG = -0.162 eV）和低动力学势层（0.46 eV），支持了纤维素的溶解机理和再生行为。这种可生物降解、可自我再生的膜系统为含油废水的长期修复提供了一个强大的、循环的解决方案，并符合绿色化学原则。
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