Pub Date : 2025-09-22DOI: 10.1038/s44221-025-00503-x
Melissa Pitton, Rachel E. McLeod, Lea Caduff, Ayazhan Dauletova, Jolinda de Korne-Elenbaas, Charles Gan, Camille Hablützel, Aurélie Holschneider, Seju Kang, Guy Loustalot, Patrick Schmidhalter, Linda Schneider, Anna Wettlauffer, Daniela Yordanova, Timothy R. Julian, Christoph Ort
Wastewater surveillance can track trends in multiple pathogens simultaneously by leveraging efficient laboratory processing. In Switzerland, wastewater surveillance of four respiratory pathogens is conducted at 14 locations representing 2.3 million people. Trends in respiratory diseases are tracked using a six-plex digital PCR assay targeting influenza A, influenza B, respiratory syncytial virus and SARS-CoV-2 N1 and N2 regions and murine hepatitis virus for recovery efficiency control. Wastewater data were integrated with disease data from two reporting systems, and comparisons from July 2023 to July 2024 showed strong agreement for most targets. Lower correspondence for influenza B highlighted challenges in tracking disease dynamics during seasons without pronounced outbreaks. Wastewater monitoring further revealed that targeting N1 or N2 led to divergent estimates of SARS-CoV-2 loads, highlighting the impact of mutations in assay target regions. The study emphasizes the importance of an integrated wastewater monitoring programme as a complementary tool for public health surveillance, demonstrating clear concordance with clinical data. Wastewater surveillance can be used to track infectious diseases. A six-plex digital PCR assay is shown to provide information on four respiratory diseases at the same time, with data that have a high level of agreement with reported case numbers.
{"title":"A six-plex digital PCR assay for monitoring respiratory viruses in wastewater","authors":"Melissa Pitton, Rachel E. McLeod, Lea Caduff, Ayazhan Dauletova, Jolinda de Korne-Elenbaas, Charles Gan, Camille Hablützel, Aurélie Holschneider, Seju Kang, Guy Loustalot, Patrick Schmidhalter, Linda Schneider, Anna Wettlauffer, Daniela Yordanova, Timothy R. Julian, Christoph Ort","doi":"10.1038/s44221-025-00503-x","DOIUrl":"10.1038/s44221-025-00503-x","url":null,"abstract":"Wastewater surveillance can track trends in multiple pathogens simultaneously by leveraging efficient laboratory processing. In Switzerland, wastewater surveillance of four respiratory pathogens is conducted at 14 locations representing 2.3 million people. Trends in respiratory diseases are tracked using a six-plex digital PCR assay targeting influenza A, influenza B, respiratory syncytial virus and SARS-CoV-2 N1 and N2 regions and murine hepatitis virus for recovery efficiency control. Wastewater data were integrated with disease data from two reporting systems, and comparisons from July 2023 to July 2024 showed strong agreement for most targets. Lower correspondence for influenza B highlighted challenges in tracking disease dynamics during seasons without pronounced outbreaks. Wastewater monitoring further revealed that targeting N1 or N2 led to divergent estimates of SARS-CoV-2 loads, highlighting the impact of mutations in assay target regions. The study emphasizes the importance of an integrated wastewater monitoring programme as a complementary tool for public health surveillance, demonstrating clear concordance with clinical data. Wastewater surveillance can be used to track infectious diseases. A six-plex digital PCR assay is shown to provide information on four respiratory diseases at the same time, with data that have a high level of agreement with reported case numbers.","PeriodicalId":74252,"journal":{"name":"Nature water","volume":"3 10","pages":"1174-1186"},"PeriodicalIF":24.1,"publicationDate":"2025-09-22","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145317902","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}
Pub Date : 2025-09-19DOI: 10.1038/s44221-025-00484-x
Edoardo Masset, Hugh Sharma Waddington
Mortality in childhood constitutes the vast majority of the global burden of disease due to diarrhoea and respiratory infection, which is closely related to water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH) use by households. Here we use a component network meta-analysis to evaluate the comparative effectiveness of stand-alone and multi-component WASH interventions in reducing all-cause mortality in childhood in low- and middle-income countries. We find that interventions improving water supplies in quantity and drinking water are associated with reductions in all-cause mortality. Furthermore, we find that, when initial water supplies are improved, hygiene and sanitation interventions are more effective, suggesting that having enough water for washing enables better hygiene and defaecation practices. We also find that WASH packages are less effective than stand-alone interventions and that there are no synergies between interventions. On the contrary, we find some evidence of antagonistic interactions, particularly among interventions with intensive behaviour change components. These findings caution against the implementation of multi-component interventions and also favour prioritizing approaches that improve water supply conditions first. We highlight coordination problems and conflicts between the behavioural changes promoted by the interventions as potential causes of antagonistic interactions. The lack of water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH) infrastructure, especially at the household level, is closely linked to increased child mortality. A meta-analysis that compares the effectiveness of stand-alone versus multi-component WASH interventions cautions against implementing multi-component behavioural interventions and favours prioritizing approaches that improve water supply conditions first.
{"title":"Effectiveness of stand-alone and multi-component water, sanitation and hygiene interventions to reduce mortality in childhood: a network meta-analysis","authors":"Edoardo Masset, Hugh Sharma Waddington","doi":"10.1038/s44221-025-00484-x","DOIUrl":"10.1038/s44221-025-00484-x","url":null,"abstract":"Mortality in childhood constitutes the vast majority of the global burden of disease due to diarrhoea and respiratory infection, which is closely related to water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH) use by households. Here we use a component network meta-analysis to evaluate the comparative effectiveness of stand-alone and multi-component WASH interventions in reducing all-cause mortality in childhood in low- and middle-income countries. We find that interventions improving water supplies in quantity and drinking water are associated with reductions in all-cause mortality. Furthermore, we find that, when initial water supplies are improved, hygiene and sanitation interventions are more effective, suggesting that having enough water for washing enables better hygiene and defaecation practices. We also find that WASH packages are less effective than stand-alone interventions and that there are no synergies between interventions. On the contrary, we find some evidence of antagonistic interactions, particularly among interventions with intensive behaviour change components. These findings caution against the implementation of multi-component interventions and also favour prioritizing approaches that improve water supply conditions first. We highlight coordination problems and conflicts between the behavioural changes promoted by the interventions as potential causes of antagonistic interactions. The lack of water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH) infrastructure, especially at the household level, is closely linked to increased child mortality. A meta-analysis that compares the effectiveness of stand-alone versus multi-component WASH interventions cautions against implementing multi-component behavioural interventions and favours prioritizing approaches that improve water supply conditions first.","PeriodicalId":74252,"journal":{"name":"Nature water","volume":"3 9","pages":"1070-1079"},"PeriodicalIF":24.1,"publicationDate":"2025-09-19","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.nature.comhttps://www.nature.com/articles/s44221-025-00484-x.pdf","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145123097","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}
Pub Date : 2025-09-18DOI: 10.1038/s44221-025-00497-6
Henning Sørum
Modification of farmed fish gut microbiome after antibiotic therapy lasts longer than the time until it is considered safe to consume the fish. The results should solicit alternative approaches to antibiotics to ensure sustainability in aquaculture.
{"title":"The long-term effects of antibiotics","authors":"Henning Sørum","doi":"10.1038/s44221-025-00497-6","DOIUrl":"10.1038/s44221-025-00497-6","url":null,"abstract":"Modification of farmed fish gut microbiome after antibiotic therapy lasts longer than the time until it is considered safe to consume the fish. The results should solicit alternative approaches to antibiotics to ensure sustainability in aquaculture.","PeriodicalId":74252,"journal":{"name":"Nature water","volume":"3 9","pages":"976-977"},"PeriodicalIF":24.1,"publicationDate":"2025-09-18","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145123168","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}
Pub Date : 2025-09-18DOI: 10.1038/s44221-025-00502-y
Jin Huang, Hongwei Yong, Jintao Huang, You Che, Uli Klümper, Ke Yu, Jiayu Zhang, Ryo Honda, Xiaoyan Li, Thomas U. Berendonk, Lin Lin, Xiaoshan Zhu, Edward Topp, Bing Li
Industrial aquaculture relies on antibiotics such as florfenicol to combat disease and maintain production, but microbial risks, particularly concerning antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs) after the mandated withdrawal time, are poorly understood. To address this, we simulated standard and prolonged florfenicol treatments in common carp (Cyprinus carpio) and performed metagenomic analyses of the gut resistome, mobilome and microbiome. Here we show that florfenicol administration caused significant resistome shifts. While ARG abundance decreased during post-treatment times, it remained elevated above control levels even after the mandated withdrawal time. Integrons and a composite transposon harbouring floR facilitated ARG dissemination during florfenicol treatments. Following withdrawal, gut microbiota of fish subjected to prolonged treatments harboured more diverse ARG-carrying plasmids than controls. Although the dominant microbiota showed resilience, some ARG-carrying bacteria remained enriched. Of the enriched potential pathogens, 47.1% harboured ARGs identical to those on plasmids. Crucially, the high similarity between plasmid and chromosomal ARG-flanking sequences underscores a key role of plasmid in ARG transfer. Overall, florfenicol treatment increased both the abundance and the mobility of ARGs in the carp gut. The resistome and mobilome profiles did not return to baseline after the mandated withdrawal time, indicating that this period is insufficient to mitigate the ARG transmission risk. Florfenicol treatment substantially increased the abundance and mobility of antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs) in the common carp gut microbiome. The resistome and mobilome profiles failed to return to baseline after the mandated withdrawal time, indicating that this period is insufficient to mitigate the risk of ARG transmission to consumers.
{"title":"Microbial risks triggered by oral administration of antibiotics in fish aquaculture persist long after the legally mandated antibiotic withdrawal time","authors":"Jin Huang, Hongwei Yong, Jintao Huang, You Che, Uli Klümper, Ke Yu, Jiayu Zhang, Ryo Honda, Xiaoyan Li, Thomas U. Berendonk, Lin Lin, Xiaoshan Zhu, Edward Topp, Bing Li","doi":"10.1038/s44221-025-00502-y","DOIUrl":"10.1038/s44221-025-00502-y","url":null,"abstract":"Industrial aquaculture relies on antibiotics such as florfenicol to combat disease and maintain production, but microbial risks, particularly concerning antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs) after the mandated withdrawal time, are poorly understood. To address this, we simulated standard and prolonged florfenicol treatments in common carp (Cyprinus carpio) and performed metagenomic analyses of the gut resistome, mobilome and microbiome. Here we show that florfenicol administration caused significant resistome shifts. While ARG abundance decreased during post-treatment times, it remained elevated above control levels even after the mandated withdrawal time. Integrons and a composite transposon harbouring floR facilitated ARG dissemination during florfenicol treatments. Following withdrawal, gut microbiota of fish subjected to prolonged treatments harboured more diverse ARG-carrying plasmids than controls. Although the dominant microbiota showed resilience, some ARG-carrying bacteria remained enriched. Of the enriched potential pathogens, 47.1% harboured ARGs identical to those on plasmids. Crucially, the high similarity between plasmid and chromosomal ARG-flanking sequences underscores a key role of plasmid in ARG transfer. Overall, florfenicol treatment increased both the abundance and the mobility of ARGs in the carp gut. The resistome and mobilome profiles did not return to baseline after the mandated withdrawal time, indicating that this period is insufficient to mitigate the ARG transmission risk. Florfenicol treatment substantially increased the abundance and mobility of antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs) in the common carp gut microbiome. The resistome and mobilome profiles failed to return to baseline after the mandated withdrawal time, indicating that this period is insufficient to mitigate the risk of ARG transmission to consumers.","PeriodicalId":74252,"journal":{"name":"Nature water","volume":"3 9","pages":"1057-1069"},"PeriodicalIF":24.1,"publicationDate":"2025-09-18","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145123258","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}
Pub Date : 2025-09-17DOI: 10.1038/s44221-025-00492-x
Junhui Huang, Mu Yuan, Yanqiu Zhang, Jing Guo, Luqiao Feng, Shan Qiu, Cher Hon Lau, Lu Shao, Huanting Wang
Nanofiltration membranes with confined nanopores are vital for energy-efficient molecular and ionic sieving towards sustainable ecosystems. However, the production of contemporary nanofiltration membranes still relies on hazardous petrochemical-based chemicals, raising serious water contamination concerns and complicating after-usage disposal. This phenomenon contradicts the sustainability of membranes derived from green chemistry principles, emphasizing not only their eco-friendly application but also their preparation and end of life. Here we report the synthesis of a sustainable nanofiltration membrane (SNFM) with superior performance for water treatment and an inherent natural soil degradation mechanism through a safer approach utilizing integrated low-hazard chemicals. Experiments and simulations confirmed that our SNFM can be fabricated in an environmentally friendly manner and decomposed by natural soil microorganisms, contributing to its distinctive eco-friendliness. Notably, the SNFM demonstrated both exceptional water permeance and molecular and ionic sieving capability, outperforming commercial and state-of-the-art membranes. This approach establishes a new paradigm for next-generation water recycling and sustainable chemical processes. The fabrication of nanofiltration membranes involves hazardous chemicals that raise water contamination concerns. The use of low-hazard monomers, solvents and supports now enables the realization of sustainable nanofiltration membranes with high performance for water treatment.
{"title":"Sustainable nanofiltration membranes enable ultrafast water purification","authors":"Junhui Huang, Mu Yuan, Yanqiu Zhang, Jing Guo, Luqiao Feng, Shan Qiu, Cher Hon Lau, Lu Shao, Huanting Wang","doi":"10.1038/s44221-025-00492-x","DOIUrl":"10.1038/s44221-025-00492-x","url":null,"abstract":"Nanofiltration membranes with confined nanopores are vital for energy-efficient molecular and ionic sieving towards sustainable ecosystems. However, the production of contemporary nanofiltration membranes still relies on hazardous petrochemical-based chemicals, raising serious water contamination concerns and complicating after-usage disposal. This phenomenon contradicts the sustainability of membranes derived from green chemistry principles, emphasizing not only their eco-friendly application but also their preparation and end of life. Here we report the synthesis of a sustainable nanofiltration membrane (SNFM) with superior performance for water treatment and an inherent natural soil degradation mechanism through a safer approach utilizing integrated low-hazard chemicals. Experiments and simulations confirmed that our SNFM can be fabricated in an environmentally friendly manner and decomposed by natural soil microorganisms, contributing to its distinctive eco-friendliness. Notably, the SNFM demonstrated both exceptional water permeance and molecular and ionic sieving capability, outperforming commercial and state-of-the-art membranes. This approach establishes a new paradigm for next-generation water recycling and sustainable chemical processes. The fabrication of nanofiltration membranes involves hazardous chemicals that raise water contamination concerns. The use of low-hazard monomers, solvents and supports now enables the realization of sustainable nanofiltration membranes with high performance for water treatment.","PeriodicalId":74252,"journal":{"name":"Nature water","volume":"3 9","pages":"1048-1056"},"PeriodicalIF":24.1,"publicationDate":"2025-09-17","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.nature.comhttps://www.nature.com/articles/s44221-025-00492-x.pdf","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145123257","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}
The valorization of chlorinated organic pollutants in water, such as 1,2-dichloroethane (1,2-DCA), into value-added products, such as ethylene, offers a sustainable remediation strategy but is limited by low efficiency and selectivity. Here we present a bioinspired system, consisting of cobalamin (vitamin B12) cofactor and microscale zero-valent iron (mZVI), that dechlorinates 1,2-DCA to ethylene with a rate constant of 0.066 h−1 and near-100% selectivity. mZVI creates a moderately reducing environment that reduces cob(III)alamin (the original B12 species) to cob(II)alamin, which forms an organocobalt–1,2-DCA complex and drives proton-independent dihaloelimination, avoiding unwanted hydrogenation and ethylene over-reduction. The strategy is effective for various chlorinated alkanes, alkenes and aromatics, high concentrations of 1,2-DCA in wastewater and mixed pollutants in groundwater. Mechanochemically anchoring B12 onto mZVI enables assembly in a column reactor for continuous 1,2-DCA removal, achieving a more than tenfold reduction in costs compared with conventional redox processes. This work demonstrates a cost-effective approach to pollutant remediation and resource recovery through the rational modulation of B12 redox chemistry. A bioinspired system combining cobalamin with microscale zero-valent iron achieves near-complete conversion of 1,2-dichloroethane to ethylene, offering a cost-effective and sustainable approach to pollutant remediation and resource recovery.
{"title":"Efficient and selective dechlorination of chlorinated organic pollutants by cob(II)alamin and zero-valent iron","authors":"Huaqing Wang, Cheng Cheng, Bo Zhao, Banghai Liu, Zhenyu Cao, Shichao Cai, Minda Yu, Ying Zhao, Baohua Gu, Zhenyu Wang, Beidou Xi, Feng He","doi":"10.1038/s44221-025-00499-4","DOIUrl":"10.1038/s44221-025-00499-4","url":null,"abstract":"The valorization of chlorinated organic pollutants in water, such as 1,2-dichloroethane (1,2-DCA), into value-added products, such as ethylene, offers a sustainable remediation strategy but is limited by low efficiency and selectivity. Here we present a bioinspired system, consisting of cobalamin (vitamin B12) cofactor and microscale zero-valent iron (mZVI), that dechlorinates 1,2-DCA to ethylene with a rate constant of 0.066 h−1 and near-100% selectivity. mZVI creates a moderately reducing environment that reduces cob(III)alamin (the original B12 species) to cob(II)alamin, which forms an organocobalt–1,2-DCA complex and drives proton-independent dihaloelimination, avoiding unwanted hydrogenation and ethylene over-reduction. The strategy is effective for various chlorinated alkanes, alkenes and aromatics, high concentrations of 1,2-DCA in wastewater and mixed pollutants in groundwater. Mechanochemically anchoring B12 onto mZVI enables assembly in a column reactor for continuous 1,2-DCA removal, achieving a more than tenfold reduction in costs compared with conventional redox processes. This work demonstrates a cost-effective approach to pollutant remediation and resource recovery through the rational modulation of B12 redox chemistry. A bioinspired system combining cobalamin with microscale zero-valent iron achieves near-complete conversion of 1,2-dichloroethane to ethylene, offering a cost-effective and sustainable approach to pollutant remediation and resource recovery.","PeriodicalId":74252,"journal":{"name":"Nature water","volume":"3 10","pages":"1208-1218"},"PeriodicalIF":24.1,"publicationDate":"2025-09-15","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145317898","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}
Access to microbiologically safe water remains a pressing global issue, especially in resource-limited and disaster-affected regions. This study introduces a self-floating photocatalytic film that achieves >4.3-log bacterial inactivation in 10 litres of highly contaminated water within 40 min under low natural sunlight intensity (13–18 mW cm−2), where conventional photocatalysts (for example, TiO2, g-C3N4 and so on) are nearly ineffective. The remarkable performance is attributed to reactive oxygen species, especially oxygen-centred organic radicals, an unconventional active species with ultralong lifetimes—several orders of magnitude longer than typical reactive oxygen species. Their persistence allows accumulation under weak illumination, sustaining disinfection efficiency despite limited photon input. Moreover, oxygen-centred organic radicals can avoid attacking the catalyst, conferring excellent film stability (reusable ≥50 times), thereby ensuring cost-effectiveness and sustainability. With low energy demand, high robustness and operational simplicity, this photocatalytic film is particularly suitable for resource-limited regions and is promising for real-world applications in global water safety. A self-floating photocatalytic film enables rapid bacterial inactivation under weak natural sunlight.
{"title":"Reusable photocatalytic film for efficient water disinfection under low light intensity","authors":"Yuyan Huang, Xiaojun Li, Huijie Yan, Jianqiao Xu, Fang Zhu, Yu-Xin Ye, Gangfeng Ouyang","doi":"10.1038/s44221-025-00500-0","DOIUrl":"10.1038/s44221-025-00500-0","url":null,"abstract":"Access to microbiologically safe water remains a pressing global issue, especially in resource-limited and disaster-affected regions. This study introduces a self-floating photocatalytic film that achieves >4.3-log bacterial inactivation in 10 litres of highly contaminated water within 40 min under low natural sunlight intensity (13–18 mW cm−2), where conventional photocatalysts (for example, TiO2, g-C3N4 and so on) are nearly ineffective. The remarkable performance is attributed to reactive oxygen species, especially oxygen-centred organic radicals, an unconventional active species with ultralong lifetimes—several orders of magnitude longer than typical reactive oxygen species. Their persistence allows accumulation under weak illumination, sustaining disinfection efficiency despite limited photon input. Moreover, oxygen-centred organic radicals can avoid attacking the catalyst, conferring excellent film stability (reusable ≥50 times), thereby ensuring cost-effectiveness and sustainability. With low energy demand, high robustness and operational simplicity, this photocatalytic film is particularly suitable for resource-limited regions and is promising for real-world applications in global water safety. A self-floating photocatalytic film enables rapid bacterial inactivation under weak natural sunlight.","PeriodicalId":74252,"journal":{"name":"Nature water","volume":"3 9","pages":"1003-1016"},"PeriodicalIF":24.1,"publicationDate":"2025-09-15","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145123137","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}
Pub Date : 2025-09-15DOI: 10.1038/s44221-025-00498-5
Dan Lu, Mi Huang, Chi Zhang, Guangle Bu, Ge Li, Yifang Geng, Shiying Xu, Xinchen Xiang, Yukun Qian, Jiancong Lu, Zhikan Yao, Lei Jiao, Lin Zhang, Rong Wang
Ion-selective membranes, crucial for diverse applications such as water purification, brine disposal and resource recovery, rely heavily on the pore architecture and surface charge. Narrowing the pore size distribution (PSD) of the membrane is generally acknowledged to be essential for achieving higher ion selectivity. Here we challenge the conventional emphasis on PSD by introducing an alternative determinant—surface charge homogeneity—drawing inspiration from a counterintuitive relationship between PSD and ion selectivity observed in both commercial and laboratory-made polyamide nanofiltration membranes. By integrating multimodal atomic force microscopy technologies, we visually extracted nanoscale charge maps from three dimensions: surface potential, phase and functional groups. The metrological analysis methodology was originally developed to quantitatively describe the spatial charge distribution. It is demonstrated that nanoscale spatial charge homogeneity plays a crucial role in governing ion selectivity, surpassing the influence of PSD. Based on this perception, we devised the high-selective nanofiltration membranes and modules for the lithium–magnesium mixture separation by using a polyethyleneimine multivariate strategy to program polyamide membranes with stepwise-enhanced homogeneous distribution of electropositive-amine moieties. Our work unveils a unique charge homogeneity-dominated selectivity mechanism and demonstrates the feasibility of developing highly ion-selective membranes by facile nanocharge manipulation, surpassing the need for precise PSD control. The conventional focus on pore size distribution overlooks the role of surface charge homogeneity in ion separation by polymeric membranes. This study proposes a surface charge engineering strategy for fabricating highly ion-selective membranes.
{"title":"Impact of charge homogeneity on ion selectivity in polyamide membranes","authors":"Dan Lu, Mi Huang, Chi Zhang, Guangle Bu, Ge Li, Yifang Geng, Shiying Xu, Xinchen Xiang, Yukun Qian, Jiancong Lu, Zhikan Yao, Lei Jiao, Lin Zhang, Rong Wang","doi":"10.1038/s44221-025-00498-5","DOIUrl":"10.1038/s44221-025-00498-5","url":null,"abstract":"Ion-selective membranes, crucial for diverse applications such as water purification, brine disposal and resource recovery, rely heavily on the pore architecture and surface charge. Narrowing the pore size distribution (PSD) of the membrane is generally acknowledged to be essential for achieving higher ion selectivity. Here we challenge the conventional emphasis on PSD by introducing an alternative determinant—surface charge homogeneity—drawing inspiration from a counterintuitive relationship between PSD and ion selectivity observed in both commercial and laboratory-made polyamide nanofiltration membranes. By integrating multimodal atomic force microscopy technologies, we visually extracted nanoscale charge maps from three dimensions: surface potential, phase and functional groups. The metrological analysis methodology was originally developed to quantitatively describe the spatial charge distribution. It is demonstrated that nanoscale spatial charge homogeneity plays a crucial role in governing ion selectivity, surpassing the influence of PSD. Based on this perception, we devised the high-selective nanofiltration membranes and modules for the lithium–magnesium mixture separation by using a polyethyleneimine multivariate strategy to program polyamide membranes with stepwise-enhanced homogeneous distribution of electropositive-amine moieties. Our work unveils a unique charge homogeneity-dominated selectivity mechanism and demonstrates the feasibility of developing highly ion-selective membranes by facile nanocharge manipulation, surpassing the need for precise PSD control. The conventional focus on pore size distribution overlooks the role of surface charge homogeneity in ion separation by polymeric membranes. This study proposes a surface charge engineering strategy for fabricating highly ion-selective membranes.","PeriodicalId":74252,"journal":{"name":"Nature water","volume":"3 9","pages":"978-991"},"PeriodicalIF":24.1,"publicationDate":"2025-09-15","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145123136","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}
Pub Date : 2025-09-12DOI: 10.1038/s44221-025-00480-1
Weifan Liu, Jouke E. Dykstra, P. M. Biesheuvel, Longqian Xu, Shihong Lin
Electrochemical ion pumping (EIP) enables unidirectional ion transport, like electrodialysis, but operates via capacitive ion storage, as in capacitive deionization. This functionality is achieved through circuit switching, which dynamically alternates the connections of each ion-shuttling electrode with its neighbouring electrodes. Here we present a mathematical model that captures the spatiotemporal ion transport dynamics in EIP by coupling the Nernst–Planck equation for ion transport through ion-exchange polymers with an extended Donnan model for ion storage in porous electrodes. Simulations reveal unique ion transport behaviours not observed in conventional capacitive deionization or electrodialysis. The model is validated by experiments using EIP cells with single and multiple ion-shuttling electrodes. This work provides a theoretical foundation for EIP, enabling future advances in system design, operational optimization and selective ion separation. Electrochemical ion pumping combines the advantages of conventional capacitive deionization and electrodialysis for effective ion separation. A mathematical model of the technique reveals aspects of ion transport that show fundamental differences from conventional capacitive deionization or electrodialysis.
{"title":"Theory for dynamic ion transport in ion-shuttling electrodes for electrochemical ion pumping","authors":"Weifan Liu, Jouke E. Dykstra, P. M. Biesheuvel, Longqian Xu, Shihong Lin","doi":"10.1038/s44221-025-00480-1","DOIUrl":"10.1038/s44221-025-00480-1","url":null,"abstract":"Electrochemical ion pumping (EIP) enables unidirectional ion transport, like electrodialysis, but operates via capacitive ion storage, as in capacitive deionization. This functionality is achieved through circuit switching, which dynamically alternates the connections of each ion-shuttling electrode with its neighbouring electrodes. Here we present a mathematical model that captures the spatiotemporal ion transport dynamics in EIP by coupling the Nernst–Planck equation for ion transport through ion-exchange polymers with an extended Donnan model for ion storage in porous electrodes. Simulations reveal unique ion transport behaviours not observed in conventional capacitive deionization or electrodialysis. The model is validated by experiments using EIP cells with single and multiple ion-shuttling electrodes. This work provides a theoretical foundation for EIP, enabling future advances in system design, operational optimization and selective ion separation. Electrochemical ion pumping combines the advantages of conventional capacitive deionization and electrodialysis for effective ion separation. A mathematical model of the technique reveals aspects of ion transport that show fundamental differences from conventional capacitive deionization or electrodialysis.","PeriodicalId":74252,"journal":{"name":"Nature water","volume":"3 9","pages":"1025-1037"},"PeriodicalIF":24.1,"publicationDate":"2025-09-12","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.nature.comhttps://www.nature.com/articles/s44221-025-00480-1.pdf","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145123135","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}
Pub Date : 2025-09-12DOI: 10.1038/s44221-025-00493-w
Min-Chen Wu, Yu-Hui Kao, Chia-Hung Hou
A theoretical framework for electrode ion pumping has been developed, accurately capturing the dynamics of ion migration, the distribution of electric potential, and the behaviour of Donnan equilibrium within the system.
{"title":"Ion pumping for pseudo-continuous desalination in theory","authors":"Min-Chen Wu, Yu-Hui Kao, Chia-Hung Hou","doi":"10.1038/s44221-025-00493-w","DOIUrl":"10.1038/s44221-025-00493-w","url":null,"abstract":"A theoretical framework for electrode ion pumping has been developed, accurately capturing the dynamics of ion migration, the distribution of electric potential, and the behaviour of Donnan equilibrium within the system.","PeriodicalId":74252,"journal":{"name":"Nature water","volume":"3 9","pages":"972-973"},"PeriodicalIF":24.1,"publicationDate":"2025-09-12","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145123096","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}
京公网安备 11010802042870号
京ICP备2023020795号-1
扫码关注我们
求助内容：
应助结果提醒方式：