ACS ES&T water最新文献

The interaction of five systematically structured homologous phosphonated linear amino acids (PLAAs, HOOC-(CH₂)_n-N-(PO₃H₂)₂), glycine (PLAA-C2, n = 1), β-alanine (PLAA-C3, n = 2), γ-aminobutyric acid (PLAA-C4, n = 3), 5-aminovaleric acid (PLAA-C5, n = 4), and ε-aminocaproic acid (PLAA-C6, n = 5), with carbon steel in an aqueous solution is explored. The inhibition efficiency of the PLAAs was investigated through electrochemical impedance spectroscopy, potentiodynamic polarization, and gravimetric studies. Inhibitor adsorption onto the carbon steel surface and its impact on inhibitory performance were further studied through Density Functional Theory simulations. The inhibitory performance increased with the increase in the alkyl chain length due to enhanced orbital overlap and stronger binding interactions between the carbon steel surface and PLAAs. PLAA-C6 exhibited the best performance, significantly inhibiting corrosion at concentrations as low as 10 ppm, reaching the optimum performance at 50 ppm. The synergistic effects of two selected inhibitors (PLAA-C4 and PLAA-C6) with Zn²⁺ ions were investigated, showing substantially enhanced corrosion protection. This was ascribed to the formation of Zn-PLAA protective films on the carbon steel surface.

This study investigates the influence of nitrate-based electrolytes─specifically LiNO₃, NaNO₃, and KNO₃─on the performance, reproducibility, and operational efficiency of Photoelectrochemical Oxygen Demand (PeCOD) devices. A systematic evaluation was conducted across three operational concentration ranges to identify the interplay between ionic conductivity, charge transport dynamics, and reaction kinetics. The findings reveal that each electrolyte exhibits distinct advantages depending on the concentration regime, with KNO₃ offering superior conductivity and sensitivity in the high-concentration regimes, while preserving equivalent stability and reproducibility under lower concentration conditions than the alternatives. Modeling and analysis of the reaction rates highlight intrinsic electrolyte-specific variations which play a role in the overall sensitivity and selectivity of the system. These insights have significant implications for optimizing PeCOD devices in commercial and environmental applications, paving the way for further innovations in water quality monitoring and related fields.

Effective recovery of phosphorus (P) from water bodies can reduce the global shortage of P resources. Struvite formation represents one of the optimal strategies for P recovery and is widely used in wastewater treatment. However, recovery of P from P-rich groundwater via struvite remains underexplored. This study assessed three P recovery methods from groundwater containing elevated concentrations of phosphate, calcium, iron, and fulvic acid (FA). The results showed that high concentrations of calcium significantly inhibited the formation of struvite, while iron and FA exhibited comparatively limited inhibitory effects. The synergistic interaction of these three components constitutes a critical determinant for struvite formation in groundwater. Direct precipitation and ion exchange methods proved to be suboptimal for P recovery due to their low purity (∼10%). The dual-waste utilization method markedly enhanced the purity of struvite to about 35%, enabling the simultaneous recovery of solid and liquid P. The dual-waste utilization method showed superior or equivalent environmental impacts compared to the other two methods. Overall, integrating P-rich groundwater with P slag for struvite formation provides multiple benefits, including groundwater remediation, waste recycling, and fertilizer production through beneficial resource symbiosis.

Soil aquifer treatment (SAT) is operated by flooding and drying cycles, thus swiftly changing topsoil redox conditions. Currently, the links between the redox conditions, biofilm activity, and contaminants removal in SAT topsoil are not well understood. Here, two extreme-redox potentials (governed by oxic conditions) were evaluated while flooding occurred during two seasons. All tests were performed in 30 cm columns packed with SAT topsoil and flooded with artificial secondary wastewater. Redox conditions and removal efficiency of ammonia, ibuprofen, and bacteriophage, alongside bacterial activity and diversity, were determined. Biofilm activity was more intensive under aerobic than under anaerobic conditions during summer and winter (83 and 155%, respectively). Similarly, the removal of ammonia and ibuprofen was higher under aerobic conditions (82 and 54%, respectively). Differently, bacteriophage reduction was not affected by the redox conditions, as the main removal mechanism was adsorption. Additionally, biofilm richness was highly adaptive within 48 h of flooding (Shannon index: 4.7 ± 0.1) yet less diverse under anaerobic conditions. These results stress the importance of measuring and controlling the redox potential within the SAT topsoil. Moreso, continuous monitoring of the oxic conditions in the subsurface could optimize the tillage intervals as well as the wetting and drying cycles without sacrificing water quality.

Polymer-based nanomaterials have demonstrated potential as sustainable alternatives for environmental remediation. However, developing these polymer-supported nanomaterials with robust stability presents a significant challenge. The present review article summarizes different types of nanomaterials employed toward environmental remediation. These materials (adsorbents) manifest in diverse forms like particles, tubes, wires, and fibers. They form composites after being combined with polymers, which can be effectively employed to treat a range of inorganic and organic pollutants and biological agents including viruses, bacteria, parasites, and antibiotics. Nanomaterials outperform conventional environmental remediation methods due to their extensive surface area, significantly increasing their reactivity. The development of innovative polymer-supported nanomaterials (PSNMs) and techniques for treating drinking and industrial water contaminated by emerging contaminants (CECs), harmful metal ions, and organic pollutants has been underlined in recent studies. The operational mechanisms of PSNMs and their regenerative potential are closely examined to boost their reuse capabilities. Due to their superior efficiency in removing pollutants and their capacity for regeneration, PSNMs are viewed as viable replacements for current, costlier remediation technologies. The conclusions offer future perspectives, underlining the ongoing challenges and opportunities in the field and the importance of further research to enhance the efficacy and sustainability of polymer-based nanomaterials for sustainable environmental remediation.

Microplastics (MPs) can adsorb polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) and potentially transfer them to biota in aquatic environments. However, the environmental fate of PAHs adsorbed on MPs remains unclear. Recent studies suggest that photolysis may dominate the fate of the MP-adsorbed PAHs. Here, we show that high temperature and snow-ice enhanced the photolysis of MP-sorbed PAHs, while their first-order photolysis rate constants were independent of the size of MPs (170–850 μm). A correlation between the enhancement factor of snow and activation energy demonstrated that the enhancement effect of snow strongly affected relatively stable PAHs adsorbed on MPs. A comparison of the quantum yields of PAHs adsorbed onto MPs and soil revealed that the suppressive effect of soil on the photolysis of PAHs was greater than that of MPs. Among the tested polymers, polypropylene (PP) showed the lowest quantum yields (3.3 × 10^–6 (benzo[a]pyrene) – 2.9 × 10^–4 (fluorene)), followed by polystyrene (PS), polyethylene terephthalate (PET), and polyethylene (PE). This study contributes to estimate the environmental fate of MPs-sorbed PAHs, as there is a concern about the environmental impact of photodegradation of MPs-sorbed PAHs in Southeast Asia, where there are high emissions of PAHs under high sea temperature, and in polar regions where they are covered by snow-ice, which enhances the photolysis.

Global warming has accelerated the degradation of alpine permafrost, significantly altering hydrological and hydrogeochemical processes in mountainous catchments. Among these changes, rock glaciers release spring waters with rising solute concentrations, including nickel levels that significantly exceed drinking water limits. This study investigates the geochemical processes driving solute mobilization in five rock glaciers in the European Alps, focusing on nickel enrichment and transport pathways. Geochemical and petrographic analyses show that high nickel concentrations in spring waters originate from sulfide minerals and their weathering products. Sulfur and oxygen isotope analyses of dissolved sulfate confirm mineral weathering as the primary solute source, while inverse hydrogeochemical modeling accurately reproduces the chemical composition of these spring waters. The hydrogeology of rock glaciers plays a critical role in these processes, as deformation and ice melt expose fresh mineral surfaces, while extended residence times of water in the subsurface create favorable conditions for natural acid rock drainage. Our study demonstrates that rock glaciers are active chemical reactors, enriching alpine streams and lakes with metals and raising concerns about water quality and ecological impacts. This work advances understanding of climate-sensitive metal contamination, informing integrated water management strategies in mountain regions.

Back diffusion of trichloroethylene (TCE) from low-permeability zones (LPZs) poses a major challenge to groundwater remediation at many contaminated sites. This study investigated whether abiotic oxidation and reduction of TCE can co-occur at transitions between aerobic aquifers and anaerobic, iron-rich LPZs. Diffusion-vial experiments were conducted using reduced clay exposed to TCE and oxygen. Results showed that oxygen reacts more rapidly with reduced iron minerals (RIMs) than TCE, limiting oxygen penetration and allowing TCE to diffuse deeper. Oxidation products formed near the LPZ surface, while reduced gases were generated at a greater depth. Control experiments revealed that some reduced gases may form from TCE oxidation products via an unknown pathway. A reactive transport model calibrated to experimental data predicted that, at the field scale, TCE reduction dominates over oxidation after several decades due to limited oxygen diffusion into the LPZ. However, this balance depends on site-specific factors such as oxygen availability, RIM content, and LPZ thickness. These findings provide the first direct experimental evidence for the simultaneous abiotic oxidation and reduction of TCE in LPZs and suggest that reduction likely plays a greater role in long-term attenuation. Field validation and rate quantification over different LPZ soils are needed to assess the remediation impact.

To reduce the amount of testing and cost necessary to generate representative wastewater surveillance of influenza A virus (IAV) data for small public health units (PHU) in large geographic areas with small and dispersed municipalities, we compared the wastewater (WW) viral activity level (VAL) metric, developed by the United States Centers of Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) to the raw data and viral load to better interpret the relationship between WW signal and weekly number of positive clinical cases. We assessed two small PHUs in Ontario, Canada, and with just 21–27% coverage of the PHUs’ populations, WW surveillance for IAV viral RNA, viral load, and raw WW signals was able to obtain strong positive Kendall’s τ correlations with PHUs’ IAV clinical cases, showing (0.59–0.85) and (0.77–0.93), respectively. The VAL also helped identify towns with higher-than-expected levels of IAV. Measurement of other WW parameters and assessment of sewer infrastructure provided explanations for the differences observed between each WW treatment plant and its respective PHU. Overall, we demonstrated that minimal sampling within a small PHU, supported by careful consideration of sewer infrastructure and the location of WW treatment plants, can provide an accurate, efficient, and cost-effective approach for IAV surveillance.

Worldwide, oncogenic papillomaviruses (HPVs) and polyomaviruses (HPyVs) associated with human cancers are increasingly detected in municipal wastewater and other water environments. Significantly, the environmental strains have been phylogenetically linked to high-risk clinical strains in different studies. While these viruses are known to cause severe diseases such as intestinal and kidney tumors, lymphoma, and carcinomas affecting the colon, cervix, and prostate, the understanding of their role in contaminated water environments is greatly lacking. Indeed, both the HPVs and HPyVs are not typical waterborne pathogens; however, the potential for waterborne transmission has been suggested several times due to their environmental persistence and survivability under low pH and trypsin treatments. In this article, we review evidence of HPVs and HPyVs shedding in urine and feces and address the epidemiological significance of their presence, abundance, and diversity in water and wastewater environments. Furthermore, we discuss the stability of these oncogenic viruses under different physical and chemical treatment conditions. Finally, we critically appraise the efficiency of viral removal by the current water and wastewater treatment practices and address the possibility that their environmental persistence and inefficient removal could pose a transmission risk.