Themed collection Highlights from Environmental Science: Water Research & Technology in 2024

The ion transportation process through a membrane was divided into 3 sequential stages, where the ion selectivity could be determined by the ion charge, hydration energy, channel size and surface chemistry.

Extensive water use leads to scarcity, adversely affecting human health, ecosystems, and resources. Life cycle assessment (LCA) evaluates these impacts via damage pathways, using characterization models to quantify effects.

To understand community impacts and needs after the August 2023 Maui wildfires, we conducted a rapid survey-based field investigation two weeks after the incident.

Wastewater samples spanning three years were analyzed for human enteric pathogens and fecal indicators, highlighting seasonal, geographic, and pandemic-related variations of interest for water reuse, microbial risk assessment, and source tracking.

Disinfection of antibiotic-resistant B. subtilis, damage of its intracellular antibiotic resistance gene (ARG), and prevention of horizontal ARG transfer were greater by 222 than 254 nm, despite similar extracted ARG damage between UV wavelengths.

A new notion of resilience using signal temporal logic from computer science.

Heavy metals bound to filter media from stormwater control measures can leach out under unfavorable conditions. The potential overestimation due to different prestressing (lab vs. field) was evaluated with respect to the potential mobile fraction.

A nationally-representative survey indicated that the population's valuation would economically justify the nationwide wastewater surveillance system in Japan.

Limited information is available on the fate of respiratory and arthropod-borne viruses in wastewater.

Coagulation/flocculation of secondary effluent with FeCl₃ (1) removed MS2 bacteriophage and bacterial endospores up to 2–3 LRVs, (2) removed rapid surrogates at levels correlative with microbial removal, and (3) improved downstream O₃ performance.

We quantified sorption of stormwater relevant trace organic contaminants and dissolved phosphorus to a novel composite-alginate geomedia. We demonstrated coupled sorption and biodegradation of a representative tirewear compound via the geomedia.

In February 2023, a train derailment in Ohio caused a chemical spill and fires releasing contaminants into the air, soil, waterways, and buildings.

Adding clay nanoparticles into PVDF MMMs enhances MD performance. Higher OMT loadings improve contact angle, LEP, and flux. Long-term operation shows no flux reduction. Humic acid foulant reduces clay membrane flux by 45% vs. 60% for commercial PVDF.

Major groundwater cations can influence the U(IV) rejection of membranes. Water chemistry modeling, membrane characterization, uranium rejection, and membrane selectivity are investigated, with results showing optimal treatment operation at pH 7.

A novel biologically active sorptive medium was developed to bioaugment green stormwater infrastructure and rapidly sorb trace organic contaminants with subsequent biodegradation to provide sustained runoff treatment.

Annual water withdrawal for the 2534 individual power plants covering Africa.

New orange peel biochar/clay/titania nanocomposites (NCs) effectively degrade tetracycline under both UV and natural solar irradiation.

We describe a process for recycling scraps of graphene hollow fiber membranes into sorbent granules suitable for drinking water treatment.

When stormwater biofilters are not saturated, per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFASs) sorb to the air–water interface. The design of black carbon-amended stormwater biofilters for PFAS removal can be improved by preventing saturation.

This laboratory proof-of-concept study demonstrates that a combination of hyperspectral imaging and data-based chemometric modelling is promising for fast, precise and real-time measurement of wastewater pollution.