Nanofluidic membranes have shown great promise in harvesting osmotic energy but its scalablity remains challenging since most studies only tested with a membrane area of ≈10−2 mm2 or smaller. We ...demonstrate that metal‐organic‐framework membranes with subnanometer pores can be used for scalable osmotic power generation from hypersaline water sources. Our membrane can be scaled up to a few mm2, and the power density can be stabilized at 1.7 W m−2. We reveal that the key is to improve the out‐of‐membrane conductance while keeping the membrane's charge selectivity, contradicting the previous conception that the ionic conductivity of the membrane plays the dominating role. We highlight that subnanometer pores are essential to ensure the charge selectivity in hypersaline water sources. Our results suggest the importance to engineer the interplay between the in‐membrane and out‐of‐membrane ion transport properties for scalable osmotic power generation.
We demonstrate a strategy toward scalable nanofluidic osmotic power generation by using PSS/HKUST‐1 membrane with subnanometer pores and using hypersaline water sources. The hypersaline water sources provide high ionic conductivity and the subnanometer pores guarantee charge selectivity under high salinity. The power density stabilized at 1.7 W m−2 when the membrane area increased to 7 mm2, the highest for macro‐sized nanofluidic membranes.
The study investigates the content of microplastic particles in freshwater and drinking water. Specifically, three water treatment plants (WTPs) supplied by different kinds of water bodies were ...selected and their raw and treated water was analysed for microplastics (MPs). Microplastics were found in all water samples and their average abundance ranged from 1473 ± 34 to 3605 ± 497 particles L−1 in raw water and from 338 ± 76 to 628 ± 28 particles L−1 in treated water, depending on the WTP. This study is one of very few that determine microplastics down to the size of 1 μm, while MPs smaller than 10 μm were the most plentiful in both raw and treated water samples, accounting for up to 95%. Further, MPs were divided into three categories according to their shape. Fragments clearly prevailed at two of the WTPs and fibres together with fragments predominated at one case. Despite 12 different materials forming the microplastics being identified, the majority of the MPs (>70%) comprised of PET (polyethylene terephthalate), PP (polypropylene) and PE (polyethylene). This study contributes to fill the knowledge gap in the field of emerging microplastic pollution of drinking water and water sources, which is of concern due to the potential exposure of microplastics to humans.
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•Microplastics were present in all water samples from different treatment plants.•The concentration of microplastics was higher in raw water than in treated water.•Particles of 1–10 μm were the most abundant, accounting for up to 95%.•Polyethylene terephthalate, polypropylene and polyethylene microplastics prevailed.
We determined pesticide occurrence in groundwater and surface water sources used for drinking water production in The Netherlands, using both routine monitoring data from Dutch drinking water ...companies and by studying the presence of newly authorized pesticides in drinking water sources.
An analytical LC-MS/MS method was developed for 24 recently authorized pesticides, selected based on their mobility and persistence, and applied in a Dutch/Belgian ground- and surface water monitoring campaign. 15 of these pesticides were detected, including seven in concentrations above the water quality standard from the Water Framework Directive. Two neonicotinoids were detected in highest concentrations: acetamiprid (1.1 μg/L) and thiamethoxam (0.4 μg/L).
The routine monitoring data was collected over 2010–2014 in The Netherlands, covering 408 pesticides and 52 metabolites. 63 pesticides and 6 metabolites were prioritized according to their presence in groundwater, surface water and drinking water. The vast majority of the pesticides in routine monitoring has not been detected or only in low concentrations.
Overall, the study shows that pesticides are of major concern in drinking water sources across the Netherlands. In two third of the abstraction areas pesticides and/or metabolites have been detected. In one third of the abstraction areas pesticide and/or metabolites concentration exceeded water quality standards according to the Water Framework Directive. The results emphasize that monitoring should focus on priority pesticides, since the vast majority of the pesticides has a low priority. The occurrence of recently authorized pesticides in drinking water sources demonstrates the importance to keep routine monitoring methods up to date.
•15 out of 24 recently authorized pesticides were detected, including neonicotinoids.•Of 408 pesticides and 52 metabolites, 63 pesticides and 6 metabolites were prioritized.•In the majority of drinking water sources, pesticides and/or metabolites were detected.•Some prioritized pesticides were not earlier detected in large monitoring studies.
In water-limited ecosystems, spatial and temporal partitioning of water sources is an important mechanism that facilitates plant survival and lessens the competition intensity of co-existing plants. ...Insights into species-specific root functional plasticity and differences in the water sources of co-existing plants under changing water conditions can aid in accurate prediction of the response of desert ecosystems to future climate change. We used stable isotopes of soil water, groundwater and xylem water to determine the seasonal and inter- and intraspecific differences variations in the water sources of six C3 and C4 shrubs in the Gurbantonggut desert. We also measured the stem water potentials to determine the water stress levels of each species under varying water conditions. The studied shrubs exhibited similar seasonal water uptake patterns, i.e., all shrubs extracted shallow soil water recharged by snowmelt water during early spring and reverted to deeper water sources during dry summer periods, indicating that all of the studied shrubs have dimorphic root systems that enable them to obtain water sources that differ in space and time. Species in the C4 shrub community exhibited differences in seasonal water absorption and water status due to differences in topography and rooting depth, demonstrating divergent adaptations to water availability and water stress. Haloxylon ammodendron and T. ramosissima in the C3/C4 mixed community were similar in terms of seasonal water extraction but differed with respect to water potential, which indicated that plant water status is controlled by both root functioning and shoot eco-physiological traits. The two Tamarix species in the C3 shrub community were similar in terms of water uptake and water status, which suggests functional convergence of the root system and physiological performance under same soil water conditions. In different communities, Haloxylon ammodendron differed in terms of summer water extraction, which suggests that this species exhibits plasticity with respect to rooting depth under different soil water conditions. Shrubs in the Gurbantonggut desert displayed varying adaptations across species and communities through divergent root functioning and shoot eco-physiological traits.
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•Soil water content and isotopic value were affected by soil texture and groundwater table depth.•Water sources of shrubs changed from shallow soil water to deeper sources across seasons.•The studied shrubs coped with variations in soil water availability through root plasticity.•Distinct shoot physiological traits relieve competition among shrubs with similar water sources.
•Examine how water sources, WUE and SLA of plants respond to the elevation gradient.•Water sources of P. tabuliformis exhibited no variation with elevation and season.•Ratios of deeper water source ...contribution to P. orientalis decreased with elevation.•P. orientalis can adjust water source, WUE and SLA to adapt the elevation gradient.
Global climate change may influence the distribution and water uptake patterns of plants in the rocky mountainous areas of North China. The change in climatic conditions with elevation in mountainous areas provides an opportunity to understand the potential impacts of global climate change on plant water use. To assess the responses and adaptations of plants to the elevations, three aspects were investigated for Platycladus orientalis (L.) Franco and Pinus tabuliformis Carrière, namely source of water used, water use efficiency (WUE), and specific leaf area (SLA). These aspects were assessed for the selected species along an elevation from 100 to 1000 m (100, 400, 700, and 1000 m) in a seasonally arid area. The results showed that the soil water contents were significantly and positively correlated with the elevation (P < 0.05). The soil water content increased by 0.33% for every 100 m increase in elevation. P. orientalis (L.) Franco was sensitive to the change in elevation and showed plasticity with regard to the water source used, while P. tabuliformis Carrière was not. P. orientalis mostly used water from the 60–100 cm soil layer (28.6–33.8%) and groundwater (27.8–36.2%) at four elevations. The water utilization ratio of P. orientalis at the 60–100 cm soil layer and groundwater decreased with elevation, while that at the 0–20 and 20–60 cm soil layers increased gradually with elevation. The water sources of P. tabuliformis exhibited no variation with elevation and growing stages. P. tabuliformis obtained over 60% of the water from the 60–100 cm soil layer (27.8%) and groundwater (35.9%), while small amounts were from the 0–20 and 20–60 cm soil layers. The SLA of P. tabuliformis and P. orientalis decreased by 0.73 and 0.70 cm2/g, respectively, for every 100 m elevation. The SLA and WUE were significantly and negatively correlated with elevation. At the same elevation range, the SLA of P. tabuliformis was 1.5% higher than that of P. orientalis, while the WUE of P. tabuliformis was 3.4% lower than that of P. orientalis. The results indicated that P. orientalis was better adapted to environmental changes than P. tabuliformis. P. orientalis can change its source of water, improve WUE, and reduce SLA to adapt to the change in elevations, showing a synergistic adaptation to elevation. However, P. tabuliformis showed trade-off adaptation to elevation by adjusting only WUE and SLA.
Phthalate esters (PAEs) are known as esters of phthalic acid, which are commonly used as plasticizers in the plastic industry. Due to the lack of chemical bonding with the polymer matrix, these ...compounds are easily separated from plastic products and enter the environment. To investigate the growth of concentration of PAEs like DBP (Dibutyl phthalate), DEP (Diethyl phthalate), DMP (Dimethyl phthalate), DIBP (Diisobutyl phthalate), and TPMBP (tris(2-methylbutyl) phosphate) in different water sources, a study from January 01, 1976, to April 30, 2021, was implemented via a global systematic review plus meta-analysis in which, 109 articles comprising 4061 samples, 4 water types, and 27 countries were included. Between various types of water sources, river water and lake water were the most contaminated resources with PAEs. Among all studies of PAEs, DBP and DEP with the values >15,573 mg L−1 have the highest average concentration and TPMBP with the value 0.002885 mg L−1 has the lowest average concentration in water sources. The most contaminated water sources with PAEs were in Nigeria and the least contaminated was in China. Besides, Monte-Carlo simulation indicated that for DMP and DEP minimum values that are lower than the acceptable limit are generated. However, most of the population (>75 %) is at risk for both adults and child cases. For DIBP and DBP the situation is much worse, the simulations not providing at least one case where the R index is lower than the acceptable limit of 1E-06.
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•Here we provide a global meta-analysis and risk assessment of PFAE in drinking water.•River and lakes are the most contaminated aquatic systems.•DBP shows the highest and BBP the lowest Z scores reflecting concentration differences.•Nigeria and China are the lowest and highest polluted regions, respectively.•More than 75 % of adults and children China is at risk for health effects.
Energy is an essential ingredient of socio-economic development and economic growth. Renewable energy provides a variable and environmental friendly option and national energy security at a time when ...decreasing global reserves of fossil fuels threatens the long-term sustainability of global economy. The integration of renewable resources in desalination and water purification is becoming increasingly attractive. This is justified by the fact that areas of fresh water shortages have plenty of solar energy and these technologies have low operating and maintenance costs. In this paper an attempt has been made to present a review, in brief, work of the highlights that have been achieved during the recent years worldwide and the state-of-the-art for most important efforts in the field of desalination by renewable energies, with emphasis on technologies and economics. The review also includes water sources, demand, availability of potable water and purification methods. The classification of distillation units has been done on the basis of literature survey till today. A comparative study between different renewable energy technologies powered desalination systems as well as economics have been done. The real problem in these technologies is the optimum economic design and evaluation of the combined plants in order to be economically viable for remote or arid regions. Wind energy technology is cheaper than the conventional ones, and used extensively around the world. The slow implementation of renewable energy projects especially in the developing countries are mostly due to the governments subsides of conventional fuels products and electricity. The economic analyses carried out so far have not been able to provide a strong basis for comparing economic viability of each desalination technology. The economic performances expressed in terms of cost of water production have been based on different system capacity, system energy source, system component, and water source. These differences make it difficult, if not impossible, to assess the economic performance of a particular technology and compare it with others. Reverse osmosis is becoming the technology of choice with continued advances being made to reduce the total energy consumption and lower the cost of water produced.
Water sources used for plant identification coupled with stable isotopes are essential to improving the understanding of eco-hydrological processes and ecological management in water-limited ...ecosystems. Many approaches associated with stable isotopes have been used to determine plant water source apportionment. However, inter-comparisons of different methods are still limited, especially for Bayesian mixing models. In this study, we tested linear mixing models (IsoSource) and Bayesian models (SIAR, MixSIR and MixSIAR) to identify sources of water absorbed by Vitex negundo and Sophora viciifolia (shrubs) and Artemisia gmelinii (subshrub) during the growing season in the semiarid Loess Plateau. The results showed that there was no significant difference in the predicted plant water source fractions using only stable hydrogen isotope (δ2H) and only stable oxygen isotope (δ18O) with the IsoSource model. No significant difference was found in plant water source apportionment by the three Bayesian mixing models combined with δ2H and δ18O except for individual months. The SIAR and MixSIAR models detected no pronounced seasonal variations in plant water uptake, while the MixSIR model did detect seasonal variations. Overall, the SIAR and MixSIAR models exhibited relatively better water source apportionment performances than that of the MixSIR model. This discrepancy may be attributed to the difference in the post distribution simulation algorithm. This study provides critical insights into choosing a suitable method for identifying plant water source apportionment in arid and semiarid regions.
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•The performances of four methods for plant water source partitioning were investigated.•The results had no significant difference using only δ2H and only δ18O by IsoSource model.•SIAR and MixSIAR model had better water source partitioning performance.•The post distribution simulation algorithm caused the predicted discrepancy with Bayesian models
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