Pathogen contamination in drinking water sources causes waterborne infectious diseases, seriously threatening human health. Nowadays, stimuli-responsive self-propelled nanomotors are appealing therapeutic agents for antibacterial therapy in vivo. However, achieving water disinfection using these nanobots is still a great challenge. Herein, we report on prebiotic galactooligosaccharide-based nanomotors for sunlight-regulated water disinfection. The nanomotors can utilize galactooligosaccharide-based N-nitrosamines as sunlight-responsive fuels for the spontaneous production of antibacterial nitric oxide. Such a solar-to-chemical energy conversion would power the nanomotors for self-diffusiophoresis, which could promote the diffusion of the nanomotors in water and their penetration in the biofilm, significantly enhancing the inhibition and elimination of the pathogens and their biofilms in aquatic environments. After water treatments, the prebiotic-based residual disinfectants can be selectively utilized by beneficial bacteria to effectively relieve safety risks to the environment and human health. The low-energy-cost, green and potent antibacterial nanobots show promising potential in water disinfection.
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http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.jcis.2024.03.163 | DOI Listing |
Environ Sci Technol
January 2025
Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Anaerobic Biotechnology, School of Environment and Ecology, Jiangnan University, Wuxi 214122, PR China.
Thin-film composite (TFC) membrane has been extensively utilized and investigated for its excellent properties. Herein, we have constructed an active layer (AL) containing cave-like structures utilizing large meniscus interface. Furthermore, the impact of interface structure on the growth process, morphology, and effective surface area of AL has been fully explored with the assistance of sodium dodecyl benzenesulfonate (SDBS).
View Article and Find Full Text PDFEnviron Sci Technol
January 2025
Key Laboratory of Jiangxi Province for Persistent Pollutants Prevention Control and Resource Reuse, Nanchang Hangkong University, Nanchang 330063, China.
The traditional treatment of toxic and refractory copper(II)-ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid chelate (Cu(II)-EDTA) in electroless effluents often generates hazardous waste and secondary nitrogen-containing pollutants without maximizing the resource recovery. This study demonstrates a facile strategy to simultaneously recover Cu and EDTA ligands from Cu(II)-EDTA electroless effluent with commercially available metallic Cu and formaldehyde. In this strategy, metallic Cu is used to activate formaldehyde, a prevalent yet often overlooked cocontaminant in Cu(II)-EDTA effluents, to produce highly reductive hydrogen radical (H), which in situ decomplex Cu(II)-EDTA, reduces the central Cu(II) into metallic Cu, and release EDTA ligand.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFSci Rep
January 2025
Department of Health Hazards Surveillance, Hangzhou Center for Disease Control and Prevention (Hangzhou Health Supervision Institution), Hangzhou, 310021, China.
Disinfection is a critical process to ensure the safety of drinking water. To curb the spread of various bacteria and viruses, disinfectants are extensively employed in communities, hospitals, sewage treatment plants, and other settings. However, disinfectants can produce disinfection by-products (DBPs) that threaten human health.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFWater Res
January 2025
School of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Harbin Institute of Technology Shenzhen, Shenzhen 518055, China.
Due to the global outbreaks caused by pathogens, disinfection has attracted widespread attention, especially as the final inactivation step in wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs). Ultraviolet (UV) radiation is regarded as one of low carbon disinfection methods without chemical agents, but in practice, the effects are sometimes unsatisfactory, e.g.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFJ Environ Sci Health A Tox Hazard Subst Environ Eng
January 2025
Crop Science Discipline, University of KwaZulu-Natal, Pietermaritzburg, South Africa.
To meet wastewater treatment quality standards for reuse, integrating advanced oxidation processes (AOPs) with Decentralized Wastewater Treatment Systems (DEWATS) is promising. This study aimed to optimize AOPs (ozonolysis, UV photolysis, TiO photocatalysis) for polishing anaerobic filter (AF) effluent from DEWATS, as an alternative to constructed wetlands. Metrics included pathogen reduction efficiency, post-disinfection regrowth, and effects on physical parameters (pH, EC, turbidity), organic matter (soluble COD, BOD, DOC, humic), and nutrient concentration (ammonium, nitrates, ortho-P).
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