2026-09-15
Tao Yin, Tao Wan, Ziheng Feng, Mengyao Li, Chao Liu, Jinbo Wang, Fandi Chen, Jiajun Fan, Long Hu, Tao Cao, Dawei Su, Jianbo Tang, Zhaojun Han, Zhi Li, Yunjian Liu, Haolan Xu, Qin Li, Dewei Chu
Solar interfacial evaporation is a promising solution for water purification. Here this work addresses the bottleneck of slow kinetics of water molecule desorption by constructing a dual-phase heterostructure that achieves a superior evaporation rate with excellent durability.
DOI: 10.1038/s41893-026-01934-42026-09-15
Shuai Guo, Zhen Yu, Swee Ching Tan
Efficient evaporation is crucial for solar-powered water purification, resource recovery and energy utilization, yet boosting evaporation without using more energy remains challenging. Here, a smart surface on which water binds weakly, thereby enabling rapid solar evaporation, makes clean, sustainable water production more efficient.
DOI: 10.1038/s41893-026-01843-62026-09-14
Matt Clark, Cosima Fröhner, Andreas Christ Sølvsten Jørgensen, Thomas Pienkowski, Sibabalo Yekela, Aamirah Isaacs, Olivia Crowe, Jeffrey Andrews, Paul E. Smaldino, Iacopo Tito Gallizioli, Gina Arena, Morena Mills
Changing rainfall patterns and intensity make adaptation a necessity for African pastoralists. Paired weather forecasting and risk smoothing help manage the trade-offs inherent to these adaptations.
DOI: 10.1038/s41893-026-01938-02026-09-10
Tom Matthews, Tom Wood, Hebe Nicholson, Jenix Justine, S. J. Beard, Radley M. Horton, Frans Berkhout, Joe P. L. Davidson, Maria Vittoria Gargiulo, Constantin W. Arnscheidt, Gordon Woo, Engielle Mae R. Paguican, Maximillian Van Wyk de Vries, Pauline Sophie Heinrichs, Robin Noyelle, Viktor Roezer, Faith Taylor, Nausheen H. Anwar, Emma Moffett, Daoping Wang, Pengfei Yuan, Luke Kemp
Extreme weather is becoming more common as Earth’s climate changes. This Perspective argues that the most catastrophic extremes, beyond what has been previously recorded, must be considered and prepared for to avoid drastic impacts.
DOI: 10.1038/s41893-026-01929-12026-09-09
Mario A. Soriano Jr., Joshua L. Warren, Yingcan Cathy Wang, David van Velden, Shuqi Lin, Reed M. Maxwell, James E. Saiers
Horizontal drilling and hydraulic fracturing are a core part of the US domestic energy economy, particularly in the Appalachian region. However, surface spills occurring in areas of high hydrologic vulnerability could pose a risk to the drinking-water sources of more than 120,000 local residents.
DOI: 10.1038/s41893-026-01933-52026-09-09
Fanran Meng, Luke Cullen, Philip Mitchell, Phillip Christopher, André Cabrera Serrenho, Eric Masanet, Anthony J. Ryan, Rick Lupton, Jonathan M. Cullen
The petrochemical sector is a major source of greenhouse gas emissions, yet a consistent facility-level emissions inventory is missing, hindering effective sectoral decarbonization. This study fills the gap through a bottom-up and detailed assessment of 37,379 facilities globally.
DOI: 10.1038/s41893-026-01931-72026-09-07
J. Serra, L. Lassaletta, G. H. Ros, M. Quemada, F. Giannini-Kurina, E. Aguilera, M. Graversgaard, C. S. C. Marques-dos-Santos, M. R. Cameira, W. De Vries, A. Dobermann, X. Zhang, J. Rahimi, T. Dalgaard, K. Butterbach-Bahl
Irrigation is typically overlooked as a source of reactive nitrogen to cropland. However, nitrate-rich irrigation water constitutes a substantial portion of the global agricultural nitrogen budget that should be accounted for in fertilizer application and irrigation strategies.
DOI: 10.1038/s41893-026-01930-82026-09-07
Yinuo Liu, Huilin Wan, Jiaojiao Niu, Enlei Liang, Xuezhuang Liu, Chunfang Chao, Bibek Bamanu, Yiwen Liu, Yindong Tong, Guanyi Chen, Yingxin Zhao
Nitrate accumulation limits the sustainability of anammox-based nitrogen removal in wastewater treatment. This study shows that 3D-bioprinted engineered living materials with spatial confinement enable complete nitrogen removal by enhancing cross-feeding between anammox bacteria and denitrifiers.
DOI: 10.1038/s41893-026-01921-9