Rice University Reveals Promising Resource Recovery Process  
New research supports resource recovery that both removes nitrogen from the water, supporting various water quality goals, and also creates an important resource for fertilizer. The combination of ruthenium atoms and a mesh of copper nanowires can pull ammonia at a very high efficiency from low levels of nitrates that are widespread in groundwater and industrial wastewater. “I think this has big potential, but it’s been ignored because it’s been hard for previous studies to reach such a good current density while still maintaining good product selectivity, especially under low nitrate concentrations,” graduate student Feng-Yang Chen said. “But now we’re demonstrating just that.” Read more.

University of Texas Researchers Extract Water from Air 
With growing concerns for water scarcity, researchers are looking not only at water recycling, but at collecting water from the air. Researchers with the University of Texas have developed a material to pull water from the air for farming or, with additional treatment, for drinking. The gum in the film attracts water vapor from the air, turning into a gel which can then re-release the water vapor for collection while the gel reverts back to its original film state. The process can then be repeated. Read more.

Pennsylvania Learns from Texas on Produced Water Recycling  
Engineers at the University of Pittsburgh Swanson School of Engineering are using membrane distillation technology to filter and reuse the produced water from the oil and gas industry for agriculture and other beneficial uses. This membrane distillation was first brought into the field for pilot-scale testing in Texas and North Dakota and the group is now implementing the same technology in Pennsylvania’s Marcellus Shale. Differences in surfactants used in Marcellus Shale wells have caused challenges with the membranes, so the research team continues to work in the lab to adapt the technology to this new geography. Read more.

Iodide Proves Useful in PFAS Degradation 
New research out of University of California, Riverside shows promising results for removing particularly stubborn per-and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS). Many advanced water treatment facilities already include key processes for PFAS removal, such as Ultraviolet radiation and advanced oxidation. The addition of iodide in the Ultraviolet/sulfite system (UV/S) significantly accelerated the reductive degradation. Jinyong Liu, an assistant professor of chemical and environmental engineering has been working with his lab on ways to destroy PFAS through photochemical reactions since 2017. This new research comes with other recent developments that oxidation treatments before and after the UV/S treatment can achieve almost 100% destruction of carbon-fluorine bonds in various major PFAS. Read more.

_{Images of San Antonio vent pipes, an essential part of their recycled water system, after a beautification project in partnership with San Antonio Zoo. Photo credit: San Antonio Water System}

WateReuse Association Announcements

Please help us to build a national Water Reuse Communications Library! We’re seeking communications materials intended for all purposes including general outreach, K-12 education, government relations, and policy advocacy. This Communications Library effort is part of the National Water Reuse Action Plan (Action 8.1: Communications Library).

Learn more and submit your materials here. Deadline: September 23

WateReuse Association invites you to submit a presentation proposal for the 2023 National WateReuse Symposium. We’re seeking fresh proposals emphasizing the essential role of water recycling in future water management and community resiliency.

Submit a proposal here! Deadline: September 30