Wastewater contaminants boost green hydrogen production

RMIT University

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The team's experimental set up of hydrogen production using partially treated wastewater and solar power.

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Credit: Shu Shu Zheng, RMIT University

Research led by RMIT University has developed an experimental invention to turn wastewater’s high contaminant load into an advantage for making green hydrogen that could reduce reliance on fresh water – a scarce resource in many parts of the world.

With more than 80% of global wastewater discharged into the environment untreated, this research provides an opportunity to turn this environmental liability into boosted productivity.

The team’s approach harnesses some of the contaminants in wastewater to speed up hydrogen production and overcome high contaminant loads that normally makes wastewater unusable.

The team’s latest work – which involved the University of Melbourne, Australian Synchrotron, University of New South Wales – builds on previous breakthroughs, including an innovation that rapidly removes microplastics from water using magnets and a technique boosting hydrogen production using seawater.

How the innovation works

Lead researcher Associate Professor Nasir Mahmood, from RMIT’s School of Science, said the team found a way to capture platinum, chromium and nickel other metals in the water and then put these elements to work to enhance green hydrogen production.

“The advantage of our innovation over others to produce green hydrogen is that it harnesses wastewater’s inherent materials rather than requiring purified water or additional steps,” Mahmood said.

Their experimental invention comes in the form of electrodes, which are key components for splitting water into hydrogen and oxygen. The electrode is made with an absorbent carbon surface that attracts metals from wastewater to form catalysts that are stable and efficient at conducting electricity, helping to speed up the water splitting.

The materials used to produce the special carbon surface are made from agricultural waste – another cost-effective aspect of the innovation that contributes to a growing circular economy.

“The catalyst speeds up a chemical reaction without being consumed in the process,” Mahmood said.

“The metals interact with other elements in the wastewater to boost the electrochemical reactions needed for splitting water into oxygen and hydrogen.

As part of the experiments, the team used the wastewater samples in a container with two electrodes – an anode (positive) and a cathode (negative) – and powered the water-splitting process with renewable energy. When electricity flows through the water, it causes a chemical reaction.

At the cathode, water molecules gain electrons and form hydrogen gas. At the anode, water molecules lose electrons and form oxygen.

The result is a separation of water into its basic components, hydrogen and oxygen, which could then both be collected and used.

“The produced oxygen can be reintegrated into wastewater treatment plants to enhance their efficiency by reducing organic content,” Mahmood said. The device enabled continuous water splitting for 18 days during experiments in the lab, with minimal decline in performance over that time. As part of the experiments, the team used wastewater that had undergone some treatment including the removal of solid waste, organic matter and nutrients.

Opportunities for industry and government collaborations

RMIT is developing a platform of catalytic systems capable of using previously difficult water resources such as wastewater and seawater and this latest proof-of-concept invention is a further example of the systems under development.

Co-lead researcher Professor Nicky Eshtiaghi said the latest RMIT innovation could potentially reduce the high cost of wastewater treatment while turning it into something valuable – a source of green hydrogen.

“Our innovation addresses both pollution reduction and water scarcity, benefiting the energy and water sectors,” Eshtiaghi, from RMIT’s School of Engineering, said.

“By using wastewater, the process helps reduce pollution and makes use of materials considered to be waste.

“We are keen to work with companies globally that are addressing energy and waste as cost and sustainability challenges, as well as water authorities.

“Collaborations could focus on developing commercial systems to use this technology on a large scale.”

Next steps

Co-researcher Dr Muhammad Haris said further research was needed to refine the catalyst process, making it even more efficient and suitable for commercial use.

“The method needs to be tested with different types of wastewater to ensure it works universally,” said Haris, from the School of Engineering.

‘Harnessing wastewater as a catalyst modifier for sustainable hydrogen production’ is published in ACS Electrochemistry (DOI: 10.1021/acselectrochem.5c00064).

The journal article will be available at the following link once the embargo lifts:  https://doi.org/10.1021/acselectrochem.5c00064

MULTIMEDIA

Images and video of the innovation can be downloaded here: https://spaces.hightail.com/space/kHmbP6P3OX

Image/video credit: Shu Shu Zheng, RMIT University

Order of researchers in posed RMIT lab photo: Dr Muhammad Haris, Associate Professor Nasir Mahmood and Professor Nicky Eshtiaghi (left to right).

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Journal

ACS Electrochemistry

DOI

10.1021/acselectrochem.5c00064 

Method of Research

Experimental study

Subject of Research

Not applicable

Article Title

Harnessing wastewater as a catalyst modifier for sustainable hydrogen production

Article Publication Date

16-Jul-2025

 

Scholar argues for move away from meritocracy in schools to redefine purpose of education

Current model creates unhealthy competition, assumes level playing field; human interdependence paradigm could capture strengths of all students

University of Kansas

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LAWRENCE — Education is the ultimate level playing field, where anyone who applies their individual talent and works hard can achieve the highest outcomes. Such is the ideal of meritocracy, the foundation of education and societies around the world. In a new article, a University of Kansas education expert argues meritocracy fosters competition and ignores unique human differences, leading to unequal educational results and furthering stratification in society. 

Yong Zhao, University Distinguished Professor of Educational Psychology at KU, writes that meritocracy not only fosters unhealthy competition, it allocates resources to some while excluding others, fails to account for unequal starting points among students and ultimately hinders individual fulfillment and societal progress. He proposes education shift its focus to the human interdependence paradigm to foster the unique talents of every student to help solve real-world problems.

“I’ve been examining how obsessed parents, students and societies are in almost every country in beating other students,” Zhao said. “Whether it’s GPA, SAT scores or whatever, it’s accepted. If you do well in school, you get into college, then you get a better job. It’s accepted as normal, but it’s not.”

While high-achieving students do receive more scholarships and college graduates do generally earn more than others, Zhao points out that how students get to those points is the problem. In exploring the history of meritocracy, he and co-author Ruojon Zhong of YEE Education write how the term was popularized in the 1958 satirical work “The Rise of Meritocracy” by British sociologist Michael Dunlop Young. The book depicted a dystopian future where IQ plus effort dictates social stratification. Despite decades of research showing IQ and standardized test scores are poor predictors of intelligence and ability, the models are globally accepted.

“That system has worked for the elite for a long time, but not for everyone else,” Zhao said. “How do you help others who do not start life with social advantages like wealth or attending top schools grow and achieve? I think by allowing educational systems to change. That can help develop human interdependence instead of grabbing for resources like we do now.”

In the article, published in the peer-reviewed journal ECNU Review of Education, Zhao and Zhong propose education focus on the human interdependence paradigm to counter the shortcomings of meritocracy. The approach would begin by identifying students’ strengths and interests as soon as they enter school. This would help build a “jagged profile” that fosters each students’ unique strengths and abilities as they evolve during the progression through education. 

The new paradigm would personalize education for each student by fostering and developing their talents and interests to ultimately benefit both the student and society, according to the researchers.

“First of all, the paradigm is a mindset change. If you’re good at something, try to be better,” Zhao said. “Time is a constant. If you spend time trying to get better at something, time for other things will fall off. But you can use that skill to solve problems for others, and they will do the same. It’s not a new idea, it’s the division of labor, which society has depended on for thousands of years. Yet we don’t do that in schools. We continue to select certain students to achieve and be supported.”

Beyond pointing out the fallacies of meritocracy like assuming an equal playing field, the authors point out how it has also excluded certain students by placing an emphasis on certain subjects. Emphasis on math and science, for example, comes at the expense of humanities, arts and vocational disciplines, disadvantaging students whose talents lie in those areas. Educational reform calls often advocate for “21st century skills,” but Zhao and Zhong argue the human interdependence paradigm could help avoid the lingering single definition of merit.

“Teachers can start right away by looking at students not as failures, or saying ‘you’re not good at math,’ for example, but you are good at other things and we can build on that,” Zhao said.

Schools interested in an approach based on the human interdependence paradigm can look to others, including schools in Australia and New Zealand that have implemented a “school within a school” approach to move away from traditional structures and guide students in learning based on their strengths and abilities. Zhao, who has published studies on the school within a school approach, said ultimately a mindset change is needed to one in which the goal is not simply good grades, high test scores or college placement, but one that fosters the development of everyone.

“The idea is that you want every human to have a happy and productive, meaningful life. I think a good, just society shouldn’t sacrifice anyone,” he said. “When people are happy and feel meaningful, you have a more democratic society that works for all. Traditional meritocracy in education does not provide that.”

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Journal

ECNU Review of Education

DOI

10.1177/20965311251351988 

Method of Research

Commentary/editorial

Subject of Research

Not applicable

Article Title

From Meritocracy to Human Interdependence: Redefining the Purpose of Education

 

Research shows aspen forests slow wildfire spread

Colorado State University

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The 2023 Lowline fire near Gunnison Colorado ran through conifer forests but slowed to a stop when it hit patches of aspen, shown standing with their fall foliage in strong contrast to blackened pine, spruce and fir skeletons nearby. Photo by Jonathan Coop

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Credit: Jonathan Coop/Western Colorado University

A new study from Colorado State University, Western Colorado University and the U.S. Forest Service found evidence that stands of aspen trees could resist wildfires by slowing a fire’s advance or changing its course. 

The researchers found that even modest increases in aspen cover dramatically reduced the rate at which fires spread. Their findings suggest that aspen forests can act as natural firebreaks, which is valuable information for land managers and agencies. 

“Where managers can encourage aspen over conifers, they may represent a more desirable fuel treatment in some forest types than traditional thinning or shaded firebreaks because of the aesthetic value and wildlife habitat aspen provide,” said Camille Stevens-Rumann, study principal investigator and interim director of the Colorado Forest Restoration Institute at CSU. 

The study, published July 7 in Ecological Applications, analyzed 20 years of fire behavior across more than 300 wildfires in the Four Corners region. 

Key findings include: 

• Fires in areas with vegetation composed of at least 25% aspen spread at about a third the rate of fires in forests with less than 10% aspen trees. 

• Aspen was more abundant at the edges of fires, where fires stopped, than in burn interiors, indicating that aspen not only slow a fire but also stop it or change its course. 

According to the study, it has long been understood that aspen is more resistant to burning because of higher moisture content in an aspen stand’s foliage and understory, high branches and chemical differences that reduce flammability. However, prior to the team’s research, the extent to which aspen slows or stops the advance of a fire relative to conifer forests hadn’t been quantified.  

The team found that differences in spread persisted even under extreme fire weather conditions, which are expected to become more common in a warmer, drier future.  

“My hope is that this research can help inform fire and fuels management focused on propagation of aspen through prescribed fire,” said Matt Harris, lead author and a recent graduate from Western’s Clark School of Environment and Sustainability. "In some settings, aspen might even be planted around communities to form green fuel breaks for fire protection.” 

The research relied on fire and vegetation data developed and maintained by federal agencies. The study also was funded in part by federal grants. 

“This research is a direct result of long-term federal investment in understanding wildfire and forest dynamics,” said Jonathan Coop, a professor of environment and sustainability at Western’s Clark School and a co-author of the study. “The wildfire challenges we face in the western U.S. continue to grow every year, and we require good science to inform solutions to protect communities and sustain the ecosystem functions we depend on, from water to timber.” 

Adapted from a release by Western Colorado University. Read the original WCU release. 

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Journal

Ecological Applications

DOI

10.1002/eap.70061 

Article Title

Aspen impedes wildfire spread in southwestern United States landscapes

Article Publication Date

7-Jul-2025

 

Harmful algae blooms have secret to success over other algae's

Cornell Universit

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ITHACA, N.Y. - An alga that threatens freshwater ecosystems and is toxic to vertebrates has a sneaky way of ensuring its success: It suppresses the growth of algal competitors by releasing chemicals that deprive them of a vital vitamin.

 

The finding was reported in a new study from Cornell University, describing how the cyanobacteria Microcystis aeruginosa manipulates its environment to give itself advantages to take over the water column, leading to harmful algal blooms and mats in lakes during hot summers.

 

“Microcystis seems to be able to dominate more and more in the changing climate,” said Beth Ahner, professor in the Department of Biological and Environmental Engineering and corresponding author of the paper.

 

The study shows how M. aeruginosa, a common harmful cyanobacteria, produces and releases chemicals, called antivitamins, that mimic thiamin, also known as vitamin B1. In the presence of the antivitamins, other alga species, some of which cannot synthesize their own thiamin, take up the chemicals from the water and are unable to distinguish them from the true vitamin. Inside the host, the chemicals mimic vitamin B1 and inhibit the thiamin-dependent enzymes required for growth. The study also revealed that M. aeruginosa has a specialized thiamin-biosynthesis enzyme that makes it resistant to the antivitamins that it produces.

 

While the frequency of these harmful algae blooms has increased, the reasons why have been unclear. People hypothesize the rise is related to watershed runoff that carries pollution and macronutrients, like phosphorus and nitrogen, Ahner said. Researchers are also perplexed about why blooms are occurring even in very clean lakes, such as Skaneateles Lake in the Finger Lakes region of New York.

 

“No one’s ever really shown that this organism has an advantage in taking up those macronutrients over other algae,” Ahner said.

 

In addition, M. aeruginosa produces chemicals toxic to vertebrates. “If you have a dog lapping up the water on the shore and it ingests these organisms, it has the potential to cause severe illness and even death,” Ahner said.

 

Using a technique called quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qPCR), the researchers identified a few genes they believe are involved in making antivitamins, Ahner said.

 

Co-authors from Oregon State University shared data that identified the presence of the antivitamin bacimethrin in the environment and at elevated levels when M. aeruginosa bloomed.

 

Mohammad Yazdani, a postdoctoral research associate in the Department of Biological and Environmental Engineering, is the paper’s first author. The study was supported by the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s National Institute of Food and Agriculture, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, the California Department of Fish and Wildlife, and CALS and CAS at Cornell.

 

For additional information, read this Cornell Chronicle story.

 

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Scientists develop deep-blue LEDs expected to greatly enhance general lighting

A Rutgers-led team pioneers the discovery of an eco-friendly, ultra-bright LED material

Rutgers University

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Hybrid copper iodide crystals emitting deep-blue light are being developed by scientists in a Rutgers laboratory. 

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Credit: Kun Zhu/Jing Li Lab/Rutgers University

A Rutgers-led team of scientists has developed an eco-friendly, very stable, ultra-bright material and used it to generate deep-blue light (emission at ~450 nm) in a light-emitting diode (LED), an energy-efficient device at the heart of all major lighting systems.

The new copper-iodide hybrid emitter materials are expected to contribute to the advancement of blue LED technologies because of their excellent qualities, according to the scientists who pioneered the discovery. The process that produces the material is described in the science journal Nature.

“Deep-blue LEDs are at the heart of today’s energy-efficient lighting technologies,” said Jing Li, a Distinguished Professor and Board of Governors Professor of Chemistry and Chemical Biology in the Department of Chemistry and Chemical Biology in the School of Arts and Sciences who leads the study. “However, existing options often present issues with stability, scalability, cost, efficiency or environmental concerns due to the use of toxic components. This new copper-iodide hybrid offers a compelling solution, leveraging its nontoxicity, robustness and high performance.”

LEDs are lighting devices that use special materials called semiconductors to turn electricity into light in an efficient and durable way. Blue LEDS were discovered in the early 1990s and earned their discoverers the 2014 Nobel Prize in physics.

Blue LEDs are particularly important because they are used to create white light and are essential for general lighting applications.

Li and her colleagues at Rutgers collaborated with scientists at Brookhaven National Laboratory and four other research teams representing national and international institutions in the effort to work on new materials that would improve upon existing blue LEDs.

The researchers involved in the study found a way to make blue LEDs more efficient and sustainable by using a new type of hybrid material: a combination of copper iodide with organic molecules.

“We wanted to create new kind of materials that give very bright deep-blue light and use them to fabricate LEDs at lower cost than current blue LEDs,” Li said.

The new hybrid copper-iodide semiconductor offers a number of advantages over some other materials used in LEDs, scientists said. Lead-halide perovskites, while cost effective, contain lead, which is toxic to humans, as well as have issues with stability, due to their sensitivity to moisture and oxygen. Organic LEDs (OLEDs) are flexible and potentially efficient but may lack structural and spectral stability, meaning they can degrade quickly and lose their color quality over time. Colloidal quantum dots perform well mainly in green and lower-energy LEDs and are often cadmium-based, which may raise toxicity concerns. Phosphorescent organic emitters may be costly and complex to synthesize.

“The new material provides an eco-friendly and stable alternative to what currently exists, addressing some of these issues and may potentially advance LED technology,” Li said.

The hybrid copper-iodide material possesses favorable qualities such as a very high photoluminescence quantum yield of about 99.6%, meaning it converts nearly all the photoenergy it receives into blue light. Blue LEDs made from this material have reached a maximum external quantum efficiency (the ratio between the number of emitted photons and number of injected electrons) of 12.6%, among the highest achieved so far for solution-processed deep-blue LEDs.

Not only are these LEDs bright, they also last longer compared with many others. Under normal conditions, they have an operational half-lifetime of about 204 hours, meaning they can keep shining for a good amount of time before their brightness starts to fade. In addition, the material works well in larger-scale applications. The researchers successfully created a larger device that maintains high efficiency, showing that this material has potential to be used in real-world applications.

The secret to the material’s impressive performance lies in an innovative technique developed by the scientists called dual interfacial hydrogen-bond passivation. The manufacturing technique significantly boosts the performance of the LEDs four-fold.

“Our processing method minimizes defects that can impede the movement of electric charges at the interface of these hybrid materials,” said Kun Zhu, a former graduate student and postdoctoral associate at Rutgers who is now at the Max Planck Institute in Germany and is the paper’s first author. “This approach could be a versatile strategy for generating high-performance LEDs.”

If the LED can be imagined as a sandwich with different layers, each layer has a specific job, such as emitting light or transporting electrons and holes. Sometimes, the emissive layer doesn't interact perfectly with its interface layers, which can reduce efficiency or shorten lifespan. The technique eliminates such problems by forming hydrogen bonds between the layers to create better connections.

“Overall, this type of new material is paving the way for better, brighter and longer-lasting LEDs,” Li said.

Other Rutgers scientists contributing to the study included Deirdre O’Carroll, associate professor, and Nasir Javed, doctoral student, of the Department of Chemistry and Chemical Biology and Department of Materials Science and Engineering; and Sylvie Rangan, assistant research professor, and Leila Kasaei, postdoctoral research associate, of the Department of Physics and Astronomy.

The research was funded by the U.S. Department of Energy.

Explore more of the ways Rutgers research is shaping the future.

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Journal

Nature

DOI

10.1038/s41586-025-09257-8 

Method of Research

Experimental study

Subject of Research

Not applicable

Article Title

Dual interfacial H-bonding-enhanced deepblue hybrid copper–iodide

Article Publication Date

16-Jul-2025