Monday, April 27, 2026

Biochar-powered hydrogels boost solar water evaporation efficiency for sustainable desalination

Biochar Editorial Office, Shenyang Agricultural University

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Heat loss and water transport capacity regulation in hybrid evaporators
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Credit: Sihui Wang, Jiaqi Yang, Aijie Wang & Wenzong Liu

A new study reveals how combining biochar with advanced hydrogels can dramatically improve solar-driven water evaporation, offering a promising pathway for low-energy desalination and water purification technologies.

Freshwater scarcity is a growing global challenge, with most of Earth’s water locked in oceans or saline sources. Traditional desalination methods often require high energy input and infrastructure costs. Solar interfacial evaporation, which uses sunlight to convert water into vapor at the surface, has emerged as a cleaner and more energy-efficient alternative. However, improving its efficiency remains a key scientific challenge.

In a recent study published in Biochar, researchers developed a hybrid material that integrates biochar into a polyzwitterionic hydrogel, achieving a remarkable evaporation rate of 3.57 kilograms per square meter per hour under standard sunlight conditions. This performance is significantly higher than that of conventional hydrogels and highlights the potential of biochar-based materials in sustainable water treatment.

“By introducing biochar into the hydrogel network, we were able to simultaneously enhance light absorption, water transport, and energy efficiency,” said the study’s corresponding author. “This multi-functional synergy is key to achieving high-performance solar evaporation.”

The innovation lies in how biochar interacts with the hydrogel at both physical and molecular levels. Biochar, a carbon-rich material derived from biomass such as agricultural waste, is known for its porous structure and strong light-absorbing properties. When incorporated into the hydrogel, it transforms the material from transparent to dark, enabling it to capture more sunlight across a wide spectrum. According to experimental results, the hybrid hydrogel maintained over 95 percent light absorption across a broad wavelength range.

At the same time, the addition of biochar alters the internal structure of the hydrogel. Microscopic observations, shown in figures on page 4 of the paper, reveal a denser and more interconnected pore network. This structure improves the movement of water within the material, ensuring a continuous supply of water to the evaporation surface while minimizing heat loss to the bulk liquid.

Beyond photothermal effects, the study also uncovers a less explored mechanism involving water molecule behavior. The surface functional groups of biochar interact with the hydrogen bonding network inside the hydrogel, increasing the proportion of so-called intermediate water. This form of water requires less energy to evaporate compared to tightly bound water. As a result, the hybrid material significantly reduces the energy needed for evaporation, lowering the equivalent evaporation enthalpy to 877.79 joules per gram.

This dual enhancement, combining photothermal efficiency with molecular-level water activation, enables the hybrid hydrogel to outperform many existing materials. The system also demonstrates strong water transport capabilities even in saline conditions, making it particularly suitable for seawater desalination applications.

The researchers emphasize that biochar is not only effective but also sustainable and cost-efficient, as it can be produced from agricultural residues such as sorghum straw. This adds an important environmental advantage, aligning the technology with circular economy principles.

“Our findings provide new insights into how material design can address multiple bottlenecks in solar evaporation systems,” the authors noted. “This could guide the development of next-generation evaporators for clean water production in resource-limited settings.”

As global demand for freshwater continues to rise, innovations like biochar-enhanced hydrogels could play a critical role in delivering scalable, low-carbon water treatment solutions.

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Journal Reference: Wang, S., Yang, J., Wang, A. et al. Heat loss and water transport capacity regulation in hybrid evaporators. Biochar 8, 97 (2026).

https://doi.org/10.1007/s42773-026-00604-0

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About Biochar

Biochar (e-ISSN: 2524-7867) is the first journal dedicated exclusively to biochar research, spanning agronomy, environmental science, and materials science. It publishes original studies on biochar production, processing, and applications—such as bioenergy, environmental remediation, soil enhancement, climate mitigation, water treatment, and sustainability analysis. The journal serves as an innovative and professional platform for global researchers to share advances in this rapidly expanding field.

Journal

Biochar

DOI

10.1007/s42773-026-00604-0

Method of Research

Experimental study

Article Title

Heat loss and water transport capacity regulation in hybrid evaporators

Article Publication Date

27-Apr-2026

Turning “wastewater” into a resource: New insights on liquid fertilizer from hydrothermal carbonization

Biochar Editorial Office, Shenyang Agricultural University

image:
Process water from hydrothermal carbonization: from waste to liquid fertilizer and soil health amendment in circular bioeconomy
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Credit: Qingnan Chu, Xiangyu Liu, Yanfang Feng, Detian Li, Shuai Yin, Chengrong Chen & Zhimin Sha

A growing body of research is redefining how scientists view a once-overlooked byproduct of biomass processing. A new review published in Biochar reveals that process water generated during hydrothermal carbonization, long treated as waste, could play a key role in sustainable agriculture and the circular bioeconomy.

Hydrothermal carbonization is an emerging technology that converts wet organic materials such as food waste, sewage sludge, and agricultural residues into a carbon-rich solid known as hydrochar. While much attention has focused on this solid product, the accompanying liquid fraction, called process water, has remained largely underutilized. According to the authors, this liquid can account for up to 70 percent of the original material and contains substantial amounts of nutrients and organic compounds.

“This process water is not just a byproduct. It is a nutrient-rich resource with significant potential for agriculture,” said the study’s corresponding author. “Our work highlights how it can be transformed from a disposal challenge into a valuable input for crop production and environmental management.”

The review synthesizes findings from recent studies on the composition and applications of this liquid. It shows that process water contains high levels of nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium, and organic carbon. These components are essential for plant growth and can support its use as a liquid fertilizer or soil amendment. In some cases, applying diluted process water has increased crop yields by up to nearly 30 percent and improved nutrient use efficiency by 15 to 30 percent in crops such as rice.

Beyond direct fertilization, the liquid can also be integrated into broader resource recovery systems. For example, nutrients can be extracted through processes such as struvite precipitation, which recovers phosphorus and nitrogen for reuse. The organic content can also be converted into energy through anaerobic digestion, producing methane-rich biogas. These approaches align with circular economy principles by reducing waste and maximizing resource efficiency.

However, the study also emphasizes that careful management is required before agricultural use. Process water can contain compounds such as organic acids, phenols, and salts that may inhibit plant growth if applied without treatment. Strategies such as dilution, co-application with other organic inputs, or pre-treatment methods like neutralization and filtration can significantly reduce these risks.

The authors note that operational conditions during hydrothermal carbonization strongly influence the quality of the process water. Factors such as temperature, reaction time, and feedstock type can be adjusted to tailor nutrient content and reduce harmful components. This opens the door to designing customized liquid fertilizers suited for specific crops and farming systems.

Importantly, the review highlights broader environmental benefits. Using process water as a fertilizer substitute can reduce reliance on synthetic fertilizers and lower greenhouse gas emissions. Life cycle assessments suggest that such substitution may cut global warming impacts by up to 50 percent under certain scenarios.

Despite these promising findings, the authors call for more long-term field studies and large-scale demonstrations. Questions remain about variability across feedstocks, long-term soil impacts, and regulatory frameworks for safe application.

Overall, the research signals a shift in perspective. What was once considered wastewater is now being reimagined as a multifunctional resource that supports sustainable agriculture, renewable energy, and waste reduction.

“This is a step toward closing nutrient loops and building more resilient agricultural systems,” the authors conclude.

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Journal Reference: Chu, Q., Liu, X., Feng, Y. et al. Process water from hydrothermal carbonization: from waste to liquid fertilizer and soil health amendment in circular bioeconomy. Biochar 8, 96 (2026).

https://doi.org/10.1007/s42773-026-00614-y

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About Biochar

Journal

Biochar

DOI

10.1007/s42773-026-00614-y

Method of Research

Literature review

Article Title

Process water from hydrothermal carbonization: from waste to liquid fertilizer and soil health amendment in circular bioeconomy

Article Publication Date

27-Apr-2026

FAU study uncovers why pedestrian deaths continue to rise in the US

Florida Atlantic University

Vision Zero begins with a simple but powerful premise: No loss of life on the transportation system is acceptable. Despite the ambitious nature of this goal, the United States has made little meaningful progress toward its realization.

Traffic fatalities in the U.S. remain unchanged since 2000, with about 40,000 deaths each year from motor vehicle crashes. But the distribution of those deaths has shifted sharply. Over that period, pedestrian and bicyclist fatalities have increased by 68%.

Today, people walking and biking make up 1 in 5 traffic deaths – and per mile traveled – they are about 30 times more likely to be killed than people in motor vehicles. Of the more than 50 jurisdictions that have adopted Vision Zero program, only New York has reported a net reduction in deaths and injuries.

U.S. road safety research has often pointed to arterial street design – such as higher speeds and wider lanes – as a key reason vulnerable road users are at greater risk. While design is part of the picture, this explanation is incomplete.

Researchers at Florida Atlantic University are now challenging this long-standing assumption, offering new insight into why the U.S. has struggled to make meaningful progress in reducing – and ultimately eliminating – traffic fatalities.

To address this urgent public issue in Florida and across the nation, the researchers analyzed 222 miles of arterial highways across Florida. Focusing on 10 urban arterials in the Miami, Orlando and Tampa regions, they examined pedestrian and bicyclist injury crashes. Using Florida Department of Transportation data and satellite imagery, the researchers evaluated corridor segments and signalized intersections separately, resulting in a dataset of 334 segments and 489 intersections.

Results of the study, published in the Journal of the American Planning Association, show that where everyday places like grocery stores, pharmacies, gas stations and fast-food restaurants are built can significantly increase the risk of serious injury or death for pedestrians and cyclists. By placing these essential destinations along busy, high-speed roads, current planning practices put people in harm’s way – turning already dangerous road designs into deadly environments.

These environments are fundamentally incompatible with safe walking and biking. In contrast, countries like Sweden, Germany and the United Kingdom restrict this type of development, contributing to significantly lower fatality rates.

“This research changes how we think about traffic safety in ways that matter for the public, policymakers and local governments. Traffic deaths are often treated as isolated incidents or engineering problems, but our findings show they are also shaped by how communities are planned and developed,” said Eric Dumbaugh, Ph.D., senior author and a professor in the Department of Urban and Regional Planning within FAU’s Charles E. Schmidt College of Science. “That insight is especially important in a fast-growing state like Florida, where growth, safety and community design are closely linked.”

The researchers explain that there are two main ways to improve safety: redesign arterial roads or rethink land use. While redesigning streets (e.g., lowering speeds, reducing lanes) could help, the vast scale of the U.S. arterial network makes this costly and difficult.

“The problem with this approach is that there are 178,000 miles of urban arterial streets in the U.S., an extent that is more than three times the length of the nation’s Interstate Highway System,” said Dumbaugh. “While it may not be necessary to redesign the entire system, even modifying a small portion would be a major undertaking, requiring a significant reallocation of capital resources and a fundamental shift in political will.”

Alternatively, focusing on land use – since it shapes where and how people travel – offers a more practical approach, though it is often overlooked in road safety discussions.

The findings also identify a timely opportunity: many retail corridors along arterials are aging, overbuilt and facing declining demand. This creates favorable conditions for repurposing or relocating these uses to safer, more accessible areas. Tools such as zoning updates, overlay districts and revised traffic impact analyses could help prevent unsafe redevelopment and promote walkable, community-oriented design.

“Meaningful progress toward Vision Zero requires recognizing that land use decisions are a key driver of pedestrian and bicyclist risk,” said Dumbaugh. “When everyday destinations are placed along high-speed arterial roads, they create avoidable exposure to danger. Addressing this will require rethinking zoning and site design standards and steering high-risk uses away from these corridors before they are built into the landscape.”

The study underscores the need for collaboration among planners, policymakers and developers to align land development decisions with safety goals – paving the way for a transportation system where no loss of life is accepted.

“Safety is not just about how streets are designed – it’s about how communities are built,” said Dumbaugh. “If the U.S. is serious about achieving zero deaths, land use planning must become central to the solution.”

Study co-author is Jonathan Stiles, Ph.D., a post-doctoral researcher in FAU’s Department of Urban and Regional Planning.

This research was supported in part by grants from the Florida Department of Transportation and the Collaborative Sciences Center for Road Safety.

- FAU -

About Florida Atlantic University:

Florida Atlantic University serves more than 32,000 undergraduate and graduate students across six campuses along Florida’s Southeast coast. Recognized as one of only 13 institutions nationwide to achieve three Carnegie Foundation designations - R1: Very High Research Spending and Doctorate Production,” “Opportunity College and University,” and Carnegie Community Engagement Classification - FAU stands at the intersection of academic excellence and social mobility. Ranked among the Top 100 Public Universities by U.S. News & World Report, FAU is also nationally recognized as a Top 25 Best-In-Class College and cited by Washington Monthly as “one of the country’s most effective engines of upward mobility.” To learn more, visit www.fau.edu.

Journal

Journal of the American Planning Association

DOI

10.1080/01944363.2026.2635948

Method of Research

Meta-analysis

Subject of Research

People

Article Title

Land Use and Road Safety: Understanding the Persistence of Vulnerable Road User Deaths and Injuries in the United States

Article Publication Date

26-Apr-2026

Novel study maps changes in US immigration policy landscape since 9/11

Analysis in the American Journal of Preventive Medicine establishes a framework for further research into how federal, state, and local sanctuary and anti-sanctuary policies impact immigrants’ health

Elsevier

Map of U.S. states with state anti-sanctuary and sanctuary policies, 2009−2023 — image:
A study in the *American Journal of Preventive Medicine* sheds light on trends in immigration legislation including “punitive” preemption (indicated with a black dot in the image). This image shows the landscape of US state immigration policy covering the years 2009, 2009-2017, and 2009-2021, with sanctuary status indicated as follows per state: red: anti-sanctuary states, grey: no policy, green: both, blue: sanctuary.
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Credit: American Journal of Preventive Medicine / Kravitz et al.

In a comprehensive analysis of state and local sanctuary and anti-sanctuary policies, researchers have mapped the rapidly evolving legal immigration landscape in the US from 2000 to 2021. The dataset sheds light on trends in immigration legislation including ”punitive” preemption, state government tendencies to enact laws that are ideologically opposed to the current federal administration, and conservative states using preemption to control liberal localities. The findings of the study in the American Journal of Preventive Medicine, published by Elsevier, can be used to examine how changes in state and local immigration policies drive health outcomes among immigrants and their communities.

Immigrants account for over 14% of the US population. Under the Constitution, the federal government possesses power to regulate immigration, including entry, status allocation, and naturalization. Although states and localities lack authority to regulate immigration directly, both levels of government can enact policies directing law enforcement’s cooperation with federal immigration authorities.

Sanctuary and anti-sanctuary policies

Pro-immigration policies that limit law enforcement’s cooperation with immigration agencies—typically US Immigrations and Customs Enforcement (ICE)—are called “sanctuary policies.” These are enacted to reduce use of public resources for immigration enforcement, improve trust in law enforcement, and promote inclusion. Sanctuary jurisdictions are associated with having less crime and poverty, higher employment and income, and improved community trust.

In contrast, “anti-sanctuary policies” encourage or require law enforcement to cooperate with immigration authorities. Anti-sanctuary policies can negatively impact immigrants’ health by making immigrants feel unwelcome, increasing deportation risk, and are associated with increased rates of depression, anxiety, post-traumatic stress disorder, chronic illness, and avoidance of safety net programs and healthcare.

“Immigration enforcement is a policy space that has rapidly evolved in the 21st century as more states and localities enacted such policies following the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks,” explains lead author Caroline Kravitz, PhD(c), MPH, Department of Health Management and Policy, Dornsife School of Public Health, Drexel University. “We chose 2000 as our start year for local laws because many localities passed local immigration ordinances in the early 2000s in response to the terrorist attacks in New York City, and we wanted to capture these policies in our analysis. Given the current trend of states and localities actively legislating to encourage or deter immigration either in support of or in protest of the current administration’s aggressive anti-immigrant agenda, it is important to understand the historical landscape of these policies and how this may affect the health of the populations exposed to them.”

The investigators used rigorous policy surveillance methodology to identify state and local sanctuary and anti-sanctuary policies that were enacted between 2000-2021. This involved systematically searching state and municipal legislative databases and Department of Homeland Security 287(g) webpages. They identified 27 state anti-sanctuary policies (2009-2021), 25 state sanctuary policies (2009-2021), 24 city sanctuary ordinances (2000-2021), and 284 local 287(g) agreements (2000-2021).

Preemption

Instances where anti-sanctuary states prohibit sanctuary localities or when sanctuary states prohibit 287(g) agreements are considered explicitly preemptive policies. Preemption is a legal mechanism whereby policies enacted at a higher level of government supersede policies enacted at a lower level of government. The researchers were interested in quantifying how preemption might advance or hinder health equity.

“The second Trump administration has been more aggressive in anti-immigrant policies such as allowing raids in previously protected places and detaining people with valid visas,” says senior-investigator Alina Schnake-Mahl, ScD, MPH, Department of Health Management and Policy, and Urban Health Collaborative, Dornsife School of Public Health, Drexel University. “These actions may encourage more sanctuary policies as jurisdictions seek to shield immigrants from risk, minimize fear, and protect immigrant healthcare access and general health. However, the federal government has threatened to withhold funding to sanctuary jurisdictions, functionally preempting governments from enacting such policies.”

Punitive preemption, a recently coined term for a legal mechanism in which states use the threat of punishment to encourage or discourage policy action at the local level, was common in state anti-sanctuary policies but not in state sanctuary policies.

“The rise in punitive preemption may demonstrate that the autonomy of local policymakers is shrinking, which could impact future local public health policymaking. During our study period, state anti-sanctuary policies were more often enacted during Democratic presidential administrations, and state and local sanctuary policies were more often enacted during Republican presidential administrations.”

Punitive preemption creates a chilling effect on local legislation because policymakers fear retribution. Given that many public health policies are enacted, and healthcare is often rendered, at the local level, this chilling effect may discourage local policies that improve healthcare access and drive health equity.

This is the first legal mapping study, of which the investigators are aware, that tracks both state and local sanctuary and anti-sanctuary policies across the years 2000-2021. Because this analysis ends in 2021, it does not identify current sanctuary or anti-sanctuary geographies. Still, this study can be used by future researchers seeking to conduct policy surveillance at the local level.

“Our study provides a strong foundation for quantitative analysis to more rigorously answer questions regarding the causal health impact of immigration policies—a policy area that is particularly salient in the US,” concludes Ms. Kravitz.

State and local sanctuary and anti-sanctuary policies by region and presidential administration.

A comprehensive analysis of state and local anti-sanctuary and sanctuary policies in the American Journal of Preventive Medicine has mapped the rapidly evolving legal immigration landscape in the US from 2000 to 2021. This image depicts the changing state-wide policies by presidential administration (Bush 1+2, Obama 1+2, Trump 1, and Biden), geographic region (Northeast, Midwest, South, West) and policy orientation (sanctuary state law, .sanctuary city ordinance, anti-sanctuary state law, and local 287(g) agreement).

Credit

American Journal of Preventive Medicine / Kravitz et al.

Journal

American Journal of Preventive Medicine

DOI

10.1016/j.amepre.2026.108311

Method of Research

Data/statistical analysis

Subject of Research

Not applicable

Article Title

Mapping the Legal Landscape from 2000 – 2021: State Sanctuary and Anti-Sanctuary Policies, Local Sanctuary Ordinances, and 287(g) Agreements

Article Publication Date

27-Apr-2026

UK Children and young people from deprived areas less likely to gain access to mental health care

University of Nottingham

Children and young people from deprived areas with mental health conditions are less likely to access mental health services, according to a new study led by experts from the University of Nottingham.

In a new study, published in the British Journal of Psychiatry, experts identified significant socio-economic inequalities in access to care and clinical outcomes, with children and young people living in the most deprived neighbourhoods more likely to have their referral to child and adolescent mental health services (CAMHS), rejected, and to have worse clinical outcomes at 12 months follow-up from their referral.

Younger children, particularly those aged under 11, were also less likely to receive help – hampering earlier intervention efforts.

More concerningly, there were limited improvements in clinical outcomes one year after being referred to CAMHS (with 61% continuing to meet criteria for needing mental health input).

Professor Kapil Sayal, from the School of Medicine at the University of Nottingham, and Chief Investigator of the study, said: “The prevalence of mental health problems in children and young people has increased considerably over recent years and far exceeds service capacity, meaning that many children and young people with significant needs are unable to access specialist help, requiring processes for triage and prioritisation of when, where and how care might be delivered.

“With this data, we wanted to investigate the factors which influence access to and receipt of mental health services, care offered and the outcomes following referral.”

The mental health of children and young people, particularly emotional disorders such as anxiety and depression, is a public health concern of huge importance. Over recent years, and particularly since the pandemic, there has been international concern in relation to reported increases in prevalence, severity and help-seeking. This research is particularly timely, given that there is an ongoing DHSC independent review into mental health conditions

Despite this, access to services and evidence-based interventions remains limited, impacting clinical outcomes and recovery.

The data come from the STADIA study, which was funded by the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR). STADIA was a multi-centre randomised controlled trial set in eight large NHS Trusts across England involving children and young people with emotional difficulties who were referred to CAMHS. This large study followed up 1,225 children and young people for 18 months to collect service-related and participant-reported outcomes.

Professor Sayal said: “As a large nationally representative study, these new analyses of the STADIA data enable an investigation of referral acceptance, receipt of care and clinical diagnoses, and clinical outcomes. It addresses crucial questions for families, referrers, clinicians, and policymakers: Who gets seen? Who gets offered help? Who gets better?

“Our findings identify significant inequalities in accessing care and underline the urgent need to reconsider current models of CAMHS service provision.”

Journal

The British Journal of Psychiatry

DOI

10.1192/bjp.2026.10617

Method of Research

Data/statistical analysis

Subject of Research

People

Article Title

Investigating inequalities in children and young people’s mental healthcare and outcomes: prospective longitudinal analysis from the STADIA trial

Article Publication Date

27-Apr-2026

LA REVUE GAUCHE - Left Comment

Monday, April 27, 2026

Biochar-powered hydrogels boost solar water evaporation efficiency for sustainable desalination

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Turning “wastewater” into a resource: New insights on liquid fertilizer from hydrothermal carbonization

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FAU study uncovers why pedestrian deaths continue to rise in the US

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Article Publication Date

Novel study maps changes in US immigration policy landscape since 9/11

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UK Children and young people from deprived areas less likely to gain access to mental health care

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