Self-Powered Disinfection Using Triboelectric, Conductive Wires of Metal-Organic Frameworks.

Efficient water disinfection is vitally needed in rural and disaster-stricken areas lacking power supplies. However, conventional water disinfection methods strongly rely on external chemical input and reliable electricity. Herein, we present a self-powered water disinfection system using synergistic hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) assisted electroporation mechanisms driven by triboelectric nanogenerators (TENGs) that harvest electricity from the flow of water. The flow-driven TENG, assisted by power management systems, generates a controlled output with aimed voltages to drive a conductive metal-organic framework nanowire array for effective H2O2 generation and electroporation. The injured bacteria caused by electroporation can be further damaged by facile diffused H2O2 molecules at high throughput. A self-powered disinfection prototype enables complete disinfection (>99.9999% removal) over a wide range of flows up to 3.0 × 104 L/(m2 h) with low water flow thresholds (200 mL/min; ∼20 rpm). This rapid, self-powered water disinfection method is promising for pathogen control.

Genes that escape from X-chromosome inactivation and sexual dimorphism of systemic lupus erythematosus.

X chromosome inactivation can balance the effects of the two X chromosomes in females, and emerging evidence indicates that numerous genes on the inactivated X chromosome have the potential to evade inactivation. The mechanisms of escape include modification of DNA, RNA, histone, epitope, and various regulatory proteins, as well as the spatial structure of chromatin. The study of X chromosome inactivation escape has paved the way for investigating sex dimorphism in human diseases, particularly autoimmune diseases. It has been demonstrated that the presence of TLR7, CD40L, IRAK-1, CXCR3, and CXorf21 significantly contributes to the prevalence of SLE (systemic lupus erythematosus) in females. This article mainly reviews the molecular mechanisms underlying these genes that escape from X-chromosome inactivation and sexual dimorphism of systemic lupus erythematosus. Therefore, elucidating the molecular mechanisms underlying sexual dimorphism in SLE is not only crucial for diagnosing and treating the disease, but also holds theoretical significance in comprehensively understanding the development and regulatory mechanisms of the human immune system.

Synergistic Nanowire-Enhanced Electroporation and Electrochlorination for Highly Efficient Water Disinfection.

Conventional water disinfection methods such as chlorination typically involve the generation of harmful disinfection byproducts and intensive chemical consumption. Emerging electroporation disinfection techniques using nanowire-enhanced local electric fields inactivate microbes by damaging their outer structures without byproduct formation or chemical dosing. However, this physical-based method suffers from a limited inactivation efficiency under high water flux due to an insufficient contact time. Herein, we integrate electrochlorination with nanowire-enhanced electroporation to achieve a synergistic flow-through process for efficient water disinfection targeting bacteria and viruses. Electroporation at the cathode induces sub-lethal damages on the microbial outer structures. Subsequently, electrogenerated active chlorine at the anode aggravates these electroporation-induced injuries to the level of lethal damage. This sequential flow-through disinfection system achieves complete disinfection (>6.0-log) under a very high water flux of 2.4 × 104 L/(m2 h) with an applied voltage of 2.0 V. This disinfection efficiency is 8 times faster than that of electroporation alone. Further, the specific energy consumption for the disinfection by this novel process is extremely low (8 × 10-4 kW h/m3). Our results demonstrate a promising method for rapid and energy-efficient water disinfection by coupling electroporation with electrochlorination to meet vital needs for pathogen elimination.

[Lycium barbarum polysaccharide reduces testicular spermatogenic injury in Immp2l－/－mice through GPX4 and AIF pathways].

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the protective effect of Lycium barbarum polysaccharide (LBP) against testicular spermatogenic injury in mice with oxidative stress (OS) and its mechanism. METHODS: A unique OS model was made in 1.5-month-old mice with mitochondrial inner membrane-like peptide-2 mutation (Immp2l－/－), which were fed with water (the negative control group) or LBP in water at the concentration of 20 mg/kg (the LBP intervention group), and wild-type Immp2l＋/＋ mice used as normal controls and fed with water only. Then all the mice were sacrificed at 13 months old and the testis tissue harvested for observation of pathological changes by HE staining, measurement of routine semen parameters, and detection of the apoptosis of spermatogenic cells by TUNEL and the expression levels of glutathione peroxidase 4 (GPX4) and apoptosis-inducing factor (AIF) by immunohistochemistry and Western blot. RESULTS: Thinned testicular cortex was observed in the negative controls, with evident vacuolar degeneration and reduced numbers of germ cells and elongated spermatids in the lumen of the seminiferous tubules, but all these pathological changes were improved and the germ cells at different levels orderly arranged in the LBP intervention group. Compared with the normal controls, the mice in the negative control group showed dramatically reduced sperm count (ï¼»72.89 ± 8.28ï¼½ vs ï¼»20.78 ± 1.45ï¼½ ×106, P<0.01) and the percentages of progressively motile sperm (PMS) (ï¼»58.62 ± 6.15ï¼½% vs ï¼»18.37 ± 2.67ï¼½%, P<0.01) and morphologically normal sperm (MNS) (ï¼»65.81 ± 7.69ï¼½% vs ï¼»20.33 ± 3.17ï¼½%, P<0.01) and increased apoptosis of spermatogenic cells (ï¼»1.45 ± 0.43ï¼½% vs ï¼»7.14 ± 0.78ï¼½%, P<0.01). LBP intervention, however, significantly increased the sperm count (ï¼»45.25 ± 3.39ï¼½ ×106, P<0.05), PMS (ï¼»36.34 ± 4.56ï¼½%, P<0.05) and MNS (ï¼»38.72 ± 3.63ï¼½%, P<0.05) and decreased the apoptosis of spermatogenic cells (ï¼»2.28 ± 0.07ï¼½%, P<0.01). The mice in the LBP intervention group, in comparison with the negative controls, exhibited remarkably up-regulated expression of GPX4 (2.75 ± 0.48 vs 1.43 ± 0.17, P<0.05) and down-regulated expression of AIF (2.43 ± 0.15 vs 1.35 ± 0.51, P<0.05). CONCLUSIONS: Lycium barbarum polysaccharide at 20 mg/kg can reduce testicular spermatogenic injury in Immp2l－/－ mice with oxidative stress through GPX4 and AIF pathways.

Carbon Fiber-Based Flow-Through Electrode System (FES) for Water Disinfection via Direct Oxidation Mechanism with a Sequential Reduction-Oxidation Process.

Flow-through configuration for electrochemical disinfection is considered as a promising approach to minimize the formation of toxic byproducts and energy consumption via the enhanced convective mass transport as compared with conventional flow-by one. Under this hydrodynamic condition, it is essential to ascertain the effect of sequential electro-redox processes with the cathode/anode then anode/cathode arrangements on disinfection performance. Here, carbon fiber felt (CFF) was utilized to construct two flow-through electrode systems (FESs) with sequential reduction-oxidation (cathode-anode) or oxidation-reduction (anode-cathode) processes to systematically compare their disinfection performance toward a model Escherichia coli ( E. coli) pathogen. In-situ sampling and live/dead backlight staining experiments revealed that E. coli inactivation mainly occurred on anode via an adsorption-inactivation-desorption process. In reduction-oxidation system, after the cathode-pretreatment, bulk solution pH increased significantly, leading to the negative charge of E. coli cells. Hence, E. coli cells were adsorbed and inactivated easily on the subsequent anode, finally resulting in its much better disinfection performance and energy efficiency than the oxidation-reduction system. Application of 3.0 V resulted in ∼6.5 log E. coli removal at 1500 L m-2 h-1 (50 mL min-1), suggesting that portable devices can be designed from CFF-based FES with potential application for point-of-use water disinfection.

[Hand dermatoglyphic traits and azoospermia in the Chinese Han males in Ningxia area].

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the relationship between hand dermatoglyphic traits and azoospermia in the Chinese Han males in Ningxia area. METHODS: Using the inkpad prints, we obtained dermatoglyphics of both hands from 212 Han males in Ningxia area, including 106 azoospermia patients and 106 fathers as normal controls. We analyzed the photographs of the prints with the Image-Pro Plus 6.0 software and compared the finger print patterns, finger ridge counts, atd angles (the angle between the index finger triradius ï¼»aï¼½ and the little finger triradius ï¼»dï¼½ to the axial triradius ï¼»tï¼½) and a-b ridge counts between the two groups of subjects. RESULTS: The prevalence rate of radial loops in both hands was markedly higher in the azoospermia patients than in the normal controls (3.77% vs 1.70%, P < 0.01) while that of arches showed no statistically significant difference between the two groups (1.89% vs 1.51%, P > 0.05). The prevalence rates of whorls and ulnar loops, the finger ridge counts, and the a-b ridge counts were all lower in the azoospermia patients than in the fertile controls though none with statistically significant difference between the two groups (P > 0.05). The atd angles in both hands were significantly lower in the former than in the latter group (right hand: ï¼»40.52 ± 4.61ï¼½° vs ï¼»42.99 ± 4.65ï¼½°, P < 0.05; left hand: ï¼»40.04 ± 4.21ï¼½° vs ï¼»42.18 ± 4.87ï¼½°, P < 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: There are some abnormal variations in the hand dermatoglyphic traits, especially the prevalence of radial loops and the atd angle in the Chinese Han male patients with azoospermia in Ningxia area.

Nanowire-Modified Three-Dimensional Electrode Enabling Low-Voltage Electroporation for Water Disinfection.

More than 10% of the people in the world still suffer from inadequate access to clean water. Traditional water disinfection methods (e.g., chlorination and ultraviolet radiation) include concerns about the formation of carcinogenic disinfection byproducts (DBPs), pathogen reactivation, and/or excessive energy consumption. Recently, a nanowire-assisted electroporation-disinfection method was introduced as an alternative. Here, we develop a new copper oxide nanowire (CuONW)-modified three-dimensional copper foam electrode using a facile thermal oxidation approach. An electroporation-disinfection cell (EDC) equipped with two such electrodes has achieved superior disinfection performance (>7 log removal and no detectable bacteria in the effluent). The disinfection mechanism of electroporation guarantees an exceedingly low operation voltage (1 V) and level of energy consumption (25 J L(-1)) with a short contact time (7 s). The low operation voltage avoids chlorine generation and thus reduces the potential of DBP formation. Because of irreversible electroporation damage on cell membranes, no regrowth and/or reactivation of bacteria occurs during storage after EDC treatment. Water disinfection using EDCs has great potential for practical applications.

Shifts of live bacterial community in secondary effluent by chlorine disinfection revealed by Miseq high-throughput sequencing combined with propidium monoazide treatment.

Chlorine disinfection is a commonly used disinfection process in wastewater treatment, but its effects on the indigenous bacterial community in treated wastewater have not been fully elucidated. In this study, secondary effluent samples collected in four wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) were selected for chlorine disinfection. Shifts in the bacterial community compositions in secondary effluent samples upon chlorine disinfection, both immediately and after 24 h of storage, were investigated using Illumina MiSeq sequencing combined with propidium monoazide (PMA) treatment. The results showed that the phylum Proteobacteria was sensitive to chlorine, with the relative proportions of Proteobacteria decreased from 39.2 to 75.9 % in secondary effluent samples to 7.5 to 62.2 % immediately after chlorine disinfection. The phylogenetic analysis indicated that the most dominant genera belonging to Proteobacteria were sensitive to chlorine. In contrast, the phyla Firmicutes and Planctomycetes showed a certain resistance to chlorine, with their relative proportions increasing from 5.1 to 23.1 % and 0.8 to 9.3 % to 11.3 to 44.6 % and 1.5 to 13.3 %, respectively. Most dominant genera belonging to Firmicutes showed resistance to chlorine. A significant reduction in the richness and diversity of the bacterial community was observed after 24 h of storage of chlorinated secondary effluent. During the 24-h storage process, the relative proportions of most dominant phyla shifted in reverse from the changes induced by chlorine disinfection. Overall, chlorine disinfection not only changes the bacterial community compositions immediately after the disinfection process but also exerts further impacts over a longer period (24 h).

[Correlation of the second to fourth digit ratio with the body mass index of infertile men].

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the relationship between the second to the fourth digit ratio (2D:4D) and body mass index (BMI) in infertile men of the Han ethnic group in Ningxia. METHODS: Using anthropometry, we calculated the mean ratio of 2D:4D and BMI of 197 infertile men and 148 normal healthy male controls, followed by analysis of their relationship. RESULTS: The BMI was correlated positively with the 2D:4D ratio of the left hand in the infertile men (P < 0.05) and in the patients with a higher 2D:4D ratio of the left hand (P < 0.05), but negatively with the 2D:4D ratio of the righ/left (Dr-1) (left: P < 0.01; Dr-l: P < 0.05). The mean 2D: 4D ratio and BMI were both lower in the normal control than in the infertile men, with statistically significant differences in BMI (P < 0.05) and the 2D:4D ratio of the left hand (P < 0.05). CONCLUSION: There is a correlation between the 2D:4D ratio and BMI in infertile men.

Highly efficient microbial inactivation enabled by tunneling charges injected through two-dimensional electronics.

Airborne pathogens retain prolonged infectious activity once attached to the indoor environment, posing a pervasive threat to public health. Conventional air filters suffer from ineffective inactivation of the physics-separated microorganisms, and the chemical-based antimicrobial materials face challenges of poor stability/efficiency and inefficient viral inactivation. We, therefore, developed a rapid, reliable antimicrobial method against the attached indoor bacteria/viruses using a large-scale tunneling charge-motivated disinfection device fabricated by directly dispersing monolayer graphene on insulators. Free charges can be stably immobilized under the monolayer graphene through the tunneling effect. The stored charges can motivate continuous electron loss of attached microorganisms for accelerated disinfection, overcoming the diffusion limitation of chemical disinfectants. Complete (>99.99%) and broad-spectrum disinfection was achieved <1 min of attachment to the scaled-up device (25 square centimeters), reliably for 72 hours at high temperature (60°C) and humidity (90%). This method can be readily applied to high-touch surfaces in indoor environments for pathogen control.

Degradation of antibiotics by electrochemical advanced oxidation processes (EAOPs): Performance, mechanisms, and perspectives.

Global consumption and discharge of antibiotics have led to the rapid development and spread of bacterial antibiotic resistance. Among treatment strategies, electrochemical advanced oxidation processes (EAOPs) are gaining popularity for treating water/wastewater containing antibiotics due to their high efficiency and easiness of operation. In this review, we summarize various forms of EAOPs that contribute to antibiotic degradation, including common electrochemical oxidation (EO), electrolyte enhanced EO, electro-Fenton (EF) processes, EF-like process, and EAOPs coupling with other processes. Then we assess the performance of various EAOPs in antibiotic degradation and discuss the influence of key factors, including electrode, initial concentration and type of antibiotic, operation conditions, electrolyte, and water quality. We also review mechanisms and degradation pathways of various antibiotics degradation by EAOPs, and address the species and toxicity of intermediates produced during antibiotics treatment. Finally, we highlight challenges and critical research needs to facilitate the application of EAOPs in antibiotic treatment.

Reduction of byproduct formation and cytotoxicity to mammalian cells during post-chlorination by the combined pretreatment of ferrate(VI) and biochar.

Ferrate [Fe(VI)] can efficiently degrade various pollutants in wastewater. Biochar application can reduce resource use and waste emission. This study investigated the performance of Fe(VI)/biochar pretreatment to reduce disinfection byproducts (DBPs) and cytotoxicity to mammalian cells of wastewater during post-chlorination. Fe(VI)/biochar was more effective at inhibiting the cytotoxicity formation than Fe(VI) alone, reducing the cytotoxicity from 12.7 to 7.6 mg-phenol/L. The concentrations of total organic chlorine and total organic bromine decreased from 277 to 130 µg/L and from 51 to 39 µg/L, compared to the samples without pretreatment. Orbitrap ultra-high resolution mass spectrometry revealed that the number of molecules of DBPs decreased substantially from 517 to 229 by Fe(VI)/biochar, with the greatest reduction for phenols and highly unsaturated aliphatic compounds. In combination with the substantial reduction of 1Cl-DBPs and 2Cl-DBPs, 1Br-DBPs and 2Br-DBPs were also reduced. Fluorescence excitation-emission matrix coupled with parallel factor analysis suggested that fulvic acid-like substances and aromatic amino acid was obviously reduce likely due to the enhanced oxidation of Fe(IV)/Fe(V) produced by Fe(VI)/biochar and adsorption of biochar. Furthermore, the DBPs generated by electrophilic addition and electrophilic substitution of precursors were reduced. This study shows that Fe(VI)/biochar pretreatment can effectively reduce cytotoxicity formation during post-chlorination by transforming DBPs and their precursors.

Ultraviolet-based synergistic processes for wastewater disinfection: A review.

Ultraviolet (UV) irradiation is widely used for wastewater disinfection but suffers from low inactivation rates and can cause photoreactivation of microorganisms. Synergistic disinfection with UV and oxidants is promising for enhancing the inactivation performance. This review summarizes the inactivation effects on representative microorganisms by UV/hydrogen peroxide (H2O2), UV/ozone (O3), UV/persulfate (PS), UV/chlorine, and UV/chlorine dioxide (ClO2). UV synergistic processes perform better than UV or an oxidant alone. UV mainly attacks the DNA or RNA in microorganisms; the oxidants H2O2 and O3 mainly attack the cell walls, cell membranes, and other external structures; and HOCl and ClO2 enter cells and oxidize proteins and enzymes. Free radicals can have strong oxidation effects on cell walls, cell membranes, proteins, enzymes, and even DNA. At similar UV doses, the inactivation rates of Escherichia coli with UV alone, UV/H2O2, UV/O3, UV/PS (peroxydisulfate or peroxymonosulfate), and UV/chlorinated oxidant (chlorine, ClO2, and NH2Cl) range from 2.03 to 3.84 log, 2.62-4.30 log, 4.02-6.08 log, 2.93-5.07 log, and 3.78-6.55 log, respectively. The E. coli inactivation rates are in the order of UV/O3 ≈ UV/Cl2 > UV/PS > UV/H2O2. This order is closely related to the redox potentials of the oxidants and quantum yields of the radicals. UV synergistic disinfection processes inhibit photoreactivation of E. coli in the order of UV/O3 > UV/PS > UV/H2O2. The activation mechanisms and formation pathways of free radicals with different UV-based synergistic processes are presented. In addition to generating HO·, O3 can reduce the turbidity and chroma of wastewater to increase UV penetration, which improves the disinfection performance of UV/O3. This knowledge will be useful for further development of the UV-based synergistic disinfection processes.

Sensitivity of Ostracods to U, Cd and Cu: The Case of Cypridopsis vidua.

The development of uranium mines has been necessary to obtain abundant and scarce uranium resources, but they also bring inevitable radioactive contamination to the surrounding soil, rivers and lakes. This paper explores the sensitivity of Cypridopsis vidua to the radioactive element uranium and the heavy elements cadmium and copper with single and combined acute toxicity experiments and combined toxicity model predictions. The results from the single toxicity experiments showed that the degree of toxic effects was cadmium > copper > uranium. The combined toxicity experiments showed that the compound toxicity of U-Cd and U-Cu was higher than the weakest component and lower than the strongest component, whereas the compound toxicity of Cd-Cu was higher than either of its components. When the overall proportion of a more toxic metal was increased, its mixed toxicity also increased, and vice versa. Combined toxicity predictions showed that the U-Cd combination was best described by the concentration additive (CA) model, the independent action (IA) model was more applicable to the Cd-Cu combination, and the most applicable model for the U-Cu combination changed depending on the concentration gradient. The acute toxicity data from this study provide a reference for the development of wastewater discharge standards for uranium mines, enriches the data related to the toxicity of uranium for ostracods and deepens the understanding of the threat of uranium pollution to aquatic ecosystems.

Photolysis of free chlorine and production of reactive radicals in the UV/chlorine system using polychromatic spectrum LEDs as UV sources.

Recently, ultraviolet light-emitting diodes (UV-LEDs) and chlorine combined system has been employed as an emerging advanced oxidation process. However, UV-LEDs were commonly considered as monochromatic UV sources. In this study, the obvious quantum yields of chlorine photolysis under 265 nm and 280 nm LEDs irradiations were investigated with treating LEDs as polychromatic UV sources. Particularly, Φobs-poly of HOCl and OCl⁻ for 265 nm LED were found to be 1.50 and 0.70 mol E-1, respectively, whereas Φobs-poly of HOCl and OCl⁻ for 280 nm LED were 1.28 and 0.64 mol E-1, respectively. It was identified that Φobs-poly were 5.66-14.63 % lower than Φobs-mono. This suggests that obvious quantum yield using peak emission wavelength would overestimate the true quantum yield. The production of radical species in LED UV/chlorine systems were determined by the degradation of BA, and illustrated by a mathematical model. Different trends were observed for 265 nm and 280 nm LED UV/chlorine systems as pH increased from 5.0 to 10.0. As pH increased, the formation of OH continuously decreased in both 265 nm and 280 nm LED systems. The formation of Cl increased at neutral pH and more Cl and OH were formed due to the higher molar absorbance coefficient at 280 nm. The chlorine dose-dependent effects on radical productions at pH of 5.0, 7.5 and 10.0 were also assessed. At pH of 5.0, OH was the main radical product and had linear correlation with chlorine dose. At pH of 7.5, the productions of OH and Cl showed similar profiles that increased rapidly at low chlorine dosage and then slowed down.

[Association of the polymorphisms in the promoter region of tumor necrosis factor alpha and interleukin 6 genes with schizophrenia].

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the relationship between the -308G/A, -857C/T and -1031T/C of tumor necrosis factor alpha gene (TNF- alpha), -174G/C and -572C/G of interleukin-6 gene (IL-6) polymorphisms and schizophrenia. METHODS: Genomic DNA was isolated from the venous blood leukocytes of 346 unrelated patients with schizophrenia and 323 healthy unrelated individuals (control group). All of the polymorphisms were genotyped by PCR-restriction fragment length polymorphisms (PCR-RFLP). Genotype and allele frequencies were analyzed by SPSS13.0 software. RESULTS: There were significant differences in both allele and genotype frequencies of -857C/T of TNF-alpha gene between the schizophrenia and control groups (P< 0.05). The allele T of -857C/T in schizophrenia group was significantly higher than that in control group (chi-square was 9.414, P=0.002, OR=1.511, 95%CI:1.160-1.969). In addition, there were significant differences in the positive and negative syndrome scale (PANSS) total score and negative symptoms between the patients with different -857C/T genotypes, and the negative symptom score of TT genotype was significantly higher than that of CC genotype (P<0.05). CONCLUSION: There is an association between -857C/T of TNF-alpha gene and schizophrenia, individuals with T allele of -857C/T are susceptible to schizophrenia, and there is an association between -857C/T and negative symptom score.

[Identification of a novel lymphotoxin-alpha (LTA) gene associated with ankylosing spondylitis in Ningxia population].

Lymphotoxin-alpha (LTA) gene has been reported to have a genetic association with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE), psoriasis, and rheumatoid arthritis. However, the association of LTA with ankylosing spondylitis (AS) has not reported. By case-control study, we carried out the high density limited genome scanning to the HLA class III region about 58 kb in Ningxia population (case 300 and control 385). In this study, 33 SNPs in LTA were genotyped in Ningxia population. We analyzed these SNPs and the haplotypes covering LTA. Only the distribution of TCC haplotype which contains mutation allele of LTA rs909253 was statistically significant(P=0.0005). The C allele frequency of the LTA rs909253 T/C polymorphism was higher in AS cases than that in the controls (28.5% versus 19.7%, P=2×10-4) in Ningxia population. The results suggest that there is a relevance between LTA and the susceptibility of AS, and we identified that the LTA polymorphism may be associated with AS in Ningxia population.

Evaluation of redevelopment priority of abandoned industrial and mining land based on heavy metal pollution.

Heavy metal contamination in soil is an important factor affecting the determination of safe redevelopment methods for industrial and mining land. In this paper, the soil environment of a typical mining city in northern China was taken as the research object, 148 surface soil samples were collected and the contents of heavy metals were measured. The health risk classification criteria for heavy metal contamination of soils and the method of priority assessment for redevelopment were used. The results showed that: the risk of potential utilization types of heavy metals in the abandoned industrial and mining land is different. When the utilization type is agricultural land, the soil environmental quality is good as a whole, and a small number of plots are polluted by cadmium (Cd)and mercury (Hg); When the land use type is construction land, the risk of heavy metal pollution comes from chromium (Cr); The priority of development in this study area is as follows: agricultural land > construction land > ecological land.

Emerging Energy Harvesting Materials and Devices for Self-Powered Water Disinfection.

Contaminated drinking water is one of the main pathogen transmission pathways making waterborne illnesses such as diarrheal diseases and gastroenteritis a huge threat to public health, especially in the areas where sanitation facilities and gird power are inadequate such as rural and disaster hit areas. Self-powered water disinfection systems are a promising solution in these cases. In this review paper, the authors provide an overview of the new and emerging methods of applying energy harvesting materials and devices as a source of power for water disinfection systems microbial disinfection in water by harnessing ambient forms of energy such as mechanical motion, light, and heat into electricity. The authors begin with a brief introduction of the different energy harvesting technologies commonly applied in water disinfection; triboelectric, piezoelectric, pyroelectric, and photovoltaic effects. Various microbial disinfection mechanisms and types of device construction are summarized. Then, a detailed discussion of the energy harvester-driven water disinfection process is provided. Finally, challenges and perspectives regarding the future development of self-powered water disinfection are described.

Solar-induced hybrid energy harvesters for advanced oxidation water treatment.

Water treatment based on advanced oxidation processes (AOPs) supplies clean water to rural areas lacking electric power supply and/or during natural disasters and pandemics. Considering the abundance of solar energy in the ambient environment, the solar-driven AOPs show an interesting potential to driving the water purification process. Involving the energy harvester (EH) that harvests mechanical or thermal energy into electricity to the solar-driven AOPs can achieve sustainable and self-powered water purification. Herein, we summarize the recent progress in the application of solar-induced hybrid EHs that harvest solar and mechanical/thermal energy simultaneously to drive AOP water treatment. A detailed discussion of the solar-induced hybrid EHs enabling AOP water treatment based on the mechanisms of piezo-, tribo-, pyro-, and thermo-assisted photocatalysis is provided. In addition, this paper explores future opportunities and strategies of the solar-induced hybrid EHs to drive the AOP water treatment in actual situations with unstable and fluctuating environmental conditions.