A team of scientists has developed a highly efficient method for reclaiming phosphorus from wetland plant waste, addressing the dual challenges of global phosphate resource depletion and water pollution. The research, led by investigators at Tianjin University, demonstrates how a modified chemical process can convert nutrient-laden biomass into a P-enriched hydrochar, a charcoal-like substance with significant potential for soil improvement and sustainable agriculture. This approach offers a way to close the nutrient loop, returning phosphorus from polluted waters back to the land where it is needed.

Constructed wetlands are effective at removing excess nutrients like phosphorus from eutrophic water bodies, but this process generates large volumes of plant waste. If left to decay, this biomass can re-release phosphorus, causing secondary pollution. The direct application of this plant matter to soil is also risky due to the high content of water-soluble phosphorus, which can easily leach away. The work by Junxia Wang, Xiaoqiang Cui, and their colleagues sought to stabilize this phosphorus in a useful, solid form.

Free-electron lasers can be tuned to operate over a wide range of wavelengths, but they conventionally require large-scale facilities. Researchers from The University of Osaka show that laser wakefield acceleration can dramatically miniaturize this technology by improving plasma stability and electron beam quality. Their study demonstrates such lasers in the extreme ultraviolet, with the ultimate goal of further refining the technology to operate at x-ray wavelengths.