Nanoprobe Laboratory for Bio- & Nanotechnology and Biomimetics (NLBB), The Ohio State University, 201 W. 19th Avenue, Columbus, OH 43210-1142, USA.
Philos Trans A Math Phys Eng Sci. 2020 Mar 20;378(2167):20190440. doi: 10.1098/rsta.2019.0440. Epub 2020 Feb 3.
Fresh water sustains human life and is vital for human health. It is estimated that about 800 million people worldwide lack basic access to drinking water. About 2.2 billion people (nearly one-third of the global population) do not have access to a safe water supply, free of contamination. Also, over 2 billion people live in countries experiencing high water stress. Current supply of fresh water needs to be supplemented to meet future needs. Living nature has evolved species which can survive in the most arid regions of the world by water collection from fog and condensation in the night. Before the collected water evaporates, species have mechanisms to transport water for storage or consumption. These species possess unique chemistry and structures on or within the body for collection and transport of water. In this paper, an overview of arid desert conditions, water sources and plants and animals, lessons from nature for water harvesting, and water harvesting data from fog and condensation are presented. Consumer, emergency and defence applications are discussed and various designs of water harvesting towers and projections for water collection are presented. This article is part of the theme issue 'Bioinspired materials and surfaces for green science and technology (part 3)'.
淡水维持着人类的生命，对人类的健康至关重要。据估计，全球约有 8 亿人基本无法获得饮用水。约 22 亿人（占全球人口的近三分之一）无法获得没有污染的安全供水。此外，超过 20 亿人生活在水资源高度紧张的国家。为了满足未来的需求，目前需要补充新鲜水的供应。自然生物进化出了一些物种，它们可以通过收集夜间雾和冷凝水来在世界上最干旱的地区生存。在收集到的水蒸发之前，这些物种有机制将水运输到储存或消耗的地方。这些物种具有独特的化学性质和体内或体表结构，用于收集和运输水。本文概述了干旱沙漠条件、水源和动植物，从自然中收集水的经验教训，以及雾和冷凝水的集水数据。本文还讨论了消费者、紧急情况和国防应用，并展示了各种集水塔和集水突起的设计。本文是“绿色科学技术的仿生材料和表面（第三部分）”主题专刊的一部分。
