Inactivation behavior and intracellular changes in Escherichia coli during electro-oxidation process using Ti/Sb-SnO2/PbO2 anode: Elucidation of the disinfection mechanism

Establishing electro-functionalized gravity-driven ceramic membrane filtration (EGDCM) for decentralized treatment of algae-laden brackish water: Comparison of in-situ electro-oxidation and ex-situ electro-coagulation

Algae-laden brackish water (ABW) has remarkably threatened drinking water safety in warm coastal areas. Although gravity-driven ceramic membrane filtration (GDCM) exhibits high potential in ABW treatment during decentralized water supply, membrane fouling is still a critical problem. Herein, GDCM was skillfully electro-functionalized (EGDCM) by in-situ electro-oxidation (ISEO) based on self-fabricated Ti/SnO2-Sb dimensionally stable anode (DSA) (EO-EGDCM) and ex-situ electro-coagulation (ESEC) based on iron anode (EC-EGDCM) in this study. EO-EGDCM with KMnO4 augment (MnEO-EGDCM) was also established for comparison. Results show that ISEO increased GDCM membrane permeability by 22 %, while EC-EGDCM membrane flux was nearly 4.8 times that of GDCM. ISEO enhanced the early removal of organic pollution, and KMnO4 facilitated the active chlorine oxidization of ammonia and algal toxins on electrified Ti/SnO2-Sb DSA by suppressing the transformation of free chlorine to less reactive chloramines. Both algae cell permeabilization and intracellular organic matter release were enhanced by ISEO. But SEM-EDS, CLSM and biomass analysis evidenced that membrane biological process, which was improved by 32 %∼323 % by electrical stimulation, developed porous structures in the fouling layer in EO-EGDCM/MnEO-EGDCM. According to energy consumption and carbon emissions evaluation, GDCM was confirmed as an energy-saving system for treating ABW with the consumption of only 3.47 × 10-3 kWh/m3. Electricity demand was increased for EGDCM but still considerably lower than that for other algae-laden water treatment processes. EC-EGDCM reduced energy consumption and carbon emission by around 80 % compared to EC-EGDCM/MnEO-EGDCM. Electro-functionalization was a promising option to improve GDCM treatment of ABW via multiple mechanisms but further optimization was still required.

Advanced oxidation process/coagulation coupled with membrane distillation (AOP/Coag-MD) for efficient ammonia recovery: Elucidating biofouling control performance and mechanism

The inadequate understanding of the biofouling formation mechanism and the absence of effective control have inhibited the commercial application of membrane distillation (MD). In this study, an advanced oxidation process (AOP)/coagulation-coupled (Coag) membrane distillation system was proposed and exhibited the potential for MD ammonia recovery (recovery rate: 94.1%). Extracellular polymeric substances (EPS) and soluble microbial products (SMP) components such as humic acid and tryptophan-like proteins were disrupted and degraded in the digestate. The curtailment and sterilizing efficiency of AOP on biofilm growth was also verified by optical coherence tomography (OCT) in situ real-time monitoring and confocal laser scanning microscopy (CLSM). Peroxymonosulfate (PMS) was activated to generate sulfate (SO4•-) and hydroxyl radicals (HO•), which altered the microbial community. After oxidative treatment, 16 S rRNA sequencing indicated that the dominant phylum of the microbial community evolved into Firmicutes. Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) pathway analysis demonstrated that free radicals produced by PMS could disrupt cells' signaling molecules and interactions. In conjunction with these analyses, the mechanisms of response to free radical attack by Gram-negative bacteria, Gram-positive bacteria, and fungi were revealed. This research provided new insights into the field of membrane fouling control for membrane technology resource recovery processes, broadening the impact of AOP applications on microbiological response and fate in the environment.

Efficient electrochemical degradation of ceftazidime by Ti3+ self-doping TiO2 nanotube-based Sb-SnO2 nanoflowers as an intermediate layer on a modified PbO2 electrode

Ceftazidime (CAZ) is an emerging organic pollutant with a long-lasting presence in the environment. Although some PbO2 materials exhibit degradation capabilities, inefficient electron transport in the substrate layer and the problem of electrode stability still limit their use. Here, an interfacial design in which TiO2 nanotube arrays generate Ti3+ self-doping oxide substrate layers and highly active 3D Sb-SnO2 nanoflowers-like interlayers was used to prepare PbO2 anodes for efficient degradation of CAZ. Interestingly, after implementing Ti3+ self-doping in the PbO2 anode base layer and introducing 3D nanoflowers-like structures, the capacity for •OH generation increased significantly. The modified electrode exhibited 5-fold greater •OH generation capacity compared to the unmodified electrode, and a 2.7-fold longer accelerated electrode lifetime. The results indicate that interfacial engineering of the base and intermediate layers of the electrodes can improve the electron transfer efficiency, promote the formation of •OH, and extend the anode lifetime of the activated CAZ system.

Performance of a pilot-scale BDD reactor by numerical analysis of reaction rate parameters and additional numbers for mass transfers

The performance of a pilot-scale boron-doped diamond (BDD) reactor through a numerical analysis of reaction rate parameters and enhanced mass transfer has been investigated. The main objective of this research is to evaluate the efficiency of the reactor in mineralizing and degrading caffeine as an emerging contaminant. Based on the kinetic mechanisms and mass transport correlations reported in the literature, two reaction rate kinetic models for caffeine degradation are proposed and analyzed. The models consider different electrolytes (NaCl and Na2SO4) and applied current densities. The kinetic fitting process utilizes the gradient-maximal electrochemical approach, together with orthogonal placement methods, fourth-order Runge-Kutta (RK4) methods, and Nelder & Mead methods for optimization of kinetic parameters and spatial discretization of the material balance. Experimental data obtained from a factorial design with four factors and two levels (24) validate the proposed kinetic models. Caffeine degradation is achieved with NaCl and Na2SO4 electrolytes at concentrations of 60 ppm and 100 ppm, respectively. The corresponding applied loads are 1.5 AhL-1 and 3 AhL-1. Na2SO4 exhibits superior performance with a total organic carbon (TOC) removal efficiency of 99.13%, while NaCl achieves 31.47% mineralization. The behavior of caffeine degradation under the operational and scale conditions demonstrates that NaCl, as a support electrolyte, enables controlled charge transfer (current density) during the degradation process. In contrast, Na2SO4 as a support electrolyte introduces a mixed control of charge and mass transfer. The pilot-scale kinetic parameters obtained in this study provide valuable insights into the support electrolyte dynamics and current density dynamics in BDD-based Electrooxidation (EO) systems, particularly in complex matrix applications. Furthermore, the observed electrical consumption supports the potential application of EO as a viable technology for industrial-scale tertiary wastewater treatment, specifically for caffeine removal.

Y-mediated optimization of 3DG-PbO2 anode for electrochemical degradation of PFOS

In our previous study, the three-dimensional graphene-modified PbO2 (3DG-PbO2) anode was prepared for the effective degradation of perfluorooctanesulfonat (PFOS) by the electrochemical oxidation process. However, the mineralization efficiency of PFOS at the 3DG-PbO2 anode still needs to be further improved due to the recalcitrance of PFOS. Thus, in this study, the yttrium (Y) was doped into the 3DG-PbO2 film to further improve the electrochemical activity of the PbO2 anode. To optimize the doping amount of Y, three Y and 3DG codoped PbO2 anodes were fabricated with different Y3+ concentrations of 5, 15, and 30 mM in the electroplating solution, which were named Y/3DG-PbO2-5, Y/3DG-PbO2-15 and Y/3DG-PbO2-30, respectively. The results of morphological, structural, and electrochemical characterization revealed that doping Y into the 3DG-PbO2 anode further refined the β-PbO2 crystals, increased the oxygen evolution overpotential and active sites, and reduced the electron transfer resistance, resulting in a superior electrocatalytic activity. Among all the prepared anodes, the Y/3DG-PbO2-15 anode exhibited the best activity for electrochemical oxidation of PFOS. After 120 min of electrolysis, the TOC removal efficiency was 80.89% with Y/3DG-PbO2-15 anode, greatly higher than 69.13% with 3DG-PbO2 anode. In addition, the effect of operating parameters on PFOS removal was analyzed by response surface, and the obtained optimum values of current density, initial PFOS concentration, pH, and Na2SO4 concentration were 50 mA/cm2, 12.21 mg/L, 5.39, and 0.01 M, respectively. Under the optimal conditions, the PFOS removal efficiency reached up to 97.16% after 40 min of electrolysis. The results of the present study confirmed that the Y/3DG-PbO2 was a promising anode for electrocatalytic oxidation of persistent organic pollutants.

In situ generation of highly localized chlorine by laser-induced graphene electrodes during electrochemical disinfection

Laser-induced graphene (LIG) has gained popularity for electrochemical water disinfection due to its efficient antimicrobial activity when activated with low voltages. However, the antimicrobial mechanism of LIG electrodes is not yet fully understood. This study demonstrated an array of mechanisms working synergistically to inactivate bacteria during electrochemical treatment using LIG electrodes, including the generation of oxidants, changes in pH-specifically high alkalinity associated with the cathode, and electro-adsorption on the electrodes. All these mechanisms may contribute to the disinfection process when bacteria are close to the surface of the electrodes where inactivation was independent of the reactive chlorine species (RCS); however, RCS was likely responsible for the predominant cause of antibacterial effects in the bulk solution (i.e., ≥100 mL in our study). Furthermore, the concentration and diffusion kinetics of RCS in solution was voltage-dependent. At 6 V, RCS achieved a high concentration in water, while at 3 V, RCS was highly localized on the LIG surface but not measurable in water. Despite this, the LIG electrodes activated by 3 V achieved a 5.5-log reduction in Escherichia coli (E.coli) after 120-min electrolysis without detectable chlorine, chlorate, or perchlorate in the water, suggesting a promising system for efficient, energy-saving, and safe electro-disinfection.

Energy efficient portable air cathode electrochlorinator for point-of-use disinfection of toilet wastewater

Active chlorine is the most widely used disinfectant for water disinfection as well as surface sterilization. Here, we report an air cathode electrochlorinator for point-of-use disinfection of toilet wastewater. The air cathode dominated by a four-electron pathway to reduce O₂ to OH^- was more suitable for chlorine synthesis than through a two-electron pathway to H₂O₂, which could reduce chlorine back to chloride ions. The minimum driving potential of the air cathode electrochlorinator was as low as 0.94 V, which made it possible to be directly powered by a piece of commercial mini photovoltaic solar panel without electronic converter. Under the cell voltage of 2 V, the Faraday current efficiency was 82.0 % and the electrical energy required to produce 1 kg active chlorine was estimated to be only 1.75 kWh. The normalized energy consumption to disinfect simulated toilet wastewater with a pathogen concentration of 10⁷ CFU/mL was estimated to be 7.2 W h/m³. Moreover, the material cost for fabrication of the electrochlorinator was estimated to be less than $ 0.62. These features guarantee the air cathode electrochlorinator of high potential for point-of-use disinfection of toilet wastewater.

Mechanism of highly efficient electrochemical degradation of antibiotic sulfadiazine using a layer-by-layer GNPs/PbO2 electrode

A PbO₂ electrode integrating electrocatalytic and adsorptive functions was successfully fabricated by embedding layer-by-layer graphene nanoplatelets (GNPs) into β-PbO₂ active layer (GNPs/PbO₂) and employed as anode for high-efficient removal of sulfadiazine (SDZ). In electrochemical degradation experiments, SDZ was quickly enriched on the surface of GNPs/PbO₂ film via adsorption and then oxidized by ⋅OH in-site. In terms of the electrocatalytic performance and adsorption of electrode, the optimal electrodeposition time for each β-PbO₂ outer layer was 4 min (GNPs/PbO₂-4). Compared with conventional PbO₂ electrode, the layer-by-layer GNPs resulted in the smaller crystal size and denser surface of PbO₂ electrode, thus facilitating the generation of active oxygen species. At the same time, the specific surface area, oxygen evolution potential (OEP) of the anode were enhanced and the charge-transfer resistance was reduced. For GNPs/PbO₂-4 anode, the optimal conditions of electrochemical oxidation of SDZ were identified as initial pH 9, 50 mg/L of SDZ and 20 mA/cm² of current density using response surface methodology (RSM), 98.15% of SDZ could be removed in this case. The contribution of radical oxidation and non-radical oxidation to SDZ removal was about 79% and 21%, respectively. Moreover, the reaction pathways of SDZ on the GNPs/PbO₂-4 electrode involving hydroxylation, radical reaction and ring cleavage were speculated. Finally, the continuous SDZ degradation and accelerated service lifetime test suggested that the GNPs/PbO₂-4 electrode was shown to be stable and repeatable, and the Pb²⁺ concentration was measured to ensure the safety of the treated solution. Consequently, the above findings provide an innovative way to design and prepare an effective and stable PbO₂ electrode for electrochemical degradation of antibiotic wastewater.

Research progress of electrochemical oxidation and self-action of electric field for medical wastewater treatment

A large number of pathogenic microorganisms exist in medical wastewater, which could invade the human body through the water and cause harm to human health. With the global pandemic coronavirus (COVID-19), public health safety become particularly important, and medical wastewater treatment is an important part of it. In particular, electrochemical disinfection technology has been widely studied in medical wastewater treatment due to its greenness, high efficiency, convenient operation, and other advantages. In this paper, the development status of electrochemical disinfection technology in the treatment of medical wastewater is reviewed, and an electrochemical three-stage disinfection system is proposed for the treatment of medical wastewater. Moreover, prospects for the electrochemical treatment of medical wastewater will be presented. It is hoped that this review could provide insight and guidance for the research and application of electrochemical disinfection technology to treat medical wastewater.GRAPHICAL ABSTRACT.