1
|
Sandré F, Moilleron R, Morin C, Garrigue-Antar L. Comprehensive analysis of a widely pharmaceutical, furosemide, and its degradation products in aquatic systems: Occurrence, fate, and ecotoxicity. ENVIRONMENTAL POLLUTION (BARKING, ESSEX : 1987) 2024; 348:123799. [PMID: 38527585 DOI: 10.1016/j.envpol.2024.123799] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/16/2023] [Revised: 02/09/2024] [Accepted: 03/13/2024] [Indexed: 03/27/2024]
Abstract
Many pharmaceutical compounds end up in the environment due to incomplete removal by wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs). Some compounds are sometimes present in significant concentrations and therefore represent a risk to the aquatic environment. Furosemide is one of the most widely used drugs in the world. Considered as an essential drug by the World Health Organization, this powerful loop diuretic is used extensively to treat hypertension, heart and kidney failure and many other purposes. However, this important consumption also results in a significant release of furosemide in wastewater and in the receiving environment where concentrations of a few hundred ng/L to several thousand have been found in the literature, making furosemide a compound of great concern. Also, during its transport in wastewater systems and WWTPs, furosemide can be degraded by various processes resulting in the production of more than 74 by-products. Furosemide may therefore present a significant risk to ecosystem health due not only to its direct cytotoxic, genotoxic and hepatotoxic effects in animals, but also indirectly through its transformation products, which are poorly characterized. Many articles classify furosemide as a priority pollutant according to its occurrence in the environment, its persistence, its elimination by WWTPs, its toxicity and ecotoxicity. Here, we present a state-of-the-art review of this emerging pollutant of interest, tracking it, from its consumption to its fate in the aquatic environment. Discussion points include the occurrence of furosemide in various matrices, the efficiency of many processes for the degradation of furosemide, the subsequent production of degradation products following these treatments, as well as their toxicity.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Fidji Sandré
- Leesu, Univ Paris Est Creteil, Ecole des Ponts, Creteil, F-94010, France
| | - Régis Moilleron
- Leesu, Univ Paris Est Creteil, Ecole des Ponts, Creteil, F-94010, France
| | - Christophe Morin
- Leesu, Univ Paris Est Creteil, Ecole des Ponts, Creteil, F-94010, France; IUT - Sénart Fontainebleau, 36 Rue Georges Charpak, 77567, Lieusaint, France
| | | |
Collapse
|
2
|
Sandre F, Huynh N, Caupos E, El-Mrabet L, Partibane C, Lachaise I, Pommier C, Rivard M, Morin C, Moilleron R, Le Roux J, Garrigue-Antar L. Occurrence and fate of an emerging drug pollutant and its by-products during conventional and advanced wastewater treatment: Case study of furosemide. CHEMOSPHERE 2023; 322:138212. [PMID: 36822517 DOI: 10.1016/j.chemosphere.2023.138212] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/30/2022] [Revised: 02/14/2023] [Accepted: 02/20/2023] [Indexed: 06/18/2023]
Abstract
Conventional wastewater treatment systems are not designed to remove pharmaceutical compounds from wastewater. These compounds can be degraded into many other transformation products which are hardly, if at all, studied. In this context, we studied the occurrence and degradation of furosemide, a very frequently detected diuretic, along with its known degradation products in several types of wastewater. Influent and effluent from the Seine-Centre Wastewater Treatment Plant (WWTP) (Paris, France) as well as outlet of residential care homes (Dordogne, France) were analyzed by Ultra-Performance Liquid Chromatography-tandem Mass Spectrometry (UPLC-MS/MS) to quantify furosemide and its known degradation products, saluamine and pyridinium of furosemide. Oxidation experiments (chlorination, ozonation and UV photolysis with hydrogen peroxide) were then performed on furosemide solutions and on water from residential care facilities to study the degradation of furosemide by potential advanced processes, and also to identify unknown oxidation products by high-resolution mass spectrometry. Furosemide was well degraded in Seine-Centre WWTP (>75%) but did not increase the concentrations of its main degradation products. Saluamine and pyridinium of furosemide were already present at similar concentrations to furosemide in the raw wastewater (∼2.5-3.5 μg.L-1), and their removal in the WWTPs were very high (>80%). Despite their removal, the three compounds remained present in treated wastewater effluents at concentrations of hundreds of nanograms per liter. Chlorination degraded furosemide without pyridinium production unlike the other two processes. Chlorination and ozonation were also effective for the removal of furosemide and pyridinium in residential care home water, but they resulted in the production of saluamine. To our knowledge this is the first evidence of saluamine and pyridinium of furosemide in real water samples in either the particulate or dissolved phase.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Fidji Sandre
- Leesu - Univ Paris Est Creteil, Ecole des Ponts, Creteil, F-94010, France
| | - Nina Huynh
- Leesu - Univ Paris Est Creteil, Ecole des Ponts, Creteil, F-94010, France
| | - Emilie Caupos
- Leesu - Univ Paris Est Creteil, Ecole des Ponts, Creteil, F-94010, France; Univ Paris Est Creteil, CNRS, OSU-EFLUVE, F-94010, Creteil, France
| | - Lamyae El-Mrabet
- Leesu - Univ Paris Est Creteil, Ecole des Ponts, Creteil, F-94010, France
| | | | - Isabelle Lachaise
- ICMPE - Univ Paris Est Creteil, CNRS, UMR, 7182, 2 Rue Henri Dunant, F-94320, Thiais, France
| | - Christophe Pommier
- LDAR 24 - Laboratoire Départemental D'analyses et de Recherche, Coulounieix Chamiers, France
| | - Michael Rivard
- ICMPE - Univ Paris Est Creteil, CNRS, UMR, 7182, 2 Rue Henri Dunant, F-94320, Thiais, France
| | - Christophe Morin
- IUT - Sénart Fontainebleau, 36 Rue Georges Charpak, 77567, Lieusaint, France
| | - Régis Moilleron
- Leesu - Univ Paris Est Creteil, Ecole des Ponts, Creteil, F-94010, France
| | - Julien Le Roux
- Leesu - Univ Paris Est Creteil, Ecole des Ponts, Creteil, F-94010, France
| | | |
Collapse
|
3
|
Aguilar L, Gallegos Á, Martín Pérez L, Arias CA, Rubio R, Haulani L, García Raurich J, Pallarés M, de Pablo J, Morató J. Effect of intermittent induced aeration on nitrogen removal and denitrifying-bacterial community structure in Cork and gravel vertical flow pilot-scale treatment wetlands. JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE AND HEALTH. PART A, TOXIC/HAZARDOUS SUBSTANCES & ENVIRONMENTAL ENGINEERING 2021; 56:1121-1130. [PMID: 34415215 DOI: 10.1080/10934529.2021.1967652] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/01/2020] [Revised: 08/05/2021] [Accepted: 08/09/2021] [Indexed: 06/13/2023]
Abstract
In this work, we have evaluated the impact of intermittent induced aeration in total nitrogen (TN), ammonia (NH4-N) and nitrate-nitrogen (NO3-N) removal in four pilot-scale vertical flow constructed wetlands (VFCW) (two aerated two non-aerated) using cork by-product or gravel as the filter material and planted with Phragmites australis. Both aerated and non-aerated systems achieved high COD and BOD5 elimination rates (≥ 90%) at the end of the 5-month test period. However, the aerated systems presented maximal COD and BOD5 removal from the third month of operation onwards since air supply favored the oxidative bioprocesses occurring within the wetlands. Cork and gravel aerated VFCW also proved to be more efficient (p < 0.05) in NO3-N removal than the non-aerated systems and this upgraded performance was correlated with a significant higher relative abundance of the nirS gene. The aerated systems also showed a slightly improved NH4-N removal. Noticeably, cork VFCW showed higher TN removal mean values (∼35%) than gravel wetlands (27-28%) regardless aeration. Moreover, cork VFCW showed higher relative abundance of the nosZ gene. Our results demonstrated a better nitrogen elimination for the aerated cork pilot-scale VFCW, and this behavior was correlated with a higher abundance of both nirS and nosZ, two of the key functional genes involved in nitrogen metabolism.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Lorena Aguilar
- UNESCO Chair on Sustainability, Universitat Politècnica de Catalunya, Terrassa, Spain
| | - Ángel Gallegos
- UNESCO Chair on Sustainability, Universitat Politècnica de Catalunya, Terrassa, Spain
| | - Leonardo Martín Pérez
- UNESCO Chair on Sustainability, Universitat Politècnica de Catalunya, Terrassa, Spain
- Instituto de Investigaciones en Ingeniería Ambiental, Química y Biotecnología Aplicada (INGEBIO-UCA, CONICET), Fac. de Química e Ingeniería del Rosario, Pontificia Universidad Católica Argentina (UCA-Rosario), Rosario (Santa Fe), Argentina
| | - Carlos A Arias
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Aarhus, Arhus C, Denmark
- Aarhus University Centre for Water Technology WATEC, Aarhus University, Aarhus C, Denmark
| | - Raquel Rubio
- UNESCO Chair on Sustainability, Universitat Politècnica de Catalunya, Terrassa, Spain
| | - Leila Haulani
- UNESCO Chair on Sustainability, Universitat Politècnica de Catalunya, Terrassa, Spain
| | - Josep García Raurich
- Centro de Investigación en Seguridad y Control Alimentario (CRESCA), Depto. de Ingeniería Química, Universidad Politécnica de Cataluña-BarcelonaTech, Terrassa, Spain
| | - Marc Pallarés
- Grupo de Desarrollo Empresarial, I + D+i, S.L, C/Colom, Terrassa, Spain
| | - Joan de Pablo
- Resource Recovery and Environmental Management (R2EM), Depto. de Ingeniería Química, Universidad Politécnica de Cataluña-BarcelonaTech, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Jordi Morató
- UNESCO Chair on Sustainability, Universitat Politècnica de Catalunya, Terrassa, Spain
| |
Collapse
|
4
|
Watzinger A, Hager M, Reichenauer T, Soja G, Kinner P. Unravelling the process of petroleum hydrocarbon biodegradation in different filter materials of constructed wetlands by stable isotope fractionation and labelling studies. Biodegradation 2021; 32:343-359. [PMID: 33860902 PMCID: PMC8134294 DOI: 10.1007/s10532-021-09942-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/16/2020] [Accepted: 03/31/2021] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
Maintaining and supporting complete biodegradation during remediation of petroleum hydrocarbon contaminated groundwater in constructed wetlands is vital for the final destruction and removal of contaminants. We aimed to compare and gain insight into biodegradation and explore possible limitations in different filter materials (sand, sand amended with biochar, expanded clay). These filters were collected from constructed wetlands after two years of operation and batch experiments were conducted using two stable isotope techniques; (i) carbon isotope labelling of hexadecane and (ii) hydrogen isotope fractionation of decane. Both hydrocarbon compounds hexadecane and decane were biodegraded. The mineralization rate of hexadecane was higher in the sandy filter material (3.6 µg CO2 g-1 day-1) than in the expanded clay (1.0 µg CO2 g-1 day-1). The microbial community of the constructed wetland microcosms was dominated by Gram negative bacteria and fungi and was specific for the different filter materials while hexadecane was primarily anabolized by bacteria. Adsorption / desorption of petroleum hydrocarbons in expanded clay was observed, which might not hinder but delay biodegradation. Very few cases of hydrogen isotope fractionation were recorded in expanded clay and sand & biochar filters during decane biodegradation. In sand filters, decane was biodegraded more slowly and hydrogen isotope fractionation was visible. Still, the range of observed apparent kinetic hydrogen isotope effects (AKIEH = 1.072-1.500) and apparent decane biodegradation rates (k = - 0.017 to - 0.067 day-1) of the sand filter were low. To conclude, low biodegradation rates, small hydrogen isotope fractionation, zero order mineralization kinetics and lack of microbial biomass growth indicated that mass transfer controlled biodegradation.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Andrea Watzinger
- Institute of Soil Research, Department of Forest- and Soil Sciences, University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences, Konrad Lorenz-Strasse 24, 3430, Tulln, Austria.
- Environmental Resources & Technologies, Energy Department, AIT - Austrian Institute of Technology GmbH, Konrad Lorenz-Strasse 24, 3430, Tulln, Austria.
| | - Melanie Hager
- Institute of Soil Research, Department of Forest- and Soil Sciences, University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences, Konrad Lorenz-Strasse 24, 3430, Tulln, Austria
- Environmental Resources & Technologies, Energy Department, AIT - Austrian Institute of Technology GmbH, Konrad Lorenz-Strasse 24, 3430, Tulln, Austria
| | - Thomas Reichenauer
- Environmental Resources & Technologies, Energy Department, AIT - Austrian Institute of Technology GmbH, Konrad Lorenz-Strasse 24, 3430, Tulln, Austria
- Bioresources, Center of Health & Bioresources, AIT - Austrian Institute of Technology GmbH, Konrad Lorenz-Strasse 24, 3430, Tulln, Austria
| | - Gerhard Soja
- Environmental Resources & Technologies, Energy Department, AIT - Austrian Institute of Technology GmbH, Konrad Lorenz-Strasse 24, 3430, Tulln, Austria
- Institute for Chemical and Energy Engineering, Department of Material Sciences and Process Engineering, University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences, Muthgasse 107, 1190, Vienna, Austria
| | - Paul Kinner
- Environmental Resources & Technologies, Energy Department, AIT - Austrian Institute of Technology GmbH, Konrad Lorenz-Strasse 24, 3430, Tulln, Austria
| |
Collapse
|
5
|
Rizzi V, Gubitosa J, Fini P, Romita R, Nuzzo S, Gabaldón JA, Gorbe MIF, Gómez-Morte T, Cosma P. Chitosan film as recyclable adsorbent membrane to remove/recover hazardous pharmaceutical pollutants from water: the case of the emerging pollutant Furosemide. JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE AND HEALTH. PART A, TOXIC/HAZARDOUS SUBSTANCES & ENVIRONMENTAL ENGINEERING 2020; 56:145-156. [PMID: 33284713 DOI: 10.1080/10934529.2020.1853985] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/29/2020] [Revised: 11/13/2020] [Accepted: 11/16/2020] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
Due to the negative effects of emerging contaminants on the environment, that can potentially induce deleterious effects in aquatic and human life, this paper focuses on the removal from the water of Furosemide, through the adsorption process. Indeed, only a few papers are available in the literature about the Furosemide adsorption and, chitosan films are thus proposed for this purpose as safe, sustainable, and recyclable adsorbent materials. In the present work, the effects on the adsorption process of several experimental parameters such as the pH values, ionic strength, amount of adsorbent/pollutant, and temperature values were investigated. The kinetics models, isotherms of adsorption, and the thermodynamic parameters were studied showing that the Furosemide physisorption occurred on the heterogeneous Chitosan surface, endothermically (ΔH° = +31.27 ± 3.40 kJ mol-1) and spontaneously (ΔS° = +150.00 ± 10.00 J mol-1 K-1), following a pseudo-second-order kinetic model. The 90% of the pollutant was adsorbed in 2 h, with a maximum adsorption capacity of 3.5 mg × g-1. Despite these relatively low adsorption capacities, experiments of desorption were performed and 100% of adsorbed Furosemide was recovered by using concentrated NaCl solutions, proposing a low-cost and green approach, with respect to the previous literature relative to the Furosemide adsorption, fundamental for the pollutant recovery and adsorbent reuse.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Vito Rizzi
- Dip. Chimica, Università degli Studi "Aldo Moro" di Bari, Bari, Italy
| | - Jennifer Gubitosa
- Dip. Chimica, Università degli Studi "Aldo Moro" di Bari, Bari, Italy
| | - Paola Fini
- Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche CNR-IPCF, UOS Bari, Bari, Italy
| | - Roberto Romita
- Dip. Chimica, Università degli Studi "Aldo Moro" di Bari, Bari, Italy
| | - Sergio Nuzzo
- Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche CNR-IPCF, UOS Bari, Bari, Italy
| | - José Antonio Gabaldón
- Departamento Ciencia y Tecnología de Alimentos, Universidad Católica San Antonio de Murcia, Guadalupe, Murcia, Spain
| | - María Isabel Fortea Gorbe
- Departamento Ciencia y Tecnología de Alimentos, Universidad Católica San Antonio de Murcia, Guadalupe, Murcia, Spain
| | - Teresa Gómez-Morte
- Departamento Ciencia y Tecnología de Alimentos, Universidad Católica San Antonio de Murcia, Guadalupe, Murcia, Spain
| | - Pinalysa Cosma
- Dip. Chimica, Università degli Studi "Aldo Moro" di Bari, Bari, Italy
- Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche CNR-IPCF, UOS Bari, Bari, Italy
| |
Collapse
|
6
|
Efficient Malathion Removal in Constructed Wetlands Coupled to UV/H2O2 Pretreatment. APPLIED SCIENCES-BASEL 2020. [DOI: 10.3390/app10155306] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
Intensive agriculture has led to the increasing application of pesticides, such as malathion, thus generating large volumes of untreated cropland wastewater (CropWW). In this work, a hybrid system constructed wetlands (CW) coupled in continuous with an optimized UV/H2O2 pretreatment was evaluated for the efficient removal of malathion contained in CropWW. In the first stage, 90 min UV irradiation time (UV IR) and 65 mM hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) were identified as optimal operation parameters through a central composite design. The second stage consisted of CW planted with Phragmites australis collected from the agricultural discharge area and operated as a piston flow reactor. Furthermore, CW hydraulic residence times (HRT) of 1, 2 and 3 days, including hydraulic coupling, were evaluated. The removal efficiencies obtained in the first stage (UV/H2O2) were 94 ± 2.5% of malathion and 45 ± 2.5% of total organic carbon (TOC). In stage two (CW) 65 ± 9.6% TOC removal was achieved during the first 17 days, from which around 24% was associated to the biosorption of malathion byproducts. Subsequently, and until the operation ends, CW removed about 80% of TOC for 2 and 3 days HRT, with no significant differences (p > 0.2), which is higher than those reported in several studies involving only advanced oxidation processes (AOP) with UV IR times above 240 min and even for systems using catalysts. The results obtained indicate that the system UV/H2O2-CW is a technically suitable option for the treatment of CropWW with a high content of malathion mainly found in developing countries. Moreover, the hybrid system proposed also represent significant reduction in the size of the treatment plant.
Collapse
|
7
|
Vo HNP, Koottatep T, Chapagain SK, Panuvatvanich A, Polprasert C, Nguyen TMH, Chaiwong C, Nguyen NL. Removal and monitoring acetaminophen-contaminated hospital wastewater by vertical flow constructed wetland and peroxidase enzymes. JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT 2019; 250:109526. [PMID: 31521036 DOI: 10.1016/j.jenvman.2019.109526] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/14/2019] [Revised: 08/16/2019] [Accepted: 09/02/2019] [Indexed: 05/12/2023]
Abstract
Hospital wastewater contains acetaminophen (ACT) and nutrient, which need adequate removal and monitoring to prevent impact to environment and community. This study developed a pilot scale vertical flow constructed wetland (CW) to (1) remove high-dose ACT and pollutants in hospital wastewater and (2) identify the correlation of peroxidase enzyme extruded by Scirpus validus and pollutants removal efficiency. By that correlation, a low-cost method to monitor pollutants removal was drawn. Plants, such as Scirpus validus, generated peroxidase enzymes to alleviate pollutants' stress. Results showed that the CW removed 3.5 to 6 logs of initial concentration 10 mg ACT/L to a recommended level for drinking water. The CW eliminated COD, TKN and TP efficiently, meeting the wastewater discharged standards of Thailand and Vietnam. By various multivariable regression models, concentrations of ACT in CW effluent and enzymes in S. validus exhibited a significant correlation (p < 0.01, R2 = 68.3%). These findings suggested that (i) vertical flow CW could remove high-dose ACT and nutrient and (ii) peroxidase enzymes generated in S. validus, such as soluble and covalent ones, could track ACT removal efficiency. This would help to reduce facilities and analytical cost of micro-pollutants.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Hoang Nhat Phong Vo
- Environmental Engineering and Management, Asian Institute of Technology (AIT), P.O.Box 4, Klong Luang, Pathumthani, 12120, Thailand; Centre for Technology in Water and Wastewater, School of Civil and Environmental Engineering, University of Technology Sydney, Sydney, NSW, 2007, Australia.
| | - Thammarat Koottatep
- Environmental Engineering and Management, Asian Institute of Technology (AIT), P.O.Box 4, Klong Luang, Pathumthani, 12120, Thailand
| | - Saroj Kumar Chapagain
- United Nations University, Institute for the Advanced Study of Sustainability (UNU-IAS), 5-53-70, Shibuya-Ku, Tokyo, 150-8925, Japan
| | - Atitaya Panuvatvanich
- Environmental Engineering and Management, Asian Institute of Technology (AIT), P.O.Box 4, Klong Luang, Pathumthani, 12120, Thailand
| | | | - Thi Minh Hong Nguyen
- Environmental Engineering and Management, Asian Institute of Technology (AIT), P.O.Box 4, Klong Luang, Pathumthani, 12120, Thailand
| | - Chawalit Chaiwong
- Environmental Engineering and Management, Asian Institute of Technology (AIT), P.O.Box 4, Klong Luang, Pathumthani, 12120, Thailand
| | - Ngoc Luong Nguyen
- Centre for Technology in Water and Wastewater, School of Civil and Environmental Engineering, University of Technology Sydney, Sydney, NSW, 2007, Australia
| |
Collapse
|
8
|
Aguilar L, Gallegos Á, Arias CA, Ferrera I, Sánchez O, Rubio R, Saad MB, Missagia B, Caro P, Sahuquillo S, Pérez C, Morató J. Microbial nitrate removal efficiency in groundwater polluted from agricultural activities with hybrid cork treatment wetlands. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2019; 653:723-734. [PMID: 30759598 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2018.10.426] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/02/2018] [Revised: 10/11/2018] [Accepted: 10/31/2018] [Indexed: 06/09/2023]
Abstract
Agricultural practices have raised the level of nutrients reaching aquifers. In Europe, nitrate pollution is considered as one of the main threats for the quality of groundwater in agricultural areas. Treatment wetlands (TWs), also known as Constructed Wetlands, are used for groundwater treatment in areas with an important concentration of nitrogen compounds; total nitrogen removal depends on the type and operation scheme. Cork by-product from the industry has shown clear adsorbent properties to remove organic pollutants. The work is focused on the characterization of microbial communities involved in the nitrate‑nitrogen removal process in groundwater polluted from agricultural activities. The experimental design allowed the comparison of nitrate removal efficiency depending on the filter media material, cork by-product or gravel, used in two hybrid TWs (a vertical flow cell followed by a horizontal subsurface flow cell), installed in areas close to two irrigated agricultural plots at the Lleida plain area (Spain). Both physicochemical and microbial results were consistent and confirm the nitrate removal efficiency using cork as a filter media. A significant (p = 0.0025) higher removal in Bellvís TW using cork compared with the Vilanova de la Barca gravel system was observed, achieving a removal rate from 80 to 99% compared to the 5-46%, respectively. Regarding the community composition of the two different TWs, microorganisms were mainly related to the phylum Proteobacteria, and included members found to be key players in the nitrogen cycle, such as ammonia and nitrite oxidizers, as well as denitrifiers. Also, the group Bacteroidetes turns to be another abundant phylum from our bacterial dataset, whose members are suggested to be strongly involved in denitrification processes. Some groups showed to prevail depending on the type of media (cork or gravel); Firmicutes and Delta and Epsilonproteobacteria had a significant higher abundance in the TW with cork, while Acidobacteria and Planctomyces were prevalent in gravel. Therefore, cork could be an alternative material used by treatment wetlands to minimize the impact in the environment caused by nitrogen pollution in groundwater bodies.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Lorena Aguilar
- UNESCO Chair on Sustainability, Universitat Politècnica de Catalunya-BarcelonaTech, Carrer Colom 1, TR1, ESEIAAT, Terrassa 08222, Spain
| | - Ángel Gallegos
- UNESCO Chair on Sustainability, Universitat Politècnica de Catalunya-BarcelonaTech, Carrer Colom 1, TR1, ESEIAAT, Terrassa 08222, Spain
| | - Carlos A Arias
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Aarhus, Ole Worms Allé 1, Building 1135, Aarhus C. 8000, Denmark
| | - Isabel Ferrera
- Departament de Biologia Marina I Oceanografia, Institut de Ciències del Mar, ICM-CSIC, 08003 Barcelona, Spain
| | - Olga Sánchez
- Departament de Genètica i Microbiologia, Facultat de Biociències, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, 08193 Bellaterra, Spain
| | - Raquel Rubio
- UNESCO Chair on Sustainability, Universitat Politècnica de Catalunya-BarcelonaTech, Carrer Colom 1, TR1, ESEIAAT, Terrassa 08222, Spain
| | - Marwa Ben Saad
- Water Researches and Technologies Center, CERTE, BP 273 - 8020 Soliman, Tunisia; National Agronomic Institute of Tunisia, University of Carthage, 43 Avenue Charles Nicolle, Mahrajène, 1082 Tunis, Tunisia
| | - Beatriz Missagia
- Federal Centre of Technological Education of Minas Gerais - CEFET/MG, Belo Horizonte, MG, Brazil
| | - Patricia Caro
- Grupo TYPSA, C. Roselló i Porcel 21, 3ª A, Barcelona 08016, Spain
| | | | - Carlos Pérez
- LEITAT, C. de la Innovació 2, Terrassa 08225, Spain
| | - Jordi Morató
- UNESCO Chair on Sustainability, Universitat Politècnica de Catalunya-BarcelonaTech, Carrer Colom 1, TR1, ESEIAAT, Terrassa 08222, Spain.
| |
Collapse
|