Bioleaching conditioning increased the bioavailability of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons to promote their removal during co-composting of industrial and municipal sewage sludges

Temporal assembly patterns of microbial communities in three parallel bioreactors treating low-concentration coking wastewater with differing carbon source concentrations

Carbon source is an important factor of biological treatment systems, the effects of which on their temporal community assembly patterns are not sufficiently understood currently. In this study, the temporal dynamics and driving mechanisms of the communities in three parallel bioreactors for low-concentration coking wastewater (CWW) treatment with differing carbon source concentrations (S0 with no glucose addition, S1 with 200 mg/L glucose addition and S2 with 400 mg/L glucose addition) were comprehensively studied. High-throughput sequencing and bioinformatics analyses including network analysis and Infer Community Assembly Mechanisms by Phylogenetic bin-based null model (iCAMP) were used. The communities of three systems showed turnover rates of 0.0029∼0.0034 every 15 days. Network analysis results showed that the S0 network showed higher positive correlation proportion (71.43%) and clustering coefficient (0.33), suggesting that carbon source shortage in S0 promoted interactions and cooperation of microbes. The neutral community model analysis showed that the immigration rate increased from 0.5247 in S0 to 0.6478 in S2. The iCAMP analysis results showed that drift (45.89%) and homogeneous selection (31.68%) dominated in driving the assembly of all the investigated microbial communities. The contribution of homogeneous selection increased with the increase of carbon source concentrations, from 27.92% in S0 to 36.08% in S2. The OTUs participating in aerobic respiration and tricarboxylic acid (TCA) cycle were abundant among the bins mainly affected by deterministic processes, while those related to the metabolism of refractory organic pollutants in CWW such as alkanes, benzenes and phenols were abundant in the bins dominated by stochastic processes.

Ion Resource Recovery via Electrodialysis Fabricated with Poly(Arylene Ether Sulfone)-Based Anion Exchange Membrane in Organic Solvent System

Ion resource recovery from organic wastewater is beneficial for achieving emission peaks and carbon neutrality targets. Advanced organic solvent-resistant anion exchange membranes (AEMs) for treating organic wastewater via electrodialysis (ED) are of significant interest. Herein, a kind of 3D network AEM based on poly(arylene ether sulfone) cross-linked with a flexible cross-linker (DBH) for ion resource recovery via ED in organic solvent system is reported. Investigations demonstrate that the as-prepared AEMs show excellent dimensional stability in 60% DMSO (aq.), 60% ethanol (aq.), and 60% acetone (aq.), respectively. For example, the optimized AEM shows very low swelling ratios of 1.04-1.10% in the organic solvents. ED desalination ratio can reach 99.1% after exposure of the AEM to organic solvents for 30 days, and remain > 99% in a mixture solution containing organic solvents and 0.5 m NaCl. Additionally, at a current density of 2.5 mA cm-2, the optimized AEM soaked in organic solvents for 30 days shows a high perm-selectivity (Cl-/SO4 2-) of 133.09 (vs 13.11, Neosepta ACS). The superior ED performance is attributed to the stable continuous sub-nanochannels within AEM confirmed by SAXS, rotational energy barriers, etc. This work shows the potential application of cross-linked AEMs for resource recovery in organic wastewater.

The occurrence characteristics, removal efficiency, and risk assessment of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons in sewage sludges from across China

Sewage sludge is considered to be an important sink for polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) in wastewater treatment plants and the potential risks from sludge contaminated with PAHs during land application has attracted attention. To identify the priority PAHs for control and enhance their removal from sludge, the occurrence characteristics, removal efficiency, and risk assessment of PAHs in sewage sludges from across China were analyzed. Data collection was from 2001 to 2023. Results showed that 16 PAHs were widely detected in Chinese sewage sludge with total amounts (∑16PAHs) between 0.06 and 34.93 mg kg dw-1. Fossil fuel, coal, and biomass combustion are main anthropogenic sources of PAHs in China. In general, phenanthrene (PHE), anthracene (ANT), fluorescein (FL), chrysene (CHR), pyrene (PYR), and benzo[b]fluoranthene (BbF) are regarded as the main components and PAHs with 3-5 rings dominate (84.01%-91.53%) sewage sludge in China. Although aerobic composting and anaerobic treatment significantly improve ∑16PAHs removal, sludge stabilization treatment only reduced the risk by a small amount, especially for high-molecular-weight (HMW) PAHs. The benzo[a]anthracene (BaA), benzo[a]pyrene (BaP), and dibenzo[a,h]anthracene (DahA) are proposed as the priority control contaminants for sewage sludge in China because they have consistently high-risk quotient (RQ) values of 2.42-7.47, 1.28-3.16, 1.06-1.83 before and after sludge stabilization, respectively. More attention should be paid to BaA, BbF, benzo[k]fluoranthene (BkF), BaP, DahA, and indeno[1,2,3-cd]pyrene (IcdP) in Beijing; ANT, BaA, and BaP in Shanghai; and BaA and BaP in Guanghzou. Although the toxic equivalent quotient (TEQ) for PAHs met the limit concentration requirements of the national standard, the potential health risks due to long-term exposure to HMW PAHs cannot be ignored because the incremental lifetime cancer risk (ILCR) was consistently in the risk threshold range (>1 × 10-6). Some suggestions on enhanced treatment approaches and land use standards are proposed to further alleviate the risk from HMW PAHs.

Addition of (bio)surfactants in the biofiltration of hydrophobic volatile organic compounds in air

The removal of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) in air is of utmost importance to safeguard both environmental quality and human well-being. However, the low aqueous solubility of hydrophobic VOCs results in poor removal in waste gas biofilters (BFs). In this study, we evaluated the addition of (bio)surfactants in three BFs (BF1 and BF2 mixture of compost and wood chips (C + WC), and BF3 filled with expanded perlite) to enhance the removal of cyclohexane and hexane from a polluted gas stream. Experiments were carried out to select two (bio)surfactants (i.e., Tween 80 and saponin) out of five (sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS), Tween 80, surfactin, rhamnolipid and saponin) from a physical-chemical (i.e., decreasing VOC gas-liquid partitioning) and biological (i.e., the ability of the microbial consortium to grow on the (bio)surfactants) point of view. The results show that adding Tween 80 at 1 critical micelle concentration (CMC) had a slight positive effect on the removal of both VOCs, in BF1 (e.g., 7.0 ± 0.6 g cyclohexane m-3 h-1, 85 ± 2% at 163 s; compared to 6.7 ± 0.4 g cyclohexane m-3 h-1, 76 ± 2% at 163 s and 0 CMC) and BF2 (e.g., 4.3 ± 0.4 g hexane m-3 h-1, 27 ± 2% at 82 s; compared to 3.1 ± 0.7 g hexane m-3 h-1, 16 ± 4% at 82 s and 0 CMC), but a negative effect in BF3 at either 1, 3 and 9 CMC (e.g., 2.4 ± 0.4 g hexane m-3 h-1, 30 ± 4% at 163 s and 1 CMC; compared to 4.6 ± 1.0 g hexane m-3 h-1, 43 ± 8% at 163 s and 0 CMC). In contrast, the performance of all BFs improved with the addition of saponin, particularly at 3 CMC. Notably, in BF3, the elimination capacity (EC) and removal efficiency (RE) doubled for both VOCs (i.e., 9.1 ± 0.6 g cyclohexane m-3 h-1, 49 ± 3%; 4.3 ± 0.3 g hexane m-3 h-1, 25 ± 3%) compared to no biosurfactant addition (i.e., 4.5 ± 0.4 g cyclohexane m-3 h-1, 23 ± 3%; hexane 2.2 ± 0.5 g m-3 h-1, 10 ± 2%) at 82 s. Moreover, the addition of the (bio)surfactants led to a shift in the microbial consortia, with a different response in BF1-BF2 compared to BF3. This study evaluates for the first time the use of saponin in BFs, it demonstrates that cyclohexane and hexane RE can be improved by (bio)surfactant addition, and it provides recommendations for future studies in this field.

Optimizing ciprofloxacin removal through regulations of trophic modes and FNA levels in a moving bed biofilm reactor performing sidestream partial nitritation

The performance of partial nitritation (PN)-moving bed biofilm reactor (MBBR) in removal of antibiotics in the sidestream wastewater has not been investigated so far. In this work, the removal of ciprofloxacin was assessed under varying free nitrous acid (FNA) levels and different trophic modes. For the first time, a positive correlation was observed between ciprofloxacin removal and FNA levels, either in the autotrophic PN-MBBR or in the mixotrophic PN-MBBR, mainly ascribed to the FNA-stimulating effect on heterotrophic bacteria (HB)-induced biodegradation. The maximum ciprofloxacin removal efficiency (∼98 %) and removal rate constant (0.021 L g-1 SS h-1) were obtained in the mixotrophic PN-MBBR at an average FNA level of 0.056 mg-N L-1, which were 5.8 and 51.2 times higher than the corresponding values in the autotrophic PN-MBBR at 0 mg FNA-N L-1. Increasing FNA from 0.006 to 0.056 mg-N L-1 would inhibit ammonia oxidizing bacteria (AOB)-induced cometabolism and metabolism from 10.2 % and 6.9 % to 6.2 % and 6.4 %, respectively, while HB-induced cometabolism and metabolism increased from 31.2 % and 22.7 % to 41.9 % and 34.5 %, respectively. HB-induced cometabolism became the predominant biodegradation pathway (75.9 %-85.8 %) in the mixotrophic mode. Less antimicrobial biotransformation products without the piperazine or fluorine were newly identified to propose potential degradation pathways, corresponding to microbial-induced metabolic types and FNA levels. This work shed light on enhancing antibiotic removal via regulating both FNA accumulation and organic carbon addition in the PN-MBBR process treating sidestream wastewater.

Response behavior of antibiotic resistance genes and human pathogens to slope gradient and position: An environmental risk analysis in sloping cultivated land

Soils, especially in farmlands, are key media for the transmission of antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs) and their hosts from the environment to humans. Sloping farmland is an important agricultural resource, but there lack of studies on the fate and risk of ARGs in sloping land. Also, the behavior and drivers of ARGs in response to slope gradient and position are unclear. Here, metagenomics was used to investigate the profiles of ARGs, mobile genetic elements, and microbial communities in soils from lands of five slope gradients (5°, 10°, 15°, 20°, and 25°) with two slope positions (uphill and downhill). Results showed that while the abundance (except 15°) and diversity (except 20°) of ARGs increased as the slope gradient increased, the diversity of ARGs with health risk, especially the high-risk ones, decreased. For slope positions, abundant and diverse ARGs were more likely to accumulate at downhill. Furthermore, 52 bacterial genera and 12 human pathogenic bacteria (HPB) species were identified as the potential hosts for ARGs with high risk, and abundant HPB species were also detected in the soils with low gradients at downhill. Moreover, the structural equation model analysis revealed that the slope gradient and the slope position have both direct and indirect effects on the abundance of ARGs. Further correlation analysis revealed that the slope gradient has a positive effect (p < 0.05) on nitrite nitrogen in the soils. Also, the slope position has a negative effect (p < 0.05) on total phosphorus and microbial nitrogen, while positively affected (p < 0.05) on particulate nitrogen and microbial carbon, which were the key factors driving the behavior of ARGs. Overall, this study provided comprehensive information on ARGs with health risks and their potential pathogenic hosts in sloping farmland. It can be important for controlling antibiotic resistance transmission and be consistent with the One Health framework.

Composting post-anaerobic digestion for emerging contaminant biodegradation: Impacts of operating conditions

Sustainable manure management technologies are needed, and combining anaerobic digestion (AD) for energy generation and aerobic composting (AC) to stabilize digestate and remove emerging contaminants (ECs), including veterinary pharmaceuticals and steroid hormones, is promising. This study identified post-AD, AC operating conditions that maximized degradation of study ECs, expected to be present in cattle manure digested using treated municipal wastewater as the water source. Study ECs included sulfamethoxazole (SMX), chlortetracycline (CTC), oxytetracycline (OTC), estrone (E1), and naproxen (NPX). Composting conditions were simulated in bench-scale reactors, with microorganisms from digestate produced in an AD system (25L scale), by varying temperatures, pH, and carbon source compositions (representing food waste/manure co-digestion with different residence times). Results indicate maximum SMX biodegradation occurred at 35°C, pH 7, and with high levels of easily degradable carbon (≥99%, 99%, and 98%), and maximum E1 biodegradation occurred at 35°C, and with low levels of easily degradable carbon (≥97% and 99%). Abiotic degradation was responsible for the nearly complete removal of tetracyclines under all conditions and for partial degradation of NPX (between 20% and 48%). Microorganisms originating from the AD system putatively capable of SMX and E1 biodegradation, or of contributing to biodegradation during the AC phase, were identified, including phylotypes previously shown to biodegrade SMX (Brevundimonas and Alcaligenes).

Biofilms retard the desorption of benzo(a)pyrene from polyethylene pellets in the marine environment

Microplastics are emerging as vectors for the transport hydrophobic organic compounds (HOCs) in aquatic environments, however, their impact is poorly understood due to the lack of field studies. In this study, the pristine and benzo(a)pyrene (B[a]P) adsorbed polyethylene (PE) pellets were placed at Haihe Estuary (Tianjin, China) for 80 days to investigate desorption behavior. Combining laboratory and in situ experiments, this study firstly verified that the intra-particle diffusion was the rate-limiting step for the desorption process of B[a]P from PE microplastics under different environmental conditions. By hindering the desorption and modifying MPs surface, biofilm might play a key role in desorption process, leading to the apparent hysteresis of the field desorption process at our time scale. Potential degradation of the polymer and B[a]P by biofilms, however, would support continuing desorption. The study explored the interaction of biofilm and MPs-contaminants mixture and its implications for the environmental fate of HOCs.

Role of different natural materials in reducing nitrogen loss during industrial sludge composting: Modelling and optimization

In this study, the effects of pumice, expanded perlite, and expanded vermiculite on nitrogen loss were examined for industrial sludge composting using the Box-Behnken experimental design. The independent factors and their levels were selected as amendment type, amendment ratio, and aeration rate, and codded as x₁, x₂, and x₃ at 3 levels (low, center, and high). The statistical significance of independent variables and their interactions were determined at 95% confidence limits by Analysis of Variance. The quadratic polynomial regression equation produced to predict the responses was solved and the optimum values of the variables were predicted by analyzing the three-dimensional response surfaces plots. The optimum conditions for minimum nitrogen loss by the regression model were as pumice of amendment type, 40% of amendment ratio, and 6 L/min of aeration rate. In this study, it was observed that time-consuming and laborious laboratory work can be minimized with the Box-Behnken experimental design.

Risk control of antibiotics, antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs) and antibiotic resistant bacteria (ARB) during sewage sludge treatment and disposal: A review

Sewage sludge is an important reservoir of antibiotics, antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs), and antibiotic resistant bacteria (ARB) in wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs), and the reclamation of sewage sludge potentially threats human health and environmental safety. Sludge treatment and disposal are expected to control these risks, and this review summarizes the fate and controlling efficiency of antibiotics, ARGs, and ARB in sludge involved in different processes, i.e., disintegration, anaerobic digestion, aerobic composting, drying, pyrolysis, constructed wetland, and land application. Additionally, the analysis and characterization methods of antibiotics, ARGs, and ARB in complicate sludge are reviewed, and the quantitative risk assessment approaches involved in land application are comprehensively discussed. This review benefits process optimization of sludge treatment and disposal, with regard to environmental risks control of antibiotics, ARGs, and ARB in sludge. Furthermore, current research limitations and gaps, e.g., the antibiotic resistance risk assessment in sludge-amended soil, are proposed to advance the future studies.

Transmission and retention of antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs) in chicken and sheep manure composting

Transmission of ARGs during composting with different feedstocks (i.e., sheep manure (SM), chicken manure (CM) and mixed manure (MM, SM:CM= 3:1 ratio) was studied by metagenomic sequencing. 53 subtypes of ARGs for 22 types of antibiotics were identified as commonly present in these compost mixes; among them, CM had higher abundance of ARGs, 1.69 times than that in SM, while the whole elimination rate of CM, MM and SM were 55.2%, 54.7% and 42.9%, respectively. More than 50 subtypes of ARGs (with 8.6%, 11.4% and 20.9% abundance in the initial stage in CM, MM and SM composting) were "diehard" ARGs, and their abundance grew significantly to 56.5%, 63.2% and 69.9% at the mature stage. These "diehard" ARGs were transferred from initial hosts of pathogenic and/or probiotic bacteria to final hosts of thermophilic bacteria, by horizontal gene transfer (HGT) via mobile gene elements (MGEs), and became rooted in composting products.

Molecular insights into the chemodiversity of dissolved organic matter and its interactions with the microbial community in eco-engineered bauxite residue

Dissolved organic matter (DOM) plays an important role in the biogeochemical function development of bauxite residue. Nevertheless, the DOM composition at the molecular level and its interaction with microbial community during soil formation of bauxite residue driven by eco-engineering strategies are still relatively unknown. In the present study, the DOM composition at the molecular level and its interactions with the microbial community in amended and revegetated bauxite residue were explored. The results showed that the amendment applications and revegetation enhanced the accumulation of unsaturated molecules with high values of double bond equivalent (DBE) and nominal oxidation of carbon (NOSC) and aromatic compounds with high values of modified aromaticity index (AI_mod) as well as the reduction of average weighted molecular mass of DOM molecules. Significant correlations between DOM molecules and the microbial community and Fe/Al oxides were found. DOM molecules were decomposed by the microbial community and sequestered onto Fe/Al oxides, which were the main driving factors that changed DOM chemodiversity in the amended and revegetated bauxite residue. These findings are beneficial for understanding the biogeochemical behaviours of DOM and providing a critical basis for the development of eco-engineering strategies towards soil formation and the sustainable revegetation of bauxite residue.

Metagenomic insight of fluorene-boosted sludge acidogenic fermentation: Metabolic transformation of amino acids and monosaccharides

Fluorene (Flu) occurs widely in various environments and its toxicity to organisms is well-known. However, the impact of Flu on complicated biochemical processes involving functional microbial community has been reported rarely. In this study, the facilitation of Flu on the volatile fatty acids (VFAs) generation executed by acidogenic microbial population during sludge acidogenic fermentation (37 °C, SRT = 8 d, pH = 10.0) was investigated. The accumulation of VFAs (particularly acetic acid) increased initially and then declined with the increasing of Flu concentration (0-500 mg/kg dry sludge), which reached a maximum (3211.1 mg COD/L) as Flu content was 200 mg/kg dry sludge. The Flu-enhanced VFAs production was primarily attributed to the shift of hydrolysis/acidification, as well as the corresponding functional microbial community and the activity of enzymes. Based on the metagenomics analysis, the conversion of organic substrates, i.e. amino acid and monosaccharide, into VFAs embraced in hydrolysis/acidification shaped by Flu was constructed at the genetic level. The relative abundances of genes included in aminotransfer and deamination process of amino acid and glycolysis of monosaccharide into VFA-precursors (pyruvate, acetyl-CoA and propionyl-CoA), and the further formation of VFAs were improved due to the Flu presence. This study shed light on the Flu-affected microbial processes at the molecular biology level during acidogenic fermentation and was of great significance in resource recovery of sludge containing persistent organic pollutants.

Acidithiobacillus sp. applied to sewage sludge bioleaching: perspectives for process optimization through the establishment of optimal operational parameters

Using Acidithiobacillus sp. during bioleaching assays is a well-known biological approach to solubilizing metals within sewage sludge. However, sludge dewatering has also been reported as a secondary treatment benefit. Based on a literature review, the present work provides perspectives regarding the enhancement of bioleaching outcomes on a laboratory scale by establishing optimal operational parameters. Data from different studies suggest that greater bioleaching efficiency may be achieved using a 10% (v/v) mixed inoculum of Acidithiobacillus thiooxidans and Acidithiobacillus ferrooxidans in a ratio of 4:1, supplemented with ferrous sulfate (FeSO4) and elemental sulfur (S0), and an initial system pH near 6.0. However, operational parameters must be established according to the type of sludge being treated due to differences in their compositions. Bioleaching duration is also an aspect that must be considered since treatments conducted for longer than 48 h increased the concentration of Extracellular Polymeric Substances (EPS), a characteristic associated with reducing dewaterability performance.

Feasibility of Biochar Derived from Sewage Sludge to Promote Sustainable Agriculture and Mitigate GHG Emissions-A Review

Sewage sludge (SS) has been connected to a variety of global environmental problems. Assessing the risk of various disposal techniques can be quite useful in recommending appropriate management. The preparation of sewage sludge biochar (SSB) and its impacts on soil characteristics, plant health, nutrient leaching, and greenhouse gas emissions (GHGs) are critically reviewed in this study. Comparing the features of SSB obtained at various pyrolysis temperatures revealed changes in its elemental content. Lower hydrogen/carbon ratios in SSB generated at higher pyrolysis temperatures point to the existence of more aromatic carbon molecules. Additionally, the preparation of SSB has an increased ash content, a lower yield, and a higher surface area as a result of the rise in pyrolysis temperature. The worldwide potential of SS output and CO₂-equivalent emissions in 2050 were predicted as factors of global population and common disposal management in order to create a futuristic strategy and cope with the quantity of abundant global SS. According to estimations, the worldwide SS output and associated CO₂-eq emissions were around 115 million tons dry solid (Mt DS) and 14,139 teragrams (Tg), respectively, in 2020. This quantity will rise to about 138 Mt DS sewage sludge and 16985 Tg CO₂-eq emissions in 2050, a 20% increase. In this regard, developing and populous countries may support economic growth by utilizing low-cost methods for producing biochar and employing it in local agriculture. To completely comprehend the benefits and drawbacks of SSB as a soil supplement, further study on long-term field applications of SSB is required.

Effects of cadmium exposure on intestinal microflora of Cipangopaludina cathayensis

As one of the most environmentally toxic heavy metals, cadmium (Cd) has attracted the attention of researchers globally. In particular, Guangxi, a province in southwestern China, has been subjected to severe Cd pollution due to geogenic processes and anthropogenic activities. Cd can be accumulated in aquatic animals and transferred to the human body through the food chain, with potential health risks. The aim of the present study was to explore the effects of waterborne Cd exposure (0.5 mg/L and 1.5 mg/L) on the intestinal microbiota of mudsnail, Cipangopaludina cathayensis, which is favored by farmers and consumers in Guangxi. Gut bacterial community composition was investigated using high-throughput sequencing of the V3–V4 segment of the bacterial 16S rRNA gene. Our results indicated that C. cathayensis could tolerate low Cd (0.5 mg/L) stress, while Cd exposure at high doses (1.5 mg/L) exerted considerable effects on microbiota composition. At the phylum level, Proteobacteria, Bacteroidetes, and Firmicutes were the dominant phyla in the mudsnail gut microbiota. The relative abundances of Bacteroidetes increased significantly under high Cd exposure (H14) (p < 0.01), with no significant change in the low Cd exposure (L14) treatment. The dominant genera with significant differences in relative abundance were Pseudomonas, Cloacibacterium, Acinetobacter, Dechloromonas, and Rhodobacter. In addition, Cd exposure could significantly alter the pathways associated with metabolism, cellular processes, environmental information processing, genetic information processing, human diseases, and organismal systems. Notably, compared to the L14 treatment, some disease-related pathways were enriched, while some xenobiotic and organic compound biodegradation and metabolism pathways were significantly inhibited in the H14 group. Overall, Cd exposure profoundly influenced community structure and function of gut microbiota, which may in turn influence C. cathayensis gut homeostasis and health.

The molecular characteristics of dissolved organic matter in urbanized river sediments and their environmental impact under the action of microorganisms

The complex relationships between the molecular composition of dissolved organic matter (DOM) and microbial communities are essential for maintaining the stability of aquatic ecosystems. This study comprehensively analyzed the characteristics and potential effects of DOM molecular composition as well as the relationship between microbial communities and DOM molecular composition in sediments from the Beiyun River, Beijing, China. The results showed that the content of DOM in Beiyun River sediments was 9.93-41.57 g/kg, mainly composed of lignin-like (36.75%) and protein-like (17.79%) substances. Compared with other rivers affected by anthropogenic activities, the higher content of labile substances in the Beiyun River increased the risk of nutrient release. At the same time, 1402 molecules remained stable in each sample, most of which were refractory lignin-like substances and protein-like substances carrying ester groups. The agricultural section contained more common DOM molecules than the urban section, mainly tannin-like and lignin-like substances with unsaturated or cyclic structures. And, the intensity of anthropogenic activities was the main reason affecting the diversity of unique DOM molecular in each sample. Moreover, Dechloromonas as the dominant genus of Proteobacteria was closely related to the biological modification of low unsaturated (DBE < 15) condensed aromatic compounds (P < 0.05). Anaerolineaceae and Anaerolineae belonging to the Chloroflexi phylum have the potential to degrade medium and high molecular weight (M/Z > 400) liable substances (P < 0.05) and release lignin-like substances. In addition, the proportion of protein-like substances can indirectly reflect the risk of nutrient release in sediments affected by urbanization. Thus, the results of this study further reveal the impact of urbanization on rivers, and provide theoretical basis and guidance for pollution control of the Beiyun River and other urbanized rivers worldwide.

Performance evaluation of rhamnolipids addition for the biodegradation and bioutilization of petroleum pollutants during the composting of organic wastes with waste heavy oil

Environmental pollution caused by petroleum hydrocarbons is being paid more and more attention worldwide. Surfactants are able to improve the solubility of petroleum hydrocarbons, but their effects on petroleum hydrocarbon degradation in composting systems are still unclear. In this study, the effects on microbial community succession were investigated by adding petroleum hydrocarbons and rhamnolipids during composting of organic wastes. The results showed that the compost and the addition of rhamnolipids could effectively reduce the petroleum hydrocarbon content with an efficiency of 73.52%, compared to 53.81% for the treatment without addition. Network analyses and Structural Equation Model suggested that there were multiple potential petroleum degraders microbes that might be regulated by nitrogen. The findings in this study can also provide an implication for the treatment of petroleum hydrocarbon pollutants from oil-polluted soil, and the technology can be potentially applied on an industrial scale in practice.

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Effects of rhamnolipids on the removal of petroleum hydrocarbons were investigated

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The relationship between PDM, APDM, and environmental factors was revealed

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There was a significant correlation between nitrogen and PDM and APDM

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Rhamnolipids are bio-resources for effectively removing petroleum hydrocarbons

Novel combination of bioleaching and persulfate for the removal of heavy metals from metallurgical industry sludge

The objective of this study was to remove heavy metals from metallurgical industry sludge by bioleaching alone and bioleaching combined with persulfate (PDS). The results showed that the removal of Cu, Zn, Pb, and Mn reached 70%, 83.8%, 25.2%, and 76.9% by bioleaching alone after 18 days, respectively. The experiment of bioleaching combined with PDS was carried out in which the optimal additive dosage of K₂S₂O₈, 8 g/L, was added to bioleaching after 6 d. After 1 h, the removal of four heavy metals reached 75.1, 84.3, 36.7, and 81.6%, respectively. Compared with bioleaching alone, although the increase in removal efficiency was only slightly increased, the treatment cycle was distinctly shortened from 18 to 6 days + 1 h. The scanning electron microscopy (SEM) results showed that the surface morphology of the sludge was changed significantly by the combined treatment. The content of heavy metals was significantly reduced after bioleaching combined with PDS by energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDX). Through electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) and free radical quenching experiments, it was indicated that sulfate radicals [Formula: see text] plays a leading role in the combined treatment. The treated sludge mainly existed in a stable form, and the bioavailability was reduced with European Community Bureau of Reference (BCR) morphology analysis. This study proved that the combination of bioleaching and PDS could not only shorten the treatment cycle but also further improve the efficiency of heavy metal leaching. It provides a novel treatment method for the removal of heavy metals from metallurgical industry sludge.

Study on dynamic changes of microbial community and lignocellulose transformation mechanism during green waste composting

There are few reports on the material transformation and dominant microorganisms in the process of greening waste (GW) composting. In this study, the target microbial community succession and material transformation were studied in GW composting by using MiSeq sequencing and PICRUSt tools. The results showed that the composting process could be divided into four phases. Each phase of the composting appeared in turn and was unable to jump. In the calefactive phase, microorganisms decompose small molecular organics such as FA to accelerate the arrival of the thermophilic phase. In the thermophilic phase, thermophilic microorganisms decompose HA and lignocellulose to produce FA. While in the cooling phase, microorganisms degrade HA and FA for growth and reproduction. In the maturation phase, microorganisms synthesize humus using FA, amino acid and lignin nuclei as precursors. In the four phases of the composting, different representative genera of bacteria and fungi were detected. Streptomyces, Myceliophthora and Aspergillus, maintained high abundance in all phases of the compost. Correlation analysis indicated that bacteria, actinomycetes and fungi had synergistic effect on the degradation of lignocellulose. Therefore, it can accelerate the compost process by maintaining the thermophilic phase and adding a certain amount of FA in the maturation phase.

In-situ active Bisphenol A-degrading microorganisms in mangrove sediments

Bisphenol A (BPA), as both an endocrine disrupting compound and an important industrial material, is broadly distributed in coastal regions and may cause adverse effects on mangrove ecosystems. Although many BPA degraders have been isolated from various environments, the in-situ active BPA-degrading microorganisms in mangrove ecosystem are still unknown. In this study, DNA-based stable isotope probing in combination with high-throughput sequencing was adopted to pinpoint the microbes actually involved in BPA metabolism in mangrove sediments. Five bacterial genera were speculated to be associated with BPA degradation based on linear discriminant analysis (LDA) effect size (LEfSe) analysis, including Truepera, Methylobacterium, Novosphingobium, Rhodococcus and Rhodobacter. The in-situ BPA degraders were different between mudflat and forest sediments. The Shannon index of microbes in heavy fractions was significantly lower than that in light fractions. Besides, phylogenetic investigation of communities by reconstruction of unobserved states (PICRUSt) demonstrated that the functional genes relevant to cytochrome P450, benzoate degradation, bisphenol degradation and citrate cycle were up-regulated significantly in in-situ BPA-degrading microbes. These findings greatly expanded the knowledge of indigenous BPA metabolic microorganisms in mangrove ecosystems.

Co-composting of biochar and nitrogen-poor organic residues: Nitrogen losses and fate of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons

Composting recycles nutrients and biodegrades organic pollutants, but often results in N leaching. Biochar can enhance the composting process and reduce N losses. Research, however, has focused on composting N-rich residues; also, information on the fate of biochar polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) during composting is scarce. We explored the composting of biochar with N-poor organic residues as a strategy to reduce N losses and biochar PAHs. A small-scale composting experiment was performed with three treatments: 100% yard residues and two mixtures of 85% yard residues and 15% gasification- or pyrolysis-derived biochar. Temperatures were recorded daily during composting and Nlosses and changes in PAHs loads were calculated. Results across all treatments showed overall low N losses, likely caused by low temperatures and N contents, circumneutral pH values, and absence of leachate, and simultaneous immobilization and mineralization of PAH contents. Treatments with biochar showed a slower release of inorganic N (NO₃--N and NH₄⁺-N), although they also had overall lower inorganic N contents. This slower release of inorganic N may relate to biochar's high surface area. We conclude that biochar provides valuable benefits for N-poor composting, and that composting should be further explored as a promising strategy to reduce the contents of PAHs in biochar.

Sediment and their bacterial communities in an industrialized estuary after Hurricane Harvey

Estuaries experience variable physicochemical conditions, especially after hurricanes and due to anthropogenic sources of pollution. Their microbial communities are not as well understood in terms of community structure and diversity, particularly in response to stresses from pollution and severe events. This study presents a 16S rRNA-based description of sediment microbial communities in the Houston Ship Channel-Galveston Bay estuary after Hurricane Harvey in 2017. A total of 11 sites were sampled, and microbial genomic DNA was isolated from sediment. The presence and abundance of specific bacterial and archaeal taxa in the sediment indicated pollutant inputs from identified legacy sources. The abundance of certain microbial groups was explained by the mobilization of contaminated sediment and sediment transport due to Harvey. Several microorganisms involved in the biodegradation of xenobiotics were observed. The spatial occurrence of Dehalococcoidia, a degrader of persistent polychlorinated compounds, was explained in relation to sediment properties and contaminant concentrations.

Effects of phase separation on dewaterability promotion and heavy metal removal of sewage sludge during bioleaching

Bioleaching is of increasing interest because of its high efficiency in improving sludge dewaterability and removing heavy metals from sewage sludge. However, in traditional single-phase bioleaching, a high-efficiency level cannot be maintained continuously, wherein the microbial synergistic effect is disrupted at a low pH environment. Therefore, in this study, a series of multi-compartment-baffled flow trials were performed to assess the effects of phase separation on sludge bioleaching by comparing a two-phase trial with two single-phase trials. Energy substrate and part of the bioleached sludge were introduced separately into two compartments to form two phases, namely selection phase and bioleaching phase. The results show that phase separation apparently shortened the start-up duration of sludge bioleaching from 7 days in a single-phase bioleaching to 4 days in two-phase bioleaching. The dewaterability of bioleached sludge was also enhanced by phase separation with relative decreases of 25.0-33.3% for specific resistance to filtration and 14.2% for capillary suction time, which was attributed to lower pH values, zeta potential closer to zero, and less dissolved organic matter in bioleached sludge after two-phase bioleaching. Phase separation generally increased the removal ratios of heavy metals during sludge bioleaching by -0.79 to 2.60%, 11.06 to 15.04%, 4.45 to 11.03%, 17.98 to 23.46%, 7.20 to 9.28%, -9.22 to -2.46%, and -6.72 to -10.68% for As, Cd, Cr, Cu, Ni, Pb, and Zn, respectively. Phase separation also enriched the Acidithiobacillus spp. and reduced the inactivation of acid-tolerant fungi, which can be conducive to better synergistic effect, and therefore maintain long-term stable state in the bioleaching phase of the two-phase bioleaching process.

Water recycle system in an artificial closed ecosystem - Lunar Palace 1: Treatment performance and microbial evolution

Water recycle systems have important implications to realize material circulation in biological regeneration life support systems, which is of significance for long-term space missions and future planetary base. Based on membrane biological activated carbon reactor (MBAR) technologies, the 'Lunar Palace 365' experiment established various treatment processes for condensate wastewater, domestic wastewater, urine, and used nutrient solutions. The 370-day operation data showed the COD_Mn index of purified condensate wastewater decreased to 0.74 ± 0.15 mg/L, which met the standards for drinking water quality. The average removal rate of organic contaminants in domestic wastewater by the MBAR was 85.7% ± 10.2%, and this MBAR also had a stable nitrification performance with effluent NO₃^--N concentrations fluctuating from 145.57 mg/L to 328.59 mg/L. Moreover, the purification of urine achieved the conversion of urea-N to NH₄⁺-N and thus the partial recovery of nitrogen. 16S rDNA sequencing results revealed the evolution of microbial diversity and composition during the long-term operation. Meiothermus, Rhodanobacter, and Ochrobactrum were the dominant microorganisms in various MBARs.

Composting and its application in bioremediation of organic contaminants

This review investigates the findings of the most up-to-date literature on bioremediation via composting technology. Studies on bioremediation via composting began during the 1990s and have exponentially increased over the years. A total of 655 articles have been published since then, with 40% published in the last six years. The robustness, low cost, and easy operation of composting technology make it an attractive bioremediation strategy for organic contaminants prevalent in soils and sediment. Successful pilot-and large-scale bioremediation of organic contaminants, e.g., total petroleum hydrocarbons, plasticizers, and persistent organic pollutants (POPs) by composting, has been documented in the literature. For example, composting could remediate >90% diesel with concentrations as high as 26,315 mg kg^−a of initial composting material after 24 days. Composting has unique advantages over traditional single- and multi-strain bioaugmentation approaches, including a diverse microbial community, ease of operation, and the ability to handle higher concentrations. Bioremediation via composting depends on the diverse microbial community; thus, key parameters, including nutrients (C/N ratio = 25–30), moisture (55–65%), and oxygen content (O₂ > 10%) should be optimized for successful bioremediation. This review will provide bioremediation and composting researchers with the most recent finding in the field and stimulate new research ideas.

Bioleaching rather than chemical conditioning using Fe[III]/CaO or polyacrylamide mitigates antibiotic resistance in sludge composting via pre-removing antibiotic resistance genes and limiting horizontal gene transfer

Conditioning can drastically improve the dewaterability of sewage sludge and is widely practiced in most wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs). Sludge conditioning was also reported as a crucial step in sludge treatment to attenuate antibiotic resistance, but it remains unclear whether the attenuated antibiotic resistance by conditioning treatments would guarantee low abundance of antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs) in the compost products of municipal sewage sludge. Herein, the impacts of three conditioning treatments, including bioleaching and chemical conditioning using Fe[III]/CaO or polyacrylamide (PAM), on the abundances of 20 ARGs and 4 mobile genetic elements (MGEs) during conventional aerobic composting of dewatered sludge were investigated. It was found that the absolute and relative abundances of total ARGs in compost product of bioleached sludge accounted for only 13.8%-28.8% of that in compost products of un-conditioned, Fe[III]/CaO-conditioned, or PAM-conditioned sludges. Besides, bioleaching conditioning resulted in the lowest abundances of ARG subtypes and ARG-associated bacteria in the sludge compost product. The shift of ARG profiles in the bioleached sludge composting can be mainly ascribed to the ARG-associated bacteria, while the MGEs drove the ARG profiles during conventional composting of un-conditioned sludge and the two chemically conditioned sludge. Thus, bioleaching conditioning is superior to the chemical conditioning using Fe[III]/CaO or PAM in mitigating antibiotic resistance in sludge compost products, which was contributed by the pre-removal of ARGs prior to composting treatment and the potential limitation of ARGs transfer during conventional composting.

Ascomycetes versus Spent Mushroom Substrate in Mycoremediation of Dredged Sediments Contaminated by Total Petroleum Hydrocarbons: The Involvement of the Bacterial Metabolism

Two mycoremediation approaches for the depletion of the total petroleum hydrocarbons in dredged sediments were compared: co-composting with spent mushroom substrate (SMS) from Pleurotus ostreatus and bioaugmentation with Lambertella sp. MUT 5852, an ascomycetes autochthonous to the sediment, capable of utilizing diesel oil its sole carbon source. After 28 days of incubation, 99% depletion was observed in presence of Lambertella sp. MUT 5852. No total petroleum hydrocarbon depletion was observed in sediment co-composting with the SMS after 60 days of incubation. 16S rDNA metabarcoding of the bacterial community was performed to evaluate the potential synergism between fungi and bacteria in the bioremediation process. The functional metagenomic prediction approach indicated that the biodiversity of the bacterial genera potentially involved in the degradation of TPH was higher in sediment bioaugmented with Lambertella sp. MUT 5852, which resulted in being mandatory for TPH depletion. Mechanisms of co-substrate inhibition of the hydrocarburoclastic bacterial species, due to the bioavailable organic matter of the SMS, are suggested to be involved in the observed kinetics of TPH depletion, failing in the case of SMS and successful in the case of Lambertella sp. MUT 5852.

Coupled biodegradation of p-nitrophenol and p-aminophenol in bioelectrochemical system: Mechanism and microbial functional diversity

Biodegradation mechanisms and microbial functional diversity during coupled p-nitrophenol (PNP) and p-aminophenol (PAP) degradation were studied in a bioelectrochemical system. PNP in the biocathode and PAP in the bioanode were almost completely removed within 28hr and 68hr respectively. The degradation followed the steps including hydrating hydroxyalkylation, dehydrogenating carbonylation, and hydrolating ring cleavage, etc. Metagemomic analysis based on the KEGG and eggNOG database annotations revealed the microbial composition and functional genes/enzymes related to phenol degradation in the system. The predominant bacteria genera were Lautropia, Pandoraea, Thiobacillus, Ignavibacterium, Truepera and Hyphomicrobium. The recognized biodegradation genes/enzymes related to pollutant degradation were as follows: pmo, hbd, & ppo for phenol degradation, nzba, amie, & badh for aromatic degradation, and CYP & p450 for xenobiotics degradation, etc. The co-occurrence of ARGs (antibiotic resistant genes), such as adeF, MexJ, ErmF, PDC-93 and Escherichia_coli_mdfA, etc., were annotated in CARD database during the biodegradation process. The Proteobacteria & Actinobacteria phylum was the primary host of both the biodegradation genes & ARGs in this system. The microbial functional diversity ensured the effective biodegradation of the phenol pollutants in the bioelectrochemical system.

Effect of biochar-immobilized Sphingomonas sp. PJ2 on bioremediation of PAHs and bacterial community composition in saline soil

This study aimed to investigate the bioremediation efficiency and bacterial regulation mechanism of biochar-immobilized bacterium (BM) in polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon (PAH)-contaminated saline soil by conducting pot experiments. In BM treatment, PAH-degrading strain Sphingomonas sp. PJ2 was inoculated into biochar produced at 400 °C and 600 °C using the pine needles (BM400 and BM600). The removal rates of PAHs, soil physicochemical properties, abundance of PAH-ring hydroxylating dioxygenase (PAH-RHD), and bacterial community composition were determined. After 60 days of bioremediation, BM treatment significantly (P < 0.05) increased the removal rate of PAHs compared with biochar and PJ2 alone (15.94% and 37.3%, respectively). BM treatment clearly improved the physicochemical properties of saline soil. Moreover, the amount of Gram-positive PAH degraders increased in BM-treated soils compared with other treatments, and their gene abundance had a strong positive correlation with the removal rates of PAHs in soils (r = 0.896; P < 0.01). Furthermore, BM treatment increased the abundance of Sphingomonas genus, indicating that the strain PJ2 could survive and colonize in PAH-contaminated saline soil under the protection of biochar. This study provided an effective and green approach for the remediation and improvement of the PAH-contaminated saline soil.

Fate and biodegradation characteristics of triclocarban in wastewater treatment plants and sewage sludge composting processes and risk assessment after entering the ecological environment

Triclocarban (TCC) has a high detection frequency in soil, rivers, sediments, and organisms, and its ecological risks have attracted substantial attention. In this study, we analyzed the fate of TCC in four wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) in Zhengzhou, China, the biodegradation characteristics during the composting process, and the ecological risks of TCC when entering different environmental compartments. The concentration of TCC in the influent was 731.1-812.4 ng/L. More than 53.4% of TCC was biodegraded during the wastewater treatment process, and less than 2.5% was retained in the effluent. TCC was effectively removed through microbial degradation and sewage sludge absorption, and there were only minor differences in the different wastewater treatment processes. It is worth noting that more than 38% of TCC was enriched in sewage sludge (1430.1-1663.8 ng/g). The corresponding biodegradation rates of TCC were 65.7% and 82.8% in sewage sludge after 17 days of composting treatment with sawdust and straw as bulking agents, respectively. The estimated results showed that effluent discharge into the city rivers was safe. Composting could effectively degrade TCC and decrease the ecological risk of TCC when applied to sewage sludge.

Impact of initial sludge pH on enhancing the dewaterability of waste activated sludge by zero-valent iron-activated peroxydisulphate

In this study, the usefulness of the ZVI/S2O82- system in enhancing the dewaterability of waste activated sludge was studied at different initial sludge pH levels to reveal the associated mechanisms. Results showed that conditioning of sludge by the ZVI/S2O82- system at acidic initial sludge pHs enhanced sludge filterability and the dryness of dewatered sludge cake, while only the sludge filterability was improved at neutral initial sludge pH. In particular, the conditioning treatment using 0.353 g/g DS of ZVI and Na₂S₂O₈ with a mole ratio of 1.25:1, at initial sludge pH 2.52, was the optimum condition to improve sludge dewaterability, which reduced the moisture content of dewatered sludge cake to only 69.8% and meanwhile reduced sludge CST and SRF to only 70.9% and 40.7% of that of raw sludge, respectively. During the conditioning treatment, sludge microbial cell lysis resulting from decreasing the initial sludge pH led to the reduction in the moisture content of dewatered sludge cake, while the oxidation of sludge EPS and the coagulation of the disrupted sludge flocs achieved by the ZVI/S2O82- system improved sludge filterability. A kaolin suspension experiment revealed that with a decrease in system pH, the oxidation effect was gradually inhibited and the coagulation effect offset the disruption effect on sludge flocs to improve the filterability of sludge. Therefore, the conditioning of waste activated sludge using the ZVI/Na₂S₂O₈ system at acidic initial sludge pHs is useful to enhance the sludge filterability and the dryness of dewatered sludge cake, both of which are crucial for improving sludge dewatering performance.

Using Vinegar Residue-Based Carrier Materials to Improve the Biodegradation of Phenanthrene in Aqueous Solution

A large amount of vinegar residue (VR) is generated every year in China, causing serious environmental pollutions. Meanwhile, as a kind of persistent organic pollutants, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) ubiquitously exist in environments. With a goal of reusing VR and reducing PAHs pollutions, we herein isolated one B. subtilis strain, ZL09-26, which can degrade phenanthrene and produce biosurfactants. Subsequently, raw VR was dried under different temperatures (50 °C, 80 °C, 100 °C and 120 °C) or pyrolyzed under 350 °C and 700 °C, respectively. After being characterized by various approaches, the treated VR were mixed with ZL09-26 as carriers to degrade phenanthrene. We found that VR dried at 50 °C (VR50) was the best in promoting the growth of ZL09-26 and the degradation of phenanthrene. This result may be attributed to the residual nutrients, suitable porosity and small surface charge of VR50. Our results demonstrate the potential of VR in the biodegradation of phenanthrene, which may be meaningful for developing new VR-based approaches to remove PAHs in aqueous environments.

Occurrence and dissipation mechanism of organic pollutants during the composting of sewage sludge: A critical review

Sewage sludge contains various classes of organic pollutants, limiting its land application. Sludge composting can effectively remove some organic pollutants. This review summarizesrecent researches on concentration changes and dissipation of different organic pollutants including persistent organic pollutants during sludge composting, and discusses their dissipation pathways and the current understanding on dissipation mechanism. Some organic pollutants like PAHs and phthalates were removed mainly through biodegradation or mineralization, and their dissipation percentages were higher than those of PCDD/Fs and PCBs. Nevertheless, some recalcitrant organic pollutants could be sequestrated in organic fractions of sludge mixtures, and their levels and ARG abundance even increased after sludge composting in some studies, posing potential risks for land application. This review demonstrated that microbial community and their corresponding degradation for organic pollutants were influenced by different pollutants, bulking agents, composting methods and processes. Further research perspectives on removing organic pollutants during sludge composting were highlighted.

The evaluation of immobilization behavior and potential ecological risk of heavy metals in bio-char with different alkaline activation

The bio-char was prepared by co-pyrolysis of municipal sewage sludge and biomass with chemical activation. The alkaline activating agents of KOH and K₂CO₃ were used to develop multilevel pore structure without heavy metal. The proximate analysis, ultimate analysis, SEM, and surface area and porosity analyzer were applied to present the physico-chemical properties and multilevel pore structure of bio-char. After impregnation pretreatment, the KOH provided more functional ingredients and reacted with C to expand pore structure for bio-chars. It was confirmed the specific surface area reached 2122.43 m²/g, and micropore area was 1674.85 m²/g after co-pyrolysis at 800 °C. Through the pretreatment of alkaline activation, the novel evaluation of heavy metal immobilization behavior in bio-char matrix were investigated by BCR sequential extraction and leaching tests. The KOH activation showed prominent immobilization behavior relatively, and the K₂CO₃ activation had more noticeable effects on leaching behavior. For Cu, Ni, Cr, Cd, Pb, and Zn, after co-pyrolysis at 900 °C, the proportion of unstable fraction decreased significantly, and the residual fractions of heavy metals were above 89.44% according to BCR sequential extraction procedure. Under optimal pyrolysis temperature, the E_r value of bio-char reduced to 41.93, and the potential ecological risks decreased from considerable risk to low risk to ensure the further eco-friendly application.

Microbial succession and degradation during kitchen waste biodrying, highlighting the thermophilic phase

Biodrying in conjunction with compound stone amendment was used to treat kitchen waste, which improved biodrying. After 16 days, the pile moisture content decreased from 68.8% to 23.0%. Lignin, cellulose and hemicellulose concentrations decreased from 104.6 mg g^-1 d.b., 322.9 mg g^-1 d.b. and 155.9 mg g^-1 d.b., respectively, to 74.0 mg g^-1 d.b., 224.8 mg g^-1 d.b. and 134.5 mg g^-1 d.b., respectively. The Shannon index for bacteria increased from 2.5 to 3.1, while for fungi, it decreased from 4.6 to 0.6. The relative abundances of Amino Acid Metabolism and Carbohydrate Metabolism exceeded 7%. The thermophilic phase during the process inactivated the pathogenic microorganisms, increased the bacterial diversity, decreased the fungal diversity, and potentially improved the metabolism of nutrients, including amino acids, carbohydrates, lipids and vitamins. The biomarker analysis and predicated protein sequences provide genetic evidence to elucidate why the thermophilic phase is the peak time for nutrient metabolism.

Effects of anaerobic granular sludge towards the treatment of flowback water in an up-flow anaerobic sludge blanket bioreactor: Comparison between mesophilic and thermophilic conditions

Cost-effective treatment of flowback water remains a challenge for the sustainability of shale gas development. This study evaluated the efficiency of anaerobic granular sludge (AnGS) technology for flowback water treatment under mesophilic and thermophilic conditions. The granule characteristics and metagenomic characterization were also investigated. Thermophilic AnGS achieved 70.9% of COD removal and 362 NmL/d of methane production, higher than those for mesophilic AnGS (60.0% and 241 NmL/d). Thermophilic AnGS had higher extracellular polymeric substances content but low granular size and settleability. Metagenomic analysis revealed the genes related to hydrolysis acidification and carbohydrate metabolism were upregulated during thermophilic condition. Thermophilic condition most likely improved the hydrolysis of complex organics in the flowback water such as guar gum and hydrolyzed polyacrylamide, and led to higher COD removal and methane production. These results suggest that AnGS technology is a promising alternative for the treatment of flowback water, particularly when operated at thermophilic condition.

Long-term biogas slurry application increased antibiotics accumulation and antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs) spread in agricultural soils with different properties

Animal manures are commonly applied to soil which possibly promote the spread of antibiotic resistance from soil to human beings via food chains. Biogas slurry is an end product of anaerobic digestion of animal manures, which has been widely applied as fertilizers in the agricultural soil. However, effect of long-term biogas slurry application on the soil antibiotic resistance and the associated mechanism still remains unclear. The present study characterized antibiotics, antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs), mobile genetic elements (MGEs) and bacterial community, in different agricultural soils unamended (BS-) and amended (BS+) with biogas slurry (8-18 years) in five field experiments. Our results indicated that long-term application of biogas slurry largely increased the concentrations of tetracyclines in soils, and greatly increased the abundances of ARGs, transposase gene (Tn916/1545) and ARGs-associated bacteria. Long-term application of biogas slurry led to tetracyclines accumulation and ARGs enrichment in agricultural soil, and the selection pressure from tetracyclines and the increase of Tn916/1545 abundace become potential contributors for the increase of soil antibiotic resistance via promoting the enrichment of ARG-associated bacteria. The results of the present study should be taken into consideration to develop policy and practice for mitigating the enrichment and spread of antibiotic resistance during the recycling of biogas slurry into agricultural soil.

Linking microbial community structure with molecular composition of dissolved organic matter during an industrial-scale composting

This study explored the interactions between dissolved organic matter (DOM) composition and microbial community structure during an industrial-scale composting by Fourier transform ion cyclotron resonance mass spectrometry and 16S rRNA sequencing analysis. The results revealed that DOM from matured compost contained primarily lignins/carboxylic-rich alicyclic molecules (73.6%), the higher double bond equivalent (5.97) and aromaticity index (0.18), indicating that the molecular composition of DOM had changed substantially. Drastic changes in microbial community structure were also observed along with the DOM transformation process of composting. Network analysis further indicated that Caldicoprobacter, Bacillus, and Dechloromonas were associated with the most DOM subcategories. Caldicoprobacter could degrade carbohydrates, Bacillus accelerated the humification by transforming N-containing compounds, and Dechloromonas could degrade polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons distributed in low O/C. These findings are helpful for understanding the molecular mechanisms of DOM transformation and humification of sludge composting.

Simultaneously attenuating antibiotic resistance genes and improving the dewaterability of sewage sludge by conditioning with Fenton's reagent: the pivotal role of sludge pre-acidification

Fenton conditioning processes have been recently employed to improve the dewaterability of sewage sludge. However, it remains unclear whether the conditioning with Fenton's reagent would simultaneously attenuate antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs) in sludge and improve sludge dewaterability. It was found in the present study that sludge pre-acidification played a pivotal role in simultaneously removing ARGs and improving sludge dewaterability by conditioning with Fenton's reagent. When the sewage sludge was pre-acidified to pH = 3.0 and was then conditioned using Fenton's reagent, the absolute abundances of the total ARGs and the total mobile genic elements (MGEs) in conditioned sludge were reduced by 1.85-2.10 and 2.84-3.12 log units, respectively. Additionally, sludge capillary suction time (CST) and specific resistance to filtration (SRF) were drastically reduced, and the moisture content (MC) in dewatered sludge cake was reduced to only 60.61-69.95%. Such effective attenuation of ARGs and MGEs in conditioned sludge led to their removal in both the dewatered sludge cakes and dewatering filtrate. However, only the improvement of sludge dewaterability was attained by sludge conditioning with Fenton's reagent but without sludge pre-acidification. During the conditioning treatment, the removal of loosely bound extracellular polymeric substance (EPS) and tightly bound EPS in conditioned sludge contributed to the improvement of sludge dewaterability, and the damage of sludge microbial cells was highly correlated with the attenuation of antibiotic resistance. Thus, sludge pre-acidification combined with conditioning using Fenton's reagent can be employed to simultaneously attenuate the antibiotic resistance in sewage sludge and improve sludge dewaterability.

High-sensitive detection of fluorene by ambient ionization mass spectrometry

High sensitive analysis for fluorene at the sub-ng L⁻¹ level in real water samples was achieved by nebulization-dielectric barrier discharge ionization.

Material conversion, microbial community composition and metabolic functional succession during green soybean hull composting

In this study, green soybean hulls and maize straw were used for composting to explore the dynamics of material conversion, bacterial and fungal communities and metabolic functions. The results showed that bacterial and fungal communities had different temporal successions during composting. The bacterium Streptosporangiaceae was a biomarker in the thermophilic stage of composting, and the fungus Chaetomiaceae was a biomarker in the thermophilic stage and cooling stage. In the bacterial network, the germination index (GI) had a time-delayed association with Truepera, Pseudomonas and Methylococcaceae, which represented the key physicochemical characteristics that affect the community. In the fungal community, the GI, pH, fulvic acid (FA) and temperature etc. had a joint effect. Carbohydrate metabolism and amino acid metabolism were the main metabolic pathways, and saprotrophs represented the dominant fungal trophic mode in the composting process. These results provide a reference from screening specific and efficient agents to accelerate natural vegetable composting.

An Overview and Evaluation of Highly Porous Adsorbent Materials for Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons and Phenols Removal from Wastewater

Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) and phenolic compounds had been widely recognized as priority organic pollutants in wastewater with toxic effects on both plants and animals. Thus, the remediation of these pollutants has been an active area of research in the field of environmental science and engineering. This review highlighted the advantage of adsorption technology in the removal of PAHs and phenols in wastewater. The literature presented on the applications of various porous carbon materials such as biochar, activated carbon (AC), carbon nanotubes (CNTs), and graphene as potential adsorbents for these pollutants has been critically reviewed and analyzed. Under similar conditions, the use of porous polymers such as Chitosan and molecularly imprinted polymers (MIPs) have been well presented. The high adsorption capacities of advanced porous materials such as mesoporous silica and metal-organic frameworks have been considered and evaluated. The preference of these materials, higher adsorption efficiencies, mechanism of adsorptions, and possible challenges have been discussed. Recommendations have been proposed for commercialization, pilot, and industrial-scale applications of the studied adsorbents towards persistent organic pollutants (POPs) removal from wastewater.

Residuals, sludge, and biosolids: Advancements in the field

Advancements in the field of residuals, sludge, and biosolids have been made in 2019. This review outlines the major contributions of researchers that have been published in peer-reviewed journals and conference proceedings throughout 2019 and includes brief summaries from over 125 articles. The review is organized in sections including life cycle and risk assessments; characteristics, quality, and measurement including micropollutants, nanoparticles, pathogens, and metals; sludge treatment technologies including dewatering, digestion, composting, and wetlands; disposal and reuse including adsorbents, land application and agricultural uses, nutrient recovery, and innovative uses; odor and air emissions; and energy issues.

Leaching behaviors and speciation of cadmium from river sediment dewatered using contrasting conditioning

Chemical conditioning is an effective strategy for improved river sediment dewatering affecting both the dewatering efficiency and subsequent resource utilization of the dewatered cake. Two types of conditioning agents, polyaluminium chloride (PAC)/cationic polyacrylamide (PAM) (coagulation precipitation conditioning agent, referred to as P-P conditioning) and ferrous activated sodium persulfate (advanced oxidation conditioning agent, referred to as F-S conditioning) were examined. With increasing leach liquid to solid (L/S) ratio the concentration of Cd for the real time leachates from the dewatered cakes decreased, but the leaching ratio of Cd in both P-P and F-S dewatered cakes increased. With the same L/S, the leaching ratio was reduced for both types of conditioning, as compared to no conditioning, with the leaching ratio being least with F-S conditioning. The leaching ratio of Cd in the dewatered cake with L/S of 100 L kg^-1 was reduced from 21.3% of the total Cd present for the un-conditioned sediment to 12.5% upon P-P conditioning and 11.6% upon F-S conditioning. Furthermore, the different conditioning methods affected the Cd speciation in the dewatered cakes reducing the easy-to-leach speciation of exchangeable and carbonate-bound Cd species and increasing the potential-to-leach speciation of iron-manganese oxide and organically bound Cd species and also the difficult-to-leach species. Risk assessment indicates that the risk due to Cd leaching from the dewatered cakes at L/S of 100 L kg^-1 was reduced from high risk to medium risk after P-P and F-S conditioning with reduced bioavailability.

Ultrasonic coupled bioleaching pretreatment for enhancing sewage sludge dewatering: Simultaneously mitigating antibiotic resistant genes and changing microbial communities

In this study, ultrasonic as a pretreatment coupled with bioleaching was used to enhance sludge dewaterability. Changes in microbial diversity and antibiotic resistant genes (ARGs) were studied during the combined treatment process. The results show that under optimal conditions, combined ultrasonic and bioleaching treatment led to decreases in the specific resistance of filtration and bioleaching time by 7.59% and 12.5%, respectively, compared with single bioleaching process. Using high pressure filtration system, the water content of sludge cake treated by the combined treatment was decreased to 58.04%, which was 10.04% lower than bioleaching sludge. After combined treatment, the microbial diversity and the total number of bacteria in the sludge decreased significantly, which caused the decreases in the absolute abundance of sulfonamide and tetracycline ARGs by 1.56-1.58 and 0.34-1.23 log units, respectively. However, the decrease in the total bacterial biomass was greater than the decrease in the number of potential hosts carrying the tetracycline ARG, resulting in an increase in the relative abundance of tetracycline gene. Furthermore, this study proposed a mechanism of the dewatering and ARGs, involving the combined ultrasonic and bioleaching treatment: Firstly, ultrasonic cavitation causes extracellular polymeric substances (EPS) to fall off the surface of sludge; Secondly, this faster and directly makes bacteria cells affected by bio-acidification and bio-oxidation. In this case, the cells could be more easily destroyed by the combined ultrasonic and bioleaching treatment, compared with individual bioleaching treatment; As a result, stronger dewaterability and more removal rates of ARGs were achieved under the combined treatment. The economic analyses showed that the combined ultrasonic and bioleaching treatment is a more practical and economical technique for achieving deep dewatering of sludge.

Proteomic mechanism of decabromodiphenyl ether (BDE-209) biodegradation by Microbacterium Y2 and its potential in remediation of BDE-209 contaminated water-sediment system

The investigation of BDE-209 degradation by Microbacterium Y2 under different condition was conducted. Cell membrane permeability, cell surface hydrophobicity (CSH), membrane potential (MP) and reactive oxygen species (ROS) production were altered under BDE-209 stress. Eleven debrominated congeners were identified, suggesting that BDE-209 biodegradation by Microbacterium Y2 was dominantly a successive debromination process. Proteome analysis showed that the overexpression of haloacid dehalogenases, glutathione S-transferases (GSTs) and ATP-binding cassette (ABC) transporters might occupy important roles in BDE-209 biotransformation. Meanwhile, heat shock proteins (HSPs), ribonuclease E, oligoribonuclease (Orn) and ribosomal protein were activated to counter the BDE-209 toxicity. The up-regulated pyruvate dehydrogenase E1 component beta subunit and dihydrolipoamide dehydrogenase suggested that the pyruvate metabolism pathway was activated. Bioaugmentation of BDE-209 polluted water-sediments system with Microbacterium Y2 could efficiently improve BDE-209 removal. The detection of total 16S rRNA genes in treatment system suggested that Microbacterium (25.6 %), Luteimonas (14.3 %), Methylovorus (12.6 %), Hyphomicrobium (9.2 %) were the dominant genera and PICRUSt results further revealed that the diminution of BDE-209 was owed to cooperation between the introduced bacteria and aboriginal ones.

Drying municipal sewage sludge with v-groove triple-pass and quadruple-pass solar air heaters along with testing of a solar absorber drying chamber

Everyday a large amount of sewage sludge is produced in cities and proper and environmentally friendly municipal wastewater treatment is needed. Finding a convenient and affordable way for sewage sludge refinement to reduce environmental pollution or even utilization of sewage sludge will be a very attractive challenge for scientists. In the recent years, sustainable and renewable energy sources like solar energy are extensively utilized in different fields including heating, electricity generation, and drying applications. In this study, V-groove triple-pass (V-TPSAH) and V-groove quadruple-pass (V-QPSAH) solar air heaters have been designed, manufactured and tested for drying municipal sewage sludge. Also, two different types of drying chambers (DC-I: conventional, DC-II: solar absorber) have been integrated with each solar heater. Experimental and numerical methods have been applied to analyze the efficiency of developed solar air heater assisted drying systems. The system's performance has been tested in different working conditions to clarify the utilization potential of manufactured system. According to the experimental results solar air heater's average efficiency are in the range of 70.12-81.70%. In addition, obtained experimental findings are in line with numerical results. The outcomes of this study present the potential of using the developed systems in drying municipal sewage sludge to be used in multi purposes.

Conditioning with zero-valent iron or Fe2+ activated peroxydisulfate at an acidic initial sludge pH removed intracellular antibiotic resistance genes but increased extracellular antibiotic resistance genes in sewage sludge

Sulfate radical (SO₄^-)-based conditioning methods, such as zero-valent iron (ZVI, i.e., Fe⁰) or ferrous iron (Fe²⁺) activated peroxydisulfate (S₂O₈^2-), have recently developed to improve sludge dewaterability, but it remains unclear how they impact the intracellular and extracellular antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs) in sewage sludge. In this study, it was found that conditioning treatments that used ZVI/S₂O₈^2- or Fe²⁺/S₂O₈^2- system, at an acidic initial sludge pH, removed the intracellular ARGs and intI1 and the extracellular intI1 from sewage sludge, but led to the accumulation of extracellular ARGs of aadA-01, aadA-02, aadA1, aadA2-03, and strB in conditioned sludge. During sludge conditioning with ZVI/S₂O₈^2- or Fe²⁺/S₂O₈^2-, bacterial hosts of ARGs and intI1 were seriously lysed to release the intracellular ARGs and intI1 to the extracellular environment, thus removing intracellular ARGs and intI1 in sludge, while the released ARGs and intI1 were primarily degraded by the produced SO₄^- to attenuate most extracellular ARGs and intI1. However, the relatively lower degradation ability of SO₄^- for extracellular ARGs of aadA-01, aadA-02, aadA1, aadA2-03, and strB led to their accumulation in conditioned sludge. Therefore, SO₄^--based conditioning methods can be employed to reduce ARGs in sludge, but the subsequent treatment of sludge dewatering filtrate requires more attention.

Ultrasound-assisted leaching of vanadium from fly ash using lemon juice organic acids

In this work, vanadium (V) was selectively extracted from fuel-oil fly ash using a leaching process utilizing organic acids extracted from lemon juice with assistance from ultrasound and H₂O₂. Response Surface Methodology (RSM) was used to optimize the main operating factors. The V recovery was 88.7% at the optimal conditions: 27.9% (v/v) lemon juice, 10% (v/v) hydrogen peroxide (H₂O₂), solid/liquid (S/L) ratio 0.01% (w/v), ultrasound power 159 W at 20 kHz in 2 h, and initial temperature of 35 °C. The effect of time on the V recovery was examined. The maximum recovery was 100% after 3 h. Furthermore, the individual effects of ultrasound and H₂O₂ on V recovery were studied, and the results showed that without H₂O₂ and ultrasound, the V recovery decreased greatly, indicating that both factors were essential in the leaching process. According to the modified shrinking core model, test results indicated that mass diffusion was the controlling step of the overall reaction kinetics. The activation energy of the leaching reaction in the temperature range 25 to 65 °C was found to be 17.1 kJ mol⁻¹.

In this work, vanadium (V) was selectively extracted from fuel-oil fly ash using a leaching process utilizing organic acids extracted from lemon juice with assistance from ultrasound and H₂O₂.