1
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Huang S, Zhang B, Cui F, He Y, Shi J, Yang X, Lens PNL, Shi W. Mechanisms underlying the detrimental impact of micro(nano)plastics on the stability of aerobic granular sludge: Interactions between micro(nano)plastics and extracellular polymeric substances. JOURNAL OF HAZARDOUS MATERIALS 2024; 478:135512. [PMID: 39151361 DOI: 10.1016/j.jhazmat.2024.135512] [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: 05/11/2024] [Revised: 07/16/2024] [Accepted: 08/12/2024] [Indexed: 08/19/2024]
Abstract
Microplastics (MPs) and nanoplastics (NPs) present in wastewater can pose a negative impact to aerobic granular sludge (AGS). Herein, this study found that MPs and NPs (20 mg/L) deteriorated the sludge settleability and granule integrity, resulting in a 15.7 % and 21.9 % decrease in the total nitrogen removal efficiency of the AGS system, respectively. This was possibly due to the reduction of the extracellular polymeric substances (EPS) content. The subsequent analysis revealed that tyrosine, tryptophan, and humic acid-like substances in EPS exhibited a higher propensity for chemisorption and inhomogeneous multilayer adsorption onto NPs compared to MPs. The binding of EPS onto the surface of plastic particles increased the electronegativity of the MPs, but facilitated the aggregation of NPs through reducing the electrostatic repulsion, thereby mitigating the adverse effects of MPs/NPs on the AGS stability. Additionally, comprehensive analysis of the extended Derjaguin-Landau-Verwey-Overbeek theory indicated that the suppressed aggregation of microorganisms was the internal mechanisms contributing to the inadequate stability of AGS induced by MPs/NPs. This study provides novel insights into the detrimental mechanisms of MPs/NPs on the AGS stability, highlighting the key role of EPS in maintaining the structural stability of AGS when exposed to MPs/NPs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shuchang Huang
- College of Environment and Ecology, Chongqing University, Chongqing 400044, China
| | - Bing Zhang
- College of Environment and Ecology, Chongqing University, Chongqing 400044, China.
| | - Fuyi Cui
- College of Environment and Ecology, Chongqing University, Chongqing 400044, China
| | - Yuankai He
- College of Environment and Ecology, Chongqing University, Chongqing 400044, China
| | - Jinyu Shi
- College of Environment and Ecology, Chongqing University, Chongqing 400044, China
| | - Xinyu Yang
- College of Environment and Ecology, Chongqing University, Chongqing 400044, China
| | - Piet N L Lens
- UNESCO-IHE, Institute for Water Education, Westvest 7, 2601 DA Delft, the Netherlands
| | - Wenxin Shi
- College of Environment and Ecology, Chongqing University, Chongqing 400044, China.
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2
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Yang X, Niu S, Li M, Niu Y, Shen K, Dong B, Hur J, Li X. Leaching behavior of microplastics during sludge mechanical dewatering and its effect on activated sludge. WATER RESEARCH 2024; 266:122395. [PMID: 39255567 DOI: 10.1016/j.watres.2024.122395] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/03/2024] [Revised: 08/16/2024] [Accepted: 09/03/2024] [Indexed: 09/12/2024]
Abstract
Dewatering is an indispensable link in sludge treatment, but its effect on the microplastics (MPs) remains inadequately understood. This study investigated the physicochemical changes and leaching behavior of MPs during the mechanical dewatering of sludge, as well as the impact of MP leachates on activated sludge (AS). After sludge dewatering, MPs exhibit rougher surfaces, decreased sizes and altered functional groups due to the addition of dewatering agents and the application of mechanical force. Meanwhile, plastic additives, depolymerization products, and derivatives of their interactions are leached from MPs during sludge dewatering process. The concentration of MP-based leachates in sludge is 2-25 times higher than that in water. The enhancement of pH and ionic strength caused by dewatering agents induces the release of MP leachates enriched with protein-like, fulvic acid-like, and soluble microbial by-product-like substances. The reflux of MP leachates in sludge dewatering liquor to the wastewater treatment system negatively impacts AS, leading to a decrease in COD removal rate and inhibition of the extracellular polymeric substances secretion. More importantly, MP leachates cause oxidative stress to microbial cells and alter the microbial community structure of AS at the phylum and genus levels. These findings confirm that MPs undergo aging and leaching during sludge dewatering process, and MP leachates may negatively affect the wastewater treatment system.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xingfeng Yang
- School of Environmental and Chemical Engineering, Shanghai University, Shanghai 200444, PR China
| | - Shiyu Niu
- School of Environmental and Chemical Engineering, Shanghai University, Shanghai 200444, PR China
| | - Man Li
- School of Environmental and Chemical Engineering, Shanghai University, Shanghai 200444, PR China
| | - Yulong Niu
- School of Environmental and Chemical Engineering, Shanghai University, Shanghai 200444, PR China
| | - Kailiang Shen
- School of Environmental and Chemical Engineering, Shanghai University, Shanghai 200444, PR China
| | - Bin Dong
- State Key Laboratory of Pollution Control and Resources Reuse, National Engineering Research Center for Urban Pollution Control, College of Environmental Science and Engineering, Tongji University, Shanghai 200092, PR China.
| | - Jin Hur
- Department of Environment and Energy, Sejong University, 209 Neungdong-ro, Gwangjin-gu, Seoul 05006, South Korea
| | - Xiaowei Li
- School of Environmental and Chemical Engineering, Shanghai University, Shanghai 200444, PR China.
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3
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Pompa-Pernía A, Molina S, Cherta L, Martínez-García L, Landaburu-Aguirre J. Treatment of Synthetic Wastewater Containing Polystyrene (PS) Nanoplastics by Membrane Bioreactor (MBR): Study of the Effects on Microbial Community and Membrane Fouling. MEMBRANES 2024; 14:174. [PMID: 39195426 DOI: 10.3390/membranes14080174] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/08/2024] [Revised: 08/02/2024] [Accepted: 08/03/2024] [Indexed: 08/29/2024]
Abstract
The persistent presence of micro- and nanoplastics (MNPs) in aquatic environments, particularly via effluents from wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs), poses significant ecological risks. This study investigated the removal efficiency of polystyrene nanoplastics (PS-NPs) using a lab-scale aerobic membrane bioreactor (aMBR) equipped with different membrane types: microfiltration (MF), commercial ultrafiltration (c-UF), and recycled ultrafiltration (r-UF) membranes. Performance was assessed using synthetic urban wastewater spiked with PS-NPs, focusing on membrane efficiency, fouling behavior, and microbial community shifts. All aMBR systems achieved high organic matter removal, exceeding a 97% COD reduction in both the control and PS-exposed reactors. While low concentrations of PS-NPs did not significantly impact the sludge settleability or soluble microbial products initially, a higher accumulation increased the carbohydrate concentrations, indicating a protective bacterial response. The microbial community composition also adapted over time under polystyrene stress. All membrane types exhibited substantial NP removal; however, the presence of nano-sized PS particles negatively affected the membrane performance, enhancing the fouling phenomena and increasing transmembrane pressure. Despite this, the r-UF membrane demonstrated comparable efficiency to c-UF, suggesting its potential for sustainable applications. Advanced characterization techniques including pyrolysis gas chromatography/mass spectrometry (Py-GC/MS) were employed for NP detection and quantification.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anamary Pompa-Pernía
- IMDEA Water Institute, Avenida Punto Com, 2, Alcalá de Henares, 28805 Madrid, Spain
- Chemical Engineering Department, University of Alcalá, Ctra. Madrid-Barcelona Km 33.600, Alcalá de Henares, 28871 Madrid, Spain
| | - Serena Molina
- IMDEA Water Institute, Avenida Punto Com, 2, Alcalá de Henares, 28805 Madrid, Spain
| | - Laura Cherta
- IMDEA Water Institute, Avenida Punto Com, 2, Alcalá de Henares, 28805 Madrid, Spain
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4
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Biao W, Hashim NA, Rabuni MFB, Lide O, Ullah A. Microplastics in aquatic systems: An in-depth review of current and potential water treatment processes. CHEMOSPHERE 2024; 361:142546. [PMID: 38849101 DOI: 10.1016/j.chemosphere.2024.142546] [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: 11/23/2023] [Revised: 05/29/2024] [Accepted: 06/04/2024] [Indexed: 06/09/2024]
Abstract
Plastic products, despite their undeniable utility in modern life, pose significant environmental challenges, particularly when it comes to recycling. A crucial concern is the pervasive introduction of microplastics (MPs) into aquatic ecosystems, with deleterious effects on marine organisms. This review presents a detailed examination of the methodologies developed for MPs removal in water treatment systems. Initially, investigating the most common types of MPs in wastewater, subsequently presenting methodologies for their precise identification and quantification in aquatic environments. Instruments such as scanning electron microscopy, dynamic light scattering, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, Raman spectroscopy, surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy, and Raman tweezers stand out as powerful tools for studying MPs. The discussion then transitions to the exploration of both existing and emergent techniques for MPs removal in wastewater treatment plants and drinking water treatment plants. This includes a description of the core mechanisms that drive these techniques, with an emphasis on the latest research developments in MPs degradation. Present MPs removal methodologies, ranging from physical separation to chemical and biological adsorption and degradation, offer varied advantages and constraints. Addressing the MPs contamination problem in its entirety remains a significant challenge. In conclusion, the review offers a succinct overview of each technique and forwards recommendations for future research, highlighting the pressing nature of this environmental dilemma.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wang Biao
- Department of Chemical Engineering, Faculty of Engineering, Universiti Malaya, 50603, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
| | - N Awanis Hashim
- Department of Chemical Engineering, Faculty of Engineering, Universiti Malaya, 50603, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia; Sustainable Process Engineering Centre (SPEC), Department of Chemical Engineering, Faculty of Engineering, Universiti Malaya, Kuala Lumpur, 50603, Malaysia.
| | - Mohamad Fairus Bin Rabuni
- Department of Chemical Engineering, Faculty of Engineering, Universiti Malaya, 50603, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia; Sustainable Process Engineering Centre (SPEC), Department of Chemical Engineering, Faculty of Engineering, Universiti Malaya, Kuala Lumpur, 50603, Malaysia.
| | - Ong Lide
- Department of Chemical Engineering, Faculty of Engineering, Universiti Malaya, 50603, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
| | - Aubaid Ullah
- Department of Chemical Engineering, Faculty of Engineering, Universiti Malaya, 50603, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
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5
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Sakali A, Egea-Corbacho A, Coello D, Albendín G, Arellano J, Rodríguez-Barroso R. Analysis of microplastics in the reuse of compost in three agricultural sites (Cádiz, Spain) as a circular economy strategy: detection of micropollutants and incidence of plastic ingestion levels by annelids. ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE AND POLLUTION RESEARCH INTERNATIONAL 2024; 31:51747-51759. [PMID: 39126584 PMCID: PMC11374815 DOI: 10.1007/s11356-024-34615-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/01/2024] [Accepted: 07/30/2024] [Indexed: 08/12/2024]
Abstract
The system of fertilizing agricultural soils with sludge or compost from wastewater treatment processes, as one of the principles of the circular economy, can lead to microplastic (MP) contamination. The existing technical standards for fertilization are very recent and do not consider this problem, although there is scientific evidence of their existence. Therefore, this study, on the one hand, evaluates the presence of MPs in agricultural soils, previously treated with sludge or compost from wastewater treatment plants for fertilization, and on the second hand, it studies the effect of these MPs on earthworms in three different locations in the south of Spain. For the study, selected composts deriving from the different stages of the composting process and three fertilized soils with increasing MP doses were followed. Samples were taken from different sections in depth (0-5, 5-10, and 10-20 cm) to study the shape, size, type, and abundance of MPs using infrared spectroscopy (FTIR). The results showed that the most abundant shape was fiber, followed by fragment and finally bulk, for both composts and soils. Regarding size distribution, 100 µm was the predominant size in composts (64.3% ± 9.8), while in the case of soils, the predominant range was from 100 to 500 µm. The prevalent polymers in both, composts and soils, were PTFE, TPE, PP, and PET, with four times higher amounts in composts than in soils. Ingestion of common MPs were also verified in two earthworm species, which ingested concentrations higher than 2.1% w/w. PP was the most ingested MP and Eisenia fetida was more voracious compared with Lumbricus terrestris. Therefore, it can be considered a suitable bioindicator for monitoring microplastic contamination in agricultural soil.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ayda Sakali
- Department of Environmental Technologies, Faculty of Marine and Environmental Sciences, INMAR-Marine Research Institute, CEIMAR International Campus of Excellence of the Sea, University of Cadiz, Campus Universitario de Puerto Real, 11510, Cadiz, Spain
| | - Agata Egea-Corbacho
- Department of Environmental Technologies, Faculty of Marine and Environmental Sciences, INMAR-Marine Research Institute, CEIMAR International Campus of Excellence of the Sea, University of Cadiz, Campus Universitario de Puerto Real, 11510, Cadiz, Spain
| | - Dolores Coello
- Department of Environmental Technologies, Faculty of Marine and Environmental Sciences, INMAR-Marine Research Institute, CEIMAR International Campus of Excellence of the Sea, University of Cadiz, Campus Universitario de Puerto Real, 11510, Cadiz, Spain
| | - Gemma Albendín
- Toxicology Department, International Campus of Excellence of the Sea (CEIMAR), Faculty of Marine and Environmental Sciences, University Institute of Marine Research (INMAR), University of Cádiz, 11510, Puerto Real, Spain.
| | - Juana Arellano
- Toxicology Department, International Campus of Excellence of the Sea (CEIMAR), Faculty of Marine and Environmental Sciences, University Institute of Marine Research (INMAR), University of Cádiz, 11510, Puerto Real, Spain
| | - Rocío Rodríguez-Barroso
- Department of Environmental Technologies, Faculty of Marine and Environmental Sciences, INMAR-Marine Research Institute, CEIMAR International Campus of Excellence of the Sea, University of Cadiz, Campus Universitario de Puerto Real, 11510, Cadiz, Spain
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6
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Carnevale Miino M, Galafassi S, Zullo R, Torretta V, Rada EC. Microplastics removal in wastewater treatment plants: A review of the different approaches to limit their release in the environment. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2024; 930:172675. [PMID: 38670366 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2024.172675] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/11/2024] [Revised: 04/02/2024] [Accepted: 04/20/2024] [Indexed: 04/28/2024]
Abstract
In last 10 years, the interest about the presence of microplastics (MPs) in the environment has strongly grown. Wastewaters function as a carrier for MPs contamination from source to the aquatic environment, so the knowledge of the fate of this emerging contaminant in wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) is a priority. This work aims to review the presence of MPs in the influent wastewater (WW) and the effectiveness of the treatments of conventional WWTPs. Moreover, the negative impacts of MPs on the management of the processes have been also discussed. The work also focuses on the possible approaches to tackle MPs contamination enhancing the effectiveness of the WWTPs. Based on literature results, despite WWTPs are not designed for MPs removal from WW, they can effectively remove the MPs (up to 99 % in some references). Nevertheless, they normally act as "hotspots" of MPs contamination considering the remaining concentration of MPs in WWTPs' effluents can be several orders of magnitude higher than receiving waters. Moreover, MPs removed from WW are concentrated in sewage sludge (potentially >65 % of MPs entering the WWTP) posing a concern in case of the potential reuse as a soil improver. This work aims to present a paradigm shift intending WWTPs as key barriers for environmental protection. Approaches for increasing effectiveness against MPs have been discussed in order to define the optimal point(s) of the WWTP in which these technologies should be located. The need of a future legislation about MPs in water and sludge is discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marco Carnevale Miino
- Department of Theoretical and Applied Sciences, University of Insubria, via J.H. Dunant 3, 21100 Varese, Italy.
| | - Silvia Galafassi
- Water Research Institute, National Research Council, Largo Tonolli 50, 28920 Verbania, Italy; NBFC, National Biodiversity Future Center, Palermo 90133, Italy.
| | - Rosa Zullo
- Water Research Institute, National Research Council, Largo Tonolli 50, 28920 Verbania, Italy.
| | - Vincenzo Torretta
- Department of Theoretical and Applied Sciences, University of Insubria, via J.H. Dunant 3, 21100 Varese, Italy.
| | - Elena Cristina Rada
- Department of Theoretical and Applied Sciences, University of Insubria, via J.H. Dunant 3, 21100 Varese, Italy.
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7
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Liu S, Su C, Lu Y, Xian Y, Chen Z, Wang Y, Deng X, Li X. Effects of microplastics on the properties of different types of sewage sludge and strategies to overcome the inhibition: A review. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2023; 902:166033. [PMID: 37543332 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2023.166033] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/21/2023] [Revised: 06/20/2023] [Accepted: 08/02/2023] [Indexed: 08/07/2023]
Abstract
Microplastics have been identified as an emerging pollutant. When microplastics enter wastewater treatment plants, the plant traps most of the microplastics in the sludge during sewage treatment. Therefore, the effects of microplastics on sludge removal performance, and on the physical and chemical properties and microbial communities in sludge, have attracted extensive attention. This review mainly describes the presence of microplastics in wastewater treatment plants, and the effects of microplastics on the decontamination efficiency and physicochemical properties of activated sludge, aerobic granular sludge, anaerobic granular sludge and anaerobic ammonium oxidation sludge. Further, the review summarizes the effects of microplastics on microbial activity and microbial community dynamics in various sludges in terms of type, concentration, and contact time. The mechanisms used to strengthen the reduction of microplastics, such as biochar and hydrochar, are also discussed. This review summarizes the mechanism by which microplastics influence the performance of different types of sludge, and proposes effective strategies to mitigate the inhibitive effect of microplastics on sludge and discusses removal technologies of microplastics in sewage. Biochar and hydrochar are one of the effective measures to overcome the inhibition of microplastics on sludge. Meanwhile, constructed wetland may be one of the important choice for the future removal of microplastics from sewage. The goal is to provide theoretical support and insights for ensuring the stable operation of wastewater treatment plants and reducing the impact of microplastics on the environment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shengtao Liu
- Key Laboratory of Ecology of Rare and Endangered Species and Environmental Protection (Guangxi Normal University), Ministry of Education, 15 Yucai Road, Guilin 541004, PR China
| | - Chengyuan Su
- Key Laboratory of Ecology of Rare and Endangered Species and Environmental Protection (Guangxi Normal University), Ministry of Education, 15 Yucai Road, Guilin 541004, PR China; College of Environment and Resources, Guangxi Normal University, 15 Yucai Road, Guilin 541004, PR China.
| | - Yiying Lu
- Key Laboratory of Ecology of Rare and Endangered Species and Environmental Protection (Guangxi Normal University), Ministry of Education, 15 Yucai Road, Guilin 541004, PR China
| | - Yunchuan Xian
- Key Laboratory of Ecology of Rare and Endangered Species and Environmental Protection (Guangxi Normal University), Ministry of Education, 15 Yucai Road, Guilin 541004, PR China
| | - Zhengpeng Chen
- Key Laboratory of Ecology of Rare and Endangered Species and Environmental Protection (Guangxi Normal University), Ministry of Education, 15 Yucai Road, Guilin 541004, PR China
| | - Yuchen Wang
- Key Laboratory of Ecology of Rare and Endangered Species and Environmental Protection (Guangxi Normal University), Ministry of Education, 15 Yucai Road, Guilin 541004, PR China
| | - Xue Deng
- Key Laboratory of Ecology of Rare and Endangered Species and Environmental Protection (Guangxi Normal University), Ministry of Education, 15 Yucai Road, Guilin 541004, PR China
| | - Xinjuan Li
- Key Laboratory of Ecology of Rare and Endangered Species and Environmental Protection (Guangxi Normal University), Ministry of Education, 15 Yucai Road, Guilin 541004, PR China
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8
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Gopalakrishnan KK, Kashian DR. Complex interactions among temperature, microplastics and cyanobacteria may facilitate cyanobacteria proliferation and microplastic deposition. ECOTOXICOLOGY AND ENVIRONMENTAL SAFETY 2023; 263:115259. [PMID: 37473702 DOI: 10.1016/j.ecoenv.2023.115259] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/27/2022] [Revised: 07/07/2023] [Accepted: 07/12/2023] [Indexed: 07/22/2023]
Abstract
Cyanobacterial blooms are a global concern prone to causing environmental and economic damages and are tightly linked to anthropogenic nutrient inputs. Likewise, microplastic pollution has also become globally ubiquitous inevitably co-occurring with blooms. However, little is known on how microplastics influence cyanobacterial physiologically and how potential physiological changes can affect their buoyancy, ultimately impacting their fate, and transport, including deposition during bloom events. Interactions of environmental relevant concentrations of high-density polyethylene microplastics (MPs) (0-0.4 mg/mL) and temperatures (2.5-32.5 °C) were evaluated to assess the effects of MPs on interactions of cyanobacteria Anabaena variabilis's growth, total organic carbon concentrations, extracellular polymeric substances (EPS) production, and MP deposition. Microplastics both stimulated and inhibited A. variabilis growth depending on the concentration. Lower MPs concentrations (0.1-0.2 mg/L) increased A. variabilis growth while higher MP concentrations (>0.3 mg/mL) impeded it across all temperatures studied. Carbon sources leached from MPs may have been a contributing factor to the increased growth at lower MPs concentration, while higher MPs concentration potentially shaded A. variabilis inhibiting its growth. Shading may have induced stress which corresponded with an observed increase in EPS production by A. variabilis when exposed to MP. Extracellular polymeric substances generation activated under adverse circumstances (MPs 0.4 mg/mL) enhanced MP deposition. Overall, our findings indicate that MPs play an important role in cyanobacterial blooms, and that these blooms may enhance MPs deposition.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Donna R Kashian
- Department of Biological Sciences, Wayne State University, Detroit, MI, USA.
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Wang H, Qiu C, Bian S, Zheng L, Chen Y, Song Y, Fang C. The effects of microplastics and nanoplastics on nitrogen removal, extracellular polymeric substances and microbial community in sequencing batch reactor. BIORESOURCE TECHNOLOGY 2023; 379:129001. [PMID: 37011839 DOI: 10.1016/j.biortech.2023.129001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/05/2023] [Revised: 03/17/2023] [Accepted: 03/30/2023] [Indexed: 05/03/2023]
Abstract
Wastewater treatment plants can be nanoplastics (NPs) and microplastics (MPs) sinks and sources. The effects of NPs and MPs on nitrogen removal and extracellular polymeric substances (EPS) during activated sludge process need further investigation. Results showed that polystyrene NPs (NPS) and 100 mg/L polystyrene MPs (MPS) decreased the specific nitrate reduction rate, resulting in nitrate accumulation. The negative effects on functional genes involved in denitrification (narG, napA, nirS and nosZ) were the main mechanism. NPS stimulated EPS secretion, but MPS inhibited it. NPS and MPS increased the ratio of protein to polysaccharide except for 10 mg/L MPS and changed the secondary structure of protein in EPS, affecting flocculation ability of activated sludge. The changes of microbial abundance in activated sludge could be the main factor to the alterations of EPS and nitrogen removal. These results may facilitate understanding the impacts of NPs and MPs on wastewater treatment processes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hua Wang
- School of Civil Engineering and Architecture, Zhejiang University of Science and Technology, Hangzhou 310023, Zhejiang, China; Key Laboratory of Recycling and Eco-treatment of Waste Biomass of Zhejiang Province, Zhejiang University of Science and Technology, Hangzhou 310023, Zhejiang, China
| | - Cheng Qiu
- School of Civil Engineering and Architecture, Zhejiang University of Science and Technology, Hangzhou 310023, Zhejiang, China
| | - Shaochen Bian
- School of Civil Engineering and Architecture, Zhejiang University of Science and Technology, Hangzhou 310023, Zhejiang, China
| | - Lei Zheng
- School of Civil Engineering and Architecture, Zhejiang University of Science and Technology, Hangzhou 310023, Zhejiang, China
| | - Yongmin Chen
- School of Civil Engineering and Architecture, Zhejiang University of Science and Technology, Hangzhou 310023, Zhejiang, China; Key Laboratory of Recycling and Eco-treatment of Waste Biomass of Zhejiang Province, Zhejiang University of Science and Technology, Hangzhou 310023, Zhejiang, China
| | - Yali Song
- School of Civil Engineering and Architecture, Zhejiang University of Science and Technology, Hangzhou 310023, Zhejiang, China; Key Laboratory of Recycling and Eco-treatment of Waste Biomass of Zhejiang Province, Zhejiang University of Science and Technology, Hangzhou 310023, Zhejiang, China.
| | - Chengran Fang
- College of Civil Engineering, Zhejiang University of Technology, Hangzhou 310023, Zhejiang, China
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10
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Li W, Li L, Li B, Peng L, Xu Y, Li R, Song K. Effect and mechanism of perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) on anaerobic digestion sludge dewaterability. CHEMOSPHERE 2023:139142. [PMID: 37290510 DOI: 10.1016/j.chemosphere.2023.139142] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/14/2023] [Revised: 05/23/2023] [Accepted: 06/04/2023] [Indexed: 06/10/2023]
Abstract
Perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) as nonbiodegradable organic pollutant, its presence and risks in wastewater treatment system has aroused wide concern. This study investigated the effect and underlying mechanism of PFOA on anaerobic digestion sludge (ADS) dewaterability. Long-term exposure experiments were set up to investigate the effect with various concentration of PFOA dosed. Experimental results suggested that the existence of high concentration PFOA (over 1000 μg/L) could deteriorate ADS dewaterability. The long-term exposure to 100,000 μg/L PFOA of ADS increased specific resistance filtration (SRF) by 81.57%. It was found that PFOA promoted the release of extracellular polymeric substances (EPS), which was strongly associated with sludge dewaterability. The fluorescence analysis revealed that the high PFOA concentration could significantly improve the percentage of protein-like substances and soluble microbial by-product-like content, and then further deteriorated the dewaterability. The FTIR results showed that long-term exposure of PFOA caused loose protein structure in sludge EPS, which led to loose sludge floc structure. The loose sludge floc structure aggravated the deterioration of sludge dewaterability. The solids-water distribution coefficient (Kd) decreased with the increase of initial PFOA concentration. Moreover, PFOA significantly affected microbial community structure. Metabolic function prediction results showed significant decrease of fermentation function exposed to PFOA. This study revealed that the PFOA with high concentration could deteriorated sludge dewaterability, which should be highly concerned.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wenkai Li
- School of Resources and Environmental Engineering, Wuhan University of Technology, Luoshi Road 122, Wuhan, Hubei, 430070, China; State Key Laboratory of Freshwater Ecology and Biotechnology, Institute of Hydrobiology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Wuhan, Hubei, 430072, China; National-Regional Joint Engineering Research Center for Soil Pollution Control and Remediation in South China, Guangdong Key Laboratory of Integrated Agro-environmental Pollution Control and Management, Institute of Eco-environmental and Soil Sciences, Guangdong Academy of Sciences, Guangzhou 510650, China
| | - Lu Li
- State Key Laboratory of Freshwater Ecology and Biotechnology, Institute of Hydrobiology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Wuhan, Hubei, 430072, China
| | - Biqing Li
- Guangzhou Sewage Purification Co. Ltd., Guangzhou, 510655, China
| | - Lai Peng
- School of Resources and Environmental Engineering, Wuhan University of Technology, Luoshi Road 122, Wuhan, Hubei, 430070, China
| | - Yifeng Xu
- School of Resources and Environmental Engineering, Wuhan University of Technology, Luoshi Road 122, Wuhan, Hubei, 430070, China
| | - Renhui Li
- College of Life and Environmental Sciences, Wenzhou University, Zhejiang, 325035, China
| | - Kang Song
- State Key Laboratory of Freshwater Ecology and Biotechnology, Institute of Hydrobiology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Wuhan, Hubei, 430072, China.
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Yazdanbakhsh A, Rafiee M, Mohammadi Z. Responses of activated sludge under a short-term exposure to facial scrub microbeads: implications from treatment performance and higher-life microbial population dynamics. WATER SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY : A JOURNAL OF THE INTERNATIONAL ASSOCIATION ON WATER POLLUTION RESEARCH 2023; 87:3031-3046. [PMID: 37387428 PMCID: wst_2023_183 DOI: 10.2166/wst.2023.183] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 07/01/2023]
Abstract
In this study, four identical laboratory-scale sequencing batch reactors (SBRs) were continuously operated with different concentrations of microbeads (MBs) (5,000-15,000 MBs/L) to investigate the stress-responses of activated sludge under the MB exposure. It was found that the overall treatment performance (organic removal) of SBRs was fairly affected by short-term exposure to low levels of MBs; however, it was adversely affected as the concentration of MBs increased. The average concentration of mixed liquor suspended solids and heterotrophic bacteria in the reactor fed with 15,000 MBs/L were 16 and 30% less than in the pristine control reactor, respectively. Batch experiments further demonstrated that fairly low concentrations of MBs favored the development of dense microbial structures. Further increasing the MB concentrations to 15,000 MBs/L, however, distinctly weakened the settling performance of sludge. Morphological observations revealed suppressed uniformity, strength, and integrity of flocs reactors with the addition of MBs. Microbial community analyses revealed that the abundance of protozoan species declined 37.5, 58, and 64%, respectively, when SBRs were exposed to 5,000; 10,000; and 15,000 MBs/L as compared with the control reactor. The present work provided new insight into the possible effects of MBs on the performances and operational parameters of activated sludge.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ahmadreza Yazdanbakhsh
- Workplace Health Promotion Research Center, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran; Department of Environmental Health Engineering, School of Public Health and Safety, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran E-mail:
| | - Mohammad Rafiee
- Department of Environmental Health Engineering, School of Public Health and Safety, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
| | - Zahra Mohammadi
- Department of Environmental Health Engineering, School of Public Health and Safety, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
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12
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Huang S, Zhang B, Zhao Z, Yang C, Zhang B, Cui F, Lens PNL, Shi W. Metagenomic analysis reveals the responses of microbial communities and nitrogen metabolic pathways to polystyrene micro(nano)plastics in activated sludge systems. WATER RESEARCH 2023; 241:120161. [PMID: 37276653 DOI: 10.1016/j.watres.2023.120161] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 22.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/29/2022] [Revised: 04/18/2023] [Accepted: 05/31/2023] [Indexed: 06/07/2023]
Abstract
Microplastics (MPs) and nanoplastics (NPs) are prevalent in sewage and pose a potential threat to nitrogen biotransformation in wastewater treatment systems. However, investigations on how MPs and NPs affect the microbial nitrogen conversion and metabolism of the activated sludge are still scanty. Herein, the responses of microbiomes and functional genes to polystyrene MPs and NPs in activated sludge systems were investigated by metagenomic analysis. Results indicated that 1 mg/L MPs and NPs had marginal impacts on the nitrogen removal performance of the activated sludge systems, whereas high concentrations of MPs and NPs (20 and 100 mg/L) decreased the total nitrogen removal efficiency (13.4%-30.6%) by suppressing the nitrogen transformation processes. Excessive reactive oxygen species induced by MPs and NPs caused cytotoxicity, as evidenced by impaired cytomembranes and decreased bioactivity. Metagenomic analysis revealed that MPs and NPs diminished the abundance of denitrifiers (e.g. Mesorhizobium, Rhodobacter and Thauera), and concurrently reduced the abundance of functional genes (e.g. napA, napB and nirS) encoding for key enzymes involved in the nitrogen transformations, as well as the genes (e.g. mdh) related to the electron donor production, thereby declining the nitrogen removal efficiency. Network analysis further clarified the attenuate association between denitrifiers and denitrification-related genes in the plastic-exposed systems, elucidating that MPs and NPs restrained the nitrogen removal by inhibiting the contributions of microorganisms to nitrogen transformation processes. This study provides vital insights into the responses of the microbial community structure and nitrogen conversion processes to micro(nano)plastics disturbance in activated sludge systems.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shuchang Huang
- College of Environment and Ecology, Chongqing University, Chongqing, 400044, China
| | - Bing Zhang
- College of Environment and Ecology, Chongqing University, Chongqing, 400044, China.
| | - Zhiwei Zhao
- College of Environment and Ecology, Chongqing University, Chongqing, 400044, China
| | - Chun Yang
- College of Environment and Ecology, Chongqing University, Chongqing, 400044, China
| | - Bing Zhang
- National Research Base of Intelligent Manufacturing Service, Chongqing Technology and Business University, Chongqing 400067, China
| | - Fuyi Cui
- College of Environment and Ecology, Chongqing University, Chongqing, 400044, China
| | - Piet N L Lens
- UNESCO-IHE, Institute for Water Education, Westvest 7, 2601, DA Delft, the Netherlands
| | - Wenxin Shi
- College of Environment and Ecology, Chongqing University, Chongqing, 400044, China.
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Vinay, Surana D, Ghosh P, Kumar M, Varjani S, Kumar V, Mannina G. Contemporary Drift in Emerging Micro(nano)plastics Removal and Upcycling Technologies from Municipal Wastewater Sludge: Strategic Innovations and Prospects. CURRENT POLLUTION REPORTS 2023; 9:174-197. [PMID: 37292232 PMCID: PMC10201030 DOI: 10.1007/s40726-023-00261-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 04/06/2023] [Indexed: 06/10/2023]
Abstract
Purpose of Review Annually, huge amounts of microplastics (MPs) are added to farmlands through sewage sludge (SS)/biosolid applications as a fertilizer. Most research emphasizes the enormity of the problem and demonstrates the fate, impacts, and toxicity of MPs during SS treatment processes and land applications. None has addressed the management strategies. To address the gaps, the current review evaluates the performance analysis of conventional and advanced sludge treatment methods in eliminating MPs from sludge. Recent Findings The review uncovers that the occurrence and characteristics of MPs in SS are highly governed by factors such as population density, speed and level of urbanization, citizens' daily habits, and treatment units in wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs). Furthermore, conventional sludge treatment processes are ineffective in eliminating MPs from SS and are accountable for the increased small-sized MPs or micro(nano)plastics (MNPs) along with altered surface morphology facilitating more co-contaminant adsorption. Simultaneously, MPs can influence the operation of these treatment processes depending on their size, type, shape, and concentration. The review reveals that research to develop advanced technology to remove MPs efficiently from SS is still at a nascent stage. Summary This review provides a comprehensive analysis of MPs in the SS, by corroborating state-of-the-knowledge, on different aspects, including the global occurrence of MPs in WWTP sludge, impacts of different conventional sludge treatment processes on MPs and vice versa, and efficiency of advanced sludge treatment and upcycling technologies to eliminate MPs, which will facilitate the development of mitigation measures from the systematic and holistic level. Graphical Abstract
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Affiliation(s)
- Vinay
- Environmental Risk Assessment and Management (EnRAM) Lab, Centre for Rural Development and Technology, Indian Institute of Technology, Delhi, New Delhi-110016, India
| | - Deepti Surana
- Environmental Risk Assessment and Management (EnRAM) Lab, Centre for Rural Development and Technology, Indian Institute of Technology, Delhi, New Delhi-110016, India
| | - Pooja Ghosh
- Environmental Risk Assessment and Management (EnRAM) Lab, Centre for Rural Development and Technology, Indian Institute of Technology, Delhi, New Delhi-110016, India
| | - Manish Kumar
- Engineering Department, Palermo University, Viale Delle Scienze, Ed.8, Palermo, 90128 Italy
| | - Sunita Varjani
- School of Energy and Environment, City University of Hong Kong, Tat Chee Avenue, Kowloon, Hong Kong
- Sustainability Cluster, School of Engineering, University of Petroleum and Energy Studies, Dehradun, Uttarakhand 248007 India
| | - Vivek Kumar
- Environmental Risk Assessment and Management (EnRAM) Lab, Centre for Rural Development and Technology, Indian Institute of Technology, Delhi, New Delhi-110016, India
| | - Giorgio Mannina
- Engineering Department, Palermo University, Viale Delle Scienze, Ed.8, Palermo, 90128 Italy
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14
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Ren Z, Guo H, Jin H, Wang Y, Zhang G, Zhou J, Qu G, Sun Q, Wang T. P, N, and C-related functional genes in SBR system promoted antibiotics resistance gene transmission under polystyrene microplastics stress. WATER RESEARCH 2023; 235:119884. [PMID: 36958218 DOI: 10.1016/j.watres.2023.119884] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/03/2022] [Revised: 02/11/2023] [Accepted: 03/14/2023] [Indexed: 06/18/2023]
Abstract
Wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) are important sinks of microplastics (MPs) and antibiotics resistance genes (ARGs). Information regarding connections between functional modules of WWTPs and spread of ARGs under MPs stress is still lacking. In this study, correlations between P-, N-, and C-related functional genes and ARGs in a sequencing batch reactor (SBR) system were evaluated under polystyrene (PS) MPs stress. Total P and chemical oxygen demand (COD) in effluent showed no significant changes under 0.5-50 mg L-1 PS MPs stress within 32 cycle treatment periods of SBR, while 0.5 mg L-1 PS MPs affected the N cycling process. PS MPs (0.5-50 mg L-1) promoted the richness and diversity of microbial community in SBR, and the denitrification process was exuberant. PS MPs with a low dosage (0.5-5 mg L-1) enhanced secretion of extracellular polymeric substances and promoted expression levels of functional genes related to C fixation, C degradation, P cycling, and N cycling. Simultaneously, aac(3)-II, blaTEM-1, and tetW increased by 27.13%, 38.36%, and 9.57% under low dosages of PS MPs stress; more importantly, the total absolute abundance of intI1 nearly doubled. 78.4% of these P-, N-, and C-related functional genes were positively correlated with intI1, thus favoring transmission of ARGs. This study firstly disclosed the underlying correlations between functional modules of WWTPs and spread of ARGs under MPs stress.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhiyin Ren
- College of Natural Resources and Environment, Northwest A&F University, Yangling, Shaanxi Province 712100, China; Key Laboratory of Plant Nutrition and the Agri-environment in Northwest China, Ministry of Agriculture, Yangling, Shaanxi 712100, China
| | - He Guo
- College of Biology and the Environment, Nanjing Forestry University, Nanjing 210037, China
| | - Hekai Jin
- College of Natural Resources and Environment, Northwest A&F University, Yangling, Shaanxi Province 712100, China; Key Laboratory of Plant Nutrition and the Agri-environment in Northwest China, Ministry of Agriculture, Yangling, Shaanxi 712100, China
| | - Yanjie Wang
- College of Natural Resources and Environment, Northwest A&F University, Yangling, Shaanxi Province 712100, China; Key Laboratory of Plant Nutrition and the Agri-environment in Northwest China, Ministry of Agriculture, Yangling, Shaanxi 712100, China
| | - Guodong Zhang
- College of Natural Resources and Environment, Northwest A&F University, Yangling, Shaanxi Province 712100, China; Key Laboratory of Plant Nutrition and the Agri-environment in Northwest China, Ministry of Agriculture, Yangling, Shaanxi 712100, China
| | - Jian Zhou
- College of Natural Resources and Environment, Northwest A&F University, Yangling, Shaanxi Province 712100, China; Key Laboratory of Plant Nutrition and the Agri-environment in Northwest China, Ministry of Agriculture, Yangling, Shaanxi 712100, China
| | - Guangzhou Qu
- College of Natural Resources and Environment, Northwest A&F University, Yangling, Shaanxi Province 712100, China; Key Laboratory of Plant Nutrition and the Agri-environment in Northwest China, Ministry of Agriculture, Yangling, Shaanxi 712100, China
| | - Qiuhong Sun
- Institute of Soil and Water Conservation, Northwest A&F University, Yangling, Shaanxi Province 712100, China
| | - Tiecheng Wang
- College of Natural Resources and Environment, Northwest A&F University, Yangling, Shaanxi Province 712100, China; Key Laboratory of Plant Nutrition and the Agri-environment in Northwest China, Ministry of Agriculture, Yangling, Shaanxi 712100, China.
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15
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Ko K, Chung H, Kim W, Kim MJ. Effects of different sizes of polystyrene micro(nano)plastics on soil microbial communities. NANOIMPACT 2023; 30:100460. [PMID: 37004806 DOI: 10.1016/j.impact.2023.100460] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/08/2023] [Revised: 03/22/2023] [Accepted: 03/28/2023] [Indexed: 06/03/2023]
Abstract
Micro(nano)plastic (MNP) pollution in soil environments is a major concern, but the effects of different sizes of MNPs on soil microbial communities, which are crucial in nutrient cycling, has not been well investigated. In this study, we aimed to determine the effects of polystyrene (PS) MNPs of different sizes (0.05-, 0.5-, and 5-μm) on soil microbial activity and community composition. Changes in inorganic N concentration, microbial biomass, and extracellular enzyme activities were determined in soils treated with 100 and 1000 μg PS MNPs g-1 soil during a 40-d incubation experiment. Soil microbial biomass was significantly lowered when soils were treated with 0.5- or 5-μm MNPs at 100 and 1000 μg PS MNPs g-1 soil. NH4+ concentration was higher in soils treated with 5-μm MNPs at 100 and 1000 μg g-1 soil than in the control soils at day 1, suggesting that MNPs inhibited the soil nitrification in short term. In contrast, extracellular enzyme activity was not altered by MNPs. The composition of microbial communities analyzed by Illumina MiSeq sequencing changed; particularly, the relative abundance of several bacteria related to N cycling, such as the genus Rhizomicrobium belonging to Alphaproteobacteria was decreased by 0.5- and 5-μm MNPs. Our study shows that the size of MNPs is an important factor that can determine their effects on soil microbial communities. Therefore, the size effects need to be considered in assessing the environmental impacts of MNPs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kwanyoung Ko
- Department of Environmental Engineering, Konkuk University, Seoul 05029, Republic of Korea
| | - Haegeun Chung
- Department of Environmental Engineering, Konkuk University, Seoul 05029, Republic of Korea
| | - Woong Kim
- Department of Materials Science and Engineering, Korea University, Seoul 02473, Republic of Korea
| | - Min-Ji Kim
- Department of Materials Science and Engineering, Korea University, Seoul 02473, Republic of Korea.
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16
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Alvim CB, Ferrer-Polonio E, Bes-Piá MA, Mendoza-Roca JA, Fernández-Navarro J, Alonso-Molina JL, Amorós-Muñoz I. Effect of polystyrene nanoplastics on the activated sludge process performance and biomass characteristics. A laboratory study with a sequencing batch reactor. JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT 2023; 329:117131. [PMID: 36586326 DOI: 10.1016/j.jenvman.2022.117131] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/24/2022] [Revised: 12/16/2022] [Accepted: 12/21/2022] [Indexed: 06/17/2023]
Abstract
The fate and presence of nanoplastics in wastewater treatment systems is a topic of increasing interest. Furthermore, challenges related to their quantification and identification have made it difficult to set up experimental conditions and compare results between studies. In this study, the effect of 100 nm polystyrene nanoplastics on activated sludge was evaluated. A concentration of 2 μg/L was used to continuously feed a sequencing batch reactor (SBR-NPs). Under the experimental conditions used in this study, no changes were observed in the process performance of the SBR-NPs compared to the reactor used as a control. Neither nitrification nor organic matter removal efficiency, which was 96% for both SBRs, were affected by the presence of 100 nm polystyrene nanoplastics, which suggests that the tested nanoplastics were not sufficiently toxic to the biomass. Although no significant differences in the relative abundances of predominant phyla between SBR-Control and SBR-NPs were observed, a slight shift in the relative abundance of Patescibacteria (1.5 ± 0.6% and 3.7 ± 0.8% in SBR-Control and SBR-NPs, respectively, at the end of the test) occurred. The higher abundance of this phylum in SBR-NPs compared to SBR-Control may suggest that these bacteria have some sensitivity to the presence of 100 nm polystyrene nanoplastics. Furthermore, even with the absence of nitrification inhibition, it was observed stagnation of the growth of Nitrotoga bacteria in SBR-NPs, which also suggests that the polystyrene nanoplastics could have an inhibitory effect on these cells and an impact on nitrification in the long term.
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Affiliation(s)
- C Bretas Alvim
- Instituto de Seguridad Industrial, Radiofísica y Medioambiental, Universitat Politècnica de València, Camino de Vera, S/n, Valencia 46022, Spain
| | - E Ferrer-Polonio
- Instituto de Seguridad Industrial, Radiofísica y Medioambiental, Universitat Politècnica de València, Camino de Vera, S/n, Valencia 46022, Spain
| | - M A Bes-Piá
- Instituto de Seguridad Industrial, Radiofísica y Medioambiental, Universitat Politècnica de València, Camino de Vera, S/n, Valencia 46022, Spain
| | - J A Mendoza-Roca
- Instituto de Seguridad Industrial, Radiofísica y Medioambiental, Universitat Politècnica de València, Camino de Vera, S/n, Valencia 46022, Spain.
| | - J Fernández-Navarro
- Instituto de Ingeniería del Agua y Medio Ambiente, Universitat Politècnica de València, Valencia, 46022, Spain
| | - J L Alonso-Molina
- Instituto de Ingeniería del Agua y Medio Ambiente, Universitat Politècnica de València, Valencia, 46022, Spain
| | - I Amorós-Muñoz
- Instituto de Ingeniería del Agua y Medio Ambiente, Universitat Politècnica de València, Valencia, 46022, Spain
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17
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Dai Z, Liu L, Duan H, Li B, Tang X, Wu X, Liu G, Zhang L. Improving sludge dewaterability by free nitrous acid and lysozyme pretreatment: Performances and mechanisms. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2023; 855:158648. [PMID: 36096212 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2022.158648] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/26/2022] [Revised: 09/05/2022] [Accepted: 09/06/2022] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
Reducing the water content of waste activated sludge (WAS) is critical for sludge treatment and disposal in wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs). In this study, a new combined conditioning processes by using lysozyme (LZM) and free nitrous acid (FNA) were proposed and demonstrated to enhance the dewaterability of WAS. The water content of sludge cake dropped from 82.82 % to 68.42 % (1 h FNA treatment + 1 h LZM treatment) and 69.52 % (6 h FNA treatment + 1 h LZM treatment) with the combined FNA and LZM treatment; and the corresponding capillary suction time (CST) reduction efficiency increased 49.29 % (1 h FNA treatment + 1 h LZM treatment) and 52.98 % (6 h FNA treatment + 1 h LZM treatment). A comprehensive investigation conducted in this study revealed the underlying mechanism of dewaterability improvement lies in the transformations of extracellular polymeric substances (EPS). The combined conditioning led to enhanced hydrophobicity in the sludge, as suggested by FTIR protein secondary structure and interfacial free energy. The reduced zeta potential and the potential barrier indicated the reduction of the repulsive force of sludge particles and the bound water content in the conditioned floc. The hydrophobicity, flow permeability and flocculability were enhanced after combined treatment, leading to the release of bound water.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ziheng Dai
- School of Environment, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Chemical Pollution and Environmental Safety, MOE Key Laboratory of Theoretical Chemistry of Environment, Guangdong Provincial Engineering Technology Research Center for Wastewater Management and Treatment, South China Normal University, Guangzhou 510006, China
| | - Lei Liu
- School of Environment and Civil Engineering, Dongguan University of Technology, Dongguan 523808, China.
| | - Haoran Duan
- Australian Centre for Water and Environmental Biotechnology (ACWEB), The University of Queensland, St. Lucia, QLD 4072, Australia
| | - Biqing Li
- Guangzhou sewage purification Co. Ltd., Guangzhou 510655, China
| | - Xia Tang
- Guangzhou sewage purification Co. Ltd., Guangzhou 510655, China
| | - Xuewei Wu
- Guangzhou sewage purification Co. Ltd., Guangzhou 510655, China
| | - Gang Liu
- School of Environment, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Chemical Pollution and Environmental Safety, MOE Key Laboratory of Theoretical Chemistry of Environment, Guangdong Provincial Engineering Technology Research Center for Wastewater Management and Treatment, South China Normal University, Guangzhou 510006, China
| | - Liguo Zhang
- School of Environment, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Chemical Pollution and Environmental Safety, MOE Key Laboratory of Theoretical Chemistry of Environment, Guangdong Provincial Engineering Technology Research Center for Wastewater Management and Treatment, South China Normal University, Guangzhou 510006, China.
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18
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Jachimowicz P, Jo YJ, Cydzik-Kwiatkowska A. Polyethylene microplastics increase extracellular polymeric substances production in aerobic granular sludge. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2022; 851:158208. [PMID: 36028039 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2022.158208] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/27/2022] [Revised: 08/09/2022] [Accepted: 08/18/2022] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
Wastewater treatment plants act as microplastic (MPs) sinks and secondary MP pollution sources. Little is known about the effect of MPs on biomass and the efficiency of biological wastewater treatment. This study assessed the impact of polyethylene (PE) MPs concentrations (1, 10, 50 mg/L) in wastewater on biological conversions and extracellular polymeric substances (EPS) production (including alginate) in aerobic granular sludge (AGS). PE MPs did not worsen the efficiency of biological treatment but stimulated the production of EPS and alginate in AGS. The alginate content increased from 238.7 ± 4.4 mg/g MLSS in control to 441.6 ± 13.8 mg/g MLSS at the highest PE load in wastewater. The presence of MP changed AGS morphology and worsened the settling properties of biomass, causing biomass washout from the reactors. At the highest PE load in wastewater, the biomass concentration in the reactor effluent was over 2.8 times higher than in the control.
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Affiliation(s)
- Piotr Jachimowicz
- University of Warmia and Mazury in Olsztyn, Faculty of Geoengineering, Department of Environmental Biotechnology, 10-709 Olsztyn, Poland.
| | - Young-Jae Jo
- University of Warmia and Mazury in Olsztyn, Faculty of Geoengineering, Department of Environmental Biotechnology, 10-709 Olsztyn, Poland
| | - Agnieszka Cydzik-Kwiatkowska
- University of Warmia and Mazury in Olsztyn, Faculty of Geoengineering, Department of Environmental Biotechnology, 10-709 Olsztyn, Poland
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19
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Dilara Hatinoglu M, Dilek Sanin F. Fate and effects of polyethylene terephthalate (PET) microplastics during anaerobic digestion of alkaline-thermal pretreated sludge. WASTE MANAGEMENT (NEW YORK, N.Y.) 2022; 153:376-385. [PMID: 36194914 DOI: 10.1016/j.wasman.2022.09.016] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/11/2022] [Revised: 09/06/2022] [Accepted: 09/16/2022] [Indexed: 06/16/2023]
Abstract
Plastics are resilient, hard to degrade materials that can persist in nature for centuries. Microplastics (MPs) exhibit similar tough character and hold the potential to harm marine and terrestrial ecosystems upon their release into the environment. Most modern wastewater treatment plants remove MPs from wastewater with over 90% efficiency but unfortunately concentrate them in sludge. Recent studies have reported MPs' impact on the performance of sludge treatment systems, including anaerobic digesters. Despite its resilience, polyethylene terephthalate (PET) has inherent weaknesses against alkaline and thermal conditions and becomes more prone to further degradation if exposed to such stress conditions. Sludge pretreatment practices aiming to increase biogas production by disrupting floc structure show great similarity with the stress factors mentioned. Thus, this study aims to integrate pretreatment with anaerobic digestion and investigate the fate and effects of PET MPs during these processes. For this purpose, waste activated sludge samples spiked with different doses of PET (0, 1, 3, 6 mg/g TS) in sizes of 250-500 µm were pretreated by 0.5 M alkali for two days and then thermally hydrolyzed at 127 °C for 120 min. Pretreated and unpretreated sludges were digested in a 60-day biochemical methane potential test. The results showed that the spiking of PET MPs into sludge posed a positive impact on the methane yield of unpretreated reactors at statistically significant levels. Integrating pretreatment increased the methane yield by 22.0% and made the impact of MPs on digester efficiency no longer observable. Also, PET exposed to pretreatment and 60-day digestion experienced remarkable changes in surface morphology, crystallinity and carbonyl index, which can further impact their fate and effects on the environment.
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Affiliation(s)
- M Dilara Hatinoglu
- Department of Environmental Engineering, Middle East Technical University, 06800 Ankara, Turkey
| | - F Dilek Sanin
- Department of Environmental Engineering, Middle East Technical University, 06800 Ankara, Turkey.
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20
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He Y, Liu Y, Yan M, Zhao T, Liu Y, Zhu T, Ni BJ. Insights into N 2O turnovers under polyethylene terephthalate microplastics stress in mainstream biological nitrogen removal process. WATER RESEARCH 2022; 224:119037. [PMID: 36088769 DOI: 10.1016/j.watres.2022.119037] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/15/2022] [Revised: 08/24/2022] [Accepted: 08/28/2022] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
The ubiquitous microplastics in wastewater have raised growing concerns due to their unintended effects on microbial activities. However, whether and how microplastics affect nitrous oxide (N2O) (a potent greenhouse gas) turnovers in mainstream biological nitrogen removal (BNR) process remain unclear. This work therefore aimed to fill such knowledge gap by conducting both long-term and batch tests. After over 100 days of feeding with wastewater containing polyethylene terephthalate (PET) microplastics (0-500 μg/L), the long-term results showed that both production and reduction of N2O during denitrification were reduced, as well as the N2O production during nitrification. Accordingly, 60% reduction in N2O accumulation and 70% reduction in N2O production were observed in the denitrification and nitrification batch tests, respectively. Nevertheless, the long-term N2O emission factors under PET microplastics stress were comparable to that in the control reactor, mainly because PET microplastics led to more nitrite accumulation in anoxic period. With the aid of online N2O sensors and site-preference analysis, it was demonstrated that the heterotrophic bacteria pathway and ammonia oxidizing bacteria denitrification pathway for N2O production were negatively affected by PET microplastics, whereas a clear increase in the contribution of hydroxylamine pathway (+ 22.9%) was observed. Further investigation revealed that PET microplastics even at environmental level (i.e. 10 μg/L) significantly reshaped the BNR sludge characteristics (e.g. much larger particle size) and microbial communities (e.g. Thauera, Rhodobacte and Nitrospira) as well as the nitrogen metabolism pathways, which were chiefly responsible for the changes of N2O turnovers and N2O production pathways under the PET microplastics stress.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yanying He
- School of Environmental Science and Engineering, Tianjin University, Tianjin 300072, PR China
| | - Yingrui Liu
- School of Environmental Science and Engineering, Tianjin University, Tianjin 300072, PR China
| | - Min Yan
- School of Environmental Science and Engineering, Tianjin University, Tianjin 300072, PR China
| | - Tianhang Zhao
- School of Environmental Science and Engineering, Tianjin University, Tianjin 300072, PR China
| | - Yiwen Liu
- School of Environmental Science and Engineering, Tianjin University, Tianjin 300072, PR China.
| | - Tingting Zhu
- School of Environmental Science and Engineering, Tianjin University, Tianjin 300072, PR China
| | - Bing-Jie Ni
- Centre for Technology in Water and Wastewater, School of Civil and Environmental Engineering, University of Technology Sydney, Sydney, NSW, 2007, Australia.
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21
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Wang L, Shi Y, Chai J, Huang L, Wang Y, Wang S, Pi K, Gerson AR, Liu D. Transfer of microplastics in sludge upon Fe(II)-persulfate conditioning and mechanical dewatering. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2022; 838:156316. [PMID: 35660426 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2022.156316] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/12/2022] [Revised: 05/09/2022] [Accepted: 05/25/2022] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
Sewage treatment plants act as both sinks and sources of microplastics with elevated concentrations of microplastics accumulating in the sludge. Consequently, the effects of sludge conditioning and dewatering processes on the fate of microplastics need to be clarified. Microplastic characteristics in sludge, before and after advanced oxidation Fe(II)-activated persulfate conditioning were studied using a microplastics dynamic flotation separator (MDFS). In the unconditioned sludge (no dewatering), white and transparent microplastics dominated and seven types of plastic polymer were detected with polyethylene (30.3%) and polypropylene (23.9%) being the main ones. Pellet microplastics were found to be the dominant morphology, accounting for 67.0% of the total number of microplastics. The abundance of microplastics extracted using the MDFS device from the unconditioned (no dewatering) sludge was 320 ± 3 particles g-1 dried sludge, which was greater by 37% than extracted using microplastics static flotation separation. Due to the release of the adsorbed microplastics from the destroyed sludge flocs after conditioning, the abundance of extractable microplastics increased by 19 ± 2% as compared to the unconditioned sludge (both with no dewatering). After filter presses (plate-frame filter, vacuum filter) and centrifuge dewatering, 81-90% of the microplastics were present in the filter cake, of which microplastics <500 μm accounted for more than 80% of the total number. The abundance of microplastics per unit volume of filtrate after filter press dewatering was significantly smaller than after centrifuge dewatering (3.2-4.4 × 103 cf 13.0 × 103 particles L-1, respectively). The difference increments in relative abundance of <10 μm microplastics in the centrifuge filtrate was about twice that of the filter presses. The surface morphology of the microplastics did not change in the conditioning process. This study highlights the need to assess the application of advanced oxidation conditioning which has significant influence on the microplastics distribution via the subsequent sludge dewatering.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lu Wang
- School of Civil Engineering, Architecture and Environment, Hubei University of Technology, Wuhan, Hubei 430068, China
| | - Yafei Shi
- School of Civil Engineering, Architecture and Environment, Hubei University of Technology, Wuhan, Hubei 430068, China; Hubei Key Laboratory of Ecological Restoration for River-Lakes and Algal Utilization, Wuhan, Hubei 430068, China.
| | - Jiaqi Chai
- School of Civil Engineering, Architecture and Environment, Hubei University of Technology, Wuhan, Hubei 430068, China
| | - Lin Huang
- School of Civil Engineering, Architecture and Environment, Hubei University of Technology, Wuhan, Hubei 430068, China
| | - Yan Wang
- School of Civil Engineering, Architecture and Environment, Hubei University of Technology, Wuhan, Hubei 430068, China
| | - Shulian Wang
- School of Civil Engineering, Architecture and Environment, Hubei University of Technology, Wuhan, Hubei 430068, China
| | - Kewu Pi
- School of Civil Engineering, Architecture and Environment, Hubei University of Technology, Wuhan, Hubei 430068, China; Hubei Key Laboratory of Ecological Restoration for River-Lakes and Algal Utilization, Wuhan, Hubei 430068, China
| | - Andrea R Gerson
- Blue Minerals Consultancy, Wattle Grove, Tasmania 7109, Australia
| | - Defu Liu
- School of Civil Engineering, Architecture and Environment, Hubei University of Technology, Wuhan, Hubei 430068, China; Hubei Key Laboratory of Ecological Restoration for River-Lakes and Algal Utilization, Wuhan, Hubei 430068, China
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22
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Hung CM, Chen CW, Huang CP, Hsieh SL, Dong CD. Ecological responses of coral reef to polyethylene microplastics in community structure and extracellular polymeric substances. ENVIRONMENTAL POLLUTION (BARKING, ESSEX : 1987) 2022; 307:119522. [PMID: 35640726 DOI: 10.1016/j.envpol.2022.119522] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/12/2022] [Revised: 05/08/2022] [Accepted: 05/20/2022] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
The relationships and interactions between extracellular polymeric substances (EPS) and microplastics (MPs) in coral reef ecosystems were symmetrically investigated. The current study aims to investigate the responses of scleractinian coral (Goniopora columna) to exposure of model MPs, exemplified by polyethylene (PE), in the size range of 40-48 μm as affected by MPs concentration of MP in the range between 0 and 300 mg L-1 for 14 days. The structure of EPS-associated microbial community was studied using a series of techniques including high-throughput sequencing of 16 S rRNA, transmission electron microscopy (TEM), hydrodynamic diameter, surface charge (via zeta potential), X-ray diffraction (XRD), attenuated total reflectance‒Fourier transform infrared (ATR‒FTIR) spectroscopy, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), and fluorescence excitation-emission matrix (FEEM) spectroscopy. Microbial interactions between PE-MPs and coral caused aggregation and formation of EPS matrix, which resulted in increase and decrease in the relative abundance of Donghicola (Proteobacteria phylum) and Marivita (Proteobacteria phylum) in PE-MP-associated EPS, respectively. Particle size, electrostatic interactions, and complexation with the functional groups of the EPS-based matrix affected the humification index. FEEM spectroscopy analyses suggested the presence of humic- and fulvic-like fluorophores in EPS and dissolved organic matter (DOM) in PE-MP-derived DOM. The findings provided insights into the potential environmental implications of coral-based EPS and co-existing microbial assemblages due to EPS-PE-MP-microbiome interactions throughout the dynamic PE-MP exposure process.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chang-Mao Hung
- Department of Marine Environmental Engineering, National Kaohsiung University of Science and Technology, Kaohsiung City, Taiwan
| | - Chiu-Wen Chen
- Department of Marine Environmental Engineering, National Kaohsiung University of Science and Technology, Kaohsiung City, Taiwan
| | - Chin-Pao Huang
- Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, University of Delaware, Newark, USA
| | - Shu-Ling Hsieh
- Department of Seafood Science, National Kaohsiung University of Science and Technology, Kaohsiung City, Taiwan
| | - Cheng-Di Dong
- Department of Marine Environmental Engineering, National Kaohsiung University of Science and Technology, Kaohsiung City, Taiwan.
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23
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Zhang YT, Wei W, Wang C, Ni BJ. Microbial and physicochemical responses of anaerobic hydrogen-producing granular sludge to polyethylene micro(nano)plastics. WATER RESEARCH 2022; 221:118745. [PMID: 35728500 DOI: 10.1016/j.watres.2022.118745] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/19/2022] [Revised: 06/03/2022] [Accepted: 06/12/2022] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
Micro(nano)plastics is an emerging contaminant in wastewater that has showed significant impacts on various biological treatment processes. Nevertheless, the underlying effects of micro(nano)plastics with different concentrations and sizes on the anaerobic hydrogen-producing granular sludge (HPG) were still unclear. This work firstly attempted to illustrate the microbial and physicochemical responses of HPG to a shock load of polyethylene microplastics (PE-MPs) with varied concentrations and sizes. The results revealed that the PE-MPs inhibitory effect on hydrogen production by HPG was both concentration- and size-dependent. Specifically, the increase of PE-MPs concentration and the decline of PE-MPs size to nano-sized plastics (NPs) significantly decreased the hydrogen yield, downgraded to 79.9 ± 2.6% and 63.0 ± 3.9% (p = 0.001, and 0.0002) of control, respectively, at higher MPs concentration and the smaller MPs size (i.e., NPs). The higher PE-MPs concentration and PE-NPs also suppressed extracellular polymeric substances (EPS) generation more severely. The critical bio-processes involved in hydrogen production were disturbed by PE-MPs, with the extent of negative impacts depending on the dosage and size of PE-MPs. These adverse impacts further manifested as granule disintegration and loss of cellular activity. Mechanism analysis highlighted the roles of oxidative stress, leachate released from PE-MPs, interaction between PE-NPs and granules inducing physical crushing of HPG that led to possible direct contact between cells and toxic substances.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yu-Ting Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Pollution Control and Resources Reuse, College of Environmental Science and Engineering, Tongji University, Shanghai 200092, PR China
| | - Wei Wei
- Center for Technology in Water and Wastewater, School of Civil and Environmental Engineering, University of Technology Sydney, Sydney, NSW 2007, Australia
| | - Chen Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Pollution Control and Resources Reuse, College of Environmental Science and Engineering, Tongji University, Shanghai 200092, PR China
| | - Bing-Jie Ni
- Center for Technology in Water and Wastewater, School of Civil and Environmental Engineering, University of Technology Sydney, Sydney, NSW 2007, Australia.
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24
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Hung CM, Huang CP, Hsieh SL, Chen YT, Ding DS, Hsieh S, Chen CW, Dong CD. Exposure of Goniopora columna to polyethylene microplastics (PE-MPs): Effects of PE-MP concentration on extracellular polymeric substances and microbial community. CHEMOSPHERE 2022; 297:134113. [PMID: 35227744 DOI: 10.1016/j.chemosphere.2022.134113] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/25/2022] [Revised: 02/17/2022] [Accepted: 02/23/2022] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
Although the pollution of coral reefs by microplastics (MPs) is an environmental problem of global significance, the effects of MP concentration on scleractinian corals remain largely underexplored. Herein, we exposed a representative scleractinian coral (Goniopora columna) to different concentrations (5-300 mg L-1) of polyethylene microplastics (PE-MPs; 40-48 μm) over seven days and evaluated the changes in microbial community and extracellular polymeric substances (EPS) using fluorescence excitation-emission matrix spectroscopy and amplicon sequence variants (ASV). At a PE-MP concentration of 300 mg L-1, the relative abundance of Bacillus (Firmicutes phylum) and Ruegeria (Proteobacteria phylum) in PE-MP-associated EPS increased and decreased, respectively, while the effects of exposure depended on the particle size of the extracellular polymeric substance (EPS)-based matrix and the humification index. Humic- and fulvic-like substances were identified as critical EPS components produced by microbial activity. The results have shed new insights into short-term responses of G. columna during exposure to different PE-MP concentrations and reveal important coral-MP-microbiome interactions in coral reef ecosystems. Results demonstrated that the coral-MPs interactions should be further evaluated to gain a deeper understanding of the underlying ecotoxicological risks.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chang-Mao Hung
- Department of Marine Environmental Engineering, National Kaohsiung University of Science and Technology, Kaohsiung City, Taiwan
| | - Chin-Pao Huang
- Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, University of Delaware, Newark, USA
| | - Shu-Ling Hsieh
- Department of Seafood Science, National Kaohsiung University of Science and Technology, Kaohsiung City, Taiwan
| | - Ya-Ting Chen
- Department of Seafood Science, National Kaohsiung University of Science and Technology, Kaohsiung City, Taiwan
| | - De-Sing Ding
- Department and Graduate Institute of Aquaculture, National Kaohsiung University of Science and Technology, Kaohsiung City, Taiwan
| | - Shuchen Hsieh
- Department of Chemistry, National Sun Yat-sen University, Kaohsiung City, Taiwan
| | - Chiu-Wen Chen
- Department of Marine Environmental Engineering, National Kaohsiung University of Science and Technology, Kaohsiung City, Taiwan.
| | - Cheng-Di Dong
- Department of Marine Environmental Engineering, National Kaohsiung University of Science and Technology, Kaohsiung City, Taiwan.
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25
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Shi H, Li Z, Li X, Zhang Z. Superior flame retardancy and smoke suppression of poly (vinyl chloride) composites with iron/tin‐doped bismuth oxychloride. J Appl Polym Sci 2022. [DOI: 10.1002/app.52210] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/08/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Huili Shi
- National & Local Joint Engineering Research Center for Applied Technology of Hybrid Nanomaterials Henan University Kaifeng China
| | - Zhiwei Li
- National & Local Joint Engineering Research Center for Applied Technology of Hybrid Nanomaterials Henan University Kaifeng China
| | - Xiaohong Li
- National & Local Joint Engineering Research Center for Applied Technology of Hybrid Nanomaterials Henan University Kaifeng China
| | - Zhijun Zhang
- National & Local Joint Engineering Research Center for Applied Technology of Hybrid Nanomaterials Henan University Kaifeng China
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26
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Yang J, Li L, Li R, Xu L, Shen Y, Li S, Tu C, Wu L, Christie P, Luo Y. Microplastics in an agricultural soil following repeated application of three types of sewage sludge: A field study. ENVIRONMENTAL POLLUTION (BARKING, ESSEX : 1987) 2021; 289:117943. [PMID: 34426179 DOI: 10.1016/j.envpol.2021.117943] [Citation(s) in RCA: 45] [Impact Index Per Article: 15.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/29/2021] [Revised: 07/18/2021] [Accepted: 08/08/2021] [Indexed: 05/25/2023]
Abstract
Microplastics were investigated in an agricultural soil to which three types of sludge were repeatedly applied: fresh municipal sludge (FSS1), fresh mixed sludge (mainly industrial sludge) (FSS2), and dry heat-treated municipal sludge (DSS). The percentages of microplastics <1.0 mm were 24.3 and 28.7-59.1 % in unamended and amended soils, respectively. Particles of this size accounted for 47.1-60.0 % of microplastics in different sludges and polymers of particle size <100 μm occurred in all soil samples and sludges examined. Fibers were the commonest microplastic type, ranging from 66.7 to 82.5 % in soil and 89.4-97.2 % in sludges. Polyester (PES) and polypropylene (PP) accounted for ~80 % of the total microplastics found in soil and poly-(styrene:acrylate) (PS-AC) microspheres were found in all sludge-amended soil samples examined. There was also a pronounced weathering effect on the surfaces of the microplastics in soil. Nine years of repeated sludge application led to the accumulation of microplastics in the soil. The abundance of microplastics was significantly higher in the municipal sludge (149.2 ± 52.5 particles kg-1) than in the mixed (68.6 ± 21.5 particles kg-1) or dried (73.1 ± 15.4 particles kg-1) sludge and this was related to the microplastic abundance in the sludges. This field study confirms that sludges are drivers of soil microplastic pollution and measures are required to minimize the inputs of microplastics to agricultural land.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jie Yang
- CAS Key Laboratory of Soil Environment and Pollution Remediation, Institute of Soil Science, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Nanjing, 210008, China; University of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100049, China
| | - Lianzhen Li
- CAS Key Laboratory of Coastal Environmental Processes and Ecological Remediation, Yantai Institute of Coastal Zone Research, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Yantai, 264003, China
| | - Ruijie Li
- CAS Key Laboratory of Soil Environment and Pollution Remediation, Institute of Soil Science, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Nanjing, 210008, China; CAS Northwest Institute of Eco-Environment and Resources, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Lanzhou, 730000, China; University of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100049, China
| | - Li Xu
- Beijing Research Center for Agricultural Standards and Testing, Beijing Academy of Agricultural and Forestry Sciences, Beijing, 100097, China
| | - Yichen Shen
- CAS Key Laboratory of Soil Environment and Pollution Remediation, Institute of Soil Science, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Nanjing, 210008, China; University of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100049, China
| | - Simin Li
- CAS Key Laboratory of Soil Environment and Pollution Remediation, Institute of Soil Science, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Nanjing, 210008, China; University of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100049, China
| | - Chen Tu
- CAS Key Laboratory of Coastal Environmental Processes and Ecological Remediation, Yantai Institute of Coastal Zone Research, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Yantai, 264003, China
| | - Longhua Wu
- CAS Key Laboratory of Soil Environment and Pollution Remediation, Institute of Soil Science, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Nanjing, 210008, China
| | - Peter Christie
- CAS Key Laboratory of Soil Environment and Pollution Remediation, Institute of Soil Science, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Nanjing, 210008, China
| | - Yongming Luo
- CAS Key Laboratory of Soil Environment and Pollution Remediation, Institute of Soil Science, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Nanjing, 210008, China.
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27
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Hatinoğlu MD, Sanin FD. Sewage sludge as a source of microplastics in the environment: A review of occurrence and fate during sludge treatment. JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT 2021; 295:113028. [PMID: 34153586 DOI: 10.1016/j.jenvman.2021.113028] [Citation(s) in RCA: 40] [Impact Index Per Article: 13.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/25/2021] [Revised: 05/12/2021] [Accepted: 06/04/2021] [Indexed: 05/17/2023]
Abstract
Modern wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) effectively remove microplastics (MPs) from wastewater and unsurprisingly concentrate them in sludge. Hence through its beneficial use and disposal, sludge causes secondary release pathways of an estimated average amount of 106 to 1014 wastewater-based MPs to various environmental compartments yearly. Despite these numbers, studies investigating sludge are scarce. Currently, majority of the studies in the field focus on identifying the magnitude of the problem, whereas research investigating the fate and effects of MPs during sludge treatment are very rare. This review aims to bring together and critically evaluate the limited studies conducted about MPs in the sludge treatment line and bring out the key gaps and research needs in the area. Studies conducted so far indicate that depending on the type, size, and amount of MPs, their effects during anaerobic digestion differ, with some studies demonstrating serious negative impact on biogas production. Possible effect mechanisms are also suggested such as formation of reactive oxygen species (ROS) and leaching of toxic chemicals. Moreover, a potential for sludge treatment processes (thickening, dewatering, drying, stabilization, etc.) to change the characteristics and the number of MPs, which may increase surface area available for adsorption and desorption of pollutants, was observed. Review uncovers that, in the broad universe of MPs, some highly abundant ones in sludge such as polypropylene, polyurethane, polycarbonate, and acrylic are not yet investigated in sludge treatment. Future research should focus not only to investigate the fate/effects but to fully understand the mechanisms behind these, which is missing in many studies reviewed. Besides, new studies show that effect of MPs start from the floc formation stage during biological treatment, which in fact determine the final sludge behavior in thickening and dewatering. Therefore, holistic approaches starting from wastewater till sludge exits WWTP seem necessary. Substantiating from polymer chemistry and response of plastics to stress conditions, review suggests possibilities of deterioration during sludge treatment processes. It becomes evident that some totally uninvestigated aspects such as disintegration conducted before stabilization, can change the fate of MPs during sludge treatment and may bring new perspectives to the solution of the problem.
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Affiliation(s)
- M Dilara Hatinoğlu
- Department of Environmental Engineering, Middle East Technical University, 06800, Ankara, Turkey
| | - F Dilek Sanin
- Department of Environmental Engineering, Middle East Technical University, 06800, Ankara, Turkey.
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