1
|
Savvidou P, Dotro G, Campo P, Coulon F, Lyu T. Constructed wetlands as nature-based solutions in managing per-and poly-fluoroalkyl substances (PFAS): Evidence, mechanisms, and modelling. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2024; 934:173237. [PMID: 38761940 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2024.173237] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/15/2024] [Revised: 05/07/2024] [Accepted: 05/12/2024] [Indexed: 05/20/2024]
Abstract
Per- and poly-fluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) have emerged as newly regulated micropollutants, characterised by extreme recalcitrance and environmental toxicity. Constructed wetlands (CWs), as a nature-based solution, have gained widespread application in sustainable water and wastewater treatment and offer multiple environmental and societal benefits. Despite CWs potential, knowledge gaps persist in their PFAS removal capacities, associated mechanisms, and modelling of PFAS fate. This study carried out a systematic literature review, supplemented by unpublished experimental data, demonstrating the promise of CWs for PFAS removal from the influents of varying sources and characteristics. Median removal performances of 64, 46, and 0 % were observed in five free water surface (FWS), four horizontal subsurface flow (HF), and 18 vertical flow (VF) wetlands, respectively. PFAS adsorption by the substrate or plant root/rhizosphere was deemed as a key removal mechanism. Nevertheless, the available dataset resulted unsuitable for a quantitative analysis. Data-driven models, including multiple regression models and machine learning-based Artificial Neural Networks (ANN), were employed to predict PFAS removal. These models showed better predictive performance compared to various mechanistic models, which include two adsorption isotherms. The results affirmed that artificial intelligence is an efficient tool for modelling the removal of emerging contaminants with limited knowledge of chemical properties. In summary, this study consolidated evidence supporting the use of CWs for mitigating new legacy PFAS contaminants. Further research, especially long-term monitoring of full-scale CWs treating real wastewater, is crucial to obtain additional data for model development and validation.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Pinelopi Savvidou
- School of Water, Energy and Environment, Cranfield University, College Road, Cranfield, Bedfordshire MK43 0AL, United Kingdom
| | - Gabriela Dotro
- School of Water, Energy and Environment, Cranfield University, College Road, Cranfield, Bedfordshire MK43 0AL, United Kingdom
| | - Pablo Campo
- School of Water, Energy and Environment, Cranfield University, College Road, Cranfield, Bedfordshire MK43 0AL, United Kingdom
| | - Frederic Coulon
- School of Water, Energy and Environment, Cranfield University, College Road, Cranfield, Bedfordshire MK43 0AL, United Kingdom
| | - Tao Lyu
- School of Water, Energy and Environment, Cranfield University, College Road, Cranfield, Bedfordshire MK43 0AL, United Kingdom.
| |
Collapse
|
2
|
Long M, Zheng CW, Roldan MA, Zhou C, Rittmann BE. Co-Removal of Perfluorooctanoic Acid and Nitrate from Water by Coupling Pd Catalysis with Enzymatic Biotransformation. ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY 2024; 58:11514-11524. [PMID: 38757358 DOI: 10.1021/acs.est.3c10377] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/18/2024]
Abstract
PFAS (poly- and per-fluorinated alkyl substances) represent a large family of recalcitrant organic compounds that are widely used and pose serious threats to human and ecosystem health. Here, palladium (Pd0)-catalyzed defluorination and microbiological mineralization were combined in a denitrifying H2-based membrane biofilm reactor to remove co-occurring perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) and nitrate. The combined process, i.e., Pd-biofilm, enabled continuous removal of ∼4 mmol/L nitrate and ∼1 mg/L PFOA, with 81% defluorination of PFOA. Metagenome analysis identified bacteria likely responsible for biodegradation of partially defluorinated PFOA: Dechloromonas sp. CZR5, Kaistella koreensis, Ochrobacterum anthropic, and Azospira sp. I13. High-performance liquid chromatography-quadrupole time-of-flight mass spectrometry and metagenome analyses revealed that the presence of nitrate promoted microbiological oxidation of partially defluorinated PFOA. Taken together, the results point to PFOA-oxidation pathways that began with PFOA adsorption to Pd0, which enabled catalytic generation of partially or fully defluorinated fatty acids and stepwise oxidation and defluorination by the bacteria. This study documents how combining catalysis and microbiological transformation enables the simultaneous removal of PFOA and nitrate.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Min Long
- State Key Laboratory of Pollution Control and Resource Reuse, College of Environmental Science and Engineering, Tongji University, Shanghai 200092, China
- Biodesign Swette Center for Environmental Biotechnology, Arizona State University, Tempe, Arizona 85281, United States
| | - Chen-Wei Zheng
- Biodesign Swette Center for Environmental Biotechnology, Arizona State University, Tempe, Arizona 85281, United States
| | - Manuel A Roldan
- Eyring Materials Center, Arizona State University, Tempe, Arizona 85281, United States
| | - Chen Zhou
- Biodesign Swette Center for Environmental Biotechnology, Arizona State University, Tempe, Arizona 85281, United States
- Institute for the Environment and Health, Nanjing University, Suzhou Campus, Suzhou 215163, China
- State Key Laboratory of Pollution Control and Resource Reuse, School of the Environment, Nanjing University, Nanjing 210023, China
| | - Bruce E Rittmann
- Biodesign Swette Center for Environmental Biotechnology, Arizona State University, Tempe, Arizona 85281, United States
| |
Collapse
|
3
|
Wang W, Fan Q, Gong T, Zhang M, Li C, Zhang Y, Li H. Superb green cycling strategies for microbe-Fe 0 neural network-type interaction: Harnessing eight key genes encoding enzymes and mineral transformations to efficiently treat PFOA. JOURNAL OF HAZARDOUS MATERIALS 2024; 470:134143. [PMID: 38554507 DOI: 10.1016/j.jhazmat.2024.134143] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/30/2023] [Revised: 03/02/2024] [Accepted: 03/25/2024] [Indexed: 04/01/2024]
Abstract
To address time-consuming and efficiency-limited challenges in conventional zero-valent iron (ZVI, Fe0) reduction or biotransformation for perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) treatment, two calcium alginate-embedded amendments (biochar-immobilized PFOA-degrading bacteria (CB) and ZVI (CZ)) were developed to construct microbe-Fe0 high-rate interaction systems. Interaction mechanisms and key metabolic pathways were systematically explored using metagenomics and a multi-process coupling model for PFOA under microbe-Fe0 interaction. Compared to Fe0 (0.0076 day-1) or microbe (0.0172 day-1) systems, the PFOA removal rate (0.0426 day-1) increased by 1.5 to 4.6 folds in the batch microbe-Fe0 interaction system. Moreover, Pseudomonas accelerated the transformation of Fe0 into Fe3+, which profoundly impacted PFOA transport and fate. Model results demonstrated microbe-Fe0 interaction improved retardation effect for PFOA in columns, with decreased dispersivity a (0.48 to 0.20 cm), increased reaction rate λ (0.15 to 0.22 h-1), distribution coefficient Kd (0.22 to 0.46 cm3∙g-1), and fraction f´(52 % to 60 %) of first-order kinetic sorption of PFOA in microbe-Fe0 interaction column system. Moreover, intermediates analysis showed that microbe-Fe0 interaction diversified PFOA reaction pathways. Three key metabolic pathways (ko00362, ko00626, ko00361), eight functional genes, and corresponding enzymes for PFOA degradation were identified. These findings provide insights into microbe-Fe0 "neural network-type" interaction by unveiling biotransformation and mineral transformation mechanisms for efficient PFOA treatment.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Wenbing Wang
- School of Environmental and Chemical Engineering, Shanghai University, Shanghai 200444, PR China.
| | - Qifeng Fan
- School of Environmental and Chemical Engineering, Shanghai University, Shanghai 200444, PR China
| | - Tiantian Gong
- School of Environmental and Chemical Engineering, Shanghai University, Shanghai 200444, PR China
| | - Meng Zhang
- School of Environmental and Chemical Engineering, Shanghai University, Shanghai 200444, PR China
| | - Chunyang Li
- School of Environmental and Chemical Engineering, Shanghai University, Shanghai 200444, PR China
| | - Yunhui Zhang
- College of Environmental Science and Engineering, Tongji University, Shanghai 200092, PR China
| | - Hui Li
- School of Environmental and Chemical Engineering, Shanghai University, Shanghai 200444, PR China.
| |
Collapse
|
4
|
Cui E, Fan X, Cui B, Li S, Chen T, Gao F, Li J, Zhou Z. The introduction of influent sulfamethoxazole loads induces changes in the removal pathways of sulfamethoxazole in vertical flow constructed wetlands featuring hematite substrate. JOURNAL OF HAZARDOUS MATERIALS 2024; 469:133964. [PMID: 38452680 DOI: 10.1016/j.jhazmat.2024.133964] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/24/2023] [Revised: 02/22/2024] [Accepted: 03/04/2024] [Indexed: 03/09/2024]
Abstract
High frequent detection of sulfamethoxazole (SMX) in wastewater cannot be effectively removed by constructed wetlands (CWs) with a traditional river sand substrate. The role of emerging substrate of hematite in promoting SMX removal and the effect of influent SMX loads remain unclear. The removal efficiency of SMX in hematite CWs was significantly higher than that in river sand CWs by 12.7-13.8% by improving substrate adsorption capacity, plant uptake and microbial degradation. With increasing influent SMX load, the removal efficiency of SMX in hematite CWs slightly increased, and the removal pathways varied significantly. The contribution of plant uptake was relatively small (< 0.1%) under different influent SMX loads. Substrate adsorption (37.8%) primarily contributed to SMX removal in hematite CWs treated with low-influent SMX. Higher influent SMX loads decreased the contribution of substrate adsorption, and microbial degradation (67.0%) became the main removal pathway. Metagenomic analyses revealed that the rising influent load increased the abundance of SMX-degrading relative bacteria and the activity of key enzymes. Moreover, the abundance of high-risk ARGs and sulfonamide resistance genes in hematite CWs did not increase with the increasing influent load. This study elucidates the potential improvements in CWs with hematite introduction under different influent SMX loads.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Erping Cui
- Institute of Farmland Irrigation of Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Xinxiang 453002, China; Graduate School of Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Beijing 100081, China
| | - Xiangyang Fan
- Institute of Farmland Irrigation of Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Xinxiang 453002, China
| | - Bingjian Cui
- Institute of Farmland Irrigation of Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Xinxiang 453002, China
| | - Shengshu Li
- Institute of Farmland Irrigation of Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Xinxiang 453002, China; Graduate School of Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Beijing 100081, China
| | - Taotao Chen
- Institute of Farmland Irrigation of Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Xinxiang 453002, China; Graduate School of Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Beijing 100081, China
| | - Feng Gao
- Institute of Farmland Irrigation of Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Xinxiang 453002, China.
| | - Jianan Li
- School of Environmental and Municipal Engineering, Qingdao University of Technology, Qingdao 266520, China
| | - Zhenchao Zhou
- Department of Environmental Engineering, College of Environmental and Resource Sciences, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310058, China
| |
Collapse
|
5
|
Wackett LP. Evolutionary obstacles and not C-F bond strength make PFAS persistent. Microb Biotechnol 2024; 17:e14463. [PMID: 38593328 PMCID: PMC11003709 DOI: 10.1111/1751-7915.14463] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/04/2024] [Accepted: 03/18/2024] [Indexed: 04/11/2024] Open
Abstract
The fate of organic matter in the environment, including anthropogenic chemicals, is largely predicated on the enzymatic capabilities of microorganisms. Microbes readily degrade, and thus recycle, most of the ~100,000 commercial chemicals used in modern society. Per- and polyfluorinated compounds (PFAS) are different. Many research papers posit that the general resistance of PFAS to microbial degradation is based in chemistry and that argument relates to the strength of the C-F bond. Here, I advance the opinion that the low biodegradability of PFAS is best formulated as a biological optimization problem, hence evolution. The framing of the problem is important. If it is framed around C-F bond strength, the major effort should focus on finding and engineering new C-F cleaving enzymes. The alternative, and preferred approach suggested here, is to focus on the directed evolution of biological systems containing known C-F cleaving systems. There are now reports of bacteria degrading and/or growing on multiply fluorinated arenes, alkenoic and alkanoic acids. The impediment to more efficient and widespread biodegradation in these systems is biological, not chemical. The rationale for this argument is made in the five sections below that follow the Introduction.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Lawrence P. Wackett
- Department of Biochemistry, Molecular Biology and Biophysics and Biotechnology InstituteUniversity of MinnesotaSt. PaulMinnesotaUSA
| |
Collapse
|
6
|
Li J, Liang E, Xu X, Xu N. Occurrence, mass loading, and post-control temporal trend of legacy perfluoroalkyl substances (PFASs) in the middle and lower Yangtze River. MARINE POLLUTION BULLETIN 2024; 199:115966. [PMID: 38150975 DOI: 10.1016/j.marpolbul.2023.115966] [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: 09/15/2023] [Revised: 11/25/2023] [Accepted: 12/20/2023] [Indexed: 12/29/2023]
Abstract
Present study focused on per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFASs) occurrence in dry and wet seasons in the middle and lower Yangtze River (YZR) and changing temporal trends after years of control. Results revealed that perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) was 75 % of total PFAS concentrations (∑11PFASs). ∑11PFASs were ranged 0.20-28.49 ng/L and 1.17-112.84 μg/kg in water and sediment. The logKoc of perfluoroalkyl carboxylic acids was positive with the carbon chain length (p < 0.05, r2 = 0.78). A meta-analysis of results from 16 peer-reviewed publications about PFASs in the YZR showed that fluorochemical industries strongly influenced the high PFAS levels in the detected scenes. PFOA was still the primary pollutant. Individual PFAS in the lower reach was higher than those in the middle reach. The mass loading of PFASs imported into the sea was 10.80 t/y. This study will help develop effective approaches for controlling emerging pollutants in the YZR.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Jie Li
- Environment Research Institute, Shandong University, Qingdao 266237, China; Key Laboratory for Heavy Metal Pollution Control and Reutilization, School of Environment and Energy, Peking University Shenzhen Graduate School, Shenzhen 518055, China; College of Environmental Sciences and Engineering, Peking University, The Key Laboratory of Water and Sediment Sciences, Ministry of Education, Beijing 100871, China.
| | - Enhang Liang
- College of Environmental Sciences and Engineering, Peking University, The Key Laboratory of Water and Sediment Sciences, Ministry of Education, Beijing 100871, China
| | - Xuming Xu
- Department of Water Ecology and Environment, China Institute of Water Resources and Hydropower Research, Beijing 100038, China
| | - Nan Xu
- Key Laboratory for Heavy Metal Pollution Control and Reutilization, School of Environment and Energy, Peking University Shenzhen Graduate School, Shenzhen 518055, China.
| |
Collapse
|
7
|
Ji B, Zhao Y. Interactions between biofilms and PFASs in aquatic ecosystems: Literature exploration. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2024; 906:167469. [PMID: 37778566 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2023.167469] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/14/2023] [Revised: 09/26/2023] [Accepted: 09/28/2023] [Indexed: 10/03/2023]
Abstract
Perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFASs) have been detected in most aquatic environments worldwide and are referred to as "forever chemicals" because of their extreme chemical and thermal stability. Biofilms, as basic aquatic bioresources, can colonize various substratum surfaces. Biofilms in the aquatic environment have to interact with the ubiquitous PFASs and have significant implications for both their behavior and destiny, which are still poorly understood. Here, we have a preliminary literature exploration of the interaction between PFASs and biofilms in the various aquatic environments and expect to provide some thoughts on further study. In this review, the biosorption properties of biofilms on PFASs and possible mechanisms are presented. The complex impact of PFASs on biofilm systems was further discussed in terms of the composition and electrical charges of extracellular polymeric substances, intracellular microbial communities, and overall contaminant purification functions. Correspondingly, the effects of biofilms on the redistribution of PFASs in the aqueous environment were analyzed. Finally, we propose that biofilm after adsorption of PFASs is a unique ecological niche that not only reflects the contamination level of PFASs in the aquatic environment but also offers a possible "microbial pool" for PFASs biodegradation. We outline existing knowledge gaps and potential future efforts for investigating how PFASs interact with biofilms in aquatic ecosystems.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Bin Ji
- School of Civil Engineering, Yantai University, Yantai 264005, PR China.
| | - Yaqian Zhao
- State Key Laboratory of Eco-Hydraulics in Northwest Arid Region, Xi'an University of Technology, Xi'an 710048, PR China; Department of Municipal and Environmental Engineering, School of Water Resources and Hydroelectric Engineering, Xi'an University of Technology, Xi'an 710048, PR China.
| |
Collapse
|
8
|
Xu W, Li G, Qu H, Ma C, Zhang H, Cheng J, Li H. The Specific Removal of Perfluorooctanoic Acid Based on Pillar[5]arene-Polymer-Packed Nanochannel Membrane. ACS NANO 2023; 17:19305-19312. [PMID: 37768005 DOI: 10.1021/acsnano.3c06448] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 09/29/2023]
Abstract
The conspicuous surface activity and exceptional chemical stability of perfluorooctanoic acid, commonly referred to as PFOA, have led to its extensive utilization across a broad spectrum of industrial and commercial products. Nonetheless, significant concerns have arisen regarding the environmental presence of PFOAs, driven by their recognized persistence, bioaccumulative nature, and potential human health risks. In the realm of sustainable agriculture, a pivotal challenge revolves around the development of specialized materials capable of effectively and selectively eliminating PFOA from the environment. This study proposes harnessing the exceptional properties of a pillar[5]arene polymer to construct a nanochannel membrane filled with tryptophan-alanine dipeptide pillar[5]arene polymer. Through the functionalization of these nanochannel membranes, we achieved a PFOA removal rate of 0.01 mmol L-1 min-1, surpassing the rates observed with other control chemicals by a factor of 4.5-15. The research on PFOA removal materials has been boosted because of the creation of this highly selective PFOA removal membrane.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Weiwei Xu
- National Key Laboratory of Green Pesticide, College of Chemistry, Central China Normal University, Wuhan 430079, People's Republic of China
| | - Guang Li
- National Key Laboratory of Green Pesticide, College of Chemistry, Central China Normal University, Wuhan 430079, People's Republic of China
| | - Haonan Qu
- National Key Laboratory of Green Pesticide, College of Chemistry, Central China Normal University, Wuhan 430079, People's Republic of China
| | - Cuiguang Ma
- National Key Laboratory of Green Pesticide, College of Chemistry, Central China Normal University, Wuhan 430079, People's Republic of China
| | - Haifan Zhang
- National Key Laboratory of Green Pesticide, College of Chemistry, Central China Normal University, Wuhan 430079, People's Republic of China
| | - Jing Cheng
- National Key Laboratory of Green Pesticide, College of Chemistry, Central China Normal University, Wuhan 430079, People's Republic of China
| | - Haibing Li
- National Key Laboratory of Green Pesticide, College of Chemistry, Central China Normal University, Wuhan 430079, People's Republic of China
| |
Collapse
|