Effective biotransformation and detoxification of anthraquinone dye reactive blue 4 by using aerobic bacterial granules

Virtual screening study for biological activity assessment and metabolism pathway of a fuel dye in airborne exposure scenario

The utilization of synthetic dyes increases the risk to human health. Despite the progress of information on azo dyes, very little attention has been reported on toxicity assessment of anthraquinone dyes. Solvent Blue 35 (SB35) is one of the anthraquinone dyes likely to be encountered because of its increasing use in various industries. Whereas the design of laboratory tests is very expensive, in silico screening was used to predict the metabolic profile and toxicity effect of SB35. MetaTox software was used to predict the metabolites of phase I and II in two layers. Since airborne exposure has been considered, the pathways of inhalation and dermal absorption of SB35 were investigated through the SwissADME model based on the modified Lipinski's rule of five. To predict the biological effect and toxicity of SB35 and each of the metabolites, PASS online software was used. Chemical activity was considered according to the probability of activation values (Pa) higher than the probability of inactivation values (Pi). N- dealkylation of SB35 was predicted in the first layer, while seven active compounds were obtained in the second layer from phases I and II reactions. Investigating the physicochemical properties of SB35 confirmed inhalation absorption for occupational exposure scenarios. All metabolites are absorbed from intestinal routes based on the RO5 rules. SB35 and their metabolites have an effective substrate role for the sub-type of CYP 450 enzymes. The toxicity effect of carcinogenicity for SB35 and mutagenicity for metabolites are predicted while confirmed with some biological effects. However, reproductive disorders are pointed with SB35 by probability higher than 70%. Virtual screening methods are efficient tools for creating cost-effective predictions in the hazard's evaluation of SB35. However, a perspective view is suggested before decision-making for laboratory designing tests.

Ligninolytic enzyme potential of Trametes spp. associated with leaf litter in riparian forest of the Amazônia region

The present study explored the potential of leaf litter as a source of fungi able to produce ligninolytic enzymes for the biodegradation of anthraquinone dyes. Within the colonies isolated from the leaf litter, only three colonies of two species Trametes were selected based on the detection of oxidation and decolorization halos in Petri dishes with PDA (potato-dextrose-agar) + Guaicol and PDA + RBBR (Remazol Brilliant Blue R). The identification of the colonies was done through sequencing of the ITS region. The enzymatic activity of Lac (lacase), MnP (manganês peroxidase) and LiP (lignina peroxidase) was analyzed by spectrophotometry during fermentation in PD+RBBR imedium. Isolates A1SSI01 and A1SSI02 were identified as Trametes flavida, while A5SS01 was identified as Trametes sp. Laccase showed the highest enzymatic activity, reaching 452.13 IU.L-1 (A1SSI01, 0.05% RBBR) after 96h. Isolate A1SSI02 reached the highest percentage of decolorization, achieving 89.28% in seven days. The results imply that these Trametes isolates can be highly effective in waste treatment systems containing toxic anthraquinone dyes. Keywords: laccase, peroxidases, basidiomycete, litter and biodecolorization.

Characterization of banned colorants in cosmetics: A tandem mass-based molecular networking approach

Colorants have been a staple in the cosmetics industry for a considerable time, although certain varieties have been banned owing to health risks. Detecting and confirming these banned colorants simultaneously poses several challenges when employing LC-MS/MS. Molecular networking is a promising analytical technology that can be used to predict the structure of components and the correlation between them using structural and MS/MS spectral similarities. Molecular networking entails assessing the number of fragmented ions and the cosine score (the closer it is to one, the higher the similarity). In this study, we developed and verified a method for the simultaneous quantitative analysis of the 26 banned colorants in cosmetics using LC-MS/MS. Additionally, we propose a novel approach that combines LC-Q-TOF-MS and molecular networking technology to detect banned colorants in cosmetics. For successful molecular networking, a minimum of six fragment ions with cosine scores exceeding 0.5 is required. We developed a screening method for characterizing banned colorants using molecular networking based on LC-TOF-MS results for 26 banned colorants. Furthermore, we demonstrated that our established method can be used for screening by analyzing actual cosmetics (eyebrow tattoo, lipstick tattoo, and hair tint) spiked with three non-targeted banned colorants with similar structures (m/z 267.116, 315.149, and 345.157) in cosmetics. The combination of molecular networking techniques and LC-MS/MS proves highly advantageous for the swift characterization and screening of non-targeted colorants in cosmetics.

Eco-friendly synthesis of clay-chitosan composite for efficient removal of alizarin red S dye from wastewater: A comprehensive experimental and theoretical investigation

Alizarin Red S (ARS) is commonly utilized for dyeing in textile industry. The dye represents a refractory pollutant in the aquatic environment unless properly treated. To tackle this pollutant, the applicability of chitosan-clay composite (3C) for the ARS removal from textile wastewater was studied. Characterization studies were conducted on the synthesized adsorbent using Fourier transformation infrared (FT-IR), X-ray diffraction (XRD), and energy dispersive X-ray (EDX) techniques. Optimized parameters such as adsorbent's dosage, pH, reaction time, and initial concentrations were tested in a batch system. Additionally, density functional theory (DFT) was calculated to understand the adsorption mechanism and the role of benzene rings and oxygen atoms in the ARS as electron donors. At the same initial concentration of 30 mg/L and optimized conditions of 50 mg of dose, pH 2, and 10 min of reaction time, about 86% of ARS removal was achieved using the composite. The pseudo-second-order kinetic was applicable to model a reasonable fitness of the adsorption reaction, while the Temkin model was representative to simulate the reaction with a maximum adsorption capacity of 44.39 mg/g. This result was higher than magnetic chitosan (40.12 mg/g), or pure chitosan (42.48 mg/g). With ΔH = 27.22 kJ/mol and ΔG<0, the data implied the endothermic and spontaneous nature of the adsorption process. Overall, this implies that the clay-chitosan composite is promising to remove target dye from contaminated wastewater.

Do zebrafish become blind or is it too much red dye in water? Distinguishing the embryo-larval development and physiology effects of DR 60, 73, and 78

Some dyes currently used by the textile, pharmaceutical, food, cosmetic, and photographic industries have been shown to be toxic and/or mutagenic to aquatic life. Most of these dyes resist degradation processes available for treating wastewater, and these processes might generate even more toxic by-products. Despite the large number of available dyes and the large quantity of dyes released into the environment, studies on their toxicity are still scarce. We evaluated and compared the effects in the animal model Danio rerio (zebrafish) of environmentally relevant concentrations of Disperse Red 60 (DR 60), 73 (DR 73), and 78 (DR 78) using the fish embryo acute toxicity (FET) test, morphometric analysis, immunofluorescence imaging, and behavioral parameters. DR 60 caused ocular modifications, while the DR 73 caused non-inflation of the swim bladder (NISB), pericardial edema (PE), scoliosis (S) and abnormal yolk sac (AYS) from at 0.125 mg/L. In behavioral tests, all the dyes induced changes in velocity and time spent swimming of exposed larvae. However, these alterations in behavior seem to be caused by different factors dependent on the dye and its concentration. Nevertheless, behavior seems to add valuable information concerning the hazards analysis of dyes, since it reveals to be the most sensitive group of parameters tested in the current study. In conclusion, of the behavioral and developmental alterations caused by these dyes should be interpreted as an alert for greater attention when registering new dyes and releasing them into the environment. In the particular case of DR 60 the possibility that directly affects the eye of larvae is of great environmental concern, but also from the human health perspective.

When aerobic granular sludge faces emerging contaminants: A review

The evolution of emerging contaminants (ECs) has caused greater requirements and challenges to the current biological wastewater treatment technology. As one of the most promising biological treatment technologies, the aerobic granular sludge (AGS) process also faces the challenge of ECs. This study summarizes the recent progress and characteristics of several representative ECs (persistent organic pollutants, endocrine disrupting chemicals, antibiotics, and microplastics) in AGS systems that have garnered widespread attention. Additionally, the biodegradation and adsorption mechanisms of ECs were discussed, and the interactions between various ECs and AGS was elucidated. The importance of extracellular polymeric substances for the stabilization of AGS and the removal of ECs is also discussed. Knowledge gaps and future research directions that may enable the practical application of AGS are highlighted. Overall, AGS processes show great application potential and this review provides guidance for the future implementation of AGS technology as well as elucidating the mechanism of its interaction with ECs.

Wheat bran as an efficient agro-process waste for enhanced yellow laccase production by Lentinus tigrinus SSB_W2 and its application in anthraquinone dye degradation

Lentinus tigrinus SSB_W2, isolated from Mahabaleshwar in the Western Ghats of Maharashtra, India, was employed to enhance laccase production in solid-state fermentation (SSF). The spectral analysis indicated that the laccase produced by L. tigrinus is a typical yellow laccase, exhibiting no absorption at 600 nm. Notably, this yellow laccase demonstrated exceptional catalytic activity, as confirmed by electrochemical analysis. Four agricultural processing wastes were evaluated as substrates for SSF, and the results showed that L. tigrinus effectively utilized wheat bran. Initial testing by one-factor-at-a-time method showed 3.79-fold increase in yellow laccase production, which subsequently increased to 6.51-fold after Plackett-Burman design. Moreover, employing response surface methodology resulted in 11.87-fold increase (108,472 IU gds-1) in laccase production. The utilization of yellow laccase for the biotransformation of various textile dyes was investigated, and it exhibited the highest degradation efficiency toward Reactive blue 4, a recalcitrant anthraquinone dye, with a rate of 18.36 mg L-1 h-1, for an initial concentration of 1000 mg L-1.

Supplementary Information

The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s13205-023-03881-9.

Anaerobic biotransformation of sulfonated anthraquinones by Pseudomonas nitroreducens WA and the fate of the sulfonic acid group in the presence of nitrate

The presence of the sulfonic acid group in sulfonated anthraquinones (SAs) resulted in the difficulty in the mineralization of anthraquinone ring. Little information is available on the removal pathway of the sulfonic acid group of SAs under aerobic/anaerobic conditions. Herein, sodium 1-aminoanthraquinone-2-sulfonate (ASA-2) was used as an important intermediate of SAs. A novel Pseudomonas nitroreducens WA capable of ASA-2 desulfonation was isolated from the Reactive Blue 19-degrading consortium WRB. Anaerobic desulfonation efficiency of 0.165 mM ASA-2 by strain WA reached 99% in 36 h at pH 7.5 and 35 ℃ using glucose as an electron donor. Further analysis showed that ASA-2 as an electron acceptor could be anaerobically transformed into 1-aminoanthraquinone and sulfite via the cleavage of C-S bond. Strain WA could also desulfonate sodium 1-amino-4-bromoanthraquinone-2-sulfonate and sodium anthraquinone-2-sulfonate. Under denitrification conditions, the formed sulfite could be oxidized to sulfate by nitrite via a chemical reaction, which was beneficial for nitrite removal. This phenomenon was observed in consortium WRB-amended system. Moreover, the consortium WRB could reduce the formed sulfite to sulfide due to the presence of Desulfovibrio. These results provide a theoretical basis for the anaerobic biodesulfonation of SAs along with nitrate removal and support for the development of sulfite-based biotechnology.

Horseradish peroxidase (HRP) and glucose oxidase (GOX) based dual-enzyme system: Sustainable release of H2O2 and its effect on the desirable ping pong bibi degradation mechanism

In this study, an adaptable HRP/GOX-Glu system was established due to the trait, efficient degradation of pollutants in the catalytic process of HRP named the ping-pong bibi mechanism and a sustained release of H₂O₂ in-situ under the catalysis of glucose oxidase (GOX). Compared with the traditional HRP/H₂O₂ system, the HRP was more stable in the HRP/GOX-Glu system based on the feature of persistent releasing H₂O₂ in-situ. Simultaneously, the high valent iron was found out to give a greater contribution to Alizarin Green (AG) removal through ping-pong mechanism, whereas the hydroxyl radical and superoxide free radical generated by Bio-Fenton were also the main active substances for AG degradation. Furthermore, on the basis of effect evaluation of the co-existence of two different degradation mechanisms in the HRP/GOX-Glu system, the degradation pathways of AG were proposed. Moreover, the optimum reaction conditions preferentially triggering ping-pong bibi mechanism instead of Bio-Fenton were determined by single factor analysis and degradation mechanism elaboration. This study would provide a reference for how to give full play to the advantages of ping-pong bibi mechanism in the dual-enzyme system based on HRP to degrade pollutants with high efficiency.

Low salinity enhances azo dyes degradation in aerobic granular sludge systems: Performance and mechanism analysis

The biodegradation performance of azo dyes can be enhanced under low salinity conditions, but the internal biodegradation mechanism is still unclear. Aerobic granular sludge (AGS), a salt-tolerant biological wastewater treatment technology, was used in this study to explore the enhancement mechanism of acid orange 7 (AO7) degradation at low salinity level (1.0 %). Results indicated that the AGS structure and reactor performance were almost unaffected by different AO7 concentrations (5-10 mg/L). Compared with salt-free conditions, the AO7 removal efficiency was elevated by 9.9 %-19.0 % at 1.0 % salinity level, owing to the enrichment of AO7 decolorizing bacteria (e.g. Acinetobacter) and functional enzymes (e.g. FMN-dependent azoreductase). The up-regulated genes involving in the key metabolic functions (e.g. carbon metabolism and oxidative phosphorylation) promoted the electron and energy production, thereby facilitating the AO7 decolorization and degradation. These results aid understanding of the enhancement mechanism of AO7 biodegradation under low salinity conditions from macroscopic and microscopic perspectives.

Understanding the biodegradation pathways of azo dyes by immobilized white-rot fungus, Trametes hirsuta D7, using UPLC-PDA-FTICR MS supported by in silico simulations and toxicity assessment

No biodegradation methods are absolute in the treatment of all textile dyes, which leads to structure-dependent degradation. In this study, biodegradation of three azo dyes, reactive black 5 (RB5), acid blue 113 (AB113), and acid orange 7 (AO7), was investigated using an immobilized fungus, Trametes hirsuta D7. The degraded metabolites were identified using UPLC-PDA-FTICR MS and the biodegradation pathway followed was proposed. RB5 (92%) and AB113 (97%) were effectively degraded, whereas only 30% of AO7 was degraded. Molecular docking simulations were performed to determine the reason behind the poor degradation of AO7. Weak binding affinity, deficiency in H-bonding interactions, and the absence of interactions between the azo (-NN-) group and active residues of the model laccase enzyme were responsible for the low degradation efficiency of AO7. Furthermore, cytotoxicity and genotoxicity assays confirmed that the fungus-treated dye produced non-toxic metabolites. The observations of this study will be useful for understanding and further improving enzymatic dye biodegradation.

Evaluation of dye decolorization using anaerobic granular sludge from an expanded granular sludge bed based on spectrometric and microbiome analyses

The decolorization of 11 dyes by granular sludge from an anaerobic expanded granular sludge bed (EGSB) reactor was evaluated. Biological decolorization of Reactive Red 21, 23, and 180, and Reactive Yellow 15, 17, and 23 in model textile wastewater was observed for the first time after a 7-day incubation (over 94% decolorization). According to the sequencing analysis of 16S rRNA gene amplicons from EGSB granular sludge, the operational taxonomic unit related to Paludibacter propionicigenes showed the highest increase in relative abundance ratios in the presence of dyes (7.12 times on average over 11 dyes) compared to those without dyes.

Insights into the Biocompatibility and Biological Potential of a Chitosan Nanoencapsulated Textile Dye

Traditionally synthetic textile dyes are hazardous and toxic compounds devoid of any biological activity. As nanoencapsulation of yellow everzol textile dye with chitosan has been shown to produce biocompatible nanoparticles which were still capable of dyeing textiles, this work aims to further characterize the biocompatibility of yellow everzol nanoparticles (NPs) and to ascertain if the produced nanoencapsulated dyes possess any biological activity against various skin pathogens in vitro assays and in a cell infection model. The results showed that the NPs had no deleterious effects on the HaCat cells' metabolism and cell wall, contrary to the high toxicity of the dye. The biological activity evaluation showed that NPs had a significant antimicrobial activity, with low MICs (0.5-2 mg/mL) and MBCs (1-3 mg/mL) being registered. Additionally, NPs inhibited biofilm formation of all tested microorganisms (inhibitions between 30 and 87%) and biofilm quorum sensing. Lastly, the dye NPs were effective in managing MRSA infection of HaCat cells as they significantly reduced intracellular and extracellular bacterial counts.

Chitosan Nanoparticles as Bioactive Vehicles for Textile Dyeing: A Proof of Concept

In recent years bioactive textiles have risen to the forefront of consumers perception due to their potential protection against virus, fungi and bacteria. However, traditional textile staining is an eco-damaging process that and current methods of textile functionalization are expensive, complicated and with great environmental impact. With that in mind, this work sought to show a possible solution for this problematic through the usage of a novel one step textile dyeing and functionalization method based upon nanoencapsulated textile dyes (NTDs). To do so navy blue everzol NTDs were produced with chitosan, cotton dyed, characterized through FTIR and SEM and biological potential evaluated through biocompatibility screening and antimicrobial activity against skin pathogens. The data obtained showed that NTDs effectively dyed the target textile through a coating of the cotton fibre and that NTDs formed hydrogen bonds with the cellulose fibre via electrostatic interactions of the chitosan amino groups with cotton sulphate groups. From a biocompatibility perspective NTDs dyed cotton had no deleterious effects upon a skin cell line, as it promoted cellular metabolism of HaCat cells, while traditionally died cotton reduced it by 10%. Last but not least, NTDs dyed cotton showed significant antimicrobial activity as it reduced viable counts of MRSA, MSSA and A. baumannii between 1 and 2 log of CFU while traditional dyed cotton had no antimicrobial activity. Considering these results the novel method proposed shows is a viable and ecological alternative for the development of antimicrobial textiles with potential biomedical applications.

Accumulation of functional metabolites and transcriptomics in postharvest fume-drying and air-drying process in rhubarb

BACKGROUND

The active component content is an important factor affecting quality of traditional Chinese medicines. The fume-drying process can effectively improve the content of active components in rhubarb, but the accumulation dynamics and molecular mechanisms are not known. In this study, variations in the active components of rhubarb during the drying process were determined, and the most intense changes in the active components were preferred for transcriptome inquiry.

RESULTS

The results showed that the accumulation of active ingredients could be significantly promoted in the early stage of fume-drying and air-drying. In particular, the active ingredients increased by 61.57% (from 44.58 to 72.02 mg g^-1 ) on the fourth day of fume-drying. A total of 4191 DEGs (differentially expressed genes) were identified by transcriptome analysis when the active components changed significantly. Transcriptome data of different dried rhubarb samples revealed, that the fume-drying process could significantly improve the expression of genes relevant to respiration, phenolic acid, and anthraquinone synthesis pathways in rhubarb, which was more conducive to the synthesis and accumulation of the active components.

CONCLUSION

Fume-drying stimulated respiration and secondary metabolite synthesis in rhubarb cells by exerting strong external stress on freshly harvested rhubarb. This study revealed the variations and molecular mechanism of active component accumulation in the rhubarb drying process and might serve as a guide for the development of alternative methods for rhubarb fumigation and drying process. © 2022 Society of Chemical Industry.

Transcriptome profiling reveals upregulation of benzoate degradation and related genes in Pseudomonas aeruginosa D6 during textile dye degradation

An upsurge in textile dye pollution has demanded immediate efforts to develop an optimum technology for their bioremediation. However, the molecular mechanism underpinning aerobic decolorization of dyes is still in its infancy. Thus, in the current work, the intricacies of aerobic remediation of textile dyes by Pseudomonas aeruginosa D6 were understood via a transcriptomic approach. The bacterium isolated from the sludge sample of a common effluent treatment plant was able to decolorize 54.42, 57.66, 50.84 and 65.86% of 100 mg L^-1 of four different dyes i.e., TD01, TD04, TD05, and TD06, respectively. The maximum decolorization was achieved within six days and thus, the first and sixth day of incubation were selected for transcriptome analysis at the early and late phase of the decolorization, respectively. The expression profiles of all samples were compared to gain insight into the dye-specific response of bacterium and it was found that it behaved most uniquely in the presence of the dye TD01. Several genes critical to core metabolic processes like the TCA cycle, glycolysis, pentose phosphate pathway, translation, cell motility etc. Were found to be overexpressed in the presence of dyes. Interestingly, in response to dyes, the benzoate degradation pathway was significantly upregulated in the bacterium as compared to control (i.e., bacterium without dye). Thus, seven genes contributing to the induction of the same were further studied by RT-qPCR analysis. Overall, the involvement of the benzoate pathway implies the appearance of aromatic intermediates during decolorization, which in turn infers dye degradation.

Toxicity Mitigation of Textile Dye Reactive Blue 4 by Hairy Roots of Helianthus annuus and Testing Its Effect in In Vivo Model Systems

An anthraquinone textile dye, Reactive Blue 4 (RB4), poses environmental health hazards. In this study, remediation of RB4 (30-110 ppm) was carried out by hairy roots (HRs). UV-visible spectroscopy and FTIR analysis showed that the dye undergoes decolourization followed by degradation. In addition, toxicity and safety analyses of the bioremediated dye were performed on Allium cepa and zebrafish embryos, which revealed lesser toxicity of the bioremediated dye as compared to untreated dye. For Allium cepa, the highest concentration, i.e., 110 ppm of the treated dye, showed less chromosomal aberrations with a mitotic index of 8.5 ± 0.5, closer to control. Two-fold decrease in mortality of zebrafish embryos was observed at the highest treated dye concentration indicating toxicity mitigation. A higher level of lipid peroxidation (LPO) was recorded in the zebrafish embryo when exposed to untreated dye, suggesting a possible role of oxidative stress-inducing mortality of embryos. Further, the level of LPO was significantly normalized along with the other antioxidant enzymes in embryos after dye bioremediation. At lower concentrations, mitigated samples displayed similar antioxidant activity comparable to control underlining the fact that the dye at lesser concentration can be more easily degraded than the dye at higher concentration.

Biofouling suppresses effluent toxicity in an electrochemical filtration system for remediation of sulfanilic acid-contaminated water

Electrochemical filtration system (EFS) has received broad interest due to its high efficiency for organic contaminants removal. However, the porous nature of electrodes and flow-through operation mode make it susceptible to potential fouling. In this work, we systematically investigated the impacts of biofouling on sulfanilic acid (SA) removal and effluent toxicity in an EFS. Results showed that the degradation efficiency of SA slightly deteriorated from 92.3% to 81.1% at 4.0 V due to the electrode fouling. Surprisingly, after the occurrence of fouling, the toxicity (in terms of luminescent bacteria inhibition) of the EFS effluent decreased from 72.3% to 40.2%, and cytotoxicity assay exhibited similar tendency. Scanning electron microscopy and confocal laser scanning microscopy analyses revealed that biofouling occurred on the porous cathode, and live microorganisms were the dominant contributors, which are expected to play an important role in toxicity suppression. The relative abundance of Flavobacterium genus, related to the degradation of p-nitrophenol (an aromatic intermediate product of SA), increased on the membrane cathode after fouling. The analysis of degradation pathway confirmed the synergetic effects of electrochemical oxidation and biodegradation in removal of SA and its intermediate products in a bio-fouled EFS, accounting for the decrease of the effluent toxicity. Results of our study, for the first time, highlight the critical role of biofouling in detoxication using EFS for the treatment of contaminated water.

Comparative genome and transcriptome of Rhodococcus pyridinivorans GF3 for analyzing the detoxification mechanism of anthraquinone compounds

Anthraquinone compounds (ACs) could be efficiently degraded and detoxified by bacteria. However, the molecular mechanism of bacterial degradation and detoxification of ACs remains unclear. In this study, 1-aminoanthraquinone-2-sulfonate (ASA-2) was used as a model anthraquinone compound, the response mechanism of Rhodococcus pyridinivorans GF3 to ASA-2 using genomics and transcriptomics techniques was investigated. Comparative genome analysis showed that strain GF3 owned an especial gene region (Genes 1337-1399) containing the genes encoding cytochrome P450, monooxygenase, dehydrogenase and oxidoreductase, which did not commonly exist in Rhodococcus genus. The amino acid sequences of these genes were similar to those of the cleavage enzymes of anthraquinone ring in Aspergillus genus. Moreover, the transcriptions of Genes 1392-1394 (cytochrome 450 gene cluster) displayed 1.8-3.1-fold up-regulation under ASA-2 exposure. Meanwhile, as an intermediate product of ASA-2, catechol was degraded to acetyl-CoA, succinyl-CoA and pyruvate, resulting in the enhanced tricarboxylic acid cycle and ATP generation. This process also promoted the up-regulation of the genes encoding resistance, efflux, transporter and anti-oxidation pressure proteins, which were involved in resisting ASA-2 and maintaining the homeostasis of cells. These results provided us with a further understanding of the molecular mechanism of degradation and detoxification of ACs.

Endocrine disrupting chemicals (EDCs) in environmental matrices: Occurrence, fate, health impact, physio-chemical and bioremediation technology

Endocrine disrupting chemicals (EDCs) are an emerging category of toxicity that adversely impacts humans and the environment's well-being. Diseases like cancer, cardiovascular risk, behavioral disorders, autoimmune defects, and reproductive diseases are related to these endocrine disruptors. Because these chemicals exist in known sources such as pharmaceuticals and plasticizers, as well as non-point sources such as agricultural runoff and storm water infiltration, the interactive effects of EDCs are gaining attention. However, the efficiency of conventional treatment methods is not sufficient to fully remediate EDCs from aqueous environments as the occurrence of EDC bioremediation and biodegradation is detected in remediated drinking water. Incorporating modification into current remediation techniques has to overcome challenges such as high energy consumption and health risks resulting from conventional treatment. Hence, the use of advanced psychochemical and biological treatments such as carbon-based adsorption, membrane technology, nanostructured photocatalysts, microbial and enzyme technologies is crucial. Intensifying environmental and health concerns about these mixed contaminants are primarily due to the lack of laws about acute concentration limits of these EDCs in municipal wastewater, groundwater, surface water, and drinking water. This review article offers evidence of fragmentary available data for the source, fate, toxicity, ecological and human health impact, remediation techniques, and mechanisms during EDC removal, and supports the need for further data to address the risks associated with the presence of EDCs in the environment. The reviews also provide comprehensive data for biodegradation of EDCs by using microbes such as fungi, bacteria, yeast, filamentous fungi, and their extracellular enzymes.

Enhanced degradation capability of white-rot fungi after short-term pre-exposure to silver ion: Performance and selectively antimicrobial mechanisms

Azo dyes in wastewater have great threats to environment and human health. White-rot fungi (WRF) have broad-spectrum potential for such refractory organics bioremediation; however, their applications are largely restrained by the poor viability owning to microbial invasion under non-sterile conditions. In this study, short-term pre-exposure to silver ion (Ag⁺) was demonstrated to be a practical, economic, and green method to enhance the perdurability of azo dyes decoloration by WRF Phanerochaete chrysosporium under non-sterile conditions. In control (without Ag⁺ pre-exposure), decoloration deactivated since cycle 7 (<10%), whereas in Ag⁺ pre-exposure groups, the decoloration ratios remained 91.5%-94.7% after 7 cycles. Variations in decoloration-related extracellular lignin enzyme activities were consistent with the decoloration effectiveness. The enhanced decoloration capability in Ag⁺ pre-exposure groups under non-sterile conditions could be ascribed to the selectively antimicrobial action by Ag⁺. The released Ag⁺ from the self-assembled silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) could selectively "stimulate" the proliferation and viability of P. chrysosporium, and simultaneously inhibit the growths of invasive microorganisms. The pyrosequencing results indicated that genus Sphingomonas (24.1%-31.3%) was the main invasive bacteria in Ag⁺ pre-exposure groups after long-term operation owing to the AgNPs passivation. As control, the invasive fungi (Asterotremella humicola) and bacteria (Burkholderia spp.) occurred in control after short-term operation, and genus Burkholderia (74.9%) dominated after long-term operation, leading to decoloration deactivation. Overall, these findings offer a new insight into the bio-nano interactions between WRF and invasive microorganisms in response to Ag⁺ or biogenic AgNPs, and could extend WRF application perspective under non-sterile conditions in future.

Biochemical characterization of a novel azo reductase named BVU5 from the bacterial flora DDMZ1: application for decolorization of azo dyes

One of the main mechanisms of bacterial decolorization and degradation of azo dyes is the use of biological enzymes to catalyze the breaking of azo bonds. This paper shows the expression and properties of a novel azo reductase (hybrid-cluster NAD(P)-dependent oxidoreductase, accession no. A0A1S1BVU5, named BVU5) from the bacterial flora DDMZ1 for degradation of azo dyes. The molecular weight of BVU5 is about 40.1 kDa, and it contains the prosthetic group flavin mononucleotide (FMN). It has the decolorization ability of 80.1 ± 2.5% within 3 min for a dye concentration of 20 mg L⁻¹, and 53.5 ± 1.8% even for a dye concentration of 200 mg L⁻¹ after 30 min. The optimum temperature of enzyme BVU5 is 30 °C and the optimum pH is 6. It is insensitive to salt concentration up to a salinity level of 10%. Furthermore, enzyme BVU5 has good tolerance toward some metal ions (2 mM) such as Mn²⁺, Ca²⁺, Mg²⁺ and Cu²⁺ and some organic solvents (20%) such as DMSO, methanol, isopentyl, ethylene glycol and N-hexane. However, the enzyme BVU5 has a low tolerance to high concentrations of denaturants. In particular, it is sensitive to the denaturants guanidine hydrochloride (GdmCl) (2 M) and urea (2 M). Analysis of the dye substrate specificity shows that enzyme BVU5 decolorizes most azo dyes, which is indicating that the enzyme is not strictly substrate specific, it is a functional enzyme for breaking the azo structure. Liquid chromatography/time-of-flight/mass spectrometry (LC-TOF-MS) revealed after the action of enzyme BVU5 that some intermediate products with relatively large molecular weights were produced; this illustrates a symmetric or an asymmetric rapid cleavage of the azo bonds by this enzyme. The potential degradation pathways and the enzyme-catalyzed degradation mechanism are deduced in the end of this paper. The results give insight into the potential of a rapid bio-pretreatment by enzyme BVU5 for processing azo dye wastewater.

The combination of BVU5 enzyme and coenzyme NADH can quickly degrade the azo dye RB5.

Chemically induced oxidative stress improved bacterial laccase-mediated degradation and detoxification of the synthetic dyes

To alleviate the risk of textile effluent, the development of highly effective bioremediation strategies for synthetic dye removal is needed. Herein, we aimed to assess whether intensified bioactivity of Bacillus pumilus ZB1 by oxidative stress could improve the removal of textile dyes. Methyl methanesulfonate (MMS) induced oxidative stress significantly promoted laccase expression of B. pumilus ZB1. Both the level of hydrogen dioxide and superoxide anion showed a significant positive correlation with laccase activity (RSQ = 0.963 and 0.916, respectively) along with the change of MMS concentration. The regulation of laccase expression was closely related to oxidative stress. The overexpressed laccase in the supernatant improved the decolorization of synthetic dyes (16.43% for Congo Red, 54.05% for Crystal Violet, and 41.61% for Reactive Blue 4). Laccase was subsequently expressed in E. coli. Investigation of the potential of bacterial laccase in dye remediation using Congo Red showed that an effective degradation of azo dye could be achieved with laccase treatment. Laccase remediation alleviated the cytotoxicity of Congo Red to human hepatocytes. In silico study identified eight amino acid residues of laccase involved in binding with Congo Red. Overall, regulation of oxidative stress towards bacterium can be used as a promising approach for the improvement of bacterial bioactivity in synthetic dye remediation.

The mechanism of degradation of alizarin red by a white-rot fungus Trametes gibbosa

Background

Alizarin red (AR) is a typical anthraquinone dye, and the resulting wastewater is toxic and difficult to remove. A study showed that the white rot fungus Trametes gibbosa (T. gibbosa) can degrade dye wastewater by decolorization and has its own enzyme-producing traits.

Methods

In this study, transcriptome sequencing was performed after alizarin red treatment for 0, 3, 7, 10, and 14 h. The key pathways and key enzymes involved in alizarin red degradation were found to be through the analysis of KEGG and GO. The Glutathione S-transferase (GST), manganese peroxidase (MnP) and laccase activities of T. gibbosa treated with alizarin red for 0–14 h were detected. LC–MS and GC–MS analyses of alizarin red decomposition products after 7 h and 14 h were performed.

Results

The glutathione metabolic pathway ko00480, and the key enzymes GST, MnP, laccase and CYP450 were selected. Most of the genes encoding these enzymes were upregulated under alizarin red conditions. The GST activity increased 1.8 times from 117.55 U/mg prot at 0 h to 217.03 U/mg prot at 14 h. The MnP activity increased 2.9 times from 6.45 to 18.55 U/L. The laccase activity increased 3.7 times from 7.22 to 27.28 U/L. Analysis of the alizarin red decolourization rate showed that the decolourization rate at 14 h reached 20.21%. The main degradation intermediates were found to be 1,4-butene diacid, phthalic acid, 1,1-diphenylethylene, 9,10-dihydroanthracene, 1,2-naphthalene dicarboxylic acid, bisphenol, benzophenol-5,2-butene, acrylaldehyde, and 1-butylene, and the degradation process of AR was inferred. Overall, 1,4-butene diacid is the most important intermediate product produced by AR degradation.

Conclusions

The glutathione metabolic pathway was the key pathway for AR degradation. GST, MnP, laccase and CYP450 were the key enzymes for AR degradation. 1,4-butene diacid is the most important intermediate product. This study explored the process of AR biodegradation at the molecular and biochemical levels and provided a theoretical basis for its application in practical production.

Supplementary Information

The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s12896-021-00720-8.

A Brief History of Colour, the Environmental Impact of Synthetic Dyes and Removal by Using Laccases

The history of colour is fascinating from a social and artistic viewpoint because it shows the way; use; and importance acquired. The use of colours date back to the Stone Age (the first news of cave paintings); colour has contributed to the social and symbolic development of civilizations. Colour has been associated with hierarchy; power and leadership in some of them. The advent of synthetic dyes has revolutionized the colour industry; and due to their low cost; their use has spread to different industrial sectors. Although the percentage of coloured wastewater discharged by the textile; food; pharmaceutical; cosmetic; and paper industries; among other productive areas; are unknown; the toxic effect and ecological implications of this discharged into water bodies are harmful. This review briefly shows the social and artistic history surrounding the discovery and use of natural and synthetic dyes. We summarise the environmental impact caused by the discharge of untreated or poorly treated coloured wastewater to water bodies; which has led to physical; chemical and biological treatments to reduce the colour units so as important physicochemical parameters. We also focus on laccase utility (EC 1.10.3.2), for discolouration enzymatic treatment of coloured wastewater, before its discharge into water bodies. Laccases (p-diphenol: oxidoreductase dioxide) are multicopper oxidoreductase enzymes widely distributed in plants, insects, bacteria, and fungi. Fungal laccases have employed for wastewater colour removal due to their high redox potential. This review includes an analysis of the stability of laccases, the factors that influence production at high scales to achieve discolouration of high volumes of contaminated wastewater, the biotechnological impact of laccases, and the degradation routes that some dyes may follow when using the laccase for colour removal.

Enhanced Reactive Blue 4 Biodegradation Performance of Newly Isolated white rot fungus Antrodia P5 by the Synergistic Effect of Herbal Extraction Residue

In this study, a white rot fungus Antrodia was newly isolated and named P5. Then its dye biodegradation ability was investigated. Our results showed that P5 could effectively degrade 1,000 mg/L Reactive Blue 4 (RB4) in 24 h with 95% decolorization under shaking conditions. It could tolerate a high dye concentration of 2,500 mg/L as well as 10% salt concentration and a wide range of pH values (4-9). Herbal extraction residues (HER) were screened as additional medium elements for P5 biodegradation. Following the addition of Fructus Gardeniae (FG) extraction residue, the biodegradation performance of P5 was significantly enhanced, achieving 92% decolorization in 12 h. Transcriptome analysis showed that the expression of multiple peroxidase genes was simultaneously increased: Lignin Peroxidase, Manganese Peroxidase, Laccase, and Dye Decolorization Peroxidase. The maximum increase in Lignin Peroxidase reached 10.22-fold in the presence of FG. The results of UV scanning and LC-HRMS showed that with the synergistic effect of FG, P5 could remarkably accelerate the biodegradation process of RB4 intermediates. Moreover, the fungal treatment with FG also promoted the abatement of RB4 toxicity. In sum, white rot fungus and herbal extraction residue were combined and used in the treatment of anthraquinone dye. This could be applied in practical contexts to realize an efficient and eco-friendly strategy for industrial dye wastewater treatment.

Biodegradation and metabolic pathway of anthraquinone dyes by Trametes hirsuta D7 immobilized in light expanded clay aggregate and cytotoxicity assessment

Biodegradation and metabolic pathways of three anthraquinone dyes, Reactive Blue 4 (RB4), Remazol Brilliant Blue - R (RBBR), and Acid Blue 129 (AB129) by Trametes hirsuta D7 fungus immobilized in light expanded clay aggregate (LECA) were investigated. Morphological characteristics observed with scanning electron microscope (SEM) showed successful immobilization of the fungus in LECA. Based on UV absorbance measurement, immobilized T. hirsuta D7 effectively degraded 90%, 95%, and 96% of RB4, RBBR and AB129, respectively. Metabolites were identified with high-resolution mass spectrometry (HRMS) and degradation pathway of the dyes by T. hirsuta D7 was proposed. Toxicity assay on human dermal fibroblast (HDF) showed that anthraquinone dyes exhibits significant toxicity of 35%, 40%, and 34% reduction of cell viability by RB4, RBBR, and AB129, respectively. Fungal treatment resulted in an abatement of the toxicity and cell viability was increased up to 94%. The data clearly showed the effectiveness of immobilized T. hirsuta D7 in LECA on detoxification of anthraquinone dyes. This study provides potential and fundamental understanding of wastewater treatment using the newly isolated fungus T. hirsuta D7.

Degradation of anthraquinone dye reactive blue 19 using persulfate activated with Fe/Mn modified biochar: Radical/non-radical mechanisms and fixed-bed reactor study

In this study, a heterogeneous activator was prepared via the Fe/Mn modification of sludge-derived biochar (Fe/MnBC) to achieve high-efficiency activation of persulfate (PS) for reactive blue 19 (RB19) degradation. The morphologies and chemical states of Fe/MnBC were examined by various characterizations. A comprehensive assessment was conducted to reveal the effects of biochar preparation conditions and system reaction conditions. According to the results of scavenger quenching experiments and electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) testing, the mechanisms of Fe/MnBC combined PS system on RB19 degradation were proposed, including radical and non-radical mechanisms. The formation and involvement of sulfate radical (SO₄^·-), hydroxyl radical (OH^·), and singlet oxygen (¹O₂) were proved in this system, and Fe(IV)/Mn(VII) was also speculated to participate in the non-radical degradation process. These findings give a new insight into the mechanisms of PS activated by metal-biochar composite. Besides, fixed-bed reactor (FBR) experiments indicated that the Fe/MnBC has considerable PS activation potential for dyes removal. The degradation process was further modeled by the central composite design (CCD-RSM) and artificial neural networks (ANN) methods. The statistical metrics and prediction indicated that the prediction results of ANN model were better than CCD-RSM model, and the ANN model could perfectly predict the reaction process of Fe/MnBC FBR for engineering applications.

Fecal Fungi Dysbiosis in Nonalcoholic Fatty Liver Disease

OBJECTIVE

Nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) can systematically harm more aspects of human health than just the liver. In addition to the potential roles of the gut microbiota in NAFLD, commensal fungi can functionally replace intestinal bacteria in maintaining the host immune response in the gut by reversing disease susceptibility. Therefore, gut commensal fungi should be studied to help understand NAFLD.

METHODS

The fungal compositions of 79 patients with NAFLD and 34 matched healthy subjects were studied via internal transcribed spacer sequencing. In the NAFLD group, 32 patients underwent liver biopsies to evaluate the associations between gut fungi and NAFLD development.

RESULTS

The fungal microbiota distribution was skewed in the patients with NAFLD. The relative abundances of Talaromyces, Paraphaeosphaeria, Lycoperdon, Curvularia, Phialemoniopsis, Paraboeremia, Sarcinomyces, Cladophialophora, and Sordaria were higher in patients with NAFLD, whereas the abundances of Leptosphaeria, Pseudopithomyces, and Fusicolla were decreased. Patients with NAFLD exhibited more co-occurring fungal intrakingdom correlations. Several fungi were found to be associated with liver injury, lipid metabolism, and the development of NAFLD.

CONCLUSIONS

This study found that gut fungi may play some roles in NAFLD development. Research on gut fungi may be of great value in diagnosing and monitoring NAFLD.

Morphological and Behavioral Effects in Zebrafish Embryos after Exposure to Smoke Dyes

Solvent Violet 47 (SV47) and Disperse Blue 14 (DB14) are two anthraquinone dyes that were previously used in different formulations for the production of violet-colored smoke. Both dyes have shown potential for toxicity; however, there is no comprehensive understanding of their effects. Zebrafish embryos were exposed to SV47 or DB14 from 6 to 120 h post fertilization (hpf) to assess the dyes’ potential adverse effects on developing embryos. The potential ability of both dyes to cross the blood–brain barrier was also assessed. At concentrations between 0.55 and 5.23 mg/L, SV47 showed a dose-dependent increase in mortality, jaw malformation, axis curvature, and edemas. At concentrations between 0.15 and 7.54 mg/L, DB14 did not have this same dose-dependence but had similar morphological outcomes at the highest doses. Nevertheless, while SV47 showed significant mortality from 4.20 mg/L, there was no significant mortality on embryos exposed to DB14. Regardless, decreased locomotor movement was observed at all concentrations of DB14, suggesting an adverse neurodevelopmental effect. Overall, our results showed that at similar concentrations, SV47 and DB14 caused different types of phenotypic effects in zebrafish embryos.

Decolourization of azo, anthraquinone and triphenylmethane dyes using aerobic granules: Acclimatization and long-term stability

The long-term stability of aerobic granules is critical for decolourization of different dyes in textile wastewater. Here, we investigated dye decolourization and the stability of acetate-cultivated granules after exposure to dyes. Results show that granules can maintain excellent structure stability with the presence of azo and triphenylmethane dyes during a 200-day operation period, achieving biomass concentrations as high as 8-12 g L^-1 and 90% and 100% decolourization efficiency, respectively. Aerobic granules, however, partially disintegrated after exposure to anthraquinone, resulting in dye decolourization efficiency ranging from 50 to 80% and a biomass concentration as low as around 0.5 g L^-1 due to biomass wash-out. The study indicates that long-term granule stability is much dependent on the dye classes. The enrichment of specific species in granules for dye decolourization has not been affected by the granule structure. The specific dye decolourization rate and dye to microorganism ratio for anthraquinone were 5-6.5 and 13.5-16.4 times, respectively, higher than those for azo and triphenylmethane dyes, but the total reactor performance for anthraquinone decolourization is much poorer than azo and triphenylmethane dyes due to low biomass retention in the reactor. The results suggest the importance of stability of aerobic granules for biomass retention to achieve better treatment performance of dye-containing wastewater. For the first time, the long-term stability and decolourization performance of aerobic granules for treating anthraquinone and triphenylmethane dyes are reported here and compared with azo dye, which can be used to guide the treatment of real textile wastewater containing azo, anthraquinone and triphenylmethane dyes by aerobic granules.

2-Bromoanthraquinone as a highly efficient photocatalyst for the oxidation of sec-aromatic alcohols: experimental and DFT study

Anthraquinones are recognized as high efficiency photocatalysts which can perform various redox reactions in aqueous or organic phases. We have experimentally proven that 2-BrAQ can undergo hydrogen transfer with an alpha-aromatic alcohol under light conditions, thereby efficiently oxidizing the aromatic alcohol to the corresponding product. The yield of 1-phenethanol to acetophenone can reach more than 96%. In subsequent catalyst screening experiments, it was found that the electronegativity of the substituent at the 2 position of the anthraquinone ring and the acidity of the solvent affect the photocatalytic activity of anthraquinones. After using various aromatic alcohol substrates, 2-BrAQ showed good conversion and selectivity for most aromatic alcohols, but showed C-C bond cleavage and low selectivity with non-α-position aromatic alcohols. In order to explore the mechanism of the redox reaction of 2-BrAQ in acetonitrile solution, the corresponding free radical reaction pathway was proposed and verified by density functional theory (DFT). Focusing on calculations for 2-BrAQ during the reaction and the first-step hydrogen transfer reaction between the 2-BrAQ triplet molecule and the 1-phenylethanol molecule, we recognized the changes that occurred during the reaction and thus have a deeper understanding of the redox reaction of anthraquinone compounds in organic systems.

Textile dyes loaded chitosan nanoparticles: Characterization, biocompatibility and staining capacity

Textile dyeing is a hazardous and toxic process. While traditionally it has been managed through effluent treatment, new approaches focused upon improving the dyeing process are gaining relevance. In this work, we sought to obtain, for the first time, an eco-friendly chitosan-nanoparticle based textile dyeing method. To that end, yellow everzol and navy blue itosperse loaded chitosan nanoparticles were produced and their capacity to dye textiles and cytotoxicity towards human skin cells were evaluated. The results obtained showed that it was possible to obtain nanoencapsulated dyes through ionic gelation with an average entrapment efficacy above 90 %. Nanoparticles presented a positive surface charge and sizes between 190 and 800 nm with yellow everzol NPs occurring via ionic interactions while navy blue itosperse NPs were formed through hydrogen bonds. Furthermore, the produced dye NPs presented no cytotoxicity towards HaCat cells and presented staining percentages reaching 17.60 % for a viscose/wool blend.

Co-metabolic degradation of refractory dye: A metagenomic and metaproteomic study

Fructose was utilized as an additional co-substrate to systematically investigate the molecular mechanism of its boosting effect for the degradation of refractory dye reactive black 5 (RB5) by a natural bacterial flora DDMZ1. A decolorizing rate of 98% was measured for sample YE + FRU(200) (with 3 g/L fructose additionally to yeast extract medium, 10% (v/v) inoculation size of flora DDMZ1, 200 mg/L RB5) after 48 h. This result was 21% and 77%, respectively, higher than those of samples with only yeast extract or only fructose. Fructose was found to significantly stimulated both intracellular and extracellular azoreductase secretion causing enhanced activity. Metagenomic sequencing technology was used to analyze the functional potential of genes. A label-free quantitative proteomic approach further confirmed the encoding of functional proteins by the candidate genes. Subsequently, the molecular mechanism of RB5 degradation by candidate genes and functional proteins of the dominant species were proposed. This study provides important perspectives to the molecular mechanism of co-metabolic degradation of refractory pollutants by a natural bacterial flora.

Bacterial degradation of anthraquinone dyes

Anthraquinone dyes, which contain anthraquinone chromophore groups, are the second largest class of dyes after azo dyes and are used extensively in textile industries. The majority of these dyes are resistant to degradation because of their complex and stable structures; consequently, a large number of anthraquinone dyes find their way into the environment causing serious pollution. At present, the microbiological approach to treating printing and dyeing wastewater is considered to be an economical and feasible method, and reports regarding the bacterial degradation of anthraquinone dyes are increasing. This paper reviews the classification and structures of anthraquinone dyes, summarizes the types of degradative bacteria, and explores the possible mechanisms and influencing factors of bacterial anthraquinone dye degradation. Present research progress and existing problems are further discussed. Finally, future research directions and key points are presented.

Efficient removal of Alizarin Red S from aqueous solution by polyethyleneimine functionalized magnetic carbon nanotubes

Alizarin Red S (ARS) has been extensively used in the dyeing industry. In order to effectively remove the ARS form dyeing wastewater, polyethyleneimine (PEI)-functionalized magnetic carbon nanotubes (PEI@MCNTs) adsorbent was successfully prepared and its adsorption performances were also investigated in detail. The PEI@MCNTs could efficiently remove the ARS from acidic aqueous solution (pH ≤ 6.0) within 40 min under room temperature. Benefiting from a large number of adsorption sites and multiple interactions, PEI@MCNTs possessed high selectivity towards ARS with spontaneous adsorption process. The maximum adsorption capacity of PEI@MCNTs for ARS was 196.08 mg g^-1 obtained from Langmuir isotherm, higher than that of available conventional adsorbents. Moreover, the PEI@MCNTs could be easily collected by an external magnet, and then effectively regenerated through 10 mM NaOH solution. The prepared PEI@MCNTs could be considered as the promising adsorbent for the removal of anthraquinone dyes in large-scale wastewater treatment.

Microaerophilic biodegradation of raw textile effluent by synergistic activity of bacterial community DR4

Treatment of raw textile effluent (RTE) is very difficult, due to its inherent heterogeneous, low-biodegradable and toxic compositions. Pure and mixed microbial cultures have limited metabolic capabilities in effective mineralization of complex RTE. Therefore, in this study a novel bacterial community DR4 was enriched directly into a complex RTE consisting of 27 different dyes using textile dye polluted soil as an inoculum. The rigorous enrichment process resulted in acclimatization of a taxonomically distinct bacterial population, with an abundance of the genus Comamonas in the bacterial community DR4 as compared to the abundance of Pseudomonas in the RTE respectively, as revealed by high-throughput 16S rRNA gene (V3-V4 region) sequencing. Microaerophilic treatment of RTE by enriched bacterial community DR4, in the presence of optimized electron donor (sucrose) and nitrogen source (yeast extract) resulted in 88% of American Dye Manufacturer's Institute (ADMI) removal and 98% of Chemical oxygen demand (COD) reduction within 32 h at 37 °C. In silico prediction of the functional genes within bacterial community DR4 was made by Phylogenetic Investigation of Communities by Reconstruction of Unobserved States (PICRUSt) analysis. The PICRUSt analysis revealed high abundance of xenobiotic degradation and metabolism genes. The predicted functional genes and textile dye degradation pathways were further validated using Ultraviolet-visible spectroscopy (UV-Vis), Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy and High Resolution Liquid Chromatography coupled with Mass Spectrometry (HR-LCMS) based characterization of textile dye degradation metabolites. The activity of azoreductases in the cell-free extracts (CFE) of the enriched bacterial community DR4 was induced by 1.83-7.81 folds in the presence of representative textile dyes as compared to uninduced samples, which confirmed their role in textile effluent decolourization. The degradation of four representative azo dyes present in RTE such as Disperse orange 30, Reactive red 152, Direct blue 2 and Acid brown 15 depicted symmetric degradation of azo bonds by bacterial community DR4.

Decolorization and phytotoxicity reduction in an innovative anaerobic/aerobic photobioreactor treating textile wastewater

The potential of a novel anaerobic/aerobic algal-bacterial photobioreactor for the treatment of synthetic textile wastewater (STWW) was here assessed. Algal-bacterial symbiosis supported total organic carbon, nitrogen and phosphorous removal efficiencies of 78 ± 2%, 47 ± 2% and 26 ± 2%, respectively, at a hydraulic retention time (HRT) of 8 days. A decrease in the HRT from 8 to 4 and 2 days resulted in a slight decrease in organic carbon and phosphate removal, but a sharp decrease in nitrogen removal. Moreover, an efficient decolorization of 99 ± 1% and 96 ± 3% for disperse orange-3 and of disperse blue-1, respectively, was recorded. The effective STWW treatment supported by the anaerobic/aerobic algal-bacterial photobioreactor was confirmed by the reduction in wastewater toxicity towards Raphanus sativus seed germination and growth. These results highlighted the potential of this innovative algal-bacterial photobioreactor configuration for the treatment of textile wastewater and water reuse.

Stability of Selected Hydrogen Bonded Semiconductors in Organic Electronic Devices

The electronics era is flourishing and morphing itself into Internet of Everything, IoE. At the same time, questions arise on the issue of electronic materials employed: especially their natural availability and low-cost fabrication, their functional stability in devices, and finally their desired biodegradation at the end of their life cycle. Hydrogen bonded pigments and natural dyes like indigo, anthraquinone and acridone are not only biodegradable and of bio-origin but also have functionality robustness and offer versatility in designing electronics and sensors components. With this Perspective, we intend to coalesce all the scattered reports on the above-mentioned classes of hydrogen bonded semiconductors, spanning across several disciplines and many active research groups. The article will comprise both published and unpublished results, on stability during aging, upon electrical, chemical and thermal stress, and will finish with an outlook section related to biological degradation and biological stability of selected hydrogen bonded molecules employed as semiconductors in organic electronic devices. We demonstrate that when the purity, the long-range order and the strength of chemical bonds, are considered, then the Hydrogen bonded organic semiconductors are the privileged class of materials having the potential to compete with inorganic semiconductors. As an experimental historical study of stability, we fabricated and characterized organic transistors from a material batch synthesized in 1932 and compared the results to a fresh material batch.

Highly efficient biodegradation of reactive blue 19 under the activation of tea residue by a newly screened mixed bacterial flora DDMY2

In this study, a newly screened mixed bacterial flora DDMY2 had high decolorization capacity for anthraquinone dye reactive blue 19 (RB19) and the decolorization efficiency of 300 mg L-1 RB19 could reach up to 98% within 48 h in the presence of tea residue. Results indicated that RB19 could be efficiently decolorized by flora DDMY2 in wide ranges of pH values (5.0-9.0), temperatures (30-40 °C) and initial dye concentrations (50-500 mg L-1) under the activation of tea residue. Concentration of tea residue had been proved to significantly impact the decolorization performance. UV-vis spectrophotometry, Fourier transform infrared spectrometry and liquid chromatography/time-of-flight/mass spectrometry analysis showed three identified degradation products and the possible degradation pathway of RB19 was speculated. High-throughput sequencing analysis revealed the community structures of bacterial flora before and after domestication by tea residue. Based on the result, it was inferred that unclassified_o_Pseudomonadales, Brevibacillus, Stenotrophomonas and Bordetella activated by tea residue were responsible for the excellent decolorization performance. Results of this research deepen our understanding of the biodegradation process of anthraquinone dyes by bacterial flora and broaden the knowledge of utilizing tea residue as a bioactivator in biological treatment.

Degradation pathways and kinetics of anthraquinone compounds along with nitrate removal by a newly isolated Rhodococcus pyridinivorans GF3 under aerobic conditions

A novel Rhodococcus pyridinivorans GF3 capable of degrading anthraquinone compounds (ACs) was isolated from 1-amino-4-bromoanthraquinone-2-sulfonic acid contaminated soil under aerobic conditions. Strain GF3 could degrade nine ACs at 150 rpm and 30 °C. LC-MS analysis showed that ACs were degraded via catechol and salicylic acid-produced pathways, which were different from previously reported phthalic acid-produced pathway. Strain GF3 could also completely remove ACs along with nitrate removal via aerobic denitrification. Further analysis found that the catechol as a metabolite of ACs could contribute to aerobic denitrification. The degradation of the mixture of five ACs used in 1-amino-4-bromoanthraquinone-2-sulfonic acid-producing process followed the modified Gompertz model under aerobic denitrification. During this process, except for anthraquinone (29.5% removal), the degradation efficiencies of hydrophilic and hydrophobic ACs reached over 90% and 60% in 48 h, respectively. These results show that strain GF3 is of potential application for the treatment of anthraquinone dye intermediates-containing wastewaters.

Removal of the heavy metal ion nickel (II) via an adsorption method using flower globular magnesium hydroxide

To remove toxic Ni(II) ions from wastewater, a novel flower globular magnesium hydroxide (FGMH) was prepared by a gentle method using trisodium citrate as a crystal modifier. This material exhibited a high specific surface area. The synthesized products and adsorption mechanism for Ni(II) ions were examined by diverse characterization technologies and methods. FGMH was employed to remove Ni(II) ions by the adsorption method. The effects of various parameters, viz., the amount of adsorbent, contact time, temperature and pH, on the removal rate by the adsorbent were investigated in detail. The kinetic data fitted well with a pseudo-second-order model and experimental equilibrium adsorption data conformed to a Langmuir isotherm under optimized conditions. The optimal process parameters included 30 mg of FGMH, a 50 min contact time, pH values between 6.07 and 7.71 for the Ni(II) solution, and adsorption at room temperature for 50 mL of 80 mg/L Ni(II) solution. The percentage of removal efficiency was found to be above 92.64%, and the maximum adsorption capacity of MH was 287.11 mg/g under optimum adsorption conditions. The analyses indicated that the Ni(II) ions were chemisorbed on the FGMH surface.