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Quiton-Tapia S, Balboa S, Omil F, Garrido JM, Suarez S. How efficiently does a metabolically enhanced system with denitrifying anaerobic methane oxidizing microorganisms remove antibiotics? ENVIRONMENTAL POLLUTION (BARKING, ESSEX : 1987) 2023; 334:122033. [PMID: 37348697 DOI: 10.1016/j.envpol.2023.122033] [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: 04/12/2023] [Revised: 05/26/2023] [Accepted: 06/10/2023] [Indexed: 06/24/2023]
Abstract
In this work, the novel N-damo (Nitrite dependent anaerobic methane oxidation) process was investigated at high biomass activities for its potential to remove simultaneously nitrite and methane, as well as selected antibiotics commonly found in sewage in trace amounts. For this purpose, two MBRs were operated at three high nitrite loading rates (NLRs), namely 76 ± 9.9, 161.5 ± 11.4 and 215.2 ± 24.2 mg N-NO⁻2 L-1 d-1, at long-term operation. The MBRs performance achieved a significantly high nitrite removal activity for an N-damo process (specific denitrifying activity of up to 540 mg N-NO⁻2 g-1 VSS d-1), even comparable to heterotrophic denitrification values. In this study, we have implemented a novel operational strategy that sets our work apart from previous studies with similar bioreactors. Specifically, we have introduced Cerium as a trace element in the feeding medium, which serves as a key differentiating factor. It allowed maintaining a stable reactor operation at high NLRs. Microbial community composition evidenced that both MBRs were dominated with N-damo bacteria (67-87% relative abundance in period III and I, respectively). However, a decrease in functional N-damo bacteria (Candidatus Methylomirabilis) abundance was observed during the increase in biomass activity and concentration, concomitantly with an increase of the other minor families (Hypomicrobiaceae and Xanthobacteraceae). Most of the selected antibiotics showed high biotransformation such as sulfamethoxazole, trimethoprim, cefalexin and azithromycin, whereas others such as roxithromycin and clarithromycin were only partially degraded (20-35%). On the contrary, ciprofloxacin showed almost no removal. Despite the metabolic enhancement, no apparent increase on the antibiotic removal was observed throughout the operation, suggesting that microbiological composition was of greater influence than its primary metabolic activity on the removal of antibiotics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Silvana Quiton-Tapia
- CRETUS Institute. Department of Chemical Engineering, School of Engineering, Universidade de Santiago de Compostela, Rúa Lope Gómez de Marzoa, E-15782, Santiago de Compostela, Spain.
| | - Sabela Balboa
- CRETUS Institute. Department of Chemical Engineering, School of Engineering, Universidade de Santiago de Compostela, Rúa Lope Gómez de Marzoa, E-15782, Santiago de Compostela, Spain.
| | - Francisco Omil
- CRETUS Institute. Department of Chemical Engineering, School of Engineering, Universidade de Santiago de Compostela, Rúa Lope Gómez de Marzoa, E-15782, Santiago de Compostela, Spain.
| | - Juan Manuel Garrido
- CRETUS Institute. Department of Chemical Engineering, School of Engineering, Universidade de Santiago de Compostela, Rúa Lope Gómez de Marzoa, E-15782, Santiago de Compostela, Spain.
| | - Sonia Suarez
- CRETUS Institute. Department of Chemical Engineering, School of Engineering, Universidade de Santiago de Compostela, Rúa Lope Gómez de Marzoa, E-15782, Santiago de Compostela, Spain.
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2
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Wang J, Xu S, Zhao K, Song G, Zhao S, Liu R. Risk control of antibiotics, antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs) and antibiotic resistant bacteria (ARB) during sewage sludge treatment and disposal: A review. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2023; 877:162772. [PMID: 36933744 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2023.162772] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 29.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/29/2022] [Revised: 02/14/2023] [Accepted: 03/06/2023] [Indexed: 05/06/2023]
Abstract
Sewage sludge is an important reservoir of antibiotics, antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs), and antibiotic resistant bacteria (ARB) in wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs), and the reclamation of sewage sludge potentially threats human health and environmental safety. Sludge treatment and disposal are expected to control these risks, and this review summarizes the fate and controlling efficiency of antibiotics, ARGs, and ARB in sludge involved in different processes, i.e., disintegration, anaerobic digestion, aerobic composting, drying, pyrolysis, constructed wetland, and land application. Additionally, the analysis and characterization methods of antibiotics, ARGs, and ARB in complicate sludge are reviewed, and the quantitative risk assessment approaches involved in land application are comprehensively discussed. This review benefits process optimization of sludge treatment and disposal, with regard to environmental risks control of antibiotics, ARGs, and ARB in sludge. Furthermore, current research limitations and gaps, e.g., the antibiotic resistance risk assessment in sludge-amended soil, are proposed to advance the future studies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jiaqi Wang
- Key Laboratory of Drinking Water Science and Technology, Research Center for Eco-Environmental Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100085, China; Yangze Eco-Environment Engineering Research Center, China Three Gorges Corporation, Beijing 100038, China; University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China
| | - Siqi Xu
- Center for Water and Ecology, State Key Joint Laboratory of Environment Simulation and Pollution Control, School of Environment, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084, China
| | - Kai Zhao
- Key Laboratory of Drinking Water Science and Technology, Research Center for Eco-Environmental Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100085, China; University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China
| | - Ge Song
- Key Laboratory of Drinking Water Science and Technology, Research Center for Eco-Environmental Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100085, China; University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China
| | - Shunan Zhao
- Center for Water and Ecology, State Key Joint Laboratory of Environment Simulation and Pollution Control, School of Environment, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084, China
| | - Ruiping Liu
- Key Laboratory of Drinking Water Science and Technology, Research Center for Eco-Environmental Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100085, China; Center for Water and Ecology, State Key Joint Laboratory of Environment Simulation and Pollution Control, School of Environment, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084, China; University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China.
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3
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Rios-Miguel AB, Jhm van Bergen T, Zillien C, Mj Ragas A, van Zelm R, Sm Jetten M, Jan Hendriks A, Welte CU. Predicting and improving the microbial removal of organic micropollutants during wastewater treatment: A review. CHEMOSPHERE 2023; 333:138908. [PMID: 37187378 DOI: 10.1016/j.chemosphere.2023.138908] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/01/2023] [Revised: 05/08/2023] [Accepted: 05/09/2023] [Indexed: 05/17/2023]
Abstract
Organic micropollutants (OMPs) consist of widely used chemicals such as pharmaceuticals and pesticides that can persist in surface and groundwaters at low concentrations (ng/L to μg/L) for a long time. The presence of OMPs in water can disrupt aquatic ecosystems and threaten the quality of drinking water sources. Wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) rely on microorganisms to remove major nutrients from water, but their effectiveness at removing OMPs varies. Low removal efficiency might be the result of low concentrations, inherent stable chemical structures of OMPs, or suboptimal conditions in WWTPs. In this review, we discuss these factors, with special emphasis on the ongoing adaptation of microorganisms to degrade OMPs. Finally, recommendations are drawn to improve the prediction of OMP removal in WWTPs and to optimize the design of new microbial treatment strategies. OMP removal seems to be concentration-, compound-, and process-dependent, which poses a great complexity to develop accurate prediction models and effective microbial processes targeting all OMPs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ana B Rios-Miguel
- Department of Microbiology, Radboud Institute for Biological and Environmental Science, Radboud University, Nijmegen, the Netherlands.
| | - Tamara Jhm van Bergen
- Department of Environmental Science, Radboud Institute for Biological and Environmental Science, Radboud University, Nijmegen, the Netherlands.
| | - Caterina Zillien
- Department of Environmental Science, Radboud Institute for Biological and Environmental Science, Radboud University, Nijmegen, the Netherlands
| | - Ad Mj Ragas
- Department of Environmental Science, Radboud Institute for Biological and Environmental Science, Radboud University, Nijmegen, the Netherlands
| | - Rosalie van Zelm
- Department of Environmental Science, Radboud Institute for Biological and Environmental Science, Radboud University, Nijmegen, the Netherlands
| | - Mike Sm Jetten
- Department of Microbiology, Radboud Institute for Biological and Environmental Science, Radboud University, Nijmegen, the Netherlands
| | - A Jan Hendriks
- Department of Environmental Science, Radboud Institute for Biological and Environmental Science, Radboud University, Nijmegen, the Netherlands
| | - Cornelia U Welte
- Department of Microbiology, Radboud Institute for Biological and Environmental Science, Radboud University, Nijmegen, the Netherlands
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4
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Methane production from ethanolic and acid fermentations of the organic fraction of municipal solid waste under different pH and reaction times. Biochem Eng J 2022. [DOI: 10.1016/j.bej.2022.108743] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/27/2022]
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5
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Kennes-Veiga D, Trueba-Santiso A, Gallardo-Garay V, Balboa S, Carballa M, Lema JM. Sulfamethoxazole Enhances Specific Enzymatic Activities under Aerobic Heterotrophic Conditions: A Metaproteomic Approach. ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY 2022; 56:13152-13159. [PMID: 36073795 PMCID: PMC9686132 DOI: 10.1021/acs.est.2c05001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/11/2022] [Revised: 08/24/2022] [Accepted: 08/24/2022] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
The growing concern about antibiotic-resistant microorganisms has focused on the sludge from wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) as a potential hotspot for their development and spread. To this end, it seems relevant to analyze the changes on the microbiota as a consequence of the antibiotics that wastewater may contain. This study aims at determining whether the presence of sulfamethoxazole (SMX), even in relatively low concentrations, modifies the microbial activities and the enzymatic expression of an activated sludge under aerobic heterotrophic conditions. For that purpose, we applied a metaproteomic approach in combination with genomic and transformation product analyses. SMX was biotransformed, and the metabolite 2,4(1H,3H)-pteridinedione-SMX (PtO-SMX) from the pterin-conjugation pathway was detected at all concentrations tested. Metaproteomics showed that SMX at 50-2000 μg/L slightly affected the microbial community structure, which was confirmed by DNA metabarcoding. Interestingly, an enhanced activity of the genus Corynebacterium and specifically of five enzymes involved in its central carbon metabolism was found at increased SMX concentrations. Our results suggest a role of Corynebacterium genus on SMX risks mitigation in our bioreactors.
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Affiliation(s)
- David
M. Kennes-Veiga
- CRETUS,
Department of Chemical Engineering, University
of Santiago de Compostela, Campus Vida, 15782 Santiago de Compostela, Galicia, Spain
| | - Alba Trueba-Santiso
- CRETUS,
Department of Chemical Engineering, University
of Santiago de Compostela, Campus Vida, 15782 Santiago de Compostela, Galicia, Spain
| | - Valentina Gallardo-Garay
- CRETUS,
Department of Chemical Engineering, University
of Santiago de Compostela, Campus Vida, 15782 Santiago de Compostela, Galicia, Spain
| | - Sabela Balboa
- CRETUS,
Department of Microbiology, University of
Santiago de Compostela, Campus Vida, 15782 Santiago de Compostela, Galicia, Spain
| | - Marta Carballa
- CRETUS,
Department of Chemical Engineering, University
of Santiago de Compostela, Campus Vida, 15782 Santiago de Compostela, Galicia, Spain
| | - Juan M. Lema
- CRETUS,
Department of Chemical Engineering, University
of Santiago de Compostela, Campus Vida, 15782 Santiago de Compostela, Galicia, Spain
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6
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Lei Z, Zhang S, Wang L, Li Q, Li YY, Wang XC, Chen R. Biochar enhances the biotransformation of organic micropollutants (OMPs) in an anaerobic membrane bioreactor treating sewage. WATER RESEARCH 2022; 223:118974. [PMID: 35988338 DOI: 10.1016/j.watres.2022.118974] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/23/2022] [Revised: 08/04/2022] [Accepted: 08/11/2022] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
The removal of emerging organic micropollutants (OMPs) in anaerobic membrane bioreactors (AnMBRs) has garnered considerable attention owing to the rapid development of AnMBR technology and the increased environmental risk caused by OMP discharge. We investigated the removal efficiency of 22 typical OMPs from sewage being treated in an AnMBR, and implemented and evaluated an upgrading strategy by adding biochar. The average removal efficiency of OMPs was only 76.8% due to hydrophilic OMPs containing electron-withdrawing groups (ketoprofen, ibuprofen, diclofenac, and carbamazepine) being poorly removed. Biochar addition (5.0 g/L) promoted the removal of recalcitrant OMPs by 45%, leading to an enhanced removal efficiency of 88.7%. Although biochar has a high adsorption capacity to different OMPs, the biotransformation rather than sorption removal efficiency of 13 of the 22 OMPs was largely enhanced, suggesting that adsorption-biotransformation was the main approach by which biochar enhances the OMP removal. Biotransformation test and microbial analysis revealed that the enrichment of species (Flavobacterium, Massilia, Acinetobacter, and Cloacibacterium) involved in OMP biotransformation on biochar contributed largely to the enhanced biotransformation removal efficiency of OMPs. In this way, the enhanced electron transfer activity and syntrophic metabolism between hydrogenotrophic methanogens and species that oxidize acetate to H2/CO2 on biochar jointly contributed to the stable CH4 production and OMP biotransformation. This study provides a promising strategy to enhance the OMP removal in AnMBRs and improves our understanding of the underlying mechanism of biochar-amended OMP removal in anaerobic treatment systems.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhen Lei
- Key Lab of Environmental Engineering, Shaanxi Province, Xi'an University of Architecture and Technology, No.13 Yanta Road, Xi'an 710055, PR China
| | - Shixin Zhang
- Key Lab of Environmental Engineering, Shaanxi Province, Xi'an University of Architecture and Technology, No.13 Yanta Road, Xi'an 710055, PR China
| | - Lianxu Wang
- Key Lab of Environmental Engineering, Shaanxi Province, Xi'an University of Architecture and Technology, No.13 Yanta Road, Xi'an 710055, PR China
| | - Qian Li
- Key Lab of Environmental Engineering, Shaanxi Province, Xi'an University of Architecture and Technology, No.13 Yanta Road, Xi'an 710055, PR China
| | - Yu-You Li
- Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Graduate School of Engineering, Tohoku University, 6-6-06 Aza-Aoba, Aramaki, Aoba-ku, Sendai, Miyagi 980-8579, Japan
| | - Xiaochang C Wang
- International S&T Cooperation Center for Urban Alternative Water Resources Development, Key Laboratory of Northwest Water Resource, Environment and Ecology, MOE, Xi'an University of Architecture and Technology, No.13 Yanta Road, Xi'an 710055, PR China
| | - Rong Chen
- Key Lab of Environmental Engineering, Shaanxi Province, Xi'an University of Architecture and Technology, No.13 Yanta Road, Xi'an 710055, PR China; International S&T Cooperation Center for Urban Alternative Water Resources Development, Key Laboratory of Northwest Water Resource, Environment and Ecology, MOE, Xi'an University of Architecture and Technology, No.13 Yanta Road, Xi'an 710055, PR China.
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7
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Kennes-Veiga DM, Gónzalez-Gil L, Carballa M, Lema JM. Enzymatic cometabolic biotransformation of organic micropollutants in wastewater treatment plants: A review. BIORESOURCE TECHNOLOGY 2022; 344:126291. [PMID: 34752884 DOI: 10.1016/j.biortech.2021.126291] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/31/2021] [Revised: 10/28/2021] [Accepted: 11/01/2021] [Indexed: 06/13/2023]
Abstract
Biotransformation of trace-level organic micropollutants (OMPs) by complex microbial communities in wastewater treatment facilities is a key process for their detoxification and environmental impact reduction. Therefore, understanding the metabolic activities and mechanisms that contribute to their biotransformation is essential when developing approaches aiming to minimize their discharge. This review addresses the relevance of cometabolic processes and discusses the main enzymatic activities currently known to take part in OMPs removal under different redox environments in the compartments of wastewater treatment plants. Furthermore, the most common methodologies to decipher such enzymes are discussed, including the use of in vitro enzyme assays, enzymatic inhibitors, the analysis of transformation products and the application of several -omic techniques. Finally, perspectives on major challenges and future research requirements to improve OMPs biotransformation are proposed.
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Affiliation(s)
- David M Kennes-Veiga
- CRETUS, Department of Chemical Engineering, Universidade de Santiago de Compostela, 15782 Santiago de Compostela, Spain.
| | - Lorena Gónzalez-Gil
- Defence University Centre, Spanish Naval Academy, Plaza de España, 36920 Marín, Spain
| | - Marta Carballa
- CRETUS, Department of Chemical Engineering, Universidade de Santiago de Compostela, 15782 Santiago de Compostela, Spain
| | - Juan M Lema
- CRETUS, Department of Chemical Engineering, Universidade de Santiago de Compostela, 15782 Santiago de Compostela, Spain
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8
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Hammer L, Palmowski L. Fate of selected organic micropollutants during anaerobic sludge digestion. WATER ENVIRONMENT RESEARCH : A RESEARCH PUBLICATION OF THE WATER ENVIRONMENT FEDERATION 2021; 93:1910-1924. [PMID: 34196072 DOI: 10.1002/wer.1603] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/28/2021] [Revised: 05/15/2021] [Accepted: 06/11/2021] [Indexed: 06/13/2023]
Abstract
Organic micropollutants are incompletely removed from wastewater in Water Resource Recovery Facilities using conventional methods and can therefore enter the anaerobic sludge treatment together with primary and secondary sludge. This review compiles literature data on the fate of selected micropollutants (Carbamazepine [CBZ], Diclofenac [DCF], Ibuprofen [IBP], Sulfamethoxazole [SMX], and Triclosan [TCS]) during anaerobic sludge treatment and how the fate is affected by chemical properties, phase distribution and operating conditions. CBZ was found to be persistent to anaerobic degradation in most studies, with some exceptions reporting a degradation efficiency of 60%. Removal efficiencies for DCF, IBP, and TCS varied widely (from no to [very] high removal). For SMX, most studies reported a removal above 80%. A correlation was found between the fate during anaerobic digestion and physicochemical properties (hydrophobicity and molecular structure). Sorption to sludge, affected in some cases by pH changes during digestion, is suggested to reduce bioavailability. IBP and TCS were mainly present in the liquid phase or solid phase, respectively, CBZ and DCF were present in similar proportions in both phases, while statements were contradictory for SMX. Parameters such as temperature and sludge age did not significantly influence the fate of investigated micropollutants during anaerobic digestion. PRACTITIONER POINTS: Most studies report no significant removal of CBZ during anaerobic sludge digestion. Removal efficiencies of DCF, IBP, and TCS vary from study to study between no removal and high or very high removal. Considering such heterogeneous removal efficiencies, it is recommended to conduct digestion trials to find out in which range the values will be for a specific sludge. SMX is very highly removed during anaerobic digestion in most studies. Parameters such as temperature and SRT do not significantly influence the fate of the five investigated micropollutants. Hydrophobicity, which has some effect on the liquid/solid phase distribution of micropollutants, and molecular structure influence the removal efficiencies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lisann Hammer
- Institute of Environmental Engineering (ISA), RWTH Aachen University, Aachen, Germany
| | - Laurence Palmowski
- Institute of Environmental Engineering (ISA), RWTH Aachen University, Aachen, Germany
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9
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Wang YK, Wang XC, Ma XY. Micropollutants and biological effects as control indexes for the operation and design of shallow open-water unit ponds to polish domestic effluent. JOURNAL OF HAZARDOUS MATERIALS 2021; 418:126306. [PMID: 34126380 DOI: 10.1016/j.jhazmat.2021.126306] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/07/2021] [Revised: 05/29/2021] [Accepted: 05/31/2021] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
Additional control indexes should be considered for the operation and design of post-treatment systems, as the wastewater treatment objectives are developing toward protecting the safety of ecological environments. In this study, two control indexes were selected and examined systematically in pilot-scale shallow open-water unit (SOWU) ponds for domestic effluent polishing: micropollutants and biotoxicities. The total risk quotient (RQTotal ≤ 1) and effect-based trigger value (EBT) were set as the thresholds for known micropollutants and biological effects, respectively. The results showed that RQTotal of micropollutants (n = 46) could be mitigated to an acceptable level and the luminescent bacteria toxicity was in compliance with the EBT after SOWU polishing in the warm season. The reduction of micropollutants and biotoxicities in the SOWUs both fit the k-C* model well (R2 > 0.9) in the warm and cold seasons. Finally, the k-C* model integrated with the control indexes was developed to design the SOWU dimensions, and the results indicated that a pond area of 21.7-108.5 m2 was required for every 1 m3/d of effluent when micropollutants were set as the control index, while a pond area of 3.6-18.2 m2 was required when luminescent bacteria toxicity was set as the control index.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yongkun K Wang
- Xi'an University of Architecture and Technology; International Science & Technology Cooperation Center for Urban Alternative Water Resources Development; Key Lab of Northwest Water Resource, Environment and Ecology, MOE; Shaanxi Key Laboratory of Environmental Engineering, Xi'an 710055, China
| | - Xiaochang C Wang
- Xi'an University of Architecture and Technology; International Science & Technology Cooperation Center for Urban Alternative Water Resources Development; Key Lab of Northwest Water Resource, Environment and Ecology, MOE; Shaanxi Key Laboratory of Environmental Engineering, Xi'an 710055, China
| | - Xiaoyan Y Ma
- Xi'an University of Architecture and Technology; International Science & Technology Cooperation Center for Urban Alternative Water Resources Development; Key Lab of Northwest Water Resource, Environment and Ecology, MOE; Shaanxi Key Laboratory of Environmental Engineering, Xi'an 710055, China.
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10
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Harb M, Zarei-Baygi A, Wang P, Sawaya CB, McCurry DL, Stadler LB, Smith AL. Antibiotic transformation in an anaerobic membrane bioreactor linked to membrane biofilm microbial activity. ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH 2021; 200:111456. [PMID: 34111440 DOI: 10.1016/j.envres.2021.111456] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/01/2021] [Revised: 05/08/2021] [Accepted: 05/29/2021] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
Although extensive research to date has focused on enhancing removal rates of antibiotics from municipal wastewaters, the transformation products formed by anaerobic treatment processes remain understudied. The present work aims to examine the possible roles that the different microbial communities of an anaerobic membrane bioreactor (AnMBR) play in the transformation of antibiotics during wastewater treatment. As part of this work, sulfamethoxazole, erythromycin, and ampicillin were added in separate stages to the influent of the AnMBR at incremental concentrations of 10, 50, and 250 μg/L each. Antibiotic-specific transformation products detected during each stage, as identified by high resolution LC-MS, are reported herein. Results suggest that both isoxazole (sulfamethoxazole) and β-lactam (ampicillin) ring opening could be facilitated by the AnMBR's bioprocess. Microbial community analysis results indicated that relative activity of the system's suspended biomass consistently shifted towards syntrophic groups throughout the duration of the experiment. Notable differences were also observed between the suspended biomass and the AnMBR's membrane biofilms. Membrane-attached biofilm communities showed high relative activities of several specific methanogenic (Methanothrix and Methanomethylovorans), syntrophic (Syntrophaceae), and sulfate-reducing (Desulfomonile) groups. Such groups have been previously identified as involved in the formation of the antibiotic degradation products observed in the effluent of the AnMBR. The activity of these communities within the biofilms likely confers certain advantages that aid in the biotransformation of the antibiotics tested.
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Affiliation(s)
- Moustapha Harb
- Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Lebanese American University, 309 Bassil Building, Byblos, Lebanon
| | - Ali Zarei-Baygi
- Astani Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, University of Southern California, 3620 South Vermont Avenue, Los Angeles, CA, USA 90089
| | - Phillip Wang
- Astani Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, University of Southern California, 3620 South Vermont Avenue, Los Angeles, CA, USA 90089
| | - Christelle BouNehme Sawaya
- Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Lebanese American University, 309 Bassil Building, Byblos, Lebanon
| | - Daniel L McCurry
- Astani Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, University of Southern California, 3620 South Vermont Avenue, Los Angeles, CA, USA 90089
| | - Lauren B Stadler
- Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Rice University, 6100 Main Street, MS 519, Houston, TX 77005, USA
| | - Adam L Smith
- Astani Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, University of Southern California, 3620 South Vermont Avenue, Los Angeles, CA, USA 90089.
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11
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Do initial concentration and activated sludge seasonality affect pharmaceutical biotransformation rate constants? Appl Microbiol Biotechnol 2021; 105:6515-6527. [PMID: 34423412 PMCID: PMC8403117 DOI: 10.1007/s00253-021-11475-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/06/2021] [Revised: 06/09/2021] [Accepted: 07/15/2021] [Indexed: 10/29/2022]
Abstract
Pharmaceuticals find their way to the aquatic environment via wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs). Biotransformation plays an important role in mitigating environmental risks; however, a mechanistic understanding of involved processes is limited. The aim of this study was to evaluate potential relationships between first-order biotransformation rate constants (kb) of nine pharmaceuticals and initial concentration of the selected compounds, and sampling season of the used activated sludge inocula. Four-day bottle experiments were performed with activated sludge from WWTP Groesbeek (The Netherlands) of two different seasons, summer and winter, spiked with two environmentally relevant concentrations (3 and 30 nM) of pharmaceuticals. Concentrations of the compounds were measured by LC-MS/MS, microbial community composition was assessed by 16S rRNA gene amplicon sequencing, and kb values were calculated. The biodegradable pharmaceuticals were acetaminophen, metformin, metoprolol, terbutaline, and phenazone (ranked from high to low biotransformation rates). Carbamazepine, diatrizoic acid, diclofenac, and fluoxetine were not converted. Summer and winter inocula did not show significant differences in microbial community composition, but resulted in a slightly different kb for some pharmaceuticals. Likely microbial activity was responsible instead of community composition. In the same inoculum, different kb values were measured, depending on initial concentration. In general, biodegradable compounds had a higher kb when the initial concentration was higher. This demonstrates that Michealis-Menten kinetic theory has shortcomings for some pharmaceuticals at low, environmentally relevant concentrations and that the pharmaceutical concentration should be taken into account when measuring the kb in order to reliably predict the fate of pharmaceuticals in the WWTP. KEY POINTS: • Biotransformation and sorption of pharmaceuticals were assessed in activated sludge. • Higher initial concentrations resulted in higher biotransformation rate constants for biodegradable pharmaceuticals. • Summer and winter inocula produced slightly different biotransformation rate constants although microbial community composition did not significantly change.
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12
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Czatzkowska M, Harnisz M, Korzeniewska E, Rusanowska P, Bajkacz S, Felis E, Jastrzębski JP, Paukszto Ł, Koniuszewska I. The impact of antimicrobials on the efficiency of methane fermentation of sewage sludge, changes in microbial biodiversity and the spread of antibiotic resistance. JOURNAL OF HAZARDOUS MATERIALS 2021; 416:125773. [PMID: 33831706 DOI: 10.1016/j.jhazmat.2021.125773] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/10/2021] [Revised: 03/11/2021] [Accepted: 03/25/2021] [Indexed: 05/23/2023]
Abstract
The study was designed to simultaneously evaluate the influence of high doses (512-1024 µg/g) the most commonly prescribed antimicrobials on the efficiency of anaerobic digestion of sewage sludge, qualitative and quantitative changes in microbial consortia responsible for the fermentation process, the presence of methanogenic microorganisms, and the fate of antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs). The efficiency of antibiotic degradation during anaerobic treatment was also determined. Metronidazole, amoxicillin and ciprofloxacin exerted the greatest effect on methane fermentation by decreasing its efficiency. Metronidazole, amoxicillin, cefuroxime and sulfamethoxazole were degraded in 100%, whereas ciprofloxacin and nalidixic acid were least susceptible to degradation. The most extensive changes in the structure of digestate microbiota were observed in sewage sludge exposed to metronidazole, where a decrease in the percentage of bacteria of the phylum Bacteroidetes led to an increase in the proportions of bacteria of the phyla Firmicutes and Proteobacteria. The results of the analysis examining changes in the concentration of the functional methanogen gene (mcrA) did not reflect the actual efficiency of methane fermentation. In sewage sludge exposed to antimicrobials, a significant increase was noted in the concentrations of β-lactam, tetracycline and fluoroquinolone ARGs and integrase genes, but selective pressure was not specific to the corresponding ARGs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Małgorzata Czatzkowska
- Department of Water Protection Engineering and Environmental Microbiology, University of Warmia and Mazury in Olsztyn, Prawocheńskiego 1, 10-720 Olsztyn, Poland
| | - Monika Harnisz
- Department of Water Protection Engineering and Environmental Microbiology, University of Warmia and Mazury in Olsztyn, Prawocheńskiego 1, 10-720 Olsztyn, Poland.
| | - Ewa Korzeniewska
- Department of Water Protection Engineering and Environmental Microbiology, University of Warmia and Mazury in Olsztyn, Prawocheńskiego 1, 10-720 Olsztyn, Poland
| | - Paulina Rusanowska
- Department of Environmental Engineering, University of Warmia and Mazury in Olsztyn, Warszawska 117a, 10-720 Olsztyn, Poland
| | - Sylwia Bajkacz
- Department of Inorganic, Analytical Chemistry and Electrochemistry, Silesian University of Technology, Krzywoustego 6, 44-100 Gliwice, Poland; Centre for Biotechnology, Silesian University of Technology, Krzywoustego 8, 44-100 Gliwice, Poland
| | - Ewa Felis
- Department of Environmental Biotechnology, Silesian University of Technology, Akademicka 2, 44-100 Gliwice, Poland; Centre for Biotechnology, Silesian University of Technology, Krzywoustego 8, 44-100 Gliwice, Poland
| | - Jan P Jastrzębski
- Department of Plant Physiology, Genetics and Biotechnology, University of Warmia and Mazury in Olsztyn, Oczapowskiego 1A, 10-719 Olsztyn, Poland
| | - Łukasz Paukszto
- Department of Plant Physiology, Genetics and Biotechnology, University of Warmia and Mazury in Olsztyn, Oczapowskiego 1A, 10-719 Olsztyn, Poland
| | - Izabela Koniuszewska
- Department of Water Protection Engineering and Environmental Microbiology, University of Warmia and Mazury in Olsztyn, Prawocheńskiego 1, 10-720 Olsztyn, Poland
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13
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A Mechanistic Model to Assess the Fate of Naphthalene and Benzo(a)pyrene in a Chilean WWTP. Processes (Basel) 2021. [DOI: 10.3390/pr9081313] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) are a family of organic compounds of widespread presence in the environment. They are recalcitrant, ubiquitous, prone to bioaccumulation, and potentially carcinogenic. Effluent from wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) constitutes a major source of PAHs into water bodies, and their presence should be closely monitored, especially considering the increasing applications of potable and non-potable reuse of treated wastewater worldwide. Modeling the fate and distribution of PAHs in WWTPs is a valuable tool to overcome the complexity and cost of monitoring and quantifying PAHs. A mechanistic model was built to evaluate the fate of PAHs in both water and sludge lines of a Chilean WWTP. Naphthalene and benzo(a)pyrene were used as models of low-MW and high-MW PAHs. As there were no reported experimental data available for the case study, the influent load was determined through a statistical approach based on reported values worldwide. For both naphthalene and benzo(a)pyrene, the predominant mechanism in the water line was sorption to sludge, while that in the sludge line was desorption. Compared to other studies in the literature, the model satisfactorily describes the mechanisms involved in the fate and distribution of PAHs in a conventional activated sludge WWTP. Even though there is evidence of the presence of PAHs in urban centers in Chile, local regulatory standards do not consider PAHs in the disposal of WWTP effluents. Monitoring of PAHs in both treated effluents and biosolids is imperative, especially when considering de facto reuse and soil amendment in agricultural activities are currently practiced downstream of the studied WWTP.
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14
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Rios‐Miguel AB, Jetten MSM, Welte CU. Effect of concentration and hydraulic reaction time on the removal of pharmaceutical compounds in a membrane bioreactor inoculated with activated sludge. Microb Biotechnol 2021; 14:1707-1721. [PMID: 34132479 PMCID: PMC8313272 DOI: 10.1111/1751-7915.13837] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/10/2021] [Revised: 04/16/2021] [Accepted: 05/10/2021] [Indexed: 01/04/2023] Open
Abstract
Pharmaceuticals are often not fully removed in wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) and are thus being detected at trace levels in water bodies all over the world posing a risk to numerous organisms. These organic micropollutants (OMPs) reach WWTPs at concentrations sometimes too low to serve as growth substrate for microorganisms; thus, co-metabolism is thought to be the main conversion mechanism. In this study, the microbial removal of six pharmaceuticals was investigated in a membrane bioreactor at increasing concentrations (4-800 nM) of the compounds and using three different hydraulic retention times (HRT; 1, 3.5 and 5 days). The bioreactor was inoculated with activated sludge from a municipal WWTP and fed with ammonium, acetate and methanol as main growth substrates to mimic co-metabolism. Each pharmaceutical had a different average removal efficiency: acetaminophen (100%) > fluoxetine (50%) > metoprolol (25%) > diclofenac (20%) > metformin (15%) > carbamazepine (10%). Higher pharmaceutical influent concentrations proportionally increased the removal rate of each compound, but surprisingly not the removal percentage. Furthermore, only metformin removal improved to 80-100% when HRT or biomass concentration was increased. Microbial community changes were followed with 16S rRNA gene amplicon sequencing in response to the increment of pharmaceutical concentration: Nitrospirae and Planctomycetes 16S rRNA relative gene abundance decreased, whereas Acidobacteria and Bacteroidetes increased. Remarkably, the Dokdonella genus, previously implicated in acetaminophen metabolism, showed a 30-fold increase in abundance at the highest concentration of pharmaceuticals applied. Taken together, these results suggest that the incomplete removal of most pharmaceutical compounds in WWTPs is dependent on neither concentration nor reaction time. Accordingly, we propose a chemical equilibrium or a growth substrate limitation as the responsible mechanisms of the incomplete removal. Finally, Dokdonella could be the main acetaminophen degrader under activated sludge conditions, and non-antibiotic pharmaceuticals might still be toxic to relevant WWTP bacteria.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ana B. Rios‐Miguel
- Department of MicrobiologyInstitute for Water and Wetland ResearchRadboud UniversityHeyendaalseweg 135Nijmegen6525 AJThe Netherlands
| | - Mike S. M. Jetten
- Department of MicrobiologyInstitute for Water and Wetland ResearchRadboud UniversityHeyendaalseweg 135Nijmegen6525 AJThe Netherlands
- Soehngen Institute of Anaerobic MicrobiologyRadboud UniversityHeyendaalseweg 135Nijmegen6525 AJThe Netherlands
| | - Cornelia U. Welte
- Department of MicrobiologyInstitute for Water and Wetland ResearchRadboud UniversityHeyendaalseweg 135Nijmegen6525 AJThe Netherlands
- Soehngen Institute of Anaerobic MicrobiologyRadboud UniversityHeyendaalseweg 135Nijmegen6525 AJThe Netherlands
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15
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Langbehn RK, Michels C, Soares HM. Antibiotics in wastewater: From its occurrence to the biological removal by environmentally conscious technologies. ENVIRONMENTAL POLLUTION (BARKING, ESSEX : 1987) 2021; 275:116603. [PMID: 33578315 DOI: 10.1016/j.envpol.2021.116603] [Citation(s) in RCA: 75] [Impact Index Per Article: 25.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/15/2020] [Revised: 01/18/2021] [Accepted: 01/23/2021] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
In this critical review, we explored the most recent advances about the fate of antibiotics on biological wastewater treatment plants (WWTP). Although the occurrence of these pollutants in wastewater and natural streams has been investigated previously, some recent publications still expose the need to improve the detection strategies and the lack of information about their transformation products. The role of the antibiotic properties and the process operating conditions were also analyzed. The pieces of evidence in the literature associate several molecular properties to the antibiotic removal pathway, like hydrophobicity, chemical structure, and electrostatic interactions. Nonetheless, the influence of operating conditions is still unclear, and solid retention time stands out as a key factor. Additionally, the efficiencies and pathways of antibiotic removals on conventional (activated sludge, membrane bioreactor, anaerobic digestion, and nitrogen removal) and emerging bioprocesses (bioelectrochemical systems, fungi, and enzymes) were assessed, and our concern about potential research gaps was raised. The combination of different bioprocess can efficiently mitigate the impacts generated by these pollutants. Thus, to plan and design a process to remove and mineralize antibiotics from wastewater, all aspects must be addressed, the pollutant and process characteristics and how it is the best way to operate it to reduce the impact of antibiotics in the environment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rayane Kunert Langbehn
- Department of Chemical Engineering and Food Engineering, Federal University of Santa Catarina, Florianópolis, Santa Catarina, 88040-900, Brazil.
| | - Camila Michels
- Department of Chemical Engineering and Food Engineering, Federal University of Santa Catarina, Florianópolis, Santa Catarina, 88040-900, Brazil.
| | - Hugo Moreira Soares
- Department of Chemical Engineering and Food Engineering, Federal University of Santa Catarina, Florianópolis, Santa Catarina, 88040-900, Brazil.
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16
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Dubey M, Mohapatra S, Tyagi VK, Suthar S, Kazmi AA. Occurrence, fate, and persistence of emerging micropollutants in sewage sludge treatment. ENVIRONMENTAL POLLUTION (BARKING, ESSEX : 1987) 2021; 273:116515. [PMID: 33493756 DOI: 10.1016/j.envpol.2021.116515] [Citation(s) in RCA: 33] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/03/2020] [Revised: 12/17/2020] [Accepted: 01/12/2021] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
Sludge generated at sewage treatment plants is of environmental concern due to the voluminous production and the presence of a high concentration of emerging contaminants (ECs). This review discusses the fate of ECs in sewage sludge treatment with an emphasis on fundamental mechanisms driving the degradation of compounds based on chemical properties of the contaminant and process operating conditions. The removal of ECs in sewage sludge through various treatment processes of sludge stabilization, such as anaerobic digestion (AD), composting, and pre-treatment methods (thermal, sonication, and oxidation) followed by AD, are discussed. Several transformation mechanisms and remediation strategies for the removal of ECs in sludge are summarized. The study concludes that pH, sludge type, and the types of functional groups are the key factors affecting the sorption of ECs to sludge. During conventional waste stabilization processes such as composting, the degradation of ECs depends on the type of feedstock (TOC, N, P, C/N, C/P) and the initial concentration of the contaminant. In AD, the degree of degradation depends on the hydrophilicity of the compound. The estrogenicity of the sludge may sometimes increase due to the conversion to estrogenic compounds. The pre-treatment techniques can increase the partitioning of ECs in the soluble fraction resulting in enhanced biodegradation up to 10-60%. However, the formation of by-products and loss of OH· to scavenging under high organic content during advanced oxidation processes can make the process uneconomical and require further research.
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Affiliation(s)
- Monika Dubey
- Department of Civil Engineering, Indian Institute of Technology Roorkee, Roorkee, 247667, Uttarakhand, India
| | - Sanjeeb Mohapatra
- NUS Environmental Research Institute, National University of Singapore, 1-Create Way, #15-02 Create Tower, 138602, Singapore
| | - Vinay Kumar Tyagi
- Department of Civil Engineering, Indian Institute of Technology Roorkee, Roorkee, 247667, Uttarakhand, India.
| | - Surindra Suthar
- School of Environment & Natural Resources, Doon University, Dehradun, 248001, Uttarakhand, India
| | - Absar Ahmad Kazmi
- Department of Civil Engineering, Indian Institute of Technology Roorkee, Roorkee, 247667, Uttarakhand, India
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17
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Rios Miguel AB, Jetten MS, Welte CU. The role of mobile genetic elements in organic micropollutant degradation during biological wastewater treatment. WATER RESEARCH X 2020; 9:100065. [PMID: 32984801 PMCID: PMC7494797 DOI: 10.1016/j.wroa.2020.100065] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/29/2020] [Revised: 08/19/2020] [Accepted: 08/28/2020] [Indexed: 05/24/2023]
Abstract
Wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) are crucial for producing clean effluents from polluting sources such as hospitals, industries, and municipalities. In recent decades, many new organic compounds have ended up in surface waters in concentrations that, while very low, cause (chronic) toxicity to countless organisms. These organic micropollutants (OMPs) are usually quite recalcitrant and not sufficiently removed during wastewater treatment. Microbial degradation plays a pivotal role in OMP conversion. Microorganisms can adapt their metabolism to the use of novel molecules via mutations and rearrangements of existing genes in new clusters. Many catabolic genes have been found adjacent to mobile genetic elements (MGEs), which provide a stable scaffold to host new catabolic pathways and spread these genes in the microbial community. These mobile systems could be engineered to enhance OMP degradation in WWTPs, and this review aims to summarize and better understand the role that MGEs might play in the degradation and wastewater treatment process. Available data about the presence of catabolic MGEs in WWTPs are reviewed, and current methods used to identify and measure MGEs in environmental samples are critically evaluated. Finally, examples of how these MGEs could be used to improve micropollutant degradation in WWTPs are outlined. In the near future, advances in the use of MGEs will hopefully enable us to apply selective augmentation strategies to improve OMP conversion in WWTPs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ana B. Rios Miguel
- Department of Microbiology, Institute for Water and Wetland Research, Radboud University, Heyendaalseweg 135, 6525, AJ Nijmegen, the Netherlands
| | - Mike S.M. Jetten
- Department of Microbiology, Institute for Water and Wetland Research, Radboud University, Heyendaalseweg 135, 6525, AJ Nijmegen, the Netherlands
- Soehngen Institute of Anaerobic Microbiology, Radboud University, Heyendaalseweg 135, 6525, AJ Nijmegen, the Netherlands
| | - Cornelia U. Welte
- Department of Microbiology, Institute for Water and Wetland Research, Radboud University, Heyendaalseweg 135, 6525, AJ Nijmegen, the Netherlands
- Soehngen Institute of Anaerobic Microbiology, Radboud University, Heyendaalseweg 135, 6525, AJ Nijmegen, the Netherlands
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18
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Wang G, Li Y, Sheng L, Xing Y, Liu G, Yao G, Ngo HH, Li Q, Wang XC, Li YY, Chen R. A review on facilitating bio-wastes degradation and energy recovery efficiencies in anaerobic digestion systems with biochar amendment. BIORESOURCE TECHNOLOGY 2020; 314:123777. [PMID: 32665106 DOI: 10.1016/j.biortech.2020.123777] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/29/2020] [Revised: 06/28/2020] [Accepted: 06/30/2020] [Indexed: 06/11/2023]
Abstract
In this review, progress in the potential mechanisms of biochar amendment for AD performance promotion was summarized. As adsorbents, biochar was beneficial for alleviating microbial toxicity, accelerating refractory substances degradation, and upgrading biogas quality. The buffering capacity of biochar balanced pH decreasing caused by volatile fatty acids accumulation. Moreover, biochar regulated microbial metabolism by boosting activities, mediating electron transfer between syntrophic partners, and enriching functional microbes. Recent studies also suggested biochar as potential useful additives for membrane fouling alleviation in anaerobic membrane bioreactors (AnMBR). By analyzing the reported performances based on different operation models or substrate types, debatable issues and associated research gaps of understanding the real role of biochar in AD were critically discussed. Accordingly, Future perspectives of developing biochar-amended AD technology for real-world applications were elucidated. Lastly, with biochar-amended AD as a core process, a novel integrated scheme was proposed towards high-efficient energy-resource recovery from various bio-wastes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gaojun Wang
- Key Lab of Environmental Engineering, Shaanxi Province, Xi'an University of Architecture and Technology, No.13 Yanta Road, Xi'an 710055, PR China; International S&T Cooperation Center for Urban Alternative Water Resources Development, Key Laboratory of Northwest Water Resource, Environment and Ecology, MOE, Xi'an University of Architecture and Technology, No.13 Yanta Road, Xi'an 710055, PR China
| | - Yu Li
- Key Lab of Environmental Engineering, Shaanxi Province, Xi'an University of Architecture and Technology, No.13 Yanta Road, Xi'an 710055, PR China
| | - Li Sheng
- Key Lab of Environmental Engineering, Shaanxi Province, Xi'an University of Architecture and Technology, No.13 Yanta Road, Xi'an 710055, PR China
| | - Yao Xing
- Key Lab of Environmental Engineering, Shaanxi Province, Xi'an University of Architecture and Technology, No.13 Yanta Road, Xi'an 710055, PR China
| | - Guohao Liu
- Key Lab of Environmental Engineering, Shaanxi Province, Xi'an University of Architecture and Technology, No.13 Yanta Road, Xi'an 710055, PR China
| | - Gaofei Yao
- Key Lab of Environmental Engineering, Shaanxi Province, Xi'an University of Architecture and Technology, No.13 Yanta Road, Xi'an 710055, PR China
| | - Huu Hao Ngo
- International S&T Cooperation Center for Urban Alternative Water Resources Development, Key Laboratory of Northwest Water Resource, Environment and Ecology, MOE, Xi'an University of Architecture and Technology, No.13 Yanta Road, Xi'an 710055, PR China; Centre for Technology in Water and Wastewater, School of Civil and Environmental Engineering, University of Technology Sydney, Sydney, NSW 2007, Australia
| | - Qian Li
- Key Lab of Environmental Engineering, Shaanxi Province, Xi'an University of Architecture and Technology, No.13 Yanta Road, Xi'an 710055, PR China; International S&T Cooperation Center for Urban Alternative Water Resources Development, Key Laboratory of Northwest Water Resource, Environment and Ecology, MOE, Xi'an University of Architecture and Technology, No.13 Yanta Road, Xi'an 710055, PR China
| | - Xiaochang C Wang
- Key Lab of Environmental Engineering, Shaanxi Province, Xi'an University of Architecture and Technology, No.13 Yanta Road, Xi'an 710055, PR China; International S&T Cooperation Center for Urban Alternative Water Resources Development, Key Laboratory of Northwest Water Resource, Environment and Ecology, MOE, Xi'an University of Architecture and Technology, No.13 Yanta Road, Xi'an 710055, PR China
| | - Yu-You Li
- Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Graduate School of Engineering, Tohoku University, 6-6-06 Aoba, Aramaki-Aza, Sendai, Miyagi 980-8579, Japan
| | - Rong Chen
- Key Lab of Environmental Engineering, Shaanxi Province, Xi'an University of Architecture and Technology, No.13 Yanta Road, Xi'an 710055, PR China; International S&T Cooperation Center for Urban Alternative Water Resources Development, Key Laboratory of Northwest Water Resource, Environment and Ecology, MOE, Xi'an University of Architecture and Technology, No.13 Yanta Road, Xi'an 710055, PR China.
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19
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Delli Compagni R, Polesel F, von Borries KJF, Zhang Z, Turolla A, Antonelli M, Vezzaro L. Modelling the fate of micropollutants in integrated urban wastewater systems: Extending the applicability to pharmaceuticals. WATER RESEARCH 2020; 184:116097. [PMID: 32911442 DOI: 10.1016/j.watres.2020.116097] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/09/2020] [Revised: 06/19/2020] [Accepted: 06/20/2020] [Indexed: 06/11/2023]
Abstract
Pharmaceutical active compounds (PhACs) are a category of micropollutants frequently detected across integrated urban wastewater systems. Existing modelling tools supporting the evaluation of micropollutant fate in such complex systems, such as the IUWS_MP model library (which acronym IUWS stands for Integrated Urban Wastewater System), do not consider fate processes and fractions that are typical for PhACs. This limitation was overcome by extending the existing IUWS_MP model library with new fractions (conjugated metabolites, sequestrated fraction) and processes (consumption-excretion, deconjugation). The performance of the extended library was evaluated for five PhACs (carbamazepine, ibuprofen, diclofenac, paracetamol, furosemide) in two different integrated urban wastewater systems where measurements were available. Despite data uncertainty and the simplicity of the modelling approach, chosen to minimize data requirements, model prediction uncertainty overlapped with the measurements ranges across both systems, stressing the robustness of the proposed modelling approach. Possible applications of the extended IUWS_MP model library are presented, illustrating how this tool can support urban water managers in reducing environmental impacts from PhACs discharges.
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Affiliation(s)
- Riccardo Delli Compagni
- Department of Civil and Environment Engineering (DICA), Politecnico di Milano, Piazza Leonardo da Vinci 32, 20129, Milan, Italy.
| | - Fabio Polesel
- DTU Environment, Technical University of Denmark, Bygningstorvet, Building 115, 2800, Kongens Lyngby, Denmark; DHI A/S, Agern Allé 5, 2970, Hørsholm, Denmark
| | - Kerstin J F von Borries
- DTU Environment, Technical University of Denmark, Bygningstorvet, Building 115, 2800, Kongens Lyngby, Denmark
| | - Zhen Zhang
- DTU Environment, Technical University of Denmark, Bygningstorvet, Building 115, 2800, Kongens Lyngby, Denmark
| | - Andrea Turolla
- Department of Civil and Environment Engineering (DICA), Politecnico di Milano, Piazza Leonardo da Vinci 32, 20129, Milan, Italy
| | - Manuela Antonelli
- Department of Civil and Environment Engineering (DICA), Politecnico di Milano, Piazza Leonardo da Vinci 32, 20129, Milan, Italy.
| | - Luca Vezzaro
- DTU Environment, Technical University of Denmark, Bygningstorvet, Building 115, 2800, Kongens Lyngby, Denmark.
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20
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Bevilacqua R, Regueira A, Mauricio-Iglesias M, Lema JM, Carballa M. Protein composition determines the preferential consumption of amino acids during anaerobic mixed-culture fermentation. WATER RESEARCH 2020; 183:115958. [PMID: 32622229 DOI: 10.1016/j.watres.2020.115958] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/12/2020] [Revised: 05/07/2020] [Accepted: 05/17/2020] [Indexed: 06/11/2023]
Abstract
The valorisation of protein-rich residual streams by anaerobic mixed-culture fermentation (MCF) has been barely studied in contrast to carbohydrate-rich wastes. The aim of this work was, therefore, to investigate how protein composition, i.e. the amino acid (AA) profile, affects the individual consumption of amino acids and, consequently, the outcome of the process. Mixed-culture fermentations were performed with two model proteins (casein and gelatin) using continuous and batch reactors at neutral pH values and 25 °C. The acidification was incomplete for both proteins, with casein achieving a higher value than gelatin. Albeit dominated by acetic acid, product spectra were different as well, with n-butyric acid as the second major product for casein and propionic acid for gelatin. The preferential consumption of amino acids was demonstrated, which interestingly depends on protein composition. The previously accepted stoichiometry accurately describes iso and n-butyric acid production, but it fails for propionic, iso and n-valeric acid generation. Overall, this study offers a better understanding of protein fermentation mechanisms, which will help to improve degradation models and to design fermentation processes, based on optimal substrate selection.
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Affiliation(s)
- Riccardo Bevilacqua
- CRETUS Institute, Department of Chemical Engineering, Universidade de Santiago de Compostela, 15782, Santiago de Compostela, Spain
| | - Alberte Regueira
- CRETUS Institute, Department of Chemical Engineering, Universidade de Santiago de Compostela, 15782, Santiago de Compostela, Spain
| | - Miguel Mauricio-Iglesias
- CRETUS Institute, Department of Chemical Engineering, Universidade de Santiago de Compostela, 15782, Santiago de Compostela, Spain.
| | - Juan M Lema
- CRETUS Institute, Department of Chemical Engineering, Universidade de Santiago de Compostela, 15782, Santiago de Compostela, Spain
| | - Marta Carballa
- CRETUS Institute, Department of Chemical Engineering, Universidade de Santiago de Compostela, 15782, Santiago de Compostela, Spain
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21
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Bajkacz S, Felis E, Kycia-Słocka E, Harnisz M, Korzeniewska E. Development of a new SLE-SPE-HPLC-MS/MS method for the determination of selected antibiotics and their transformation products in anthropogenically altered solid environmental matrices. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2020; 726:138071. [PMID: 32335399 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2020.138071] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/15/2019] [Revised: 02/12/2020] [Accepted: 03/18/2020] [Indexed: 06/11/2023]
Abstract
The presence of antibiotic residues, their bioactive metabolites and other transformation products in the environment may adversely affect the organisms that live in the environment and may also contribute to increasing the antibiotic resistance of bacteria. It is particularly difficult to determine the types of contaminants in solid samples, in particular, those that are anthropogenically changed, e.g., as a result of controlled biochemical processes. Therefore, the aim of this research was to develop of a new method for the determination of twelve antibiotics belonging to different groups, such as penicillins, sulfonamides, tetracyclines, quinolones, imidazoles and cefalosporins, in digested manure and activated sludge samples, which were used as examples of anthropogenically altered environmental solid samples. The analyses were performed using high performance liquid chromatography coupled with tandem mass spectrometry (HPLC-MS/MS). The solid-liquid extraction (SLE) method to isolate analytes from digested manure and activated sludge was developed and optimized, the same as clean-up procedure followed by solid phase extraction (SPE). The recovery ranged from 45 to 85%. Finally, the validated method was applied to the determination of the selected antibiotics in manure and activated sludge samples after an anaerobic digestion process.. An additional aim of the study was to verify whether the developed method allows simultaneous detection of transformation products of the studied antibiotics in solid samples. The study showed that by optimizing the analysis conditions, it is possible to simultaneously determine the selected antibiotics and their transformation products (including their epimeric forms), which can significantly improve the ability to control the efficiency of the biological processes used in this area. In practice, this means that the developed methodology may be particularly useful in the context of research and other works related to the anaerobic digestion of activated sludge, manure or other solid substrates of environmental origin.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sylwia Bajkacz
- Silesian University of Technology, Faculty of Chemistry, Department of Inorganic, Analytical Chemistry and Electrochemistry, B. Krzywoustego 6 Str., 44-100 Gliwice, Poland; Silesian University of Technology, Centre for Biotechnology, ul. B. Krzywoustego 8, 44-100 Gliwice, Poland.
| | - Ewa Felis
- Silesian University of Technology, Centre for Biotechnology, ul. B. Krzywoustego 8, 44-100 Gliwice, Poland; Silesian University of Technology, Faculty of Power and Environmental Engineering, Environmental Biotechnology Department, Akademicka 2 Str., 44-100 Gliwice, Poland
| | - Elżbieta Kycia-Słocka
- Silesian University of Technology, Faculty of Chemistry, Department of Inorganic, Analytical Chemistry and Electrochemistry, B. Krzywoustego 6 Str., 44-100 Gliwice, Poland
| | - Monika Harnisz
- University of Warmia and Mazury in Olsztyn, Faculty of Environmental Sciences, Department of Environmental Microbiology, Prawocheńskiego 1 Str., 10-720 Olsztyn, Poland
| | - Ewa Korzeniewska
- University of Warmia and Mazury in Olsztyn, Faculty of Environmental Sciences, Department of Environmental Microbiology, Prawocheńskiego 1 Str., 10-720 Olsztyn, Poland
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Díaz I, Díaz-Curbelo A, Pérez-Lemus N, Fdz-Polanco F, Pérez-Elvira SI. Traceability of organic contaminants in the sludge line of wastewater treatment plants: A comparison study among schemes incorporating thermal hydrolysis treatment and the conventional anaerobic digestion. BIORESOURCE TECHNOLOGY 2020; 305:123028. [PMID: 32114300 DOI: 10.1016/j.biortech.2020.123028] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/30/2019] [Revised: 02/12/2020] [Accepted: 02/14/2020] [Indexed: 06/10/2023]
Abstract
The traceability of conventional pollutants and 10 organic microcontaminants in the sludge line of a wastewater treatment plant (WWTP) was evaluated. The application of thermal hydrolysis (TH) as pre-treatment to anaerobic digestion (AD) or as inter-treatment (between two AD stages) was considered and compared with the conventional digestion scheme. TH scenarios reduced the mass flow rate of biosolids (40-60%) as well as the ratio of solids (50-100%), organic matter (5-26%) and nitrogen (8-13%) destined to biosolids. Micropollutants showed a strong tendency to accumulate in the solid phase (more than 90% were sorbed) in spite of thermal and dewatering processes, but TH scenarios exhibited greater removal efficiency (80%) in comparison to conventional AD (50%), reducing the ratio of micropollutants destined to biosolids from a conventional 48% to 7-8%. These findings reveal that TH could increase the value of biosolids from sewage sludge treatment because of greater removal of pollutants and dewaterability.
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Affiliation(s)
- Israel Díaz
- Department of Chemical Engineering and Environmental Technology, University of Valladolid, Dr. Mergelina s/n, 47011 Valladolid, Spain; Institute of Sustainable Processes, University of Valladolid, Dr. Mergelina s/n, 47011 Valladolid, Spain
| | - Alina Díaz-Curbelo
- Department of Chemical Engineering and Environmental Technology, University of Valladolid, Dr. Mergelina s/n, 47011 Valladolid, Spain; Institute of Sustainable Processes, University of Valladolid, Dr. Mergelina s/n, 47011 Valladolid, Spain
| | - Nereida Pérez-Lemus
- Department of Chemical Engineering and Environmental Technology, University of Valladolid, Dr. Mergelina s/n, 47011 Valladolid, Spain; Institute of Sustainable Processes, University of Valladolid, Dr. Mergelina s/n, 47011 Valladolid, Spain
| | - Fernando Fdz-Polanco
- Department of Chemical Engineering and Environmental Technology, University of Valladolid, Dr. Mergelina s/n, 47011 Valladolid, Spain; Institute of Sustainable Processes, University of Valladolid, Dr. Mergelina s/n, 47011 Valladolid, Spain
| | - Sara Isabel Pérez-Elvira
- Department of Chemical Engineering and Environmental Technology, University of Valladolid, Dr. Mergelina s/n, 47011 Valladolid, Spain; Institute of Sustainable Processes, University of Valladolid, Dr. Mergelina s/n, 47011 Valladolid, Spain.
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23
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Taboada-Santos A, Behera CR, Sin G, Gernaey KV, Mauricio-Iglesias M, Carballa M, Lema JM. Assessment of the fate of organic micropollutants in novel wastewater treatment plant configurations through an empirical mechanistic model. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2020; 716:137079. [PMID: 32044492 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2020.137079] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/01/2019] [Revised: 01/30/2020] [Accepted: 01/31/2020] [Indexed: 06/10/2023]
Abstract
Novel wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) are expected to be less energetically demanding than conventional ones. However, scarce information is available about the fate of organic micropollutants (OMPs) in these novel configurations. Therefore, the objective of this work is to assess the fate of OMPs in three novel WWTP configurations by using a plant-wide simulation that integrates multiple units. The difference among the three configurations is the organic carbon preconcentration technology: chemically enhanced primary treatment (CEPT), high-rate activated sludge (HRAS) combined or not with a rotating belt filter (RBF); followed by a partial-nitritation (PN-AMX) unit. The simulation results show that the three selected novel configurations lead mainly to comparable OMPs removal efficiencies from wastewater, which were similar or lower, depending on the OMP, than those obtained in conventional WWTPs. However, the presence of hydrophobic OMPs in the digested sludge noticeably differs among the three configurations. Whereas the configuration based on sole HRAS to recover organic carbon leads to a lower presence of OMPs in digested sludge than the conventional WWTP, in the other two novel configurations this presence is noticeable higher. In conclusion, novel WWTP configurations do not improve the OMPs elimination from wastewater achieved in conventional ones, but the HRAS-based WWTP configuration leads to the lowest presence in digested sludge so it becomes the most efficient alternative.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anton Taboada-Santos
- Department of Chemical Engineering, School of Engineering, Universidade de Santiago de Compostela, E-15782 Santiago de Compostela, Spain.
| | - Chitta Ranjan Behera
- Process and Systems Engineering Center (PROSYS), Department of Chemical and Biochemical Engineering, Technical University of Denmark, Building 229, 2800 Kgs. Lyngby, Denmark.
| | - Gürkan Sin
- Process and Systems Engineering Center (PROSYS), Department of Chemical and Biochemical Engineering, Technical University of Denmark, Building 229, 2800 Kgs. Lyngby, Denmark.
| | - Krist V Gernaey
- Process and Systems Engineering Center (PROSYS), Department of Chemical and Biochemical Engineering, Technical University of Denmark, Building 229, 2800 Kgs. Lyngby, Denmark.
| | - Miguel Mauricio-Iglesias
- Department of Chemical Engineering, School of Engineering, Universidade de Santiago de Compostela, E-15782 Santiago de Compostela, Spain.
| | - Marta Carballa
- Department of Chemical Engineering, School of Engineering, Universidade de Santiago de Compostela, E-15782 Santiago de Compostela, Spain.
| | - Juan M Lema
- Department of Chemical Engineering, School of Engineering, Universidade de Santiago de Compostela, E-15782 Santiago de Compostela, Spain.
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24
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Lee C, Jeong S, Ju M, Kim JY. Fate of chlortetracycline antibiotics during anaerobic degradation of cattle manure. JOURNAL OF HAZARDOUS MATERIALS 2020; 386:121894. [PMID: 31896000 DOI: 10.1016/j.jhazmat.2019.121894] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/04/2019] [Revised: 11/28/2019] [Accepted: 12/12/2019] [Indexed: 06/10/2023]
Abstract
As veterinary antibiotics (VAs) cause adverse effects on nature, anaerobic digestion (AD) of livestock manure has been receiving attention as an exposure route of VAs. This research evaluated the anaerobic degradation and phase distribution of chlortetracycline (CTC) with its epimer (4-epi-CTC, ECTC) and isomer (Iso-CTC, ICTC). In addition, whether CTC can inhibit not only AD of a substrate but also the degradation of CTC was assessed. Anaerobic batch assays were performed with cattle manure for 30 days by varying the initial concentration of CTC; 0, 10, 25, 50, and 100 mg/L. Approximately 25-43 % (w/w) of CTC was primarily degraded while 18-25 % and 20-26 % of CTC was transformed into ECTC and ICTC, respectively. Up to 88 % (w/w) of the remaining CTC, ECTC, and ICTC was present in the solid phase. In addition, CTC inhibited not only the mineralization of the cattle manure but also the degradation of CTC due to co-metabolism. In conclusion, significant quantities of CTC, ECTC, and ICTC can be exposed to nature by solid phase of anaerobic digestate. The inhibition on AD can reduce the degradation of CTC, ECTC, and ICTC during the AD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Changmin Lee
- Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Seoul National University, 1, Gwanak-ro, Gwanak-gu, Seoul, Republic of Korea
| | - Sangjae Jeong
- Research Center for Climate Change and Energy, Hallym University, 1, Hallimdaehak-gil, Chuncheon, Republic of Korea
| | - Munsol Ju
- Department of Living Environment Research, Korea Environment Institute, 370, Sicheong-daero, Sejong, Republic of Korea
| | - Jae Young Kim
- Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Seoul National University, 1, Gwanak-ro, Gwanak-gu, Seoul, Republic of Korea.
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25
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Rombouts JL, Kranendonk EMM, Regueira A, Weissbrodt DG, Kleerebezem R, van Loosdrecht MCM. Selecting for lactic acid producing and utilising bacteria in anaerobic enrichment cultures. Biotechnol Bioeng 2020; 117:1281-1293. [PMID: 32034763 PMCID: PMC7187302 DOI: 10.1002/bit.27301] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/19/2019] [Revised: 01/27/2020] [Accepted: 02/07/2020] [Indexed: 01/23/2023]
Abstract
Lactic acid‐producing bacteria are important in many fermentations, such as the production of biobased plastics. Insight in the competitive advantage of lactic acid bacteria over other fermentative bacteria in a mixed culture enables ecology‐based process design and can aid the development of sustainable and energy‐efficient bioprocesses. Here we demonstrate the enrichment of lactic acid bacteria in a controlled sequencing batch bioreactor environment using a glucose‐based medium supplemented with peptides and B vitamins. A mineral medium enrichment operated in parallel was dominated by Ethanoligenens species and fermented glucose to acetate, butyrate and hydrogen. The complex medium enrichment was populated by Lactococcus, Lactobacillus and Megasphaera species and showed a product spectrum of acetate, ethanol, propionate, butyrate and valerate. An intermediate peak of lactate was observed, showing the simultaneous production and consumption of lactate, which is of concern for lactic acid production purposes. This study underlines that the competitive advantage for lactic acid‐producing bacteria primarily lies in their ability to attain a high biomass specific uptake rate of glucose, which was two times higher for the complex medium enrichment when compared to the mineral medium enrichment. The competitive advantage of lactic acid production in rich media can be explained using a resource allocation theory for microbial growth processes.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Alberte Regueira
- Department of Chemical Engineering, Institute of Technology, Universidade de Santiago Compostela, Santiago de Compostela, Spain
| | | | - Robbert Kleerebezem
- Department of Biotechnology, Delft University of Technology, Delft, The Netherlands
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26
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Taboada-Santos A, Braz GHR, Fernandez-Gonzalez N, Carballa M, Lema JM. Thermal hydrolysis of sewage sludge partially removes organic micropollutants but does not enhance their anaerobic biotransformation. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2019; 690:534-542. [PMID: 31301494 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2019.06.492] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/14/2019] [Revised: 06/28/2019] [Accepted: 06/28/2019] [Indexed: 06/10/2023]
Abstract
Pretreatment technologies prior to anaerobic digestion (AD) have been developed with the aim of enhancing biogas productivity and reducing the presence of pathogens in digested sludge. Among them, thermal hydrolysis (TH) appears as the most promising one. In wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) sludge is the end point of many organic micropollutants (OMPs), which was proved to lead to important environmental and human risks since sludge is commonly used in agriculture. The objective of this work is to determine the fate OMPs in TH and subsequent AD. Sewage sludge was pretreated in a TH pilot plant at 170 °C for 20 min. Afterwards, two anaerobic digesters with a working volume of 14 L fed with fresh and pretreated sludge were operated in parallel in mesophilic conditions. TH proved to be an effective technology to partially or totally remove the dissolved fraction of OMPs as well as the fraction sorbed into those suspended solids that are solubilised after this pretreatment. However, it did not affect the OMPs sorbed concentration into solids that are not solubilised. Globally, the OMPs removal efficiency during TH appears to be linked to the solids solubilisation during this process. Afterwards, the OMPs biotransformation efficiency in AD of fresh and pretreated sludge was determined. Noticeable differences between the microbiome of both reactors was determined, but the anaerobic biotransformation was not substantially different for most of the OMPs. However, it affected musk fragrances, which presented considerably lower biotransformation efficiency in the reactor fed with pretreated sludge. Therefore, TH was proved effective in partially removing OMPs but not in enhancing their bioavailability and subsequent anaerobic biotransformation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anton Taboada-Santos
- Department of Chemical Engineering, School of Engineering, Universidade de Santiago de Compostela, E- 15782 Santiago de Compostela, Spain.
| | - Guilherme H R Braz
- Department of Chemical Engineering, School of Engineering, Universidade de Santiago de Compostela, E- 15782 Santiago de Compostela, Spain.
| | - Nuria Fernandez-Gonzalez
- Department of Chemical Engineering, School of Engineering, Universidade de Santiago de Compostela, E- 15782 Santiago de Compostela, Spain.
| | - Marta Carballa
- Department of Chemical Engineering, School of Engineering, Universidade de Santiago de Compostela, E- 15782 Santiago de Compostela, Spain.
| | - Juan M Lema
- Department of Chemical Engineering, School of Engineering, Universidade de Santiago de Compostela, E- 15782 Santiago de Compostela, Spain.
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27
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Lejeune A, Choubert JM. Modeling of micropollutant removal in full-scale membrane bioreactors: calibration and operations to limit the emissions. Bioprocess Biosyst Eng 2019; 42:1879-1892. [PMID: 31385036 DOI: 10.1007/s00449-019-02183-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/30/2019] [Accepted: 07/23/2019] [Indexed: 01/08/2023]
Abstract
Micropollutants are a major concern for aquatic organisms and human health. Membrane bioreactors (MBRs) are an efficient wastewater treatment and water reuse solution, but their micropollutant removal performances are still not fully determined. Modeling micropollutant behavior in MBRs could help better understand and optimize the removal process. Here we provide detailed explanation on a model of micropollutant removal in MBRs that predicts biodegradation and sorption rates. Parameters were calibrated following an iterative two-step procedure developed in this work and using data from two full-scale plants. The calibrated set of parameters was then used (i) to determine the influence of MBR operating conditions such as the duration of aerobic time and the sludge concentration in bioreactor, on micropollutant removal, and (ii) to better understand micropollutant behavior and removal performances in MBRs in response to sudden changes in operating conditions (rain event, F:M ratio). These predictive simulations showed that increasing sludge concentration in bioreactor can decrease effluent concentrations of most of the micropollutants studied by up to 15%, and increasing the duration of aerobic time decreases effluent concentrations of few organic micropollutants tested by up to 15%. Rain events and F:M ratio can increase effluent concentrations of six out of nine micropollutants tested by more than 15%.
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Affiliation(s)
- Antoine Lejeune
- Irstea, UR REVERSAAL, 5 rue de la Doua, CS 20244, 69625, Villeurbanne Cedex, France
| | - Jean-Marc Choubert
- Irstea, UR REVERSAAL, 5 rue de la Doua, CS 20244, 69625, Villeurbanne Cedex, France.
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28
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Patsatzis DG, Goussis DA. A new Michaelis-Menten equation valid everywhere multi-scale dynamics prevails. Math Biosci 2019; 315:108220. [PMID: 31255632 DOI: 10.1016/j.mbs.2019.108220] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/16/2018] [Revised: 06/25/2019] [Accepted: 06/25/2019] [Indexed: 12/17/2022]
Abstract
The Michaelis-Menten reaction scheme is among the most influential models in the field of biochemistry, since it led to a very popular expression for the rate of an enzyme-catalysed reaction. After the realisation that this expression is valid in a limited region of the parameter space, two additional expressions were later introduced. The range of validity of these three expressions has been studied thoroughly, since the significance of a reliable rate is not based only on the accuracy of its predictive abilities but also on the physical insight that is acquired in the process of its construction. Here a new expression for the rate is introduced that is valid in practically the full parameter space and reduces to the expressions in the literature, when considering appropriate limits. The new expression is produced by employing algorithmic tools for asymptotic analysis, so that its construction is not hindered by the dimensional form and the complexity of the full model or by a wide parameter range of interest. These tools can be employed for the derivation of enzyme rate expressions of much more complex kinetics mechanisms.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dimitris G Patsatzis
- School of Mathematical and Physical Sciences, National Technical University of Athens, Athens, 15780, Greece
| | - Dimitris A Goussis
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, Khalifa University, Abu Dhabi,127788, United Arab Emirates.
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29
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Harb M, Lou E, Smith AL, Stadler LB. Perspectives on the fate of micropollutants in mainstream anaerobic wastewater treatment. Curr Opin Biotechnol 2019; 57:94-100. [DOI: 10.1016/j.copbio.2019.02.022] [Citation(s) in RCA: 34] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/31/2018] [Revised: 02/14/2019] [Accepted: 02/24/2019] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
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30
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Gonzalez-Gil L, Carballa M, Corvini PFX, Lema JM. Reversibility of enzymatic reactions might limit biotransformation of organic micropollutants. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2019; 665:574-578. [PMID: 30776629 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2019.02.143] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/15/2019] [Revised: 02/08/2019] [Accepted: 02/09/2019] [Indexed: 06/09/2023]
Abstract
Biotransformation of many organic micropollutants (OMPs) in sewage treatment plants is incomplete leading to their release into the environment. Recent findings suggest that thermodynamic aspects of the reaction as chemical equilibrium limit biotransformation, while kinetic parameters have a lower influence. Reversibility of enzymatic reactions might result in a chemical equilibrium between the OMP and the transformation product, thus impeding a total removal of the compound. To the best of our knowledge, no study has focused on proving the reversible action of enzymes towards OMPs so far. Therefore, we aimed at demonstrating this hypothesis through in vitro assays with bisphenol A (BPA) in the presence of kinase enzymes, namely acetate kinase and hexokinase, which are key enzymes in anaerobic processes. Results suggest that BPA is phosphorylated by acetate kinase and hexokinase in the presence of ATP (adenosine 5-triphosphate), but when the concentration of this co-substrate decreases and the enzymes loss their activity, the backward reaction occurs, revealing a reversible biotransformation mechanism. This information is particularly relevant to address new removal strategies, which up to now were mainly focused on modifying the kinetic parameters of the reaction.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lorena Gonzalez-Gil
- Department of Chemical Engineering, School of Engineering, Universidade de Santiago de Compostela, Rúa Lope Gómez de Marzoa, E-15782 Santiago de Compostela, Spain.
| | - Marta Carballa
- Department of Chemical Engineering, School of Engineering, Universidade de Santiago de Compostela, Rúa Lope Gómez de Marzoa, E-15782 Santiago de Compostela, Spain.
| | - Philippe F-X Corvini
- Institute for Ecopreneurship, School of Life Sciences, University of Applied Sciences and Arts Northwestern Switzerland, 4132 Muttenz, Switzerland.
| | - Juan M Lema
- Department of Chemical Engineering, School of Engineering, Universidade de Santiago de Compostela, Rúa Lope Gómez de Marzoa, E-15782 Santiago de Compostela, Spain.
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