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Takman M, Betsholtz A, Davidsson Å, Cimbritz M, Svahn O, Karlsson S, Karstenskov Østergaard S, Lund Nielsen J, Falås P. Biological degradation of organic micropollutants in GAC filters-temporal development and spatial variations. JOURNAL OF HAZARDOUS MATERIALS 2024; 472:134449. [PMID: 38733780 DOI: 10.1016/j.jhazmat.2024.134449] [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: 02/14/2024] [Revised: 04/05/2024] [Accepted: 04/25/2024] [Indexed: 05/13/2024]
Abstract
The capacity for organic micropollutant removal in granular activated carbon (GAC) filters for wastewater treatment changes over time. These changes are in general attributed to changes in adsorption, but may in some cases also be affected by biological degradation. Knowledge on the degradation of organic micropollutants, however, is scarce. In this work, the degradation of micropollutants in several full-scale GAC and sand filters was investigated through incubation experiments over a period of three years, using 14C-labeled organic micropollutants with different susceptibilities to biological degradation (ibuprofen, diclofenac, and carbamazepine), with parallel 16S rRNA gene sequencing. The results showed that the degradation of diclofenac and ibuprofen in GAC filters increased with increasing numbers of bed volumes when free oxygen was available in the filter, while variations over filter depth were limited. Despite relatively large differences in bacterial composition between filters, a degradation of diclofenac was consistently observed for the GAC filters that had been operated with high influent oxygen concentration (DO >8 mg/L). The results of this comprehensive experimental work provide an increased understanding of the interactions between microbial composition, filter material, and oxygen availability in the biological degradation of organic micropollutants in GAC filters.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maria Takman
- Department of Process and Life Science Engineering, Division of Chemical Engineering, Lund University, PO Box 124, SE-221 00 Lund, Sweden.
| | - Alexander Betsholtz
- Department of Process and Life Science Engineering, Division of Chemical Engineering, Lund University, PO Box 124, SE-221 00 Lund, Sweden
| | - Åsa Davidsson
- Department of Process and Life Science Engineering, Division of Chemical Engineering, Lund University, PO Box 124, SE-221 00 Lund, Sweden
| | - Michael Cimbritz
- Department of Process and Life Science Engineering, Division of Chemical Engineering, Lund University, PO Box 124, SE-221 00 Lund, Sweden
| | - Ola Svahn
- Department of Environmental Science and Bioscience, Kristianstad University, SE-291 39 Kristianstad, Sweden
| | | | | | - Jeppe Lund Nielsen
- Department of Chemistry and Bioscience, Aalborg University, Fredrik Bajers Vej 7H, 9220 Aalborg, Denmark
| | - Per Falås
- Department of Process and Life Science Engineering, Division of Chemical Engineering, Lund University, PO Box 124, SE-221 00 Lund, Sweden
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2
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Hernández-Tenorio R. Hydroxylated transformation products of pharmaceutical active compounds: Generation from processes used in wastewater treatment plants and its environmental monitoring. CHEMOSPHERE 2024; 349:140753. [PMID: 38006923 DOI: 10.1016/j.chemosphere.2023.140753] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/18/2023] [Revised: 10/28/2023] [Accepted: 11/16/2023] [Indexed: 11/27/2023]
Abstract
Pharmaceutical active compounds (PhACs) are organic pollutants detected in wastewater and aquatic environments worldwide in concentrations ranging from ng L-1 to μg L-1. Wastewater effluents containing PhACs residues is discharged in municipal sewage and, subsequently collected in municipal wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) where are not entirely removed. Thus, PhACs and its transformation products (TPs) are discharged into water bodies. In the current work, the transformation of PhACs under treatments used in municipal WWTPs such as biological, photolysis, chlorination, and ozonation processes was reviewed. Data set of the major transformation pathways were obtained of studies that performed the PhACs removal and TPs monitoring during batch-scale experiments using gas and liquid chromatography coupled with tandem mass spectrometry (GC/LC-MS/MS). Several transformation pathways as dealkylation, hydroxylation, oxidation, acetylation, aromatic ring opening, chlorination, dehalogenation, photo-substitution, and ozone attack reactions were identified during the transformation of PhACs. Especially, hydroxylation reaction was identified as transformation pathway in all the processes. During the elucidation of hydroxylated TPs several isobaric compounds as monohydroxylated and dihydroxylated were identified. However, hydroxylated TPs monitoring in wastewater and aquatic environments is a topic scarcely studied due to that has no environmental significance, lack of available analytic standars of hydroxylated TPs and lack of analytic methods for their identification. Thus, screening strategy for environmental monitoring of hydroxylated TPs was proposed through target and suspect screening using GC/LC-MS/MS systems. In the next years, more studies on the hydroxylated TPs monitoring are necessary for its detection in WWTPs effluents as well as studies on their environmental effects in aquatic environments.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rafael Hernández-Tenorio
- Centro de Investigación y Asistencia en Tecnología y Diseño Del Estado de Jalisco A.C., Sede Noreste, Vía de La Innovación 404, Autopista Monterrey-Aeropuerto Km 10, Parque PIIT, Apodaca, Nuevo León, C.P. 66628, Mexico.
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3
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Wu G, Wu T, Chen Y, He X, Liu P, Wang D, Geng J, Zhang XX. A comprehensive insight into the transformation pathways and products of fluoxetine and venlafaxine in wastewater based on molecular networking nontarget screening. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2024; 907:167727. [PMID: 37864996 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2023.167727] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/29/2023] [Revised: 10/04/2023] [Accepted: 10/08/2023] [Indexed: 10/23/2023]
Abstract
Fluoxetine (FLX) and venlafaxine (VEN) are widely used antidepressant pharmaceuticals and were frequently detected in wastewater. Despite incomplete mineralization during biological wastewater treatment processes has been revealed, little is known about their transformation products (TPs) formed in the biological systems. To fill this gap, batch reactors and molecular networking nontarget screening were employed to identify the TPs and explore the transformation pathways of FLX and VEN in wastewater. On the basis, the concentrations of the TPs in wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) were determined and their toxicity was predicted. The removal rate constants per unit of biomass of FLX and VEN were up to 0.3192 and 0.1644 L/(gMLSS*d) in batch experiments, respectively. Subsequently, 11 TPs of VEN and 11 TPs of FLX were tentatively identified, among which 9 TPs of FLX and 5 TPs of VEN were newly reported in this study. The proposed transformation pathways provided new insights into the transformation reactions including dehydrogenation, N-formylation and hydroxylation for FLX, and formylation, epoxidation and methylation for VEN. Particularly, N-succinylation and demethylation were the dominant transformation pathways for FLX and VEN during transformation processes. The results of sampling campaigns revealed that the accumulated concentration of TPs were higher than the concentrations of VEN in effluent of WWTPs. In silico prediction results suggested that certain TPs have higher toxicity, persistence and biodegradability than their corresponding parent compounds of FLX and VEN. In addition, VEN-TP264(a) showed higher ecological risks than VEN. This study revealed the transformation processes and fate of FLX and VEN in wastewater, indicating that greater concerns should be exerted on the toxicity detection and control of the TPs of FLX and VEN in the treated wastewater.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gang Wu
- State Key Laboratory of Pollution Control and Resource Reuse, School of Environment, Nanjing University, Nanjing 210023, Jiangsu, China
| | - Tianshu Wu
- State Key Laboratory of Pollution Control and Resource Reuse, School of Environment, Nanjing University, Nanjing 210023, Jiangsu, China
| | - Yiran Chen
- State Key Laboratory of Pollution Control and Resource Reuse, School of Environment, Nanjing University, Nanjing 210023, Jiangsu, China; School of Environment, Hohai University, Nanjing 211100, Jiangsu, China
| | - Xiwei He
- State Key Laboratory of Pollution Control and Resource Reuse, School of Environment, Nanjing University, Nanjing 210023, Jiangsu, China
| | - Peng Liu
- State Key Laboratory of Pollution Control and Resource Reuse, School of Environment, Nanjing University, Nanjing 210023, Jiangsu, China
| | - Depeng Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Pollution Control and Resource Reuse, School of Environment, Nanjing University, Nanjing 210023, Jiangsu, China
| | - Jinju Geng
- State Key Laboratory of Pollution Control and Resource Reuse, School of Environment, Nanjing University, Nanjing 210023, Jiangsu, China; Key Laboratory of the Three Gorges Reservoir Region's Eco-Environment, Ministry of Education, Chongqing University, Chongqing 400044, China
| | - Xu-Xiang Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Pollution Control and Resource Reuse, School of Environment, Nanjing University, Nanjing 210023, Jiangsu, China.
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4
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Wang L, Lin Y, Li J, Yu Q, Xu K, Ren H, Geng J. Deciphering Microbe-Mediated Dissolved Organic Matter Reactome in Wastewater Treatment Plants Using Directed Paired Mass Distance. ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY 2024; 58:739-750. [PMID: 38147428 DOI: 10.1021/acs.est.3c06871] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/28/2023]
Abstract
Understanding the reaction mechanism of dissolved organic matter (DOM) during wastewater biotreatment is crucial for optimal DOM control. Here, we develop a directed paired mass distance (dPMD) method that constructs a molecular network displaying the reaction pathways of DOM. It couples direction inference and PMD analysis to extract the substrate-product relationships and delta masses of potentially paired reactants directly from sequential mass spectrometry data without formula assignment. Using this method, we analyze the influent and effluent samples from the bioprocesses of 12 wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) and build a dPMD network to characterize the core reactome of DOM. The network shows that the first step of the transformation triggers reaction cascades that diversify the DOM, but the highly overlapped subsequent reaction pathways result in similar effluent DOM compositions across WWTPs despite varied influents. Mass changes exhibit consistent gain/loss preferences (e.g., +3.995 and -16.031) but different occurrences across WWTPs. Combined with genome-centric metatranscriptomics, we reveal the associations among dPMDs, enzymes, and microbes. Most enzymes are involved in oxygenation, (de)hydrogenation, demethylation, and hydration-related reactions but with different target substrates and expressed by various taxa, as exemplified by Proteobacteria, Actinobacteria, and Nitrospirae. Therefore, a functionally diverse community is pivotal for advanced DOM degradation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Liye Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Pollution Control and Resource Reuse, School of Environment, Nanjing University, Nanjing, Jiangsu 210023, P. R. China
| | - Yuan Lin
- State Key Laboratory of Pollution Control and Resource Reuse, School of Environment, Nanjing University, Nanjing, Jiangsu 210023, P. R. China
| | - Juechun Li
- State Key Laboratory of Pollution Control and Resource Reuse, School of Environment, Nanjing University, Nanjing, Jiangsu 210023, P. R. China
| | - Qingmiao Yu
- State Key Laboratory of Pollution Control and Resource Reuse, School of Environment, Nanjing University, Nanjing, Jiangsu 210023, P. R. China
- Key Laboratory of the Three Gorges Reservoir Region's Eco-Environment, Ministry of Education, Chongqing University, Chongqing 400044, P. R. China
| | - Ke Xu
- State Key Laboratory of Pollution Control and Resource Reuse, School of Environment, Nanjing University, Nanjing, Jiangsu 210023, P. R. China
| | - Hongqiang Ren
- State Key Laboratory of Pollution Control and Resource Reuse, School of Environment, Nanjing University, Nanjing, Jiangsu 210023, P. R. China
| | - Jinju Geng
- State Key Laboratory of Pollution Control and Resource Reuse, School of Environment, Nanjing University, Nanjing, Jiangsu 210023, P. R. China
- Key Laboratory of the Three Gorges Reservoir Region's Eco-Environment, Ministry of Education, Chongqing University, Chongqing 400044, P. R. China
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5
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Wu G, Zhu F, Zhang X, Ren H, Wang Y, Geng J, Liu H. PBT assessment of chemicals detected in effluent of wastewater treatment plants by suspected screening analysis. ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH 2023; 237:116892. [PMID: 37598848 DOI: 10.1016/j.envres.2023.116892] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/20/2023] [Revised: 08/10/2023] [Accepted: 08/13/2023] [Indexed: 08/22/2023]
Abstract
Wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) are the major sources of contaminants discharged into downstream water bodies. Profiling the contaminants in effluent of WWTPs is crucial to assess the potential eco-risks toward downstream organisms. To this end, this study investigated the contaminants in effluent of 10 WWTPs locating in 10 cities of Yangtze River delta region of China by suspected screening analysis. Further, the persistence, bioaccumulation, toxicity (PBT) and the characteristics sub-structures of PBT-like chemicals were analyzed. Totally, 704 chemicals including 155 chemical products, 31 food additives, 52 natural substances, 112 personal care products, 123 pesticides, 192 pharmaceuticals, 17 hormones and 22 others were found. The results of PBT analysis suggested that 42 chemicals (5.97% among the detected chemicals in WWTPs) were with PBT property. Among them, 31 contaminants were not reported previously. 9 characteristics sub-structures (N-methyleneisobutylamine, 1-naphthaldehyde, 2,3,3-trimethylcyclohexene, cyclohexanol, N-sec-butyl-n-propylamine, (5E)-2,6-dimethylocta-1,5-diene, 2-ethylphenol, pentadecane and 6-methoxyhexane) were found for PBT-like chemicals. The sub-structures of highly linear alkyl partially explained the significantly higher PBT score for personal care products. Present study provides fundamental information on PBT properties of contaminants in effluent of WWTPs, which will benefit to prioritize contaminants with high concerns in effluent of WWTPs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gang Wu
- State Key Laboratory of Pollution Control and Resource Reuse, School of the Environment, Nanjing University, Nanjing, 210023, Jiangsu, PR China
| | - Feng Zhu
- Jiangsu Province Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Nanjing, Jiangsu, 210009, PR China
| | - Xuxiang Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Pollution Control and Resource Reuse, School of the Environment, Nanjing University, Nanjing, 210023, Jiangsu, PR China
| | - Hongqiang Ren
- State Key Laboratory of Pollution Control and Resource Reuse, School of the Environment, Nanjing University, Nanjing, 210023, Jiangsu, PR China
| | - Yanru Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Pollution Control and Resource Reuse, School of the Environment, Nanjing University, Nanjing, 210023, Jiangsu, PR China
| | - Jinju Geng
- State Key Laboratory of Pollution Control and Resource Reuse, School of the Environment, Nanjing University, Nanjing, 210023, Jiangsu, PR China; Key Laboratory of the Three Gorges Reservoir Region's Eco-Environment, Ministry of Education, Chongqing University, Chongqing, 400044, PR China.
| | - Hualiang Liu
- Jiangsu Province Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Nanjing, Jiangsu, 210009, PR China.
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6
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Ahmadi N, Abbasi M, Torabian A, van Loosdrecht MCM, Ducoste J. Biotransformation of micropollutants in moving bed biofilm reactors under heterotrophic and autotrophic conditions. JOURNAL OF HAZARDOUS MATERIALS 2023; 460:132232. [PMID: 37690201 DOI: 10.1016/j.jhazmat.2023.132232] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/16/2023] [Revised: 07/06/2023] [Accepted: 08/04/2023] [Indexed: 09/12/2023]
Abstract
We investigated the transformation of four pharmaceuticals (Diclofenac, Naproxen, Ibuprofen and Carbamazepine) in a moving bed biofilm reactor subjected to different COD/N ratios in four experimental phases. The shift from medium to high range COD/N ratio (i.e., 5:1 to 100:1) intensified the competition between heterotrophs and nitrifying communities, leading to a transition from co-existence of heterotrophic and autotrophic conditions with high COD removal and nitrification rate in phase I to dominant heterotrophic conditions in phase II. At lower range COD/N ratios (i.e., 1:2 and 1:8) in phase III and IV, autotrophic conditions prevailed, resulting in increased nitrification rates and high abundance of amoA gene in the biofilm. Such shifts in the operating condition were accompanied by notable changes in the biofilm concentrations, composition and abundance of microbial populations as well as biodiversity in the biofilms, which collectively affected the degradation rates of the pharmaceuticals. We observed higher kinetic rates per unit of biofilm concentration under autotrophic conditions compared to heterotrophic conditions for all compounds except Naproxen, indicating the importance of nitrification in the transformation of such compounds. The results also revealed a positive relationship between biodiversity and biomass-normalized kinetic rates of most compounds.
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Affiliation(s)
- Navid Ahmadi
- School of Environment, College of Engineering, University of Tehran, Tehran, Iran.
| | - Mona Abbasi
- School of Environment, College of Engineering, University of Tehran, Tehran, Iran
| | - Ali Torabian
- School of Environment, College of Engineering, University of Tehran, Tehran, Iran
| | - Mark C M van Loosdrecht
- Department of Biotechnology, Delft University of Technology, Van der Maasweg 9, 2629Hz Delft, the Netherlands
| | - Joel Ducoste
- Department of Civil, Construction and Environmental Engineering, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC 27695, USA
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7
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Trostel L, Coll C, Fenner K, Hafner J. Combining predictive and analytical methods to elucidate pharmaceutical biotransformation in activated sludge. ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE. PROCESSES & IMPACTS 2023; 25:1322-1336. [PMID: 37539453 DOI: 10.1039/d3em00161j] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 08/05/2023]
Abstract
While man-made chemicals in the environment are ubiquitous and a potential threat to human health and ecosystem integrity, the environmental fate of chemical contaminants such as pharmaceuticals is often poorly understood. Biodegradation processes driven by microbial communities convert chemicals into transformation products (TPs) that may themselves have adverse ecological effects. The detection of TPs formed during biodegradation has been continuously improved thanks to the development of TP prediction algorithms and analytical workflows. Here, we contribute to this advance by (i) reviewing past applications of TP identification workflows, (ii) applying an updated workflow for TP prediction to 42 pharmaceuticals in biodegradation experiments with activated sludge, and (iii) benchmarking 5 different pathway prediction models, comprising 4 prediction models trained on different datasets provided by enviPath, and the state-of-the-art EAWAG pathway prediction system. Using the updated workflow, we could tentatively identify 79 transformation products for 31 pharmaceutical compounds. Compared to previous works, we have further automatized several steps that were previously performed by hand. By benchmarking the enviPath prediction system on experimental data, we demonstrate the usefulness of the pathway prediction tool to generate suspect lists for screening, and we propose new avenues to improve their accuracy. Moreover, we provide a well-documented workflow that can be (i) readily applied to detect transformation products in activated sludge and (ii) potentially extended to other environmental studies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Leo Trostel
- Department of Environmental Chemistry, Swiss Federal Institute of Aquatic Science and Technology (Eawag), Dübendorf, 8600, Zürich, Switzerland.
| | - Claudia Coll
- Department of Environmental Chemistry, Swiss Federal Institute of Aquatic Science and Technology (Eawag), Dübendorf, 8600, Zürich, Switzerland.
| | - Kathrin Fenner
- Department of Environmental Chemistry, Swiss Federal Institute of Aquatic Science and Technology (Eawag), Dübendorf, 8600, Zürich, Switzerland.
- Department of Chemistry, University of Zürich, 8057 Zürich, Switzerland
| | - Jasmin Hafner
- Department of Environmental Chemistry, Swiss Federal Institute of Aquatic Science and Technology (Eawag), Dübendorf, 8600, Zürich, Switzerland.
- Department of Chemistry, University of Zürich, 8057 Zürich, Switzerland
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8
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Wu G, Qian Y, Fan F, Zhang Z, Zhang Y, Yu Q, Zhang X, Ren H, Geng J, Liu H. Revealing specific transformation pattern of sulfonamides during wastewater biological treatment processes by molecular networking nontarget screening. WATER RESEARCH 2023; 235:119895. [PMID: 36989798 DOI: 10.1016/j.watres.2023.119895] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/13/2022] [Revised: 02/26/2023] [Accepted: 03/17/2023] [Indexed: 06/19/2023]
Abstract
Biotransformation of emerging contaminants (ECs) is of importance in various natural and engineered systems to eliminate the adverse effects of ECs toward organisms. In wastewater, structurally similar ECs may transform through similar reactions triggered by common enzymes. However, the transformation pattern for them was scarcely studied. To fill the research gaps, five sulfonamides were chosen as the targeted ECs with similar structure to explore the transformation pattern in wastewater biological treatment experiments at lab scale. Through molecular networking based nontarget screening, 45 transformation products (TPs) of sulfonamides were identified and 14 of them were newly found. On the basis, five specific transformation patterns were summarized for sulfonamides by transformation pathways comparing, reaction frequency analyzing and dominant TPs comparing. Results suggested that pterin-chelation and formylation (dominant transformation pathway) and acetylation, methylation and deamination reactions were commonly occurred for sulfonamides in wastewater. Among them, the role of formylation as the dominant transformation pathway for sulfonamides transformed in wastewater was firstly reported in present study. Subsequent frontier molecular orbital calculation suggested the active site of amino (N1H2-) may contribute the specific transformation pattern of sulfonamides. Present study reveals the specific transformation pattern of sulfonamides from the aspect of TPs and transformation pathways. In the future, knowledge on the specific transformation pattern can be used to regulate and enhance the removal of a class of ECs with similar structure rather than just one of ECs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gang Wu
- State Key Laboratory of Pollution Control and Resource Reuse, School of the Environment, Nanjing University, Nanjing 210023, Jiangsu, China
| | - Yuli Qian
- State Key Laboratory of Pollution Control and Resource Reuse, School of the Environment, Nanjing University, Nanjing 210023, Jiangsu, China
| | - Fan Fan
- State Key Laboratory of Pollution Control and Resource Reuse, School of the Environment, Nanjing University, Nanjing 210023, Jiangsu, China
| | - Zhizhao Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Pollution Control and Resource Reuse, School of the Environment, Nanjing University, Nanjing 210023, Jiangsu, China
| | - Yao Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Pollution Control and Resource Reuse, School of the Environment, Nanjing University, Nanjing 210023, Jiangsu, China
| | - Qingmiao Yu
- State Key Laboratory of Pollution Control and Resource Reuse, School of the Environment, Nanjing University, Nanjing 210023, Jiangsu, China; Key Laboratory of the Three Gorges Reservoir Region's Eco-Environment, Ministry of Education, Chongqing University, Chongqing 400044, China
| | - Xuxiang Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Pollution Control and Resource Reuse, School of the Environment, Nanjing University, Nanjing 210023, Jiangsu, China
| | - Hongqiang Ren
- State Key Laboratory of Pollution Control and Resource Reuse, School of the Environment, Nanjing University, Nanjing 210023, Jiangsu, China
| | - Jinju Geng
- State Key Laboratory of Pollution Control and Resource Reuse, School of the Environment, Nanjing University, Nanjing 210023, Jiangsu, China; Key Laboratory of the Three Gorges Reservoir Region's Eco-Environment, Ministry of Education, Chongqing University, Chongqing 400044, China.
| | - Hualiang Liu
- Jiangsu Province Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Nanjing, Jiangsu, 210009, China.
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9
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Liakh I, Harshkova D, Hrouzek P, Bišová K, Aksmann A, Wielgomas B. Green alga Chlamydomonas reinhardtii can effectively remove diclofenac from the water environment - A new perspective on biotransformation. JOURNAL OF HAZARDOUS MATERIALS 2023; 455:131570. [PMID: 37163898 DOI: 10.1016/j.jhazmat.2023.131570] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/21/2023] [Revised: 04/19/2023] [Accepted: 05/02/2023] [Indexed: 05/12/2023]
Abstract
The use of unicellular algae to remove xenobiotics (including drugs) from wastewaters is one of the rapidly developing areas of environmental protection. Numerous data indicate that for efficient phycoremediation three processes are important, i.e. biosorption, bioaccumulation, and biotransformation. Although biosorption and bioaccumulation do not raise any serious doubts, biotransformation is more problematic since its products can be potentially more toxic than the parent compounds posing a threat to organisms living in a given environment, including organisms that made this transformation. Thus, two questions need to be answered before the proper algae strain is chosen for phycoremediation, namely what metabolites are produced during biotransformation, and how resistant is the analyzed strain to a mixture of parent compound and metabolites that appear over the course of culture? In this work, we evaluated the remediation potential of the model green alga Chlamydomonas reinhardtii in relation to non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), as exemplified by diclofenac. To achieve this, we analysed the susceptibility of C. reinhardtii to diclofenac as well as its capability to biosorption, bioaccumulation, and biotransformation of the drug. We have found that even at a relatively high concentration of diclofenac the algae maintained their vitality and were able to remove (37.7%) DCF from the environment. A wide range of phase I and II metabolites of diclofenac (38 transformation products) was discovered, with many of them characteristic rather for animal and bacterial biochemical pathways than for plant metabolism. Due to such a large number of detected products, 18 of which were not previously reported, the proposed scheme of diclofenac transformation by C. reinhardtii not only significantly contributes to broadening the knowledge in this field, but also allows to suggest possible pathways of degradation of xenobiotics with a similar structure. It is worth pointing out that a decrease in the level of diclofenac in the media observed in this study cannot be fully explained by biotransformation (8.4%). The mass balance analysis indicates that other processes (total 22%), such as biosorption, a non-extractable residue formation, or complete decomposition in metabolic cycles can be involved in the diclofenac disappearance, and those findings open the prospects of further research.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ivan Liakh
- Department of Toxicology, Faculty of Pharmacy, Medical University of Gdansk, Gdansk, Poland
| | - Darya Harshkova
- Department of Plant Physiology and Biotechnology, Faculty of Biology, University of Gdansk, Gdansk, Poland
| | - Pavel Hrouzek
- Laboratory of Algal Biotechnology, Centre Algatech, Institute of Microbiology of the Czech Academy of Sciences, Třeboň, Czech Republic
| | - Kateřina Bišová
- Laboratory of Cell Cycles of Algae, Centre Algatech, Institute of Microbiology of the Czech Academy of Sciences, Třeboň, Czech Republic
| | - Anna Aksmann
- Department of Plant Physiology and Biotechnology, Faculty of Biology, University of Gdansk, Gdansk, Poland.
| | - Bartosz Wielgomas
- Department of Toxicology, Faculty of Pharmacy, Medical University of Gdansk, Gdansk, Poland.
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10
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Li X, Lei S, Wu G, Yu Q, Xu K, Ren H, Wang Y, Geng J. Prediction of pharmaceuticals removal in activated sludge system under different operational parameters using an extended ASM-PhACs model. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2023; 871:162065. [PMID: 36754326 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2023.162065] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/23/2022] [Revised: 02/01/2023] [Accepted: 02/02/2023] [Indexed: 06/18/2023]
Abstract
Removal of pharmaceuticals is essential in wastewater treatment systems due to their release and accumulation in the environment, which are raising issues for the environment and human health. A mathematical model could be used to predict pharmaceuticals removal under various operational parameters and assess the contributions of different removal pathways to pharmaceuticals removal. Here an ASM-PhACs model was established to describe pharmaceuticals removal including diclofenac (DCF), erythromycin (ERY), gemfibrozil (GEM) and carbamazepine (CBZ) removal in activated sludge system. The pharmaceuticals removal processes linked to co-metabolic biodegradation through the growth of ammonia oxidizing bacteria (AOB), metabolic biodegradation through AOB, metabolic biodegradation through heterotrophic bacteria (HB) and sludge adsorption were incorporated into activated sludge model (ASM1) framework. The kinetic equations were established for each pharmaceuticals removal process. To provide the experimental data for model calibration and validation, two sets of batch tests were designed and conducted in the laboratory scale using SBR technology. According to the batch test data and results of sensitivity analysis, the newly added parameters and some original default parameters affecting pharmaceuticals removal processes were screened and calibrated. The model could accurately simulate all the dynamics of chemical oxygen demand, nitrogen and pharmaceuticals under various conditions. To explore the effect of operational parameters on pharmaceuticals removal efficiency, the wide range of operational parameters was analyzed during model simulation. According to the simulation results, both influent NH4+-N concentration and DO were found to be the significant parameters that impact the removal of DCF, ERY and GEM. AOB biodegradation played an important role in DCF, ERY and GEM removal. The developed model framework helps to investigate the removal mechanisms and key influencing factors of pharmaceuticals removal, thus providing guidelines for reactor design, operation and optimization aiming at pharmaceuticals removal.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiang Li
- State Key Laboratory of Pollution Control and Resource Reuse, School of the Environment, Nanjing University, Nanjing 210023, Jiangsu, PR China
| | - Shaoting Lei
- State Key Laboratory of Pollution Control and Resource Reuse, School of the Environment, Nanjing University, Nanjing 210023, Jiangsu, PR China
| | - Gang Wu
- State Key Laboratory of Pollution Control and Resource Reuse, School of the Environment, Nanjing University, Nanjing 210023, Jiangsu, PR China
| | - Qingmiao Yu
- State Key Laboratory of Pollution Control and Resource Reuse, School of the Environment, Nanjing University, Nanjing 210023, Jiangsu, PR China; Key Laboratory of the Three Gorges Reservoir Region(')s Eco-Environment, Ministry of Education, Chongqing University, Chongqing 400044, PR China
| | - Ke Xu
- State Key Laboratory of Pollution Control and Resource Reuse, School of the Environment, Nanjing University, Nanjing 210023, Jiangsu, PR China
| | - Hongqiang Ren
- State Key Laboratory of Pollution Control and Resource Reuse, School of the Environment, Nanjing University, Nanjing 210023, Jiangsu, PR China
| | - Yanru Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Pollution Control and Resource Reuse, School of the Environment, Nanjing University, Nanjing 210023, Jiangsu, PR China
| | - Jinju Geng
- State Key Laboratory of Pollution Control and Resource Reuse, School of the Environment, Nanjing University, Nanjing 210023, Jiangsu, PR China; Key Laboratory of the Three Gorges Reservoir Region(')s Eco-Environment, Ministry of Education, Chongqing University, Chongqing 400044, PR China.
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11
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Wu G, Wang X, Zhang X, Ren H, Wang Y, Yu Q, Wei S, Geng J. Nontarget screening based on molecular networking strategy to identify transformation products of citalopram and sertraline in wastewater. WATER RESEARCH 2023; 232:119509. [PMID: 36801596 DOI: 10.1016/j.watres.2022.119509] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/21/2022] [Revised: 11/20/2022] [Accepted: 12/17/2022] [Indexed: 06/18/2023]
Abstract
Citalopram (CIT) and sertraline (SER) are highly consumed antidepressants worldwide and have been extensively detected in wastewater. Due to the incomplete mineralization, transformation products (TPs) of them can be detected in wastewater. Comparing with parent compounds, knowledge on TPs are limited. To fill these research gaps, lab-scale batch experiments, WWTPs sampling and in silico toxicity prediction were implemented to investigate the structure, occurrence and toxicity of TPs. Based on molecular networking nontarget strategy, 13 TPs of CIT and 12 TPs of SER were tentatively identified. Among them, 4 TPs from CIT and 5 TPs from SER were newly found in present study. TPs identification results compared with results obtained from previous nontarget strategies demonstrated that the excellent performances for molecular networking strategy on candidate TPs prioritizing and new TPs finding, especially for low abundance TPs. Further, transformation pathways for CIT and SER in wastewater were proposed. Newly identified TPs provided insights on defluorination, formylation and methylation for CIT and dehydrogenation, N-malonylation and N-acetoxylation for SER transformed in wastewater. Nitrile hydrolysis and N-succinylation were found to be the dominant transformation pathways for CIT and SER in wastewater, respectively. WWTPs sampling results shown the concentrations of SER and CIT ranged from 0.46 to 28.66 ng/L and 17.16 to 58.36 ng/L. In addition, 7 TPs of CIT and 2 TPs of SER found in lab-scale wastewater samples were found in WWTPs. In silico results suggested 2 TPs of CIT may be more toxic than CIT toward all three trophic levels organisms. Present study provides new insights into the transformation processes of CIT and SER in wastewater. In addition, the necessity of paying more attention on TPs was further highlighted from the aspects of toxicity for TPs of CIT and SER in effluent of WWTPs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gang Wu
- State Key Laboratory of Pollution Control and Resource Reuse, School of the Environment, Nanjing University, Nanjing 210023, Jiangsu, China
| | - Xuebing Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Pollution Control and Resource Reuse, School of the Environment, Nanjing University, Nanjing 210023, Jiangsu, China
| | - Xuxiang Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Pollution Control and Resource Reuse, School of the Environment, Nanjing University, Nanjing 210023, Jiangsu, China
| | - Hongqiang Ren
- State Key Laboratory of Pollution Control and Resource Reuse, School of the Environment, Nanjing University, Nanjing 210023, Jiangsu, China
| | - Yanru Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Pollution Control and Resource Reuse, School of the Environment, Nanjing University, Nanjing 210023, Jiangsu, China
| | - Qingmiao Yu
- State Key Laboratory of Pollution Control and Resource Reuse, School of the Environment, Nanjing University, Nanjing 210023, Jiangsu, China; Key Laboratory of the Three Gorges Reservoir Region's Eco-Environment, Ministry of Education, Chongqing University, Chongqing 400044, China
| | - Si Wei
- State Key Laboratory of Pollution Control and Resource Reuse, School of the Environment, Nanjing University, Nanjing 210023, Jiangsu, China
| | - Jinju Geng
- State Key Laboratory of Pollution Control and Resource Reuse, School of the Environment, Nanjing University, Nanjing 210023, Jiangsu, China; Key Laboratory of the Three Gorges Reservoir Region's Eco-Environment, Ministry of Education, Chongqing University, Chongqing 400044, China.
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12
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Yang J, Duan A, Wang J, Yang X, Liu X, Xiao F, Qin F, Yu Y, Wang D. The fate of diclofenac in anaerobic fermentation of waste activated sludge. JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT 2022; 322:116098. [PMID: 36081265 DOI: 10.1016/j.jenvman.2022.116098] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/29/2022] [Revised: 08/08/2022] [Accepted: 08/22/2022] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
Diclofenac (DCF), a nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug, is one of the most commonly detected pharmaceuticals in wastewater treatment plants. However, the fate of DCF in waste activated sludge (WAS) anaerobic fermentation has not been well-understood so far. This work therefore aims to comprehensively reveal whether and how DCF is transformed in WAS mesophilic anaerobic fermentation through both experimental investigation and density functional theory (DFT) calculation. Experimental results showed that ∼28.8% and 45.8% of DCF were respectively degraded during the batch and long-term fermentation processes. Based on the detected intermediates and DFT-predicted active sites, three metabolic pathways, i.e., chlorination, hydroxylation, and dichlorination, responsible for DCF transformation were proposed. DFT calculation also showed that the Gibbs free energy (ΔG) of the three transformation pathways was respectively 19.0, -4.3, and -19.3 kcal/mol, suggesting that the latter two reactions (i.e., hydroxylation and dichlorination) were thermodynamically favorable. Illumina MiSeq sequencing analyses revealed that DCF improved the populations of complex organic degradation microbes such as Proteiniclasticum and Tissierellales, which was in accord with the chemical analyses above. This work updates the fundamental understanding of the degradation of DCF in WAS anaerobic fermentation process and enlightens engineers to apply theoretical calculation to the field of sludge treatment or other complex microbial ecosystems.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jingnan Yang
- College of Environmental Science and Engineering and Key Laboratory of Environmental Biology and Pollution Control (Ministry of Education), Hunan University, Changsha, 410082, PR China.
| | - Abing Duan
- College of Environmental Science and Engineering and Key Laboratory of Environmental Biology and Pollution Control (Ministry of Education), Hunan University, Changsha, 410082, PR China
| | - Jianwu Wang
- Hunan Research Institute for Development, Hunan University, Changsha, 410082, PR China.
| | - Xianli Yang
- College of Environmental Science and Engineering and Key Laboratory of Environmental Biology and Pollution Control (Ministry of Education), Hunan University, Changsha, 410082, PR China
| | - Xuran Liu
- College of Environmental Science and Engineering and Key Laboratory of Environmental Biology and Pollution Control (Ministry of Education), Hunan University, Changsha, 410082, PR China
| | - Fengjiao Xiao
- College of Environmental Science and Engineering and Key Laboratory of Environmental Biology and Pollution Control (Ministry of Education), Hunan University, Changsha, 410082, PR China
| | - Fanzhi Qin
- College of Environmental Science and Engineering and Key Laboratory of Environmental Biology and Pollution Control (Ministry of Education), Hunan University, Changsha, 410082, PR China
| | - Yali Yu
- College of Environmental Science and Engineering and Key Laboratory of Environmental Biology and Pollution Control (Ministry of Education), Hunan University, Changsha, 410082, PR China
| | - Dongbo Wang
- College of Environmental Science and Engineering and Key Laboratory of Environmental Biology and Pollution Control (Ministry of Education), Hunan University, Changsha, 410082, PR China.
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13
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Li X, Yang Y, Wang J, Jin H, Zhang Y, Cui Y, Song Y, Yan J. Organohalide Respiration with Diclofenac by Dehalogenimonas. ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY 2022; 56:11266-11276. [PMID: 35921385 DOI: 10.1021/acs.est.1c08824] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
Diclofenac (DCF) is a pharmaceutically active contaminant frequently found in aquatic ecosystems. The transformation pathways and microbiology involved in the biodegradation of DCF, particularly under anoxic conditions, remain poorly understood. Here, we demonstrated microbially mediated reductive dechlorination of DCF in anaerobic enrichment culture derived from contaminated river sediment. Over 90% of the initial 76.7 ± 3.6 μM DCF was dechlorinated at a maximum rate of 1.8 ± 0.3 μM day-1 during a 160 days' incubation. Mass spectrometric analysis confirmed that 2-(2-((2-chlorophenyl)amino)phenyl)acetic acid (2-CPA) and 2-anilinophenylacetic acid (2-APA) were formed as the monochlorinated and nonchlorinated DCF transformation products, respectively. A survey of microbial composition and Sanger sequencing revealed the enrichment and dominance of a new Dehalogenimonas population, designated as Dehalogenimonas sp. strain DCF, in the DCF-dechlorinating community. Following the stoichiometric conversion of DCF to 2-CPA (76.0 ± 2.1 μM) and 2-APA (3.7 ± 0.8 μM), strain DCF cell densities increased by 24.4 ± 4.4-fold with a growth yield of 9.0 ± 0.1 × 108 cells per μmol chloride released. Our findings expand the metabolic capability in the genus Dehalogenimonas and highlight the relevant roles of organohalide-respiring bacteria for the natural attenuation of halogenated contaminants of emerging concerns (e.g., DCF).
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiuying Li
- Key Laboratory of Pollution Ecology and Environmental Engineering, Institute of Applied Ecology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Room 512 South Building, 72 Wenhua Road, Shenyang, Liaoning 110016, China
| | - Yi Yang
- Key Laboratory of Pollution Ecology and Environmental Engineering, Institute of Applied Ecology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Room 512 South Building, 72 Wenhua Road, Shenyang, Liaoning 110016, China
| | - Jingjing Wang
- Key Laboratory of Pollution Ecology and Environmental Engineering, Institute of Applied Ecology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Room 512 South Building, 72 Wenhua Road, Shenyang, Liaoning 110016, China
| | - Huijuan Jin
- Key Laboratory of Pollution Ecology and Environmental Engineering, Institute of Applied Ecology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Room 512 South Building, 72 Wenhua Road, Shenyang, Liaoning 110016, China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China
| | - Yaozhi Zhang
- Key Laboratory of Pollution Ecology and Environmental Engineering, Institute of Applied Ecology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Room 512 South Building, 72 Wenhua Road, Shenyang, Liaoning 110016, China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China
| | - Yiru Cui
- Key Laboratory of Pollution Ecology and Environmental Engineering, Institute of Applied Ecology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Room 512 South Building, 72 Wenhua Road, Shenyang, Liaoning 110016, China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China
| | - Yufang Song
- Key Laboratory of Pollution Ecology and Environmental Engineering, Institute of Applied Ecology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Room 512 South Building, 72 Wenhua Road, Shenyang, Liaoning 110016, China
| | - Jun Yan
- Key Laboratory of Pollution Ecology and Environmental Engineering, Institute of Applied Ecology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Room 512 South Building, 72 Wenhua Road, Shenyang, Liaoning 110016, China
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14
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Yan R, Wang Y, Li J, Wang X, Wang Y. Determination of the lower limits of antibiotic biodegradation and the fate of antibiotic resistant genes in activated sludge: Both nitrifying bacteria and heterotrophic bacteria matter. JOURNAL OF HAZARDOUS MATERIALS 2022; 425:127764. [PMID: 34799165 DOI: 10.1016/j.jhazmat.2021.127764] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/30/2021] [Revised: 10/05/2021] [Accepted: 11/09/2021] [Indexed: 06/13/2023]
Abstract
Antibiotics can be biodegraded in activated sludge via co-metabolism and metabolism. In this study, we investigated the biodegradation pathways of sulfamethoxazole (SMX) and antibiotic resistant genes' (ARGs) fate in different autotrophic and heterotrophic microorganisms, by employing aerobic sludge, mixed sludge, and nitrifying sludge. A threshold concentration of SMX activating the degradation pathways in the initial stage of antibiotics degradation was found and proved in different activated sludge systems. Heterotrophic bacteria played an important role in SMX biodegradation. However, ammonia-oxidizing bacteria (AOB) had a faster metabolic rate, which was about 15 times higher than heterotrophic bacteria, contributing much to SMX removal via co-metabolism. As SMX concentration increases, the amoA gene and AOB relative abundance decreased in aerobic sludge due to the enrichment of functional heterotrophic bacteria, while it increased in nitrifying sludge. Microbial community analysis showed that functional bacteria which possess the capacity of SMX removal and antibiotic resistance were selected by SMX pressure. Potential ARGs hosts could increase their resistance to the biotoxicity of SMX and maintain system performance. These findings are of practical significance to guide antibiotic biodegradation and ARGs control in wastewater treatment plants.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ruofan Yan
- Shandong Key Laboratory of Water Pollution Control and Resource Reuse, School of Environmental Science and Engineering, Shandong University, Qingdao 266237, China
| | - Yibing Wang
- Shandong Key Laboratory of Water Pollution Control and Resource Reuse, School of Environmental Science and Engineering, Shandong University, Qingdao 266237, China
| | - Jiahuan Li
- Shandong Key Laboratory of Water Pollution Control and Resource Reuse, School of Environmental Science and Engineering, Shandong University, Qingdao 266237, China
| | - Xinhua Wang
- Shandong Key Laboratory of Water Pollution Control and Resource Reuse, School of Environmental Science and Engineering, Shandong University, Qingdao 266237, China.
| | - Yunkun Wang
- Shandong Key Laboratory of Water Pollution Control and Resource Reuse, School of Environmental Science and Engineering, Shandong University, Qingdao 266237, China; Chinese Academy of Science Key Laboratory of Urban Pollutant Conversion, Department of Environmental Science and Engineering, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei 230026, China.
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15
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Qiu B, Hu Y, Tang C, Chen Y, Cheng J. Degradation of diclofenac via sequential reduction-oxidation by Ru/Fe modified biocathode dual-chamber bioelectrochemical system: Performance, pathways and degradation mechanisms. CHEMOSPHERE 2022; 291:132881. [PMID: 34774907 DOI: 10.1016/j.chemosphere.2021.132881] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/22/2021] [Revised: 10/26/2021] [Accepted: 11/10/2021] [Indexed: 06/13/2023]
Abstract
A sequential reduction-oxidation for DCF degradation was proposed by alternating anaerobic/aerobic conditions at Ru/Fe-biocathode in a dual-chamber bioelectrochemical system (BES). Results showed that Ru/Fe-electrode was successfully fabricated by in-situ electro-deposition, which was rough and uniformly distributed with Ru0 and Fe0 particles. The morphologic changing and biocompatibility were favorable to increase the surface area and enhance microbial adhesion on Ru/Fe-electrode. At an applied voltage of 0.6 V, the potential and impedance of Ru/Fe-biocathode were -0.80 V and 26 Ω, respectively, lower than that of carbon-felt-biocathode. It led to a higher DCF degradation efficiency of 93.2% under anaerobic conditions, which was superior to that of 88.0% under aerobic conditions. Using NaHCO3 as carbon source, DCF removal efficiency increased with increasing applied voltage, but decreased with increasing initial DCF concentration. Thirteen intermediates were measured, and two degradation pathways were proposed, among which sequential reduction-oxidation of DCF was the main pathway, dechlorination intermediates were first generated by [H] attacked under anaerobic conditions, further oxidized by microbes and OH attacked under aerobic conditions, achieving 69.6% of mineralization. After 4 d of reaction, microcystis aeruginosa growth inhibition rate decreased from 22.9 to 8.0%, signifying a significant reduction in biotoxicity. Bacteria (e.g. Nitrobacter, Nitrosomonas, Pseudofulvimonas, Aquamicrobium, Sulfurvermis, Lentimicrobiaceae, Anaerobineaceae, Bacteroidales, Hydrogenedensaceae, Dethiosulfatibacter and Azoarcus) for DCF degradation were enriched in Ru/Fe-biocathode. Microbes in Ru/Fe-biocathode had established defense mechanisms to acclimate to the unfriendly environment, while Ru/Fe-biocathode possessed higher nitrification and denitrification activities than carbon-felt-biocathode, and Ru/Fe-biocathode might be of aerobic and anaerobic biodegradation activities. DCF could be mineralized by the synergistic reaction between Ru/Fe and bacteria under sequential anaerobic/aerobic conditions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bing Qiu
- School of Environment and Energy, South China University of Technology, Guangzhou Higher Education Mega Centre, Guangzhou, 510006, PR China; The Key Lab of Pollution Control and Ecosystem Restoration in Industry Clusters, Ministry of Education, South China University of Technology, Guangzhou Higher Education Mega Centre, Guangzhou, 510006, PR China
| | - Yongyou Hu
- School of Environment and Energy, South China University of Technology, Guangzhou Higher Education Mega Centre, Guangzhou, 510006, PR China; The Key Lab of Pollution Control and Ecosystem Restoration in Industry Clusters, Ministry of Education, South China University of Technology, Guangzhou Higher Education Mega Centre, Guangzhou, 510006, PR China.
| | - Chaoyang Tang
- School of Environment and Energy, South China University of Technology, Guangzhou Higher Education Mega Centre, Guangzhou, 510006, PR China; The Key Lab of Pollution Control and Ecosystem Restoration in Industry Clusters, Ministry of Education, South China University of Technology, Guangzhou Higher Education Mega Centre, Guangzhou, 510006, PR China
| | - Yuancai Chen
- School of Environment and Energy, South China University of Technology, Guangzhou Higher Education Mega Centre, Guangzhou, 510006, PR China; The Key Lab of Pollution Control and Ecosystem Restoration in Industry Clusters, Ministry of Education, South China University of Technology, Guangzhou Higher Education Mega Centre, Guangzhou, 510006, PR China
| | - Jianhua Cheng
- School of Environment and Energy, South China University of Technology, Guangzhou Higher Education Mega Centre, Guangzhou, 510006, PR China; The Key Lab of Pollution Control and Ecosystem Restoration in Industry Clusters, Ministry of Education, South China University of Technology, Guangzhou Higher Education Mega Centre, Guangzhou, 510006, PR China
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16
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Athanasakoglou A, Fenner K. Toward Characterizing the Genetic Basis of Trace Organic Contaminant Biotransformation in Activated Sludge: The Role of Multicopper Oxidases as a Case Study. ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY 2022; 56:313-324. [PMID: 34932304 DOI: 10.1021/acs.est.1c05803] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
Activated sludge treatment leverages the ability of microbes to uptake and (co)-metabolize chemicals and has shown promise in eliminating trace organic contaminants (TrOCs) during wastewater treatment. However, targeted interventions to optimize the process are limited as the fundamental drivers of the observed reactions remain elusive. In this work, we present a comprehensive workflow for the identification and characterization of key enzymes involved in TrOCs biotransformation pathways in complex microbial communities. To demonstrate the applicability of the workflow, we investigated the role of the enzymatic group of multicopper oxidases (MCOs) as one putatively relevant driver of TrOCs biotransformation. To this end, we analyzed activated sludge metatranscriptomic data and selected, synthesized, and heterologously expressed three phylogenetically distinct MCO-encoding genes expressed in communities with different TrOCs oxidation potentials. Following the purification of the encoded enzymes, we screened their activities against different substrates. We saw that MCOs exhibit significant activities against selected TrOCs in the presence of the mediator compound 2,2'-azino-bis-3-ethylbenzthiazoline-6-sulfonic acid and, in some cases, also in the presence of the wastewater contaminant 4'-hydroxy-benzotriazole. In the first case, we identified oxidation products previously reported from activated sludge communities and concluded that in the presence of appropriate mediators, bacterial MCOs could contribute to the biological removal of TrOCs. Similar investigations of other key enzyme systems may significantly advance our understanding of TrOCs biodegradation and assist the rational design of biology-based water treatment strategies in the future.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anastasia Athanasakoglou
- Department of Environmental Chemistry, Swiss Federal Institute of Aquatic Science and Technology (Eawag), 8600 Dübendorf, Switzerland
| | - Kathrin Fenner
- Department of Environmental Chemistry, Swiss Federal Institute of Aquatic Science and Technology (Eawag), 8600 Dübendorf, Switzerland
- Institute of Biogeochemistry and Pollutant Dynamics, ETH Zürich, 8092 Zürich, Switzerland
- Department of Chemistry, University of Zürich, 8057 Zürich, Switzerland
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17
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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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18
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Qiu B, Hu Y, Tang C, Chen Y, Cheng J. Simultaneous mineralization of 2-anilinophenylacetate and denitrification by Ru/Fe modified biocathode double-chamber microbial fuel cell. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2021; 792:148446. [PMID: 34465036 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2021.148446] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/05/2021] [Revised: 05/21/2021] [Accepted: 06/09/2021] [Indexed: 06/13/2023]
Abstract
A double-chamber microbial fuel cell (MFC) with Ru/Fe-modified-biocathode was constructed for simultaneous mineralization of 2-anilinophenylacetate (APA) and denitrification. The factors on performance of simultaneous APA degradation and denitrification were explored. The contributions of ROS to APA degradation were evaluated by EPR and quenching experiments. The microbial community of Ru/Fe-modified-biocathode was determined by high-throughput sequencing. Results showed that low resistance accelerated APA degradation by Ru/Fe-modified-biocathode, while higher initial APA concentration inhibited microbial activity of the biocathode. The optimum ammonia concentration was 50 mg L-1, while too high or too low ammonia concentration did not favor APA degradation. The APA degradation efficiency of Ru/Fe-modified-biocathode-MFC was higher than that of other modified-cathode-MFCs. The APA degradation process confirmed to the pseudo-first-order kinetic model, and APA degradation kinetic constant, the maximum removal efficiency of TOC, ammonia and TN were 2.15d-1, 59.70%, 99.20% and 44.56% respectively, signifying a simultaneous APA mineralization and denitrification performance of Ru/Fe-modified-biocathode-MFC. The coulombic efficiency decreased with APA concentration increase. OH was the primary radical in APA degradation progress. Eight kinds of intermediates were measured, and two APA degradation pathways were proposed, among which APA hydroxylation was the main pathway. The microbial community of Ru/Fe-modified-biocathode was dominated with Nitrosomonas at genus level, and enriched with various APA-degraders, nitrifiers, and denitrifiers such as Pseudomonas, Nitrospira, Nitrobacter, Paracoccus, Thermomonas, Dechloromonas, and Clostridium_Sutra_stricto_1. COG analysis showed the redox reaction of Ru/Fe might affect signal transduction and environment adaptation, while FAPROTAX analysis suggested that Ru/Fe-modified-biocathode exhibited higher nitrification activity than that of carbon-felt-biocathode. The synergistic mechanism of simultaneous APA mineralization and denitrification was mainly redox reaction of Ru/Fe and supplemented by aerobic biodegradation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bing Qiu
- School of Environment and Energy, South China University of Technology, Guangzhou Higher Education Mega Centre, Guangzhou 510006, China; The Key Lab of Pollution Control and Ecosystem Restoration in Industry Clusters, Ministry of Education, South China University of Technology, Guangzhou Higher Education Mega Centre, Guangzhou 510006, China
| | - Yongyou Hu
- School of Environment and Energy, South China University of Technology, Guangzhou Higher Education Mega Centre, Guangzhou 510006, China; The Key Lab of Pollution Control and Ecosystem Restoration in Industry Clusters, Ministry of Education, South China University of Technology, Guangzhou Higher Education Mega Centre, Guangzhou 510006, China.
| | - Chaoyang Tang
- School of Environment and Energy, South China University of Technology, Guangzhou Higher Education Mega Centre, Guangzhou 510006, China; The Key Lab of Pollution Control and Ecosystem Restoration in Industry Clusters, Ministry of Education, South China University of Technology, Guangzhou Higher Education Mega Centre, Guangzhou 510006, China
| | - Yuancai Chen
- School of Environment and Energy, South China University of Technology, Guangzhou Higher Education Mega Centre, Guangzhou 510006, China; The Key Lab of Pollution Control and Ecosystem Restoration in Industry Clusters, Ministry of Education, South China University of Technology, Guangzhou Higher Education Mega Centre, Guangzhou 510006, China
| | - Jianhua Cheng
- School of Environment and Energy, South China University of Technology, Guangzhou Higher Education Mega Centre, Guangzhou 510006, China; The Key Lab of Pollution Control and Ecosystem Restoration in Industry Clusters, Ministry of Education, South China University of Technology, Guangzhou Higher Education Mega Centre, Guangzhou 510006, China
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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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20
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Biodegradation of Emerging Pharmaceuticals from Domestic Wastewater by Membrane Bioreactor: The Effect of Solid Retention Time. INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH AND PUBLIC HEALTH 2021; 18:ijerph18073395. [PMID: 33805955 PMCID: PMC8036512 DOI: 10.3390/ijerph18073395] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/25/2021] [Revised: 03/15/2021] [Accepted: 03/17/2021] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
Abstract
Although conventional biological treatment plants can remove basic pollutants, they are ineffective at removing recalcitrant pollutants. Membrane bioreactors contain promising technology and have the advantages of better effluent quality and lower sludge production compared to those of conventional biological treatment processes. In this study, the removal of pharmaceutical compounds by membrane bioreactors under different solid retention times (SRTs) was investigated. To study the effect of SRT on the removal of emerging pharmaceuticals, the levels of pharmaceuticals were measured over 96 days for the following retention times: 20, 30, and 40-day SRT. It was found that the 40-day SRT had the optimum performance in terms of the pharmaceuticals’ elimination. The removal efficiencies of the chemical oxygen demand (COD) for each selected SRT were higher than 96% at steady-state conditions. The highest degradation efficiency was observed for paracetamol. Paracetamol was the most removed compound followed by ranitidine, atenolol, bezafibrate, diclofenac, and carbamazepine. The microbial community at the phylum level was also analyzed to understand the biodegradability of pharmaceuticals. It was noticed that the Proteobacteria phylum increased from 46.8% to 60.0% after 96 days with the pharmaceuticals. The Actinobacteria class, which can metabolize paracetamol, carbamazepine, and atenolol, was also increased from 9.1% to 17.9% after adding pharmaceuticals. The by-products of diclofenac, bezafibrate, and carbamazepine were observed in the effluent samples.
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21
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Kovačič A, Gys C, Gulin MR, Gornik T, Kosjek T, Heath D, Covaci A, Heath E. Kinetics and biotransformation products of bisphenol F and S during aerobic degradation with activated sludge. JOURNAL OF HAZARDOUS MATERIALS 2021; 404:124079. [PMID: 33017711 DOI: 10.1016/j.jhazmat.2020.124079] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/12/2020] [Revised: 09/10/2020] [Accepted: 09/21/2020] [Indexed: 06/11/2023]
Abstract
Bisphenol F (BPF) and bisphenol S (BPS) are becoming widespread in the environment despite the lack of information regarding their fate during wastewater treatment and in the environment. This study assessed the biodegradation kinetics of BPF and BPS during biological wastewater treatment with activated sludge using GC-MS/MS, and the identification of biotransformation products (BTPs) using LC-QTOF-MS. The results showed that BPF and BPS degrade readily and unlikely accumulate in biosolids or wastewater effluent (ci = 0.1 mg L-1, half-lives <4.3 days). The first-order kinetic model revealed that BPF (kt = 0.20-0.38) degraded faster than BPS (kt = 0.04-0.16) and that degradation rate decreases with an increasing initial concentration of BPS (half-lives 17.3 days). The absence of any additional organic carbon source significantly slowed down degradation, in particular, that of BPS (lag phase on day 18 instead of day 7). The machine-learning algorithm adopted as part of the non-targeted workflow identified three known BTPs and one novel BTP of BPF, and one known and ten new BTPs of BPS. The data from this study support possible new biodegradation pathways, namely sulphation, methylation, cleavage and the coupling of smaller bisphenol moieties.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ana Kovačič
- Jožef Stefan Institute, Jamova cesta 39, 1000 Ljubljana, Slovenia; International Postgraduate School Jožef Stefan, Jamova cesta 39, 1000 Ljubljana, Slovenia
| | - Celine Gys
- Toxicological Centre, University of Antwerp, Universiteitsplein 1, 2610 Wilrijk, Belgium
| | | | - Tjaša Gornik
- Jožef Stefan Institute, Jamova cesta 39, 1000 Ljubljana, Slovenia; International Postgraduate School Jožef Stefan, Jamova cesta 39, 1000 Ljubljana, Slovenia
| | - Tina Kosjek
- Jožef Stefan Institute, Jamova cesta 39, 1000 Ljubljana, Slovenia; International Postgraduate School Jožef Stefan, Jamova cesta 39, 1000 Ljubljana, Slovenia
| | - David Heath
- Jožef Stefan Institute, Jamova cesta 39, 1000 Ljubljana, Slovenia
| | - Adrian Covaci
- Toxicological Centre, University of Antwerp, Universiteitsplein 1, 2610 Wilrijk, Belgium
| | - Ester Heath
- Jožef Stefan Institute, Jamova cesta 39, 1000 Ljubljana, Slovenia; International Postgraduate School Jožef Stefan, Jamova cesta 39, 1000 Ljubljana, Slovenia.
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22
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Wu G, Geng J, Xu K, Ren H. Removal of pharmaceuticals by ammonia oxidizers during nitrification. Appl Microbiol Biotechnol 2021; 105:909-921. [PMID: 33415368 DOI: 10.1007/s00253-020-11032-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/22/2020] [Revised: 11/16/2020] [Accepted: 11/23/2020] [Indexed: 01/25/2023]
Abstract
The adverse effect of pharmaceuticals on ecosystem and human health raises great interest for the removal of pharmaceuticals in wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs). Enhanced removal of pharmaceuticals by ammonia oxidizers (AOs) has been observed during nitrification. This review provides a comprehensive summary on the removal of pharmaceuticals by AOs-ammonia oxidizing bacteria (AOB), ammonia oxidizing archaea (AOA), and complete ammonia oxidizer (comammox) during nitrification in pure ammonia oxidizing culture and mixed microbes systems. The superior removal of pharmaceuticals by AOs in conditions with nitrifying activity compared with the conditions without nitrifying activity was proposed. The contribution of AOs on pharmaceuticals removal in pure and mixed microbe systems was discussed and activated sludge modeling was suggested as the proper measure on assessing the contribution of AOs on the removal of pharmaceuticals in mixed microbe culture. Three transformation processes and the involved reaction types of pharmaceuticals transformation during nitrification were reviewed. The present paper provides a systematical summary on pharmaceuticals removal by different AOs across pure and mixed microbes culture during nitrification, which opens up the opportunity to optimize the wastewater biological treatment systems for enhanced removal of pharmaceuticals. KEY POINTS: • The superior removal of pharmaceuticals by ammonia oxidizers (AOs) was summarized. • The removal contribution of pharmaceuticals attributed by AOs was elucidated. • The transformation processes and reaction types of pharmaceuticals were discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gang Wu
- State Key Laboratory of Pollution Control and Resource Reuse, School of the Environment, Nanjing University, Nanjing, 210023, Jiangsu, People's Republic of China
| | - Jinju Geng
- State Key Laboratory of Pollution Control and Resource Reuse, School of the Environment, Nanjing University, Nanjing, 210023, Jiangsu, People's Republic of China.
| | - Ke Xu
- State Key Laboratory of Pollution Control and Resource Reuse, School of the Environment, Nanjing University, Nanjing, 210023, Jiangsu, People's Republic of China
| | - Hongqiang Ren
- State Key Laboratory of Pollution Control and Resource Reuse, School of the Environment, Nanjing University, Nanjing, 210023, Jiangsu, People's Republic of China
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Nguyen PY, Carvalho G, Reis MAM, Oehmen A. A review of the biotransformations of priority pharmaceuticals in biological wastewater treatment processes. WATER RESEARCH 2021; 188:116446. [PMID: 33038717 DOI: 10.1016/j.watres.2020.116446] [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: 05/16/2020] [Revised: 08/19/2020] [Accepted: 09/22/2020] [Indexed: 05/18/2023]
Abstract
Wastewater effluent discharges have been considered as one of the main sources of synthetic chemicals entering into the aquatic environment. Even though they occur at low concentrations, pharmaceutically active compounds (PhACs) can have an impact on ecological toxicity that affects aquatic organisms. Moreover, new regulations in development toward preserving water quality reinforces the increasing need to monitor and abate some PhACs in wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs), where they are typically only partially eliminated. Unlike most previous reviews, we have focussed on how the main biological and chemical molecular factors impact the biotransformations of key PhACs in biological WWTP processes. Biotransformations have been found to be an important contributor towards the removal of PhACs from WWTP effluents. This review paper critically assesses these aspects and the recent advances that have been achieved in wastewater treatment processes for biodegradation of 7 PhACs; namely the non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug (NSAID) diclofenac (DCF); the macrolide antibiotics azithromycin (AZM), erythromycin (ERY) and clarithromycin (CLR); the two natural estrogens estrone (E1) and 17β-estradiol (E2), and the synthetic estrogen 17α-ethinylesradiol (EE2). These represent the micropollutants of the EU Watch list in Decision 2015/495/EU that are most relevant to WWTPs due to their frequent detection. The metabolic pathways, transformation products and impact of relevant factors to biological WWTP processes is addressed in this review. The biokinetics of PhAC biodegradation in different engineered bioprocesses is also discussed. Promising technologies and operational strategies that are likely to have a high impact on controlling PhAC releases are highlighted and future research needs are also proposed.
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Affiliation(s)
- P Y Nguyen
- UCIBIO, REQUIMTE, Departamento de Química, Faculdade de Ciências e Tecnologia, Universidade Nova de Lisboa, 2829-516 Caparica, Portugal.
| | - Gilda Carvalho
- Advanced Water Management Centre, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, QLD, 4072, Australia
| | - Maria A M Reis
- UCIBIO, REQUIMTE, Departamento de Química, Faculdade de Ciências e Tecnologia, Universidade Nova de Lisboa, 2829-516 Caparica, Portugal
| | - Adrian Oehmen
- School of Chemical Engineering, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, QLD, 4072, Australia.
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